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June 30, 2006
Inconvenient Truths…
I am eager to see the movie, An Inconvenient Truth; a film you may have heard something about. Everyone I’ve talked to who has seen it has said that not only is it well done, but it is a movie that everyone should see. It is, according to those who have seen it, well documented but not so scholarly that the viewer gets lost in all the details. Nevertheless, there will be those who, like one of our neighbors, will not see it because it was inspired by Former Vice-President Al Gore and other “environmental whackos.” “We’ll see whose whacko in ten years,” I half-jokingly/half –seriously said, “when water covers where our houses now are.” Not having seen the movie or followed the scientific data extensively, that is obviously an exaggeration, but the threat of global warming is real. I am afraid the perceived “politics” of the issue will get in the way of it becoming a “blockbuster.”
I find it interesting, perhaps “unsettling” is the real word, to watch what we do to those who often speak a truth that runs contrary to how we think things are or should be. We casually dismiss on the one hand, and sometimes demonize on the other, those who carry a message that is different to one we are comfortable hearing. That was Jesus’ problem, wasn’t it? He shared a “news” that was significantly different from the one the religious leaders had been teaching. And, because many of us do not want to meet the same fate as Jesus, we’d rather live in “la-la land” and be happy and safe than feel the consequences of dealing honestly with the real world around us. But the real world will continue to be the real world whether we ignore it or engage it. It will be what it is, and we get to choose how we will respond.
One of the greatest threats to many of our institutions (including the church) is in occasionally having allowed them to become self-interested bureaucracies mired down in idle chit-chat while the lives of many go broken, and others lie in the wake. And it seemingly does not matter which party controls congress or who our General Minister and President is. We do not want to be troubled by the pressing matters of our society and world. But, we, the people, and we, the body of Christ, have a part to play in determining our destiny. We can no longer afford to blame the messengers for the messes we have sometimes made. And, if not for ourselves, then for the sake of those who come behind us, we must hold one another accountable for who we are and what we are becoming.
May God bless us with courage and conviction as we begin a new church year in a matter of days.
Phil
June 23, 2006
Breaking News for a Broken World…
Whenever I choose to watch one of those twenty-four hour news channels, and no matter when I tune in, it always seems as though there is some sort of “breaking news.” Iraq. North Korea. Al-Qaeda. Afghanistan. Osama bin Laden. Indictments. Corruption. Tortured. Verdicts. Nuclear Missiles Ready to be Tested. Like that Billy Joel song, “We Didn’t Start the Fire” there is always something newsworthy or noteworthy. Too often, however, it is bad news; news that reminds us just how broken this fragile world is. And it seems as if we walk around holding our “collective breath” just waiting for the next interruption to announce the latest tragedy or travesty. Many feel as if they cannot live the way God intends.
But there is another news that challenges the news we receive via newspaper, internet, radio and television. It is the “Good News.” And it informs us that God is so passionately in love with the world. As much as we may be disillusioned by, disgusted by, and uninspired by what we see taking place around us, God has a different view, and a different mindset. Whereas we see and often despair, God sees and holds out hope. When we look at the world, often we see the ugliness, and even though God sees it also, God believes transformation can bring new beauty.
One of our tasks as followers of Christ is to give God permission to be used in such a way that allows that great “Good News” to be known to our neighbors, community, and world. Go and be a blessing!
Phil
June 9, 2006
Because Life Happens…
Perhaps you have already heard, but in case you have not, Gloria Strehl and Jane Howard have decided to “retire” from their respective secretarial positions here at the church. Even though they are not leaving the church, I will miss each of them, and the knowledge each brings to her area of responsibility. Indeed, as we look to that time without Jane and Gloria on staff, I have come to a deeper appreciation for what each has done for this congregation. Gloria has served for twenty-five years, and Jane nearly thirteen. Both of them have seen “quite a bit” in their time here. Ministers have come and gone, babies have been born, and many have passed from this earthly life to a new and greater life with God. Building projects have been “endured,” and many of you have come by just to visit or to check on your giving. And, when you have been aware of a grief or struggle in their lives, you have been there for them. Even so, for these past many years, you have been greeted by two people who care very much about you. They will be hard to replace. They will be sorely missed.
But, because “life happens,” and we come to different seasons and crossroads, decisions are made and we are invited to learn how to live in a new way. Someone, upon hearing the news of Gloria’s and Jane’s decisions lightheartedly said, “Well, Phil, with all the other women in your life “leaving you” is Stephanie going to stick it out?” I’m glad to let you know she is.
I am also glad to let you know that their decisions are not about any discontentment. Though some may think it “odd” that both are departing at the same time, that is just the way “life happens” sometimes. Indeed, the decisions are about each of them, and where they are in their respective lives, and how they foresee their lives unfolding in the coming years.
I hope you will join me in thanking them for their service, and wishing each of them the “very best” by attending the “pot-luck lunch” after the second service on June 25th.
On behalf of a grateful congregation, “Thanks, Gloria and Jane. You’re the best!”
Phil
June 2, 2006
The High Price of Low Trust…
Two recent articles from separate religious journals have helped crystallize a thought that has pestered me for some time. The more I hear, read, and witness, the more I am inclined to believe that one of our blessings as a “mainline denomination,” reason born from the “Age of Enlightenment,” teeters on being a curse to us. The first article that addresses a “trust issue” can be found in this month’s DiscipleWorld. The other article which tackles the same general matter is in the most recent Sojourners. One addresses the lack of trust among and between church leaders (at various manifestations); the other speaks to the problem that arises when we cannot trust God to bring healing to our lives. Though the articles “track” differently, both of them remind the reader how important trust is to positive outcomes and results, and how mistrust is a breeding ground for alienation.
I have discovered that our need or desire (as “sophisticated Christians”) for all things to make sense helps create some rather frustrating tautological exercises in which we never “let it go, and let God.” Indeed, my hunch is that just that phrase (Let Go and Let God) will cause angst in some. Even so, it is my belief that we haven’t “let go” enough, and we are reaping what we have sown.
Both articles are interesting, but the one entitled, The Stumbling Block of Healing, is the one I believe could help our tradition exit a long and dry wilderness experience. In it, the writer tells of what she experienced last winter in a prayer group. She and several others gathered weekly to pray for a variety of matters including the depression of a friend. The member of the prayer group who was plagued by depression tried everything from therapy to medicine and prayer, but “Still, the dark, anxious thoughts dogged his spirit and shadowed the life of his family.” But, one cold and snowy night, as the group gathered for prayer, the deepest part of the man’s depression lifted, and all who were there felt the power in the room. And yet, many were resistant to the idea that the prayer service made a difference. One person said, “The medicine is finally starting to work.” Another said, “A lot of people have depression lift as the days get longer.”
The writer, however, reminds us that Scripture speaks to the many accounts of healing. And then she says, “There’s no getting around it. Scientifically unexplained healing is a big problem for many North American Christians. Too Pentecostal, too miraculous, too—well, scientifically unexplainable.” And that gets me back to where I started: Our sense of, and passion for, reason teeters on being a curse to us. Rather than getting ourselves out of the way, bathing a matter in prayer, and trusting God, we take matters into our own hands. Seemingly, we tend to trust ourselves more than the One who creates and sustains all things.
To answer the editor’s question in DisciplesWorld,“How will we fund mission?” I can honestly say, “With mistrust as high as it seemingly is, I don’t know if it will be funded. But we can make it a matter for prayer, and ask all involved to enter the same holy space and name it before God and others. By so doing, we may have a chance.”
I am grateful for the prayer group that meets at our church every Monday evening. It is my hope that whenever a group of church folks gather together to transact business or to fellowship, that they will begin their time together with prayer – Trusting prayer.
I hope to see you at the “prayer place” this Sunday as we recall the gift of the Holy Spirit. Typically, we encourage everyone to wear a little red; it is the liturgical color for the day.
Blessings, trusting God, we take matters into our own hands. Seemingly, we tend to trust ourselves more than the One who creates and sustains all things.
To answer the editor’s question in Disciples World,“How will we fund mission?” I can honestly say, “With mistrust as high as it seemingly is, I don’t know if it will be funded. But we can make it a matter for prayer, and ask all involved to enter the same holy space and name it before God and others. By so doing, we may have a chance.”
I am grateful for the prayer group that meets at our church every Monday evening. It is my hope that whenever a group of church folks gather together to transact business or to fellowship, that they will begin their time together with prayer – Trusting prayer.
I hope to see you at the “prayer place” this Sunday as we recall the gift of the Holy Spirit. Typically, we encourage everyone to wear a little red; it is the liturgical color for the day.
Blessings,
Phil
May 26, 2006
On “Not Forgetting”…
As we approach Memorial Day I am mindful that we are moving toward the season of family reunions, time at the beach, a trip to an amusement park, picnics at the park, and those “lazy, hazy days.” And though we have come to understand this day as the “kick-off” to summertime, perhaps we all could use a gentle reminder that this day was started to remember those who died while serving the nation in a time of war. The creation of this day dates back all the way to the Civil War, but it has evolved over the years to take on new meanings, and perhaps a few misunderstandings. Even so, the day gives us pause to not forget those who have gone before us in a variety of ways. Recollection of such memories may be painful, but I hope you will find in your remembering special memories that cause you to smile.
Attendance at Sunday School and Church is typically fluid, but it becomes even more so in the summer. But I want to encourage you not to forget the One who will be with you wherever you go. The psalmist speaks well of a God we cannot outrun, and a God who will not forget us. “Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in She’ol, you are there” (Psalm 139:7-8). God will not forget us, forsake us, or allow us to live life alone. And even though we may not be in town to gather with the community of faith known as First Christian Church, may we not forget to nurture our relationship with the triune God.
Our family will be in Indiana this weekend visiting family and friends, but I hope that if you are in town, you will be present for Sunday School and worship to praise the God who hears our borning cries and who is with us when we shut our weary eyes.
Be blessed!
Phil
May 19, 2006
Life Today…
As Stephanie puts the “finishing touches” on a scrapbook to be given to John as his “Fifth Grade Graduation” gift, my mind has taken me back to the day we learned that we were “expecting parents.” After we left the gynecologist’s office on that hot July day, we went to the Courier Caféin Champaign to grab a very warm bowl of chicken noodle soup. We were excited and terrified, and we needed “comfort.” On March 7, 1995 with flurries flying through the air, we were waiting for John. Labor began early in the morning; John arrived at 9:37 that night. I had shaky legs as we left the hospital room, got on the elevator, loaded up the car, and drove the thirty or so miles back to Gibson City; a one stop light town. And now, as a fifth grader at the end of another school year, he leaves the elementary years for new days ahead. He is rightfully proud of who he is and what he has accomplished, but he is also anxious about what is before him. So are his parents. Perhaps you know what I mean. And maybe you can connect with something I said the other evening as we were gathered at the table for dinner and John demonstrated that he was moving closer to adolescence. When I asked him a rather common question with a known answer, he looked at me and said, “Na-duh; ya think?” And, with that, I let him know that though I will always love him, I liked him a whole lot better when he was in third grade!
Perhaps there is, for you, a time in life that you liked better: being a child; the high school years; perhaps your college days. Maybe you liked life better when all the family was together, or at least in the same town. Perhaps your hometown meant more to you in a previous day than it does today. “Remember when 25thStreet was the southern border of Owensboro and everybody went to church?” Maybe you liked your body better when you were younger, fewer “laugh lines,” or maybe your muscles were more toned. And maybe there was a time, in a former day, when you felt more invested in or inspired by, the church. But life today… It just feels “different.”
Of course, we know that it feels that way because it is that way. But I wonder if we can find something to really love for this day, or if it (the present day) has to be as it once was in order for us to “fall” in love. Is love a “feeling” a “fruit of the Spirit” or both? Though much will change around us, do we (as people who have been marked by the water of baptism) have the luxury to choose when to love, and when not to love?
Today is what we have… Today we choose: life or death, to love or not.
Blessings,
Phil
May 12, 2006
If Mothers Governed the Nations…
Last Friday, as I pulled into the parking lot of one of Owensboro’s helping agencies, a young mother held onto her two children to keep them from running in front of other cars; she wanted to keep them safe; to take care of them. I watched as she carried the smallest of the two, and held the hand of her other daughter. She went to the front door of the agency, read the notices that were posted there, and evidently discovered something that “disqualified” her and her children for assistance. So, she lovingly ushered the children back into her car and drove away. As I watched that ordinary scenario unfold I was reminded how much better the world would be if mothers governed the nations.
Mothers, it seems, can usually see beyond themselves and their own interests and are more aware of the “long view.” Mothers, as I see it, would be less inclined to send our sons and daughters off to war. Indeed, if mothers governed the nations, any disputes between nations would be settled long before tensions escalated to the point of war. And, if mothers governed the nations, “human need issues” like world hunger would be only found in the history books; mothers would find a way to feed every child.
Oh, I am keenly aware that there are mothers who could not get the job done, and there are some whose parenting skills are less than what any of us may hope for. And, as we approach Mother’s Day this article is not intended to deify our mothers, but it is intended to continue the dreaming process for what the human creation might be like if mothers created our national budgets, and cast a vision for who we could become as a people.
When my mother was a child, she dreamed about becoming a missionary. But, because the church and her family did not nurture her in ways that helped her fulfill that dream, she had to find other avenues to live out the call on her life. It came in a variety of ways, but as a teenager I remember her working at the front desk of our town’s YMCA. She did typical secretarial work, but, in that role, she also got to know the residents who lived there. One year, when she realized that there would be some men who had no family to celebrate Christmas with, and would not have anywhere to go for dinner, mom told the executive director that she was going to bake a ham, and enlist the help of other employees to donate things to go with it. I never asked her, but my hunch is that as a mother she could not stand the thought of anybody’s child (regardless of age) not having a special meal on such a special day.
And I wonder… What would the world be like if mothers governed the nations?
Thanks, Moms, and those who have been like a mom to somebody, for your vision, love, care, and compassion!
Phil
May 8, 2006
Riding the Wave… (Something to Think About)
Phil shared the following words with the Board at Monday night’s meeting.
Southern California is well known for its beaches. It’s the part of the country that popularized the music of the Beach Boys, beach party movies, and of course surfing. Many of our schools offer physical education courses in surfing.
If you take a class on surfing, you will be taught everything you need to know about surfing: how to choose the right equipment; how to use it properly; how to recognize a “surfable” wave; and, most important of all, how to get off a wave without wiping out. But you’ll never find a course that teaches “How to Build a Wave.”
Surfing is the art of riding waves that God builds. God makes the waves; surfers just ride them. No surfer tries to create waves. If the waves aren’t there, you just don’t surf that day! On the other hand, when surfers see a good wave, they make the most of it, even if it means surfing in the middle of a storm.
A lot of books and conferences on church growth fall into the “How to Build a Wave” category. They try to manufacture the wave of God’s Spirit, using gimmicks, programs, or marketing techniques to create growth. But growth cannot be produced by (humans)! Only God makes the church grow. Only God can breathe new life into a valley of dry bones. Only God can create waves—waves of revival, waves of growth and waves of spiritual receptivity.
Our job as church leaders, like experienced surfers, is to recognize a wave of God’s Spirit and ride it. —Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church,
May 5, 2006
Grateful for “The Village”
Dear Friends,
As you are already aware, a young man from a village in the western part of Kenya, Benard Nyamulo, has graced us with his presence. Humble, gentle, open, and serene are just a few of the words I would use to describe him.
He is a person of deep faith and one who has engaged the struggle of the journey. A missioner of a different denomination, Benard has come to find a “home” here at First Christian Church. But by so doing, he has “given up” a certain “security” that was his as an active participant in his missionary society.
But this “village” known as First Christian Church has warmly welcomed him and continues to embrace him for this new season.
Benard is in the process of moving to Owensboro, and as he continues to discern his call for ministry, he will reside at 735 Kentucky Parkway. If you have any household items that would help him “get settled,” please arrange with him a time to take them by. I know he would be grateful; I certainly am! Blessings,
Phil
April 21, 2006
Double Vision and Divided Minds…
The major task I was asked to help a former congregation accomplish when I was extended a call to them was to “build a new church.” The congregation had already disposed of their “old” building, and bought land for their “new” one, but they were waiting on whoever they called to be their pastor before actually starting the actual construction process. Thankfully, we were able to utilize the Lutheran chapel on the local university’s campus for our worship experiences, and we held on by a “thread” as we sought to carry out other aspects of our ministry: namely, education and mission. But, through faithfulness, dedication, and determination, we made it! More than one astute person in that time between buildings said, “We can identify with what the Israelites sort of experienced during their wilderness years!” Indeed, we could. But, people of God are necessarily transients. Indeed, because we have a living relationship with a living God, we do not stand still. The invitation that came from the empty tomb on Sunday beckons us onward. So, as I think about it, I am reminded that God asks us to have is double vision and divided minds. We are to look ahead even while we remember from whence we came, and we are called to hold in tension that which was with what is yet to be. That former congregation said it pretty well. Their theme for the building campaign was, “Reverence for the Past; Building for the Future.”
As many of you know, I am taking a course in Evansville to learn more about our partner denomination (the United Church of Christ). In one of the textbooks we have been asked to read, I have rediscovered that the UCC (officially born in 1957) is the convergence of four main traditions: the Reformed; the Evangelical; the Congregational; and the Christian. Each of these four, of course, have their own histories with various dates and important figures, but I was struck by something I read by one of the contributors of the main textbook about the “Christian Connection.” The English philosopher, John Locke, was very influential in the way the group thought about matters of polity and theology. In his way of thinking, individuals were called to be free, and no system of government had any authority to suppress the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and property. So, it was a love of freedom, passion, and unity that held that group together. Some in that movement even went so far as to “burn the minutes at the end of their (business) meetings to prevent some future tyranny of tradition.”
Where we have come from has its place. That was true for Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of James, and Salome on that first Easter morning; and it is so for us. But where we have been (or have come from) cannot completely determine where we are going; and though we must revere our pasts, the empty tomb calls us onward to the tomorrows God has in mind for each of us, and all of us.
Blessings,
Phil
April 14, 2006
Hope to Dance…
Body language sometimes speaks more clearly than our words. Slumped shoulders, and a bent back suggests a person has a lot with which to deal. An upright posture, and an easy smile, portrays a secure and confident person. Trudging along, at a slow pace, might indicate either a sense of peace or a lack of joy. But it is hard to miss the message in one who chooses to dance. It is something God wants each of us to do, and because of an empty tomb it is something all of us are invited to do. Long before Lee Ann Womack sang the song, God was busy composing it.
In church this coming Sunday we will recall with great joy the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We will hear in Mark’s account the story of that first Easter morning when three women (Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome) went to the tomb early in the morning to tend to Jesus’ deceased body. But when they arrived at their destination they found, instead, that the stone blocking the entrance to the tomb had been rolled away. Even so, when they mustered the courage to enter the tomb, they discovered that Jesus’ body was not there. Rather, Mark tells us that there was one dressed in white who sought to assuage their sense of “alarm.” The angel encouraged them to tell the other disciples where Jesus would encounter them (in Galilee), but they did not say anything to anyone because “terror and amazement had seized them.”
It is an odd feeling to be frightened to the point of being “frozen.” Perhaps you know what I mean. Startled from a bad dream you sit straight up and try to scream, but the noise does not come. Perhaps you have had a “true to life” experience in which what unfolded before your eyes overwhelmed you to the point of not being able to move or speak. Maybe that is what happened to those three women who loved Jesus enough to take care of him even in death.
There are several responses we can make to the news we will hear on Sunday morning; news of an empty tomb. We can hear the words, and chalk them up as being a nice story in which “the good guy ends up being the victor.” We can choose to think there is no way such an event could take place (it defies a sense of reason that we are not willing to suspend). Or, we can allow the story to transform our lives to the point of wanting to dance. Undoubtedly, there are other things we might choose to do with this story. But in a world of bad news and heavy burdens, surely God wants us to allow this story to lift our spirits to the point of dancing.
I am praying that in this season of resurrection our lives would speak the story of new life; and when someone asks why we are dancing, we can tell them about God’s song.
Blessings,
Phil
April 7, 2006
Preparing for a Week Called “Holy”…
Though many jokes are made about “C” and “E” Christians (Christmas and Easter), I must confess that I am one of them; not in practice, but certainly in theory. I can deal with a baby in a manger and people traveling from far off places to pay their respects and offer words of “congratulations” to the parents. My need to know that there is something “bigger” than myself and a life beyond this one permits me to suspend “reason” and I can believe in the resurrection, and the transformation that event can bring. But putting an innocent person on trial and executing him for “disturbing the peace” stretches me in ways that, quite frankly, are a little more than I can bear to think about. The meanness, indifference, and sheer hatred exercised by those who killed Jesus are events I’d rather not have to reconstruct in my mind. There is enough of that in our present world without revisiting the evil of a former day. And, without any doubt, they are certainly not events that, on my own, would be labeled “holy.” But the Church, in its wisdom, created such a tradition, and there can be no denying the facts of Jesus’ crucifixion; they appear not only in the gospels, but are also recorded by historians of that day. Josephus and Tacitus (non-Christian sources) confirm much of the “passion story.” I am more like a “C” and “E” Christian than I am anything else. Perhaps you are, also.
Even so, because there are seasons of the church year, like there are seasons of life, we are called upon to engage them in ways that allow us to seek some sort of “something or another” about these days. I was helped by the words I read from one of the devotion books I occasionally use. The writer says, “A naturalist in Alaska once told me about the barren rock that is left after ice and snow recede from glaciers. Birds, wind, and water throw seeds and nutrients onto the rock. If the rock is even a little porous, it holds on to what’s tossed there and begins to create new life. Small life comes first, then medium-sized life, and finally trees begin to grow. If trees come too early, they lack what is needed for survival and die.”
As difficult as the week is, perhaps there is something in it that will call forth new life. Either way, let’s agree to pray for one another in this “holy” season.
Phil
March 31, 2006
A Luxury We Do Not Have…
A question that every “seminarian in care” is asked by a committee on ministry, every pastor searching for a congregation to serve, and every “visioning” team in any congregation relates to an understanding of the church’s mission. “Describe your concept of the church’s mission today” is the way it reads on a “Ministerial Profile for Search and Call.” And, on the one hand, I certainly understand why such a question is asked. But, on the other, I am not sure we have the luxury to redefine a mission that has been given to us by Christ. We can certainly interpret the mission for our own day, but I am not sure the mission is ours to state. Indeed, because the church belongs to God, and Christ is the head, that must mean we are somewhere a little lower on that proverbial “totem pole.” We are messengers, and the charge (or commission) we carry with us can be found in Matthew 28:16-20. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them and teaching them everything that I have commanded you.” And we remember that love is basic to what Jesus commanded: “You shall love the Lord your God”, said Jesus, “with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” And, “’You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’” (Matthew 22:34ff). Fairly simple. Pretty difficult.
Simple in understanding it; difficult in living it. Indeed, we would probably like to re-state the understanding of the church’s mission in a way that is comfortable for us rather than the direct way Jesus commanded. Though there are many “sub-parts” to the church’s mission, if we lose our voice in calling all into a redemptive relationship with God, through Christ, and loving everyone in the process, one might be able to say that we are not distinct and blend in with many other “organizations.”
When Robert Louis Stevenson was twelve years old, he looked out into the darkness from an upstairs window of his home one night. He was watching a man light the streetlamps. Curious about what he was doing, one of his caretakers inquired what he was looking at. Poetically, he said, “I am watching a man cut holes in the darkness.” And isn’t that a fitting analogy for the mission of the church? With each new person who says “yes” to an invitation to follow Christ, the world becomes a little brighter. Each person who says “yes” to the call says, in effect, that they will love in all times and seasons.
Now, more than ever, our community, and the world, needs the church to take its commission to evangelize more seriously than ever before. Who, lately, have you invited to follow Jesus?
Phil
March 24, 2006
Playing a Part…
“Dad,” John said to me during one of the basketball games this weekend, “can you drive me around the neighborhood so I can pass out these flyers?” “What flyers?” I asked. “These flyers for youth group,” he responded. “I’d like to see more people come to youth group.” With those words, he handed me one to show me what he would be putting in the mailboxes of those in our neighborhood. I did not remind him that youth groups were ending for the year, instead, I said, “How about when this game is over.” Hearing those words as a “brush off”, he walked out the door, got on his bicycle, and delivered thirty copies of the flyer you see on this page. I was touched that an eleven year old sees the importance of the role he has to play in inviting others to experience the “Good News.” Somehow understanding that if the world will not come to the church, then the church must go to it, he diligently set about trying to make a difference in the lives of others. Somehow he knows that he has a part to play, and he intends to play it.
One of the greatest factors that keeps anything from growing (including the church) is the belief that it is “somebody else’s job” to see that it does. Some think if we only had a certain ministry or a certain something we do not now have, then growth would occur. And, there may be a grain of truth in that mindset. However, the primary reasons things do not grow as we expect is because we believe that there is some sort of magic involved; a magic we cannot capture. But I think that is a fallacy. Indeed, the basic reason that things do not grow in ways we expect them to is because we fail to take an initiative in seeing to it that growth occurs. Indeed, we rely upon wishful thinking, some sort of osmosis, or some other unnamed force to bring about which only we can.
We all have a part to play, and I am grateful that an eleven year old reminded me, through a “rough” flyer, to take the world off my shoulders and put it where it belongs: “In God’s hands.” Phil
Phil
March 17, 2006
In the Interim
As you are aware, there is an intensive search underway to find and call someone to the staff of First Christian Church who is passionate and excited by the prospects of Christian Education and Youth Ministry. Like all searches, this may take more time than first thought. But it is imperative to our present and future ministry that we find a person who understands the role of “teacher” as a ministry worth celebrating and utilizing.
Because there is programming to be done in areas that require staff leadership, the Search Committee recommended Stephanie Curran to serve as a part time interim whose significant role is that of “faith formation.” The Board, at its March meeting, affirmed the arrangement. Stephanie brings a strong background to this ministry. In 2002, she was the convener for the national Association of Christian Church Educators event held at National City Christian Church in Washington, D.C. She has served as “Associate for Faith Formation” at First Christian Church in Cape Girardeau, MO and at West Street Christian Church in Tipton, IN. Her gifts and graces will help empower and resource Sunday School teachers and youth group leaders as they carry out their ministry. She will also help facilitate the planning for Vacation Bible School, camps and summer educational ministries.
You can find Stephanie in the church office on Wednesdays. Please feel free to contact her regarding educational matters. Just the same, be expecting her to call you to enlist your help with this important ministry!
Phil
March 10, 2006
A Time to Turn…
In our family, I am the one who does the bulk of the driving whenever we go on a long trip, and Stephanie is the one who navigates. I don’t want to be bothered with a map, and Stephanie doesn’t like concrete barricades and tractor trailers on the highway. It works out well. So as we make our way down the road, I’ll interrupt whatever conversation may be going on and simply say to her, “Tell me where to turn.” It is great to have a companion on the journey!
Since Lent is well under way, it is appropriate for us to be thinking about where we need to turn so as to draw closer to our companion on the way; to become more like the one we profess. What is it that needs to be straightened out so the destination becomes more visible? What grievance needs resolution before the journey can continue? What wound needs to be better healed before we can live more confidently? And what sin needs to be confessed before we can be honest with God?
Someone defined a saint as “a person who has achieved a kind of balance amid the world’s confusion.” And the energy required to maintain such a balance comes from love—a love for the world (as uncertain as it is). And the saint knows she cannot change the world, but rather moves freely in it and unwilling to let circumstances or events steal her joy.
Those who seek to become more like Christ know that they will not end the chaos of the day; they dare not to be that arrogant. Rather, saints dare to risk being the “fool.” They are fools for not going with the flow; for not making the system work in their best interests; and for not being concerned just about themselves. When others would choose to fight, the fool for Christ will walk away.
We live in a time when we have learned to live for ourselves only; this season of Lent invites us to make some turns so as to live for Christ and others. May we repent and believe in the good news!
Phil
March 3, 2006
A Word on Worship…
I want to use this space this week to speak (albeit it briefly) about the listening conference report on worship that was shared with, and embraced by, the board at its February meeting. The Elders, at their meeting on Saturday, thought it would be good for the congregation to hear from me about where I think the report will lead us. But before I do that, I pulled my seminary books on worship, dusted them off, and turned to the pages in which the author seeks to define worship. There is much too much for this article, but I lift up several key points:
1. God alone makes worship a possibility. The gift of God evokes humanity’s
devotion to God.”
2. “Christian existence is essentially corporate; to be Christian means to be in the
community, in the Church.”
3. What Christ has done in the past is again given to the worshipper to experience
and appropriate in present time.
4. The word “liturgy” means a work performed by the people for the benefit of
others.
5. In common (corporate) worship we assemble to meet God and encounter our
neighbors.
6. Christian worship is always Christocentric.
Now to the answer about where the report will take us: “I do not know. But the points mentioned above will be guiding us as will the listening conference report.” And there will be some things that simply are not feasible to design or implement. But there certainly are some things that can be done, and which will broaden the ability to help us “meet God and encounter our neighbors.”
The first thing I would like for those who attend the 10:30 service to be looking forward to is a time of “gathering music.” It might be a group of singers presenting several pieces from either the Chalice Hymnal or its companion the Chalice Praise book. It may be a piano player playing some of the “oldies.” Perhaps it will be a player of some sort of string instrument that serenely calls us to a time to gather. But it necessarily has to be “liturgical.” A work performed by the people for the benefit of others.
We will implement gathering music as quickly as we find folks who are willing to share their gift of music. So, to those of you who are musically inclined, I invite you to stop me in the hall, call me at the church or at home, and let’s visit about ways to make this happen!
Be blessed, Phil
February 24, 2006
More Than a “Week of Compassion”…
One day, after school, alittle girl was sent on an errand by her mother. But, because it took the little girl longer than the mother thought it should, she demanded an explanation when the little girl finally returned. So the little girl explained that on her way to the store she met a little friend who was crying because she had broken her doll. “Oh,” said the mother, “then you stopped to help her fix her doll?” “Oh, no,” replied the little girl. “I stopped to help her cry.” The little girl had compassion for her friend.
Compassion is defined by Webster as “sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it.” It is the awareness that life for another is less than what God wants it to be coupled with a real commitment to make a positive difference. We can repeatedly read in the gospels the compassion Jesus had on another. Seeing another’s need, he had compassion and he acted.
The Week of Compassion of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is one of the very best ministries with which we can be involved. But it does more than “cut checks” to those who are suffering because of war or natural disaster. The “Week of Compassion”is like that little girl who was on her way to the store: It is a companion to help cry with those who have reason to. And even though it is called “Week of Compassion,” its ministry is lived out every day.
Please consider making an offering to this important ministry.
Phil
February 17, 2006
How Well Are We Doing?
There is an old saying among poker players: Trust everybody, but cut the cards. At times it may be necessary to qualify our trust in another; and yet, God calls us to place total and complete trust in the One who promises to be with us at all times. The message is rather simple, but the living of it is more difficult. It isn’t always easy to “push back” and turn our lives over to God’s leading. Yet, surely, that is the foundational principle for any congregation that bears the name of Christ. On that rock, we must stand, and on that rock alone. To say that “Jesus Christ is Lord” complicates much of our lives and calls us to live, often times, in a counter-cultural way. Instead, such words are a recognition that without the cornerstone of Christ, we will not be able to weather the storms, or remain on our feet when the earth shifts.
In a letter to the Church at Colossae, the writer penned the words, “It is (Christ) whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ”(Colossians 1:28). That, one might say, is task number one for the Church: “To teach that we can trust in God, and that, in fact, is where our trust must be placed.” Otherwise, God could rightly say of us that we resemble the Israelites who, in their wanderings and straying, became idolatrous.
As of December 31st, we have been living without a “strategic plan” to guide us, but the listening conferences that we have participated in have served to help us see our way clear. And because we are not the same congregation we were six years or so ago when the last strategic plan was put in place, things may look a little different from time to time. And as your pastor, I want to remind all of us that even though none of us can predict exactly what these reports will mean for us, we can know that God is present with us: guiding us, loving us, and inviting us to place our trust in God’s self.
How well we are doing at task number one can be determined by how we answer the question, “In whom do we trust?”
Blessings,
Phil
February 10, 2006
He Who Liberates and Transforms…
I want to take some space to thank the youth, and those who led them, (particularly Delynn Paris, Brooke French, and David and Michelle Ruckdeschel) for the worship experience on Sunday. Often, I hear some of us adults say of the youth, “They are the church of the future.” And even though I think I know what is meant when those words are spoken, it is also so very good (and more accurate) when we adults affirm that the youth, like each of us, are the church of today. This is who we are: young and old(er); green and “well-ripened.” We are also a body that is made up of folks who are well-heeled, and folks for whom a dollar comes by rather hard. We are liberal, conservative, and moderate. Some of us have a spring in our step; others of us look as though we are carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders. We aren’t quite there when it comes to skin tone. But won’t it be grand when we can say with enthusiasm and vigor that we are people of color as well as white? Even so, as we strive to become more like the mosaic God has in mind for us to be, we can say with clarity what the skit on Sunday reminded us of: “Life in Christ sets us free from that which seeks to bind us, and transforms us in ways beyond our current imagining.” Because of Jesus Christ, we can be more than what our “boxes” allow us to be; for in Christ we are not conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of our minds.
There once was a biologist who did an experiment with “processional caterpillars.” On the rim of a clay pot that held a plant he lined them up so that the leader was head-to-head with the last caterpillar. The tiny creatures circled the rim of the pot for a full week. At no point did any one of them break away to go over to the plant and eat. Eventually, all of the caterpillars died from exhaustion and starvation. Many times we humans are much like those caterpillars: We are often unwilling to break away from the rhythmic patterns of life for fear of being labeled “different.” Ironically, that is what the baptismal water does. It makes us “different” and it allows us to reclaim the transforming and liberating power of God so that we do not have to carry who we were yesterday into our todays and tomorrows…if we don’t want to.
Remember what Jerry (played by Blake Paris) said when he broke out of the crate? “I’m free!”he shouted. And do you remember our response when he did? We clapped! We were thrilled that Jerry wasn’t in the box any more. And I’m guessing that God smiles and claps each and every time we can say, “I’m free!” God, I’m guessing, gets a joyful tear in the eye with each restricting box we shed in order to live more fully in God’s radiating love.
I hope to see you real soon!
Phil
February 3, 2006
Removing the Labels…
John came to me the other day, with scissors in hand, asking me to remove those bothersome shirt labels that tend to get in the way of things. It was a “throwback” to my own childhood as I distinctly remember not liking those tags scratching at the base of my neck. There are, of course, good reasons why labels are placed in our shirts. They tell us how to wash the garment, where the piece of clothing was made, and what kind of fabric was used. But, when it comes to people, labels rob us of our humanity. I see it and hear it every day…so do you.
Before I go any further, I want to thank those of you who represented our congregation at the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” worship service at St. Stephen’s Cathedral last Wednesday night. A special word of gratitude is extended to our choir for their participation in the service, and for their willingness to combine their voices with others to bear witness to this “one faith.” It was a wonderful evening of worship and fellowship, and a visible witness to a deep commitment of removing those obstacles that would seek to divide us…one from another.
After I cut the labels out of John’s shirt, I asked him how that felt. He said, “Better…much better!” He went on to express that he felt freer. How observant. How true. And imagine what life could be if we all saw one another (all of the time) as human beings with hopes and dreams, fears and failings. Imagine if there were no “right wing nut jobs”, “left wing loonies”, hillbillies, Yankees, southerners, rednecks, hawks, doves, lesbians, gays, but human beings with thoughts and feelings who are trying their best to understand and make sense of the world. And what if there weren’t those “Bible thumpers”, “Catholics”, or whatever other labels we have, but people of faith trying their very best to understand God and God’s activity in the world today.
Labels have a way of getting in the way; last Wednesday a group of us figuratively took the scissors and snipped away at that which would seek to keep us from seeing the “other” in his or her beauty. May we continue that important work!
I hope to see you in church this Sunday!
Phil
January 27, 2006
Our Polar Star…
One of my heroes was one of our “denomination’s” founders and a prominent leader in the “Restoration Movement.” Barton W. Stone was his name, and being a fellow Marylander (he was born and raised in Port Tobacco) certainly elevates him even more. But his desire to freely and critically think about matters of faith may be one of his most admirable qualities. When he was ordained by the Presbyterians in 1798 he was asked if he accepted the Westminster Confession of Faith. Stone reportedly replied, “I do as far as I can see it consistent with the word of God.”
But it was on the nation’s frontier (at the time) of central Kentucky that Stone understood the spirit to be moving at the Cane Ridge Revival. This revival did not sit well with the officials of Presbyterianism and Stone found himself at variance with the presbytery. Because he wanted to know a greater freedom than certain creeds or doctrines allowed him to, Stone withdrew from the Transylvania Presbytery and organized his own. The Presbyterians, of course, wanted to make sure Stone would not leave so they sent a delegation to speak with him. After the meeting, however, Stone “converted” them to his way of thinking about things! Stone, along with these others, formed the Springfield Presbytery but soon saw that even that was sectarian and divisive. So they drew up “The Last Will and Testament of the Springfield Presbytery,” and in it we read, “We will that this body die, be dissolved, and sink into union with the Body of Christ at large; for there is but one body, and one Spirit, even as we are called in one hope of our calling.”
Division to Stone was a “grievous and inexcusable sin.” But it is ironic that a movement that has sought to bring unity has known the number of divisions and alienations we have. Perhaps we are not as prepared to accept one another as we think we are, and maybe we aren’t as comfortable with honoring private judgment as our forbearers were.
Even so, if we are at all interested in leading others to a relationship with Christ, unity must be the polar star that guides us. Mariners know how important it is to be guided by a polar star, and Jesus stated how necessary unity was for the health of his body as we eavesdrop on his prayer for his disciples: “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:20-22).
And all of God’s people said…”Amen.”
January 20, 2006
What Has Become of Us?
On a recent visit to one of our more “chronologically advantaged” members, I enjoyed an interesting conversation about our culture’s values. She lamented the fact that “people don’t go to church like they used to.” She was concerned about the rising crime rates, and how, in her day, you could go to bed with your front door unlocked…but not any more. “It is getting worse” she sadly concluded. For the longest time, I used to not believe that. I assumed that our culture has always been dysfunctional, and perhaps it has. But I do believe my older friend is correct. In spite of the many wonderful progresses in various areas that have been made in our society, it seems like we have digressed in some rather important ways. Indeed, the news of a couple of teenagers who beat several homeless people, and left one for dead, is the latest tragic reminder that we have forgotten from where the gift of life comes, and who the creator of life truly is. And I wonder what has become of us?
According to the Department of Justice’s statistics and information, those imprisoned for a violent crime in 1980 numbered 200,000. In 2004 that number was 600,000. In twenty five years (roughly one generation) there are 400,000 more people in prison for committing a violent crime than there used to be. Over two million people are in prison, and after painfully watching that videotape from Florida there will be two more people behind bars.
Sociologists are better able to speak to the myriad of reasons for such an evolution. And I do believe that there are a variety of pieces to this increasingly scary looking puzzle. Having said that, however, it is my firmly held belief that one of the pieces to the puzzle is that we are a rather spiritually impoverished nation. And, if that premise is true, there is an indictment to be handed down to we in the religious community (church, synagogue, mosque, etc).
Perhaps our concern has focused more on getting people “saved” for an afterlife experience at the expense of “life in the now” experiences. Perhaps we have not challenged the culture of materialism strongly enough, and maybe we have allowed the thought, “The more you have, the more valuable you are” togo unchallenged. Regardless, it is rather clear that even though we may not be able to change the world, we can do some things in our corner of the world to make a positive impact on God’s world and God’s people.
Phil
January 6, 2006
When the Stars Guide Us…
Granddad Curran was a walker; partly from necessity (poor eyesight kept him from driving), but mostly because he liked the exercise and being outside (a break from his apartment). Unfortunately, bad eyesight coupled with his commitment to a daily walk occasionally led him to trip over a curb or not see the uneven sidewalk before him. Even so, and in spite of the numerous falls, he continued to walk. We all worried about him whenever it came time for his daily walk.
It didn’t help to know that Granddad never looked down when he walked; rather, he always looked up. When I asked him about it, he weaved several fragments together to make one complete thought: “You should hold your head up because of pride; it doesn’t look like you are carrying the world on your shoulders; and even though I can’t see very well, something else will guide me.” Wise words from a very wise man.
Speaking of wise, this Sunday is known as “Baptism of our Lord” Sunday and it is the day we Protestants (who seek to have some liturgical wherewithal) celebrate the “Epiphany” (The Visit of the Magi). The Magi were the wise men from the east who went to Bethlehem to see the newborn Jesus. Matthew tells us that it was a star that caused them to ask of those in Jerusalem, “Where is the one born king of the Jews?” It was that question that angered King Herod for he felt threatened, and it was his feeling threatened that caused him to seek to conspire with the Magi. But the Magi, who were guided by something other than their own minds, never reported back to Herod and went home a different way.
Many will travel only the road they know (even those who claim to have a relationship with God). Many will listen only to the voices of those who share similar ideas, thoughts, or beliefs even as they condescendingly dismiss those who do not. Still others will perpetuate doing something the same way as in past days even though, by all accounts, there is another way it could be done.
Epiphany is a nice word to say, “Oh, I see” or “aha.” Epiphany is about coming to terms with the reality that maybe we don’t know what is best (even though we thought we did). Epiphany is about being guided by the stars, and being warned in a dream to go a different road. And, Epiphany is about finding the courage to walk by faith, not by sight.
That is what Granddad did.
Phil
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