Merging to a New Location

I recently had a conversation with my wife about maintaining two blogs. I have tended to keep this blog as the more serious one - the one in which I place the longer posts that I have spent some serious time and reflection on - and have recently started another blog to put some of my more random musings about sports, ministry and life in general.

Well, after this conversation, I have decided to merge my two blogs together. I won't be deleting this blog or its content any time soon, but I will most likely do all of my posting to one blog instead of separating my life into segments. At Random Thoughts in Ministry, you'll see a more wholistic picture of who I am, and perhaps that's a little bit of what blogging is about - putting yourself out there to let people read about some of your thoughts.

Let's be honest anyway... I've gotten lazy. I haven't posted anything original on this blog (apart from a couple of weeks of mild inspiration in April/May) in nearly a year. That being the case, hopefully, I'll get a fire lit under me once again. Hopefully, I can stop long enough in my busy day to day life to reflect seriously on some of the things that God has been saying to me. I'll probably still post my sermons and any other messages that I work on, but hopefully, I can open my ears once again to what God is saying to me on a daily basis.

For those that have been reading the sporadic posts on this blog, I certainly invite you to my new one, and for those that have maybe stumbled on this one... come on over and join the fun.

Just some final musings from a traveling pilgrim.

Fun Blog!!!

Okay, I have primarily been using this blog to post some of my more serious thoughts on things relating to theology, Scripture and other important things. Lately, I've been feeling the need to branch out a little more. As you can tell from the archive list, I get a serious writing bug every once in a while, but what about the less than serious stuff that I think about - and believe me, there is quite a bit of that! Well, in honor of my newfound writing bug, I've decided to start another blog. It can be found at: http://randomthoughtsinministry.blogspot.com/

I'm going to be using this blog for more of my day-to-day thoughts about a wide range of topics that are important to me - life with my lovely wife, food, St. Louis Cardinals, humor, movies, music and whatever else my pop into my head at the time.

Don't worry, I'll still be posting my serious thoughts on this blog, but as has been the case, the frequency will continue to be rather spotty. I might have something up by the end of the month. I've been reading through Jeremiah lately, and there is a lot of good stuff there. Also, a handful of adults will be going with 14 youth on a mission trip to Carthage, TX this coming Saturday, so I'm sure I'll have plenty to write about at the end of the month.

Running the Race

The following is the devotion that will be used at Racin' into Summer 2008, an event put on by Emmanuel Student Ministries on May 25th.

Acts 20:22-24

And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

In 1984, Derek Redmond from England broke the British record time in the 400m race at the age of 19. During the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea expectations were high; however, 10 minutes before the race, he was forced to withdraw due to an injury to his Achilles tendon. Over the course of the next year, Derek had 5 surgeries to repair the tendon. By the time the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain rolled around, Derek Redmond was a man on a mission. He was one of the best runners in the world and it was finally his time to prove it on an international stage.

In the semifinals, the top four runners advance to the finals. At the beginning of the race, Derek takes the lead, all he needs to do is maintain his pace and cruise right in to the Olympic finals. However, a little more than halfway through the race, he suddenly hears a pop and there is a sharp pain in his leg. Derek slows himself down and falls down onto the track, clutching his right hamstring. As the medical staff is coming onto the track with a stretcher, Derek tells them that there is no way he is getting on that stretcher, and is more determined than ever to finish the race. He slowly gets up and begins to hobble towards the finish line, each step more painful than the one before.

With a little more than 100 meters to go, Derek's father, who had run from the top of the stands all the way down to the track surface, comes alongside his son, wraps his arm around his son's waist, and tells him that they'll finish the race together. Because his father helped him to the finish line, Derek was disqualified from the race, and his name will never be in the record book as one who finished that race. But the image of a father coming alongside his hurting son and helping his boy finish the race will forever be one of the most inspirational moments in Olympic history.

Once he heard the pop, Derek knew that his chances of getting an Olympic metal were gone, but he never gave up the hope of finishing the race that he had started. Derek's name was never going to be in the record books, but that did not seem to matter to him. There was something deep within that was driving him to finish the race.

In Acts 20, the Apostle Paul is getting ready to leave the city of Ephesus after living there for three years. Paul knows that his time in that city is done, and he must return to Jerusalem. Now, this was a time when there were a lot of anti-Christian people around, especially in Jerusalem. Everyone, including Paul, knew that this was most likely going to be the last time they saw one another. Paul is certain that this will be the last time he speaks to the brothers and sisters in Ephesus, and he uses it as an opportunity to encourage them to live out their faith, regardless of the consequences.

In verse 22, Paul makes it pretty clear why he is leaving - he is compelled by the Spirit. He has this deep urge to travel to Jerusalem, even though he knows that he will likely be arrested and possibly killed for professing his faith. Have you ever felt compelled to do something? No matter how little sense it made, you felt a deep urge to do something, and you couldn’t explain why. That is what is going on here. Paul just knew that he had to go to Jerusalem, even though things were not going to be easy for him. But that didn’t matter because some things in life are so important that they cannot be ignored.

How many of you have been a part of something that was bigger than yourself? Maybe it is an athletic team, or maybe you’ve been on a mission trip, or maybe you’ve been a part of a musical group - something in which you had to be a part of a larger group, and it was important to you. Now, how many of you were a part of something so big, something that meant so much that you would be willing to face extreme difficulties, even to the point of death? That is what Paul is talking about here. Paul realizes that he is a part of something so much bigger than himself that even his own life pales in comparison.

Paul probably could have stayed in Ephesus and led a decent life. He did not have to continue his journey. He knew how difficult it was going to be; he knew what was waiting for him if he went to Jerusalem. Yet, he could do nothing else but go. He knew that in order to fulfill a call that was placed in his life, he had to go to Jerusalem. In verse 24, he says, “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me.” This call was so important to him that not fulfilling it would have made his life incomplete and worthless.

There are two types of calls. The first type of call is the general call. The general call is the call that God has for each person. It is a call to come to God. If you never answer that call, it doesn’t matter what else you do in life. God calls each one of us to a journey, and the first step is towards God. Without taking this first step, we wander around without purpose. You may be alive, but you aren’t really living. There is more to this world than what we see, and until we acknowledge that, we are walking around with blinders on.

The second type of call is the specific call. I can’t tell you what specific call has been placed in your life. But what I can tell you is that this call is out there. You will never really know what this call is until you start your journey with God. And sometimes, you may be on the journey for a long time before you hear the specific call. God’s timing is funny that way. It never happens on our time, but it always happens in time. All I can do is encourage you to be ready to listen. And when you do finally hear God’s quiet voice calling to you, go after it. Nothing else in this life is more important than going after that call. When you start going after the call that God has placed on your life, you will begin to understand why Paul went back to Jerusalem, in spite of the hard times that would undoubtedly be there.

Just some musings from a traveling pilgrim.

Missionaries in Today's Society

Last Sunday, we wrapped up Missions month at our church. We spent the month talking about local missions, individual calling, corporate calling and we finished off with a speaker who is serving as a missionary at Henderson Settlement in southeastern Kentucky. I think it was a great month. We focused a lot on what it means to be called to missions, but I think we also did a good job of emphasizing the fact that the mission field is no longer "out there," but that it is in our own backyard. This is a significant shift from years past.

I've been reading Postmodern Youth Ministry this month, and one of the key points in this book is that we need to shift from a community chaplain mindset to a missionary mindset. As much as people will claim that America is a Christian nation, it is not. People who are married and buried by the pastor are not necessarily Christians. The fact that 80% (or whatever the percentage may be) say they believe there is a God does not necessitate that we are a Christian nation - there are a lot of false idols and incorrect images of God throughout America, and I'm not speaking of theological differences here either.

The bottom line is this: we are no longer living in a society in which it is taken for granted that people will be in church on Sunday morning. We are living in a society that goes on its whims, and follows the latest trends from the "fashion forward" segments of the country. We are living in a non-Christian society. Don't get me wrong here. I'm not railing against American society. Sure, there's a lot that's wrong with it, but that's not my point right now. This is an honest assessment of the state of America - it is a secular nation. In other words, America is a mission field. That's the reality. Instead of bemoaning the fact that America is losing touch with its "Christian roots" - a fact that is certainly debatable - we should embrace the opportunity that is all around us.

What is it that missionaries do before going into the mission field? They learn the culture; they learn the language; they learn the customs. But do we do this? As Christians living in a secular American society, we have two choices: 1) we can learn the culture, language and customs, or 2) we can choose to isolate ourselves from the "evils of secular society." I think for too long, Christians have decided to do the latter. We have consciously decided to isolate ourselves in order to maintain the "purity" of the Christian faith. We have taken the "higher road" in order to be more holy in an unholy society. We have separated ourselves and failed to connect with our host culture.

Is this the way it has to be? Is there a way for Christians to become missionaries in a secular American society? Yes, but it won't be easy. There needs to be a mindset shift in order to accomplish this. We need to understand our society and we need to connect to it. There are elements that point to the need for a savior; we just need to understand those elements and speak the truth of the gospel into those situations. Shifting a mindset takes time. It takes significant time and a true commitment to do so. It is not easy, but it is possible. In fact, I believe all things are possible if we are open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. So the question is: are we ready to come to terms with the fact that America is a secular society? If the answer is yes, then we need to find a way to connect to our host culture. If the answer is no, then we are in for a long, hurtful and unproductive ministry in this mission field.

Just some musings from a traveling pilgrim.

To Be Loved...

I've always been facinated by church signs. In a blog long ago and far, far away, I used to make fun of some of the church signs that I came across in my travels (and by travels, I mean from Wilmore to Lexington on my way to work). The primary target of said blogs was the Unitarian Universalists. Mostly because of their "anything goes" attitude towards theology, but also because their signs were just easy pickens'. Today, I embark on a daring adventure to discuss the theological ramifications of another church sign. However, this blog will be a little different. Instead of being laced (or dripping, as the case may be) with sarcasm regarding the content of this particular church sign, I want to seriously reflect on what this sign says and the implications of this sign.

"To be loved, be lovable." Simple sign. Short, to the point, and theologically skewed. What is so wrong with this sign? First some quick background. I'm the associate pastor of a United Methodist Church. The UMC comes from the Anglican Church (aka the Church of England). It was founded by John and Charles Wesley who noticed that religion was having no real impact in 18th century England. They began open-air preaching and organizing new converts into groups that met regularly to hold one another accountable for spiritual growth and living the Christian life. One of the key emphases of Wesleyan theology is grace.

Grace is appropriated in the lives of people in a variety of ways. All grace is the same in the sense that it is from God, but how that grace is applied in people's lives is what differs. Prevenient grace, the grace that comes before salvation, is what prepares a non-Christian to receive the good news of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When prevenient grace is appropriated in the life of a non-Christian, through the work of the Holy Spirit, he/she comes to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. The key component of prevenient grace is the fact that Jesus' sacrifice on the cross is universal in the sense that it is available to all people. What is the key point in this part of the discussion? Prevenient grace is grace that comes before salvation. It is grace at work in the life of somebody that is loved by God in spite of the fact that this person failed to acknowledge the lordship of Jesus Christ.

John 3:16, the often cited and rarely read sign that is found at sporting events, says, "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Notice it says that God loved the world. It does not say that God loved the lovable. Do you see the difference here? If we are supposed to be loved by being lovable, then what does this say about God? We are supposed to love the unlovable, regardless of the fact that they are unlovable. If we are to live out God's prevenient grace in the lives of other people, then we need to love them inspite of themselves, not because they are lovable.

Just some thoughts from a traveling pilgrim.

Playboys and Abandonment Issues...

A while back, when and where exactly I don't remember, I came across a quote from John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement in the 18th century, which he basically said that not building mature disciples is merely begetting babes for the slaughter. The idea is that if people come to accept Christ, and we fail them by not discipling them into mature disciples, they are defenseless babies in an anti-Christian world. They are ill prepared for the tricks of the Tempter and are easy prey. Did you ever watch one of those nature shows on hyenas? They always go after the littlest wildebeest. Why is that? Because they are a whole lot easier to catch. Did you ever notice what tends to happen when the adults hang around and protect the child? It almost always escapes its fate of being the next filet mignon for the jokers of the animal kingdom.

I'm currently reading Postmodern Youth Ministry by Tony Jones. Now, while the format tends to drive me a little bonkers (it's is the epitome of postmodern literary formats - atypical and slightly weird), the nice thing is that there are occasional quotes from people who clearly read the manuscript and have an opportunity to throw in their thoughts along the way. At one point, Tony talks about going to an evangelism conference and sharing the Four Spiritual Laws with a person at a local mall. The person decided that it made sense and prayed the canned prayer at the end of the booklet. There was a place on the back of the booklet for someone to write down the name and number of a local church. Tony, not being from the area, left that space empty. He did not know of any churches near the mall. He says that he felt guilty for doing that. He has no way of knowing whether or not this person actually went on to live a redeemed Christian life.

Rudy Carrasco has a quote at this point in the book: "In urban ministry, we call this the 'gospel playboy' approach. The gospel playboy makes spiritual babies but then abandons them, leaving them spiritually orphaned. Just as real-life playboys leave children fatherless, gospel playboys also hurt new believers when they fail to connect them to the Body of Christ" (PMYM, 122).

Wow. I mean... wow... What a great analogy though. People are making spiritual babies, then leaving them alone to fend for themselves. We are so driven by the numbers game in today's churches, so obsessed with the idea that everybody has to hear the gospel and accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, that we develop these evangelistic tools that eventually do nothing but create spiritual babies, then we abandon them because they are "saved." Even hyenas take care of their young. Sure, they may be scavengers and heartless killers of cute, innocent little wildebeests, but at least they take care of their young. Are we doing that? Are we caring for the spiritual babies that we've produced, or are we leaving them unprotected in a world full of hyenas?

Just some musings from a traveling pilgrim.

I'm Not Sure I Can Eat Six Pieces...

For whatever reason, today I have been reflecting on worldview. So much of what we do is directly affected by our worldview, but we often fail to acknowledge this simple fact, or presume that we exist outside of our worldview, which is a worldview unto itself. But first things first, what is a worldview?

The American Heritage dictionary refers to a "worldview" as " 1) The overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world. 2) A collection of beliefs about life and the universe held by an individual or a group" (according to http://dictionary.reference.com/). If you want a more drawn out, and potentially incorrect, definition of "worldview" check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_view I can't verify the material there, and, quite frankly, don't feel like reading it myself right now. You're going to have to make the call on that one.

Basically, a worldview is a matrix by which we see all the things that we see, and do all the things that we do. It is the cognitive filter that we have unknowingly placed on our lives through a type of cultural learning that all people go through as they live life in a given culture. Whether we recognize it or not, we have a worldview. But sometimes, if we actually take the time to examine our beliefs (which many people do not), we can sometimes step outside of our worldview, if only for a little while, and that is where the fun begins.

I heard a story the other day about a guy who ordered a pizza from the local pizza place. The person behind the counter asked him if he wanted his pizza cut into four pieces or six . The man replied, "I'm not too sure that I could eat six pieces. Better cut it into four." Worldview is a matter of perspective. Six pieces of pizza sound like a lot more than four. It is a matter of perspective. You see, when we can step outside of our own personal biases and begin to see another's point of view, we can offer up a valid critique of the situation. It is only when we have reached the point of seeing beyond the black and white of our own dogmatic positions that we can really step out and grow as people, especially as people of faith.

Just some musings from a traveling pilgrim.