Out the Door

Your God is Too Safe

I've started reading Mark Buchanan's book Your God is Too Safe.  He doesn't waste any time but gets right to the heart of the matter in the very first chapter.

Most Christians I know are stuck.  We feel caught in jobs we barely endure and often despise, in relationships that plunder us and baffle us and deepen rather than remove our aloneness, in activities that are soul wizening in their triviality and yet insatiably addictive.  We squander jewels and hoard baubles.  We experience harrowing emotions over mere trifles and can barely muster a dull ache over matters of shattering tragedy.  We feel we've no time and no energy for the things that we know matter deeply, even eternally, but waste much time in silly stultifying diversions:  We are impatient with our child's longing to spend ten minutes with us at bedtime, but then fritter away and hour in idle telephone chatter or two hours watching the latest studio-produced inanity on video.  We gossip, even though we've made repeated resolves not to.  We envy, resent, judge, avenge, sulk, and overeat.  We read "People" magazine--maybe even "Playboy"-- and "FutureShop" flyers, but not our Bible much.  We feel that everyone else has more money, longer vacations, newer cars, nicer clothes, and fewer things going wrong with their hot water tanks, automobiles, and children than we do.

We wonder where the freedom is for which Christ set us free.  And this secret fear haunts us:  Is everyone else fulfilled, and I'm the only one who's not?  Or even worse:  Is no one fulfilled, and we are all just playing out a charade that we are?

Buchanan paints a bleak picture of the average Christian.  Sadly, I think there's more truth in his words than I care to admit.  I know I have frittered away time on trivial things and then complained I don't have enough time for the important things.  I have envied the "good life" that others seem to live rather than counting my blessings.  I have wondered why pictures of starving children don't move me more, while I can throw a tizzy-fit over the most meaningless problems.  And the only hope I see of ever changing is by throwing myself at the mercy seat of God's throne.

Way too much time in the hospitals

I've always made visiting people in the hospital one of my priorities.  But this week was crazy.

On Tuesday morning, I drove to Iowa City to see a member who had be airlifted to the university hospital the night before.  While traveling along Interstate 80, I was passed by an ambulance bearing another member who was being transferred there.  I immediately checked in at the emergency room when I got there and spend time with the patient and her mother until other family arrived.  I then went upstairs to be with the other member and his family.  I got back home about 1:00 p.m.

Eight hours later, I was back in the car headed to Iowa City again.  This time to meet our son Josh there.  While playing softball in the rain, a bat slipped out of his best friend's hands and had hit him in the face breaking his jaw.  By the time we had seen 4 or 5 residents in the ER, and they had taken xrays, it was 4 a.m. when we arrived back home.

Wednesday noon I called my parents to let them know what happened and found out that my dad was in the hospital because his blood pressure skyrocketed.  He's doing ok now.  Thanks be to God.

Yesterday, it was back to IC for the third time in three days.  This time so that Josh could have a plate put in and his mouth wired shut.

While we were in the pre-op room, a friend of ours & his wife came in.  He was having prostate surgery.  While Josh was in the operating room, I stopped to see a pastor friend of mine whose daughter was undergoing some tests on her liver.  I also checked in with the families of the two members of my congregation.

This morning it was off to Des Moines with stops at Mercy and Lutheran hospitals. 

I've spent the afternoon at home working on my sermon and taking care of Josh.  He's doing amazing well, though he still in quite a bit of pain.  In fact, I have to wrap this up so I can puree some homemade chicken & noodle soup for him.  Please keep Josh in your prayers.

What our budget means

I was reviewing the church budget the other day in preparation for putting together 2008's.  To help see where the money goes, I divided the budget into nine categories:

Administration
Apportionments
Buildings
Evangelism
Discipleship
Fellowship
Pastoral Support
Missions
Worship

Ranking them from highest to lowest expenditures, they appear in this order.

Pastoral Support
Administration
Buildings
Apportionments
Discipleship
Worship
Evangelism
Missions
Fellowship

I've heard it said that you can truly tell people's priorities by looking at their calendar and their checkbook.  If the same principle were applied here, what kind of conclusions might one draw about our congregation's priorities?  Now certainly, the money budgeted alone doesn't tell the whole story and I don't want to take this point too far, but I do think it's a fair question.  After all didn't Jesus say, where your money is, that is where your heart will be also? 

Grace & Truth

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth....For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  John 1:14 & 17 (NIV)

There's obviously a connection between grace and truth.  Both flow out of the very nature of God which is love.  While Jesus was able to keep them in perfect balance, it's a struggle for us to do so.

Some people lean more to the grace side.  They first question that ask themselves when faced with an interpersonal dilemma is "What is the the loving, grace-filled thing to do?"  These folk are caring, nurturing people who desire that others feel accepted and loved.  Clearly, they are following Jesus' example.  However, if they lean too far toward grace, they can become wishy-washy and God's truth is lost in their niceness.

Other people, like me, tend to lean more to the truth side.  The first question asked when facing a interpersonal dilemna is "What Biblical truth is applicable to this situation?"  Truth-side people desire that justice prevail which can only happen when all the facts are known and logic is applied.  They don't forget that the way is narrow that leads to life, (Matthew 7:13-14).  However, if they lean too far toward truth, they become hardnosed and rigid.

It seems to me that the key is to find the kind of balance between grace and truth that Jesus' life exemplified.  Jesus reached out in love and acceptence to those others rejected, offering them grace.  He also stated clearly that the laws of God were to be obeyed.

I've heard it said that people don't care how much you know, until the know how much you care.  Caring without communicating God's truth is sentimentialism.  Communicating truth without caring is authoritarism.

God, help me be full of GRACE and TRUTH.  Amen.

Sunday school kickoff

This coming Sunday completes the trifecta of big events which start off our fall programs with a bang.  Last week, PROS (People Relying On our Savior) drew 69 jr. & sr. high youth.  Julie & I tagged along for a hayrack ride and progressive supper.  It's really an incredible sight to see all these young people piling off the racks and rushing to the food line.  Talk about controlled chaos!  It was great!

Yesterday, GEMS (Girls Everywhere Meeting our Savior) and Cadets gathered in the sanctuary along with many of their parents.  The kids (2nd - 6th grade) sang some fun songs with great actions.  Made me want to get up and dance with them.  I haven't heard how many kids were there, but I do know that wasn't much room in the stage area for very many more.

Sunday begins our Sunday school program.  We have a new projection system set up in the sanctuary and moved the old projector over to our family center, both which will be used for the first time on Sunday.  We expect a big crowd to turn out for the kickoff event.  In the past, the New Sharon church has had more individuals in Sunday school than in worship.  We also adding 3 adult discipleship classes that will be held on Sunday and Thursday evenings.  I'm teaching LifeKeys and Marvin is teaching Beginnings on Thursdays.   Nicky is teaching Experiencing God on Sunday evening.  Another class will come on line in October.  This is new territory for the congregation, so I'm praying that people will take advantage of these opportunities.  It's our hope that when people bring their children to the Thursday evening programs, they will stick around and invest some time in their own spiritual growth.  I'll let you know how it turns out. 

Ocean Grove Camp defends its beliefs in court

Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association has filed suit in federal court to prevent New Jersey from forcing it to violate United Methodist beliefs and doctrines.  This suit is in response to a suit brought by two homosexual couples who wanted to use the Camp's worship facilities to host their wedding.  Since the United Methodist Church holds that "homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching" and that marriage of homosexuals is expressly forbidden, the Camp stood up for these beliefs and refused to allow their facilities to be used for this purpose.

Rather than seeking a place that would allow their "wedding" to take place, the couples filed suit against the Camp claiming discrimination.  The Camp countered that they have the First Amendment right to not be forced by the government to violate its beliefs.  This is why "separation of church and state" is of absolute importance.  If the government can say that the church's stance on homosexuality "marriage" is illegal, then the government can say that the church's stance on any other issue is illegal.  In the end if this is allowed to go forward unchecked, all that would remain are churches which tow the government's line or underground churches which face harassment and persecution.  Christianity in America would become much like the churches that existed under the Nazis or the Communists.   

I applaud the Camp for doing the right thing.  By standing up and not buckling in to the pressure brought by the State they make it possible for churches across our nation to remain true to the gospel.  And whether one agrees with their position or not, no faithful person can want the government to dictate doctrine to the Church.

HT: John the Methodist