Ministerial Musings for 082612

Last week I spoke about not ignoring the beginning of Scripture. The point I was making was this: if we do not understand where we come from, where we are or where we are going means nothing. We were all born naturally. Human children of human parents in a fallen and sinful world, with Adams sin stain on us. That is the basic truth of the Old Testament. Because of that sinful state of birth we are separated from God. For most of us it was decades before we came to accept Christ as our Lord and savior. All through those years we led a life that was not perfect in the eyes of God; therefore we had some things that we needed to repent of. Each one of us, who has accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior should have gone through something like this: “Jesus I need you in my life. I am sorry for the things I have done that are not pleasing to you. Please clean up my life, and make me new again.” The process may be different for each of us, and the words are always unique between someone and Jesus, but overall you probably went through something like that. What seems to be at issue with a number of people is what happens after that. I assume that when you prayed something like what is above, that you said yes to Jesus in your life.

Therefore:      1) If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away and the new has come! (2 Cor 5:17) The sinful part of you is dead! You are now a spirit filled being covered in the Grace of God, through the mercy given to you by Jesus Christ.

            2) You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit if Christ, he does not belong to God. (Romans 8:9) each one of you who said yes to Jesus Christ, and were baptized in Him received the Gift of the Holy Spirit. That means you are no longer a sinner (which means unsaved, unbeliever) but a saint, a child of God. We know this because: “For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have, redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Col 1:13-14) this happened the instant we said yes to Christ’s saving grace and mercy.

            3) Unfortunately most people seem to have trouble with this thought. As Dr. Anderson wrote in his book “Discipleship Counseling” “Nobody pushed the clear button in our memory bank. In fact there is no clear button on the computer operation going on between our ears. Everything that we previously learned and experienced before salvation is still recorded in our minds.” Fortunately we have the programing instructions to fix that The Apostle Paul, writing to the Romans put it this way: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- His good, pleasing, and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)

I pray that each one of you will understand that when we accepted Jesus Christ into our lives, left the old sinner behind. Through His grace and mercy we became new creatures in Christ, and through the study of scripture, prayer and God’s ongoing transformative power in our life can reprogram our minds to be useful servants of the most High King.

Ministerial Musings August 10 2012

Ministerial Musings      For August 2012

To my Brothers & Sisters in Christ:

It seems like yesterday that I was honored to celebrate a new beginning with you; yet, 3 months have flown by. And now we look at what to do next. Here are a few of the questions that I have been asked, or I have thought of based on what I have observed; and, what I would do about them.

First, let me address the pastoral change. The fact is I am not Jerry, nor will I ever be. I also am here on an interim (temporary) basis. How long that lasts is up to the congregation, not me. I have no desire to supplant whoever God wants to be your permanent pastor, if there is to be one. My job is to help you (A) identify areas that need work, (B) build a plan that the congregation will support, and (C) help you survive as a congregation.

Let us start at the beginning... this is supposed to be a Christian church, chartered in the Church of the Brethren denomination. If this statement is true, then we need to address the basics of both parts of that statement.

What I mean is this: We are called to be Christians; this means we need to be thinking about how Jesus would deal with our issues and take action based on that understanding. If we are concerned about what our numbers look like on Sunday mornings, what are we doing to reach out to those who are missing service? Are we talking with them to see why they are not with us, and what can be done to fix the issues - if anything can be fixed?  Is it as simple as they can’t get here, or it is too hot in the church, or is there bigger things going on? Are we reaching out to our friends and neighbors who are not church goers, and inviting them to join us? This is an everybody task, not a one person or one office-holder job. Are we offering to help those in our family (who are struggling) with more than just prayers? If we are concerned about money issues, have we set our own personal financial house in order, and prayed with God to make sure our own giving levels are where He wants them? And then offering to help look at where the congregation is at to see what can be done to improve its overall budget health? In the book of Acts, we are reminded that the early church lived in a community in which the needs and burdens were shared across the whole community. We need to stick together and work together, and not carry the attitude of... “well I did my little part, the rest is up to everyone else” and then stop paying attention to the situation!

Next, we are a Church of the Brethren congregation. The Brethren way is 300 plus years old, and it is time we start refocusing on what it means to be Brethren.  If in the next month or so, you as a congregation choose to keep me and my family around, I would propose that we do several things:

1)                  We need to have a SHAPE seminar taught here to help folks figure out what their spiritual gifts are, and how to make use of them.

2)                  Starting in September, I would begin holding a Wednesday evening class dealing with Brethren basics that will run at least until Thanksgiving.

3)                  We need to find a group of people in our church who are willing to go into the schools one day a week and volunteer to work with the kids who need help and companionship. There are a number of ways this can be done, and we can discuss it with those who are interested.

4)                  We need to be serious and intentional about inviting the families around us - in the neighborhoods we live in; in the places we work; and the families that use our building - to join us on Sunday mornings.

5)                  And finally, we need to put in place a long term plan to provide financial and spiritual stability for the congregation. To do that I would recommend that the Leadership team bring forward a recommendation that we begin the journey through EFSM.

EFSM is an acronym for “Education For a Shared Ministry”. It is a training program that will involve the entire congregation in learning what needs to be done for a small church to survive and grow. It includes finding someone to be the “Minister In Training” - who’s role in this program is to learn the pastoral care and preaching roles of a typical paid Pastor IF the congregation gets to the point it cannot afford to pay one. It means 5 or 6 lay people stepping up and saying “I will complete training to help lead a ministry area for my congregation”. This means committing to a 3 year training program that will require reading and studying; some trips; meetings; and serious spiritually based work on things like goal setting and budgeting. Adopting this program also means the congregation is willing to invite folks from the district and denomination into our church, tell them the truth about our situation, and listen to what they have to say about dealing with our issues.

EFSM is a lot of work, but I do not think most of you are afraid of work. It means a lot of spiritual growing, and some outside the box thinking. It means a serious commitment from everybody in the congregation to grow and keep your congregation going.

As I have told the leadership team, I am willing to help make EFSM  happen and lead you through the process - IF you are willing to take the journey AND the district will approve my working with you long term. But the primary decision is up to the believers in this congregation. I will not tell you what you have to do, it is not my place. And the district will not force you to do any program.

My family will be in prayer for each of your families until you decide our future together. May the Lord lead you to the place He has planned for you. 

Ministerial Musings for June 2012

Welcome, to my brothers and sisters in Christ of the West Milton Congregation. By now you have heard that I have been asked to serve as Interim Pastor for your congregation. As a way to introduce myself, let me tell you a bit about my background and theological view.

First a brief bio: I was born in New York, moved around a bunch as a kid, and graduated from Wayne High School (now in Huber Heights). I went away to college and did poorly (ask me about my first try sometime); so, I did a tour in the Army and then another attempt at college (not much better than the first). During college, I began working retail. I spent most of the late 80’s and early 90’s at various levels of management for a number of retail companies. After going through back to back buyouts, I went back to college and finished a financial management degree at Sinclair. I used that training to build a private tax prep business and spent several years running the HR and accounting departments for a financial company. In God’s service, I have worked with a number of denominations and ministries. For the last 4 ½ years, I have been the pastor at Union City Church of the Brethren.

While in the army, I married my wife, Kari; and, we have been together nearly 28 years. We are blessed with a daughter, Sophia, who will be a sophomore in the fall at Bradford High School. We look forward to getting to know all of you, and joining you in worship, ministry, and fellowship.

A bit of theology: WE (my family and hopefully yours) are members of the Church of the Brethren which has a 300+ year tradition of peace, fellowship, and Biblical study. The Brethren oppose war and all levels of violence against God's creation. This means we preach the Love of Christ, love for our fellow man, and smart stewardship of the resources that God has blessed us with. As Christians, we are called to welcome all children of God to our house of prayer and our table. It does not mean that we condone or encourage sinful behavior - as taught in scripture. As Brethren, since we have no formal creed other than the New Testament, we are called to be serious students of the Word of God.

My pledge to you is to teach you as much about being Brethren and about studying scripture as I can; to do my best to equip each of you to minister to those around you; to pray for each and every one of you so that you may find a deeper relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; and, to work with your leadership team to build a plan for growth and development of this congregation.

Your servant in Christ,



Robert C. MacClennan

posted 06-06-2012

Every End... Matthew 28

Dear Family,

There is a scene in "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," when Gandalf, the grey wizard, falls into the deep and disappears.  The gathering had lost their leader.  They felt abandoned.  Alone.  Confused.  And i think it is safe to say that they also felt scared and anxious about what the future held, without their leader.  But before he fell into the darkness, he shouted to the gathering, "Go, you fools.  Go..."  And then he was gone.

If they had stayed around, even to mourn their fallen leader, the fate of the world would have been lost.  They, the "Fellowship of the Ring," weren't just a group of rag tag people out on a road trip.  They had a purpose.  They had a reason.  They had a goal.  And just because one of their own, one that had led them through some trying seasons, just because he would no longer join them, walk with them, lead them, didn't mean the 'fellowship,' could turn around and quit, because all seemed lost.

The world needed them to get back up, dust themselves off, and finish the task that brought them together, and the fellowship did just that.  And they completed their journey and saved the world.  Sure Gandalf came back, but even if he hadn't, this group would have pushed through, to the end, finishing their task. 

Jesus faced the same reality as he met with his disciples, in Galilee, before he ascended into heaven.  He knew he had to leave them, and Jesus knew he had to prepare them for his departure.  Jesus was leaving, but as he promised, he would never leave them alone.  He would always send them someone, the Holy Spirit, an advocate, to guide and direct the steps of those left behind, and because they chose to respond and go into the world, baptizing the world, in the Trinity, the world felt the power of Jesus' love and salvation, and if the new 12 simply went away and hid, who knows what the world would have experienced.

This is now the challenge you face, at the West Milton Church of the Brethren.  I am not Gandalf or anything close, but i do love you all and have cherished this journey, over the last nine plus years.  But the God of Creation has called us to go, and we must go.  However, we must not be the only ones who go, all of you who have already entered the waters of baptism, must also go.  Go out and seek the lost.  Go out and make waves of peace.  Go out and open doors for people to experience the amazing love and healing power of Jesus.  We go back to McPherson, to answer God's call, but God calls each of us, even if the trip is to the Brickhouse, God calls each of us to go. 

And now, more than ever, the burden remains yours to take up.  It is time for you all to go and seek the lost, forsaken, and forgotten.  Go find the broken and sick.  Go find the divorced and hurting.  Go find the son or daughter suffering from AIDS.  I dont know who God will bring along your path if you all go, but i do know God will saturate your journey with the broken, if you all, from the board chair to the gardener to the deacon to the licensed minister to the pew warmer to the shut-in, if you go, God will overwhelm you with people who need Jesus.

But you must go.  And as we leave to begin our new narrative in McPherson, a wonderful opportunity sits on your doorstep. You no longer are bound to the 'old ways' of doing/being church.  You can and must blaze new trails and set new trends as a community of faith.  You, all of you, must own the ministry and mission, and when you do, watch out, because the doors will be flung open, and the people will come running.   There is simply too much pain in the world, and too much need for Jesus in the world, so when you go and welcome all back, watch what God will do.

And it all begins with a simple two letter word: GO!

Two letters, and yet they carry so much weight.  Go and love your neighbor.  Go and bring healing to the sick.  Go and restore relationships with people.  Go and make peace with your enemies.  Go and touch the 'least of these...' And when all this happens, when you claim the ministry as your own and you answer God's call to go, you will also realize this truth: Go and find God and abundant life.  Go and surely Jesus is with you all the rest of your days.  GO.  Amen.

Thank you for nine plus years of abundant love, mercy, grace, and acceptance.  You all have enriched our lives to a degree that thank you simply cannot express the fullness of our gratitude.  Thank you, and we love you all.  NOW GO! 

Shalom,
jerry

The Danger of Knowing: Matthew 27: 11-

Dear Family,

As many of you know, i enjoy, no i love, the theater.  I love the process of reading for a part with all the anxiety that comes with not knowing if i will or will not get the part that i desire.  Most of the time i did not get the choice role, but i cherished the journey, regardless.  In the rare times that i earned the role i sought, then the real work began.  From reading on that stressful day to the scheduling of rehearsals, learning lines, to the dress rehearsal, i loved the entire journey from the beginning to opening night and the amazing feeling i got when lights came up, the curtains opened, and the story began.

I loved the entire ride.  If only i acted better.

When i began my ascent into acting, i thought, for all the years i was in school, that developing the character was as simple as memorizing lines and doing the blocking that the director told us to.  I would, with a great memory, memorize my lines quickly, and then really spend a lot of time trying to master the blocking, but the art of delving into the character himself?  Well i just didn't feel the need.

I was a terrible actor, and i robbed the audience of the full experience because i simply learned the lines and retold the story, without any real work.  And when i, or any other actors for that matter, refuse to do the incredibly hard and stressful and emotional work of becoming the character, ensuring the drama unfolds to the glory of the author/writer/creator, we not only dishonor the storyteller but we handicap the full experience of the audience, simply by going through the motions.

Its easy to do, by the way.  Just read/rehearse the lines without really studying the character and how to become the person we play on stage.  Its really easy, and if the writing is really good and the directing is really good, then the audience can even miss the failures of some of the actors.  Even if the audience is oblivious to the failures of the actors, and even if the audience claims to have had a marvelous experience, if the actors failed to do all they should to give the greatest experience ever, the actors failed and robbed the audience of all that the story intended to say.

We see this all the time in acting, but what happens when the drama unfolding is the story of God and the audience is God Himself, and we are the actors?  What does that say about us if we can rehearse all the lines of the story, but in reality we have yet to dive, headfirst, into the powerful narrative of God?  Aren't we robbing God, dishonoring God, but also aren't we injuring the world because we have not immersed ourselves, our whole selves, into the master narrative, which is God saving the world.

We know all the lines.  We recite all the powerful moments in Scripture.  And we even praise Easter with sounds of "He is Risen!"  But just as i could recite the lines, while on stage, so too, many of us recite the lines to being a Christian, but we rarely become all that we are supposed to be when we profess to follow Jesus, and this failure is to the detriment of God and our neighbor.  But if we can learn to respect and revere the great narrative that is God redeeming the world, well then we can give the world what it needs so badly: A great story that brings the worlds to its knees in the greatest kneeling praise ovation possible.

And any church that is able to lead this powerful praise experience will experience something greater than full pews on Sunday, they will be showered with God's presence, living in the Shalom of God to the honor of God and our neighbors good.  Amen.

Shalom,

jerry

Power of Shame: Matthew 27: 1-10



Dear Family,

Shame cripples good people.  Guilt handicaps amazing brothers and sisters.  And feelings of not being good enough or not having any value destroys folks that who knows what they could have become had someone, anyone, possibly someone from church, would have helped free these people from darkness and bring them into light.

I am thinking a lot about shame, guilt, and darkness right now.  Not because i feel that way, but because one of my favorite all time football players, Junior Seau, killed himself.  We might not ever know all the reasons why Seau felt no hope, no light, no possibility for things to change, but we do know that those closest to him will spend the rest of their lives wondering what they could have done differently.  It is tragic to lose any loved one, but when that loved one takes his or her own life, well that adds layers and difficulties to the healing process.  In order for healing to come, we have to, eventually, learn to accept the tragedy.  How do we do that when suicide steals our loved one?

In light of Seau's suicide, it brings back memories of other folks, that i know personally, who have claimed their own life, and i spend a good deal of time reflecting, asking seeking answers to why they felt so lost, so hopeless that the only alternative was robbing themselves of life, but also hurting their loved ones so deeply.  And i do not have an answer.  I do not know how, why, or what to say or do when someone takes his or her own life.  Seminary and ministerial training simply cannot prepare us for everything we might encounter.  Some thing have to be left up to God, believing in the desperate pleas for answers, God will give us something greater: peace.

I know this is an odd approach to Judas's own suicide attempt.  I mean we often glaze over Judas taking his own life as retribution for his betrayal of Jesus, but as i read and reread this tragic turn of events, i have to wonder if Jesus really agrees that suicide is an acceptable end to Judas's misery and guilt?  If Jesus loved Judas, and i know He did, wouldn't Jesus want something greater even for Judas, who betrayed Him?  Wouldn't the Author of our faith, the Alpha and the Omega, the Prince of Peace, wouldn't He want more for Judas?

I think so.

Jesus didn't love superficially.  He loved perfectly.  Holistically.  And Jesus' love stretched beyond betrayers and enemies to create something greater: God's Perfect Kingdom.  This Kingdom came to bring light to those persons, which in reality could be all of us, who know only darkness, shame, ostracism, and pain.  Jesus brings hope.  A future.  A new day.  A new beginning.  Forgiveness.  Mercy.  Rebirth.  And not even Judas lives beyond Jesus' powerful, healing, salvific love.  But we will never know, because Judas didn't let Jesus heal his guilt and shame.  Judas gave up before Jesus could give Judas something miraculous: a new life, rebirth.

When we talk about Judas' suicide this Sunday, i want to invite us all to remember that Judas' death should never be celebrated, but mourned.  He lost all hope and took the only road he felt worthy to inhabit: suicide.  We must mourn his darkness and remember those persons, in our lives, in our communities, and in our world whose lives mirror Judas's, and they, like Judas, know only the long, dark road of despair.  May we bring light to their darkness so that fewer people are left wondering, like those who love Junior Seau, why... Amen.

Shalom,
jerry

We Would Have Fled-- Matthew 26: 31-55

Dear Family,

While i sat in Nicarry Chapel, on the campus of Bethany Theological Seminary, worshipping with my fellow graduates, thinking about living out the call to be border crossers, i thought about all the changes that are coming to the West Milton Church of the Brethren, to the McPherson Church of the Brethren, to my family, but the most significant changes will come to me.  I am about to find out how much i truly embrace and accept change.  Because to be a border crosser, as we learned this morning, means we sit between the tension of knowing/walking with Jesus during his three year ministry and the resurrection.  We stand between the known Jesus and the unknown stranger that meets us on our journey to Emmaus.  And we live in that space where we 'know' Jesus and His ghostly appearance, which creates more fear in us than peace, until Jesus breaks bread and reveals Himself once again.

This is the world we inhabit: what is realized and what is yet to come.  And to be border crossers means we do not, as we learned this morning, we do not rest in the known but we embrace the unknown with dignity, grace, and above all--Faith. 

I dont know if this has anything to do with the text for this Sunday, but as i reflect on today's graduation ceremony, i find my heart and my soul challenging me to be a better border crosser.  What is a border crosser?  Besides what i have alluded to in the previous paragraph, i think a border crosser is someone, of faith, who names what they truly are.  For us, that means we must accept the reality that, just like all the others, when and if we were in the garden, with Jesus, we would have run away faster than i do when i see a spider. 

We would have abandoned Jesus, and as a border crosser, as a people who long to love and honor Jesus, holistically, we must acknowledge that we would have run for the hills too.  To deny our denials is disingenious and dangerous.  Crossing borders and tearing down walls begins by naming our failures.  Why?

Because it reminds us to embrace the brokenness of the 'other' in our midst.  It helps us see that for the grace of God, we too would find ourselves in the gutter struggling to eat, drink, and know any sense of peace.  And because it refocuses our eyes on the being of our obsession: Jesus the Christ.  When we come to embrace Jesus, with all that we are, we do more than become the great border crossers that help lead a world from darkness into light, but we erase years of failures and open doors to possibilities.

Border crossers, as all disciples of Jesus should be, see and live in what is possible.  Period.

We would have denied Jesus, no doubt, but as a people of faith looking to emerge and exist apart from our past mistakes, as border crossers, we take every opportunity to rewrite our narratives in a way that brings all glory and honor to Jesus.  And what greater reason could there be to exist than to live in a manner that showers Jesus with love, honor, reverence, and obedience?  Amen.

Shalom,

jerry

Steps Towards Goodbye... Matthew 26: 14-30

Dear family,

I have done something to my laptop, so i could see the new family pictures, and it has affected my entire laptop.  But this little change, so i can enjoy the smiles of my family, pales in comparison to the joy i get as i celebrate their beauty.  As someone, much wiser than i, once said, as i paraphrase her, change is coming, one way or another, so you might as well embrace the changing seasons and make the most of them.  As challenging as it is to work with this new screen and the affect the changing screen has had on my typing font, i will embrace it and accept it as a wonderful growing opportunity.

Too often, though, we get stuck in the anxiety that change brings, and we never get past the panic attacks, cold sweats, or sweaty palms that we all seem to suffer from when our nerves outpace our common sense and ability to control even our heart rate.  Change can be a great thing, and we can all grow and become more whole when we embrace and accept that inevitibility of change, but it can also be the force that causes people to hide their heads in the sand, never to come up for air again.

As i reflect on change, i wonder how Jesus felt on the night he broke bread, for the last time, with the Twelve.  Sure there were others around the table, but the Twelve had such a tremendous impact on Jesus, and they were closer to Him than the others.  Surely, as they made their way to the upper room, as they began the preparations, and as they worshipped the traditional Passover liturgy, Jesus had to have had moments of anxiety.  Tonight would be Jesus' last 'free' night on earth, and Jesus knew it.  Soon he would be arrested, thrown in prison, and as Paul Harvey coined so long again, "the rest of the story."

But through the entire night, as Jesus led his followers through the powerful Passover celebration, He had to feel moments of anxiety.  Change was coming, and Jesus knew He could face the change by hiding from it, maybe even surviving the painful death that lie ahead.  Or, as He chose to do, Jesus could run, head first, courageously, into the pit, embracing and accepting all that lie ahead, knowing that whatever change was coming, GOD WAS IN CONTROL!

But Jerry, Jesus was Divine.  He knew all along what was going to happen.  He can face the change with peace.  WE ARE NOT JESUS!  I hear this all the time, and i lament how much we have missed the point.

The point is not that we are not Jesus.  The point is that Jesus believed in us so much that he trusts us to live as close to His way as possible, so that no one, not even the greatest doubter, could distinguish the difference between us and Him.  And as Jesus broke bread, illuminating the truth that one of them would betray Him, that very night, Jesus' calm, collected, and peaceful resolve points to how we all should deal with change, disappointment, and yes even betrayal.

If we could live and accept life, in all its changing levels, just as Jesus did, might we find something of the Divine resting right among us?  Might we face change with resolution and confidence, because we know GOD IS IN CONTROL! And might we just, even for a little bit, learn how to love, forgive, and embrace not just our family and friends but also our enemies.  And not just love and forgive our enemies, might we, just as Jesus did, also invite them to our tables so we, too, can break bread with them, knowing that they, that very night, might betray us.  If we could embody this Jesus, many would call us lunatics, but they showered Jesus with much worse, so we would have good company.

And being with good people, like Jesus and His authentic followers, makes life worth living and much more enjoyable.  So.  Go into the world, do what needs to be done, live as Jesus lived, break bread with friend and foe, and let GOD BE GOD!  What flows from trusting God, fully, wholly, is something akin to the peace that truly passes all understanding, and in our world of turmoil, we could all use more peace.  Change comes regardless, whether it crushes us or not is our choice.  Amen.

Shalom,
jerry

Love Costs: Matthew 26: 1-13

Dear Family,

I remain a hypocrite. I do. The other day Kendra called me to tell me that she had done something radical, something amazing, something sacrificial. She had piqued my curiosity. I asked what she had done, and she told the story of meeting a man on the off ramp, and she gave that man $20. I protested loudly, at least through the phone and through my emphatic sigh. I was ready to start a fight, an argument, anything to show her act to be the insane act of naivete that it seemed to be.

But just as i was about to really assault her, verbally, something stopped me in my tracks. The Scripture for this Sunday popped into my head, and i found myself silenced and muted by the power of love, even insane, naive love. Was the man going to buy alcohol, drugs, or smokes? Who knows? I dont. Kendra doesn't. No one does. Does it matter? Maybe.

What seems to matter the most, though, is this, Kendra gave, sacrificially, to a man that appeared in need. Our cynicism flows from what could be a serious injustice, but should that change our acts of love? Should we let our 'knowledge' of the world impose its will upon our hearts and ministries? Should we let wisdom and reason and logic govern everything we do, at least as our actions are tied to ministries?

Or is there another way?

The woman didn't think about the loss of expensive perfume or the investment she had in it, as she anointed Jesus with this sweet scent of love. She was mocked, by disciples of Jesus no less, for her insane and wasteful act of love. The poor could have been fed. A house could have been built. Clothing could have been purchased. And the list goes on and on about all that could have been done with the money she 'wasted' on Jesus.

Jesus, on the other hand, simply embraced and loved her ministry. Not only that, with his acceptance of her grace, he immortalized her by including her story in his great story. She went from unknown to a historic figure teaching us all what it means to love, sacrificially. A few weeks ago, Kendra taught me that lesson, i just hope i haven't squandered other opportunities to minister, just because i allowed logic, reason, and common sense to have the upper hand.

Because sometimes the most logical option, the most reasonable answer, and the one that truly embodies the greatest common sense is the right one. Ministry isn't governed by "Common Sense," it is governed by the sense of Jesus, and His sense always is right. Amen.

Shalom,

jerry

Culmination of Consumption: 1 Corinthians 13

Dear Pilgrims:

During Lent i have consumed a lot of things. I have consumed a lot of apples and bananas. I have consumed a lot of hours at work. I have consumed a lot of time by surfing the Internet. I have even consumed a lot of television, as i watched March Madness unfold. But does all this consumption make me a better person? More holistic?

No.

We began this journey, through Lent, with the intentions of finding ourselves in the heartbeat of God, desiring to be consumed by the Divine. How have we done? Are our lives fuller because we begin each day immersed in God? Do we feel wiser because we dance with the Creator all day? And are our days healthier and more vibrant because we lay down to sleep in the hands of our loving Father/Mother?

I hope so.

We all know that we consume stuff. Many of us consume at a rate that our waist lines grow and our brain power shrinks. We absorb useless information and miss out on our knowledge of God. And many, if not most, of us wonder why we feel so lost. If we want to know where God wants us, we must begin immersed, wholly, in God. God alone, through our deep dance with Him, brings wisdom, revelation, and above all things: Peace.

We do not need to win that fight when we are overwhelmed with God's serenity.

We will not harm or injure our sisters and brothers, even if they wrong us, when we are wrapped up in the peace of God.

And we will seek the best for even our enemies, when we sit in the walk with our Savior.

Why? Because at the core of loving God, following Jesus, and being consumed by the Spirit is this: we will live lives full of love. Godly love. Sacrificial love. And we will do all we can to ensure that this world, so full of possiblity and potentiality will experience the fullness of Jesus' love through our acts of love.

Love alone has the power to heal brokenness. Love alone invites dialogue that makes peace possible. And love alone accpets the mystery of ministry, knowing love empowers us to sit and wait on God, because God is GOOD! Amen.

Shalom,
jerry

Join us for the celebration of love this Easter at 10:30. But we will begin the Easter celebration with a pancake breakfast at 7:00ish followed by a sunrise service. And we will continue the celebration with the baptism, at Deeter's Nursery in Englewood, OH, of our dear, dear sister. Come let us rejoice and proclaim the goodness of our God.

We are Alive! (James 2: 14-26)

Dear Family,

There is a story, one that i have shared before, and i will continue to share, that goes like this. There was a Brethren minister sitting at a bus stop when she was approached by three evangelists, who were wanting to save souls for Jesus. They saw this minister, and they recognized that she was open to a conversation so they sat down next to her and began to listen to her story.

Finally they came to the reason for their approaching the woman, and one of the evangelists asked her, "Are you saved?" The Brethren minister looked at the man and ignored his question. A little put off by her ignoring his question, he asked again, "Are you saved?" Again she ignored his question, only giving him a quizzical look. A third time, and a final time, the man asked, "Ms. We have been talking to you for a while, and we worry about your soul. Are you saved?"

The minister looked at him and quickly replied, "I dont know. You would have to ask my husband. My kids. My sisters and my brothers. And all of my friends." For her to be a person of faith, her life should illustrate that faith. She embodied the teachings of James: Faith without works is dead. She held to the power of St. Francis of Assissi's words, "Preach the Gospel to all nations, and if necessary use words."

We love building the Kingdom, and we cherish seeing new people in our community of faith, but if we do not sweat for the Kingdom, get sore muscles for the Kingdom, and earn blisters for the Kingdom all we do is in vain. But if we literally leave a bit of ourselves with each person we meet, we will be leaving bits and pieces of the Kingdom with them as well.

Besides sweating, because we are working hard, is not only honest Kingdom work, it is great exercise for our bodies. And couldn't we all use a little more exercise? Amen.

Shalom,
jerry

Farmers at Heart: Mark 4: 1-20

Dear family,

Whether we are parents, teachers, or pastors, we love it when the folks we are trying to mentor and lead and teach 'get it.' When the light bulb goes off and when he or she has that epiphany moment, we dance just like David danced, only with our clothes on.

During my M.Div at Bethany Theological Seminary, i had a professor who would shout "Ding, Ding, Ding," if any of his students got the answer right. He would become as giddy as a parent gets watching his/her child excel. Watching Dr. Bach encourage and feeling his encouragement, i realized the power of teaching and the value of planting good seeds.

In our core being, i think most of us are farmers. We love the idea of planting a seed, a small minute organism that houses the DNA for what could be a huge apple tree, and we hold to the hope that somehow, in some small way, we can aid in that journey. It is natural. It is healthy. And it is godly to be this way.

But whose job is it to care for the soil? If our job is to sow seeds, and it is, who is responsible for the soil? Are we to worry about the soil of the people we disciple? To a small degree yes, but isn't it their responsibility to prepare their soul for receiving and the care for the seed? Isn't it their job to make sure they are ready to hear, truly hear, the word/seed? Yes it is.

Just as it is our job to always be attentive to who might be sowing seeds in our soul, and we must be ready to care for the soil so we can produce fruit that lasts. God gives us the soil, but we have to till up the soil so it is nutrient rich. We have to weed the stuff that longs to snuff out the life given to us. And we must add whatever healthy pieces to the soil so that we can be ready for a healthy, vibrant, amazing plant to produce fruit through us.

The formula looks like this: we prepare the soil. Someone else plants the seed. And finally, when all is right and good and ready, God does what God does so well. God ensures the seed becomes all that it was supposed to be. When all of this works together we will get a healthy tree, from a small seed, and we will witness the power of God's Kingdom, through us.

Farmers know that they have to prepare the soil, and they know that they have to sow good seeds, and they know that they must nurture the new seed if they want a bountiful crop. And when all of this happens, with God's grace upon them, they reap an amazing harvest. Sure they expect to lose some of the seeds to birds, there are always going to be birds. And some seeds will be uprooted by rocks moving and what not. Rocks will always exist. And there are some seeds that will spring up, but through the hot July sun, and lack of water, they will wilt and die. But the farmer knows the heart of his/her harvest remains, because he or she did all they could for the majority of the seeds.

And now it is our turn to do all we can to honor the seeds given to us, but also so we can get our seeds ready to sow in the soil God brings us. We are all farmers anyway, in our heart of hearts, so why not produce a crop with eternal rewards? Amen.

Shalom,
jerry

Re-Created for What? 2 Corinthians 5: 11-21

Dear Family,

I used to obsess over these shows that tell the story of a man or a woman going through the process of an 'extreme' makeover. They would get new clothes. A new hairdo. They might have plastic surgery done. Some suffered through dental work. But all of them longed for the day when their 'new' person would be revealed to their family and friends.

And the overall reaction was amazing. We love to see the transformation people can go through, helping them create a new person. We applaud their work and their willingness to change and we long to see where this new being goes.

But are they fully new? Does a cosmetic change equate a new person? Or is there more that must occur?

God is in the business of extreme makeovers too, but i wonder how deep God's transforming power goes? Does God remain on the surface, giving us new teeth and new hair, but leaving the inner parts to some other force? Maybe God sees our need for weight loss, so God gets us on the "Biggest Loser" campaign to save our hearts and our sugar levels. But is there a deeper level yet?

I think there is. God strives to go deeper into our being to alter our whole person. It is good to have a new appearance, because it can aid in our self confidence, but it is greater to be a wholy new person, because it changes our perspective as children of God. We may lose weight to ensure we have a healthy life, but we must align ourselves with the grace of God to have an abundant life.

Being created new, by God, is not key to the gates salvation principle, it is a calling to be something different, something other, something the world will not understand. Too often i dont see any divergence between the church and the world, and i know many will claim 'sins' as evidence of the new being. But i dont think that is what Paul is arguing for.

I think Paul is inviting us, as new creatures, to join God in the work of restoring the created order to God. How do we do this? By claiming our role to be ambassadors for Christ. Last week we learned that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be our paraclete, i am arguing now that Paul instructs us to be God's paraclete.

To be created anew is not to be taken lightly. Sure we must honor our bodies, because God put a lot of work into us. And yes turning from 'sin' is a healthy and necessary step into becoming the persons God created and intended us to be. But being new in Christ is also a call into work, Godly work, restoring work, creative work.

We are to work to protect creation, because God sent Jesus to heal the world. We are to work to restore relationships with each other, because God sent Jesus to save the world. And we are to work for peace and justice, because Jesus chose the cross over a violent uprising, giving us the example of what it means to be made new.

Choosing the godly path, over the worldy one, will make us look insane, but as Paul alluded to, if we are insane, it is for God. And why not be a little crazy for the divine? Amen.

Shalom,

jerry

The Allure of Being Positive: John 14: 15-31

Dear Folks,

A new fad that seems to be sweeping the world, thanks to Internet and GPS, is called geocaching. The game involves teams that get longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates to a hidden 'treasure' and teams race to find these buried troves of riches. Usually the prize is not really of value, but something that one signs one's team's name and then moves on to the next. Or some times new coordinates will be on the prize, inviting the team to go into the adventure some more. It seems to be the never-ending game of discovery.

And all the people have are numbers and a guidance system that helps them find their way.

Even if they never 'finish' the game, they continue to play and discover. We believe that a game must have a conclusion and there must be a clearly defined winner, but what if that robs the game of what it means to play? What if the joy comes in the pleasure of the adventure itself, and there is never a 'conclusion' just a never ending process? I believe that is what makes geocaching so exciting. It is never-ending, and it is like life itself, it is the journey that matters, not the destination.

And like geocaching, life has a guidance system that aids in the expedition: the Holy Spirit.

Geocachers don't fear the unknown, as they often find themselves in sketchy and mysterious environments, but they trust their teammates, they trust the head of the game, and they trust their GPS, so they simply enjoy the ride. But for some reason church folks do not approach life the same way.

We want all the facts now, before we dive into the murky unknown. We defend our hesitation and suggest that we are approaching life realistically, and those persons who seem overly optimistic and idealistic have their heads in the clouds. But why is that? Why do we, and i am guilty of this, why do we accuse optimists of not being realistic, when perhaps, just perhaps, they are truly the realists, but their faith, their hope, their trust, and their being rests in their creator, their sisters and brothers, and the Holy Spirit?

What would happen if all of us, who called ourselves Christian, approached life through the lens of deep faith, deep hope, and deep trust in God? How would we deal with the hurdles in life? Might we see them as part of the journey that adds to the experience instead of road blocks? Trying times build character, if we see them as opportunities to become more faithful in our walks with God.

And God loves to build character, i think.

So the next time a hurdle appears to impede our path, let's look at it as a chance to prove our hope and our faith in Jesus by enjoying the journey over, through, or around the hurdle. And when we look at life through the lens of what is good and whole and not what is lacking or bad, we will do more than enjoy life more ourselves, we will draw in a world wanting and needing what is good. Amen.

Shalom,

jerry

What Consumes Us? Luke 10: 25-37

Dear Family,

At the core of who we are, through the heartbeat of what it means to follow Jesus, and at the center of believing in God and honoring God is one simple word: Love. This four letter verb or noun, depending on the definition used, embodies so much and yet remains an enigma to what it means to truly follow Jesus. What is love? Does love ever say no? Does love exclude? Does love enable? How do love and justice mix? All of these questions swirl around in my mind as i try to unpack what it means to love. If i were to add another layer, i think it becomes that much more complex.

Like: What does it mean to love God wholy? Love our neighbors as ourselves/ our children?

This question has haunted me for years, and it serves as the foundation for our Lenten series this year. I have wondered, out loud at times, what it would take to renew and recreate our church community in a way that lives souled out for God, and continuing idea reemerges. We need to be consumed by God.

We are, by our very nature, a people who consume. We eat to stay alive, fit, or to fill emptiness. We watch tv to pass time, raise our kids, or zone out. We work to pay bills, find value, or stay away from problems. And we buy stuff to meet needs, satiate our greed, or to serve a compulsion that we can't seem to stop. We will, by our nature as creatures who consume, consume stuff to fill what is lacking. At times this is necessary: eating and drinking water, buying clothes to protect us from the elements, or working to meet the needs of our families. Consumption isn't a bad thing, and we all do it.

What seems to be out of whack, though, is the level of our consumption and what we spend an inordinate amount of our time consuming. Realizing that our culture feeds on 'stuff,' the worship team designed a series, for Lent, around CONSUME. We are going to spend our time somehow, we are going to devour something, and we are going to use our resources in someway, so why not use our resources, our time, and our hunger to CONSUME God?

Over the next seven weeks, we hope to take you all on a journey deeper into the shalom of God, with the intent and purpose of freeing all of us from the chains of this consumer culture that seems to steal life instead of give life. When we allow God to become our primary focus, we discover that all that other 'stuff' is just stuff, and we don't really need as much as we think we do. More than that, we discover a peace that emboldens us to be better sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, disciples of Jesus, and sisters and brothers. Consume the world, and the world consumes you.

Consume God, and God liberates, heals, annoints, and empowers you.

One invites abundant life.

The other leads to Zombieland.

Amen,
jerry

Where do we Fall? Matthew 25: 31-46

Dear Family,
I grew up in McPherson, and i loved and love my hometown, but as a kid, my good friend and i wrestled for a team from a town north of McPherson. We wrestled for Salina Kids Club, and a lot was expected of those who wrestled for Bobby Stein. Our coach was the loudest in the gym. We were supposed to be in the best shape. And we were disciplined, hard working, and we never quit. When we showed up, on Saturdays, for the tournaments, with that maroon and gold singlet and warm up, we were expected to honor the Salina on the uniform. We did our best to fulfill the expectation, and we did our best to represent our team well.

We all know certain coaches, at the college level, who demand excellence from their players and their fans. To jeopardize the name, the team, well that could cause the coach to withdraw one's right to cheer for that team or play for that team. We find ourselves wanting to make sure we keep the standard that is expected. We would do all we could to protect the larger name.

And yet, when it comes to our faith, as Christians, i wonder if we have the same committment? Dedication? Matthew 25: 31-46 involves a parable about the separating of sheep and goats. Why? Because the animals, who know the master's voice and demands, fail to live up to the name they represent. They do not embody the ethics of their master. What does he require? "Whatever you have done to one of the least of these, my sisters or brothers, you have done to me." Put another way, if you feed the hungry, you have fed me. If you clothe the naked, you have clothed me. And if you visit the sick, you have visited me.

Why does this become the standard by which the master divides his followers? Because his followers should know, already, what it means to follow and honor the master. We all should know what it means to honor Jesus. If we would do all we could to honor our workplace, our sports teams, our hometown, or our family lineage, then why wouldn't we also do whatever we could to honor the author of our faith?

There is no name greater than Jesus, and there should be no greater call then for His followers to honor Him. We wouldn't want to dishonor the name on our hearts, right? Amen.

Shalom,
jerry

Are we Hiding? Matthew 25: 14-30

Fellow Pilgrims,

One of my favorite movies is Good Will Hunting, as i have shared before. The main character, Will, comes from a broken home. In fact he is an orphan who was raised in foster homes, and his foster dad was a monster, a true monster. His childhood was terrible at best, and he lived with the scars of the abuse.

His life revealed those scars. He got into a lot of trouble. He had been arrested a few times. And he did not stay in a romantic relationship long enough for any true feelings to develop. He was scared and alone and angry. The movie opens in the hallowed halls of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one of the most prestigious colleges, period. It is a math class, and the professor has given his class this amazing math problem, and the professor expected the class to work on it semester long. The class leaves and night falls on the hallways.

The camera pans in on our main character, who is cleaning the floors, but Will finds himself before the board with the math problem, and unlike the students in the class, Will solves the problem in hours, not days, weeks, or months. Will might be an angry, scared soul, but he has this amazing gift, he is brilliant.

But he hides in his fear and anxiety and does not use his gift until help comes. It was not until help came and Will realized that true life only comes from living within his giftedness that Will was able to leave his dungeon of fear and embrace life, true life, holistic life.

I share this story, because all too often we hide in our own fears and anxieties, and we refuse to live within our created purpose. Each of us, as the parable of the gold bags/talents reveals, have been given gifts to use for God's Kingdom. We have a choice. Use those gifts and risk everything, trusting that God gave us those gifts and God will bear fruit. Or we can be like Will and the third servant.

We can hide the gifts in the sand hoping that our apathy and 'safety' will be rewarded.

But what happens to the third servant? God takes his gift and gives it to the one who risked it all and bore amazing fruit. What happened to Will? He was in a prison, one he did not realize, until he broke free and let life enter. If we choose to use our gifts, no matter how small or large, God will reward us with life, abundant life, holistic life.

However if we cower in fear, we remain in our self-created prison, and God will give what we have to those who will use them for His glory. To paraphrase Shakespeare: To use or not to use, that is the question. And the answer is that one brings life and one brings death. Which do we want? Amen.

Shalom,

jerry

Failure to Plan... Matthew 25: 1-13

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

It has been two weeks, well nearly three, since i have posted a blog. Vertigo sidelined me one week, and i drove a young man to Florida so he could serve a year in Brethren Volunteer Service last week. But i am back and in the words of my favorite morning sports talk show, "Mike and Mike in the Morning," and "better than ever." Well as for being better than ever, you all will have to play judge and jury. But i am back.

Two weeks away gave me time to reflect about where we are now and where God might be taking us, and though the path remains a mystery, i do think God gave me some tools to assist in illuminating the road before us. What do we need to be doing? In a word: praying. If there is nothing else we can do, whether economically or socially or otherwise, we, as the body of Christ, can and must pray. We must go to God and request His ear and His wisdom as we discern where we are to go.

If we get lost on a journey, we depend on GPS, maps, or even in the unlikely scenario, stopping and asking for directions. So why do we relegate God, the author of all that is good and holy and just, to the margins when we need to know where we are going as a community of faith? I do not understand why prayer seems so absurd to a church but business models and logic and reason take center stage. I would rather put my faith and trust in the author of reason and logic than some business model or ideology that might have worked a decade ago but has become obsolete.

Prayer will always be a viable option, if we seek His face. And in light of our text for this week, prayer seems to be the answer to that challenge as well. What must we be doing, while we wait on God? Pray. Pray for God's wisdom. Pray for God's assistance. Pray for God to fill our pews. Pray for God to direct and multiply our ministries. Pray for God to fund our ministries. Pray for God to illuminate how we can grow in size, in faith, and in holistic community. And in the end, as the five women who had extra oil knew, failure to plan, is planning to fail.

We do not need an amazing model of success to inspire us and lead us into a new day as a community of faith, we need the oldest model of all: prayer. Our strategic planning must begin with prayer. Our visioning must be immersed in prayer. And our mission and ministries must be saturated in prayer. Our planning starts with us getting on our knees and seeking, waiting, and listening to the still small voice of God. Only that can ensure we are ready when God comes. Yes we must do work, but we begin with prayer.

I do have one little yeah but to add to the call to prayer. While we wait on God, we must also do what He already has commanded us to do, and if we do not know what that is, i invite us all to read Matthew 5-7 and Matthew 25: 31-46. Everything flows from those core values of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Amen.

Shalom,
jerry

Being True: Matthew 23: 1-12

Dear Family,

Im a hypocrite. I am. The other night we were eating dinner, and i was doing my best to get Daniel to eat all of his vegetables, and i pushed, pushed, and pushed until all of his veggies were gone. He, Daniel, would not get any ice cream until all of his vegetables were gone. He ate all of them, and he earned the right to eat his ice cream. I was proud of him, very proud of him. One big problem--i didn't eat mine.

I had no issue with telling my son he had to eat the veggies, but when it came time for me to eat, i enjoyed the wonderfully decadent food of chili-cheese nachos. I am a hypocrite.

How many of us embody an ethic of do as i say, not as i do? When it comes to the church, it seems there are way too many of us, way too many of us.

When it comes to religion, it always seems to be this way. How many pastors/priests talk about 'sin' but then are found with their proverbial 'hand in the cookie jar?' And i am not innocent. I dont dare point my finger at other pastors/priests/church leaders, because when faced with a stressful situation, do i always act peacefully? Am i always loving? Can i be accused of being forgiving, in every situation? We, religious leaders, preach difficult sermons, claiming to have the keys to the gates, only to fail to live up to what we preach.

Jesus dealt with it too, but Jesus had little empathy for the religious folks who wanted to look good, who made sure the masses met the 'requirements' for getting in, and who held all the answers to Kingdom living, but then failed to truly embody the ethics of godly life. One of the biggest impediments to the church, today, is not expecting people to live up to the "standards" of Christ, but having church folks not live up to whey expect others. Or another challenge to the church comes when church going persons fail to treat others the way Jesus taught. All of these point to one painful reality.

The church is still, as it was in Jesus' day, full of hypocrites. And hypocrites are blocking the growth of the church.

We will always be hypcrites, but when we embrace that and live as broken vessels ourselves, instead of pushing higher standards onto others, we will experience the Divine in amazing ways. We have done it the way of religious uppity practice, lets try Christ centered humility, what do we have to lose? It seems we are primsed to restore the integrity of the church and the name of Jesus, and i can't wait to experience the God of the living, in a world overwhelmed in brokenness and sadness. Amen.

Shalom,
jerry

Whose Son is He? Matthew 22: 41-46

Dear Followers of Jesus...

I am Daniel Bowen's son. (It is a long journey and story to get there, because of name changing, adoption, etc,) but Dan Bowen is my dad. Ask other people and they will tell you that he is my dad. One could add a footnote by suggesting that i had two dads, but that just complicates things. Dan is my dad. I am his son. And there is a deep respect and recognition of the hierarchy that accompanies that distinction. It is, as earthly father/son relationships go, as it should be.

He would never call me LORD.

So why does David call Jesus LORD? When asked whose son is Jesus, the religious folks said: David. But then Jesus turns their answer around on them. He expects this answer, and he is ready to add his rebuttal. If David is Jesus' father, how does David call Jesus LORD? It doesn't work. Fathers do not call their sons LORD, unless there is some weird Jerry Springer dynamics happening. It just doesn't work.

But according to Jesus that is just what happens. David calls Jesus LORD. We all know this reality, because we stand on this side of 2000 years of history. We know the true geneology of Jesus, and we recongnize that though Jesus came from the line of David, through Joseph, Jesus' true Father, well that Father was in the beginning and will be in the end. So David is not Jesus' father, and in fact David recognizes this truth and honors the role that Jesus plays in the Kingdom of God. And this raises a challenge to us, doesn't it?

Is Jesus our LORD? What does it mean to invite and embrace the LORDship of Jesus over our lives? Does it mean that we accept salvation as a one time gift, and then we ignore all the other stuff Jesus cares about: justice, peace, love, mercy, authentic worship, choosing God over money, caring for orphans, widows, and aliens? If we embrace the LORDship of Jesus, shouldn't our churches and our lives reveal our submission to Jesus?

In the case of honoring my dad, Dan, it means i will do my best to live in a manner that makes him proud of me. Dad doesn't lord over me, but i do want to honor him because i love him. And it should be this way if we love and want to honor Jesus. We must live in a manner that honors Jesus, period. We must live in a way that pushes back against the world as is, and it invites us to live otherworldly, so that the world will know that we are His disciples. Not by our purity. Not by our dogmatic rhetoric. Not even by our salvation principles. But by our love. Amen.

Shalom,
jerry