Conversations That Matter

Leadership Prezi

2011-01-29T20:33:00.003-06:00

This morning at the UUMC Leadership Training, I utilized a "prezi" instead of PowerPoint to share my ideas about the committee structure in our church. I wanted to post it here so that those of you who were not able to attend can see it and ask questions if you have any.

University UMC Leadership Training on Prezi

Mark 3-4

2011-01-15T22:58:00.002-06:00

At the opening of today's reading, Jesus challenges the assumptions that the religious leaders of his day hold dear - "do no work on the Sabbath". They were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, but he went right ahead and healed the man with the shriveled hand. He challenged them as to "which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill? But [the Pharisees] remained silent" (3.4). According to Jesus there is only one answer to this question, but his answer angers the PTBs and angering the PTBs usually never turns out well for the non-PTBs.

Mark also includes the "Parable of the Sower" (see my thoughts from Matthew's account), but his placement of the explanation immediately following the parable keeps the reader engaged with the story and drives home the point he is making.

Mark 4 has several agricultural parables [Sower (1-20); Growing Seed (26-29); and Mustard Seed (30-32)] in it, but small note in verse 34 shows that Jesus spoke many things in parables to everyone AND he explains everything to the disciples when they are alone. How often do we hear a word from God in the midst of a crowd, but don't receive an explanation until we are alone with God?

What verse(s) stuck out the most to you in Mark 3-4?

Mark 1-2

2011-01-14T22:49:00.002-06:00

It should come as no surprise to anyone at University UMC to hear that I am a big fan of Mark's Gospel - I spent 7 weeks looking at just the first chapter last January!

The first thing any reader should notice about Mark's Gospel is that there is no birth narrative. The story picks up with John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus to enter the world (fully grown) and begin his ministry. Just nine verses into the book Jesus is being baptized by John in the Jordan River - that took two and a half chapters in Matthew!

Jesus' earthly ministry begins quickly with healings, calling disciples, driving out evil spirits, time for prayer, and forgiving the sins of a paralyzed man. Just as in Matthew, the people here in Mark are "amazed" at what Jesus is doing, teaching, and saying. They just can't believe their ears and eyes.

One of the great things about Mark is that Jesus is always going somewhere or leaving one place for another - he doesn't seem to linger anywhere longer than necessary. As you are reading through Mark, notice how many times the word "immediately" is used in reference to Jesus' movements and/or work. Things happen quickly in Mark - perhaps that's why his Gospel is the shortest - with all that action taking place it didn't take as long as Matthew and Luke!

What verse(s) stuck out the most to you in reading Mark 1-2?

What do you hope to learn about Jesus as you read the Gospel of Mark?

Matthew 26-28

2011-01-13T22:35:00.000-06:00

Matthew's Passion Narrative is one of the most moving pieces of scripture in all of the New Testament. Each gospel writer captures these last moments of Jesus' life and his subsequent resurrection in different ways, but Matthew's is my favorite - although I will probably say that about each Passion Narrative as we read it.

In these last few moments with his disciples, Jesus institutes the Lord's Supper (Holy Communion) in 26.26-29, predicts Peter's denial, prays for the cup to pass from him, is betrayed by a friend, arrested by a mob, and lead through a laughable excuse for a trial before being flogged, spat upon, laughed at, denied, mocked, nailed to a cross, and ridiculed for supposed inability to save himself.

When Jesus dies (27.50) he cries out in a loud voice, gives up his spirit, and the curtain of the Temple is torn in two - symbolizing the cessation of the need for intermediaries between humans and God. Matthew is the only Gospel to have an earthquake happen the moment Jesus dies, but unlike Mel Gibson's version - there is no tear from heaven falling to earth.

Jesus rises from the dead on Easter morning (again with an earthquake) and angels tell the women that Jesus is no longer among the dead, but is alive again. The guards who fell asleep at the tomb are paid handsomely to tell a story about the disciples stealing Jesus' body, then Jesus gives the Great Commission - go make disciples, baptize them, and teach them.

What verse(s) stuck out the most to you in Matthew 26-28?

Now that you have read the entire Gospel of Matthew, what have you learned about the Jesus Matthew describes?

Matthew 24-25

2011-01-12T22:23:00.000-06:00

Jesus continues with the rest of the Matthean Apocalypse (chs 23-25) in today's readings. Even as Jesus' life is drawing to a close, he is still taking the time to teach his disciples and all who will come and listen about the end times.

Listen to what Jesus says in 24.12-13, "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but whoever stands firm to the end will be saved." Jesus tells his disciples that as the end times draw nearer and nearer, love will begin to shrivel up and grow cold. Does it sometimes feel like there is less love in the world now than say 10, 20, or 50 years ago?

In 24.36 Jesus says, "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." The day that the world will come to an end is not known to anyone - so stop worrying about December 2012 or any other day some human is telling you that the world will end - they don't really know - only God does!

The "Parable of the Ten Virgins" is steeped in Jewish wedding tradition that gets lost on many modern Christian audiences, but would have made perfect sense to Matthew's Jewish audience when first read. I would encourage you to do some research on Jewish wedding traditions to see how this parable is teaching preparation for the coming of Christ.

The "Parable of the Talents" is another fun parable when it comes to understanding how different people are gifted with different abilities, but we are all held accountable for what we did with what we were given, not necessarily the results of our actions.

The "Sheep and the Goats" closes out the readings for today and this is one of those passages that hits at the heart of Jesus' gospel message - acting on our convictions means acting for the "least of these".

What verse(s) stuck out the most to you in Matthew 24-25?

Matthew 21-23

2011-01-11T16:40:00.002-06:00

These three chapters begin our journey through the last week of Jesus' life in the Gospel of Matthew, beginning with what we now call "Palm Sunday" or Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (21.1-11).

OK, this is one of those "Bible-nerd things," but take a close look at 21.5 (a quote from Zechariah 9.9) and tell me how many animal(s) the king is supposed to ride upon.

Notice the language that is used to describe Jesus as he is entering Jerusalem: "king," "Son of David," "he who comes in the name of the Lord," and "the prophet from Nazareth." What images come to mind when reading these descriptors? What do you think the people are expecting from Jesus when they use terms like these? Do you think Jesus actually fulfills the roles these names put him in?

In the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) Jesus turns over the tables in the Temple as he is living his last week on earth. When does John's Gospel place this event? It is one of the events that each Gospel writer includes, but context and timing are everything with this one.

Chapter 22 includes a passage I refer to often in leading the church (and indeed preached a whole series on back in September): the Great Commandment. I am such a fan of these verses that I had them inscribed on the back of my first iPod. I truly believe that if we loved God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength it would be virtually impossible not to love others as ourselves.

Today's third chapter begins what is known in academic circles as the Matthean Apocalypse - Matthew 23-25. The Seven Woes (23.13-39) are quite descriptive in their view of those who would stand in the way of God's justice reigning on the earth. Jesus' words for false teachers, hypocrites, the Pharisees, the scribes, and many others cut to the bone and sear with anger. Read at your own risk!

What verse(s) stuck out most to you in Matthew 21-23?

Matthew 19-20

2011-01-11T15:54:00.000-06:00

As we enter the last portion of Matthew's Gospel, I have started to notice that the questions from the detractors have gotten more intense, more pointed, and aimed more at trapping Jesus in a situation that he won't be able to talk himself out of:

1) What about divorce? (19.3)

2) Who can get into heaven? (19.16)

3) How can you pay workers the same wage when they haven't worked the same amount? (20.12)

4) Let my sons sit at your right and left hands in glory! (20.21)

In the midst of these tough questions there is a beautiful scene where the people gathered to hear Jesus are bringing the children close to him so that he could lay hands on them and pray for them. The disciples rebuke them, but Jesus affirms their worth and value by explaining that the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. We don't see the daring in Jesus' words today because we value children (especially in the US) and do whatever we can to protect them. In Jesus' day, this was not the case. Children were not cared for as valuable members of society, they were seen as means to an end. They were not looked after, they were bought and sold to pay debts. Children were still innocents, but they were not the protected segment of society that they are today.

The "Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard" is one of my favorite passages to throw onto Jr. High students because they invariably argue with each other about what Jesus does in the passage. It provides hours of discussion fodder and I have even seen a number of adult groups struggle with the themes of justice, fairness, and equality latent within this parable. This parable often reminds me to turn things on their heads in order to gain a new perspective - and it works!

What verse(s) stuck out the most to you in Matthew 19-20?

Matthew 17-18

2011-01-09T23:31:00.002-06:00

Again, lots going on in these two chapters so I'll keep my thoughts focused on a few passages:

The Transfiguration (17.1-13)

Peter, James, and John follow Jesus up a mountain and witness an amazing event that terrifies them. They may not have clearly understood what took place that day, but they knew it was a game-changer.

They even received a better understanding of John the Baptists role in Jesus' ministry.

Dealing With Sin in the Church (18.15-17)

What if church leaders (or regular church folks too) dealt with sin in the way Jesus describes? What if we had the gumption to actually talk to someone who wronged someone else face-to-face? What if we then brought in an additional person to verify our conversation of confrontation? What if we then took the unrepentant sinner in front of the church to confront their sin? What if we then turned the unrepentant sinner out?

I'm glad living biblically doesn't stress me out...

What verse(s) stuck out the most to you in Matthew 17-18?

Matthew 14-16

2011-01-08T23:24:00.003-06:00

In today's readings, Jesus feeds a bunch of people (twice!), John the Baptist loses his head, the disciples think Jesus is a ghost, a Canaanite woman receives crumbs from the table (and a healed daughter in the process), and Jesus begins to prepare his disciples for his death. These are some pivotal chapters in Matthew's Gospel.

The story of Jesus walking on the water and his discussion of defilement drew my attention today.

Jesus Walks on the Water (14.22-33)

Jesus sends his disciples across the lake ahead of him and goes to spend time in prayer alone. A storm has come up and the disciples are having trouble rowing the boat across the lake. Jesus, being God and all, strolls out onto the water toward the boat. The disciples see him walking on the water and believe him to be a ghost. He straightens them out and then Mr. Act-First-Think-Later (aka Peter) decides to give water-walking a shot. He does fine until he stops focusing on Jesus and begins to focus on the storm.

As Jesus enters the boat, with a slightly wet and embarrassed Peter, the storm dies down and the disciples begin to get the picture about who Jesus really is. Isn't funny how moments where utter catastrophe can bring out the deepest faith claims of our lives?

That Which Defiles (15.1-20)

I really don't have much commentary on this passage other than to echo Jesus' words to the people listening. I truly believe that the things stored up in our hearts will one day spill over from our mouths - usually when we least expect it - and will cause irrevocable damage to the ones we love, the ones we are in ministry with, or the ones who least deserve to have more damage inflicted upon them.

I strive to live a life that could never be described with his quote from Isaiah 29.13, but I don't always live up to that.

What verse(s) stuck out to you in Matthew 14-16?

Matthew 12-13

2011-01-07T12:06:00.002-06:00

Many of the religious leaders in Jesus' day were more concerned about the buildings and items used for worship than they were for the people who came there to worship. Jesus remarks to the Pharisees, "I tell you that one greater than the temple is here" (12.6) because he knew that the Pharisees were more concerned about keeping the temple pure, than providing food for those who are hungry. I sure am glad this doesn't happen anymore in churches!

As people were gathering around Jesus, straining to be close to him and hear his teachings, he redefines some basic human relationships. He tells his followers that those who "do the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother" (12.50). The implication is that there may be relatives of our who are less "brother[s] and sister[s] and mother[s]" to us than those who are connected to us through the blood of Christ. I sure am glad this doesn't happen anymore in churches!

Every time I read the "Parable of the Sower" (13.3-9) I think of Rob Evans, the Donut Man, and the song he wrote to tell this story. The images in Rob's video make it very clear how the different soils respond to the seeds that land upon them.

Before telling a series of parables (weeds, mustard seed, yeast, hidden treasure, pearl, and net), Jesus explains that his use of parables is because the "knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you [who understand the parables], but not to them [those who misunderstand them]" (13.11). Have you ever read a parable and thought: "What in the world does that mean?" I know I have!

What verse(s) stuck out to you the most in Matthew 12-13?

Matthew 10-11

2011-01-06T14:51:00.002-06:00

Jesus gives very clear instructions to his disciples as he sends them out:

1) do not go to the Gentiles (10.5)

2) heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers (10.8)

3) do not take any gold, silver or copper (10.9)

4) do not take an extra shirt, pair of sandals, or a staff (10.10)

5) stay in the same home the entire time you are in a town (10.11), etc.

Jesus also clearly tells him that being in ministry in his name will not be a walk in the park, but spiritual warfare. How many times does ministry in the church look like flowers and candy instead of swords and shields? Anybody want to sign up for this committee?

Jesus' words in 11.16-19 give me pause as a clergy member of the itinerant kind. Jesus speaks about how the people complained about John the Baptist because he did not do certain things, but those same people complained about Jesus because he did do those certain things. It seems in the course of Christian ministry (even in the first century) there will always be people who complain about the sun coming up and complain about the sun going down. They will never be happy no matter what we do, so I have to stop putting so much stock in complaints from those folks.

I find comfort in 11.28-30 as I ponder resting in my Lord, learning from him, and taking his yoke upon my shoulders. I am weary at the end of difficult seasons of ministry and the rest that Christ gives is like springtime to my soul.

What verse(s) stuck out the most to you in Matthew 10-11?

Matthew 8-9

2011-01-05T11:22:00.002-06:00

I am continually amazed at how Jesus instructs those who have been healed of disease or demons to keep quiet about their miraculous encounter. How could someone who has been touched by the hand of God keep quiet about it? I would want to shout it from the rooftops!

I must say that "weeping and gnashing of teeth" (8.12) is such an interesting image to me. I picture someone off in a dark corner grinding their teeth as hard as they can while they cry uncontrollably - not a pretty picture by any stretch of the imagination, but biblical nonetheless.

Again, there is an Old Testament prophecy fulfilled in Jesus: Isaiah 53.4 (see 8.17)!

Every time I read the Gospels I am reminded about how human the disciples are in their attempts to follow Christ. They doubt, they stumble, they misunderstand, they do exactly what I do in my own life. I will admit that makes me feel a bit better about my staggered path of discipleship!

Oh how often do I need to be reminded that sick people need the doctor (see 9.12)! How often does the church operate as a hotel for the healthy instead of as a hospital for the hurting?

What verse(s) stuck out the most to you in Matthew 8-9?

Matthew 5-7

2011-01-04T10:17:00.001-06:00

The Sermon on the Mount provides Christians with many of the most well-known verses in all of the Gospels. In these three chapters Jesus speaks on adultery, divorce, loving enemies, giving to the needy, prayer, fasting, treasures in heaven, worrying, judging others, getting into heaven, and quite a few other topics.

Since there is so much content, I'll focus on just two passages (giving the rest of you an opportunity to chime in on the sections that stood out for you):

1) The Beatitudes (5.3-10)

2) the closing two verses of chapter seven (7.28-29)

The Beatitudes

Jesus spells out the groups of people whom he calls "blessed" and what their rewards for that blessing will be. The people Jesus mentions in the Beatitudes are not the people who would often find themselves in seats of power, positions of authority, or with a great deal of influence within their community. The people Jesus calls blessed are not called blessed by the majority of society. They are the overlooked and the stepped-on.

In short, they are not the people we expect to be blessed, but Jesus rarely does what we expect.

The Closing Verses

As Jesus finishes three chapters of teaching, the crowds are "amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law." The crowds sat slack-jawed wondering who this guy was who just taught them about life in community and living to a totally different standard. He was not the typical rabbi because he taught with "authority" - more so than other rabbis, scribes, and Pharisees of the day.

I wonder how many rabbis, scribes, and Pharisees who were there that day would have taken objection to the thoughts of the crowd?

What verse(s) stuck out the most to you in Matthew 5-7?

Matthew 3-4

2011-01-03T21:20:00.003-06:00

Why does the phrase, "Heeeeere's Johnny!" come to mind when I read Matthew 3? Oh well!

I love how honest John the Baptist is in his approach to his ministry. He understands that he is here for only a short time and that the one who will follow him - Jesus - will be even greater than him.

Isn't it interesting that Jesus requests to be baptized? Why would the Son of God need to submit to the act of baptism? Jesus says it is "to fulfill all righteousness" (3.15), but notice that as Jesus is coming up out of the water we see the first appearance of the Trinity in Matthew's Gospel:

1) Voice from heaven - the Father

2) Jesus coming out of the water - the Son

3) Spirit of God descending like a dove - the Spirit

Immediately, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights of fasting. Notice in Jesus' interactions with the tempter that Jesus uses scripture to refute the arguments thrown at him (4.4 quotes Deut 8.3; 4.7 quotes Deut 6.16; 4.10 quotes Deut 6.13). Further notice that the tempter is fully capable of quoting scripture to advance his point as well (Ps 91.11, 12).

Jesus begins his public ministry following these 40 days and 40 nights in the Galilee preaching a message of repentance and recruiting his first disciples, promising them that they will "fish for people" (4.19). Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John all respond the same way to Jesus' call - immediately dropping what they are doing and following him.

As Jesus begins his ministry large crowds are already beginning to gather around him, but it won't take long for them to start thinning out - keep reading!

What verse(s) stuck out the most in reading Matthew 3-4?

Matthew 1-2

2011-01-02T22:11:00.001-06:00

Each Gospel opens with a different take on how to begin the story of Jesus and Matthew is no exception. He opens with seventeen verses dedicated to tracing Jesus' lineage back to Abraham - the "father of nations".

Several interesting notes about what can seem at a glance to be a long list of hard to pronounce names:

1) there are five women mentioned in Jesus' genealogy - Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Uriah's wife (Bathsheeba), and Mary

2) the historical events mentioned in the genealogy - David's reign, the Babylonian exile, and the birth of the Messiah - would have all been items that would have pricked the ears of Matthew's Jewish audience

Unlike Luke's Gospel, Matthew focuses on Joseph's interactions with angels and the Holy Spirit - he has dreams, he names the child, he decides not to divorce Mary, etc. Also unique to Matthew's Gospel is the story of the visit of the magi from the east bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Again Matthew uses the dream motif to move the plot along - magi have dreams, Joseph has several more. All leading to the safe-keeping of the Christ-child and his fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies.

As you read Matthew, keep track of the number of times the Old Testament is quoted - either directly or via allusion - you will be astounded at the great lengths Matthew has gone to in order to root his good news in the Jewish traditions, but more on that later.

What verse(s) stuck out to you the most in reading Matthew 1-2?

90 Days Through the New Testament

2011-01-02T21:35:00.005-06:00

Welcome to "90 Days Through the New Testament"!

I hope that you enjoy your TIME reading the New Testament and joining the discussion over the next three months.

I will be posting my thoughts on each day's scripture reading here and on University UMC's Facebook page. I invite you to comment with your questions, thoughts, prayers, and concerns as we journey together.

As you consider joining the online discussion, please keep these things in mind:

1) as each of us brings a different set of lenses with which we read scripture through, there will be different opinions about what a passage means - this is just fine

2) when said differences arise, please remember that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ as you respond to the various discussion threads

3) invite your friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc. to join us on this journey

Once I figure out how to post the .pdf of the entire reading list, I'll let you know. Until then, pay attention to the study guide of each Sunday's bulletin for the next seven days of readings. If you must have it sooner - just send an email to pastor (at) uumcwf (dot) org.

Blessings for the journey!

Extravagant Generosity - Day 11

2010-10-14T15:25:00.002-05:00

Ownership

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights. - James 1:17, NIV

The Bishop hits right at the heart of the matter with today's devotional: whose "stuff" is it? - God's or ours.

If we believe that everything is God's, then we operate from the perspective that we are caretakers of the earth, the resources in our pocket, and the resources at our fingertips. In this scenario, we give back to God what was already God's to begin with.

If we believe that everything is ours, then we operate from the perspective that we can use whatever we want, whenever we want, for whatever we want. In this scenario, we give to God as we feel like it, but expect that God should be grateful for our giving.

Schnase says, "The wisdom revealed in Scripture and tradition for more than three thousand years is that those who practice from the perspective of a steward find greater happiness" (36).

Questions for Reflection:

1) Which of these two views do you hold?

2) How does this belief shape your actions? Your giving?

Extravagant Generosity - Day 10

2010-10-13T09:54:00.001-05:00

What Happens to God's Love?

If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God's love? It disappears. And you made it disappear. My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality. - 1 John 3:17-19, The Message

I've read the story that Schnase references in today's devotional before and it touched me when I read it then, just as it did today. As a pastor of a church that receives visits from people seeking assistance, I know what the pastor in the story is going through when trying to determine what to do for those who come in. I, too, have devised policies and procedures for dealing with them and I must admit that some of the policies and/or procedures have made God's love disappear.

The words of the janitor always give me pause when considering what to do with those who come to the church asking for assistance: "I give them a little money and say, God bless you, because I figure that they are some mother's son, some father's child, and so I give them something. What they do with the money - well, they have to answer to God about that. I have to answer to God about what I do with mine" (34).

We will all answer for what we do with our money in this life. When we release our finances into God's hands, there is the potential that it will be wasted by those who receive it, but there is the potential that it will bless untold numbers of people because you gave it away. Either way, you are only responsible for what you do with your money, not for what those who receive it do with it.

Questions for Reflection:

1) Have you ever witnessed an extraordinary and unexpected act of generosity?

2) How has another person's generosity influenced your own practice of giving?

3) Who is learning from your examples of generosity?

Extravagant Generosity - Day 9

2010-10-12T23:08:00.002-05:00

Whitewater World!

Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed - that exhilarating finish in and with God - he could put up with anything along the way... - Hebrews 12:2, The Message

If I was writing today's devotional, I would have chosen "Remar o Morir!" because that seems to capture the spirit of the devotional more succinctly, but they didn't ask me, so I'll deal with what we've got.

Our lives are moving at break-neck speeds and unless we take measures to control that speed, we may get out of control and be at the mercy of other forces in the world. The rafters needed to learn that staying in control on the water meant paddling even when the current was pushing them along in the calm times.

Schnase says, "If we want to navigate with purpose and to control our direction rather than becoming a victim to forces beyond our control, we have to keep paddling....We can't stop learning, growing, changing, adapting, and giving our best" (31). I don't know about you, but I want to "navigate with purpose" throughout my life, therefore I have made choices to always be a learning leader. I attend conferences, I read books, I listen to talks by teachers/pastors/leaders I trust and want to learn from - all in an effort to keep "learning, growing, changing, adapting, and giving [my] best" every day.

Questions for Reflection:

1) What are the pressures and currents of your whitewater world?

2) How do you learn, adapt, grow, and change spiritually so that the currents don't overwhelm and destroy you?

Extravagant Generosity - Day 8

2010-10-11T18:45:00.000-05:00

As If For the Very First Time

...I do want you to experience the blessing that issues from generosity. - Philippians 4:15, The Message

I have never read Cold Mountain so I was unfamiliar with the fiddle player character that the Bishop mentioned in today's devotional, but I am very familiar with the concept he highlighted through this minor character: using the ordinary skills of life for extraordinary purposes.

The fiddle player walks away from his encounter with the young girl looking at his instrument with fresh eyes and fresh appreciation for the power of music in the life of individuals. How many of us have gifts in our hands that go unappreciated each day? How many of us use our gifts to their full potential every day?

Schnase says, "Imagine the difference [the fiddler] made in the lives of people and the meaning that was added to his own life. That ordinary fiddle and the simple gift of music, when used for higher purposes, became sacred....His ordinary talent became beautiful, a source of joy and meaning" (28).

Our ordinary talents become sacred when we dedicate them to God's purposes. Our ordinary giving becomes sacred when we dedicate that giving to God's purposes and ministry in this world.

Questions for Reflection:

1) When was a time you felt God transformed your life because you gave?

2) What ways will you improve your generosity?

Extravagant Generosity - Day 7

2010-10-10T19:31:00.000-05:00

The Grace of Giving

But just as you excel in everything - in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us - see that you also excel in this grace of giving. - 2 Corinthians 8:7, NIV

There is grace in giving. There is freedom in releasing "stuff" from our hands as we seek to do the work God has called us to accomplish. There is grace.

Schnase says, "Churches that cultivate giving speak of joy, devotion, honoring God, and the steady growth of spirit that leads to greater generosity....Pledge campaigns [in those churches] are not about money, dollars, and budgets but about mission, spiritual growth, and relationship to God" (22-23).

I want University UMC to be a church like that. A church that spends more time and energy devoted to how we can be the hands and feet of Christ and less time worried about paying the bills. (I am pretty sure I just made the Finance people mad!) I want our church to be a church of action - putting legs on our faith so that the message of Christ is not just heard at UUMC, but shown and seen.

Questions for Reflection:

1) How do you feel about how your congregation teaches about money?

2) What conversations that relate faith and money are most helpful to you?

Extravagant Generosity - Day 6

2010-10-09T10:24:00.000-05:00

Pocket Change

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. - Galatians 5:22-23

Schnase shares an example of how a small gift of pocket change can add up to a big impact when combined with the gifts of others. What a wonderful example of how giving to the church (at whatever level God has equipped you) can be multiplied and strengthened thanks to the gifts and generosity of the other members of the congregation!

The work of God does not require big donations to get started, it only needs faithful people to faithfully give what has been placed in their hands. It can start with pocket change.

Schnase says, "To practice Extravagant Generosity requires self-control, patience, kindness, faith, and love of God and neighbor....Giving changes the giver, the recipient, and the congregation" (21).

Questions for Reflection:

1) How does your church change lives in your community? On the other side of the world?

2) What will you do to change someone's life this week?

Extravagant Generosity - Day 5

2010-10-08T21:47:00.003-05:00

Muscle Memory

Therefore, show...the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it. - 2 Corinthians 8:24, NIV

The practice of tithing (giving one-tenth of your income to God's work in the local church) is not a habit learned overnight. It took Debbie and I two or three years to fully fund our tithe. We knew we wanted to tithe, but we had to step up to it since we started so far away from the 10% mark. Once we got there, we've never looked back and we always look for ways to give more.

Schnase says, "As those who consistently practice the tithe know, proportional giving (giving a set percentage of income) and tithing force people to look at their earning, saving, and spending through God's eyes. It reminds them that their ultimate worth is derived from the assurance that they are children of God, created by God, and infinitely loved by God" (19).

So let's start building some muscle memory for giving - it's the best workout you can get!

Questions for Reflection:

1) Read 2 Corinthians 8. Paul concludes by saying that our giving is proof of our love for God. Can we possibly desire God to shape our souls without giving?

2) If you practice proportional giving or tithing, does this practice affect your other spending habits?

3) If you do not practice proportional giving or tithing, what are the obstacles to a greater generosity toward God?

Extravagant Generosity - Day 4

2010-10-07T13:57:00.000-05:00

Partnering With God

They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that is really life. - 1 Timothy 6:18-19

Every day we have the opportunity to partner with God in generous ways. We have the ability to share the resources God has blessed us with so that others can know God's mercy, grace and healing. We can also keep that to ourselves, thus cutting others off from the blessings of God.

In today's devotional reading, Carolyn says, "If God gives you the capacity and the passion to do something, why in God's name wouldn't you do it?" (16) And that is my question to you today...if you are passionate about something and God has given you the financial capacity to help make that passion become a reality, why not go for it?

We partner with God to be generous because God has been generous with us. He is the one who allows us to be generous and we are most like God when we live out our generosity. Schnase says, "Generosity is not a spiritual attribute someone acquires apart from the practice of giving" (17). Therefore we will never be generous if we never give anything away to others. No matter how hard you try, you will never become generous by sitting in your living room meditating on the concept of generosity - you have to get off your couch and go give something away! That's the only way it works. And it does work!

Questions for Reflection:

1) Have you ever given over and above your normal tithe or pattern of giving? If so, what was the experience like?

2) Do you find that the more you give, the more likely you are to give? Why or why not?

Extravagant Generosity - Day 3

2010-10-06T15:03:00.002-05:00

Sorry this didn't get posted yesterday...

Seeds With Wings

A sower went out to sow his seed... - Luke 8:5

As soon as I started reading today I remembered the afternoons I spent outside my grandfather's house in Illinois watching the "helicopter seeds" fall from the trees. I would pick them up by the "wing" and toss them in the air to watch them spin back to the ground. It was great fun.

In light of the concept of generosity, these "seeds with wings" inspire me to figure out where the seeds I am planting are going to sprout. Schnase says, "So much of our impact, even when we live immensely fruitful lives, affects those closest to us....We naturally have the greatest impact upon those closest at hand, our families, spouses, children, grandchildren" (14).

It is vital for us to plant seeds of generosity within our span of care on a daily basis, but it is also important for us to give our seeds "wings" so that they can be carried by the movement of the Spirit to places we may never travel and to help people we may never meet. Do your seeds have "wings"?

Questions for Reflection:

1) Think of two or three of the most influential people in forming your own soul and character other than your relatives. What made them effective? What can you learn from their generosity and the legacy they have left for others?

2) Where in the world beyond your own church and home are the signs of your congregation's ministry? Of your own?

Extravagant Generosity - Day 2

2010-10-05T11:44:00.003-05:00

Building Nests

And the things you have prepared, whose will they be? Luke 12:20

Today, Bishop Schnase hit on a note that I have been keyed into for quite a while when it comes to leading the church - building for the future AND caring for the present.

He utilizes the image of nest building and asks the question: "Who are they for?" If nests are built for the comfort and coziness of the ones who are building them, then certain actions will be taken and other actions will be avoided. If nests are built for the comfort and protection of future generations, then certain actions will be taken and other actions will be avoided. So which is it?

Schnase argues (and I wholeheartedly agree) that nests are built for future generations - the ones who are to come. He writes, "Vibrant, fruitful congregations focus as much energy, prayer, and planning on those who are outside the congregation as they do on those who are already active in the congregation" (11).

I truly believe that the "church of today" must continually be motivated to care for the "church of tomorrow". If we don't, then the "church of tomorrow" will fail to materialize and those who are left will wonder what in the world happened.

That being said, I also believe that we must take care of those who have already committed themselves to our church. However, most churches become myopic in their thinking at this point and cease to reach out, evangelize, and invite. I believe they do so at their own peril.

Being the church must be a "both/and" proposition, not an "either/or" situation. We must both reach out to those outside our walls and care for those who are already here. Failing to do so will doom the church to irrelevance and an untimely death.

Questions for Reflection:

1) What motivates you to support the ministries of your congregation?

1) How does your focus of generosity and level of giving support the mission of reaching other people with the grace of God you have received?

Extravagant Generosity - Day 1

2010-10-04T12:38:00.003-05:00

I'll save the apologies and just get right to the posting....

University UMC begins our four-week journey to explore the concept of Extravagant Generosity today and I will be posting some reflections on each days' devotional both here and on our Facebook page. Enjoy!

From Stewardship to Generosity

Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity. - Luke 6:38, The Message

Bishop Schnase reflects on meeting someone who changed his job title because of his book and how that caused him to think about the difference between "stewardship" and "generosity". Growing up in the church, I have heard both terms for a long time, but I associate stewardship with "raising the budget" or "building a building". For me, generosity is associated with people who go above and beyond the call of duty in giving, serving, leading, etc. within the church. For me, generosity is a greater reflection of the love of God than is stewardship.

Schnase says, "Generosity is an aspect of character. It is an attractive quality which I aspire to and desire to see cultivated in my children" (8). I can think of no greater legacy to leave my children than one of generosity. I can think of no greater way to live my life than one of generosity. I know we are not all able to be generous all the time, but what if we built practices into our lives that enabled us to be generous more often than not? What if we truly believed that "generosity begets generosity"?

Questions for Reflection:

1) What has been your experience with the term "stewardship"? With "generosity"? What's the difference between them?

2) Which most helpfully inspires your giving as you seek to grow in the image of God and in service to Christ?

Logan Gets All Clean

2010-03-14T20:10:00.005-05:00

Logan had his first bath this evening. Here's the digital proof!

He didn't fuss too much, but he was much more content once everything was over. He was glad to return to his sleeper and a blanket. We'll see how he does in a few days when bath #2 rolls around.

An Explanation for My Absence

2010-03-11T20:57:00.003-06:00

Here's why I haven't been on here this week....

Logan Joseph Libby

March 10, 2010

1:22 p.m.
7 lbs, 10 ozs

20 1/2 in

Check out more pics on Facebook!

It Takes a Village to Raise an Elder - Part 6

2010-03-08T07:40:00.004-06:00

And here is my promised special surprise...

As much as all the churches have helped me grow in my ministry and the understanding of my calling to serve the UMC with all that I have, there is one person to whom I owe the largest debt of gratitude - my wife, Debbie.

When I met Debbie I had no idea I was going to follow a call to ministry - a call that would lead us to move more frequently in our first 5 years of marriage than she did her entire life prior to meeting me.

All along the way Deb has been my biggest support and my quiet cheerleader. She has helped my get up when I didn't feel like getting up any more. She has kicked my butt when it needed to be kicked. And she has done it all with grace, patience, and humility.

When we first started dating at A&M, Deb was an accounting major and I was an engineering major. She finished her accounting degree, I changed my major twice before graduating with an economics degree. She didn't complain when I told her that I was feeling a call to ministry and that would mean 4 years in seminary. She didn't complain when I told her how the appointment process moved pastors around as needed. She didn't complain when I told her how much seminary was going to cost.

We moved to Dallas, I started working for First UMC, Plano, she worked for AT&T Wireless, and we started saving for Perkins. It was during this time that she learned to love the back of my head because that was about all she saw of it during my first three semesters in seminary - and I love her all the more for it.

During my last year in seminary we moved to Carrollton so that we would be closer to the church I was working for during that time. We also added Caitlyn to our family during our time in Carrollton, but not before I got my first appointment as a local pastor. Now that Debbie was enjoying seeing the front of my head again I was able to talk with her about how to grow new programs, how to be a better preacher, and how to properly feed a newborn (all of which I still need work on!).

Now that we are in Wichita Falls I am so thankful that she has journeyed with me during these last 9+ years. I am thankful for the ability to rely on your strength, wisdom, and courage as we have faced challenging days both personally and professionally.

I love your wit, even when it cuts my pride (perhaps especially then).

I love your zeal for clarity.

I love your incredible "mom powers" - how in the world do you keep up with Caitlyn everyday?

Deb, you are the one I love the most and the only villager that I want to spend the rest of my days with. Without you, there would be no elder to celebrate this year. If it takes a village to raise an elder, then you are the matriarch of that village!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Caitlyn's First Soccer Game

2010-03-06T22:54:00.003-06:00

Caitlyn had her first soccer game today. She played great and had fun running around chasing the ball. Here's some shots from the day. Enjoy!

It Takes a Village to Raise an Elder - Part 5

2010-03-06T22:14:00.004-06:00

Sorry this didn't go up earlier! Here's the final chapter (for now)...

University UMC, Wichita Falls

What can I say about my current appointment - the church family that hears me preach every weekend, whether they like it or not! I'll start with thank you because it's the truth and it's always a good place to start.

When I came to UUMC I had no idea what being the "pastor-in-charge" entailed, but I knew that I had been called by God and sent by the Bishop to serve here. I quickly learned that I had much to learn and needed to rely on conversations held with lay leaders during my first few weeks in WF. As I transitioned from one pastor among many to the only pastor a church has, I have learned that my pastoral identity has taken a huge leap up and there are times that I haven't measured up to that identity.

I have learned what it means to work with the committee structure within the UMC - even when it takes more people to approve a move forward. I have learned what it takes to plan worship week in and week out. I have learned how to help a family grieve the loss of a loved one, even if I didn't know the loved one very well (or at all). I have learned that no matter how small or insignificant a decision may seem, someone will be upset about it and make their opinion known - and I can't do a thing about that.

I am learning new things everyday: how to say goodbye to staff members, how to say hello to new church members, how to keep the office running smoothly (still working on this one), and how to maintain a good sense of balance between work and home.

I am still learning, but I hope that I never stop learning. I hope that UUMC is willing to continue to help me learn. UUMC has been patient with a greenhorn preacher, pastor, and congregational leader. Thank you for sharing your lives with me and with my family over the past 18 months. We are looking forward to many more years of fruitful ministry at UUMC!

Tomorrow - a special treat!

It Takes a Village to Raise an Elder - Part 4

2010-03-05T07:59:00.001-06:00

Continuing through my journey of thanksgiving...

Trietsch Memorial UMC, Flower Mound
How can I start to say thanks to the people of Trietsch? I learned so much during my 3 years in Flower Mound that I will carry with me throughout the rest of my ministry career. I am not quite sure how many different ministry areas I interfaced with, but I know that I had a chance to meet a ton of great people and made a bunch of mistakes that I could learn from.

The most significant group of lay people during my time at Trietsch would have to be my Lay Ministry Committee. This group of eight dedicated folks spent an hour with me once a month during my last two years to talk about my ministry, my growth as a pastoral leader, and exploring new ways of doing ministry at Trietsch. Alan, Betty, Chris, JohnS, JohnM, Patty, Michelle, David, Jaime (I know that's nine, but we swapped Jamie for JohnS during the 2nd year) helped me to discern my gifts for ministry and pushed me to take risks, love God, and serve with all my heart. I am deeply indebted to this group of people. I would not be where I am today without their influence.

The next significant group of lay people (and some clergy) would have to be the staff. I promise you that they made me look 100x better than I actually was on numerous occasions! I would never have laughed so hard, prayed so much, or served so faithfully had it not been for the wonderful men and women of the Trietsch staff. I can't begin to tell all the stories here, but if any of you reading this are members (or were members) of Trietsch's staff - I am deeply indebted to you as well.

Finally, I would like to say a special thanks to the dedicated folks who served as ushers, greeters, info desk volunteers, parking lot attendants, donut table volunteers, trolley drivers, medical team volunteers, Sunday school teachers, Bible study leaders, and small group leaders. On many occasions you went above and beyond the call of duty to serve the church and our community and I thank you.

Tomorrow - University UMC!

It Takes a Village to Raise an Elder - Part 3

2010-03-04T07:53:00.000-06:00

Still saying my thanks this week...

Holy Covenant UMC, Carrollton
Of all the churches I have served Holy Covenant challenged me to grow in my understanding of God the most. I entered seminary theologically conservative on every issue. When I graduated from Perkins I considered myself to be theologically moderate, but politically conservative. When I finished my internship at Holy Covenant I considered myself theologically moderate and politically moderate.

Even after getting off to an auspicious start with my Lay Teaching Committee (sorry Susan!), this group of dedicated people met with me for two hours once a month to critique my sermons, discuss my pastoral care, push my theological thinking, and encourage me to be the best pastor that I could be. Susan, Charlie, Jan, Randy, Jim, Evan, and Cheryl spent many hours reading my reflection papers, discussing my sermons, and helping me to articulate my theological understanding of local church ministry. I am deeply indebted to these wonderful folks because I am a better pastor today because of the time they invested in me.

The congregation as a whole surrounded me with support as I learned how to find my voice in the pulpit, find my teaching style in the classroom, and find my way around the justice issues within our community. I even got to write a few book reviews for the Dallas Morning News thanks to a member of Holy Covenant!

To my Disciple 1 class - thank you for not falling asleep when I went off on a tangent about some random biblical fact that had little to do with our lesson and even less to do with your lives! To Sharyn, Jana, Becky, Carol, Denise, Debbie, and Don - thank you for allowing me to be part of your lives and for teaching me what it means to be part of a staff. To the whole congregation of HCUMC - thank you for loving Debbie and I while we were there and continuing to care about us after we left. Thank you also for giving this "greenhorn" an opportunity to stretch his wings and see if he could fly. Thanks for picking me up when I fell and teaching me grace in the midst of learning how to "do church"!

Tomorrow - Trietsch Memorial UMC, Flower Mound!

It Takes a Village to Raise an Elder - Part 2

2010-03-03T08:32:00.000-06:00

Continuing from yesterday's post...

First UMC, Plano

Oh, FUMC Plano! I am so grateful for your patience, persistence, and grace while I learned what working in a church was really all about!

During my 3+ years at FUMC I had three different job titles - all of which I was far less than qualified to hold.

First, I was the Assistant Youth Minister. I spent plenty of time doing office work, prepping rooms for Sunday School and Bible study, and working on the monthly Youth Newsletter. I also spent plenty of time building relationship with the youth, parents, and youth sponsors. I learned how to lead a Bible study, teach a Sunday School class, and successfully lead a game for youth. I am indebted to Hilary for teaching me.

Second, I was the Interim Youth Minister. When Hilary left to be a mom, I took over responsibility for the youth group. Fortunately this only lasted a few months because I was in way over my head. During this time I realized that the ins and outs of Youth Ministry are far more complex than I had originally thought and that I was ill-equipped to handle the pressures of leading a youth group of that size. I am indebted to the Youth Sponsors & Sunday School teachers (Mark, Yo, Kevin M, Dan, Kevin C, and many others) who made me look good when I didn't have a clue.

Third, I was the Minister with Young Adults. When Brady came on staff to be the Youth Minister, I shifted my attention to college students within our community. In the 18 months I held this position I learned how to develop new programming where there was none before, learned to market a new ministry, and develop relationships with 20-somethings who were both my peers and my responsibility. I am indebted to those who joined our efforts at launching a new ministry with a guy who had never done that before - especially Terri, Andrew, Pat, Sara, and others.

Outside of my direct responsibilities I worked on several projects that required heavy lay involvement. Some of them went better than others, but all of them went better because I realized I couldn't do it alone.

Thank you to all the wonderful people at First UMC, Plano! I learned great lessons during my time there and I will carry them with me for the rest of my ministry.

Tomorrow - Holy Covenant UMC, Carrollton!

It Takes a Village to Raise an Elder - Part 1

2010-03-02T08:01:00.001-06:00

Now that I am a week out from my successful ordination interview on Wednesday I am beginning to understand the magnitude of the work of the laity within our journey to ordination. I wanted to take few posts to reflect on my learnings at each of the churches who have invested time, money, and energy in helping me get to this point in my career.

Here's the schedule for this week:

Tuesday - First UMC, Victoria

Wednesday - First UMC, Plano

Thursday - Holy Covenant UMC, Carrollton

Friday - Trietsch Memorial UMC, Flower Mound

Saturday - University UMC, Wichita Falls

First UMC, Victoria

FUMC was the church I grew up in during the most formational years of my life.

I remember the Sunday School teachers (Sandy) who loved a quiet little boy while teaching him about how much God loved him.

I remember how the staff and pastors (Laura, Robert, Ricky) trusted a wily teenager to read the Word of God within the context of worship on numerous occasions, and even gave him the opportunity to plan worship for Youth Sunday one year.

I remember Youth Pastors & Sponsors (Karen, Ken, Sherri) who trusted me enough to give me the opportunity to be a 6th grade group leader.

I remember other church members (Robert & Joye, George & Rose, Hugh & Janet, and many, many others) who encouraged me to follow God with my life even when I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life.

As I stop to think about the impact the laity on the formation of future clergy leaders, I am eternally grateful for the body of Christ at FUMC Victoria. They loved me when I was ornery, they loved me when I was trying new things, and they loved me because they loved God and God loved me.

I appreciate all that FUMC Victoria did for me and I will never be able to fully repay their generosity and kindness.

Tomorrow - First UMC, Plano!

Graphic for New Series

2010-02-18T23:03:00.003-06:00

This Sunday we will begin our new sermon series, Jesus is...

I thought I would let you preview the graphic for the bulletin cover. What do you think?

New Pages Added

2010-02-16T22:22:00.002-06:00

I found out that I can create specific pages that link directly to my blog for whatever I want. So, I put up two (only one is up currently) about the books I have read recently and reading that I consider essential. Check them out with the links right under the main title bar.

I'll let you know when I finish the "Essential Reading" page and make it live.

Follow Without Fear

2010-02-03T13:52:00.003-06:00

"Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated...Though the mountains be shaken and the hiss be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace removed," says the Lord, who has compassion on you. (Isaiah 54:4a, 10)

One of the parts of our mission statement at University is to "dare to follow Christ without fear." I truly believe that this one phrase complicates matters tremendously because we don't know what life is like without fear.

I remember being taught about "stranger danger" or not crossing the street without an adult or not taking candy from people I didn't know, etc. From a very young age I learned to fear the unknown because the unknown was somehow unsafe, dangerous, or "deadly".

How has this thinking crept into our churches? We worship a God who knows us fully - more than we are often comfortable with - and yet do we really know the people sitting/serving around us?

We set up "hedges of protection" around our children, youth, and elderly so they don't get hurt. We set up "hoops" for new people to jump through so they can be part of us. But do we ever really let our guard down and live like we are not afraid?

What would it take to live that way?

What would it take to do ministry that way?

How can we move from fear to trust - and not trust in ourselves, but trust in God, the one who is truly trustworthy?

Thoughts?

"Groundhog (Easter) Day"?

2010-02-02T09:17:00.001-06:00

OK, if you're a church nerd (like me) then this might be funny. If you are not, then just wait for a serious post tomorrow.

In case you didn't know, today is Groundhog Day. A day where the whole nation (maybe even the world) focuses its attention on a little town in Pennsylvania and a famous rodent ("Punxsatawney Phil"). Isn't it interesting how some many people trust a groundhog to tell them what the weather will be like? Isn't it interesting that no matter which outcome Phil has there will still be six weeks of winter?

With that in mind, I thought I would take a "Groundhog Day" look at some Christian holidays, specifically Easter and Pentecost.

Each spring (sometimes in March, sometimes in April) Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ on Easter Day. What if when Mary and the disciples get to the tomb that morning, instead of Jesus being gone, he walks out to check and see if he can see his shadow? If he sees his shadow, then there will be seven weeks of Easter!

In late spring (seven weeks after Easter) Christians celebrate the birth of the Church on Pentecost. What if when the tongues of fire come in and land on your head, instead of speaking in various languages, you check the person next to you to see if there is a shadow? If you see a shadow, then there will be twenty-eight weeks of Pentecost!

I know, I know - it doesn't really matter whether Jesus sees his shadow or if we see a shadow from the fire on our neighbor - just like it doesn't matter if Phil sees his shadow or not!

Again, I have to ask...why do we look for silly things to tell us what's coming up next instead of looking to the author and perfecter of our faith? Why do we trust in things that make no difference when we could trust in the One who makes all the difference?

Things You'll Never Hear the Preacher Say

2010-01-26T14:27:00.002-06:00

Hmmm....I am pretty sure that I have never said any of these things!

"Oh, no, I couldn't eat another bite of that delicious pie!"

"I can't think of anything to preach!"

"I wish we had a church business meeting every week!"

"I'm afraid that our choir is at full capacity. Can't take anyone else."

"We'd like to start paying our Sunday School teachers next week."

"December is a boring month--I never have anything to do."

"I hate it when people volunteer!"

"I believe the Lord has called me to a smaller church."

"There will be no offering today--we've got plenty of money."

HT: Michael Duduit & Preaching.com

Studying the Beatitudes

2010-01-24T07:47:00.000-06:00

I read this the other day in my devotional book and I thought I would share it.

I do not understand my own actions.

For I do not do what I want,

but I do the very thing I hate.

Romans 7:15

Teach me your way, O Lord,

that I may walk in your truth;

give me an undivided heart to revere your name.

Psalm 86:11

Beatitude 6: Happy the pure in heart: they shall see God. (NJB)

The nineteenth-century lay theologian Soren Kierkegaard wrote that "purity of heart is to will one thing." One thing, not two - between which we must then choose. But how to achieve such unity of purpose? How often have you said about some spiritual challenge: "On the one hand, I want to go in this direction, but on the other hand I am drawn to the opposite way"?

Even Paul the apostle confessed that too often he wanted to do one thing yet did another. Ultimately Paul resolved his conflict by seeing that in this own power he could not be always of one mind; only Christ could deliver him from his spiritual confusion. (Romans 7:21-25)

Could it be that this beatitude is not saying that first we must have purity of desire and as a reward will see God? Could it be instead that when we pray to be delivered from a double mind we see God in ways that only God can know? How appropriate to keep offering the petition of the psalmist quoted above, to seek an undivided heart.

What do you think?

Asking the Right Questions

2010-01-23T21:27:00.003-06:00

During the upcoming year I will be spending a great deal of time engaged in the Congregational Transformation Process through our partnership with Rev. Dr. Don Nations and his consulting firm, DNA Coaching, Inc. My hope is to learn all that I can from him and his associates so that I can help the Church Council lead our congregation into a brighter future. Rev. Nations and I have already begun to dialog about beginning a second worship service here at University, but we still have several questions to wrestle with before moving forward.

As I asked him about what would be necessary to begin an alternative worship service he asked me if I could answer the "why" question – "why do we want to do this?" The answer to that question begins to determine the direction that the new service will take. There are two possible answers to the "why" question that are helpful:

Because a current service is approaching 80% capacity
Because we want to reach out to an new segment of our community who is not currently being reached by our current worship service

If #1 is our answer, then we need to replicate our current service at another time (either on Sunday morning or at another time that makes sense for our audience). If #2 is our answer, then we need to design an alternative worship experience that meets the needs of the people we would like to see included in our congregation, but are not currently attending or participating.

I believe that #2 is our answer to the "why" question Rev. Nations posed. To that end I did some research through the Percept Group to find out about the demographics of the community immediately surrounding University UMC. The information I found out about the community within a 3-mile radius of our church was startling, eye-opening, challenging, and encouraging. Here are some of the highlights that might impact our decision to begin a second worship experience:

Current Population: 55,839

Households with No Faith Involvement: 29%

Average Age: 38.0 years

Overall Church Style Preference (Trad. vs. Cont.): Both

Preference for "Historic Christian" Tradition: 83%

Overall Faith Receptivity: Somewhat High

Overall Church Program Preference Category: Spiritual Development

This data (along with about 10 more pages worth of data) gives me a good indication that with the right team in place to launch a new worship experience here at University, we could double worship attendance (or more) within the next year.

If you would like to serve on the team that will strategize about this new worship experience, please send me an email (pastor@uumcwf.org) indicating your interest before January 31, 2010. I am looking for 15-20 people to serve on this team.

Thank you for your generosity in our second offering Sunday morning! With your generous gifts, we will be able to help the United Methodist Committee on Relief continue its post-earthquake efforts in Haiti.

A Powerful God

2010-01-21T08:26:00.001-06:00

I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.

Isaiah 45:2 (TNIV)

The Lord is the one who goes before us into this world. He is the one who clears the way for us. God is the one who can move mountains and destroy barriers that stand in our way. Why then do we often rely on ourselves for deliverance?

In an age of hyper self-reliance, we dismiss the need for others to help us out. We think we can solve all of our problems and defeat all of our enemies. In these attempts to be our own God we fail to recognize the powerlessness of our selves and the powerfulness of God, our Creator. What obstacles are we unable to overcome because we have not begun to rely on God and God's power to "level the mountains"?

Amazing God, you are able to do more than we could ever ask or imagine. Give us the ability to expand our imaginations and embolden us to ask big questions. In Jesus' name. Amen.

His Agenda, Our Agenda

2010-01-20T11:18:00.003-06:00

With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure...

Ephesians 1.8b-9 (TNIV)

Paul writes that God reveals his will in his own time and not ours. God makes his will know to us according to his good pleasure. The will of God is still a mystery to us, but it works for our own good and is done with all wisdom and understanding.

How do we get caught up in trying to bend God's will to ours instead of the other way - our will to his? Inherently our will is flawed and only serves to further our agenda. But when we serve God and his agenda, his agenda becomes our agenda. When we trust that the plan and purpose of God will come to light just when it is needed, then we can trust God in taking the next step of faith.

God, as we move into 2010 with a head full of dreams, help us to pause long enough to make sure that we are seeking your will for our lives and our church. May your goals be our goals and may we be a powerful witness to your faithfulness in 2010. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Allow Me a Moment to Brag, Please

2010-01-19T17:50:00.004-06:00

As the world responds to the crisis in Haiti following last week's devastating earthquake I want to thank the great folks at University UMC for stepping up to give from their hearts on Sunday morning during our second offering.

I want to brag on them for a minute and let all of you know that after giving toward the mission and ministry of our church through their tithes and offerings, they dug into their hearts (and wallets/purses) a second time and gave an amazing $2,729 to go to relief efforts in Haiti!

Thanks again UUMC!

If you would like to make a donation through UMCOR, just like we did on Sunday, you can go here and give online. Remember, 100% of your gift will go to provide life-giving supplies and aid when given through UMCOR.

UPDATE: As of today (1/25/10) University UMC has now donated a total of $3,200 toward earthquake relief in Haiti! Way to go!

New Look for a New Year

2010-01-18T22:04:00.003-06:00

Sorry for my absence from the blogging world during the last quarter of 2009. I am back and I have some thoughts that I would like to share with the world once again. So be on the look out for more frequent posts.

And in between blog posts, follow me on Twitter or Facebook!

Making Implements of Faithfulness

2009-12-02T19:43:00.004-06:00

He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. (Isaiah 2:4, TNIV)

Last night the President of the United States, Barack Obama, told the world that he planned to send 30,000 more troops into Afghanistan in order to combat Al-Qaeda and establish peace in that country.

This morning I read that the Lord will be the one to bring that peace into the world by judging between nations and settling disputes. Additionally, those nations will then turn their weapons of war into tools for agriculture (read: growth). They will also no longer express hostility toward other nations or train their young men (and women) to fight in wars.

Why do we believe violence is the way to peace? Is it because that's the way we've settled our disputes in the past? Is it because we are afraid to actually sit down and talk to one another? Is it because we may actually have to change our way of doing things if we re-evaluate our current practices? Is it because we are too afraid of letting God call the shots in our lives to actually give scripture the authority we say it has? I am not sure, but what a picture of the Kingdom Isaiah gives us here!

A couple of definitions:

Plowshare - a tool "used to create deep furrows in a cleared field that could then be sown with seed"

Pruning hook - a tool "used to prune grapevines, produce high-quality grapes, and speed the harvest"

In the midst of a world that so willingly escalates violence, what place does an image of surrender have? Not surrender in the sense of giving up, but surrender in the sense of giving over - giving over control of our lives, our families, our nations to the One who loves us so much that he came into our world and became one of us.

As we prepare to celebrate the Advent of the Christ-child, let us remember that he came to share a vision of the Kingdom of God and bring that to fruition. I believe that his vision includes turning weapons of war into tools for fruitfulness.

Loving God, help us to live in accordance with you so that the weapons we turn against each other may be transformed into implements of faithfulness. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Grace Anatomy Outtakes

2009-11-23T08:11:00.000-06:00

As promised, here are the outtakes from our day of filming. You will enjoy these!

Grace Anatomy: Outtakes from Dean Libby on Vimeo.

Sanctifying Grace

2009-11-22T14:08:00.000-06:00

The last of our three-part series is on Sanctifying Grace - the grace that makes us holy. I pray that this series has helped you understand a little bit more about the Wesleyan understanding of grace and how it impacts your faith and life.

Enjoy!

Grace Anatomy: Sanctifying Grace from Dean Libby on Vimeo.

Come back tomorrow for the outtakes from our day of shooting!

Justifying Grace

2009-11-16T17:44:00.002-06:00

Here is the video we didn't show on Sunday morning. Enjoy - there's more to come!

Grace Anatomy: Justifying Grace from Dean Libby on Vimeo.

Prevenient Grace

2009-11-16T17:37:00.002-06:00

During our "Grace Anatomy" Series at University UMC we shot a three-part video depicting a West Texas Thanksgiving as the openers for each week's message. We showed this video on November 8th. Enjoy!

Grace Anatomy: Prevenient Grace from Dean Libby on Vimeo.

What's Your Business?

2009-11-02T16:02:00.002-06:00

For this is what the Lord has commanded us: "I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth." (Acts 13:47)

When E. Stanley Jones asked an 82-year-old man, "What's your business?" the man responded, "My business is witnessing for Christ." He then told of his conversion to Christianity (from Buddhism) and his ministry to pray for and evangelize everyone he meets.

It's a good question..."What's your business?"

A profound question when you stop to think about it in terms of our whole selves. We often wrap ourselves up in our job titles or name plates or positions within our respective companies (churches). But how often do we stop to consider how our Christian calling plays a role in our business? Or perhaps should be our business?

Why is it our natural tendency to think of what we can do ourselves before we think of about what God can do?

Thoughts?

What Happened to October?

2009-11-02T09:53:00.002-06:00

Sorry for my unexpected absence from blogging during October. I have been tweeting, so you can catch up on some of my activities that way if you'd like.

I have something to say now, so I'll post a little later today.

Shift Happens...What Are We Doing About It?

2009-09-29T08:32:00.004-05:00

The ways people connect with one another are changing rapidly. How is the church leveraging the shift that is already taking place to connect with those who need to hear the gospel?

Now you know.

HT: Kem

Verb or Noun

2009-09-23T07:26:00.000-05:00

I just love this one! The shift from "noun" to "verb" is difficult, but a very necessary one.

(Mis)Alignment and (Mis)Direction

2009-09-21T14:42:00.006-05:00

I just have to go on record saying that I have been incredibly encouraged by E. Stanley Jones and his 1954 devotional, Growing Spiritually. I have been reading it for 10 days now and each morning has been a feast of meat to chew on for the rest of the day. Thanks to ChrisY for putting Jones on my radar!

As Jones writes about guidance for a nation (or individual or church) he is trying to explain the importance of mission. A mission is vitally important to the ongoing movement of an organization, nation or individual - without it a vacuum is created and anything can rush in to fill the void.

Jones says, "Individuals and nations [and churches] must not only move; they must move in the right direction under God's guidance" (275). Essentially, alignment must be combined with motion. When an organization has misalignment there are forces pulling the organization in conflicting directions.

Misalignment does more damage and creates more wear and tear on an organization than does misdirection. Misaligned people are only a few degrees off-kilter, but they pull the organization in ways that cause the leadership to be constantly making mid-course corrections in order to maintain the proper direction for the organization.

Misdirected people pull their weight in the exact opposite direction from the organization - they tend to slow down progress, but they do not cause wear and tear on the systems of the organization, just energy drain on the leadership.

What can cure misalignment AND misdirection? A clear, compelling mission. When an organization has a clear, compelling mission, those who are out of alignment see where they need to come back to in order to move the organization in the right direction with less friction, wear and tear. Those who are misdirected see where the organization is headed and can decide whether they want to get on board or get off in favor of one more in line with their priorities. Either way, the organization benefits from having a clear, compelling mission.

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

Daycare Program

2009-09-21T08:20:00.000-05:00

Even though we closed our MDO earlier this summer, we are already making plans to open a new program after the first of the year. We realize that MDO was a ministry of the church and that we need to make sure that door is open as much as possible. That program met real needs in our community and it helped many families struggling to make ends meet get childcare that they could count on for a reasonable cost.

We are making improvements to our program and starting small, but we want to make sure that we get back into this ministry opportunity as quickly as possible.

Would you come to a church if "church" was a daycare? Would you invite your friends?

Sports Programs

2009-09-20T13:12:00.000-05:00

This video makes me want to start a building campaign so that University could have a gym! What a great way for churches to invite people into the building without the pressure of "dressing up for God" or worrying about "saying the wrong thing" because we're going to worship in the sanctuary. If we could open our doors to a basketball (or soccer or volleyball or football) league for the community, then people who wouldn't normally cross our thresholds are walking in to our church without even knowing it.

I have been part of a church that opened its doors to sports programs and the people flooded in, they couldn't get enough of kids flag football, kids cheerleading, adult softball, etc. It's a door that we need to utilize!

What if we fully took advantage of this opportunity? What if church was a basketball league? Would you come? Would you invite your friends? Would you form a team from the guys at your office and bring them with you?

Prove It

2009-09-18T07:17:00.000-05:00

Do you ever wonder if going to church every week makes a difference in your life? What would you say to a church that consistently strives to prove what they say they believe with their lives? Would you come? Would you bring a friend?

In his classic work, The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer says, "Cheap grace is the mortal enemy of our church. Our struggle today is for costly grace."

When the church says one thing on Sundays and does completely another thing the rest of the week, it is preaching "cheap grace." When a church puts its proverbial money where its mouth is, it is preaching "costly grace."

I want to be part of a church that intentionally seeks out ways to preach "costly grace" with our lives.

Closed Door, Open Door

2009-09-17T11:57:00.002-05:00

Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,

for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous. (Ps 112.4)

Growing up the moment that dusk began to settle over the neighborhood I knew that it was time to head home. I knew that no matter where I was or what I was doing, I had to be home before dark. The one time I ignored that directive got me totally turned around, lost, confused, and in a state of panic. The darkness closed in quickly and left me with no choice but to retrace my steps and hope for help. I made it home eventually, but not without learning my lesson about the importance of arriving home before the sun set each evening.

In that dark moment, the porch light on my friend's house was a welcomed sight as it opened the door on finding my way home. E. Stanley Jones says, "If we live in God, then the closing of one door means that God is opening a larger one. But often we think only in terms of the closed door. So we weep before the closed doors instead of turning the knob of the larger door" (Growing Spiritually, 271).

The closed doors in our lives (i.e. relationships that end, jobs we lose, opportunities we miss) often drive us to our knees, but not in prayer, only in a pool of self-pity. The closed doors make us wonder about our own ability to live "successful" lives. The closed doors make us doubt God's power instead of dependant upon it.

When we "turn the knob" of a larger, open door God's provision streams into our lives. The hard part for me is that the "turning" is my responsibility. I have to take the initiative to open the door - it won't happen for me - even when God puts the door right in front of me.

How often do I weep for closed doors and end up ignoring an open one? What reminders, triggers, etc. do I need in my life to keep from missing those opportunities?

Real Social Network

2009-09-16T08:05:00.000-05:00

With the proliferation of online social networking sites, I wonder if offline social networking has become passe? My hunch is "no" because Debbie and I spent 3 hours on Friday night talking, eating, and playing games with 6 other people from church. We talked about Facebook, but we didn't all get on our computers and post on each other's walls - we looked across the table at the real people gathered in that home and broke bread together. It was great!

I'll be honest, I spend quite a bit of time online each day checking Facebook, Twitter, and my Google Calendar. However, I deal with real people in my ministry daily. I come home to a real wife and daughter everyday. I may use social media to reach out to people in my church, but there comes a time when I have to step away from the computer and talk to people face-to-face. Unfortunately, Facebook has not yet developed a "conflict resolution" app where all I need to do is click a button and my most troublesome church members get zapped into oblivion.

What if church provided the missing interaction that social networking sites just can't offer? Would you come? Would you invite your friends? Would it give you a new understanding of God and Jesus?

Ecology/Theology

2009-09-15T07:40:00.000-05:00

What if we linked ecology with theology? Would it make a difference in how you view the nature of the church? Would it increase your likelihood of attending? Would it make you wonder why the church is getting "political"?

The care of creation is something I take seriously in my own life. I remember when I first came to Wichita Falls and asked about recycling efforts. The confused looks on people's faces stuck with me. I know I am not perfect and could do plenty more to help curb our taxation of Earth's resources, but I know that when we think critically about stewardship of the planet, we are doing God's work - just read Genesis 1:28-30 for a quick example.

I leafed (pun intended) through a Green Bible a few months ago and was struck by the sheer volume of scriptural support for creation care (notice how those verses are set off in green text). I didn't buy one, but applauded the creators for helping us realize the importance of increased focus on these creation care topics. I wonder if the editors ever thought about not printing it on paper, but instead making it electronic? How much more green can you get? Just a thought!

What creation care issues strike you as the most pressing?

Which ecology/theology questions does the church need to start addressing immediately?

What if we Rethink Church?

2009-09-14T15:54:00.003-05:00

This is my newsletter article for the newest edition.

Rethink Church. For some, this is an unspeakable task. They ask, “Why in the world would you want to change church?” For some, this is the most exciting thing that the United Methodist Church has undertaken in the last 50 years. They ask, “What took so long?” For some, this is another program doomed to languish in the sea of ineffectiveness. They ask, “Why should I invest in this when it will be gone soon and I’ll still be here?”

There are probably a dozen more perspectives from which to see the Rethink Church initiative. What’s yours? What lenses do you use to view the efforts of the global UMC as it seeks to put new tools into our toolkit? How do those lenses keep the efforts of this local church in perspective?

Over the years, many different metaphors have come in and out of “fashion” when talking about individual and communal efforts to “rethink church” and what it means to faithfully follow God. One image that United Methodists have continued to return to during our history is the image of walking. Walking with God. Walking together in community. Walking alone (in times of spiritual despair). Walking, one foot in front of the other. Walking, one of the first large motor skills a child learns. Walking, something that many people take for granted because they can and have never had a point in their life where they couldn’t. Walking.

Twentieth century Methodist missionary and theologian, E. Stanley Jones, wrote: “In walking, equilibrium is upset by every movement in order to make progress. The upset is to set us on our way. God has to allow enough upset to come into our lives to break up the equilibrium in order to make us move forward” (Growing Spiritually, pg 265, emphasis mine).

As we continue our journey to Rethink Church here at University UMC, I pray that your equilibrium is upset over the next three weeks. I pray that, like in walking, your equilibrium is upset to the point that it “make[s] us move forward.” Our church’s walk with God can only move forward by our willingness to endure disequilibrium. I would encourage you to track your moments of disequilibrium over the next three weeks. Ask yourself why those moments are producing such an off-balance feeling and seek God for an honest answer to the question.

As I mentioned on Sunday, the Rethink Church initiative is an effort of the entire UMC, but Jesus spent a good portion of his ministry attempting to get religious people to rethink their preconceived notions about what following God looked like. In addition, part of our doctrinal heritage as United Methodists includes “the sober realization that the church is in need of continual reformation and renewal” (Book of Discipline, Para. 101, pg 44).

Be on the look out for Rethink Church questions on your tables at Cornerstone Café and on the church website during the rest of this series!

Introduction to Rethink Church

2009-09-14T15:32:00.006-05:00

Throughout the next three weeks I will be posting various videos, links, and commentary on the UMC's Rethink Church initiative. I thought it only appropriate to start with the original campaign video.

Visit 10thousanddoors.org to get a greater sense of how people are responding to this initiative and check back here for more of my own thoughts and your reactions to our efforts to Rethink Church.

For all the animal people out there...

2009-09-03T14:51:00.002-05:00

The Libby's don't have a dog right now, but I had one growing up and I resonate with this video completely. Miss you Charlie!

HT: Amy and Mary Beth

Our New Niece

2009-08-26T17:04:00.003-05:00

Bailey Michelle Sheppard

August 26, 2009

6 lbs, 10 oz

20 inches

Flower Bed Learnings, Part 3

2009-08-17T19:36:00.000-05:00

And finally...

Without regular attention and maintenance,

any spiritual growth can be derailed.

I mow the yard once a week on Friday mornings during the summer. During the winter the grass lies dormant and I pray that it comes back in the spring. This is my routine for lawn maintenance - it works for me and produces the desired results - most of the time.

One of the things I have not explored here in WF is the idea of entering into a contract with a lawn care service to do weed control, fertilization, and the like so that I don't have to. I mention this because one of the things I have discovered in my yard is the proliferation of crab grass throughout. It is driving me crazy and I am not sure what to do about it.

As I was pulling weeds and grass from the flower beds I realized that my current maintenance efforts were not producing the results I wanted to see in regards to keeping weeds out of the flower beds and creating clear delineations between the yard and the beds. I needed something more. I needed some outside advice or some professional help to get to the next level.

Here's the spiritual application...

We all (should) have spiritual disciplines that we practice on a regular basis to help us grow closer to God. John Wesley calls them "means of grace." You may call it journaling, prayer, worship, golf, fishing, whatever...

The point is this: we all need practices in our lives that help us tune in to the Divine.

When we stray too far from those practices we become distant from God and ineffective in our calling. I know that when I forget (more likely: don't make time) to read and reflect on scripture outside of sermon prep time my spirit starts to sag and I am much more prone to sin. I know that I need to keep filling my soul with the Word of God and this works for me - most of the time.

There are times when I need more than just journaling. There are times when I need to be with people to feel my spirit filled. There are times when I need to serve others to feel my spirit filled. There are times when I need to listen to powerful worship music to feel my spirit filled.

I would bet that all of you need different "soul-filling activities" at different times in your life too.

In the end, without regularly checking the level on your spirit's "tank" you may run dry and burnout. We all need regular engagement with "soul-filling activities" to keep heading toward God's best for our lives. And sometimes we need professional help to give us options, resources, and new ways of thinking in order to maintain our journey with Christ.

Which spiritual disciplines resonate with you the most? How do you regularly practice them? Who are the "experts" you turn to for fresh insights?

Previous posts in this series: Part 1, Part 2

Flower Bed Learnings, Part 2

2009-08-17T15:01:00.005-05:00

My ventures out into the yard to tend to our flower beds unexpectedly provided me with inspiration and insight into my own spiritual journey. Here is the second thing I learned that weekend:

Even good stuff (grass) can creep where it doesn't belong

and begin to feel like bad stuff (weeds).

Like many other North Texans, I am happy that my grass is surviving the summer heat and looks green without draining my wallet to water it. However, as I spent time close to the earth last weekend, I noticed a disturbing trend at the edges of my yard - "grass creep" (I just made up that term).

When my grass grows it puts out shoots that grow horizontally (along the ground) and roots that grow vertically (into the ground). The only things that keep the grass from encroaching are solid boundaries - i.e. sidewalks, driveways, curbs, the patio, the foundation, and flower bed borders.

Since I did not install flower bed borders on the two beds in question here, the "grass creep" was unsuccessfully being held at bay by my weekly weed-whacker trips. Needless to say, I might have won a few battles along the way, but the grass was winning the war.

As I pulled out more and more roots and shoots (s0me of which had weaved themselves into the weed block) I knew that something permanent must be set up in order to avoid facing this same battle week after week, month after month, and year after year. I discovered that I needed to set up appropriate boundaries on the flower beds to keep something good from becoming something unhealthy.

Here's the spiritual application...

Some of us are "on" 24/7 and fail to take the appropriate steps to unplug from the world on a regular basis. We have let our jobs, careers, ministries, etc. become overwhelming in our lives. We have let a good thing encroach upon our whole lives to the point that there is such entanglement we can no longer tell where we start and the employee (boss, CEO, lawyer, pastor) stops.

Perhaps the best thing some of us can do to renew our spirits is to establish boundaries in our lives that actually prohibit encroachment from otherwise good things on certain days, weeks, times of the year. Perhaps we need to reclaim our Sabbath-taking heritage. Perhaps we need to turn off our cell phones every once in a while. Perhaps we don't need to sleep with our laptops right next to our beds. Perhaps...

Because when we experience "grass creep" in our lives we are less able to live into the calling that God has on our lives. We are less able to experience true rest and rejuvenation. We are less able to slow down and enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Remember, grass is a good thing to have growing in your yard, but it becomes a nuisance when it gets into your flower beds.

What parts of your life have experienced "grass creep"? What does your Sabbath ritual look like?

Previous post in this series: Part 1

Flower Bed Learnings, Part 1

2009-08-12T15:03:00.000-05:00

Establishing clear boundaries are essential to sustained spiritual health.

As I discovered that most of the work I would undertake as a weekend gardener was pulling out grass that had crossed my weed-wacker established boundary, I realized that I may have demarcated a boundary in one sense, but it was nowhere near a permanent boundary.

The weed-wacked trench between the yard and flower beds was only temporarily successful. There was no way for me to keep the grass from encroaching on the flower beds with any sustained success. I need a new/different way to establish that boundary. I need to install edging around the flower beds so that a permanent blocker exists to keep the grass out of the beds.

Here's the spiritual application...

If we do not have clear, definable, and (semi)permanent boundaries established in our lives, there will always be a battle going on to keep the grass at bay.

If I don't shut my office door, sit down with my Bible and journal, and take the time to pray, read scripture and reflect, there will always be something else that can take up that time.

If I don't work hard Sunday through Thursday to produce my weekly deliverables, then Friday and Saturday can experience "work creep" from unfinished tasks.

If I don't take a vacation with my family every year, then I start to dry up emotionally and become exhausted.

If I don't take time away to plan for future ministry, then I start to run on empty and can't lead the church from a place of overflow.

What boundaries do you need to establish? Where have you allowed the grass to grow into the flower beds? Who do you need to talk with about working on these boundaries?

What boundaries have you established? How do you keep those boundaries sacrosanct?

PS - I have already priced both metal and plastic borders for our flower beds, but I haven't decided which one to go with. Hopefully this project will be finished before Caitlyn's fourth birthday!

I Thought Epiphany Only Happened in January!

2009-08-12T06:44:00.002-05:00

Over the weekend I spent a few hours removing weeds and over-grown grass from the flower beds in both the front and back yards. As I was crawling around on my knees I had a moment of clarity about cultivating our own spirituality.

If you don't establish boundaries in your life, then bad (or seemingly harmless) stuff starts to creep into places it shouldn't.

First, a little history lesson...

About a year ago, Deb and I decided to fix up the flower beds in our yard so that they would look nice for Caitlyn's third birthday party. We decided to remove some bushes (that didn't match the other bushes) in the front beds and plant matching bushes for green and some mums for color. In the back, we decided to plant some green and gold shrubs around the fence line and put potted mums at the outer corner of the bed.

When we did all this work we spent several weekends in a row de-weeding the beds, cleaning up the existing foliage, and preparing the beds for new plant life. We made sure to put down a layer of weed block before dumping new mulch into the beds. However, one of the things we did not do was to purchase and install any kind of border treatments to clearly delineate the flower beds from the yard.

Now, back to this past weekend...

My original intention for my flower bed work was to remove the weeds that had made their way thru the weed block and make sure they were all gone, but what I found myself doing most often was clearing away grass that had crept over the non-existent boundary between the yard and the flower beds. It was in the midst of yanking out the tentacles of St. Augustine that I received a divine whisper saying, "This is why you need a Sabbath."

It stopped me in my tracks.

I learned three things from those moments in the dirt:

Establishing clear boundaries are essential to sustained spiritual health
Even good stuff (grass) can creep where it doesn't belong and begin to feel like bad stuff (weeds)
Without regular attention and maintenance, any spiritual growth can be derailed

I'll spend the rest of this week expounding on these three points.

So, what epiphanies have you had while attending to the yard, flowers, house, etc.? What moments of clarity in the midst of regular living have stopped you in your tracks?

Go Mustang VB!

2009-08-11T21:24:00.003-05:00

Tonight University hosted the MSU Volleyball Team for dinner in the Fellowship Hall. I am proud of the number of church members who cooked food, served drinks, and/or sat and talked with the players tonight.

I enjoyed meeting Reagan (FR) and Karolina (JR) and look forward to getting to know the rest of the team throughout the year. The first home game of the season is during the MSU Hampton Inn-vitational September 4th-5th, so let's go fill the stands at D.L. Ligon in support of "our team"!

Wholehearted Work Ahead

2009-08-04T08:21:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago I read about the Judean (Southern Kingdom) king, Hezekiah, who spent twenty-nine years on the throne in Jerusalem. The verse that caught my eye that morning was 2 Chronicles 31:21 which says, “In everything that [Hezekiah] undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.”

As I read that verse and reflected on Hezekiah’s leadership in Judah, I made these observations.

Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord (29:2) during his reign as king of Judah. Including, purifying the temple and reinstituting the Passover celebration. Hezekiah did not fall victim to the wiles of those who distracted his predecessors. Hezekiah did not let other gods come between him and the Lord. Hezekiah took his role as the king seriously and looked for ways to seek God through his service as the king.

Hezekiah started off on the right foot (29:3) by attending to the neglected Temple, priests, and sacrifices. Hezekiah did not waste time with his own projects, he sought to put God back into God’s rightful place in the lives of the people of God.

Hezekiah did nothing half-heartedly when it came to the Lord. Hezekiah sought God and worked wholeheartedly in everything. He never let up, he never settled for less, and he never lost focus on who this was for. And scripture affirms that “he prospered.”

After making those observations, I began to ask questions of my own life, my life in ministry, and the life and ministry of University UMC. Here’s what I wrote in my journal:

Can I honestly describe my ministry in the terms that are used for Hezekiah here? Have I done everything seeking God and with a whole heart? Honestly? No. Not at all. I can say there are clear moments and seasons of ministry that have been done that way, but there are just as many (if not more) moments and seasons where it has been all about being cool or all about me. That’s sad, but true.

After penning these thoughts, questions, and insights I felt the Holy Spirit telling me that my life and ministry needed to take a turn toward action – instead of just settling for reading and writing. As our journey with the Congregational Transformation process begins this October, I am praying (as I hope you are as well) for our church to embrace this opportunity wholeheartedly. I want our next three years of ministry at University to be clearly focused on God and God’s direction for us. I want nothing to pull us off course – nothing to get in the way of prospering in the midst of our transformation.

To that end, on August 23rd we will begin a new three-week series entitled, “The Three R’s: Reading, Writing, and ‘Rithmatic”. The first week of the series (“Reading”) will challenge you to crack open that Bible sitting on your shelf at home to experience what reading God’s Word on a regular basis can do for your life. The second week (“Writing”) will explore different spiritual disciplines that can supplement your scripture reading. The third week (“’Rithmatic”) will explore the Holy Spirit’s power to combine the elements of the previous two weeks into action that have the potential to transform your life and University UMC as a whole.

I look forward to seeing you in worship this weekend (Aug 9th – where we will finish the Kaleo series and share Holy Communion) and next weekend (Aug 16th) when we will learn and practice the “5-10-Link” Rule!

Kaleo Week #2 Questions

2009-07-22T10:25:00.005-05:00

As a lead up to this weekend's message on generosity, I want to discuss this excerpt from Adam Hamilton's book, Enough: Discovering Joy Through Simplicity and Generosity. (Notice this is the fourth in a series of excerpts from the book - you can read the others here, here, and here.)

Does Adam hit home for you? Do you hear the "voices" of fear and self-gratification whispering in your ears? How do you cultivate generosity in your life?

For Deb and I, those two "voices" shouted at us constantly - especially when we were first starting out as a married couple. Nowadays we don't hear them very much, but it took us quite a while to move beyond hearing them every time we faced a financial decision.

Honestly, if I had to pin down one particular decision that moved us past the "voices" it would be our decision to begin tithing (giving 10% of our income to the work of God in the world). Once we made that prayerful decision, the "voices" of fear and self-gratification got much, much quieter in our lives.

Thoughts?

Here is an interesting corollary article on passing the plate.

Where Does Transformation Begin?

2009-07-15T16:08:00.004-05:00

As University considers engaging in the Congregational Transformation process, I must admit that this article from the Alban Institute piqued my curiosity. Go ahead and read it...its a little long, but I'll wait for you to get back...go.

Pretty interesting, huh?

Honestly, the opening paragraph could have come out of my mouth at any point in time over the last few months. I think it has crossed my brain at least a thousand times - even if it never has made an audible escape yet.

This is the paragraph I want University to wrestle with as we discern our involvement with the congregational transformation process:

Here's the hard truth. If you're a layperson in a congregation that's experiencing decline, whether the congregation thrives is ultimately up to you and the other members. Your pastor can teach, guide, lead, support, inspire, even cajole. But in the end, congregational health is a function of how people in the congregation relate to one another, to God, and to their community.

Wow! I am caught between emotions as I reread that paragraph. I feel relief to know that it is not my job to make the congregation change, but I also feel discouraged at how quickly negative reactions have bubbled up from the congregation at our possible engagement in the transformation process.

Further in the article, the authors say:

The church-growth movement is often blamed for leading congregations down the path of thinking that bigger is better and that increased numbers equal health and growth. That movement did, however, help raise the question of how to measure congregational health. If the measure is not dollars in the bank or people in the pews, what is it? We hear congregations and pastors wrestling with questions that weren't on the table twenty years ago. "What's the fundamental purpose of church? What difference is a congregation supposed to make in the lives of its members and in its surrounding community? What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? What does it mean to be spiritual? What difference do spiritual practices make?"

Indeed those are good questions. Question every church should endeavor to answer on a regular basis - not necessarily to find new answers (although that may be necessary some time), but to remind themselves of why they do what they do. When was the last time University asked some of these questions?

In addition to understanding our fundamental purpose as a church, we must understand what is driving us toward renewal. Is it fear of closing the church? Is it a desire to keep our programs going? Or is it something else? The authors posit:

Fear of having to close the church or to reduce the services offered to members typically prompts a congregation's desire for renewal: "We need to do something now, if we're going to still be open a decade from now." This desire to avoid death drives many renewal efforts, and it certainly provides energy. But if the congregation itself doesn't ultimately trade its fear of death for a longing for life, the efforts will end as soon as the danger has passed.

I have wondered (not out loud) lately if this "fear of death" rather than a "longing for life" is a transition in thought that we can make. Which are we more afraid of: failing ourselves in not being able to sustain our current level of ministry OR failing God in not responding to God's call to make disciples? In whom do we trust, us or God?

One more quote before opening up the floor for conversation:

Before others will turn to a congregation as a life-giving resource in their lives, the congregation has to be a place that offers life.

Are we life-giving? How? When? To whom?

Drawing Near

2009-07-13T08:46:00.004-05:00

"[L]et us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water." Hebrews 10.22

The writer of Hebrews calls upon his hearers to have full confidence in the power of God to remove the stain of sin and grant them access to the throne of God. The writer encourages the people to "draw near" because they are forgiven and redeemed people through their faith in Christ. This "nearness" comes about through a sincere heart of faith, a heart sprinkled clean, and a body washed in pure water.

The image of approaching the throne of God is a powerfully humbling one in that I struggle with my own worthiness to do such a thing. However, the writer calls us to respond faithfully to God's call to be nearer - he already made the approach possible through Christ.

It seems that Wesley's house metaphor rings true once again here - "cleansed from a guilty conscience" (justification) and "sincere heart in full assurance" (sanctification) and "bodies washed in pure water" (baptism as a sign of repentance).

I want to draw near to God on an hourly basis, not just a daily basis. I want everything I do to be born out of my time spent reflecting on God's Word. I need to make this time each morning a priority that never gets trampled on by less important things.

I need to rest and reflect with God's Word in my heart. I will not be able to to sustain this pace of ministry without doing so. Without concerted effort to change the parameters of my morning, this will just be another good idea that won't get any traction. This idea needs traction, feet, legs, arms, hands, and heart - it needs everything I've got and a God who can fill in the gaps for me. I think this idea also needs some help from a few good buddies - we are made to be in community, right?

Lord, you have set a high calling before me and I know that I must rely on you to carry it out it its fullest. Holy Spirit, nudge me to put my relationship with you as priority #1 and speak to the hearts of those who would stand in your way. As I draw near, keep my assurance full and my faith strong. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Great News for a Great Congregation

2009-07-08T04:55:00.000-05:00

I received a very exciting piece of news in the mail on Monday afternoon from our District Superintendent, Rev. John Rosenburg. University UMC has been invited to participate in a three-year congregational transformation process in conjunction with the North Texas Conference’s renewed efforts to develop new churches and transform existing ones.

This process will begin this Fall under the direction of Don Nations of DNA Coaching and will offer the staff and lay leadership on our congregation the opportunity to learn in training events, coaching sessions, on-site visits, a personalized consultation report, access to the client-only side of the DNA Coaching website, as well as other tools and resources throughout the process.

Here is a quote from Rev. Rosenburg’s letter, “Because I believe in you and your church, the N[orth] T[exas] C[onference] will pick up half the cost for the churches who accept this invitation.” Our District Superintendent believes that University UMC can once again be a “vital and vibrant congregation which makes a significant impact on [our] community”! He believes in us and I believe in us!

The Church Council will meet on Thursday night to discuss a number of topics, including a vote on this invitation. If you, too, believe that University UMC can be a “vital and vibrant congregation” then let someone you know on Church Council know how you feel. This is an incredible opportunity for us to hear from church growth experts as well as local church “heroes” who are doing incredible ministry in the name of Jesus Christ. This will be a great time of learning, stretching, and growing that will launch us into the next phase of the life of our congregation. Please be in prayer for the Church Council and the rest of the leadership of our church as we begin this process of transformation.

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”

Matthew 28:18-20 (NRSV)

The mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Local churches provide the most significant arena through which disciple-making occurs.

The Mission of the United Methodist Church, Para. 120 Book of Discipline

Two Difficult Questions, Part 1

2009-07-02T13:05:00.005-05:00

On Monday afternoon I received an email from a church member who has become someone I can rely on to be inquisitive and thoughtful regarding just about everything - especially on spiritual matters. He read this article from Saturday's newspaper, recalled Romans 12:2, and posed two very interesting questions. Questions that I have wrestled with for the last few days and have just now been able to gain some clarity on.

Here is an excerpt from his email:

Toward the end he describes how "contemporary" services have been important in reaching out to the new generation, and how churches that don't reach out, can lose their vitality. This reminds me of two things. First, how we have experimented with this new format earlier this Spring. Second, how Grant Street UMC has died, apparently of "old age."

He continues with his first question:

By experimenting with contemporary worship, are we trying to conform to the world, and leaving behind our faithful Christian transformation?

Here is my answer:
No, contemporary worship is not "conforming to the world" in my understanding. I believe contemporary worship has the potential to provide a life-transforming experience for countless people who cannot (or have not) connect(ed) musically with organ, choirs, and hymns. It provides an on-ramp for non-Christians to find commonality between their life and the life that Christ offers them (and us).

Also, establishing a contemporary worship experience does not necessitate leaving behind "faithful Christian transformation" because it allows new people (and perhaps some current people) an opportunity to connect with God and have God transform their life in a way that we are not currently offering.

Now, as a pastor of a multi-generational congregation, I understand that a contemporary worship experience would not meet the needs of all of the people whom we are trying to reach with our Sunday morning worship experience. If University were to offer a contemporary worship experience, then we would need to keep the best of our current worship experience - thus moving to two worship experiences on Sunday mornings. This endeavor provides its own challenges, but that's for another post.

I'll end my answer with this...offering a contemporary worship experience is not a panacea - it will not cure all that ails us as a congregation. There is much work to be done on other fronts as well, but I was not asked about those fronts in this email.

Here is the second question:

Or by refusing to utilize contemporary worship, are we trying to conform to a world that is dying, and refusing to let ourselves be transformed by Christian growth?

I'll post my answer tomorrow!

Quick Book Review

2009-06-04T13:03:00.006-05:00

Last week I read a book entitled Doing Ministry in Hard Times by Bill Easum and Bill Tenny-Brittain. Rarely do I read a book in a single sitting, but this book is an exception to that rule. I couldn't stop reading it and I wanted to finish it before going to sleep. I also wanted to get it into the hands of some key people in the life of University so that they could read it and lose some sleep over it as I have.

I wanted to share a few key insights from the book that may change how I approach leading this congregation through the next 18-24 months:

there are two wildcards at play in the world today that make it difficult for churches to be successful while maintaining a status quo operational strategy: the cultural wildcard and the financial wildcard
strategic dreaming trumps strategic planning during hard times
there are ministries that should be cut during tough times (office personnel, missions, youth, non-essential ministries, money in the bank)
there are ministries that should be allocated more financial resources during tough times (worship, children, evangelism, marketing, continuing ed, volunteer ministries, small groups, spiritual formation)
hard times are the times to return to the basics - "sheep have a habit of getting so involved in feeding themselves that they munch along for hours without ever looking up to see where they are....Many Christians do the same. We munch our way so far from our roots that we don't realize how far we have removed ourselves from what we once were and what once made us great. Our greatness is only a memory." (pg 18)
"Without Jesus Christ, our congregations are nothing more than clubs on the lookout for just enough new dues-paying members to support their programs and keep their buildings open....Sadly, far too many churches actually organize themselves around this loss of passion for Jesus. Instead of organizing to spread the Gospel, they organize to run the institution." (pg 21)
cancel all the committee meetings you can for the next six months and see what happens
"If you have any money saved up for a raining day, let us remind you lest you hadn't noticed. It's raining." (pg 29)
in hard times, churches need to be led with quick and decisive action, flexibility, intuition, and self-regulation
all of this (reading the book, making strategic budget cuts, etc.) is worthless if there is unresolved conflict within the church

Which of these points strikes you the most (either positively or negatively)? Why?

I have already given copies of this book to our Finance Chair, our Business Administrator, and our Director of Discipleship. If you would like a copy of this book, email me and I'll get it to you.

Random One-Liners, Part 2

2009-06-03T14:38:00.001-05:00

Here's the other one-liner from yesterday's conversations:

Sometimes we think that the color of the carpet is more important than the people who walk on it.

This came out of my mouth within a conversation about the prevalence of "politicking" within the church. One of my buddies is in the throws of a serious round of "he-said/he-said" in his congregation and is fed up with getting placed in the middle of all the mud-slinging.

As we were talking about how to deal with antagonists in the church, we landed on the idea that when these political games are playing themselves out, the innocent bystanders are the ones who get lost in the shuffle or pushed aside.

How many times have you seen well-meaning Christians duke it out over the color of the carpet in the Narthex, rather than battle against the forces of evil for the good of the Kingdom of God? In the grand scheme of things, does it really matter if the carpet is red, green, blue, rainbow, or plaid when there are people in our community that will never set foot inside the church to hear the gospel because the church won't spend a dime proclaiming the message of grace through Jesus Christ out in the community?

As I look out on the possible landscape of my second year of ministry at University, I want to make sure that I care far more about the people who walk on the carpet than I do about the color of it. The former will advance the Kingdom of God. The latter will only advance the Kingdom of University UMC.

I don't know about you, but I want to advance God's Kingdom, not my kingdom.

Thoughts?

Random One-Liners, Part 1

2009-06-03T09:59:00.003-05:00

I spent several hours in ministry-related conversations yesterday (one with a staff member and one with some clergy buddies) and came away from each convo with a one-liner that I thought you might be interested in hearing and/or commenting on. I'll share one now and one later this afternoon.

Church ministry is not "Calvin-ball"!

Those of you who have worked in a church or been in leadership within the church know that one of the things that frustrates people to no end is rules that change in the middle of the game. If you are fan of Calvin & Hobbes (and who isn't?!) then you already get what I am about to say. (For those of you who've never heard of C&H - shame on you!)

When playing a rousing game of Calvin-ball with Hobbes, Calvin was (in)famous for changing the rules in the middle of the game to suit his own desires, his own needs, or his own current predicament - often without warning and without notifying the other player (Hobbes). This frustrated Hobbes to no end each time they played the game and often resulted in a knock-down, drag-out fight between the two of them.

The same principle applies for ministry within the church.

When pastors, staff, or other leaders within the church change the rules of the game without warning, then a fight is inevitable.

A fight from those directly affected by the changes,
a fight from those who don't agree with the changes, AND
a fight from those who made the changes.

It really becomes a no-win situation very quickly.

Now, I am not saying that I am faultless in this category, because I most certainly am guilty of changing the rules mid-game before. However, I try my best to notify as many people as possible of the rule changes ahead of time. Do I always do that perfectly? Absolutely not! Does it still make me mad when it happens? Absolutely!

I believe the real learning takes place when church leaders take a step back and see where they have made a "Calvin-ball style" mistake and take necessary steps to recover from that mistake. I also believe that permanent damage can be inflicted upon a congregation when leaders fail to learn from their mistakes.

What "Calvin-ball style" mistakes have you witnessed/made? What did you do about them?

Confession Time

2009-05-19T18:21:00.008-05:00

We just finished the most successful series in the last 12 months on Mother's Day. So why do I feel like we are still dealing with issues that existed long before I arrived?

I've had two enlightening conversations in the past 24 hours and I have a feeling that both of them are right and I am misguided. (I remember saying something about "having a Nathan, aka Editor (read: butt-kicker)" back in November from the pulpit.) Those two conversations put words to the feelings I was having during the latter part of the Sound Vows series - this isn't my material, I just borrowed it because it worked somewhere else and tried to replicate it here.

In an era of ministry where I can (try to) absorb the best practices of churches all across the globe from my desktop, Mark Batterson rightly points out that "one God idea is better than one thousand good ideas." He expands his thinking on that concept here, here, here, and here.

I now realize that Granger's "God idea" became University's "good idea" and the impact here was perhaps less than it could have been. Therefore, I have spent a few days re-evaluating the preaching schedule for the rest of 2009 and trying to find more ways to seek God's direction for worship here at University, not adopting other church's success in order to try and make it our success.

I covet your prayers during this season of discernment and apologize for not taking my own advice until now.

Update: Read this post from MarkB - it's like he's writing just for me this week!

Thoughts on the Worship Surveys

2009-05-18T13:37:00.008-05:00

It's official! I completed my analysis of the Sound Vows Surveys this afternoon.

I must say that I was surprised by a few things:

the relatively low view (3.51/5) of an increased amount of time for people to talk to each other before worship
the number of married people (9/44, or 20.5%) who indicated a series on marriage had little to no application (N/A, 1, or 2) to their life
the number of people in worship (13/63, or 20.6%) who wanted to take less time to prepare our hearts for prayer during worship

Now, I know I asked for the feedback, so I shouldn't be upset when someone launches a missive at me or the way we plan worship at University, but my pride took a hit reading the responses. I also discovered that I did not communicate well about the reasons behind the choices made for worship during the series. I apologize for that - that is poor leadership on my part.

Overall, the results were positive. I will need to do some more reflection, prayer, and discernment about how we can incorporate this feedback into future message series here at University.

More later!

Sound Vows Surveys

2009-05-13T07:55:00.002-05:00

When I decided to hand out surveys to the congregation as a feedback tool after the Sound Vows series, I was not sure what the response would be. I knew there would be people who would shout about the band (both positively and negatively) and I knew there would be people who would shout about the longer services (we averaged about 70 minutes each week for the series).

I have intentionally not looked at any of the surveys yet because I only want to look through them one or two times as a collective group. I don't want to spend the entire week fretting over comments made by people who complain about the sun coming up and the sun coming down. I just didn't want to do that to myself - for sanity reasons.

If you were not in church on Sunday and would like a survey, you can stop by the church office to pick one up or email me for a .pdf copy of it and bring it with you on your next trip to the church. All I ask is that you please turn it in by Sunday, May 17th so that the worship staff (and the rest of the staff) can begin to work through the data. Thanks!

Message Sets for Sound Vows

2009-05-11T19:45:00.000-05:00

If you would like a copy of all the sermons from "Sound Vows" (or know someone who needs to hear them) send an email to support@uumcwf.org with that request. Or you can visit the website and download the files to iTunes for on-the-go access!

Sound Vows Celebrations

2009-05-11T15:49:00.005-05:00

Yesterday we finished our "Sound Vows" series with a flourish on Mother's Day.

I want to go on record to say that I felt like this was our best series since I have been at University! This series had an energy and a "feel" that has not been palpable since I came here in June. I really felt like people came to worship anticipating what would happen, rather than settling in for "what we've always done."

Each week I track our stats in several key areas - not the least of which is worship attendance. I was amazed to compute that our average weekend attendance for this series was 167! That's 38 people more than we averaged during all of 2008! That's 45 people more than we averaged during the same time period last year! AND it's 27 people more than we were averaging so far for 2009! Praise God!

I am not ashamed to tell you that I am a numbers guy. Because I know that each of those numbers represents a person who gets to hear the gospel message and has an opportunity to know that God loves them right where they are.

I am excited that we have more people in worship right now than we did a year ago.
I am excited that we had more people in worship during this series than we did prior to this series so far this year.
I am excited that University is moving up and to the right again!

I pray that the momentum we are building right now continues to bring in new faces and continue to spread buzz around town about what we are doing here at University UMC. I also pray that we can find ways to learn how to assimilate the new folks who have become part of our church over these past five weeks. I want this series to be a "shot in the arm" for this congregation!

What a Weekend!

2009-04-20T10:18:00.004-05:00

I thought that our Easter celebration last weekend blew the roof off the building, but this weekend was just as awesome!

Second week of Sound Vows series - the band nailed "Should've Said No" (thanks Liz for belting it out!)
Karla "rocked" the Children's Time
Anne Jackson spoke yesterday evening (after an eventful day on Saturday) about Mad Church Disease - I want to get that book in every one of my pastor friend's hands!

On Friday I am heading to Plano for the privilege of performing the wedding of one of my youth from First UMC. Should be a ton of fun, but a brutal drive back on Saturday night to preach Sunday morning. Prayers please!

Sunday morning's song: "Hey There Delilah" by The Plain White Tees

Anne is on her way!

2009-04-16T16:35:00.005-05:00

I am so excited that I get to meet Anne Jackson this weekend! She will be talking about her book Mad Church Disease and spending some time with a few local area pastors, church staffers, and lay leaders on Sunday evening here at University UMC.

We are very proud to have her coming to speak and look forward to her words of hope, encouragement, and enlightenment.

And, yes. That is my personal copy of MCD!

Sound Vows Launches on Easter

2009-04-09T12:28:00.005-05:00

Our new sermon series launches this weekend at 10:50am and I am crazy excited about how God will move in the life of our church because of this series.

This weekend will be a full-blown gospel presentation and I believe that lives will be changed this weekend! Do whatever it takes to get your friends and family to University this weekend!

Danielle & Josh

2009-04-08T19:49:00.003-05:00

So I did premarital counseling again tonight via Skype (so cool by the way!) and captured this shot of them. I would totally do PMC this way in the future!

Stinger

2009-04-08T11:01:00.004-05:00

I have read some blog posts that have punched me in the face before, but usually it was the whole thing, not just one line. When I read Mark Batterson's post this morning this one line - a quote from Albert Schweitzer - punched me in the face, hard!

It is Albert Schweitzer who once observed: "The tragedy of life is what dies inside a man while he lives."

WHAM! For the full effect, read the whole post, but I felt like the quote was worth extra attention.

Thoughts?

Easter Extravaganza

2009-04-05T15:08:00.009-05:00

Saturday, UUMC's Children's Ministry hosted our first Easter Extravaganza and the place was hoppin'!!

I challenged AndyK to a sumo wrestling match and we both decided that the thought was better than the execution - it was HOT Saturday! And those suits are not made of the most breathable material! Here's the proof of our adventure! Enjoy!

Holy Week Activities

2009-04-05T14:51:00.003-05:00

I can't encourage you enough to participate in the Holy Week activities here at University UMC! Here's a rundown of what's coming up.

Wednesday, April 8th
6:00pm Cornerstone Cafe
6:30pm Final Lenten Lecture, from my buddy Tim Marks

Thursday, April 9th
7:00pm Maundy Thursday Worship
Experiential worship with stations for Holy Communion, foot-washing, journaling, and candle-lighting
(8:00pm First Rehearsal for Sound Vows Band)

Friday, April 10th
7:00pm Good Friday Worship
Journey with Christ as we participate in the Stations of the Cross in a wonderful outdoor (weather permitting) worship service

Sunday, April 12th
9:30am Sunday School
10:30am Fellowship Time in Narthex - join us for Coffee & Cookies
10:50am Sound Vows Series kicks off with a celebration of the Resurrection

This week will be a great way to remember the final week of Christ's life and celebrate his victory over death and sin. Remember, there is no need for resurrection if there is no death, so don't rush from Palm Sunday (today) to Easter Sunday without slowing down long enough to reflect on Christ's sacrifice for us on Good Friday.

I look forward to seeing as many of you as I can in worship Thursday, Friday, AND Sunday!

(And don't forget to park at the far end of the parking lot on Easter morning!)

Another First!

2009-04-02T17:19:00.002-05:00

Tonight's going to be my first attempt at premarital counseling via Skype!

Don't I look cool? (I know, not really!)

Phone Call from a Celebrity

2009-03-19T14:20:00.004-05:00

Yesterday morning I spoke with this wonderful person on the phone! I am so excited about her coming to University next month that I can't hardly stand it! She'll be here on April 19th, let me know if you want to be here when she is.

Reflections on a "Not Yet"

2009-03-12T15:52:00.002-05:00

I apologize for not posting this sooner, but life in ministry never seems to slow down when I have something that I want to spend a little time reflecting on. Oh well!

On February 23 I interviewed with P&Q to determine whether or not the Board of Ordained Ministry of the North Texas Conference would recommend me for ordination as an Elder in Full Connection this June at Annual Conference.

After 3 hours of interviews and 1.5 hours of deliberation, P&Q came back with their decision - "not yet." I must admit that I was stunned at first, but when I look back on the three interviews I see the validity of their decision. I listened quietly as they explained their reasons for continuing me and I held it together until the three people who came to give me the news prayed for me. I broke down again when Deb came into the room and I had to tell her the news.

As I listened to their reasons for continuing me in the process I visualized the disappointment on the faces of my congregation - how they might not understand, how they might be angry at me or at the Board. I wasn't sure how I was going to tell them.

Fortunately, as I heard the reasons for the "not yet" they also affirmed my gifts and graces for ministry, my effectiveness in ministry, and my potential for a successful, long-term career in the North Texas Conference. They also unequivocally stated that each member of the Board want me to be part of the connection - they want to ordain me, but they also want to make sure that the people whom they send to the Bishop for ordination have a solid, Wesleyan theological foundation from which to do ministry.

As I look back on my "not yet" I see that their comments were right on. I see that my Wesleyan theological reflection was shaky at best during the interview. I see that I still have work to do in obtaining a solid, Wesleyan theological underpining for my ministry.

I see that they love and support me and want me to succeed.
I see that my church loves and supports me and wants me to succeed.
I see that my family loves me and wants me to succeed.
I see that God loves me and wants me to succeed.

My "not yet" is not the end of the world for me. It will be hard for me to watch my residency group get ordained without me this summer, but I am committed to working hard on the items the Board has identified. I am committed to serving University UMC with all my heart over the next year.

Now, let's get to work!

Sex for 30 Days

2009-03-11T17:49:00.003-05:00

I want to start making "announcements" like this!

Beeson's Recommended Reading from Granger Community on Vimeo.

Check out the original context for this video here. Check out Mark Beenson's blog!

More tomorrow!

UM Reporter Article

2009-02-12T16:31:00.002-06:00

I thought you might like to see the article about University's journey to pay apportionments that appeared in the February 6th issue of the United Methodist Reporter.

My continued thanks to all of you who made our 100% payout possible!

The Largest Gathering

2009-02-12T12:54:00.003-06:00

Continuing from yesterday...

Sunday morning worship is the largest gathering of our church week - numerically. And since we only have one worship service here at University, we are all in the same space at the same time hearing the same music and message. This provides quite a powerful experience that can catapult us into our week or plunge us into despair over the "state of the church".

When we gather together each weekend we invite members of our community to participate with us in worshiping God. We invite those who are not currently connected to us to see what it is we do together in order for them to determine if they would like to remain a part of who we are.

The fact that guests can come and blend in with 150 or so other people during worship gives them an opportunity to check us out from a distance while still gaining enough proximity to form an opinion about us that will stick with them. This blending in provides guests a chance to see how we respond to new people in our midst - to see whether this is a place that welcomes new folks or values only those who are already connected.

Weekend worship is the best place for us to make a great first impression with the community at large. As the adage goes, "we only get one chance to make a first impression." And our chances come along mostly on Sunday mornings. Guests begin to form their impressions from the moment they drive onto our campus - and a general rule is that we have about 10 minutes to "wow" them and gain the best possibility of a repeat visit.

Therefore, their impression of the church may be formed long before I get up to preach or even before the first note of music is played. Further, it is incumbent upon the members of the congregation to extend radical hospitality every weekend. We need to impress upon our guests that we are expecting them and that we are prepared for them. This expectation and readiness shows up in things like signage, greeters/ushers, nursery workers, cleanliness, and a myriad of other ways - most of them small.

Thoughts? Comments?

For more info on making great first impressions, check out this book or this blog!

The Widest Funnel

2009-02-11T10:01:00.007-06:00

On Sunday morning I talked about the first two areas of focus for our church: weekend worship experience and ministry with students.

(If you want to hear the sermon, click here.)

I want to expand some on my beliefs about weekend worship experience and why I placed it at the top of the list.

The reasons I gave on Sunday morning included:

Worship is the largest entry point for new people into the church
Worship is the largest gathering of the church body during the week
Worship is a critical time for us to make a great first impression

I want to spend a little time expanding on the first point.

When a person from our community (Wichita Falls) who has no previous connection with our church decides to find out what we are about, they will likely do two things: first, they will check out our website or phone book ad to find out what time worship begins; and second, they will come to worship at the time stated either on the website or the phone book ad.

Worship is a large funnel for new people into our congregation because there is a certain level of anonymity that comes along with joining with a large group of people. Most people looking to connect with God within a local church will begin with a weekend worship experience before trying any gathering smaller than that.

Granted, some people come into the life of the church through an outside group that meets in our building (i.e. Scouts, Bridge Club, etc.) OR through a Sunday School class OR through our Wednesday night Cornerstone Cafe, but those are only a very small percentage of new entrants. The largest percentage still comes through worship on Sunday morning.

Therefore, our weekend worship experience must continually be passionate, innovative, and relevant in order to give new guests the best opportunity to see who we are and what we, as a community of faith, are all about. We also need to make sure that we have good systems in place to follow-up with guests that come to worship and leave us contact information. This lets them know that we care that they worshiped with us and that we want them to continue explore a life of faith here with us.

P.S.
If you are interested in reading more about the future of the musical aspects of our worship service, read this article and let me know what you think.