Why?

New definition for Black Friday? Is it now to be a day of mourning? Has the American pursuit of mammon gotten to the point now where common courtesy and civil interaction with people are less important than getting that deal? This is why I never shop on this day. No deal/gift/item is worth the hassle.

There is another reason. If my loved ones can not deal with missing that special thing I just HAD to get my hands on for them, perhaps I am not understanding what loved one really means? Perhaps I would be missing what the real gift is?

Painting: Woman With A Mourning Shawl, VanGogh

Shall we return to a time when...

I am wondering if it is time to return to a time of the class meeting. There is a bunch of talk of emerging church, etc., but do we really just need a good old fashion re-emergenace? So here is the first part and 5 of the "such as" of the General Rules of the "United Societies" organized by Mr. Wesley. Do we need to update any of the language for our time? Do you think you could survive an accountability class meeting? What do you think? Shall we start them up again?

...



There is only one condition previously required of those who desire admission into these societies, a "desire to flee from the wrath to come, and to be saved from their sins." But wherever this is really fixed in the soul, it will be shown by its fruits. It is therefore, expected of all who continue therein that they shall continue to evidence their desire of salvation,


First, by doing no harm, by avoiding evil of every kind, especially that which is most generally practiced, such as:

• The taking of the Name of God in vain,


• The profaning [of] the day of the Lord, either by doing ordinary work therein, or by buying or selling.


• Drunkenness, or drinking spirituous liquors unless in cases of necessity.


• Fighting, quarreling, brawling; brother going to law with brother; returning evil for evil, or railing for railing.


• The use of many words in buying or selling.

Broken.

I’ve experienced a rash of brokenness within one week!

1. One car driven by son meets deer in road at 40mph.
2. Second car driven by other son meets rear end of another vehicle.
3. Fancy glass faux alabaster touchier lamp shade meets wall.
4. Rug cleaner stops working on the weekend I finally have available to use it (this is related to number 3).
5. Newly purchased low price old replacement car rear window meets disconnected pressure washer hose end (a smashing experience).
6. My normally mild temperament broken with lashing out at my loved ones.

Thankfully, there were no personal physical injuries involved in these. Some money for repairs and a new vehicle (well, a lot of money), some money for a new shade, some money for auto insurance, some money for a little Plexiglas/weather strips and some money for a new rug cleaner. 1 through 5 solved.

For number 6, some apologies and forgiveness and understanding from the family and some grace from above given to me for the asking…. priceless.

Lord, you are surely worthy to be praised!

Simple Church

In my first blog post, I mentioned I would talk about it later. It’s later. On that camping trip, I did finish reading Simple Church: Returning to God's Process for Making Disciples by Thom S. Rainer and Eric Geiger. The target audience, it seems, is the every busy, program loaded, church leading, non-itinerant ministry pastor or church leader. (How’s that for a mouthful!) That is not to say I did not learn some things from the book, though.

The subtitle reveals the theme of the book, process. Process is not something new to me. I live and breathe all kinds of processes at work and have even help develop quite a few. I get process. The authors are introducing process to pastors and church leaders who have not had the opportunity to experience “process”.

Their process for making Disciples is Clarity-Movement-Alignment-Focus. In a nutshell, it is to be clear about your Church’s discipleship making goals, define a simple process to explain your church’s discipleship process, and implement it (Clarity). Keep people moving through the steps in the process (Movement). Align all your church ministries to the process (Alignment). Don’t be sidetracked by anything that is not the process and learn to say NO (Focus). Of course, the idea here is to create a unity to the discipleship process among the church members at every level, worship, small group, service ministry, building policy, generational, etc.

I did see some of Wesley’s Methodism concept in it, along the lines of Christianity is a life long process moving toward perfection, setting up the class meetings, etc. But I do not think Wesley had published process illustrations and alignment charts nor graphed the membership levels in the various process steps.

There was a lesson in making sure your church ministries are not busy using precious resources chasing after cherished pet projects that are not working. Nor should new projects be starting that are not supportable given your existing membership. After all, it does take a kernel of existing members to grow a ministry. If all your members are already producing fruit, can a new ministry succeed without another ministry wilting?

Beyond all that, I think discipleship is too messy to be defined in a simple process. The discipleship process seems to be an individual thing guided along by the Spirit. When the Spirit is leading Yes We Can is in order, even if the process says no. Bsides, God already defined the ultimate process.

Truth

It comes up all the time in my discussions with non-believers or doubters. Truth is relative. The Bible is myth. The Bible is mistaken. The Scriptures are culturally biased and therefore wrong. Barbarian men wrote it. etc. I'm sure you have heard it, too.

What is at the truth of it? Can't say I know for sure, but I will offer an opinion. I think it is an unwillingness to submit to God as the author of truth. It is really not different than the Garden of Eden sin, is it?

The thought of not "knowing" means "their" control is gone, when control was never theirs. It was given as a gift. For some, this drives the thought of God so far away, that a declaration of independence is issued. This is when you hear things like, "all truth is relative", for if truth is relative, then truth is not real.. It also takes the form of a never-ending search for truth in academia, or relentless attempts to acquire power, or the desire to control one another, or the pursuit of wealth at the expense of others. As those of us who believe already know, real Truth is not in these things. These are things of the world and many facts of life are evident in these things but real truth will never be found in these things. You may acquire facts or power or control or wealth, but the real Truth will elude you until you allow God to have it. Let God have the truth. This is the real Truth, the Truth that will set you free.

Painting: What Is Truth? By Nikolai Ge

I feel better now.

Now this makes me feel more like a real Unitied Methodist.

Thank you, Bishops!

Am I a Methodist?

I voted. I did not vote for Obama. Now I am wondering if I am a Methodist. I read the Bishops’ statement, this and other articles from the UMC news feed, and I wonder....am I really a United Methodist?

I fully understand and appreciate the significance and history of the election of a black person to the presidency of the USA. I am very proud that our country has reached one of many pinnacles that are there for this country and celebrate that my country reached the pinnacle of electing a black person as president! But to me, this election was never about electing a person of “race”. When I read these articles, it makes it seem like that is the important thing.

My political belief is one that supports personal responsibility. My first responsibility is to God, then to my country. As such, I did not think that Obama’s policies support that concept. In my opinion, Obama’s policies tended to have my county force the responsibility instead of allowing me to choose my responsibility. I am not bothered nor elated about who won. God is the center, and God was not on the ballot and God’s will be done.

This quote from the Bishops’ statement emphasized in the UMC news feed bothers me:

“We applaud your willingness to articulate a vision of change for the United States that is based on hope for all the people, especially those who are disinherited and disenfranchised.”

This implies, in my opinion, that my vote was not supporting the same thing. I do not think that this is what was intended by that statement, but it does trouble me. It makes it seem like the Bishops think if I did not vote for Obama, I believed otherwise. As a Lay Leader at my Church, one of my responsibilities is to teach about the connection aspects in the UMC. If I did not vote Obama, can I do that now? Perhaps if I read the entire statement, I might think otherwise? But I do not know the entire statement. Am I a proper United Methodist Lay Leader?

Another emphasized quote:

“Throughout his campaign, Obama refused to reject his ethnicity. At the same time, he refused to let it define him.”

Is the UMNS emphasizing that which we as Methodists already knew? The tone of the article is one that implies we Methodists who did not vote for Obama did not already know this. The article also seems to imply that if I did not vote for Obama, that I did not think that social justice issues are important. It even implies that because my uncertainty of Obama’s readiness to lead, I am acting in a racist manner. This is evident in the quote:

“Obama is "mysterious," "we know little about him" and on and on. So race in America is still an issue.”

Race was not the issue to me, but the quote troubled me.

Rev. Adam Hamilton’s article at least acknowledged the personal responsibility aspects of Obama’s policies, but I am still troubled by some of his other statements.

I am still left with the thought: Am I really a United Methodist?

polls Polls POLLS AHHHH!

Take a look at the definition for poll. For something like 22 months, all we have heard about is polls. I am ready to take definition number 6 and promptly apply it to my definition 5! But today it’s finally over (although after the election 8 years ago…maybe over today?). Our country picks new people to govern.

Some may find assurance in the results, some may not. One thing true for me is that assurance does not come from polls and elections. I find assurance in the strangely warmed heart…as Wesley put it:

"I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation, and an assurance was given me that He had taken my sin, even mine." - from Wesley's Journal

This is the kind of assurance I vote for, no matter who wins elections.

Artwork: Monet, Grainstack (Sunset).

Fall Back...

What do I do with an extra hour? Do I sleep in? Do I wake an hour earlier?

Right now I go with wake an hour earlier. I need the extra time to prepare for the Sunday School lesson. The author of our current teacher book quarterly is one I’ve done before, and quite frankly, he and I just do not connect on the same “teacher’s plane of thought”. It’s just one of those things, I suppose. I can tell from the class responses, I just do not seem to be connecting when I use this material. Other authors, I can whip up a lesson in no time and with enthusiastic response. Thank you, Lord, for offering different authoring of the student’s book. I am leaning more on that material than the teacher’s manual.

It is time like these that I long for an alternate or co-teacher, who may see the material in a different light, a different experience than I. What are you teaching me Lord?

Picture: Van Gough, Portrait of Dr. Gachet