As I pastor I enjoyed using this time of the year to look back at the previous months. As I looked back I could tell if our church had been effective or if we had just been busy. There is a difference. Lots of churches have full calendars with plenty of activities to keep everyone busy. However, when they look at the results of all that activity they may find that nothing has really changed. The church hasn't grown. Few people came to faith in Christ. Church members continue to struggle with the same issues they've had since they became Christians. In fact, for some churches they only things that has changed is their ruts became even deeper.
We often equate busyness with effectiveness, but the two have little in common. Some of the busiest people I know accomplish little while others accomplish a great deal with what seems like minimal effort. The difference is the ones who are effective are focused on doing the things they need to be doing rather than allowing their calendars to fill up with busy work.
When I began the ministry I wanted to please everyone and do whatever I was asked. That is a dangerous approach to take as a bivocational minister. It took me awhile, but eventually I learned that I could not continue doing that. One of the four Spiritual Laws is that God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. I learned that some have changed that to say God loves you and everybody has a wonderful plan for your life. I found out that if I tried to do everything people asked me to do I would not have time to do the things I needed to do. One of the greatest days in my life was when I learned it was OK to say no.
How does one know when to say yes and when to say no? It begins with a God-given vision. What is God's vision for your ministry or that of your church? Once you know that you can say yes to those things that will help bring that vision to fruition and no to those things that will detract from it.
It also helps to know your areas of giftedness. I want to work as much as possible in the areas where God has gifted me because that is where I am going to be most effective. I need to manage around the areas of ministry in which I am not gifted, and this often entails delegating those tasks to others. For example, nobody would want me to lead the music in a worship service! It is best to have someone with some musical talent take on that role, and that would not describe me!
We hear a lot about minister burnout. I am convinced much of that is self-inflicted. We try to do too much that we have no business doing because we don't want to say no to people. Some think having a full calendar is a sign of spirituality. It's probably more a sign of being dependent upon the approval of others. Spend time discerning God's vision for your ministry and learning the areas of ministry in which you are gifted and focus as much of your ministry in those areas as possible. You'll find at the end of 2019 your ministry was much more effective, and you'll probably feel less stressed as well.
Friday, December 28, 2018
Thursday, December 27, 2018
Continued attack on religion in America
If anyone wonders if there is an attack on religion in America one only has to look at questionnaires sent to federal judicial nominee, Brian Buescher. Democratic senators Kamala Harris (CA) and Mazie Hirono (HI), both who serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee, included questions sent to the nominee about his membership in the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic charity organization. They claimed the organization, established in 1882, holds a number of extreme positions that may make it impossible for the nominee, if confirmed, to be able to judge fairly and impartially some cases that might be brought to his court. These "extreme" positions included its opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage, positions held by the Catholic church.
A spokeswoman for the K of C blasted the questions as a throw-back to the anti-Catholic rhetoric heard in this country in its past. She added that "We were extremely disappointed to see that one's commitment to Catholic principles through membership in the Knights of Columbus - a charitable organization that adheres to and promotes Catholic teachings - would be viewed as a disqualifier from public service in this day and age."
While persons of faith might be disappointed, none of us should be surprised. Such attacks on those who hold to Christian teaching have been increasing over the years. Beliefs that have been held by the majority of persons for thousands of years are now considered extreme by those who seek to promote an ungodly agenda on America. Anyone holding traditional beliefs are attacked and vilified by those who want to remove all vestiges of religion from America. It is only by removing the moral teachings found in Scripture can those who want to promote their radical agenda hope to succeed.
The criteria used by these two Senators would exclude the majority of Americans from public service. There are over 70 million registered Catholics in America. Evangelical Protestants count for approximately 25.4 percent of Americans. Add to these numbers other conservative Christians and it adds up to a lot of people who do not believe that opposing abortion and same-sex marriage is extreme.
The church must find its voice and speak out against the attacks on traditional values that are becoming more and more common. We must educate people on the moral principles found in Scripture so that we can defend them against such attacks. Further, we need to help people develop a worldview that is based upon Scripture and not the philosophies of man. Finally, we need to challenge Christian people to run for political office to defeat those who want to change this nation into something it was never intended to be.
A spokeswoman for the K of C blasted the questions as a throw-back to the anti-Catholic rhetoric heard in this country in its past. She added that "We were extremely disappointed to see that one's commitment to Catholic principles through membership in the Knights of Columbus - a charitable organization that adheres to and promotes Catholic teachings - would be viewed as a disqualifier from public service in this day and age."
While persons of faith might be disappointed, none of us should be surprised. Such attacks on those who hold to Christian teaching have been increasing over the years. Beliefs that have been held by the majority of persons for thousands of years are now considered extreme by those who seek to promote an ungodly agenda on America. Anyone holding traditional beliefs are attacked and vilified by those who want to remove all vestiges of religion from America. It is only by removing the moral teachings found in Scripture can those who want to promote their radical agenda hope to succeed.
The criteria used by these two Senators would exclude the majority of Americans from public service. There are over 70 million registered Catholics in America. Evangelical Protestants count for approximately 25.4 percent of Americans. Add to these numbers other conservative Christians and it adds up to a lot of people who do not believe that opposing abortion and same-sex marriage is extreme.
The church must find its voice and speak out against the attacks on traditional values that are becoming more and more common. We must educate people on the moral principles found in Scripture so that we can defend them against such attacks. Further, we need to help people develop a worldview that is based upon Scripture and not the philosophies of man. Finally, we need to challenge Christian people to run for political office to defeat those who want to change this nation into something it was never intended to be.
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
Current reading list
Last week I shared my top ten favorite reads for 2018. Today I want to let you know what I'm currently reading and the books in my to-read stack.
For my morning devotional read I am working through O. S. Hawkins' book The Nehemiah Code: It's Never Too Late for a New Beginning. Anyone interested in leadership in any endeavor would be advised to study the book of Nehemiah. This particular book is perfect for devotional study with short chapters that focus on the act of rebuilding.
Redefining Truth: Delusions of Replacing God and Calling Evil Good by David Fiorazo is one that I just started reading a couple of days ago. Although I'm just into the first few chapters I'm finding it interesting partially due to its current examples of how our society is changing the whole concept of truth.
Sitting on the shelf waiting their turn are
For my morning devotional read I am working through O. S. Hawkins' book The Nehemiah Code: It's Never Too Late for a New Beginning. Anyone interested in leadership in any endeavor would be advised to study the book of Nehemiah. This particular book is perfect for devotional study with short chapters that focus on the act of rebuilding.
Redefining Truth: Delusions of Replacing God and Calling Evil Good by David Fiorazo is one that I just started reading a couple of days ago. Although I'm just into the first few chapters I'm finding it interesting partially due to its current examples of how our society is changing the whole concept of truth.
Sitting on the shelf waiting their turn are
- The Forgotten Church: Why Rural Ministry Matters for Every Church in America by Glenn Daman. I wrote an endorsement for this book and read a draft copy at the time. This is a very worthy read for anyone serving in smaller or rural churches, and I want to work through it slower this time.
- Scientism and Secularism: Learning to Respond to a Dangerous Ideology
by J. P. Moreland. As I mentioned last week, I try to read at least one book a year by this author so I went ahead and ordered this one to get it on the list early.
- Leading with Integrity: The 28 Essential Leadership Strategies of Solomon
by Pat Williams. Pat Williams is the senior vice president of the Orlando Magic and a great leader and motivational speaker. I'm looking forward to reading this book.
- Come Thirsty: No Heart Too Dry for His Touch
by Max Lucado. This will be my next devotional read. Lucado's books are always encouraging and inspiring.
by J. P. Moreland. As I mentioned last week, I try to read at least one book a year by this author so I went ahead and ordered this one to get it on the list early.
by Pat Williams. Pat Williams is the senior vice president of the Orlando Magic and a great leader and motivational speaker. I'm looking forward to reading this book.
by Max Lucado. This will be my next devotional read. Lucado's books are always encouraging and inspiring.Friday, December 21, 2018
2018 Top Reads 1-5
Yesterday I shared five of the best books I read in 2018. In that post I covered books 6-10. Today I will give you my top five reads.
5. Hidden Worldviews: Eight Cultural Stories That Shape Our Lives by Steve Wilkens and Mark L. Sanford. All people have a worldview that impacts the way they live their lives, that shape the values and beliefs they have, and even impact the way we spend our money. However, many worldviews are not promoted by religious beliefs but are shaped by the culture in which we live. Because they come through culture we give little thought to them and probably don't even realize they are a worldview. This book looks at eight of these worldviews and explains how we come about following them and the problems that can occur if we continue to follow them. This book will cause you to look at the worldviews that shape your life, and it will preach!
4. Breaking The News: How the Media Undermine American Democracy by James Fallows. This is not a new book; it was first published in 1996. Some of its stories are dated, but this doesn't make them less true nor does it mean that the book is not as relevant as it was when first written. For instance, the author explains why many Americans mistrusts the news media. Sound familiar? He also discusses how the media does not report the news, they make the news. They have the power to ignore the stories they do not want to report which means for many Americans those events never happened. They have the power to twist stories to suit their political views. One of the remarkable things I found when reading the book was how virtually every political analyst and prominent columnist declared Bill Clinton's run for the presidency was dead after various controversies occurred during that race. In many cases, it was the same people who were certain that Donald Trump's campaign was doomed and he had no chance of being elected. And they are still working and earning big paychecks. Reading this book will impact the way you watch the news.
3. There Is a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind by Antony Flew. For over 50 years the author was a committed atheist and philosopher professor who wrote over thirty books, many of which promoted his arguments against the existence of God. However, he always worked by the philosophy that he would follow the argument wherever it lead. In 2004 he shocked the world by announcing that he now believed in the existence of God. The atheist world was stunned that they had lost one of their leading defenders of atheism. In this book he explains the four lines of evidence that convinced him that there is a God. It is a fascinating read.
2. Love Your God with All Your Mind: The Role of Reason in the Life of the Soul by J. P. Moreland. The author is one of the leading Christian philosophers in America today, and I've tried to read one of his books each year for the past several years. One of the criticisms of Christians is that many have not thought deeply about what they believe, and as a result their faith has remained shallow. Some in the church world have actually promoted an anti-intellectualism mindset. How this squares with the biblical mandate to make disciples is not clear to me as part of discipleship is having a good understanding of what we believe. As a result of this mindset many have lost the ability to think as Christians about the issues facing our world today. Moreland challenges us to use our minds, our ability to reason and logic to grow individually as Christians and to better evangelize, worship and defend our faith. I found this book to be an excellent resource as one can tell from all the markings in it.
1. Last Call for Liberty: How America's Genius for Freedom Has Become Its Greatest Threat by Os Guinness. I consider this to be one of the most important books I've ever read and one that should be required reading for every high school student. It would be a great text book for a civics class, but of course that is no longer taught in our schools anymore. The author points out that how one defines freedom is critical. In the past freedom included accountability and responsibility for one another. Today, many define freedom as the right to do whatever they want without regards for anyone else. As the author explains, such an understanding of freedom will result in "the destruction of freedom in the name of freedom." Guinness makes it clear that our freedoms came from a Jewish and Christian understanding of covenant and creation, and the solution out of our present crisis is to return to the values that come from that understanding. This is a powerful book filled with insights every American needs to understand.
5. Hidden Worldviews: Eight Cultural Stories That Shape Our Lives by Steve Wilkens and Mark L. Sanford. All people have a worldview that impacts the way they live their lives, that shape the values and beliefs they have, and even impact the way we spend our money. However, many worldviews are not promoted by religious beliefs but are shaped by the culture in which we live. Because they come through culture we give little thought to them and probably don't even realize they are a worldview. This book looks at eight of these worldviews and explains how we come about following them and the problems that can occur if we continue to follow them. This book will cause you to look at the worldviews that shape your life, and it will preach!
4. Breaking The News: How the Media Undermine American Democracy by James Fallows. This is not a new book; it was first published in 1996. Some of its stories are dated, but this doesn't make them less true nor does it mean that the book is not as relevant as it was when first written. For instance, the author explains why many Americans mistrusts the news media. Sound familiar? He also discusses how the media does not report the news, they make the news. They have the power to ignore the stories they do not want to report which means for many Americans those events never happened. They have the power to twist stories to suit their political views. One of the remarkable things I found when reading the book was how virtually every political analyst and prominent columnist declared Bill Clinton's run for the presidency was dead after various controversies occurred during that race. In many cases, it was the same people who were certain that Donald Trump's campaign was doomed and he had no chance of being elected. And they are still working and earning big paychecks. Reading this book will impact the way you watch the news.
3. There Is a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind by Antony Flew. For over 50 years the author was a committed atheist and philosopher professor who wrote over thirty books, many of which promoted his arguments against the existence of God. However, he always worked by the philosophy that he would follow the argument wherever it lead. In 2004 he shocked the world by announcing that he now believed in the existence of God. The atheist world was stunned that they had lost one of their leading defenders of atheism. In this book he explains the four lines of evidence that convinced him that there is a God. It is a fascinating read.
2. Love Your God with All Your Mind: The Role of Reason in the Life of the Soul by J. P. Moreland. The author is one of the leading Christian philosophers in America today, and I've tried to read one of his books each year for the past several years. One of the criticisms of Christians is that many have not thought deeply about what they believe, and as a result their faith has remained shallow. Some in the church world have actually promoted an anti-intellectualism mindset. How this squares with the biblical mandate to make disciples is not clear to me as part of discipleship is having a good understanding of what we believe. As a result of this mindset many have lost the ability to think as Christians about the issues facing our world today. Moreland challenges us to use our minds, our ability to reason and logic to grow individually as Christians and to better evangelize, worship and defend our faith. I found this book to be an excellent resource as one can tell from all the markings in it.
1. Last Call for Liberty: How America's Genius for Freedom Has Become Its Greatest Threat by Os Guinness. I consider this to be one of the most important books I've ever read and one that should be required reading for every high school student. It would be a great text book for a civics class, but of course that is no longer taught in our schools anymore. The author points out that how one defines freedom is critical. In the past freedom included accountability and responsibility for one another. Today, many define freedom as the right to do whatever they want without regards for anyone else. As the author explains, such an understanding of freedom will result in "the destruction of freedom in the name of freedom." Guinness makes it clear that our freedoms came from a Jewish and Christian understanding of covenant and creation, and the solution out of our present crisis is to return to the values that come from that understanding. This is a powerful book filled with insights every American needs to understand.
Thursday, December 20, 2018
2018 Top Reads 6-10
Each year many bloggers post their favorite books for the year. I've done this myself for the past few years. Out of 45 books I read this year this is my top 10 books for 2018. Today I'll list 6-10, and tomorrow we'll mention 1-5.
Since retiring from active ministry my reading has changed somewhat. For instance, I read fewer books on pastoral ministry since I'm not serving in that role now. I tend to concentrate more on theology, philosophy, apologetics, and how our world is being impacted by various worldviews. You'll see this in the lists. As an act of editorial transparency, if you click on one of these books and purchase it through Amazon.com I will receive a small referral fee. Believe me, it's very small, but I wanted to be upfront with my readers!
10. Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked by Adam Alter. We all know how addictive technology can be with many of us checking our emails, Facebook and other media accounts so often it affects our productivity. The author points to studies that demonstrates that the average human had an attention span of 8 seconds in 2013. BTW - A goldfish has an attention span of 9 seconds. Problems associated with technology led Steve Jobs to not allow his children to use an iPad, and many other tech giants had similar rules in their homes. Why? Because they understood how addictive technology and social media can be. This fascinating book could be helpful to anyone in ministry for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is when we are helping someone with addictions associated with technology. One clinical psychologist told the author "Every single person I work with has at least one behavioral addiction." Chances are there are people in your church, or family, with the same problems.
9. Your Best Year Ever: A 5-Step Plan for Achieving Your Most Important Goals by Michael Hyatt. Numerous studies have shown that setting goals is critical to achieving success in any endeavor. Many years ago I followed a goal setting plan that allowed me to achieve more than I would have thought possible. If you do not have a goal setting program that works for you, this book will provide you with one. Did you know that merely by writing your goals boosted achievement by 42 percent? If you had read this book you would have known that. Now is the time to be setting your goals for 2019 and beyond which means now is a great time to follow the advice presented in this book.
8. Not God Enough: Why Your Small God Leads to Big Problems by J. D. Greear. Many of us, and many churches, like a small God who we believe we can control and predict. The problem is conceiving God in this way holds us back from experiencing the true God who wants to do marvelous things in our lives. One of my favorite chapters in the book discussed the burning bush encountered by Moses in the wilderness. While we don't know much about how Moses perceived God prior to that experience, we know what happened afterwards! Moses went on to do far more than he ever thought possible. The author points out several things that can burning bushes in our lives. I identified with some of them, and I guess you will, too.
7. Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland by Christopher R. Browning. This is a troubling book that I could not put down. It tells the story of ordinary men who made up the Reserve Police Battalion 101 of the German Order Police in 1942. These men were responsible for mass shootings of Jewish people and rounding them up for shipment to Nazi death camps. The first time they were ordered to murder innocent people, many in the unit refused. As time went on three different groups emerged. One was a core of eager killers who enjoyed hunting down their victims, a second group who carried out their orders, and a third group who continued to refuse to carry out the killings. The meticulous research of this book followed many of the men in this unit. One of the reasons this book was so troubling was that it described how far down ordinary people can fall. Which of the three groups would any of us find ourselves? Until we face the pressures these men experienced I'm not sure we can honestly answer that question.
6. The Devil's Delusion: Atheism and its Scientific Pretensions by David Berlinski. This is a book I read a few years ago and decided it was time to reread it. One of the things that makes this book interesting is that the author identifies as a secular Jew who admits his religious training did not take. Most of his life has been committed to teaching and writing books about mathematics and the sciences, but here he takes on the New Atheists such as Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris. With biting humor and a brilliant mind he defends religious thought and attacks the idea that science disproves the existence of God. As he writes, "Confident assertions by scientists that in the privacy of their chambers they have demonstrated that God does not exist have nothing to do with science, and even less to do with God's existence." For me, this is a must read book for pastors and anyone who wants to better defend their faith against the attacks being made today against Christianity.
Tomorrow I'll share my favorite top five books that I read in 2018.
Since retiring from active ministry my reading has changed somewhat. For instance, I read fewer books on pastoral ministry since I'm not serving in that role now. I tend to concentrate more on theology, philosophy, apologetics, and how our world is being impacted by various worldviews. You'll see this in the lists. As an act of editorial transparency, if you click on one of these books and purchase it through Amazon.com I will receive a small referral fee. Believe me, it's very small, but I wanted to be upfront with my readers!
10. Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked by Adam Alter. We all know how addictive technology can be with many of us checking our emails, Facebook and other media accounts so often it affects our productivity. The author points to studies that demonstrates that the average human had an attention span of 8 seconds in 2013. BTW - A goldfish has an attention span of 9 seconds. Problems associated with technology led Steve Jobs to not allow his children to use an iPad, and many other tech giants had similar rules in their homes. Why? Because they understood how addictive technology and social media can be. This fascinating book could be helpful to anyone in ministry for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is when we are helping someone with addictions associated with technology. One clinical psychologist told the author "Every single person I work with has at least one behavioral addiction." Chances are there are people in your church, or family, with the same problems.
9. Your Best Year Ever: A 5-Step Plan for Achieving Your Most Important Goals by Michael Hyatt. Numerous studies have shown that setting goals is critical to achieving success in any endeavor. Many years ago I followed a goal setting plan that allowed me to achieve more than I would have thought possible. If you do not have a goal setting program that works for you, this book will provide you with one. Did you know that merely by writing your goals boosted achievement by 42 percent? If you had read this book you would have known that. Now is the time to be setting your goals for 2019 and beyond which means now is a great time to follow the advice presented in this book.
8. Not God Enough: Why Your Small God Leads to Big Problems by J. D. Greear. Many of us, and many churches, like a small God who we believe we can control and predict. The problem is conceiving God in this way holds us back from experiencing the true God who wants to do marvelous things in our lives. One of my favorite chapters in the book discussed the burning bush encountered by Moses in the wilderness. While we don't know much about how Moses perceived God prior to that experience, we know what happened afterwards! Moses went on to do far more than he ever thought possible. The author points out several things that can burning bushes in our lives. I identified with some of them, and I guess you will, too.
7. Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland by Christopher R. Browning. This is a troubling book that I could not put down. It tells the story of ordinary men who made up the Reserve Police Battalion 101 of the German Order Police in 1942. These men were responsible for mass shootings of Jewish people and rounding them up for shipment to Nazi death camps. The first time they were ordered to murder innocent people, many in the unit refused. As time went on three different groups emerged. One was a core of eager killers who enjoyed hunting down their victims, a second group who carried out their orders, and a third group who continued to refuse to carry out the killings. The meticulous research of this book followed many of the men in this unit. One of the reasons this book was so troubling was that it described how far down ordinary people can fall. Which of the three groups would any of us find ourselves? Until we face the pressures these men experienced I'm not sure we can honestly answer that question.
6. The Devil's Delusion: Atheism and its Scientific Pretensions by David Berlinski. This is a book I read a few years ago and decided it was time to reread it. One of the things that makes this book interesting is that the author identifies as a secular Jew who admits his religious training did not take. Most of his life has been committed to teaching and writing books about mathematics and the sciences, but here he takes on the New Atheists such as Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris. With biting humor and a brilliant mind he defends religious thought and attacks the idea that science disproves the existence of God. As he writes, "Confident assertions by scientists that in the privacy of their chambers they have demonstrated that God does not exist have nothing to do with science, and even less to do with God's existence." For me, this is a must read book for pastors and anyone who wants to better defend their faith against the attacks being made today against Christianity.
Tomorrow I'll share my favorite top five books that I read in 2018.
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Will America retain its freedoms or will it's new understanding of freedom destroy it?
As regular readers of this blog knows, I read a lot. My goal is to read an average of one book a week. I have just finished reading what I consider to be one of the most important and powerful books I've ever read, Last Call for Liberty: How America's Genius for Freedom Has Become Its Greatest Threat by Os Guinness. The author has a DPhil from Oxford, was born in China, educated in England and now lives in the United States. I have never read anything that better describes the current state of America. However, he not only describes our current condition, he reminds us of how our nation was founded and what has happened to cause us to veer so far from our founding to our current situation. Finally, He repeatedly shows us how we can get back to being the nation we once were.
He repeatedly compares the American revolution of 1776 to the French revolution of 1789 and shows how many in our nation today want to embrace the attitudes and values of the 1789 revolution while rejecting those of the 1776 revolution. While both revolutions were an attempt to bring freedom to their respective nations, there were significant differences in how each defined freedom. The freedom sought by the American colonists was one that combined freedom with responsibility. The French revolution sought a freedom without responsibilities, one in which everyone did as they pleased. This is the freedom many today are pursuing in America.
However, such freedom comes with a price. Part of that price is that everyone is a victim. As soon as someone's personal freedom is violated they become a victim demanding justice. Soon new laws are passed ensuring their rights are no longer ignored. Of course, this tramples on the rights of those who disagree with the original demands. But, few care because we have ceased being "one nation." The author writes
"All citizens are now viewed, polled, analyzed, and treated as members of groups rather than as individuals. All Americans are tribal now. But then, the postmodern assumption of relativism is added to the mix of groups, giving rise to the notion of different truths for different tribes - feminist truths, black truths, homosexual truths, Hispanic truths, millennial truths, Left and Right truths, Fox truths, CNN and MSNBC truths, and the like. Each group sees the world its own way, lives in its own world and wants its own perspectives confirmed, so each is automatically suspicious of the perspectives of others."
Another part of the cost is that we become less free. Those who do not conform to the politically correct perspective of some group are shouted down on university campuses or uninvited because some organization considers their message hurtful. New laws are passed in an effort to force people into certain beliefs and values. Guinness writes, "Whereas nineteenth-century liberals sought to protect personal freedom by limiting the role of government in private life, twentieth-century liberals sought to achieve each purported advance of freedom by expanding the role of government in more and more of life, including private life." The more government dictates what we must do and believe the less free we are.
A third cost is that of chaos and violence. When everyone is free to do whatever they please it can only lead to chaos. Again, we read, "There is an obvious practical problem in stating secularist freedom in terms of unrestrained individual freedom - other people are similarly free, and that creates the fundamental social and political problem of how we are to create a harmonious society out of a cacophony of competing selves all claiming freedom in a million different ways." As these differing freedoms confront each other violence is sure to erupt as we see happening today throughout our nation.
Guinness covers much more ground than I can in a blog post. Part of his solution to our problem is to return to the source of our freedoms which is a Christian and Jewish understanding of freedom. He states clearly that "The key to the remedy of the American crisis of freedom lies in a fresh exploration of the Hebrew notions of creation and covenant that lie behind both American freedom and the US Constitution."
He goes on to write, "The open rejection of the Jewish and Christian roots of the American Revolution will mean that all the flowers that grew directly from those roots will someday die. Notions such as human dignity, freedom, justice, equality, Constitution, the separation of powers, and forgiveness have been cut off from their roots. Sooner or later they will become unrecognizable and die."
I don't care what one's political beliefs are, every American should study this book. You may not agree with everything you read in it, but it will make you think. It might also lead to some much needed dialogue about where we want our nation to be 200 years from now. Heaven knows we could use some thinking and dialogue right now.
He repeatedly compares the American revolution of 1776 to the French revolution of 1789 and shows how many in our nation today want to embrace the attitudes and values of the 1789 revolution while rejecting those of the 1776 revolution. While both revolutions were an attempt to bring freedom to their respective nations, there were significant differences in how each defined freedom. The freedom sought by the American colonists was one that combined freedom with responsibility. The French revolution sought a freedom without responsibilities, one in which everyone did as they pleased. This is the freedom many today are pursuing in America.
However, such freedom comes with a price. Part of that price is that everyone is a victim. As soon as someone's personal freedom is violated they become a victim demanding justice. Soon new laws are passed ensuring their rights are no longer ignored. Of course, this tramples on the rights of those who disagree with the original demands. But, few care because we have ceased being "one nation." The author writes
"All citizens are now viewed, polled, analyzed, and treated as members of groups rather than as individuals. All Americans are tribal now. But then, the postmodern assumption of relativism is added to the mix of groups, giving rise to the notion of different truths for different tribes - feminist truths, black truths, homosexual truths, Hispanic truths, millennial truths, Left and Right truths, Fox truths, CNN and MSNBC truths, and the like. Each group sees the world its own way, lives in its own world and wants its own perspectives confirmed, so each is automatically suspicious of the perspectives of others."
Another part of the cost is that we become less free. Those who do not conform to the politically correct perspective of some group are shouted down on university campuses or uninvited because some organization considers their message hurtful. New laws are passed in an effort to force people into certain beliefs and values. Guinness writes, "Whereas nineteenth-century liberals sought to protect personal freedom by limiting the role of government in private life, twentieth-century liberals sought to achieve each purported advance of freedom by expanding the role of government in more and more of life, including private life." The more government dictates what we must do and believe the less free we are.
A third cost is that of chaos and violence. When everyone is free to do whatever they please it can only lead to chaos. Again, we read, "There is an obvious practical problem in stating secularist freedom in terms of unrestrained individual freedom - other people are similarly free, and that creates the fundamental social and political problem of how we are to create a harmonious society out of a cacophony of competing selves all claiming freedom in a million different ways." As these differing freedoms confront each other violence is sure to erupt as we see happening today throughout our nation.
Guinness covers much more ground than I can in a blog post. Part of his solution to our problem is to return to the source of our freedoms which is a Christian and Jewish understanding of freedom. He states clearly that "The key to the remedy of the American crisis of freedom lies in a fresh exploration of the Hebrew notions of creation and covenant that lie behind both American freedom and the US Constitution."
He goes on to write, "The open rejection of the Jewish and Christian roots of the American Revolution will mean that all the flowers that grew directly from those roots will someday die. Notions such as human dignity, freedom, justice, equality, Constitution, the separation of powers, and forgiveness have been cut off from their roots. Sooner or later they will become unrecognizable and die."
I don't care what one's political beliefs are, every American should study this book. You may not agree with everything you read in it, but it will make you think. It might also lead to some much needed dialogue about where we want our nation to be 200 years from now. Heaven knows we could use some thinking and dialogue right now.
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Leadership pipeline
In yesterday's post I wrote about the challenge smaller churches have finding pastors and gave some suggestions where they might look the next time they need to call a new pastor. An additional challenge many smaller churches face is finding lay leadership. Numerous small church pastors have told me their churches struggle to find good leaders for the leadership positions they have. Even mid-size churches have problems in this area.
Many of these churches need to take a hard look at the positions they are trying to fill. Frankly, many of them were created when the church was larger and it's doubtful they are still needed today. Most smaller churches I have worked with are greatly over-structured for the size they are now. Eliminating some of these unneeded positions would help with finding good leaders for the positions the church does need filled.
Churches also need to begin now identifying young people with leadership potential and start training them. I realize that some of them will not be at the church when they get older. It's important to remember that you are not just training them to serve your church. You are training them to serve the Kingdom of God wherever they might live. And what happens if you don't equip them to do ministry and they stay? Zig Ziglar used to say that the only thing worse than training someone and losing them was not training them and keeping them.
Every church, regardless of size, needs a leadership pipeline so when leadership opportunities come up there will be people prepared to take them. Ephesians 4 reminds us that a principal role of the pastor is to "equip the saints to do the work of ministry." If you don't have people prepared to serve in ministry positions in the church whose fault is that? According to that text it would be the fault of the pastor. I know that's painful to hear. It was painful for me when I realized it in my own ministry, but it's still the truth.
People need to be helped in identifying the ministry gifts God has given them, and then they need to be trained in how to use those gifts. Those with leadership gifts need to be trained in leadership. Don't ask someone to accept a leadership role if you have not prepared them to lead. It's scary to lead, especially if you haven't been trained in how to lead, and it's no wonder people turn down those positions.
Part of that training needs to be hands-on. Allow young people to be involved in ministry experiences. Don't just stick them in the youth group and entertain them every week. Give them opportunities to lead, to plan, to implement those plans and then review how well those plans succeeded. Give them honest feedback. Find an area of ministry where they are most likely to succeed and give them the freedom to operate within that area. As they mature and become better equipped give them more challenging opportunities. If you'll do this, when the day comes you need someone for a major leadership role in the church you'll have people prepared to step into that role.
Many of these churches need to take a hard look at the positions they are trying to fill. Frankly, many of them were created when the church was larger and it's doubtful they are still needed today. Most smaller churches I have worked with are greatly over-structured for the size they are now. Eliminating some of these unneeded positions would help with finding good leaders for the positions the church does need filled.
Churches also need to begin now identifying young people with leadership potential and start training them. I realize that some of them will not be at the church when they get older. It's important to remember that you are not just training them to serve your church. You are training them to serve the Kingdom of God wherever they might live. And what happens if you don't equip them to do ministry and they stay? Zig Ziglar used to say that the only thing worse than training someone and losing them was not training them and keeping them.
Every church, regardless of size, needs a leadership pipeline so when leadership opportunities come up there will be people prepared to take them. Ephesians 4 reminds us that a principal role of the pastor is to "equip the saints to do the work of ministry." If you don't have people prepared to serve in ministry positions in the church whose fault is that? According to that text it would be the fault of the pastor. I know that's painful to hear. It was painful for me when I realized it in my own ministry, but it's still the truth.
People need to be helped in identifying the ministry gifts God has given them, and then they need to be trained in how to use those gifts. Those with leadership gifts need to be trained in leadership. Don't ask someone to accept a leadership role if you have not prepared them to lead. It's scary to lead, especially if you haven't been trained in how to lead, and it's no wonder people turn down those positions.
Part of that training needs to be hands-on. Allow young people to be involved in ministry experiences. Don't just stick them in the youth group and entertain them every week. Give them opportunities to lead, to plan, to implement those plans and then review how well those plans succeeded. Give them honest feedback. Find an area of ministry where they are most likely to succeed and give them the freedom to operate within that area. As they mature and become better equipped give them more challenging opportunities. If you'll do this, when the day comes you need someone for a major leadership role in the church you'll have people prepared to step into that role.
Monday, December 10, 2018
Finding pastors for smaller churches
Many people have written in recent years about the struggle smaller churches have in finding new pastors. I have done so as well in this blog. Studies have found that many seminary trained ministers are not interested in serving in smaller churches. For 14 years I served as a Resource Minister with our denomination. One of my responsibilities was to assist our churches when they needed to call a new pastor. This was always difficult when the seeking church was a smaller one.
The problem was compounded when the church was used to having a fully-funded pastor and wanted to continue doing so. The truth was that most of these fully-funded pastors were not fully-funded. They were able to serve those churches because their spouses worked and often provided the benefits, such as insurance, for their families that the church could not provide. These churches were living in a fantasy world thinking they had a fully-funded pastor when they didn't. Somehow they never connected the fact that most of these pastors left after 2-3 years for churches that did offer salary and benefit packages that would support their families. Now, as they begin seeking new pastoral leadership they find that many ministers are no longer willing to accept their fantasy.
This isn't to put these churches down. It is intended to point out the reality of the situation these churches are in. Before I retired from my position I worked with one church that had a fully-funded pastor but realized their next pastor would have to be bivocational. As one of the members explained to me, they could afford to pay a decent salary, but they could not afford the insurance or other benefits most ministers require. I appreciated their honest appraisal of their situation, and it made it easier to help them find their new pastor.
Where will smaller churches find their pastors as we continue into the 21st century? Like the church above, many of them will need to seek bivocational leadership. Some churches think that is taking a step backwards, but it is not. Bivocational ministers have proven more than capable of serving churches. I have published several books on bivocational ministry that can help the interested reader better understand what a bivocational minister can bring to the church.
Another option is to seek someone within the church to serve as pastor. This will often be a bivocational person as well. The only difference is that it is someone already well known and respected in the congregation. I had a few churches take that approach, and it worked out very well. These persons may not have the training many churches would prefer, but there are numerous ways such training and theological education can be obtained today.
A third option is to call a retired minister. I know most churches want a 35 year-old pastor with 20 years experience, but you will be making a huge mistake if you refuse to consider a retired person. A church once told me they wanted a young pastor with new ideas. I responded that many young pastors don't have new ideas. All many of them know is what they learned in seminary from professors who haven't pastored a church in 20 years. I know many older ministers who have far more new ideas about ministry than some younger ones.
Retired ministers not only have the education; they also have the experience to know how to serve a church. They've been through the battles so they know how to avoid many of them. Another benefit about calling a retired person as pastor is that most of them are not going to be looking to move in the next couple of years. They have no interest in climbing the "ministerial ladder of success" as I like to call it. This means they may remain at the church longer than some younger pastors.
Smaller churches can still find pastors if they broaden the criteria they use when seeking one. Rather than develop a rigid checklist of what you want in a pastor, be open to the person God may be sending you. God always has a person for a church. Don't miss that person by looking for something else.
The problem was compounded when the church was used to having a fully-funded pastor and wanted to continue doing so. The truth was that most of these fully-funded pastors were not fully-funded. They were able to serve those churches because their spouses worked and often provided the benefits, such as insurance, for their families that the church could not provide. These churches were living in a fantasy world thinking they had a fully-funded pastor when they didn't. Somehow they never connected the fact that most of these pastors left after 2-3 years for churches that did offer salary and benefit packages that would support their families. Now, as they begin seeking new pastoral leadership they find that many ministers are no longer willing to accept their fantasy.
This isn't to put these churches down. It is intended to point out the reality of the situation these churches are in. Before I retired from my position I worked with one church that had a fully-funded pastor but realized their next pastor would have to be bivocational. As one of the members explained to me, they could afford to pay a decent salary, but they could not afford the insurance or other benefits most ministers require. I appreciated their honest appraisal of their situation, and it made it easier to help them find their new pastor.
Where will smaller churches find their pastors as we continue into the 21st century? Like the church above, many of them will need to seek bivocational leadership. Some churches think that is taking a step backwards, but it is not. Bivocational ministers have proven more than capable of serving churches. I have published several books on bivocational ministry that can help the interested reader better understand what a bivocational minister can bring to the church.
Another option is to seek someone within the church to serve as pastor. This will often be a bivocational person as well. The only difference is that it is someone already well known and respected in the congregation. I had a few churches take that approach, and it worked out very well. These persons may not have the training many churches would prefer, but there are numerous ways such training and theological education can be obtained today.
A third option is to call a retired minister. I know most churches want a 35 year-old pastor with 20 years experience, but you will be making a huge mistake if you refuse to consider a retired person. A church once told me they wanted a young pastor with new ideas. I responded that many young pastors don't have new ideas. All many of them know is what they learned in seminary from professors who haven't pastored a church in 20 years. I know many older ministers who have far more new ideas about ministry than some younger ones.
Retired ministers not only have the education; they also have the experience to know how to serve a church. They've been through the battles so they know how to avoid many of them. Another benefit about calling a retired person as pastor is that most of them are not going to be looking to move in the next couple of years. They have no interest in climbing the "ministerial ladder of success" as I like to call it. This means they may remain at the church longer than some younger pastors.
Smaller churches can still find pastors if they broaden the criteria they use when seeking one. Rather than develop a rigid checklist of what you want in a pastor, be open to the person God may be sending you. God always has a person for a church. Don't miss that person by looking for something else.
Friday, December 7, 2018
Charlie Brown's Christmas
We watched Charlie Brown's Christmas last night. Even though I've seen it dozens of times it still makes me laugh and warms my heart. Like many of us, Charlie Brown is tired of the commercialization of Christmas, but it seems there is little he can do about it. It's not until Linus explains the true meaning of Christmas can Charlie Brown escape the holiday blues.
With Linus telling the biblical account of the birth of Jesus Christ I'm surprised this classic Christmas special is still being shown. I'll be even more surprised if someone doesn't condemn it as offensive or politically incorrect. In recent weeks we've seen Veggie Tales condemned as racist and dangerous to children due to the fact that the vegetables are various colors. Here's a news flash to the California college students who issued the condemnation: Vegetables are different colors! We've also seen radio stations stop playing Baby, It's Cold Outside because a handful of listeners found the song sexist. The book series 50 Shades of Grey has sold over 100 million copies, and this 1944 song has been declared sexist! We live in a strange world.
My prayer is that, like Charlie Brown, many will find the true meaning of Christmas to be encouraging. The holidays are always a difficult time for some people. It is a very stressful time with lots to do. The holidays also triggers painful memories for some people. We need to be aware that not everyone will have a wonderful Christmas season and find ways to come alongside those who might be hurting to offer comfort and love.
This is a time for churches to be especially aware of people who struggle during the Christmas season. It's easy to get caught up in our Christmas pageants and programs and forget that some people are alone and hurting. There is often much talk in churches during the holiday seasons about families, but let's remember that not everyone has a family to be with during the season.
The birth of Jesus Christ should bring hope to all people. Born in humble circumstances His birth was first announced to shepherds watching over their flocks in the field. This may not mean much until one learns that shepherds were not the most respected people in that society. This reminds us that Christ came for all people. No person, regardless of their situation, is excluded from the love, the hope and the acceptance He came to offer. Let's make sure that message gets out this Christmas season.
With Linus telling the biblical account of the birth of Jesus Christ I'm surprised this classic Christmas special is still being shown. I'll be even more surprised if someone doesn't condemn it as offensive or politically incorrect. In recent weeks we've seen Veggie Tales condemned as racist and dangerous to children due to the fact that the vegetables are various colors. Here's a news flash to the California college students who issued the condemnation: Vegetables are different colors! We've also seen radio stations stop playing Baby, It's Cold Outside because a handful of listeners found the song sexist. The book series 50 Shades of Grey has sold over 100 million copies, and this 1944 song has been declared sexist! We live in a strange world.
My prayer is that, like Charlie Brown, many will find the true meaning of Christmas to be encouraging. The holidays are always a difficult time for some people. It is a very stressful time with lots to do. The holidays also triggers painful memories for some people. We need to be aware that not everyone will have a wonderful Christmas season and find ways to come alongside those who might be hurting to offer comfort and love.
This is a time for churches to be especially aware of people who struggle during the Christmas season. It's easy to get caught up in our Christmas pageants and programs and forget that some people are alone and hurting. There is often much talk in churches during the holiday seasons about families, but let's remember that not everyone has a family to be with during the season.
The birth of Jesus Christ should bring hope to all people. Born in humble circumstances His birth was first announced to shepherds watching over their flocks in the field. This may not mean much until one learns that shepherds were not the most respected people in that society. This reminds us that Christ came for all people. No person, regardless of their situation, is excluded from the love, the hope and the acceptance He came to offer. Let's make sure that message gets out this Christmas season.
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
Majoring on the minors
It seems the House of Representatives first priority is to obtain the tax records of President Trump when the Democrats take over in January. What a waste of time! In the first place, any bill they pass to accomplish that will not pass the Republican controlled Senate, and if it did it would be vetoed by the President. Once again, our elected leaders are willing to waste time and money to accomplish nothing.
In the second place, are there not far more important challenges facing America than the president's tax records? Frankly, I could care less what the president made, and I don't know anyone who does except for a few people who are still bitter that Clinton was defeated. I am much more concerned about the ongoing wars and their cost in human lives, the violence that is rampant across our nation, the epidemic of drug abuse that is destroying families, the increased numbers of suicide, our crumbling infrastructure, the plight of the American farmer, the problems we have due to the large numbers of illegal aliens coming into our country and a host of other problems. It seems to me that the House has far more important things to do than to waste their time trying to get President Trump's tax records.
Third, it seems if it is so crucial to American democracy to know how much the president filed on his taxes it should be just as important to know how much each member of Congress filed, their finances before they were elected to office, their finances today and the sources of that money. When I read reports of the wealth of certain members of Congress, many of whom are demanding this inquiry into the president's tax records, I have to wonder how one can earn that amount of money they've accumulated since entering office. Maybe Congress would like to do an inquiry on its own members just to assure the American people that everything is on the up-and-up in Congress.
While there are many reasons behind this action from the House, it is another example of how people supposedly in places of leadership waste time majoring on the minors instead of focusing on what should be priorities. It happens in government, it happens in the business world, and it happens in churches.
The Great Commission is very clear about the mission of the church. Evangelism and discipleship should be the focus of every congregation regardless of size. This is what we are called to do. Yet, look at any church budget and see how much of that budget is set aside for evangelism and discipleship. Look at any church calendar and determine for yourself how much time is spent on evangelism and discipleship. The church today is focused on many things while evangelism and discipleship is often set aside, and we wonder why our churches continue to decline and our member's lives are little different than the lives of those who are not Christians.
Until the church recaptures its biblical mission it will continue its decline into irrelevancy. A lot of organizations provide social services. There are a lot of places people can go for entertainment. What many churches think is important to offer people can be obtained elsewhere, but there is no place that offers the life-changing message of the Gospel but the church. It is the preaching of the Word of God that brings people to a relationship with Jesus Christ, and it is the teaching of that Word that helps people grow as disciples. There is nothing wrong with the church offering these other things I've mentioned, but its primary focus must be on the mission God gave it. Let's not lose sight of what should be our primary purpose.
I also hope our political leaders will return to what should be their primary focus which is addressing the real challenges facing our country. I'm growing quite weary of watching them act like spoiled children and wasting their time and our tax dollars focusing on minor issues while our nation continues to suffer real problems.
In the second place, are there not far more important challenges facing America than the president's tax records? Frankly, I could care less what the president made, and I don't know anyone who does except for a few people who are still bitter that Clinton was defeated. I am much more concerned about the ongoing wars and their cost in human lives, the violence that is rampant across our nation, the epidemic of drug abuse that is destroying families, the increased numbers of suicide, our crumbling infrastructure, the plight of the American farmer, the problems we have due to the large numbers of illegal aliens coming into our country and a host of other problems. It seems to me that the House has far more important things to do than to waste their time trying to get President Trump's tax records.
Third, it seems if it is so crucial to American democracy to know how much the president filed on his taxes it should be just as important to know how much each member of Congress filed, their finances before they were elected to office, their finances today and the sources of that money. When I read reports of the wealth of certain members of Congress, many of whom are demanding this inquiry into the president's tax records, I have to wonder how one can earn that amount of money they've accumulated since entering office. Maybe Congress would like to do an inquiry on its own members just to assure the American people that everything is on the up-and-up in Congress.
While there are many reasons behind this action from the House, it is another example of how people supposedly in places of leadership waste time majoring on the minors instead of focusing on what should be priorities. It happens in government, it happens in the business world, and it happens in churches.
The Great Commission is very clear about the mission of the church. Evangelism and discipleship should be the focus of every congregation regardless of size. This is what we are called to do. Yet, look at any church budget and see how much of that budget is set aside for evangelism and discipleship. Look at any church calendar and determine for yourself how much time is spent on evangelism and discipleship. The church today is focused on many things while evangelism and discipleship is often set aside, and we wonder why our churches continue to decline and our member's lives are little different than the lives of those who are not Christians.
Until the church recaptures its biblical mission it will continue its decline into irrelevancy. A lot of organizations provide social services. There are a lot of places people can go for entertainment. What many churches think is important to offer people can be obtained elsewhere, but there is no place that offers the life-changing message of the Gospel but the church. It is the preaching of the Word of God that brings people to a relationship with Jesus Christ, and it is the teaching of that Word that helps people grow as disciples. There is nothing wrong with the church offering these other things I've mentioned, but its primary focus must be on the mission God gave it. Let's not lose sight of what should be our primary purpose.
I also hope our political leaders will return to what should be their primary focus which is addressing the real challenges facing our country. I'm growing quite weary of watching them act like spoiled children and wasting their time and our tax dollars focusing on minor issues while our nation continues to suffer real problems.
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
41 - A true statesman
We lost a great American a few days ago when former President George Bush passed away. A veteran, he held numerous political offices before being elected as President of the United States. Few men were as prepared as he was for the role due to his wide range of political experiences and the offices he held. He was a very humble man who some feared would not be able to overcome his humility to succeed in the rough-and-tumble primaries, but when he was nominated many political experts said he gave one of the most powerful acceptance speeches they had heard. Even more important than his accomplishments was his love for family. He was never afraid to express that love in ways that made people believe he met every word of it because he did.
One other thing that has been mentioned repeatedly since his passing was that he was a true statesman, something that is seriously lacking in today's political world. He was not afraid to work with Democrats to get America's work done. He was not afraid to speak honestly about what needed to be done and to do what was needed to accomplish the task. I'm not sure we have anyone in political leadership today that is a true statesman. His son, George W. Bush, did not have that quality to the degree that his father did. Presidents Clinton, Obama and Trump certainly would not be confused as statesmen. It is a trait desperately needed in America today.
It was a sign of that statesmanship when we saw him and Clinton working together to raise money for areas hit hard by natural disasters. Today when we see our latest former president still interfering with American policies and attacking the one who replaced him, it is another demonstration of how much we need statesmen in leadership today.
Bush had such high approval ratings just a few months prior to running for reelection that it has always surprised me that he did not win that election. The public turned on him as the economy began to cycle down, and Clinton took full advantage of that. You might remember the mantra of that election was "It's the economy, stupid." People forget that the economy goes through regular cycles, and in a down economy they are quick to blame whoever is in office. They also forget that the most important thing a leader brings to his or her office is character. Yes, the economy improved during the next president's term of office as it would have anyway, but the character factor took a nosedive and became an embarrassment for our nation.
It also hurt his reelection effort when he approved a tax increase after his famous statement, "Read my lips. No new taxes." It's very difficult for a political leader to make a promise like that not knowing what the future might bring. No doubt he knew when he approved that increase that his critics would howl and accuse him of lying to the American people, but he also knew it was needed at that time. He would do what he thought was the right thing and let history decide later whether he was right or wrong. The American people turned against him, but I think history will be much kinder to his presidency.
I pray one day that we will return to having leaders with the statesmanship qualities that our 41st president had regardless of which political party they may represent. We need men and women of decency, people with gentle spirits who put the needs of the nation ahead of their own to lead our nation. We need people with faith in God who are more committed to doing the right thing than what will ensure their reelection. Unfortunately, the older I get the less hopeful I am that we have such people today. I pray I am wrong.
One other thing that has been mentioned repeatedly since his passing was that he was a true statesman, something that is seriously lacking in today's political world. He was not afraid to work with Democrats to get America's work done. He was not afraid to speak honestly about what needed to be done and to do what was needed to accomplish the task. I'm not sure we have anyone in political leadership today that is a true statesman. His son, George W. Bush, did not have that quality to the degree that his father did. Presidents Clinton, Obama and Trump certainly would not be confused as statesmen. It is a trait desperately needed in America today.
It was a sign of that statesmanship when we saw him and Clinton working together to raise money for areas hit hard by natural disasters. Today when we see our latest former president still interfering with American policies and attacking the one who replaced him, it is another demonstration of how much we need statesmen in leadership today.
Bush had such high approval ratings just a few months prior to running for reelection that it has always surprised me that he did not win that election. The public turned on him as the economy began to cycle down, and Clinton took full advantage of that. You might remember the mantra of that election was "It's the economy, stupid." People forget that the economy goes through regular cycles, and in a down economy they are quick to blame whoever is in office. They also forget that the most important thing a leader brings to his or her office is character. Yes, the economy improved during the next president's term of office as it would have anyway, but the character factor took a nosedive and became an embarrassment for our nation.
It also hurt his reelection effort when he approved a tax increase after his famous statement, "Read my lips. No new taxes." It's very difficult for a political leader to make a promise like that not knowing what the future might bring. No doubt he knew when he approved that increase that his critics would howl and accuse him of lying to the American people, but he also knew it was needed at that time. He would do what he thought was the right thing and let history decide later whether he was right or wrong. The American people turned against him, but I think history will be much kinder to his presidency.
I pray one day that we will return to having leaders with the statesmanship qualities that our 41st president had regardless of which political party they may represent. We need men and women of decency, people with gentle spirits who put the needs of the nation ahead of their own to lead our nation. We need people with faith in God who are more committed to doing the right thing than what will ensure their reelection. Unfortunately, the older I get the less hopeful I am that we have such people today. I pray I am wrong.
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