tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68155410197378159782024-02-06T22:41:10.310-05:00Thoughts from the Pastor's MoleskineChurch and life in central VirginiaAdamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577314226852684362noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6815541019737815978.post-16279962060119908202017-09-09T22:00:00.000-04:002017-09-09T22:10:00.177-04:00Review of "Love Big, Be Well" by Winn CollierAs a pastor, I read all sorts of books. Some are books of the trade - commentaries or leadership books that help me teach, preach, and serve my congregation well. Other books are sources of inspiration; I seek to be inspired by stories that challenge me and move my soul to action. And still other books are works that feed the spirit, strengthening me and encouraging me while engaging my mind and touch my heart. This last category is the type of book I most need, for it is the type of book that adds color to my days and meaning to my life.<br />
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Love Big, Be Well: Letters to a Small-Town Church falls into this last, and most important, category for me. When I received the book, I set it aside for a moment of leisure; it struck me upon receipt as a fun read, enjoyable in the same way I have found other books like Phillip Gulley's Harmony series and Patrick Taylor's Irish Country Doctor series to be enjoyable - and it was. Yet as I turned the pages and immersed myself in the series of letters written by a pastor to his flock (in a context I recognized intimately, because of both geographic and cultural nearness), I found myself engaging the story on a deeper level. It was not just an entertaining story well-told. It was a vessel for ultimate considerations: life and death; friendship and social dislocation; community cohesiveness and external threats; God and humanity. I came to know and love the characters, in part because I saw myself and others I know and love in them. Their lives seemed real to me, because they reflect a life I know and can identify with.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8o0fuiYXBJkd2F-VIsvE6uQWmlCZeJr3EytCe4Uh2WWrFEVguLC8N3zPVd3_AWSQt6jUmG4kgwF9EapWFJipGiAMC0AK1RbDlutrL4YyfdzJIM4rDsFNdj-DTI5cfSL_WpLEYdFEoCon/s1600/Love+Big+Be+Well.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8o0fuiYXBJkd2F-VIsvE6uQWmlCZeJr3EytCe4Uh2WWrFEVguLC8N3zPVd3_AWSQt6jUmG4kgwF9EapWFJipGiAMC0AK1RbDlutrL4YyfdzJIM4rDsFNdj-DTI5cfSL_WpLEYdFEoCon/s320/Love+Big+Be+Well.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Winn Collier's newest book is a deceptive gem. It came wrapped in a slim paperback cover, suitable for throwing in a bookbag and reading in a hammock. I should know; that is what I did on a recent vacation. Yet as I turned the pages, I not only found myself enthralled as I would with any story well-told, but also thinking back on the words I had read long after the book was closed and set to the side.<br />
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Who is this book for? Pastors and church members, yes - but also many more. Read this book if you wish to hear good news in an approachable format. Read this book if you want to meet folks you'll already recognize. Read this book if you have even just a few hours - because they will be hours well spent.<br />
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(Please note that I received this book as a complimentary review copy, with the request that I submit a fair and impartial review.)<br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I'll be purchasing a copy to give away through my blog! If you would like to be entered in the drawing, go to my Facebook page (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/ThoughtsFromThePastorsMoleskine/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/ThoughtsFromThePastorsMoleskine/</a></span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and like and share the post by October 15 to help spread the word about Winn's book. Winner will be announced in time to have the book shipped to their home from Amazon.</span>Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577314226852684362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6815541019737815978.post-66928420259332740072017-08-22T16:44:00.001-04:002017-08-22T16:44:23.886-04:00The Church and a World of Hate<i>Note: This post was written as a newsletter article.</i><br />
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On
August 12, 2017, a large protest took place in Charlottesville. Prompted by the proposed removal of a statue
of Confederate general Robert E. Lee, white supremacists and self-described
Nazis came into town to march, shouting racist epithets and anti-Semitic
slogans. Counter-protestors from local
churches and civil rights groups, as well as outside groups like Black Lives
Matter and Antifa, also marched in the streets of Charlottesville. Clashes inevitably occurred, and at the end
of the day dozens of people were injured and one counter-protestor, Heather
Heyer, was murdered. Two Virginia state
troopers who were helping with the police response also died in a helicopter
crash.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Public
discourse in the intervening days has been harsh. President Trump and former President Obama
have been blamed, Nazis and counter-protestors alike have been vilified, and otherwise
friendly neighbors have been at each other’s throats. I even heard a friend, a self-identified
Christian, claim that the people on the other side should have been shot. Battle lines have been drawn, and it appears
that our culture is continuing to tear itself apart. In the face of such division and hate, what
can we as Christians do? What can we as
Christ’s church do?</div>
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First,
we can be clear on this fundamental truth:
God is not racist, and thus the church should not endorse or even
tolerate racism. The apostle Paul tells
us in Romans that “there is no difference between Jew and Gentile – the same
Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him” (Rom. 10:12). He
goes further in Galatians to say “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is
neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all
one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). The book of James calls favoritism a sin
(James 2:9), and the book of Revelation tells us that at the end of all things,
in God’s perfect kingdom realized on earth as it is in heaven, people from
every nation and tribe and tongue will be joined together before the throne of
God (Rev. 7:9-10). If we pray every
week, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” then
racism has no place in the life of the Christian or the church, and we need to
say so.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The
second way we can respond is to actually do what Jesus commands us to do: love our enemies. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells his
followers, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and
hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love
your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Mt. 5:43-44) Far too often, the world says
that those who are different than us, those who oppose us, and especially those
who hurt us are to be struck back at hard.
Jesus does things differently. We
are to love those who are opposed to us.
I’m not quite sure what that looks like when you’re talking about street
fighting and Nazis, but it at the least means not hating our enemy’s guts, seeing
them as a child of God even when we don’t respect their ideas, and not seeking
their harm. We don’t have a choice in
the matter – it’s what Jesus explicitly told us to do.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A third
and final way that we can respond to the tragedy of Charlottesville is to do
what we can to actually live out our faith.
I can’t tell you how often I’ve lamented the state of things in the
world, in our country, in our society. I
also can’t tell you how often I’ve heard members of our church say the same
thing. But what are we doing about it? Most of the time, in fact, we do the exact
same thing as everyone else; we divide up into sides, cut ourselves off from
the other, and demonize anyone who is different than us. That’s how the world works, and we go right
along with the world. But what if we
didn’t do that? What if we actually
lived differently – pursuing the good of everyone, loving our enemies, standing
up for the weak, supporting initiatives that promote unity and justice no
matter who suggests them? What if we
stopped identifying as liberals or conservatives, Republicans or Democrats, and
just identified as followers of Jesus?
Would we do things differently? I
sure hope I would – and I sure hope you would as well. It’s not an easy thing to do – Jesus tells
his disciples that following him is like picking up our own cross and following
him to death (Mt. 16:24) – but it is the path of Christian faithfulness. And do you know what? When we live that way, when we set aside our
other allegiances and identities and strive to live like Jesus, we find that
other people notice, and we’re making a difference in our own little corner of
the world.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A week and a half ago, events in Charlottesville highlighted yet again the sinful
divisiveness of our society and the fundamental evil that is racism. In the face of such evil, the church and the
Christian has a responsibility to live as the people of God. How are we living out our faith? What are we saying? And what are we doing to try to heal our
community and our world?</div>
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In
Christ,<o:p></o:p></div>
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Adam<o:p></o:p></div>
Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577314226852684362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6815541019737815978.post-44133638463458638232017-07-05T13:28:00.001-04:002017-07-05T13:30:36.572-04:00A Call to Prayer - for Kim Jong-un?<div class="MsoNormal">
This morning began the way most mornings start around my
house: the dog woke me up to let him
outside, I stumbled into the kitchen to start the coffee, and I started
glancing through the paper. For me, that
paper is the <i>Washington Post</i>, and it
comes directly to my iPad this morning, so I didn’t even have to leave the
house to see what had happened in the world while I was asleep.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The top story in the <i>Post</i>,
as it was in most papers and on most newscasts this morning, was about the July
4<sup>th</sup> missile test in North Korea and the combined response of the
United States and South Korea. I learned
little new – I had seen the story cross my Facebook newsfeed several times the
night before – but this morning something else happened: I heard from God.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now, I readily admit this is not a normal occurrence for me,
at least not in this form. While I am a
person of deep and abiding faith, my experience of spirituality through the
years has not been overly full of conscious revelations and inner
promptings. God often speaks to me
through the teachings of Scripture and the sense of peace or discomfort I
experience through time in prayer. This
morning, though, there was a “still, small voice,” as they say, in my
head. I read the headline and the first
few sentences and the phrase flashed through my head, entirely unbidden: “Love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you.”</div>
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I wish I could say that my first action upon recognizing
those words of Jesus from Matthew 5:44 was to drop to my knees and start
lifting up Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s dictator, in prayer. Honestly, though, I didn’t pay them much
mind. I sat my iPad down, rolled over,
and went back to sleep for about 20 minutes.
When I awoke, though, the words kept coming back to me. “Love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you.” Was North Korea my
enemy? I feel for the people of North
Korea, but I hold them no personal animosity.
The government in Pyongyang, however, is certainly an adversary of my
country and no friend to those who profess Christianity. It consistently ranks near the top of most
surveys of the worst perpetrators of human rights violations in the world, and Open
Doors USA, an organization committed to serving the persecuted church, puts it
as the number one most oppressive place in the world for Christians. The supreme leader of the state, Kim Jong-un,
promotes a brutality inside the borders of his country and endangers the
geopolitical balance in the region in ways that threaten millions. In recent weeks, given the ongoing oppression
highlighted in the tragedy of Otto Warmbier and the ongoing nuclear and missile
tests, there can be little doubt that the North Korean regime and its head, Kim
Jong Un, are the enemy, not just of the United States, but of much of the rest
of the world. I have no love for the
dictator and his minions, none at all.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And then…I hear this word from God. There’s no debating it – the words are
written right there in my Bible, red letters and all. My calling as a follower of Jesus Christ, and
the calling of every Christian, is to love our enemies and pray for those who
persecute us. It’s what Jesus
taught. It’s what he did, even as he
hung dying on a cross. And, according to
the story of Saul/Paul on the Damascus Road, it’s what Jesus did when those
oppressed were the church. If I claim to
follow Jesus, and I do, don’t I have to at least try to live up to that
example?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Indeed I do. It is my
responsibility, my calling as a Christian, to pray for my enemies and those who
persecute the innocent and the people of God…even when that enemy is Kim Jong-un. Eventually, it’s my call to love him
– but I’m not there yet. But I can pray. I can pray that Kim Jong-un comes to
understand that his actions are hurting him and his people in the long
run. I can pray that Kim Jong-un will
come to care about others, even those he disagrees with, so that he will stop
torturing them and executing them. I can
pray that Kim Jong-un will realize his tremendous responsibility to provide
sane and compassionate leadership for his people who suffer under his
policies. I can pray that Kim Jong Un
will become aware that there is a better way than missiles and bombs and
torture and threats…the way of peace.
And, most of all, I can pray that Kim Jong-un will come to experience
Jesus just as Saul once did, because if he does, if he truly does, then God can
transform him. And even if I pray and
none of that comes to pass, it will have been effective, because I might just
come to love my enemy, as Jesus commands.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Some of the things Jesus commands us to do are almost
impossible, things like loving Kim Jong-un.
But can we at least start with something a little simpler? Can we start by praying for him?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<a href="http://www.moleskine.com/msk.php?display=wizard&page_url=[URL%20page%20of%20individual%20post]" target="_blank"><img alt="Print it in Moleskine MSK format" border="0" src="https://www.moleskine.com/img/msk_icon.gif" /></a>Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577314226852684362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6815541019737815978.post-5871697910080083842015-10-23T13:52:00.000-04:002015-10-29T15:04:21.990-04:00A Big Tent for God's Mission<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">In 1957, Billy Graham and his evangelistic organization set
out to do something amazing:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>they wanted
to hold one of Graham’s Crusades in New York City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recognizing the diversity of the city, and
noting the relative lack of traditionally evangelical partners, Billy Graham’s
organization decided to partner with all sorts of churches in New York:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Catholic and Protestant, liberal and
conservative, black and white.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">This did not sit well with some of Graham’s most influential
supporters in the South.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bob Jones Sr.
denounced Graham as “saving souls only to send them to theologically corrupt
churches…and students at Bob Jones University were forbidden to pray for the
crusade’s success.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such division was
enflamed further by Graham inviting Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. to give the
opening prayer one night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Staunch
Christian conservatives and evangelicals, traditionally Graham’s most loyal
base of support, began to condemn him as a sellout.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-large;">Billy Graham, however, was not deterred.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On April 3, 1957, he told the National
Association of Evangelicals, “Our New York Campaign has been challenged by some
extremists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would like to make myself
clear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I intend to go anywhere,
sponsored by anybody, to preach the Gospel of Christ, if there are no strings
attached to my message.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-large;">That is what
Graham did in New York, and over ninety-seven days that summer, 1.941 million
people attended the services, with over 56,000 decisions for Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the largest evangelistic effort in the
nation’s history, and one of the most successful.</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Adam/Documents/Blog/A%20Big%20Tent%20for%20Gods%20Mission.docx" name="_ftnref1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL3h4KBYkDO2ans-h95yUIMRAdD-uP2MVL0W3v4T50hEmS2J6FbshcaFAaY-JeOvuv6pfDAEsLBJ9pM-rRo3um-CC3QAduINKgdTn7RO1F0dnej-HpndxSc6m4N6HepYSYlb6D-6L34di0/s1600/Billy+Graham+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL3h4KBYkDO2ans-h95yUIMRAdD-uP2MVL0W3v4T50hEmS2J6FbshcaFAaY-JeOvuv6pfDAEsLBJ9pM-rRo3um-CC3QAduINKgdTn7RO1F0dnej-HpndxSc6m4N6HepYSYlb6D-6L34di0/s320/Billy+Graham+1.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-large;">God’s people work best together when we focus on God’s
mission, but when we start putting each other down and denouncing each other as
being unorthodox or heretical, we find that that we start to fail as effective
agents of God’s kingdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-large;">The apostle
Paul knew this when he wrote to quarrelling churches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is why he spoke so strongly for unity in
the church, as he did in Corinth (1 Cor. 1:10-13) and Ephesus (Ephesians 4:1-6).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His advice to his protégé Titus included this
bit of godly wisdom:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“But avoid foolish
controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because
these are unprofitable and useless.”</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Adam/Documents/Blog/A%20Big%20Tent%20for%20Gods%20Mission.docx" name="_ftnref2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Arguing about differences of belief
accomplishes nothing for God’s kingdom, because it distracts us from our
purpose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God’s call to his people is
unite together around the Gospel message, proclaim the Good News in word and in
deed, and do everything we can to help God’s kingdom advance into our world.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">This is why I have chosen to most fully identify with the
Baptist General Association of Virginia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I still remember gathering with Virginia Baptists in Charlottesville,
Virginia, in May 2002, soon after I started feeling a call to ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We heard the vision of Kingdom Advance, a
plan for mission and ministry that was all about what we agree on as
Baptists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In that room were Baptists
from across the theological spectrum, yet we agreed on one thing:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God was calling us to continue the work of
his Son, share the Gospel, bless the world, and serve others.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Three years later, I was ordained and began
my own pastoral ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a decade,
I have served two Virginia Baptist churches, and what mattered most to them was
what mattered most to Virginia Baptists:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>serving God and advancing the kingdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That’s just who we are, and everything else is secondary.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">That commitment to God’s kingdom mission is why I’ve
remained involved in Virginia Baptist life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s why I’ve served two terms on the Virginia Baptist Mission Board,
now the Mission Council.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s why I accepted
a nomination this year to stand for election as second vice president of the
BGAV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it’s why I am looking forward
to this annual meeting, as I do each year:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>because I get to hear how God has been at work through Virginia Baptists
around our state and our world, shepherding people on the road of faith,
healing the sick, feeding the poor, serving the homeless, raising up leaders,
and proclaiming the Gospel.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-large;">Yet the danger is always there:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the danger to quarrel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The BGAV has always been a big tent for
followers of Jesus in Virginia and beyond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our ranks are filled with people who exercise their God-</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-large;">given freedom to
interpret the Bible and walk intimately with God, and that means we have a wide
divergence of views on any number of theological issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And to be honest, that’s beautiful!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can learn so much from one another, and
help one another draw closer to God.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-large;">But
our diversity has a shadow side – because it tempts us to take our eyes off of
what unites us and turn them to what divides us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Giving in to that temptation can do no good
for the BGAV or, more importantly, the kingdom of God, because we’re not called
to agree on everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re called to
be on mission together for our Lord.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_lCuhLYAabdhDAGW9ZRGTr6-8C5ReK45eh1hyphenhyphenn9HhSwlThPV8A6zYpP4S2x_ogEq84zU5EO34Z7Nb98BWwHEFN0RLq_Frgdbrm8jbEe7hq2A1YZNbnXXniA5z-uYF6N24fN0zENvvNXg4/s1600/big-tent.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_lCuhLYAabdhDAGW9ZRGTr6-8C5ReK45eh1hyphenhyphenn9HhSwlThPV8A6zYpP4S2x_ogEq84zU5EO34Z7Nb98BWwHEFN0RLq_Frgdbrm8jbEe7hq2A1YZNbnXXniA5z-uYF6N24fN0zENvvNXg4/s320/big-tent.png" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">In a few weeks, messengers from across the Commonwealth and
beyond will gather in Richmond for our annual meeting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will hear some amazing stories of God’s
provision and power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will fellowship
with one another around the table and in worship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will renew old friendships and meet brothers
and sisters in Christ for the first time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And, yes, we will discuss some things that we may not agree on.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">My prayer is that we will not let those
issues divide us, that we will not demonize each other or threaten to leave if
we don’t get our way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Paul says in 1
Corinthians 13:5, that’s not the way of love…and we are to be people of love.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Let’s unite around our common love of Christ
and our desire to advance his kingdom.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-large;">Let's work together in the service of our Lord.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Let’s be the big tent for God’s mission that
Virginia Baptists have always been.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">In Christ,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Adam<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">#BGAV15</span><br />
<div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
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<!--[endif]-->
<br />
<div id="ftn1" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Adam/Documents/Blog/A%20Big%20Tent%20for%20Gods%20Mission.docx" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
The Preacher and the Presidents, 72-75<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn2" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Adam/Documents/Blog/A%20Big%20Tent%20for%20Gods%20Mission.docx" name="_ftn2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
Titus 3:9<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
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Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577314226852684362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6815541019737815978.post-85169252520786830292015-10-06T16:57:00.001-04:002015-10-29T14:49:17.225-04:00Which War Are We Fighting?<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">One hundred years ago, the nations of Europe were locked in
a titanic struggle on the battlefields of Belgium and France.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Millions of men faced off in elaborate
trenches across a desolate no-man’s land studded with barbed wire and swept by
machine guns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The First World War on the
Western Front was a bloody, brutal affair, and it was not unusual for thousands
of men to die horrible deaths to gain a mere few yards of ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>England, Germany, France, and Austria
suffered the near-annihilation of a generation of young men, and each nation
was left deeply scarred by the experience.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">That experience led to World War I becoming known as “the
war to end all wars,” because no one could imagine any nation choosing to
reenter the meat grinder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet even as
the nations promised a lasting peace, they were wary – and each of the European
powers made some provision for a future conflict.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>England, America, and Japan built large
fleets of warships, Germany began secretly building submarines and aircraft,
and France built a series of massive fortifications called the Maginot Line.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaaC9IDBT-UGwa-PdfPKYoM2uzVR_vMvzf8tfJkmby3W8e7Za1o6XW36T9cuTqxFJqIfyXu6-so13ORu9iZLSDaeflWNtd1NYjy1Q68rnBrhP64eyL95BqdkwAWL40REbu8hP0IzrM6cKq/s1600/Mag+Line.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaaC9IDBT-UGwa-PdfPKYoM2uzVR_vMvzf8tfJkmby3W8e7Za1o6XW36T9cuTqxFJqIfyXu6-so13ORu9iZLSDaeflWNtd1NYjy1Q68rnBrhP64eyL95BqdkwAWL40REbu8hP0IzrM6cKq/s320/Mag+Line.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Maginot Line was a series of concrete fortifications on
France’s border with Germany.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The theory
was that the Line’s pillboxes, gun emplacements, strongpoints, and concrete
obstacles would slow Germany down in any future conflict, allowing time for the
French Army to muster and mount a strong defense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In large part, this line of thought derived
from the reality of World War I:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>massive
armies were stymied by strong defensive works and fortifications, and offensive
strikes could be beaten back with relative ease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>French military experts declared the Maginot
line a foolproof defense, even a work of genius.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The thing is, while the Maginot Line was a masterpiece in
defensive fortifications for a World War I-style assault, it was designed for
the last war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Military advances in the
20 years between WWI and WWII, including fast armored columns and deadly
bombers, rendered the Maginot Line obsolete before the first shot was
fired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Faced with seemingly-impenetrable
defensive fortifications along the border, the German Army simply went around
the line through Belgium and the Luftwaffe simply flew over it to strike French
targets in the rear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>France fell within
6 weeks, and the Maginot Line contributed little to the nation’s defense –
because while French generals were fighting the last war, their enemy was
fighting the current war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Far from being
the linchpin of France’s national defense, what remains of the Maginot Line
today has been sold to private owners and turned into wine cellars, a mushroom
farm, and a disco.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Before we are too hard on the French generals, we might want
to remember that many of us, and many of our organizations and even churches, make
the same mistake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We go through an
experience in life, especially a traumatic or significant experience, and we
learn from it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We study the situation
that led to that experience, and we explore our response to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We acknowledge our weaknesses and build up
our strengths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if that same
experience came along again, we would know how to handle it better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the last “war” was to happen again, we
would know how to fight it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The thing is, the same war is never fought twice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as French defenses were ill-prepared for
the mobile strikes of World War II, we are not ready for a new experience in a
world that has fundamentally changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Look at our churches, for example.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the 1980s and 1990s, churches began to notice that young people, the
Baby Boomers, were increasingly missing from church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What happened?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Churches eventually developed new techniques –
praise music, coffee-shop atmospheres, and church buildings that looked more
like shopping malls than sanctuaries – and many were able to entice some baby
boomers back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The “seeker-sensitive”
movement became the success story of Christianity, and it seemed like every
church tried to copy what they had seen work somewhere else:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the young, hip pastor, the edgy worship
leader, the big, bold youth ministry, and the like.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Yet then things changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Advances in communication technology and transportation made us a
less-connected, more mobile society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Increases in violence and terrorism isolated us and changed the balance
of power in our world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Economic crises
and governmental scandals shook the foundations of our culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And a new generation of young people – the Millenials
– grew up in this world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So what did
churches do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They rolled out their
praise bands, and their projector screens, and their flashy programs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They expected the Millenials to come back just
because they had mastered the techniques of the “seeker-sensitive” movement –
but they didn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Churches were prepared
to fight the last war, but guess what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We’re losing ground, because the war has changed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">We shouldn’t feel too bad about this, for two reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first is that we’re in good company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the first chapter of Acts, we find that
Jesus, who has already defeated sin and death through the cross and
resurrection, is preparing to ascend to his Father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As he prepared to go, he gave his disciples
instructions to prepare for the task ahead of them:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to continue his work and spread his Gospel to
the ends of the earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet even at that
point, they didn’t get it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Then they
gathered around him and asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore
the kingdom to Israel?’” (Acts 1:6) Even after 3 years and the miracles of Good
Friday and Easter, Jesus’ closest friends and followers were trying to fight
the last war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God’s new covenant wasn’t
the same as the old one – but they couldn’t see it just then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So if Peter, James, and the rest couldn’t
figure it out at first, we shouldn’t feel too bad that we can’t, either.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_KgkTuxgY72tJjW4djp4Uz20j3jyJUQiAGD1-6a8S2XG6FpZbVPeEXuEqlIomGGwVlOFJzw77LL-_EhdHJ3Eh9IziHN8JwbgnnkF9778Jr1dqKfwhOc0_rdfN5We1fUrf_c2IKDZGmXO/s1600/Jesus+and+Disciples.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_KgkTuxgY72tJjW4djp4Uz20j3jyJUQiAGD1-6a8S2XG6FpZbVPeEXuEqlIomGGwVlOFJzw77LL-_EhdHJ3Eh9IziHN8JwbgnnkF9778Jr1dqKfwhOc0_rdfN5We1fUrf_c2IKDZGmXO/s320/Jesus+and+Disciples.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Yet we would do well to remember the second reason we
shouldn’t feel bad for fighting the last war:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>we can change direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus
told his disciples that things were different now, and that if they would
follow his instructions, they would see some amazing things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the same way, the prophet Isaiah spoke a
word of hope to the people of Israel in the midst of their exile:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Forget the former things; do not dwell on
the past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See, I am doing a new
thing!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now it springs up; do you not
perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:18-19)<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">We may be fighting the last war, but God isn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is on top of things, ready to engage our
changing world and save it through the love of Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All that he has chosen to need is us to get
on board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So really, the only question is
exactly what Isaiah says.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“See, I am
doing a new thing!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now it springs up; do
you not perceive it?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Admittedly, this can be hard for churches, pastors, and
Christians of all stripes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, we’ve
gotten pretty good at the old way of doing things – or at least, relatively
competent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the 1950s or the 1980s
ever returned, most of our churches would be okay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we don’t live in the 1950s or the 1980s
anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The world around us has
changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do we understand the new realities
around us?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God does – and he can work
through us to accomplish his will, even though things are different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are we willing to take risks, try fresh
techniques and approaches to ministry, and follow God on new paths to claim the
victory?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just what war are we fighting
for God – the last one, or this one?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">In Christ,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Adam<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<a href="http://www.moleskine.com/msk.php?display=wizard&page_url=[URL page of individual post]" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img alt="Print it in Moleskine MSK format" border="0" src="http://www.moleskine.com/img/msk_icon.gif" /></span></a>Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577314226852684362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6815541019737815978.post-56431786367216422722015-08-04T14:12:00.000-04:002015-10-29T14:55:25.671-04:00Last In the Chow Line, First Out the Door<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">In the US military rank, as they say, has its
privileges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Officers are paid more than
enlisted men, but that is just the tip of the iceberg of the privileged life
officers live in comparison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Traditionally, officers ate better food than enlisted personnel, and had
separate recreation facilities on-base.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Their uniforms were nicer, and so were their quarters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By all the rules and regs, officers were and
are a privileged class in the United States military.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBH_GkETvGd5tGQVfEy6DmPrVX1kSyajaIAVQAw6ks9D60wK89faDMWCf80mjubUGBmM5p-Bw0E0dUrVCtA-K6VGeBn55SkZLA6x1qeBeBh6fZW44NIV55d6DgehmcvqcjiM0h3ZTmYr-B/s1600/bigstock-Reserved-For-Pastor-23854.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBH_GkETvGd5tGQVfEy6DmPrVX1kSyajaIAVQAw6ks9D60wK89faDMWCf80mjubUGBmM5p-Bw0E0dUrVCtA-K6VGeBn55SkZLA6x1qeBeBh6fZW44NIV55d6DgehmcvqcjiM0h3ZTmYr-B/s320/bigstock-Reserved-For-Pastor-23854.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-large;">In some ways, the same is true for pastors and other
ministers within the life of the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Though respect for the pastoral offices are fading from societal consciousness,
many churches still afford certain “perks” for their pastors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It might be a prime, reserved parking space,
a reduced rate at a church’s daycare, or the use of a church member’s beach
house, free of charge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These privileges
are innocuous and even great ways for a church to honor their pastor’s or other
minister’s service in a unique and appreciated way, especially when other forms
of appreciation – like increased salary – are beyond the church’s ability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They can be healthy and encouraging tokens of
appreciation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, if the minister lets
the privileges go to his or her head, they can be damaging to their ministry
and harmful to the church.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div>
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</span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2kQcLHO0Bv2J7SSJIr9BAs7GsGpMNwEJiYKoyLT-sN0Q5Y7uzxtan2FRat3v8Gt0pli92uYrnCsX4uXsZZxk-Lo_gpIi1cQU5GmRVOzKiRQVNUp6z5LsUx3pHOM_DCMU0B2BeR7Mz1RZT/s1600/Gavin+determined.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2kQcLHO0Bv2J7SSJIr9BAs7GsGpMNwEJiYKoyLT-sN0Q5Y7uzxtan2FRat3v8Gt0pli92uYrnCsX4uXsZZxk-Lo_gpIi1cQU5GmRVOzKiRQVNUp6z5LsUx3pHOM_DCMU0B2BeR7Mz1RZT/s200/Gavin+determined.jpg" width="139" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">General Jim Gavin</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Ministers would do well to learn from the example of one of
the best combat leaders in American military history:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>General Jim Gavin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Early in his career, Gavin set himself apart
from others as an intelligent and visionary leader, and his potential was
realized in the cauldron of World War II.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One of the first paratroopers, he was on the cutting edge of American
combat innovation, and was widely regarded as an up-and-comer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gavin led troops in four combat jumps with
the 82<sup>nd</sup> Airborne:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>two as
commander of the 505<sup>th</sup> Parachute Infantry Regiment (Sicily and
Salerno), one as assistant division commander of the 82<sup>nd</sup> Airborne
Division (Normandy), and one as division commander (Holland).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The US high command recognized his skill, and
when he was promoted to major general in 1944 at the age of 37, he became the
youngest major general to command a division in the Second World War.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Gavin’s success had a lot to do in how he related to his
men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the course of the war, he
practiced an incredibly hands-on approach to leadership:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he visited the front lines often, jumped with
his men into each fight, and refused to accept luxuries denied his men in
combat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Even when given a personal command trailer by the British general Miles Dempsey, Gavin refused to use it; he kept his command post as it had been: Spartan and similar to his soldiers' front line positions.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>General Gavin shared the dangers
of his troopers, consciously sought to encourage them by his example, and never
forgot for an instant his tremendous responsibility not just to his mission,
but his men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His men didn’t forget it;
as historian John C. McManus stated in his book on Operation Market-Garden, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">September Hope:</i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
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</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD5MvPusk-kKuQcGOZb5K3cF0dWFTJt2b3H0yn-bmLBGehB6ekIhYZY8JDZmQTCahRFOTMEQ1pQ8p-KL8HLWL6KO0YhFV0ugQyR1DTQ8ypLCbT-Pc_t9NGEg2K-JOcor3SIkrS9jCkGChp/s1600/Gavin+at+Bulge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD5MvPusk-kKuQcGOZb5K3cF0dWFTJt2b3H0yn-bmLBGehB6ekIhYZY8JDZmQTCahRFOTMEQ1pQ8p-KL8HLWL6KO0YhFV0ugQyR1DTQ8ypLCbT-Pc_t9NGEg2K-JOcor3SIkrS9jCkGChp/s200/Gavin+at+Bulge.jpg" width="151" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Gen. Gavin on the line </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">during the Battle of the Bulge</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-large;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-large;">“Although experienced combat
soldiers tended to be contemptuous and wary of their senior officers, most
troopers of the 82<sup>nd</sup> Airborne openly idolized General Gavin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was known for his hands-on leadership,
seemingly always at the front, facing danger, brandishing his trusty M1 Garand
rifle, fighting alongside his people, without ever losing sight of the bigger
picture so necessary to senior command.” (p. 10)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Such servant leadership became inculcated into the DNA of
the 505<sup>th</sup> PIR and, later, the entire 82<sup>nd</sup> Airborne
Division, because General Gavin chose to make it so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>McManus put it this way:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“He was fond of welcoming new officers with
an admonishment that, in the 82<sup>nd</sup> Airborne, they were expected to be
‘<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">first out of the door of the airplane
and last in the chow line.</b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(September Hope, 10) And the officers responded with courage in combat
and care behind the lines, such as the junior officers who "bought ten young bulls, a flock of sheep, and four thousand liters of beer for a preinvasion barbeque" for their men before the invasion of Sicily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Led in such a
way, from the top down, , and feeling cared for by their officers, the paratroopers of the 82<sup>nd</sup> Airborne fought
in some of the toughest battles of the European campaign with high esprit de
corps and tremendous results, accomplishing the virtually impossible as they
followed leaders like Gavin into any fight.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Ministers of the Gospel could find a worse role model than
General Gavin…because his system can get results, not just for the army, but
for the Kingdom of God. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, his
methodology is not far off from the way of Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When his followers began to argue about their
place in the Kingdom – trying to claim privilege – Jesus responded by saying,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">You know that those who are
regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials
exercise authority over them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not so
with you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, whoever wants to
become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must
be slave to all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For even the Son of Man
did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for
many. (Mark 10:42-45)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Jesus let his disciples know that following him was not a
path to prestige and privilege, but to greater responsibility and achieving
Kingdom success through service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Furthermore, he showed them that they were to walk a difficult path…but
a path that he would lead the way in walking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their
cross and follow me.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Mark 8:34) Jesus
himself walked the road of suffering and death to accomplish his mission…and
his disciples willingly followed in his footsteps, because he had shown them
the way.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-large;">As pastors, ministers, teachers of the Gospel, are we “last
in the chow line, first out the door”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Are we looking for ways, not to be served, but to serve those we
lead?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are we seeking to care for them in
the midst of the Kingdom work God calls them to do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And are we leading the way in that Kingdom
work, showing them how it is done and joining them in their efforts?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are we being the sort of leader Jim Gavin was
– and, more importantly, the sort of leader Jesus was and is?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where are you in the chow line?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And are you leading the way out the door?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">
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</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">
</span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOT0UoUsnnqbjrqB6UIdTsoBxuuhehPpSFyla9FWA-UPK-tjqlaK5U76Y2JPVuYfPBjK_ASp9E31ugYwNwchfNZqlATtHOnvIpBWSybE96RyRD_sy4QI9fT3dMtW1TWxY-hJ5h-vhDfEwZ/s1600/hqdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOT0UoUsnnqbjrqB6UIdTsoBxuuhehPpSFyla9FWA-UPK-tjqlaK5U76Y2JPVuYfPBjK_ASp9E31ugYwNwchfNZqlATtHOnvIpBWSybE96RyRD_sy4QI9fT3dMtW1TWxY-hJ5h-vhDfEwZ/s320/hqdefault.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">A painting of Dick Winters leading his "stick" out the door over Normandy.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Winters, a young officer </span><span style="font-size: small;">in the 101st Airborne Division, exemplified </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">General Gavin's philosophy of leadership.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">In Christ,<br />
Adam<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<a href="http://www.moleskine.com/msk.php?display=wizard&page_url=[URL page of individual post]" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img alt="Print it in Moleskine MSK format" border="0" src="http://www.moleskine.com/img/msk_icon.gif" /></span></a>Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577314226852684362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6815541019737815978.post-49449812161013192092015-05-06T16:36:00.001-04:002015-10-29T14:48:58.766-04:00Beating a Dead Horse<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">On March 26, 1938, Major General John K. Herr assumed the
position of Chief of Cavalry, US Army.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
dedicated and talented horseman, General Herr became an ardent defender of the
mounted trooper over changes in organization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Herr spent the last years before the US entry into WWII arguing that the
mission of the cavalry could only be successfully attempted using horses, and
he opposed any effort to modernize this branch of the US military.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Events, however, would soon leave him behind;
recognizing the devastating effect of tanks and mechanized infantry on the
modern battlefield, the US Army created the Armored Force in 1940 while phasing
out the cavalry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Major General Herr was
the last Chief of Cavalry.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKHntas-u8NCdxVG_FgaODc-vygvEUnLeXzWXBfqZ5LacdHSCtFIB5CCB36eNl8tuZ4GQk05AQCAQ1c7SPUi8S0CahB2X1HHAo-FcMUBbClpNO0eCsM_suWSl-RiB6y7iEmQTeAVqxMZb/s1600/220px-John_K__Herr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKHntas-u8NCdxVG_FgaODc-vygvEUnLeXzWXBfqZ5LacdHSCtFIB5CCB36eNl8tuZ4GQk05AQCAQ1c7SPUi8S0CahB2X1HHAo-FcMUBbClpNO0eCsM_suWSl-RiB6y7iEmQTeAVqxMZb/s1600/220px-John_K__Herr.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Major General John K. Herr was the last Chief of Cavalry in the US Army, and a </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">staunch proponent of the horse in warfare</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">General Herr unfortunately could not adapt to a changing
world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of his former subordinates,
General Lucian Truscott, concluded “It was General Herr’s misfortune that he
would not recognize that the missions of mechanized and armored elements were
cavalry missions and that the office of the chief of cavalry should have been
in the forefront of the organization and development of such units.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Truscott, like many other cavalrymen
(including George Patton), did recognize that their job was to accomplish the
mission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a mission traditionally
done by horse-mounted cavalry, including reconnaissance, breakthroughs, and
raids on enemy supply lines, yet the mission continued after technological
advances rendered the horse generally ineffective on the battlefield.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Truscott, Patton, and others would become
highly successful combat leaders in WWII because they could accomplish that
mission using new methods and tools, while General Herr made no contribution to
Allied victory, retiring in 1942.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even
in 1953, two years before his death, General Herr wrote articles and a book
that argued that the horse-mounted cavalry was still vital to the US Army, even
as mechanized infantry divisions fought in Korea and the armed forces began to
experiment with helicopter-borne troops.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9tojGmNAyhOtilSfJs78mTAeOb9OEoGfI5tsXd4ZqTgAuWYHyK7JZFbvZqI3vHTUMycRms5yRmSaK1UtO2_EjJJ35AZs9icbY7swGEmnDROeXliFBEMsLezAY2CxgfNBNfL8hwC65udOH/s1600/Winter11_MajorGeneralJohnKHerr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9tojGmNAyhOtilSfJs78mTAeOb9OEoGfI5tsXd4ZqTgAuWYHyK7JZFbvZqI3vHTUMycRms5yRmSaK1UtO2_EjJJ35AZs9icbY7swGEmnDROeXliFBEMsLezAY2CxgfNBNfL8hwC65udOH/s1600/Winter11_MajorGeneralJohnKHerr.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Major General Herr in his element</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">What did General Truscott and the others have that General
Herr did not?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had the ability to
remember that the mission was the point, not the methods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Given a task, General Truscott sought to
accomplish it in any way possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
became one of the masterminds behind the first Army Rangers, he utilized new
technologies and concepts like airborne infantrymen with skill, and he
recruited staff officers who were capable, not those who had a certain
background in the peacetime Army.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>General Truscott was not afraid to do something new or different, if it
might bring victory – and at times, he even used old methods in new ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Faced with rugged terrain in Sicily that his
vehicle-equipped troops could not traverse, Truscott used a lesson learned in
his cavalry days:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The general formed a
provisional pack train and a provisional mounted troop.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the old methods could accomplish the
mission, Truscott would use them as readily as any new-fangled concept or
technology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because he did, General
Truscott was able to lead his troops on to victory in some of the toughest
battles of the war.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9TWYOLyFeDPKr5lFKSw6yQf_4G4ZwJ9-PPVgEIkP7lTystMrP8vrXC0LOONijZKq-CsH5gx8zRpTW0-FSAZdklp4uFk9gWCOcudc4j8JLEU3NCcgizP4AvNFwp1gEC2c5JNo005J_6sbN/s1600/lktruscott-life-cover-photo-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9TWYOLyFeDPKr5lFKSw6yQf_4G4ZwJ9-PPVgEIkP7lTystMrP8vrXC0LOONijZKq-CsH5gx8zRpTW0-FSAZdklp4uFk9gWCOcudc4j8JLEU3NCcgizP4AvNFwp1gEC2c5JNo005J_6sbN/s1600/lktruscott-life-cover-photo-01.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">General Lucian Truscott made the cover of <em>Life</em> magazine after successful commands </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">at Anzio and the invasion of Southern France</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-large;">All too often, leaders in the church are faced with the choice
to follow in the footsteps of General Herr or General Truscott.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Methods that worked in the past, often in a
highly effective way, become outmoded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Church structures that promoted discipleship then become hindrances to
discipleship now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leadership styles that
connected with people in the past turn people off to the church, and even to
God, in the present.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good leaders become
ineffective, not because they aren’t gifted, but because they lose sight of the
mission; they are wedded so closely to their tried-and-true methods that they
are unable to adapt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And ultimately, the
church that God has called to advance his kingdom mission becomes mired in irrelevancy
and navel-gazing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhItCpMxsILFH68naf22n8h7AhwSye-hSmzQv4f-lPAsKEzBd2xrleGoJU1FuFuvv5nVcBv-qoj4WLzyOqg5oBk-ABbXd_Sp91mD9aT4Gri52VlibpyEsbiAMpggzLsCxvdJ0Qjlgupxbar/s1600/Winter11_JohnHerrTank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhItCpMxsILFH68naf22n8h7AhwSye-hSmzQv4f-lPAsKEzBd2xrleGoJU1FuFuvv5nVcBv-qoj4WLzyOqg5oBk-ABbXd_Sp91mD9aT4Gri52VlibpyEsbiAMpggzLsCxvdJ0Qjlgupxbar/s1600/Winter11_JohnHerrTank.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Major General Herr evaluating an Army "combat car" as Chief of Cavalry</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Pastors, staff, and lay leaders in today’s church have the
same opportunity General Herr had:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to
see change coming and adapt to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God
has blessed us with talents and resources, people and energy to do great,
kingdom-based things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To do so, though,
requires adaptation and innovation, because the world does not stand still…and
God expects us to move in response to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jesus said as much in the parable of the talents (Matthew
25:14-30).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When God evaluates how we
have sought his kingdom mission, do we want him to say “Well done, good and
trustworthy servant; you have been trustworthy with a few things, I will put
you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To hear that response, we must keep our eye
on the mission, not the methods…and adapt to a changing world for the sake of
the kingdom of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will we keep beating
a dead horse?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or will we try to
accomplish our mission using whatever methods work?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">In Christ,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Adam<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<a href="http://www.moleskine.com/msk.php?display=wizard&page_url=[URL page of individual post]" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img alt="Print it in Moleskine MSK format" border="0" src="http://www.moleskine.com/img/msk_icon.gif" /></span></a>Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577314226852684362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6815541019737815978.post-37353378715406976592015-04-01T22:59:00.000-04:002015-10-29T14:54:18.872-04:00Lookin' for a Fight<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">During the Second World War, millions of men volunteered to
serve in the Army.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Millions more were
drafted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These soldiers served all over
the world, from the sultry jungles of the Southwest Pacific to the snow and ice
of Europe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On foot, in tanks, and on
airplanes they fought the forces of Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany, often
risking life and limb to liberate conquered lands and defeat the forces of
evil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of them fought for months or
even years, pushing back Japanese and German troops and freeing men and women
around the world in the greatest campaign of liberation ever seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the process, they endured weather,
shellfire, terror, and injury – and the vast majority of combat soldiers got to
the point where they simply wanted to end the war and go home.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Not every soldier fought in combat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, many millions of soldiers served in
vital roles behind the lines:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>transporting supplies, protecting key facilities, caring for wounded in
military hospitals, and repairing damaged towns and cities behind the
lines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Allied victory would not have
been possible without these rear echelon troops, and most of them were every
bit as heroic (in their own way) as the frontline combat soldier.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Some of these behind-the-lines soldiers, though, were
looking for a fight – but they weren’t at the front.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So they picked fights with MPs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They threw bricks through windows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They insulted other soldiers in bars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They bullied local townspeople.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In short, they were doing many things that
undermined the Allied mission of liberation – because they were looking for a
fight, but didn’t have one worth fighting.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Unfortunately, I have heard many stories about the same
thing happening within the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve
even seen it happen in congregations I’ve served.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People who are involved in the mission of the
church – teaching Bible study, caring for children, introducing their friends
to Jesus, working hard to serve the least of these – accomplish some truly
amazing things for the kingdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
they do not do, by and large, is complain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They don’t cause trouble or make things difficult.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The people who do are typically those who are not as
involved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They may attend worship
faithfully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They may attend Sunday
school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They may even serve on a
committee that meets infrequently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
they are not investing their time and energy into the mission of the
church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are not pouring out their
hearts to meet the needs of others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
are not working through the details of God’s calling in their lives and the life
of the congregation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In short, they’re
not really in the fight – and so they go looking for one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the process, they can cause a lot of
damage:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to their own walk with God, to
their relationship with others in the church, to the ministry and self-worth of
the pastors and lay leaders, to the work of the congregation, and to the
kingdom of their Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">So what can the church do?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The church can take a page from the US Army Rangers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 1<sup>st</sup> Ranger Battalion had
proved its worth in combat in Tunisia, accomplishing missions that required
skill and commitment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just before the
invasion of Sicily, the Ranger battalions needed recruits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Rick
Atkinson describes how they found the elite soldiers they needed:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Recruiters…swaggered into Algerian bars,
tendered a few insults, and signed up soldiers pugnacious enough to pick a
fight.”*<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Troops looking for a fight were
just who the Rangers needed; they just needed to be trained and put into the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">right</i> fight.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Perhaps that is what the church needs to do, as well:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>get people in the right fight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, as Paul says, “our struggle is not
against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual
forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 6:12) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Find a ministry they can contribute to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Encourage them to reach out to their neighbor
or their coworker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Involve them in
planning the next church event, or invite them to help visit prospective
members.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make sure they take part in the
next mission project, or help them start one of their own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In short, make sure they get in the fight.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">It’s time for the church to stop its infighting and
fratricide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s time for the church to
take on the mission of the kingdom of God, sharing the Gospel through word and
deed, making disciples of Jesus Christ, and overcoming evil with good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s more than enough fight to keep
everyone at peace with each other – and accomplish God’s mission as well.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-large;"> </span></o:p><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">In Christ,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Adam</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-large;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-large;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-large;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">*”The Day of Battle:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944,” by Rick Atkinson, p. 81<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<a href="http://www.moleskine.com/msk.php?display=wizard&page_url=[URL page of individual post]" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img alt="Print it in Moleskine MSK format" border="0" src="http://www.moleskine.com/img/msk_icon.gif" /></span></a>Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577314226852684362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6815541019737815978.post-25984349523542146842015-03-15T23:51:00.002-04:002015-10-29T14:54:06.471-04:00Mission First<span style="font-size: x-large;">In January 1944, a corps of American and British troops landed on the Italian coast between the towns of Anzio and Nettuno. The assault was designed to end a stalemate in the mountains of Italy further south and open the road to Rome for the Allied armies. The landings were a bit of a gamble, requiring fast movement from the beachhead to keep German forces from gaining the high ground nearby and trapping the American troops in the marshy land near the beaches. In command of the operation, and ultimately responsible for the outcome of the battle, was Major General John P. Lucas.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnXnRyhUUo1oTZGxc0C2JB8W0KChIYsYZt8ckozY-hEEQ691Vz9bPWDHwq8iioGEB9-6G4Rp1OYkyqmZoydPhW6aaV4Ij41uhK8xKXcUBHsIxloUv45rJG_32M_c9HH709GNvw2J-rfSSs/s1600/Gen+Lucas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnXnRyhUUo1oTZGxc0C2JB8W0KChIYsYZt8ckozY-hEEQ691Vz9bPWDHwq8iioGEB9-6G4Rp1OYkyqmZoydPhW6aaV4Ij41uhK8xKXcUBHsIxloUv45rJG_32M_c9HH709GNvw2J-rfSSs/s1600/Gen+Lucas.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">General Lucas was a veteran of the First World War and already had commanded his corps in combat for several months. Yet when chosen to command the Anzio landings, Lucas harbored doubts about the ability of his forces to prevail. Furthermore, and perhaps most debilitating, General Lucas had another handicap for a general: he hesitated to risk his men for the mission. He told his diary during the fighting before Anzio, "I think too often of my men out in the mountains. I am far too tender-hearted ever to be a success at my chosen profession." As he prepared for the invasion, he added, "I must keep from thinking of the fact that my order will send these men into a desperate attack." When his troops landed at Anzio, Lucas spent too much time consolidating the beachhead to protect his men from counterattacks...giving the Germans time to recover from the shock of the invasion and fortify the high ground overlooking the landing beaches. Lucas' corps would languish in the beachhead for months taking casualties, and Lucas himself would be relieved of combat command.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">As journalist and historian Rick Atkinson notes, "Empathy might ennoble a man, but it could debilitate a general." Lucas had a mission to accomplish: land at Anzio, take the high ground, and open the road to Rome. Instead, in a spirit of caution and with the lives of his men on his mind, Lucas failed to lead his men forward. What resulted was a bloody stalemate; men died each day with nothing to show for their sacrifice. Lucas' empathy cost many of his troops their lives, and failed to accomplish his mission. Historian John Keegan offers a succinct, and accurate, judgment: Lucas' actions "achieved the worst of both worlds, exposing his forces to risk without imposing any on the enemy." It is even likely that General Lucas would have lost less men in the long run if he had attacked swiftly, taking the high ground before the Germans could fortify it and rain death down on the beachhead.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Leaders must care for the people they lead, particularly in the church. Yet the leader who forgets that he or she has a mission to accomplish because they are so busy taking care of individuals risks failing at both. This is a tremendous temptation, of course - but it is the point at which ministries can derail and churches can stagnate.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I learned this lesson best from listening to Paul Maconochie, former pastor of St. Thomas' Church in Sheffield, England. In the late 1990s, God was doing some amazing things through the ministry of this church in Sheffield. People were coming to faith, and significant gains were made for the kingdom of God in a highly unchurched city. Then God called the church in a new direction. Things were changing...and while most of the congregation was on board, not everyone was. Paul and the leadership team was faced with a choice: proceed with your mission, even thought it might mean leaving some people behind, or set the mission aside to keep everyone happy.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOqNeG5OyUJveib2iIDb1WTKxoakWwsj02RQn1LdVURc9nDIkBVgH7GYW-EWhUkQCV9W_rXYyzsTxxXAaXhHdLItJOO01FfsREJB_8eN6lsh-vGMiGiojC6-7-LX5x3aPAPq0qQQaERNXU/s1600/Paul+Mac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOqNeG5OyUJveib2iIDb1WTKxoakWwsj02RQn1LdVURc9nDIkBVgH7GYW-EWhUkQCV9W_rXYyzsTxxXAaXhHdLItJOO01FfsREJB_8eN6lsh-vGMiGiojC6-7-LX5x3aPAPq0qQQaERNXU/s1600/Paul+Mac.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Paul and the church chose to move forward. Some folks did not choose to make that transition, and they eventually left that congregation. But the church continued to be a beacon for God in the industrial heart of England, reaching people with the Gospel who would never have darkened the doors of the church St. Thomas' had been. Paul's word of encouragement and challenge to the pastors and church leaders at the meeting I was at was this: if people are willing to travel with you (the church leadership) through a time of transition, even if it is at an incredibly slow pace, you have to wait for them and bring them along - but if they won't budge at all, then you have to let them go. You cannot let one person (or a few people) hold back the entire church from fulfilling the mission of God.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">This was a hard word for me to hear, and it was for many of the other pastors there that day. We loved our people, even the stubborn ones who made us pull our hair out. We cared about them. We wanted them to come along, and we didn't want to see them get hurt. Yet Paul's word was one we needed to take to heart - because God calls each of us pastors to lead his people forward in his mission. God calls each church to fulfill his expectations: make disciples, bear witness to the Gospel, and build God's kingdom. If we're not doing these things, then we're kind of like that Army corps sitting on the beach in Anzio: we're going nowhere.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">God doesn't need any General Lucas' filling the pulpits of his churches. He needs leaders who will care for their people - but fulfill the mission of the kingdom of God first. When we do that, we'll find that we are actually caring for our people better, giving them a purpose, helping them find the blessings that come from serving God, and finding support and encouragement along the way.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">"Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33, NIV</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">In Christ,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Adam</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<a href="http://www.moleskine.com/msk.php?display=wizard&page_url=[URL page of individual post]" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img alt="Print it in Moleskine MSK format" border="0" src="http://www.moleskine.com/img/msk_icon.gif" /></span></a>Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577314226852684362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6815541019737815978.post-79635832844481027912015-02-06T00:21:00.003-05:002015-10-29T14:53:06.941-04:00Fear Not!<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Fear Not<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">My wife and I had friends from my church over for the Super
Bowl this year. I was excited to see the
on-field matchup between the New England Patriots and the Seattle
Seahawks. Other than the outcome of the
game (I was pulling for Seattle), the Super Bowl exceeded my expectations. My wife, though, doesn’t watch the Super Bowl
for the game; she watches it for the commercials and the halftime show. In fact, everyone gathered in our living room
that night had high expectations for the commercials that aired during the
game.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">By and large, those commercials failed to live up to the
hype. Sure, the Budweiser puppy ad was
cute, and we all particularly enjoyed the Doritos commercial where a pig flew
across the sky, but most of the other commercials just did not measure up. This was particularly true of one Nationwide
ad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzczln5xVM5oLzOgpx270YDX-JLE4jPdp63SV2fxBvQ_57x_mfSarxny2IuTcvirdeZ8dZyywyDSU3zD5c84A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">In the not-quite-week since the ad aired during the Super
Bowl, it has drawn criticism from almost every direction. Monday morning, my Facebook wall was covered
with posts about the ad, and blogposts I read Tuesday and Wednesday mocked the
company’s decision to use the commercial.
And why not? It is an ad that is
morbid and employs (not so subtle) scare tactics to persuade parents to buy
insurance. The ad is misguided at best.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Yet when we are honest with ourselves, the ad is quintessentially
American, at least for the 21<sup>st</sup> century. Think about it: at this point in our culture’s history, we
are ruled by fear in pretty much every area of life.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4qbQg_LR04intiwjkMsWMnXhdEmGQTV2Qf2ZRhPk9bI1i60ujDv9AYoFVfSgREOGguePyCHI_ofrjQsEb59batakUDEQKZrdMC6bY98KSPBNhz0avslupVPHDdsUvKzBDbZzpgvCJcrTL/s1600/Lenore+Skenazy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4qbQg_LR04intiwjkMsWMnXhdEmGQTV2Qf2ZRhPk9bI1i60ujDv9AYoFVfSgREOGguePyCHI_ofrjQsEb59batakUDEQKZrdMC6bY98KSPBNhz0avslupVPHDdsUvKzBDbZzpgvCJcrTL/s1600/Lenore+Skenazy.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">This hit home for me while I was listening to
a radio interview this week. NPR’s Here and Now radio program interviewed Lenore Skenazy
on Tuesday, and I happened to catch the show as I was driving home from a
hospital visit. I had never heard of
Lenore Skenazy before, and I certainly had never heard of her television show
on the Discovery Life Channel, “World’s Worst Mom.” Apparently, it is sort of a reverse “Supernanny;”
instead of dealing with bratty kids, Ms. Skenazy deals with terrified parents. Why?
Because many parents in our country are completely afraid that any and
every conceivable evil will befall their children, even the most wildly ludicrous
or the least likely.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></o:p><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">During the radio program, the host played segments from Ms.
Skenazy’s show and asked her to elaborate.
One family from the show had five children; the oldest was a 13-year-old
boy. The mother in this family was so
afraid for her children that they were not allowed to go anywhere without
her. Even her 13-year-old son had
restrictions that were wildly inappropriate, including not being allowed to use
the men’s room at the mall. He had to go
to the ladies room with his mom.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Ms. Skenazy said during the interview, “I feel like we’re
living in a society that is shoving fear down our throats every single second.” As I thought about it, the more I realized
that she is right. We are afraid for our
children, in part because of what companies and media tell us. Just look at the Nationwide ad or the ongoing
debate over vaccines.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></o:p><br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9cCeE5UiWDBCIGpTeznPxLhBLe0mntXLYnESAex4epP8FW3fmrn4jtWloe6XvSwWF5Uxc25134-YGchl6JPML9r_gQDRDJDI1EtMrDZq-cb7W2IqJwnC16Co_x7-0HHGtlP8FV3zFz30h/s1600/atul_gawande.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9cCeE5UiWDBCIGpTeznPxLhBLe0mntXLYnESAex4epP8FW3fmrn4jtWloe6XvSwWF5Uxc25134-YGchl6JPML9r_gQDRDJDI1EtMrDZq-cb7W2IqJwnC16Co_x7-0HHGtlP8FV3zFz30h/s1600/atul_gawande.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">And it doesn’t end with our children. Dr. Atul Gawande, from Harvard Medical
School, recently published a book looking at the reality of death and dying in
the American medical community. One of
the most intriguing insights from this book is that we value freedom most – but
we value safety for our loved ones.
This, Gawande says, is why most nursing homes are built with safeguards
in place to limit patients’ mobility and control their diet. Yet Gawande details nursing facilities that
are introducing such innovative concepts such as pets for residents, being
located on the same grounds as a private school and interacting with children,
and having an apartment building for seniors with a building nurse. In all of these cases, and many others,
Gawande points to data that shows a quantitative and qualitative improvement in
the lives of the residents. Yet such
relaxed atmospheres are not what most Americans want for their aged parents; we
want safety in triplicate. Why? Because we are afraid.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">It should come as no surprise that people are cashing in on
our penchant for fear. Companies make
lots of money playing on our fear of what might happen (remember the Nationwide
ad?). News channels – like CNN, Fox, and
MSNBC – devote hour-long program after hour-long program engaging in
fear-mongering, because they know that we’ll tune in. Politicians of all stripes grab power by stoking our fears of anything and anyone
who is different, whether they are immigrants or Muslims or homosexuals or
minorities or…the list could go on. Our
society is built, in large part, on a foundation of fear.</span><br />
<o:p><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></o:p><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">All of that worries me – but it doesn’t worry me near as
much as when I look from our society into the church. I have been a pastor for ten years in
October. I have friends who are
ministers, and friends who are ex-ministers.
I have friends and acquaintances in the churches I’ve been part of, and
I have other friends and acquaintances in churches across the country. I read blogposts and news articles reporting
on the condition of the church. And do you
know what unsettles me the most? The
church is operating under a cloud of fear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">We’re afraid of what is going to happen when people stop
attending our church. We’re afraid of
what is going to happen if the wrong people start attending our church. We’re afraid that things in our church are
going to change. We’re afraid that
nothing in our church is going to change.
We’re afraid that the pastor or the deacons are going to have too much
power. We’re afraid that the pastor or
the deacons aren’t going to have enough power to do what they need to do. We’re afraid that the tithes and offerings
aren’t going to cover our expenses or meet our budget. We’re afraid that God might just ask us to do
something new and different…but we’re also afraid God is going to pass us right
on by. We, the church of Jesus Christ,
are afraid.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I thought about that this week. And then, one word came unbidden to my
mind: WHY?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">You see, when we turn to the pages of Scripture, to the
sacred book of the Christian church, we find from beginning to end a story that
denies the power of fear in our lives. When
the Israelites were heading into the Promised Land, Deuteronomy 31:6 records
Moses’ words: “<span class="text">Be
strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the </span><span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span><span class="text"> your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you</span>.” The prophet Isaiah shares God’s word of
promise in Isaiah 41:10: “Do not fear,
for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you,
I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.” Even the psalmists, who were never shy of
pouring out their deepest pain, declared a reliance on God in the face of
fear: “When I am afraid, I put my trust
in you.” (Ps. 56:3)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">The New Testament continues this story of hope and courage
when fear tries to worm its way into our lives.
Jesus, in his famous Sermon on the Mount, challenged his listeners to
set aside worry and fear, trusting instead in God’s care and love (Mt.
6:25-34). The writer of 1 John teaches
that “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” (1 Jn. 4:18)
And, in a word that today’s church leaders and congregations need to embrace, 2
Timothy 1:7 declares, “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love
and self-control.” God has nothing to
fear, and neither do we.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">So why does the church operate with so much fear? In large part, it is simply because we are
human beings. We worry about the future
and about the people and things we love.
Yet our humanity is no excuse to try to move past fear, because through
Jesus Christ, we are more than human. We
are being transformed, the Scriptures tell us, into people who are more like
Christ. With each passing day, God is
giving us more courage, more hope, more peace in the face of the world’s
fear. But he can only do it if we will
let him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br /></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">The church should be the leader in conquering fear in our
world today, and Christians should be the least-afraid people ever. Why?
Because through Christ, we don’t have to let fear carry the day. In fact, through Christ, we have hope in the
darkest of times. Shouldn’t that make us
brave? Shouldn’t that make us
adventurous for the kingdom of God? Shouldn’t
that empower us to try new things and accept new challenges? As the church, let's try to be a little more courageous, no matter what life brings our way. After all, what have we to fear?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">In Christ,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Adam</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<a href="http://www.moleskine.com/msk.php?display=wizard&page_url=[URL%20page%20of%20individual%20post]" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img alt="Print it in Moleskine MSK format" border="0" src="http://www.moleskine.com/img/msk_icon.gif" /></span></a>Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577314226852684362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6815541019737815978.post-59205627245155707322015-01-27T15:16:00.001-05:002015-01-27T15:16:44.802-05:00Getting Our Feet WetIn my final semester at Virginia Tech, I found myself taking a couple of philosophy classes. One, called Knowledge and Reality, was on Tuesday and Thursday nights. I took it because my friend was the TA, and he encouraged me to take the course; it didn't hurt that we were exploring philosophical themes through movies!<br />
<br />
The other class was called Morality and Justice, and I found it much more interesting than the course on Knowledge and Reality. In Morality and Justice, we explored Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mills, among others. To be honest, I've forgotten the majority of what we studied in the class, but I remember that I found the class to be a challenge (in a good way!).<br />
<br />
One conversation that stuck with me, however, was a hypothetical situation. The teacher invited the class to consider a child who was drowning in a fountain in front of us. As a passerby, was it our responsibility to save that child? Yes, of course, the class answered. What if you were wearing $150 shoes? Yes, we would still have that responsibility. Then the teacher asked, "What about the child in Africa dying of malnutrition? Would it be your responsibility to save that child? If so, wouldn't the responsible thing to do be to sell your $150 shoes and use the money to feed that child?" This got the class involved in a much more dynamic discussion of morality and what the realm of responsibility is.<br />
<br />
This example stuck with me, even though I cannot remember the philosophy we were discussing that day. Why? Because Jesus speaks about it himself. I'm not saying Jesus challenged his followers to sell their $150 shoes, but he did challenge a rich man who wanted to follow him to sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor (Luke 18:22). His cousin John encouraged those who came to listen to him to give away their extra coat to someone who has none (Luke 3:11). And after Jesus' death and resurrection, his followers gave freely of their possessions to meet the needs of others (Acts 2:44-45; see the example of Barnabas in Acts 4:32-37) Throughout the Gospels, the way of Jesus is portrayed as the way of generosity, and it was lived by Jesus' earliest followers.<br />
<br />
Yet the question often arises in church, "Who do I help?" There are needs all of over the place: near and far, big and small, deserving and not, and there are only so many resources (money, time, talent) the church can provide. How does the church prioritize?<br />
<br />
I've been part of 5 churches in my life, and each approached this question in a different manner. Some chose to concentrate on local missions, caring extravagantly for those in the community who were in need and only sending money and resources elsewhere if they were leftover from local ministry. Other churches chose to concentrate on evangelizing the lost and providing relief in far-off places, with little invested in the needs of the immediate community. Most churches I've been part of and known about try to do some of each, yet that can become tricky if budgets are tight and giving is down. So what is the church supposed to do?<br />
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We find our answer, I believe, in Acts 1:8. As he prepared to return to heaven, Jesus gathered his disciples around him. They asked all sorts of questions, but he wanted to leave them with a promise and a task. "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."<br />
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First, notice what Jesus wants them to do: bear witness. We bear witness to Christ, and to the kingdom of God, in many ways. We bear witness when we proclaim the Gospel message. We bear witness when we live out the way of Jesus Christ. We bear witness when we work to bring a little bit of the kingdom of God to earth. And we bear witness in how we live as a community of faith.<br />
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That witness, Christ said, is to be shown and proclaimed in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. For his disciples, that meant they had a responsibility to bear witness near and far, and to friends and enemies and strangers. It also meant that they were to bear witness in all of those places; Jesus makes no priority here.<br />
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He does, however, note a second element of this bearing witness: they are to receive power through the Holy Spirit. Jesus' disciples are to do their part, yes, but God is also going to do his part. They will receive power - whether that is power of talent, power of resources, power of spiritual will, or power of relationships and opportunities to bear witness. Those things will be provided, and his disciples are to use that power to bear witness. That is their job.<br />
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The church of today has the same challenge before it: to bear witness in the power of the Holy Spirit near and far, among friends and enemies and strangers. As God gives us opportunity and resources, we are to make him known and live out the life of his kingdom as a witness. Along the way, we are to do what we can to challenge the works of evil in our world and bring the kingdom of God into being as much as we can, everywhere we can.<br />
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So would Jesus have saved the child in the fountain, even with $150 shoes on his feet? Yes...but he would have also sold those shoes to feed the child in Africa, as well. What's on our feet - will we get our feet wet to help others and bear witness to our Lord Jesus Christ?<br />
<br />
In Christ,<br />Adam<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.moleskine.com/msk.php?display=wizard&page_url=[URL page of individual post]" target="_blank"><img alt="Print it in Moleskine MSK format" border="0" src="http://www.moleskine.com/img/msk_icon.gif" /></a>Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577314226852684362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6815541019737815978.post-71776121827381753142015-01-12T22:56:00.001-05:002015-01-12T22:56:19.082-05:00Faith Beyond Surety
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tonight, I join college football fans across the country
when I tune into the inaugural College Football Playoff Championship Game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ohio State and Oregon are facing off with
great pageantry to claim the title of “best college football team of 2014.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It promises to be a great matchup – but it
was one almost no one predicted would happen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This was the bracket for the first College Football
Playoff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, there was supposed to be
no way that the #4 Buckeyes would topple the Alabama Crimson Tide, truly the #1
team in the land…except, they did just that, and with a third-string
quarterback, no less!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, despite
their #3 ranking, many people picked undefeated Florida State to outlast #2
Oregon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tuned into that game in the
second half, just in time to watch the Jameis Winston-led Seminoles
self-destruct.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus, I tune into ESPN tonight
to watch the 13-1 Ohio State Buckeyes and the 13-1 Oregon Ducks square off for
the national championship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(By the way,
the one Ohio State loss?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My Virginia
Tech Hokies!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At the start of the season, almost no one would have
predicted this matchup. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, just
two weeks ago, almost no one predicted this matchup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet tonight, the improbable has
happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who could have guessed?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sports are a constant reminder to me that there are almost
no sure things in life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take two teams, put
them on the same field or court, and usually the favored side will win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They won’t win all the time, though – in fact,
as Malcolm Gladwell suggests, </span><a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/05/11/how-david-beats-goliath"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Calibri;">underdogs
win a disproportionate amount of the time</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is no sure thing in sports, just as there is no sure thing in
life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jesus knew this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
told a parable once about a rich man whose fields produced an overabundance of
grain, found in Luke 12.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rich man
was making plans for the future as he went to bed that night – but Jesus called
him a fool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would have been better if
he had been rich towards God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jesus went on to share words about worry that seem a bit
strange to our modern ear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We worry
about everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We make plans for
every hour of the day, every day of the week, and every week of the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet Jesus reminds us of our impotence to find
surety in life by asking the rhetorical question, “Can any of you by worrying
add a single hour to your span of life?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(Luke 12:25)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The answer, of course, is no.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no sure thing in life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We live in a world where planes can crash
unexpectedly, cancer can strike an apparently healthy person, investments can
plummet overnight, and underdog teams can beat juggernauts of the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So what can we do in such a crazy world?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jesus says that we can concentrate on the work God wants us
to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Strive for his kingdom,” he
says.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Show people love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help your neighbor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stand up for the weak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give sacrificially for those in need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Proclaim what you know about Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Strive for God’s kingdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is the formula, Jesus says, to make
sense of this incredibly unsure world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because, as he says a few verses later, “where
your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Luke 12:34) When we make God’s kingdom our
focus in life, all the things that seemed so sure (but weren’t) in life fade
into the background.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We begin to look to
the only sure thing – God – as our guiding light in life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, Jesus says, it doesn’t matter what
happens – we will be okay, because we are in the care of God, no matter what
happens to our wealth, our health, or even our life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God will take care of us, in this life and
the next, because we are striving and seeking his kingdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even when nothing else is sure, God is.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In Christ,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Adam<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<a href="http://www.moleskine.com/msk.php?display=wizard&page_url=[URL page of individual post]" target="_blank"><img alt="Print it in Moleskine MSK format" border="0" src="http://www.moleskine.com/img/msk_icon.gif" /></a>Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577314226852684362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6815541019737815978.post-71604342651101398612015-01-05T15:47:00.000-05:002015-01-05T15:47:12.712-05:00Be It Resolved...Ah, 2015 - a new year filled with new possibilities! It's exciting! It's refreshing! It's...daunting? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfo0uGBM7Z2eyJ65T2Gn666sq1Xljnny2tR5BdCq6mY-T8El-KZpAx6l1o0sB0ep9R1gU_bq3AljnU9FnSfZtjDxh1sGYT4aVd6O7gBUwaf3bi6Hc4iL84t2LvBvnRwH1lKfPNywv-Xe1k/s1600/calendar+turning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfo0uGBM7Z2eyJ65T2Gn666sq1Xljnny2tR5BdCq6mY-T8El-KZpAx6l1o0sB0ep9R1gU_bq3AljnU9FnSfZtjDxh1sGYT4aVd6O7gBUwaf3bi6Hc4iL84t2LvBvnRwH1lKfPNywv-Xe1k/s1600/calendar+turning.jpg" height="182" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yes, every year, we turn the calendar page. A fresh, wide-open field of blank days stretches ahead of us. We are challenged to fill them with things and events and choices that will make <em>this</em> year a year that matters, a year where we make a difference. So we pull out our pens and start marking up those blank spaces.<br />
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We also pull out sheets of notebook paper and write boldly across the top, "Resolutions for 2015." If we go back, we'll probably find similar sheets that say "Resolutions for 2014" and "2013" and so on. They are lists of promises or challenges we have made for ourselves. Probably, at least one resolution will include something about our weight, one will include something about our family, one will include something about our job, and one will include something related to having more fun. They are a list of things we want to see happen in the year ahead, a roadmap we can follow to achieve our goals, at least for now.<br />
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The problem is, rarely do we achieve those resolutions. There are many reasons: they may be hard, they may be irrelevant to what life throws our way, they may be frivolous, they may be things we find we really don't like. That's unfortunate, because it means we rarely succeed in achieving our goals. Yet we still need to make plans for the future and work to meet those plans. What are we to do?<br />
<br />
What we need to do is what we should always do in life: align our outlook with God's. If we say we follow after Christ, then everything in our life should be in line with Christ's will. Yet I can honestly say that many times, my New Year's resolutions have little to do with the kingdom of God. Moreover, even when they do, they are goals I have set for myself; I have done little to see if they are what God would want me to choose. If I want to succeed in life, I need to align my ultimate goals in life with God - and then make sure my choices along the way, including my New Year's resolutions, point in that direction.<br />
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Fortunately, we find guidance on how to do this throughout the Bible. First, we have to trust that God wants us to plan for the future, because he has a plan for our future. God consistently tells his people this, as he does in Jeremiah 29 ("For I know the plans I have for you..."). God has chosen to work in this world through his people. He has a plan. Our task is to figure out where we fit into his plan.<br />
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Then we have to make sure that our priorities are in order. There are many things in life that distract us and confuse us. These things can lead us away from God's plan...unless we get prioritize properly. Jesus himself addressed this when he said, "Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33). Of course, this doesn't mean that if we serve God's kingdom, we'll get everything we ever wanted and all of our problems will be solved. It does mean that when we put God and his kingdom first, everything else will become secondary - and we will trust God to see us through.<br />
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Finally, we need to approach life with less concern about success...or rather, a redefined notion of success. In the book of James, the author speaks of a person making plans for his or her business. James scoffs at this plan - because we human beings do not know what the future will bring. Instead, he says, we "ought to say, 'If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that'"(James 4:15). When we reorient our lives to place God's will and God's kingdom first, we will redefine success. Whatever promotes the kingdom of God and accomplishes the mission of God will be our yardstick, not how much money we make or how many countries we travel to or how many people know our name or how many pounds we lose. It doesn't mean those measures of success aren't important or shouldn't be a goal - but they have importance and worth only in how they move us towards health and wholeness in our relationship with God and towards fulfilling our divine calling.<br />
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So this New Year, what resolutions should we make? Careful ones, thoughtful ones, achievable ones - but above all, faithful ones. God has a plan for you in 2015. What do you need to do to accomplish it?<br />
<br />
In Christ,<br />
Adam<br />
<br />
PS One of my resolutions (that I pray is in line with God's will for me) is to increase my frequency of blog posts. I plan to write every Monday, but I hold that loosely - because God's calling may shift. For now, though, look for my blog updates every Monday!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.moleskine.com/msk.php?display=wizard&page_url=[URL page of individual post]" target="_blank"><img alt="Print it in Moleskine MSK format" border="0" src="http://www.moleskine.com/img/msk_icon.gif" /></a>Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577314226852684362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6815541019737815978.post-66782251508405782132014-06-18T12:16:00.001-04:002014-06-18T12:18:14.426-04:00Why I Go<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have been very blessed in my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was raised in a good and loving home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was able to receive a good education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The churches I have served in ministry have
been caring and devoted to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My wife
is amazing and beautiful, inside and out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am in reasonably good health, I have friends who make life enjoyable
and who support me, and I even have a dog who loves curling up next to me on
the sofa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Life is pretty good.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the other blessings I’ve had in my life is to go on
several short-term mission trips to other countries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the past sixteen years, I have been on
mission to four other countries (Panama, Honduras, South Africa, and Ghana) on
a total of 9 trips.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This does not
include several mission trips I have been able to take within the United
States, and ongoing mission efforts and projects in the community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I look forward to leading a team from my
church to Panama again in July, in partnership with the Baptist General
Association of Virginia and the Panama Baptist Convention.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Each time I go on mission to another part of the world,
someone will ask (in some form or another), “Why do you go?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why would I want to pay money and take time
away from my home, my family, my job, and my comfortable life to travel
somewhere else to do work for God?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I began going on mission trips, my answer would have
been much different than it is now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
went to Panama for the first time when I was 15, and I went for a variety of
reasons:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had seen my father go on
mission trips, and wanted to emulate him; I was excited for the opportunity to
travel and see another country; I was looking forward to getting out of school
for two weeks(!); and I thought that going on a mission trip was what God would
want me to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, as I look back on 16 years of short-term mission
experiences, and contemplate another trip in a couple of weeks, I have some
different thoughts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve had more time
to consider the benefits and costs of short-term mission work, both to myself
and to those I go to serve amongst.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve
also had conversations with other ministers who I respect and admire, classes
in seminary on what the meaning of mission is, and friendships with Christians
in other nations and cultures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of
those conversations and encounters have called the efficacy of short-term
mission work into question, while others have confirmed that it is a vital part
of God’s kingdom plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After considering
all of this, I feel better prepared to answer the question, “Why do you go on
short-term mission trips?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Great
Commission/Acts 1:8</b> – In both the Gospel of Matthew and the book of Acts,
Jesus leaves his disciples with marching orders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Matthew, he tells his disciples to make
more disciples <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">as they go</i> in life –
disciples <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">of all nations</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Acts records Jesus telling his disciples to
be his witnesses everywhere – even to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">utter
ends of the earth</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I believe that
I have received the same charge that the first disciples did (and I do believe
that), then I have to take his command seriously to go forth into the entire
world and bear witness to Christ.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Personal
faith</b> – I have heard it said over and over by people who return from short-term
mission experiences:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I received the
blessing,” or some variation of that statement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That has been my experience, as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Going out on mission increases my faith in God, exposes me to new
understandings of Christ, and gives me the opportunity to see the Spirit at
work in different ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I always return
rejuvenated and challenged to be more committed to my Lord.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Making a
difference</b> – On every short-term mission trip I have been on, I felt like I
was doing my best to make a difference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Whether that difference was helping with a medical clinic, passing out
mosquito nets, preaching a sermon about Jesus and salvation, or building a
relationship with a local pastor or family, I tried my hardest to do my part to
help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only that, I tried to help in
a way that respected the dignity of the individuals I met and honored the work
and commitment of the local church I was working with.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Bearing
witness to Christ’s kingdom work</b> – It is far too easy for any church to get
self-centered, only aware of its own work and witness. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet Jesus didn’t call <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a</i> church, he called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the</i>
church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All around the globe, God’s
people are doing amazing things as they proclaim the Gospel and work to make
this world more like what God wants it to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>An important part of my mission, then, is to bear witness when I return
home:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to share what God is doing in
other places, to relate how our Christian brothers and sisters in other
cultures are connecting with God, and to challenge myself and my church to
learn from the work of others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are probably additional reasons that I go on short-term
mission trips, including those I held as a 15-year old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, these four reasons are how I would
answer the question, “Why do you go on short-term mission trips?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe they are reasons that honor Christ
and respect my Christian brothers and sisters as partners in the kingdom
mission of God...and they are the reasons I will continue going on short-term mission trips whenever the Lord calls me to go.</span></div>
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<br />
<a href="http://www.moleskine.com/msk.php?display=wizard&page_url=[URL page of individual post]" target="_blank"><img alt="Print it in Moleskine MSK format" border="0" src="http://www.moleskine.com/img/msk_icon.gif" /></a>Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577314226852684362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6815541019737815978.post-7084068502276855242014-05-21T09:34:00.002-04:002014-05-21T09:34:36.683-04:00An Alternative Society
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My computer homepage is a MSN compilation of news, sports,
weather, and entertainment stories that are currently trending.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know who exactly decided this should
be the homepage (it is my computer’s default setting), but it isn’t too
bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can have a snapshot (in visual
form, even!) of what popular stories are right now, every time I open my
internet browser.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a good way to
stay abreast of what is going on in the wider world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Unfortunately, what’s going on in the wider world is often
not all that encouraging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve noticed
that, over the past month, probably 80% of the mornings I turn on my computer,
the lead story is something tragic or disturbing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, for example, the first story that pops
up is, “Mother suspected of killing 3 daughters.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some days it is something relatively
localized, like today’s story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other
days, it is something widespread, such as when tornadoes touch down in the Midwest
or wildfires ravage California.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, of
course, a large percentage of the stories bemoan missteps by politicians and
media personalities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only conclusion
I can draw from my MSN feed is that the world is falling apart, and we see
evidence of it continuing every single day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This cannot be what God wanted or intended when he made the
world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scripture tells us that God
finished creating the world and said “This is very good.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those are words that cannot be applied very
often to the world as we know it, at least not without a qualifying
statement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it has been this way for
a long, long time!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Isaiah 3, the
prophet calls out the leaders and merchants, the men and women, the old and
young of his day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leaders are failing,
elders are greedy, youths are oppressive, and women are haughty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things are, in Isaiah’s mind, falling
apart!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is there any hope?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yes, there is!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Isaiah
goes on in chapter 4 to describe a segment of his society that is seen as a
shelter from the storm and a place to recover true identity, peace, and
purpose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That segment of society:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the community of the faithful people of
God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever form it took in that day,
the gathering of God’s people – small though it was in relation to the wider
society – was an alternative to what was being offered in the mainstream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not an angry alternative, not a clannish
alternative, and not a semi-alternative that rejected one or two things
vehemently but otherwise embrace the values of the surrounding culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, it was a true alternative society,
governed by different values – God’s values! – and sustained by a different
concept of what was good, right, noble, and worthy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Flash forward 2500+ years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All around us, we see evidence of the decadence and self-centeredness of
modern Western life returning a cost on most of human society that is far too
high.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The vast majority of scientists
state that we are killing our planet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>War and strife run rampant in our world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Economic insecurities leave billions in precarious circumstances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People are skeptical that our leaders can
make a difference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the world of Isaiah
3 all over again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And where is the shelter that Isaiah saw in his day?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who is the alternative society or community
now that can be a place to recover true identity, peace, and purpose?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the church, the gathered people of God
committed to living according to the values of God’s kingdom – this is the
community that is supposed to be the shelter in the storm of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the place where all of us can find an
alternative to the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the
fellowship that lives life differently, more meaningfully…when we actually
do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Far too often, we try to live
according to what we learn is the way of life in the world:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that money is what matters, that appearances
are most important, that comfort is more vital than effectiveness, and that
safety trumps obedience to the commands of Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We as the church need to repent when we find ourselves
falling back into the same habits as the world – because we were called to be
something else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are called to be a
colony of a different kingdom, a different world, governed by a different law
and held to a different standard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
central command shouldn’t be “he with the most toys wins;” it should be “love God
with everything you have, and love your neighbor as yourself.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We shouldn’t demand what is rightfully ours,
but rather be sacrificial and generous with what we have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we shouldn’t act shocked when
non-Christians act in a way contrary to the way of Jesus – we should be honest
and admit that often what passes for religious behavior in our own lives and in
our own community can stand in serious conflict with the teachings of Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">God has called us to be different than the world, to hunger
for something more, something greater than fame or fortune or power or
influence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God has called us to be
ambassadors of the kingdom of God, because we have accepted a way of life that
so different from the world – but it is what the world is desperately longing
for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s be that shelter in the storm
of life, a place that says, “You were made for something more – and we want to
help you find it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In Christ,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Adam<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">PS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many thanks to my
good friend, John Chandler, whose devotional thoughts on Isaiah 3-4 in “Praying
the Prophets” sparked my thinking in this blog post.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.moleskine.com/msk.php?display=wizard&page_url=[URL page of individual post]" target="_blank"><img alt="Print it in Moleskine MSK format" border="0" src="http://www.moleskine.com/img/msk_icon.gif" /></a>Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577314226852684362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6815541019737815978.post-51868896906899997582014-05-02T07:44:00.000-04:002014-05-02T07:44:47.028-04:00Goodbye to a Sacred Place
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There is a country song that has been with me the past few
weeks – The House that Built Me by Miranda Lambert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, I’m not necessarily a huge Miranda
Lambert fan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like some of her songs,
but I probably wouldn’t name her as one of my favorite artists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet there is something about the song that
sticks with me, because I, too, have a house (or a place) that helped build me…and
really soon, I won’t be able to go back again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tonight, I begin my last trip to Grandma’s farm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After my grandmother’s death on the last day
of 2012, I have known this day would come:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>the farm has sold and it is time to move on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet in that long period of “in-between,” it
has been hard to let go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is where
my mother grew up, from the age of 2 onward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is where I came for visits in the summer and on holidays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is where I spent all but two Christmases
in my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s where I learned to
shuck corn and string snaps from the garden, go fishin’ in the pond, and peruse
old picture albums from the comfort of my granddaddy’s recliner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More than that, though, this is where I ate
grandma’s cooking, played with my cousins, and learned as I grew up to have
adult conversations with my aunts and uncles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For me, this has been one of a few central places that have shaped me
and grounded me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And now…it’s gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
January, the family found out that someone was interested in purchasing the
farm from the estate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although we knew
this needed to happen, it brought home that there was a ticking clock on our
time with the old farm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we began the
tasks that we had to do to prepare…at least physically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My aunts and uncles started going through the
clothes and household items.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My cousins
helped clean out the cellar, sorting through years’ worth of produce from the
garden, faithfully canned and preserved by my grandmother and my aunt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of us children and grandchildren helped
move furniture and tag items for the estate sale and clean out the smokehouse
and pack barn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did the things we had
to do to get the farm ready.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the process, I wonder if we – if I – have done the things
we need to do to get ready emotionally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am the youngest grandchild, with a mere 31 years of memory in this
place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What about my oldest cousins,
with 50 or so years?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My aunts and uncles
and cousins who still live in the neighborhood, who have literally grown up on
this plot of land?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have all of us really
recognized the way that this place has shaped us, and have we recognized both
how the sale of this land will affect us, and how the mark it left on us will
never really fade?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Scriptures tell us that place matters – particularly a
place that includes encounters with the divine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is a sacredness that can become a part of any land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Because it has been a place of deep, loving relationship, a place where
God instilled his presence into the collective memory and experience of those
who met in that location.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes we know
it’s a sacred place from the beginning…but often we don’t until we are looking
back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes, we are there with Jacob
awakening from a dream, sitting bolt upright and stammering, “Surely the Lord is
in this place – and I did not know it!” (Gen. 28:16) The next day, Jacob left
that place…but not before doing something to mark the significance of that
location in his memory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This afternoon, I begin the last visit I may ever make to my
grandmother’s house and farm – certainly the last one I’ll make before it stops
being “ours.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pray that I’ll be able,
in the midst of the hustle and bustle of preparations for tomorrow’s sale, to
drink in the sacredness of this place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Grandma’s is a place where I experienced the love of my Lord and the joy
of sharing life with family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is
something to remember, and something to carry with me as I leave this sacred
place – because while God was and is in this place, he is not bound to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He will be with me and with my family as we leave
that place behind and step forward into a new day, strengthened by the memories
and shared experiences of doing life together.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.moleskine.com/msk.php?display=wizard&page_url=[URL page of individual post]" target="_blank"><img alt="Print it in Moleskine MSK format" border="0" src="http://www.moleskine.com/img/msk_icon.gif" /></a>Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577314226852684362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6815541019737815978.post-1432909988525183352014-03-17T12:40:00.000-04:002014-03-17T12:40:23.184-04:00A Healthy Body
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Over the past week, I’ve suffered from a few little aches
and pains and fatigue that remind me that I’m not as young as I used to
be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My elbow has been twinging as a
result of playing too much pickleball (a relatively new sport – sort of like
indoor tennis – that is taking off at Grace Hills).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Occasionally, I’ll have a muscle spasm or
stitch in my side for no apparent reason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Saturday morning, I awoke to a flare-up of tendonitis in my left knee
that left me hobbling around the sanctuary on Sunday morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, last weekend’s late nights and early
mornings, combined with a shift to Daylight Savings Time and a week full of
stress and travel, has left me feeling behind on sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lazy Sunday afternoon yesterday was quite
in order, especially the two (unplanned) naps!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our bodies are wonderful combinations of flesh, bone, and
chemical connections that God has fashioned to work together in an amazing
manner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet those very connections are designed
to work within very specific tolerances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m fairly sure that my tennis elbow developed from overuse of the
muscles and tendons in my right arm by playing too much pickleball in too short
a time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m equally sure that my back
spasms and tendonitis are affected, at least in part, because I’m carrying
around a few (ok, more than a few) extra pounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And my fatigue?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why wouldn’t I expect to be tired if I got
less than 4 hours of sleep two nights in a row, followed by a week of travel
and interspersed nights of interrupted sleep?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m no health expert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m not THAT kind of doctor, nor am I a personal trainer, an expert in kinesiology,
a dietician, or even an exercise enthusiast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I don’t need to be to know something fundamental about the human body: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to feel good and maintain health, there are
certain things we need to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to
get an appropriate amount of exercise (without overtraining).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to get an appropriate amount of rest
and relaxation (without becoming couch potatoes).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to have a balanced diet with good
nutrition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to maintain our
bodies and pay attention to any warning signals we get (like pain, a grumbling
stomach, or shortness of breath).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
short, to maintain the amazing organic system that is our body, we have to
intentionally take care of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The same is true of the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several passages in Scripture use the image
of the body to describe the nature of the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ephesians 4 speaks to the importance of unity
and maturity in the body of Christ, and finishes in verse 16 with a beautiful
image:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“From him the whole body, joined
and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in
love, as each part does its work.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
wonderfully organic image of the church, as a body growing and becoming
healthy, reminds us that the same techniques we use to care for and develop our
physical bodies are often helpful in developing, strengthening, and caring for
the body of Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Exercise:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the hardest things to do for our
physical bodies is establish an appropriate exercise regimen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite its difficulty, though, exercise is
needed to develop and maintain a healthy body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is also true for the church; without spiritual exercise, or
mission, the church is just another civic organization or country club.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus tells us that we are called to follow
him for a purpose:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to do the things he
did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do this when we make disciples,
when we care for the needy, when we share the Gospel message, and when we
generally strive to make the world more like the world God wants it to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those are important tasks that we do as a
body of Christian believers, but they can be overwhelming in the same way that
running a marathon can be overwhelming for a couch potato like me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So how can we incorporate spiritual “exercise”
into the life of our church?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By having mission
and witness integrated into the life of the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When a church can offer several options for
people to engage in mission, with varying levels of commitment and effort, the
burden of missional “exercise” can be alleviated; it just becomes one more part
of the rhythm of the church’s life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
becomes part of the day-in, day-out life of the congregation, and the church is
challenged to continue to grow and develop as a healthy body of Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Rest:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A body needs more than exercise to thrive,
because exercise without appropriate rest results in overwork, discomfort, and
injury.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, a well-rested body makes
for better and more productive exercise than a fatigued body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rest is a glorious part of the rhythm of life
that God has built into our bodies, and the body of Christ needs periods of
rest, as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are busy seasons in
church life:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christmas and Easter, of
course, but also other regular times of energy and effort such as VBS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After such times of exertion, it is important
that the church include a period of rest, with less programming and less
demands on people, particularly in church leadership.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such times of rest and recuperation allow the
recovery of energy and creativity, and those periods of rest also serve as
wells of strength for the church and its leaders to draw from in the next
period of activity and mission.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Nutrition</b>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I eat junk food all day, my body is going
to rebel:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll get stomach aches, I’ll
have a lack of energy, and I’ll gain weight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>To operate in a healthy way, my body needs good and balanced
nutrition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the same way, the church
needs spiritual nourishment to grow and develop in a healthy manner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scripture and the person of Jesus is the
source of nutrition for the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
church needs to get a steady diet of grounded and relevant sermons, informative
and helpful Bible studies, and timely recommendations for Bible reading and
personal devotions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also needs to
receive encouragement and opportunities to engage in personal and corporate
prayer, learning to hear and heed the voice of our Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These practices nourish the souls of both the
individuals who make up the church and the corporate body of the church itself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Care</b>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When our bodies are hurt or fall ill, the
prudent thing to do is to provide care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A wound untended will get infected, a cough disregarded will become
bronchitis, and a sprain ignored could lead to a more lasting injury.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Caring for our bodies when they are hurt or
compromised is vital to our overall health.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is true for the body of Christ, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes, a member of the body is hurt:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>an individual loses someone close to them, or
suffers an illness, or faces turmoil in their family or job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other times, the hurt is to the whole
church:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the congregation experiences
conflict, has a major financial problem, or is hit with ridicule or obstruction
from an outside party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In each of these
cases, care is needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The church needs
to do those things that promote healing:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>rebuilding broken relationships, spending time with despairing members, working
through conflict instead of ignoring it, and encouraging one another instead of
tearing each other down.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When the church acknowledges its identity as the body of
Christ, it draws from a metaphor that we know well:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>our own bodies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like our physical bodies, the church body needs
exercise, rest, nutrition, and care to remain healthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When those things are present, the conditions
are right for the church to grow and develop as the body of Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>May all of our churches become the healthy
churches that God wants them to be!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In Christ,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Adam<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<a href="http://www.moleskine.com/msk.php?display=wizard&page_url=[URL page of individual post]" target="_blank"><img alt="Print it in Moleskine MSK format" border="0" src="http://www.moleskine.com/img/msk_icon.gif" /></a>Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577314226852684362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6815541019737815978.post-10559245540905014032014-02-13T17:07:00.001-05:002014-02-13T17:17:28.487-05:00A Snowbound Sabbath Rest<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 1pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><w:sdtpr></w:sdtpr><w:sdt docpart="F6A15B9450E54B71BB16E8B82A7771CE" id="89512082" showingplchdr="t" storeitemid="X_5F329CAD-B019-4FA6-9FEF-74898909AD20" text="t" title="Post Title" xpath="/ns0:BlogPostInfo/ns0:PostTitle"></w:sdt></span>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today is a snow day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not a “skiff of snow” or an inch of ice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is a good, old-fashioned snow day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We’re talking about a foot of the powdery white stuff here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The “I’ve got to put on my knee-high boots”
kind of snow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It started last night, and
is still going on as I write this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its
equal turns beautiful and depressing, magical and mundane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it has brought virtually EVERYTHING in
town to…a…grinding…halt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other than some
enterprising individuals going about with snowplows and some neighborly folks
helping each other clear their driveways, almost everyone is huddling in their
homes praying the power doesn’t go out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is in many ways an inconvenience for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Parents (who may not have had their work
cancelled today) have to figure out childcare arrangements for kids out of
school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meetings have to be rescheduled,
events have to be postponed, dinner plans have to be put off, and even
Valentine’s Day dates might not happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some people will even see a hit in their paycheck as they lose hours at
work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In many ways, this storm is a
problem.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yet in one very important way, the very enforced nature of
this snowbound reclusiveness is a Godsend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Stuck in our homes, with little reason to go outside except to build
snowmen and go sledding, this should be a day of rest – and God has designed us
to need a day of rest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only that, he
has commanded it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Remember the Sabbath
and keep it holy,” we read over and over in Scripture, and some of us do that
(almost) every Sunday morning by going to church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet we seem to have missed a second emphasis
of the Sabbath:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it is a day of rest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Genesis, we are told that on the seventh
day – the prototype Sabbath – God rested.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In Deuteronomy’s version of the 10 Commandments, the Sabbath command
instructs the Israelites to do no work that day as a memorial to their past as
slaves in Egypt – in God’s new world, we aren’t slaves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In our Western culture, however, work (and the things that
work brings) are held up as the highest goal or aspiration; we might even call
work itself, or the money and things it provides, an idol.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus we have a culture in which the richest
of the rich and the poorest of the poor alike have to work long hours,
sometimes even two jobs, just to get by or get the things that "matter."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was no surprise to me, then, that as I
spoke with my neighbor while we shoveled her driveway, I discovered that her company expected
employees with company laptops to work from home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t even a surprise for me to find
myself feeling a little guilty if I didn’t do some work today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I started my day by catching up on
e-mails, making phone calls, and getting some study in for my sermon on Sunday.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And then…I read my devotion for the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know, I’m supposed to do that first thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Usually, I try to do that – but today, it
just didn’t happen until late morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Opening my Bible, I turned to Exodus 16.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Moses and Aaron have to deal with a crowd of whiney Israelites:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>hungry, tired, and wondering if this was what
they really signed on for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The two
leaders recognize that they need to not take the whining personally – and they
also ask God to meet the need of the people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Food is what God promises, and food is what God provides.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">God provides it, however, in a particular way, a way that
helps his people understand what it means to live the life he has made possible
for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Food gathering and preparation
in a non-commercialized society is hard work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I saw this in my recent trip to Ghana:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>people labored in the fields to bring forth a crop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it was harvested, hours and hours went
into making the food ready to eat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Shelled vegetables were shucked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Corn was cut off the cob and roasted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Beans were laid out to dry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
making the dishes, like the staple fufu, took muscle and time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of this was similar in the ancient world
in which the Israelites lived, and it was what they were used to.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What God is providing, however, is something that is more
freeing than that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was still work
involved in eating the miraculous manna and quail:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the manna had to be gathered each day, and
the quail had to be caught, plucked, and prepared before it could be
consumed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet one day a week, the people
were not to go prepare their food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
were to make sure they had enough so they could take a day off…and the people
who didn’t do that found that there was no provision of food on the seventh
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God had already given them an
abundance, and they needed to use that abundance to enjoy the rest that God
wanted them to have.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maybe, just maybe, this latest snowstorm can be seen in the
same way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, I don’t think God caused
the snowstorm so we would have to take time off; but I do think maybe God wants
us to use the opportunity of this snowstorm to consider how we rest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do we view Sabbath as an opportunity to relax
and enjoy the life God has given us?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do
we intentionally take time to rest and appreciate the gift we have
received?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do we revel in the blessing of
being a child of God, freed from the idols of this world, including work and
money and material possessions?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we
can’t honestly say yes, then maybe we need a few more snow days of Sabbath.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In Christ,<br />
Adam<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<a href="http://www.moleskine.com/msk.php?display=wizard&page_url=[URL page of individual post]" target="_blank"><img alt="Print it in Moleskine MSK format" border="0" src="http://www.moleskine.com/img/msk_icon.gif" /></a>Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577314226852684362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6815541019737815978.post-47559956810525679122014-01-20T23:24:00.000-05:002014-01-20T23:24:20.164-05:00WWJD? Christ at the Center
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I was a teenager, one of the things I did every summer
was go to Eagle Eyrie for a Virginia Baptist mission camp with my family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was something I looked forward to each
year:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had friends from other parts of
the state that I got to hang out with, the swimming pool was a lot of fun on a
hot summer day, and the ice cream parlor was a sweet treat after worship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also enjoyed the official reasons we were
there, of course:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to learn about how
missionaries were serving God around the world, to engage in hands-on, local
missions myself, and to worship together with Christians from around the state.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the things I remember from that annual camp
experience and others like it was the plethora of merchandise that the
contemporary Christian subculture promulgated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Everywhere you looked, there were t-shirts “borrowing” secular symbols
from the Reese’s logo to the Nike motto, “Just Do It.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps most ubiquitous were the multicolored
fabric bracelets with four simple letters emblazoned on them:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>W.W.J.D.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This simple acronym stood for “What Would Jesus Do?” and you weren’t
“with it” as a Christian teenager if you weren’t wearing at least 1 or 2 of
these bracelets at all times.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The bracelets’ genesis was a Christian book first published
in 1897 and updated regularly throughout the 20<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> century.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the book, a church is turned upside down
by the appearance of a homeless man in worship who dies in their midst.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Convicted by this tragedy and the church’s
inaction in the face of it, the pastor challenges the church to do nothing
without asking first, “What would Jesus do?” for an entire year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Drawing from this challenging message, the
W.W.J.D. bracelets were intended to be a constant reminder for Christians who
wore them to be thoughtful in their actions and behave as Christ would behave –
although for many teenagers, the bracelet became just another fashion
accessory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I bring up this Christian fashion trend of my youth to
illustrate a larger point:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for the
church of my life experience, the evangelical Baptist church in America, Jesus
is uniformly and unalterably at the center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His life, his example, his divinity, his authority, and his indwelling
presence in the life of the church are all essential to Christian existence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In my own church, Grace Hills Baptist, this cornerstone of
Christian thought is visible in many ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Firstly, we call ourselves “Christians,” which means “Christ-like” or
“little Christs.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our very identity and
understanding of ourselves is tied up in what we believe about Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A commitment to and relationship with Jesus –
that is what binds us together:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>old and
young, man and woman, Appomattox native and come-here alike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Political affiliation, sports team
preference, education level, cultural background – it doesn’t matter, because
we all look to Jesus as the common thread, the thing that identifies us all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another way Grace Hills sees Christ as the center of
everything we are and do is the authority we give his words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Regularly, the church’s Sunday school
literature, sermons, and Bible studies focus on the commands of Jesus:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>seek first the kingdom of God, love your
neighbor as yourself, whatever you do for the least of these you did for me,
proclaim good news to the captive, suffer the little children to come to me, go
and make disciples.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The repetition and
study of these commands and teachings insinuates itself into the minds and
hearts of the congregation’s members, because they are the words of Jesus and,
as such, are authoritative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">should</i> be remembered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">should</i>
be considered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">should</i> be obeyed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A final way in which Christ is at the center of Grace Hills’
identity and experience is the desire of the church to share Jesus with
others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As followers of Christ, and not
just fans of Jesus as a historical teacher, we believe that Christ is still
alive today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We believe he calls us to
have a relationship with him, not just a relationship of worship and awe, but
also a relationship of intimacy and friendship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For many of us, this relationship gives shape to our days and meaning to
our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It makes life full of joy and
worth living…and we don’t want to keep that joy to ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is why we support the work of
missionaries in our community and around the world who introduce others to
Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is why we reach out to our
friends and family to let them know what a difference Jesus has made in our
lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t do it out of a sense of
manipulation or of self-perpetuation as a church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We genuinely want as many people to have the
opportunity to experience the joy and love and hope and peace that we have as
possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t want to force it – we
just want to make an introduction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jesus is the center of what it means to be Christian – and
he is the driving force at the center of what it means to be the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At Grace Hills, we hold this as a core,
perhaps even <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the</i> core, of our
identity and purpose.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In Christ,<br />
Adam<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<a href="http://www.moleskine.com/msk.php?display=wizard&page_url=[URL page of individual post]" target="_blank"><img alt="Print it in Moleskine MSK format" border="0" src="http://www.moleskine.com/img/msk_icon.gif" /></a>Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577314226852684362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6815541019737815978.post-47556116309937694092014-01-03T21:26:00.000-05:002014-01-03T21:26:53.517-05:00An African AdventThis past year, I turned 31. That means that I have celebrated 31 Christmases. Each year, I enjoyed the traditions that my family and churches have observed: going Christmas caroling, decorating the tree, enjoying Christmas parties, and of course eating all of those good Christmas snacks and meals. Christmas Eve found me at my grandmother's, where we read the Christmas story, opened presents, and ate homemade chocolate cake. Christmas is, for me, a combination of the celebration of Christ's birth and an enjoyment of nostalgic memories and familial warmth.<br />
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Leading up to Christmas, however, is a season the church has historically celebrated called "Advent." This literally means "coming," and is a season both to celebrate Christ's first coming and to prepare for when he comes again. In the process, the church has endeavored to be the presence of Christ in this world.<br />
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In my 31 Christmases, in my 31 Advent seasons, I never saw this as clearly as I did this year - because this year, I went to Ghana.<br />
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The Virginia Baptist Mission Board has a partnership with the Ghana Baptist Convention. This particular partnership is focused on the region of Yendi in northeast Ghana, an area with a 95% prevalence rate of malaria - and a relatively low percentage of Christians. More than Nets is a two year comprehensive project of the VBMB and Ghana Baptist Convention to reduce malaria in Yendi and plant Christian churches in the region. (Check this great project out <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MoreThanNets" target="_blank">here</a>)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VPKSmN_3h2ftT5Yi7LgRjyBpi3Z9BqJDKkejHwTJuaW_ofRmfNRv3kP_0IHl33daqm_9HBRLlG0cH8qudF9fBLTd0vC4q9WLzeTDqQf_nUiNioWHtBag7oxYeqLNhQ2hyMghQ4SwXnkg/s1600/morethannets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VPKSmN_3h2ftT5Yi7LgRjyBpi3Z9BqJDKkejHwTJuaW_ofRmfNRv3kP_0IHl33daqm_9HBRLlG0cH8qudF9fBLTd0vC4q9WLzeTDqQf_nUiNioWHtBag7oxYeqLNhQ2hyMghQ4SwXnkg/s1600/morethannets.jpg" /></a></div>
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I was one of a group of pastors and other committed Virginia Baptists invited to travel to Ghana in early December. We had multiple aspects to our mission: we distributed mosquito nets to combat malaria, we planted churches in villages without a Christian presence, we encouraged existing churches and baptized new believers, and we trained new pastors.<br />
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Net distribution was one of the primary tasks for our team. Over the course of several days of distribution, we visited in the homes of Ghanaians and showed them how to use their new nets. A simple net can protect a mother and several children from malaria for 3-5 years if they sleep under it at night - a tremendous protection in a region where so many are affected by this tropical disease each year. Our team distributed 2,747 mosquito nets provided by Virginia Baptist churches. Through these nets, the power of Christ literally is protecting the lives of men, women, and children in the Yendi province of Ghana.<br />
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Another important task our team undertook was planting new churches. Yendi is overwhelmingly Muslim, but the vast majority of people in Yendi have a spiritual hunger. Sometimes, we would show up in a village to distribute nets and be asked to plant a church by the residents. Other times, our Ghanaian Baptist brothers and sisters would take us into a village, begin singing, and see the entire town turn out to see what was going on. Over the course of the week, Christ opened the door for us to plant 25 churches - including one I was privileged to name Grace Hills Baptist Church. In those 25 churches, 1,607 people expressed faith in Christ for the first time. Just as Christ's birth ignited faith in the lives of shepherds and kings, so today Christ is sparking faith among the people of Ghana.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd6w2q0H1aijuJOqudacUxxfEYCXT6n5zEAvXyTalTKKUKDe6sNzj452yyQYEisPLOchFQ6qMj2mo-KXtbtlA77EGll5G_KaMSTksQKVlUE3PMuDsmeCXvdyfSTfYUUe-jbamBTwkRWD_5/s1600/Planting+a+Church.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd6w2q0H1aijuJOqudacUxxfEYCXT6n5zEAvXyTalTKKUKDe6sNzj452yyQYEisPLOchFQ6qMj2mo-KXtbtlA77EGll5G_KaMSTksQKVlUE3PMuDsmeCXvdyfSTfYUUe-jbamBTwkRWD_5/s320/Planting+a+Church.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Those new churches need leaders, and our team helped train 40 church leaders who have been receiving guidance from local Ghana Baptists. I taught a course on Genesis, and another pastor, Bill Booth, taught a class about Personal Evangelism. In these classes, I saw church leaders - new Christians themselves - develop a deeper understanding of God's work in the world. They will carry that understanding back to their churches and invest that understanding in the lives of their people.<br />
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Those leaders have already been hard at work. Churches planted in the past year have been introducing people to Jesus and discipling them in faith. One of the privileges of our trip was baptizing many of these new believers in Yendi. I personally had the chance to baptize 32 new brothers and sisters in Christ in a river on the border of Ghana and Togo - in a village I had to reach by riding on the back of a motorbike along dirt roads. Altogether, our team celebrated the baptisms of 277 people. This Advent saw God's family grow larger and more vibrant.<br />
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The season of Advent is about the coming of Jesus Christ into our world - and I saw that happen with my own eyes in Ghana this year. It was something that God made happen - but it was something that ordinary people here in Virginia are making possible. Virginia Baptist churches are making it possible for Christ to come to new people...people who are made in God's image, people who are hungry for a relationship with God, people who are responding to Christ's love in amazing ways.<br />
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This is a ministry that is continuing. More than Nets will continue for at least another year, and I would like to encourage you to support this effective ministry. One way to support is through your prayers; especially pray for Emmanuel Mustafa, leader of this ministry effort, and the Ghanaian church leaders.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRwiimDytc0iOthc9oPtJbjofl7ELI9n-f5lr668lW0N1vS_4XH_t1WAUz7u3lT0uwAR7f4Loh_4ZnOXOIzeqHo-frtYOVhWV-itEMQnwx24cAQ5q7HAiFLAZ1bp4QRXRmmnSZBla4b6U/s1600/Adam+and+Muss.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRwiimDytc0iOthc9oPtJbjofl7ELI9n-f5lr668lW0N1vS_4XH_t1WAUz7u3lT0uwAR7f4Loh_4ZnOXOIzeqHo-frtYOVhWV-itEMQnwx24cAQ5q7HAiFLAZ1bp4QRXRmmnSZBla4b6U/s320/Adam+and+Muss.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Another way to support More than Nets is by purchasing nets for distribution. $10 will provide a net, pay for it to be transported to the home of a Ghanaian family, provide training for that family in how to use the net, and help finance church planting efforts in the Yendi region. Could you give a net? Or could you give a net a month through 2014? Each net could save the life of 1-4 people for 3-5 years - a dozen nets could protect between 12 and 48 people. You can find more information on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MoreThanNets" target="_blank">More than Nets</a> Facebook page.<br />
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Please consider how you might make a difference in Ghana - and keep the season of Advent, of the coming of Christ, going throughout the year.<br />
<br />
In Christ,<br />Adam<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.moleskine.com/msk.php?display=wizard&page_url=[URL page of individual post]" target="_blank"><img alt="Print it in Moleskine MSK format" border="0" src="http://www.moleskine.com/img/msk_icon.gif" /></a>Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577314226852684362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6815541019737815978.post-6221421631882676162013-09-24T10:06:00.000-04:002013-09-24T10:06:17.693-04:00A Church by Any Other Name
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At the end of August, my wife and I had the opportunity to
travel to the United Kingdom on vacation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After a tiring overnight flight, we landed in London and travelled by
rail to Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, for the first weekend of our
trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We toured a castle, ate at several
nice restaurants, and did some shopping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On Sunday morning, we walked about a mile to the city’s waterfront to
look around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A carnival of sorts was
going on, almost like the 5-county fairs I remembered from my childhood, but on
a slightly smaller scale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were
some rides for the children, as well as a swimming area and a sand play
area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Local craftspeople offered their
wares, and vendors offered culinary options from traditional Welsh dishes to
Brazilian and Asian meals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we walked
around, we discovered that this great celebration, full of young families
enjoying a morning out, was connected to a sailing race that would take place
later in the day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Along the waterfront, in the middle of the festive crowds,
was a small white chapel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was, in
fact, one of the things we had come to the waterfront to see:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the Norwegian Seafarer’s Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For centuries, it had been a spiritual haven
for the Norwegian sailors who crewed the fishing and merchant ships based in
Cardiff, and among those who were christened there was the children’s writer
Roald Dahl, author of such classics as “James and the Giant Peach” and “Charlie
and the Chocolate Factory.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet for 30+
years, this charming church building has fallen out of religious use, and today
it is a combination coffee shop and art gallery, with no religious activity at
all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This state of affairs seemed to strike me at almost every
turn on my trip to the UK.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Cardiff,
we saw two “functioning” churches, a Baptist church that held an English
service and a Welsh service each Sunday (and which was locked behind iron gates
the rest of the time), and a Catholic church that instructed people to use the
side door for Mass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In London, we stayed
in a tourist and business district and saw few churches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oxford had several churches, but they seemed
more tourist attractions than anything else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And one of the books that caught my eye in a bookshop for the University
of Wales Press was a text detailing the decline of the church in Wales.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many church buildings are being repurposed,
used as cultural centers and pubs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I wasn’t surprised by any of this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know that committed Christian discipleship
is on the decline in Europe and the UK, and I also know that many of the
expressions of Christianity in the UK are consciously
non-building-centric.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve even taught a
class on how the church is going through a period of massive change today, away
from the patterns of faith which many of us find comfortable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet I was surprised by how the actual sight
of non-functional or repurposed church buildings had a visceral effect on me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The closed doors, scaled-back worship schedules, and seeming
cultural irrelevance brought home for me that there is no turning back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The American church is on the same trajectory
as our European counterparts, just not quite as far along the curve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet there will come a day, barring some major
change of direction, when it is American churches that are turned into bars and
clubs and coffee shops and art galleries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In many parts of the country, it is already happening.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The question that stays with me, though, is what the church
is going to do in response.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are we going
to be held back by the forms and understanding of church that we grew up
with:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Here is the church, here is the
steeple, open the doors, and there’s all the people”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we do, there is a high likelihood that we
will have to change that old Sunday School rhyme to something like “Here is the
church, here is the steeple, open the doors, and where’s all the people?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps instead we need to learn from events
“across the pond.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The world is changing
around us, and when the church doesn’t adapt, it gets left behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God doesn’t – he finds new ways to accomplish
his purpose and spread his love in the world – but the church does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will we make a move now, transitioning how we
do church so we are effective in a changing world?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or will we hold tightly to our buildings and
our church models and traditions until we fade into the sunset?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<a href="http://www.moleskine.com/msk.php?display=wizard&page_url=[URL page of individual post]" target="_blank"><img alt="Print it in Moleskine MSK format" border="0" src="http://www.moleskine.com/img/msk_icon.gif" /></a>Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577314226852684362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6815541019737815978.post-27588504515208734932013-08-05T12:36:00.001-04:002013-08-05T12:36:22.012-04:00Building a 10x10 Foundation for the Next 100 YearsThings have been busy around here! Not only did I complete my doctoral program this spring, Grace Hills is gearing up for a big celebration and challenge. In 2004, a group of like-minded Christians came together to found Grace Hills Baptist Church, which we celebrate each August - and this August begins our 10th year as a congregation!<br />
<br />
As we begin our 10th year together in service to Christ, we decided to do a bit more than a 10th anniversary celebration next August. Instead, we chose to celebrate all year long - by committing to a year-long collection of celebration events and mission endeavors. In the conversation, we finally landed on the idea of building a foundation for the future. Everyone in our church wants to see God continue to work through Grace Hills for many years to come. That led us to consider: what is required as a foundation for the next 100 years of ministry and mission? We arrived at the following 10 building blocks that are vital to lay in our 10th year as a foundation for the future.<br />
<br />
7 of these building blocks are congregational challenges:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>10 baptisms</b>: The Great Commission gives the church its marching orders, to make disciples by baptizing and teaching. It is through the waters of baptism that we join the community of faith that is the church, both local and universal. This is a foundational ministry practice of all churches, and is the first building block of our 10x10 foundation.<br /></li>
<li><b>10% of budget for mission</b>: Grace Hills is a generous church, contributing to the work of God locally and worldwide. This building block is an ongoing commitment to give sacrificially to that work.<br /></li>
<li><b>10 new or renewed small groups</b>: The second half of how Christ said to implement the Great Commission is "to teach what I commanded." Grace Hills already has a strong discipleship component in its Sunday School. During 10x10, we are looking to begin 10 new or renewed (strengthened or reworked) small groups or Sunday School classes, particularly among children and young adults.<br /></li>
<li><b>10 new or renewed mission projects</b>: Grace Hills has a heart for mission, and has participated in many ongoing mission projects. 10x10 seeks to bolster that mission commitment through the addition or renewal of 10 mission projects, both in Appomattox and worldwide.<br /></li>
<li><b>10 celebration events</b>: We have been blessed at Grace Hills, and as we enter our 10th year we want to celebrate God's blessings! To this end, 10x10 includes 10 celebration events, opportunities to recognize God's goodness to us as a church and as individuals within that church.<br /></li>
<li><b>10 times of sharing "God stories"</b>: In Acts, Christ tells the disciples that they will be his witnesses, a task that we have received, as well. 10x10 incorporates 10 opportunities for the congregation to fulfill that task, sharing stories of how God has made a difference in the lives of the church, its members, and its community.<br /></li>
<li><b>10 new or renewed prayer opportunities</b>: Prayer is the primary way many of us interact with and communicate with God, and is a vital task of the church. During 10x10, Grace Hills will renew or begin 10 prayer experiences, encouraging all those connected with Grace Hills to experience a deeper prayer life.</li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
<div>
The other 3 building blocks are challenges for individual church members:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b>10 acts of blessing</b>: Each church member is encouraged and challenged to undertake 10 acts of blessing during Grace Hills' 10th year. These might be large or small, costly or free, but they are 10 concrete actions taken to bless someone else's life.<br /></li>
<li><b>10 new or renewed relational contacts</b>: Relationships are the catalyst God often uses for ministry. This 10x10 building block encourages each church member to have 10 meaningful relational contacts, either with new people in their lives or with people they know as acquaintances, intentionally building a relationship that goes past surface encounters to a true friendship.<br /></li>
<li><b>10 books of the Bible read</b>: Scripture is vital to understanding God's will and growing in faith. Over the course of our 10th year, each member of Grace Hills will be challenged to read ten books of the Bible, chosen from both the Old and New Testaments.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
These 10 practices are basic, fundamental elements of any church. However, by focusing on the basics and strengthening them as a church, we hope to build a solid foundation to build Grace Hills for many years to come. In 100 years, Grace Hills wants to be a vibrant and effective outpost of the kingdom of God. This is the 10x10 foundation that such a forward-looking ministry can build upon.</div>
<div>
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<div>
Do you want to join us on this journey? We'd love to have you be a part of what God's doing through 10x10. Join us for worship on Sunday mornings, mission work throughout the week, and Bible study on Sundays or Wednesdays. Also join us by committing to the individual building blocks of relationships, acts of blessing, and Scripture reading. And stay tuned to this blog; throughout the coming year, I will feature each building block and share stories of how God is moving in our midst. Be part of God's work crew, as we build something at Grace Hills that will make a difference for God's kingdom!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In Christ,</div>
<div>
Adam</div>
<br />
<br />
PS: be sure to come to Grace Hills on Saturday, August 10 for our 10x10 kickoff event! We'll be doing 10 mission projects in the morning, celebrating with a community carnival from 1-4pm, and capping the day with a worship service at 4:30. We'd love for you to be part of it!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.moleskine.com/msk.php?display=wizard&page_url=[URL%20page%20of%20individual%20post]" target="_blank"><img alt="Print it in Moleskine MSK format" border="0" src="http://www.moleskine.com/img/msk_icon.gif" /></a>Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577314226852684362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6815541019737815978.post-43721374474834092422013-03-08T10:59:00.000-05:002013-03-08T10:59:19.540-05:00Why the New Pope Matters if I'm Not CatholicIn February, history was made: for the first time in modern history, a pope stepped down from the papal throne. Pope Benedict XVI shocked the world by announcing his impending retirement, and last week he traded in his trademark red shoes for brown loafers.<br />
<br />
This development, of course, has tremendous implications for Catholics around the world. Who will the next pope be? Where will he come from? What is the direction he will set for the church? All of these are important questions. But an equally important question is, What does the election of a new pope mean for non-Catholic Christians?<br />
<br />
This question first occurred to me during the last papal election. At the time I was a seminary student, and I found the election process mildly interesting, but didn't really understand how it might affect me. Yet one of my professors followed the conclave with growing interest. Why? He was concerned with the future of the Catholic Church, not just for itself but for global Christianity. In his concern I learned that which decision is made in the Sistine Chapel has implications for all Christians, even Baptists in Virginia. Why?<br />
<br />
One reason is that the pope has an authority that makes him influential. Benedict was an accomplished scholar before his election; upon his ascension to St. Peter's throne, his writings hit the shelves of Barnes and Noble and other booksellers across the country. Curious readers of all denominations - including a friend in my own church - opened the writings of this pontiff. Whoever the next pope is, his writings and thoughts will make an impact on the Christian theological landscape.<br />
<br />
So, too, will his nationality. There is currently much speculation: will the next pope be a European or other Westerner, or will he come from the Global South (Asia, Africa, Latin America)? As writers like Phillip Jenkins have testified, the Global South is the place of Christian growth, passion, and innovation, while the West is the seat of entrenchment, contraction, and stagnation. A pope from the Global South would indicate a Catholic Church acknowledging a changing reality: Christianity is no longer a Western-dominated and oriented faith. Such an acknowledgement by the world's largest church would help confirm this new reality for Christians of all stripes.<br />
<br />
The next pope's theology may also matter for non-Catholics. Like all Christians, the Catholic Church is adjusting to a world where traditional views are being challenged. Catholic orthodoxy holds such (Western) culturally-unpopular views as opposition to birth control and abortion, denial of priestly ordination to women, and absolute dissension to marriage between homosexuals. The Catholic Church is hardly the only Christian community to hold such views, but it is the largest, most visible, and most stalwart. What if the Church elects a pope who favors reform on any of these? Such a move would have ripple effects across the Christian world.<br />
<br />
Finally, the pope's position as head of the world's largest church automatically catapults a new pontiff to instant celebrity. The pope is the world's most visible Christian. His priorities and utterances affect public perceptions of all Christians...even in towns like Appomattox.<br />
<br />
Who the next pope will be matters to more people than just our Catholic brothers and sisters. It will have implications for Christians all over the world. That's why I'll be praying for the cardinals in the coming week - and why I'll be watching for the white smoke with anticipation.<br />
<br />
In Christ,<br />
Adam<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.moleskine.com/msk.php?display=wizard&page_url=[URL page of individual post]" target="_blank"><img alt="Print it in Moleskine MSK format" border="0" src="http://www.moleskine.com/img/msk_icon.gif" /></a>Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577314226852684362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6815541019737815978.post-4653677510920508042013-02-25T22:45:00.000-05:002013-02-25T22:45:17.403-05:00Why Pastors Should Watch the OscarsLast night, I joined several hundred million people to watch the Oscars, celebrating the best cinema of 2013. This was a particularly deep field of celluloid hits, with many worthy films, directors, screenplays, and actors, so I watched with a fair degree of interest. Somewhere along the way, I realized it was a bit ridiculous on one level: if the money spent on gowns, jewelry, and hairstyles - not to mention advertising - were used to feed the hungry and shelter the homeless, there might just be a sizeable dent in teh world's poverty epidemic.<br />
<br />
Soon after, however, I had a second realization: as a pastor and a follower of Christ, I needed to watch the Oscars. In a culture where God is shoved aside and the church is relegated to the sidelines, people are desperate for a story (or stories) to provide meaning in life. Movies, and media in general, are (and have been) filling that void...and people are devouring it! How else to explain an industry that continues to boom and thrive in the midst of recession? Add in the multiple-approach advertising and widespread access to films (blockbuster and independent alike), and its no wonder that movies are dominant as a narrative of meaning in our culture.<br />
<br />
Recognizing this, pastors, church leaders, and Christians of every stripe need to know what story these movies are telling...and the stories that are the most ubequitous might just surprise the church. Sure, there is a lot of "sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll" in the movies produced today - not to mention gratuitous violence - but the most important and influential tell a different story. Look no further than the 9 nominees for 'Best Picture' to see that today's cinema - a dominant voice in contemporary culture - is touching on elements of a story that Christians know well, a story that people desperately want to hear.<br />
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The first movie nominated - 'Zero Dark Thirty' - tells the story of the 10-year hunt for Osama bin Laden. It is a tale of sacrifice in defeating evil and protecting freedom. 'Django Unchained' and 'Beasts of the Southern Wild' portray the evil of oppression (slavery in 'Django,' poverty in 'Beasts') and the struggle to survive and overcome. 'Silver Linings Playbook' addresses issues of mental illness and love, while 'Amour' explores the ways serious and debilitating illness can shake the foundations of marriage. 'Life of Pi' is a metaphysical, fantastic tale which asks questions about life, death, identity, and God. The historical epic 'Lincoln' retells the great political struggle leading to the abolishment of slavery following the Civil War. Redemption and freedom are the dominant themes of the incredible 'Les Miserables,' and eventual Best Picture winner 'Argo' tells a (mostly) true story of a man risking everything to save a group of people who can't save themselves.<br />
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These stories shouldn't sound alien to the pastor, the Christian, or the church. These stories should resonate. With the possible exception of 'Zero Dark Thirty,' the nominees for Best Picture wrestle with struggle against oppression, the limits of humanity in the face of illness, and the need for redemption. In short, they all have spiritual themes...and they wouldn't have been made if people wouldn't go to see them.<br />
<br />
Despite the flight from and rejection fo traditional Christianity by large segments of our society, people are still asking the same questions: "Why am I here? Is there some point to life? Why do bad things happen - and what is my responsibility when they do?" People are asking the questions - just at the movies and not at church.<br />
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This is why pastors need to watch the Oscars (and read popular books and listen to music): it is where the conversation is happening. And, strange as it might seem to us, it just might be where God is answering questions and joining the conversation. You see, God doesn't limit himself to the sanctuary. He loves people too much for that. And so he is out there: in the coffee shops, record stores, university classrooms, bookstores, and even the movie theaters of our day. That's where the conversation is happening - the conversation he wants to have. The question for us is, are we there, too?<br />
<br />
In Christ,<br />
Adam<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.moleskine.com/msk.php?display=wizard&page_url=[URL page of individual post]" target="_blank"><img alt="Print it in Moleskine MSK format" border="0" src="http://www.moleskine.com/img/msk_icon.gif" /></a>Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577314226852684362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6815541019737815978.post-74845224903655870742013-02-18T19:40:00.001-05:002013-02-18T19:59:33.905-05:00THE TRUTH WE LEARN FROM WALLFLOWERSOver Valentine's Day weekend, I rented a couple movies from Redbox for my wife and I to enjoy. I turned in my first draft of my DMin project on Thursday, and so we extended the Valentine's celebration into the weekend. One of the movies she wanted to watch was "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," a coming-of-age story based upon a best-selling novel. I found the movie to be quite well-written and well-acted, although to be honest it was quite a downer of a movie. Yet amidst the drug use, teenage drinking, and questions of identity, there was a compelling story and even a glimpse of Gospel truth.<br /><br />Early in the movie, the protagonist Charlie finds himself in a new school with trouble fitting in. Eventually, he meets Patrich and Sam, two seniors who start inviting him into their lives and connecting with him. One night, as Charlie meets their group of friends (called the Wallflowers), Sam (played by Emma Watson) discovers Charlie is recovering from the suicide of his friend earlier that year. Later that evening, she and Patrick invite everyone to toast Charlie, and then she tells him, "Welcome to the island of misfit toys."<br /><br />Everyone in the group is dealing with their own baggage. Sam, Patrick, and all of their friends are broken individuals,with regrets for the past and anxieties about the future. Yet somehow, through their mutual friendships and relationships, they face the complexities of life and their own damaged psyches with courage. They support one another, caring for each other when they hurt and celebrating one another's successes. And in the end, when the community they have is endangered by the parting caused by college, each suffers at first - but the ongoing relationships remain a foundation they can count on no matter what storms may come.<br /><br />Here we see reflected in a mirror, as Paul would say, a glimpse of the way God created us. Some say that humanity is "the social animal," made for community and designed to rely on one another. Genesis tells us this is reflective of the nature of God, and throughout the salvation history of Scripture we see an emphasis on the community of God's people. Isaiah said that the community of Israel was to be a light to the nations, Jesus chose to invest in a small community of twelve disciples, and Paul planted Christian communities all over the Roman Empire. The Bible's account of God's work is grounded in relationships and community.<br /><br />Why? Why is community so central to the way God made us and the way God works in our world? We get a glimpse into this in the letter of James. "Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed." (James 5:16, The Message) Something about humanity needs emotional support in the midst of pain, regret, uncertainty, and the other troubles of life. <br /><br />This is why community is so central to the Christian faith. In a world with great darkness and so much mistrust and loneliness, the church proclaims with James that we are to set aside anything that comes between us, help one another in difficult spots of life, and support one another no matter what. In this way, not only do we share the love of Christ with one another and bless the lives of our brothers and sisters, we also bear witness to the love of Christ that forgives the unforgivable and helps with the impossible. <br /><br />"This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples - when they see the love you have for each other." (John 13:35, The Message) In our love for one another, we give others a glimpse of the kingdom that Jesus brought. Those are some of the perks, not just of being a wallflower, but a follower of Jesus Christ and a part of the community of faith.<br /><br />In Christ,<br />AdamAdamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577314226852684362noreply@blogger.com0