When the church goes dating

"No guy has the right to have a girl do him "favors" simply because he buys her dinner and a movie."

But there is a sense of entitlement that many times develops in relationships when a guy does a girl favors, in hopes she will reciprocate.

Most people know that this is not good when it comes to dating, but I have noticed that churches do "charity" in much the same way. When engaged in acts of giving or helping others we consider "needy" there is the unwritten expectation that those people will reciprocate by comming to church, and in short order getting saved. We are in fact inviting them out on a cheap date in hopes of getting something from them in return.

This leads to the very real sense in which we try to buy people for the kingdom. We put on community festivities, humanitarian projects,  and vacation bible schools, but these do not actually earn us a hearing for the Gospel. We don't actually have the right to expect people to come to church or listen to the Gospel, or have some extra push to make a profession of faith merely because we have done something for them. In fact, the real result may actually  be that we are attempting to exploit the poor, and though we may have helped a material need, there is shame in being used, and the victims of our charity will likely not darken the door of a church that has treated them like a cheap date.

On the other hand, if we simply develop real relationships with people and interact with them as human beings worthy of respect and dignity, then we will eventually find it natural to share not just the Gospel but our friendship, which they probably need more than our charity anyway.

Moral communities

A recent Christianity Today article caught my attention in a comment about what it means to belong to a moral community.  In the context of the struggle to find a Biblical and culturally aware stance on LGBT issues the presedent of Gordon Conwell said the following, 

"Voluntary, moral communities by definition require boundaries. Folks say, “I willingly place myself under the authority of this community if I’m going to be part of it.” I made that decision when I came to Gordon. I’m willing to relinquish my individual rights out of a shared commitment to what’s good for the community."

It caught my eye because I have been listening to a series of podcasts through the Old Testament (Torahclass.com) and as I listened through Leviticus 18 and 19, the statement was made that Holiness, by God's definition, looks a lot like morality.

Whether it was true in practice or not Israelite society was a moral community with strikingly clear, and somewhat stringent  boundaries, and yet it was never intended to be a closed community. Anyone could become a part of Israel if they willingly took on the moral commitments that marked it's boundaries.

That is something I wish was more deeply appreciated in the  church.  To recast the statement by the college president, the church is supposed to be a voluntary, moral community, which by definition requires boundaries. Believers should joyfully say, “I willingly place myself under the authority of this community if I’m going to be part of it, and furthermore I’m willing to relinquish my individual rights out of a shared commitment to what’s good for the community.

Too many people are doing what can be described as cohabiting with the church, like a couple who enjoy each other but are unwilling to make any real moral obligation to one another. So long as the church is meeting their needs, and making them feel good all is well but there is no intention of submitting personal interests to the needs of the community, and no community obligation to care for the individual.

God's expectation of his people has always been holyness.

And holyness looks a lot like accepting a voluntary but not arbitrary set of moral boundaries, in concert with a community equally committed to the same moral standards.

This is why church membership, which I have heard maligned a time or two recently matters, churches are extensions of the ultimate covenental community. To be part of the covenant without a commitment to it's local extension is contradictory, and to be part of the community without a genuine recognition of mutual obligation is absurd.

The church needs to have strikingly clear, and somewhat stringent moral boundaries, and yet the church is supposed to be the most accessible community on earth, if one is willing to submit to the standards.

Lessons from dead heroes

There is a lot to be learned from dead heroes. Historically the Pilgrims were a group of Christ followers who did not agree with the accepted way their culture viewed faith and holiness. Their willingness to do whatever it took to be free to follow Christ according to the dictates of their conscience as informed by the Word of God, finally resulted in the fatefull decision to make the hazardous voyage to the new world.

A few generations latter it was their decendants, the New England  Puritans, who were persecuting the Baptists, in ways that were very similar to the way their forefathers were treated by the church of England.

Dead heroes are often followed in such a way as to forget that God is ultimately in charge. Instead of being thankfull for a place where they could fellowship in peace, and share their bread, even with the non-believing native people, we were carving out settlements based on religious bias, Puritans here, Catholics there, Presbyterians over there, and the hated Quakers in their own little parcel.

They didn't trust each other, and they certainly didn't like each other.

In America today, religion has taken a back seat to political ideologies. And we are not realy devided by theology as much as we are by the apparent separation of skin color and cultural heritage. We think of these divisions as un-natural and wrong on some level.  Equality under the law is so much a part of our cultural heritage we think that is how God says it  works, and no matter who you side with in contemporary debates, we all want to get equal or better treatment than our perceived enemies.

Here is the thing, there are a bunch of dead heroes in Genesis 6. Men of renown, and they are collectively called "the dead guys" (a loose translation of the term "Nefilim"). God judged them all, and the summary of their greatness is eclipsed by their deadness.

God judged the entire lot of them, and he played favorites. It says that Noah found favor, that he was a God fearing man, and that God decided he was going to get preferential treatment.

The pilgrims made it to what we affectionately call, the first Thanksgiving, and praised God not just for the material preferential treatment. The few who were left alive, were most thankfull for having been given His favor.

All too often we consider ourselves blessed because we have what amounts to relative blessing, or preferential teatment. We are thankfull we have food, or clothing, or education or family, in contrast to those who don't. "We are blessed (of God)" we say.

But the dead heroes of Noah's day could have said the same thing. They did mighty acts married pretty women and were better than others in some way, and they all died in their sin, drowned in the outpouring of God's wrath.

Real blessings and their matching thanksgivings, are not measured well by comparison. God sends the rain on the just and the unjust, and one will face God's wrath while the other will not. It is the thoughts and intentions of wicked hearts that make us in our generation about the same as those of Noah's day, and God's judgement will come again, as in Noah's day with no warning, and the rich and poor, the have's and the have not's the oppressors and the victims will all together be swept away.

The pilgrims seems to have known this, they were thankfull not because they were better than their companions, as shown by preferential treatment or even equal standing under the law, but because of God's favor. Their decendants soon forgot that it was not their merit, but the character of the giver that we are to be thankful for.

We are not blessed because we live in a place were we can eat to excess, shop for frivolities, and live in comfort. We are not Gods favored because we have short term preferential or equal treatment. We are blessed if we can honestly recognize that God has shown favor for us, whatever our lot in life, he looks on us with favor.

And that is a small lesson from dead heroes. We cannot compare our merit by percieved preferential  treatment on some human scale. And we are not treated equally in God's justice system, It is not your lot in life you are to be thankful for, but the favor of God. It seems the Pilgrims got it, while the heroes of Genesis 6 didn't. Do we?

A taxonomy of Ranchitis

Ranchitis: noun, a condition typical of ranchers to have protracted conversations. Also known as diorea of the mouth.

A friend of mine coned the term "Ranchitis." There are some people you try to avoid if you don't have an extra half hour because they do not know how to have short conversations.  His theory is that like ranchers, people who don't get enough human interaction will try to milk conversations for all they are worth. Like ranchers on the highway who will actually stop on the highway roll down their windows and have 20 minute conversations.

I have several people who can have 20 to 30 minute monologues at me. And I have noticed that they tend to fit into different categories:

Lonely,  these can be widows or others who spend the majority of their time alone.  The conversations tend to be about their lives and experiences in the last few days, and seem to be reaching out for human contact.

Distressed, while some people who are having trouble don't want to talk about it, there are some who will share the details either because they feel better, or because they are looking for help. Some times people Are using their crisis as a way to get attention or sympathy, legitimate or otherwise.

Want to be sage, these characters have some well worn pearls of advice they want to unload on anyone who will listen.  It can vary from health to finances, to the farmers almanac. It is often repetitive and not realy interested in any input or suggestions from the audience.

Politicians, and I don't mean those running for office, but those who know that they actually could fix the problems with healthcare, education and the national debt. Often mostly complaining about their latest pet peave. 

Misguided evangelists, these are often pious sounding but extreamly insensitive people who will try to convince everyone they are headed to Hell if they have not "been saved" according to their understanding. 

The thing is that "being patient with all" is a Biblical command. And however people come across, we are called to minister the gospel.

 Even when we can't get a word in edgewise.

Mourning with those who mourn, and rejoicing with those who rejoice, often means that we need to spend a lot of time listening.

The ubiquitous Poor

Jesus said that the poor would always be with us. While he walked the earth, there were oportunities to do things directly for him, worship could be direct. But even then the majority of the time his emphasis was on helping us understand that our treatment of others is a good litmus test for our understanding of God.

In First John we are told that if you don't love the person you can see, there is no way you can love the God you haven't. 

The thing is that the poor are ubiquitous. Every place has them. Most religions make mention of them. All societies have to find a place for them. As often as not that means that like birds and grass and trees we stop seeing God's Creations and start assuming that people created to bear God's image are just part of the land scape.

I have made it a practice to try to be friendly and great the people around me here in these new surroundings. Some are surrley, one asked how I could be the pastor since I was too friendly to fit with this crowd, others are polite, some even friendly. But at that level it is still hard to see the individual human beings.

But this week I happened to ask how someone was doing, they walk through my yard every day, and admire my boys, but I finally had someone respond. I learned about loosing a job, and then a home and how the ratty shoes she wore were the only pair she had. 

I can't help "the poor." There are not enough resources to do that, "they" are everywhere. But my neighbor who needs new shoes I can help. I cannot get her a job, I cannot buy her a house, I cannot solve the myriad pains and heartaches. But I found a nice pair of hiking boots on sale, in her size and the look on her face when she put them on was priceless.

All too often people like her will not be back in church. It is rare that a life in that much turmoil simply finds God's grace through a visit to a church where they are out of place. But hopefully every step she takes for the next year will remind her that to at least one person she was not part of the scenery.  And Lord willing she will be in church, here or anywhere, a testimony to the grace of God for the ultimate poverty.

 Because we are everywhere, and God does not loose us amidst the scenery. And that is why our neighbors who are in some way poor in this life are so good for each of us. Because until we see individuals, and listen and care for them, we do not understand how God cares for us. And until Christ once again walks this earth, it is in sharing his riches with a needy world that we demonstrate, and prove our understanding of the Gospel.

The anomaly may be over

There has been an anomaly for the past few years. The words of Paul to Timothy that all who want to lead a godly life in Christ  Jesus will be persecuted, have by and large for the United States been a metaphor.  That anomaly has been teetering for a while, but it is now starting to crumble.

On social media there is a buzz about "persecution beginning" the simple reality is that for believers in Nigeria, that is actually not the case, for believers in most of Asia, that has not been the case, for believers in North Africa and most of the Middle East that has not been the case, we were the anomaly.

The fact that moral anarchy turns out to be A pressure point, is not new, the idea that tolerance tolerates anything but biblical conviction, nothing new. The idea that the church had better get good at producing lay leaders, because pastors are prime targets, not a novelty. Except in America.

And the answer? Not mysterious either. God is at work, and the Gospel is the power of God for salvation to all who believe.

Let's be ready!

"I don't think we are sinning"

"I don't think we are sinning." That is the statement made by a member if the congregation here who is living with a woman he is not married to. This is the same individual who said that he really appreciated the fact that I "stick to the Bible." 

The contrast beetween those two statements leaves me feeling just a bit confused. On the one hand we are surrounded every day by people who justify their sin. I am not sinning when I over eat, when I loose my temper, when I gossip about others . . .

What do you say to someone who has made up their mind based on their own opinions? The temptation is to spout off, to get angry, to become agressive in asserting the truth. But the words that come to mind are those of Paul to Timothy: 

24 And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil,

25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,

26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Because the goal of faithful shepherds is not to drive sinners from the church. If it were we could just lock the doors on Sunday and so long as we were outside then we would have succeeded. No, the goal of shepherd is to see people come to repentance, through the faithful and persistent I insistance on the truth. Gentleness, patience, and endurance of evil, for the sake of repentance, these are hard.

Especially when from the outside it is easy to see that they are, in the word of Paul, serving the devil. But that is Gods way, he is patient with sinners, gracious and merciful. By God's hand we will be also.

Maintenance and repair

Over the years I have heared a lot of people talk about burn out. But today I got to watch it first hand. Technically it was more of a melt down, but I over worked my poor weed eater to the point that the hard plastic cutting head litterally melted and fell off! That is what happens when you take a "light duty" tool and use it to try to dig out ten years worth of overgrown grass and weeds along a driveway.

The thing is there are no longer defined boundaries between the grass and the edge of the black top. There is a crusted muddy mix of chunks of rock, tar and roots. And the top of the driveway is in fairly bad shape as well. It took nearly three times the amount of surfacing agent to re-seal the cracks and divots and holes today, as it would have if there had been regular work done to maintain it over the years.

It is an apt metaphor for where we are at the moment. It isn't that there is nothing left  in the church. But the boundaries between the church and the culture have become so blurred that if I attempt to discuss church issues I will usually have to parry attempts to discuss politics, and social upheaval. Both are useful and necessary, but they have become a muddy mix of chunks of Bible verses, ethical preferences and constitutional law. There are no clear boundaries between the sacred and the profane.

And in response the light weight tools of Sundayschool and a Wednesday night Bible study with some prayer on top are not capable of cutting through that mess. My weed eater quit smoking, and I mounted a new head, one with special features that make it better, tougher and more agressive.

As people's lives are showing signs that the debri of decades of foolish living, and ungodly choices are not being unseated by the tools currently in use, and as I realize that I need to cover the Gospel three times more often and in much more detail just for the basic principles to soak in, I am starting too lok for better tools. 

Contrary to weed eaters however, people do not quit smoking and sit passive while I mount a new approach to the challenge of Godly stewardship in a pagan culture. People squirm, protest and reject wise council.  And contrary to weed eater repair, there is no simple and inexpensive aftermarket upgrade for the church.  The church is what God has given us to grow each member to fulness in Christ.  While a new approach to Bible study may help people think more deeply, and a better grasp of the Gospel will eventually transform even the mundane  choices of believer's hearts. The job before us is not to find a simple quick fix, it is to become richly saturated in true knowledge of God, and seasoned in the art of dependent obedience.

It's going to take a few more coats and more  trimming and edging to find, and preserve my driveway. It will take many more reviews of the Gospel and hundreds of patient hours of application, to restore and revive this body of believers.

But as of today, my driveway is better than it has been in years, and by Gods grace, so is His Church.

The crying need for superficial discernment

Don't misunderstand, we need deep penetrating analysis in this world. But the crying need that comes to my attention as I study this week is for a simple clarity on the Gospel and the Biblical undertanding of life that we can make sound superficial judgements. 

Let me explain I have seen a lot of trafic recently about conspiracy theories. The Government is alternately out to get us, or a total puppet of some more sinister - and unidentified - group of people. But overthrowing these sinister groups, or reforming the government we could fix the problems that ail us. This is a superficial understanding of their arguments, it doesn't take much time to scutinize their evidence or lack there of. 

But in the Christian understanding of government and history this either not news at all, we already know who the prince of this world is and he has already lost, or it is a bald face lie- by getting the government right we can establish heaven on earth.

This is a superficial analyliais, but it is dicernment. Simple non extraordinary discernment. The conspiracy theory doesn't march the Biblical paradigm. It is therefore, even on a superficial level wrong.

Or take the parade of prosperity preachers that insult the blood of Christ on a daily basis with the simple claim that God is on your side. Whether it is healing a special powers, wealth or another desire, God has your interests at heart. 

the Gospel demands that since Christ died for us we must live for him, and on it's face in a very simple disernment any thing that claims that God exists for us - any claim that doesn't involve dieing to self- is unworthy of the Gospel. This is superficial discernment it doesn't weigh whether or not there is much evidence for or against the claims, it just looks at it superficially and note the incongruity with the Gospel.

The nesesary tool is a simple yet well rounded grasp of the Gospel.  

And that it seems to me in my simple analysis is what we are missing.

Reframing our priorities,

Redeaming the time because the days are evil- is a concept that may elude us often in a time of overcrowded schedules an abundant labor saving devices. 

But it realy does boil down to reframing our priorities.

I sat down this week with a key law-enforcement figure in our town. This is a town of about 6000 people. We have more calls here than they do in the neighboring town of 2500. And that with les than a quarter of the staff. 

Here a hit of Heroin costs less than a case of beer. It is cheeper to be high than drunk. And  the resulting family disintegration is endemic and trans-generational. My law enforcement contact says he has arrested three and four generations in some of the families in town. Many of the kids here know him by name, as the guy who takes away their dad or stepdad after a fight.

He also said that 76% I this town simply refuses to see the problems, that they would rather not see the simple reality of the kids next door.

This week I will be preaching out of Timothy on the standards for godly leadership in the church. And  there is a theme that runs through scripture that is abundantly evident here: fathers and their children. 

The problems in our small town parallel the problem in many churches. Children run wild and the fathers are either clueless, or disengaged. The irony is that with a very blunt clarity Paul says to his young "son" in the faith and ministry, in effect "look at a guy's kids and how he runs his household, that is how you and your church will eventually end up.

I know that many people consider the pastorate a life calling to the expense of their children. And that many churches turn a blind eye to the behavior of a pastor's kids, "Becasue he is such a great preacher." 

But what Paul is calling us to is the reframing of our priorities- because the days are evil. People don't often ask me for help with sorting out their abstract Theology. The nature of God they could pass a test on. What they need is help with marriages, parenting and finances. 

And that is why Paul simply states that if you can't run your household well, you have no place shepherding a church. 

Pastor's kids are virtually a proverb, and while they may not all have been arrested  in turn here in Union City, there are generations of "churched" kids who are all running aground with their kids and marriages and finances in a desperate state. 

We need to re-frame our priorities around the home, and our measurements of success need to touch people where they live - because the days are evil.

It's not Ideal- it's ministry take2

(Some sort of formatting glitch prevented my first attempt from being legible so here is a second try- God Bless)
The church is not, ideally, a group of people who gather together to be served.  The church is a group of servants who gather together to be encouraged and find opportunity to serve. The church is not, ideally, a group of students gathering together to learn. The church is a group of teachers who gather together to clarify the message and inspire one another to teach. The church is not, ideally, a gathering of victims seeking advocacy and aid, but a group of ransomed captives seeking to build each other up in the ways of freedom. The church is not, ideally, an accountability group, rather it is a group of people who acknowledging their accountability before God, encourage and help one another to stand before Him. The church is, ideally, not a (conventional) charity. Charities are groups who minister out of dependence on human aid. Churches should see themselves as stewards of abundant God-given resources.

Of course the church we attend is not ideal.  All people come to church in deep human need, which is why a gathering of servants is also a place of service. We should understand that we are indeed the means by which God intends to minister to the needs of those assembled. All people come to church ignorant in some way of the truth. Which is why a gathering of teachers, is also the primary place of education. We should aspire to be the means that God uses to help someone else see the truth more clearly. All people come to church wounded, and sinful. Which is why a gathering of the redeemed is also commanded by God to aid victims in their distress, and to advocate for them before the Father. All people come to church rightly ashamed of their sin. Which is why a gathering of people who know that they stand ultimately before a holy God, is the ordained place to graciously shine the light of God’s truth into sinful lives. All people come to church dependant on God, and yet each part of the body is uniquely equipped and provided by God to administer the Grace of God. So the gathering of God’s people is a celebration of God’s great provision.

And that is why in the development of ministry philosophy and the practice of ministry, we must prioritize, not serving, but servants; not teaching but teachers; not social justice, but lovers of justice; not recovery groups, but counselors, not benevolence programs, but philanthropists.

So that speaking the truth in love, we [may all] grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, [will make] the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

(Ephesians 4:15-16)

It's not ideal - it's ministry

(Some sort of formatting glitch prevented my first attempt from being legible so here is a second try- God Bless)
The church is not, ideally, a group of people who gather together to be served.  The church is a group of servants who gather together to be encouraged and find opportunity to serve. The church is not, ideally, a group of students gathering together to learn. The church is a group of teachers who gather together to clarify the message and inspire one another to teach. The church is not, ideally, a gathering of victims seeking advocacy and aid, but a group of ransomed captives seeking to build each other up in the ways of freedom. The church is not, ideally, an accountability group, rather it is a group of people who acknowledging their accountability before God, encourage and help one another to stand before Him. The church is, ideally, not a (conventional) charity. Charities are groups who minister out of dependence on human aid. Churches should see themselves as stewards of abundant God-given resources.

Of course the church we attend is not ideal.  All people come to church in deep human need, which is why a gathering of servants is also a place of service. We should understand that we are indeed the means by which God intends to minister to the needs of those assembled. All people come to church ignorant in some way of the truth. Which is why a gathering of teachers, is also the primary place of education. We should aspire to be the means that God uses to help someone else see the truth more clearly. All people come to church wounded, and sinful. Which is why a gathering of the redeemed is also commanded by God to aid victims in their distress, and to advocate for them before the Father. All people come to church rightly ashamed of their sin. Which is why a gathering of people who know that they stand ultimately before a holy God, is the ordained place to graciously shine the light of God’s truth into sinful lives. All people come to church dependant on God, and yet each part of the body is uniquely equipped and provided by God to administer the Grace of God. So the gathering of God’s people is a celebration of God’s great provision.

And that is why in the development of ministry philosophy and the practice of ministry, we must prioritize, not serving, but servants; not teaching but teachers; not social justice, but lovers of justice; not recovery groups, but counselors, not benevolence programs, but philanthropists.

So that speaking the truth in love, we [may all] grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, [will make] the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

(Ephesians 4:15-16)

Laws of Human Dynamics

There are a lot of things that are true which Scripture makes Plain to us about human relationships.  Things like the sinfulness of man- which means that we by nature do thing that are contrary to the revealed will of God, and the depravity of man - which means that our propensity to sin extends to all areas of our lives.   These irrevocably play out in human relationships, when people do that which is contrary to the revealed will of God, and do so in all areas of their lives especially in the context of relationships.

Our eating is contaminated by the propensity to be gluttons. Our Work is contaminated with out propensity to laziness or greed, and our relationships are impacted by those problems and our tendency to want to control and use other people for our own ends, instead of treating others as we wish we were treated, and honoring others as fellow image bearers.

I recently have come upon something which I realized is an implication of those realities, I suppose you could call it the second law of human dynamics, but it simply states that a life in crisis will continue in crisis until acted upon by an outside force. People who sin habitually have regular problems. These problems are predictable (1 Cor 10:13).  But without outside intervention, they will normally spiral downward in a self destructive pattern.

Take an individual who regularly falls to the temptation to not submit to human authorities,  this being a part of God's revealed will it is a sin.  It will inevitably pop up at home, at work, while driving, and in relation to the landlord, because depravity extends the influence of sin to all parts of a person's life. Combine this with a lust for pleasure, or a desire for comfort and you have the makings of a really powerful feedback cycle, which begins to blame authorities for one's own lack of comfort that has been perpetuated by one's own difficulty submitting to human authorities.

As a simple example:
If I don't get along with the boss, my job, and pay will be at risk, if they are at risk so is my comfort, which means that it is really easy to blame the boss for my electrical bill not getting paid.

And that is where people call the church, and I get to listen to them talk about how badly they have been treated ( which is likely since if you sin against the boss, he will likely sin in return ). The problem is, most of the time, people do not want the Biblical solution to their sin, they want the church to cover for it, to sympathize and provide money to bail them out of their problem.

The answer is actually very simple, we need to encounter God's Grace, a force so powerful it can work repentance in even the most hardened of hearts.  But to share God's grace is often a slow and painful process.  And that is where I am tempted, to not take on another hurting heart, or to give handouts instead of the Gospel.  My temptation's are also common to man, and show up in many areas of my life.

Which is why I need your prayers, that the Grace of God would continually impact my life, and work God's mercy and compassion and wisdom through my life, that it may pour in abundance on the hurting lives I encounter every day.

Imaginary money

It has been an annoyance to me before that church budgets are based almost entirely upon imagination.

At the beginning of the year we sit down and say, "what shall we put in the budget?" And then we hope and pray that God will honor our presumption. 

This manner of managing finances has come around and gotten me again. In this case the adhock budget we ended up with in the transition last year was based upon what we wanted to spend, not on a reasonable projection of what might come in, which made it quite inflated to begin with, And then none of the missions giving was factored into the budget so that on the improbable cenario that we actually made budget, we would be spending at a rate of 110%.

And then we had bad weather in January.

In other words we added deficit spending to unrealistic expectations.  

Now I am new at this, but that can't be good, especially since I was measuring our fiscal health by seeing if we were close to meeting budget, not realizing that the math had evaded our second largest line item.

So I am going to bring a proposal to the church this week which will run our reports based on actual money in hand, and include the missions giving. All that taken into account I need to ask for a pay cut of close to 45%. Which means that I will be applying for  another part-time job or two. 

Because in the end I can't run a church, or feed my kids, on imaginary money.

The good news is that if we grow even modestly, we should be able to turn this situation around. So please pray for us to reach new people with the Gospel and see them join our church.

And while you are at it, pray for VBS that starts in a week. I would love to see some kids come to Christ and some parent too if God wills.

The Dilemma of the "Good Man"

"What Happens to a vulnerable woman in a room full of good men?"

That is the question posed by a recent sexual assault prevention training. The answer: she will be treated with decency and taken care of.

But . . .

If my Bible is accurate . . . there is none good, no not one.

So in real life a vulnerable woman will never walk into a room full of good men. She will inevitably walk into a room full of flawed and imperfect men. Men who might take advantage of her.  And so it is common for women to spend a lot of time thinking defensively.

What is a flawed imperfect man, who wants to honor God's commands to do when he is approached by a vulnerable woman, or child?  Ironically "good men" need to spend a lot of time thinking defensively as well.

This is a question not of character, and not even of what people should do or ought to do in a perfect world.  This is not a question of intentions or of appearances it is  in fact the dilemma of the "good man."

If we can use the term "good" in the relative sense, not of moral perfection but of general integrity and character in keeping with God's design. A "Good" man know he is flawed and imperfect, and so will set up boundaries and prepare his heart to resist temptation.  But it must go much further. A good man must also set up expectation and situations when he will engage and not sit by passive. 

I was reminded strongly of that this afternoon.  I was handing out VBS  invitations in a local neighborhood.  When two third grade girls decided to help me. I had just spoke with their mother, and invited them to attend our VBS. And they took it upon them selves to introduce me to their whole neighborhood. 
 "That house has kids!" 
"You should go invite them" 
"I don't like that house it has an old guy that scares me."
" I just love the dog at this house"

While I appreciated their help, it left me in a very awkward position. I am walking through an unknown neighbor hood with two female, minors -uninvited - but quite closely attended non the less.  What is a good man to do?

Several times I suggested that they might need to get their mothers permission to be this far from home,

"It's OK we can come this far if we are with and adult, and you are an adult, so that makes it OK."

I followed all the other rules I have in the back of my head for such situations, I stayed outside in the open, around other people, but I was reminded by the sheer awkwardness that some situations should be harmless, like two kids introducing me to their neighbors, but they are not . . .

Because regardless of intentions, actions, or events, all it takes for a "good man" to loose all credibility is for someone to say something in a situation just like this one.  And so from now on I need a visitation partner, I need to watch what I say and do more carefully. Because no matter who I am, no matter what my intentions may be . . . There are vulnerable people out there . . . and I need to protect my self, in order to serve them.

 Please continue to pray for wisdom, as Pastoral ministry has dozens of blind spots, in counseling, public speaking, and it turns out, in handing out VBS flyers.

Pray for us

I always have found that phrase at the end of Ephessians to be a necessary reminder of the humanness of the apostle, and by extentssion of my deep need for others to pray on my behalf.  Yet it amazes me to realize that so few of us spend time praying for each other.

We pray for those who are sick, and we pray for those who are missionaries, but our focus is not on the proclamation  of the Word but on the comfort of our bodies.  

This week has been full of hurting bodies, hurting hearts, and hurting spirits. As we have reached out to our community we have encountered more and more brokenness, financial  struggles, and relational travail. There is cancer and heart disease, divorce and job loss, all of it drawing out pity and soliciting funds.  And in the midst of it my need is most fundamentally that I have a team of people praying that I may speak the Word of God with boldness and clarity as I ought.

Brooks bodies will heal, but only for a while.

Broken hearts will begin to trust and over again, but there will be more pain.

A new job will eventually be found, but it will change.

The financial crisis will pass, and another will come.

But the promise of hope in the Gosspel will not ever spoil, or fade, it is secure in heaven with all the blessings of God in Christ. The restoration and renewal of the Gospel transcends the physical pain, overcomes the broken heart, and gives meaning and comfort in any financial woe.

And that is why I need your prayers, that I may be given words and the courage to speak them, in a timely way.

What were you thinking?

Really, "What were you thinking?"I have been tempted to say that several times in the last week. I am beginning to win the opportunity to speak into people's lives, and some of what lies beneath is just what it looked like from a distance, silly sheep stuff. 

Much of the pain in people's lives could be avoided if we knew how to think Biblically. If we added to love for God and neighbor  a healthy helping of God given knowledge, and with that framework in place, we practiced the energy intense discipline of wisdom.

The flip side of that was a conversation this week where I asked a young man what he was thinking. Specifically I asked him when he thought the Gospel had finally made sense to him, he pointed at the passage we were studying in Romans 5 to the word "righteousness" and said "Right about there."  "And what are you thinking we need to do next?" I asked him. "Get baptized." He replied pointing to the note from Matthew 28 scrawled in our notes.

I'm glad I asked.

Hurting parents, and a great God

A good friend from years ago lost a baby this week, a day after giving birth. A father in my church lost his oldest son (an adult) to cancer this week. A mother asked me for advice on how to encourage a daughter in a marriage she was warned against, and is now headed in a dangerous direction. A father I spoke with this week is still emotionally raw from his son's suicide two years ago.

That was one weeks worth of parental anguish.

There are no human answers to some of that pain, but God is faithful. This morning I read through Phillippians for the people in church, for many it was the first time in their lives they heared more than a few verses. The flow of hope in pain, purpose in suffering and joy under pressure is easy to miss when out of context. What is meant to bring hope can be turned to guilt and shame, but this morning we saw pure joy shining from a man who did not know if he was going to live or die, who knew physical pain personal betrayal and intense physical need. And yet he knew it was God who was going to bring it to completion for the glory of God.

As I think about the parents in pain this week, I am relieved by the knowledge that it is God who works all things out, not me. I do not carry people's burdens God does. I am not the one who finds answers to people's problems. I am merely the vessel God is the one who does the saving. So I can minister to people with hope and confidence, not in my answers, but in God's.

Learning to Lean Hard

"Child of My Love! Lean hard! Let Me feel the
pressure of your care. I know your burden, child!
I shaped it- I poised it in My own hand and made
no proportion of its weight to your unaided strength.
For even as I laid it on, I said I shall be near, and
while she leans on Me, this burden shall be Mine,
not hers. So shall I keep My child within the circling
arms of My own love. Here lay it down! Do not
fear to impose it on a shoulder which upholds the
government of worlds! Yet closer come! You are
not near enough! I would embrace your burden,
so I might feel My child reposing on My breast.
You love Me! I know it. Doubt not, then. But,
loving me, lean hard!"

Octavius Winselow

I was struck by this meditation on God's Sovereign care for us  read the rest of it here: ( http://www.gracegems.org/3/lean_hard.htm )

God knows us and desires our heart, and contrary to the popular notion that one who loves us would make our lives easy, God makes our lives harder that he may draw us to himself.

The goal of the life of a servant of God is not to be "successful" in life or ministry, it is to know God. That is, at least in part, why Christ died.  That we may know him (1 John 5:20), because true life is knowing God (John 17:3).  And we will never know our creator and sustainer if we are not conscious of our need for his care.

Several times in the past week I have had different people tell me not to give up. And as we have had a couple of weeks of illness, and the boys are not sleeping well for various reasons, we are all exhausted. It is easy to think about how huge the task ahead feels.
This week also I had a conversation that showed me just how little trust I have gained, and how scattered this little flock is theologically, feeding mostly on TV preaching of a wide and dubious array. We lack unity because we are not just listening to every wind and wave of doctrine, but we are following and listening to these voices because we have not gotten to know the one voice, the voice of the shepherd who burdens us and pains us so much that we must rely on his care, that we may learn his voice.

And in that I was reminded that I am the one who must lean hard, and lead my family to lean hard, and lead this little flock to lean hard, on the one who shaped our burdens, so that we could not carry them alone.

Thanks for reading,

Lean hard

Marriage Matters

I was not shocked exactly, the problems with a Biblical view of Marriage are evident in this church. Surprised isn't the right word, I have seen plenty of people not comprehend the issue from a Biblical issue. Perplexed may be the term by the overtly unbiblical basis for defending the need to perform weddings between believers and unbelievers. The justification is that God has redeemed it in the past and therefore we would be limiting the most obvious means of getting people saved. 

It is an evangelism strategy! In fact I have heared it stated two ways recently: The first is the one just mentioned, that if we get people married in the church, we can get them in the Kingdom through the back door. The second says that if you have grand children being raised in a Cult, your prayer should be that they have a nice Christian girlfriend so that they can get married and then get saved.

What follows is the idea I am going to try to communicate, please read it over and let me know if I am on the right track.

Marriage between a Christian and a non Christian

The reduction of marriage as a means to an end is different than the pagan version where marriage is meant to make me happy, but it reveals a complet and utter misunderstanding of the Gospel purpose of marriage.

Fundamental to this Gospel purpose is the third of the 10 Commandments. The people of God are bearers of His Name. As such we are to  be holy as he is holy, and because of that there should be, I dare say, must be a clear division between the people of God and the people of this world. This definition is not just a retorecal one based on a membership rolle in a church somewhere, but must be, as John the Baptist so descriptively put it, bearing fruit in keeping with repentance. That holy ness is born out by a life that is different. 

The Lord's Prayer says the same thing, we desire that God's name be held in honor here, and that necessarily implies that the one who prays both honor and be honorable. 

That high regard for the holyness of the name we bear is the root of the command in 2 Corinthians 6:14. If we are holy to The Lord we should in no way be linked to unbelievers as spiritual equals. Don't be yoked together, two cannot walk together unless they be agreed, and there can be no fundamental agreement between one who lives for God and one who lives as his enemy. There can be no partnership, no fellowship no accord between Christ and the devil. If we are to be God's then we must be separate from the world!

Failure to do this is the presumption of Solomon. God warns that intermarriage inexorably benefits the kingdom of Darkness, and leads the faithful astray. For this sin Ezra was appalled, and cried out to God for mercy in his great prayer of Repentance (Ezra 9:1-15).  Repentance in this case was made clear by immediate divorce!  For this same sin Nehemiah beat cursed and pulled out the hair of people (Nehimiah 13:23-29). In the face of this evidence I find it hard to believe that the Righteous marrying the unrighteous was a means of gaining support for the work of God.

To top it off Ephesians 5 indicates that the point of a Christian marriage is a picture that is inseparable from Christ and the Church. While that doesn't mean that pagans cannot have good marriages, it means emphatically they cannot have Christian ones. Only two believers can enact the dance of fellowship, sacrifice, servant headship and glorious submission that reflects Christ and the Church. To put it simply if you don't know God, you cannot love (agape) that way (1 John 4:7-8).

Which brings us to the amazing Grace that is found in 1 Corinthians 7. As the early church started reaching pagans with the Gospel it was no longer possible to separate the People of God from the World by ethnic heritage. And suddenly we had Christians who got saved long after getting married.  What to do? How can you come out from among the pagans while sleepng with one at night? The historical pattern was to divorce them because they were followers of a pagan God. But Paul in 1 Cor 7 says that is not necessary -although it is allowed even when divorce between Christians is strongly opposed!- so long as they will live with you. And Peter expands on that by instructing wives on how to model the Gospel for unsaved husbands (1Peter 3:1-2).

1 Corinthians 7:39 though includes a phrase about getting married, specifically re-married. "Only in The Lord"  This clarification in a passage where earlier he had said they need not divorce an unbelieving spouse accentuates that even though they may have gotten saved after marrying an unbeliever, once saved they are expected, even required to marry within the faith.

The gracious exception that allows a believing spouse to not divorce a pagan, that allows a Christian to remain married to an unbeliever even though that goes against the principle of holyness , and separation from being yoked with the ungodly, is a grace extended to those married already at their conversion. And not after.!

A quick word to those who did marry an unbeliever. There are three ways that a person can wind up in this difficult problem. Ignorance, deception and presumption. 

You may have willfully choose to marry an unbeliever, and this is presumption, which if unrepented of, calls into question your profession of faith in Christ

You may have knowingly married an unbeliever, at a time when you did not understand the Biblical injunction. It was a sin, a missing the mark, yes but it is covered by the promises of 1John 1:9. Recognized and confessed it does not stand between you and God nor should it be between you and the church. And the principles of 1 Cor 7 apply.

You may have gotten married to someone you believed to be a Christian, but they latter proved by their way of life to be unrighteous and unrepentant, prooving themselves to be unsaved. 1 Cor 7 applies. And the point of this writing is to help people avoid the misery that results from this mistake.

, 

Things I didn't see coming

Serious conversation about Big Foot as the proof that spiritual things are real. The teaching that the ark has thousands of people on it to account for all the races of people. Taking second place to Joel Olsreen on Sunday mornings. 

None of these things are all that big of a surprise in the big picture. But together they make for a picture of a church in very poor health. We are on a project that will take almost more un-learning than learning to get back to a sold Biblical foundation.

Please pray for three things that are coming up here soon. 

The review of the constitution. The document we have right now has prevented At least five potential members from joining due to poor wording.  In addition it needs to reflect the current social and legal issues to help us grow. But it is change and change is hard.

Pray for the small group that is going with me to a church revitalization conference next week. Pray for them to catch a vision for what could be.

Pray for the "revival" meetings the end of the month. To help encourage the church to a spirit do reconciliation and grace.

Thanks for your prayers.

Endurance

They shall run and not grow weary . . .

And this month our prayer will in part be that we be able to do just that. Every weekend is busy for the next five weeks. We have a lot of great opportunities coming up, uotreach events, development of the core group at church a new men's study, a women's retreat a mini- revival series and the regular Docket   of church activities.  

I will hopefully get my sub license here soon and be able to start working in the local school district, and supplement the meager tax return this year and finish paying off the remnants of Dayton repairs and plan for a family reunion in Idaho this summer. 

Please pray for us that we would retain a strong sense if gospel clarity in the midst of the movement. Pray for the men of the church to benefit from this study. Pray for the women of the church to connect well on the retreat, and pray that with these first halting attempts we might reach lost people with the Gospel.

Render to Ceasar

One of the ironies of the Christian world view is the juxtaposition of the sovereign hand of God over the affairs of sinful men. 

And there is nothing like tax season to make that reality sting. We just finished ours and found that the civil government gets a much bigger chunk this year.  That, combined with a very expensive year ,means that as a family we need to be very frugal  this year.  

The church is in the same situation, only in many ways it is harder. We are going to need to be very frugal, and yet the no way out of this bind is to be investing in out reach and evangelism.  In the end we are in God's hands.

I am planning on seeking out substitute teaching positions and see if we can supplement a bit. As well as get the church to re-structure their budget process to save as much as possible.

I am praying for some younger families to join our church with a generous spirit and the desire to work. That would aid in this process tremendously. 

Sliding backwards

We had a several guests this Sunday. One of them a young man who showed up last week and offeeed to help shovel our parking lot, and then came back for church. His face tells enough to know that he has a rough story, but he has been back twice now of his own accord.  So we have at least one new face in the small group. 

The othe news is that we are running a very high out-go to in come ratio. That is not good.  And as I have told the people here it doesn't stem from people who lack in faithful giving, it has to do with trying to maintain  a facility that is meant for 200 with only 35 or so in attendance. We are drifting slowly backward. The challenge is that we will rapidly be out of money if we don't reverse that trend. 

This is not a surprise, but it is cause for prayer, pray for wisdom as we seek to change the tragectory and culture of a church. Pray for God's favor as we seek to reach new people with the gospel and incorporate them into a church that is losing ground .

A Renewed Request for Prayer

IT  has been a while since most of you have heard from me.

A lot has change for us in the past several months. We are no longer working directly with a church plant in Dayton OH. We are now working with a church in Union City OH.

Many of you have prayed for us over the years, and if you are getting this update as mail-chip feed in your in box. I took the liberty of thinking you might want to hear from me again!  (Just unsubscribe if you don't want to)

We are in the process of taking a church that has been struggling for many years in a small town and attempting to breath new life and fresh vision into the lives of existing Christians, and begin to reach out to the community on a number of levels.

I am also still working with the Air-Force reserve so we have no shortage of things to do!
The point of this particular blog and of getting your email connected to it, is to ask that you take a second when you receive this and subsequent emails to pray, and then delete it form you inbox.

We need your prayers.  My concern is that this small church is representative of a lot of small churches and pastors who are disconnected and isolated and will simply burn out without the support of a praying community.

If you are like me you get dozens of prayer requests every week, from ministries and missionaries, so I thank you for the extra minute of you time to pray with a bit more information for the work at
First Baptist Church Union City  Thanks,

And God Bless

Snow,

We are having a record setting year so far. Some say that it is the hardest winter in 20 years. All I know for sure is that the boys have enjoyed the plentiful snow. 

It is often like that in life it seems. The things that are good for us, like abundant water for the crops, come with a lot of extra work, like shoveling. God rarely misses an opportunity to care for our development and maturing even in the midst of his grate at blessings. Children bring sleep deprivation, and snuggles in the same package, and often at the same time.  And friends bring help and laughter, and tears and sorrow. All of these  come from the hand of A God who knows us better than we know ourselves. Who pushes us and prods us to maturity, mixing joy and sorrow in every cup, so that we may learn to trust him.  He is good, after all, he did make snow men possible!