A Frustration

Am I due for another rant yet?  I feel one coming on. 

How do you deal with things?  Do you confront issues head-on, or do you have a tendency to let things fester for the sake of a sense of "peace"?

I have a frustration that has been brewing for a few years among my own colleagues.  Too many ministers today can be said to be "non-confrontational." I've been watching as large churches and small churches refuse to move forward because the issues that are holding them back are not being confronted.  I'm listening to stories of friends and family that are considering finding a new church because their pastor won't stand up for them or their needs.  I'm witnessing staff members who limit ministry to their own abilities because their senior pastor won't push them to be more.

God, I pray that I don't become that insensitive and impotent.

Don't get me wrong, confrontation is hard.  It will give you the same sensation of trying to ask out a girl at age 12.  You get a pit in your stomach, break out in a cold sweat, your vision may blur, and you may feel like puking, and when it's all over you may not remember everything you said, but you know that it's something that needs to be done.  Confrontation is about justice.  Without justice, I believe that true peace is something you can't find.

BUT - the unwillingness to confront people is often justified by a minister's desire to keep the peace.  Let's take a step back and observe what happens...

I watch as a church member gets trampled by others.  Maybe they come to me, seeking my support.  I show concern, but refuse to act - what happens?  That church member loses confidence in me and possibly his or her church.  The perpetrators are allowed to continue in harmful ways and we become something other than the church God wills us to be.  Now, on the surface, it may look calm and peaceful, but underneath, people are harboring ill feelings, plotting revenge, and considering ways that they may exploit others to increase their own kingdoms.

Is it worth it?

I just heard a story this week of a family member who is considering leaving her church for another because one of my colleagues refuses to take corrective measures with a staff member.  Last week, it was another colleague telling me that he's relied on as an associate pastor to make all the confrontations for the senior pastor because the senior is unwilling.  Years ago, it was watching certain church members manipulate an entire church staff because there was no accountability from the senior pastor.  Before that, it was an entire staff leaving and a large number of members walking out the door because the senior pastor was an enabler to those with selfish ambition.

These kinds of stories hurt.  This is not the picture of what a church should be.  While we are a place that embraces all people and nurtures them, an important piece of that is accountability.  Yes, I know that not all battles are worth fighting and no, none of us should charge into a situation blindly and with unnecessary force.  However, when there is injustice, oppression, or exploitation, our action should be swift and sure.  If we as pastors (shepherds) are unable to protect the flock, then who will? 

The answer is no one.

A Praise

Let's start the day off on a high note.  I haven't posted in a few weeks because I've been busy - really busy.  It's been a good kind of busy with many conversations and teaching moments.  People are beginning to dream and seek vision for their lives and for their church.  That's tremendous news!

I'm reading several books right now: Andy Stanley, Ed Hammett, Kem Meyer, Mike Slaughter, and George Barna.  Every one of them has confirmed that we are on the right track and good things are going to happen.  I'm preaching on vision right now and I have to say that its been the topic that's gotten me the most excited and recieved the greatest response at Mt. Bethel to date.  And it's a good opportunity to preach some fun Old Testament stories too. 

Here's what I know:  God has a vision for every person and every church.  That vision is never death.  It is never the status quo either (sometimes you can't tell the two apart).  God's vision is of a promised land that we've never seen, dry bones that come to life, and a Kingdom without limitations.

Chasing that vision is hard work.  Sacrifices will be made.  But there is never a day of drugery when you have captured God's plan in your mind and you spend your energy working for its realization.

Are you wandering through life or do you know what God has in store for you?  Each of us has a part to play in the grand scheme of things - what's yours?  Is it, whatever it is, going unnoticed, un-pursued, and undone?

Jeremiah

Tonight marked one of my favorite nights of the year.  I piled into an auditorium in Athens, Georgia with a few thousand other people to witness a milestone for several people called into ministry.  Tonight, being the first night of annual conference, was the night of the ordination and commissioning service for the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church.

I love this service.  Last year was my year - Bishop Davis and other fellow bishops laid hands on me and instructed me to take authority as an Elder in the church.  My lay leader asked me tonight how well I remember last year and I told her that when I'm old and my mind is gone (I really hope not) there are a few events that I will remember and that is definitely one of them.

Tonight, I watched two of my very good friends, Stephen Walters and Geoff Grubbs come to the kneelers and the same authority was conveyed to them by the grace of God.  I'm excited for both of them, as well as the other friends and colleagues that took up this call to ministry and God's authority tonight.. 

As meaningful as witnessing this was, it wasn't the most meaningful part of the night for me.  Bishop Wandabula from the East Africa Conference delivered the sermon and despite his broken english, the message was clear and went straight to my heart.

The text that our bishop, Bishop Watson read and Bishop Wandabula preached was from Jeremiah 1.  This is the text that has challenged me and inspired me for the last two years and it's the call story from the Bible that I most associate with my own call to ministry.

You've either read my posts about Mt. Bethel, or if you know me, you've heard me talk about it at length.  This church is at what I would consider an important juncture in it's history (but what moment in the life of the church isn't of the utmost importance?).  As we stand at the crossroads, I see two distinct possibilities for this church:  one involves greatness - reaching the lost and caring for the least and seeing God's church prosper - the other involves defeat - continued complacency and eventually the agony of death.  While I would love to see the former and not the latter and while I would love to be the next Mike Slaughter or Kevass Harding, I know that the best I can do is to do what God tells me to do and say what God tells me to say (Jeremiah 1:7).

I find hope and comfort in the way that God called Jeremiah.  Never did God call Jeremiah, or anyone else for that matter, to do what he asked alone.  Simply put, God asks to use us as tools for transforming the world, one life at a time - the actual transformation and change is God's responsibility.  When I forget this, the pressure of ministry is crushing and the desire to see success is overwhelming. 

I was reminded of this tonight in the ordination service and also earlier by another good friend.  Stephen's brother, David Walters was asking me about Mt. Bethel.  I told him that I wasn't sure how things are going, but that I know I'm hearing from God and that I'm being faithful to what I'm hearing.  Without hesitation, he reminded me that my faithfulness was all that mattered (thanks David).

So I will continue to be true to my calling.  I truly believe that, like Jeremiah, God has appointed me "over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant" (Jer. 1:10).  I don't know yet what needs to be uprooted, torn down, destroyed, or overthrown.  I don't know yet what will be built or planted, but I'm anxious to see.  I continue to be hopeful and to pray that others will hear God's leading and pursue his plans for Mt. Bethel and for the world.

It is clergy and laypeople that are faithful and obedient that are changing East Africa right now.  It is the obedient that will change the world through God's power.  It is the faithful that will see the Kingdom come and not just recite some words about it when they pray the Lord's Prayer.

Some things have already been broken down and uprooted at Mt. Bethel.  New things have been planted and plans are being drawn up to build new things.  I don't know how people will respond when it gets down to the nitty-gritty, so I don't know how things will turn out, but I know where I stand and why I do what I do.

How are you answering the call?  Have you answered it at all?  God has a great plan for us, but the eventual outcome is most definitely up to YOU!

Pillar of Cloud, Pillar of Fire

Exodus 13:21-22(niv) - “By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire left its place in front of the people.”

God had spoken through Moses and through seven plagues, Pharoah relented, and the Israelites left Egypt by way of the Red Sea. They had been living in Egypt for generations – since the time of Joseph – long enough for the new king to not know about Joseph and his contributions (Exodus 1:8). As they were given their freedom from slavery, they went into the wilderness. This was a place they hadn’t been before. It was a totally new experience for them and probably very scary. In Exodus 14, we’re told that the Israelites, already in the wilderness, began to ask Moses why he had brought them to the desert to die!

Last night, something new started at Mt. Bethel.  We have formed a Core Leadership Team, comprised of 13 men and women - some in official leadership positions, others not, some "experienced" and some young, some long-time members, others not yet members.  It's beautiful to see them all gathered together and talking about the future of their church.  As I listened to wisdom and desire from each teammate, I felt as if I was reliving Pentecost - the Spirit was moving and was at work!

In the next few months, this new thing that has begun will gradually unfold in the congregation and the community.  The whole church will work to discern its priorities and God's vision for the future.  The next several months, and perhaps years, will be for us like it was for the Israelites entering the wilderness.  In some regards, I really hope it is (though I could do without people asking me why I've taken them out to the desert to die!).  We will find ourselves venturing out into uncharted territory.  It will be scary at times, and it will certainly be stressful for everyone.  BUT it will be exciting!  We will go places we never could have imagined as we go down paths we didn't know existed.  God will be with us and we will have one task that surpasses all others: to follow that pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night.

I think it's interesting that even though the journey was scary, stressful, and hard, God chose to lead people in this form.  Think about it: what do you need when you travel in the desert?  The coolness of shade in the day and warmth and light at night.  This means that even if the Israelites resisted, and they certainly did, they were dependent on following God for their own survival.  Hmmmmm....  Anybody else making any connections here?

I'm thrilled about the promise that's waiting at the end of the journey.  The hope, the spiritual prosperity, and the satisfaction that wait are great motivation for me.  If something is going to happen at Mt. Bethel, it began last night.  Stay tuned as it all unfolds.

Living Stones

Yesterday I heard something that disturbed me - in fact it made me see red. I discovered that one of our members has made some racist comments. In the past two years Mt. Bethel has become more diverse in its membership and we even recieved a 7-member African-American family into the congregation just a few weeks ago. Somehow, one of my members still thinks it's 1964. I didn't hear the comment directly and I'm partly glad about that. If I had been present, the situation wouldn't have been pretty.

This morning, I'm preaching from 1 Peter 2: 2-10. This is the text usually reserved for arguments about predestination, but I'm focusing more on other parts of the text today. Peter speaks of Christ being the living stone, rejected by the builders, but held precious by God and used as the capstone or cornerstone. Peter also suggests that we are living stones like Christ, constructed into a spiritual house.

Across history, stones have been assembled for different purposes. Some structures have been more permanent than others and each has had it's own purpose. I was captured this week by stories of structures that were designed for one purpose and eventually came to serve another - for instance, there are old Soviet bunkers and barracks in Eastern Europe that were once used to persecute Christians that are now being used for church houses.

I'm tired of hearing bigoted comments. This year's election of a new president has brought out more of those remarks than I believe I've heard in my previous 28 years of living. I've heard people that profess faith in Christ make some of the most damaging, hurtful comments in these last months and I've about had enough. Are we the church, or just another bunker? Are we the wall that keeps people out or are we the doorway to Christ?

Outside of praying and doing my best to preach and teach hope, peace, love, and harmony, I'm trying to figure out what to do about confonting certain narrowsightedness. If one of these living stones becomes a detriment, how long do you try to reshape it before you simply remove it? When that point comes, how do you remove it?

We Are Blind, but Soon We'll See

I'm working on a project and I have to tell you just how excited I am. This year I've spent considerable time working with Mt. Bethel's new Church Council Chairman. We've been talking about next steps for the church and how we can reorganize within to meet our current needs while also regearing for the ever expanding community around us. All of this is a particular challenge for our church - pastor after pastor and leadership team after leadership team has sought to make necessary changes and, unfortunately more often than not, the changes were fleeting. In the end, the congregation preferred the comfort of the way things were and new ideas, however well intentioned, were abandoned.

I guess you could say it's my turn. Bill, who is the greatest Council Chair in the history of Methodism, and I are assembling a core leadership team that will lead the entire congregation in visioning, refine that vision, and help the congregation to master that vision. I've been praying over the names for this team and I've begun thinking of them as my visioning ninjas. They're going to be our blackbelts who master the vision first and then help the congregation master it for themselves.

I'm really excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. It's my belief that for years Mt. Bethel, like so many other churches, has been wandering in the wilderness without any solid gameplan other than doing what our predecessors did. If we can generate a collective vision that is memorable and can be used in every instance of planning and evaluation in the church, we will begin to see the road God has laid out for us, stop wandering in the woods, and truly become the transformational agent to the world that Christ has ordained us to be.

Sunday, June 14th is our next Church Council meeting - there we will announce our plans for a two-day, church-wide "retreat" to develop our core values and our vision that we'll hold in August. Be in prayer for us, for me, for Bill, for the visioning ninjas. We need some of that amazing grace that helps even blind churches to see.

Has your church done something specific to determine vision that has actually worked? I'm not talking about a committee of rich, crusty people that put something on paper that really has no meaning to the congregation. What has your church done that has been more than a statement, but truly a sense of vision - of seeing what God has in store for you and gives the church a hunger to get it? Talk amongst yourselves and leave comments!
For more on my pastoral vision for Mt. Bethel read these posts (here), (here), (here), (here), (here), and (here).

Wow

Wow is about all I can say after watching this video.  A friend of mine, David Walters started a new church two years ago.  The Vine is what church should be.  The video speaks for itself.