It's time to come home

 The biblical story of the Prodigal Son is one of my favorite Bible stories. Like many of us, this individual decided to try everything the world had to offer, and he found it wasn't enough. It wasn't long until he had spent his entire inheritance, lost all his friends, and found himself in a pigpen. Not a good place for a good Jewish boy. Many of us have found ourselves in life's pigpens because of choices we have made. We thought we were enjoying the good life until we learned the good life promised more than it could deliver. At the end of the day we were in the pigpen of life. We looked in the mirror and didn't like what we saw. We laid down at night trying to sleep, but all we could do was replay the bad decisions over and over again we had made. Some, seeing no way out, sink into deep depression, and a few may even consider taking their lives to make the pain go away. There is a better way.

In the story of the Prodigal Son we read that "he came to himself." He remembered that in his father's house the servants had plenty to eat. Maybe he no longer deserved to be considered his father's son, but perhaps his father would take him back as one of the servants. He began to return home, and when he was close enough for his father to recognize him, the father ran to him, embraced him and welcomed him back as his son.

You can also return home. Maybe you have wandered far from God in the choices you have made, and wonder if God would ever accept you. The answer is yes! Just as the father in our biblical story was looking for his son, God is always looking for anyone who wants to come to Him. Contrary to what some might tell you, God does not hate you for the choices you've made in life. He loves you. He wants you to come to Him, and when you do He will welcome you with open arms. If you will but ask, God will forgive you of all your sins and receive you into His forever family.

For anyone who might be reading my blog for the first time, I recently started as the Transitional Pastor of North Madison Baptist Church in Madison, Indiana. Individuals who are ready to return home to God are exactly the persons we want to reach. We could care less about your past. We are only interested in helping you move into a growing relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We don't care about your background, the choices you made in the past or the struggles you may be facing now. We are interested in you. God loves you just the way you are, but He loves you too much to leave you there. We feel the same way.

If you are ready to come home, but aren't sure how, please contact me through this blog. If you live in the area and want to attend our worship service, it begins at 10:30 on Sunday morning. I would love to know you and answer any questions you might have about how to experience God in a fresh, new way. You are loved, by God and by me.

Pointing the way to Christ

Every year our community hosts a two-day blues festival that brings in both area talent and some national names as well. I've attended many of these events as I enjoy good blues music. I've had the privilege of hearing some of the most respected blues performers over the years at this event. One of my favorites was Guy Davis who was here several years ago. After his performance I purchased the CD he was promoting at the time. One of my favorites on the CD was Can Anyone Tell Me Where the Road Is? I don't know if the song is his personal story, but he sings it in the first-person.

The song tells a number of mistakes he has made in his life, all of which has had a negative impact on his life. The chorus keeps asking the question, "Can anyone tell me where the road is?" He is wanting to a better place in his life, but he's uncertain how to get there.

This song powerfully touches me in a couple of ways. One, it describes my life and the lives of many people I know. I was raised in church and accepted Christ at an early age, but when I entered my teen years I strayed far from the path I had once known. It wasn't until my late-twenties that a situation in my life caused me to want to find my way back home. The positive thing in my life was that I knew where the road was that would lead me back to the place I wanted to be. Because of my childhood in the church I knew that it was only through God I could return to a healthier place. At that point, God brought people into my life to help me find that path.

Today, many in two generations have not been privileged to have been raised in the church. They've not been exposed to biblical teaching nor have they been exposed to the person of Jesus Christ. When they realize that the path they are on is not taking them to a place they want to be, they do not know where to turn. Some will pursue false religions. Others will seek spiritual experiences in New Age thinking, witchcraft, or other religious pursuits that eventually lead to dead ends. For some, these dead ends will convince them that there is no path that will take them where they want to be.

It is here that the song touches me so powerfully. I want to be part of a church that can show them that the path to Jesus Christ is the one that will lead them to the life they are seeking. I want to see the church to recognize that it is meant to be a lighthouse to point struggling people to Christ, a hospital for sinners who can receive healing for their sins through Christ. I hurt for hurting people because I know what it means to hurt. I also know what it means when others care about hurting people and are willing to help them find the healing they need. More than anything else, I want to be part of a church like that. 

Pro-Life and Pro-Grace

 I just read that the pop artist Pink said that anyone who is pro-life is to never listen to her music again. Not a problem as I never listened to it anyway!

A few years ago I talked with an older lady who shared with me a story of how she had an abortion many years ago. I'm sure she had her reasons at the time, but ever since that time she has lived with regret and a fear that God could never forgive her. I let her know that I was not going to judge what she had done and neither would God. She loved the Lord and had given her life to Christ. Her sins had all been forgiven. My prayer is that she experienced that forgiveness.

One of the important things that those of us who are pro-life can do is to make certain that those who have made the choice to have an abortion do not feel that we hate them or that God will never forgive them for that decision. This was the fear of the lady who shared her story with me. She was not sure that God could forgive her so she had never been able to forgive herself. According to a 2015 Lifeway Research study 7 in 10 women who have had an abortion identify as a Christian. That means that is likely that in your church there are women who are struggling with their decision to abort an unborn child, and that struggle is likely well hidden from rest of the congregation. It takes a great deal of trust between a Christian woman who has had an abortion and her pastor for her to admit to him or her that she had made that decision. How we respond at that time can make a difference in their future walk with Christ.

I strongly believe that every unborn child has a right to be born. Regardless of what the law states, I will never accept that abortion is acceptable. But what do we do when a woman comes and shares that she had once made the decision to abort an unborn child? Do we condemn her? Or do we respond as Jesus did to the woman caught in adultery? 

Christ came to offer forgiveness for all sins. Are we supposed to decide that some sins are beyond His ability to forgive? Let those of us who have been called to preach be faithful in stressing the importance of the right to life for all, but never let us be numbered among the haters.

Touching lives

A few days ago I read a story about Pathway Church in Wichita, KS that paid off medical bills totaling $2.2 million for persons living throughout Kansas. They were able to do this for approximately $20,000 through an organization that purchases medical debt for pennies on the dollar that is owed by people who cannot afford to pay the debt themselves. By buying their debt so cheaply it makes it possible for these individuals and families to be able to pay it. However, this time the church stepped up and paid it for them.

Pathway Church is a megachurch of about 4,000 members. Chances are your church isn't that big. That doesn't mean you can't do something similar to what they did. It just means you might have to do it on a smaller scale, but the end result will be the same. You will have touched people's lives in a way that will make an impact.

As the pastor reported, this action perfectly illustrated the message of Easter. A debt that had been hanging over the heads of these folks had been forgiven giving them the opportunity to have a second chance at life.

Churches spend a lot of time talking about the love of God; this church demonstrated it in a very real way. Only about 500 of the people whose debts were paid lived in the Wichita area. Obviously, the church didn't do this for any benefit they might enjoy. It was simply an act of selfless love, the same kind of love that sent Jesus Christ to the cross. Some, perhaps the majority, of those whose debt was paid may not have attended a church Easter Sunday to hear the Easter story, but they have now had a chance to live it. Someone paid a price they could not pay to make possible the forgiveness they needed.

What needs exist in your community that your church could address? If your church is part of an association of churches perhaps you could go together to meet a larger need. A few years ago I joined several men from an association of churches to winterize some houses in Appalachia. Each of these churches were small and served by bivocational pastors. Separately, each church could not have done a lot, but together we made a difference for a couple of families during our one-day trip. The next year or two they returned to that area to do more work and provide a weekend VBS for the children in the community.

Serving others is what the church is called to do. I encourage you to begin prayerfully looking at what needs your church, or a group of churches, could meet in your community, and then reach out in a way that will touch people's lives.

The day after Christmas

I hope your Christmas was as good as the one my family enjoyed. Despite some colds we managed to have a very enjoyable Christmas holiday with family. We ate way too much good food, exchanged some great gifts, and shared some wonderful stories.

I also pray that you've enjoyed our church's Advent devotions that were posted on this site during the past three weeks. Since the church does not currently have a blog of its own we used this blog to post the devotionals. We then linked the post to our church's Facebook page and invited our congregation to follow them. You got the benefit of some thought-provoking devotionals, some written by me and others written by members of our church. With today's post we return to our normal posts written by me.

Let's not lose the theme of the previous devotionals now that Advent is past. That theme was reconciliation. It was our church's theme throughout the Advent season because this is why Christ was born. He came into the world to reconcile us with God, with one another, and with ourselves. Some who are reading this post need that reconciliation, and I urge you to not let this year end without seeking the reconciliation you need.

We all need to be reconciled to God. Scripture is clear that we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. It is equally clear that our sins have separated us from the relationship with God we each were created to enjoy. It is only through receiving Jesus Christ into our lives as our Lord and Savior can our sins be forgiven and we are able to be reconciled to God.

The second area of reconciliation is between us and our fellow human beings. Some of us carry bitterness and anger towards other people. Reconciliation does not ignore the pain they perhaps have caused us, but it does require that we forgive them and seek to enter into a healthy relationship with them. Perhaps such a relationship is not possible. In such cases we still need to forgive them and move on with our lives.

The third area of reconciliation that some of us need is with ourselves. Many people today struggle trying to forgive themselves for mistakes they've made in the past. Some carry tremendous amounts of guilt for the past, and that guilt makes it impossible for them to enjoy the present or plan for the future. The devil has deceived some into believing they cannot be forgiven and they must carry their burden of guilt forever.

The truth is God loves us and is willing to forgive us of any sins that might be in our past, and if He can forgive us we can also forgive ourselves. We do not have to carry that burden any longer. We can lay it at His feet when we invite Him into our lives. If you need help in knowing how to pray to do that, please send me a personal message, and I'll be glad to lead you through such a prayer.

Christmas is over, and we are fast approaching a new year. Do not begin 2018 without seeking the reconciliation you need. It is available to everyone reading this blog. Yes...it's even available to you.

Seeing through the eyes of another

We finished our Christmas shopping yesterday. We haven't been this late getting done in years. Since the stores were opening earlier we decided to leave home early, eat a nice breakfast out, and, hopefully, get done early.

In one store, while my wife was looking at some things nearby, I sat down in the Customer Service area. A lady came out of the back and asked if I needed anything. When I replied I didn't she let out a big sigh of relief. She explained it had really been hectic the past few days, and she couldn't wait until this shopping season was over. We talked for a few moments before I rejoined my wife.

My wife works retail as well so I knew what she was talking about. Shoppers can get a little out of sorts, especially when they can't find the right sizes or the color they want, and Christmas day is fast approaching. They can get rude and quite obnoxious. So can the salespeople waiting on them. There's been a couple of videos  posted on Facebook recently showing store employees going off on customers. Love - Hope - Joy - Peace...These can be a little hard to find sometimes when people are scrambling at the last minute to buy presents.

Perhaps you've heard the phrase: Hurt people hurt people. It's a good thing to remember during the holidays and other times as well. Sometimes people get out of sorts and say or do things that hurt other people. They don't necessarily mean to do harm, but they are reacting to their own hurt and think or speak before they think. I've done that, and chances are you have as well. I've also been hurt by hurt people and so have you.

When people act this way towards us let's try to stop and put ourselves in their shoes. Let's try to understand what might have prompted such a response, especially if it seems out of character for them.

During this Advent season our church has focused on reconciliation. We want to build healthier, positive relationships with one another, with ourselves, and with God. An important piece of reconciliation is being able to put ourselves in the shoes of the other person. Trying to understand their life and possible pain can go a long ways to building a positive relationship with that person.

The gift of forgiveness

It was much easier to buy gifts for our children when they were smaller. As adults, we often struggle to know what to get them, and they tell us it's even harder for them to know what to give us. Most of us have that one person that's hard to buy for at Christmas.

Perhaps for someone on our Christmas list the greatest gift we could give them is the gift of forgiveness. I wonder if you paused when you read that as someone's name went through your mind. Chances are the next thought that entered your mind was that they don't deserve forgiveness. You're probably right, but then again, we didn't deserve God's forgiveness, either.

One of the most challenging verses in the Bible is Matthew 6: 14-15: "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

The reason this passage is so hard for some people is that they have not come to grips with how much God loves them. We forget how much we have been forgiven. God sent His Son to earth to make it possible for our sins to be forgiven so we could be reconciled to Him. Now, He asks us to forgive others their sins against us so we can be reconciled to one another.

But, Dennis, that's tough! Yes, it is. Some of us have deep wounds caused by other people, and it's hard to forgive those who have wounded us. However, this is exactly what we are called to do.

What a special gift it would be if you could honestly forgive someone who had deeply hurt you. Not only would it be a gift to the one you forgave, it would be a wonderful gift to give yourself. Just think how freeing it would be to not have to carry that anger and pain any longer. The gift of forgiveness to someone who has hurt you might be the best gift you will give this Christmas season.

Are we grateful for the gift?

(Read: Luke 7:36-50)

“We often find it hard to get what we want, because we do not want the best; God finds it hard to give, because He would give the best, and we will not take it.” (George MacDonald paraphrase)

Like many people during the Christmas Season, I love to participate in gift-giving. Whether it’s delighting family members or friends with that “special something”, or celebrating Christ’s birth by giving to those in need through “angel trees”,  special donations, or other opportunities, such as Operation Christmas Child, which shares the Gospel and gives shoeboxes full of small gift items to children around the world. It’s always heart-warming to hear stories about the joy impoverished children have when they open their boxes – of course they like the toys, but they also get excited over items like soap, toothpaste, or socks!  But then there are the other people on the gift-giving list. The ones who are hard to get for.  Mostly because they seem to already have everything they want.

During Christmas, we celebrate the Ultimate Gift –  Jesus Christ. Through Him, God gave the world forgiveness and reconciliation. In Luke 7:36-50 we see two different responses to that gift -  the critical indifference of “Hard-to-Get-For” Simon, and the lavish gratitude of a woman aware of her spiritual poverty. Jesus tells Simon those who are forgiven little, love little and those who are forgiven much, love much.  But a notable point about their conversation is that while Jesus agrees with Simon that the woman has many sins, he never says Simon has few.

Could it be the separation between Simon and the woman, was not the number of sins, but the awareness of them? That Simon loved little, not because he had little to be forgiven for, but because he was oblivious to how much he needed forgiveness and reconciliation with God?

In what ways are we like Simon? Have we allowed God to open our hearts and minds to be aware of our deep need for a Savior? Are we one who loves much? Are we grateful for the gift?

 As we go through the Advent season and reflect on and celebrate God’s Gift to us through Jesus, may we grow daily more aware of our deep need for Jesus, so we too can be one who loves much.

India Cable

Madison FBC

Playing the victim

Ever since the Garden of Eden mankind has tried to shift the blame for their problems onto others. Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the serpent, and the serpent didn't have a leg to stand on. (OK, it's a bad joke but you get the point!) And the blame game has continued throughout history to today.

Hillary Clinton has started another round of the blame game as she appears on one program after another blaming everyone for her loss in the recent election. She continues to blame Comey and the Russians and has even now started  blaming the Democrat National Convention for their lack of revenue and poor statistical information. Evidently, she forgot that the DNC rigged the primary so she could defeat Bernie Sanders and the former DNC chair sent her some of the questions she would be asked in the debates.

Clinton is unable to accept the fact that the American people did not trust her, and as fearful as they were of Trump, they were more fearful of her. Benghazi, the Clinton Foundation, the incredible wealth the Clintons have amassed since leaving office, and the lost emails were more than most Americans could stomach. She can complain about Wikileaks all she wants, but they couldn't have leaked anything if there wasn't anything to leak.

Then we have the disgusting image Kathy Griffin posted recently which has already cost her a number of jobs. No doubt you've seen the image so there's no need to describe it here. Democrats and Republicans alike have condemned it as inappropriate and possibly a violation of law. Although she gave what she considered to be an appropriate apology, like Clinton she is pointing the fingers at others for the consequences of her actions. Reportedly, all of her upcoming shows have been canceled by the various groups that were sponsoring them.

She blames President Trump for sending an army of people to ruin her life. The only person who is ruining her life is herself. She is the one who chose to publish the image that most Americans found to be in very poor taste at a minimum. She can try to hide behind free speech all she wants and claim artistic license, but that image went far beyond the line of decency.

Both Clinton and Griffin wants to be seen as victims, but they are only victims of their own personal choices. Both need to accept responsibility for their actions and stop blaming others for the choices they made.

But, then again, don't we all do that? We are all guilty of making personal choices that are wrong and outside of God's will. It's called sin, and the Bible is very clear that "We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God." Sin is not a very popular word today because our postmodern society has given us so many other options. It's much easier to blame forces outside of us than it is to accept responsibility for the sin that lives within each of us. God has not provided a remedy for blame, but He has provided a remedy for those willing to admit they have sinned. It's called forgiveness, and it's only available when we come to the cross of Jesus Christ and receive Him into our lives as our Lord and Savior.

Have you ever confessed to God that you are a sinner in need of His forgiveness? Have you ever asked Him to come into your life to be your Lord and Savior? If not, can you give me one good reason why you would not want to do that? I would love to talk to you about it.

Wounded by the church

A few years ago I coached a pastor in North Dakota. In one of our coaching sessions I asked her, "If you could do anything in ministry that you wanted to do, what would that be?" She responded that she would like to create a ministry that ministered to people who had been hurt by the church. I chuckled a bit and responded that if she developed such a ministry her church would not remain small very long because there are many such people in every community.

Unfortunately, I hear their stories too often. In my book, The Healthy Community: Moving Your Church Beyond Tunnel Vision I share the story of a woman I once met. Her daughter had accepted Jesus Christ into her heart at Vacation Bible School. The pastor and I visited her single mother to see how she felt about her daughter's decision. Although she was pleased that her daughter had made her decision, she was concerned about the baptism. She didn't want her daughter to become a member of the church.

When we asked why, she shared that she had been an active member of a church in our community until her husband divorced her. The Sunday after it was known she was getting a divorce she said it felt like she had walked into a freezer when she entered the church. Former friends ignored her. Few would even speak. After this went on for several weeks, she left the church and never returned. She did not want her daughter to be hurt by the church as she had been.

For some reason too many churches forget that Jesus showed the most grace to those the religious leaders of the time condemned. When religious leaders wanted to stone a woman caught in the act of adultery Jesus extended grace to her. Zacchaeus, a despised tax collector, was the recipient of Christ's grace when Jesus spent the day with him. Lepers, who were shunned by religious leaders as unclean, received a healing touch from Jesus. In fact, the only ones Jesus did condemn were the religious leaders who refused to offer grace towards those they deemed unworthy.

It is time the church repents of its tendency to shoot its wounded. We are not called to judge people; we are called to love them. This does not mean we have to compromise our beliefs or ignore the clear teachings of Scripture. It does mean that we treat others as individuals created in the image of God and as persons for whom Jesus Christ gave His life on the cross. It also means that we love people with the same unconditional love that God has for each of us.

The church is not a hotel for saints; it is a hospital for sinners, and we are all sinners. We need to offer grace to one another because we all need to receive grace for our own shortcomings. The Christian life can be difficult enough without being wounded by "friendly fire." When one of our fellow believers falls or is going through a tough time, let's extend grace and a helping hand to lift them back up to a healthier place in their lives.

Ministry to those hurt by the church

A few years ago I was coaching a bivocational pastor out west. You can read about this coaching relationship in my book The Art and Practice of Bivocational Ministry: A Pastor's Guide. This is one of the case studies I share in this book from various pastors I have coached over the past years. In one of our sessions I asked, "If you could do anything in your ministry you wanted to do, what would that be?"

The pastor hesitated a moment and asked if I really wanted to know the answer to that question. When I replied I was interested she said that no one had ever asked her that question before. She then responded, "I would like to begin a ministry to people who have been hurt by the church." I chuckled a little and told her that if she was able to develop such a ministry her church would not remain small for long. We then spent the remainder of our time discussing what that might look like and how she might begin such a ministry.

Unfortunately, there have been many persons hurt by the church. It is true that the church often does shoot its wounded, or at the very least we send them off into exile. Maybe its not intentional, but some churches seem to send the message that they do not want imperfect people.

Back in the 1970s before I went into the ministry I accompanied our pastor on a visitation. A young girl who did not attend our church had come forward at the close of our Vacation Bible School that year. The pastor wanted to meet the child's mother and talk about the decision her daughter had made.

The mother was pleased at the decision and was willing for her daughter to be baptized, but she wasn't sure she wanted her to become a member of our church. She explained that a few years earlier her family had attended another church in our community and was quite active in that church. One day her husband announced he was leaving her for another woman. She said the following Sunday she felt like she walked into a freezer when she went to church. Former church friends ignored her like she had a disease. When this continued for several weeks, she decided she was done with church. She wanted her daughter to be a Christian, but she didn't want her to be hurt by a church as she had been. Sadly, similar stories are repeated every day in churches across the nation.

Our coaching relationship ended soon after we discussed the possibility of this pastor starting a ministry to people who had been hurt by the church, so I do not know if she was able to develop such a ministry. What steps could a pastor and church take to create such a ministry? I'm sure there are many, but these come to mind fairly quickly.

• Cover such a ministry in prayer. Of course, this is good advice for any new ministry, but this ministry will deal with people who may still carry deep emotional scars and have serious trust issues with the church.
• Be a safe place that offers grace and acceptance of people. We don't have to agree with every choice a person makes, but we can accept people as persons created in the image of God and people for whom Christ gave his life on the cross.
• Pastors need to be more transparent. We need to admit to people when we've messed up and had to ask for God's forgiveness. We need to admit those times when our lives stink and we're struggling just to keep our heads above water. In the mid-1980s I was diagnosed with clinical depression, and it was amazing how many people began to admit to me that they were struggling with the same issue. It opened up many ministry opportunities that would have been missed if I had kept quiet about my situation.
• We need to quit hiding behind our smiley face masks. Sunday after Sunday people sit in their pews with their masks covering up what's really happening on the inside. It sends a message to others that there must be something wrong with them if they have problems because "real Christians don't have these kinds of issues."
• Realize that such a ministry will require a lot of time. People who have been hurt by the church will often have major trust issues with pastors and churches. We should not expect them to believe that the church is now a safe place. We will have to earn their trust before we can touch their hearts, and that will require a lot of patience and consistency in our words and behavior.
• We will have to love people where they are. Sometimes it helps to remind ourselves that God was willing to meet us where we were, and for some of us that was not in a very good place. How can we do any less towards those people we want to minister to?

After reading this you may feel that God is leading your church to reach out to people who have been hurt by the church. That is not a target many churches have in their sights, so you won't have much competition. As I told the pastor I was coaching, if you are able to develop an effective ministry to that group you will have a large plenty of people to serve.

Forgiven

I have tried to avoid addressing the Supreme Court's ruling on same sex marriage and the recent issues surrounding Kim Davis in Kentucky. Unless you have been living in a cave for the past few weeks you know she is a county clerk who was jailed for refusing to grant marriage licenses to same sex couples. Both sides of this issue have had plenty to say, and I felt no need to contribute my thoughts. That is not the purpose of this blog, and nothing I would say has not been said by others.

However, there is one aspect of this that is very unsettling to me that I feel needs to be addressed. Critics of Kim Davis have pointed to her past, failed marriages and children born out of wedlock, and claimed she has no right to pass moral judgments on any one else. As I've heard and read those comments I recognized they were coming from people who have never known the forgiveness that comes from asking Jesus Christ into one's life.

This past weekend I read a statement on Facebook from an individual who began by writing that he was a Baptist pastor who wanted to speak to the Kim Davis issue. He then began to criticize her past and quoted the Bible verse that says that he that is without sin should cast the first stone. In his opinion, she should have resigned from her position if she would not do her job, and because of her past had no moral grounds to hold the position she has. In a statement I found incredulous he claimed that if she could not put her name on a marriage license for a same sex couple, she should not have put her name on three of her own marriage licenses. He admitted in some follow-up comments that he recognized she had become a Christian after her last marriage, but he still held to his original statement.

Maybe this pastor needs to read a few more verses from the Bible. 2 Corinthians 5: 17 comes to mind, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." In Micah 7: 19 God promises to cast our sins into the depths of the sea, and in Jeremiah 31: 34 he says that he will forgive our iniquity and remember our sins no more. Evidently, this pastor wants us to remember things that God has forgotten. These, and many other passages of Scripture, make it clear that when a person comes to faith in Jesus Christ that our past sins are forgiven and we become brand new persons.

Arguments can be made on both sides of this issue, and Christians can disagree about whether Kim Davis was right in refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. However, no one has the right to point to her past mistakes and use them as a weapon to criticize her. She claims she has given her life to Jesus Christ, and if this is true then God has forgiven her past sins, as He has for each of us who are believers.

The Bible is clear that we have all sinned. Our sins may differ from one another, but we are all guilty of sin in our lives. It is only through the grace of God and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ upon the cross that our sins can be forgiven. When we repent of our sins and ask Christ into our lives we are born again, and it is at this point that we become the new creatures referred to in 2 Corinthians. Our sins are forgiven and should no longer define us.

As Christians we are the recipients of great grace, and we should be the first to extend that grace to others. Whether you agree with Kim Davis on this issue or not, no Christian should judge her based upon her past unless you are willing to be judged for your own past sins.

Leaders and credibility

As a Navy veteran I have been frustrated for the past few days over the recent apology Brian Williams issued for his statements that he was aboard a helicopter that was hit by rocket propelled grenades during the invasion of Iraq.  Eyewitnesses of the event in question claim that Williams' account is false and that the aircraft he was in arrived in the area about an hour later.  Although Williams has repeated his story, even as late as 2013 on the David Letterman show, he now says that he somehow conflated one aircraft with another.  I personally find it difficult to understand how one is confused about which helicopter one is on when one has been hit by enemy fire and the other wasn't.  I think most people would know which chopper they were on.  As a result of this issue, some are now questioning some of the claims he made as he reported on things he saw as a result of Hurricane Katrina.

NBC news is conducting an investigation of Williams' claims although some sources are now saying that Williams himself is not being investigated.  Williams has removed himself from his anchor news chair for a few days while this investigation continues.  There are calls for his resignation, but there is a widespread belief that the network has too much invested in Williams for that to occur.  Regardless of what happens, his credibility as a journalist will now be questioned by many and it will be interesting to see how his ratings will be impacted if he does return to his anchor chair.  Personally, I have watched NBC news since the Huntley-Brinkley days, but since this has occurred I've decided it's time to check out the other network news.  If Williams returns to his anchor chair, I will switch to another news source because I frankly can't trust him to report the news accurately.

For a person to be successful in a leadership position they must earn the trust of the people the serve.  Without credibility one cannot earn that trust.  Credibility occurs when one is honest, treats people with respect, keeps his or her promises, maintains confidences, and does his or her job with excellence.

Credibility is essential for those of us in ministry just as it is for anyone in leadership positions.  When church leaders fail morally, ethically, or financially they lose credibility with those they had been leading.  Often, they are never able to regain that credibility.  It takes time to earn the trust of people, and if that trust is violated it takes even longer to gain it back.  Sometimes, such trust is never regained and the opportunity to return to ministry is lost forever.

How do ministers maintain credibility with those we lead?  First, do what you say you are going to do.  Maybe you realize you agreed to something that will be more difficult that you thought.  Too bad, do it anyway because you said you would.  If you find out it is impossible to keep your word, immediately contact the person and explain why you can't.  Secondly, be honest in your dealings with people both inside and outside your congregation.  No church wants to hear that their minister has been involved in shady dealings with people in the community.  Third, treat people with respect.  You may not agree with their theological beliefs, their lifestyle choices, or anything else about them, but never forget that they are persons for whom Jesus Christ gave his life on the cross so that they can be saved.  That makes them persons of great worth and persons who should always be treated with respect.

Fourth, maintain confidences.  Your counseling session on Tuesday should not be your sermon illustration on Sunday.  Fifth, communicate to the people in your church.  I hear from so many church members who complain that their pastor never seeks their advice but just does whatever he or she wants to do.  Most churches want a leader; they do not want a dictator.  Sixth, pay your tithe to the church.  I'm sorry, but your service to the church is not your tithe.  If you want to teach stewardship you must first model stewardship, and it begins with the tithe.  Seventh, serve your church with excellence.  Most ministers I know work very hard and put in long hours.  However, the ministry is also a great place for lazy people, and I've known a few ministers who would fall into that category.  God has called you into ministry; your church has called you to be their minister, so do your ministry with excellence.  Last, but not least, serve your family well.  Most churches appreciate the minister who refuses to sacrifice his or her family on the alter of ministerial success.  Those who don't appreciate that don't deserve to have a minister.  Be an example of how one should love his or her spouse and children.

Will you always do all these things perfectly?  No, none of us will.  I have found that most people will be very forgiving if we will quickly admit when we fail.  I have made many mistakes in the ministry, but people were willing to forgive me because they knew that these mistakes were not intentional.  I never set out to deceive them, and when I realized I had made a mistake I quickly admitted it and asked for their forgiveness.  If you do that, you will likely find that most people will forgive you as well.

Credibility is essential if you want to enjoy an effective ministry.  If you will follow the eight recommendations listed above, you will enjoy great credibility with those you lead.

Leaders and forgiveness

No one serves in church leadership for very long before being hurt by something someone does or says.  We work hard with the best of intentions, and someone misunderstands what we are trying to do or the motives behind our actions.  We say something that is misunderstood, and rather than coming to the leader to clarify what was said people tell everyone how wounded they were by our comments.  Things are going well in the church until suddenly we learn that a group of people are committed to getting us out of the church.  A leader's pain is made even worse when it is our spouses or children who are under attack by people within the church we are serving.

Leaders have a number of options available to them, but one option that is not available is to refuse to forgive those who bring us harm.  Such forgiveness does not come easy, but it is vital to our well-being and our ministry that we are able to forgive those who hurt us.

I remember an incident that happened when I was the pastor of our church that upset me far more than it should have.  The actions I took were private and no one except my wife knew how upset I was or the problem may have become much worse. For several weeks I remained upset at the few people who had upset me until I finally realized that I had to forgive them if I wanted to move forward with my life and ministry.  I chose to forgive the ones who had wounded me, and we will choose whether we will forgive or not.

In some recent posts I've quoted from Reggie McNeal's book A Work of Heart: Understanding How God Shapes Spiritual Leaders.  One chapter of the book discusses conflict, and McNeal writes, "Those who withhold forgiveness do so in the belief that in some way they are inflicting damage or hurt on the object of their unforgivingness.  The trouble is, while the unforgiving deals with excess stomach acid and sleepless nights, the unforgiven sleeps like a baby.  An unforgiving spirit is a cancer of the soul...

"The leaders who do not forgive wind up with bitter spirits, persons of negative energy.  They wonder where their spiritual energy and power went.  Their negative spirit pushes people away from them.  They live in the past, their conflict scar tissues making it difficult for them to move forward.  They see the world and life experiences through victim eyes."

He nails it doesn't he?  Unforgiveness eats us up and robs us of the spiritual power we need to enjoy victory in our lives and ministries.  Quite often, the people who hurt us could care less how we feel about what they did or they may not even be aware of the pain they caused.  We are the only ones damaged by our refusal to forgive.

Of course, that's not entirely right either.  When we choose to practice unforgiveness our families pay a price.  So do people in our churches and our work.  These are innocent people who had nothing to do with the pain we feel, but they are the ones who pay the price.

When I find it hard to forgive others I begin to remember how much God has forgiven me.  How can I refuse to forgive others when I have been the recipient of so much grace in my own life?

Leaders are going to be wounded.  It goes with the territory.  There's not much we can do about that, but we can choose how we will deal with the wounds inflicted upon us by others.  Refusing to forgive can only lead to problems that none of us wants.  Choosing to forgive releases us to move forward in life and ministry.  Once again I hear God saying, "I have set before you life and death...therefore choose life."  Choosing to forgive is choosing life.