I am home for the whirlwind holidays of Thanksgiving. A whirlwind because it includes my nephew's birthday (today he is 17), my father's birthday (on Saturday, he will be 88), Thanksgiving and a special worship service on Sunday where my home church is honoring Daddy for his birthday and 66 years of UM ministry...
But, tonight, we did what our family does: we went to church.
Tonight was the community Thanksgiving service here in Frankfort.
The sanctuary at South Frankfort Presbyterian Church was filled. The participating clergy filled up the front two rows. The music was great. The sermon, in call and response black style, was rousing. And then the pastor from the Church of God got up to give the benediction. He looked out across the congregation of Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Pentecostals, white and black, young and old. Then he said, "Look around you. We are all races and all denominations and we are all people Jesus died to save. This is what heaven is going to look like. And, if you don't like it, you'd better learn to get used to it."
I'm still struggling with laryngitis (residual from an unusally demanding weekend) and the only way to get my voice back is to rest it. (Now THAT is hard!) But, as fragile as my voice is, I really wanted to say AMEN. Amen! Amen!
Tonight was only a glimpse. I am so grateful for God's great heart. May we live into God's gift with grateful hearts.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Buckle up!
What an amazing week!
We have spent a week of cabinet training/evaluation/meeting. And I can say this -- I've never seen anything like this. I know that people outside the cabinet don't have the chance to see this dynamic as closely right now. But it's a new day.
The challenge isn't new. The church has been declining for decades. That's an old challenge. While people love to pick their favorite issue and connect that issue to the decline of the church, the overwhelming evidence is the reality that the culture has changed and the church has unproductively and defiantly stood still. And the heartbreak of it is that sitting still has not only been harmful to the church. Sitting still is completely contrary to John Wesley's practice of discipleship.
The challenge is not new. But, gratefully, the response is new. Our bishop is leading us in a wonderfully holy impatience. His approach is predictable and consistent and focused. And it's all summed up in his one frequently repeated phrase: "It's all about the mission."
And I can tell you first hand, those words are not just a catch phrase. Those words illuminate all the changes that are on the table. And there are many changes. As the changes unfold, people need to know that everything falls under the same scrutiny: is it all about the mission? And, quite simply, anything that is NOT about the mission of the church stands subservient and disposable to what IS the mission of the church. And that is one, incredible, amazing and, of course, completely-credible change.
We have talked the priority of mission before. But what is new is that we are seriously and persistently being led to LIVE and APPLY the priority on following Jesus, making disciples and transforming the world. It is thrilling. It is encouraging. It is invigorating. But it is also going to be hard.
Any pastor or church that likes to rock along with the way things have always been is going to be unhappy. Any church or pastor who is perfectly content with the same handful of familiar faces in worship is going to be challenged. Any pastor or church that wants to keep things the way they are (even if that means the church is dying) is going to be uncomfortable. Any pastor or church that wants to do whatever they want without any challenge or accountability is going to be in for an adjustment. Any UM pastor or church who wants to be left alone to do their on thing is going to have a very hard time as we become the truly connectional church that we are designed to be. Any pastor or church that wants to sit around on their blessed assurance in the same old unproductive path is going to experience some frustration. Because we are going to be looking past preferences and comfort zones to putting the mission first in all things.
"It's all about the mission" is a mighty big statement. It's going to challenge us to a lot of change and help get us serious about moving on toward perfection.
We have spent a week of cabinet training/evaluation/meeting. And I can say this -- I've never seen anything like this. I know that people outside the cabinet don't have the chance to see this dynamic as closely right now. But it's a new day.
The challenge isn't new. The church has been declining for decades. That's an old challenge. While people love to pick their favorite issue and connect that issue to the decline of the church, the overwhelming evidence is the reality that the culture has changed and the church has unproductively and defiantly stood still. And the heartbreak of it is that sitting still has not only been harmful to the church. Sitting still is completely contrary to John Wesley's practice of discipleship.
The challenge is not new. But, gratefully, the response is new. Our bishop is leading us in a wonderfully holy impatience. His approach is predictable and consistent and focused. And it's all summed up in his one frequently repeated phrase: "It's all about the mission."
And I can tell you first hand, those words are not just a catch phrase. Those words illuminate all the changes that are on the table. And there are many changes. As the changes unfold, people need to know that everything falls under the same scrutiny: is it all about the mission? And, quite simply, anything that is NOT about the mission of the church stands subservient and disposable to what IS the mission of the church. And that is one, incredible, amazing and, of course, completely-credible change.
We have talked the priority of mission before. But what is new is that we are seriously and persistently being led to LIVE and APPLY the priority on following Jesus, making disciples and transforming the world. It is thrilling. It is encouraging. It is invigorating. But it is also going to be hard.
Any pastor or church that likes to rock along with the way things have always been is going to be unhappy. Any church or pastor who is perfectly content with the same handful of familiar faces in worship is going to be challenged. Any pastor or church that wants to keep things the way they are (even if that means the church is dying) is going to be uncomfortable. Any pastor or church that wants to do whatever they want without any challenge or accountability is going to be in for an adjustment. Any UM pastor or church who wants to be left alone to do their on thing is going to have a very hard time as we become the truly connectional church that we are designed to be. Any pastor or church that wants to sit around on their blessed assurance in the same old unproductive path is going to experience some frustration. Because we are going to be looking past preferences and comfort zones to putting the mission first in all things.
"It's all about the mission" is a mighty big statement. It's going to challenge us to a lot of change and help get us serious about moving on toward perfection.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Dodging the big question
I've been laughing all week.
Connor is very close to being ready for the great life talk. I almost got into it with him this past weekend.
Halloween night, I had 4 year old Spiderman in my backseat. We were heading to a Trunk Or Treat sponsored by one of my churches (the first of 3 we would try to go to that night). Since it was raining, I wasn't sure that the Trunk or Treat would still be held so I was trying to introduce the possibility that the rain might require things to be called off.
"Well, Grammy," Connor said very seriously, "God is going to disappoint a lot of children tonight if he doesn't stop this rain." And, after a short pause, he said, "Because, after all, He IS in charge of everything."
I wondered if I should try to explain the unexplainable...that here, in this fallen world, God isn't directly responsible for everything that happens. How does one explain that to a four year old? While I was searching for just the right words, we arrived at Chapel Hill UMC and Trunk or Treat was open for business. Whew.
As we were driving home, Connor was counting his haul of candy and remembering the fun detail by detail. Then he paused again and said, "Wasn't it great that God decided to stop the rain?".
I know that sometime we will have to have the conversation about life's more complicated realities. But, for our drive home, I agreed that God had been mighty good and, for however little he grasps about God's omnipotence, he was absolutely right in understanding God's heart. God wouldn't want the children to be disappointed.
Connor is very close to being ready for the great life talk. I almost got into it with him this past weekend.
Halloween night, I had 4 year old Spiderman in my backseat. We were heading to a Trunk Or Treat sponsored by one of my churches (the first of 3 we would try to go to that night). Since it was raining, I wasn't sure that the Trunk or Treat would still be held so I was trying to introduce the possibility that the rain might require things to be called off.
"Well, Grammy," Connor said very seriously, "God is going to disappoint a lot of children tonight if he doesn't stop this rain." And, after a short pause, he said, "Because, after all, He IS in charge of everything."
I wondered if I should try to explain the unexplainable...that here, in this fallen world, God isn't directly responsible for everything that happens. How does one explain that to a four year old? While I was searching for just the right words, we arrived at Chapel Hill UMC and Trunk or Treat was open for business. Whew.
As we were driving home, Connor was counting his haul of candy and remembering the fun detail by detail. Then he paused again and said, "Wasn't it great that God decided to stop the rain?".
I know that sometime we will have to have the conversation about life's more complicated realities. But, for our drive home, I agreed that God had been mighty good and, for however little he grasps about God's omnipotence, he was absolutely right in understanding God's heart. God wouldn't want the children to be disappointed.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
A very happy anniversary...
Exactly one year ago today was my thyroid surgery.
Although I slept through it all, the surgery went much longer than expected. My family was getting worried and only more concerned when the surgeon came out and tried to tell them what had taken so long. The cancer was more extensive than they had realized and, in the course of getting as much as possible, the surgeon had damaged the nerve that leads to the vocal chords. We had chosen to go to Dr. Olson -- chief of Endoctrine Surgery at Duke--because he monitored the vocal chords during thyroidectomies. The thyroid I was sure I could live without. My voice -- now THAT was a different scenario. So it was worrisome that Dr. Olson said that his monitors had lost contact with the vocal chords during the surgery. Only time would tell whether or not I would be able to talk after the surgery-- or not.
No wonder my sister looked so happy in the recovery room when I started complaining that there was no TV. I woke up (understandably) wanting to know the results of the presidential election. And the extent of worry was even clearer on my surgeon's face when he lit up like a Christmas tree when I spoke to him when he came to check on me. There was plenty of reason to worry about the thyroid cancer. But God also gave me back the gift of my speaking voice...a gift I cherish for both my life and my work.
Today, I drove back to Duke for followup and got more confirmation of good news and healing grace. I am newly overwhelmed with the gift of voice and life...and hope that my voice and life will -- in new ways --bring healing and grace to others.
Although I slept through it all, the surgery went much longer than expected. My family was getting worried and only more concerned when the surgeon came out and tried to tell them what had taken so long. The cancer was more extensive than they had realized and, in the course of getting as much as possible, the surgeon had damaged the nerve that leads to the vocal chords. We had chosen to go to Dr. Olson -- chief of Endoctrine Surgery at Duke--because he monitored the vocal chords during thyroidectomies. The thyroid I was sure I could live without. My voice -- now THAT was a different scenario. So it was worrisome that Dr. Olson said that his monitors had lost contact with the vocal chords during the surgery. Only time would tell whether or not I would be able to talk after the surgery-- or not.
No wonder my sister looked so happy in the recovery room when I started complaining that there was no TV. I woke up (understandably) wanting to know the results of the presidential election. And the extent of worry was even clearer on my surgeon's face when he lit up like a Christmas tree when I spoke to him when he came to check on me. There was plenty of reason to worry about the thyroid cancer. But God also gave me back the gift of my speaking voice...a gift I cherish for both my life and my work.
Today, I drove back to Duke for followup and got more confirmation of good news and healing grace. I am newly overwhelmed with the gift of voice and life...and hope that my voice and life will -- in new ways --bring healing and grace to others.
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