Bodies

I know that I haven't posted since May 3rd.  I also know that I spend way too much time apoligizing for not writing more on this blog.  My goal this year was to post at least once per week, but once May hit, I found myself nearly speechless.

Early this month, Erin and I got to go on a date with two good friends of ours.  We took the day and went to Atlantic Station in the city to see the Bodies exhibit and take Erin to California Pizza Kitchen.  We also took the opportunity to walk through Ikea and John and I tried out all the chairs.

The Bodies exhibit was really amazing - if you're ever near it, I'd recommend it.  Having grown up with a mom who is a nurse and other family members in the medical field, then becoming a pastor who frequently visits church members at the hospital, I feel like I've learned a good bit about the human body.  I've always found our systems facinating and a good insight into the character of God. 

If you've never heard of the Bodies exhibit, their website explains it this way:

This Exhibition--which features actual human specimens--allows people of all ages access to sights and knowledge normally reserved only for medical professionals. Take the opportunity to peer inside yourself, to better understand how your elaborate and fascinating body works, and how you can become a more informed participant in your own health care.

The first room you enter begins by displaying our skeletal system.  The plaques and posters on the walls give bits of information on everything you see.  The next area shows off the muscles of the body.  Then the nerves and brain, the veins and arteries, the heart, the reproductive system, and so on.  They actually found a way to remove the nerves from a human body intact.  Likewise with our blood vessels. 

As we walked through, I couldn't help but think how magnificently and intricately God has created us.  The way that our organs all work together and the capacity of each to do its job is unfathomable.  In the midst of so much science, it was undeniable that our phisiology is no cosmic accident, but the work of a Supreme Craftsman.

Then I was reminded that, though we are beautiful and a tribute to God's love, we are not perfect.  Just three days later (a day after my last post), on May 4th, I watched a 36-year-old husband and father of two lose his fight against metastatic malignant melanoma.  For a year and a half, I witnessed his efforts to go through medical trial after medical trial, then chemo, and finally heavy doses of narcotics, all to try to fend off this unconquerable foe.  Jason's form of melanoma is considered incurable so far.  Some people have recovered from it, I know one of them, but those occurrances have never been able to be explained by doctors or researchers - they were true miracles. 

Early on May 4th, I went to see Jason at one of our local hospice centers.  They had stopped all treatments and the goal was for hospice to treat his breathing for a few days and send him home with 24-7 hospice care.  The end wasn't supposed to come that soon, and even at that point, we expected to still have a few more days, if not weeks, with Jason.  It wasn't so.  In just hours, he went downhill quickly and we witnessed him breathing his last just before four in the morning.

I've been asked by more people than I care to remember just how God could let this happen.  Why do such horrible things happen to people, especially those still in the prime of life?  Having wanted to shake my own fist toward the heavens, I needed to ask that question for myself.  I knew the answer as firmly as I know that 2+2=4, but grief is rarely that rational and explanations aren't always the best consolation.

The fact of the matter is that though our bodies are works of art, molded by the Potter, and set into motion with incredible internal timing, our bodies are still imperfect.  They fail, they slow down, they stumble, the fall, they fall apart, and eventually, they all die.  We are succeptible to cancer, viruses, and cholesterol.  None of that means that God loves us any less.  In fact, because of that, we are able to see God's love more clearly.

You see, God isn't even the cause of these things.  No, he didn't need one more angel in heaven.  Jason's work certainly wasn't done here.  It wasn't the wrath of God and God didn't have other plans for Jason.  His time wasn't up.

These things are a part of the reality we live in.  To blame God is to deny that his heart was broken too.  I believe that the God of love who created each of us with such grace is not a smiter or afflictor.  I think we do enough of that to ourselves.

So where was God in all of this?  He was by the side of Jason Capes.  Every step of the way, though none of us could feel what Jason was feeling, God could.  Though no one else could find the right words to say, God knew Jason's heart.  God doesn't cause bad things to happen to us, but because God is who he is, we never have to endure those things alone.

Now, God is walking beside Jason's wife, son, daughter, parents, sister, and everyone else that mourns his death.  We are not alone and we have certainly not been forsaken.

Book Review: Radical

I'm really diggin' the chance to preview books before their release date.  A new book coming out this week is Radical by David Platt.  The subtitle says alot about the book - "Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream".  It's a conversation that has come up many times in recent years simply because many of our churches have trouble distinguishing between the two.  Somewhere along the way we decided that a Patriotic American must be a Christian and that a Christian must be a Patriotic American.  To be critical of the American Dream at all disqualifies you to be a true follower of Christ in some circles.  Platt gets us back to differentiating between the two so we can seek a vibrant, deep faith that is true to the message of Christ and sometimes contradictory to our American ethic.

It's an excellent, and much-needed message for many in the American church today.  I realized this last summer when, on Independence Day weekend, the congregation weakly joined together for a well-known hymn, but joined in an sang aloud when one of our members sang "God Bless America" for the offertory.  It's clear that many Christians need to refocus on Christ.  Being an American is great and I know we are people of great privilege and opportunity, but Christ is more.  This is a fact that has evaded the preaching and the devotion of our churches for many years now.

Listen to David tell you about his book:



I thought it was a good book.  Well written with stories to illustrate every point.  The first chapter caught my attention and pulled me right into the book.  I really can't expect anything less from a pastor that has achieved as much as he has. 

The book makes really good points and like any good sermon it comes with a response at the end - an invitation if you will.  David invites his readers to join in what he calls The Radical Expirament - "a one year journey in authentic discipleship that will transform how you live in a world that desperately needs the Good News Jesus came to bring" (back cover).  There is a companion booklet and a small group study to go with it and I believe that if this takes hold and people will actually follow-through with this message and commit to doing something truly radical in their own lives for their faith, the world will be impacted in deep ways.  I hope and pray that it does.

Radical is on point when it comes to understanding that Jesus never promised to make things easy for us or that there would be a non-chalant avenue for us to have a meaningful relationship with Him.  It pushes you to think about the true message of Jesus - one that calls us to take up our cross daily and follow Jesus, even to Golgotha. 

The book is well-written, but a little slow in spots.  The chapters are short and good for reading in spurts.  The first chapter, as I mentioned before, will pull you in.  Some chapters make their thesis very clearly at the beginning, followed by several pages of stories that reiterate the point over and over again.  I found myself reading some chapters to get the point and moving on to the next.  This book is definitely worth reading, but don't let yourself get bogged down in his efforts to drive the point home. 

Waterbrook Multnomah has free copies of The Radical Question - Platt's supplement to the main book - for anyone who wants it (as long as supplies last).  You can get that and read the first chapter HERE.

*This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. Get your copy at the link on the right or HERE.

Free Books for Bloggers

I've found a good way to support my excessive reading habits.  If you're like me and your drug dealer wears a Barnes and Noble apron, I want to share these resources with you.  The only catch is that you have to be a blogger and your blog has to be approved by each of these programs.

Here's how it works.  You sign up for one, some, or all of these programs.  They approve you and then they send you books to review on your blog.  Some of the books will even be sent to you before their release date, so you can brag to your friends that you got the good stuff first.

First, there's Viral Bloggers.  This program is part of The Ooze, an online, emergent church forum/community.  The program is independent of any specific publisher, and they post new books on the first of each month.  Copies usually go fast, so don't waste any time.  I'm working on a copy of The Naked Gospel right now.

 

Then, there's Blogging for Books, a part of Waterbrook Multnomah publishers (a division of Random House).  Blogging for Books sends out emails when new books come available.  They select which ones they will offer you and you choose whether or not you want it.  This program is still relatively new, so they're working out some of the bugs, but I managed to get an early release copy of Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity.

Last, but certainly not least, is the most recent resource I've found.  Sign up for BookSneeze and Thomas Nelson publishers will let you select, one at a time, from some of their most recent releases.  I haven't gotten anything from them yet, but I anticipate getting The Hole in Our Gospel sometime next week.  Apparently, they'll even give you the opportunity to preview some of the Bibles they print.

Have fun and let me know how they turn out for you.  If you find any more resources like these, please share!

Moving Tradition Forward

"Do not ask, 'Why were the old days better than these?' For it is not wise to ask such questions."  (Ecclesiastes 7:10)

This verse is one of those gems that you read, almost forget, and rediscover some time later.  Every time I read it, I am reminded that God's best work still lies ahead.  Mark Beeson quoted this verse earlier this month on his blog and I had that experience of finding something I didn't know was missing, like pulling out your winter coat for the first time in November and finding $20 in the pocket.

The church I serve has a rich heritage.  Mt. Bethel was founded in the 1820's and officially established in 1833.  177 years later, the people of Mt. Bethel have claimed a number of traditions.  Next month, we'll celebrate Homecoming, on the third Sunday of May, and we'll invite a past Mt. Bethel pastor to preach before we enjoy a lunch of countless and sometimes mysterious casseroles.

If you ask anyone who has been a part of Mt. Bethel for very long about their tradition, they can tell you.  Diane, our Church Historian, knows the church and the area around it better than anyone else I've met.  When she looks around, she sees more than we do - she sees the general store on the corner that was torn down decades ago, the old plantation just up the road that is now a large subdivision, and the important people that I only know as headstones in the church's cemetery.  You can learn much about the psychology of a congregation when you know its traditions.

Tradition is vital to our understanding of God.  Every good Methodist knows that the Wesleyan Quadrilateral outlines the sources by which we derive our theology.  Scripture is our primary source of knowing God, but it's informed by our reason, our experience, and our tradition.  Tradition shows us how God has been present to those in need, how he has picked us up off the ground and dusted us off and how often he has offered us grace and mercy when we've done some ridiculous things. 

What tradition do you come from?  How does it shade your understanding of God?

I asked a candidate for ministry that question yesterday.  Some ministers and some churches see the shadows of their heritage and rather than living with and learning from those scars, they simply discard any tradition and try to be something completely "new."  Other ministers and churches embrace their tradition as the "good ole days" and try to convince the rest of us that there's nothing better than life in the 1950's (before cell phones, email, bad traffic, and integration). 

My next question to the candidate was, "How do you intend to move that tradition forward?"

The tradition that informs my understanding of God and the world is a conservative one.  I come from the first church on the city square with people and means.  Preaching was usually strong and always grace-filled.  These churches were usually in the middle of poverty-stricken communities and not the best at reaching out or drawing new people in.  But, once new people came in, they were the best at taking care of them.  I am the result of a community that nurtured and cared, that held me accountable and afforded me every opportunity to know God and serve him.

My tradition could be a little pretentious at times.  Easter was a hat-wearing competition for some of our ladies.  The youth group was cliquish at times.  The preacher was always someone with chevrons on the sleeves of his robe.  Brass memorial plaques were found in hallways, classrooms, offices, and of course, all over the sanctuary.

My tradition, though it was a good one that benefited me and serves me well now, is far from perfect.  If my life is going to make a difference and my ministry is going to be fruitful, I have to ask that second question - how will I move my tradition forward? 

I can do like many others - I can enforce tradition as law.  I can do the expected.  I can learn from the mistakes of those who came before me, but be unwilling to make some mistakes of my own.  I can do that, serve for 40 years and retire with a pat on the back from my Bishop and colleagues, but is that really good enough?  Is it enough to push the pause button on history and live with the security of knowing what comes next?

As the Church, we have not arrived at perfection, despite the self-praising of some Christians.  The truth is that our work is never done until every person knows Christ and has a relationship with Christ.  And guess what - people who don't know Christ are being born every day.

I figured up the other day that if the mandatory retirement age for United Methodist pastors stays at 70, I have 40 more years of ministry before I have to retire.  I've served for five years already.  I hope that in 2050, I'll be able to look back and know that my life's work has made a difference.  I pray that those who come after me will have a better tradition and heritage to claim because I was a part of it.

Don't ask, "Why were the good ole days better than these?"  That's a foolish question - today is another day on the way to God's Kingdom fully revealed on earth.  God's greatest plans for us still lie ahead if we will get off our tradition and drag it forward through the ages.

Book Review: This Little Prayer of Mine

What do children add to your church's life?  What have they taught you?  What are you teaching them?

Many parents today expect the church to teach them everything about God.  Parents gladly take a back-seat in hopes that their child has the right spiritual mentor.  The truth is that faith in God usually sticks better when a child can look at the difference it makes for their mom or dad.  Monday through Saturday, the way a parent lives their faith will make a more lasting impact, hands down.

Some parents become apprehensive when it comes to teaching their kids about spiritual matters.  We know how to teach our kids to recite the sing-song blessing before dinner, but what about teaching them to really pray?

I have a resource for you.  In February, Waterbrook-Multnomah released This Little Prayer of Mine by Anthony DeStefano.  It's a short, simple children's book, endorsed by the National Day of Prayer.  My kids love to read and be read to and this is a good discussion starter with any child.

Beyond "God is good" prayers, this book is one prayer, being prayed by a child, that covers several aspects or types of prayer from petition and intercession to repentance and thanksgiving.  In fact, this book is so well-rounded that parents may find themselves learning from it. This book is a good one for every home with kids. 

I've got an extra copy for a giveaway.  I'll give it to the first person with kids to leave a comment.  Leave your name, email address, and how many kids you have and I'll send this copy to you.

*This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.  Get your copy at the link on the right or HERE.

Last Words

Do you remember these commercials?  Someone's about to get "offed" and is asked, "What do you want on your tombstone?" 

It's common to ask people in their final moments what they have left to say.  I've sat with several people just before dying and heard them speak a final time to those that they love.  Sometimes they share immense amounts of wisdom, sometimes grace and love, and sometimes even anger or resentment.  Whatever those words are, they seem to bear more weight than anything we say in casual conversation at any other time.  They also seem to be the things that we've held back from saying, assuming that there will come the opportunity to say them later.

Have you given much thought to what your final words would be?  If you knew that your time was coming (and it is), what would you say?  And to whom?  If you could go back to the last moments that you spent with a family member or friend, what would you hope they'd say?  What would you ask them?

I'm doing a study with some of the adults at Mt. Bethel right now, entitled "Remembering Your Story: Creating Your Own Spiritual Autobiography."  It's been one of the most interesting groups I've spent time with, mainly because we've shared so many stories.  I've learned alot about some of these folks that I wouldn't have otherwise.  Most of them have decided to put effort into telling their story.  A couple of them have talked about writing down some of the memories that they'd been sharing, so they'd be remembered after they're gone.  Another has mentioned writing letters to those she loves, sharing important information and feelings.

Unfortunately, for every one of those people who have had the opportunity to have one last conversation with those around them, there are probably dozens who never get the chance.  The world would be a very different place if we knew when that moment was coming.  (We might even have some of those long-lost dessert recipes our grandmothers took to the grave with them.)

Tomorrow is Holy Thursday, or Maundy Thursday.  It's the day that we remember Jesus last meal with his disciples.  He knew it would be his last and he made the most of every second.  From that meal, we get the sacrament of Holy Communion.  We also get a collection of the last instructions of Christ.  Within all of that conversation is one command or mandate (thus "Maundy" Thursday).  In Mark 13, Jesus says, "A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this, all men wll know you are my disciples, if you love one another" (v.34)

As Easter nears and we remember the weight of a person's last words, let's meditate on those last words of Christ.  Love each other.  Love those who are hard to love.  Forgive those who have offended you.  Jesus' love for us went all the way to the cross.  Love like that.

Prayers for Healing

At Mt. Bethel, we have kept the Capes family in our prayers for over a year now.  Jason was diagnosed many months ago with Metastatic Malignant Melanoma, which you may know is an incurable form of cancer.

Two weeks ago, Jason received the results from his latest scans and the news was not good.  His condition has gotten worse and he is running out of options.  So we pulled out the stops and had a prayer service for the family.

I sent out an invitation to some of our local pastors who have ties to the Capes family and was honestly expecting a small gathering of quiet prayer.  I was wrong.

Last Tuesday night, 174 people showed up to pray!  With the help of some of my pastoral colleagues, we began with Communion and singing.  We prayed over the oil and anointed Jason, Alecia, and the kids.  And then we invited others to come and pray.

I told the pastors before we began that I had a plan for the first part of the service - all the way up to the blessing of the oil.  I told them that I had no idea what we would do beyond that point, aside from a benediction at the end, but that we would move at the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit moved.

A crowd gathered at the altar, laying hands on this family, and praying from their hearts.  I have to say it was probably the closest thing I've ever experienced to what Pentecost must have been like.  People, in their own voices, called out to God and God heard every prayer.  It was a beautiful moment that displays for you what the Church really is. 

We prayed for healing - physical, emotional, spiritual, and relational.  Honestly, I don't know if Jason's cancer will disappear - I'll leave that in God's hands.  I do know that healing took place that night though.  I know that many who were there felt God move in their own lives.  I know that the time was used to bring a sense of peace to Jason's family and friends.

Earlier this year, I heard someone say, "The church is what's left after the building burns down."  How true.  How profound.

We continue, as the Church, to pray for Jason and others like him.  We continue to reach out as we are reminded that God has called us to greater things that we can fathom.