You can't mean me!

I had an opportunity to fill a pulpit this past Sunday at church. Here is my short summary.

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We start with Jonah, a prophet of Israel, given a task by God to call the ruthless, warmongering, heathen Assyrians of Nineveh to repentance. That’s the enemy!

We continue with a prophet and probably a patriot of Israel, attempting to flee in the other direction on a slow boat to Spain, manned by heathen captain and crew. Now, add a raging storm and prayers from heathens to their idol gods. Add the heathen captain preaching to a sleeping Jonah, “pray to your god!” says the captain to Jonah.

Who is the prophet in this book?

The heathen sailors try to save Jonah’s life. The heathen crew pray to God and make vows to continue. The heathen of Nineveh, including the King, turn to God. Everyone turns to God. But where is Jonah, the prophet of Israel? Jonah remains angry. Jonah is sitting on a hill outside of Nineveh. Jonah, a prophet of Israel, remains sitting on a hill in the dry wind, angry.

What I learned?
1. I am Jonah at times.
2. The Word of God might speak to me from anyone.
3. I do not want to stay Jonah sitting in a dry wind.
4. I pray I recognize “Nineveh”s when God gives them.

An Arm Waving Moment

During our annual charge conference, I was given an opportunity to give a report as Lay Leader about our congregation over the past year. I somehow forgot that I might be called upon to provide a report and did not “prepare” anything. Low and behold, I was called to provide a report. I reported how over the time as a member of this wonderful community of believers, I have seen growth in trying to reach out beyond our walls into the world. Our stewardship was improved. We were able to change events from budget meeting to needs meeting. Our fund raising events changed from budget crisis to raising funds for the Advance, UMCOR, Habitat for Humanity, our local Methodist agency (Open Door), and others.

We also started a building project to increase the size of our fellowship hall. I related that I do not “know” what mission (beyond our church fellowship needs) this new building project will bring, but I was sure that there was a mission coming. I could see it and feel it in our congregation. While I said this, I started waving my arms around (unconscientiously) as if to emphasize the spirit flowing among our congregation. Well our rather observant DS took note of my arm movements and continued to use this as an example a number of times after this!

I initially did not know what she meant, but realized after her reference, I had waved my arms around! How wonderful! Isn’t the Spirit like that? Flowing around, waving between believers, flowing in the community, moving, like the rushing of the wind and flames dancing even upon the unintentional movement of a lay leader's arms in an extemporaneous moment. Praise the flow of the Spirit!

Painting: “Women Waving”, by Sharon Hodgson.

What Me Worry?

So here it is....

Matthew 6:25–34 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? …

1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

I know these things. I trust in the Lord. But, my retirement accounts are looking like the big drop on the world’s largest roller coaster. But I see layoffs of my co-workers with hundreds more coming over the next year. But I see my project winding down to nothing early next year. But I see no new projects coming in the new year or next.

But...but…but…BUT WHY DO I STILL WORRY!

Sigh…Time for casting that anxiety with serious prayer and petition, starting with the thanks for what God has provided.

Image: Alfred E. Neuman by Norman Mingo

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.