Facebook reply

If anyone has read the Facebook for our churches, there may be a cryptic message in the comment section.  I wanted to explain myself more about that.  I received an email regarding concerns that came across their Facebook page that seemed to indicate that the United Methodist Churches were being used by Satan by offering hospitality to other religious organizations particularly Islam. The person who forwarded to me was concerned about what it had to say and I thought that I wanted to respond to her concerns. BTW she was not the originator of the email.   I copied the body of the email that I received.

"What in the world does the United Methodist Church think it is doing????? Taking down their emblems of faith, cleansing their church of all articles offensive to Islam, opening their doors and sharing their sancturay. You talk about a group of people who are decieved. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore ...his servants also disguise themselves...

I am reminded of what happens during political campaigns when massive emails are sent out regarding supposedly a candidates beliefs or statements which end up being lies or exaggerations.  The reason that people do this is that for many people they never bother to find out if the statements are true.  Also it causes those politicians to spend time and money to discount the falsehoods and tell the truth.

I equate the above email in that category.  As a church we do not remove the symbols of our faith or cleanse our churches of items such as all Bibles or stained glass windows.  As I stated in the Facebook page, only our General Conference would ever insist that all churches abide by the church rule and I would guarantee that would not happen.

I am sorry that whoever sent this did not read the entire chapter 11 of Corinthians and instead proof-text three verses.  Paul is talking about those who wanted to claim to be apostles and who were sowing discord within the body of Christ.  It would seem that this email is such an attempt to sow discord among believers.  Following the verses Paul questions the people about why they would put up with falsehoods, being taken advantage of, and being preyed upon.

I do know that there have been United Methodist Churches who have participated in joint services involving all three Abrahamic religions.  I am not aware of any church that has removed symbols of faith so that they would not offend anyone.  I am also unaware of any churches that are offering their sanctuary on a full time basis for Islamic services.  That is not to say there are none, I am saying I am unaware and would doubt that those of the Islamic faith would use our sanctuaries for their services except in emergencies.

I am thankful that I was forwarded this particular email.  There have been many attacks on our denomination from various groups seeking to split the church and to sow discord.  It is not just our denomination but others as well.  I would hope that when you receive such emails designed to instill doubt and discord that you first would research to see if it is true and if not do not forward it to others without stating the facts.

I believe in our church and realize that when we are making a difference in spreading the Good News of Christ there will be those who oppose it.  Stand firm in the faith and pray for those who out of jealousy or fear react negatively to His grace.

Worry, why?

I am still preaching from the Sermon on the Mount.  The last few weeks have addressed those uncomfortable topics of anger, lust, adultery, oaths, retribution, and loving one’s enemies.  I know that often these are issues that many of us would like to believe do not affect us.  The reality is that in every church, every community, and often in most if not all families these issues in one form or another exist.  The challenge we face is how are we going to respond to others as well as our own issues.  To believe that what we do does not affect the body of Christ and that it is my issue no one else’s is delusional.  The choices that we make and the way we live effects those around is for better or for worse.  That is why we need each other to be accountable in love and that confrontation (Matthew 18:15-20) is vital to relationships and to community.

This Sunday I will be continuing to preach from the Sermon dealing with anxiety and worry.  I came across this illustration as I was preparing my sermon and wanted to share it.

My little dog has an eccentric habit. It’s more of a compulsion really. Whenever we give him a rawhide bone, he spends the rest of the day and sometimes the next in a flurry of activity. Whether he is motivated by instinct or his own peculiar quirkiness or some combination of the two is hard to say.
Given a bone, he commences a search through the house for a suitable place to bury it. Once he settles on a spot, he proceeds to “dig” a hole in the linoleum. Undaunted by the fact that all his furious digging scarcely leaves a scuff on the floor, he carefully places his bone in his imaginary hole. Next he painstakingly noses imaginary dirt over it and then turns himself around to kick some more for good measure. This whole exercise in futility can take a quarter of an hour.
It is at this point, when he inspects his work, that he appears to realize something is amiss. His prize is not sufficiently buried and, in fact, is in plain sight. So he picks it back up and hunts for a better spot. And thus the cycle repeats over and over again until it’s time for a nap.
Sometimes as I watch him and shake my head, I wonder if there is some of this craziness in me, too. Are there things that I do over and over out of a compulsion I do not understand — things that are equally unproductive? Maybe you know what I mean. Things like wearing ourselves out trying to impress other people. Or how about chasing after things that never satisfy. Or maybe it’s just a cycle of busyness that doesn’t really get us anywhere. Sometimes I wonder, but then it’s time for a nap.
—Kari Myers, HomeTouch, October 17, 2010.

I believe it is time for a nap.

This is Beautiful..try not to cry

Living Strong

I subscribe to an ezine about living strong that focuses on ideas about how to live as a leader in ministry.  The author has often spoken to me about ways of reflecting on my cause, passion, and call.  He is also a couch for leaders.  I want to share his latest edition with you.

The Cause Within

...a brand new car sits idle by the side of the road. Not a thing wrong with it. Engine has less than 40 miles clocked. Tires still have the smell of new rubber. The chrome trim is shiny. Not a speck of mud anywhere on the sparkling paint job. The problem? No gas.

...you carefully walk into the dark room. Can't see your hand in front of your face. Pieces of furniture crouch silently in wait to destroy your toe upon impact. You reach for where you suspect the lamp normally is. Feel your way across the lampshade and underneath. Grab the switch and...nothing. The problem? No power.

We expect a car to run when we turn the ignition key. We expect a lamp to turn on when we flip the switch. Cars get us somewhere. Lights help us see where we are going. But without gas; without power, these capable mediums of energy are useless.

You and I were also created to expend energy. It's a law of nature. The Apostle Paul even shared how he approached life in Philippians 3,

"...one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

What fuels your passion? What makes you want to wake in the morning? What keeps you going when everything around you is failing and fumbling? What is that prize for which God has called you heavenward? It's your passion; your cause. Everybody has a cause. Some people know what theirs is. Others are still searching. And some don't know or believe such a cause even exists. What about you?

After coaching several ministry leaders, studying research, reading up on various subjects I have come to one profound conclusion: Burnout eludes the person who knows their cause and pursues it with their whole heart.

Salt and light

I am in the process of preparing my sermon for tomorrow.  The topic is about being salt and light.  It is based on Matthew 5:13-20.  This is a continuation of the Sermon on the Mount.  One of the concerns about breaking down scripture into sections such as this is that one can have the tendency to only read the verses without looking at the whole.  I will not be able in the sermon to put this entirely into context but here I would offer some reflection.
Actually the Sermon on the Mount begins with Jesus’ calling of disciples and the healing stories in Chapter 4.  The gospel of Matthew has five major discourses or sermons throughout the gospel.  There are some who feel that Matthew did this to indicate a new Torah.  Jesus becomes the new prophet overshadowing Moses.  The Sermon on the Mount is the first of these discourses. There are many illustrations that point to remembering Moses and especially dealing with Exodus such as Moses going up on the mountain.  Here Jesus goes up on a mountain but rather than the faithful being barred he invites his disciples to come up with him.
There is a distinction between the disciples that come up to sit with him and the crowds that are curious.  The sermon ends with the crowds being amazed in Chapter 7.
The verses that we will be reflecting on this Sunday follow the Beatitudes and need to be seen as a continuation and connection with what was stated and what will follow.  Our ability to be salt and light to others can only occur with the blessing that has already been given to us.  It is also important to realize that we can only do this when we are in community with one another.  More on that Sunday.
I would invite readers who are not able to attend our service to listen on the web for the live broadcast on www.kbrbradio.com.  

sermon on the mount

I am going to be preaching on the Sermon on the Mount for the next 4 weeks.  I was in Houston last week at a Do No Harm workshop that focused on ethical decisions in the church regarding sex, boundaries, response to those who violate those boundaries, safe sanctuaries, cyber security, and ways to help church leaders continue to grow in their awareness of appropriate choices in their lives.  As you can see that there was much discussed regarding the church today.  I believe that there were 58 annual conferences represented and representatives from Germany and the Congo.  It was a great experience though one which I would hope that we would not have to discuss.  The reality is that church can be no safer than any other institution.  I hope that as we continue to grow as faithful disciples we would learn ways of not oppressing others through domination, misuse of power, and through manipulation.  BTW when I left Houston it was 72^o .  Today the wind chill is –20.

In the lectionary, the gospel reading come from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.  It got me thinking what if we treated these scriptures seriously.  Rather than passing them over as quaint but unachievable.  What if we began to work toward actually making decisions based on the ethical premises that Jesus presents?  I believe we would not have to have workshops on Do No Harm, we would be doing it naturally.  I would like to have you readers read Matthew chapters 5-7.  Take time to really read them and to reflect how what is said can change our lives, our world, and our witness to the Kin-dom of God.