Thursday, April 29, 2010
I don't know exactly what it is. I have a hard time pinpointing it. But it was brought to my attention again today.I'm down in Indiana for my sisters' wedding. She's marrying a great guy. We're all happy for her. And there's a bunch of our family getting together for this time. We have Doepkens from Indy and Alaska and Portland and Colorado. Today, when one of the relatives saw Samuel, she said, "I thought he was Charlie (another "Doepken") because he had the Doepken walk." And someone went on to say, that Samuel walked like Charlie who walked like Bill who walked like Tony who walked like Jim...me. And this is right. There's something about the Doepken walk.
It's not quite a mosey. Maybe it's a shamble. Saunter makes it sound far too planned.
But there is a distinctive walk that we Doepken men seem to have.
Maybe it's a shuffle.
Maybe it's a genetic thing and our bodies are just shaped in such a way that we all walk exactly the same. It could be long tosos that make it happen. Perhaps we're just lazy walkers and there's not much spring in our step. Is it nature or nurture. Were we born this way or did we just learn to walk like this by watching our own fathers.
Maybe we're just meandering.
Nevertheless, we have three generations of "Doepken walkers" and I think my dad's dad had the same walk if I remember correctly. Clearly this is something that's passed down to our kids. Maybe Samuel can break the cycle...
But when it comes down to it, a style of walk is a pretty innocuous trait to pass along. There are a lot of other things that get handed down, generation to generation that cause problems: poor self-image, anger issues, alcoholism or drug addiction. And there's lots of good stuff too: faith, and love, and respect.
I hope and pray that, beyond the Doepken walk, I have lived...and am living...my life in such a way that my kids will want to replicate the good traits of my life.
Says Deuteronomy 4:9:
Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.Maybe it's a sashay. That sounds fun.
1) The Missional Church -- The church exists to be missionaries in the culture of which it's a part.
2) The Emerging Church -- This is harder to define but is a "deconstructed," post-modern way of looking at church. It is closely tied with the Missional Church.
3) Red-Letter Christians -- This is a movement to save the church from both left and right partisan politics by focusing on the words of Jesus (the "red letters") and living according to his words. It recognizes all of Scripture as inspired but uses the life of Christ as the lens through which the rest of Scripture is viewed.
4) Servant Evangelism -- The notion that acts of love have a positive change on communities and is what brings persons into a relationship with Christ.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Alan Hirsch has the following quote:
I just read this quote and was, of course, forced to reflect on my pastoral experiences at the three churches I've served--Frankfort Trinity UMC in Indiana, the United Methodist Church of the New Covenant in Kenai, and Girdwood Chapel in, as you know, Girdwood, Alaska. This is one area that I think I've struggled with and I'm not sure I could use this space to get at all of the reasons. However, I do know that I've been uncomfortable asking "too much" of people. I don't want to seem pushy and perhaps I really don't want the Jesus I preach and teach to come off as too pushy either. And so, I often give up and just do whatever it is that I was trying to get others to do (or others to do with me). And, I confess that I can get disappointed. I get disappointed in myself for not being a better disciplemaking pastor and I can get disappointed in others when I expected more from them. While I would not be one to say it, I can be like the very paternalistic parent who is thinking of telling their child, "I'm not angry with you. I'm disappointed in you." These are words that hurt more than anger any day--and more often than not I think that of myself (not in an unhealthy way, I think).
Now, I think, personally, I've been doing better here. I know that I've gotten more heavily involved in community outreach over the past few years. It has always been something that I was passionate about but it seemed like I wasn't putting any legs to this passion...I may have been thinking it and believing it, but I wasn't really doing it. And, as pastor, I love it when I see persons step out in faith and lead by their example--when they adopt a child through World Vision, when they give up time in their life where they would have been doing other things and give that time in service to God and other persons, when they are with me in a Bible study or topical study and you can tell that the Holy Spirit is just really working within them and that they are "getting it" (growing, learning, being sanctified in the faith). Those times do my soul good. It is truly good for me when that takes place.
That being the case, however, one might assume that I'd be seeking more times and places like that...that I'd be asking more of persons and I'd be calling to persons of greater discipleship better.
For my present environment in Girdwood (and it's come out in a couple of other places), I know that our building and all of the needs that come with that have taken our time, and our talents, and our energy. It's kind of hard to make disciples when you're building a building. This quote from Michael Slaughter's Change the World hit home with me tonight as I reflected and prayed about all of this:
The quality of the church's leadership is directly proportional to the quality of discipleship. If we fail in the area of making disciples, we should not be surprised in the area of leadership development.
Now, I think, personally, I've been doing better here. I know that I've gotten more heavily involved in community outreach over the past few years. It has always been something that I was passionate about but it seemed like I wasn't putting any legs to this passion...I may have been thinking it and believing it, but I wasn't really doing it. And, as pastor, I love it when I see persons step out in faith and lead by their example--when they adopt a child through World Vision, when they give up time in their life where they would have been doing other things and give that time in service to God and other persons, when they are with me in a Bible study or topical study and you can tell that the Holy Spirit is just really working within them and that they are "getting it" (growing, learning, being sanctified in the faith). Those times do my soul good. It is truly good for me when that takes place.
That being the case, however, one might assume that I'd be seeking more times and places like that...that I'd be asking more of persons and I'd be calling to persons of greater discipleship better.
For my present environment in Girdwood (and it's come out in a couple of other places), I know that our building and all of the needs that come with that have taken our time, and our talents, and our energy. It's kind of hard to make disciples when you're building a building. This quote from Michael Slaughter's Change the World hit home with me tonight as I reflected and prayed about all of this:
In a postresurrection appearance, Jesus gave this directive to his disciples: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Disciple making is the business of the church! It is easy to forget our commission and to substitute church building for disciple building. We become absorbed in building programs, budgets, staffs, and facilities--and have I mentioned attendance? We can spend a whole lifetime in the construction of a ministry that has nothing to doe with Christ's commission, despite giving the appearance of success. (43)Sometimes, with buildings to be built, with meetings run, with people to visit...hey, even with blogs to update...we can just be "playing church" but not actually making disciples. I think I need to do a better job asking if I've been making disciples. And I need to do a better job asking the congregation to step up and live like they want to be disciples.
Picture--Church on coast by Petr Kratochvil
The following video is from WorshipHouse Media. I've utilized some of their videos in worship. They do good stuff.
There are times in my life I am so much like the kids in this video....
There are times in my life I am so much like the kids in this video....
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
One of the movies I was encouraging them to get was "Where the Wild Things Are" based on the book by Maurice Sendak. This was a book near and dear to my childhood, not just because it had a good story but because my mom had a good story to go with it. Apparently, when she was a teacher in Boston, she was asked to read the yet unpublished book to her (I think) kindergarten class to see if they'd be too scared of it. They weren't and, at least as far as I remember it, it is that early testing that showed that the book was safe for childhood consumption.
Now, a lot of folks have talked about this book over the past year or so as it has been made into the movie directed by Spike Jonze. Some have lamented that the seems a distant memory in the updated version of the movie. But, then again, I've not seen the movie. I know that Sendak was a consultant on the movie and has very favorable comments to say about it.
One of the things about this story is that, Max gets to run away and be king of the wild things, and join in the wild rumpus. But after he has been away from his family for a while and the thrill of being with the wild things wears thin, Max remembers home and his mom and the feelings he has felt there. It says the following:
"And Max the king of all the wild things was lonely and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all."
Isn't that a sentiment that many of us can identify with. We want to be where we feel and experience love. That's what Max wanted.
How can we, in the church, be the place people go when they want to experience being loved "best of all?"
Well, perhaps we are to be pitied. Because we are far from the truth if we are to assume our understanding is the truth, that OUR gospel is, indeed, THE gospel. This is what Michael Slaughter say about this in his book, Change the World.
In our quest to rediscover and reclaim the biblical interpretation of Jesus, it is important to remember that Jesus’ hermeneutic was at odds with the schools of biblical orthodoxy during his earthly ministry. He was considered a blasphemer and violator of the law of Moses. Like many reformers through the centuries, he was branded and ultimately executed for the crime of heresy. Ironically, however, yesterday’s heresy often becomes today’s orthodoxy. As we follow the Lord of lords, we need to continually seek the wisdom and guidance of living in his Spirit. He said, “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you” (John 16:12-14)
Jesus pointed out a critical deficiency in the biblical hermeneutic of religious leaders that continues to plague the church today, “You have let go of the commands of God and are holding onto human traditions” (Mark 7:8). All of us bring to the interpretation of Scripture certain prejudices. We view life through the window of our life experiences, culture of origin, and family value systems. Each of us brings a blend of political ideology, personal prejudice, and folk religion (such as the maxim “God helps those who help themselves,” which is a quotation from Ben Franklin, not Scripture) and mixes it with some scriptural truth to form a personalized system of life doctrines. What we emphatically proclaim as God’s absolute law becomes our version of Israel’s golden calf. We cannot begin to grasp the eternal wisdom of the written word apart from and ongoing relationship with the Living Word! We must approach the scripture with the humility of children and not the arrogance of Pharisaical judges. (Mike Slaughter, Change the World, 23-24, emphasis mine).
Those who know me well know that I say, “When we all get to heaven, we’ll say, ‘Now I get it." That’s the perspective that we need to have, for we don’t have all of our “I’s” dotted and “T’s” crossed. We desperately need to be aware of our own limitations as we deal with others...particularly those with whom we disagree most. Our version of “gospel truth” has been shaped by so many of our own life experiences and our learnings through life. And, even our quests to find some “historical Jesus” puts Jesus in the box of our own cultural understandings. Our own quest for orthodoxy is shaped by our own heresies.
Still, it’s hard to be humble when we’re sure we have all of the answers.
The picture above is from
See pictures here
This is our official report from our SleepOut For Malaria. If you don’t know the SleepOut was something that hundreds of groups were doing the overnight on April 24th to the morning of the 25th, World Malaria Day. While originally, we were going to have a “Sleep-In” at the church, because of the amount of snow on the ground and the constant threat of rain. However, we had some folks who really thought that camping out in a visible location was the way to go. If we were trying to raise awareness of malaria in the world then being in a setting that would make more people aware seemed to be the best option. So, plans were made to camp out in the clinic parking lot and malaria facts and signs were posted around the clinic.
On Saturday, the day of our SleepOut, we got permission from Chair 5 Restaurant to use their bathroom until they closed at 2 AM Sunday morning. This came with the warning that, since it was Spring Carnival Weekend in Girdwood, the owner expected it to be the busiest night of the entire year for his business. There would be a lot of people...a lot of loud people...a lot of intoxicated people.
With this warning, I went to the clinic late in the afternoon and set up pylons and barricades to have a safe place. I had said that the two things I was concerned about was the safety of the site and the cold--making sure folks were dressed appropriately.
At 7 PM we gathered at the church to watch, “When the Night Comes”--a video produced by The United Nations and to have a presentation by one of our folks who works for the Center for Disease Control. Then, around 8:15 PM or so, it was time to go out to the clinic. Tents were set up. A fire was set in the portable fireplace. And the passersby kept coming.
It was an interesting experience. Clearly there was a lot of partying going on all around us. A loud party was at the house next door. Chair 5 was rockin’ until about 3 AM. But that fire of ours kept drawing people over in the 25 degree temperatures. Some good conversations were had and some very interesting ones were had as well. We found a person who had participated in the Nothing But Nets campaign at a school and knew the benefit of the treated nets in malaria-ridden regions. There were those who walked on by but stopped to read the signs that had been posted. And, clearly, some persons had already had busy nights by the time we saw them.
There were 10 of us camping out Saturday night--10 hardy souls who overlooked their own comfort for the sake of educating persons about malaria in the world. By 2:30 AM, there were only two of us, Samuel and I, still up and we put out the fire with snow to dissuade persons from coming into our area so we could finally hit the sack. Morning was going to come at 7 AM.
Well, of course, when we got up it was raining...not hard...but enough to get everything wet. We broke camp and got ready for church.
At church we focused on malaria and changing the world. And we raised $520 for “Nothing But Nets.” Praise God.
On Saturday, the day of our SleepOut, we got permission from Chair 5 Restaurant to use their bathroom until they closed at 2 AM Sunday morning. This came with the warning that, since it was Spring Carnival Weekend in Girdwood, the owner expected it to be the busiest night of the entire year for his business. There would be a lot of people...a lot of loud people...a lot of intoxicated people.
With this warning, I went to the clinic late in the afternoon and set up pylons and barricades to have a safe place. I had said that the two things I was concerned about was the safety of the site and the cold--making sure folks were dressed appropriately.
At 7 PM we gathered at the church to watch, “When the Night Comes”--a video produced by The United Nations and to have a presentation by one of our folks who works for the Center for Disease Control. Then, around 8:15 PM or so, it was time to go out to the clinic. Tents were set up. A fire was set in the portable fireplace. And the passersby kept coming.
It was an interesting experience. Clearly there was a lot of partying going on all around us. A loud party was at the house next door. Chair 5 was rockin’ until about 3 AM. But that fire of ours kept drawing people over in the 25 degree temperatures. Some good conversations were had and some very interesting ones were had as well. We found a person who had participated in the Nothing But Nets campaign at a school and knew the benefit of the treated nets in malaria-ridden regions. There were those who walked on by but stopped to read the signs that had been posted. And, clearly, some persons had already had busy nights by the time we saw them.
There were 10 of us camping out Saturday night--10 hardy souls who overlooked their own comfort for the sake of educating persons about malaria in the world. By 2:30 AM, there were only two of us, Samuel and I, still up and we put out the fire with snow to dissuade persons from coming into our area so we could finally hit the sack. Morning was going to come at 7 AM.
Well, of course, when we got up it was raining...not hard...but enough to get everything wet. We broke camp and got ready for church.
At church we focused on malaria and changing the world. And we raised $520 for “Nothing But Nets.” Praise God.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
1After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 3Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.
4While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: 5“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. 6Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”
When he said this, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
9His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that,
” ‘though seeing, they may not see;
though hearing, they may not understand.’
11“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
The point of this story, says Steve, is that we need be passionate about spreading God’s love wherever we can, knowing that some of it will fall on the rocks and some of it on the thorns, etc. But some of it will fall on good soil and will bear fruit. We need to be passionate. We need to be indiscriminate. And we need to share God’s love wherever and whenever we can.
So, at Girdwood Chapel, we're "Cookie Flingers" We go around and hand out cookies to persons, pretty much indiscriminately. Each little baggie has about 3 cookies in it and a note. Today's note said the following:
Just a simple way to share some love.
These cookies may contain nuts, though. So, if you’re allergic, please share the love with someone else :)
Malaria Awareness Weekend -- April 24-25
3rd Annual Chili CookOff --Sun. May 9th
3rd Annual Chili CookOff --Sun. May 9th
If anyone asked why we were doing it, we just said, "Because God loves you." Will large volumes of people be knocking on our church door tomorrow because of it? No. But, for a brief moment did the random people we met feel the love of God and see a church putting God's love into action? I hope so.
Love God. Love others. Change the World
.
Friday, April 23, 2010
I just finished with an hour and a half meeting with a University of Alaska, Fairbanks student at The Grind here in Girdwood. She wanted to talk about "Leadership" with someone who was a leader in the community...but not in a way that was based upon financial leadership. Apparently, I qualified. This was a good exercise. It forced me to think about leadership qualities in general and what specifically it meant for me. And, as I thought about it, I'm not sure I'm a great leader or even a very good one at times. I can think of so many instances where, if I had been a better leader, better stuff would have happened. However, as I look back, I've found myself in leadership positions for much of my life...youth group...college fraternity...church...Lions Club...PTA...etc. And I'm not so sure I was the best person for those positions at the time but I was the one who was willing. Perhaps a willingness to lead is part of it.
The think I kept coming back to is vision. A leader needs to be like the champion chess player who is thinking 20 moves ahead. A leader needs to be able to see the whole playing field. A leader can't suffer from myopia. A leader needs to see what's coming, have a vision, and be able to cast that vision in such a way that persons follow along. A leader needs to communicate in such a way that others can "catch the vision." Otherwise, you just have one crazy person with an idea and no followers. It's like the following TED video:
Without followers there is no leading taking place. It's just one crazy person with an idea.
Our scriptures tell us in Proverbs 29:18:
Where there is no vision, the people perish.
Leaders need to realize this and be able to look beyond what's right in front of their faces. For us in the church, this means being able to see, demographically, what's coming. It means knowing who it is that sees the bigger picture and listening. And, again, presenting this preferred future in such a way that persons embrace it and go along for the ride.
Another thing I spent some time talking about is recognizing who it is that needs to be on board for something to happen. In my first church, I recognized that the United Methodist Women's Group was really the gatekeepers of the church. If they were on board, it could happen. But, as pastor, if I didn't have their support, I was going to have difficulty proceeding with whatever idea, vision, thought, plan, program it was that I had. I remember the story of Under Armor, the athletic wear. When that company was starting out, it had what they thought was a good product and thought it would prove beneficial to athletes. However, they had to convince them to wear clothing that was, in a real sense, modeled on female undergarments -- nylons -- stockings. The plan of the company was to get some big stars on board and, if they liked the product and used it, others would join up. That's what they did. That's what happened. And Under Armor is everywhere in the sporting world now.
So, for the church or our communities, we need to see what groups or persons need to be on board as early adopters. We need to know who our first followers will be. They are the ones that become the best evangelists for us. Even Jesus needed his disciples and the apostles. He needed someone to get on board and share the vision and message that was proclaimed to them.
Those who attend our services for any length of time will recognize that as the prayer I saw at the beginning of my sermons. I can't claim to have come up with it myself. Indeed, most of what I say I probably need to credit someone else for saying it first. This prayer is one that was said by Rev. Powell Osteen of the North Carolina Conference. He was serving Resurrection United Methodist Church between Durham and Chapel HIll and was instrumental in some what went on with my spiritually during the last two years of seminary.
Resurrection UMC was an interesting church in North Carolina, or anywhere, in that it was multi-racial. It's not like it was half African-American, but there were several persons and also some mixed race couples. That's not something you'd see at every church in the early 90's or today. Julie and I had the good fortune of visiting the church the first Sunday they were in a brand new facility. It was an exciting Sunday and our participation in the celebration made it easier to join in events over the next couple of years. We worked concessions at concerts for missions -- getting to see the Grateful Dead and Elton John among others. We attended church dinners. And it was here that, as I was neck deep in religious work for school, Powell constructively criticized my lack of participation in the education program of their church.
For the two years we attended there, Powell began his sermons with "Thy will, O Lord. Nothing more. Nothing less. Nothing else. Thy will." And, after that being a part of my life, it seemed like a humble and appropriate way to begin my own sermons.
Resurrection UMC was an interesting church in North Carolina, or anywhere, in that it was multi-racial. It's not like it was half African-American, but there were several persons and also some mixed race couples. That's not something you'd see at every church in the early 90's or today. Julie and I had the good fortune of visiting the church the first Sunday they were in a brand new facility. It was an exciting Sunday and our participation in the celebration made it easier to join in events over the next couple of years. We worked concessions at concerts for missions -- getting to see the Grateful Dead and Elton John among others. We attended church dinners. And it was here that, as I was neck deep in religious work for school, Powell constructively criticized my lack of participation in the education program of their church.
For the two years we attended there, Powell began his sermons with "Thy will, O Lord. Nothing more. Nothing less. Nothing else. Thy will." And, after that being a part of my life, it seemed like a humble and appropriate way to begin my own sermons.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
I confess that I am one who spends a great deal of time worrying about how my blog looks when I really should be worrying more about what I post. It should look grown-up but not too formal. It should focus on my thoughts and reflections about other peoples' work I want it to look like it reflects my personality. Oh...and I actually need to make posts on it so that the content is changing enough and persons are looking at it.
While I say that this blog is my "letter to the church"...my "EPISTLE"... it is probably mostly for me. It's a way for me to have a place to reflect on some of the things I have going on in my thought process and my spiritual journey. Not all of this makes real good "preaching" material. But it's stuff that I find important for my thought process and I hope that there are some parts of it that are important to the church in general. I don't have any preconceived notion that any of this is earth-shaking or life-changing for anyone but me. There is a hubris that comes with blogging...the assumption that you have something to say. And if I look one day and find I have lots of "followers" and "tweets" and "friends" and "trackbacks" I'll probably strain my arm patting myself on the back. But, really, that's not what I'm looking for. I'm looking for a place to reflect and think and share some of those thoughts.
You know, when I was in seminary at Duke, reflecting and thinking and sharing is what we did. My friends and I were immersed in the scholastic and religious world. There's a part of me that misses that and hopes that a little self-reflection in this place will be well worth it.
While I say that this blog is my "letter to the church"...my "EPISTLE"... it is probably mostly for me. It's a way for me to have a place to reflect on some of the things I have going on in my thought process and my spiritual journey. Not all of this makes real good "preaching" material. But it's stuff that I find important for my thought process and I hope that there are some parts of it that are important to the church in general. I don't have any preconceived notion that any of this is earth-shaking or life-changing for anyone but me. There is a hubris that comes with blogging...the assumption that you have something to say. And if I look one day and find I have lots of "followers" and "tweets" and "friends" and "trackbacks" I'll probably strain my arm patting myself on the back. But, really, that's not what I'm looking for. I'm looking for a place to reflect and think and share some of those thoughts.You know, when I was in seminary at Duke, reflecting and thinking and sharing is what we did. My friends and I were immersed in the scholastic and religious world. There's a part of me that misses that and hopes that a little self-reflection in this place will be well worth it.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Steve Wright, of Ladera Ranch Presbyterian Church in California has a blog called "Porch Ponderings." He had a very nice post about incorporating a Wednesday fast into your weekly routine. The post originally appeared in February, just in time for Lent. We're past that at this point...but it's still a good practice. After all, what is it that you'd be willing to give up to grow closer to our God...the God of the Universe.
Everything We Need
In the sermon yesterday I presented the challenge of a 'Wednesday FAST.' You decide what kind sacrifice you want to make. You can give up a meal (or more), maybe media or anything else you think might be controlling your life. Decide the terms: 3, 6, 12 or 24 hours. Be advised that once you decide: YOU WILL FACE TEMPTATION to go easy on yourself. Stick to your plan and do it out of devotion to the Lord. I was so pleased to see so many people picking up the flyer to take on the challenge on Sunday. Let me encourage you to write about your experience and then drop the paper into the offering basket on Sunday. I'm eager to read about the impact of this 'church wide' fast.
Here's the video we played on Sunday. Makes you think, eh?
Check out Matthew 6 for guidelines on prayer and fasting. Remember the goal is not to show how spiritual you are but rather to be reminded that we do not live by bread alone but every word that comes from the mouth of God (see what Jesus says in the face of temptation on Matthew 4). You can be sure that I will be praying and fasting right with you on Wednesday! Blessings to you.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
This is a prayer whose sentiments we need to heed more frequently. It's author, Sir Francis Drake, an adventurer, wrote it as he departed to the west coast of South America.
Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wilder seas
Where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask you to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push back the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.
This we ask in the name of our Captain,
Who is Jesus Christ.
Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wilder seas
Where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask you to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push back the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.
This we ask in the name of our Captain,
Who is Jesus Christ.
Just today I was contacted by the good folks of Ellisville, MS. Ellisville, some of you may remember, is a small town outside of Hattiesburg, MS. It's not a big church. But that small church has probably sent up over 100 people to Girdwood, Alaska to help us build our building over the last six years. The rafters above the kitchen and bathroom wing of the church...that was them. The major correction of the wall in the back of the narthex..that was them (with Raymond, MS as well). The very high windows that are installed in the tippy-top of the front of the church...that was them. And that beautiful picture of our old building in its old location that hangs in the back of the sanctuary...that was them (or at least one of them).
When people in our community ask us why teams like Ellisville...and Zionsville, and Brandon, and Cottonwood, and Oklahoma, and Griffith, and Elkhart, and Corinth, and Amory, and...well...there's a lot more...
When people in our community ask us why all of these folks have come up here to work and countless others have given their time, their talents, their money, their prayers to us we really have no good answer except grace. All of these folks are persons and churches who recognize that they have been graced by God and choose to grace others as well. They are sharing the grace that they have received and passing it on. It's not just because they are nice or generous. It's because they recognize all that God has done for them and that part of being a God-follower is doing the very things God has done for us...loving, giving, serving, and, yes, building. As 1 Peter 4:10 says,
So, if you who read this right now are one of our supporting churches. Thank you. I know we're running a few years behind schedule here and we have been praying that it wouldn't be so. However, we had a couple delays that each took a year away from our process. First, early on, our heavy timbers for our sanctuary were 11 months behind schedule, forcing us to build the bathroom/kitchen/mechanical side first. Second, our water installation was 18 months behind schedule. We thought it would be put in in April 2008 and it was not in the ground until October 2009. It was not a matter of not having money but a matter of finding someone that would do it. However, it's in now and the two issues we're dealing with in Spring 2010 are getting our electric hooked up and the doors constructed.
We see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel and, even though we don't expect to be legally in our building until the fall, we are thinking about what ministry will look like and be like and feel like once we're in the space and we're living into the ministry that God has planned for us. There's still work to be done and your continued support is appreciated. You can see pictures of our whole construction process on our website.
And if you, the reader, are one of our "Girdwoodchapelites," I invite you to remember and thank the folks who have helped us get as far as we have and will help us cross the threshold into mission and ministry in our space. It has been a long road but we are grateful people.
So, thank you Work Teams and Supporting Churches.
Thank you from all of us
We are sharing the grace that we have received from you.
Peace,
Jim
Jim Doepken, Pastor
Physical Address: 102 Heavenly Valley Drive
Tel: 907-783-0127
Email: jim@girdwoodchapel.net
Church Website: www.girdwoodchapel.net
Pastor Jim's Blog: www.epistleofjim.blogspot.com
When people in our community ask us why teams like Ellisville...and Zionsville, and Brandon, and Cottonwood, and Oklahoma, and Griffith, and Elkhart, and Corinth, and Amory, and...well...there's a lot more...
When people in our community ask us why all of these folks have come up here to work and countless others have given their time, their talents, their money, their prayers to us we really have no good answer except grace. All of these folks are persons and churches who recognize that they have been graced by God and choose to grace others as well. They are sharing the grace that they have received and passing it on. It's not just because they are nice or generous. It's because they recognize all that God has done for them and that part of being a God-follower is doing the very things God has done for us...loving, giving, serving, and, yes, building. As 1 Peter 4:10 says,
“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”As Christians, we are called to be "Grace-Sharers." That's how we're good stewards of God's grace. So, all of these churches have shared the grace of Christ with us and we, in turn, are called to share the grace with others here in Girdwood.
So, if you who read this right now are one of our supporting churches. Thank you. I know we're running a few years behind schedule here and we have been praying that it wouldn't be so. However, we had a couple delays that each took a year away from our process. First, early on, our heavy timbers for our sanctuary were 11 months behind schedule, forcing us to build the bathroom/kitchen/mechanical side first. Second, our water installation was 18 months behind schedule. We thought it would be put in in April 2008 and it was not in the ground until October 2009. It was not a matter of not having money but a matter of finding someone that would do it. However, it's in now and the two issues we're dealing with in Spring 2010 are getting our electric hooked up and the doors constructed.
We see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel and, even though we don't expect to be legally in our building until the fall, we are thinking about what ministry will look like and be like and feel like once we're in the space and we're living into the ministry that God has planned for us. There's still work to be done and your continued support is appreciated. You can see pictures of our whole construction process on our website.
And if you, the reader, are one of our "Girdwoodchapelites," I invite you to remember and thank the folks who have helped us get as far as we have and will help us cross the threshold into mission and ministry in our space. It has been a long road but we are grateful people.So, thank you Work Teams and Supporting Churches.
Thank you from all of us
We are sharing the grace that we have received from you.
Peace,
Jim
Jim Doepken, Pastor
Girdwood Chapel UMC
Mailing address: PO Box 1068, Girdwood, AK 99587Physical Address: 102 Heavenly Valley Drive
Tel: 907-783-0127
Email: jim@girdwoodchapel.net
Church Website: www.girdwoodchapel.net
Pastor Jim's Blog: www.epistleofjim.blogspot.com
Sunday, April 18, 2010
(NOTE: I'm a little nervous about posting sermons. I'll right more about that later. However, since this gets at my understanding of church and what's been swimming around in my head for a few years, I thought I'd post it here.)
I'm going to start off this sermon offering a little insight into my perspective of theology and church and faith. Those who have checked out my blog might recognize some of the themes.
When I got to Girdwood, I started doing some of the things I thought I should do as the only pastor here at the time and being part of a community that didn't seem quite so sure it could trust a pastor...or a church for that matter. I got involved. I became intimately connected with the community. I served. I cleaned. I planned. I invited. And I attended more meetings than perhaps I needed to. I was not and am not the only one who does this. I've always said I thought Girdwood was a community that took "community" seriously. I still believe that.
But that involvement wasn't just because I thought Girdwood was a neat place that I wanted to be involved or that I thought community was a good thing and that if I was going to make any inroads in the community that was the way to do it. It was because I had AND HAVE an understanding of pastoring and the church that said the church does not exist for those in pews, but exists for the world--for those that hurt, for those that have need, for those that are lost, for those who need to know they are found. Many of you have heard me take a phrase from Disciple Bible Study and say that Jesus and the church exist for "The Least, The Last, and the Lost." And as I was assigned to Girdwood Chapel I have tried to see this particular expression of the Body of Christ not so much as a place TO DO MINISTRY but as a place TO DO MINISTRY FROM.
I guess, theologically, I understand us to be missionaries for Christ and the church then becomes a place, not so much a place to invite people to be fed, but as a place where we give people the tools whereby they can go into the world to feed others--yes, around the world...but perhaps most importantly here in the community of which we are a part (which many of you will know is a phrase I use a whole lot).
Now, the building process has kind of put a damper on this. It's been a long process. Some of our most involved leaders and followers have been putting more time than they might have wanted to on this particular task. It hasn't been so much a matter of "reaching the people out there." It's been a matter of building this structure that we need to get out of the way first. It's been a long process. It's been seven years since we moved to our present location. It's been five years since we moved from one side of the property, right by the entrance, to where we are today. In 2007 and 2008, in particular, it was wearing on me. It felt like it was kind of getting in the way of the ministry that I thought we COULD be doing...in the way of the ministry that I thought we SHOULD be doing.
With some light at the end of the proverbial tunnel of our building process, my sermons over the past year or so have been trying to push us in ways to see ourselves as missionaries in this world--sent out as bearers of the Good News on the highways and the byways...to the coffee shops...and the Merc...at the Forest Fair Meeting to the Fire Department...on the chair lift and the classroom chair...on the bike path and in our own families. We are bearers of the Good News. More than a list of rules and regulations, this is what it means to be a follower of Christ....something I confess to doing more haltingly than should be the case for someone who is supposed to be setting some sort of religious example.
And so, whether you've seen this coming or not...even whether I've seen this coming or not...we have embodied a theology of mission. We've had DAYS OF SERVICE, where we've gone out in the community to do service projects. We've had a series, called "UNCHRISTIAN" that was essentially a guide for those in church to understand how some of those outside of the church may view us. We had a series called, "OUTFLOW," to biblically construct a framework for you to see how God's love is intended to flow into your lives and then to your families, your friends, your community, and the whole world. We changed our mission statement, which previously talked of being a "Christian Spiritual=life center," to one saying "Love God. Love others. Change the world." Sending us out. Telling the bigness of our God and changing our communities as others are brought into the story.
God may have called us to be here, this Sunday...any Sunday...but he calls us only to send us away as lightbearers for this world.
There is a BIGNESS to a church that is doing something like this. A SMALL church exists for itself. But it's big when it's changing lives of those that come...and changing lives of those who come in contact with them because of the grace and mercy and love others experience in them. There is a bigness to the faith that recognizes it is swept up in big salvation story of our God. There is a bigness to the action. It is an understanding of faith and Christ that says it's too big to be contained and held and sheltered. (It's like the children's song today "Hide it under a bushel? NO! I'm gonna' let it shine.")
Via that long introduction, we come to the Scripture lesson for today. In this lesson there are three sections.
First is the resurrection account. I know we're a couple of weeks past Easter, but the resurrection butterflies are still hanging above the altar so I thought it was appropriate to recount that story. This is the story that shapes us and gives meaning and understanding to the power we have from Christ to be the hands and feet of God in the world.
Next we have the famous Walk to Emmaus story where Jesus walks with some unsuspecting travelers and they tell him the horrible and astounding events of the previous days. This gives Jesus the opportunity to announce to them that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and go to glory. And, my favorite line in that account, verse 27, "Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the Scriptures." He laid it all out there for them, telling him how everything (from Genesis, and Isaiah, and the Psalms, and everything) had brought them to this place...the place where he's telling the story. It's a call for them and for us to place ourselves in this long salvation story.
Only one of the travelers is named...Cleopas. They were so enthralled by the teaching of the still-unrevealed Jesus that they invited him to spend the evening with them. And, as we know, they don't recognize who it is that's among them until Jesus "took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and began to give it to them" (24:30). We have communion here every week in the hopes that you, too, come to recognize who it is among us.
Here's how Eugene Peterson describes what happened next in "The Message" translation:
They didn't waste a minute. They were up and on their way back to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and their friends gathered together, talking away: "It's really happened! The Master has been raised up—Simon saw him!"
Then the two went over everything that happened on the road and how they recognized him when he broke the bread.
Jesus leaves and the two men run back to Jerusalem to share the good news that Jesus Christ is really risen. THIS is the part of the Emmaus section of the story that I want to focus on right now. Cleopas and "the other guy" are transformed by an encounter with the risen Christ and, all of a sudden, become missionaries. They recognize that they have encountered a message that is too important not to share with the community. It is hoped that their lives are not just changed for this sprint back to the city but for as long as they live. They are part of the story.
We read the scriptures, not as history. We sing our songs, not as performance. I preach, not because I like to hear myself talk (or not ONLY because I like to hear myself talk--and make people laugh.) We do this so that we can see ourselves in the story and learn how to share this story with the folks we meet in our daily lives...no matter where we come into contact with them. This is not about "preaching to the choir" in this place but preaching to the world when we go from this place.
Our church then becomes an outpost for the advancement of the Good News into the world. And how effective we're being as a church is less dependent on the building or the rear ends in the pews but how our folks -- you -- are being Christians in the world -- how much you're putting into your walk of faith with Christ.
There is a third section of our Scripture passage from Luke. Cleopas and his friend have high-tailed it to Jerusalem and, as they are recounting all that has happened, Jesus shows up...my guess is that he's not even winded. He shows them his hands and feet. It says, in verse 41, "while in their joy they were disbelieving, and still wondering." You gotta' think it seemed too good to be true. He told them that the Messiah was to suffer and die and that this was all part of the plan. WHY???? This is why, according to Peterson's translation, The Message:
"a total life-change through the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed in his name to all nations—starting from here, from Jerusalem! You're the first to hear and see it. You're the witnesses. What comes next is very important: I am sending what my Father promised to you, so stay here in the city until he arrives, until you're equipped with power from on high" (Luke 24:47-49).
This mission of the church as a powerful, life-giving, world-shaking, moving, holy entity springs from all that Christ was and is--and did and does. Our mission is a response to Jesus' mission. We are to reflect God's mission in and for and to the world in Jesus. We may be called here, but we are sent out...and we are given the power of the Holy Spirit to be sent out and given message of Good News to take with us wherever we go. WE ARE WITNESSES to this great story of the love of our God and invite others along for this ride.
I got an e-mail from your former pastor, Chuck Frost, this week. He doesn't have an opportunity to preach in his current setting and wondered about the following. Actually, what he said was, "I have a sermon idea that you are free to use. You may think it stinks, but if you don't, it's yours." I don't think it stinks. Here it is...
I was at a friend’s recently playing guitar and singing Americana style songs. When we came to a song about trains, I mentioned the fascination with trains in roots music and that even my children, who were born in the late 90’s were enamored with trains when you’d think that the modern child might move on to more advanced methods of transportation.
When we lived in Alaska, we would take the boys for a walk during the summer down to a local overpass (very tiny overpass as the town we lived in was much like the one in Northern Exposure) where the train would pass under.
This was a daily highlight…to see the train.
I can clearly remember the high-pitched toddler voices that yelled “TRAIN TRAIN” when they saw it coming around the bend
When I was younger, I am told that I loved to sing Elizabeth Cotton’s “Freight Train” and Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” (“I hear the train a comin’”).
Of course, for children the fascination extends beyond trains. They are simply fascinated with big objects that move…airplanes, RV’s, Semi’s, motorcycles, and bulldozers.
When my oldest was almost two, we were on a plane taking off from the Mobile, Alabama airport to return home to Alaska. We put his seat at the window and watched his eyes get bigger with childlike wonder at the enormous planes nearby as we waited to depart. He started softly, “ehh-plane.” Then he said it again: “ehhhh-plane”. And again: “ehhhhhhhh-plane.” Each time stretching the first syllable and increasing in volume until he was saying over and over again as loud as a toddler could get “EHHHHHHHHHHHHH-PLANE!” The people around us were not annoyed, but amused as they were giggling along with my wife and me.
The childlike fascination with big, moving vehicles is a joy to see, but it’s the one thing that we rarely lose as we get older. I still look up when I hear a plane or watch a train go by. I especially take note of motorcycles since I am a rider myself.
There is something elemental about this love of big, moving things. We are drawn to moving things that are much bigger than we are. Whether they are physical, communal or spiritual.
We are all drawn to something that’s big and goes somewhere.
Through the death and resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit, we are hooked onto a story that is far bigger than ourselves. It's big. It's going somewhere. We're along for the ride.
And, as a church, we go out into the community, to our community, helping others get along for the ride. THAT is how we change the community.
And so we have "A Change the World Weekend" along with many United Methodist Churches this weekend. We'll have an overnight to raise awareness about the world's malaria problem. And so we hand out cookies indiscriminately (or as we call it, "Cookie Flinging") with the sole purpose of saying "we love you" to folks we share this town with. And so we have "Bible and Brew" -- our Bible Study in a bar. And so we have Bible and Brew. And so we plan Vacation Bible School. And so we'll build. And so I preach. And so, I hope, you listen.
How will you invite others to hop on board, latching onto the big story of our God's love for us? For that is how we change the community.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
This is new. I don't know how these posts are going to turn out. I don't know if they will be helpful. But I do know that the stuff I've written about this week is the stuff that's informing what I do on a daily basis...when I really pay attention. I may be thinking out loud, just to myself. But this is not unimportant to me...today.
If a tree falls in the forest and there's no one there to hear it, does it make a sound?
If a blogger posts something on the web and there's no one to read it, does it matter?
I guess if it matters to me and my faith and my pastoring, then it "matters."
That's all for this week. We'll see how next week goes.
If a tree falls in the forest and there's no one there to hear it, does it make a sound?
If a blogger posts something on the web and there's no one to read it, does it matter?
I guess if it matters to me and my faith and my pastoring, then it "matters."
That's all for this week. We'll see how next week goes.
It's been 17 years since Lee Stroebel wrote his book, "Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry & Mary: How to Reach Friends and Family Who Avoid God and the Church." It was shortly after that that I found myself at a conference at Willow Creek Community Church up near Chicago. At the time there were a few mega-churches that were really stepping out and doing something new for the sake of the unchurched. Fourteen years after that, in 2007, the Barna group had a study that said we were approaching 100 million unchurched folks in the US.
Think about that number for a second. See, here in the US and, indeed, in my own church, we have a sense that mission work is something that is done "over there." In Alaska we sent missionaries off to the deep dark corners of our state (and did some horrible things while there). But it was all done in under the guise of "mission work." Well, our real mission right now is with our neighbors and friends. It's the people around us.
There was a follow-up study by a pastor and an atheist who visited a bunch of churches to experience what it was like as a visitor in them. This, of course, was made into a book, "Jim and Casper Go to Church." One of the things I found most interesting is the following paragraph that Barna provides:
Many of the insights drawn from the experiences of "Jim and Casper" parallel the findings of Barna Group studies among the unchurched. Some of the critical discoveries were the relative indifference of most churched Christians to unchurched people; the overt emphasis upon a personal rather than communal faith journey; the tendency of congregations to perform rituals and exercise talents rather than invite and experience the presence of God; the absence of a compelling call to action given to those who attend; and the failure to listen to dissident voices and spiritual guidance to dig deeper in one’s faith.How often have our own churches stressed the personal rather than the communal? How often have we put an emphasis on talents? How often have we failed to allow dissident voices in our own congregations? And, perhaps most troubling for me, personally, how often have we failed to call our people to action? I, for one, am not challenging enough as a pastor. It is said that you will get what you ask for. If you ask for little commitment from your congregation, you'll get just that.
Maybe the problem isn't with the unchurched folk but with those of us who are already churched?
I'm reading Michael Slaughter's book, Change the World, for a three-part sermon series and preparation for our "Change the World Sunday" in 8 days. I've been reading some other blogs. I've been studying. And I've been reflecting about where I've been over the last year or so. In my preaching and teaching I've been putting great stress on getting out and being involved in communities. As Director of Communications for the Alaska United Methodist Conference, I have been inundated with all of the PR for our "RETHINK CHURCH" campaign and the slogan, "What if church were a verb?" I am rooted in the Wesleyan understanding of "practical divinity" and Reuben Job's Three Simple Rules (Do no harm, Do good, Stay in love with God). Even the first sermon I ever preached was on the Book of James (2:14-18) and it's connection between faith and works.
14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?
17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”
I have always, as far as I remember, had an understanding that our faith was one to be lived out in the world, actively.
The problem is, for most of us Christians and for most of us Pastors, we just haven't operated that way. And it's shown by how we've "done" church. We've been up our churches and put our programs into place and have hoped to have a good enough product so that persons are "attracted" to us and come join us. "If you build it, they will come." And, with our building process, that's kind of how it's felt.
So, a lot of this has been swimming around in my head. It's a lot of what I felt and was really how I've been preaching and teaching and hopefully acting.
But there is a term that has come to my attention that gets at what all of this is meaning to me right now. Just today I came across Ken Carter's blog, "Bear Witness to the Love of God" and the post "Re-thinking church (change the world)." I wanted to quote some of this for you.
I would encourage United Methodist pastors and leaders to read Slaughter's Change The World, and alongside it Introducing The Missional Church by Roxburgh and Boren (Baker, 2009). To paraphrase Roxburgh and Boren, we will likely discover in the coming years that our constituents are tiring of the attractional pattern of doing church (for many of the reasons I note in the first paragraph above); at the same time, many young adults (16-35 year olds) hunger for missional church, or at least missional experience (evidence: Katrina, Haiti, Bono, Teach for America, the Obama campaign, etc.). To be missional is to enter into the strange world of the Bible---the call of Abraham, Isaiah's prophecy to rebuild the ruined cities, the inaugural sermon of Jesus in Capernaum, the Great Commandment and the Great Commission, not to mention the Book of Acts, a neglected resource among mainline churches in general) and the tradition. At our best, United Methodists have always been missional, and when we have been missional, we have changed the world. There will continue to be attractional churches who do their ministry with excellence, but for the most part they will attract mobile United Methodists seeking similar programs and practices (I am thinking of the United Methodist who moves from Charlotte to Indianapolis, or vice versa).
I think this has bearing for how our church acts in our own community. We need to see ourselves as missionaries going out to the world around us with the light of Christ. And, as our church grows, we must never lose sight of the mission of the church. It is never to have the most beautiful building...or the largest mortgage. We need to be careful that our own building doesn't become an idol to us that gets in the way of ministry.
Friday, April 16, 2010
The Resurrection
1 But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 3 So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.
5 The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.”
8 Then they remembered that he had said this. 9 So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened. 11 But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it. 12 However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened.
The Walk to Emmaus
13 That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. 16 But God kept them from recognizing him.
17 He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?”
They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. 18 Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.”
19 “What things?” Jesus asked.
“The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. 20 But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. 21 We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.
22 “Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. 23 They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! 24 Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said.”
25 Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. 26 Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” 27 Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
28 By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on, 29 but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them. 30 As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. 31 Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!
32 They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” 33 And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them, 34 who said, “The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter.”
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
35 Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread. 36 And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 37 But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost!
38 “Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt? 39 Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.” 40 As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet.
41 Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he ate it as they watched.
44 Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46 And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. 47 It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations,[f] beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ 48 You are witnesses of all these things.
49 “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”
Posted via email from The Prodigal Blog
Picture above:
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Today, before lunch, and after far too long a process for finally getting out the door, our two youngest went outside with me to "shovel" snow. The sun had finally hit high enough in the sky that our driveway -- or at least what serves as one for us -- had some sunshine on it. It was only about 32 degrees outside but the sun was warm. Anyway, I had them "shovel" snow for a while, which really amounted to getting some snow on their little shovels and tossing it almost, but not quite, on their feet. My main job was trying to make sure they didn't inadvertently hit the other girl with the shovel.
About fifteen minutes into our sunshine and snow, I remembered that there was an old tennis ball right at the edge of the driveway. It was under the five or so inches of snow we had since last night and I made the search for it into a treasure hunt. After looking for all of 30 seconds the twins turned to me to find it...which I did. They were just as excited as if they had found it themselves. We kicked the old ball around. While it's nice outside today, that ball had seen better days. It had been well loved by a dog at some point in the not too distant past. But it didn't matter to the girls who could kick a little farther than they could throw snow.
While playing, Abigail lost sight of the ball as the snow was just deep enough in places to, kind of, cover it. She looked for it, turning around and around, saying, "Where's the ball? Where's the ball? Where's the ball?" I kept saying, "There it is," and pointing to its exact location. "It's right there, Sweetie." "Abigail, it's over there." "There it is." She turned and asked. I told and pointed. But it wasn't until she actually stopped her asking and turning and looked at me that she should see where I was pointing and find the ball.
We can be like that with our faith. We have questions. We have needs. We seek the treasure God intends for us. But so often we spin around, trying to rely only on ourselves, not looking to the One who can really help us.
2 Chronicles 20:10-12 puts it this way as Israel faces an enemy:
"And now it's happened: men from Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir have shown up. You didn't let Israel touch them when we got here at first—we detoured around them and didn't lay a hand on them. And now they've come to kick us out of the country you gave us. O dear God, won't you take care of them? We're helpless before this vandal horde ready to attack us. We don't know what to do; we're looking to you." (The Message)
We need to look to God... our ever-present help in time of need.
Interestingly, right after Abigail saw where the ball was, she was done with it and moved on to something else. Perhaps there's another illustration in there.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Last night I attended class #11 (out of 13) for Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. It's been a good course although the drive into Anchorage on Tuesday nights has gotten old...particularly those weeks where I drive into town on Wednesday. Well, last night was all about finding the right job for who you are, with all of your interests, passions, and abilities. And there was one illustration that made me stop and think. The illustration went something like this:
There was a psychological study done near the site of a college campus to see how much value persons place on money for the work they do. So the researchers put up fliers on the campus, advertising a job digging ditches at $7 an hour. The next day, a good number of "starving college kids" showed up to put in a day's worth of hard labor. They were shown some ground and told to dig a ditch. None of them, as one might guess, were particularly fond of ditch digging. But, $7 an hour was more money than they could get in many places at the time. So the started digging.
During the lunch break their bosses (really the researchers conducting the study) came to them and told them to fill up the ditch--to take all the dirt and rocks they had just removed and put them back in the ditch. When asked why this was the case, the researchers just told them that $7 an hour was good pay and they should just do as directed. Filling up the ditch took the rest of the afternoon.
When the ditch was filled and it was time to break for the day, their bosses came and told them that, if they came back the next day they would be paid double, $14 an hour, an extraordinary amount.
The next day only 40% of the workers showed up. And, on that second day, the same scenario played out. The workers dug a ditch, filled in a ditch, and were told that the following day they would be paid an additional $7 an hour, bringing their hourly wage up to $21 for unskilled labor. The following day, another 60% of the workers decided to "ditch" the job--with only 15% of the original workers there on day three of the experiment.
The researchers concluded that money, in and of itself, was not a strong enough motivator to keep persons coming to a job that seemed to have no purpose, no meaning, and was not part of a bigger picture. Perhaps if they were digging a ditch to put in a cable line or to serve as a drainage ditch that would have made some sense to them and they would have come back to work. But the promise of good pay wasn't "good enough" for college kids, hungry for money, when they couldn't see the point of what it was they were doing. They refused to show up.
Now, Dave Ramsey told this metaphor in a class related to finding the right job for yourself. His point was that money can never be your primary motivator. A job that is not fulfilling will continue to be so no matter how good the pay is for you. It's not worth it. You need to find a job that gives you some purpose, that satisfies you, that aligns with your passions, that connects with who you are as a person, and gives you some meaning in life. Otherwise, like the college students, you won't want to show up for work.
But the entire time the DVD was playing and Dave was talking, I was thinking about the church. No matter how good the "pay is" -- eternal life, fellowship, fabulous music, standing in community, knowledge, etc. -- church needs to be a place where we are able to see the larger picture. We need to see that it has purpose, that it aligns with our passions, that connects with who we are as a person, and gives meaning in life. That is a challenge for every pastor. However, it is the challenge for congregations as well. They need to live their lives as if to show the world that their faith matter for how they live in the world. They need to live as if their community of faith provides them the "something bigger" in life that they need to be connected with.
Perhaps this is what Jesus means when he talks about the "abundant life" he offers us in John 10:
So again Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
I feel a sermon coming on.... Do I hear an "Amen."
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