Franklin Delano Roosevelt sought to provide Americans with a country in which they would appreciate their freedom of speech and worship and their freedom from want and fear. His dream was to get Americans to realize that all they had to fear was fear itself, his goal from his first inaugural address in 1932. Freedom of and freedom from have defined our country from its earliest days.
From the chaotic and turbulent days of 1776, we as Americans have proudly and loudly proclaimed our freedom. It didn't matter that not everyone within our borders was free. We knew it was an ideal, that we had not reached it yet in its purest form, but we were willing to hold freedom up as a goal toward which we would work, live, and die to make real for everyone. Martin Luther King, Jr. said as much in his words, "America is essentially a dream."
Since those days of the signing of the Declaration of Independence 236 years ago, we have sought to make that dream a thing of reality for all that we could. For some we failed miserably with never the possibility to undo what was done. For others freedom has come in name only, and they still seek the fulfillment without man made hindrance of being able to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.
Freedom isn't free we tell ourselves. Freedom isn't easy to maintain either by government or by individual. Freedom is like muscle tone: use it or lose it. Freedom is fragile. Treat it with care.
We have so many ways to express our concern for our freedom, the value of our freedom, and the importance of freedom itself for all people everywhere. We know with only a moment's thought that freedom is more than fireworks on the 4th of July or parades or flags of stars and stripes hanging in our yards.
Freedom is people going to vote. Freedom is people marching in the streets. Freedom is a strong multi-party political system. Freedom is the right of free speech and a free press. Freedom is the right to worship without the fear of hand grenades and machine guns. Freedom is carrying a Bible or any other book openly in the street or reading it in your home without fear of police or soldiers.
Such freedom can be lost in a moment. There are other kinds of freedom, however, freedoms that endure regardless of governments or laws or guns or the opinions of men. There is one freedom especially that is independent of all these and is even independent of this life altogether. It is the freedom of the soul.
In the eighth chapter of the Gospel of John in the New Testament of the Bible, Jesus lays the foundation for this eternal freedom (John 8:31-36). He who says the truth will set you free calls himself the Truth (John 14:6). He who says it is the Son who can give you true freedom is himself the Son (John 3:16).
The Apostle Paul in Galatians, his great letter of Christian freedom, begins the fifth chapter with the words, "For freedom Christ has set you free." We are intended to be free, not from the guidance that comes from an understanding of the will of God, but from the penalty that comes with our failure to follow that will.
We are free only in Christ. In all other ways we live under the delusion of freedom when it is slavery to the tyrants of this world that we are experiencing. A flag with stars stands for our freedom in this life. A flag with a cross stands for our freedom in eternity. Does your freedom extend beyond the bars of death?
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
I Have Spiritual ADD
It's confession time. I have Attention Deficit Disorder. I have never seen a doctor about it. I have never been diagnosed with it. I have never had anyone stand up and accuse me of ruining a project because they discerned that was the critical problem. No, this is a matter of self-diagnosis.
Recently High Point University hosted Malcolm Gladwell on their campus for a series of lectures and discussions. Gladwell has written four books and is currently on his fifth. They are Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, and What the Dog Saw. I have read the first three and hope soon to begin on the fourth. They are an excellent read, all non-fiction.
Enough of the commercial for Gladwell's books. In an on-stage discussion, Gladwell made the comment that his father, a mathematics professor, was not a driven man putting in eighteen hour work days. Rather he was a focused man who made the most of every minute he was involved in a project. He might work two hours, take a brief break, work two more hours, and then take another break. During those two hour sessions, not even screaming in his ear could destroy his concentration. He was focused.
Oh, to be so gifted! A car drives by on the highway outside my office and I get distracted. I hear the phone ring in my administrative assistant's office and I get distracted. My mind wanders to my calendar suddenly, and I wonder if I have forgotten an appointment or a phone call I was to have made. I have no focus!
This holds just as true for my spiritual life as for my office work. I call it PADD, Prayer Attention Deficit Disorder. I know I am not alone in this having heard other people's confessions on the subject, but it's still my problem. The world has a way of distracting me from focusing upon deepening my relationhsip with God. The aching in the soul gets lost in the growling of the belly. I lose focus.
Jesus had a word of encouragement for those seeking focus that's recorded in the sixth chapter of Matthew, verse 33, "As a priority desire to possess His Kingdom and His righteousness..." (my translation) The Kingdom of God was the favorite topic of Jesus in his preaching. When he said that obtaining it was to be THE priority in the life of one of his followers, he was not only teaching it, he was also living it. Focusing upon the Kingdom of God was to be the priority for every believer.
Focusing upon the Kingdom must be the priority of every believer and every church and every association of churches as they seek to be faithful in their obedience to their divine calling. Nothing can become more important than living out the priorities of the Kingdom of God. Its nature and calling must be at the heart of every proclamation, shape every effort of ministry, and become the goal of every spiritual seeker. To be distracted from this is to lose sight of why Jesus came, died, and was raised from the dead.
The individual believer focuses upon living out the Kingdom in this world by living out the two Great Commandments (Matthew 22). The local church focuses upon living out the Kingdom by using its resources to make the love of God real in its community and to the extent it can around the world. The local association of churches must use its resources to strengthen its members in their efforts to fulfill their God given calling.
Focus keeps the main thing the main thing. Focus allows us to direct our energies to the real priorities of life. Focus allows us to work toward goals and see progress being made. Making the effort to focus helps overcome ADD whether in the secular or spiritual realm. Focus under the control of the Holy Spirit can change the world.
Recently High Point University hosted Malcolm Gladwell on their campus for a series of lectures and discussions. Gladwell has written four books and is currently on his fifth. They are Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, and What the Dog Saw. I have read the first three and hope soon to begin on the fourth. They are an excellent read, all non-fiction.
Enough of the commercial for Gladwell's books. In an on-stage discussion, Gladwell made the comment that his father, a mathematics professor, was not a driven man putting in eighteen hour work days. Rather he was a focused man who made the most of every minute he was involved in a project. He might work two hours, take a brief break, work two more hours, and then take another break. During those two hour sessions, not even screaming in his ear could destroy his concentration. He was focused.
Oh, to be so gifted! A car drives by on the highway outside my office and I get distracted. I hear the phone ring in my administrative assistant's office and I get distracted. My mind wanders to my calendar suddenly, and I wonder if I have forgotten an appointment or a phone call I was to have made. I have no focus!
This holds just as true for my spiritual life as for my office work. I call it PADD, Prayer Attention Deficit Disorder. I know I am not alone in this having heard other people's confessions on the subject, but it's still my problem. The world has a way of distracting me from focusing upon deepening my relationhsip with God. The aching in the soul gets lost in the growling of the belly. I lose focus.
Jesus had a word of encouragement for those seeking focus that's recorded in the sixth chapter of Matthew, verse 33, "As a priority desire to possess His Kingdom and His righteousness..." (my translation) The Kingdom of God was the favorite topic of Jesus in his preaching. When he said that obtaining it was to be THE priority in the life of one of his followers, he was not only teaching it, he was also living it. Focusing upon the Kingdom of God was to be the priority for every believer.
Focusing upon the Kingdom must be the priority of every believer and every church and every association of churches as they seek to be faithful in their obedience to their divine calling. Nothing can become more important than living out the priorities of the Kingdom of God. Its nature and calling must be at the heart of every proclamation, shape every effort of ministry, and become the goal of every spiritual seeker. To be distracted from this is to lose sight of why Jesus came, died, and was raised from the dead.
The individual believer focuses upon living out the Kingdom in this world by living out the two Great Commandments (Matthew 22). The local church focuses upon living out the Kingdom by using its resources to make the love of God real in its community and to the extent it can around the world. The local association of churches must use its resources to strengthen its members in their efforts to fulfill their God given calling.
Focus keeps the main thing the main thing. Focus allows us to direct our energies to the real priorities of life. Focus allows us to work toward goals and see progress being made. Making the effort to focus helps overcome ADD whether in the secular or spiritual realm. Focus under the control of the Holy Spirit can change the world.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Stuck in Spiritual Molasses
A saying with which I grew up in rural Kentucky was "As slow as molasses in winter". I knew what someone meant even if I didn't like molasses. The best molasses were thick and flowed slowly off the spoon. If it got cold as in the winter, then it didn't flow at all. As a boy there were times I was accused of working at a speed comparable to cold molasses.
What about a Christian's pace of life? What about a church's? In honesty we have to admit there are things, forces, people that slow us down while trying to accomplish what we know we need to be doing especially in fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Even if there is a deadline hanging over our heads, we still meet hindrances that don't outright stop us but slow us down to the point we wonder if we will ever reach our goals. Maybe some of these are familiar to you.
Confusion. I can think for two weeks about what the first step ought to be. I can worry for a month about which option is best. I can lose sleep night after night wondering if I really understand what I'm facing. In the meantime nothing is getting done.
Distractions. My energy and focus on this project may be directly proportional to my interest in it. If the interest level is low, a lot of other ideas will want to crowd in and take my attention away.
Fear. If I mess up on this idea, my goose is cooked! If I delay long enough or go slow enough, something else might bail me out and the consequences won't be nearly as bad.
Ignorance. I don't know what to do and I'm not sure where to get the answers to my questions.
Lack of assurance. It might not be outright fear, but there is enough uneasiness about what is supposed to happen that caution reigns and action proceeds at a snail's pace (or cold molasses).
Lack of resources. The project could have been done in one tenth of the time except for having to gather scattered resources, proper tools, and trained personnel.
These hindrances are just as true of a church and an association as they are of an individual in the effort to carry out the Great Commission both as a task and as a lifestyle. Oftentimes we will use the same kind of excuses to get ourselves off the hook, just on a larger scale.
Distractions have to be handled. Proper prioritization can minimize distractions. Determining realistic deadlines and holding to them will minimize the damage of distractions. Being able to say "no" to non essentials is one of the best ways to keep distractions from hindering the work of the Great Commission.
Confusion, fear, and lack of assurance often go together. Many leadership gurus will say that some of the best learning takes place through failing. You may fail on that first step; that is not failure. You have eliminated one of the options. Now start again with this new knowledge. Tell those people who laugh or criticize when you fail to get in there and help or get out of the way!
"Ignorance is curable, while stupidity is forever" is one of my favorite proverbs. Ask the necessary questions up front, get the information you need, and then full steam ahead. If information is all you lack, the masses are waiting to provide it. Most people are ready to cheer on a hard worker.
A lack of resources is a challenge, not a problem. Before you start, as an individual or a church or an association, get a good idea of what you need. Put it together, whether it is material or a team, and then start. Accept the fact that adjustments will have to be made while progress is being made, just work to keep the progress from stopping.
Another name for all these hindrances might at times be procrastination. Don't let cold molasses destroy a good idea and your efforts to fulfill the Great Commission!
What about a Christian's pace of life? What about a church's? In honesty we have to admit there are things, forces, people that slow us down while trying to accomplish what we know we need to be doing especially in fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Even if there is a deadline hanging over our heads, we still meet hindrances that don't outright stop us but slow us down to the point we wonder if we will ever reach our goals. Maybe some of these are familiar to you.
Confusion. I can think for two weeks about what the first step ought to be. I can worry for a month about which option is best. I can lose sleep night after night wondering if I really understand what I'm facing. In the meantime nothing is getting done.
Distractions. My energy and focus on this project may be directly proportional to my interest in it. If the interest level is low, a lot of other ideas will want to crowd in and take my attention away.
Fear. If I mess up on this idea, my goose is cooked! If I delay long enough or go slow enough, something else might bail me out and the consequences won't be nearly as bad.
Ignorance. I don't know what to do and I'm not sure where to get the answers to my questions.
Lack of assurance. It might not be outright fear, but there is enough uneasiness about what is supposed to happen that caution reigns and action proceeds at a snail's pace (or cold molasses).
Lack of resources. The project could have been done in one tenth of the time except for having to gather scattered resources, proper tools, and trained personnel.
These hindrances are just as true of a church and an association as they are of an individual in the effort to carry out the Great Commission both as a task and as a lifestyle. Oftentimes we will use the same kind of excuses to get ourselves off the hook, just on a larger scale.
Distractions have to be handled. Proper prioritization can minimize distractions. Determining realistic deadlines and holding to them will minimize the damage of distractions. Being able to say "no" to non essentials is one of the best ways to keep distractions from hindering the work of the Great Commission.
Confusion, fear, and lack of assurance often go together. Many leadership gurus will say that some of the best learning takes place through failing. You may fail on that first step; that is not failure. You have eliminated one of the options. Now start again with this new knowledge. Tell those people who laugh or criticize when you fail to get in there and help or get out of the way!
"Ignorance is curable, while stupidity is forever" is one of my favorite proverbs. Ask the necessary questions up front, get the information you need, and then full steam ahead. If information is all you lack, the masses are waiting to provide it. Most people are ready to cheer on a hard worker.
A lack of resources is a challenge, not a problem. Before you start, as an individual or a church or an association, get a good idea of what you need. Put it together, whether it is material or a team, and then start. Accept the fact that adjustments will have to be made while progress is being made, just work to keep the progress from stopping.
Another name for all these hindrances might at times be procrastination. Don't let cold molasses destroy a good idea and your efforts to fulfill the Great Commission!
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Handling Being Second
The story is told that years ago a car race was held between a Russian and an American. These were the only two cars involved. The end result would be a first place and a second place finish. How that sounded depended upon the reporter. The American won and was announced as the winner with the Russian coming in second. From a different perspective another newspaper account reported that the Russian had come in second and the American next to last. Both were true, but the feelings with which you were left were considerably different.
Perspective can make a tremendous difference in the way you handle coming in second, or next to last, or behind a crowd of one. Sometimes we need to be assured that coming in second is okay. You don't have to be first to feel good about your effort. Coming in second in a race of two should be as positive as coming in second in a race of a thousand. Yet we often find it hard to accept the fact that we are not the best, not the first to finish the race, that our efforts have not surpassed those of a multitude. We will not come in first every time. Somewhere we have to learn to accept the position of second place.
The crown prince plays second fiddle to the king. The vice president has to wait his turn behind the president. The second son has to wait for the first born to choose the preferred inheritance. There is an actor or actress, an understudy, that is always waiting in the wings just in case they are needed if the lead is unable to perform. The first one to the ferry gets on and others have to hope there is still space.
Is being second any worse than being third or fifth or tenth? Do we see the only possible option as being first? Do we consider everything else as the equivalent of losing, and who wants to be a loser? Ultimately it does come down to a matter of perspective. Not coming in first leaves you a loser, or being second to the best. The position is the same, but there is a world of difference in your perspective of yourself.
In the New Testament a man once made the statement with pride that, "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30) He was John the Baptizer and he was speaking of Jesus the Messiah. John knew from the beginning of his ministry that he was to play a secondary role. The One who was to come after him was to have the preeminent position. John carried out his responsibility without regret or envy. He came first but he was to become second.
The number two position is the support position. You back up the person in front of you in case they need help. Yet you are not recognized unless needed. Your name is not listed with the credits beside the star. You have to know all the lines and be ready to step in on a moment's notice, but the glory goes to the name at the top of the showbill. The show can go on with confidence because you were waiting in the shadows.
The Apostle Paul made a big deal out of being content in a secondary position in his letter to the Roman church, chapter 12. Three times he mentions the need to keep ourselves in proper perspective as we consider our relationship with others. Don't think more highly of yourself than you should. Outdo one another in showing honor to others. Never be conceited (vv. 3, 10, 16). In our relationships with others, we honor our relationship with God by lifting others above ourselves.
There is no better place to do this than in the family of God. In this context we reveal the workings of a heavenly family that is operating on earth. All members are brothers and sisters of Christ and of each other. Each member exists to promote the welfare of others and help them fulfill their spiritual potential as a child of God. Promotion of others can only occur when self takes second place.
The same must be said of associational work among churches. The association must come second. Its priorities must come second. Its demand upon the time and resources of the individual churches must come second behind the priority of the local church in fulfilling its divine calling from its Creator and Lord. The Church is a divine creation coming into existence at Pentecost (Acts 2). The association of churches has been created by man to assist the local churches fulfill their Great Commission (Matthew 28). That means the association will often have to make do with less. Its schedule will be at the mercy of local church calendars. Its leadership will be called upon to give their priority time to the local church and not to the association.
I can live with being second as an associational missionary when I know the winner, the one taking first place, is bringing the greatest glory to God and our Lord Jesus Christ. When you are second behind the best, there is no shame.
Perspective can make a tremendous difference in the way you handle coming in second, or next to last, or behind a crowd of one. Sometimes we need to be assured that coming in second is okay. You don't have to be first to feel good about your effort. Coming in second in a race of two should be as positive as coming in second in a race of a thousand. Yet we often find it hard to accept the fact that we are not the best, not the first to finish the race, that our efforts have not surpassed those of a multitude. We will not come in first every time. Somewhere we have to learn to accept the position of second place.
The crown prince plays second fiddle to the king. The vice president has to wait his turn behind the president. The second son has to wait for the first born to choose the preferred inheritance. There is an actor or actress, an understudy, that is always waiting in the wings just in case they are needed if the lead is unable to perform. The first one to the ferry gets on and others have to hope there is still space.
Is being second any worse than being third or fifth or tenth? Do we see the only possible option as being first? Do we consider everything else as the equivalent of losing, and who wants to be a loser? Ultimately it does come down to a matter of perspective. Not coming in first leaves you a loser, or being second to the best. The position is the same, but there is a world of difference in your perspective of yourself.
In the New Testament a man once made the statement with pride that, "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30) He was John the Baptizer and he was speaking of Jesus the Messiah. John knew from the beginning of his ministry that he was to play a secondary role. The One who was to come after him was to have the preeminent position. John carried out his responsibility without regret or envy. He came first but he was to become second.
The number two position is the support position. You back up the person in front of you in case they need help. Yet you are not recognized unless needed. Your name is not listed with the credits beside the star. You have to know all the lines and be ready to step in on a moment's notice, but the glory goes to the name at the top of the showbill. The show can go on with confidence because you were waiting in the shadows.
The Apostle Paul made a big deal out of being content in a secondary position in his letter to the Roman church, chapter 12. Three times he mentions the need to keep ourselves in proper perspective as we consider our relationship with others. Don't think more highly of yourself than you should. Outdo one another in showing honor to others. Never be conceited (vv. 3, 10, 16). In our relationships with others, we honor our relationship with God by lifting others above ourselves.
There is no better place to do this than in the family of God. In this context we reveal the workings of a heavenly family that is operating on earth. All members are brothers and sisters of Christ and of each other. Each member exists to promote the welfare of others and help them fulfill their spiritual potential as a child of God. Promotion of others can only occur when self takes second place.
The same must be said of associational work among churches. The association must come second. Its priorities must come second. Its demand upon the time and resources of the individual churches must come second behind the priority of the local church in fulfilling its divine calling from its Creator and Lord. The Church is a divine creation coming into existence at Pentecost (Acts 2). The association of churches has been created by man to assist the local churches fulfill their Great Commission (Matthew 28). That means the association will often have to make do with less. Its schedule will be at the mercy of local church calendars. Its leadership will be called upon to give their priority time to the local church and not to the association.
I can live with being second as an associational missionary when I know the winner, the one taking first place, is bringing the greatest glory to God and our Lord Jesus Christ. When you are second behind the best, there is no shame.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Prepared for Commitment
A contract says you are making a commitment whether it for buying houses and cars or service contracts for our computers and copiers. We sign contracts for our rental agreements and our utilities. Contracts, both written and oral, are a basic part of our lives.
Every contract is an understood agreement that there will be a system of give and take among the contract parties. Part of the understanding is that the participants in the contract are prepared to meet the terms. This is no mystery, but with this general understanding, it is still amazing how many contracts are broken because someone was not prepared.
Lack of preparation can exist because a party is not committed to the contract in the first place, or because some scenarios are not foreseen. This leaves parties in the contract unable to meet their obligations even though they had entered the agreement in full faith they could fulfill their commitment. External factors such as health or national economics can be beyond an individual's control.
What of those other situations where a break in the contract could have been avoided simply by making a choice? That involves the marriage contract. There may be some cultures where a party in a marriage has no choice, but that situation does not exist in America, at least not in a legal sense. A marriage exists here because two individuals willingly put their name on a document recognized by our government signifying a commitment to each other for some reason. We would like to think love had something to do with it.
A pastor friend of mine and I recently communicated on the North Carolina constitutional amendment relating to the definition of a married couple. In our discussion we brought up the definition of marriage that Jesus used in Matthew 19.
We both recognized that the question of gay marriages was not the subject of the controversy between Jesus and the religious rulers confronting him. Rather it was the question of the permissibility of divorce. My pastor friend's final comment was that it was odd that we would make such a big deal over homosexuality and its interpersonal manifestation but say so little from our pulpits about divorce, a subject on which Jesus spoke with much emotion.
Divorce nullifies a contract uniting two consenting adults. Rarely do the two people agree to the contract expecting it to end at some point short of death. Promises are numerous and dreams are big. The future is bright with the hope of a shared journey facing life together. Two together can succeed where one might fail. It is a beautiful vision.
Then along come the disagreements, the arguments, the unresolved tensions, the irreconcilable differences, and (I love this one) the decision that they are no longer compatible. A contract meant to last a lifetime is broken because situations arose for which the two individuals were not prepared to come to some form of acceptable agreement that would save the marriage.
If the divine intent was from the beginning for a man and a woman to join together in an intimate relationship designed to last a lifetime, why do nearly fifty percent of marriages in America end in divorce, even among professing Christians? Where is the voice of the Church in supporting God's plan for marriage? It spoke loud enough keep gay and polygamous marriages from being recognized as legal unions in our state. Where is the effort to hold together the marriages we say are right?
We should never enter into a contract for which we are not prepared. Marriage is a contract that should represent the self-sacrificing commitment by each of two individuals to live together in an intimate relationship that results in each one making the full effort to support the other, build up the other, honor the other above self, and work to assist the other in fulfilling their full potential in the eyes of God. Nothing can accomplish this better than making the commitment to love each other without reserve and without regret. We still hear those traditional phrases of "for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health" in wedding ceremonies. Marriages last when we are prepared to make such phrases a part of our commitment. Life brings changes, but the committed love between a man and a woman sealed in marriage should not be lessened by them.
Every contract is an understood agreement that there will be a system of give and take among the contract parties. Part of the understanding is that the participants in the contract are prepared to meet the terms. This is no mystery, but with this general understanding, it is still amazing how many contracts are broken because someone was not prepared.
Lack of preparation can exist because a party is not committed to the contract in the first place, or because some scenarios are not foreseen. This leaves parties in the contract unable to meet their obligations even though they had entered the agreement in full faith they could fulfill their commitment. External factors such as health or national economics can be beyond an individual's control.
What of those other situations where a break in the contract could have been avoided simply by making a choice? That involves the marriage contract. There may be some cultures where a party in a marriage has no choice, but that situation does not exist in America, at least not in a legal sense. A marriage exists here because two individuals willingly put their name on a document recognized by our government signifying a commitment to each other for some reason. We would like to think love had something to do with it.
A pastor friend of mine and I recently communicated on the North Carolina constitutional amendment relating to the definition of a married couple. In our discussion we brought up the definition of marriage that Jesus used in Matthew 19.
We both recognized that the question of gay marriages was not the subject of the controversy between Jesus and the religious rulers confronting him. Rather it was the question of the permissibility of divorce. My pastor friend's final comment was that it was odd that we would make such a big deal over homosexuality and its interpersonal manifestation but say so little from our pulpits about divorce, a subject on which Jesus spoke with much emotion.
Divorce nullifies a contract uniting two consenting adults. Rarely do the two people agree to the contract expecting it to end at some point short of death. Promises are numerous and dreams are big. The future is bright with the hope of a shared journey facing life together. Two together can succeed where one might fail. It is a beautiful vision.
Then along come the disagreements, the arguments, the unresolved tensions, the irreconcilable differences, and (I love this one) the decision that they are no longer compatible. A contract meant to last a lifetime is broken because situations arose for which the two individuals were not prepared to come to some form of acceptable agreement that would save the marriage.
If the divine intent was from the beginning for a man and a woman to join together in an intimate relationship designed to last a lifetime, why do nearly fifty percent of marriages in America end in divorce, even among professing Christians? Where is the voice of the Church in supporting God's plan for marriage? It spoke loud enough keep gay and polygamous marriages from being recognized as legal unions in our state. Where is the effort to hold together the marriages we say are right?
We should never enter into a contract for which we are not prepared. Marriage is a contract that should represent the self-sacrificing commitment by each of two individuals to live together in an intimate relationship that results in each one making the full effort to support the other, build up the other, honor the other above self, and work to assist the other in fulfilling their full potential in the eyes of God. Nothing can accomplish this better than making the commitment to love each other without reserve and without regret. We still hear those traditional phrases of "for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health" in wedding ceremonies. Marriages last when we are prepared to make such phrases a part of our commitment. Life brings changes, but the committed love between a man and a woman sealed in marriage should not be lessened by them.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Don't Waste a Perfectly Good Summer
You would never have believed that the program you are watching on this hot summer evening is a rerun you have already seen at least seven times (to use a good biblical number!). Stop for just a moment. Look around you. Is the scene in which your life has been momentarily captured also a rerun? Is this summer becoming a repeat of last summer, and the summer before that? My advice is not to waste a perfectly good summer by turning it into a rerun.
Near the end I'll get to a few sage words for the pastors in my association, so be warned you non-pastoral readers. Before then I intend to point my finger at myself and tell me what I had better do to keep my own summer from being a boring repeat. Some reruns are both entertaining and enlightening which explains why I like to rewatch The Lord of the Rings (all twelve hours!) ever so often. Likewise it never hurts me to read the same passage from the Bible over and over. However, as time grows short for me to experience every item on my bucket list, I cannot afford a rerun summer.
1. Learn something new. No, I don't mean how to keep from getting lost while driving in Raleigh or Charlotte though that is helpful. I do mean taking advantage of the internet, the local community college, or visiting one of the many fine local museums to gain knowledge on a subject in which you have an interest but have never taken the time to study.
2. Read a book, and not just one book, but at least one each month, and at least one of which will have nothing to do with my ministerial vocational career. History and archaeology, biography, writing and literary classics, and politics are all subjects that grab my interest.
3. Meet a community leader. Living in a community as I do, there are lots of them around. Every one of them knows something I don't. Every one of them has a perspective on this community different from my own. Every one of them can enrich my life by spending even a little time with them.
4. Grow something. Sure my garden is already well under way, but there is plenty of time to grow something else and experience the wonder of life increasing. This need not be a plant. If blessed, I can find the opportunity to help an individual grow by investing some time in that person's life.
5. Invest quality and quantity time in those people most important to you. Do it during the summer and every other season!
Each of these ideas is as applicable to a minister as it is to anyone sitting in the pews on a Sunday morning. The first step is always the hardest. Change is not always intentional, but it can be a lot more productive if it is. Deciding to make this summer different is that important first step. As for you pastors,
1. Meet your church members. I mean meet them somewhere other than at church or at a church function. Meet them on their terms on their turf. Let them show you how they live when not in Sunday best, either clothing or attitude.
2. Meet the administration at the public school closest to your church. They are a part of your community. You should know each other on a first name basis.
3. Celebrate a community group. Begin planning this summer to have a special recognition service this fall in your church for one of those public servant groups: police, firefighters, social services, emergency medical team, military units, local school administration and faculty.
4. Volunteer for a community project. Habitat for Humanity, a local thrift store, or a free medical clinic always needs volunteers in the summer when so many of their regular helpers are taking vacations. Such an experience sets an example for your church members.
5. Innovate. Give yourself some time to consider completing the question: "What if..." Dream beyond the normal, the average, the expected, or last year's events. Don't limit yourself to material resources as you dream. Let reality spoil the fun after you have dreamed, written those dreams down, outlined their purpose and the good they could do, and then think about how they could still be brought into reality with the resources you have in hand. Perhaps God will show you that you have more resources at your disposal than you had considered. God can do that with dreams.
Summers only come once a year. Don't waste it when it does.
Near the end I'll get to a few sage words for the pastors in my association, so be warned you non-pastoral readers. Before then I intend to point my finger at myself and tell me what I had better do to keep my own summer from being a boring repeat. Some reruns are both entertaining and enlightening which explains why I like to rewatch The Lord of the Rings (all twelve hours!) ever so often. Likewise it never hurts me to read the same passage from the Bible over and over. However, as time grows short for me to experience every item on my bucket list, I cannot afford a rerun summer.
1. Learn something new. No, I don't mean how to keep from getting lost while driving in Raleigh or Charlotte though that is helpful. I do mean taking advantage of the internet, the local community college, or visiting one of the many fine local museums to gain knowledge on a subject in which you have an interest but have never taken the time to study.
2. Read a book, and not just one book, but at least one each month, and at least one of which will have nothing to do with my ministerial vocational career. History and archaeology, biography, writing and literary classics, and politics are all subjects that grab my interest.
3. Meet a community leader. Living in a community as I do, there are lots of them around. Every one of them knows something I don't. Every one of them has a perspective on this community different from my own. Every one of them can enrich my life by spending even a little time with them.
4. Grow something. Sure my garden is already well under way, but there is plenty of time to grow something else and experience the wonder of life increasing. This need not be a plant. If blessed, I can find the opportunity to help an individual grow by investing some time in that person's life.
5. Invest quality and quantity time in those people most important to you. Do it during the summer and every other season!
Each of these ideas is as applicable to a minister as it is to anyone sitting in the pews on a Sunday morning. The first step is always the hardest. Change is not always intentional, but it can be a lot more productive if it is. Deciding to make this summer different is that important first step. As for you pastors,
1. Meet your church members. I mean meet them somewhere other than at church or at a church function. Meet them on their terms on their turf. Let them show you how they live when not in Sunday best, either clothing or attitude.
2. Meet the administration at the public school closest to your church. They are a part of your community. You should know each other on a first name basis.
3. Celebrate a community group. Begin planning this summer to have a special recognition service this fall in your church for one of those public servant groups: police, firefighters, social services, emergency medical team, military units, local school administration and faculty.
4. Volunteer for a community project. Habitat for Humanity, a local thrift store, or a free medical clinic always needs volunteers in the summer when so many of their regular helpers are taking vacations. Such an experience sets an example for your church members.
5. Innovate. Give yourself some time to consider completing the question: "What if..." Dream beyond the normal, the average, the expected, or last year's events. Don't limit yourself to material resources as you dream. Let reality spoil the fun after you have dreamed, written those dreams down, outlined their purpose and the good they could do, and then think about how they could still be brought into reality with the resources you have in hand. Perhaps God will show you that you have more resources at your disposal than you had considered. God can do that with dreams.
Summers only come once a year. Don't waste it when it does.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
The Value of Your Investment
Every month some money goes to an account in the far off land of retirement plans that is supposed to be waiting for me when it is time for me to quit working full time. I wish it was more. I wish my investments for my future could have been greater. I'm glad I've got as much as I do. It could be far worse. My retirement account has a value based upon what I felt I could afford to invest through the years.
My relational account also has a value. Its value is based upon the effort I have placed in maintaining the relationships that have kept my life from being a solitary existence. Some relationships I have valued over others and my investment in them is a reflection of that, my relationship with my wife for example. Other relationships I consider of great value but have not made the investment that they deserve. I am the loser in those.
Relationships have received the investment that I felt I could afford or they deserved at the time. We all do this based upon interest and time. Family members, friends, acquaintances, business associates, the person who needs to pull in front of me to get into another lane on the highway all reflect various relationships that we categorize by the investments we are willing to make. We give them time, attention, and material support if we believe it is justified for whatever reason. All of these reflect our level of investment in the relationship.
We invest in personal relationships through the way we give of ourselves. Perhaps time is the biggest factor. Gary Chapman, author of The Five Love Languages, considers this one of the primary ways we show our love for another person, particularly our spouse. We use time as an investment by being with the person, talking on the telephone or some other method of communication, or using our time to do something we know will please them. The amount of time we are willing to spend indicates the level of investment we feel we can afford to place in the relationship. Are there relationships in which we wish we could invest more? Generally there is, but I have no answer for adding hours to a day.
We invest in personal relationships by the type of gifts we want to give another. We invest through the words of encouragement we might use. We invest through the acts of kindness we perform. We invest through the ways we are willing to allow another to impose their needs upon us. All of these speak volumes about the importance of the relationship to us.
The investment we are willing to put into our relationship with God reveals his priority in our lives. We talk to God. That's good. It indicates we believe he exists. Sometimes we even listen to God. That indicates we believe he has something to say we ought to hear. We serve others in the name of God. That reveals that we consider important what he considers important. That's letting his priorities shape ours.
A church is no different. A church is a group of relationships focused upon that one most important relationship, the one we have with God through Jesus Christ. A church shows the value of its investments in its members and those outside its membership by how it uses its resources to meet the needs of both those on the inside and those on the outside. The levels of these investments reveal the priorities of the church.
If a church puts the highest priority on the relationships of its members, then peace at all costs while minimizing any possibility of disruption will be the focus of resource investment. Budgets and calendars, committee work and decision making will all point to the importance of keeping members in their comfort zones.
If reaching people on the outside of the church walls is the priority, then time and resources will be invested in cultivating relationships outside the church walls, inviting people to participate in the life of the church both at the facilities and out in the community, and encouraging the nonmembers to get a feel for life within the church family. All of these can be very uncomfortable for many members, but it keeps the investment focused on the priority of the church.
The greater the value one places upon a relationship the greater the investment one is willing to make. We see it in our relationships with family members and friends. We see it in the priorities we set in our churches. The people who are watching our churches from the outside are seeing it as well. I hope they are seeing that our churches are willing to invest well in developing a relationship with them.
My relational account also has a value. Its value is based upon the effort I have placed in maintaining the relationships that have kept my life from being a solitary existence. Some relationships I have valued over others and my investment in them is a reflection of that, my relationship with my wife for example. Other relationships I consider of great value but have not made the investment that they deserve. I am the loser in those.
Relationships have received the investment that I felt I could afford or they deserved at the time. We all do this based upon interest and time. Family members, friends, acquaintances, business associates, the person who needs to pull in front of me to get into another lane on the highway all reflect various relationships that we categorize by the investments we are willing to make. We give them time, attention, and material support if we believe it is justified for whatever reason. All of these reflect our level of investment in the relationship.
We invest in personal relationships through the way we give of ourselves. Perhaps time is the biggest factor. Gary Chapman, author of The Five Love Languages, considers this one of the primary ways we show our love for another person, particularly our spouse. We use time as an investment by being with the person, talking on the telephone or some other method of communication, or using our time to do something we know will please them. The amount of time we are willing to spend indicates the level of investment we feel we can afford to place in the relationship. Are there relationships in which we wish we could invest more? Generally there is, but I have no answer for adding hours to a day.
We invest in personal relationships by the type of gifts we want to give another. We invest through the words of encouragement we might use. We invest through the acts of kindness we perform. We invest through the ways we are willing to allow another to impose their needs upon us. All of these speak volumes about the importance of the relationship to us.
The investment we are willing to put into our relationship with God reveals his priority in our lives. We talk to God. That's good. It indicates we believe he exists. Sometimes we even listen to God. That indicates we believe he has something to say we ought to hear. We serve others in the name of God. That reveals that we consider important what he considers important. That's letting his priorities shape ours.
A church is no different. A church is a group of relationships focused upon that one most important relationship, the one we have with God through Jesus Christ. A church shows the value of its investments in its members and those outside its membership by how it uses its resources to meet the needs of both those on the inside and those on the outside. The levels of these investments reveal the priorities of the church.
If a church puts the highest priority on the relationships of its members, then peace at all costs while minimizing any possibility of disruption will be the focus of resource investment. Budgets and calendars, committee work and decision making will all point to the importance of keeping members in their comfort zones.
If reaching people on the outside of the church walls is the priority, then time and resources will be invested in cultivating relationships outside the church walls, inviting people to participate in the life of the church both at the facilities and out in the community, and encouraging the nonmembers to get a feel for life within the church family. All of these can be very uncomfortable for many members, but it keeps the investment focused on the priority of the church.
The greater the value one places upon a relationship the greater the investment one is willing to make. We see it in our relationships with family members and friends. We see it in the priorities we set in our churches. The people who are watching our churches from the outside are seeing it as well. I hope they are seeing that our churches are willing to invest well in developing a relationship with them.
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