The Year in Review: Mt. Healthy Christian Church

Let everything you say be good and helpful,
so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Ephesians 4:29

In November every year, the elders and I sit down to evaluate the health of the church, and the health of our shared ministry. To begin that process, I have shared what I believe to be the standard for considering the health and strength of the church, and for considering how I am functioning in my role as your Pastor. This is what I believe: “the purpose of the church is to build fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ, and to serve our community and world in Jesus’ name.”

The heart of the church is growing. That is the best sign to me that the Holy Spirit is alive and active, not just in the workings of the church’s ministry, but especially in the hearts of the people. In our community, our church’s reputation as a place where people are valued and cared for is strong. We open our hearts, we give our time and ourselves to others, and we strive to live up to the example of Jesus, who never compromised his love for others while at the same time never compromising on the nature of God’s truth he came to proclaim.

Our abilities and our shared gifts are growing. It is amazing and wonderful to see ministry happen that begins in the heart of volunteer leaders—a new women’s small group, the work of the Outreach Team, our Sunday School and Kids Praise ministries, the development of our Praise Band (in heart, faith, and musical skill), our relationship with the Mt. Healthy Alliance Food Pantry, all speak to the building of a spirit of listening for God’s voice and responding to his call.

As we look ahead to 2011, it is my plan, my prayer, and my hope that we will continue on the path we are traveling, that we will focus together on growing our faith, pursuing our call together to serve our community, and that we will be a church that sees what God is doing around us, joining God in that ministry.


Thanks to you and to God for the opportunity to serve as your Pastor,
Michael

Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart.
And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27

What is the greatest challenge to us as we live out our faith? Doubt? Pain? Disappointment? Anger? All these may be important challenges we must face; however, they find their hold on the human heart through the true opposite of faith: FEAR. Bible writers understood this. John wrote, “Perfect love casts out fear.” (1 John 4:18) Most of the time when God or a messenger of God appears in the Bible the first words are, “Do not be afraid.” Far too often, it is our fear that prevents us from experiencing the love of God in our lives.

Jon Ortberg (a terrific pastor and Christian writer) has this to say:
Try a thought experiment. Imagine not being afraid any more. Imagine facing financial difficulties or an irate boss with inner poise and resolve. Imagine receiving bad news and generating constructive ways to solve the problem rather than spiraling through the worst-case scenarios. Imagine facing rejection and obstacles without giving in to discouragement. Imagine acknowledging the mistakes you have made, moving confidently into the future. Imagine doing all of this with God as your partner and friend. Now imagine people around you coming to you when they are upset or discouraged because they find that your peace of mind is contagious. The mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace, and what you are imagining is your mind immersed in the Spirit’s flow.
Peace doesn’t come from finding a lake with no storms. It comes from having Jesus in the boat. (Matthew chapter 8). The Me I Want to Be, p. 115-116

Take courage, my friends. There is no storm of life, no trial or struggle you face, no disappointment or frustration you experience, that God cannot deal with. Take a deep breath. Fill your mind with things that build you up, that encourage you. Pray. Strengthen, deepen, your faith in God. Seek out that friend who has already learned this lesson. Then become that friend other people turn to when they are afraid.

Paul put it another way: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” Romans 12:2

Perfect love casts out fear. Keep on reminding yourself. And remember: that kind of love comes straight from the heart of God.

In Christ, Michael

Relationship

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him. Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?” When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” Matthew 9:9-13

Relationships are more important than tasks. This is a truth from God that far too often gets forgotten. Have you ever felt like your life was so filled up with tasks that you have no time to build relationships with people? Here’s my question: when that happens, what do you do? If you decide that you have to get your work done, and the relationships will have wait until later, you have made the wrong choice. Relationships do not stay where they are until we have the time to pay attention to them. If ignored, relationships deteriorate. Many times I have had to be reminded of this fact, and always my realization that it is true comes with at least some pain and grief.

How does the scripture apply to my point? Well, God’s people had gotten very good at showing up and being energetic in their worship. They were focused on the task of worship, and they did that task well. However, showing up for worship and offering the correct sacrifices in the correct way was not resulting in lives full of mercy and love. The same thing can happen to us. We come to worship God faithfully. Every Sunday morning, we are there. The problem is that outside of worship, our lives look nothing like the loving and caring character of Jesus. And because of this, God looks at our worship and finds that it has no value any longer. God desires mercy more than sacrifice. The worship task has no worth of it does not strengthen our relationships with God and other people.

So, God is asking us, “What kind of people do we want to be?” The first step is to recognize that we are all, to borrow the word the Pharisees used, scum. That is, we are all broken and we all need God to forgive and to heal us. The superior attitude of the Pharisees was exactly their problem. It is sometimes our problem. But when we realize this, and in our hearts realize that God loves us and sent Jesus to save us anyway, then we can offer mercy to people from our hearts. Receiving the love of God, and realizing it, is the power that enables us to love and serve one another. Has Jesus called you? Only if you know that you are a sinner. Loved and forgiven people sharing love and forgiveness with others. This is Jesus’ mission for us.

In Christ,
Michael

Long Time Away--It's Good to Be Back

Well, friends (I say this because I think anyone who reads this is either my friend, my family member, or my colleague--some are all three. I love you, Heather!):

I have been ignoring this place for far too long.

Summer 2010 is one of those times I know will be looked back on as blessed and rich. Oh, it's been pretty complicated, too, at times, but really it has been beautiful.

At home--swimming pools and adventures! I will never forget the first day the 4 of us went down to Winton Woods to the creek along Miles Rd. and walked in the water. The crawfish!! The cool and clear water. Then we came back later that week after the rainstorm and watched what was serene and peaceful become flooded and dangerous. But still beautiful.

Camp! A trip to Warren. The building of new schools and the demolition of old ones. All part of the mosaic.

This morning I read a blog post from a friend and a seminary colleague, who along with his wife (who also was in seminary with Heather and me) is planting a church up in Delaware, OH, about how life is full of changes and that we have to fall in love all over again (and often) with our spouses and with God. Thanks, Roger, for that. This summer has given that reminder to me, too. I remember vividly the hot July afternoon in Columbus when Heather and I were married. Some details remain with laughter (my brother sticking green slime in his pants pocket at the rehearsal; getting from the hotel to the Schimmels for the reception, me in a t-shirt and jeans and Heather still in her wedding dress, like a scene from a movie). Some details were only revealed later (let's just say life had already changed, we just didn't know it yet).

And now, 17 years and change later, I love my life. I treasure and adore Heather more than ever, and thank God for her every day. Our girls are amazing--smart and courageous, loving and beautiful and completely unique. Looking at our girls (who are now 16 and 10), I am reminded of summers of my childhood and think about what they will recall when they are 40-something. Salisbury Beach, MA and Seabrook, NH. Brown's for seafood in a yellow shack and picnic benches with lobsters and steamer clams in tanks next to the kitchen. Dairy Queen. Card games and fried dough. Grilling chicken on little hibachis in the pouring rain while my mother held the umbrella. Listening to the ocean outside the window waking up in the morning. Even the gnats and green flies and jellyfish and horseshoe crabs.

All of which is to say--remember all the things, all the people, all the experiences, all the richness that is your life, because our memories drive us into our future. All the time, God is working to make us the people God made us to be. Appreciate the journey and thank God for all of it.

Peace and blessings to all, in Christ,
Michael