The Safety of the Boat

The world is a hard place - and it usually gets harder when you're following God.  That's unfortunate, but it's the truth.  God calls us to some extraordinary things and other forces work hard to slow us down.  Call it Satan, the world, or as Paul does, principalities.

I grew up in church.  Most Sundays we'd get dressed and head to the First United Methodist Church of Valdosta.  The church had three sections of pews (not a wedding or funeral friendly sanctuary) and our "reserved" seats were on the right side, five rows up from the back.  From there, you could see everything that was going on and you didn't interfere with the old ladies' space or singing.

I remember a lot about that sanctuary.  I remember the embroidered kneeling pads at the altar, the ceiling that looked like they had turned an old ship upside down and made it a building, and the stained glass windows.  Most Sundays my eyes would catch one window in particular - the one facing Patterson Street that, at 11am on a Sunday, the sun would light up, showing a picture of Jesus rescuing Peter from the waves.

I wish I had a picture of that actual window.  It's been a reminder to me of who Christ is to me as a minister.

I think if I were in a similar boat today with several other people, I might be the one to give walking on water a try (chalk that up to naivete).  I've talked about it before - God has created a magnificent world that still needs to be reconciled to him.  He emplores us to step out in faith and do his work in that world and sometimes, that's as extreme as walking on water. 

The beautiful part of faith is that walking on water is possible because we are empowered by Christ - Peter proved it!  Paul wrote, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil 4:13).  Men and women throughout history have proven that the impossible is in fact possible, with the help of God.

Right now, with the church having adopted a new vision and set out in a new direction for ministry, I'm feeling a lot more like Peter.  I've been walking on water for about 28 months now, one miracle and leap of faith after another.  I certainly don't get credit for any of that.

I find myself, like Peter, wanting so bad to look back to the safety of the boat.  Remember?  That was Peter's "downfall."  He was unsure of his own ability to follow Christ and began to sink.

The further out I get, the more my spirit cries out for the boat.  The more a shrug off reasonable warnings, the more I hear the voices calling from the boat.  In just these last few weeks, the distractions have been incredible - from staff issues, to low worship attendance, to a flooded church building, to personal identity theft, to church budget strain, to antagonism from certain long-time church members, and back again. 

I've decided that in this denomination I love, there is one weakness to the United Methodist Connection that sometimes hinders ministry.  I could write for days on the benefits to being itenerant - both for the ministers and for the churches - but too often it becomes a safety net, or rather a safety raft.

The ability to cut-and-run is a temptation.  As a church member and staff member of other churches, I've seen it first hand.  When the heat gets too high or the challenges too great, everybody's got a way out.  The minister who feels overwhelmed can move to another church and start over with new circumstances.  The church that feels too challenged by the pastor can ask for him (or her) to move and start over with a new voice in the pulpit and the board meetings.

Does this stunt the growth of the church?  How many have been close to making a difference for God in the church or the community and have turned back to the boat?  How different would the world be if every minister was given a minimum appointment period of, say, 10 years?  Revolving door churches would be forced to consider working toward a vision.  Frequently moving pastors would be required to actually do something with their lives.

Don't share any of this with my bishop though.  While this has its merits, there are some places I wouldn't want to be "stuck" for 10 years.

In the meantime, I'm trying hard, against all odds, to keep my eyes locked on Christ and his purpose for my ministry and my life.  I'm putting one foot in front of the other and resisting the temptation to look back to the boat.  I know that I wouldn't be satisfied with the boat - so I keep moving forward, toward true satisfaction and fulfillment.

Thank God that when Peter sank, Jesus didn't let him drown.  That stained glass window I told you about, it showed Jesus pulling Peter back out again.  Thank God for the gift of grace and the opportunity to live perfect lives without the expectation that we will.

Building Booths

I know what you're thinking - two posts in one day?  Get outta here! 

I know, I know.  I haven't been to regular lately, but I'm sermon prepping today and I've got alot to say.

This Sunday is, liturgically speaking, Transfiguration Sunday.  It's the day that Mark 9:2-9 falls on the lectionary schedule.  This is a challenging text that isn't like anything else that Mark writes about.  It's purely experiential - God transfigures Jesus, Elijah and Moses appear, Jesus doesn't say a word.  After writing it, Mark probably should have said, "Well, you just had to be there."  Sometimes words just don't do justice to the story.

I've been focused on what Peter said as he witnessed this event.  He wanted to build shelters (or booths according to some versions).  Huh?  I've witnessed some great things, but I don't recall the urge to spontaneously construct a shelter to commemorate the event.

After digging into the background of the text, I found a reference to the Feast of the Tabernacles from Leviticus, also known as the Festival of the Lord.  If you're from certain parts of the country, picture a traditional campmeeting.  The Hebrew community would gather once a year, in the seventh month, for one week.  They would construct booths/shelters/tabernacles and stay in them for  eight days.  This was after the harvest had come in and the week would be a community sabbath. 

On the mountain, Peter wanted to build shelters for Jesus, Elijah, and Moses to provide them a place to stay.  He wanted not only to commemorate the transfiguration, but prolong it.

We do the same.  This story is why we often refer to our holiest moments as "mountain top experiences."  We try to prolong the heightened experience and even try to artificially recreate it later on.  Unfortunately, those intentions are always futile.  Eventually we all must come down off the mountain.

This is where true disciples are separated from the rest though.  When we return to regular life, can we remember the divinity of Christ and what that means for our faith?  Can we continue to be obedient even when not in the midst of the transfiguration?  It's simply not enough for Jesus to be a friend to us, a teacher, or a historical figure except for when we're on the mountain.  Jesus is still the Christ, whether we're in an intense, spiritually overwhelming worship service or in the shade of the valley, facing the challenges of life.

Fit for a King: A Challenge for 2009

This afternoon, I'm sitting in a coffee shop in Milledgeville, working on my sermon for Sunday.  It's been a busy week and I'm playing catch up on my day off while also trying to help my wife's family with readjusting the house for Nana's return home from the hospital. 

Despite the fact that I'm working some on my day off, I'm proud of myself for what I've accomplished this week.  It's been a busier week than usual and next week will probably be worse, but I've managed to fit in all of my exercise routines this week. 

The week after Christmas, I took my bonus check and went shopping.  I searched athletic stores, department stores, and cycle shops for a new bike.  I haven't had a bike since college and I've never ridden for the purpose of exercise.  I finally found a hybrid, billed to be sufficient for road riding and some moderate trails.  I downloaded a six-week plan to get me up to 10 miles and I've started to ride.

I've tried to lose weight before, always to no avail.  I ignore the scale and I dread visits to the doctor because I know I'm going to get the weight loss talk.  This year, I'm exercising and changing my eating habits for a different purpose - for faith. 

Every year, local gyms fill up in January and are usually empty again by February or March.  People everywhere try to lose weight and get healthy, and statistically, 55% of people that make a genuine attempt fail within six months.  Why?  Is it willpower?  Is it conflicts with our time?  I think it's motivation.

I've tried losing weight.  I fail because I want to thin down for selfish reasons.  I will succeed this time because my goals are based on the perception that my health is important to my faith and following God's will.  If I'm healthy, I potentially increase my life in length and depth.  I'll be more able to do what I need to now and I'll still be able when I'm 80.

I miss the days that I weighed less than 200.  Sure, I miss being able to walk around without a shirt and not disgust people, but even more, I miss the ability to keep up with others and not be short of breath or ready to die.  I miss the feeling I used to get after walking 18 or 36 holes of golf, riding a 10 mile mountain bike trail, taking a 3-day canoe trip, or playing backyard ball with friends.  I miss being able to outlast everybody else on a mission trip construction project.  I will be back to that.

This Sunday, I'm challenging my congregation to do the same.  Whether you're 9, 90, or anywhere in-between, there is a way that you can nurture your health, and in so doing, nurture your faith.  When we recognize our significance as part of God's creation and plan, we learn to love ourselves.  When we love ourselves, we understand what it means to truly love others as we love ourselves.  When we love others, we love God.

Right now, I'm 6'0" and 240 lbs.  My goal isn't 200 lbs.  My goal is to be healthier and more able.  I'll keep you posted on how I'm progressing and I invite you to join me in this challenge.  If you're in the area and you need some accountability, come ride with me.

Tommy, it's butt-kicking time!

New Starts

New things are brewing in my midst. I wish each of you could see them from where I'm sitting. God is at work in powerful ways and he has been faithful to provide the people and the resources necessary for fulfilling his vision at Mt. Bethel.

We are in a period of great transition. As I type, the members of the Lay Leadership Committee of the church are praying for, planning with, and contacting various servants that will comprise our leadership team for 2009 - some of which will serve in these positions through 2011. In addition, we are sending off our beloved choir director, Rachel Nichols. Rachel will be missed by the people of Mt. Bethel and the choir will definitely be affected by the loss of her gifts. I'll miss the opportunity to prepare for worship with her and bounce ideas off of her. Despite her departure, we move forward and look ahead to what God has planned next.

2009 will bring with it a core leadership team that is committing to meet regularly outside of doing business to pray together, study the word together, and support one another in the challenges that we will face. We will also find ourselves with a new choir director to bring a new set of gifts to our worship experiences and "potentially" an additional staff person to help us reach younger families.

Charge Conference is scheduled for early next month and once the new leadership has been affirmed by the congregation and all things are final, we look forward to beginning these next steps. I can hardly wait.

In many of my monthly pastors meetings, the standard practice before getting down to business is to have one pastor share a devotion/word of encouragement. In my meeting today, which I gleaned alot of good information from, the most poignant influence came from the devotion that wasn't an official part of the business.

The scripture shared came from Exodus 16. The Israelites, following God's vision and the leadership of Moses found themselves in the wilderness with no means for sustenance. They began to turn on Moses in their desperation, but after hearing from God, Moses told them of how God would provide - HE RAINED BREAD FROM HEAVEN!

How true is this in following the Spirit of God? God calls us out to the wilderness where all seems lost by our efforts and success seems bleak and then, miraculously, what and who we need is made available. That's why we rely on FAITH in God and not just understanding of God.

My prayer is that we continue to follow God into the wilderness of Henry County - that we faithfully and obediently do what he calls us to do and without hesitation. If we stick to the plan, God will provide.

What is God calling you to do? Where is he sending you? Don't think you've got to have all the answers before proceeding - you'll never get moving. Answer the call, count on God, celebrate what God is doing for us and through us.

Eye Candy

I know I'm writing less and bragging more, but I wanted to share some more pics of the kids. Apparently Camp Grandmom and Papa is going very well.