Well.. I Had to Slow Down and Pay Attention

As a pastor I am always looking for great resources; studies, ideas, insights. Listening to others is the best way I know how to not begin to shape God in my image. Of course, many of us would much prefer God would just go along with us. But I consider my #1 role as a clergy leader is to take the hands of those I meet and walk towards God in the most direct path possible. Along the way we will have conversations and experiences that could either pull us away from God or move us towards a more holy connection with the Divine. One of my favorite resources is a site called Seedbed. My friend (aka professor from seminary), JD Walt, is the sower of this seedbed. Seedbed is filled with articles, blogs, video and curricula to assist me in maintaining consistency of the message. Today as I read "The Daily Text," a commentary piece written by JD something caught my attention; their tag line stating their organization vision:

"Resourcing people, communities, and movements to love the whole world with the whole gospel."

Whoa, slow down. This statement may capture my thoughts for the entire day or longer. Wouldn't it be amazing if this was every follower of Christ's goal for each day. 

"Allow me to unpack" (a cool term I learned in seminary meaning, "I don't really know what you mean but I don't want you to know so spell it out for me". 

"Resourcing" - People are our faith's greatest asset. Jesus knew what he had in his people. We are broken, messed up but we are covered in God's rich grace, a grace that makes us right in God's eyes and gives each of us gifts that support and enrich the people of the world. It is only smart to gather these, resources and and put them to work. Jesus did this with His disciples. He found the right ones, or the wrong ones depending on how you look at it. these men were not religious leaders or scholars. They were fishermen, tax collectors, average "joes". Men with no voice or power but through their face-to-face relationship with Jesus they came to know God and their gifts were empowered to be resourced for change. I am an average joe but aren't we all? 

"Communities" - Groups of people, living close, geographically, often have begun to resource their gifts in coordinated efforts to benefit their communities. Setting forth to elevate those existing assets into a larger product is a grand plan. Maybe even a Divine plan!

"Movements" - Movement is a word most of us United Methodists should be familiar and comfortable with. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodsit Movement is reported to never aspire for the people called Methodists to be a denomination. He had his reasons, one of which he was an Anglican priest and never wanted to move away from that affiliation, but I think he had faith fed insight to more. Denominations are institutions. Institutions, by their definition, are in danger of becoming sedentary. Movements...well...move. Jesus told us to move. There was no room in his dialogue for standing still. He even said, "Go, therefor...". We can't live out our faith if we are not in motion. A group of people, a community, moving in a concerted effort, are powerful, amazing. When those very communities are resourced for God it is transformative. 

Imagine moving these large gifts from God, through large groups of people to love - to love the whole world. Imagine what it would be like to not only love those in our family, but those in our community, our world; even those that are not loving toward us. I have a person in my life that can only be described as having a retaliatory spirt. If this person perceives an injury from you, this person will hurt you back. The other qualities in this person are eventually overshadowed by the desire to hurt those that she feels are injurious to her. Eventually division is created between her and those who so desperately want to be in friendship with her. They end up loving her from a distance to avoid being hurt. Unfortunately, some may stop loving. We are created to forgive and forgive again. to extend grace to all, deserved or not. God set the standard and invites us to respond to his extension of mercy to pass it toward others. This grace extension is at the root of love. In order to love as we are called to love the world - we have to love the whole world - even those that are like my friend; hard to love, maybe even against us. Division and retaliation is never productive.

But loving all people is the whole gospel. Richard Stearns, president of World Vision, wrote a book about the whole gospel called, A Hole in Our Gospel. The "Monica's Cliff Note What it Meant to Me Version," states that loving God, as a Christian, is important, and we often stop there. The greatest Commandment actually urges us to love others as we love ourselves. Without loving others there is a hole in our gospel. Have you ever thought about giving people the whole gospel; more than John 3:16. But maybe through in a pinch of John 3:17; maybe loving people into a real relationship with Christ.

While I love Seedbed and all they offer. For me today, I feel today, the thinking I was forced to do in looking at their organizational vision will propel me into being more intentional in my movement in this Kingdom. I hope you will too. 

To Do List

All you have to do is scroll through Social Media to discover that people like lists; "21 Things That Only Happen to Awkward People", 15 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Faith", or "5 Ways to Know if You Are Prone to Cheat." You get the picture. 

Lists are handy. It is natural and easy to get information this way. You can quickly scan the list, check off those that apply to you and walk away happy knowing you are not awkward or prone to commit adultery or have the deepest faith - EVER!!! 

It is a great feeling when you check the list and you are "good." A recent list I read ticked off the traits to decide if you were prone to spiritual maturity; "What Does Christ-Like Maturity Look Like? 15 Characteristics." I have added a few of my thoughts, things I Had to ask myself before I could check them off. 

Check them out. If you dare. 

The article listed traits such as:

Guided by the Holy Spirit (even into uncomfortable places) most of us are willing to boldly go where we have gone before or were we feel equipped to master the area. But are you willing to go into uncharted territory where there are more questions than answers in the name of Christ?

You are a disciple finder and maker. Before you answer "yes". Ask yourself to give examples of When? Who? How? You might be surprised at your answers. IT is so easy to assume we are great disciples because we follow…right? but we are also called to find and make disciples. Jesus said. Re-read Matthew 28:19-20

You are a teacher and defender of the truth. (WARNING: You must really know the truth first.) Too often we shape God’s truth and Christ’s word into what we want to hear, but there are really hard places like “blessed are the meek, or we scatter our blessings.” Some of what Jesus says id hard to really do!!

We model spiritual disciplines which include prayer, fasting, meditation, etc. The key word here is discipline. In other words you are called to practice spirituality with disciples; everyday, consistently, intentionally, first-priority. 

A need meeter. (Hint: not your own needs) 

A protector of church members from false teachers. False teachers are not always atheists, cult leaders or folks of other faith practices. Anyone who teaches something other than Jesus' intent for us is a false teacher. 

A faith builder. In others. By living by faith, too. By walking by faith. You can’t build faith in others when you hide behind fear.

Partnering with God to see healing take place in the lives of church family (emotional and physical) by serving, caring, praying for and most importantly trusting they will be healed. 

An empowerer. Empowerment requirs letting go...of control, of old ways...of fear. 

A model of good citizenship. Be kind. Be honest. Be fair. Be NICE! Treat everyone exactly how you wish you were treated.

A transcendent hope builder. Wow! Refer to #2. Ask yourself the same questions. In this broken world, hope is what separates mature believers from those that are unbelievers or minimal believers.

A sustainer of and leader in communal expectations. Matthew 26:26-30 institutes the sacred moment of the Holy Eucharist. We should crave to share in these moments with others bringing Christ into our midst. 

A defender of the principles. We have to do the right thing for the right reason which means we may have to question our motives sometimes. Are we standing on a Christ principle or a worldly principle? 

Willing to die for God’s Kingdom. Fair enough. None of us are Jesus. Jesus is God. We aren't right? But mere humans have died for God. Sure Joan of Arc, Dietrich Boenhoffer, but do you know but do you know Cassie Bernall? She was a mere 17 year old girl. Sitting at school. A shooter killed her because she refused to lie about her faith to save her life. Would you?

Sending others out to make disciples. Go Make Baptize ALL the Nations. 

Lists are great fun. They however, make it all too easy to feel as though we have accomplished something great when at closer examination we may not have accomplished all God had intended for us. 

Usually when I make lists they are to do lists. Maybe this one is too. 

TIP-toeing Through Life?

Well the inevitable has happened...Sassy is TWO. Well, not really. Actually she doesn't chronologically turn two until late March; a full four months down the road. Regardless of the math, she is two. Or least she has reached that tipping point when children stop reacting to the world around them and begin to insert their desires, will and opinions into their tiny little world. Most parents that experience this period of development in their children call it the "terrible twos."  As a former early care and education person I will let you in on a little secret; anyone that thinks two's are terrible haven't had a three year old. Threes KNOW what they are supposed to do it, know if they do you won't kill them so do it anyway.

Sassy noticing a part of the yard away from the watchful eye of adults

Two year olds are only finding out who they are and what they can and are allowed to do. They want to find out how they can influence the tiny, little sphere that circles around them. The method employed for investigation is to walk right up to boundaries and then tip toe right over the last line drawn. Some exert their "two-ness" with a little more exuberance and hop, skip and jump past the line of expectance. Others, ignore the line completely. For a parent, this constant pushing at and pushing past the lines of right and wrong, good and bad, safe and dangerous can be wearisome. It makes you long for the days of infancy when a child lay helplessly with only the desire to have their needs met. Independence doesn't seem to be the great milestone is made out to be.

Looking back to see who is watching.

The desire to push past limits in in our DNA. God created each of us with a willful soul craving to use our creative minds to sculpt the world around us to...well...suit us. Sassy is only doing what each of us have done and still do each day of our lives; grabbing the gusto! Is it all bad to enjoy life and explore all the endless possibilities of life? Isn't exploration what this world is built upon. Imagine as if Columbus had stayed home, Alexander Graham Bell had not sought to find a new way to hear or if a few crazy test pilots had not boldly gone where none had ever gone before.

Sassy's exerts her independence with wings, bling and bows; much to the consternation of her minimalist momma. Being a smart women, she allows this bit of freedom. Recently, to have minor surgery, she arrived complete in comfy clothes, hair scooped up in a big fluffy bow and shoes she had chosen for her self, pink and glittery. As you do. Some days she wants to wear a bumble bee costume all day and others she may just wear four bows and a set of wings. She is developing who she is and who she will be. That is why God gave us will, so we can develop into who we are; use our creative minds to explore and shape and "blossom." I mean really, are wings and bows all that bad in the grand scheme of things?

Still checking to see if far is too far.

No, wings are not bad. Choosing our style and flair is what God wants for us. But there is a tipping point. That moment when our exploration and independence combine and take us to that place that we KNOW is too far. We are fully aware we are going beyond what our Father wants for us. As parents we all desire safety for our children. We want to protect them from harm; real physical harm or damage to our soul when our choices set us outside community. Our children push those boundaries; we push those boundaries. There is a delicate balance between moving in freedom and not falling into a spot that can lead to injury, pain, or heartbreak.


Sassy isn't quite big enough to always know how far is too far but, fortunately, at this point she is smart enough touch base as she proceeds towards independent thinking. That is the Tipping Point. We all have it. That place were we disregard the part of us that urges us to check in with God before proceeding and the part of us that urges us to run headlong into freedom without pause. Most of us are fully aware of the tipping point with in us. If not, I urge you to discover where is that place in your life where you are tempted to throw caution to the wind and run. The consequence to independence without insight is nothing short of someday getting lost; lost to our ourselves, lost to our earthly family, lost to God. We need to learn to know those places where our Parent is excited by our independence and willfulness; loving to see what we discover. But there are those places (often including apples and serpents) that we need the protective insight of someone more experienced and mighty that ourselves.

What is your tipping point? What is that button inside you that could be pushed that causes you to run outside the arms of your Heavenly Father? Are you intentionally seeking to know the great plan God has for you? 

Maybe is the day you need to start looking.