Like a Mustard Seed . . .

PASTOR'S NOTE

originally published by Schweitzer Church

16 June 2022

In Matthew 13.31-32, Jesus uses an illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches."

This past week my family hosted some friends for dinner who will be relocating soon to North Carolina. As we laughed and talked I thought about the journey of our friendship. We met soon after my family moved to Springfield. My girls were very young and interested in ballet. Miss Cathryn was their first teacher in Springfield. Soon after meeting her, she married Mr. Andy, and we were at the wedding. Along the way, Anna and I took a trip out of state, and this young couple came to stay with our four kids. When we returned, Mr. Andy asked if our kids could be in one of the shows he was directing through Springfield Little Theatre. (That one show has turned into more than we can count.)

Along the way Mr. Andy and Miss Cathryn gave life to three boys. Those boys are young adventurous souls, and when we are together, much revelry ensues. In their presence, there is joy. In their presence, they also give me a gift, of imagining a next chapter of my life, what being a grandfather might be like. From one small act. . .of taking ballet classes unrolled a good kind of life we had no clue awaited us. There is a panoply of joys - especially on that night when I took the boys for tractor rides. (See pic)



Reflecting on this relationship, I was drawn into Jesus parable of the mustard seed and how it reveals God’s kingdom. Starting out small, and then growing into a profound blessing to countless birds and beloved creatures of God.I’ve been reminded of stories many of you have shared with me about small steps of faith and how God has taken you on an incredible journey. I think about the events and ministries taking place around the Schweitzer campus; of people loving and being loved by Jesus in small ways, and then the incredible fruit of the Spirit that emerges in their lives. The Kingdom of God, of joy and peace, of restfulness in Christ, of sacrificial compassion, and investing in community; most often starts with something small and non-descript. 

The kingdom lies ready, like a seed awaiting soil and rain, and when we take up and read the Bible in a regular routine, or we begin to pray, or we start having Christian conversations, or we sing along with the songs of worship, or we take pictures at church, or become a reading buddy, or make an offering to God . . . God’s good and beautiful Kingdom begins to take root in our hearts, and before long, the small seed is a tree. I encourage you to notice and name the gifts of the Kingdom God has planted and grown along your way. In doing so, we give a witness to God’s faithfulness and goodness, to others and ourselves, for those moments when life is hard and overwhelming.

May you rejoice in the countless trees that surround you. I also encourage you to take what may look like a small step of faith today - you never know where Christ may be leading you, or the treasures of the kingdom that will unfold. This I know is true, with small seeds of faith, the Lord creates incredible joy.

I hope you are looking forward to Sunday, when we gather in worship. Something special awaits us!

Pastor Jason

Many Parts of One Body - Easter 2022

Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. (Romans 12.3-5)

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The last two Easter Sunday's have been unique experiences in my own memory. In 2021, with the Covid pandemic still raging, the church where I serve had an outdoor experience, under a tent, that was tremendous. There had been a host of anticipation and the day was fantastic. 

This year we were hoping for a "more normal Easter experience." While we made some of the same plans as previous years, trumpets and a brass band, a big choir number, a compelling video, there were new twists. One of those was a hospitality tent, because where we normally have hospitality, was another twist, an 'art gallery.'

The gallery was the idea of our creative producer. The goal was to have ten artists take a bare bones 4 foot tall cross, work with it, and bring it back for Easter morning. The creativity and reflection of the crosses was spectacular.

Twelve crosses arrayed in the fellowship center

A couple of my favorites included these two:

Painted on the anniversary of the death of a beloved husband

The cross transformed into a tree of life

Two crosses had been a part of corporate worship. The cross that greeted people as they walked into the building had been used in previous Stations of the Cross experiences. It was transformed into an array of color.

 

The second cross was used in this year's Stations of the Cross experience.

The red and white string was wrapped around the nails
by people as they went through the stations
 

One of my contributions to the gallery was to create the crosses that would be transformed. 

I seldom think of myself as 'an artist,' but when asked if I could do this, I thought sure, "I will create the canvas upon which others paint." 

As the stories of each finished piece began to be told I began to realize, the people involved in this project were more numerous than I had originally imagined. There was the person who planted the tree, the person who harvested it, the truckers, the sawmill workers, the person at Menards who unloaded the truck, myself, the artists, the person with the idea, and ultimately the Lord - who made the trees grow. 

The project was a living reminder of the interdependence we have. We do not create ex nihilio (out of nothing), or apart from our interaction and the influence of others. Instead, "we are many parts of one body and we all belong to each other." It was good to celebrate the beginning of Resurrection with so many, who know in their own stories the victory of God, brining new life amidst the pain, agony, and death that touches all of us.

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Eventually, I did create a cross. It was made out of wood from an axe throwing establishment and decorated with beer bottle caps. I wanted to capture the effect of the earthquake on the cross that Matthew (28.2) describes.The earthquake must have been destroyed the cross; I see it as the act of life coming out of death. The blue at the base reflects the fresh flowers of life that spring up from the life-blood of Christ Jesus.

 

Experiencing Fall

The leaves on the trees are in a variety of stages; some have fallen to the ground and are piled up by the wind, others are changed in color yet holding their grip onto the tree for a few more days - being unmoved even by swift rain and wind, and still others are green - giving little evidence that fall is upon us and that they will soon be changed. It's a marvelous time - I like best those leaves of brilliant color that hang onto their tree for as long as possible - they bring joy in their colorful glory and endurance. 

- originally written to a friend in an email

Pastor's Note for February 7, 2019

Hello Friends, 

In December our worship services (at Schweitzer UMC - sumc.co) began a journey through the Gospel according to Luke. As Luke conveys the story of Jesus he adds a bit of flavor unique to his writing; that God the Father has an agenda of including the outsider in the people around Jesus through a fresh work of the Holy Spirit.

The past few weeks I have run into several stories where God’s inclusion of the outsider and a fresh work of the Spirit is more than the text we read in worship, it is happening now, in our midst.

In the food pantry a man talked about how he had been lost, he felt like no one saw him. At the pantry, he found people who listened  to hs story and saw him. The outsider was being included. 

A teacher in Grow To Know preschool joined some kids ministry leaders at a Kids Ministry conference. She returned with passion, vigor, and an unleashed imagination for seeing kids flourish in their love for God and others. There is a fresh work of the Holy Spirit.

As we take a journey through Luke’s Gospel, I hope you begin to see how God in Christ is always including the outsider, and there is a fresh work of the Spirit for us. Sometimes, we are the outsider - God’s inclusion is meant to touch us. His fresh work of the Spirit is for us, our community, and world.

Blessing to you as you continue in this journey with Christ, 

Pastor Jason

Running with a Dog

Anna and I have a running route that takes us by the house of a friend at our half-way point. Our friend has a small black lab type of dog that is getting along in years. She has decided that we are her running partners. When she started running with us, she would gasp mightly for breath, because she was in no running shape. As she has shed some pounds, she looks back at us as if to say; hey come on, why are you so slow. She's progressed in her running.

While she's progressed as a runner, she is not good about traffic. She thinks she owns the road. If we run on one side of the road, she'll run on the other. More often than not, she'll run right down the center of the road. We live in the country, thus the traffic is not as persistent as it could be in a village or  a city. But there is still traffic.

Recently I began to notice how automobiles react to her presence with us, and how autos behave around us when we're the only two on the road. When it's just humans, auto's seldom slow down, they just move over - it's the country and there is plenty of room. Sometimes, they might not move over much. Occasionally, as soon as the auto is past, the owner slams on the accelerator. A big plume of diesel smoke emerges from the tail pipe. I guess they are letting us know they are faster. Keep truckin' buddy.

When the dog is with us, the auto's slow down, way down. She can stay in the middle of the road and keep moving ahead and cars or trucks will come to crawl. Many times people will roll down their windows and say hello to the dog. Almost never does someone stop us to say hello; the exception is the dog's master. He says, "don't take her home, she knows the way."

This past week as the dog was in the middle of the road, a car window descended so it's driver could say hello to the dog; we were next to a cow pasture. It dawned on me. We treat dogs like people in India treat cattle. As cattle are protected so they can roam at will in India, dogs have that vaulted spot in America. We have deified dogs. I mentioned this observation to Anna and she said; "Well, they're a lot easier to get along with than people." And there you have it. 

In Memory of a Friend

I recently used the text of Tabitha/Dorcas (Acts 9) for a sermon. Tabitha was a beloved woman and when she died the widows in what is now Tel Aviv, Israel gathered around Peter and asked if he could do something. Peter prayed, and Tabitha was given back breath on this earth. Luke says that there was much rejoicing. John Wesley writing on this event said that there was much rejoicing from everyone, except from Tabitha herself. Wesley considered where she had been - before the fullness of God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Wesley thought Tabitha, was glad to serve, but pining toward home.  

When I think of Howard Gager, I think of Tabitha. Like her, Howard had an incredible capacity to invest in others, to celebrate life that was happening in others, and to live life fully. This capacity came from a deep well of life with God. 

Howard was born a Catholic. He appreciated the contribution of the Catholic church even as he worshiped in a Free Methodist way. The Diocese of Saginaw produces little devotional books for the seasons of Advent, Lent, and after Easter. Howard used these resources and when he discovered that I would appreciate them, he gave me the next edition. After my family and I departed from Mt. Pleasant, Howard continued to send me the little devotional books. They served as private communion with Christ; they will now be a reminder of the communion that Christ brings us into with one-another, including Howard.

Howard lived faith, with compassion, celebration, sweat and sweets. When I think of sweat I am reminded of serving at the Shepherd Maple Syrup festival and Howard's labor was joyfully reflected in the sweat of his brow. His yearly Easter appearance at our door included a bunny cake surrounded by chocolates and jelly beans; a sweet delight. He loved going to ball games with anyone, but especially treasured going to watch tournaments with his sister - he celebrated life that was budding and growing. His compassion was pronounced in his reception of little children; he embraced children like Jesus would. This compassion for little ones shaped how he interacted with teens, adults, and all of us.

That Howard is gone from this earth, makes me want to join the widows who mourned over Tabitha. And yet, I know that Howard has been listening to and living in the spirit for a long time. Paul's imagery of seeing through a glass darkly is now removed. Howard sees clearly the glory of God. We bid him, farewell friend. You've run the race of faith - or rather you've hit the ball, rounded the bases and have come sliding into home plate - take up the joy of Jesus and the song of the angels. 

With much love,

Augustine on Friendship

Doing some writing on the Augustine section of my dissertation I came across Brian Williams work The Potters Rib: Mentoring for Pastoral Formation.  Williams highlights several key aspects of Augustine's role in preparing others for ministry, one of those being friendship. He then describes five fundamental components in Augustine's concept of healthy friendship.

1) Friendship is authored by God.
2) Friendship needs Christ to endure.
3) Friendship is based on true knowledge of the others strengths and weaknesses. 
4) Friendship requires the others' spiritual well being.
5) The chief aid of Friendship is mutual sharing of sorrow and struggle (Williams 197-200). 

Williams closes with this assessment: “Fraternal Charity, rather than prayer or study was the first rule Augustine established to guide those living in community, co-inhabited by the same Spirit” (199).
May the world over be blessed with friendships that are authored by God, that lead to sharing sorrow, struggle and much joy.
 

Cowboy Church?

A packed house sings along at Cowboy Church

Reflections on a visit to SacRiver Cowboy Church   
December 29, 2013
_____
How does worship in a livestock sale barn resonate with people?
Very well.

The Sunday after Christmas is typically a low attendance Sunday for many churches as members travel to visit family and friends. At SacRiver Cowboy Church, located at the Springfield Livestock Marketing Center, the low Sunday happened the week before, when precarious weather kept many people from attending worship. That week there were 710 people in three services.

SacRiver holds two services on Sunday and one on Thursday night.
At each of their services they feature music, preaching and they would say, friendliness. The music is contained in a self-published hymnbook. The 100 songs hail from the camp meeting tradition and feature a heavenward theology. The style of presentation is reminiscent of the TV show Hee-Haw, a mix between cowboy country and bluegrass.

During the song time three key things happened. First there was an elongated greeting time. It began with asking visitors to raise their hands. I was not going to raise my hand but those around me who knew me to be a visitor helped me raise it. This was followed by a song where everyone stood and shook hands with people all around. One would have thought the logistics were poor for such an activity, but they did not let theater seating deter from extending friendliness.  This was followed up by calling out birthdays and anniversaries. The song leaders grand-son led the singing of "happy birthday/anniversary". He is 2 or 3 years old. The people next to me said he does it every week.

The second feature in the song time included the announcements. The placement had no clear indicator, it was simply time to have the announcements. The person who gave them is a "regular" and the band created a little intro ditty to precede his entrance. After highlighting 3 or 4 things happening in the church, one of which was a potluck following service, he gave a brief homily. He read a 3 or 4 paragraph story one might find in Chicken Soup for the Soul. He finished with these words, "something to think about." And then the band resumed.

The third feature was a musical number provided by a guest contributor. Before the guest sang the band leader indicated that they had gathered at his home to practice before coming to worship. While the feel was "folksy," "country," and whimsical, it was rehearsed. 

Following several songs "the preacher" took up the mic to deliver a sermon. On the last Sunday of December the sermon came from 2 Corinthians 1 & 2. The thematic element centered on the importance of reconciling relationships. The tension that Paul and the church in Corinth faced was viewed as paralleling many relationships that people have today. Paul was viewed as a sage or psychological guide who knew how to reconcile relationships. He was someone who could guide the Corinthians and contemporary listeners. The place of Christ was that of doing that which we do not have the capacity to do, particularly, work change in another's heart toward us. We can forgive, we can extend kindness but for full restoration Christ will have to work in the space that exists between two people, and in the other persons heart.

The sermon followed the text in a brief commentary kind of style. The delivery was folksy. There were elements that showed it was a studied text. 

After the sermon the band led the congregation in two songs, I Come to the Garden Alone, and Happy Trails. Following the singing the congregation stood and began to move toward the upper room, where the potluck meal would be served. 

Missing from the service were two elements of worship that are generally considered essential in worship (for a protestant non-sacramental church); Prayer and Offering. The case can be made that singing is an act of prayer, even a vital element in prayer, yet if this is the thought, the lacking piece in prayer was a place for God to speak to the congregation and the persons gathered. It was a one way monologue and we did all the talking.

Also missing was a corporate offering. After reading the web site, which has a very brief explanation of beliefs and practices, it looks like SacRiver places a low priority on offerings to the Church. The Church has only one paid staff person and their facilities are either very low cost or free. Their need for offerings for the life of the organization is low. Upon reflection, I think they receive an offering - but it was received in boxes at two stations where regulars know they can also pick up a song book. Their stated focus is on two elements, worship and friendship, both of which they carry out with a simplistic approach.  

Their web site is interesting both for its descriptions and its lack of completeness.
web site: https://sites.google.com/site/srccorg/what-we-believe

The ethnography of the Church is strikingly pagan - in a patristic sense of the word, culturally and theologically. Those who gather know that they are "from the country and we like it that way." A good guess would be that 70% of the congregation are 65 years of age or older. The population group with the lowest representation looked to be the middle age person, 35 - 65 years in age. The racial make-up was 99% anglo-saxon. The attire resembled the offerings at two major cowboy outfitters in Springfield, PFI and Race Brothers.

A number of questions come to my mind following a visit there.
1) How did a handful of people seven years ago grow into a gathering of over 800 people with an incredibly simple approach, and with very little by way of resource investment? Can their stated methodology of familial and friendship contact be enduring over time?
2) What about the next generation? Is there a concern for the next generation - musicality did not necessarily reflect that, unless you're a unique soul who likes bluegrass and cowboy country. However, it could have been concerns about the next generation that pushed many out of their established churches and into this non-orthodox approach.
3) How does the church growth/planting model(s) intersect and interact with this non-church growth model growth?
4) What are the 4 or 5 key motivations and what kind of a Kingdom construct does it portend? I wonder if cultural affinity and preservation is one of the leading motivators? I wonder if it parallels "simple theology"?    

While I have questions, my overall experience was kind and warm, like Wesley's among the Moravians. 

Teamwork advice from Ignatius of Antioch

Ignatius of Antioch wrote seven letters on a journey from Antioch to Rome, ad 107-110. One of those letters was to the young Polycarp, a leader of the church in Smyrna. Ignatius' language within the letter sounds similar to Paul's letters to Timothy and Titus. He continues a trend in those letters to utilize present cultural metaphors to convey his encouragement. His favored parallel is sport. At one point he writes, "Be vigilant as God's athlete. The prize is incorruption and eternal life" (ch 2). In another spot he writes, "What makes a great athlete is the fighting and then achieving victory. We must especially endure all things for God's sake that he may endure us". In his encouragement of Polycarp and other leaders in the church he appeals to the analogy and reality of sport.

When he turns his attention from Polycarp in particular to the church he combines the metaphors of  sport and military to give advice on teamwork.  

Work with one another, compete together, run together, suffer together, and get up together as God's stewards, companions, and servants. Seek to please the one in whose army you serve. From him you receive your wages. Let none of you be found to be a deserter. Let your baptism remain your weapons. Your faith as your helmet. Love is your spear. Endurance is your full armor. Your down payment is your works so that you can receive back wages. Be patient with one another as God is with you (ch 6).

Some might call his counsel common sense advice, but there is a unique difference - Ignatius' emphasizes the role of "together", in other places he names this as "unity". Ignatius applies what he understands about the nature of the Triune God to the kind of life we are called into when we join the way of Jesus. Ignatius' advice is good for life in the church, or working in an organization. It is also good advice for all those who are about to embark upon sporting endeavors. I am especially thinking of my boys who begin their football season tomorrow.

Numbers

The book of Numbers in the Bible is often overlooked because many assume that it is all about numbers and genealogy. Those numbers that represent people and the people who make up the genealogies are a gold mine of stories. For many their story has been forgotten or lost, but their names still stand and serve as reminders that numbers and names stand for stories, within the story of God.

This past weekend on a visit to Ginghamsburg Church, Tipp City, Ohio, there were some numbers that I found significant. 

• $120,000 instead of $2.1 million. A few years ago Ginghamsburg was approached by a United Methodist church in Fort McKinley. The church in Fort McKinley was struggling and they needed a new mission. They wondered if they could become an extension campus of Ginghamsburg. In talking, thinking and praying about the prospect Ginghamsburg completed a feasibility study. They discovered that if they were to plant a brand new church; buy land, build a building, put a pastor in place, the initial cost would be in the neighborhood of $2.1 million. The cost to retrofit a building already designed and designated as a church and to get initial ministry up and going, $120,000. Ginghamsburg went with the $120,000 option. The church is connecting people to the ministry of Jesus in incredible ways.  
• $31,000, 300, under $2. At the Fort McKinley church there is a weekly breakfast served from 8 - 10 AM. The average number of people who eat each week is somewhere around 300 people. They are able to provide it for less than $2 a person. When we talked with the Director of the breakfast ministry she told us that they were looking for some help refining their process. They talked with a manager of a restaurant known for its breakfast and large dining room. When the manager inquired about the details, the manager exclaimed, we can't do what you're doing. Not on the monetary side, nor the number of people served.
• 6 and up. Most churches talk about the joy and responsibility of Jesus followers to serve others. When it gets down to the sticky details, at some point there is usually an age threshold where service can begin. At Fort McKinley we asked about volunteers for making the breakfast ministry happen. They have a set up crew of 6 that makes things ready on Saturday. On Sunday volunteers arrive at 7 AM and stay until about 11 AM for prep and clean-up. They need at least a 12 volunteers on Sunday. Volunteers come from small groups, families, class groups. On the day we visited we watched in awe as a 12 or 13 year old young man created a perfect omelet. He volunteers often and he made the 2 adults on either side of him look like amateurs. We watched as 3 sisters, the youngest being about 6 and the eldest 10 or 11, walked among the tables, clearing and cleaning them after guests had eaten. These young people were fully participating in the ministry of Jesus and not only as receivers, they were serving joyfully.  

God is amazing and some amazing stories exist among the numbers. Some numbers drive us to pray, some numbers discourage us, and some numbers remind us of God's amazing work in our world. 

Interesting visit in Indianapolis

In the month of January Anna and I joined a group of visiting scholars in a church environment that was out of the ordinary. About 30 scholars joined with John and Ann, doctors of the soul, to ring in a new year with a bounty of traditional food. They gave ear to how the universe unfolded in creative order. They exchanged ideas with verdant discussion. Many of the visiting scholars are being stretched, in their formal studies, and to the very depths of their souls through hospitality which opens a welcoming place for sharing a variety of worldviews. They are being introduced to concepts which go beyond the healing of the body and quantum physics; they are exploring the Divine.

Anna and I enjoyed our time in their midst. One of our new friends was wowed by our declaration that we had four children. She has one child and expressed to Anna how overcome she sometimes becomes. She called Anna a "professional mother" and has since emailed with some questions.

We were encouraged as we watched John and Ann among these scholars. John and Ann have sailed by the age of retirement, yet their energy and zest for life, their joy in calling, from our perspective, looks to be near the fulcrum of existence. They serve as guide posts who have set their face toward a city other than Indianapolis, to a city which needs no sun for its light and has a river that teems with healing water. Our hearts grew in this visit and our own imaginations expanded.

Missing the Mark - Theologians on Agriculture and Economics

I begin this post with a quotation that is par for the course in current theological writing.

Why has 'globalization' become a dirty word in many poor nations? A major reason is because it cloaks the fraudulence of the US and European Union, who preach a hypocritical rhetoric of 'free trade' to the poor while erecting barriers (in the form of quotas and tariffs - effectively taxes on trade) to imports from the poor.  When, say, Ghanaian farmers export raw cocoa beans into the European Union, they face a tariff of 3%.  They they tried to export processed chocolate, the tax would rise to 27%.  Moreover, between them, the US and European governments subsidize their farmers by a massive $350 billion a year (six times what they give in foreign 'aid'), which allows their agricultural surpluses to flood cheaply into poor countries, depress world prices and undermine local farming. (Howard Peskett & Vinoth Ramachandra, The Message of Mission.  IVP.  2003.  p.118.)

The authors have included this paragraph in a section in which they are calling for "social justice" taken up by people in the pews to press for greater transparency by world development agencies and local decision making around the world.  
While looking through scripture the message of God is clear; God does not look kindly on the poor being trodden underfoot.  But the authors of this text and many other like is are beyond naive when it comes to that which they write about. 
Lost in the paragraph above is rationality.  Included are a host of facts that are supposed to paint a horrific picture, when in reality, the facts themselves are not linked to a reasonable argument.  The use of details might as well compare the New York Yankees to the Yankee Candle Company or the song Yankee Doodle Dandy.  
"Free trade," the authors claim is "hypocritical rhetoric" because of the barriers that have been erected towards imports from poor countries.  Here we need Seth Myers from Saturday Night Live to ask his famous - "Really?"  The assertion is incredulous.  
Next the authors argue about import fees and the disparity Ghanaian farmers face if they try and export a finished product over the raw material.  They fail to lament that every country has some level of tax on imports entering their countries, according to export.gov, most fall within the range of 7 - 20 %.  Every country seeks to "protect" their own at some level.  
Following the comment about Ghanian coffee farmers they pose data about US and European governments subsidizing farmers to the tune of $350 billion a year.  This argument lacks validity because Ghanian cocoa growers do not face any competitive growers in the US.  The grain producers in the US are not going to switch to cocoa.  And according to the USDA web site their entire budget for 2010 was $158 billion dollars.  I don't know what the EU is doing.  Do you think it amounts to $200 billion?  Of the $158 Billion, only about 15 Billion goes to direct payments to farmers.  The biggest share of the 158, about 90 Billion, is channeled through the food stamps, school lunch programs and the like.  Another big share to goes to rural development, think USDA housing.   
The US Department of State, the arm of aide to foreign countries had a budget of 58 Billion.
I am not trying to advocate for or against these expenditures.  I'm just baffled by the failure of theologians, ethicists, social pontificators to check reality.  
The theologians desire to be bring the word of God into the present arena, but their reasoning which is wide of the mark is stunning.  They have bought the view of "American capitalism despoiling the world" with very little checks to the trustworthiness to the statements, or to the ideology of those who make claims unmoored from reality.
When it comes to theologians writing about economics, agriculture, world trade - they would do far greater works of justice and mercy if they would call for world neighbors to treat one another neighborly.  They would have something to write about if they called for real free trade, so that the bounteous creativity of people from around the world could be enjoyed by all around the world.  Real free trade I would enjoy would include Kentucky's finest soft drink, Ale-8-One, being available around the globe   Instead of living out the scarcity mindset of the children of Israel following Moses, they need to be like Joshua and Caleb, the land (the earth) is full and flowing with the goodness of God.
I'm afraid the majority of books, thinkers, and public commentators who deal with theses issues, theologically and otherwise, present the views of the 10, and not the 2.  Pray that God would send us more Joshua's and Caleb's.        
 

News of the week - August 6, 2011

Today the Beeson 11 Pastors and families (mostly) will be heading to Cincinnati, Ohio.  Tonight we will visit Crossroads Church and tomorrow morning The Vineyard.   Both churches have been a part of pioneering movements in current missiological movements - The Vineyard has been leading the way in servant evangelism and Crossroads has been extending its reach through satellite campuses or multi-site venues. 

My reading for the week covered Thomas Merton and E. Stanley Jones.  These writers are contributing to a class on spiritual formation.  Merton's work is chronological and reflective in nature.  Jones' is topical and pastorally theological.  Both provide some tremendous prisms to see the world of the 20th century. Merton's thoughts and soul forming process portray a tremendous journey.  His baptismal/faith confessing account is like a dark roasted pot of coffee - strong and full bodied.

Jones' work covers a plethora of ground; it speaks of his mission work, of his ambassadorial activities, of his views on health and food, and much more.  He takes a full orbed view regarding holiness - that all of life is to be surrendered and received from Jesus.  He provides a couple of phrases that I am embracing and wrestling with. The first is - "a Christian in the making."  He never had the sense that he was done, but on the journey with Jesus.  Thus Holiness for him was not perfection of thought, word and deed.  It was being fully submitted to the Lord.  The second is - God is Christlike.  This phrase provides the theological wrestling.  It takes up Jesus comment in John 14 when Philip says, show us the Father.  Jesus says, "if you've seen me, you've seen the Father."  Jones says that in the Word becoming flesh, the fullness of God was revealed in Jesus.  Thus, when we think of God, if our thoughts run contrary to Jesus, then we're not thinking of the God of the universe, but some mis-conception.  For in Jesus - God is fully revealed.  Jones is a known ecumenist, and his perspective here helps him form his chief question as to whether he can join with another person in Christian fellowship, can you say the creed from Romans 10 - Jesus is Lord?

Yesterday our cohort sat down with Ben Thomas, Lead Pastor at Nehemiah Project, a church plant in Indianapolis, Indiana.  I've known Ben since 1992 when he entered Indiana Wesleyan University as a freshman and I was a sophomore.  Ben unpacked his story and the story of the church plant. It was great to hear about the unique approach to ministry he has a part of leading.  Greater still is the joy of seeing what God has done with Ben's life, of where he was headed and where he is headed now to share in the beautiful spirit he exudes.
      


   

Developing a New Groove

This spring one of the goals we set for four of us in our family was to begin running and acquiring a greater degree of physical fitness.  The endeavor launched after spring break and has continued in a couple of different renditions.  Right now our running pattern is that Anna and I head out somewhere about 7:30 in the morning and Moses and Asa go running about 9.
Encouraging Moses and Asa to take on this new routine has not been without its lament.  But yesterday things changed.  Anna and I had completed our run, we were commencing with the other events of the day and Anna looked up and posed a question - "where are the boys?" 
They had left earlier than 9 and had not conveyed to Anna where they were going.  About 10am a phone call came from a dad of on of their friends, they had completed their run and were doing something at a park.
We were surprised, they had gone out on their own accord.  Last evening we were talking this through with them and Moses said, "I'm beginning to really like running."
They are developing, our whole family is, some new grooves; new interests, new practices, new routines.

One of the other practices we are going to experiment with is that of a family prayer and devotional time after our evening meal.  That has not been a part of who we have been as a family. We've talked about God, prayed before meals, shared scriptural truth, but not had a family chapel/family altar.  I wonder if it will ever have a sacred sense like the chapel services at the seminary or a college chapel, but its a new groove that the Lord has placed on my heart and mind that we need to start walking in.  Maybe after a few months we'll come to the place where we can really like it.

 

News of the week

This week has been the first full week of orientation and getting into the groove of the Beeson program.

We started last Friday and Saturday and then continued with training/familiarity this week. 
One of our training sessions included computer training.  In this program included is a laptop.  We had choices, a Dell or a Mac.  I went with the Mac. I reasoned that if I was jumping into a whole new world, I might as well give the Mac a go.  When I returned from training Anna asked how I liked the new computer and I said, "I think I would rather have a tractor."  She reminded me, "they don't give those out with this program."    I've done a little work on the Mac and it is fine.  There is one feature I miss from the other kind, the backspace button.  On the other platform the backspace button goes to the left, and the delete button goes to the right.  On the Mac, only one button, Delete, and it goes to the left.  I miss the button.  We'll see how the rest unfolds.

Another thech tool I've been utilizing is Amazon's Kindle. About half of our upcoming classes have required texts that are available on the Kindle.  Reading from the Kindle has been an adjustment.  All of my tools of familiarity with a paper book are out the window; scanning the headings, picking up the chapter titles quickly, highlighting and writing in the margins.  To be true, you can highlight, search, have words defined, have the book read to you, but the feel is very different.  Content stays the same, but the delivery is profoundly different.

Making these leaps into these tech tools and across platforms has not been super easy, there is much change involved.  I've preached about welcoming change, rolling with it, etc.  When you're on the receiving end of change there are moments when you want to say, I think I like the old way better.  I am sure that one of the first books I would have comprehended better had it been in paper, but change brings significant possibilities.  My colleagues who will be traveling overseas can take an enormous library with them in one small device.  For research, the searchable feature is helpful, and for writing, the ability to copy and past a clipping is fantastic.

Many things have changed in this transition.  The rhythms we have been running in are packed away in boxes for at least a year.  In this liminality aspects of time have been lost.  Keeping track of time has been difficult.  I find myself wondering, what day is it - number and day of the week.  I've got an enormous amount of reading so I've been doing something totally unroutine, arising at 6am to read.   The items in our home are much decreased because our space has shrunk exponentially.

Yet the new rhythms are growing on us.  It's been a delight to go running with Anna 4 or 5 times a week.  We started that just before we moved and have continued it.  Reading at 6 am is more fruitful than if I try and read into the night.  My dreams have been shifted already; I'm dreaming about reading and talking about dissertations.  I don't know how the mind makes those changes so fast.

Coming forth from my reading this past week is a question I've been pondering.  The question arises from books on anthropology. In each of the book the authors write apologetically about the field/science/work of anthropology.  In some circles, in particular - the funding circles, the field is loosing its clout and its appeal.  And so the professional anthropologists have included in their work appeals for their work.  One of the appeals went something like this - we are a real science, we do add real value to the world, you can't go on without us - kind of shrill.

So here's my question; does such an appeal, such an apology convince you, or does it take on a very hallow sound?

I thought about this question in regard to the church and ecclesiology.   There is a circle of people, mostly pastors, who will often given a litany of reasons why the church is essential, why the church needs support - especially financial support of people, why the church should be a broker at tables of influence and the like.  These litany of reasons may be given in a sermon, but more often than not they take up the transitional times, or it becomes the de facto button you push when we're moving from one thing to the next and there's a desire to peg what we're doing to something bigger than what we're doing.   Or this apologetic is acculturated so that there are always little hooks along the way.  But the same question begs to be answered - does this begin to sound hallow?

That sent me thinking about Bill Hybles.  One of his essential propositions is that the church is the hope of the world.  Interesting about his approach, at least what I've seen, he doesn't run that through an apologetic.  He states it, and then proceeds to work positively, with confidence and a certainty that is winsome in character.

I wonder which way of appeal captures your imagination and causes you to move?  For me, the shrillness, the litany of apology, sends me to changing channels.

That's all the news that isn't. 

   

Multiple Eyes

This week Mt. Pleasant Public Schools (MI) are one spring break.  For some time Anna had been planning a trip so that we might show Serge, our German exchange student, some of the America. 
On Saturday of last week I was running around town and noticed that our van was due for an oil change, a good thing to have done before one sets out for a trip.  Along with changing the engine oil, we had the transmission oil changed.
Upon returning to the house I thought, maybe I should put our converter in the van and see how it works.  Before Christmas I had bought a DC to AC converter so I could put lights on my tractor for the Lighted Christmas Parade in Mt. Pleasant.  I changed wires on the converter, put it in the van and turned it on.  It worked. 
A couple of moments later I would be frantic.  I could not get the van to start.  Nor in my prodding could I find the problem. I checked the fuse boxes, I checked other wires. 
The next day after church, on the day of planned departure, with the kids all packed and panting wondering when we're going to leave, some guys from the church came over.
Brian brought his son Greg and a jack.  Stan came with a lot of knowledge about vehicles.  Bert and Dan stopped by with a hearty helping of laughter.
One question they all asked me was, did you check the fuses.  I replied a couple of times, yes.
After checking the starter, the battery and the kill wire from the transmission, it was time to check the fuses again and the switches that reside in the fuse box.  To do that you need a mulit-meter.  This is another tool I don't have.  Brian has one but we soon discovered that it wasn't working.  At that moment Roy drove in.  Roy is a man with many talents and a specialty is electrical stuff.  Roy had his multi-meter in tow and began poling around.  Before long he found the problem - a blow fuse.  The converter had blown a 10 Amp fuse that disabled charge from going to the starter.
With that fixed our help loaded up and went on their way and we did too. 
I told Anna, I thought I had checked all the fuses.  I pulled every one. But I missed the blown fuse.  Maybe it was the dimness of the light when I pulled them, or the tool I was using blocked my vision, or my eyes were tired, or the thought of something going wrong clouded my vision.  Whatever it was we were parked without a charge until we had more eyes than mine alone.  The multiplicity of eyes saw things I missed. 
I am thankful for those guys who brought their eyes to see and think and solve a problem. 
Soon we were on our way to see other things in the opening week of spring.