Turning Things Around

I recently placed a joke on my Face Book page:

When I asked my friend if she was planning to attend church, she just shook her head. "I haven't gone in a long time," she said.

"Besides, it's too late for me. I've probably already broken all seven commandments."

It's really not funny.  It pokes fun at a culture that has forgotten the important guidelines that God wrote with His own hand for Moses!

Why not test yourself right now?  How many of the Ten Commandments can you name?  Do you know where to find them (other than Google)?  After you've jotted them down on paper or in your mind, check yourself by grabbing a Bible and looking in Exodus 20 or Deuteronomy 5.  How'd you do?

This morning I read Jeremiah 9 and was struck with God's strong remarks about lying!  Apparently Judah was consumed with patterns of lying that were destroying trust among the people and breaking the heart of God!

[God speaking]   With tongues bent like bows they shoot their lies at one another.  Truth does not win out in this land;  deceit always seems to triumph.  One evil leads to another because they don't know who I am...every brother is ready to cheat and deceive;  every neighbor is prepared to lie when it suits him.  In this land of liars, friends have no misgivings about deceiving one another;  no one even thinks to tell the truth. They've trained their tongues to utter lies;  they wear themselves out with all their sinning.  Jeremiah, you live in a place where deception is assumed;  as their lies pile up, they refuse to acknowledge Me.

It occurred to me that this could very well be a description of our American culture.  We are reaping the benefits of Seinfeld and Friends from previous decades.  We've scrubbed the Ten Commandments from our school walls and public forums.  A mere 20% of our population attend worship on any given Sunday. Honesty and integrity are exceptional descriptors today and we marvel when we see their examples.  

Businesses pass on their losses from shop-lifting and we all pay the price of a culture that is losing its underpinnings.  I could go on, but do I really need to?

The end result of Jeremiah's message was to see the people hauled away into exile in Babylon!  No one knows yet what the end result will be for America.

But for those of us who care, what can we do?

The answer is obvious.

Exhibit honesty and integrity in all our dealings!  Practice, model and exhort conformity to God's 'Big Ten'.  Talk about these things to our children, grandchildren, friends and neighbors.  Do it while you're playing, or during a meal, or when you take a walk together (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)!  

Begin again to weave a cultural fabric that's founded on the principles taught in God's Word!  Believe with all our hearts that God will honor such behavior (because He does!).  

Resist conformity to cultural modes.  Set high, godly standards for all who are watching you live your life.  

There was a day in our history when deals were made and sealed with a handshake.  A man's word was a thing of value.  Let's forge a future that has the same power!  I'll work hard at it - how about you?  

For a related post, check out "I Lied" (written November 15, 2011).  

A Desire To Give

Over the years, I have seen God work His wonders in so many ways.  The simple fact that we often sing: "God is so good!" is SO TRUE!!!!

A memory just came back to me that is PRECIOUS!  I'd like to share it with you.

Our thirteen years at the Oakland FMC in East Liverpool, Ohio were blessed in so many ways!  Our worship evolved during those years into something of spiritual significance!  We tuned in to the growth of the praise and worship movement and incorporated it into our weekly worship very effectively.  We had some push-back, but with gentle, loving persistence, we forged ahead and gained God's blessing.

But we also saw some significant financial miracles.

One year, our leaders sensed the call of God to raise $100,000 for missions! Now, you must understand that we had NEVER raised even ten percent of that amount before!  It was an unreachable goal!  Yet, by faith, we embraced it!

One of the vehicles we used to raise this goal was the principle of 'unexpected money'.  We encouraged our people to pray that God would send 'unexpected money' into their household with the promise that we would simply pass it along toward the missions goal!

An older couple in the church approached me about their desire to help the church meet this amazing goal. Harold and Una explained that they were now on a fixed income and would not be able to assist in any significant way. I responded by encouraging them to pray that God would send some 'unexpected money' into their household.  They agreed to do so.  Months passed...

Then, they came one Sunday with bright eyes full of tears!  Harold's mother had been a godly woman who had raised her family in the church and in the Lord.  She had passed many years earlier.  However, Harold and his brothers received a letter from the local bank indicating that an account in her name had surfaced!  It was to be evenly distributed among her heirs.  Harold and Una were enabled to participate in that miraculous giving event for the church with joy as a reward for their faith!

About three-quarters of the way through that year, some began to doubt that we would be able to fulfill our goal.  We were far short of $100,000.  About that time, Ellen stood up one Sunday and asked to speak. She had never done anything like this before!  She was a tiny woman and usually very quiet;  she was not a leader in the church.  This is the story she told us:  [as best I can recall]

I was watching the 700 Club this week in my living room.  It came time for Pat Robertson to pray over all of the letters that he had received that week. He laid his hands on the letters and began to pray.  In the middle of his prayer, he stopped and looked at the camera.  He said:  "I have a word from the Lord for a church out there that's trying to raise $100,000 for missions! I'm going to do it! Hold strong to your faith!"

Mouths dropped open all across the congregation!  We were shocked that God would use Ellen and Pat Robertson as a vehicle to speak encouragement to us! But, our faith was definitely bolstered!

We came through Christmas still needing $26,000.  Our leaders decided that we should have an evening of praise and worship on December 31, during which we would receive one final offering.  We had about 200 (of all ages) show up for an awesome evening of prayer, praise and worship!  We took our offering and when the ushers returned from counting it, we had reached our goal!  What a night to remember!

The World Missions Department of the Free Methodist Church had heard about our challenge and had contacted our church.  Simultaneously, a couple had felt a call to go as missionaries to Brazil.  The Missions Department needed $100,000 to get them there.  We had no other specific leading for the money, so turned it all over to the Missions Department with great joy and a wonderful sense of having been used by God!

Glory to God!

Getting Ready...

Debbie took me to a consignment shop yesterday and bought me a new pair of blue-jeans!  I'll be needing more blue-jeans starting in June.  By the way, if you know anyone who wears a 41 long, I'll soon have some suits to give away.

I just took a call from my friend, Dave Rose, who now lives near the beach in South Carolina.  He asked me what my plans are for the summer.  This is not the first time I've been asked that question...

I'm feeling kind of guilty that I don't have a good answer.  Am I supposed to have plans?

To be honest, I'm looking forward to not having plans.  I'm kind of excited about waking up and developing a plan for the day spontaneously.

I will begin my Appalachian Trail countdown in June:  nine months and counting...   That will consume more of my thoughts and time as months progress.  There are foods to gather and prepare;  drop-boxes to buy, fill and plan;  gear to acquire;  and transportation to arrange.  I'll also be planning a few shake-down trips to test gear.

I eagerly look forward to spending more leisure time with Debbie.  My recent schedule has kept me away from home several days a week, so we've got some catching up to do!  I think we're both excited about that!

We talk a lot about being involved in a church.  We'll be able to sit together and worship for the first time in forty-two years!  What a new and wonderful experience that will be!  We want to be involved.  We look forward to leading a small group in our home!  We have enjoyed teaching on marriage and parenting over the years.  We each have areas of measured expertise that we'd love to continue sharing with others.

I hope I can continue a mentoring role with some younger leaders;  no sense letting these years of experience sit on a shelf!

I've struggled to know what to do with my books.  I've accumulated many of them.  They've been the tools of my trade!  I have a sentimental attachment to them and find it unbearable to think of parting with them. But, in reality, I know that I'll not use them much in the future.  They've been a ready resource through the years, but I shouldn't need them now.

I'll certainly keep some that have deeply impacted me.  God has used books to mold me through the years. There have been so many times that I have known God had me reading a certain book at a specific time! This has been one of His primary ways of shaping me!  Even now, I'm being deeply impacted by reading Bob Buford's book, Finishing Well.  Let's just say that it is transforming my view of retirement!

I think I'm most excited about extended time for study and prayer in the mornings.  The 'schedule' has always limited this time through the years. Now that the 'schedule' will be more relaxed, I can enjoy cultivating an even deeper relationship with my Lord!  I'm VERY excited about that!

I'm confident that He is planning some great adventures for us!  I recently asked Deb if she'd go back to China with me?  To my great surprise, she said, "Yes, for a year."   I was delightedly shocked!  There have been so many times when I have read the Free Methodist Missions Hotline and longed to respond to a need for a short-term fill-in.  I expect that kind of assignment to be in our future!

We have been given so much!  So much wealth.  So many privileges. Tremendous opportunities.  Awesome relationships!  We want to give back!

I have some determinations:

• help others
• avoid traps (like TV)
• work with Samaritan's Purse
• bless our local church
• missions travel
• re-visit China
• be a prayer warrior
• stay physically active
• be a resource for God to use as He pleases

I also look forward to growing my skill at writing.  A few have suggested that I write a book!  That seems like a rather large dream to me, but I do have a few ideas banging around in my head.  Blogging will continue to be an outlet and source of therapy for me.  I enjoy creating humorous, interesting and stimulating articles that people enjoy reading...

As my years of "official ministry" draw to a close, I look forward to the future with anticipation.  I'm grateful to God for extending His great grace to me through the years!  

I'm reminded of an outline I heard from a pastor at the First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh many years ago.  He outlined the Apostle Paul's life:

• In his early years, the Apostle Paul was vigorous in defending his apostleship:  "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ..."
• In his middle years, his description changed somewhat:  "Paul, the least of the apostles..."
• In his latter years, we see the fulfillment of his downward mobility:  "Paul, the chief of sinners..."

I can identify with this downward mobility!  John said it well:  "He must increase and I must decrease!"  

So be it!  Amen.

I'm Humbled!

I began this blog in July, 2011.  It sat idle for three years while my wife and I were teaching English in China. I resumed writing upon our return in 2015.

The blog has reached a milestone this week of over 40,000 page views.  I'm overwhelmed that some people thought these musings worthy of reading.

For those of you who stop by regularly, I thought you might be interested in knowing what the most popular blogs were:

Posts

Entry	Pageviews
The blog I never wanted to write Oct 9, 2015, 20 comments	3696
There's Been A Change In Plans Oct 6, 2015, 7 comments	1402
A Mother's Grief Mar 27, 2017, 2 comments	556
Grief Exposed Oct 21, 2015, 3 comments	495
You're Not Going to Kittanning Today, Dad! Oct 5, 2016, 4 comments	444
He Was My Friend! Oct 23, 2015, 2 comments	431
Mr. Whippo Dec 26, 2015, 2 comments	426
CRISIS AT THE LORD'S TABLE!!!! Jul 21, 2016	386
Beaches... Oct 16, 2015, 6 comments	379
How Do You Get Through This? Oct 25, 2015, 1 comment	357

It's very interesting to me that nine of the ten posts have to do with grief.  The other post is probably there due to a repetition error that I haven't been able to correct.  

Another thing that has amazed me is the broad scope of readers (as evidenced below):

Pageviews by Countries

Entry	Pageviews
United States	37147
Russia	1255
France	312
Germany	128
Ukraine	91
United Kingdom	76
Portugal	75
Thailand	71
Singapore	63
China	59

Many other countries were also on the list at various times.  I suspect that this broad readership is largely due to the many international friends we made while living in the Hua Yuan Hotel in Changchun, China.  

By the way, I would LOVE to hear from some of you international visitors.  If you care to correspond, my email address is:  halinasia@psmail.net

TO ALL OF YOU:  

Thank you SO MUCH for checking out "Hal-lelujah!" from time-to-time.  I hope you are humored, relaxed, entertained and even educated by what you read!  

I'm in my last month before retirement and hope to try my hand at writing a book in the next year or so.  It's an overwhelming prospect to me, so I practice a lot on my blog!    :-)

Yours sincerely,

Hal Haire

How To Get A New Pastor!

My ministry years have progressed through appointments varying from two to thirteen years:

• Tunnel Hill FMC (Wabash Conference)  2 years  [Student/Pastor]
• Jeannette FMC (Pittsburgh Conference)  2 years
• McClellandtown FMC (Pittsburgh Conference)  4 years
• Oakland FMC (Pittsburgh Conference) 13 years
• Spencerville FMC (Maryland/Virginia Conference)  2 1/2 years
• Cornerstone FMC (Ohio Conference)  5 1/2 years  [Lead Associate]
• New Middletown FMC (Ohio Conference)  9 years
• Teaching English in China (VISA Department)  3 years
• Kittanning FMC  (Pittsburgh Conference)  2 years  [Part-time]

Toward the end of my tenure at New Middletown, I felt a growing need for a sabbatical leave.  I researched the topic and cleared the idea with my conference leadership and then began to cultivate the idea of a six month sabbatical with my Board.  Gradually, they came to embrace the concept and we put a plan in place that would allow me to step away in the early spring of 2012.  My plan was to embrace the long-held dream of backpacking the Appalachian Trail!  

But, my preaching and personal development had also begun to move me toward a missions experience. God had begun to ignite a passion  in me for working in an environment that would put me in contact with spiritually lost people.  With much pain, I surrendered the sabbatical and left a healthy, vibrant ministry for one, two, then three years of teaching English in northeast China!  

I know I made the right choice.  My years in China were three of the best years of my life!  However, it was difficult to give up the hiking dream...

Just this morning I had a conversation with a fellow pastor who retired a year ago.  He is about six years younger than me, but had endured a difficult appointment and felt the need for respite.  However, after having a year of "doing other things", he is re-engaging in ministry!  Here's another example of a pastor who needed a sabbatical and had to find his own way of getting it.

He stated to me:  "Harold, the only way that a pastor can get a sabbatical is to either have a heart attack or a moral failure."  What a shocking and sad statement.  

Since I'm coming to the end of my official career, I can speak more straightforward than others.  Being a pastor is hard work!  It requires a wide array of skills:

• public speaking
• diplomacy
• leadership
• change agent
• counseling
• negotiating
• teaching
• vision-casting
• wisdom
• tact

Add to this the 21st century demand to be technologically savy and the need to be outgoing. 

Some would say that vacations should more than meet the need for rest and restoration.  However, the work I had to do to prepare for vacations was significant.  Plus, I was called home from vacations for funerals and other emergencies quite a number of times (mostly when my family was young).  I recently realized that in all my years of ministry, I have never taken two weeks off in a row.  Trust me:  vacations don't do it!

Needless to say, our ecclesiastical leaders don't promote it!  I'm sure they see the burn-out;  I'm confident they have to deal with the aftermath of moral failures.  Yet their burden of stimulating and sustaining growth seems to overshadow any tendency to promote sabbaticals.

Yet, a practice of sabbatical leave could reinvigorate pastors and extend their ministry years!  My friend told of a very successful pastor who told him that he could have served longer if the church had provided a sabbatical leave to give him opportunity for restoration.

One of my literary mentors, Henry Nouwen, created his own sabbatical by moving himself to a small parish in the mountains of a Latin American country for several years.  Some of his most effective writing came as a result of this experience!  

Even now, I admit that I never intended to retire at age 65.  To some extent, my retirement surprises me.  I truly thought that I would continue until I was at least 70.  But, I have been disappointed by the rigors of being a "commuting pastor".  Living one place and pastoring in another has been difficult.  Being away from my wife and home for three days a week has been challenging.  

I've already indicated (in another blog post) that I am conflicted about this transition.  I wonder if, like my friend, I might find myself wanting 'back in' a year from now?  We'll see.  

But for now, I choose to speak on behalf of my peers.  The value of a sabbatical leave for pastors needs to be reconsidered.  The evidence is in:

• being a pastor is a high-pressure role that can lead to burn-out.
• churches tend to flourish when they have long-term leadership.
• experiencing a pastoral change interrupts a church's growth and stability.

Perhaps the best way to get a new pastor is by giving your current pastor a sabbatical leave.  You might be pleasantly surprised at how innovative, fresh, excited and passionate s/he could be after a period where s/he is free to follow pursuits that captivate them.

Some pastors will use this time to continue their education.  Others may take an extended vacation or may travel.  Perhaps a few might turn to writing. I've read of more than a few who decided to hike the Appalachian Trail!  :-)  I don't think it matters what they do or how they use the time.  Relief from responsibility is the key!  

I challenge any church leaders who may read this to more seriously consider the value of sabbatical leave for pastors under their care.  I encourage them to lend their significant influence to any pastor pursuing this possibility.

I also challenge you who are parsihoners to have an open mind if your pastor ever raises this subject.  Why not ask your pastor what he thinks about this blog post?  Perhaps you could advocate for a sabbatical for your pastor.  There are no set rules for sabbaticals;  some might appreciate a month while others might need a more extended time (three to six months).  

With so many people's lives being influenced, it seems a valuable topic to be considered.  

As for me:  I guess you could say that I've engineered my own sabbatical by retiring a good bit before I ever thought I would...

Stay tuned!  We'll see what develops in the future...

An Eyewitness Account of Heaven!

We've all read after-death or near-death accounts of Heaven.  Some have been turned into books and even movies.  Some have been debunked, while others are universally respected.  Heaven remains a subject of great curiosity and mystery.  Some think Heaven is a real place where the redeemed will live eternally with God.  Many think it is a spiritual realm without physicality.  Others seem to view it as the destination for all humanity when we die (universalism).

Eyewitness accounts supposedly abound.  Yet the most reliable eyewitness accounts are those recorded in the scripture and affirmed by millions throughout history as reliable!  One of those accounts is rarely read or considered;  as a matter of fact, most people are surprised when they read it or hear it read.

Part of this shock comes because it arises in the Old Testament and not the New.  It occurs in the book of Exodus when Moses goes up the mountain to talk with God.  Perhaps the witness of one person could be discredited;  but how about the common witness of over seventy?

Moses is instructed by God to bring to the mountain Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and 70 of Israel's elders! Let's read it:

Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.  Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank.

What a fascinating report!  

74 men actually saw God and consequently caught a view into the Present Heaven!  To look on God and live was a marvel!  God obviously extended His grace to allow them to live, even after looking on His glorious presence!  

How we wish they had given a greater description of God, yet since He is described as Light, we can imagine that to gaze on Him is to be transfixed by a brilliance that transcends anything we can know on earth.  

It's remarkable that they were so impressed with the pavement of Heaven!  Notice that it "appeared" to be sapphire.  Revelation 21:21 declares the streets to be made of gold:  “The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass”  The Greek word translated “gold” is chrusion, which can mean “gold, gold jewelry, or overlay".  This is a refined gold that seems to have a translucent effect.  

Finally, they apparently ate and drank in His presence.  I wonder what they ate and what they drank? Were these provisions they had brought from the camp of Israel?  Or was this a feast provided by God?  Either way, it seems to be an indication that we have a God who loves to fellowship with His people!  He has been part of a triune fellowship for all eternity, yet He desires a fellowship with His created beings as well!  

What stories they must have told upon their return to camp!  How would their family and friends even believe their report?  "Oh, we had lunch with God on the mountain!"  :-)    "Yeah, right."  

How would an experience like this form the rest of your life?  How would it change you and the way you live?  These 74 men would guide the children of Israel for the next forty years!  How many times would they reflect back on that heavenly experience to stabilize them and direct their decisions?  

Thank You, God for this tiny vignette from Exodus that gives us a foretaste of the eternal glory You offer to all of Your children!  Amen.