TAKE THOU AUTHORITY TO PREACH THE WORD

I’ve learned a lot about differences in the ways that ordination are observed across various denominations just by being part of the Bethel Evangelical Presbyterian Church for the past seven years.

Actually, it hit close to home for us as a couple. Several years ago, Debbie was ordained as a ruling elder in this church. She served for three rather explosive years as a member of the ’session’.  She felt the burden of leadership throughout this experience. One interesting caveat was the fact that the ruling elders serve Holy Communion to the congregation. So, for the first time in our lives, she served me communion – instead of the vice versa!  I am proud of the respect she has garnered as a result of her leadership investment.

In the Wesleyan movement, elders are ordained by bishops and are enabled thereby to lead local churches, marry, serve Holy Communion, and hold a vote in their annual conference.

When I was ordained, the Free Methodist Church practiced an ordination of submission that included a first step of being ordained as a ‘Deacon’. After a minimum of satisfactorily serving in this role, one could then be fully ordained as an ‘Elder’.  I was fortunate to receive both ordinations by a bishop that I highly respected and admired: Bishop Paul N. Ellis. 

I must admit that I don’t recall much of the specifics of those events. The one memory I do have is negative. Debbie was invited to stand [and kneel] with me during this rite of passage. When the service concluded, my conference superintendent congratulated us and told us that it would have been better if Debbie had not worn that flashy, beaded necklace! He was NOT one of my favorite leaders.

The ordination service typically takes place at our annual conference. Our leaders designate the final service of worship to include this sacred time in the lives of our prospective candidates who have been voted on by the entire conference after the answering of the required questions. 

Typically, the worship leads to a message by the bishop who then presides over the ordination service. The candidates are called forward along with their spouses where they publicly respond to the required questions for ordination and are then invited to kneel before the bishop and congregation. Any elders present are also invited to move forward and participate in the ‘laying on of hands’.

The presiding bishop – along with the elders - then lay their hands on the ordinand while speaking the following words:

“The Lord pour upon you the Holy Spirit for the office and work of an elder in the Free Methodist Church now committed unto you by the laying on of our hands.”

Then, the bishop holds the ordinands Bible out to them. As they together grasp the Bible, the following charge is given:

“Take authority to minister the Word of God. Faithfully proclaim His Word, declare His forgiveness, celebrate the sacraments, shepherd His people.”

The service is usually brought to an end by a prayer and an opportunity for the worshipping community to come forward and offer congratulations to the newly ordained elders and their spouses. 

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Debbie and I recently attended a special Tri-Conference event involving the Harvest Conference [Pittsburgh area and West Virginia], the Keystone Conference [Northwestern Pennsylvania] and the Ohio Conference [Nearly the whole state of Ohio]. Bishop Kaye Kolde presided over this special event.

Those who know me and read my blogs will be aware that I have been a lifelong advocate of women in ministry. The Free Methodist Church has been ordaining women since 1911.

Eight individuals were called to the platform during the Tri-conference ordination service: four women and four men – all accompanied by their wives/husbands. One at a time, they were brought before Bishop Kolde.  All elders had been invited to fill the area in front of the platform so that they could participate in the laying on of hands. There were surely one hundred elders crowded across the front of the worship center. At the appropriate moment we all laid our hands on one another’s shoulders bringing us into symbolic contact with the ordinand. 

Surely someone took a picture of this event; I wish I had that picture! I ended up right in front of Bishop Kolde and about five or six feet from the place where she spoke to the ordinands. 

It was surely a powerful moment for those being ordained! You could sense their humility and the responsibility they were accepting as they interacted with Bishop Kolde.

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I have always had a penchant for observing the differences between males and females. It’s a topic that I have written about frequently. 

Although this event took place several weeks ago, I am still contemplating the difference between the ways the men and women responded to Bishop Kolde.  I’m not sure yet what this difference implies.

The Free Methodist Church has MANY women in ministry! 

My first hire while leading a growing church was a young woman – Raeanne Thompson – who had just graduated from college. She was an outstanding ‘Youth Pastor’ and was responsible for growing the Oakland Church significantly over the next several years. She is still active in ministry today!

I also worked for six years with Lead Pastor, Brenda Mason Young, at what was then the Cornerstone Free Methodist Church in Akron, Ohio,  During that time the church grew from an attendance of 400 to over 700. Her exemplary and dynamic leadership was the primary catalyst for that growth! They were the most exciting years of my overall ministry!

In an age when the church is in serious decline and many denominations are having difficulty finding enough pastors to fill their churches – one wonders why they are not turning to the vast number of women who are responding to God’s ‘call’ to ministry!

I’ve wandered…let’s get back to my ordination observations:

In the case of each of the men that Bishop Kolde ordained, the men knelt with the heads bowed. When the bishop offered them their Bible for the second part of the act of ordination, they looked up briefly and then bowed their heads again. 

There was a distinct difference in the way that the women responded. They also bowed their heads while the bishop laid her hands on their heads. However, when Bishop Kolde offered the women their Bible, each of them continued to look up into Bishop Kolde’s eyes! I felt like I could sense the communication flowing between these women!

The bishop drank in their gaze with deep sincerity. They showed admiration, respect and the experiencing of a divine moment as they returned her gaze!

I walked away with the sense that these women – in particular – would NEVER forget that moment!

May each of these new elders follow through with passion and integrity! May they see the churches to which they are assigned flourish with rich, robust and sincere commitments to serve the Lord of the Church!  May they each brng joy to the heart of God! 

TRIUMPHANT DAY WITH THE WHIPPO SIDE OF THE FAMILY

Like most families, we have two sides to ours: the Haire side and the Whippo side. I’m going to talk about the Whippo side today.

Debbie and I created this merger in August, 1973.  We immediately established our independence by moving eight hours away from both families for three years while I attended seminary in Kentucky.

Debbie is the ‘first-born’ of a family of nine children: Debbie, Danny, Laurie, Cathy, Janie, Wally, Ginny, Tommy and Barbie.

I was the ‘baby’ of the Haire family with a sister fifteen years older – Jeannette.  I have no memory of ever living with her in the house, Then my brother, Ira, was twelve years older. I barely remember sleeping in the same room with him until he graduated from high school and left home for New York.  Beverly was seven years older and I’m sure I was an absolute pest to her!  From the age of eleven on, I was raised like an only child.

When we returned from Kentucky I was ordained and appointed to my first church in Harrison City, PA.  Somewhere in and around that time, my father-in-law, Ken, gathered the family in the living room and explained that Debbie and I were going to be in the ministry. He explained the pressures we would be under and suggested that the family should always be a safe zone for us. If we talked about our church, the family should keep our confidence!  The farm was to be  a safe place for us where we were treated normally.

Although Ken and I were not close [he was still Mr. Whippo to me at that point], I deeply appreciated his intervention and understanding!

That was fifty years ago, and the Whippo family HAS ALWAYS BEEN A SAFE PLACE FOR US!  Debbie’s brothers and sisters and their wives and husbands have added untold value to our lives! They have served as a circle of friends, a prayer group and a source of encouragement and help over and over again! We have vacationed together and shared meals at one another’s homes.

Our three T’s grew up with Charlie and Laurie’s kids almost like they were all siblings! Camping trips at Pymatuning Lake took place summer after summer!

For ten days every July we shared the experience of being together at the Tri-State Free Methodist Family Camp where Debbie and I first met!  For ten days all of us ate, played, went swimming, and worshipped together! 

In more recent years we’ve camped with a gang of the family (and some camp friends) every Memorial weekend and Labor Day weekend!  Even now, when we worship on Sundays, we see three of Deb’s sisters and two of her brothers in church and Sunday School nearly every Sunday!  

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This Friday, we drove to Owego, NY, to attend the wedding of a great niece: Alexandra Senko [Danny’s daughter Mandy’s (and Scott's) oldest child]. It coincided with the town of Owego’s Annual Strawberry Festival, so many of us came on Friday to enjoy the festivities.

Owego outdid itself with a downtown array of vendors, concerts, fireworks and on Saturday a parade that went on for an hour and a half!  Totally enjoyable!

Then, Saturday at 3:00 PM, we gathered at Tioga Gardens for Jacob Dove and Alexandra Senko’s outdoor wedding! It was a stunningly beautiful setting and was clearly and carefully thought through from beginning to end.  No flaws or faux paus – just perfection!

Then we walked a short distance to a large, shaded pavilion where we found our seats and enjoyed the reception for the new bride and groom!  Music, hors d'oeuvres, the bridal dance, the cake-cutting, dancing, a luscious meal and tables full of cookies filled the next several hours!

Whippo family members were present from New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, Illinois, Alaska, Ohio and Connecticut.  Hugs were exchanged. Introductions of new members were made! Conversations filled the afternoon!  Love was evident everywhere you looked!  A family that values relationships and looks eagerly forward to celebrations that occasionally bring us together! 

Congratulations to the new Dove family!  May they enjoy their honeymoon and the true beginning of their life together!  Also to the Senko family for a job well done! I think anyone present would declare that it was A PERFECT DAY! 

THE SINS OF LEADERS

In I Chronicles 15 we read of the majestic manner by which David brought the Chest of the Covenant of God into Jerusalem.  David was initially pleased but then had a discomforting thought:

After the king had made himself at home, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Look at this: Here I am comfortable in a luxurious palace of cedar and the Chest of God sits under a tent.”  [I Chronicles 17:1 -  All quotes from the Message Bible unless otherwise noted]

God seems pleased with David’s idea of building a temple, but then decides that this task should be accomplished by David’s heir to the throne – one of his sons [Solomon].  God’s reasoning for this decision is exposed in a later passage:

“You’ve killed too many people, fought too many wars. You are not the one to honor me by building a sanctuary – you’ve been responsible for too much killing, too much bloodshed.”  [I Chronicles 22:8]

God assures David of how pleased He is by promising to make David famous, “ranked with the great names on earth”  [v.8].  Then God proceeds to give David and Joab [his commander] many sequential victories over:

o   the Philistines

o   the Moabites

o   Hadadezer the king of Zobah

o   the Arameans, and

o   the Edomites.

Chapter 18:14 declares: Then David ruled over all of Israel. He ruled well, fair and evenhanded in all his duties and relationships.

HOWEVER, notice the opening words of chapter 21:

Now Satan entered the scene and seduced David into taking a census of Israel.

Satan fans the flame of David’s pride!  Suddenly, he needs to know how many people he is ruler over!  His commander, Joab, immediately sees that this is a waste of time and resources. He courageously speaks his mind to David, but David ignores his counsel and persists with his command.

GOD IS NOT HAPPY WITH DAVID!  He sends Gad, David’s pastor, with a message:

“You have your choice of three punishments; choose one and I’ll do the rest.

Do you want three three years of famine, three months of running from your enemies while they chase you down, or three days of the sword of God – an epidemic unleashed on the country by an angel of God? Think it over and make up your mind.”   [21:10-12]

David responded immediately:

“I’d rather be punished by GOD whose mercy is great, than fall into human hands.”  [21:13]

The resulting plague caused the death of 70,000 Israelites before a special sacrifice by David halted the work of the angel!

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Leadership is encumbered with responsibility!  The one making decisions that impact others must think carefully and choose wisely!

For those of us who follow Christ, however, there is another factor: Satanic opposition! 

Leaders must be on-guard 24/7! They are ALWAYS vulnerable – especially when things are prospering!  The blessing of God triggers the temptation of Satan!  David fell prey to Satan’s prideful temptation, and 70,000 Israelites paid the price for him dropping his guard!

Leadership can be a burden! The responsibility can be heavy!

David had surrounded himself with good people, but then he failed to take the advice of Joab. Good leaders remain accountable!  They recruit individuals who can ask them the tough questions at any time! They seek accountability! They maintain close relationships with peers and older, wiser leaders of the same (or greater) stature!  They recognize their vulnerability!

When a leader falls – inevitably others WILL BE HURT, SHOCKED, DISAPPOINTED AND DISILLUSIONED!  The fall-out is immeasurable! When the leader is a Christian, many will question their faith and possibly lose their spiritual direction! How tragic!

This is why the Bible encourages us to pray for our leaders!

 The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live. [I Timothy 2:1-2]

 

Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it’s God’s order. So live responsibly as a citizen. If you’re irresponsible to the state, then you’re irresponsible with God, and God will hold you responsible. Duly constituted authorities are only a threat if you’re trying to get by with something. Decent citizens should have nothing to fear. [Romans 13:1-3]

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IF YOU’RE A LEADER:

Act responsibly!

Lean on God for direction and wisdom!

Find an accountability partner and meet with them regularly!

IF YOU’RE NOT A LEADER:

Pray for those who provide leadership!

Support them with your cooperation.

Don’t speak ill of your leaders! Rather, if you have problems or questions – go directly to them and share your thoughts appropriately and with respect.

WORSHIP AND WORSHIP PREPARATION

I was leading churches when the transition was being made from ‘Song Leaders and Instrumentalists’ to “Worship Teams’. The worship tradition of the 1950’s and 1960’s for many churches was to have a song leader who was accompanied by a pianist – and sometimes also an organist.  The following years saw gentle transitions to adding guitars and other instruments. Before long, we were using worship teams to direct our singing. Platforms had to be rebuilt to accommodate an influx of instruments, monitors, mike-stands and speakers!

I read in I Chronicles 13-17 this morning and observed the worship transitions and structures of the Israelites under King David’s influence.  King David: Remember him? He was the youngest in his family of boys and had responsibility for watching over his father’s sheep! He had a poetic mind and wrote lots of songs/psalms. We also envision him with crude stringed instruments – and eventually a harp – playing and singing for his audience of One!

These chapters chronicle the evolution of worship under the new King David’s direction as he reunited Israel [the northern kingdom] and Judah [the southern kingdom]. 

A few chapters earlier [9] we learn that David reinstituted a cadre of families who had responsibility for maintaining the Tent of God and all of its accoutrements. Whole family systems were tasked with caring for the maintenance needs of this sacred area, while other family systems and individuals were assigned responsibility for planning and leading worship times! It’s rather shocking to learn that “…1760 skilled and seasoned servants were involved in the work of worshipping God.” [I Chronicles 9:13  All quotes from The Message unless otherwise noted.]

We can assume from all of this that the worship of Israel was rather important at this stage of their history!  Sadly, through future generations it would deteriorate and be watered down with idols, horrendous things like child-sacrifice and sexual practices!  But while David was king, the worship remained central and pure!  What does THAT tell us about leadership?

I took particular notice this morning of the variety and volume of instruments used in the worship of God:

o   bronze cymbals

o   lyres [small stringed instrument]

o   harps

o   trumpets

o   every kind of brass and percussion and stringed instruments  [all mentioned in chapter 15]

I just wrote in my granddaughter Rylie’s Bible that I’d love to have a video of Israel’s worship from this period! 😲

In a psalm of David included in chapter 16, David exhorts the people to “Shout Bravo! To God”!

There were many responsibilities tied to the worship of the Israelites:

o   Maintaining supplies of incense

o   Making incense

o   Baking bread

o   Maintaining supplies of wine, flour, oil, and spices

o   Around-the-clock guards

o   Maintenance people [remember, the Temple at this time was a massive tent]

o   Priests

o   Levites – the only ones who were authorized by God to move the Temple and its furniture.

o   Instrumentalists

o   Worship planners

The lives of the children of Israel centered on the worship of a mighty God who had chosen them and brought them to this point in history as a light to the world! 

Maintaining this position of influence required total dependence on God and appropriate, constant worship of Him! 

Toward the end of his life, David realized that he was living in a palace while God was still living in a tent. He immediately approached God about building a Temple.  Initially, God gave him a green light, but then told him that his son, Solomon, would be the one to build the Temple. David didn’t seem disappointed at all by this decision. Instead, he began aggressively gathering materials to be available to Solomon for when he was ready to begin construction! 

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Reading all of this may make us pale as we reflect on the miniscule time we tend to devote to the worship of God! Frequently, we walk into church on Sunday morning having given no thought whatsoever to the worship we’re about to engage in.

In the churches that I served we tried to have music playing for a half-hour before worship with an encouragement for people to come into the sanctuary and pray before worship. I tried to spend at least a few minutes at the altar before worship. There were others who frequently visited that altar before AND DURING worship!

I have ALWAYS trained worship team members that worship is NOT a time to show off skills and ability. Humility is essential if worship is to be genuine and meaningful!

When I was a boy, I remember preachers praying before their messages asking God to “hide me behind the cross as I share Your Word this morning, Lord!”  This was a way to express their desire for help in not being a showman but a deliverer of the Holy Word of God! 

We’ve all likely been in churches where worship leaders/team members – and even people in the congregation – seemed focused on performing rather than worshipping God!  This can be  a distraction from worshipping God! There have been times when I’ve moved to another seat so as NOT to be distracted by fellow worshippers.

It’s fitting for us to remember that initially God set apart a whole day of rest. Some still retain this focus on observing the Lord’s DAY! 

It’s also appropriate to remember Psalm 34:1, [NASB, 1995]

"I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth."

CATALYST FOR GROWTH

My nephew, Scott, drove in from New York Friday to attend a meeting in our area on Saturday.  He brought his dad along so we could visit while he attended his meeting. Our son, Troy came over Saturday morning to spend some time with his Uncle Dick as well. It was a casual time of sitting in the cool of our front yard while visiting and swapping stories! 

I’d like to share some of Dick’s spiritual journey with you today.

Dick is Italian through and through! I met him when he started dating my sister, Beverly, back in the late 1960’s. I liked him immediately because he had the coolest Ford Mustang [I would have been about fourteen]!

Dick was a colorful addition to our family! He used language that wasn’t typically used in our family. He was outgoing and loved to laugh! Our family stretched to include him and enfolded his young son, Scotty, as well! Our parents – Leonard and Hazel Haire – enfolded Dick fully! He came to love and appreciate them until their deaths [Hazel – 1981; Leonard, 1992]. Their godly influence and full acceptance helped Dick’s transformation!

Few people know it, but Beverly and her best friend, Nancy, met two Italian guys at a skating rink. Dick and Dom were a bit older than they were, but they each became couples that stayed together through the years!  Dick was an AMAZING roller-skater! I’m told that when he went out on the floor, the skaters would clear the floor as he would show off his remarkable skills! 

On December 2, 1967, Bev and Dick were married in our home in New Brighton, PA. They got almost 58 years in before Beverly died in June, 2025. 

They lived life to the fullest! Their month-long vacations every March/April to resorts in Florida were famous for family get-togethers, relaxing by the pool, eating out and fun! One year, they took our son, Travis, with them and treated him to a trip to Disney [something that we were simply not able to afford].

Dick is a giver! He picks up the bill when a crowd goes out to eat! They put in a backyard swimming pool and Debbie and I camped in their backyard for our vacation for several years. Our kids absolutely loved Aunt Bev and Uncle Dick. For sixteen years, Dick worked at Tobin Meats. When we went to his house, we ate steak [something that was uncommon in the Haire house].

But I primarily want to talk about Dick’s spiritual pilgrimage. Meeting, dating and marrying Beverly changed Dick’s world forever!  Beverly put her faith first! To honor her, Dick would often attend worship with her at the campus Free Methodist Church in North Chili, NY. At that time, it had a congregation of nearly a thousand! He made lots of friends there. Over the years, Beverly attended several other churches. Dick didn’t always go, but he did always honor her faith!

In the course of time, Dick became friends with a professor from Roberts Wesleyan College. He was one of my Bible/Greek professors – Stanley Magill. Dick frequently ran into Prof Magill at a Greek restaurant down the street from the campus.  Dick smoked cigars at the time and Prof loved the smell of his cigars 😲 They forged a friendship that was influential in Dick’s spiritual pilgrimage!

Many of their friends came from Beverly’s Christian associations.  All along the way, Dick’s world became immersed in a faith community!  Then, God intervened and sent an Italian pastor to the Pearce Memorial Church. His name was Dr. V. J. Mannoia. He immediately connected with Dick and they spoke a language that bonded them as friends. It was during this period that Dick began to lead the prayer before our meals in his home. He often teared-up as he prayed! You could tell that it was meaningful for him to talk with God publicly! 

HOWEVER, new believers are not transformed overnight!  His language stayed colorful! Even yesterday, I giggled inside as we talked in the front yard!  I’m sure that Troy did too! I think we place too high expectations on new believers! Transformation is not an overnight experience!!!!!  It takes time!  Lots of time! 

Dick is an emotional man!  He spoke through tears repeatedly Friday evening and Saturday! Of course, he is adjusting to life alone – now that Beverly has moved on to Heaven.

Dick will readily admit that he based his hope for Heaven on having Beverly as his wife! He consdered her to be his ‘ticket to Heaven’!  He lovingly cared for her through three years of increasing dementia and constant home care! He exhausted himself watching over her and protecting her! And she wasn’t always nice to him during this debilitating period! But Dick’s love persisted! He assured her that he would keep her at home as long as he possibly could. Here’s how he put it: “This is what I signed up for!”

When she died, Dick was lost! Their big house was empty! Everywhere he looked – he saw memories of her! He wept! He still weeps – a year later!  Our family enfolded Dick and their daughter, Heather, and their son, Scott. We assured him that he would ALWAYS be part of the Haire family!

Through this floundering season, Dick began sitting at their kitchen table every morning and started reading the Bible with a cup of coffee and a light breakfast.  He tells me that he still reads it every morning! He says:

“Harold, I don’t always know what I’m reading, but I just keep reading. Then, I pray! I tell God that I’m not sure what it meant, but I’m not giving up! I tell Him how much I miss Bev. I pray for my kids. I pray for our president [whose picture is pasted on the garage door in front of him]. And I thank Him for all He's done for me!”

This is how Dick starts every day now!  He’s taking responsibility for his own faith! Beverly’s departure has catalyzed him into owning his faith in a personal way! IT’S A GOOD THING!  He’s forming his own relationship with God – perhaps for the first time! 

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What a gracious and wonderful God we serve! How He has coordinated Dick’s life is AWESOME!

·        First He brought Beverly into Dick’s life!

·        Then the Haire family – especially Leonard and Hazel.

·        His friend Dom became a fervent man of faith – along with his wife, Nancy [Beverly’s best friend]!

·        Then, along came the spiritual fireball – Stanley Magill!

·        Then, God brought V. J. Mannoia to Pearce Church to solidify the deal!

·        Dick and Bev’s son, Scott Iachetta, is a vibrant man of faith who has played a leading role in his youth work over the years – as well as his church!  Scott and Robin’s godly influence has certainly strengthened Dick – especially now that Dick is alone!

And only God knows all the other details, connections, provisions and catalysts that God has maneuvered into Dick’s life to keep him on-track and grow him into the man he is today!

I praise the Lord for His goodness! 

Do you see yourself in Dick’s story? 

God doesn’t love Dick any more than He loves YOU!  God intervenes in your life in just as creative ways as He did for Dick! Stop and think about it! God brings people and situations into our lives to satisfy His purposes!  He wants us to grow! He wants us to fulfill His mission for our lives! He calls us continually to higher ground!

You haven’t shut Him out – have you?

Open yourself anew to God’s voice and His ways! You might be surprised to know that He’s closer than you think!

THE WINDS OF THE SPIRIT!

Debbie and I were in a blessed setting for Friday and Saturday! We attended the first ever Tri-Conference Session of the Harvest, Keystone and Ohio conferences of the Free Methodist Church!  

It was held at the Living Water FMC in Dalton, OH, which accommodated us with amazing hospitality and grace! Their worship team appeared at set times throughout the conference to lead us in meaningful times of experiencing the presence of God! The meals served were wonderful and done with speed and grace!  Host pastor, Mark Hirst, personally greeted each guest as we entered the church; he was also a frequent participant in the sessions.

Bishop Kay Kolde led the conference with assistance from two retired bishops. 

The Free Methodist Church – founded in 1860 – has been ordaining women since 1911. The first female bishop in any Free Methodist General Conference was Rev. Dr. Linda Adams. She was consecrated in 2024, marking a historic milestone in the denomination’s 160-year history.

Bishop Kolde ordained eight ministerial candidates as elders at the conclusion of the conference. Four candidates were male and four were female. Over one hundred elders present were invited to come forward and participate in the ‘laying on of hands’ during these ordinations! It was a visually powerful period!

The purpose of this tri-conference was to address the concerns of the need for greater cooperation and focus between conferences that actually share many common goals and purposes. Discussions have been held with key participants from each area out of a desire to change the momentum of the Free Methodist Church.

Bishop Kolde reminded us that the number of FM churches in America have fallen from 1050 to 825 over the past fifteen years [a decline that is mirrored in most – if not all – Christian denominations in America].  Leaders are consequently considering coordinated changes in emphasis and organization to address and reverse these declines through increased focus, evangelism and discipleship!

The spirit of support for these epic changes was tangible throughout the meetings in spite of the complexities involved in changing leadership structures, financial systems, and territorial alliances. The delegates clearly see the need for radical change in order to see the continuation of John Wesley’s call to “spread Scriptural holiness across the land and to preach the gospel to the poor.”

As a retired pastor in the FMC, it was refreshing to see the youthful surge of leaders and their willingness to cooperate and make concessions in order to see a return of biblical holiness and cultural impact as we move forward!

The conference ended on a totally positive note with an extended prayer time during which MANY went forward to be prayed with by the bishops and superintendents who were present!  No one left early! The presence of God was too captivating and engaging to even consider leaving Living Water’s massive sanctuary!

Bishop Kolde’s messages were challenging as she addressed the tri-conference from two key passages:

·         Isaiah 6 – where Isaiah is caught up in a powerful vision of heaven and responds to the call of God by saying: “Here am I – send me!” [v.8].

·         I Kings 19f – where Elijah is threatened by Queen Jezebel after killing 850 of her prophets of Baal and Ashtoreth.  After fleeing in fear, God ministers to him in unique ways and then sends him to Mt. Horeb – the mountain of God! Once there, Elijah witnesses the presence of God and is reassigned by God to return to ministry!

Debbie and I were proud to experience this influential conference along with our son, Troy, [later joined by his wife, Missy]. Troy was a delegate from Freedom Church in New Middletown, OH [where I served as pastor from 2003-2012].

Although these kinds of gatherings are a huge challenge to me because of my hearing issues, I am so glad we chose to attend and participate. Yes, the frustrations were great, but experiencing the presence of God is so worth the investment! We are refreshed and renewed with hope for the future and will continue to pray for our leaders as they direct us into a fruitful future! 

INSIGNIFICANT THINGS!

God uses seemingly insignificant things and people to get His work done and to teach those who love and serve Him!  Who else but God would write the story of the arrival of His Son and have Him spend His first night on earth lying as a newborn infant in a feeding trough for animals?  It catches us by surprise!  We expect high and lofty, but instead we get the commonplace. 

Now, there are times when God does use the awesome and mystifying.  Who can sit unmoved by Handel’s Messiah?  260 pages composed in just twenty-four days!  It brought a king to his feet in praise and adoration! 

But isn’t it comforting that God so often uses the commonplace?

He said to Moses: “What is that in your hand?” 

The answer was – a shepherd’s staff.

Do you realize how common a shepherd’s staff was in Moses’ day?

They were not the ornate staffs of expensive metals we see in cathedrals. 

Rather, they were a stick of wood picked up along the way with natural crooks in it and of sturdy size that would easily serve the needs of the shepherd in tending and protecting his sheep!

David, in his brash youth, stepped forward to face a giant!

When King Saul’s armor didn’t fit, he went to face Goliath with his weapon of choice – a sling and five smooth stones. We know the story, so we don’t laugh; but if we were hearing it for the first time, we’d think it ludicrous!  No club? No sword? No battle-axe?  Against a colossal brute? A leather sling?????

Elijah wanted to help the widow and her son in their poverty.

“What do you have?”

“Oh, I have a little oil and some flour.”

“Use the little you have and make me a loaf of bread.  If you obey, your flask will never run out of oil and your box will never be empty of flour.” 

And it was so. 

A group of thousands had remained in a wilderness area listening to Jesus teach for several days.  They were hungry.  Jesus didn’t want to send them away famished.  He asked His disciples, “How much do we have?”  Andrew was the only one to speak.  He reported that he had found a young boy with a lunch of five small loaves and two fish.  It was all Jesus needed to feed a large crowd!

In the first century, the village of Bethlehem was small and insignificant.  But many years earlier the prophet Micah had declared: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.’”  You know the rest of the story.  Jesus, the Messiah, wasn’t born in mighty Jerusalem.  No.  He was born in a cave, among animals, in Bethlehem!

God simply isn’t limited in the way He does things!  After all, He is GOD!  He can do what He wants to do and when He wants to do it!  And He loves to surprise us! 

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NO ONE IS INSIGNIFICANT

If anyone was insignificant, it was Ross.  He lived several blocks from the church I led for thirteen years.  Due to an accident many years earlier, Ross couldn’t speak clearly.  He was always dirty and unkempt.  Most of the time he smelled really badly.  Very few attempted to engage him for the obvious reasons.  Yet, he was a regular attender.  His hair looked like it hadn’t met with a comb in ages.  Yet there he was week after week.  I tried so hard, time after time, to understand him, but with very little success.  Occasionally he’d stop by the church when he saw my car there and try to have a conversation with me. 

Even as the church grew, Ross continued to come.  He did have one friend in the church.  Harvey was a fellow that came real early on Sundays to distribute Sunday School materials.  He didn’t particularly care for the ways I was leading the church.  I had known him for many years because of our district camp meeting. As a kid, I had helped him ‘white-wash’ the trees at the campground.  I had respected him as a godly man because he was often blessed and would let out a loud melodic “Woo Hoo!” when he felt the moving of the Holy Spirit. 

But when I became his pastor, he seemed to see me as a threat to the homeostasis of the church.  He singlehandedly made ministry hard for me. Even when the church doubled in size, he could only see me as a threat. 

Yet, Harvey – unbeknownst to anyone but me – would periodically take Ross into the church’s furnace room and completely bathe him.  He would wash out Ross’ clothes and dry them.  He was Ross’ best friend!  Harvey seemed to be able to understand Ross better than the rest of us.  He exhibited genuine, tangible love for Ross, while most of us did our best to ignore him. 

In spite of the adversarial relationship I had to endure with Harvey, I always admired him for the love and attention that he doled out to Ross. Somehow, Ross had risen above insignificance to Harvey. 

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There is no one and no thing that is insignificant to God!  He made it all and He cares for it all! 

I look back and wonder why we didn’t at least try to do more for Ross.  If we had focused our efforts together, it seems that we could have helped him.  Was there a medical procedure that could have given him back his speech?  Could we have helped him learn to be more approachable?  How did so many of us manage to just ignore him Sunday after Sunday?  Where was the love of Christ in me when I was so systematically confronted by one of the least of these? 

God tested our church back then – and we failed the test! I must learn from this failure and be more aware and willing as I live out the rest of my days!

NO ONE IS INSIGNIFICANT TO GOD  -  NO ONE!!!!!

Be aware of that as you move through this day and this week!  Be alert to those who might be invisible to the crowd.  Speak to them.  Recognize them as a gift of God!  Lift their day!  You have the power to change their life!