While driving yesterday I listened to a small snippet of Mueller's testimony to Congress. I heard one Republican and one Democrat ask questions, and that was about all I could take. This evening on the news I listened to their take on the testimony. It appears to me what I thought since the report was made public is correct. Mueller's report was written in a way that would allow both sides to claim victory. The president claims that it makes clear that he is completely innocent of all charges while his enemies are certain that there is information within that report that will make impeachment possible. In the end the American people have what we always have when the government involves itself in almost anything, a complete waste of time and millions of dollars, both of which could have been better used to do something that would actually benefit people.
Frankly, I am disgusted by both sides over this entire issue. The Democrats will continue their search-and-destroy mission until the election, knowing that impeachment will never happen, but hoping that it will win them enough votes to win the next election. The president and his supporters will continue to claim victory and charge the Democrats with being on a witch-hunt. Neither side will give in, and neither side will make any effort to work together to address real issues facing the people of our nation. It's all about winning elections, and lining their pockets with money. By straddling the fence with his report, Mueller made both sides feel good and gave them ammunition for the next election, but accomplished nothing of real value.
Unfortunately, we see this too often in ministry, both in the local church and in denominational work as well. The apostle Paul warned young Timothy there would come a time when people would have itching ears that would seek out teachers who would teach warm, comforting fables rather than the Word of God (2 Tim. 4: 3-4). Such people have always been around, but they are certainly found in many of our churches today. Many pastors have told me they could not preach on certain topics in their church or they would lose their jobs. These fence-straddlers might keep their jobs, but they are feeding their congregations poison that will destroy them spiritually.
Denominations can be guilty of this as well. They avoid certain topics as long as they can, and when they can avoid them no longer they try to find a compromise that will satisfy everyone in the hopes of losing no one. Their compromise often does the opposite. It frustrates everyone, and people and churches still leave.
Many years ago the church I pastored had a youth minister who decided to have a youth revival. He rented a tent we put up on the church property and invited a couple of his seminary classmates to help with the revival. One evening they put on a skit. One of the adults in the church was sitting on the back of a chair representing a fence. He was undecided whether or not to become a Christian. Our youth minister played the role of Satan who kept offering him all the pleasures the world had to offer if he would not become a Christian. One of the young minister's friends played the role of Jesus, and all he said throughout the skit was "I love you" with his arms outstretched. After three turns by the devil and Jesus to persuade the man to choose which one to follow, the man on the fence said, "I think I'll just stay on the fence." When he said that the individual playing Satan put his arm around him and said, "That's good because I own the fence." When he said that the hair on my arms stood straight up and I almost came out of my seat!
It's true. Satan does own the fence. When we compromise the Word of God, when we fail to proclaim the truths found in Scripture we are playing right in the devil's hands. When we refuse to take a stand on moral issues trying to placate both sides we are straddling the fence and doing the devil's work. Satan's first temptation to mankind was to cause them to doubt what God had told them, and when we stray from God's Word we are also creating doubt in people's minds.
The church needs ministers who will preach the Word of God boldly and with authority. Billy Graham was never afraid to proclaim "The Bible says...." when he preached, and people's lives were changed. We need that same boldness in our pulpits today. We don't need people who want to straddle the fence leading our churches and denominations; we need ministers who believe something, who stand for something and aren't afraid to preach with Word of God without apology.
Thursday, July 25, 2019
Friday, July 19, 2019
Sometimes the little things make the difference
Last week I was helping my wife with a project by printing out some family pictures when the printer started acting up. The first pictures I printed were great, and then they started coming out with the colors messed up. I downloaded different photo editors thinking I could fix the problem, but that didn't work. Finally, I gave up after several hours of trying to fix the problem and decided to print off a document I needed. Nothing but a blank page came through the printer. I was convinced that I had done something with one of those programs that caused my printer to mess up.
I Googled how to solve the problem, and none of the suggestions made it any better. I removed the printer from the computer and then had the computer load it back in to the system. I unplugged the printer. It didn't fix the problem. I turned off the computer hoping that it would restart with everything back to normal. Another blank page. I watched some videos on YouTube and tried some of their suggestions. Then I had a thought: Could the cartridge be out of ink? I did not have a warning saying it was low on ink like usual, but maybe putting in a new cartridge would fix the problem. It did and the printer is working fine now. All that work, and all I needed to do was replace an empty ink cartridge.
How often is church work like that? We come up with all types of evangelistic programs to help us reach people for Jesus Christ when maybe all we need to do is simply talk to people about Jesus and how He has impacted our lives. We try various gimmicks to boost our Sunday school attendance, and perhaps we just need to develop some alternatives to Sunday school that might be more attractive to people. Preachers seek new ways to preach "relevant" sermons when maybe they just need to preach the Word of God which is relevant for all time. We create new flavors-of-the-month to draw more people to our churches when maybe what we should be doing is doing ministry where they are. Maybe we are just making church ministry more complicated than it needs to be.
In 1961 the Green Bay Packers gathered together for their first day of practice. The year before they had lost a heart-braking game for the NFL championship when they gave up the lead late in the game. The players were ready to work on the details that would allow them to win the championship that year. However, their coach Vince Lombardi began that training camp by holding a football in his hand and said, "Gentlemen, this is a football." He and the coaches then led the players through the most fundamental aspects of the game. When the season ended the Packers were the NFL champs.
In football, computers, and church work the little things can make the difference. Before we spend a lot of time trying to figure out new ways of doing the work God has called us to do let's make sure we have the basics down, and we're doing them. That may be all it takes to turn our ministries around.
I Googled how to solve the problem, and none of the suggestions made it any better. I removed the printer from the computer and then had the computer load it back in to the system. I unplugged the printer. It didn't fix the problem. I turned off the computer hoping that it would restart with everything back to normal. Another blank page. I watched some videos on YouTube and tried some of their suggestions. Then I had a thought: Could the cartridge be out of ink? I did not have a warning saying it was low on ink like usual, but maybe putting in a new cartridge would fix the problem. It did and the printer is working fine now. All that work, and all I needed to do was replace an empty ink cartridge.
How often is church work like that? We come up with all types of evangelistic programs to help us reach people for Jesus Christ when maybe all we need to do is simply talk to people about Jesus and how He has impacted our lives. We try various gimmicks to boost our Sunday school attendance, and perhaps we just need to develop some alternatives to Sunday school that might be more attractive to people. Preachers seek new ways to preach "relevant" sermons when maybe they just need to preach the Word of God which is relevant for all time. We create new flavors-of-the-month to draw more people to our churches when maybe what we should be doing is doing ministry where they are. Maybe we are just making church ministry more complicated than it needs to be.
In 1961 the Green Bay Packers gathered together for their first day of practice. The year before they had lost a heart-braking game for the NFL championship when they gave up the lead late in the game. The players were ready to work on the details that would allow them to win the championship that year. However, their coach Vince Lombardi began that training camp by holding a football in his hand and said, "Gentlemen, this is a football." He and the coaches then led the players through the most fundamental aspects of the game. When the season ended the Packers were the NFL champs.
In football, computers, and church work the little things can make the difference. Before we spend a lot of time trying to figure out new ways of doing the work God has called us to do let's make sure we have the basics down, and we're doing them. That may be all it takes to turn our ministries around.
Thursday, July 11, 2019
Support for the smaller church
For the past two days I've written or shared articles about the smaller church. Today I want to focus on how denominations are supporting these churches.
When I felt called to leave Hebron Baptist Church as their pastor I had been there for 20 years. I really did not want to leave that wonderful church, but one day I received a phone call asking if I would serve as an Interim Area Minister with our Region. This would be in addition to my pastoral duties so I accepted. Several months later I applied for the position and when the search team completed their work it was offered to me. I would be leaving a church I loved to serve, but at that time I would be working directly with 84 churches in my area. By the time I retired 14 years later that number would grow to around 133 churches.
One of the reasons I was selected was my work with smaller churches. Our executive staff all came from larger church backgrounds, and like most regions and districts, ours was made up mostly of smaller churches. Many of them had felt ignored by the Region and the denomination and had withdrawn from participating in many of our events. Our Executive Minister recognized that these churches were important to the ministry of the Region and wanted someone who would be accepted by these churches. Over one-half of the churches in my area averaged 50 people or less in attendance so I was a good fit for these churches. During the transition time I asked my predecessor what he thought my strength would be for this ministry, and he said the fact that I had never pastored a large church would give me immediate acceptance among some of these smaller churches. That proved to be true.
I will be forever grateful for our Exec's recognition of the importance of our smaller churches and his determination to not ignore them in favor of the larger churches. He gave me an opportunity to serve these churches and gave them an opportunity to get reconnected with what our Region was doing.
When I later was asked to lead seminars and conferences for various denominational groups around the country my Exec. gave his blessing. He told me no one else was doing what I was doing and he encouraged me to accept these invitations even though it meant I would be away from my job at times.
At these events I saw how many denominations were beginning to see the importance of their smaller churches. They wanted to provide training opportunities for them. They invested money and staff to make these events possible. We would often do the same seminar 4-5 times in the district or territory traveling to different parts of the state or territory to offer it at different locations. It was tiring, but these denominational leaders wanted to make it as easy as possible for their small church leaders to attend. I applaud them for that.
If your denomination, district or region is still not providing smaller churches with the resources they need, talk to them about it. One reason small churches sometimes feel ignored is that they never ask for help. Don't assume no one cares about your situation. As the pastor of a small church I often asked my Area Minister for assistance in some matter. During that pastorate we had three Executive Ministers speak in our little church. Some asked me how I got them to come to our church, and I responded they came because I asked them to. Denominational and district ministers are busy people, but most are willing to go wherever they are invited. Jesus said, "You have not because you ask not."
I am still available to lead training events for small church and bivocational leaders. If your organization hasn't provided such training lately ask them to consider doing so. Have them contact me to see if I can provide what is needed.
When I felt called to leave Hebron Baptist Church as their pastor I had been there for 20 years. I really did not want to leave that wonderful church, but one day I received a phone call asking if I would serve as an Interim Area Minister with our Region. This would be in addition to my pastoral duties so I accepted. Several months later I applied for the position and when the search team completed their work it was offered to me. I would be leaving a church I loved to serve, but at that time I would be working directly with 84 churches in my area. By the time I retired 14 years later that number would grow to around 133 churches.
One of the reasons I was selected was my work with smaller churches. Our executive staff all came from larger church backgrounds, and like most regions and districts, ours was made up mostly of smaller churches. Many of them had felt ignored by the Region and the denomination and had withdrawn from participating in many of our events. Our Executive Minister recognized that these churches were important to the ministry of the Region and wanted someone who would be accepted by these churches. Over one-half of the churches in my area averaged 50 people or less in attendance so I was a good fit for these churches. During the transition time I asked my predecessor what he thought my strength would be for this ministry, and he said the fact that I had never pastored a large church would give me immediate acceptance among some of these smaller churches. That proved to be true.
I will be forever grateful for our Exec's recognition of the importance of our smaller churches and his determination to not ignore them in favor of the larger churches. He gave me an opportunity to serve these churches and gave them an opportunity to get reconnected with what our Region was doing.
When I later was asked to lead seminars and conferences for various denominational groups around the country my Exec. gave his blessing. He told me no one else was doing what I was doing and he encouraged me to accept these invitations even though it meant I would be away from my job at times.
At these events I saw how many denominations were beginning to see the importance of their smaller churches. They wanted to provide training opportunities for them. They invested money and staff to make these events possible. We would often do the same seminar 4-5 times in the district or territory traveling to different parts of the state or territory to offer it at different locations. It was tiring, but these denominational leaders wanted to make it as easy as possible for their small church leaders to attend. I applaud them for that.
If your denomination, district or region is still not providing smaller churches with the resources they need, talk to them about it. One reason small churches sometimes feel ignored is that they never ask for help. Don't assume no one cares about your situation. As the pastor of a small church I often asked my Area Minister for assistance in some matter. During that pastorate we had three Executive Ministers speak in our little church. Some asked me how I got them to come to our church, and I responded they came because I asked them to. Denominational and district ministers are busy people, but most are willing to go wherever they are invited. Jesus said, "You have not because you ask not."
I am still available to lead training events for small church and bivocational leaders. If your organization hasn't provided such training lately ask them to consider doing so. Have them contact me to see if I can provide what is needed.
Wednesday, July 10, 2019
Loving the smaller church
Yesterday I shared a blog post by Thom Rainer on how the smaller church is making a comeback. For so long smaller churches were largely ignored by denominations who wanted to focus on the large and mega-churches. While they gave lip service to the smaller church, their events were all geared to the larger churches, the times of these events were such that bivocational pastors could seldom attend, and their speakers came from the larger churches. Christian bookstores were well stocked with books for larger churches or to explain how your small church could become one of those larger churches. What you wouldn't find on many of those shelves were books and resources developed primarily for the smaller church.
That's changing. Rainer's article hit on an important fact: denominational leaders are realizing the importance of the smaller church and the impact they can have on the denomination and the communities they serve. Small churches are not failures but an important part of God's Kingdom. They are being used by God for important work.
People are studying the smaller church and the pastors, often bivocational, who lead them. Later today I have a telephone interview with a pastor in Texas who is working on his doctorate that will focus on bivocational ministry. In the past few years I've had an average of 2-3 of such interviews each year. This is exciting news for anyone involved in leading a small church and those serving in bivocational roles.
In case you can't tell, I love the small church. As many of you know, I served as pastor of one for 20 years. It was one of the most rewarding things I've ever done in my life. I loved the people I served there. We had a relationship that was unlike any I've seen in any other church. We laughed together, we cried together, and we worked together to minister to as many people as possible. As their pastor I knew I was genuinely loved by the folks there (at least most of them!), and I believe they knew how much I loved them. I would have never left that church except I knew that I knew that God had called me to another ministry.
So often ministers will look at a smaller church as a stepping stone to a larger one. Some feel they must climb the ministerial ladder every 2-3 years so they can have a significant ministry. Let me say as sincerely as I know how, you can have a significant ministry in a smaller church. You will develop relationships you'll never know if you change churches every time the wind blows, and those relationships will allow you access into people's lives that will allow you to serve them and love them.
I will forever be in the debt of Hebron Baptist Church for their acceptance of me as their pastor and their forgiveness for all the mistakes I made while I was there. There is not a day goes by that I do not reflect on my time there and the people who made it such a great place to serve.
That's changing. Rainer's article hit on an important fact: denominational leaders are realizing the importance of the smaller church and the impact they can have on the denomination and the communities they serve. Small churches are not failures but an important part of God's Kingdom. They are being used by God for important work.
People are studying the smaller church and the pastors, often bivocational, who lead them. Later today I have a telephone interview with a pastor in Texas who is working on his doctorate that will focus on bivocational ministry. In the past few years I've had an average of 2-3 of such interviews each year. This is exciting news for anyone involved in leading a small church and those serving in bivocational roles.
In case you can't tell, I love the small church. As many of you know, I served as pastor of one for 20 years. It was one of the most rewarding things I've ever done in my life. I loved the people I served there. We had a relationship that was unlike any I've seen in any other church. We laughed together, we cried together, and we worked together to minister to as many people as possible. As their pastor I knew I was genuinely loved by the folks there (at least most of them!), and I believe they knew how much I loved them. I would have never left that church except I knew that I knew that God had called me to another ministry.
So often ministers will look at a smaller church as a stepping stone to a larger one. Some feel they must climb the ministerial ladder every 2-3 years so they can have a significant ministry. Let me say as sincerely as I know how, you can have a significant ministry in a smaller church. You will develop relationships you'll never know if you change churches every time the wind blows, and those relationships will allow you access into people's lives that will allow you to serve them and love them.
I will forever be in the debt of Hebron Baptist Church for their acceptance of me as their pastor and their forgiveness for all the mistakes I made while I was there. There is not a day goes by that I do not reflect on my time there and the people who made it such a great place to serve.
Tuesday, July 9, 2019
Smaller churches are making a comeback
Thom Rainer is one of the people I rely on for accurate reporting of what is happening within the churches. His research on churches, his books, and his blog are all valuable resources for anyone in a church leadership position.
In yesterday's blog he reported on why he believes smaller churches are making a comeback. For years I've been telling people that I believed the churches that are in trouble are the mid-size churches, not the smaller churches. Mid-size churches are often competing with the larger churches to attract and keep members. Unfortunately, they just do not have the resources to be able to do that, and people are leaving them for the additional ministry opportunities found in the larger churches. However, people attend smaller churches for different reasons, and these reasons are one reason these churches are finding new opportunities to connect with people and do ministry with them.
I encourage you to read Rainer's blog article here.
Monday, July 8, 2019
Help for bivocational ministers
When I wrote my first book in 2000 for bivocational ministers I did so because there were very few resources out there for us. I knew of only three books at that time, although there may have been some of which I was not aware, written specifically for bivocational ministers. That book was praised by a lot of people who read it, but it didn't have too many who read it. Some of the later books I wrote sold more copies while others sold even less than the first one. Today I am excited to see a number of books being released that directly speak to the challenges and opportunities of bivocational ministry. I hope those books find a bigger audience.
For several years I published a monthly email newsletter for bivocational ministers. Although I had a fairly large mailing list, tracking showed very few actually read it. Eventually, I decided it wasn't worth the work that went into it and canceled the newsletter. The same thing happened with a web site I had for bivocational ministers. It also had few readers and even fewer responses, and I canceled the web page.
This blog has seen about the same results. A standard article posted on the blog will average about 40 reads. The exception is if I post something controversial or especially hard-hitting. Those articles might have 200+ views. Obviously, those articles get shared with friends and colleagues.
I have to admit to being puzzled. When I was serving as a bivocational pastor I would have given anything to have someone come alongside me who had been there to support me and give me helpful information. I have to assume that either what I think would be helpful to other people isn't that helpful or something else is going on. If there is something I am missing, please let me know.
Bivocational ministry is difficult work, and it becomes more challenging if we do not help one another. None of us knows everything there is to know, but together we know so much more. As we share the resources and the things we have learned along the way we help one another, the churches we serve and the Kingdom of God. Don't be afraid to share these articles with others. I know some of you do, but many read the article, shake their head in agreement (I hope) and go on their way. Pass it on to someone who might benefit from reading themselves.
For years I have encouraged denominational leaders to host training events. While some have done so others have told me they've tried to do so in the past and were disappointed by the turnout. One regional leader told me after hosting his first event he was glad I warned him to not be disappointed if only a handful showed up because that was what happened. Their region did host others after that, including one at which I spoke, and the attendance improved a little.
A few years ago one state convention invited me to do five workshops in five days in five different locations throughout their state. They wanted to make it as easy as possible for the most people to show up. They have hundreds of bivocational ministers in their state. At no event were there more than two dozen people, and at one event not one person showed up. Even the host pastor didn't show up to unlock the doors. A lot of money was spent with little return, and I'm sure the planners had to be very disappointed.
When I began in 1981 there was virtually no resources and certainly no workshops or training events specifically designed for bivocational leaders. That is not the case today, but not nearly enough of us are taking advantage of those opportunities and resources. The help is out there, but we have to make the effort to receive it.
For several years I published a monthly email newsletter for bivocational ministers. Although I had a fairly large mailing list, tracking showed very few actually read it. Eventually, I decided it wasn't worth the work that went into it and canceled the newsletter. The same thing happened with a web site I had for bivocational ministers. It also had few readers and even fewer responses, and I canceled the web page.
This blog has seen about the same results. A standard article posted on the blog will average about 40 reads. The exception is if I post something controversial or especially hard-hitting. Those articles might have 200+ views. Obviously, those articles get shared with friends and colleagues.
I have to admit to being puzzled. When I was serving as a bivocational pastor I would have given anything to have someone come alongside me who had been there to support me and give me helpful information. I have to assume that either what I think would be helpful to other people isn't that helpful or something else is going on. If there is something I am missing, please let me know.
Bivocational ministry is difficult work, and it becomes more challenging if we do not help one another. None of us knows everything there is to know, but together we know so much more. As we share the resources and the things we have learned along the way we help one another, the churches we serve and the Kingdom of God. Don't be afraid to share these articles with others. I know some of you do, but many read the article, shake their head in agreement (I hope) and go on their way. Pass it on to someone who might benefit from reading themselves.
For years I have encouraged denominational leaders to host training events. While some have done so others have told me they've tried to do so in the past and were disappointed by the turnout. One regional leader told me after hosting his first event he was glad I warned him to not be disappointed if only a handful showed up because that was what happened. Their region did host others after that, including one at which I spoke, and the attendance improved a little.
A few years ago one state convention invited me to do five workshops in five days in five different locations throughout their state. They wanted to make it as easy as possible for the most people to show up. They have hundreds of bivocational ministers in their state. At no event were there more than two dozen people, and at one event not one person showed up. Even the host pastor didn't show up to unlock the doors. A lot of money was spent with little return, and I'm sure the planners had to be very disappointed.
When I began in 1981 there was virtually no resources and certainly no workshops or training events specifically designed for bivocational leaders. That is not the case today, but not nearly enough of us are taking advantage of those opportunities and resources. The help is out there, but we have to make the effort to receive it.
Thursday, July 4, 2019
Citizens of two worlds
As a Christian I am a citizen of Heaven. One day that will be my eternal home. While I'm in no hurry to leave this world, I do look forward to the time I enter heaven where I will be reunited with loved ones and be in the eternal presence of my Creator and Savior.
Until that time, I am a citizen of this world. According to Scripture my role in this world is to be a light pointing people to Jesus Christ. The mandate God gave the church is to go into all the world spreading the word about Jesus Christ, baptizing those who believe, and helping them grow as disciples. This is important work that no Christian can ignore.
More specifically, I am a citizen of the United States of America. The Bible commands us to be good citizens of our nation. We are to pay our taxes, obey those over us, pray for our leaders and treat one another with love and respect. As a citizen of this wonderful nation I volunteered to join the Navy during the Vietnam war to defend our nation, its freedoms and principles. I have never failed to vote in any election, primary or regular, since becoming eligible to do so. I have paid my taxes on time every year. I take great pleasure in repeating the Pledge of Allegiance, praying for our leaders (even if I didn't vote for them or agree with them), and doing what I can to make our nation a better place.
Today we celebrate the birth of our nation. We are a nation founded on individual freedoms, given to us by God, not man. We have fought many wars to preserve those freedoms and to help other nations enjoy many of the same freedoms. No people anywhere in the world enjoy the same freedoms we have. This is something some in our nation seen to not understand.
Those who want to see our country become socialist do not understand that socialism has never worked anywhere in the world except in a university classroom. It robs people of dignity and freedom and has caused great suffering among the people in any nation that has embraced it. Those who want to take away our freedom of speech do not realize that it is that freedom that enables them to make the stupid statements they make and would prevent the population of speaking out against things they consider wrong. Those who would limit the the freedom of religion fail to understand the role faith has played in this nation and in the lives of those who embrace it.
This week Nike yielded to the demands of a former athlete and pulled a shoe that had an image of a Betsy Ross flag on the backside of it. The athlete claimed it celebrated a time in our nation's history when slavery was celebrated. He found it offensive. I find it offensive that a former athlete has so much influence over a major corporation that a product to celebrate our great nation can be withdrawn. I'm sure this multi-billion dollar corporation will do just fine when the dust settles over this issue. People tend to have very short memories, and they will continue to buy overpriced clothes and products with walking billboards printed on them. I won't be one of those.
One of the freedoms we enjoy is the right to speak our minds, and I would not want to infringe on the right of this athlete or Nike to do so. At the same time, I will not support anyone that is not proud of our nation.
Yes, slavery is a huge blight on our nation, but let's not forget that we fought a war that could have destroyed this nation in order to abolish it. Racism continues to exist in our nation to our shame, but we continue to work to overcome it. Is it taking too long? Yes, but progress is being made. There have been many other issues that prove that America isn't perfect, but it still offers the most freedoms and the best way of life of any nation on earth. If it didn't, why would so many people be trying to come here and so few people leaving? During the last presidential election many "celebrities" promised to leave the US if Donald Trump was elected President. Not a single one of them did! Why? Because they knew they couldn't go anywhere else and enjoy the same freedoms and opportunities they have here.
As we celebrate the founding of our nation let every Christian remember that he or she is first a citizen of another Kingdom, the Kingdom of God, but let us also celebrate the freedoms we enjoy as a citizen of the United States. Let us always be proud of our country and be willing to do whatever we can to make her even better than she is today.
Until that time, I am a citizen of this world. According to Scripture my role in this world is to be a light pointing people to Jesus Christ. The mandate God gave the church is to go into all the world spreading the word about Jesus Christ, baptizing those who believe, and helping them grow as disciples. This is important work that no Christian can ignore.
More specifically, I am a citizen of the United States of America. The Bible commands us to be good citizens of our nation. We are to pay our taxes, obey those over us, pray for our leaders and treat one another with love and respect. As a citizen of this wonderful nation I volunteered to join the Navy during the Vietnam war to defend our nation, its freedoms and principles. I have never failed to vote in any election, primary or regular, since becoming eligible to do so. I have paid my taxes on time every year. I take great pleasure in repeating the Pledge of Allegiance, praying for our leaders (even if I didn't vote for them or agree with them), and doing what I can to make our nation a better place.
Today we celebrate the birth of our nation. We are a nation founded on individual freedoms, given to us by God, not man. We have fought many wars to preserve those freedoms and to help other nations enjoy many of the same freedoms. No people anywhere in the world enjoy the same freedoms we have. This is something some in our nation seen to not understand.
Those who want to see our country become socialist do not understand that socialism has never worked anywhere in the world except in a university classroom. It robs people of dignity and freedom and has caused great suffering among the people in any nation that has embraced it. Those who want to take away our freedom of speech do not realize that it is that freedom that enables them to make the stupid statements they make and would prevent the population of speaking out against things they consider wrong. Those who would limit the the freedom of religion fail to understand the role faith has played in this nation and in the lives of those who embrace it.
This week Nike yielded to the demands of a former athlete and pulled a shoe that had an image of a Betsy Ross flag on the backside of it. The athlete claimed it celebrated a time in our nation's history when slavery was celebrated. He found it offensive. I find it offensive that a former athlete has so much influence over a major corporation that a product to celebrate our great nation can be withdrawn. I'm sure this multi-billion dollar corporation will do just fine when the dust settles over this issue. People tend to have very short memories, and they will continue to buy overpriced clothes and products with walking billboards printed on them. I won't be one of those.
One of the freedoms we enjoy is the right to speak our minds, and I would not want to infringe on the right of this athlete or Nike to do so. At the same time, I will not support anyone that is not proud of our nation.
Yes, slavery is a huge blight on our nation, but let's not forget that we fought a war that could have destroyed this nation in order to abolish it. Racism continues to exist in our nation to our shame, but we continue to work to overcome it. Is it taking too long? Yes, but progress is being made. There have been many other issues that prove that America isn't perfect, but it still offers the most freedoms and the best way of life of any nation on earth. If it didn't, why would so many people be trying to come here and so few people leaving? During the last presidential election many "celebrities" promised to leave the US if Donald Trump was elected President. Not a single one of them did! Why? Because they knew they couldn't go anywhere else and enjoy the same freedoms and opportunities they have here.
As we celebrate the founding of our nation let every Christian remember that he or she is first a citizen of another Kingdom, the Kingdom of God, but let us also celebrate the freedoms we enjoy as a citizen of the United States. Let us always be proud of our country and be willing to do whatever we can to make her even better than she is today.
Wednesday, July 3, 2019
Music memories
Growing up as a child of the 1960s I still love much of the music from that time period. My favorite radio stations on Sirius XM are set to music from the 60s and 70s as well as Classic Vinyl. Often, listening to a song reminds me of where I was when I heard it back then. For instance, when I hear sitting on the "Dock of the Bay" I'm reminded of a cafeteria at Great Lakes Naval Station where I often ate lunch while going to A school. Every time I hear "Ode to Billie Joe" I think of a little restaurant just off the Navy base in Bremerton, Washington. Our ship was undergoing repairs, and I would stop in that restaurant for a cup of coffee just before returning to the ship from liberty. Back then a quarter would buy six songs on the jukebox, and that was one of the songs I would always select. Many other songs bring back vivid memories of places, people and good memories.
The same is true of songs of faith. This is why I always fear when churches get involved in music wars. Many churches believe they need to throw out the great hymns of the faith and fire up a loud band to attract new people into the church. I actually visited a church one time that had boxes of ear plugs for people who needed them during the worship service.
Before I continue let me clearly state that I have no problem with modern worship music. Some of it is excellent, theologically sound, and helps lead people into a spirit of worship. I fully understand how different music appeals to different people. I believe it was Rick Warren who said that once a church determines the style of music it will use in worship it has also determined the people it wants to reach.
My problem is when churches decide to throw out the old for the new without considering how that decision impacts the people who have supported those churches for decades. Some of the hymns bring back very meaningful memories to the saints. A song may remind them of the day they accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. It might be a song that inspired and ministered to them during a difficult time in their lives. Songs might remind them of times when their mother would sing them to her children. For a church to just do away with such songs shows disrespect for those memories, and it shows how they don't understand that those hymns also lead people in the worship of God.
While some churches do a good job of blending their worship music my experience has been that many do not. As the saying goes: They just make everybody mad half the time. It seems that it's better to offer two worship services, one with traditional music and one with some other style of music. Smaller churches will balk at the suggestion noting that they don't have a handful attending the service anyway. It seems foolish for them to even consider a second service, and that would be true if the second service was a repeat of the first one. However, if the other service had a different flavor in an effort to reach new people then it makes sense to do it. Yes, it will be a challenge to find people to lead a different service, and it might take time to build up the attendance in that service, but who said serving as a leader in a church was supposed to be easy?
Dance with the one who brought you is a reminder to not forget those who made the present a reality. Do not neglect your senior saints and their need for valid worship opportunities in an effort to try to be contemporary. Honor their memories as you attempt to help other create memories of their own.
The same is true of songs of faith. This is why I always fear when churches get involved in music wars. Many churches believe they need to throw out the great hymns of the faith and fire up a loud band to attract new people into the church. I actually visited a church one time that had boxes of ear plugs for people who needed them during the worship service.
Before I continue let me clearly state that I have no problem with modern worship music. Some of it is excellent, theologically sound, and helps lead people into a spirit of worship. I fully understand how different music appeals to different people. I believe it was Rick Warren who said that once a church determines the style of music it will use in worship it has also determined the people it wants to reach.
My problem is when churches decide to throw out the old for the new without considering how that decision impacts the people who have supported those churches for decades. Some of the hymns bring back very meaningful memories to the saints. A song may remind them of the day they accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. It might be a song that inspired and ministered to them during a difficult time in their lives. Songs might remind them of times when their mother would sing them to her children. For a church to just do away with such songs shows disrespect for those memories, and it shows how they don't understand that those hymns also lead people in the worship of God.
While some churches do a good job of blending their worship music my experience has been that many do not. As the saying goes: They just make everybody mad half the time. It seems that it's better to offer two worship services, one with traditional music and one with some other style of music. Smaller churches will balk at the suggestion noting that they don't have a handful attending the service anyway. It seems foolish for them to even consider a second service, and that would be true if the second service was a repeat of the first one. However, if the other service had a different flavor in an effort to reach new people then it makes sense to do it. Yes, it will be a challenge to find people to lead a different service, and it might take time to build up the attendance in that service, but who said serving as a leader in a church was supposed to be easy?
Dance with the one who brought you is a reminder to not forget those who made the present a reality. Do not neglect your senior saints and their need for valid worship opportunities in an effort to try to be contemporary. Honor their memories as you attempt to help other create memories of their own.
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
What will your church do when the Builder generation is gone?
I recently preached a message to a church that looked at 12 trends that are impacting the church today and will continue to do so for the near future. One of those trends is the disappearance of the Builder Generation. This was the WWII generation, the one Tom Brokaw called The Greatest Generation in the book by the same title. These men and women returned home from the war and built much of what we see today. They built great companies, successful businesses, schools, and churches. They joined organizations in which they gave their time, talents and treasure. This generation is rapidly dying off or moving into much less active lifestyles.
Their absence is affecting many organizations. Veterans organizations continually decrease in size as younger veterans are less inclined to join them. Other service organizations such as Rotary, Lion's Club, Moose, etc. are seeing the same decline in membership. Churches are not exempt from the decline in both attendance and giving. In another ten years few of the Builder Generation will still be here, and those who are will be much less active than they are today. What will your church do when that happens?
One state denomination hired a consultant to visit their churches to discuss this situation. He told me that few churches are aware of the problems they are facing when that generation is gone, and some pastors do not want to admit it will be a potential problem in their churches. It will be.
When the Builder Generation found a church they wanted to attend they became a member of that church. They were active in the church often serving in several roles. They gave their tithes and offerings to the church in which they were a member. They showed up on work days, outreach events and every revival the church held. They attended Sunday school, Brotherhood or Mission Circle meetings, and were often present not only on Sunday morning but that evening as well. Many of them attended the mid-week service. Finally, they brought their children with them. None of these are necessarily true of the generations that have followed them.
Because the Builder Generation brought their children (the Boomer Generation) to church we grew up with at least some concept of what God, Christianity and faith was all about. Many of us may have strayed from the faith in our early adult years, but many of us also came back to the church and to the faith in later years. But, many of us did not come back with the same level of commitment our parents had. We may have joined the church, but many of us were not nearly as active in it as our parents. We were also less insistent that our children attend with us so many of them had little exposure to biblical teaching. Partly as a result of that, and the culture changes that have occurred in the past few decades, the generations after the Boomers are even less involved in church life.
As a denominational minister for 14 years I attended many churches. There was often a large gap in generations present for the worship services. The Builder Generation was there, a few Boomers and the grandchildren of the Builders who had brought them. Those pastors of whom I spoke earlier either are blind or have their heads in the sand if they do not see that.
Many small churches today are operating on the money given to them by the Builder Generation over the past years. Their current offerings are not enough to keep the church open and support any kind of effective ministry. Because many pastors have been told they cannot preach on money the younger generations have no concept of stewardship, tithing or financially supporting the church in any way. Positions in the church often go unfilled because there are so few people willing to make a commitment to the church.
I could go on and on about the problems facing the local church when the Builder Generation is gone. The question church leaders need to be asking is what are they going to do about it? Frankly, I think many smaller churches will have no choice but to close their doors if they do not become proactive now. That does not have to happen, but it's important that church leaders begin to talk about this and decide how they can best address the situation before it becomes a more serious problem.
Their absence is affecting many organizations. Veterans organizations continually decrease in size as younger veterans are less inclined to join them. Other service organizations such as Rotary, Lion's Club, Moose, etc. are seeing the same decline in membership. Churches are not exempt from the decline in both attendance and giving. In another ten years few of the Builder Generation will still be here, and those who are will be much less active than they are today. What will your church do when that happens?
One state denomination hired a consultant to visit their churches to discuss this situation. He told me that few churches are aware of the problems they are facing when that generation is gone, and some pastors do not want to admit it will be a potential problem in their churches. It will be.
When the Builder Generation found a church they wanted to attend they became a member of that church. They were active in the church often serving in several roles. They gave their tithes and offerings to the church in which they were a member. They showed up on work days, outreach events and every revival the church held. They attended Sunday school, Brotherhood or Mission Circle meetings, and were often present not only on Sunday morning but that evening as well. Many of them attended the mid-week service. Finally, they brought their children with them. None of these are necessarily true of the generations that have followed them.
Because the Builder Generation brought their children (the Boomer Generation) to church we grew up with at least some concept of what God, Christianity and faith was all about. Many of us may have strayed from the faith in our early adult years, but many of us also came back to the church and to the faith in later years. But, many of us did not come back with the same level of commitment our parents had. We may have joined the church, but many of us were not nearly as active in it as our parents. We were also less insistent that our children attend with us so many of them had little exposure to biblical teaching. Partly as a result of that, and the culture changes that have occurred in the past few decades, the generations after the Boomers are even less involved in church life.
As a denominational minister for 14 years I attended many churches. There was often a large gap in generations present for the worship services. The Builder Generation was there, a few Boomers and the grandchildren of the Builders who had brought them. Those pastors of whom I spoke earlier either are blind or have their heads in the sand if they do not see that.
Many small churches today are operating on the money given to them by the Builder Generation over the past years. Their current offerings are not enough to keep the church open and support any kind of effective ministry. Because many pastors have been told they cannot preach on money the younger generations have no concept of stewardship, tithing or financially supporting the church in any way. Positions in the church often go unfilled because there are so few people willing to make a commitment to the church.
I could go on and on about the problems facing the local church when the Builder Generation is gone. The question church leaders need to be asking is what are they going to do about it? Frankly, I think many smaller churches will have no choice but to close their doors if they do not become proactive now. That does not have to happen, but it's important that church leaders begin to talk about this and decide how they can best address the situation before it becomes a more serious problem.
Monday, July 1, 2019
Storing true treasures
I spent a good part of last week hauling items from an estate for auction. The daughter called me late the week before and asked me to check out her late mother's belongings. She wanted to get the personal items out of the house so she could list it with a realtor. The first thing I saw when I arrived was a large dumpster in front of the house already full. I went through the house and shed and took the items that will sell at auction. They will probably have another full dumpster for the items I didn't take.
Every time I sell an estate at auction I am reminded of Jesus' words in Matthew 6: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
We spend a lifetime accumulating things that are all left behind when our lives end. Often our families are overwhelmed with the responsibility of disposing of it. I've written previously about how our children often do not want any of the things we've collected. Probably over half of the things I sell at auction came to me from people who offered them first to their children only to learn they were not interested in Grandma's china or anything else their parents had accumulated. Dumpsters are often brought in and filled to overflowing with the things we couldn't part with during our lifetimes. The other things are either sold in yard sales or an auctioneer is called in to dispose of the estate. In either case, our treasures are bought by strangers at the least cost to them or they find their way into a dumpster. At that point our treasures become just "stuff" someone needs to get rid of.
For some reason, last week made me a little philosophical as I began thinking about my own "stuff" that someone will have to deal with at my passing. Like most people, I have a lot of "stuff" that my kids will not want. I sometimes talk about getting rid of some of it, but like a lot of people I think I might still need it sometime. (I probably won't.)
Holding on to "stuff" rather than laying up true treasures in heaven is a common problem. We fill up our basements, attics, garages and then rent storage units to store the rest of the things we accumulate. At the same time, we hardly ever consider what constitutes true treasures.
The last sentence in the above verse is one that should give up pause. Where our treasure is, there your heart will be also. That is a very sobering statement. Our true hearts are revealed if we focus our attention on our "stuff" rather than on the things of God. We can say all the right things, but our hearts are revealed by the treasures we hold onto most tightly.
Every time I sell an estate at auction I am reminded of Jesus' words in Matthew 6: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
We spend a lifetime accumulating things that are all left behind when our lives end. Often our families are overwhelmed with the responsibility of disposing of it. I've written previously about how our children often do not want any of the things we've collected. Probably over half of the things I sell at auction came to me from people who offered them first to their children only to learn they were not interested in Grandma's china or anything else their parents had accumulated. Dumpsters are often brought in and filled to overflowing with the things we couldn't part with during our lifetimes. The other things are either sold in yard sales or an auctioneer is called in to dispose of the estate. In either case, our treasures are bought by strangers at the least cost to them or they find their way into a dumpster. At that point our treasures become just "stuff" someone needs to get rid of.
For some reason, last week made me a little philosophical as I began thinking about my own "stuff" that someone will have to deal with at my passing. Like most people, I have a lot of "stuff" that my kids will not want. I sometimes talk about getting rid of some of it, but like a lot of people I think I might still need it sometime. (I probably won't.)
Holding on to "stuff" rather than laying up true treasures in heaven is a common problem. We fill up our basements, attics, garages and then rent storage units to store the rest of the things we accumulate. At the same time, we hardly ever consider what constitutes true treasures.
The last sentence in the above verse is one that should give up pause. Where our treasure is, there your heart will be also. That is a very sobering statement. Our true hearts are revealed if we focus our attention on our "stuff" rather than on the things of God. We can say all the right things, but our hearts are revealed by the treasures we hold onto most tightly.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)