May 30 2016

Pre-conference thoughts:

I am in the office as I prepare to go to Annual conference this year in Topeka. I was reflecting on all that has happened in the last three weeks at General Conference as well as people’s reactions from both the conservative “evangelical” side as well as the progressive “liberal” side. What I have not heard much from are the moderate “centralists.” We talk about the silent majority whose voice is not often sought or heard from. There are a few who speak out as moderates and work towards the unity of the United Methodist Church in whatever that may look like in the future.

But I digress. What struck me most was the slogan of the General Conference. The slogan was “Therefore Go!”  I was struck by the simplicity of the statement and also by the implications of what that statement means. Several questions arise such as go where? When? What? As I reflected on that I came across some notes of a sermon I had done on the Great Commission Matthew 28:16-20. The title of the sermon was Ready, Set, and Go. Maybe it will provide some insight to answer the questions of where are we going? And most of all to whom are we going to give the Good News of Christ and the grace that God offers to all people.

Ready Set Go

Matthew ends the gospel with the commission that Jesus gives to his disciples and now gives to all of us. The original eleven had been with Jesus for three years. They have prepared themselves to proclaim the love of God and love of neighbor. They had eaten with Jesus and also in the houses of those whom society judged (as well as the righteous) as unworthy. The ministry was like a roller coaster with its highs and lows. Here the gospel is following the resurrection and the witness of the women. Now the remaining disciples find themselves at the mountain to witness their savior and receive his last commands.

I read an article regarding this text in Working Preacher on-line.[1] The article was talking about the efforts to live out this commission and that at times we may feel inadequate, uncertain, and ill prepared. Listen carefully to what we read in verses 16-17. There were only 11 left of the original disciples who came to worship but there were some who doubted. Even if doubting (read John 20:24-29 regarding Thomas) they came anyway. It strikes me that faith is not synonymous with certainty. We have at times felt uncertain in live, have made questionable decisions, and have faced criticism regarding who we are or what we believe. Doubt is often the result of such times. Yet faith is the assurance that despite one’s doubt, Jesus is the authority and bestows that authority onto ourselves through the Holy Spirit. Grace and mercy are gifts given without merit as well as the forgiveness of our sins.

Ready: So I believe the first step to carry out this last command is one of readiness. So how do we become ready? I am a baseball fan as well as player in my youth. My favorite team is the Pittsburgh Pirates. I have not had the opportunity to attend spring training. I have gone to AAA baseball game in Omaha and watched the future players for the Royals playing. I know from my experience that to succeed, no matter in what area, you have to learn the basics of what you do. I coached peewee teams and that was my focus. We cannot come to the plate and hit home runs every at bat. The more we learn and practice the better we become. This is true in life, in work, and in our spiritual development.

So how do we do that what it comes to church? What if instead of being distracted by, what John Wesley would say are the non-essentials, the church would focus church wide to prepare and ready the believers to know, to relate to others, and to share. According to the article many people feel unready to evangelize.[2] When I speak to people about sharing the gospel, many claim that they are not able to do so because of feeling unprepared, not scripturally informed, and lack knowledge of how to share. There are so many great opportunities to help people to know scripture and to open themselves to hear God’s call in their lives. My journey as a pastor in the United Methodist Church began with the Disciple Bible Study and the leadership of the group and pastors following. Though I was called at an early age, I, too, felt inadequate to pursue that call. Immersing myself in scriptural study, I accepted my call and the spiritual gifts that God has given me. The study of scripture especially from Genesis through Revelation helps ready ourselves and begins to see the bible not in piecemeal sound bites or verses taken out of context. Each person will hear their call and in many different opportunities such as Alpha, the Wesleyan Way, and other bible studies and small groups.

Ready, Set: Readiness is only a part of the preparation. Churches must decide whether they will become an active verb, doers of the word. How does each church respond to ways of reaching out to their communities? First is a season of prayers, bible studies, small groups, and through the presence with one another. Then and only then, does the church focus on developing their ministry action plan (MAP.) This is developing their sense of mission, vision, and setting goals.

The mission of the United Methodist Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ to transform the world. Each church has to decide how they are going to be Disciples of Christ and live out his command in the lives of the people. Vision is how you as an active verb church live out the mission. When you read the letters of Paul, each of those communities were unique and different. They required a different way of developing their MAP. What steps do we need to do to accomplish our MAP? What steps need to be taken and how are we going to look at what worked and what did not work?

There are a couple of things to keep in mind. One is that there are no failures but just learning. The other is that when problems arise and we keep doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. We may need to give time for things to work.

Two: successful churches often do things church-wide. It is important to remember two aspects that were discussed in the book “Good to Great[3].” Those concepts were the idea of getting the right people on the bus and the hedgehog effect. Getting the right people on board is vital for ministry. Jesus had a number of followers but knew that there were 12 and now 11 who were the ones to take the gospel to others. We are all gifted but in different ways. There are some who are healers, preachers, teachers, good with finances, and some who are gifted in evangelism. How are you gifted and in what areas? How do we work together to reach others in the name of Christ? The hedgehog effect is to focus on what one is good at and to work on making that great. Jesus did that in his ministries and would not be sidetracked or scattered by side issues. If we are to go out to make disciples, we too need to focus on the MAP in everything we do from worship, education, finances, trustees, UMW, outreach, and small groups.

Ready Set Go: Church is now an active verb. With the MAP, the people of the church have readied themselves, the mission and vision is before us, now is the time to go out and live out the commission. As the gospel of Luke shows first in Jerusalem, then Judea, then Samaritan, and then to the rest of the world.

We begin at home in our own community. We carry out our MAP. We go to those we might not have thought about going to or even ones that one would not normally would approach. The Christian scriptures point to reaching those who were lepers, tax collectors, sinners, the sick, prisoners, the hungry, the thirsty, and the naked. We enter into relationship more than just charity but taking time to understand and not be fearful. We share the gospel in words and deeds. We plant seeds in the soil that God has already prepared. We teach and disciple. We become accountable in the way we live our lives. We baptize people in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We prepare the next generation of disciples who will continue the command to make disciples of Jesus Christ to transform the world.

Is it easy? Not always. Is it necessary? Absolutely! Are we ready? With the help of the Spirit, yes.

Ready Set Go the course is laid out before us. Jesus gives us the authority through the Holy Spirit. We are ready. We are set. We go with the sure and certain knowledge that Jesus promise to be with us until for all time.

That was the text of the sermon. I would hope that we spend less time worrying about non-essentials and spend more time on Jesus.

---

[1] Commentary on Matthew 28:16-20 Craig Koester June 19 2011 viewed on May 30, 2016.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Good to Great, Jim Collins; Harper Business. 2001. Read chapters 3 and 5. 

Bible Study March 5 2016

Nancy had received from a good friend a pamphlet about reading the bible chronologically in a year. There are daily readings which would lead someone through the scriptures Genesis through Revelation. I know that I have in the past felt that these readings were not at all chronological but as I looked at the readings there is some sense to it. I also came across another list at Susanna Wesley UMC in Topeka that were the same. So Nancy and I decided what if we would do this together. With my busy schedule, we decided to take our time and really reflect on what we are reading. When I am out of town we could Skype and talk about what we read. So I thought what if others wanted to share their insights and to spend time in scripture. I know what a difference I have seen in my life and in the lives of others who have done comprehensive bible studies like Disciple. So I will try on Saturdays to write something up and post it on Facebook. It will also be on my blog.

So here goes. The first readings for the week will be Genesis 1-11. This is the pre-history of the Israelite's dealing with the creation of the world ending with it being very good. Chapter 3-7 being very bad. A new start and once again failing to do what God has commanded. So take time to read, make notes, notice images and words that speak to you, and most of all take your time.

Also Nancy and I have the NIV Journaling Bible. This bible leaves room on the sides to make notes or to color images. I may share what mine looks like next Saturday.

Blessings and Shalom

Eldon 

Epiphany January 6, 2016

An epiphany (from the ancient Greek ἐπιφάνεια, epiphaneia, "manifestation, striking appearance") is an experience of sudden and striking realization. Generally the term is used to describe scientific breakthrough, religious or philosophical discoveries, but it can apply in any situation in which an enlightening realization allows a problem or situation to be understood from a new and deeper perspective. Epiphanies are studied by psychologists^[1][2] and other scholars, particularly those attempting to study the process of innovation.^[3][4][5]
Epiphanies are relatively rare occurrences and generally follow a process of significant thought about a problem. Often they are triggered by a new and key piece of information, but importantly, a depth of prior knowledge is required to allow the leap of understanding.^[3][4][6][7] Famous epiphanies include Archimedes's discovery of a method to determine the density of an object ("Eureka!") and Isaac Newton's realization that a falling apple and the orbiting moon are both pulled by the same force. (Wikepedia)
Epiphany, also known as "Three Kings Day" and "Twelfth Day," is a Christian holiday commemorated on January 6. It falls on the twelfth day after Christmas, and for some denominations signals the conclusion of the twelve days of the Christmas season. Though many different cultural and denominational customs are practiced, in general, the feast celebrates the manifestation of God in the form of human flesh through Jesus Christ, his Son.
The word epiphany means “manifestation” or “revelation" and is commonly linked in Western Christianity with the visit of the wise men (Magi) to the Christ child. Through the Magi, Christ revealed himself to the gentiles. In Eastern Christianity, Epiphany puts emphasis on the baptism of Jesus by John, with Christ revealing himself to the world as God's own Son. Likewise, on Epiphany some denominations commemorate Jesus' miracle of turning water into wine, signifying the manifestation of Christ's divinity as well. (About Religion)
Have you ever thought about what Epiphany means to you. Both the secular understanding and the Christian understanding are parallels to meaning for me. The ancient Greek roots are especially interesting, ἐπιφάνεια, epiphaneia, "manifestation, striking appearance”. It is a sudden insight that just does not appear out of thin air but is a realization based on knowledge that we have and see in a new way.
Take Matthew 2 and the wise men. They were scholars of their time. They recognized before meeting Jesus, Mary and Joseph the significance of the star. Yet, they were not aware of the total picture until they arrived at Bethlehem. So we too are aware of the knowledge of our savior. Does the Natal Star shine in our lives? What is it we pursue? How do we take the knowledge we have about Christ and use that for epiphanies in our lives?
This year may be the challenge we face as to how we will live according to Christ. I would suggest thinking less about our resolutions and more about our faith. Increase your knowledge of God though bible study, small group participation, prayer, worship, and through receiving the sacraments.

January 4, 2016

I have been doing readings for an upcoming training that will happen at the end of the month. As I was reading, I began to reflect on some of the things that have occurred in the past year and carry over to this year. I remember (though I don’t recall where I had heard this) that history seems to repeat itself every 30-40 years. I decided to look back to the turning of the 20^th century and progress forwards, though I have thought about similarities in 1890’s and 1860’s. In 1920’s the end of the First World War to end all wars occurred right before the 1920’s. After the war, the League of Nations was formed. We as a nation did not join as we were beginning to pull away from world events and become more isolationists. How this affected the rise of Nazi Germany is debatable. It was also a time of excess, rise of criminal cartels, and fear. Eventually the crash of the stock market and the beginnings of the Great Depression happened.

1950’s often a time we look back on with fond memories without looking closely at what was actually happening. This was a time of Senator McCarthy and his crusade to rid the US of any communists. Based on fear, the standard thought was that there was a communist under every bed with the sole aim of destroying our nation. There were drills to what we were to do in case of an atomic bomb explosion and the building of fallout shelters (not the romantic image of the video game). 

1980’s were the height of the agricultural crisis and economic meltdown. Inflation was out of control and there were fears of foreclosures and bankruptcies. Arms deals made through financing of our government to support rebels in Afghanistan such as Osama Bin Laden. Recovery was difficult and many farmers and ranchers ended up taking their lives rather than face the loss of farmland and ranchland that had been in their families for several generations.

And now 2010’s the second decade of the 21^st century. The fears of terrorists mostly Muslims drive our politics. A new sense of McCarthyism is arising. Refusal to look at the domestic terrorists that exist in our nation is the standard. They are either insane or a militia who are patriotic. Children are not safe in our schools, on our streets, or even in our churches.

Maybe what is written in Ecclesiastes is right. There is nothing new under the sun. I wrote a poem/prose about this and attach below.

Spirals

Qohelet says

There is nothing new under the sun

I wondered about what he said

Do we endlessly repeat it all

Deja vu all over again

I ponder times in my life that have the same themes

I look back and see historic themes repeat

Fear seems to underlie them all.

Is that what Qohelet meant

Is that why Jesus tells us to not be afraid

Yet times do change

And life is not a circle

With no beginning or end.

Life is a spiral ancient symbol of life

There is a beginning and end

To my life and to creation as well

As in a spiral we come back to our themes

But in a different place, a different time

Seeking new answers to our questions

And so it goes

One more turn of the spiral

Coming ever closer to the end

The spiral is not to be feared

But to grow from the answers we learn

So what have we learned?

Will it be Déjà vu

The answer is up to me and you.

2016 Jan 1

Somewhere this morning, I decided to not only write in my blog but also reflect on the day and other random thoughts.  The first came out in rough form as a poem which I will share below.  Winter has had special meaning for me. It was around December 23 and 27 that our still births occurred.  Even though that was several years ago (actually more than two decades ago), the month often is a time of reflection on me especially dealing with darkness.  That this occurred during the darkest time of the year is not lost on me.
I marvel at that even with the darkness, comes light. It is the time of year that we celebrate our Savior’s birth.  Whether or not Jesus was born in December (and likely not) makes no difference.  What makes the difference is that in the darkness time of our lives, the light does not extinguish and will come out. It is in that promise that I hold on to during the darkness of winter.
Here is the poem. I am no Robert Frost or Carl Sandburg but here goes after 40 years of not writing.
1/1/15
Morning comes delayed as if fighting attempts to hold it back.
Bright sun burning away the gray of winter skies
Snow crystals sparkle with the reflected inner life.
Amidst winter’s monochrome of gray and with there remains the promise.  
In the landscape of dead trees, dull brown earth, the hint of new life remains
waiting to be reborn, renewed, and resurrected.
A new season to take the bleak colors waiting to burst forth into dazzling array of color.
Winter is but a brief time,
yet hidden in that time the promise is born.
The Star-Child comes once again
to remind that winter is but a moment
 and Spring comes to all.
So let the Son shine light the crystals sparkle
Let the Son shine show us the promise
that Winter will not be the final victor
the Son is.
Eldon Davis
Crude but came out of spending time under gray skies with either rain, snow and ice.  But today the sun shown and indeed the Son shines.

august 8th

One month and one week into my new appointment.  This next week we are able to move into the parsonage and begin that process of unpacking.  During this month I have had time to reflect on the church, the mission of the church, the issues as I perceive, and where God is in the mix of all of this.  I have had time to look at my new responsibilities and am still in that learning process.  I am thankful for my colleagues and their support.  And for the bishop who has been encouraging.  I am reminded of the TV program NCIS and Gibbs head slaps when someone does something stupid.  Thankfully none have had to adopt that with me, at least not yet.

I have been reflecting on the Great Commission Jesus gave to his disciples found in Matthew 28:18-20.  The United Methodist Church has adapted that as the mission of the church to make disciples of Jesus Christ to transform the world.  I also like what Jesus told the disciples in Acts 1:8.  As one reflects on these commands from Jesus, are they still relevant to making disciples in the 21st century?  I believe that they are still commands we are to remember and to not just know but do.  For me this is the “keeping the main thing the main thing” as Bishop Jones frequently states.  It seems that too often we spend more time arguing internally about what Wesley might consider as non-essentials (certainly what I perceive as non-essential) we lose sight of Jesus’ commands found in the gospels.  It certainly has more to do with loving one another and loving others than in the letter of the law.  I believe we need to return to the heart of the law reading the sermon on the mount in Matthew or the sermon on the plains in Luke.  So how do we go about doing these commands?  That to me is the main question.

I want to challenge churches to remember in all that they do what Jesus has professed for all people. To remember Proverbs 29:18 “Without a vision the people perish (KJV).”  Let every church take time to read the gospels.  To reflect not just on favorite passages but the entire gospel.  Another challenge would be to read a chapter of Proverbs a day as there are 31 chapters.  Let the words of wisdom and of Jesus lead us as we continue to grow in our faith.

Sunday’s sermon

      Last Sunday was my last sermon to the churches of Ainsworth, Johnstown, and Long Pine as their pastor.  Today in the midst of the organized chaos that often surrounds those who are moving, I have had time to reflect on what I preached on that Sunday.  To put it in context, the churches had planned to have a family picnic and only one service in the city park.  It had rained that early morning of Sunday and the parking lot was muddy and the grass was slick. I decided that we would instead meet in the church.

     We had a large number of people from all three churches who attended this special service and to celebrate with a meal Father’s Day.  I was going to preach on the father found in Luke 15 regarding his two sons.  The focus early in the week was that despite circumstances the father never abandons his children just as in this transition God has not abandon us.  Then Wednesday happened in Charleston South Carolina.  I struggled with what I should do as I didn’t want my last sermon to be challenging but to leave on a higher note.  Then I realized that the higher note was to address what happened and what it means for our churches.

     Just a note, I am not a manuscript preacher.  During my preparation with prayer, scripture, and commentaries, I write out almost journal wise my thoughts.  I arrange them in sequence that I would like to see and when I preach I rarely have notes at all.  This Sunday was different and even though I wrote out a manuscript (or at least an outline) I did not read it.  For those who were not present or those who are interested I am copying the manuscript to this blog entry.

Reflection on this Sunday

This Sunday I have such a mixture of feelings. The past three weeks have felt like a tornado has blown me around. From the time of the Bishop’s call to take on new responsibilities that for me was unexpected, flying to Pittsburgh to see my oldest granddaughter graduate from high school, to annual conference and seeing that through a different lens of a pastor and as a member of the cabinet, to trying to figure out moving and packing, to knowing this Sunday is my last preaching day. I had talked about how when we do things for God, Anne Dillard says we should be wearing our crash helmets and buckle ourselves in for we are in the ride of our lives.

So I thought I would talk about Father’s on this father’s day. About how we can know that despite changes and choices that we make our Father is steadfast in His love for us. Despite the rhetoric and disagreements we might have, how much we want to have things our way, ultimately we can come back home where our father will run out to great us. This is what fathering should look like. When we read in 1 John 4:7-16. That we can live in love because God loved us first. He is the ultimate example we have through his son Jesus. Jesus taught and lived love. He used parables and teachings about love that was inclusive of all people. He reached out to those who were different and seen as less than in our society. As he challenged the expectations of what the majority saw, he experienced anger for his concern about the marginalized, about women, about those seen as racially unacceptable such as the Samaritans and ultimately was put to death.

As we debate about who is to be included or who is excluded, who is acceptable and who is not, I am reminded of what Jesus had to say as the Pharisees brought the adulteress woman to him and he said to them let the one without sin cast the first stone. As the youngest son returned home, it would have been so easy to judge his actions and to condemn him for his sin. How often we judge others without seeing ourselves and the choices that we make. How often we want to condemn people for who they are just because they are different than we are. It is so easy to take a morally superior road until we look in a mirror. I have often spoken about our tendency to not debate but to demonize those who disagree with us or are different than us. We worry more about foreign terrorists and not look at the terrorists that are among us.

Than Wednesday June 17^th happened at a sister church that we have connections to in the Pan-Methodist connections. A group of parishioners gathered at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church one of the oldest African American churches in downtown Charleston South Carolina. This act of domestic terrorism took the lives of 9 congregational members of the church who had gathered to pray and to have a bible study. This was not an attack on Christianity it was a racially motivated mass murder, an act of domestic terrorism. It is easy to dismiss this as a person who was the shooter as mentally unstable but that is a way of sweeping under the rug the environment that seems to be occurring in parts of our nation. Already efforts are made to individualize this sin rather than look at the societal context and results of what we are doing to ourselves.

Habakkuk 1:2-4 cries out to God how long must we witness these horrendous acts before we rise up and to seek justice that will roll down like water from the mountains. How long we will continue to act towards one another without remembering what we hear in 1 John, what we read about the father in Luke. This is a day of lament. It is more than praying for those who no longer have fathers to go home to, mothers to care for them, whose future was taken away by this terrorist. Emmanuel was often a place to speak to the civil rights movement in the 60’s. What was accomplished sometimes with the blood of martyrs seems to again cry out for justice. Lament is not just saying we are sorry but is a call to action. To discuss and not demonize either the young man or blame the victims. It is a time to say enough is enough.

I believe it will not be foreign terrorists that will destroy our nation, but will happen domestically through the injustice and hatred that we perpetuate on ourselves. As a follower of our Savior Jesus, I am greatly concerned about our world and our nation. I pray that God can use me and those I know to be messengers of the love God has for all of us. Let our lament be a call to action to end the violence that we do to ourselves not through war but through our own hatred, to see all people as our brothers and sisters in God’s family whether or not they look like us, whether their skin color is different than us, regardless of gender or even sexual orientation.

So you may ask what can we do here in Ainsworth, Johnstown, Long Pine? This seems to be something that has happened far away from us. What can we do except to pray for those who have been involved? There are things we can do. We can teach each other and especially our children that hatred of those who are different is not God’s way. If we want to abide in the love of God, we need to love one another. We need to resist making or putting up with racial comments or statements. We need to no longer post on social media inflammatory statements that only lead to further divide our nation. I believe we need to take seriously what Jesus taught us and to live that out. If we want to be called that people of the book than let us put our words into action. To be instruments of peace of reconciliation. To hear once again the prayer that is attributed to Francis of Assisi:

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.
O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.

Let us walk in the light of our Lord and Master Jesus.

Amen.

As I continue to prepare for my transition into new call, I pray that we never cease to remember all of God’s creation.  That we not only hear God’s call to us for justice but not to be so distracted by what John Wesley would call non-essentials that we miss the heart of Scripture which is Love of God and Love of neighbor.  We are the church the body of Christ with Jesus the Head.  As we debate the issues of today, my prayer is that we never lose sight of our relationship with the Triune God as seen in the life of Jesus, his death, and his resurrection.

Eldon