Have Mercy...

Last Friday (Dec. 14, 2012) was another sad day in our world. A young man, deeply disturbed in heart and soul, chose to end the lives of over two dozen people, most were small children, and then ended his own life. It was, at the outset, what appeared to be a random act of horrible violence.

First thoughts turn naturally toward outrage and anger. Then comes confusion - there must have been a reason for such a tragedy. We need to make sense of the senseless in order to keep our own reason in check. Surely there must have been a reason, we wonder. We suspect a broken relationship that pushed him to a darker side beyond hope.

But then more anger appears. We want to find the culprit. We need to blame something, and our next instinct is to seek out the intangibles as the reason for this insane act.  If we had only better, tougher laws, if there had only been some sort of warning signal - a red flag, perhaps. Maybe this could have been avoided or at least averted. Who missed the signs?  Surely they were there.  But that doesn't ease the burden of the truth that lies at the deepest recesses of our beings.

No, what lies deeper than the anger, the blame, the excuses, is something we don't like to admit, even in our most transparent moments. We are creatures buried under the weight of sin. Our collective brokenness is evident each time something like this happens. And its revelation is unnerving.

Our sin is evident in the ways that we treat one another. From the beginnings of our socialization to the very last breath we take. We seek to identify those who are like us, who make us comfortable, and those who are not like us. Who make us ill at ease. We sort and segregate in what appears to be a random set of criteria, all the while secretly wishing - hoping - that our own fallabilities will remain undiscovered, which might risk our own exclusion from the circle we so desperately seek to maintain.

This goes far beyond the playground cliquishness of our childhood, although no doubt the patterns likely begin there. One unkind word spoken, another exclusion from acceptability, and yet one more remark that slaps a label on someone that will leave a scar deeper than any physical mark is one, two, three too many.

When we as a culture stop treating mental illness as a stigma, a taunt, a byword, and start treating it with openness, kindness, compassion and sympathy, we will have begun to follow a Godly pattern of grace and mercy. When we stop isolating those who are different, and begin to honor the differences with the respect and dignity that we all deserve, we will have begun the first step toward acting civilized.

Our problem in this country is not with the thing we have created, but rather with the distinctions we have established that separate, and alienate. One cannot blame guns for such senseless violence any more than one can blame male anatomy for rape.  The tools used are just that - tools. Used in anger. Used in rage. Used with only one thought or purpose in mind - to regain power where power has been denied, where dignity has been withheld, where integrity and worth have been cheapened.  We need to begin to deal with the anger, the rage, the sense of hopelessness, the sense of worthlessness that pervades so many people's lives.

I am convinced that the First Epistle of John was right - the role model we are to espouse is that God is Love, so therefore, let us love one another. It is too easy to hate, to condemn, to isolate, to ignore, to mistreat.  It is perhaps the most difficult thing in the world to love - especially the unlovely or unlovable. But this is precisely what Christ has commanded.         

I recognize that there are voices on all sides of these issues, and that there will be many who will consider me to be naïve.  Perhaps there is truth in that.  Still, can one hope that there will be a world where we will cease to insulate and isolate one another?  Can there be a world where we actually do seek to lift one another up, to encourage one another to reach the God-given, God-ordained potential that resides within each and every one of us?  I hope and pray so.

In the meantime, I choose to look upon everyone I meet with a new set of eyes – eyes that hopefully will not be detached from the soul.  I choose to see each person as a child of God, no matter how perfect or imperfect, one that Jesus felt passion and compassion for, and chose to die on a cross to redeem them for God.  I know it won’t be easy.  I suspect there will be times when someone will likely need to look on me with this same compassion – and if I know myself, those sometimes will be many indeed. 

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions…For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me…Hide your face from my sins, and blot out my iniquities…Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:1, 3, 9-10 NRSV)

Have mercy indeed.

Subtle (and not-so-subtle) Revelations...

           George Strait had a popular country song out a while back that was entitled, “I Saw God Today.” In it, Strait describes how, upon the birth of his daughter, he began to notice little things that were God’s revelations of God’s self in the everyday, mundane things of life.  A flower peeking up from between the cracks of the sidewalk, a young expectant couple holding hands, a sunset…all are whispers of God’s grace that he hadn’t noticed before, but now seemed to manifest themselves before his very eyes.

            It seems as though God has been revealing God’s self to us for, well, forever.  From the beginning of Genesis, through burning bushes, through the prophets, and finally through his Son.  God has been in the business of revealing.  This revelation didn’t stop with Christmas.  For twelve days the Church has been celebrating the birth of the Christ Child – the Anointed One – to the people of Israel.  But God wasn’t done there.  No, God chose to reveal God’s self to even more people – strangers from the Eastern Orient.  Stargazers.  Wisemen.  Royalty.  Gentiles.

            Why?  Why would God go to all the trouble of trying to share this small, insignificant birth, this tiny newborn child, to a group of foreigners?  Who were they?  What was so important about this child?  What would make these strangers travel so far across vast deserts to come and visit him?  (I think about what it takes to get our family ready to travel to San Antonio for an afternoon – I cannot fathom what it took those ancient travelers to set out and search for a child, with only a peculiar star to guide them!)

            And yet, God’s plan was for this child to mean something to more than just a small group of people.  He would matter to everyone.  For without his birth, there is no salvation.  Without his being revealed to outsiders, there is no hope for becoming included in the divine plan of redemption.  And without him, there is no conquering sin and death.

            A new year arrives for us once again.  And with every new year, there comes with it the possibilities of knowing God more deeply.  Of knowing what God wants for us – from us.  Of knowing how we can become a part of something bigger than ourselves.  We are given a new opportunity to start afresh in living our lives after the example of Christ.  We can be who God has created us to be – reaching our God-given potential through the strengthening power of the Holy Spirit – to be more Christ-like.  We become blessed to be a blessing, and share with those strangers (grandma used to say a stranger was just someone you haven’t met yet) the ultimate love of God.

            Perhaps, in some strange sort of way, God is revealing God’s self to the world through us.  Maybe, through our faith and faithfulness in Jesus Christ, as we seek to live more into his likeness, someone might be able to see God today through us.  Which gives you and me hope for the church and the world.   Transformation becomes possible – through God.  And there is a future.  Take that, Mayans!

            See you in Church!

            Grace and peace,

Brad

The Rush...

                It is hard to believe, but as I write this, November is standing at the threshold waiting to come in.  Where did the time go?  Just a few moments ago, or so it seemed, we were watching the ball drop in Times Square; now we’re getting ready for the upcoming holiday marathon.

                It is difficult to slow down when we get to this time of year.  Our hearts beat just a little faster, especially when we look at our to-do lists.  Our breath quickens when we begin to inventory our tasks, and count down the days until family arrives.  Wait, not so fast.  They can’t be here yet.  We’re not ready!  We need to get the meals planned, the food bought, the house cleaned…  But just like November, they’re standing not-so-patiently at the threshold.  Waiting. 

First, there are the feasts (and of course, the inevitable leftovers), the guests, the memories made and shared.  We attempt almost in vain to savor the moments.  But alas, these are even fleeting.  And before you know it, “Black Friday” is upon us, and the rush toward Christmas begins its mad dash into our consciousness.

Gifts need to be purchased and wrapped.  

                 Cards need to be addressed and sent. 
                       The house needs to be cleaned again, and decorated. 
                              Food needs to be prepared - cookies baked, ham bought. 
                                      The tree needs to be adorned with all the trimmings.

                How do we slow down to savor the moments?  Invariably, it will all be over before we’ve had a chance to scarcely take it all in.  We won’t have had the opportunity to share how we feel about our loved ones before they are gone, and then…

                This season, allow the rush to pass by unheeded.  Instead of being swept up into its fervor, quietly step aside and let it go by.  Then take some time to listen in the quietness after the rush has passed, and allow the grace of God’s abiding presence, that started so long ago on a star-lit night, to once again bring a spirit of Thanksgiving into your soul.  Let it creep in like the fragrance of God’s presence.  Let it linger there, breathing it in and out.  Let it fill your soul with the gentle reminders that God is God – not bound by calendars, or schedules, or to-do lists.  Look for the hauntingly familiar presence of the One who became one of us.  Search your heart.  You’ll find the place.  The time.  The presence of the Holy. 

And all these other things will fall into their proper places.

See you in Church!

Grace and peace,

            Brad

Well, Are We?

               In 1749, Charles Wesley penned the words to what would become a hymn for Methodism worldwide.  The words “And are we yet alive, and see each other’s face?  Glory and thanks to Jesus give for his almighty grace!”  (UM Hymnal, p. 553, United Methodist Publishing House, 1989).  These words formed the opening verse of a hymn that has begun countless Annual Conference gatherings across the years.  They speak of the joyous reunion of Christians who have been apart.  Gathering once again is a cause for celebration and praise to Jesus Christ for the almighty grace that has not only saved each one, but has called each into communion with one another in The Church.

                It is a welcome sound to my ears when this hymn is sung.  I see the friends and colleagues across the Annual Conference in my mind’s eye, but I also see the friendly faces of those who gather in the Congregation each week.  Some have asked me why I seem to scan the congregation each Sunday morning during worship.  (Some have accused me of that obsessive-compulsive behavior known to many pastors as “counting sheep,” but that’s not really what is happening.)  In truth, I’m thanking God for each and every face that I see in worship.  I’m scanning for those that I know, and for the new faces that I see.  I scan the pews especially looking for those who I know are going through some difficult times, and for them worship is that familiar and safe touchstone in an otherwise difficult life.  “What troubles have we seen, what mighty conflicts past, fightings without, and fears within, since we assembled last!” (verse 3). 

When I look out over the congregation on Sunday mornings, I’m saying a little prayer for those that I don’t see – their favorite pews are empty because of being away, or for some other reason.  I wonder what has kept them from partaking in the richness of the family of faith that binds us together.  I pray that their faith will be able to sustain them until they are able to once again return to this holy gathering, and feel the true presence of people who care for them deeply with a Christ-like love.

Ironically, I have never understood how some believe that being away from or separating themselves from the community of believers makes them a stronger Christian.  Francis Asbury found it virtually impossible for anyone to call themselves a Christian and be apart from the Body of Christ, from the Class Meetings that helped to shape and kindle discipleship within the soul.  Truly, John Wesley himself found this to be the only antidote to condemnation – the gathering of the saints to care for each other’s souls.  Wesley found it imperative to meet regularly and consistently in the community of believers in order to sustain the faith and strengthen the believer.

                “And are we yet alive, and see each other’s face?”  It is a great question.  Well, are we?  If so, then the rest of that verse will make all the sense in the world:  “Glory and thanks to Jesus give for his almighty grace!”

                See you in Church!

Grace and peace,

Brad

A Bruised Soul...

It is delicate.  It is fragile.  It can be bruised easily, and the healing is painfully slow.  A thoughtless word, a quick criticism, or just “blowing past” someone can leave a bruise on the soul that takes a long time to recover.  Damage can be done in a blink of an eye.

The soul is the one thing that God created within each one of us that God felt was worthy of redemption.  It is that which glimmers in the eyes of God.  It bears the image of the Creator in a holy way, unlike any other part of all creation.  The soul is holy, sacred, and treasured by God.  And each of us has it within us.

Unfortunately our world does not always value what God does.  The world has a wonderful way of valuing the wrong thing.  We look at the outward appearance – the shape of our bodies, the clothes we wear, the abilities we see and criticize so freely - and Jesus taught that it was what was from the heart that was most important.  The world does not reserve as holy what God sees as sacred.  But God took time out to reexamine the human condition, and saw the sorry state that we have allowed ours and others’ souls to fall into.  And that was why God felt it necessary to share his only Son with us in order that we might understand the tremendous value of this soul within us. 

This truth became painfully clear for me this past week as I began to reflect on my own behavior toward some folks who are absolutely the closest to my heart.  The callous words I chose out of my own exhaustion or distraction left indelible bruises on the souls of those around me.  It wasn’t until I saw how much damage had been done that I realized the seriousness of my own sin, and how badly I had been mistreating my own soul.  How I treat others is oftentimes a reflection of how we treat our own souls.  If we are not valuing that which God values, loving what God loves, treating as sacred that which God holds as most holy WITHIN OURSELVES, then how can we possibly do this for others?

Out in the world today (this week?  from now on?) I pray that you will begin to see each other as the Treasures in Clay Jars that Paul wrote about in II Corinthians 4 – sacred possessions of God placed within each of us.  Fragile, easily bruised, damaged, and tender.  And perhaps we might become more attentive to those around us – and try to work toward the healing of the other’s soul.  This is God’s intention.  This is Christ’s command.  This is the work of the Christian.  This is the task of the Church.

See you in Church!

Grace and peace,

Brad

A Covenant Prayer...

              Vacation times were always special times for me growing up.  Our family would pile into the station wagon, loaded down with clothes and toys, and head for Indiana first, then Maryland.  Mom’s folks lived in northern Indiana on a small lake called Little Barbee.  Dad’s folks lived in that thin strip of Maryland pinched between West Virginia and Pennsylvania in a small community called Ringgold.  Vacation always happened in the first two weeks of July – with sparklers and fireworks in Indiana, and blackberry picking and apple peeling in Maryland. 
                But one year, my mom’s parents came to visit us when I was about seven or eight.  It wasn’t during the summer, and I remember them sharing with me that they weren’t there to see me.  I thought that they were being mean to me.  They said that they still loved me, but that they were there to see my mother.  Mom had just gone away for a couple of days, although I didn’t know why at the time.  Then I found out about the wigs.  It was odd to think that someone would come to visit our family, but not come to see me. 
                My world had always revolved around me.  Birthday parties, Christmas presents, vacation times at grandparents’ homes, camping – it was all about me.  It was, after all, my world. When people came to visit us, I was convinced that I was supposed to be the center of attention.  I firmly believed that I was the one these folks came to see.  So when my grandparents came to help dad care for mom during her cancer surgery, I thought they were here to see me.
                It is interesting how we see the world when we are growing up.  It is a brand new experience, and we grow from every encounter.  Like that wide-eyed teenager visiting the big city for the first time, we are filled with awe and wonder.  But then something happens, and we realize that it isn’t all about ourselves. 
                When Jesus shared with the disciples during the Last Supper that he had given them a new direction, and a new purpose, it wasn’t about them.  It was about loving others.  And it is about loving others more than we love ourselves.  He said, “Those who love their lives will lose them, and those who hate their lives in this world will keep them forever” (John 12:25).  Here, when Jesus says “hate”, he is not talking about self-loathing, but about how and where we rank ourselves with others.  When we put ourselves first, we are not following the will of God.  Such selfishness does not build up the kingdom, and it does not distinguish us from those who do not know God.  And we are called to be different.  He said that love was first and foremost the distinguishing characteristic that makes us unique as Christians.  “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34).
                 But our world doesn’t understand this kind of selflessness.  We are always taught to put ourselves first.  (“Looking out for number one” is how Blue Oyster Cult put it!)  Unfortunately, we don’t resemble Christ very much when we do that.  John Wesley wrote “A Covenant Prayer” in which he talked about how the believer, the disciple was to put the will of God first, others second, and self last.  He wrote:

     “I am no longer my own, but thine. 
     Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt. 
     Put me to doing, put me to suffering. 
     Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee,
          exalted for thee or brought low by thee. 
     Let me be full, let me be empty. 
     Let me have all things, let me have nothing. 
     I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.”

                 Wesley understood that the disciple of Jesus Christ was a servant of Christ, wholly committed to serving God and one another.  If the servant ever put himself/herself first, then the covenant was broken.

                True discipleship is modeled after Christ’s own life – following the will of God no matter where it may lead.  I pray that we can be found so faithful in our own discipleship.  Because it is so not about us! See you in Church!

Grace and peace,

Brad

With, not About...

               There’s a story about a couple who met, fell in love, got married and settled into a life together.  At first, everything was wonderful.  The young man and young woman were deeply in love with each other.  Their every thought centered on the other.  They bent over backwards to make each other feel special. 

                But, as you can imagine, after a few years, the giddiness settled into, well…”settled in to.”  They still professed an undying love for one another, but the thoughts tended to move toward the “everyday busy-ness” of life.  After a while, even the “I love you’s” seemed to be fewer and farther apart.  Before long, they seemed to run out of things to say to one another.

                If you were to ask each individually about the other, they’d say that their love for the other never waned.  But the response lacked the same zeal and fervor it once had when they were younger.  They had grown old together, true.  But they had ceased to be “one”. 

                Then one day, someone asked one of the two what it was that captured their heart about the other.  Was it the way she looked?  Was it his swagger?  Was it her grin or his chuckle?  What was it that made them fall madly in love in the beginning?

                Ironically, whenever these questions were asked, the words never failed to flow.  Descriptions of first impressions, first dates, first kisses, first times holding hands, all seemed to be quickly recalled, almost with a renewed passion.  But not once did these descriptions ever find their way to the other’s ears.  Not once did the couple tell each other how they really felt, and whether or not the love was still as strong as in the beginning.

                It isn’t a far leap from the couple’s beleaguered communication skills to one’s relationship with God.  Sure, we talk about God a lot.  We like to sing about God’s grace, amazing and sweet.  We love to tell the stories, so we sing, but when was the last time we told God – I mean TRULY TOLD GOD – how we really feel? 

                Prayer is that simple communication that Christians use to speak with and listen to God.  It is the opportunity to talk WITH God – not just about God.  Can you imagine if the above couple had ever wronged each other – and they couldn’t tell one another?  How long would the relationship last?  What would be the consequences of withholding secrets from one another?   What about forgiveness? 

                Like every other relationship we have, our relationship with God is an essential and absolute necessity – and working on it each and every day is what draws us closer to God.   Telling God that you love God, and then demonstrating that love for God by loving what God loves – by loving WHO God loves – is what makes that relationship grow.

                There are too many people in this world who only talk ABOUT God.  What God wants from us is more folks who speak WITH God. 

                See you in Church!

Grace and peace,

Brad

Tools, tools, tools...

            Please forgive me if I may sound flippant, but I do not in any way mean to offend, but I have an addiction.  I am addicted to tools.  I have a wood shop in my garage, and have been collecting tools since I was in high school.  Seeing as that has been 30 years ago, I’ve had quite a time to collect.  I have found myself mesmerized by the latest home improvement show, the newest infomercial and tool demonstration, and of course, Norm Abrams is my absolute hero. (New Yankee Workshop – google it!)

Tools have somehow begun amassing in my custody for quite some time, and I’m beginning to take notice.  (It has been decades since I was able to get a car in any garage I’ve owned!)  Table saws, chop saws, scroll saws, lathes, routers, drills, drill presses, hammers, screwdrivers, chisels, air compressor & nail guns (six of them – they all do different things!  Ok, just don’t ask Jan!  She’ll tell you that they all just nail things together!) You name it, I’ve probably got it.  Of course, there are always a few more tools on the want list.  That will probably never go away.  Most of my tools I have justified by using them on mission trips.  After all, hurricane relief takes a lot of tools!

I think I’m as addicted to how-to books as I am tools, too.  I have a several volume set of a Popular Mechanics How-To encyclopedia.  (It was published in the late sixties – the pictures are kind of fun to look at – everyone has a flat-top haircut!)  I also have subscribed to countless wood-working magazines over the years.  Ironically, after about the second or third year, they all seem to repeat the same patterns, projects, and tool reviews.  Still, I keep hoping to find that holy grail of project that will take me to the next skill level as a woodworker. 

But my love for tools, and my love for books has given me one other collection. 

You might call it a how-to collection of church growth.  Just about every kind of book that is available I have either read, or I own.  How to grow small churches into big ones.  How to turn around a dying church.  How to start a Dinner for Eight program and ministry in your church!  Seven strategies to turn around a congregation in decline.

I also have books about changing mindsets of churches.  I have books about helping churches to create vision and mission statements, and to set goals.  I have books about group dynamics, group process, and spiritual development of groups.  I have books about preaching, teaching, pastoral care, and worship leadership.  All of them are excellent books.  Each one has its own ministry focus, and each one has its own “approach” to doing church.

Alas, what I have discovered about my woodworking journals, I have also discovered about my church leadership books.  Eventually, there is a pattern that emerges where the strategies outlined seem to repeat – almost copy one another.  The plans, steps, and processes become almost predictable.  Everyone wants to become the author who created the better mousetrap, but in the end, each is strikingly similar to every other one.

Ultimately, what I have learned from reading these books is that the plan, step, or process is not as important as the attitude of the congregation toward change.  If the congregation is committed to being what it needs to be in order to change, then the congregation will begin to change.  If it is not committed, it will remain the same.  As Gil Rendle once said, “The system is designed for the exact results it is getting.”  In other words, if you don’t like the results you are getting, you need to change the system.  Change what you are doing.  Ah, but change is hard!  Yes, it is.

I’m still trying to change.  I don’t always come home with a new tool any more when I go to the hardware store.  And I don’t always come home with a new book from Cokesbury when I go to Annual Conference!  I still enjoy browsing – hoping to find that book that makes accepting change easier for churches – and for tired, amateur woodworkers like me.

See you in Church!

Grace and peace,

Brad

Quantum Theology

As a part of my required readings for my Doctoral courses at Perkins, I came across a delightful book by the Rev. Bill Easum, former Senior Pastor of Colonial Hills United Methodist Church in San Antonio.  In his book, Easum shares a theory about our current age being one that is “quantum” in its change – that is, a sudden burst or large increase in energy.  It is changing at a pace that is so dramatic and so sweeping, that it is literally forcing many folks to take a back seat to the technological advances of the present day.  Compared to recent generations, the technology of the digital age of the present day is seeing changes abound in huge leaps as opposed to the strides that were made say, during the industrial revolution of a century ago. One only has to look at the tremendous changes of life that we have experienced since the modern personal computer has entered into our homes to see the evidence of this quantum leap in technology!  

Easum uses the analogy of modern cell biology to describe the workings of the church.  He shares that the cell, the smallest breakdown component of the human body, works in conjunction with every other cell in the body, to comprise the human body.  It exists for the benefit and well-being of the body as a whole.  Likewise, in the Church, each member exists for the benefit of the others, to help to strengthen the overall health of the Body of Christ.  We exist so that others might be better able to carry out their God-given and God-ordained calling.  We all exist for the greater good of the whole – and not to ourselves.  This is our calling in Christ.

These two thoughts – the quantum theory and the molecular biology - come together when we recognize that while we are individuals, we are also a part of something greater than ourselves.  We are the Body of Christ. 

Quantum Theology asks in what ways might the Holy Spirit, undeniably the greatest source of energy, present a sudden burst of power into the life of Canyon Lake UMC if we were more available to the Spirit’s movements?  If we were to seek the greater good of the body of Christ as our primary task (not secondary or even tertiary), in what ways might we experience an explosion of the Holy Spirit in the life of CLUMC and in our own lives?  

John Wesley’s theory was that the Church was to be more of a movement, and not an institution.  Institutions tend to seek homeostasis – or a sense of balance in which any change is minimal.  Institutions tend toward self-preservation – making themselves comfortable – and in so doing, also tend to neglect or forget its original purpose and mission.  In contrast, movements, when they are grounded in the Holy Spirit, tend to experience quantum growth and vitality, because, like the catalyst that causes great change, the Holy Spirit creates dynamic change that is life-altering and transforming.  Changes from movements grounded in the Holy Spirit occur at rates that are exponentially greater than anything the institution could hope to see.

I pray that we will begin to see ourselves not so much as a collection of individuals seeking our own wants and needs, but as a community of faith, the body of Christ, engaged by the Holy Spirit in quantum theology, working together to make disciples for Jesus Christ.  I pray that you will join with me in looking ahead to what the Spirit is doing in the life of CLUMC!  From what I can see, it truly looks exciting!  See you in church!

Grace and Peace,

Brad

Inward vs outward...

I am always amazed at how many times folks will share with me that their greatest desire is to have people come to our church.  "If folks would just come to this place and attend our worship services, they would understand that we really are a friendly church."  Well-meaning folks usually want to share what has brought meaning and purpose to their own lives with the lives of others.  A noble and holy goal.  But sometimes I wonder if it isn't because we have become "location-fixated." 

Among the first comments I receive from folks who visit our sanctuary is how lovely or beautiful it is.  And it is truly magnificent.  The colors, the warmth of the stained glass, the close proximity of every pew to the chancel area, all contribute to the splendor of the facilities, and help to enhance the worship-ful atmosphere.  There is great pride amongst most folks who love their churches.  But there is still something missing.

Recently, Bishop Robert Schnase quoted Peter Drucker: "An organization begins to die the day it begins to run for the benefit of the insiders and not for the benefits of the outsiders.” ( leadnet.org.)  It is as though the main focus of many congregations is to get people to come into the doors, and then once they are inside, they will find that they never want to leave.

And therein lies much of the problem of the decline in the church today.  Another article I recently read about the upcoming General Conference proposed legislation involves helping to reverse the "denominational decline."  For many folks, the declining numbers in worship and professions of faith, the trends toward an aging denomination, are signs that we are losing ground.  The handwriting on the wall has led many to believe that in the next couple of decades, if these trends aren't turned around, there might not be a United Methodist Church for future generations.  John and Charles Wesley will be relegated to a Wikipedia entry from a bygone era! 

Lest we get too far down that road of despair, let me first say that the Holy Spirit has other plans.  And the first part of that plan has the church re-evaluate its position on church growth.  We are not interested in transferring members as much as we are interested in helping people to come to a faith decision for Jesus Christ.  Professions of faith are what we are called to be about.  Matthew's Great Commission stated the goal of the church fairly succinctly: "Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I've commanded you.  Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age" (Matthew 28:19-20, CEB). 

If our task is to "Go" and make disciples, then our task is not necessarily to just get people in the doors of the building.  Rather, our task as the Church is to "Go" to where people are - people who are hurting, broken, needful, lost, etc. - and to share with them the good news of Jesus' saving grace.  If all we WANTED to do was to get people in the doors, all we'd NEED to do is set up a gas pump outside and give away free gas.  People would come from miles around!  But our task isn't to give away gasoline - it is to share God's amazing grace. 

We are called to be the Church that is sent out.  We are called to share the love of God to those who need it most.  We are not called to fill the pews.  Our calling is quite clear in the Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church:  We are called to "Make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world."  That will only happen when we stop looking inward and start moving outward.

See you in Church!

Grace and peace,
Brad

Mountains and Valleys...

Having just come back from the Holy Lands a few weeks ago, I was once again reminded of the beautiful, yet contrasting terrain of this special place.  The harsh mountains stand in stark distinction from the lush green valleys below.  The mountains to the south of Jerusalem, which comprise much of what we know as the “wilderness” of biblical lore, offer little in the way of greenery or any sort of lush life-sustaining vegetation.  The Jordan River valley, on the other hand, boasts of rich soil and a plethora of bumper crops, abounding in grasses, trees, and life all around.  It was easy for me to see why so few people could live in such a difficult place as the rugged terrain of the southern wilderness, and why so many choose to make their homes in the green-ness of the river valleys of the central and northern countryside.

Ironically, according to the Gospels, there were more stories of Jesus and his disciples finding respite and rest on the mountains, rather than the valleys.  Recall the stories of the Transfiguration, the Sermon on the Mount, and the many occasions where Jesus and his disciples met on the Mount of Olives outside of Jerusalem.  The mountaintop experiences lead us to say with Peter, “Lord, it is good for us to be here!”  We want to stay. 

I am reminded of how many people prefer to stay in the comfortable places – they are familiar, and offer much in terms of contentment.  Life is not challenging when we are in the comfortable.  We are not tested.  Seldom are we confronted when we are in those places of ease and comfort.  And in our world today, that can be a good thing.

But it also can be a bad thing.  Jesus always reminded the disciples that the ministry to which they (and we) were called is more often than not down in the valleys, where everything is not necessarily so green and lush.  There is oftentimes pain, suffering, lost-ness, and brokenness down in the valleys.  Jesus challenges us to come down from the mountains and spend some time in the valleys where there is great need, because this is what causes growth.  When we are not dared to grow outside of what we are used to, we tend to stagnate, or atrophy.  Life is stunted.  Growth does not happen.

As we approach the wilderness of the end of the Lenten season, we are given a unique opportunity.  So many folks will approach the end of Lent by moving from Palm Sunday straight to Easter.  From Hosanna (God Save Us) to Hallelujah (Praise the Lord).  And when we do so, we miss the valley of shadows, where growth can happen.

This year, during Holy Week, we will be offering a special worship service each evening at 7 pm.  You are invited to come and walk with Jesus and the disciples through the events of that last week in Jesus’ life.  You are encouraged to take a step outside of your comfort zone, and to experience the valley that Jesus trod.  Make the journey from the Gates of Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives, to the Garden of Gethsemane, to Caiaphas’ house, to Pilate’s courtyard, to Golgotha, to the garden tomb, and finally to the resurrection on Easter Sunday.  Make the journey from the mountain to the valley of shadows.  It will make the Hallelujahs of Easter all that more meaningful.

See you in Church!

Grace and peace,

Brad

Spring Cleaning...

I usually love this time of year.  The winds start to blow a bit more briskly, the sun comes out, and the gentle rains have nourished the wildflowers growing all across the Texas landscape.  Because of the nice weather, I begin to feel that surge of energy to go into my garage woodshop and create something.  The only part that I don't necessarily like about Spring is that when the sun shines after the winds have blown, I am made aware of the dirt that exists in the crevices of my garage - because they are now all over the garage!   Spring cleaning is in order!

A good spring cleaning can actually be therapeutic.  It is more than just sweeping up the sawdust and brushing away the cobwebs that have accumulated over the winter.  It has a zen-like quality when you know that you are shedding things that you know you really shouldn't have kept in the first place.  The various and sundry items that we amass have an attraction to them. (I remember my father boasting once upon a time about his garage as being "well-equipped."  "If it isn't in there, you didn't need it!" was his favorite saying.)  We keep the odd part, the extra nuts and bolts, the salvagable components of a repair project, all in the hopes that someday, we might just "need" it.  And so it is shelved, or placed in the cabinet, the drawer, or elsewhere in storage until the time when it will "rescue the day."

Of course, purging the unnecessary can be a difficult thing as well.  The things that we've grown accustomed to can have an attachment to us.  A favorite tool, or a comfortable (albeit worn) pair of gloves, old work boots, can have a connection to us in some way that makes us feel the need to hang on to them.  Not because they cannot be replaced, but because they have meaning and purpose.  (Also, as my father was want to say, "they have a story.") 

Ironically, the same can be true of many of our old habits, especially when it comes to our faith.  The things that we have picked up along the way can have an odd way of adhering to us that will weigh us down.   Like so many barnacles on the bottom of a boat, we find that we are weighted down, and as a result, slowed down.  Before long, we find ourselves lugging around the habits, the vestiges, the remnants of days gone by, hoping that someday they will come back into style for us, and we'll once again be cruising along in our faith.  Unfortunately, we find ourselves taking on water, but don't know why.  Or worse, we find ourselves having to make the disturbing decision of what to salvage, and what to throw overboard, before we sink to the bottom of spiritual ineffectiveness.

The Season of Lent offers us a chance to radically look at who we are, and what we carry with us into the journey of the wilderness of faith.  (Envision here the ice-breaker game of "You are going on a long journey across the desert - you can only bring one thing.  What would it be?")  Streamlining, cleaning house - the house of our spirit - is a primary focus of the Lenten season.  In order to once again be drawn closer to God's will, what would you eliminate?  What would be the absolute essentials that you know you cannot live without - and then ask yourself, "With the power of the Holy Spirit, is this even necessary for me to be faithful to who God is calling me to be?"

It's time.  Spring is almost here.  And I can't stand the dustbunnies in my garage (or my soul) a minute longer.  I'm rolling up my sleeves, and I'm going to get cleaning...  I invite you to get some spring cleaning in as well.  See you in Church!

Grace and peace,
Brad

Wandering...

One of my favorite quotes comes from J. R. R. Tolkien, “Not all who wander are lost.”  It means that from time to time, wandering is a means by which one may actually find oneself.  In our culture of modern technology, we find ourselves with electronic means by which we can get from point A to point B with ease.  Oftentimes, we can do so in a variety of means – would you like to take the shortest route (distance), or the quickest route (time)? We can even avoid road hazards, accidents, and even traffic congestion with the more sophisticated models!  We prize the options that will shave off so many seconds from our travel, that we oftentimes miss the journey for the trip. 

Recently, a few of us traveled through the Holy Lands of Israel and Jordan.  As a part of that journey, we ventured through the wilderness of southern Israel and Jordan to the top of Mt. Nebo, which is the place where Moses was afforded the opportunity to see the Promised Land, but not allowed to cross over into it.  After forty years of wandering in the Wilderness of the Sinai, Moses had led God’s people to the brink – to the very threshold – of the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham and his descendants.  Their wanderings were a part of the journey – not just aimlessly meandering about, but traveling together, looking out for each other, learning to live together as one people, building relationships, establishing a covenant community of faithful witnesses to the deliverance of God.  Their wanderings taught them the necessary lesson of what it meant to be in relationship with God and one another. 

Similarly Jesus, after his baptism by John the Baptizer in the River Jordan, was driven by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness for forty days.  That time of solitude gave Jesus the opportunity to come to terms with his own identity in relationship with God, to trust in God and God alone, and to become more faithful in his own witness to the glory of God in the salvation of all of God’s people.  He spent time wandering in the dusty, dirty hills of the wilderness so that he could be drawn closer to God, even in the midst of testing and temptation.

This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, which signals the beginning of the season of Lent.  Historically, the season of Lent has been the time for new converts to the Christian faith to begin a period of intense spiritual reflection and study.  It is a time when one contemplates the barriers that sin creates between oneself and God, and the divine gift of salvation that is offered in Christ Jesus as a reconciliation of that chasm. 

Thus begins the forty days of Lent (not including Sundays) from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday (the day before Easter).  For forty days, I would invite you to join with me in wandering – not aimlessly, as if we were without direction – nor with a GPS that will avoid the uncomfortable spots along the way.  Instead, wander with the purpose of identifying all those areas with which we are conflicted, or in which we are denying God’s will in our lives.  Wander through all the areas of your life where you seem to be most comfortable – and ask if this is because God is present, or because you have ensured that God is most absent.  Wander through the aches and pains of your heart and soul, to touch those places that need healing and wholeness.  Wander.  And know that in your wandering, you are not alone.  For there is someone who is well acquainted with all our wanderings who travels beside us.  And in your wandering, you may just discover that you’ve been found by the one who loves you most of all.

“Not all who wander are lost.”

See you in Church!

Grace and peace,

Brad

Going and coming...Home...

It is interesting how they say that you can never go back again.  I remember traveling back to my boyhood home where so many of my childhood memories still run rampant through the neighborhood.  The memories were all there; but the place looked different somehow.  the tree we planted when I was only six or seven years old (that I had to carefully mow around without mowing over!) was there, but it was now huge!  The ballfield where I played Little League was still there, but the bases seemed so much closer together now than they did then.  Perhaps the perspective of age, or the distance of time somehow managed to change everything around a bit.  But still, it was good to go home again.

Next week at this time, I shall be walking the shores of the Sea of Galilee with Ron, Belinda, Carol, and Gracie. I am looking forward to making that trip again - having made it just last year. There is so much that I want to see again: the Synagogue in Capernaum where Jesus spent much of his teaching ministry; the Upper Room where the disciples had the final meal with Jesus before his betrayal and crucifixion; Golgotha, or "the place of the skull" where Jesus was proportedly crucified (it actually looks like a skull in the rock formation!); the shore where Jesus cooked breakfast for the disciples after the resurrection; and all the rest!

I cannot help but wonder if Jesus could somehow go back to his boyhood home of Nazareth, if he would recognize the place.  What would he think?  How would he feel?  Of course, you might say its silly to think about whether Jesus would care about these things.  But I wonder about what he would think if he were to look at the Christian Faith in the same way.  Do you think that Jesus might be wondering where our faith has led us down these two thousand years or so?  Do you ever wonder what he might say to the congregations that bear his name?  What do you think He might say to you and me about the expectation He has of us learning the faith - and living it out daily?  Would He say, "Well done, good and faithful servant"?  Looking at our congregation, I'd like to think so, but I also know we can do better.  There are still folks who are outside our doors who desperately need to hear the good news, and to feel the warmth of God's forgiving, sustaining grace.  While we have been very faithful, there is much yet to be done.

Perhaps I spend a little too much time wondering about these things.  But then again, I will have a long flight to ponder these things going home again to Jesus' home, and then coming home again to Jesus' other home! 

See you in Church!

Grace and peace,
Brad