So, I’m sitting in the hotel lobby in New Orleans this morning. The next time I do a blog filled with random thoughts, it will include the following: Why is it that the higher priced the hotel, the lesser the amenities? Seriously, the JW Marriott doesn’t offer in-room wifi at no charge. $200 a night and I have to sit in the lobby for the internet? Oh, wifi’s available in the room–at $14.95 a day! But, I can get free wifi in my room at the Super 8 for $50 a night. Done ranting now…moving on…

I’m in New Orleans for the Quadrennial Benefits Conference. For those who don’t know, and the rest of you who could care less, the QBC is the once every four years meeting where the General Board of Pensions and Health Benefits explains to the gathered group all the changes to the denominational pension and health system brought on by the votes of General Conference. One of the things I’ve learned (actually I should say “had confirmed”) is that a committee of 1,000 doesn’t necessarily make good decisions. So, while I’ve been consumed with the details of pension plans and health benefits, I must confess it has stifled the creative energy a bit. I thought I would share a few thoughts from an old Lynn’s Lines (that’s what I used to call my church newsletter article). I figured since I was suffering through the intricacies of pensions, you could share in my suffering by reading an old article.

Orange Crush!  I was driving down the street the other day and I had a flashback.  I don’t know what prompted the flashback, but it brought a flood of memories that I hadn’t thought about in years.

I was blessed growing up with two sets of wonderful grandparents.  One grandfather owned a sawmill and lumber business, and the other grandfather owned a general mercantile (for you city folks a general mercantile was the small town equivalent of Wal-Mart).  My brothers and our cousins always had a place to hang out, places that were always busy with people, and where there was always something to learn and something to do.

Both grandparents had old slide-top soda boxes at their businesses, and almost daily (depending upon which grandparents we were at) my cousins and I would venture over to the mill office or down to the store, go directly to that old slide-top soda box and remove the coldest Orange Crush (sometimes it would be a Frosty Root Beer) soda in the world.  Those drinks went down so smooth, and they were so refreshing.  Any day we had an Orange Crush was considered a good day.  As I had that flashback, in that moment my mouth watered again for one of those cool Orange Crush sodas.

Jesus said in John 14:26 that the Holy Spirit “will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I myself have told you.”  The Holy Spirit performs a wonderful task in our lives.  It is not the only task he performs, but he does, in essence, give us moments of flashback to bring comfort, joy, strength, or encouragement in difficult times.

The Holy Spirit reminds us of our salvation.  We can become so overwhelmed by our circumstances that we doubt God’s presence.  The Holy Spirit gently calls to our remembrance that he “will never leave nor forsake us.”  He reminds us of all that Jesus did on the cross for the redemption of his own, and he encourages us to recall that we are his own.  The Holy Spirit also reminds us of how much God loves us, and the Holy Spirit takes that abstract concept of God’s love and plants the seed of His love in our hearts in order for God’s love to be born in us.  In those precious moments it is as if our spirits begin to water up and overflow with peace and joy–the same peace and joy Jesus promised the disciples in John 16.  We feel “refreshed” because the Holy Spirit has done his task.  The task Jesus said he would do.

And yes, I did get that Orange Crush.  And yes, it was great!

Until next time, keep looking up…

I hear a lot about “movements” these days. “We’ve got to reclaim the movement,” the consultants tell us (see The Adaptive Leadership Series published by Abingdon Press prior to General Conference 2012). Leaders, consultants, clery and lay seek to remind us that John Wesley began a movement “to spread scriptural holiness over the land,” that swept across England, moved to America (mainly through the efforts of Francis Asbury), and eventually covered the globe. The idea of Methodism as movement is front and center in the debate about our future. It only makes me ask: What kind of movement are we supposed to be? We need to be a movement, but to what end?

I think about John Wesley and the first Methodist “movement.” What was the focus of Wesley’s movement? I think his words to his preachers sum it up best for me: “You have nothing to do but save souls, therefore spend and be spent in this work.” Nothing to do but save souls. There is an end worth pursuing, but I hear little in the conversations we have, or the books we read concerning the saving of souls. It was central to Wesley’s motivation for mission and ministry. Listen to what Wesley said, “Gaining knowledge is a good thing, but saving souls is better,” and “If you can do but one, either follow your studies or instruct the ignorant; let your studies alone. I would throw by all the libraries in the world, rather than be guilty of the perdition of one soul.”

I read a lot about re-structuring the church. I read a lot about having traditional and contemporary worship services. I read a lot about having small groups. I read a lot about being relevant, and about having youth programs and placing more lay people in church leadership. For the life of me, I can’t find much about saving souls. Perhaps it’s implicit and I’m just too blind (or obtuse) to see it, but I can’t find it explicitly stated anywhere. Are we seeking to rediscover a movement that re-structures an institution, or provides options is worship, or builds small groups?

We are told vital churches are those which are led by pastors who are great at preaching and planning. I agree. But what are we to preach? Is great preaching the ability to communicate eloquently? If so, I’ve heard some great preaching that said little. Nothing said, even in the most eloquent of fashions, changes nothing. Makes me wonder (out loud) if it’s great preaching or just really good motivational speaking? I’m just thinking “good” preaching talks about sin (and our slavery to it), and about grace (and our need for it), and about repentance (and our responsibility to it), and about forgiveness (and our ability to receive it), and about the cross (and our salvation through it), and finally about Jesus (and our hope in him).

I can’t tell you the times I’ve had people say to me, “I come to church to feel good.” I get the impression we want a feel good message that doesn’t necessarily challenge us to live differently. Actually, we don’t always need a feel good message. Sometimes we need to be challenged that the things we do and the way we live is not the way it’s supposed to be. Sometimes, we need to leave worship feeling bad (Wesley would call that “convicted”), and believing there needs to be a change in me before there can be a change in the world around me. Wesley, Asbury and the other early Methodist preachers had little concern that people left Methodist meetings feeling convicted. They knew conviction led to repentance and repentance led to forgiveness and forgiveness came through a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ. Those preachers were part of a movement.

Methodism can never be a movement that competes with the culture. We are spending tons of resources (both human and financial) to compete with the NFL, or Hollywood, or the country club, or the dance recitals, or the traveling sports teams, or any of the myriad other activities that clamor for people’s attention. We build pristine buildings, we install flashy equipment, we devolop curriculum around felt needs, all in an effort to compete with culture, hoping someone will find some relevance in what we do. And, we continue to lose the battle. We’ll never win that battle because the culture will always make it flashier, more appealing, more exciting than we will be able to do. We’ll mostly be one step behind trying to catch up. But we have something the culture can’t offer–God, and God’s grace able to change a person and change a culture. Let’s offer them Christ. Let’s talk about salvation and redemption. Let’s talk about repentance and conviction. Then, we won’t be competing with culture. We’ll be offering a counter cultural perspective. Now, that’s a movement!

It probably sounds like I’m getting all preachy here, and perhaps I am. That’s okay! I’m a preacher, aren’t I? Gil Rendle says “a movement is a group of people who intentionally, at their own risk, join together to make a change in the status quo.” Honestly, I have no desire to intentionally join together in a movement whose purpose is to restructure an institution, or develop new small groups, or simply to get more people in worship. I do, however, have a deep desire to intentionally join together with others in a movement whose purpose is to save souls. Restructuring an institution, developing small groups and offering worship options may be means to an end, but they are not the end. Saving souls is the end. Let’s start a movement concerned with that. I’ll be a part of that movement.

Okay, so maybe it won’t work. But what we’re doing now isn’t working. Can we just try it and see? Let’s add it to the conversation and see what happens. I think Wesley would be proud, and he might even want to be a part of such a movement.

I’ll hush now.

Until next time, keep looking up…

It’s time for me to share random thoughts again…just because I seem to have so many of them.

Why is it that some people (including me) can be so passionate about a sports team, and so dispassionate about a relationship with Jesus Christ?

Why is it that some people can make every element of their lives public, but strive so hard to keep their faith private?

Is there any such thing as a “private” Christian faith? What part of “go tell” don’t we understand?

Why do I still get so frustrated by people who can’t drive? Does Wal-Mart issue driver’s licenses these days?

Best line from a sermon I heard this week–“God doesn’t expect perfection, but He does expect progress.” Don’t tell Mr. Wesley about the perfection part! I pray I’m making progress.

Charge Conference season has started for me again. I have listened to lay leaders from many congregations over the past three weeks, and I am moved by the love I hear in their voices for the church and their congregations.

We lament the decline in worship attendance. We lament that people would rather go to ball games, or fishing, or hunting, or shopping, or…  Rather than lament that people aren’t coming to worship, why don’t we sit and discuss new ways to take the message to where the people are?

My favorite movie of all time? Harvey starring Jimmy Stewart as Elwood P. Dowd. Stewart does a monologue as Dowd in one part of the film. I think it serves as a lesson in evangelism for the church (although the film is not specifically Christian in nature–but it is funny!). Here’s Dowd’s monologue:

“Harvey and I sit in the bars… have a drink or two… play the juke box. And soon the faces of all the other people they turn toward mine and they smile. And they’re saying, ‘We don’t know your name, mister, but you’re a very nice fella.’ Harvey and I warm ourselves in all these golden moments. We’ve entered as strangers – soon we have friends. And they come over… and they sit with us… and they drink with us… and they talk to us. They tell about the big terrible things they’ve done and the big wonderful things they’ll do. Their hopes, and their regrets, and their loves, and their hates. All very large, because nobody ever brings anything small into a bar. And then I introduce them to Harvey… and he’s bigger and grander than anything they offer me. And when they leave, they leave impressed. The same people seldom come back; but that’s envy, my dear. There’s a little bit of envy in the best of us.”

Harvey is a POOKA. If you don’t know, see the movie. My doctoral project is going to be entitled: The Evangelism of Elwood P. Dowd.

I work with some great pastors. I work with some great young pastors. If these great young pastors are any indication, God’s got great things in store for the United Methodist Church.

Rather than saying we live in a “post-Christian” culture, why don’t we say we live in a “pre-Christian” culture? Maybe things have come full circle and we’re living in an age similar to the first disciples. Greater things are yet to come, greater things are still to be done… Didn’t somebody write a song like that?

Did I tell you? I love my job!

Until next time, keep looking up…

Okay, I will say that I can’t wait for November 6th can’t get here. The political rhetoric is almost overwhelming this year. Even facebook is filled with my “friends” posting all sorts of political stuff. It almost makes me want to stay off facebook for a while.

I’m not about to delve off into a political speech in favor of one candidate over another. Actually, there were two things I would never preach about when I was a local church pastor–politics and religion. They’re both so divisive! Now, it seems, that both are dividing us even more. Neither is this blog going to be a treatise on why Christians ought to stay out of the political process. I think we Christians ought to be involved in the process. We have something to offer the conversation. This blog is, however, going to be a reminder that as Christians, we must remain civil in our discourse, and I’ve heard some pretty uncivil comments from a lot of my “friends” on facebook, and from some other friends in the context of conversations I’ve had.

I know anytime we jump off into politics that the floodgates are likely to open, and there will be an equal number of people who disagree with me (maybe even a greater number who disagree with me), and there will be those who tell me the position I’ve taken is wrong. That’s okay! This is Amercia. I have the right to be wrong, don’t I? I only ask that you disagree in a civil way, and don’t hate me because I disagree with you. I might be wrong. Time will tell. But, you might be wrong, too, and I promise not to say, “I told you so!”

I’m not even saying that it’s not okay to take sides. Take sides if you want (no, I’m not going to in this blog!). We’ve all got opinions, and it’s okay to express them. It’s always good to be informed, though. And lest we think we’re informed by watching TV, uh…I’m not so sure. It’s all slanted! It doesn’t really matter which network we watch, the bias will be distinct. And, that’s okay, too. I can handle the bias (either way) as long as I can acknowledge the bias. It helps me know the truth lies somewhere between. God gave me a mind. I think I can figure it out.

I feel like I’ve waded off into some deep and muddy waters today, but I just have to say I get sick to my stomach when I see Christians showing disrespect for one another over politics. I’ve seen it since I’ve been in ministry, so this year’s election cycle is no different than others. It happens from the national elections to the local town council elections. Churches have split over politics. People have left churches over politics. And pastors, don’t put your congregation’s tax exempt status in jeopardy by making political pronouncements in the pulpit, or in official church publications. Personal expressions are one thing. Professional expressions are another.

Here’s what I know. Sunday is coming, and when we get to church on Sunday morning (no matter where we attend) we will likely sit next to someone who will not vote the way we do, who will not perceive the issues the way we do, who will not agree with my impression of one of the candidates for office. Every congregation (even the most conservative–even the most liberal) will have diversity in political opinion. I need to be reminded that I am present to worship the one true God, revealed in Jesus Christ, and to be more like Him, and love Him and know Him, and serve Him by serving others. I can do that no matter who is President, or Governor, or Mayor. And, just because one person or another gets elected should be no reason for great fear among the body of Christ. We shouldn’t fear because political systems come and go. Politicians come and go. The winds of the political landscape blow one way and then they shift and blow another. It is the course of our history. Through it all, God is with us. God has called us. God will keep us.

Let me ask: Will God be any less God if a particular person gets elected? I think not! Will the mission of the church be different? I think not! The mission of the church will, however, be made more difficult if we have spent a season diminishing our witness by attacking one another. Not only that, but we will have also stood against the very prayer Jesus prayed on our behalf:

⁹ “My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. ¹⁰ All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. ¹¹ Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are. ¹² During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold. ¹³ “Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. ¹⁴ I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. ¹⁵ I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. ¹⁶ They do not belong to this world any more than I do. ¹⁷ Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. ¹⁸ Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. ¹⁹ And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth. ²⁰ “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. ²¹ I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me (John 17:9-21).

Now, I’ll prepare myself for all those who will disagree with me. Tell me all the reasons my reasoning is flawed. Perhaps it is. Perhaps I’ve missed something, left something unsaid. I just know I’ll go vote (that’s being a good citizen, and Paul says we should be a good citizen), but then, regardless of the outcome, I’ll focus on Jesus, for He’s the One who has called me. He’s the One who has redeemed me. And, He’s the One who will judge me in the end. I want to hear Him say “Well done, good and faithful servant…” And it really won’t have mattered who was President.

And really, if you don’t like today’s blog, blame it on my friends on facebook. All those political posts just got to me.

Until next time, keep looking up…

One thing I’ve learned in the months on this job: I get to hear a lot of whining. In some conversations I have I hear a lot of reasons why the church is failing, why the church can’t be successful in making disciples, why people won’t come to church, why people don’t give, why…why…why. I can’t say much, though. I catch myself whining a lot, too. I think a better way to say it is “why”-ning…always asking “why.” Why did this happen to me? Why doesn’t God care? Why doesn’t God do something about…(you fill in the blank)? The list of “why” questions is endless:

• Why is this financial crisis burying me?
• Why can’t I find a job?
• Why doesn’t my house sell?
• Why won’t this illness go away?
• Why is my child rebelling?
• Why has my dream turned to disappointment?

All the “why’s” can leave us feeling abandoned by God. It can feel a bit like wandering in the desert, but, then again, a better way to say it might be “wondering” in the desert. Lest we be too hard on ourselves, we can be reminded there was an occasion when there was some whining going on among the children of Israel after God had brought them out of the slavery of Egypt. One of the most common complaints of the people was the limited menu selection for their daily diet. Let’s pick up the story in Numbers 11:

Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt. And the people of Israel also began to complain. “Oh, for some meat!” they exclaimed. We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted. But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!” (4-6)

Manna was the food God provided for breakfast, lunch and dinner, day after day after day. And the people were sick of it. They recalled the variety of food they ate during their days in slavery. They exercised something husbands do (at least my wife tells me that some…other…husbands do this), called “Selective Historical Recollection.” This is where they selectively recall historical facts and leave others out, in order to recollect a past reality that may or may not be accurate, but it helps them prove their point! In this instance, the Israelites seem to have forgotten about that whole slave thing back in Egypt!

Why is it that the minute things get a little uncomfortable, we whine? Yes, life can have its challenges. It can sometimes be unfair. It can be harsh and unfeeling, people can be uncaring, and we sometimes can’t even find a good seafood buffet, but complaining about it only makes you feel more miserable. When the Israelites complained, they lost sight of their blessings. They forgot that their menu of cucumbers and melons came with a price tag–slavery, and they lost their thankfulness for food, any food, in the middle of the desert.

What’s so bad about whining? Well, whining is sort of like drinking salt water when you’re lost at sea. You’re floating along dying of thirst, yet surrounded by water. It can be very tempting to just cup your hands and get just a sip. But that sip can kill ya’. According to one scientific website (google is a wonderful invention), this is what happens:

Because ocean water is about three times as salty as your blood, our metabolism shifts into crisis mode. Water floods out of every cell in a vain effort to dilute the salt and cleanse the body. The cells need water, though, and this outward flood leaves them dehydrated. The flipside of the problem is that blood cells become overworked in their effort to carry the excess water and salt down to the kidneys. Drinking salt water can rapidly result in seizures, unconsciousness, and even brain damage. The kidneys become overwhelmed and simply shut down, and then we die.

Whining just makes matter worse. Whining focuses us on the negative, and that leads to further despair and hopelessness. Despair and hopelessness lead us to giving up, and giving up leads to failure. Their whining eventually led to “If only” thinking…”If only we had died in Egypt…” The slavery of the past became preferable to God’s promise–and God’s promise sometimes has us wandering or wondering in the desert.

But whining is also contagious. The people’s whining caused Moses’ “why”-ning. Numbers 11:11-15–

And Moses said to the Lord, “Why are you treating me, your servant, so harshly? Have mercy on me! What did I do to deserve the burden of all these people? Did I give birth to them? Did I bring them into the world? Why did you tell me to carry them in my arms like a mother carries a nursing baby? How can I carry them to the land you swore to give their ancestors? Where am I supposed to get meat for all these people? They keep whining to me, saying, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ I can’t carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy! If this is how you intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me this misery!”

There is a saying that “a rising tide lifts all boats.” If that’s true, then the opposite is true, as well…”a ebbing tide lowers all boats.” Our attitude brings others down with us. STOP WHINING!

I am reminded that the United Methodist Church is God’s church. Every local congregation has a possibility and a future and a hope. God is not done with us yet. God has not abandoned us. God is about to do a great thing. Count the blessings of your congregation. Measure the goodness of our God. Focus on the faithfulness of God to be with us, even as we wander or wonder in the desert. We are a people of hope. Yes, we live with a sense of urgency, but urgency is not despair. God has got this thing, and more importantly, God has got us! I am reminded of Isaiah 64:4: For since the world began,  no ear has heard  and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him! And, the Apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 2:9: That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard,  and no mind has imagined  what God has prepared  for those who love him.”

Seriously? Do you need a little cheese with that “whine?”

Until next time, keep looking up…

I like food. It might even be said I have a love affair with food. I know it’s not healthy, but I run 15-20 miles/week so I can eat anything I want. Honestly, if I watched my diet (and quit taking folks to lunch) and ran the same amount, I’d probably weigh 165 pounds. Seriously, now, can anyone who knows me picture me at 165 pounds? Perish the thought! I do love good food. I suppose that’s why I make such a good preacher (yes! I love fried chicken!). And all-you-can-eat buffets? I have to stay away. I have no self-control. Gluttony always gets the best of me at the buffet (especially the fried seafood buffett). If I ever go to the catfish buffett and order off the menu, that’s when I’ll know I’ve mastered the lusts of the flesh.

What I have discovered through the years is that my taste buds have changed. I can remember growing up I was not a vegetable guy. About the only vegetables you’d find on my plate were purple hull peas and sweet corn. Everything else was off limits for me. Green beans? No way! Squash? You gotta’ be kidding! Give me meat and potatoes. And bread! I love bread…any bread…white, wheat, rye…corn bread…give me bread. No such thing as a meal without some type of bread. Except dumplings. I would never eat dumplings growing up. And, my mother made the best chicken and dumplings, or so I was told. Whenever there was a church pot-luck, she HAD to bring chicken and dumplings (I think it’s still that way today). But, I was unwilling to even try them. I didn’t care how good everyone said they were, chicken and dumplings just didn’t appeal to me.

Then, we moved to Kentucky, and things changed. I don’t know if it was homesickness or whether it was the thought of “the thing you can’t have,” but I developed a craving for chicken and dumplings. I impressed upon Vanessa the need for her to cook dumplings (she’d never cooked them before). To say she was shocked would be an understatement but she said she would do her best. She called my mom (if I remember correctly), and found a recipe in one of the church cookbooks we’d been given, and between the two she made a pretty amazing pot of chicken and dumplings. Never before would I ever put chicken and dumplings on my plate. Never again would I ever turn my nose up at chicken and dumplings! They were fantastic.

Broccoli. There’s another vegetable I’d never, ever try growing up. As I grew up, I developed the attitude the first Pres. Bush had–“I’m a big boy and I don’t have to eat my broccoli if I don’t want to.” If it was good enough for the President, I figured it was good enough for me. Then, one day, I decided to try it, and you know what? It wasn’t half bad. It tasted okay, and I figured it was good for me, so I might as well eat it. Then, I began to eat it more regularly, and now, I actually order it in a restaurant when I could order lots of other things. I discovered I like broccoli.

I could spend lots of time this morning talking about foods I used to not like but now I do (zucchini, grits, cauliflower, etc.), but you’d get bored and I’d get hungry, so I’ll stop now. It was all on my mind because I woke up this morning with Psalm 34 on my mind. Particularly, I was awakened by Psalm 34:8–“Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh the joys of those who take refuge in him!”

Taste and see. Just try Him and see. I am confused when I realize that we live in the most “spiritual” culture of all time. We have pastors who are prolific authors and bookstores on every corner where Christiam books are sold. We have churches in abundance (I facetiously say don’t run off the road in the Monroe District–you’ll hit a church) and Christian music, radio and concerts like never before, but still we have fewer and fewer people who are willing to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” I’m wondering if people have come and tasted and left hungry because the diet being offered was not very filling. People came and they left still hungry? What are we feeding them, pastors?

I think what we all need is a diet rich in grace with acceptance as an appetizer, forgiveness and a side of encouragement as the entree, and a double portion of accountability as the dessert. We can find all these at the Lord’s Table. There’s something mysterious in that meal. I’ve found it to be true that the more I eat, the more I want. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. Give me more!

Until next time, keep looking up…

Today is “Back to Church” Sunday, or so I’m told. I’m wondering who declared it so? Probably some brainchild of some marketing company in New York or Los Angeles designed to sell product to Christian churches (my cynicism is showing again!). Well, at least it’s a noble endeavor, one whose end is potentially profitable for the growth of God’s Kingdom.

So, what will be the main criteria a person or family uses to choose a church to return to on “Back to Church” Sunday? It used to be people chose a church based on denomination. They would go to the Methodist Church because they were Methodist. Others would go to the neighborhood church because we were neighborhood focused. Let’s go to Broadmoor Church because it’s convenient in the Broadmoor neighborhood. Still others chose a church because that’s where family was, and it was expected that we went to church with family. The mobility of our culture, the rise of the internet, and the proliferation of church plants has changed all that. I saw a church sign yesterday that read, “Come see why people drive over 100 miles to attend our church.” 100 miles? Seriously? I’m going to attend there one Sunday, and yes, I’m going to ask! I really do want to know.

I suspicion I will hear answers that have to do with perceived needs–“This church meets my needs.” As I have studied the trends in church attendance over the past year, and from my own experience in the local church, the primary reason people choose a church is that the church meets some perceived need. The other primary reason is relationship. A person will choose a church because they know someone who attends there, or were issued a personal invitation. I suspect, in the end, it will be more about the relationship, though. A church can have all the great programs in the world, but unless a person connects on a personal level with someone else, they’re unlikely to continue for long. I’m also wondering if we’re not setting ourselves up for keeping the revolving door open.

The contemporary philosophy for ministry and outreach is to offer Bible studies and programs designed to be limited in length and scope so that people don’t have to make a long-term commitment. Not only that, but the studies or events can be marketed (there’s that word!) to target the unchurched. The more pratical the study the better, and the shorter the commitment the better. People can sign up, take the class and move on. It used to be that Sunday school was the main entry point into a faith community. Then, it was small groups. Now, it appears affinity groups, service opportunities, and short-term studies and groups are the trend. These groups have a defined starting and ending point, and serve a particular felt need, and that appeals to people these days. So, when the study or group is over, do we watch them go out the door and down the street to the next church because they offer a more relevant study?

I find it difficult to believe people will drive over 100 miles to have a need met. I have to believe there is at least one other church within that 100 miles that could have met that person’s need. I suspect the real reason has something to do with a relationship. It’s probably a charismatic pastor that drew them (that’s personality), or there was a family member that shared something that was happening (that’s personality), or there was a friend or co-worker who invited them (that’s personality) that caused them to drive that first time. Once in the door, the person made a connection on a personal level with someone else, and that keeps them coming back. I believe the key to sustained church growth is relationship. We can design programs and ministries to meet felt needs, but unless we’re creating authentic relationships, the revolving door will just keep turning and we’ll keep competing with each other (for the unchurched and the churched–and accuse each other of stealing sheep).

Most churches I know don’t have the resources to compete with the real competitors of the church–worldliness and belief systems opposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What we do have is a relationship. A relationship with Jesus Christ. Our relationship with Jesus calls us into relationship with others, but not simply to extend a hand to say hello, but to share life together, to bear one another’s burdens, to bear with one another…to sacrifice for one another…to suffer with one another…to encourage one another…to cry with one another…to celebrate with one another…to die for one another…to be Jesus Christ for one another. Yes, that’s it! When we become Jesus Christ for one another, the revolving door will stop turning, and our “felt” needs will be met because what we really need (whether we know it or not) is a relationship with Jesus Christ. It IS what we were created for.

So, I’m getting ready to go “back to church.” But, that’s what I do every Sunday!

Until next time, keep looking up…

I’m not sure why or how, but I get the sense we Methodists have lost our evangelistic zeal. My thought was sparked by two things in particular. First, a classmate from Perkins School of Theology posted on facebook a post concerning the difference in child-rearing and child-bearing. He said he appreciated the fact that the emphasis in United Methodism has been on discipleship (child-rearing), but wondered what happened to evangelism (child-bearing). Of course, discipleship begins when a person makes a profession of faith, but are we being intentional in inviting others into a relationship with Jesus Christ?

The other thing that prompted me to consider whether we’re being evangelistic is reading Francis Asbury’s biography. The early American Methodists had a zeal for “saving souls.” If I may quote John Wesley we can get a glimpse of the passion with which he instructed his preachers: “You have nothing to do but to save souls. Therefore spend and be spent in this work. And go not only to those that need you, but to those that need you most…It is not your business to preach so many times, and to take care of this or that society; but to save as many souls as you can; to bring as many sinners as you possibly can to repentance.” For Wesley, the number one priority of a Methodist preacher was the salvation of sinners (notice Wesley didn’t fudge on using the word sinner). Francis Asbury brought the same attitude to America, and diligently instructed his American preachers in the same manner as Wesley.

Evangelism is not something just left to the preacher, though. Evangelism is the work of the church. It is hard to make disciples if there are no people to be discipled. How are you and your church being evangelists in your community? In what ways are you engaging those who don’t know Jesus Christ? Because I know the self-help section is one of the largest sections in the bookstore, let me offer a list of 10 things every one can do to be more evangelistic. The list is not mine, but it is very practical, and like the Apostle Paul, we really do like our lists.

1. Commit to faithful worship attendance yourself.

This is perhaps the most important thing anyone can do to promote evangelism in the community. Your presence is important to both your spiritual growth and the vitality of your church. Visitors who see a vibrant community with a “critical mass” of people will be more likely to return.

2. Follow up with people who are absent.

People like to know they are missed. Check in on friends, choir mates, or others who miss worship to make sure all is well. Phone calls and handwritten notes are nice, but even a quick Facebook post lets people know that their church friends care and their presence matters.

3. Never judge people who drift away from the church.

You can’t determine the condition of someone’s faith by their worship attendance. They may be attending elsewhere, they may find it difficult to return after the death of a loved one, or they may have to work on Sundays. Whatever the reason, guilt trips are not helpful. Continue to love them and offer pressure-free invitations to worship and other activities.

4. Personally invite others.

This is still the number one means of attracting first time visitors to a congregation, and subsequently into a relationship with Jesus Christ. Special events and service opportunities, however, have taken the place of Sunday morning worship as the easiest entry into the church.

5. Keep your worship bulletin on hand.

This one works only if you make it to worship yourself (see number 1 above). Circle worship times or a specific calendar event, and pass it along to someone with a personal invitation to come. Offer to meet them for coffee beforehand so they won’t have to arrive alone.

6. Keep your eyes peeled.

Even if your church has greeters and excellent signs pointing the way to the bathroom, be aware of people who look uneasy or lost and offer assistance. Watch for people in the parking lot who could use a hand—a parent wrangling three kids and a diaper bag, or someone without an umbrella on a rainy day.

7. Put others before yourself.

Welcoming new people into the church can often mean getting outside our comfort zones. Be open to new people and new ways of doing things. Choose to value a new person’s introduction to Christ more than your own preferences.

8. Adopt a newcomer.

Beyond just greeting new people, invite them to sit with you. Help them understand anything confusing in the worship service. Invite them to lunch after church and introduce them to others as you would a friend. Follow up with them later in the week with your hopes that they will come again.

9. Catch visitors before they leave.

It is estimated that guests leave the church building within three minutes of the service ending. Greet visitors after worship before speaking to family and friends.

10. Pray for people without a church home.

Ask God to open your eyes to people in need of a loving Christian community and to open doors for you to invite them. God can use you to change someone’s life.

Thanks to the folks at Ministry Matters for sharing this practical advice on evangelism. There’s not a single item on the list that needs pastoral or committee approval to implement. All that is required is a passion to “save souls.” Let’s at least be Methodist in that regard!

Until next time, keep looking up…

I wonder if Jesus drinks coffee? I’m not sure whether he does or not, but I know he meets me every morning when I drink mine. Some people visualize Jesus in an empty chair next to them. Others visualize him walking beside them during their daily constitutional. Me? I see him sitting next to me with a cup of coffee in the early morning hours. He’s there in my living room with me. He’s there on the balcony of our room at the beach. He’s here this morning in my hotel room in Baton Rouge. I don’t know if this is sacreligious to say or not, but there’s something sacred in that first cup of coffee every morning.

On some days, Jesus and I read the Bible together (we did this morning). On other days, he sits and watches me write (or type, as the case may be), and it seems as though he’s talking to me as I do, and I find clarity in the words he says as I type them out on the computer. But there are some days we just sit together sipping our coffee. We don’t say any words. You know how it is when guys are together? They sit together for hours and never say a word, or work together on a project and only ocassionally mumble the “nice,” or “cool” to acknowledge a job well done. Guys don’t have to say much together (of course, get two preachers together and the talk is non-stop, but that’s another blog). It’s enough for guys just to be together. That’s the way it is with Jesus and me and our cup of coffee. It’s enough for us to just be together. Just Jesus, me and a good cup of coffee.

Jesus always seems to show up when coffee is around. I like to meet folks for coffee. I like to meet folks for coffee so much that I’m willing to buy…even at Starbuck’s. I’ve called Starbuck’s my office away from the office. I like to meet folks for coffee because the relaxed atmosphere provides just the right environment for Jesus to show up in the conversation. People are much more willing to share in a relaxing place. I think that’s one reason Jesus liked to share meals together with his disciples, and why he was always inviting himself home for dinner (think Nicodemus here). The atmosphere made it easy to open up, and Jesus could always get to the deep stuff at dinner. It works that way in the coffee house, too. When I meet people at Starbuck’s, I get a sense that Jesus is there, too. I hear him in the laughter we share, in the conversations we have, and in the faces of the ones I’m with. There is power in fellowship. I think it’s great. Just Jesus, good friends, me…and a good cup of coffee.

Jesus has a knack for showing up at other times, too, when coffee’s around. Many afternoons, at 3:00 p.m., I go home and Vanessa has coffee ready. This, too, becomes a sacred time for us. For years, it was our routine to be together as the children came in from school. It was just time to be together as a family, to lay out the plans for the evening (who was getting what kid where for what event), to check on homework, and to just do whatever needed attending at the time. It always included coffee. Jesus was always there, too. It’s a tradition that Vanessa and I continue on most days whenever I’m in town. We sit. Sometimes we talk. Sometimes we just hold hands. Sometimes, not many words are shared, but the joy of being together brings renewal and encouragement. Just sitting sipping coffee together. Just Vanessa, me, Jesus…and a good cup of coffee.

Yeah. I’d have to say Jesus drinks coffee. At least he shows up a lot of times when I’m drinking mine. Most days, he doesn’t stay long, just long enough to remind me that he’s my friend, that he loves me, and that he wants to spend time with me. He’s saying now that it’s time to get the day going. There’s work to be done. But he assures me he’ll see me again. Just put the coffee on.

Until next time, keep looking up…

Some habits go easily. Others, not so. I took a trip to the beach last week and didn’t post any of the four days I was gone. It was hard to sit down this morning and gather my thoughts to begin writing. I got out of the habit that quickly. Four days! Oh! That it would have been that easy to stop smoking!

The beach has become somewhat of a moutaintop experience for me. I go to the beach and it reminds me of the majesty and greatness of our God, and it also reminds me of my own smallness. The ocean (or the Gulf of Mexico, in this instance) is a very humbling place to be. I go to the beach, experience the presence and power of God, repent of all my failures, and leave resolved to do things differently in the future. I set some pretty high spiritual goals in those moments of majesty at the beach.

The mountaintop moments of life are incredible, uplifting experiences of God’s greatness, but they don’t do much to grow our faith because we don’t live our lives on the mountain (or down by the beach). We come back to the real world, and often, after the mountaintop moment, we are confronted again with the challenges to our faith and our daily walk with Christ. The last thing I want to happen is to feel worse a week from now because I wasn’t able to maintain feelings of repentance, and the spiritual goals I set seem only distant memories faded fast by the blur of daily activities.

So, what am I supposed to do if I can’t maintain that mountaintop (beachside) moment? I think that’s where our daily habits come into play. Maybe we call them “holy habits,” those things we do daily to draw us into a deeper faith in Jesus. John Wesley was big on “holy habits” (he called them “works of piety”), and encouraged his Methodists (especially us preachers) to develop them in their lives. He named prayer (both public and private), fasting, seaching the Scriptures (again, both public and private), participating in Holy Communion, and holy conversations as those most effective for deepening a relationship with Jesus Christ. These “means of grace” become channels of God’s presence with us, transforming us day by day, and giving us strength in the space between the moutaintop moments. Unfortunately, I’ve relied too much on the mountaintop moment for my faith development, and too little on the “holy habit.” It is because some habits are easier to come than others!

One of the reasons I’m contemplating this whole idea is because I spent time reading more of the biography of Francis Asbury. There is little doubt in my mind that early Methodism grew so far so fast because Methodists sought to be holy people, and they did so by practicing holy habits. Early Methodists changed the world because they were being changed by the power of God living in them and through them. We want to see power again as Methodists? Maybe we seek holiness a little more, and maybe we need to seek it through holy living.

So I come down from the mountain (up from the beach, actually) with a renewed commitment to do better, to live holier. It’s not a commitment I will keep on my own. If I try to keep it on my own, I will fail miserably. Guess what? We’re not supposed to keep it on our own! We’re supposed to live our faith in community (that’s why is called the “community of faith,” duh!). In community, we find accountability, and we all need accountability, don’t we? That was part and parcel of the early Methodist way, in the bands and class meetings, and in the questions Wesley asked of his preachers. For accountability to work, though, we have to be willing to submit ourselves to accountability. That’s where I often run into difficulty. Maybe if I begin to see my submission to be accountable to others as a reflection of my submission to Jesus, it might transform that, too. It’s easy to say I’m submitted to Jesus. I don’t have to look him in the eye every day. But, my brother across the street (or across town, or across the desk, or across…), now that’s a different story altogether. As I’ve said before, Jesus with a little skin on can make all the difference.

I will pray more (hold me accountable for that), I will fast (oh, please hold me accountable for this one), I will read the Bible more, and I will engage myself in more holy conversations. There will be many days I will feel like I’m not getting anything out of it, but I will remember that little things faithfully done are what sustain us through the challenges and opportunities of daily life. Those times I feel I’m not getting anything out of the habits may be the very days the Holy Spirit is doing the greatest work in my life. Perhaps this will make the mountaintop (or the seaside) moment even more meaningful in the long run.

It’s easy to get out of a habit. Let me see if it’s as easy to get into one.

Until next time, keep looking up…