My family and I were enjoying some time together and we rented We Bought A Zoo. I have to tell you, this is not my type of movie. Not something that I would go out of my way to get, but when you have little kids you get movies that they can watch too. (Warning: Even though it is PG there is some cussing in it. So just be aware.)
The title gives away the premise of the movie and I do not want to spoil the plot because you need to get the movie and watch. But, there is a moment when the main character, Benjamin Mee, and his son, Dylan, are talking about Dylan’s crush. He has messed up and missed an opportunity to build a relationship with Lily. Benjamin’s advice was so good that I had to say something about it.
Just think about it. How long is twenty seconds? Count it off…
That really is a lot longer than you think. And there are so many ways that we could apply this. But, the one that comes to mind is that this is plenty of time to share Jesus with someone. Something can be said that can provoke the hearer to consider someone they may never have taken seriously before.
Evangelism has never been one of my strong areas. It is something that I have to consciously work at and do. I can feel my heart rate increase, my blood pressure start to rise. I get sweaty palms and the uncontrollable urge to say something stupid. None of these things are excuse enough for me to fail in doing the single more needed thing in the life of those that do not yet know Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Twenty seconds. A small window to make a very big difference because you just never know. Just some thoughts from a pretty good movie.
This was shared during the commencement exercises at on of our local schools. One of the members of my church thought that I would appreciate it. I did and I hope you do as well.
“What’s valuable won’t always be graded.” – Dr. Joel Turner
Growing pains are not meant to be fun, but they are necessary. They are a sign that you are alive and that you are not perfect. Both of these are good things.
We All Have Growing Pains
I remember waking up in the middle of the night with a pain shooting up both of my shins. I thought someone had come into my room and had hit me as hard as they could. It was as if a vice had been place across my shins and where being tightened and then loosened over and over again. I had never felt pain like that in my life. Now, I was about twelve, so I did not have a lot of other moments to compare it too. The next morning, I told my mom what happened and she told me that it was a normal part of getting bigger. They were just “growing pains.”
Well, it has been a long time since I had physical growing pains, but the experience has not changed as I have gotten older. The growing pains that I go through now, however, are spiritual, personal and emotional rather than physical. I am constantly learning new things about myself and others. Some of them are better than others. Some of them, I wish I never had to go through, but I would not change it even when it was my fault.
Growing pains are not meant to be fun, but they are necessary. They are a sign that you are alive and that you are not perfect. Both of these are good things. The challenge is to be an active participant in the process. We have to accept the pains as a reality we have to learn to deal with because there will never be just one. And because of that we may lean in the direction of quitting or giving up rather than fighting through.
Growing Edges
My pastor told me as I sat across from him in his office during my annual staff review, “We all have growing edges.” A growing edge is that place where you have to improve, get better. We all have them. We do not always see them. That is why we need someone to remind us of where we need to grow. The same is true in the church. As a whole we all have to grow together, together. This is what makes a church’s growing pains difficult. They are difficult because they involve more than one person. And all of these people may not always be on the same page.
Over the next several weeks we will look at seven growing pains. Each of these areas are important because they are the visible realities of our faith expression. At any given time any person that is not a Christian, not a part of the body of Christ will come in contact with a believer who may be (should be?) engaging in one of these activities. It is at these times that we discover where we are and whether or not we are moving towards where we need to be.
My mom’s explanation helped be to understand what I was going through. My hope is that over the next few weeks we will see the purpose of these pains and find a way to endure and grow to see the benefits of what is happening even when we don’t always enjoy it.
On Sunday, May 20, the Americus District of the South Georgia Annual Conference met to participate in holy conferencing. About 250 members of the district gathered at Cordele First United Methodist Church to share in a time of worship, business, and celebration of vital and vibrant ministries in the district. The District Superintendent, Dr. Wayne Moseley, shared with us an insight into the power and beauty of the yearly District conference. Moseley shared that the bishop described the district meeting is to the life of the district and the annual conference is the life of all the churches in south Georgia.
Dr. Wayne Moseley Americus District Superintendent
It is a time to celebrate and to acknowledge all that was done, both by the hand of God and by the diligent service of faithful Methodists.
Americus District Meets
As the meeting began, Dr. Moseley extolled those in attendance about the power and purpose of the connection. This was a wonderful reminder of how and why we are connected. As individual churches, there is so much that can be achieved and accomplished. What we as Methodists must remember is that together we can go even further than we ever dreamed possible. The district was encouraged to continue to make every effort to grow in connectional activities, not only strengthening the regional and global church but also strengthening the ties of the local church to the global ministry.
Awards to District Churches
After the opening congregational hymn and exhortation by Dr. Moseley, the conference entered into the business meeting time. Reports on several areas were presented. Three-star pastors were recognized, with recognition being given for “Highest Net Gain in Membership,” “Largest Number of Professions of Faith,” and “Best Ratio of Professions of Faith” for 2011.
Some other acknowledgements were the Carruth Missions Awards, Evangelistically Fruitful Congregations, Fully Connectional Churches, and Four- and Five-Star Pastors.
District Officers were also elected following the recognition of the work of and in the district churches.
Dr. Moseley provided a reflection on the events of general conference discussing what had been done (or attempted), particularly on the issue of restructuring. Those in attendance were also given a preview of some interesting and significant issues that will be upcoming during South Georgia Annual Conference Meeting on June 3-5 in Macon, Georgia.
The highlight of the business meeting were the reports from several missions organizations within the district and of the annual conference that are impacted by the support and efforts of district
Congregational Hymn
churches. Reports were given from the Georgia Southwestern Wesley Foundation, Magnolia Manor, The Methodist Home in Americus, Disaster Response, Hispanic Ministries, Dooly Campground’s Children & Youth Camp, United Methodist Men and United Methodist Women.
Bishop Exhorts the District: “GO, GROW, LOVE”
The meeting closed with Bishop James King preaching. This was a wonderful time. Bishop King reminded us that the key to success in anything, but particularly in the primary mission of the church requires focus. The church’s mission is to make disciples for the transformation of the world. This can only be done if we remain focused to building and strengthening the foundation of discipleship.
The foundation of discipleship is love. We were reminded of this important fact several times. There are hurting people all around us that have never felt love, let alone the love of God. We must remember, Bishop King reminded us, that Jesus said that the world will know we are his disciples by our love for one another.
Bishop King used Peyton Manning as an illustration that resonated with this youth pastor. The bishop recalled an interview with Manning about his trade from the Indianapolis Colts to the Denver Broncos. Manning was asked what he was looking forward to as a result of the trade and Manning’s response was that he could not wait to get his routine started. Bishop King encouraged us that, as the people of God, we must make every effort to develop holy habits because these are the practices that form us. This was a wonderful reminder.
Bishop King exhorting the District to “Go, Grow, Love”
The bishop closed his teaching time with two very important realities. The first was that without love discipleship is almost impossible. Therefore, we have to “Go, Grow, Love.” We go because that is what Jesus said to do. We go because we are the ones sent to find. We go because if we do not the world will never really come to Christ on their own. But, as we go, we have to also grow. Growth in love, holy habits and discipleship are the fuel that moves the train of God’s desire to see disciples made. But, as we go, and as we grow, we must also love. Our love for one another and our love for those whom God loves as well remind us of how important our mission truly is.
The second reality was that we have to “come into agreement about making disciples,” said Bishop King. As a global connection we have to make up our minds that making disciples will be our focus. Our bishop’s heart with regard to this was evident as he closed his message.
As a youth pastor in the Americus District and as a member of the South Georgia Annual Conference I am glad to have Bishop James King providing leadership to us to go into the world and make disciples for the transformation of the world.
Thank you Bishop King and Dr. Moseley for all that you do to lead our churches toward accomplishing God’s work in South Georgia.
In every life
a hope,
in every hope
a cry,
in every cry
a fear,
that this life will never satisfy
In every day
an opportunity,
in every opportunity
a choice,
in every choice
a consequence,
that can never be undone Continue reading “More Than The Sum”
Last Friday evening I spent some time with a good friend as he prepared to marry his future bride. It was great. I have had the pleasure of being a part of several weddings in the course of my ministry. But tonight I was struck by one of the many rituals that we have in our culture during weddings. The wedding rehearsal went well. Then the entire wedding party went to a nice dinner at a local restaurant. Everything was just going splendidly. Then came the moment of the night that stood out.
As the evening was drawing to a close the time for speeches began. Now, it would be very bad form to badmouth the bride or groom. But, I am sure that in the history of humanity and in the history of weddings somebody has made this terrible choice. Well, we were all spared this on Friday night.
It is a wonderful moment to witness when two people are the recipients of love through kind words. Family and friends were saying true things about the couple. They were sharing memories and experiences. It was a wonderful time to see how God had been at work, and how God has brought these two individuals together.
What I wonder sometimes is why do we wait for “special” occasions to say true things? Isn’t every moment spent with those we care for a special enough time to share and encourage and demonstrate our love? I was reminded of this on Friday. I want to do better at telling people what they mean to me. I hope you will do the same.
In the first chapter of Paul’s letter to the Philippians there is an interesting dichotomy developing. Paul gave thanks for what God was doing in his life and in the life of the believers in Philippi. He then turns his attention to what is happening to him. And what is that? He is in prison because of his preaching of the Gospel. He is doing exactly what God wants him to do and he gets thrown in jail.
There is no easy road to evangelism. It is paved with the rough stones of adversity. There is no beautiful scenery. There is only the destruction of sin and the carnage of willful disobedience. Jesus never promised that the task of communicating the message of salvation was going to be easy. Whenever we grumble that it isn’t we have not paid attention to what Jesus taught us on the matter.
There are several passages in the first chapter that truly reveal this paradox of faith. How can Paul write such encouragement when he is shackled to a wall or guard all day long? How can he rejoice because of his situation? I just doesn’t make sense. What are we missing that Paul seems to have understood?
Here are a few samples of what I mean.
7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.
12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel… 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
These three verses are Paul’s introduction to what he believed about his current state. He did not see being in jail and suffering as a concern. He was actually pleased at the effect that it was having on those around him. The entire guard had heard the Gospel, and many of the believers outside had been stirred to action as well. It really does challenge our modern, American sensibilities to think that going to jail for our faith is a good thing. But, Paul doesn’t stop there. He goes and says the following.
15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.
Paul knew that there are some people preaching the Gospel for the wrong reasons. They were out there for profit, for acclaim or, as Paul writes, to make it more difficult on Paul! Can you image that. You are sitting in prison and someone dislikes you so much that they are intentionally trying to make things worse. And yet, Paul looks past all of that and says that the reason is irrelevant to him because the truth is being proclaimed. Now, those preaching for the wrong reason will be held accountable, but God is so good that he will even use these wrong motives to accomplish his ultimate purpose.
But again, this is not the end of what Paul said. He continues.
19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance,20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.
Really?! It is hard for you to decide whether you want to stay on earth or go to heaven? I sometimes wonder why we don’t talk like this? And then I realize that many of us are not willing to go where Paul went. Paul knew and understood something that many in the Western church have not learned to even acknowledge. I don’t know what it is exactly, but I believe that Paul’s commitment to the proclamation and spread of the Gospel had a lot to do with it. The power of evangelism to motivate and refocus the believer is largely lost in our day.
Here is Paul’s final salvo in the chapter 1.
29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
Paul really does lay out for us his theology here on the subject of suffering and the Gospel. There is a mysterious way in which our faith in Jesus will lead to some form of suffering. If we are not making any effort to spread the Gospel to those whom God sends along our journey, we will find no resistance. The intentional advancement of the Good News of Jesus is what causes friction between what we believe as followers of Jesus and what the world is leaning towards. We are not merely interested in propagating a religion. We want to produce fruit because of a relationship with Jesus the Savior.
I was driving home from work about a week ago and a thought came to my mind.
“What is the difference between leading and being in front of a group of people?”
I know that there are probably many different ways of answering that question. And I am not about to pretend that I have the final answer on this question. To be honest I am not even sure why I had this thought come to mind other than to say that God put it in there. So, taking that for what it is, this is what I believe God’s answer to me was. The difference is purposefulness.
This is more specific than purpose because you can be out front choosing the direction, but that may not mean that there is an end in mind. We can become so used to the idea of enjoying the journey, that we fail to recognize that the journey does have an end. All of this will come to an end. There will be a moment in time when we will no longer be about “smelling roses” but will finally get to “pushing up daisies.”
Over the last several years I have tried to become more intentional about what I am doing in and for the kingdom of God. I am not here to just share some platitudes or make people more comfortable where they are. This does not mean that I am trying to be difficult. I want to be challenged to do more, to go further, than I have ever gone before. I want to see and be a part of great things. Not for my own sake, but for the sake of God and his glory.
By the grace of God he called me to be a pastor. I have not always appreciated what this meant. I have struggled to do it my way. I have made a mess of things because of this attitude, and I still do (I just hope lest frequently). In spite of my shortcomings, I have seen God do some amazing things. I have witnessed transformation and renewal.
As of late, however, I have realized that many of us in professional ministry have not taken ownership of what God is calling us to do. It is not enough to be out front. It is not enough to have the title without also taking hold of the responsibility. Another way of talking about this would be to ask a simple question:
What is the vision that God is asking you to fulfill?
What is it that God has put inside of you, that you need to see through to the end? I have been grappling this with this question. While it is possible that the ultimate vision is the same, the way that we accomplish it will be as varied and as unique as the ridges on our finger tips. God made us unique, and that uniqueness cannot be stripped from us as we go into the world.
I want to be a leader worth following. My heart yearns for the ability to help others find their way to Jesus. But, in order to do that I have to accept that fact that what God has put inside of me must find its way out of me. Leading is dangerous because there will be those that do not agree with what you are doing, how you are doing it, or why you are doing it. There are many who would not even venture into some of the places God has placed on your heart, but that should not matter. We go were the spirit leads. We go because that is where are hearts are being pulled.
Being a leader is not about popularity. Leaders go where no one else has gone. Leaders are usually alone because the risk can be too much for others. The risks of leadership are not careless or impulsive. Leaders should give careful thought to what they are doing. To chose a path is to own the effects and result, whether good or bad.
Which are you? Are you leading, cutting a new path? Or are you just in front glad to have a better view.
This morning was an adventure. As we were all getting ready for school and work my five-year-old decided that she wasn’t going to tell her mother “Happy Birthday” because Miranda had received her presents on Saturday (when her mom came to visit). Well, that just wasn’t going to do. I told our lovely daughter that she needed to tell her mother “Happy Birthday” and “I love you” and like it! So, that’s how the morning started. It was quite entertaining.
I am terrible at gift choosing. And, I hope I am getting better at letting her know what she means to me. But, today I will do what I do best write.
I was thinking this morning. Miranda and I are getting to the point where we have known each other for half of our lives. Next year we will have known each other longer than having not known each other. That is a crazy idea. We have seen a lot together. We have walked through some difficult times in that period of time. We have seen some amazing miracles as well. I will not pretend that everything has turned out as we planned, but I am glad that we made it through each moment together.
What do you do for the woman that makes you feel and allows you to be yourself?
What can you give to a woman that has given to you two of the greatest gifts, our two wonderful daughters?
What do you say to the woman that still takes your breath away when you look at her?
“I Love You,” just doesn’t begin to describe it. I have heard and read about how love just seems to grow and deepen over time. I never understood what that meant (and to a large degree I am still learning). Every moment of our lives together has not been pleasant, but I wouldn’t change one. Each moment and event has worked to make us who we are individually and as a marriage. I am so thankful that God brought us together in the way that he did.
I am one of the most fortunate men to have ever lived. I give thanks to God every day for my life and my wife. She is a wonderful human being, a godly woman, and a loving mother. She puts up with me (which should be enough to get you into heaven) and has given to me the grace to discover God’s purpose in my life.
I will never be able to repay the debt of her love for me. My only hope is to live in a way that is worthy of the love she so freely gives.
Last Friday evening I spent some time with a good friend as he prepared to marry his future bride. It was great. I have had the pleasure of being a part of several weddings in the course of my ministry. But tonight I was struck by one of the many rituals that we have in our culture during weddings. The wedding rehearsal went well. Then the entire wedding party went to a nice dinner at a local restaurant. Everything was just going splendidly. Then came the moment of the night that stood out.
I was driving home from work about a week ago and a thought came to my mind.
Today is my wife’s birthday!