The Apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Colossian Christians to "devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving" (Col. 4:2, NRSV). Many of us think of ourselves as devoted to many things. We are devoted to our spouses, to our jobs, to our families, to our pets, to the maintenance and upkeep of our homes and cars, and to our favorite sports teams (College and Professional!). We are devoted to our favorite pasttimes - card games, social clubs, hobbies and interests. We are a devoted people.
But what does that word mean? DEVOTED. (Say it often enough and it begins to sound a little strange - like something you would do on a bizarre reality show on TV! "She was devoted off the island!)
Devoted: adj. 1. Feeling or displaying strong affection or attachment; ardent. 2. Having been consecrated, dedicated. (source: American Heritage College Dictionary)
It seems we all understand that first definition - which is what I was referring to in the above paragraphs. When we are devoted to something, we tend to show strong affection for that something. We are ardent Aggie or Longhorn supporters (or Red Raiders, or wherever it was that you attended or support currently!). We are devoted!
But I believe that Paul was trying to get at the second meaning in his verse to the Colossians. When Paul commands (notice he did not ask his readers!) that they be devoted to prayer, he is talking about something deeper than a feeling of attachment or affection. He is talking about something that is consecrated, dedicated, holy. When we devote ourselves to prayer, and keep alert in it with thanksgiving, we are participating in a holy moment - a holy connection with the Lord of all creation.
This past week, my mother has undergone a battery of tests to determine if she has a blockage in her heart. Nuclear stress tests, EKG's, MRI's, and all those other alphabet soup tests were conducted. While there was little I could do for her, the one thing that I could do was to pray. And so I did. Fervently. Ardently. And most especially with consecrated dedication. I also asked everyone I knew to pray with me for her. And they all agreed.
I have shared this with many people, and they have all shared with me similar stories - the power of prayer works. We cannot explain it, but it does. Physicians, psychologists, and a host of other scientists have attempted to get at why prayer works for people. Without any firm evidence, the only conclusion drawn is that it just does.
I think I have an idea why it works. I think Paul did too. It has to do with that consecrated, dedicated connection with the Holy when we pray. Keep alert in your prayers, and you'll have a reason to be thankful, too!
See you in Church!
Grace and peace,
Brad
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Maintenance or Mission
Brian Stoffregen wrote: “I recently received our Rocky Mountain Synod (ELCA) newsletter. There was a short article in it adapted from Herold Percy, "Good News People," which makes a contrast between "maintenance" and "mission".
1. In measuring the effectiveness, the maintenance congregation asks, "How many pastoral visits are being made? The mission congregation asks, "How many disciples are being made?"
2. When contemplating some form of change, the maintenance congregation says, "If this proves upsetting to any of our members, we won't do it." The mission congregation says, "If this will help us reach someone on the outside, we will take the risk and do it."
3. When thinking about change, the majority of members in a maintenance congregation ask, "How will this affect me?" The majority of members in the mission congregation ask, "Will this increase our ability to reach those outside?"
4. When thinking of its vision for ministry, the maintenance congregation says, "We have to be faithful to our past." The mission congregation says, "We have to be faithful to our future."
5. The pastor in the maintenance congregation says to the newcomer, "I'd like to introduce you to some of our members." In the mission congregation the members say, "We'd like to introduce you to our pastor."
6. When confronted with a legitimate pastoral concern, the pastor in the maintenance congregation asks, "How can I meet this need?" The pastor in the mission congregation asks, "How can this need be met?"
7. The maintenance congregation seeks to avoid conflict at any cost (but rarely succeeds). The mission congregation understands that conflict is the price of progress, and is willing to pay the price. It understands that it cannot take everyone with it. This causes some grief, but it does not keep it from doing what needs to be done.
8. The leadership style in the maintenance congregation is primarily managerial, where leaders try to keep everything in order and running smoothly. The leadership style in a mission congregation is primarily transformational, casting a vision of what can be, and marching off the map in order to bring the vision into reality.
9. The maintenance congregation is concerned with their congregation, its organizations and structure, its constitutions and committees. The mission congregation is concerned with the culture, with understanding how secular people think and what makes them tick. It tries to determine their needs and their points of accessibility to the Gospel.
10. When thinking about growth, the maintenance congregations asks, "How many Lutherans live within a twenty-minute drive of this church?" The mission congregation asks, "How many unchurched people live within a twenty-minute drive of this church?"
11. The maintenance congregation looks at the community and asks, "How can we get these people to support our congregation?" The mission congregation asks, "How can the Church support these people?"
12. The maintenance congregation thinks about how to save their congregation. The mission congregation thinks about how to reach the world.
Isn’t it interesting that for so many folks, maintaining the church satisfies only ourselves and our own needs? Jesus' mission was all about serving others. “For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45 NRSV). What about us?
See you in Church!
Grace and peace,
Brad
1. In measuring the effectiveness, the maintenance congregation asks, "How many pastoral visits are being made? The mission congregation asks, "How many disciples are being made?"
2. When contemplating some form of change, the maintenance congregation says, "If this proves upsetting to any of our members, we won't do it." The mission congregation says, "If this will help us reach someone on the outside, we will take the risk and do it."
3. When thinking about change, the majority of members in a maintenance congregation ask, "How will this affect me?" The majority of members in the mission congregation ask, "Will this increase our ability to reach those outside?"
4. When thinking of its vision for ministry, the maintenance congregation says, "We have to be faithful to our past." The mission congregation says, "We have to be faithful to our future."
5. The pastor in the maintenance congregation says to the newcomer, "I'd like to introduce you to some of our members." In the mission congregation the members say, "We'd like to introduce you to our pastor."
6. When confronted with a legitimate pastoral concern, the pastor in the maintenance congregation asks, "How can I meet this need?" The pastor in the mission congregation asks, "How can this need be met?"
7. The maintenance congregation seeks to avoid conflict at any cost (but rarely succeeds). The mission congregation understands that conflict is the price of progress, and is willing to pay the price. It understands that it cannot take everyone with it. This causes some grief, but it does not keep it from doing what needs to be done.
8. The leadership style in the maintenance congregation is primarily managerial, where leaders try to keep everything in order and running smoothly. The leadership style in a mission congregation is primarily transformational, casting a vision of what can be, and marching off the map in order to bring the vision into reality.
9. The maintenance congregation is concerned with their congregation, its organizations and structure, its constitutions and committees. The mission congregation is concerned with the culture, with understanding how secular people think and what makes them tick. It tries to determine their needs and their points of accessibility to the Gospel.
10. When thinking about growth, the maintenance congregations asks, "How many Lutherans live within a twenty-minute drive of this church?" The mission congregation asks, "How many unchurched people live within a twenty-minute drive of this church?"
11. The maintenance congregation looks at the community and asks, "How can we get these people to support our congregation?" The mission congregation asks, "How can the Church support these people?"
12. The maintenance congregation thinks about how to save their congregation. The mission congregation thinks about how to reach the world.
Isn’t it interesting that for so many folks, maintaining the church satisfies only ourselves and our own needs? Jesus' mission was all about serving others. “For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45 NRSV). What about us?
See you in Church!
Grace and peace,
Brad
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