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Archive for September, 2010

Thoughts on Recovery

[ 0 ] September 30, 2010

The young man had been promised by God that he would do great things, yet he somehow found himself in a dirt pit in the desert waiting to be sold into slavery.  All the hope he had for his future now turned into despair and hopelessness.  How in the world could this young man named Joseph look beyond the dirt.  The story of Joseph in the Bible is a story of amazing recovery from brokenness.  How can a man go from a pit and slavery to be a ruler of a nation and the deliverer of his people?

Chuck Colson was living in the height of his own ambition.  The former Marine Corp officer, now lawyer, was the White House counsel for Richard Nixon.  Colson had become one of the right hand men of the most powerful president in the world.  This was until Watergate and a three-year jail sentence for helping cover up the Watergate break-in.  After his prison sentence, Chuck Colson became a Christian and remembered the words of a tall African American prisoner named Archie who said, “Remember us when you get out.”  He did and created the largest prison ministry in the world and wrote classic Christian books such as Born Again, Loving God and Now How Shall We Live.  Most of the Watergate conspirators were never heard from again, living insignificant lives of memory and regret, but Chuck Colson, by God’s grace, was able to look beyond the dirt, just as Joseph did.  How did this young former Marine and disgraced lawyer find himself in a federal prison having lost everything and then one day become a minister to prisoners and a great worldwide prophet for Christianity?  These broken men did more than recover; they thrived.

Joseph could have let betrayal and slavery define and destroy him, but instead, he chose to be faithful and trust God.  Chuck Colson could easily have let jail and the betrayal of his beloved president define and destroy him, but instead, he chose to trust Jesus Christ.  Their journey through the pit led to far greater things and a much more effective life for God than ever would have happened without it.

Brokenness can lead to a pit of despair, regret and blame, a pit in the dirt we sometimes can’t see beyond, or it can be a step into faith, trust in God, belief in Jesus Christ that can carry us beyond the pit to a life of abundance and victory.  “Nothing is impossible with God,” Jesus said.

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Thoughts on fear, worry and doubt

[ 1 ] September 23, 2010

A few weeks ago I wrote in my thought for the week some of the commands of Jesus that are often overlooked, “Do not fear, do not worry, do not doubt.”  I often think of these commands and celebrate these simple words of Jesus that speak to me in so many situations.

Jesus also made many promises, promises like “I will always be with you.”  But there is another unique promise that Jesus made that is almost universally overlooked.

“While you are in the world you will have trouble, but be of good cheer because I have overcome the world!” (John 16:33)

Peter said something similar as well, “Don’t be surprised at this fiery trial that has come upon you as though some strange thing has happened to you!” (1 Peter 4:12, 13)

  • A promise:  Trouble will surely come.
  • Some advice:  Don’t be surprised when fiery trials come.
  • The truth:  Jesus has overcome the world.

The perspective of the Christian life is not avoiding trouble or skipping fiery trials.  Jesus promises us they will come into our lives just as they did in His.  The Bible challenges us not to be surprised when trials become a part of our lives, as though there was something wrong with God or with us.  In this world it is to be expected, but Jesus also said, “I have overcome the world.”  The tomb is empty, the work on the cross is complete, the future is assured and secure and Jesus makes another special promise, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

In my own life I have discovered through the years that during times of trouble God has been especially close.  And in those moments, the most important and valuable parts of life rise to the top as that which is less important and valuable slips to its proper priority.  As John Wesley said at his death after a tremendous life of success and troubles, “Best of all, God is with us!”

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Thoughts on what defines us

[ 0 ] September 16, 2010

Paul was sitting in prison when he penned these words, “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day; and not to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:8)  Now this was a Roman prison — dirt, steel, damp and miserable.  He was there just for offering Christ to his world, a mission that put him at odds with Roman culture and authority.  Paul could easily let his life be defined by his present circumstances, but he refused to do this.  Paul’s life was defined by the future, as is the life of all who believe and follow Christ.

Earlier Paul said about himself, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.” (1 Timothy 1:15b)  Paul also refused to allow his life to be defined by the past.  Even though he at one time persecuted, arrested and even killed followers of Christ (he held the cloaks of those who stoned to death Stephen, the first deacon), even though he knew he had a history of the worst kind of sin, he did not define who he was or his life by that past.

Paul was not defined by his present, a prison cell or his past, a bunch of big sins; Paul was defined, as are all Christians, by the future.  We are a future people!  In an immediate world, we often have a hard time understanding the significance of this fact of faith.  Resurrection, heaven, one day seeing our savior face to face, redemption — these are the ideas, words and facts that define the Christian life.  We are not defined, confined or limited by our past or our present circumstances.  Christians are a people who most clearly know who we are by the future God has prepared for us.

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Thoughts on a vital church

[ 0 ] September 9, 2010

Our denomination, the United Methodist Church, just completed a study on the church, “A Call to Action.”  In this, after extensive research, it was discovered that there were four major keys to a vital church:

  • Lots of small groups and programs, adults, children and youth;
  • Strong lay leadership, effective, full of faith and extensive;
  • Worship, a mix of traditional and contemporary worship services with multi media;
  • Pastor (in our case, pastors), long-term tenure, inspirational through preaching, visionary, leads in change, coaches and mentors.

There is little new here, and for successful churches, churches that succeed in the work that God calls the church to do, we have typically already focused on these areas.  But I want to add a couple other goals (goals that might not have been considered in this particular survey format):

  1. A deep seated urge and commitment to bring people to faith in Christ;
  2. A love for people that calls the church to reach out to the community;
  3. A sense of mission that expands consistently beyond the church walls;
  4. A biblical focus that has the church family on a first name basis with Jesus.

I have long thought that if I want God’s blessings in my life, I have to live a life that God can bless.  I also think that for a church to experience God’s blessings, that church, too, must live a life together that God can bless!

What is God’s will?
What is God’s purpose?
What does God want?
What is God doing?

These are all the questions that a vital church must ask, and those churches that are vital are continually asking.

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Thoughts from The Leading Edge

[ 0 ] September 2, 2010

I have one more day of an already amazing few days as I meet with the pastors of the largest attended Methodist churches and 33 bishops, as well as several seminary presidents.  Our purpose is to pray and talk about ways we can renew the Methodist Church.  One of the things that has been discovered is that the same systems, ideas and passion that leads large Methodist churches to success is what the entire denomination needs.

Some of the topics we have discussed and concerns we have addressed so far:

  • How to reach young adults for Christ as well as bring young adults into ministry;
  • The ways we can expand mission beyond our walls and into the world;
  • Improving preaching in worship;
  • Changes that need to be made by the Methodist Church as a whole;
  • Starting new faith communities;
  • How the bishops and large church pastors and congregations can work together to renew the United Methodist Church;
  • An examination of the issues that have led to our denomination’s decline and how we might help address those issues.

The sense here is how we as large church pastors and our congregations can influence other churches, pastors and our denomination as a whole in the list of tasks that I just named.  The idea is that since we typically do these things well, it is our responsibility to share what we know, to influence, model and inspire other churches, districts and conferences to expand their ability to do mission and ministry and serve Christ well as every church inherently wants to do.

For me in this process, I constantly think of you, of First United Methodist Church of Mansfield.  You have gone against the odds and expanded in growth, evangelism, mission and outreach in amazing ways, going against the grain of what is happening in our own denomination year after year.  I have been thinking why.

  1. First Methodist Church is a church with a deep spiritual core.  Our Church family is on a first-name basis with Jesus Christ.
  2. First Methodist Church has amazing leaders — in every cadre of our church and in every area — staff, laity, young people, long-term members, new members.  You are outstanding here.  Churches can’t do anything without great leaders.  We have great leaders that daily I am honored to serve God with.
  3. Biblical faith is where we find our direction and the challenge that drives us.
  4. You are extremely generous with your financial gifts, your service, your heart, yourself.
  5. The volunteer spirit at First Methodist is crazy great.  I could think of no other words — hundreds who serve in mission and outreach, 400 volunteers for VBC this year, we just recruited enough parking lot greeters for all our services, ushers, greeters, music, class rooms, Bible studies, etc, etc, etc.  You are amazing.
  6. You are willing, willing to step out, step up, make changes, do new things, adjust, adapt, expand, whatever it takes to be a great church, to reach people for Christ, to open your door to new people, to reach the least, the last, and the lost.
  7. First Methodist is full of people serious about following Jesus Christ. I seldom feel that I have to inspire you to do better; you constantly inspire me to do better.

We have already stepped up to be a part of renewing our denomination.  I believe we have just taken the beginning steps to impact the church I love.  May God help us in that impact.

It is 9:00 a.m., and I am heading to the hotel lobby to meet with other pastors as we discuss the issues of our church and what we can do to transform it.  Our bishop, Mike Lowry, Bishop Will Wilimon, Pastor Mark Beeson, Pastor Adam Hamilton, Pastor Mike Slaughter, all will be there as we pray and look for the answers that First Methodist Mansfield is already living out.

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