Called to the Great Journey

I wonder if there is ever a time when we are not being called by God? To me, it seems embedded in our created natures to yearn for God. To put this a bit differently, the Holy Spirit and prevenient grace, speak to us of God, even when we are unprepared to respond or to make a confession of faith. We spend our lives immersed in the light, winds and water of the Spirit, in the illumining presence, the whispers and rustlings, the currents and waves, and sometimes even the confronting storms of the divine voice addressing us.

My own strongest experience of conversion and calling came during a summer of light, wind and waves, a summer of creation and yearning. I was hired as a canoe guide in the summer of '76, and with one other young man, we led a group of teen-aged youth, some troubled and some from normal backgrounds, on a long journey in a North Canoe (which held all of us and all our gear in one canoe). We paddled from the Minnesota border near Lake Superior, westward to the Lake of the Woods, then northward to Lake Winnipeg, and from there all the way to Hudson's Bay, imitating the journey Eric Sevareid and his friend took many decades ago.

We were paddling as a team for over two months, and often went a week or more without seeing other people. Every day was an adventure, a time of friendship, teamwork, physical challenge, deep conversation, and the intimate experience of vulnerability to the day's light, wind and water. You can't control the weather, as they say. And you can't control what God will do with you!

Somewhere on the Lake of the Woods, I was paddling in time with the rest of the group, and silently reading a tiny New Testament that was propped under my boot. Surrounded by the kids for whom I felt great responsibility on that great lakes journey, I stumbled across the 21st chapter of John's Gospel. Here was another lake, another time, and a man named Peter, who was also trying to care for God's people, but without much confidence or clarity about what he was doing. Jesus spoke to him, you remember, asking three times, "Do you love me?" And when Peter replied that he did, each time Jesus instructed and called him with these words, "Feed my lambs....Tend my sheep." And after all that, Jesus said, "Follow me."

Those words touched me so powerfully that day that I began to cry. Over me--the Light of God's love, touching and guiding me--the Winds of the Spirit, underneath me--the Waters of grace, around me and in my care--the People of God. I was converted and called by grace to tend the sheep.

I've tried to live on that great journey with Jesus ever since. Sometimes I don't do that very well at all, but at the heart of it all, is joy in constant communion with God, Christ, Spirit, humanity and all creation.

Pastoral Leadership in a Small Church

Dennis Alexander, our Urban and Ethnic Ministries Staff for the Minnesota Annual Conference, recently interviewed Bob Farr of the Missouri Annual Conference on their discoveries concerning effective pastoral leadership in small churches. Here are a few notes which may be instructive to our pastors and lay church leadership. As a matter of personal observation on our district, I think that the most effective pastors we have in such small church settings plainly demonstrate each of these characteristics, and to the degree that their ministries could be enhanced, it's also mostly through these characteristics.

What are the skill sets necessary for a pastor to lead a small congregation to become vital, healthy, and growing?

1. The ability to preach well, such that sermons connect with the people.

2. The crafting and execution of meaningful worship: inspiring, passionate, hopeful, participatory, joyful -- “an awesome experience of God.”

3. Quality pastoral care of the people within the congregation. Pastors aren’t going to be allowed to do anything new if they haven’t built trust among the resident congregation. Key first question: “Who are the five key people I need to visit regularly?”

4. The ability to relate to the people in your mission field. Do you enjoy your community?
Are you known by name by community leaders? Do you hang out at the café, at businesses?
Are you “one of the locals”? Name your mission field and work it!
Have holy conversations where you make yourself known and make contacts.
Don’t “hold down the fort” – Instead, spend 10 hours a week or more working your field (20% of your time).
Become the community pastor – “Call me, if I can help in any way.”

5. Bring in the next five new people into the faith community. (There are many doors!)
The first one will be the challenge. After the first, others will follow.
Demonstrate what you expect your congregation to do, but you must be the first to invite and bring.

What Pastoral leadership styles are needed in a small congregation?
Answer: Preacher, Team Builder, Shepherd, Evangelist (Mission Field), Visionary, Administration (Manager) – not so much the Chaplain or the CEO. These styles are for other ministries.

"Looking in the Direction of Easter"

Text(s): 1 Corinthians 13:10-12 and Luke 23:42-43

Every year at this time we start watching for the little signs that reflect the coming of spring: robins, jonquils, forsythia, snowbirds returning from Arizona and Florida. All of these signs converge and accumulate until we say, at last, it is now officially spring! The winter is gone! The call of the turtle dove is heard in the land!

So, spring comes. But I wonder where we look, how we watch, what early signs we should seek, when we want to know if it is Resurrection yet?

Paradise is hard to see and hard to spot in this world, I think. As Paul says, we now know only in part; we see, but dimly, so very dimly, how things should be, how things will be, even how things already are. We are all pretty much like the crucified thief, in a spiritual dead of winter, before he dared to call out to Jesus - still cold, still suffering in the dark, still barely aware that things could yet turn out differently. To paraphrase C.S. Lewis a little from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, if there is only Good Friday and never Easter, then sin and death win. We lose. Spring never comes. Paradise never blossoms among us. Hope never gains its full victory. Fair love never wins faint heart. Mistakes never do get set right; sin never does get forgiven; failure never is forgotten; grudges never are superseded by hopeful trust; and our hope is truly futile. "We of all people are most to be pitied..." if there is only Good Friday.

This is why we all need to seek Easter and resurrection, even in little glimpses, for Easter is power. Resurrection is not merely a fantasy for the soul-weary or the disturbed, any more than spring is for the winter-fatigued heart. It is not mind-candy, or some magic cure for triskaidekaphobia or other superstitious fears. Even in the tiny buds and pre-dawn chirps we see of it in this world, it is the power of God to transform all things, to restore all losses, to comfort all hearts, to give wings to the weary. When we cry out for help from our many winters and personal Good Fridays, only God can answer us from the direction of Easter Sunday with such words as these: “You will be with me in Paradise.” Spring will come to the heart and soul! Then you shall know face to face!

Change the World

Critical Review of Mike Slaughter’s “Change the World”
by "Dale's Gospel Sketch Pad"

Friends, I hope you will scan the summarizing review below of a recent, challenging book by Michael Slaughter, who will be our speaker at Annual Conference this year. It's not my work, but blogger "Dale" has done a thorough job of summarizing Slaughter's work, making the insights immediately accessible for your own ministries. I commend the review, the blogger, and the book for your study alone and with the leaders in your parishes, and in preparation for Annual Conference.

Mike Slaughter’s book “Change the World: Recovering the Message and Mission of Jesus” is a refreshing, informative, practical, and needed contribution to Church leadership in North America. The thesis can be restated by paraphrasing Pastor Mike’s creative turns of phrase. The church has spent too much time getting people into heaven instead of getting heaven into earth. Or, to say it again, in a different way; the church has spent too much time getting the world into the church instead of the church into the world.... Pastor Mike calls the church to return to the message and mission of Jesus.... He is transforming the dominant church paradigm and calling Christian leaders to a new model. The emerging model that Pastor Mike calls for is rooted and grounded in Jesus’ message and mission and finds its biblical grounding in Luke 4:18 (see also 61:1-2) as well as Matthew 25:35-40. (It’s also obvious Slaughter’s dependence on the Social Gospel movement.)

In this sense, his analysis is deeply theological and practical. He shows his indebtedness to his own theological tradition of Methodism by combining both personal holiness and social holiness in a fresh synthesis. Pastor Mike’s persistent and consistent focus on the Church’s mission to local communities is made clear throughout the work. For example, he writes, “The business of the church is to engage and empower disciples of Jesus in meeting the needs and closing the gaps of disparities for the least of these (p. xvii.)." ....

Chapter one is titled “Missional vs. Attractional.” The point of this chapter is that missional Churches follow Jesus’ call to the marginalized not worrying about their self-gain or self-image. He writes, “Mission Evangelism is not dependent on a person’s response, nor does it always have to be tied to a verbal presentation of the gospel. Jesus said people would be able to sort our truth from fiction by the demonstration of his follower’s love, followers who are willing to sacrificially lay down their rights, conveniences, and lifestyles so that others may live (p. 13)."

Chapter two is titled “Inclusive vs. Exclusive.” This chapter argues that the Christian church should always be ‘inclusive.’ In fact, he calls anything less ‘toxic religion.’ Another noteworthy point about this chapter is Pastor Mike’s clear and honest wrestling with the GLBTQ community. I applaud him for not ducking and diving his own position and stating it clearly.

Chapter three is titled “Disciples vs. Decisions.” This chapter offers very helpful information on disciple making in the church. He uses the analogy of community college motorcycle classes to stress that the church has to be intentional about how it helps people follow Jesus. His question at the end of the book haunts me: “Does your church have a clearly articulated process of discipleship training?”

Chapter four is titled “Micro vs. Macro.” This chapter urges the Church to simplify is processes. The strongest argument for doing this is so that sustained attention can be given to the essentials of Christian formation. “The focus will be given to the fundamentals of community, discipleship, and mission (p.57).” Another important argument for simplification is our recent cultural condition of “Economic meltdown, mobility, Time competition, Changes in family life, and a Networked society.” Another salient feature of this chapter is the concluding section where he outlined how he successfully empowered cell groups and house churches. Once again, Pastor Mike practices what he preaches, and has created space for those who will never darken the door of a traditional church. He provides these groups with resources and support. Over and over, Mike drives home the proverbial punch line: It’s about building disciples not church buildings.

Chapter 5 “Multiplication vs. Expansion.” The point of this chapter is that disciples and Missional Churches are built by multiplication not expansion of church building projects. An added feature of this chapter is the chart on pg. 77 that gives practical steps to revitalize dying congregations. And, as the careful reader has come to expect, multiplication helps fulfill the mission to “connect people to the liberating love of Jesus and to empower folks to rise out of the malaise of poverty (p. 82)".

Chapter 6 is titled “Mission vs. Mortar.” His prophetic urging in this chapter is for the church to minimize brick and maximize mission. He repeats this familiar phrase at least 10 times throughout the chapter. What’s extremely helpful, at least, for those of us in the local church trenches, is the easy way he has of categorizing budget expenses: ministry, mission, and mortar. He even offers a helpful sheet for tracking these important matters. His charge to Pastors is “to make sure that ministry and mission are not sacrificed on the altar of mortar (p. 95).”

And, Chapter seven is titled “Courage vs. Compliance.” This last chapter encourages church leaders to be people of courage, vision, and leadership in a world of compliance, mediocrity, and wilderness wandering. He concludes with four pieces of advice for church leaders. First, “Don’t let fear determine your actions.” Second, “Recognize holy ground.” Third, “Serve God’s purpose in others,” and lastly, “Focus Forward.” He ends with Len Sweet’s “out of control Disciple” and urges creative and courageous leadership on behalf of the world’s poor.

Foolish Christianity (before Lent Begins)

Think about Jesus’ most distinctive teachings. What does he teach that is undeniably unique? Isn’t there something humorous, playful, ironic, joyous in what he teaches?

• if someone strikes you, turn the other cheek.
• if someone forces you to go a mile with them, go two.
• if someone compels you to give up your shirt, offer your jacket as well.
• love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you and bless them.

All of those were in the Sermon on the Mount, and they sounded as foolish then as they do now. Only a foolish, little person would believe and practice such things! Only a fool for Christ would try to live them out! But there’s more!

• give your life away for God’s sake, then you will gain it.
• the greatest among you is the servant of all.
• find the greatest freedom in obedience.
• discover that Christ is to be found in the poor, in “the least of these.”
• trust that your redemption comes from a man who died in a state execution.

I read recently about a fellow who went on a college class trip into New York City. He saw his first Street Preacher working the sidewalks. The Preacher had on a sandwich message board. One side read, “I am a fool for Christ.” The other side said, “Who are you a fool for?” I guess that’s the point. We are always going to spend our time being a fool for somebody. What’s your choice? The gospel calls us to be “Fools for Christ.” We could try it out. But what would it be like?

We could fight against all our Midwestern Reasonableness and do something foolish for Christ. We could try to:

• forgive someone who doesn’t even ask for forgiveness.
• be kind to someone who doesn’t really deserve it.
• stop being just nice and tolerant and start being deeply compassionate.
• love our enemy, instead of fighting fire with fire.
• resolve to let someone “begin again” in our affections, in spite of all the ways they have disappointed or betrayed us.
• give to someone who cannot repay us.
• pray for someone’s healing or their deeper spiritual conversion to God and neighbor, against all the odds that we can see.
• give thanks for the foolishness of the little man, Jesus.

On the public radio program, “Speaking of Faith,” Krista Tippett interviewed the FBI whistle-blower from Minneapolis, Colleen Rowley. Now, if there was ever a foolish person, Colleen Rowley was one. There she was with a perfectly safe and stable career with the FBI, and she chose to jeopardize all of that by challenging her bosses about their performance in analyzing clues that came to them before the 9/11 terrorism incident. In fact, Rowley voluntarily took a cut in grade and pay because her own colleagues refused to work with her. Colleen talked about what motivated her to challenge the quality of the work done by the FBI, in spite of the personal risks she was taking. She concluded her remarks by referring to a statement that has become important to her. It is based on the “Ten Paradoxical Commandments,” written by Kent Keith. It’s a strangely foolish statement, yet it seems to capture the attitude we need to have if we are to even begin to be the fools for Christ that Paul imagined in 1 Corinthians. There are several versions of it, but here is one for you to consider:

The Paradoxical Commandments

1. People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
   Love them anyway.
2. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
   Do good anyway.
3. If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.
   Succeed anyway.
4. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
   Do good anyway.
5. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
   Be honest and frank anyway.
6. The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
   Think big anyway.
7. People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
   Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
8. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
   Build anyway.
9. People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
   Help people anyway.
10. Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
    Give the world the best you have anyway.

Foolish, foolish advice, but it is the wisdom of God. It is the way of the little man whom we often call “Lord and Savior.”

At the Threshold of Light

A close friend died on December 22, just past the winter solstice--as the longest night's darkness turns toward increasing light. The date would have meant something to him. He was a practicing Buddhist, and he saw his death as a threshold to something further, some new illumination that was now pending and opening to him.

When his family contacted his friends, they asked that all would pray for white Light to guide Andy. When they contacted us later, it was to let us know when he died. At the time I was hiking a trail near Lutsen, and the thought that was repeating itself in my mind as I stepped along the trail was just a question, "How would Andy's soul find me here if he were dying now?" Somehow he did come to find me on the day that light begins to increase.

In a rather different way, the Christ child has also come to find us, all of us--as the longest darkness recedes and gives way to increasing light. "He was the true light that enlightens everyone, coming into the world" (John 1:9). We ask ourselves, how will he find us; well, he knows us. He loves us, and he comes to find us wherever we are. He is a true friend.

"The Word Became Flesh" and the Body Became Wise

A Jewish poet remarked that we must “unscroll the Torah of our bodies.” The poet meant, I think, that our living bodies are continuous discoveries and marvels for us; only gradually opening, only revealing little by little, the beauty, the truth and the wisdom donated to us by God through the gift of our personal bodily being.

People say they don’t like their bodies. Too fat, too thin, too short, too tall, too wide, too narrow. Paagh! What a blunder! What a mistake! What incomprehension! For this third week in Advent, reflecting upon the ways “the Word became flesh”, we recognize the incredible persistence with which the human body seeks healing and life and meaning. This human body, in its wisdom and perhaps in its homesickness for the divine, hungrily and accurately reaches for the image and healing of the enfleshed Wisdom of God.

Look at Mark 5. A woman with a 12-year chronic illness hears about Jesus. She sees him in her town. She follows him. In the middle of a crowd of people, she inches up to him, closer and closer. As he slows to talk with others, she drops to her knees and humbly, invisibly, out of the depths of her suffering body, reaches out toward his body, toward only the hem of his clothing, as toward healing, toward light, toward life, toward incarnate love. The cure comes. At the same time, Jesus notices communication: he receives a pleading touch; he gives a restorative energy.

It was a cure by incarnation: the incarnation of divine compassion in Jesus, and the incarnation of human yearning, suffering and need in the woman.

In Christian terms, the wisdom or Logos of God, having accepted human life with its limitations and sorrows, will impart the easing and the ending of human suffering. The human body recognizes in the Christ, in his life and in “his wounds”, our hope and our healing. The exilic Isaiah says, and the early Christian community heard, that the Suffering body, the wise Servant, was “pierced for our transgressions…by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5, NIV). By his divine Wisdom and compassion, we recognize our own potential to impart ease or to end the suffering of others.