God Is Still God

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

Gladys Aylward was a missionary to China in the first half of the twentieth century. Forced to flee when the Japanese invaded Yangcheng she set out to take over one hundred orphans over the mountains to freedom. The book The Hidden Price of Greatness by Ray Besson and Ranelda Mack Hunsicker tells the story:

“During Gladys’s harrowing journey out of war-torn Yangcheng. . . she grappled with despair as never before. After passing a sleepless night, she faced the morning with no hope of reaching safety. A thirteen year old girl in the group reminded her of their much-loved story of Moses and the Israelites crossing the Red Sea.
“But I am not Moses,” Gladys cried in desperation. “Of course you aren’t,” the girl said, “but Jehovah is still God!” With determination and God’s blessings Gladys and the orphans made it to safety and demonstrated that indeed, “God is still God.” In troubling times such as these we may need to remind ourselves that God is still God and God in ultimately in control of our world.

Of course, we should recognize in this story the dedication practiced by this devoted missionary. Years before this incident she had given her life to God and for many years she had served faithfully as a servant of Christ. I’m afraid that too often we want God to richly bless us but we are unwilling to keep up our end of the bargain. We want salvation without sacrifice; the blessings of the kingdom without paying the price of admission. We also want the benefits of a modern capitalist economy without understanding the full cost of the “stuff” we purchase. We want all of these things and we want them NOW!

It amazes me, though I am no longer surprised by this kind of behavior by our leaders, that almost no one is talking about the real source of our financial crisis. Of course, greed is mentioned from time to time, but only as a characteristic of those on Wall Street. The truth is that television, advertising, and other modern developments have seduced us into the idolatrous worship of material goods to an extent never seen in the history of humankind.

In my last post I suggested it was time for all of us to examine our own lifestyles and commitments, to ask ourselves some hard questions. Let me suggest a simple process. Spend some time thinking about your purpose in life. A great way to do this is to write your personal mission statement. Make a list of your core values, the things that are really important to you. Start writing down every penny you spend. Beside each entry place a + sign if that entry supports your personal mission and values. Put a – sign beside any entry that does not align with your mission and values. Without guilt, keep doing this and over time you may see more and more + signs.

All my life I have struggled with a lack of alignment between what I preach and what I practice. I believe few of us truly align our claimed beliefs with our actions. This little exercise just may help you do that. If we all tried this I believe we would experience more peace, true prosperity, less anxiety and stress, greater joy and meaning in life.

Economic Crisis!

Valerie Dixon recently reminded me of a story I’ve heard many times. An airplane was flying through some turbulent air. It was so bad, even the crew were frightened. While the passengers all buckled their seats belts and gritted their teeth there was one little girl that sat relaxed, playing with her doll.

The lady sitting next to her asked the child, “Aren’t you afraid?” “Oh, no,” the calm little girl answered. “My daddy’s the pilot and he knows I’m on board.”

I’ve faced my share of turbulence in life. I suspect that you have as well. But, through it all I have believed that God is in control and he knows I am on board. Whether it was the death of my parents or the death of my daughter; heart surgery or cancer; success or failure; through the good, bad, and ugly; God has always been there for me.

In recent days I have needed to remind myself of this truth. With economists and politicians talking about economic crisis I need to be reminded that God is in control ultimately of all that is.

In these days of economic uncertainty I find comfort in the words of Jesus found in the Sermon On the Mount: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" (Matthew 6:25-26)

These words bring comfort but Jesus certainly didn’t mean to suggest God will give you everything you want. Nor did he mean that we should simply rely upon God and not do our part. A significant way God takes care of us is by commanding us to take care of one another. This same Jesus is the one who insists we will be judged finally by how well we care for others, especially the least, the last, and the lost. “All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me”(Matthew 25:32-36).

Join me in praying for our nation and its leaders. We need to pray that God will give them wisdom in these perilous times. We need to pray for our neighbors, here and around the world, especially those who are the most vulnerable.

We need also to examine our own lifestyles and commitments. We need to examine our own hearts; ask ourselves some hard questions. Surely we can see more clearly today that we can’t trust wall street or main street to bring us lasting happiness. Surely we must see where greed and looking out for number one really get us.

I read a quote this week that has really stuck with me: “Money ain’t what it used to be—and never was!" Where are you placing your trust these days? We've tried trusting in mammon. Maybe its time we trusted Jesus and really tried it God's way.

Something Is Missing

Herb Miller tells about a conversation between a pastor and his parishioner who was very active in many organizations: : “His calendar is so full that he hardly has time to breathe because of his philanthropic investments. .. but he said to me, ‘I’ve got all this fellowship. I’m active in Scouts, “I’m active in Missions. But there’s still something missing in my life. I can’t put my finger on it, but I know it’s there and I want it.’ I sat there thinking. . . What you are yearning for is not more relationships with people; you are seeking a deeper relationship with God.”

This man’s predicament is not unusual. Our community is full of people who have a void in their lives and they fail to understand that only God can fill that void. This is only one of the reasons the church is so important. The church is the only organization in our community that provides us fellowship opportunities with other people, and also seeks to relate us in a personal way with God.

This is not to say if one “pops” into church occasionally that one will “automatically” find God. Rarely does anything so important come that easily. Like all interpersonal relationships we have to work at our relationship with God. Of course, we do not “earn our salvation” but we do have to “practice His presence.”

I came across a little poem years ago. I don’t recall the name of the author, but it reminds me of how busy lives can often interfere with our relationship with God.

Checks to write, Bills to pay.
Clothes to wash and put away.
Floors to clean-windows, too.
Dust to wipe. Dishes to do.
Ironing towers in the hall.
“What’s for dinner?” voices call.
Kids need our time and love each day.
Husbands do too, so they say.
Or if you’re single, you get to do
The work of not just one, but two!!
Just for today, just let it slide.
Block it out, push it aside.
And let your Lord renew your soul,
Refresh your spirit, make you whole.
Just rest a while in Abba’s arms
Free from hurry, fear and harm.
Lean close and hear His gentle voice,
“Just for today, make ME first choice.”

Remember, church is not a duty, but rather the place to find rest, comfort, and peace. As we celebrate the risen Lord, let’s follow the example of the early church and invite our friends and family to join us for Sunday School and worship as we fellowship together with God to fill that void in our lives.

I pray that everyone stays safe during the approaching stormy weather and I hope to see you in the morning.

Dr. Gary

The Story Stool

From time to time someone asks me about my “Story Stool.” Just as Jesus told stories, often without explanation, we can use stories to help people “see” what the gospel means. Jesus understood that abstract language cannot adequately communicate the dynamic nature of the gospel. William White has stated, “A message that is difficult to picture or envision in the mind’s eye is nearly impossible to believe.”

Andrew Greeley, the great Catholic storyteller, concludes, “The church seems to have overestimated the importance of prepositional instruction and notably underestimated the importance of storytelling in the development of the religious imagination.” If the Bible is any indication, we can conclude that story is a more powerful builder of faith than is doctrine and abstract language.

Beldon Lane suggests we distinguish between halakah and haggadah. Halakah is based on reason and is primarily abstract in nature. This would include the letters of Paul and most of current theology.

Haggadah uses metaphor and picture. This has been the primary method in the Jewish tradition. Most of scripture is haggadic in nature. The Gospels are primarily stories about Jesus, or stories that Jesus told.

If we are to effectively communicate the gospel, we need both halakah and haggadah—both reasoned reflection and story!

Prior to the development of the printing press the gospel was passed on primarily by oral traditions—storytelling. We are now living on the boundary between the print era and the electronic era. Today, people are once again absorbed by stories (TV/movies) think in stories, and therefore, the preacher needs to “preach” in stories.

This is also why we are using more and more video in worship services. A movie clip can send a powerful message. A picture is worth a thousand words and a moving picture can leave us speechless.

There is nothing new about using stories to teach. Jesus used them almost exclusively. Neither is the use of pictures anything new. The use of stained glass is an ancient example. God gave us five senses. We remember something better when more than one sense is used. Something we see as well as hear is simply more likely to be remembered than something only heard.

We learn complex behaviors primarily by observing others. We learn to parent by experiencing the parenting skills of our parents. When we are shown by example in the context of a story how one can live out our faith we are more likely to follow that example. After all, we are not trying to teach people about God so much as we are trying to help people experience God. Stories, pictures, videos, all are used to help us see the gospel and become more like Jesus.
Hope to see you Sunday!
Dr. Gary

Living Up To Our Label

Soon after we were married Robin decided she would rather do the grocery shopping by herself rather than have me accompany her. Oh, she never stated this explicitly, but volunteered to do it alone. I realized that I slowed her down too much. I spent much too much time comparing prices and reading labels. Robin simply pulled what she wanted off the shelf and placed it in the shopping cart.

Reading labels can be educational and entertaining. What about orange juice labeled “Fresh” but which in truth is made from concentrate? What about that purse labeled “GENUINE Manmade LEATHER?” It seems to me that genuine should mean the “real” thing, authentic, natural.

So, what does all this have to do with our Christian faith?

Sometimes I wonder if we mislabel ourselves. From time to time I see people who call themselves Christians acting terribly unlike Christ. Jesus Christ loved his enemies, had compassion for the least, the lost, and the last. Many people who label themselves Christians express hatred for their enemies and show little compassion for anyone, especially those who are different in some way.

Perhaps we should all ask ourselves if we are living up to our label. We are called Christians because we are supposed to be followers of Jesus who was killed for his radical call to love others. As Christians we are called by God to share our time, our talent, and our treasure with others, especially those less fortunate.

Years ago I read something that might be a little test of how well we might be living up to our label:
If your car starts one out of three times, do you consider it “faithful?”
If your paper doesn’t arrive Monday and Thursday, would they be missed?’
If you fail to come to work two or three days a month, would your boss call you “faithful?”
If your air conditioner quits for a day now and then, do you excuse it and say, “Oh well, it works most of the time.”
If you missed a couple of car payments in a year’s time, would the bank say, “Ten out of twelve isn’t bad?”
If you miss worship one third of the time, are you faithful?”

Here’s the point:
Do you give the same commitment to God and His church that you do to the rest of life?

Consumed

I read once about a species of jellyfish that lives in the Bay of Naples. Apparently these slimy little creatures love to eat a certain kind of snail with a hard shell the jellyfish cannot digest. The snail fastens itself to the inside of the jellyfish and slowly eats away on its host. Before long the jellyfish has been consumed by the snail. Reading about these jellyfish reminded me that we are sometimes consumed by the very things we consume. We have appetites for things that look, smell, and feel good, but in the long run can destroy us. Even things that are good for us in appropriate amounts, like food and work, can destroy us when consumed in inappropriate amounts.

I recently attended a meeting with the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity. I’ve been associated with this great organization for over twenty years. I was reminded of the story of its founder, Millard Fuller. Fuller rose from humble beginnings to become a millionaire as a very young man of 29. But while his business flourished, his personal life suffered. He began to reassess his values, and after some serious soul-searching made some major changes in direction.

Fuller reconciled with his wife. The two of them renewed their commitment to God, sold all of their possessions, gave their money to the poor, and joined Koinonia Farm, a Christian community near Americus, Georgia. There they began to build low-cost, affordable housing on a not-for-profit, no-interest basis. Over a period of time this program developed into Habitat for Humanity. This organization has now built hundreds of thousands of homes for the working poor around the world.

Millard Fuller sums up his life work like this: “I see life as both a gift and a responsibility. My responsibility is to use what God has given me to help his people in need.”

Not everyone is called to do what Millard Fuller did. But he is right that life is both a gift and a responsibility. Can you imagine how the world would be different if each Christian took God’s call on our lives seriously. What if each one of us simply invited someone to church this Sunday? We don’t have to feed five thousand like Jesus did. What if we each of us fed just one hungry person? What if each one of us helped build just one Habitat house? What if each one of us just visited one lonely or sick person? What if. . . (You fill it in!)

Shalom,
Dr. Gary

Introducing One

In September, 2000, The United States joined with 188 nations to affirm a set of international development goals in the United Nations Millenium Declaration. The eight Millennium Development Goals reflect an understanding of the devastation caused by global hunger and poverty and aim for a world that is free of such suffering. They have galvanized unprecedented efforts to meet the needs of the world’s poorest by 2015. Our national leaders committed to these goals but are falling far behind in their implementation.

These eight Millennium Development Goals are:
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
2. Achieve universal primary education.
3. Promote gender equality and empower women.
4. Reduce child mortality.
5. Improve maternal health.
6. Combat HIV/AIDs, malaria and other diseases.
7. Ensure environmental sustainability.
8. Develop a global partnership for development.

These goals could be accomplished if the developing world would use only a very small share of our wealth in wise ways to help the extreme poor of this world. Much of our “so called” foreign aid requires those on the receiving end to use the aid to purchase American made goods. This is why most of it actually comes under the “Farm Bill.” Most people are shocked when they learn how little our country actually gives directly to programs that would accomplish the Millenium Development Goals. According to leading economist Jeffrey Sachs we donate less than 15 cents out of every 100 dollars of gross national product to help the extremely poor of this world.

What we need to understand is that it is in our best interest to do better. Even Colin Powell has said, “The war against terror is bound up in the war against poverty.” When we help strengthen poorer nations economically they develop more wealth with which to purchase American products. It certainly is the Christ-like thing to do; Jesus clearly commands us to feed the hungry and clothe the naked.

There is an international movement to encourage developed nations to do more to help the most vulnerable in our world. In the United States the movement is connected by an organization known as One. The name has multiple meanings. We need to stand together as “one” to fight extreme poverty and suffering in the world. The idea is to encourage our government to give at least one percent of GNP to accomplish the Millennium Development Goals. Over one hundred nonprofit agencies and organizations have come together to support the work of One.

I have been supporting the work of One for several years. You will find a link to their web site in my links on the right side of this page. I encourage you to click on their site and spend some time educating yourself on the issues. I believe with all my heart that Jesus will be pleased that you have taken the time. And I believe that He will be even more pleased if you get involved. You can start by signing their current petition asking all G8 nations to live up to their promises already made.

Paying the Consequences

David Brooks is a columnist for The New York Times and is carried in the SunHerald. In yesterday’s paper he wrote about “Paying the consequences of the great seduction." He began the article:

The people who created this country built a moral structure around money. The Puritan legacy inhibited luxury and self-indulgence. Benjamin Franklin spread a practical gospel that emphasized hard work, temperance and frugality. Millions of parents, preachers, newspaper editors and teachers expounded the message. The result was quite remarkable.

Brooks went on to suggest that while the United States has always had many affluent people, we were not corrupted by our wealth. For most of our history our people continued to be “industrious, ambitious and frugal.” However, Brooks believes that this has changed over the past 30 years. Again he writes:

The social norms and institutions that encouraged frugality and spending what you earn have been undermined. The institutions that encourage debt and living for the moment have been strengthened. The country’s moral guardians are forever looking for decadence out of Hollywood and reality TV. But the most rampant decadence today is financial decadence, the trampling of decent norms about how to use and harness money.

I couldn’t agree more. And the amazing thing is that it is all there in the Bible. We’ve been warned since the days of Genesis. Jesus never mentioned homosexuality but he talked constantly about how we use our money.

Brooks points out that “The loosening of financial inhibition has meant more options for the well-educated but more temptation and chaos for the most vulnerable.” He also reminds us that the sociology of our culture has changed. Research I did for my doctoral dissertation helped me realize that we simply do not have the kind of social connections people had in the past that acted as controls on our economic passions. Brooks insists, “Social norms, the invisible threads that guide behavior, have deteriorated.”

Our attitudes toward the material things of this world are destroying us. Brooks identifies gambling as an example, especially the lottery. He reports that Twenty percent of Americans regularly play the lottery. Called by some “a tax on stupidity,” some studies have suggested that as much as ten percent of the income in relatively low income households is spent on the lottery. Government sponsored gambling, teaching people the way to get ahead is to win the lottery rather than hard, honest work.

For Jesus, few decisions in life are more important than how we use the resources given to us by God. We will all one day stand before God and be accountable for what we did with what He gave us!

Brooks concludes his article suggesting some ways we might deal with the increasing debt problem in America. He suggests that the most important is to shift values. I agree. But not just about debt. We, especially Christians, need to seriously examine our values in general. What are most important in our lives? The things of God’s Kingdom or the things of this material world?

I’ll be talking this week in my sermon about overcoming fear. See ya Sunday!

Father Knows Best

I recently preached a message on the subjects of worry and stress. No doubt we can all agree we live in stressful times. In Wednesday’s newspaper there was an interesting article entitled “Stress from debt grows: Health problems increase along with card balances.” Jeannine Aversa began her article “The stress from deepening debt is becoming a major pain in the neck, back, head and stomach for millions of Americans.” She pointed out that there is convincing evidence that the bad economy is leading many to bad health, including “ulcers, severe depression, heart attacks” in addition to such maladies as panic attacks. She quotes Edward Driscoll who faces $10,000 of debt, “Worrying, you know, where the next payment of this is going to come from.”

The actual statistics are amazing. Aversa reports that 27% of those with high debt stress had ulcers or digestive tract problems, compared with 8 percent of those with lower levels of debt. Of those with higher debt 44% report migraine or other headaches, compared with only 15% of those in the lower debt category. Those with higher debt have twice the rates of heart attacks and almost six times the rate of depression. Even back pain is experienced by almost twice as many with higher levels of stress from debt.

So, why am I mentioning all of this? After all, I’m no economist. And surely, since our congregation is made up of educated, middleclass Americans, this isn’t a problem for us. We know better. Right? Duh.

Aversa concludes her article by stating that “The survey found that upwardly mobile, middleclass families were among those who had the most debt stress.” And Christians aren’t immune to such behavior. We would be if we were serious followers of Jesus Christ as we claim to be. But too often we aren’t. Too often we fall into the consumerist traps, thinking we’ve got to have the latest gadget because our neighbors or friends have it—whether we can afford it or not. Just put it on the credit card and make the minimum payment—paying usury to companies that care only about making as much money as they can off of their customers.

The real problem for Christians is that we use God’s rich blessings in ways that bring increasing stress, destroys our health, and uses up God’s resources in selfish ways rather than being a blessing to others as God intends. We can’t tithe as God calls us to do because we are too deep in debt. God gives us what we need and then some to share with others in need. We use it in unhealthy ways and miss the blessing and fail to bless others, which would bring the greatest blessing of all.

Maybe on this week of Father’s Day we should realize that “Father Knows Best.” Our heavenly father really knows how we should live to find real meaning, purpose, peace, and lasting joy in life. We can struggle to accumulate things that rot, rust, and wear out, giving us headaches and heart attacks—or we can give our lives for things that last for all eternity. It’s your choice—and mine!

Marxists vs. Materialists?

Tony Campolo teaches sociology at a Christian college and leads an organization that provides many social ministries in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. In his book Wake Up America!: Answering God’s Radical Call While Living in the Real World he tells about once giving a group of top educators from the old Soviet Union a tour of his ministry’s work. The group included the rectors of two very prestigious universities and the Russian Deputy Minister of Education. Tony showed them their children’s programs, their youth clubs, even their Christian school for disadvantaged children.

Finally, after a long day of visits, interviews, and much note taking, they joined in a time of debriefing. Tony asked them what they thought about what they had observed throughout the day. Their response was surprising. “These teenagers are so materialistic!” they remarked. “All that these young people talked about was making money.” The Deputy Minister of Education added, somewhat hesitantly, “I am somewhat disappointed in your children. Since they are Christians, I expected that they would be concerned about spiritual things. Instead, they are more materialistic than the Marxist youth in my country. They seem to be devoid of any lofty, idealistic vision.” And this coming from a Marxist!

Tony reflected upon this experience:
“I asked myself if Christian kids in America have always been this way. . . Has the spirit of idealism departed from our collective consciousness without our being aware of it? Can it be that, in an era when religion has become one of the most prominent features of our culture, we Americans have lost our guiding inner light and lofty calling?
. . . I have to admit that I sense that something has been lost to America. I have a feeling that the sacredness of our national character has been ‘slipsliding’ away.”

I’m afraid Tony may be right. And our children learned it from their parents! It’s not just the secular materialists in our country. Many church pews are packed on Sunday with materialists who claim to be Christians. The conversations around the church coffee pot are much the same as those around the company water cooler. Maybe a few less curse words, but just as materialistic.

I love the title to Campolo’s book: Wake Up America! Answering God’s Radical Call While Living in the Real World. But I’m afraid most Christians don’t even realize that God’s call is a radical call.

Let’s get personal for just a moment. Do YOU feel that God has a radical call on your life? How are you responding to that call? Do you have a “spirit of idealism” as mentioned by Tony Campolo? Have you lost your “lofty, idealistic vision?” Would you consider yourself a materialist or do spiritual matters mean the most in your life?

Are You Ready To Stop Playing Church?

Let’s talk. I need to share with you today from my heart. I will be sixty years old this year. I have been a pastor for many years. Can I confess something very important to you? Much of that time I’ve felt I was playing church. There is such a profound disconnect from what I see in most modern churches from what I read in scripture. In the early church the Christians were willing to follow Jesus anywhere he led. Some of them even followed Jesus to the Roman coliseum where they were eaten by the lions. We’ve all read about martyrs who have given their lives for God. But somehow we see these as special heroes who really have nothing to do with ME.

Why is it that we think that Jesus really didn’t mean it when he required his followers to follow him--to take up our cross? Why is it we think we can count ourselves followers of Jesus when we fail to follow him? Is it because we are surrounded by others who call themselves followers of Christ who aren’t really following the example of Jesus? Hello!

I have decided that I’m too old and have too little time left to play church. I want to be a true follower of Jesus.

I’ve been talking with God a lot lately about what thius means for me as a pastor. His answer has been---can you guess?--- “Follow Me.” Surprise!
“But, God,” I’ve said, “What does that mean?”
God keeps responding, “How did Jesus spend most of his time?”
“Hummmmmmm. I guess he spent most of his time coaching the twelve disciples. Then sent them out with the great commission”
“Bingo!---- and they went out coaching others who coached still others until the lives of millions have been touched.”
“Yea, God. That’s our church strategy: Connect, Coach, Commission.”

So, here goes. I believe God is showing me that nothing is more important than to spend time coaching a small group of people who have made a commitment to become obedient disciples of Jesus Christ and who will, in turn, coach others. Nothing I could do with my time is more important. This is God’s strategy .

This means that I’m looking to CONNECT with a few good men or women. We’re COACH one another and GROW together. Only the serious should apply. After a period of sharing and spiritual growth we will all be COMMISSIONED to go out and connect with others. It all starts with COMMITMENT.

Are you ready to let God really transform your life? Are you ready to make a serious commitment to follow Christ? Are you ready to discover God’s purpose for your life? Are you ready to find the amazing joy of making an eternal difference in the world? Give me a call-- let’s get together and talk about it.

Are you ready to stop playing church?

Fill The Jar Before You Leave

I grew up on a farm where hard work was expected from everyone, including the children. The boys began driving the mules or the tractors at a very young age. My first hand at the wheel came when I was no more than six or seven years old, steering the tractor between bales of hay while my older brothers loaded the trailer. I began “chopping” cotton when I was not much older. My dad had a heart attack when I was eleven years old. The next summer he assigned me one of his primary tasks. It became my job to drive our truck through the Indian Reservation to gather “hands.” I picked them up, took them to the fields, worked them all day, paid them their wages, then took them home.

Chopping cotton on a farm in Mississippi gets to be hot work. In the edge of one field stood the old original farmhouse with its well in the front yard. There was a hand pump with a quart jar of water kept sitting beside the pump. The water in the jar was used to prime the pump.

Now the problem was that if the pump had not been used for a while the seals would become dry. There was a bit of a trick when this happened to get the pump primed with just a quart of water. My father, however, warned me never to drink the water in the jar. If I did this there would be no chance to prime the pump.

You have probably heard the story of Desert Pete. A man was lost in the desert, dying for water. He came upon a shack and saw an old rusty water pump. Beside the pump was a jug of water and a note: “My friend, you have to prime the pump with the water in this jug. P.S. Be sure to fill the jug again before you leave.” It was signed Desert Pete.

The man was faced with a decision. What if he used the water in the pump but it failed to provide water? He decided to trust the note. At first there were only squeaks. . . but finally cool, clear water began to gush from the pump. He refilled the jug, drank all he wanted, then left the jug filled with life-giving water for the next person who might come along.

Jesus tells us in Luke 6:38, “Give and it will be given unto you.” God has given so much to you and me. He calls us to pass it on to others. Many of the blessings God has bestowed on me have come through others who were willing to be used by God. God wants to bless others through you and me.

Are you willing to give your time, talents, and treasure that others may be blessed? That is exactly what it means to be a follower of Christ!

Into The World

Mike Slaughter is pastor of Ginghamsburg Church, a United Methodist fellowship in Tipp City, Ohio, 16 miles north of Dayton. When Mike went there 29 years ago the church was a small 104-year-old country chapel on a quarter of an acre of ground with less than 100 people. Today it is one of the largest and fastest growing churches in the country. How did Mike transform a small dying church into the thriving congregation this church is today? He briefly explains in an article in the current issue of Circuit Rider, a clergy magazine published by The United Methodist Publishing House:

Ginghamsburg did not have quality music, facility, or space for adequate parking when people would start to come. There was no way that we could compete in quality with the larger churches around us. We decided to be the one thing that Jesus calls us to be. We could love in practical need-meeting ways and work at closing the gaps of disparity for the “least of these.”

Mike’s church organized a food pantry and clothes closet, later adding a car and furniture ministry. These ministries have grown over the years, serving nearly 40,000 people in 2007. They began an after-school tutoring program with at-risk elementary children in surrounding neighborhoods.

Mike continues to explain in the article:
One of the most transforming endeavors for our church has been our commitment to live more simply through the experience of sacrificial giving at Christmas so that others may simply live. We challenge each other to have a simple Christmas and to give an equal amount or more than our family would normally spend on ourselves toward a critical current missional need in the world. Over the last three years, our people have brought over $2.8 million at Christmas to invest in The Sudan Project (www.thesudanproject.org) through our partner sister organization the United Methodist Committee On Relief.

Ginghamsburg Church is a church known around the world for its exciting, contemporary worship, its use of graphics and modern technology, and its cutting edge advertising. But in this article the pastor who has led this church to be one of the most progressive congregations in the world is giving most of the credit for their growth to their commitment to mission and ministry, in the community and around the world.

Mike Slaughter insists that “The true greatness of any local church is measured by how many people are serving the marginalized.” He states in this article that it’s all about our mission to make disciples. “The business of the church is to engage and empower disciples of Jesus in meeting the needs and closing the gaps of disparity for the least of these.”

I totally agree. What do you think?

Bibs and Aprons

There has been something of interest for Christians going around on the Internet lately about bibs and aprons:

Bibs are for people who only want to be fed.
Bibs are for those who are not yet ready or willing to feed themselves.
Bibs are for those who are more interested in being served than in serving.
Bibs are for those who insist that the church exists for them and their needs.
Bibs are for babes in the faith, those who haven't caught God's vision for the church or those who are not yet of the faith.
Aprons are for those who have a heart to serve others in Jesus' name.
Aprons are for those who know that they are the church.
Aprons are for those who don't mind getting their hands dirty.
Aprons are for those who take the time daily to feed their spiritual hunger.
Aprons are for those who are growing in faith, and hunger to help others grow.

We have just spent 40 days in Lent preparing ourselves spiritually for the celebration of the resurrection of Christ. On Maundy Thursday we were reminded of how Jesus washed his disciples' feet at the Lord's Supper. "So he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel (apron) around his waist. After that he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him." (John 13:4-5)

"When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. ‘Do you understand what I have done for you?' he asked them. . . I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." (John 13:12, 15-17)

So. . . What are you wearing? A bib or an apron?

BTW. Remember that this Sunday we will begin our six week study based on John Ortberg's best selling book If You Want To Walk On Water, You've Got To Get Out Of The Boat. I've ordered some extra books so I hope to see you there!

Wet Pants And The Resurrection

It seems like another life—those elementary school days at Zepher Hill back in Neshoba County. There was a boy in our class who had an embarrassing physical problem. Billy could not control his bladder and so every day would wet his pants. It was obviously a difficult situation. I was reminded of Billy recently when I read an email that has been making the rounds:

“Come with me to a third grade classroom. . . There is a nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk and all of a sudden there is a puddle between his feet and his pants are wet in front. He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has happened. It’s never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will never hear the end of it. When the girls find out, they’ll never speak to him again as long as he lives.

The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and prays this prayer, "Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes from now I’m dead meat.”

He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her eyes that says he has been discovered. As the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the boy’s lap.

The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself, “Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!”

Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out. All the other children are on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy is wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to someone else—Susie. She tries to help clean up, but they tell her to get out of the way. “You’ve done enough, you klutz!”

Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers, “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” Susie whispers back, “I wet my pants once too.”

Sometimes I think we have difficulty connecting Biblical concepts with our daily lives. What has Easter and this talk of resurrection have to do with me? Of course, it is a profound reminder that this life is not the end. But it is also a poignant exemplar of a God-given paradigm: new life follows self-sacrifice. We are called every day to bring new life into the world by serving others. Life with meaning and purpose and joy and peace. Susie was willing to take ridicule in order to save a friend from ridicule. The best way to celebrate Easter is to renew our commitment to Christ and follow his example of self-sacrifice. In what way is God calling you to do this?

Are We All A Bit Cuckoo?

I’m not an avianologist but my understanding is that the cuckoo bird never builds its own nest. The mother bird lays its eggs in another bird’s nest and then flies away. Since the other bird is a little weak at mathematics it never notices that there are new eggs in the nest. When the eggs hatch the cuckoo is usually larger than the other birds. Some cuckoos can grow to a height of twenty-five inches. Since the young cuckoo has the largest mouth it usually gets the worms the unsuspecting bird brings for her young. A mother thrush may feed a baby cuckoo that is three or four times its own size!

Since the baby cuckoo is the one getting most of the food and is naturally much larger it quickly outgrows the other babies in the nest. The cuckoo gets stronger as the mother’s own offspring become weaker and weaker. Over time the healthier, more powerful young bird begins to throw the sick, frail little ones from the nest. In fact, a cuckoo nest can often be found by looking for dead baby birds lying on the ground.

The apostle Paul wrote, “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God” (Romans 8 5-8).

Stuart Briscoe has suggested that Paul is reminding us that we have “two natures in one nest. The nature that you go on feeding will grow, and the nature that you go on starving will diminish.” So the question for you and me today is, “Which nature are we really feeding?”

On March 30 we are going to begin a six week study based on John Ortberg’s best selling book If You Want To Walk On Water, You’ve Got To Get Out Of The Boat. We will begin each Sunday evening with a light fellowship meal at 5 p.m. This study will feed our spirits so that we might grow our Godly nature! The participant's book will cost $9. If you want Ortberg's hardback book on which the study is based I can get one for you at the special price of $15. Please let me know you plan to attend so that I can order a book(s) for you. Hope to see each and every one of you there and I’m excited about the time we will have together.

Will you join me?
Dr. Gary

Seven Deadly Words

You may have heard about the five monkeys in a cage. Experimenters hung a banana on a string at the top of a ladder. It wasn’t long, of course, before all the monkeys were climbing the ladder to get the banana. But as soon as the forbidden fruit was touched, all the monkeys in the cage were sprayed with cold water. Again, it wasn’t long before the monkeys learned to leave the banana alone. If one animal got courageous and attempted to retrieve the banana, the other monkeys in the cage would force them to stop. At this point the spraying of the animals in the cage ceased, never to be used again.

Now, however, the researchers replaced one of the monkeys. Whenever the new monkey tried to get the banana, the other monkeys in the cage would immediately prevent this animal from proceeding. One by one each original monkey was replaced. One by one, each new animal learned that the banana was off limits, even though none of them had ever been sprayed or in any way stopped by the researchers.

So, why didn’t the monkeys get the banana that was now so available? “Well, that just isn’t what we do around here!” Someone has suggested that the seven deadly words for the church is “That’s not the way we do things.” Sometimes we humans also have a very narrow view of reality. We think that present reality is the only way things can be. Or, at least, is the way things should be. The book of Proverbs in the bible tells us, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

I’m not endorsing his candidacy, but it seems to me that Barack Obama has hit a nerve in our country. People are hungry for a leader with vision. Voters are responding to his call for change. The American people want to believe that tomorrow can be better than today. We all want to believe that there is someone out there who can lead us to the promised land of peace and prosperity with justice.

I happen to believe that God is more likely to lead us to that place than any politician. And that God calls the church to be the major transforming force in society to accomplish this dream. That means you and me. Scary, isn’t it. But what an exciting challenge! Are you willing to be used by God to change the world?

Thinking and Living Outside The Box

There’s a wonderful old story about a farmer who owed a lot of money to the village moneylender that he was unable to repay. The “banker,” who fancied the farmer’s beautiful daughter, made an offer to the indebted property owner.

The moneylender would forgive the man’s debt in exchange for the daughter’s hand in marriage. The farmer and the young lady were both appalled by the proposal. The moneylender then suggested that they allow providence to settle the matter. He proposed that he put two small stones in a bag, one white and one black. If the daughter picked the white stone the debt would be forgiven. If she picked the black stone the moneylender would get the property and the daughter would agree to marry him.

The daughter was a very wise young lady. She did not trust the man and was convinced he was trying to trick her father. She watched suspiciously as the moneylender picked up two stones. Carefully scrutinizing his movement she observed that the man picked up two black pebbles.

Now, it seemed that the daughter had three choices: She could refuse to make a choice. She could expose the moneylender as a cheat. Or, she could pick one of the stones and sacrifice herself for the sake of her father. None of these choices would have pleasant results, but there seemed to be no good alternative.

The wise young lady, however, quickly came up with another plan. She reached into the bag pulling out a stone. But, before anyone had a chance to see its color she dropped the pebble onto the stone strewn ground.

“Oh, how clumsy of me,” she said. “I’m so sorry. I supposed we will have to see what stone is left in the bag. If a black stone is left then I must have picked the white one.”

We are reminded by this magnificent story that even the most difficult problems do have solutions. Sometimes, however, we have to think outside the box. That’s what we have been trying to do for some time at Biloxi First UMC. The problems faced by the 21st century church are increasingly difficult. Most thoughtful Christian leaders are convinced that the church will not survive this century with “business as usual.”

I’m persuaded that Christ is calling us to live lives of radical discipleship. The world will sit up and take note when we live out our faith in a way that makes a real difference. The church is often seen by others as a fraud because we don’t practice what we preach. Too often the world has been right.

Let’s pray that God will help us think and live outside the box, but in a way that will be pleasing to Him! And in a way that others see as significant and in which they want to participate.

Got any ideas?
Dr. Gary

Adding Our Personal Signature

Barbara Glanz is a motivational speaker, author, and business consultant. She tells a wonderful story about speaking to 3,000 employees of a supermarket chain on the subject of customer loyalty and regenerating the spirit in the marketplace. In this speech she suggested employees add their “personal signature” to their work. This means doing something that differentiates one’s work from that of other people who do the same job.

For Example, she shared how a United Airlines pilot writes notes to several passengers during each flight, thanking them for their business. She told about a graphic artist that encloses a piece of sugarless gum in everything he sends his customers. A Northwest Airlines baggage attendant writes thank-you notes to customers whose luggage tags fall off in the airport.

About three weeks after this event she got a call from one of the employees. Johnny, who has Down’s syndrome, was a bagger in one of the company’s grocery stores. “Barbara,” he said, “I liked what you said!” He went on to explain how he had learned to use the computer so he could print out little “thought for the day” cards that he put in each bag of groceries he packed. Johnny always added his personal signature on the back of each card.

About a month later Barbara got a call from the manager of Johnny’s store. He began, “Barbara, you won’t believe what happened today.” He had gone out onto the floor where he had seen a long line where Johnny was bagging. “Get more lanes open,” he had yelled. But the people insisted they wanted to be in Johnny’s line.

One woman told him that she used to shop only once each week but now came in every time she passed by in order to get her “thought for the day.” That will certainly do wonders for a store’s profit.

Barbara got another call from the store manager three months later explaining how she and Johnny had revolutionized his store. Many other employees had caught the spirit and found ways to add their personal signature to their work.

I wonder what would happen if all the members of Biloxi First UMC worked on our personal signature—at home, work, school, at the church. How would I do that as the pastor? What if every teacher, every musician, every usher added our personal signature? How might visitors respond to a church like that? What difference might we make in our community? What difference might we make in the lives of others?

So, come on gang. What do you say?

Are We Paying Too Much For Our Whistle?

Benjamin Franklin once wrote:
"Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. There is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more a man has, the more he wants. Instead of its filling a vacuum, it makes one. If it satisfies one want, it doubles and trebles that want another way. That was a true proverb of the wise man, rely upon it: 'Better is little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure, and trouble therewith.'"

History indicates that Benjamin Franklin may not have always practiced everything he preached, but there is a wonderful story that goes along with his quote recorded above. It seems that when Franklin was just a lad he saw a tin whistle in a Boston store window. It was one of those simple whistles upon which you can learn to play a tune. He wanted that whistle more than anything. Life simply would never be complete without it, he thought to himself.

Unfortunately, the whistle cost much more than he had. This, however, did not deter the future successful entrepreneur. He worked long and hard at earning and finally saving enough to purchase his much desired musical instrument. He proudly marched into the store, paid the shopkeeper, and paraded out with his prized possession. But it took Franklin only a short while to realize that he had paid too much for his whistle. His new instrument turned out not to be nearly as exciting as he had thought it would be and wasn’t worth all the work he had done to earn what it had cost. And many times after, when Franklin saw other people trying to purchase happiness, or putting material things before people, he would say to himself, “He’s paying too much for his whistle.”

Some things haven’t changed much since the days of Benjamin Franklin. At least, human nature hasn’t changed much. Most of us can readily identify with his passionate desire for the tin whistle.

David Riesman wrote as early as 1950 in his book, The Lonely Crowd, about the movement to what he called an age of consumption. In this influential book he traced the changes in the “social character” of Western humanity since the Middle Ages, including the changes in family life.

Princeton sociologist Robert Wuthnow surveyed two thousand people and found that 89 percent agreed with the statement “Our society is much too materialistic.” Wuthnow reminds us that our Judeo-Christian tradition clearly warns us about the destructiveness of materialism. Most of us agree with Benjamin Franklin (and Jesus!) that money doesn’t buy happiness, and yet we keep trying.

Was Old Honest Right?

In a recent article on Portfolio.com Arthur C. Brooks reminds us of the character,Old Honest, in John Bunyan’s classic The Pilgrim’s Progress. Old Honest poses this riddle to the innkeeper Gaius: “A man there was, tho’ some did count him mad, / The more he cast away, the more he had.” Gaius solves the riddle. “He that bestows his Goods upon the Poor / Shall have as much again, and ten times more.” Brooks points out that the idea was that giving can be an even greater blessing to the giver than to the receiver.

The Bible says "One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himeself be refreshed (Proverbs 11:24-25 NIV). This idea may be accepted by idealist but has not always been acknowledged by economists. However, the economic evidence is growing that this indeed is true. Brooks’ article is entitled “Giving Makes You Rich.” He points out that more and more economic research supports this thesis.

Brooks reports on the most recent Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey. “The S.C.C.B.S., which takes into account differences in education, age, race, religion, and other personal characteristics, shows that people who give charitably make significantly more money than those who don’t. While that seems like common sense, it turns out that. . . people also grow wealthier when they give more.” An analysis of the data suggested that for every $100 given, a family earned on average $375 more.

Now I think we need to be careful what we do with this data. Let’s not use it to make ourselves even greater consumers. There is enough consumerism already in the church and its easy to fall into the trap. We often see it in our attitudes about our money and even about worship. We want it our way. We see it in our competitive attitudes toward other churches. We shop churches like we shop for clothes.

Kevin Ford’s church consulting firm did a national survey and discovered five key indicators of church health. One of these was “consumerism vs. community.” This has to do with our attitudes and how church members relate to each other. Unhealthy churches are made up of people who act as individual consumers while members of healthy churches relate as a community.

Soooo, how would you describe our church? Are we a group of people who relate as consumers or as community? Are we givers or takers? How might we move more from consumerism to community? Ford concludes his article by writing: “With God’s help—and strategic planning—we can begin to move our churches from the American ‘me’ to the biblical ‘we.’” What can we do at Biloxi First to make this happen? Was Old Honest Right? Does giving and sharing our lives with one another really pay?

Do Something!

Soooo, the new year has begun and we can already hear the crash from broken resolutions all around. Maybe that'the problem. Everyone knows that New Year resolutions are made to be broken. Never really taken seriously. At least I've learned to never make resolutions about losing weight. Eventually I break them and everyone who has eyes to see my mid section know that I broke my resolution.

FranklinCovey surveyed 15,000 of their customers and found that four out of five people who make New Year resolutions break them. A third of them don't make it through January. Forty percent of those surveyed said they broke their resolutions because they were too busy. Thirty three percent admitted they were never really that serious about keeping them.

According to an article in the New York Times experts say the main problem is that we make the wrong kind of resolutions. We try to change the world (sound familiar?)-- actually they said our resolutions "reflect a general desire rather than a specific goal." They insist, "Small and tangible one-day-at-a-time goals work best."

The article suggest that if we want to lose weight we might commit to splitting the entree wth our dining partner. Robin and I have tried this--it works! A parent might resolve to play with their kids at least one extra day a week. According to what I read it might be an improvement to make that at least one hour a week! Well, you get the idea.

Okay. Okay. So maybe I won't change the world in 2008. But I can DO SOMETHING. Right? So now I'm woking on my DO SOMETHING list. What about you? Care to share some of the items on your list? Looking forward to hearing from you.

Live the adventure!

Dr. Gary

Special Agent 007 for Christ

Vince Antonucci has written a book with a fascinating title: I Became a Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt: Replacing Souvenir Religion With Authentic Spiritual Passion. Doesn’t the title alone make you want to read the book. I haven’t yet read it but I did read an article adapted from the book in the January-February issue of Outreach magazine.

Vince begins the article by suggesting you imagine getting a phone call interrupting your third hour of TV for the evening. The person on the phone explains that the government has chosen you for a special task. “After several rounds of, “Very funny. Is that you Phil? Wait, is this Chris?” you finally come to believe this is truly a rep from a government agency and he needs an answer. Now.”

You quickly think about all the things you will have to give up for your country: “your specialty coffee on the way into work, forwarding e-mail stories to your friends during the morning work hours, the lunch debate between McDonald’s or Wendy’s. . . it’s a lot to give up.”

The conversation goes on: “You’re talking. . . like. . . special agent stuff?” “Yes,” the government rep on the other end of the line replies. Finally, you decide. “OK, I’ll do it. Sign me up. But, let me ask, the hotels I’ll be staying in when I’m on the road. . . they will have cable, right?”

Now Vince brings his little imaginary scene around to the point. How do you and I feel about the commitment we have just made? “Nervous and intimidated? Perhaps. Anxious and excited? Definitely. Bored? No way.”

Jesus chose us as his special agents. “Go into all the world and make disciples,” he charged. It’s not always an easy task. He never promised it would be. What it should never be is boring. Not if we take the challenge seriously.

Maybe that’s the problem for most Christians. We’ve in a rut! Church is boring. Our Christian walk is boring. We are like the church at Ephesus; we’ve lost the excitement of the love we had for God at first (see Revelation 2:1-5). We are elevator music—or worse, funeral music. Plain vanilla. Respectable people. Middle class. We need some excitement in our lives—and serving on God’s team of special agents is the perfect way to get it.

Sunday will be Epiphany. This is when we remember the Magi that visited Jesus. These guys were risk takers, adventurers, pioneers ready to blaze a new trail. What about you? Are you ready to add some excitement to your life in 2008? God is ready to give us an assignment that many would call Mission Impossible. But, of course, with God all things are possible! Let’s do it together!
What special mission is God calling you to carry out in 2008? Wanna share?