Our entire purpose in coming literally to the other side of the world was to concentrate on finding some of the 700,000 Lingao people here of whichever than 1% know Christ.
We went back to Duowen and quickly found ourselves in trouble as we sort of stumbled upon a military base. Soldiers came running out and we 5 Americans just froze. One soldier told us we needed to turn around in no uncertain terms and a police cruiser followed us back down the mountain into town. From here it seemed like one dead end after another.
We decided to catch the bus and go back to a town we had struck out in earlier in the week as far as finding Lingao. We got there and brought some fruit for lunch (good thing I had a Clif bar for breakfast). We sat down in the street to eat our fruit and a Chinese man came up and gave us 3 cigarettes and tossed some money on the ground (he must have thought we were poor and homeless). After our fruit lunch we headed off into the country side.
We had walked a few miles and were a bit discouraged. The sun was beating down on us and we were hungry, tired, and hot. We pushed on a bit further and left the road to travel on a dirt path about 3 feet wide. We'd been in the path for about 3/4 mile when we heard many voices.
We can upon a house were one large extended family of about 15 Lingao people were just finishing lunch. They invited us in for tea and fed us MORE FRUIT! They were so sweet and friendly and would have given us the shirts off their back.
Katie, Whitney's friend and our translator asked and she was told they'd lived there 50+ years and no Westerner had eer been to their home. She asked if the knew any Buddhist stories and they said no. She then asked for permission to tell one of our stories. The patriarch shushed the family and Katie took off. She told them Ll about Christ. The patriarch said he had never heard that story and that a great peace came over him as she told the story.
We were able to give them a bible in the Lingao tongue as well as a Jesus film in their language. By the time we'd left a family member had already watched part of the movie. Michael prayed a blessing over their house and asked that all of them would come to faith in Christ. Pray that this patriarch accepts Christ because if he does his family of 15 likely will too.
No one had ever told them the story! Hard for us to comprehend with churches on every corner. But if we hasn't come who would have? How many more of this family would have died without ever hearing the story? This was not a "convenient time" to come for many of us and it was certainly expensive in the monetary cost, the vacation time used, the appointments missed, etc... But if not us WHO? If not now WHEN? How many more Lingao must die eternally lost before we take His commission seriously to go to the ends of the earth? That my friends is WHY WE DO THIS! See you soon ...
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Challenge to leaders... Challenge to all
Today I composed an email and sent it to our ministry team as well as several in leadership positions and below are those basic thoughts. Today we went to a village / town called Duowen. As we rode we past some small villages on the bus and even in the larger town of Duowen I kept being impressed by thoughts or shall I say questions that I couldn't escape.
As we passed several of the villages and then walked literally all day among the townspeople, many of which had never seen a "westerner" in real life much less one that took the time to walk their streets, speak to their children, eat the things they eat, and smile as so many took our pictures from cell phones, pointed, and generally smiled back. The first question I could not escape is "If a person is born there, raised there, stays there, and dies there what chance do they have of hearing the gospel?" If the Word of God is true (and we all would agree that it is) that means Jesus really IS the ONLY way to the Father. Then these faces I looked at and eyes I looked into ... Most of them are hopelessly lost. Have you ever had the experience of driving down the road and you thought you knew where you were and where you were going only to find out that you had been headed in the wrong direction? You were lost and you didn't even know you were lost. Things passed you by and you continued on your way only to find that you'd been headed the wrong way ... and maybe you even found out "too late" ... Maybe you missed an appointment or something. The people here are lost and life is passing them by and they are headed in the direction. They think their life is taking them along only to one day reach the end and realize they have been hopelessly lost, didn't know it, but many of them will find that out too late.
That leads me to the second question and here's where it got pretty personal for me. As we rode back from Duowen today I was listening to music on my new iPhone 5 (I know eat your heart out) and had randomly chosen one of my Christian playlists of various artists. The song "Legacy" by Nicole Nordeman came on. I had already been wrestling with the thought what am I doing with my life. Is life about living from the first to the fifteenth and from the fifteenth to the end of the month? Is it simply about hoping you have more money than you do month? Is there more than just praying the sermon is both finished by the time the next worship service begins and that its at least as good as the sermon the week before? Does it consist simply of the pursuit of earthly desires and the "noble" desire to provide for your children better than you had it at their age? I wrestled with the idea of legacy ... The thought of what kind of "spiritual footprint" am I leaving. It's great to pastor a growing church and receive accolades in the association and convention for a "job well done". It's wonderful to be a successful money manager, hospital executive, retired teacher, bank executive, counselor, insurance agent, church staff member, or successful mother or father to your children... All of these are good, even great things to desire to be and achieve but is that all there is? What kind of legacy are you and I leaving spiritually? I'd encourage you to YouTube the song and listen to it but I want to include the lyrics here for you:
"I don't mind if you've got something nice to say about me and I enjoy an accolade like the rest. You could take my picture and hang it in a gallery of all who's who and so-n-so's that used to be the best at such'n'such ... it wouldn't matter much.
"I won't lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights. We all need an 'Atta boy' or 'Atta girl' but in the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides the temporary trappings of this world.
"I want to leave a legacy. How will they remember me? Did I choose to love? Did I point to You enough to make a mark on things? I want to leave an offering a child of mercy and grace who
blessed your name unapologetically ... and leave that kind of legacy.
"I don't have to look too far or too long awhile to make a lengthly list of all that I enjoy. It's in accumulating trinket and a treasure pile where moth and rust, thieves and such will soon enough destroy.
"Not well traveled, not well read, not well-to-do or well bred ... Just want to hear instead, 'Well Done' good and faithful one..."
What about you? What legacy are you leaving? Please .. PLEASE do not read this and think I'm saying that any of you are not leaving a rich spiritual legacy... In my estimation probably many of you ARE... But Nicole's words ... "How will they remember me? Did I choose to love? Did I point to You enough to make a mark on things? I want to leave an offering a child of mercy and grace who
blessed your name unapologetically ... and leave that kind of legacy."
Did I point to You enough? Wow ... Did I? Did you? Am I? Are you? Time is short and the clock of life is wound but once. We only get one crack at this! But you know if you woke up and are reading this that means its still not too late. The Lord has given you a beautiful blank canvas called "today" and when you reach the end of the day and look back on what once was a blank canvas of a day filled with hope, time, promise... My prayer for you is to be able to say I did my best today to leave a legacy.
Know that I love each of you and have a unique relationship with each of you I'm sending this to. Each of you are spiritual leaders in the church and are looked up to by so many. Lets live in such a way that if those following after us were to examine closely what decisions drove our life, what creeds we lived by, that they would know as Nicole says that we were children of mercy and grace and blessed His name unapologetically. Lets live in such a way that those we touch, that we interact with daily be it on a mission trip, across the office, or in our neighborhood would know the love of God simply because it had been extended to them by the life we lived before them; by the mercy and grace we showed them.
Bro T
Monday, October 22, 2012
Thom Rainer and 10 Things Pastor's Don't Like
One of the premier researchers in Christian life today is a man by the name of Dr. Thom Rainer. He is President and CEO of Lifeway Christian Resources. I like reading much of what he writes and he writes a blog called "Pastor to pastor". In today's blog the title "10 Things Pastors Don't Like About Pastoring" caught my attention. I decided to read the ten items and add a little of my own commentary to what he says. You can read the original blog at http://www.thomrainer.com/2012/10/ten-things-pastors-dont-like-about-pastoring.php
10. Dealing with Budgets and Finance - this doesn't bother me like it once did. I think this is primarily because so many of Eastwood practice faithful stewardship and we all have the same sense that our resources are not ours but the Lords.
9. Weddings - Does that surprise you? It typically takes up an entire weekend (most pastors have Friday and Saturday as their "off" days) and so there really is no "down time" from church functions from one week to the next. But I'm not really that bothered by weddings though wedding "coordinators" do tend to get under my skin. Most coordinators are friends of the bride with little experience planning and pulling off weddings. I have found that in weddings with coordinators, the rehearsals are usually twice as long as those without simply because it is on-the-job training for the coordinator.
8. Announcements in the worship service - Thank God we don't do this at Eastwood. I think I was "over" making announcements in worship my second week in the pastorate at my first church. I pastored in ACC basketball country and I'd just been watching a game. I came into the evening service and announced that immediately following the service there would be a "demon deacons meeting" in my office. I apologized but looking back one of the men told me later, "Preacher, you had it right the 1st time" (and he was right at least regarding a few).
7. Persistent Critics - I'm convinced if the Apostle Paul were to be called to the average Baptist Church there would be some who did not like his "pastoral style". I expect criticism ... anyone in the Lord's work should. But the thing I think I will never get used to is friendly fire. You expect the enemy to attack, you just don't expect him to use some of the people you are pouring your life into week after week.
6. Anonymous critics - we really don't have a problem with this per se. But occasionally you will have the well-intentioned church member come up and want to let you know what's being said in the parking lot. I appreciate knowing but it does me no good to not know who is saying it. There's no way to put the comments into context without that knowledge. This really doesn't help any pastor I know and serves only to discourage them
5. Counseling - I don't mind this because I have learned to limit counseling appointments to one hour at a time. After that everyone involved is emotionally spent. after an hour if you are not careful in a matter of minutes you can forfeit any ground you gained during the session.
4. Treating spouses like they are paid staff members - Eastwood is incredible in this regard. I have never felt that Jan, or any staff members wife for that matter, was pressured to do anything other than what they felt God had called them to do.
3. Supporters who don't support the pastor publicly - Now this can get under my skin. I think the vast majority of church members in most churches support and love their pastor. But why they sit silently when the pastor is attacked or his motives are questioned is beyond me.
2. Funerals for non-Christians - the thing that makes this so difficult is you want to extend hope to the family and you can through presenting them with the gospel message. But the gospel is of no value to the deceased and so I'm always left feeling like I really could not comfort the family the way they might have needed.
1. Business meetings - to this I say "amen and amen"! To quote a pastor in Dr. Rainer's post, "“Let me know if you come across a pastor that actually likes church business meetings. I want to find the secret to his moments of delusion.” We still have monthly business meetings but I'd be happy with quarterly or even semi-annual meetings but that's another topic for another day.
For the most part I'd say that ministry is an enjoyable and rewarding experience. It has its "moments" as does any calling or profession. There have been days I have wished I were doing something ... anything other than pastoring. But since that 1st day on the job at the Welcome Baptist Church in Anderson, there's never been a day that I doubted whether God had called me to do what I do.
10. Dealing with Budgets and Finance - this doesn't bother me like it once did. I think this is primarily because so many of Eastwood practice faithful stewardship and we all have the same sense that our resources are not ours but the Lords.
9. Weddings - Does that surprise you? It typically takes up an entire weekend (most pastors have Friday and Saturday as their "off" days) and so there really is no "down time" from church functions from one week to the next. But I'm not really that bothered by weddings though wedding "coordinators" do tend to get under my skin. Most coordinators are friends of the bride with little experience planning and pulling off weddings. I have found that in weddings with coordinators, the rehearsals are usually twice as long as those without simply because it is on-the-job training for the coordinator.
8. Announcements in the worship service - Thank God we don't do this at Eastwood. I think I was "over" making announcements in worship my second week in the pastorate at my first church. I pastored in ACC basketball country and I'd just been watching a game. I came into the evening service and announced that immediately following the service there would be a "demon deacons meeting" in my office. I apologized but looking back one of the men told me later, "Preacher, you had it right the 1st time" (and he was right at least regarding a few).
7. Persistent Critics - I'm convinced if the Apostle Paul were to be called to the average Baptist Church there would be some who did not like his "pastoral style". I expect criticism ... anyone in the Lord's work should. But the thing I think I will never get used to is friendly fire. You expect the enemy to attack, you just don't expect him to use some of the people you are pouring your life into week after week.
6. Anonymous critics - we really don't have a problem with this per se. But occasionally you will have the well-intentioned church member come up and want to let you know what's being said in the parking lot. I appreciate knowing but it does me no good to not know who is saying it. There's no way to put the comments into context without that knowledge. This really doesn't help any pastor I know and serves only to discourage them
5. Counseling - I don't mind this because I have learned to limit counseling appointments to one hour at a time. After that everyone involved is emotionally spent. after an hour if you are not careful in a matter of minutes you can forfeit any ground you gained during the session.
4. Treating spouses like they are paid staff members - Eastwood is incredible in this regard. I have never felt that Jan, or any staff members wife for that matter, was pressured to do anything other than what they felt God had called them to do.
3. Supporters who don't support the pastor publicly - Now this can get under my skin. I think the vast majority of church members in most churches support and love their pastor. But why they sit silently when the pastor is attacked or his motives are questioned is beyond me.
2. Funerals for non-Christians - the thing that makes this so difficult is you want to extend hope to the family and you can through presenting them with the gospel message. But the gospel is of no value to the deceased and so I'm always left feeling like I really could not comfort the family the way they might have needed.
1. Business meetings - to this I say "amen and amen"! To quote a pastor in Dr. Rainer's post, "“Let me know if you come across a pastor that actually likes church business meetings. I want to find the secret to his moments of delusion.” We still have monthly business meetings but I'd be happy with quarterly or even semi-annual meetings but that's another topic for another day.
For the most part I'd say that ministry is an enjoyable and rewarding experience. It has its "moments" as does any calling or profession. There have been days I have wished I were doing something ... anything other than pastoring. But since that 1st day on the job at the Welcome Baptist Church in Anderson, there's never been a day that I doubted whether God had called me to do what I do.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Seeing Jesus like you've never seen Him before
Matthew 14 has always been interesting to me. Verse 22 says that Jesus made His disciples go over to the other side of the Sea and as they traveled they find themselves in a terrible storm, unable to make any headway, literally being tossed around on the sea. Part of the reason I find this so interesting is that the disciples, in being obedient to Jesus, found themselves in a storm. How often do we find ourselves in a storm and immediately assume something must be wrong in our walk with the Lord? Matthew’s account of this event reveals some great truths in coping with the storms you face.
1. Verse 25 says Jesus came walking on the water to His disciples during the “fourth watch”. This would have been between 3:00-6:00 AM. So He literally came to them during the darkest hours of the night. Maybe you are at one of those “dark” places of life. If so, look for the Lord. You may not be making any progress in getting through your storm. It’s at those times He comes in the midst of the storm.
2. When Jesus first appears walking on the water toward His disciples, the bible says the disciples were “troubled” and shouted “It’s a ghost!” I think that’s a gentle way of saying they were freaking out and ready to jump in and swim for shore. They had never seen the Lord walk on water. Oh, they had seen many miracles at this point, but never THIS miracle. Here’s the point … storms have a way of revealing the Savior in a way we have not seen before. The disciples would have never had this experience with Jesus had they not first been in a storm. Maybe in your storm today, the Lord wants to reveal Himself to you in a way you have never seen before.
3. Verse 27 – in announcing who He is to His disciples He says “Be of good cheer”, literally “cheer up”. What a seemingly odd thing to say in the midst of the storm. But then Jesus tells them why they can cheer up. Just after saying “be of good cheer” He proclaims “It is I”. Literally the Greek says “I am”. Jesus is declaring His power over the storm as the great “I am”. In fact as soon as He gets into the boat with the disciples the bible says the “wind ceased”. Whatever your storm is today, Jesus simply says “I am”. I am your peace. I am your joy. I am your deliverer. I am your provider. Then He proclaims “do not be afraid”. One possible translation of this given the tense of the language would be, “Stop fearing, and don’t ever fear again.” Allow Him in the boat with you and watch as He calms the sea around you.
4. I love the fact that Peter asked for permission to join the Lord and actually walked on water, albeit for a short time. But he was the only one who had the faith to get out of the boat in the middle of the storm; the only one willing to place complete faith and trust in Jesus. But verse 30 tells us he sees how the “wind was boisterous” and he begin to sink. In other words when the stop seemed to get worse he took his eyes off of Jesus and put them on the storm. It was then he began to sink. We, like Peter, start out with good intentions but at times our faith falters. That doesn’t mean we have failed or are a failure. We simply need to follow Peter’s example when our faith is weak. He chose to look to Jesus! Maybe you are in a storm and you doubt the Lord’s presence in your life. Or maybe you doubt whether He will help or even can help. Let me remind you He is the only one who can really help. Maybe today the Lord is saying to you, “Take your eyes off of the waves around you and fix your eyes on Me.”
I read a story of a ship that was sinking in the middle of a storm, and the captain called out to the crew and said, “Does anyone here know how to pray?” One man stepped forward and said, “Yes sir, I know how to pray.” The captain said, “Wonderful, you pray while the rest of us put on life jackets … we're one short.” Maybe those around you are jumping ship or looking for their way of escape. Today do what you know to do. Pray, then look for Jesus to show up amidst your storm.
1. Verse 25 says Jesus came walking on the water to His disciples during the “fourth watch”. This would have been between 3:00-6:00 AM. So He literally came to them during the darkest hours of the night. Maybe you are at one of those “dark” places of life. If so, look for the Lord. You may not be making any progress in getting through your storm. It’s at those times He comes in the midst of the storm.
2. When Jesus first appears walking on the water toward His disciples, the bible says the disciples were “troubled” and shouted “It’s a ghost!” I think that’s a gentle way of saying they were freaking out and ready to jump in and swim for shore. They had never seen the Lord walk on water. Oh, they had seen many miracles at this point, but never THIS miracle. Here’s the point … storms have a way of revealing the Savior in a way we have not seen before. The disciples would have never had this experience with Jesus had they not first been in a storm. Maybe in your storm today, the Lord wants to reveal Himself to you in a way you have never seen before.
3. Verse 27 – in announcing who He is to His disciples He says “Be of good cheer”, literally “cheer up”. What a seemingly odd thing to say in the midst of the storm. But then Jesus tells them why they can cheer up. Just after saying “be of good cheer” He proclaims “It is I”. Literally the Greek says “I am”. Jesus is declaring His power over the storm as the great “I am”. In fact as soon as He gets into the boat with the disciples the bible says the “wind ceased”. Whatever your storm is today, Jesus simply says “I am”. I am your peace. I am your joy. I am your deliverer. I am your provider. Then He proclaims “do not be afraid”. One possible translation of this given the tense of the language would be, “Stop fearing, and don’t ever fear again.” Allow Him in the boat with you and watch as He calms the sea around you.
4. I love the fact that Peter asked for permission to join the Lord and actually walked on water, albeit for a short time. But he was the only one who had the faith to get out of the boat in the middle of the storm; the only one willing to place complete faith and trust in Jesus. But verse 30 tells us he sees how the “wind was boisterous” and he begin to sink. In other words when the stop seemed to get worse he took his eyes off of Jesus and put them on the storm. It was then he began to sink. We, like Peter, start out with good intentions but at times our faith falters. That doesn’t mean we have failed or are a failure. We simply need to follow Peter’s example when our faith is weak. He chose to look to Jesus! Maybe you are in a storm and you doubt the Lord’s presence in your life. Or maybe you doubt whether He will help or even can help. Let me remind you He is the only one who can really help. Maybe today the Lord is saying to you, “Take your eyes off of the waves around you and fix your eyes on Me.”
I read a story of a ship that was sinking in the middle of a storm, and the captain called out to the crew and said, “Does anyone here know how to pray?” One man stepped forward and said, “Yes sir, I know how to pray.” The captain said, “Wonderful, you pray while the rest of us put on life jackets … we're one short.” Maybe those around you are jumping ship or looking for their way of escape. Today do what you know to do. Pray, then look for Jesus to show up amidst your storm.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Chick-Fil-A and "tolerance"
I decided to join literally hundreds of other people at Chick-Fil-A this morning in Bowling Green to buy a biscuit and show support for their company. As you likely know Dan Cathey, President of Chick-Fil-A and son of the founder Truett Cathey recently found himself in the middle of a firestorm. It seems that in a recent interview with the state Baptist paper of the North Carolina Baptist Convention Cathey was "guilty" of expressing the principles that drive him personally as well as the direction of the corporation. In the interview he clearly stated that they are not a "Christian business." To claim that he said would run counter to the claims of Christ. He pointed out that "Jesus died for individuals not a corporation ... companies are not lost or saved but individuals are." He goes on to say "But as an organization we can operate on biblical principles. So that is what we claim to be. [We are] based on biblical principles, asking God and pleading with God to give us wisdom on decisions we make about people and the programs and partnerships we have. And He has blessed us."
Cathey went on to explain that the company invests in Christian growth and ministry through its WinShape Foundation (WinShape.com). The name comes from the idea of shaping people to be winners. The foundation began as a college scholarship and expanded to a foster care program, an international ministry, and a conference and retreat center modeled after the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove. "That morphed into a marriage program in conjunction with national marriage ministries," Cathy added. Some have opposed the company's support of the traditional family. "Well, guilty as charged," said Cathy when asked about the company's position. "We are very much supportive of the family -- the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that. We operate as a family business ... our restaurants are typically led by families; some are single. We want to do anything we possibly can to strengthen families. We are very much committed to that," Cathy emphasized. "We intend to stay the course," he said. "We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles."
Cathy's comments ignited an outbreak of posturing centered on the choice: ban or boycott? The mayor of Boston playing to a portion of his constituents, basically said the values of Chick-Fil-A and their president did not reflect the values of Bostonians and Chick-Fil-A need not open any more stores in their city. Let's see, Boston has 67 strip clubs, 19 abortion clinics, 1000's of confirmed child abuse - neglect cases annually and yet there is no need to place an emphasis on "family values"? Are you kidding me? He was but one of many politicians posturing for cameras expressed similar sentiments. Meanwhile, calls for boycotts erupted on Facebook, Twitter and various other places where boycotts get organized these days.
On July 23, the Jim Henson Company, makers of children's shows such as "The Muppets," "Sid the Science Kid," "Dinosaur Train," and "Pajanimals" announced it would not partner with Chick-fil-A again in the future. The Jim Henson Company, at various times, has supplied the toys for the restaurant's kids' meals. Their statement said in part, "The Jim Henson Company has celebrated and embraced diversity and inclusiveness for over fifty years and we have notified Chick-Fil-A that we do not wish to partner with them on any future endeavors," a statement read. "Lisa Henson, our CEO is personally a strong supporter of gay marriage and has directed us to donate the payment we received from Chick-Fil-A to GLAAD [Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation]."
Here's the rub for me. The Henson Company, various politicians, and other organizations have all come out against Chick-Fil-A under the guise of "inclusiveness" and "diversity". Those who hold to a pro-family biblical-based position on the family are quickly branded as bigots. Correct me if I'm wrong here but it seems to me that if anyone could claim diversity and inclusiveness it would be Dan Cathey. Nowhere in the interview did he say that he would not hire or serve those who practiced lifestyles other than what he believed in. He simply espoused the Christian principles that his now $4 billion annual revenue business was formed on. Why is it that those who preach "tolerance" are only "tolerant" of those who hold to the same position they do? Those who disagreed with him, quickly branded Cathey a homophobe, bigot, and worse.
Fast forward to today. Former Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee decided to ask Christians to support Chick-Fil-A and their pro-family position by going to their restaurants today and purchasing from them. My assistant simply put on her Facebook page this morning "Ready for breakfast at Chick-fil-A". That's it! Not a word about anyone's "agenda". She quickly was chastised on her page by someone she knows that is in a homosexual relationship and has several adopted children. She was told, "You know Chick-Fil-A donated over 5 million dollars to lobby for legislation that would prevent homosexuals from adopting children? My family thanks you for your support." When I called this individual's hand on this and pointed out that he likely bought brands like Levis and McDonalds specifically because they support homosexual rights, that my assistant, I, and others had a similar right to support companies that held values similar to ours. Her "friend" quickly said, "Giving money to a company that supports hate groups is supporting hate groups. Bigotry and discrimination wrapped in prayer and scripture is still bigotry and discrimination." So now an organization that gives college scholarships to employees and others, and has a foster-child program among many other benevolent programs is a "hate group"? And where is the discrimination? Again, Cathey never said he would not consider hiring or even feeding homosexuals. Maybe a better perspective of this situation might be that sinful behavior wrapped in the cloak of political correctness is still sinful behavior. Maybe I need to make some buttons that say "Right wing, non-politically correct Christian and proud of it" ... I'm just sayin'!
Cathey went on to explain that the company invests in Christian growth and ministry through its WinShape Foundation (WinShape.com). The name comes from the idea of shaping people to be winners. The foundation began as a college scholarship and expanded to a foster care program, an international ministry, and a conference and retreat center modeled after the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove. "That morphed into a marriage program in conjunction with national marriage ministries," Cathy added. Some have opposed the company's support of the traditional family. "Well, guilty as charged," said Cathy when asked about the company's position. "We are very much supportive of the family -- the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that. We operate as a family business ... our restaurants are typically led by families; some are single. We want to do anything we possibly can to strengthen families. We are very much committed to that," Cathy emphasized. "We intend to stay the course," he said. "We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles."
Cathy's comments ignited an outbreak of posturing centered on the choice: ban or boycott? The mayor of Boston playing to a portion of his constituents, basically said the values of Chick-Fil-A and their president did not reflect the values of Bostonians and Chick-Fil-A need not open any more stores in their city. Let's see, Boston has 67 strip clubs, 19 abortion clinics, 1000's of confirmed child abuse - neglect cases annually and yet there is no need to place an emphasis on "family values"? Are you kidding me? He was but one of many politicians posturing for cameras expressed similar sentiments. Meanwhile, calls for boycotts erupted on Facebook, Twitter and various other places where boycotts get organized these days.
On July 23, the Jim Henson Company, makers of children's shows such as "The Muppets," "Sid the Science Kid," "Dinosaur Train," and "Pajanimals" announced it would not partner with Chick-fil-A again in the future. The Jim Henson Company, at various times, has supplied the toys for the restaurant's kids' meals. Their statement said in part, "The Jim Henson Company has celebrated and embraced diversity and inclusiveness for over fifty years and we have notified Chick-Fil-A that we do not wish to partner with them on any future endeavors," a statement read. "Lisa Henson, our CEO is personally a strong supporter of gay marriage and has directed us to donate the payment we received from Chick-Fil-A to GLAAD [Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation]."
Here's the rub for me. The Henson Company, various politicians, and other organizations have all come out against Chick-Fil-A under the guise of "inclusiveness" and "diversity". Those who hold to a pro-family biblical-based position on the family are quickly branded as bigots. Correct me if I'm wrong here but it seems to me that if anyone could claim diversity and inclusiveness it would be Dan Cathey. Nowhere in the interview did he say that he would not hire or serve those who practiced lifestyles other than what he believed in. He simply espoused the Christian principles that his now $4 billion annual revenue business was formed on. Why is it that those who preach "tolerance" are only "tolerant" of those who hold to the same position they do? Those who disagreed with him, quickly branded Cathey a homophobe, bigot, and worse.
Fast forward to today. Former Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee decided to ask Christians to support Chick-Fil-A and their pro-family position by going to their restaurants today and purchasing from them. My assistant simply put on her Facebook page this morning "Ready for breakfast at Chick-fil-A". That's it! Not a word about anyone's "agenda". She quickly was chastised on her page by someone she knows that is in a homosexual relationship and has several adopted children. She was told, "You know Chick-Fil-A donated over 5 million dollars to lobby for legislation that would prevent homosexuals from adopting children? My family thanks you for your support." When I called this individual's hand on this and pointed out that he likely bought brands like Levis and McDonalds specifically because they support homosexual rights, that my assistant, I, and others had a similar right to support companies that held values similar to ours. Her "friend" quickly said, "Giving money to a company that supports hate groups is supporting hate groups. Bigotry and discrimination wrapped in prayer and scripture is still bigotry and discrimination." So now an organization that gives college scholarships to employees and others, and has a foster-child program among many other benevolent programs is a "hate group"? And where is the discrimination? Again, Cathey never said he would not consider hiring or even feeding homosexuals. Maybe a better perspective of this situation might be that sinful behavior wrapped in the cloak of political correctness is still sinful behavior. Maybe I need to make some buttons that say "Right wing, non-politically correct Christian and proud of it" ... I'm just sayin'!
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Dealing with stressors
An article on the Gannett Health Services website (affiliated with Cornell University) on the topic of “stress management” caught my attention. They admit that the story they use to illustrate their point is one that’s been shared in many places and the original source is unknown. They also point, correctly I think, it’s a story many resonate with.
The story is … A lecturer, when explaining stress management to a class, raised a glass of water and asked, “How heavy is this glass of water?” Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, “The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it.”
“If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”
He continued, “And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the demands of life.”
So what burdens are you carrying today that you might need to “put down” for a while? I can’t help but think of 1 Peter 5:6-7 here: “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
Back in 2005 I received an email that I think has some great “perspectives” that might help with handling whatever stressful situations we are facing. Maybe they will put a smile on your face and lighten your load just a bit. Here’s that sage advice:
> Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue. (Maybe a little crass but truth nonetheless).
> Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them. (This is one I’ve often remembered … after it was too late).
> Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
> Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
> Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
> Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance. (Or sing, or walk in the rain. The poignant part of this sentence is the phrase “get up”. Too often the world has gotten us down!)
> Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late. (When you are young you had the ability to sleep late but never the time. The older you get, you have some time to sleep late, but can’t).
> The second mouse gets the cheese.
> When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
> Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
> You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
> We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
> A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour. (In my life God is the author of my “detours” and if I get too consumed with the fact I’m not on the path I think I should be, I miss the scenery that the Lord wanted to point out in sending me on the detour in the first place).
I’ll be honest … right now is a pretty stressful period, and not just for me I’m sure. We face stressors at work, homes, school, with family and friends; stressors of all shapes and sizes. Here’s my list of practical things to help with stress.
1. Spend some time with the Lord. James 4:8 promises if we “draw near to God” that He will “draw near” to us.
2. Take your days off and all your vacation.
3. Ask yourself of all the things you are worried with today, how many will really matter 5 years from now.
4. Spend time with your family and friends. I have been at many bedsides as saints have passed from this life to the next and I have never once heard someone say, “I wish I’d spent more time at work!”
5. Count your blessings. The devil is really good at pointing out the things we “don’t have” but he blinds us to all of the blessings we do possess. Stop, look, and honestly examine how often you are blessed.
6. Did I say “spend time with the Lord?”
Knowing that no life is ever free of stress I’m praying for you (and me) that God will consistently give us proper perspective when life throws us a curve!
The story is … A lecturer, when explaining stress management to a class, raised a glass of water and asked, “How heavy is this glass of water?” Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, “The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it.”
“If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”
He continued, “And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the demands of life.”
So what burdens are you carrying today that you might need to “put down” for a while? I can’t help but think of 1 Peter 5:6-7 here: “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
Back in 2005 I received an email that I think has some great “perspectives” that might help with handling whatever stressful situations we are facing. Maybe they will put a smile on your face and lighten your load just a bit. Here’s that sage advice:
> Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue. (Maybe a little crass but truth nonetheless).
> Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them. (This is one I’ve often remembered … after it was too late).
> Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
> Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
> Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
> Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance. (Or sing, or walk in the rain. The poignant part of this sentence is the phrase “get up”. Too often the world has gotten us down!)
> Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late. (When you are young you had the ability to sleep late but never the time. The older you get, you have some time to sleep late, but can’t).
> The second mouse gets the cheese.
> When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
> Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
> You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
> We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
> A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour. (In my life God is the author of my “detours” and if I get too consumed with the fact I’m not on the path I think I should be, I miss the scenery that the Lord wanted to point out in sending me on the detour in the first place).
I’ll be honest … right now is a pretty stressful period, and not just for me I’m sure. We face stressors at work, homes, school, with family and friends; stressors of all shapes and sizes. Here’s my list of practical things to help with stress.
1. Spend some time with the Lord. James 4:8 promises if we “draw near to God” that He will “draw near” to us.
2. Take your days off and all your vacation.
3. Ask yourself of all the things you are worried with today, how many will really matter 5 years from now.
4. Spend time with your family and friends. I have been at many bedsides as saints have passed from this life to the next and I have never once heard someone say, “I wish I’d spent more time at work!”
5. Count your blessings. The devil is really good at pointing out the things we “don’t have” but he blinds us to all of the blessings we do possess. Stop, look, and honestly examine how often you are blessed.
6. Did I say “spend time with the Lord?”
Knowing that no life is ever free of stress I’m praying for you (and me) that God will consistently give us proper perspective when life throws us a curve!
Monday, June 25, 2012
Difficulties
Thom Rainer believes part of his calling as President of Lifeway Resources is to encourage pastors. He often blogs about issues that pastors face, and he typically “nails it” and I think that’s why so much of what he writes speaks to me. Today his post asked “What specific part of being a pastor is the most difficult for you? Here are my five tough challenges for pastors.” Here are the 5 things Rainer, who has pastored 4 churches of varying sizes, says present challenges to most pastors. The first five points are his but the comments are mine. I’ve added a few of my own “difficulties I face” at the end.
1. Responding graciously to someone right before you preach. I’ve often told the folks I pastor that I typically am not available before worship begins. I learned the hard way that the devil will use hallway conversations to get me “fired up” and on more than one occasion I found myself then preaching “in the flesh”. So knowing this tendency of mine I avoid conversations before worship begins as a safeguard to keeping my attitude right and staying in the Spirit.
2. Knowing what do with a staff member who is not making a vital contribution to the church. This is one of the toughest aspects of pastoring a multi-staff church, especially if your temperament leans toward conflict avoidance. Some pastors I’m sure have abused the power of the pastorate by letting staff members “go” when there was really no justification. As a result churches tend to make it very difficult for a pastor to deal with an unproductive or disloyal staff member. Unfortunately, the end result is that when the pastor can’t “take it anymore” he moves to a different ministry setting and the church ends up keeping the unproductive staff member. It ends up being a loss for everyone. The pastor leaves maybe before his work there was over. The church loses on many fronts. And the unproductive staff member loses because without accountability, there is no motivation to improve.
3. Loving a person in the church when that person is your critic. I know I want to be Christ-like and love people the way the Lord loves me … without conditions. These “critics” typically either throw stones anonymously so as to not have to take ownership of their comments. And the problem, at least for me, is that whether anonymous or not, criticism of the pastor often wounds the pastor’s family. This is the reason it’s hard to love those who are critics.
4. Preparing more than one quality sermon a week. For 19 years I prepared what I hoped were 3 quality sermons a week. The last year I have given over the Wednesday evening service to another staff member which has made it somewhat easier to prepare messages. But there’s the constant tension of making sure your sermons are constantly improving.
5. Doing the funeral of a person who was not a Christian. There have been times families wanted me to preach their loved one into heaven. I will often ask family members if their loved one was a Christian and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “I don’t know”. But the amazing thing is the number of times they don’t know because they never asked or shared the gospel.
6. Balancing the tension of being “available” to everyone and being “available” to no one. When I am available to everyone, those are the times my availability to God suffers. So some pastor friends allow the pendulum to swing too far in the other direction and they are available to no one. Thank God for great ministry assistants that protect their pastors time.
7. Knowing when to be “real” and to whom to be “real”. Most pastors know the heartache of being burned by a trusted friend. Jesus was burned by Judas. I’m not saying that all who at some point turn on their pastor / friend are “judases” … just that it is difficult knowing when someone can take my being real with them. We pastors often try, many times because of the high expectations for the office, try and maintain a pretense of spirituality. Unfortunately that keeps most friendships shallow and pastors dealing with the frustration of loneliness.
I’m sure this list crosses over to the laity as well. I’d love to hear what issues / frustrations you deal with on a regular basis. There is something cathartic about being able to put them down and take ownership of these feelings. Thanks for reading my blog.
1. Responding graciously to someone right before you preach. I’ve often told the folks I pastor that I typically am not available before worship begins. I learned the hard way that the devil will use hallway conversations to get me “fired up” and on more than one occasion I found myself then preaching “in the flesh”. So knowing this tendency of mine I avoid conversations before worship begins as a safeguard to keeping my attitude right and staying in the Spirit.
2. Knowing what do with a staff member who is not making a vital contribution to the church. This is one of the toughest aspects of pastoring a multi-staff church, especially if your temperament leans toward conflict avoidance. Some pastors I’m sure have abused the power of the pastorate by letting staff members “go” when there was really no justification. As a result churches tend to make it very difficult for a pastor to deal with an unproductive or disloyal staff member. Unfortunately, the end result is that when the pastor can’t “take it anymore” he moves to a different ministry setting and the church ends up keeping the unproductive staff member. It ends up being a loss for everyone. The pastor leaves maybe before his work there was over. The church loses on many fronts. And the unproductive staff member loses because without accountability, there is no motivation to improve.
3. Loving a person in the church when that person is your critic. I know I want to be Christ-like and love people the way the Lord loves me … without conditions. These “critics” typically either throw stones anonymously so as to not have to take ownership of their comments. And the problem, at least for me, is that whether anonymous or not, criticism of the pastor often wounds the pastor’s family. This is the reason it’s hard to love those who are critics.
4. Preparing more than one quality sermon a week. For 19 years I prepared what I hoped were 3 quality sermons a week. The last year I have given over the Wednesday evening service to another staff member which has made it somewhat easier to prepare messages. But there’s the constant tension of making sure your sermons are constantly improving.
5. Doing the funeral of a person who was not a Christian. There have been times families wanted me to preach their loved one into heaven. I will often ask family members if their loved one was a Christian and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “I don’t know”. But the amazing thing is the number of times they don’t know because they never asked or shared the gospel.
6. Balancing the tension of being “available” to everyone and being “available” to no one. When I am available to everyone, those are the times my availability to God suffers. So some pastor friends allow the pendulum to swing too far in the other direction and they are available to no one. Thank God for great ministry assistants that protect their pastors time.
7. Knowing when to be “real” and to whom to be “real”. Most pastors know the heartache of being burned by a trusted friend. Jesus was burned by Judas. I’m not saying that all who at some point turn on their pastor / friend are “judases” … just that it is difficult knowing when someone can take my being real with them. We pastors often try, many times because of the high expectations for the office, try and maintain a pretense of spirituality. Unfortunately that keeps most friendships shallow and pastors dealing with the frustration of loneliness.
I’m sure this list crosses over to the laity as well. I’d love to hear what issues / frustrations you deal with on a regular basis. There is something cathartic about being able to put them down and take ownership of these feelings. Thanks for reading my blog.
Monday, June 11, 2012
25 fun things to ponder
1. Is it good if a vacuum really sucks?
2. Why is the third hand on the watch called the second hand?
3. If a word is misspelled in the dictionary, how would we ever know?
4. If Webster wrote the first dictionary, where did he find the words?
5. Why do we say something is out of whack? What is whack?
6. Why does "slow down" and "slow up" mean the same thing?
7. Why does "fat chance" and "slim chance" mean the same thing?
8. Why do "tug" boats push their barges?
9. Why do we sing "Take me out to the ball game" when we are already there?
10. Why are they called " stands" when they are made for sitting?
11. Why is it called "after dark" when it really is "after light"?
12. Doesn't "expecting the unexpected" make the unexpected expected?
13. Why are a "wise man" and a "wise guy" opposites?
14. Why do "overlook" and "oversee" mean opposite things?
15. Why is "phonics" not spelled the way it sounds?
16. If work is so terrific, why do they have to pay you to do it?
17. If all the world is a stage, where is the audience sitting?
18. If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
19. If you are cross-eyed and have dyslexia, can you read all right?
20. Why do you press harder on the buttons of a remote control when you know the batteries are dead?
21. Why do we put suits in garment bags and garments in a suitcase?
22. Why do we wash bath towels? Aren't we clean when we use them?
23. Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?
24. Christmas - What other time of the year do you sit in front of a dead tree and eat candy out of your socks?
25. Why do we drive on a parkway and park on a driveway?
So what are your favorite "ponderings"?
2. Why is the third hand on the watch called the second hand?
3. If a word is misspelled in the dictionary, how would we ever know?
4. If Webster wrote the first dictionary, where did he find the words?
5. Why do we say something is out of whack? What is whack?
6. Why does "slow down" and "slow up" mean the same thing?
7. Why does "fat chance" and "slim chance" mean the same thing?
8. Why do "tug" boats push their barges?
9. Why do we sing "Take me out to the ball game" when we are already there?
10. Why are they called " stands" when they are made for sitting?
11. Why is it called "after dark" when it really is "after light"?
12. Doesn't "expecting the unexpected" make the unexpected expected?
13. Why are a "wise man" and a "wise guy" opposites?
14. Why do "overlook" and "oversee" mean opposite things?
15. Why is "phonics" not spelled the way it sounds?
16. If work is so terrific, why do they have to pay you to do it?
17. If all the world is a stage, where is the audience sitting?
18. If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
19. If you are cross-eyed and have dyslexia, can you read all right?
20. Why do you press harder on the buttons of a remote control when you know the batteries are dead?
21. Why do we put suits in garment bags and garments in a suitcase?
22. Why do we wash bath towels? Aren't we clean when we use them?
23. Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?
24. Christmas - What other time of the year do you sit in front of a dead tree and eat candy out of your socks?
25. Why do we drive on a parkway and park on a driveway?
So what are your favorite "ponderings"?
Sunday, June 10, 2012
"Dangerous people"
I was reading a really good article today on www.churchleaders.com entitled: “Do you know the most dangerous person in your church?” It reminded me of a sermon I preached in February of 2009 entitled “The most dangerous people in the church”. I thought I’d summarize the points the Nebraska church planter made in his article today, then write about the text and points I had in my sermon.
Erik Raymond is the Omaha church planter that penned the article. He makes the case that this “dangerous” person is not who we’d immediately think of. He says it’s not the: unbeliever who doesn’t know the church language, or the Christian who is what he calls doctrinally anemic, or even the “Arminian sniffed out by the Calvinist in 20 seconds flat". In his estimation the most dangerous person in church is the seemingly smart bible guy who is “unteachable”; the guy who might say “Don’t confuse me with the facts, I know what I believe.” Like when my friend Phil Hoskins at his church, Higher Ground Baptist Church in Kingsport, Tn had a large issue before the church and he started speaking to what the bible might say about the issue before them. A man stood up and said something to the effect, “Preacher, we all know you know lots more about the bible than us, so don’t go bringing the bible into it!”
Raymond then gives some “signs” about why this guy (or gal) is dangerous. First, they are dangerous because he is “gospel-eclipsing” meaning he has it all figured out. Whereas the gospel calls us to continue to grow in our understanding, this guy has all the answers before the questions are asked. Second, he’s dangerous because he is “critical”. He likes to Monday morning quarterback (2nd guess) every sermon and decision made by leadership. Third, he is dangerous because his attitude of unteachableness is ultimately divisive. Fourth, he’s dangerous because in his being unteachable and constantly second-guessing leadership he robs leaders of joy (See Hebrews 13:7, 10). The fifth reason he’s dangerous is because he’s a “time waster”. Raymond says he takes the time of the staff wanting to argue what he considers the “finer points” of the gospel message and mandate.
Raymond then gives some very practical advice on how to deal with people like this. He states:
1. Pray for him
2. Minimize his influence
3. Watch him and the sheep – care for him spiritually but be keenly aware of the sheep at large and how he might influence them
4. Lovingly aim to teach him
5. Confront him when necessary
In my sermon I used Matthew 13 where the Lord gives the parable of the “wheat and tares” (weeds). I found the text fell into 4 easy points.
First, where do they come from. Jesus, in verse 39, clearly says the enemy who “sowed them” is the “devil”. Jesus said he sows weeds among the weed to destroy the crop. In Ephesians 6, the Apostle Paul reminds us that are battle is not against “flesh and blood” but rather the enemy is Satan.
Second, I looked at who are the dangerous folk. They in all likelihood are some of the most “religious” among the group. The have religion but not a relationship. Membership but do not know the Master. As Paul said to Timothy, they have “a form of godliness but deny the power thereof.” In other words they are religious, love to be in church on Sundays with their bibles under arm, but are lost. This can be true of laymen and leader alike. I honestly believe at one point I hired a member of my staff at a previous church, that later, by his attitude and actions revealed he was lost.
Third, I considered what their mission might be. Jesus said the devil comes to “steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10). These folks are being used by the enemy to trip up and tear down. Given time, the weeds will always reveal their true nature.
The fourth thing I pointed out that the text explained was where they work. Jesus said the enemy came “at night” to plant the weed seeds. The devil will always try and take the path of least resistance. He doesn’t want a fight but rather to divide and conquer.
I then concluded with the same thought I want to finish this blog with, namely where should we expect Satan to do his most damaging work. One of the attributes that God has that Satan does not is His omnipresence; God is all places at all times. Satan though has to pick and choose where he will be. Having to pick where he will attack it makes sense to me that Satan will spend most of his time attacking churches that are alive and reaching people with the gospel. Why attack a “dead” church when you have them right where you want them? After all, it’s best to let a sleeping dog lie, right?
The real tragedy of the parable is that in Jesus’ account the tares never have their nature changed to that of wheat. The good news today is that anyone who has the nature of a weed, while there’s still life flowing through their body can be changed by the grace of God and receive a new nature, John 3 Jesus called it being “born-again”.
Erik Raymond is the Omaha church planter that penned the article. He makes the case that this “dangerous” person is not who we’d immediately think of. He says it’s not the: unbeliever who doesn’t know the church language, or the Christian who is what he calls doctrinally anemic, or even the “Arminian sniffed out by the Calvinist in 20 seconds flat". In his estimation the most dangerous person in church is the seemingly smart bible guy who is “unteachable”; the guy who might say “Don’t confuse me with the facts, I know what I believe.” Like when my friend Phil Hoskins at his church, Higher Ground Baptist Church in Kingsport, Tn had a large issue before the church and he started speaking to what the bible might say about the issue before them. A man stood up and said something to the effect, “Preacher, we all know you know lots more about the bible than us, so don’t go bringing the bible into it!”
Raymond then gives some “signs” about why this guy (or gal) is dangerous. First, they are dangerous because he is “gospel-eclipsing” meaning he has it all figured out. Whereas the gospel calls us to continue to grow in our understanding, this guy has all the answers before the questions are asked. Second, he’s dangerous because he is “critical”. He likes to Monday morning quarterback (2nd guess) every sermon and decision made by leadership. Third, he is dangerous because his attitude of unteachableness is ultimately divisive. Fourth, he’s dangerous because in his being unteachable and constantly second-guessing leadership he robs leaders of joy (See Hebrews 13:7, 10). The fifth reason he’s dangerous is because he’s a “time waster”. Raymond says he takes the time of the staff wanting to argue what he considers the “finer points” of the gospel message and mandate.
Raymond then gives some very practical advice on how to deal with people like this. He states:
1. Pray for him
2. Minimize his influence
3. Watch him and the sheep – care for him spiritually but be keenly aware of the sheep at large and how he might influence them
4. Lovingly aim to teach him
5. Confront him when necessary
In my sermon I used Matthew 13 where the Lord gives the parable of the “wheat and tares” (weeds). I found the text fell into 4 easy points.
First, where do they come from. Jesus, in verse 39, clearly says the enemy who “sowed them” is the “devil”. Jesus said he sows weeds among the weed to destroy the crop. In Ephesians 6, the Apostle Paul reminds us that are battle is not against “flesh and blood” but rather the enemy is Satan.
Second, I looked at who are the dangerous folk. They in all likelihood are some of the most “religious” among the group. The have religion but not a relationship. Membership but do not know the Master. As Paul said to Timothy, they have “a form of godliness but deny the power thereof.” In other words they are religious, love to be in church on Sundays with their bibles under arm, but are lost. This can be true of laymen and leader alike. I honestly believe at one point I hired a member of my staff at a previous church, that later, by his attitude and actions revealed he was lost.
Third, I considered what their mission might be. Jesus said the devil comes to “steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10). These folks are being used by the enemy to trip up and tear down. Given time, the weeds will always reveal their true nature.
The fourth thing I pointed out that the text explained was where they work. Jesus said the enemy came “at night” to plant the weed seeds. The devil will always try and take the path of least resistance. He doesn’t want a fight but rather to divide and conquer.
I then concluded with the same thought I want to finish this blog with, namely where should we expect Satan to do his most damaging work. One of the attributes that God has that Satan does not is His omnipresence; God is all places at all times. Satan though has to pick and choose where he will be. Having to pick where he will attack it makes sense to me that Satan will spend most of his time attacking churches that are alive and reaching people with the gospel. Why attack a “dead” church when you have them right where you want them? After all, it’s best to let a sleeping dog lie, right?
The real tragedy of the parable is that in Jesus’ account the tares never have their nature changed to that of wheat. The good news today is that anyone who has the nature of a weed, while there’s still life flowing through their body can be changed by the grace of God and receive a new nature, John 3 Jesus called it being “born-again”.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Secrets Pastors Keep
Thom Rainer in The Christian Post wrote an article entitled “5 Secrets Pastors Refuse To Tell”. This struck a chord with me. Through 21 years of pastoring I’ve heard horror stories and even lived a few myself. There’s the pastor that is very successful in that his church has multiplied through his years of ministry there and in his denomination he’s called a success story. But then if you get inside the façade you hear of feelings of depression and feelings of “What else can I do to earn a living?” That is a question I’ve heard often through the years, “I’d do something else if I only knew how I could support my family”. Sad … but true.
I read today of another pastor who for years kept this secret well; the secret pain he felt, until it became too much to bear. He decided to leave the ministry without a plan. I Heard of another pastor who spoke about fantasizing of how he could get kicked-out of the ministry, without losing his wife, or going to jail. It was then he made his plan to step aside...instead of running. Now to some of the pastors that reads this, I’m sure there will be a little “Been there, felt that” … even if the feeling or thought was only fleeting. To the layman who reads this, you are probably scratching your head thinking “What in the world?” Layman, let me caution you about being too quick to judge these feelings from your pastors, as they are but mere fallible humans as are we all. Pastors keep their secrets for a couple of reasons. One, the fear their ministry will be hurt in the eyes of those they serve with. Or two, as I have experienced on occasion, some laymen just aren’t ready to accept that their pastors have serious “personal issues” they deal with as well.
So what are the 5 “secrets” Rainer says pastors keep? I’m glad you asked. Here they are with some of his comments and my thoughts.
1. “My marriage is struggling” – I’d add to this “My children are not perfect”. I think there is this need in congregations to for whatever reason hold their minister’s family to a higher standard than everyone else. It’s that “fishbowl” pastors often speak about. I remember one time about 15 years ago my daughter was just being a kid one day at church and an older layman made some statement like, “She ought to know better, she’s the pastors’ daughter”. It was something silly like running in church. I made sure he understood that he needed to give my child the same grace he gave to other kids … grace to simply “be kids”. Rainer says, “Pastors' wives sometimes wonder if their husbands are married to them or to the church. Resentment and marital fights are not uncommon.”
2. “I fear my kids will grow up hating the church” – Our children, as much as we try to shelter them, are often exposed to the “dark side” of church life. They see and hear things that they shouldn’t, maybe said about their mother or father, in a hallway or business meeting. And it is a very real fear pastors have that their kid’s years later will hold all churches / Christians accountable for the hurt they feel.
3. “I let a handful of critics control me” – I recently told our congregation a story about a man who ordered a million frogs and had them shipped to him. When the box arrived, he counted and there were only 500 inside. When he called the company to complain the salesman said, “I’m sorry, but when they were croaking they sounded like a million.” It doesn’t take but a few “vocal croaks” to make life miserable. The sad thing is, often the vast majority love and support their pastor, yet they are not vocal in their support. I thank God for those encouragers He has placed in my life throughout the years.
4. “I often have anger toward the supportive church members who don't defend me to my critics” – I often tell the story of the deacon at my 1st church that in a deacon’s meeting one night poked me in the chest in front of 5 other deacons, and said, “Preacher, if you want to take this out to the parking lot we can settle this right now”. That hurt! But what hurt worse was the fact the other 5 men sat there silently and let him do it.
5. “I’ve thought about quitting several times” – Almost every pastor I know, that I’ve had a relationship with where we could be honest with one another has experienced and expressed this feeling somewhere along the way. As Rainer points out these pastors confess, “The only thing that has stopped me from quitting is the call of God.”
I’m sure pastors could add to this list of 5 things some things they feel they are unable to share for whatever reason. Pastoring is a tough job; it’s not for the faint of heart. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog and for doing what I know you will do … praying for your pastor.
I read today of another pastor who for years kept this secret well; the secret pain he felt, until it became too much to bear. He decided to leave the ministry without a plan. I Heard of another pastor who spoke about fantasizing of how he could get kicked-out of the ministry, without losing his wife, or going to jail. It was then he made his plan to step aside...instead of running. Now to some of the pastors that reads this, I’m sure there will be a little “Been there, felt that” … even if the feeling or thought was only fleeting. To the layman who reads this, you are probably scratching your head thinking “What in the world?” Layman, let me caution you about being too quick to judge these feelings from your pastors, as they are but mere fallible humans as are we all. Pastors keep their secrets for a couple of reasons. One, the fear their ministry will be hurt in the eyes of those they serve with. Or two, as I have experienced on occasion, some laymen just aren’t ready to accept that their pastors have serious “personal issues” they deal with as well.
So what are the 5 “secrets” Rainer says pastors keep? I’m glad you asked. Here they are with some of his comments and my thoughts.
1. “My marriage is struggling” – I’d add to this “My children are not perfect”. I think there is this need in congregations to for whatever reason hold their minister’s family to a higher standard than everyone else. It’s that “fishbowl” pastors often speak about. I remember one time about 15 years ago my daughter was just being a kid one day at church and an older layman made some statement like, “She ought to know better, she’s the pastors’ daughter”. It was something silly like running in church. I made sure he understood that he needed to give my child the same grace he gave to other kids … grace to simply “be kids”. Rainer says, “Pastors' wives sometimes wonder if their husbands are married to them or to the church. Resentment and marital fights are not uncommon.”
2. “I fear my kids will grow up hating the church” – Our children, as much as we try to shelter them, are often exposed to the “dark side” of church life. They see and hear things that they shouldn’t, maybe said about their mother or father, in a hallway or business meeting. And it is a very real fear pastors have that their kid’s years later will hold all churches / Christians accountable for the hurt they feel.
3. “I let a handful of critics control me” – I recently told our congregation a story about a man who ordered a million frogs and had them shipped to him. When the box arrived, he counted and there were only 500 inside. When he called the company to complain the salesman said, “I’m sorry, but when they were croaking they sounded like a million.” It doesn’t take but a few “vocal croaks” to make life miserable. The sad thing is, often the vast majority love and support their pastor, yet they are not vocal in their support. I thank God for those encouragers He has placed in my life throughout the years.
4. “I often have anger toward the supportive church members who don't defend me to my critics” – I often tell the story of the deacon at my 1st church that in a deacon’s meeting one night poked me in the chest in front of 5 other deacons, and said, “Preacher, if you want to take this out to the parking lot we can settle this right now”. That hurt! But what hurt worse was the fact the other 5 men sat there silently and let him do it.
5. “I’ve thought about quitting several times” – Almost every pastor I know, that I’ve had a relationship with where we could be honest with one another has experienced and expressed this feeling somewhere along the way. As Rainer points out these pastors confess, “The only thing that has stopped me from quitting is the call of God.”
I’m sure pastors could add to this list of 5 things some things they feel they are unable to share for whatever reason. Pastoring is a tough job; it’s not for the faint of heart. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog and for doing what I know you will do … praying for your pastor.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Leading by faith ...
Vision is defined at www.dictionary.com as “something seen or otherwise perceived”. Tonight we share a vision for a new ministry paradigm at Eastwood that will hopefully allow us to maximize making disciples, capture on a regular basis the excitement that comes when our two campuses come together, and reach more people for Christ. I recognize this is a Baptist Church and “change” for many is a four-letter word; change typically does not come quickly or without great consternation. But for too long I think leaders of the church have abdicated their responsibility to lead, primarily out of fear of the “backlash” they might face for leading courageously. I want to share some principles of leadership that I think will help a church, any church, if the leaders will follow them go forward.
1. Ask God to make you passionate about what you do and believe to be true – often I think pastors see role in the church as a job to fulfill rather than a calling of His will to follow. We should be like Jeremiah in Jeremiah 20:9 “But if I say, ‘I will not mention His word or speak anymore in His name,’ His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”
2. Lead out of conviction not comfort – there are times that doing what is “right” and what is “easy” are mutually exclusive. As leaders, we should never lead with the motivation to gain the applause or appreciation of man. Paul said in Galatians 1:10 “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (NIV). Proverbs 29:25 puts it this way, “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.” (NIV).
3. Believe it’s unnecessary to have all the “answers” before you obey God’s will – Abraham would be buried today in Ur of the Chaldees had he decided to wait until he had all the answers to follow the Lord. To walk by faith we must first live by faith. I absolutely love Hebrews chapter 11. To look at the long list of people who lived lives of faith and faithfulness. There are two verses at the beginning of the chapter that speak so well to this. Verse 1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. And verse 6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
4. Pray bold prayers for the people you pastor – Time and again we find the church in Acts praying prayers of great boldness. Today we pray prayers of safety. “Lord, please don’t upset the way things are going right now; it’s all running like clockwork”. There’s a lot of churches He needs to “upset the way things are going” as I believe He is upset at how they are going. The early church prayed for conversions whereas we pray for comfort and contentment. We ought to pray to God asking for things that we believe to be His will, that unless He shows up and accomplishes it, it will not happen. This ensures that when it does happen, He gets the glory. As William Carey, the father of the modern day missions movement said, we should “Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God”!
5. See people through the eyes of God – it’s a constant battle to see people the way the Lord sees them, through eyes of love and compassion not condemnation and judgment. This principle alone, if realized, would radically change most churches for the better.
6. Stop trying to be _______ church – God has uniquely gifted and called the people you lead for the time and place you are at. We don’t have to try what’s working someplace else to see if it will "work" here. We simply have to get hold of the heart of God and not let go.
I’m praying that I will be a pastor of faith that leads a people of faith.
1. Ask God to make you passionate about what you do and believe to be true – often I think pastors see role in the church as a job to fulfill rather than a calling of His will to follow. We should be like Jeremiah in Jeremiah 20:9 “But if I say, ‘I will not mention His word or speak anymore in His name,’ His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”
2. Lead out of conviction not comfort – there are times that doing what is “right” and what is “easy” are mutually exclusive. As leaders, we should never lead with the motivation to gain the applause or appreciation of man. Paul said in Galatians 1:10 “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (NIV). Proverbs 29:25 puts it this way, “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.” (NIV).
3. Believe it’s unnecessary to have all the “answers” before you obey God’s will – Abraham would be buried today in Ur of the Chaldees had he decided to wait until he had all the answers to follow the Lord. To walk by faith we must first live by faith. I absolutely love Hebrews chapter 11. To look at the long list of people who lived lives of faith and faithfulness. There are two verses at the beginning of the chapter that speak so well to this. Verse 1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. And verse 6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
4. Pray bold prayers for the people you pastor – Time and again we find the church in Acts praying prayers of great boldness. Today we pray prayers of safety. “Lord, please don’t upset the way things are going right now; it’s all running like clockwork”. There’s a lot of churches He needs to “upset the way things are going” as I believe He is upset at how they are going. The early church prayed for conversions whereas we pray for comfort and contentment. We ought to pray to God asking for things that we believe to be His will, that unless He shows up and accomplishes it, it will not happen. This ensures that when it does happen, He gets the glory. As William Carey, the father of the modern day missions movement said, we should “Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God”!
5. See people through the eyes of God – it’s a constant battle to see people the way the Lord sees them, through eyes of love and compassion not condemnation and judgment. This principle alone, if realized, would radically change most churches for the better.
6. Stop trying to be _______ church – God has uniquely gifted and called the people you lead for the time and place you are at. We don’t have to try what’s working someplace else to see if it will "work" here. We simply have to get hold of the heart of God and not let go.
I’m praying that I will be a pastor of faith that leads a people of faith.
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