Don't you just hate it when someone says or does something so admirable that it makes your own bad attitude or action seem that much worse? Ian Thiermann did that for me this past week.
Did you hear about Ian? He works 30 hours a week as a greeter at a grocery store making $10/hr. Not bad for a high school kid, but Ian is a long way past that. In fact, he is 90 years old! Recently he lost all of his life savings, $700,000, in the Bernie Madoff (or is it "made off"?) travesty.
Ian's attitude is just remarkable. You can see an interview with him here. There is not even a hint of bitterness or "poor me." The guy is just thankful to have the job he has and is committed to being the best grocery store greeter in town. If I lived in that area, I would frequent that store as often as I could just to be around Ian. In doing so, I would hope that some of his attitude would rub off on me.
Isn't it amazing how easy it is to feel sorry for ourselves when things don't go the way we want them to go. That negative energy doesn't serve us very well. Besides robbing us of the joy of life, it also hinders our ability to move in positive directions. Our mental disposition has more of an impact than we might realize.
Ian Thiermann inspires me to do a little soul searching this week. I think I am something of a 'glass half empty' kind of guy. I wonder if I can change some of that.
Probably not. It's not my fault. If only other people...
Hmm. Looks like this is going to be a challenge. Maybe I should watch the video again.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Those Who Stand Beside Us
I wanted to show this video this past Sunday as part of a sermon I preached on elders, but there wasn't time. Sorry, but I still can't figure out how to embed a video, so you'll have to click here. It's not very good quality, but I think you'll be able to follow it. Once you've watched, come back and I'll share a few observations. BTW: Feel free to forward this to an elder or two that you know.
Now that you've watched the video, here are a few thoughts:
The singer is Natalie Gilbert, who won a local talent search for the chance to sing that night. I can understand being so nervous in that setting that she would forget the lyrics. The fact that Natalie had been sick that week and was running a high fever makes me want to be even more gracious to her. The coach who came to her aid is Maurice "Mo" Cheeks, an NBA legend who as a player had a reputation for being a decent guy. No doubt this was the best assist of his career.
I see such a powerful parallel between what Mo did that night with what shepherds are to do in the church. One of my favorite references to elders in the New Testament is in Rev. 5:1-5. John was distraught to the point of tears ("I wept and wept" v4) because no one was found worthy to open the scroll that he saw in his vision. But then an elder comes along side John and points him to Jesus. I can think of no better description of the role and value of any elder than that.
That's something of what Coach Cheeks did. He saw someone who was having a rough time and he went along side her and did what he could to help. Later he said, "As I saw her stumble on the words, she looked helpless, and I just started walking. I had no idea what I was going to do, what I was going to say. But as I approached her, I just wanted to help her, and I didn't know if I even knew the words."
Did you notice Natalie looking off to the side after she faltered? In a later interview she said she was looking for her father, but was unable to see him. In that moment of panic, she might not have clearly seen her father, but thankfully, someone else was there to help. And just like her father, he was concerned about her and wanted to see her do better than she was at that particular moment.
Don't you think that is what we most need from our spiritual leaders? It may not be all we need, but it is what we most need. It ought to be the highest priority, the one thing that won't be neglected. We need those who will come to our aid spiritually and help out, even when they don't know what to say or do. You know, Mo was a pretty lousy singer, but just his presence and concern helped Natalie turn a defeat into an inspiring victory. Did you also notice how others joined in the chorus? Even players and coaches who have heard the national anthem thousands of times and probably normally tune it out were singing right along with Natalie and Mo.
I hope you are blessed with spiritual leaders who have figured out a way to keep the lesser demands from overpowering the most important ones. I hope they are by your side, pointing you to Jesus. The next time you see one like that, pat him on the rear end and say, "Nice assist." Or maybe you can just send a card.
Now that you've watched the video, here are a few thoughts:
The singer is Natalie Gilbert, who won a local talent search for the chance to sing that night. I can understand being so nervous in that setting that she would forget the lyrics. The fact that Natalie had been sick that week and was running a high fever makes me want to be even more gracious to her. The coach who came to her aid is Maurice "Mo" Cheeks, an NBA legend who as a player had a reputation for being a decent guy. No doubt this was the best assist of his career.
I see such a powerful parallel between what Mo did that night with what shepherds are to do in the church. One of my favorite references to elders in the New Testament is in Rev. 5:1-5. John was distraught to the point of tears ("I wept and wept" v4) because no one was found worthy to open the scroll that he saw in his vision. But then an elder comes along side John and points him to Jesus. I can think of no better description of the role and value of any elder than that.
That's something of what Coach Cheeks did. He saw someone who was having a rough time and he went along side her and did what he could to help. Later he said, "As I saw her stumble on the words, she looked helpless, and I just started walking. I had no idea what I was going to do, what I was going to say. But as I approached her, I just wanted to help her, and I didn't know if I even knew the words."
Did you notice Natalie looking off to the side after she faltered? In a later interview she said she was looking for her father, but was unable to see him. In that moment of panic, she might not have clearly seen her father, but thankfully, someone else was there to help. And just like her father, he was concerned about her and wanted to see her do better than she was at that particular moment.
Don't you think that is what we most need from our spiritual leaders? It may not be all we need, but it is what we most need. It ought to be the highest priority, the one thing that won't be neglected. We need those who will come to our aid spiritually and help out, even when they don't know what to say or do. You know, Mo was a pretty lousy singer, but just his presence and concern helped Natalie turn a defeat into an inspiring victory. Did you also notice how others joined in the chorus? Even players and coaches who have heard the national anthem thousands of times and probably normally tune it out were singing right along with Natalie and Mo.
I hope you are blessed with spiritual leaders who have figured out a way to keep the lesser demands from overpowering the most important ones. I hope they are by your side, pointing you to Jesus. The next time you see one like that, pat him on the rear end and say, "Nice assist." Or maybe you can just send a card.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Declining Churches: Why Are We Surprised?
I was saddened by the recent article in Christian Chronicle about the decline in Churches of Christ. (You can register at www.christianchronicle.org and view it online. The article probably will be available without registering at some point, but is not at this writing.)
What saddens me is not the decline, although it does to some extent, but that is no surprise. Anyone who is very involved at all in our fellowship has to have known this for years. What bothered me the most were the comments by some of the people who were interviewed. For example, a preacher from Houston described visiting churches where there were few or no children, which is a good indication that a church is on the ropes. His comment: "This should be a wake-up call...to share our faith more actively."
Isn't that a lot like telling people on the Titanic to row faster? The problem I humbly observe with so many Churches of Christ is not a lack of desire to share their faith. I don't mean to sound judgmental, but in my opinion the problem is that their version of the faith is not worth sharing. In so many Churches of Christ there is a fundamental flaw that makes those churches unsustainable.
Having grown up in small rural churches (sometimes rural in mindset even though they were located in cities), I can look back and see that flaw. Before I share my perspective on it, I first want to say that I was blessed to be surrounded by some of the most wonderful people in the world during those years. Seeds were planted in me that later would make an invaluable contribution to my life. But all of those churches fit the category of being in decline. They all are just rowing along, not so merrily. Some are listing so badly that you wonder how much longer they will stay afloat.
The flaw in my spiritual heritage was a misplaced center of faith. We believed that the way to have access to God was through a correct understanding of the Bible. What many churches have thankfully come to see is that the way to have access to God is through a relationship with Jesus. The Bible is a means to that end, not the end itself. Besides being theologically incorrect, one of the reasons I see such an approach as being unsustainable is that it robs the Bible of its purpose and power. I'll give you an example.
I remember enough from those years to recall that the majority of sermons I heard were on doctrinal issues. That makes sense, because if the way we get to God is through correct understanding of Scripture, we need to address the misunderstandings that are out there. So I knew a lot about what the Bible had to say about doctrinal issues. (I no longer agree with a lot of those teachings, but that's another post.) The problem was that when it came time for me to decide what kind of person I was going to be and whether or not God was going to be a factor in those decisions, knowing what the Bible said about baptism, or instrumental music, or a long list of other matters that made up the typical repertoire of sermons had absolutely no impact. I failed miserably, in part because the faith that had been instilled in me didn't do what I needed it to do. It couldn't. So, it's no wonder that such churches are in decline. Who wants a faith like that?
I don't want to give the impression that I think those churches were and are devoid of the presence of God. I can see where you might think that. In my mind, I see it as a journey. Sometimes we got off course and are not traveling in the direction God would have us go. It's not that we're rebelliously running away, we're just off course. Map readers like Ruell Lemmons, Rubel Shelley, and many others helped point this out. Other map readers like Jim Woodroof and Max Lucado helped us get reoriented. A lot of us chose to make course corrections, some of us did not.
So I hope that a lot of those churches that are in decline will find a better solution than "We need to try harder." I'm not anticipating it, but I hope they will look deeper than that and see where they might have veered off course. I also hope that the rest of us are not through making course corrections. I suspect those are going to be required until the journey is over. Perhaps the verse I share in the heading of this blog from Ps. 85 will help us.
What saddens me is not the decline, although it does to some extent, but that is no surprise. Anyone who is very involved at all in our fellowship has to have known this for years. What bothered me the most were the comments by some of the people who were interviewed. For example, a preacher from Houston described visiting churches where there were few or no children, which is a good indication that a church is on the ropes. His comment: "This should be a wake-up call...to share our faith more actively."
Isn't that a lot like telling people on the Titanic to row faster? The problem I humbly observe with so many Churches of Christ is not a lack of desire to share their faith. I don't mean to sound judgmental, but in my opinion the problem is that their version of the faith is not worth sharing. In so many Churches of Christ there is a fundamental flaw that makes those churches unsustainable.
Having grown up in small rural churches (sometimes rural in mindset even though they were located in cities), I can look back and see that flaw. Before I share my perspective on it, I first want to say that I was blessed to be surrounded by some of the most wonderful people in the world during those years. Seeds were planted in me that later would make an invaluable contribution to my life. But all of those churches fit the category of being in decline. They all are just rowing along, not so merrily. Some are listing so badly that you wonder how much longer they will stay afloat.
The flaw in my spiritual heritage was a misplaced center of faith. We believed that the way to have access to God was through a correct understanding of the Bible. What many churches have thankfully come to see is that the way to have access to God is through a relationship with Jesus. The Bible is a means to that end, not the end itself. Besides being theologically incorrect, one of the reasons I see such an approach as being unsustainable is that it robs the Bible of its purpose and power. I'll give you an example.
I remember enough from those years to recall that the majority of sermons I heard were on doctrinal issues. That makes sense, because if the way we get to God is through correct understanding of Scripture, we need to address the misunderstandings that are out there. So I knew a lot about what the Bible had to say about doctrinal issues. (I no longer agree with a lot of those teachings, but that's another post.) The problem was that when it came time for me to decide what kind of person I was going to be and whether or not God was going to be a factor in those decisions, knowing what the Bible said about baptism, or instrumental music, or a long list of other matters that made up the typical repertoire of sermons had absolutely no impact. I failed miserably, in part because the faith that had been instilled in me didn't do what I needed it to do. It couldn't. So, it's no wonder that such churches are in decline. Who wants a faith like that?
I don't want to give the impression that I think those churches were and are devoid of the presence of God. I can see where you might think that. In my mind, I see it as a journey. Sometimes we got off course and are not traveling in the direction God would have us go. It's not that we're rebelliously running away, we're just off course. Map readers like Ruell Lemmons, Rubel Shelley, and many others helped point this out. Other map readers like Jim Woodroof and Max Lucado helped us get reoriented. A lot of us chose to make course corrections, some of us did not.
So I hope that a lot of those churches that are in decline will find a better solution than "We need to try harder." I'm not anticipating it, but I hope they will look deeper than that and see where they might have veered off course. I also hope that the rest of us are not through making course corrections. I suspect those are going to be required until the journey is over. Perhaps the verse I share in the heading of this blog from Ps. 85 will help us.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Revisiting the "Feminine" Aspect of God
Based on the thoughts shared in the previous post, I suppose a question that arises is whether or not it is ok to refer to God in feminine terms. Can we pray to Our Mother, who art in heaven...? Should we broaden our references to God by using feminine pronouns like "she" and "her"?
I'm not informed enough about that discussion (and I think it is likely that there is such a discussion somewhere) to outright reject the notion, although I think it would be a tough sell for me personally. I base my prejudgment on the language of the Bible, where God, to the best of my knowledge, is always referred to with masculine names, pronouns and designations. There were female deities throughout the world during both Old and New Testament periods, so it's not like the concept was unavailable. God chose to limit the revelation of himself to masculine language, so I feel that is the language I should use.
What I get from the ideas shared in the earlier post is not that God is male nor female; he is neither. Instead, I see in God all of the best qualities that we usually associate with both genders. God is nurturing, caring, motherly; he is also protective, providing, fatherly. Even more reasons to be in awe of God and to be drawn to him.
BTW: I looked at the lyrics to James Browns "It's A Man's World." That's really a stupid song. But I guess we weren't exactly drawn to James because of his intellectually stimulating messages, now were we?
I'm not informed enough about that discussion (and I think it is likely that there is such a discussion somewhere) to outright reject the notion, although I think it would be a tough sell for me personally. I base my prejudgment on the language of the Bible, where God, to the best of my knowledge, is always referred to with masculine names, pronouns and designations. There were female deities throughout the world during both Old and New Testament periods, so it's not like the concept was unavailable. God chose to limit the revelation of himself to masculine language, so I feel that is the language I should use.
What I get from the ideas shared in the earlier post is not that God is male nor female; he is neither. Instead, I see in God all of the best qualities that we usually associate with both genders. God is nurturing, caring, motherly; he is also protective, providing, fatherly. Even more reasons to be in awe of God and to be drawn to him.
BTW: I looked at the lyrics to James Browns "It's A Man's World." That's really a stupid song. But I guess we weren't exactly drawn to James because of his intellectually stimulating messages, now were we?
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
The "Feminine" Aspect of God
Here are a couple of interesting links that I recently saw on some friends' websites. The first one is from Lara Noah's blog. This was her post for the quarter. (C'mon Lara, do more writing in ALL that spare time you have.) Lara actually has the YouTube video on her blog, but the best I could do was provide it in the form of this link. It is a preview from a Nooma video titled "She." I have not seen the entire video but would like to.
For those of you not familiar with Nooma, it is a series of thought provoking videos by Rob Bell, a thoroughly postmodern (in the best sense of the word) pastor/theologian. I'm not sure if he is more watched by those who love him or those who think he is a heretic. Personally, I benefit from hearing his perspectives.
Along the same lines of Bell's video, here is another link to the idea of God portrayed as an African/American female by William Young in his very popular book, The Shack. This link is to John Mark Hicks' blog: click here.
For those of you not familiar with Nooma, it is a series of thought provoking videos by Rob Bell, a thoroughly postmodern (in the best sense of the word) pastor/theologian. I'm not sure if he is more watched by those who love him or those who think he is a heretic. Personally, I benefit from hearing his perspectives.
Along the same lines of Bell's video, here is another link to the idea of God portrayed as an African/American female by William Young in his very popular book, The Shack. This link is to John Mark Hicks' blog: click here.
Monday, February 2, 2009
New Wine, Old Wineskins
"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins." -Mk. 2:21-22
I wonder how much wine has been wasted over the years by trying to pour it into old wineskins. You see it on a lot of levels. A woman moves into a new marriage because the old one didn't work, only to discover that she brings the same set of problems to the new marriage that contributed to the failure of the old one. A man swears he'll never dance with the devil again, but he sets down to the same computer, in the same isolated room, with the same void in his heart. New wine, old wineskins.
These words of Jesus have been on my mind a lot lately. I have been part of a group of people who have been discussing worship renewal. I'm pleased with how our discussions have evolved; I think it has been a work of the Spirit. A lot of us went into that discussion thinking mostly in terms of the form of worship, the mechanics. Where we ended up was with the realization that the heart of the matter is, well, the heart. A church's worship could be led every week by Zoe, and even throw in Mike Cope for good measure (preaching of course, not singing the classics), but that worship won't connect with God without hearts that are tuned in to him. New wine, old wineskins.
I am wondering what that means practically, especially in the context of a church. Should we just dissolve all churches and start over? Should we leave to themselves those who are locked in to old traditions, old and sometimes mistaken interpretations of what worship ought to look like, old wineskins? That has been the approach of a lot of people, and I think it has been good. I'm thankful for those who have the heart to plant new churches or to even find new expressions of God's kingdom in non-traditional ways.
It's noteworthy to me, however, that Jesus didn't just throw away all of the old wineskins, he remade many of them. He freed them from the ignorance or spiritual tyranny or sin that otherwise would have left them unable to receive what God offered. Considering how many of us have once looked a lot like old wineskins in some area of our lives, I think that is very encouraging. Hearts can be made receptive to the new wine.
For a lot of us, I think this is where our calling is, to help people invite God to remake their hearts. Sometimes we might wish it wasn't so. I confess there is a part of me that likes the idea of starting afresh, and that time might come, but I think some of us have actually become experts on the process of turning old wineskins into new. Not because we are so bright or spiritual that we have figured it out. It is because we have experienced it to such a high degree in our own lives.
I don't want to waste another drop of God's sweet wine, so I'm praying that he will help us see how we might facilitate changed hearts. This is his area of expertise so we need to be solidly convinced that he is the one who will make it happen, but I think it is true that he wants to use us in that process somehow.
What can be done to an old heart like mine? Soften it up, with oil and wine. The oil is you, your Spirit of love. Please wash me anew in the wine of your blood. -Keith Green
I wonder how much wine has been wasted over the years by trying to pour it into old wineskins. You see it on a lot of levels. A woman moves into a new marriage because the old one didn't work, only to discover that she brings the same set of problems to the new marriage that contributed to the failure of the old one. A man swears he'll never dance with the devil again, but he sets down to the same computer, in the same isolated room, with the same void in his heart. New wine, old wineskins.
These words of Jesus have been on my mind a lot lately. I have been part of a group of people who have been discussing worship renewal. I'm pleased with how our discussions have evolved; I think it has been a work of the Spirit. A lot of us went into that discussion thinking mostly in terms of the form of worship, the mechanics. Where we ended up was with the realization that the heart of the matter is, well, the heart. A church's worship could be led every week by Zoe, and even throw in Mike Cope for good measure (preaching of course, not singing the classics), but that worship won't connect with God without hearts that are tuned in to him. New wine, old wineskins.
I am wondering what that means practically, especially in the context of a church. Should we just dissolve all churches and start over? Should we leave to themselves those who are locked in to old traditions, old and sometimes mistaken interpretations of what worship ought to look like, old wineskins? That has been the approach of a lot of people, and I think it has been good. I'm thankful for those who have the heart to plant new churches or to even find new expressions of God's kingdom in non-traditional ways.
It's noteworthy to me, however, that Jesus didn't just throw away all of the old wineskins, he remade many of them. He freed them from the ignorance or spiritual tyranny or sin that otherwise would have left them unable to receive what God offered. Considering how many of us have once looked a lot like old wineskins in some area of our lives, I think that is very encouraging. Hearts can be made receptive to the new wine.
For a lot of us, I think this is where our calling is, to help people invite God to remake their hearts. Sometimes we might wish it wasn't so. I confess there is a part of me that likes the idea of starting afresh, and that time might come, but I think some of us have actually become experts on the process of turning old wineskins into new. Not because we are so bright or spiritual that we have figured it out. It is because we have experienced it to such a high degree in our own lives.
I don't want to waste another drop of God's sweet wine, so I'm praying that he will help us see how we might facilitate changed hearts. This is his area of expertise so we need to be solidly convinced that he is the one who will make it happen, but I think it is true that he wants to use us in that process somehow.
What can be done to an old heart like mine? Soften it up, with oil and wine. The oil is you, your Spirit of love. Please wash me anew in the wine of your blood. -Keith Green
Sunday, February 1, 2009
XLIII
Busy day today, but I at least wanted to log in quickly and post my Super Bowl prediction. I thought about waiting until tomorrow to make my prediction, but I was afraid 1 or 2 of you might catch on.
Cardinals by 10!
You can bank on it. Of course, you know the condition of most banks today...
Cardinals by 10!
You can bank on it. Of course, you know the condition of most banks today...
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