Thoughts on Faith

The Year in Review: Mt. Healthy Christian Church

2010-11-10T09:20:00.000-08:00

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

2010-09-16T06:30:00.000-07:00

“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

2010-08-30T16:18:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-21T08:23:00.000-07:00

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

Mt. Healthy Christian Church 170th Anniversary

2009-09-08T08:56:00.000-07:00

Dear Friend,

You are cordially invited to celebrate with the members and friends of the Mt. Healthy Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Mt. Healthy, Ohio, a most special event in the 170 year history of the Mt. Healthy congregation.

On Sunday, October 11, 2009, at 2:00 o'clock in the afternoon, the Mt. Healthy congregation will dedicate an Ohio Historical marker celebrating a legacy of ministry and mission, honoring the founders and early leaders who established that legacy. In 1839, founding Pastor David S. Burnet established the church at Mt. Healthy (known as Mt. Pleasant at that time) with the collaboration of Restoration Movement leaders, including legendary Restoration Movement Evangelist Walter Scott. Pastor Burnet is the son of Isaac Burnet, who served as the first mayor of the city of Cincinnati.

The Reverend Amy Gopp, Executive Director of the Week of Compassion, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) will address the congregation at 9:00 am and 10:45 am morning services in commemoration of the 170th Anniversary of the Mt. Healthy Christian Church, founded on October 10, 1839. The Mt. Healthy Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has served as a model for global ministry and missions since Pastor Burnet first organized the church's mission of Christian service.

Dinner in Fellowship Hall will begin at 12:30 pm in honor of all those who presently serve as volunteers in the Mt. Healthy church, followed promptly by a program of dedication for the marker in the sanctuary.

Please celebrate with us this special occasion in the life of our congregation. You may R.S.V.P. at (513) 521-6029 or at mhcc@fuse.net.

The Mt. Healthy Christian Church (MHCC) 170th Anniversary Celebration Committee and members of the church look forward to sharing this day with you.

Donald M. Steffy,
MHCC Church Historian and Celebration Committee Chairperson

Rev. Michael D. Doerr
Pastor, Mt. Healthy Christian Church

Wilmington Conference

2009-08-05T07:33:00.001-07:00

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.
1 Timothy 4:12

I had the enormous privilege to be an Assistant Director at Wilmington Conference this summer. The opportunity came unexpectedly, in the middle of the rest of life, you might say. Several other plans were set aside (with no small sacrifice made by Heather, to whom I am amazingly grateful), and through much prayer the decision was made to accept the invitation. I have to say up front that it is strange going to camp as an Assistant Director when I had never before even attended a CYF Conference. This was Patricia’s first year at Conference as well, so the two of us, rookies both, headed up to Camp Christian together.

The week itself was filled with laughter, filled with the Holy Spirit, and filled with this inner sense that what I was witnessing was a glimpse of the kingdom of God. Male and female, pale skin and dark skin, 1st year and 4th year, adult and teenager, all part of God’s work to build up the hearts of God’s people. Nic Turner was such a great Boy-co (Co-President of the Conference). You see, Nic was serious when he needed to be, knew when and how to be silly and playful, and generally led the Conference through all the variety of the week. This young man, whom far too many of us have known his whole life but still don’t really know, showed depth and warmth and friendship and faith. And he wasn’t alone. Nic’s leadership would not have been as strong as it was without the support of his lifelong friends Zakk and Alex. Of course, they were the ones on the silly side of life, but that was good. Molly is and was the friend her peers could lean on. Then there was my Patricia, who drank in the experience and had a terrific first year.

As I pray over the week, my prayer for all of us is that we will consider those times when we have seen the kingdom of God all around us, and that when we do those times will stick with us as we live our faith. You see, the kingdom of God is more real than the “real world”, because life in God’s reign will last forever, and in the end, love and faith and God have the last word. I will always remember the week we shared. Thank you, God, for getting me there and for opening my eyes and my heart. And thank you, Mt. Healthy, for the honor of sharing my heart with you.

In Christ,

Michael

Amazing What a Little Relaxation Can Do

2009-07-10T05:37:00.000-07:00

This week we've been on vacation. Not the get in the car, drive several hours, do so much that you need a vacation from your vacation kind of vacation. Instead, this has been a vacation where we get out of bed when we wake up, we sit on the back porch sipping coffee and watching the cars hurry to wherever they are going, we laugh and play, we can be quiet and reflective, and generally, we can be thankful for the life we share together and grateful for the way God moves in our lives and in the lives of our churches.

After a couple of days, it became clear just how much this vacation was needed. I had begun to lose focus on the life of the church and how we can serve our community. I got caught up in the immediate, day to day operation of the church. But amazingly, prayer this week has been full of the voice of God. Little mustard seeds, creative ideas, future-oriented and big picture stuff that makes life in Mt. Healthy seem more exciting, more challenging, more about God, more about being followers of Jesus.

So, as I reflect on that, here's something for you: do you need a vacation? Ask yourself a couple of questions. What happens when you pray? Are you seeing the big picture? Are you "seeing visions and dreaming dreams" when you take time to listen for the voice of God in your life, in the church's life, in the community's life, in the world?

Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. Genesis 2:3

In Christ,

Michael

What Happens When the Holy Spirit Comes?

2009-06-01T06:19:00.000-07:00

When the Friend I plan to send you from the Father comes--the Spirit of Truth issuing from the Father--he will confirm everything about me. John 15:26

As I prepared to share a message in worship on Pentecost Sunday (which was yesterday), I struggled with how to talk about the Holy Spirit. Too often, we just ignore the concept and even the person of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We believe in God, and we believe in Jesus. But when the Holy Spirit comes up, we get uncomfortable. And I think that is a huge problem. Why? Because my observation is that our discomfort with the Holy Spirit is more about our idolatry of self and less about a misunderstanding of who the Holy Spirit is.

Yes, idolatry. The Holy Spirit is God alive in our midst, active and alive, filling, protecting, leading the people of God into God's mission in the world. We, however, are uncomfortable. Why? Because if we were filled with the Holy Spirit, that would mean that we are no longer in charge of our own lives. And isn't that the point? Look at life the way you have lived it, and at history. The reality is that when we mistake our own comfort, our own convenience, our own agendas, for God's mission, we mess things up big time. I am very familiar with how this works out in my own life. My heart is as prone to this idolatry as anyone's. Still, the purpose of being filled with the Holy Spirit is so that we can join God on the mission of Jesus Christ. Are you hungry for that kind of life?

When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, and not filled with ourselves, this is what life looks like:

We are energized and motivated to share Jesus so that other people will know him and love him as Lord and Savior.
We are hungry and active in the pursuit of a stronger faith, and our lives look more and more like Jesus' life.
We live by the truth of God, and are no longer distracted by the lies handed us by the world.

We are called to have that kind of life. Thank you, God.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in us the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit, and we shall be created anew, and you will renew the face of the Earth.

In Christ, Michael

Gifted People

2009-04-28T12:44:00.000-07:00

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.” Romans 12:6

This month, the church celebrates the day and begins the season of Pentecost. The word means “50 days.” 50 days, with Easter being day 1. The celebration also coincides with a festival in the Jewish tradition that takes place on the 50th day after the Passover celebration called the “Feast of Weeks”, when the farmers of Israel would present their tithes (of their crops) to God. Christians celebrate the day as the arrival of the Holy Spirit, when the message that Jesus had shared with the world was now given to followers of Jesus to live out. What does that mean? It means that since Jesus is no longer here, we have been called and empowered to share the message of faith, hope and love, and that we will be led and protected by the same Spirit of God that lived inside of Jesus.

Which brings us to the subject of spiritual gifts. You see, as followers of Jesus, we too are given the Holy Spirit to live inside of us. Every Christian is unique and special, with particular gifts to share so that the world may know Jesus, and so that the church can be strengthened and more faithful. Did you know that you have a calling to ministry that only you can accomplish? That is the whole idea behind the concept of spiritual gifts. Jesus talked about it like this: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

How do we discover what our particular gifts may be? It takes looking inside of yourself and discovering who you are on the inside. Are you by nature generous? Do people seem to turn to you when they need encouragement? Can you keep a clear head when everyone around you is panicking? Do people ask you to pray for them a lot? Do you seem to be able to motivate others to action? Can you speak to others in a way that inspires them to grow in their faith? Can you tell the difference between the truth and what is either hype, fluff, or a lie? Do children seem to be magnetically drawn to your smiling face? All of these things are possibilities.

Look inside yourself. Discover not only what you do well, but also find the things that either excite you or break your heart, and there you will find your calling, your gifting. When we all find our spot, our giftedness, amazing God-sized things will happen. Can you see it yet?

“And we. . . are being transformed into Jesus’ image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

In Christ,
Michael

Faith, Like Baseball

2009-04-16T07:45:00.001-07:00

“Well, beat the drum, and hold the phone, the sun came out today.
We’re born again, there’s new grass on the field.” John Fogerty

If you know me well, you know how much I love baseball. When I was a kid, I would leave my house at 9:30 in the morning during the summer (I would have left earlier but my mother said 9:30 was early enough), ride my bike over to Bill Siedler’s house, and Bill, his brother Bobby, and I would play baseball in their backyard until dark. Yes, we took breaks to eat. Sure, others would join us sometimes, or we would join them for awhile (the Woehr brothers, who lived next door to the Siedlers, seemed to always bring Danny's pet rats outside during a game we were playing), but mostly it was just us. Many nights, we would try to get that last inning in before it was too dark to see the ball. My childhood memories of summer are surrounded by baseball. When I did stay home, the nights were filled with the voices of Marty and Joe and their tales of heroes and villains clothed in uniforms of white and gray. Even now, baseball captures my imagination, and teaches me a lot about how life, and yes, how faith, work.

People can approach their lives like baseball fans do, and watching the behavior of fans gives an example. Yankee fans expect to have the world on a platter. With 20-something World Series championships, anything less than winning the World Series is a disappointment. Then there are Cub fans (Red Sox fans used to be like this, too, but they have won 2 World Series since 2004, so it’s different now). Cub fans, no matter how good their team is (and lately, they’ve really been very good), are always looking for disaster to strike. That will happen when it’s been over 100 years since your team has won it all. In ’69, the Mets stole their miracle after the black cat ran around in front of their dugout. In ’03, they were so close to the World Series they could taste it, but then Steve Bartman became the goat of the hour. Since 1945 (the last time they made the Series), they have lived under the so-called “curse of the Billy goat”. Reds fans (and I am one), as Paul Daugherty writes, are not so much demanding as expectant that after 9 years of losing and 14 years without a playoff berth, something good has to happen for their team, and soon.

So—what does any of this have to do with faith? Well, don’t we all deal with disappointment and hunger in life? Aren’t we thrilled when life is going well and people are excited about what the next day might bring? Don’t we all wish that sometimes people would be as loyal to faith when times are tough as they are to their ball clubs? Or maybe it’s the other way—fickle fans make us glad that our loyalty to God, and to our church, is stronger than that. After all, the result of our faith is more certain than the results produced by our favorite baseball team. Jesus has conquered death and offers us life that lasts forever. Which leaves us all with a question—do we get just as excited about God as we do about sports? I pray that we are more excited than that.

To borrow from Joe, this is the old lefthander rounding third and heading for home (remember, in life as in baseball, if you swing the bat, you’re dangerous).

In Christ,
Michael

Thoughts on Lent

2009-03-03T16:42:00.000-08:00

Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. Matthew 6:33-34 (The Message)

What is the primary lesson we learn as we travel through Lent? Do we learn that the discipline of sacrifice is difficult? Do we learn that loving others as God has loved us is difficult? Do we learn that what others consider empty rituals have life and meaning after all?

We learn all those things, yes, but none of them is the primary lesson we learn when we observe Lent. The primary lesson is a refresher on the Great Commandment—“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” Everything else in the life of faith is commentary on those two commands. Lent prepares us to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead with a real appreciation for the sacrifice that was required in order to get there. How can we be grateful to Jesus for dying for us, if we do not see why that took place and the real difference his sacrifice makes for our lives?

I’ll close with a story from the material we are sharing together at Mt. Healthy on Wednesday nights. “The Talmud teaches that every person should fully repent one day before his death. ‘But how will I know when that day is?’ you may ask. ‘Treat every day as if it were the day before your last.’ Arrange your life around what matters most. Starting today.”

In Christ,
Michael

Life by the Spirit or the Flesh?

2009-02-13T16:40:00.001-08:00

But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives,

much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—
things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity.

We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart,
and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people.

We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force out way in life,
able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Galatians 5:22-23 (The Message)

As I write this, Valentine’s Day weekend is approaching. People everywhere are searching for some romantic gift, some loving experience. We all want that special someone to know how much we love them, and we look forward to their expression of devotion in return. But sometimes people get caught up in living for themselves. All their work, all their thoughts, everything, serves their own interest and seeks out their own way all the time.

This stuff got discussed in the Bible all the time. Paul had a phrase to describe it. He called it, “Living by the flesh.” And he also described what it was like to live that way. Here is how Eugene Peterson paraphrases things in The Message: “It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all consuming but never satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.” Galatians 5:19-21

Do I really have to explain why that is no way to live? I didn’t think so. But in contrast, Paul spoke of life lived God’s way. He described the good life which bears fruit for God. That kind of life fills the days and the years with joy, and gives meaning to the special events we celebrate, like Valentine’s Day. If that was the only day the person we cared about ever told us we were special, it wouldn’t mean very much, would it? A full life, however, lived God’s way, bears fruit not only for God but for the people with whom we share life. The fruit of the Spirit is the result of a life guided and filled by the Spirit. The traditional version of that list reads like the best result of our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. When others look back at your life, let that be what they see.

In Christ,
Michael

25 Random Things About Me--a Facebook Exercise

2009-01-25T17:18:00.000-08:00

1. I am competitive by nature, to a fault. I love winning, but I think I hate losing more than I love winning.
2. Make me think, and challenge me.
3. I am passionate about my faith in Jesus Christ.
4. I love my family with my whole heart--each one lights up my world in a completely different way. Heather challenges me and teaches me; Patricia is me all over, and the first person related by blood to me I ever saw; Rebekkah is fierce with love and life.
5. I am a sports nut--just about any sport, except soccer, but especially baseball.
6. I am the master of completely useless trivia, like phone numbers and baseball statistics. I mean really, what difference does it make in the world that George Foster in 1977 hit .320 with 52 hrs and 149 rbi, except to Mr. Foster?
7. GW Troubadours--jet lag in Luxembourg Gardens, Paris; singing at St. Sulpice; friends for life.
8. My bachelors degree is in political science--and yes, it really does help me be a better pastor.
9. My first full time job was as a proofreader at a DC law firm.
10. Theater and music were really my first loves. I'm a much better musician than an actor. What memories of the Sycamore Jr. High Theater where musicals happened, not to mention wheat paste and set construction and the Sundays of doom when production week began!
11. My knothole baseball nickname was Ozzie.
12. I loved childhood summer vacations to Salisbury, MA and Seabrook, NH.
13. I love roller coasters. Ask me sometime about Patricia's first time riding the Beast!
14. The most rewarding part about being a pastor is sharing life with people I love as my life's work.
15. I was adopted into my family.
16. When I was a small child, I would spin vinyl records in my hands and sing the songs.
17. I am a dog person, not a cat person. Growing up, we had 2 German Shepherds and a Golden Retriever.
18. My best friend from college and I were from high schools 40 miles apart in Ohio, and we went to school 500 miles away from home.
19. Damn proud! Need I say more?
20. Guinness.
21. Chinese Food. Spicy.
22. Conservative in thought, liberal in application.
23. Ideas have consequences. Choose carefully. Learn from history.
24. Indiana Jones is my hero, but Monty Python makes me laugh
25. Following Jesus is a great quest. Hold on for the ride!

Regional Lenten Devotion

2009-01-16T12:22:00.000-08:00

I was asked to write a devotion for March 19th using the text John 8:21-32.

“The truth will set you free”

It is amazing that a passage that is so antagonistic is also the holder of one of the most beautiful concepts in all of the scriptures. But then again, maybe it should not surprise us at all. For ideas have consequences and our allegiances matter, especially our allegiance to God and the One whom God has sent—Jesus.

Consider the whole passage, and the ways that Jesus attacks the religious authorities. How would we respond to this kind of exchange today? Jesus seems pretty intolerant—he condemns his opponents by telling them that they will die in their sins. He tells them and us that he always does what pleases his Father, and that they, and we, will know who he is and where he came from after he has been put to death. Then he turns to those who believe, and to them he says, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

It’s a clear message. If we hold to Jesus’ teaching, we will really be Jesus’ disciples. What teaching is that? Well, there are a couple of central teaching points in John’s gospel, one a faith statement and one an action statement. The faith statement? We must believe in Jesus as “the light of the world,” who lives in union with “the Father who sent me.” For John, this is the foundation of our faith, the belief that Jesus is the “One and Only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” and the one sent by God “so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” Our confession of faith sounds a great deal like this—“We believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and we accept him as our Lord and Savior.” What is the action statement? To love one another as God (and Jesus) has loved us. Love, not a feeling, or an emotion, or a sentiment, but love, a verb. A verb that means serving one another before we serve ourselves. A verb that shows the world the character of God’s love for us in Jesus. A verb that sacrifices, that feeds, that nurtures, that gives for the sake of others. Love the active and powerful force that saves the world in the name of Jesus.

So—let us both believe and love, and so participate in the reign of God which Jesus ushers into existence, through the cross and through the empty tomb.

Then we will know the truth, and the truth will set us free. Thank you, Jesus.

2009-01-15T11:53:00.000-08:00

“Any message that threatens our autonomy is automatically rejected no matter what it is.” (“A Slice of Infinity,” Ravi Zacharias, No. 1855, January 15, 2009)

A completely disturbing, but chillingly accurate, portrayal of 2009 American culture, even (especially?!) in the established church, Dr. Zacharias is responding to the themes of an old book by Carl Henry, a hero of the non-fundamentalist but still evangelical church, called The Christian Mindset in a Secular Society. These ideas aren’t new, of course, if you’ve read or heard committed Christians through the last couple of generations.

It even seems to me that if I had to name the single most destructive force for the “mainline” established church over the last 75 years, and especially these last 35 years of decline and now seemingly imminent death, that force would be summed up by this very point. We have baptized personal freedoms, rights and liberties and then cried “bigot” at anyone who dared to challenge us and call our living what it is: license. As a church, we have reflected the culture, which is actually proud to declare itself, in the words of a local radio station, “physically spent and morally bankrupt.” And still, there is just enough truth in the accusations of bigotry to make real conversations about how we ought to live as God’s people almost impossible.

So what’s my point? Well, really, my point is that seeking to live under God’s authority, holding the scriptures to be our ultimate authority (yes, even more than “experience”), forces me to conclude that God is more interested in who I am becoming than in who I used to be, and that my personal drives and desires are not meant to be the final word, in my behavior, my life, or my faith (Paul the apostle had something applicable to say about this in the Bible, I think, in 1 Corinthians 6, among other places). It does not help to resort to accusations like heresy or bigotry (depending on one’s point of view). The final word is meant to be life in Christ, placing our bodies and our drives and desires under the control of the Holy Spirit, and growing up into our rightful place as brothers and sisters in Christ’s body.

God looks at the life of the church, which seems to have been taken over by the politicians, and weeps. What God longs for is our transformation into the likeness of Christ—the challenging life that bears fruit for God’s kingdom. So—let’s all read Galatians 5 again, and place our conduct and our living on the path that bears the fruit of the Spirit, not the acts of the sinful nature. What’s the difference? Well, I close by looking at the lists again: “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

May God bless and guide each of us as we share life together by the power of the same Holy Spirit.

Michael

Martin Luther King, Jr.

2009-01-14T08:59:00.000-08:00

“Glory, glory, hallelujah, our God is marching on.”

On Monday, our nation remembers the birth and the life of the only ordained pastor to have a national holiday in his honor. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has had built around him such a legend, such a force in American history, that many people, even those who remember clearly his life and his activism, forget that his ministry, his service, his ideas were not only visionary and faithful to God’s hope for our country, but were also opposed strongly, many times with violence, by people who wanted to preserve a way of life marked by white supremacy.

One such time when the activism of Dr. King and those who walked beside him faced the violent determination of others to silence their message happened in March, 1965. On Sunday, March 7th, Dr. King and many others began a march in the town of Selma, intending to travel to Montgomery, the state capital, 50 miles away, as part of a demonstration for voting rights for African-Americans in Alabama. After they crossed the Edmund Pettis Bridge, the marchers were attacked by heavily armed state troopers and deputies, many mounted on horseback, all in the presence of photographers and video cameras. As the nation reacted to the images of the violence and the marchers waited for a court to enforce their right to march, President Johnson addressed the nation on TV: “There is no issue of States Rights or National Rights. There is only the struggle for Human Rights. . . . We have already waited a hundred years or more, and the time for waiting is gone.” On March 17th, the court ruled in the marchers’ favor, and the March to Montgomery began again on March 21st. On March 25th, Dr. King spoke at the State Capitol in Montgomery and gave a stirring, if now often forgotten, speech.

He said, “I know you are asking today, "How long will it take?" Somebody’s asking, "How long will prejudice blind the visions of men, darken their understanding, and drive bright-eyed wisdom from her sacred throne?" Somebody’s asking, "When will wounded justice, lying prostrate on the streets of Selma and Birmingham and communities all over the South, be lifted from this dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of men?" Somebody’s asking, "When will the radiant star of hope be plunged against the nocturnal bosom of this lonely night, plucked from weary souls with chains of fear and the manacles of death? How long will justice be crucified, and truth bear it?" I come to say to you this afternoon, however difficult the moment, however frustrating the hour, it will not be long, because "truth crushed to earth will rise again." How long? Not long, because "no lie can live forever." How long? Not long, because "you shall reap what you sow." How long? Not long: Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne, Yet that scaffold sways the future, And, behind the dim unknown, Standeth God within the shadow, Keeping watch above his own. How long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. How long? Not long, because:
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; He has loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword; His truth is marching on. He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat; He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat. O, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! Be jubilant my feet! Our God is marching on. Glory, hallelujah! Glory, hallelujah! Glory, hallelujah! Glory, hallelujah! His truth is marching on.”

As a direct result of these events, the U.S. Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, guaranteeing the right to vote and effectively ending Jim Crow voting laws in the South. As the nation observes Martin Luther King day, may our response be gratitude for all those who have led us toward greater understanding and appreciation that we are all created equal and are called to live together in peace with both justice and mercy at the center of our shared life together.

In Christ, Michael