PROGRESSIVISM HAS FAILED

Have you ever had the experience of loose ends eventually being connected?

Way back in 1973, I was a new student at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky.  In my first semester, I was enrolled in a philosophy class with Dr. Harold Kuhn. 

Although I had an undergraduate degree in Religion/Philosophy, I remember feeling absolutely lost in this class.  For several weeks he insisted that we talk about ‘progressivism’.  He asked us if we believed in progressivism.  He wanted us to declare one way or the other and be able to defend our position.  I don’t think I was the only one who was confused by this incessant challenge.

It was clear that Dr. Kuhn felt this was a viable topic and worthy of our consideration as developing pastors. 

Vowing long ago to be a lifelong learner and continual reader, I recently purchased a book by a leading, current religious and biblical scholar – N. T. Wright.  I feel like I’m in philosophy class again. J

I’m a fourth of the way through the book and am enjoying it in spite of the challenging arguments that he raises and discusses.  He’s been addressing the belief that has been mixed with Christianity over the last century that mankind can raise itself up and establish a utopia. 

Read Wright’s perspective:  [p.88]

“The Platonist, the Hindu, and following Plato, the Gnostic, the Manichaean, and countless others within variants of the Christian and Jewish traditions all say that these are the signs that we are made for something quite different, a world not made of space, time, and matter, a world of pure spiritual existence where we shall happily have got rid of the shackles of mortality once and for all.”

On first reading, it sounds good and acceptable.

Except for places like Romans 8:18-25 or Revelation 21 and 22 [look them up if you need to]. 

This world and its physicality is not evil.  We are all on a journey that we are not in control of – including our world. 

Romans 8:22-25 [TM]

“All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it’s not only around us; it’s within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We’re also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.”

Take a good look around.  Our belief in human potential and progressivism have brought us – at least in America – almost to a point of anarchy and global doom. 

Sorry!  My intention is not to be pessimistic but redirecting.  Genuine believers know that we await something that is real!  A Heaven reinstituted here on a purged earth with glorified bodies like that of Christ’s after His resurrection.  It is not a figment of our imagination!  It is the fulfillment of God’s promise since the day Adam and Eve were barred from the Garden of Eden.  That garden still exists and will – at God’s command – be brought down to a renewed earth where His redeemed ones will enjoy life forever in His presence.

Progressivism has failed.  Hope reigns eternal. 

Dr. Kuhn saw this many years ago and tried to awaken us to a dangerous threat to human society.  Tonight, I finally got it! 

How about it?  "...the longer we wait...the more joyful our expectancy."  Right?  Don't you dare lose hope!!!!

GROWING ROOTS

[This is from the book, STORIES OF PRAYER FOR A HEALTHY SOUL.  Titled “Growing Roots”, it was written by Philip Gulley]

Had an old neighbor when I was growing up named Doctor Gibbs.  He didn’t look like any doctor I’d ever known.  Every time I saw him, he was wearing denim overalls and a straw hat, the front brim of which was green sunglass plastic.  He smiled a lot, a smile that matched his hat – old and crinkly and well-worn.  He never yelled at us for playing in his yard.  I remember him as someone who was a lot nicer than circumstances warranted.

When Doctor Gibbs wasn’t saving lives, he was planting trees.  His house sat on ten acres, and his life goal was to make it a forest.  The good doctor had some interesting theories concerning plant husbandry.  He came from the “No pain, no gain” school of horticulture.  He never watered his new trees, which flew in the face of conventional wisdom.  Once I asked why.  He said that watering plants spoiled them, and that if you water them, each successive tree generation will grow weaker and weaker.  So you have to make things rough for them and weed out the weenie trees early on.

He talked about how watering trees made for shallow roots, and how trees that weren’t watered had to grow deep roots in search of moisture.  I took him to mean that deep roots were to be treasured.

So he never watered his trees.  He’d plant an oak and, instead of watering it every morning he’d beat it with a rolled up newspaper.  Smack!  Slap!  Pow!  I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the tree’s attention.

Doctor Gibbs went to glory a couple years after I left home.  Every now and again, I walk by his house and look at the trees that I’d watched him plant some twenty-five years ago.  They’re granite strong now.  Big and robust.  Those trees wake up in the morning and beat their chests and drink their coffee black.

I planted a couple trees a few years back.  Carried water to them for a solid summer.  Sprayed them.  Prayed over them.  The whole nine yards.  Two years of coddling has resulted in trees that expect to be waited on hand and foot.  Whenever a cold wind blows in, they tremble and chatter their branches.  Sissy trees.

Funny thing about those trees of Doctor Gibbs.  Adversity and deprivation seemed to benefit them in ways comfort and ease never could.

Every night before I go to bed, I go check on my two sons.  I stand over them and watch their little bodies, the rising and falling of life within.  I often pray for them.  Mostly I pray that their lives will be easy.  “Lord, spare them from hardship.”  But lately I’ve been thinking that it’s time to change my prayer.

Has to do with the inevitability of cold winds that hit us at the core.  I know my children are going to encounter hardship, and my praying they won’t is naïve.  There’s always a cold wind blowing somewhere.

So I’m changing my eventide prayer.  Because life is tough, whether we want it to be or not.  Instead, I’m going to pray that my sons’ roots grow deep, so they can draw strength from the hidden sources of the eternal God. 

Too many times we pray for ease, but that’s a prayer seldom met.  What we need to do is pray for roots that reach deep into the Eternal, so when the rains fall and the winds blow, we won’t be swept asunder.

THE STAFF BECOMES A CROSS

It was the first time that Israel had to defend itself!  In the Wilderness of Sin – after just receiving water from a rock – the Amalekites came against them! 

Moses drafted Joshua to select some men and go out to fight.  Meanwhile he added:  “I will take my stand on top of the hill holding God’s staff.” [Exodus 17:9 TM] This was the staff used to divide the Red Sea and bring water from the rock!  

The next morning, Moses took two of his most reliable men, Aaron and Hur, and went to the top of the hill.  There, he held God’s staff out over the battlefield.  “It turned out that whenever Moses raised his hands, Israel was winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, Amalek was winning” [v.11 TM]. 

As a result, they placed a large stone for Moses to sit on and Aaron and Hur held his hands up – one on each side!  By doing this, he remained steady until sundown.  “Joshua defeated Amalek and its army in battle” [v.13 TM]

God specifically told Moses to write this incident up “as a reminder to Joshua to keep it before him”.  God already knew that eventually Joshua would replace Moses as the leader of Israel and God wanted Joshua to be able to remember that this great victory came through PRAYER!!!!!

Finally, “Moses built an altar and named it ‘GOD My Banner’” [v.15 TM]. 

__________________________

Although I can’t take the time to tell the whole story, it was in the year 312 A.D. that the new emperor, Constantine – who was struggling to maintain his new position – saw something that changed the course of history:

One day, while he was in front of his tent with his officers and troops around him, he had a vision of an enormous cross of fire in the heavens. On one side of the cross were the words, in the Greek language: In hoc signo vinces, the translation of which is “By this sign thou shalt conquer.”

And the future of the Church was radically affected from that day forward!  A church that had been persecuted and tormented was suddenly released from the catacombs into the light of day!  A vision by one man transformed the future of the Church and the world! 

__________________________

I must confess that as I grew up, I wondered:  “Did God really make the outcome of this battle dependent on a man’s ability to hold his arms up all day long?”  “Was it just a matter of Moses holding his hands up, or was it Moses ability to stay focused in prayer?”  These are reasonable questions.

As an adult, it seems clearer to me that the lesson here is one of dependence on God!  He is dependable!  We can trust Him!  But we must lean on Him!  We must call on Him!  His deliverance is not automatic.  His deliverance is dependent on our leaning, our trust, our deliberate confidence in Him! 

______________________

I’m a senior citizen.  All those my age have seen tough and discouraging times; however, none compare to what we’re facing today! 

So, one must ask:  “Are we leaning into God more than we ever have before?”  “Are we calling on Him more fervently than we ever have before?”  “Are we truly trusting God regarding the perils that are threatening our world today?” 

Is anyone standing on the hilltop with their hands outstretched before God?  Is anyone there to help hold their hands up?  Will we be able to sustain this cry of desperation until nightfall?  Is there enough faith and trust to enable us to see the victory that God only can give? 

PASTORAL LEADERSHIP THOUGHTS

Exodus 17 is one of the first times that we see Moses sharing responsibility for the children of Israel. When they complain [again] that they are thirsty, Moses – under instructions from God – takes the elders of Israel with him to the rock of Horeb. There, sharing leadership and responsibility with the elders, he struck the rock and the people drank!
__________________________

It’s a long leap from this incident to the 21st century church, but there are lessons to be gleaned from this story.

Early on in my ministry, I heard pastors talk about “my church”, and something about that sounded wrong to me. Consequently, I tried hard to refrain from using that phrase. Instead, I substituted the phrase: “the church that I serve.”

It’s not ‘my church’, it's the church of Jesus Christ! He’s the Lord and Master of the church – not me.

I have always been a cooperative leader. I want us all to cross the finish-line together! I never wanted to dictate, I wanted to lead. Staying in close communion with God was a necessity! I worked hard at that.

The burden should not be solely on one person. The church is a cooperative venture! Duly elected and appointed leaders share responsibility for her welfare.

I ended many of our Ministry Council meetings by saying, “Well, let’s pray about this until next month’s meeting and see if God can’t bring us to a consensus.” In my leadership book, it was most important that we all be on the same page!
___________________________

Yet, in so many cases I hear about, the pastor is viewed as a CEO who dictates and is unquestioned. What’s the fear - that s/he will fire all of us?

The people have been there long-term! They will still be there when this pastor moves on and a new one is called or appointed. It’s far more ‘their’ church than it is ‘his/hers’.

God was teaching Moses to spread out the leadership instead of bearing the burden and responsibility alone. In my humble opinion, a lot of pastors today need to reframe their perspective into one of cooperative leadership as opposed to a dictatorial approach!

Yes, it takes longer to build consensus!  Yes, there are 'slow-adaptors' who resist change at all costs.  Yes, it adds to our frustration.  But the dividends will be beneficial for the pastor who exercises restraint and patience.  The goals that s/he desires will ultimately be met, and will be longer lasting as a result!  

Parishoners need to be bolder in speaking out and challenging the thoughts and ideas of their pastors. Accept responsibility for your church being the church that God wants it to be! Respect your pastor, pray for your pastor, honor your pastor – but also question him/her. Let your opinion be heard considerately!

71 YEARS OF LORD'S DAYS

Sundays have changed!

When I was young, I woke up and ate my mom’s banana nut bread for breakfast; it was a Sunday morning tradition. 

Then, we went to Sunday School and morning worship.  We came home and had our biggest meal of the week; it always included mashed potatoes!  [We would eat leftovers for several days!]  Quite often my mom invited people for Sunday dinner; like Debbie, her gift was hospitality!  They would visit for a while and then we’d just be lazy in the afternoon.  My dad would read the Sunday paper in the living room while snacking on green leaves and salted, red-skin peanuts.  No television until after Sunday night church.  No outside playing.  Occasionally we’d play a game, but no cards.  Youth group was at 6:30 and then evening church followed.  It was usually 9:00 PM when we got home. 

College changed all that!  I still got up and had breakfast.  Not many came so they would fix almost anything I asked for.  It was my favorite meal of the week!  Then I taught a boys Sunday School class at Pearce Memorial Free Methodist Church (on campus).  After that I attended worship.  Afternoons were for study.  Sometimes I went back for evening church.

Married life brought more changes.  We began in Wilmore, KY, where I attended seminary.  We attended the Wilmore FMC.  Again, we went home to our big meal of the week!  Later, I became the student-pastor at the Tunnel Hill FMC in English, IN.  We drove 150 miles to get there and stayed in their trailer/parsonage for the weekend.  Then after Sunday night church, we drove back to Wilmore!  Travis was born during this season! 

Then, I was appointed to the Jeannette, PA FMC where I officially began my ministry.  Wow!  Lots of changes!  A brand new church building and about forty people!  I did my best, but struggled with the isolation after having lived in the seminary community.  We went to the farm on my Mondays to relax and get away.  We had Sunday School, morning worship and evening worship.  The church grew – more than doubled in size in two years, but I was so strongly opposed by the key leaders in the church that I asked for a move [something I’ve regretted ever since]. 

While at McClellandtown, PA FMC, Troy and Tracie were born.  It was a coal-patch town.  Attendance was about 60 when I got there.  During our four years, the church grew – again doubling in size.  But key leaders opposed the building of a new church on property they already owned on a major route a mile away.  The official board did vote to go ahead, but with a slight majority vote.  Shortly after, I was moved to East Liverpool [Oakland FMC] where we stayed for thirteen years.  Travis started and finished school there.  The church nearly tripled in size, but I didn’t have the knowledge or skill to help it grow larger. 

I was exhausted after this appointment due to the stress of a divided congregation, so left the Pittsburgh Conference and took a church in Spencerville, MD [FMC].  A small, country church saddled between a mega-church and a fast-growing post-modern church.  In spite of this, we saw significant growth and nearly doubled in size until a family crisis necessitated our moving back to Pennsylvania.  I was unemployed for over four months and we were essentially homeless.

Then by God’s grace, we landed a job running a licensed home for severely behaviorally challenged children in Akron, OH.  We began attending the Cornerstone Church!  I was immediately hired part-time.  Shortly after, I was made the Lead Associate Pastor.  The church exploded with growth, with three packed services – largely due to Brenda Young’s leadership and preaching/teaching!  It was a great joy to be a part of this!

Then, I was asked to lead the New Middletown, FMC, and Debbie accepted the assignment since it would put us close to her family 😂.  Although I had the hardest beginning to a ministry that I’d ever experienced – within six months peace had been restored and twenty new members were received!  The growth continued until we ultimately started seeing over two hundred in worship and went to two services!  After nine years, we felt the call to missions and decided to go to China!

Our three years in China deserve a book of their own.  Sundays were very different, but a pure delight!  We worshipped with our team in the mornings.  Then, after dinner, we went to an international church with [60-80] from many nations [where I was sometimes asked to preach]!  At 2:00 PM we attended a Chinese/English service led by college-age young people and held in another official Chinese church!  IT WAS AMAZING!  I had many opportunities to preach here, as well [through an interpreter, of course]!

Then, home, where we felt truly lost for a long time due to culture-shock!  I accepted a commuting/part-time pastoring role at the Kittanning FMC.  Travis died!  Then, Deb’s dad died.  We were devastated!  After two years and some significant growth, I knew I wasn’t cut out to be a commuting pastor.  I retired.

Life since then has been an ongoing adjustment!  I miss leading the church, even though I realize that I don’t have the energy to do that anymore.  However, I do still have the passion!  Debbie was ordained this morning as an elder at the Bethel Evangelical Presbyterian Church.  She’s quite a leader there now: elder/session, leads the library, on the Vision Team.  I’m a regular attender and, so far, the pastor has used me to preach on occasions.  I’ve also taught Sunday School some.  I’m a retired pastor in process!  😊

I’ll be 71 this month, so it’s been a seven-decade journey!  I have a new ministry that’s very lyfting!  I’m learning to be content with it!  God still has a lot of work to do in me and hopefully through me.  To God be the glory! 

TRANSITIONING A CHURCH

The Apostle Paul stood between two groups as a type of mediator.  This is wonderfully illustrated in Ephesians 2 [especially noticeable if read in The Message].  Here he tries to bring together Gentiles and circumcised Jews [water and oil]!  This delicate work takes wisdom and a deep, unquestioned commitment to both groups!  No bias can be shown or his work will be nullified.  The Jews and the Gentiles need to know that Paul is totally for them!  Paul performs this task masterfully!  Just observe his tact:

^14-15 The Messiah has made things up between us so that we’re now together on this, both non-Jewish outsiders and Jewish insiders. He tore down the wall we used to keep each other at a distance. He repealed the law code that had become so clogged with fine print and footnotes that it hindered more than it helped. Then he started over. Instead of continuing with two groups of people separated by centuries of animosity and suspicion, he created a new kind of human being, a fresh start for everybody.

16-18 Christ brought us together through his death on the cross. The Cross got us to embrace, and that was the end of the hostility. Christ came and preached peace to you outsiders and peace to us insiders. He treated us as equals, and so made us equals. Through him we both share the same Spirit and have equal access to the Father.

Paul - like Christ - has a deep longing for these long-separated groups to be unified in the love of Christ and the fulfillment of His mission! 

On a massively different level, as a pastor I too have stood between these two kinds of groups.

·         New, excited, passionate believers and mature, established, lukewarm believers.

·         Pentecostal believers who long to see gifts exercised and traditional believers who are suspect of anything new and extreme.

These groups need one another more than they realize!  Each group has strengths that the other group needs! Yet often the communication lines are clogged or broken! 

One of the great challenges for me through the years was trying to preach to a growing congregation [which, by the way, is a pleasant challenge!].   How do you meet the needs of those who don’t know the Word yet and need to be taught the basics and encouraged in their new-found faith;  as opposed to preaching to those who’ve been walking in ‘the way’ for years and are looking for ‘meat’ and not just ‘milk’? 

When you focus on the needs of the new believers, the old believers already know this and lose interest.

When you focus on the mature believers, the new believers are lost and don’t understand the concepts.

[Of course, this is only an issue in churches where THERE ARE new believers!]

As with Paul, both groups need to know that you love them and are committed to them.  As the leader of both groups, you cannot show bias.   However, you also cannot allow yourself to be pushed around or manipulated by either group!  You must stand strong in the faith, committed to the Word, and accepting and caring for all involved!  It is a gargantuan task that requires an intimate walk with God! 

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1.      IF YOU’RE PART OF A GROWING CHURCH, pray for your pastor as she/he tries to bring unity to the body and give everyone a sense of common direction!

2.      Be deliberate about getting to know new believers/attenders and helping them to – as quickly as possible – assimilate into the ‘body’!  [After four years of attending our current church, I’m still struggling with names and a sense of ‘belonging’.]  Long-term attenders (members?) are known, revered and have a voice.  New attenders (members?) are often unknown, ignored and have no voice.  We must ALL work to change that! 

3.      Develop a church wide attitude that looks at new people as God-sent to add to the beauty of the body and to equip the body for even greater service in the future!  New people are not a threat to established leaders, they are an asset to those currently leading and may represent the potential for new ministries and new directions for the church!