Holiness as Resource

I came across a refreshing insight while reading Jack Hayford's Living the Spirit-Formed Life. I've heard of the holiness/wholeness connection before, but somehow his description strikes me in a new way:

"Holiness is shown in the Bible as relating to God's completeness (italics original). That is, God's holiness essentially acknowledges that He is complete; there is nothing lacking in His person, and nothing needs to be added to make Him 'enough.' This meaning of holiness holds a promise: Because God's holiness is complete and because it is His nature to give, He wants to share His holiness with us to complete us! His holiness, then, is not an obstacle to our acceptance but rather a resource for our completion and fulfillment as persons. God is ready to pour Himself into us, to complete those areas of our lives that are lacking, or unholy, because of our sin (Hayford, 203-204)."

So many people consider God's holiness as an obstacle - a hindrance - between us and God. How refreshing to see it as our most prized resource!

Samson

Been studying the biblical character of Samson this week, preparing for the upcoming Sunday's message (on Samson of course).

There's a lot to the Samson story that I'd forgotten. For one thing, I'd forgotten it takes up several chapters in Judges. Judges usually doesn't give much space to the "judges" (or "deliverers" as it might be translated), but this floundering Hercules gets a lot of space.

Like most forgotten biblical texts I've dug into, I realized quickly that Samson's several chapters could make a good sermon series. In fact, I think Samson's story would be a great focus for men who are so often tempted to "manly men" instead of "godly men." Good thing I take notes and plan ahead!

If you want to see the fruit of my labor, join us for worship on Sunday morning!

Naked Noah

This last Sunday I preached on "Naked Noah," kicking off a new summer message series called Stumbling Saints. Each message is a stand-alone look at a biblical character who stumbled in their walk with God. Or, in some cases, their life may appear to be a stumbling life to a relationship with God.

So we started off with Noah (cf. Genesis 6 and 9). You can download the message here (we're also on iTunes under "Lacon-Sparland UMC").

The fascination with Noah's story as cutesy tale for children has baffled me the older I get. I understand that part of the story - the part we're most familiar with, whether churched or not - where Noah is obedient to God makes for a good moral. And I get that loading all those animals onto a boat makes for a good children's Bible.

But the context of Noah's life is less appealing. The stage is set by God being so grieved over human wrongdoing that he wants to (literally) wipe the slate clean and start over. Stark and dreadful. Then after Noah has weathered the storm, entered covenant relationship with God, and received God's blessing, Noah discovers wine and gets wasted. Really. Read it. Noah gets drunk as a skunk and is passed out naked in his tent.

And that's where we jumped into the story on Sunday. This guy who was called "blameless" stumbles.

But here's the kicker: the biblical text doesn't say much up or down on Noah's predicament. No moralizing on alcohol abuse or nudity. Instead, it draws our attention to the response of his sons. Two get it right; one gets it wrong. Here's Noah, in a vulnerable and - let's face it - shameful position. The Bible forces us to ask: what would you do?

If you haven't listened to the message, I won't say any more, but that's fascinating to think on. Christian tradition has had a lot to say about the dangers of alcohol and things we people do when naked, but when the Bible has a golden opportunity to preach us down on these things, it doesn't. Instead we're challenged with with one of the Bible's repeated concerns: what will you do with some who's fallen into a vulnerable position?

Back from Vacation!

We're back from a (almost) 2 wk vacation to Oak Island, North Carolina! It was great to get away to see old friends and fry on the beach with a paperback. Unfortunately, I seem to have caught a mild cold my last night while under our hosts' powerful AC.

Though I could've stayed on the beach for a few more weeks, kicking back seafood, it's good to get back into the swing of things. As Eugene Peterson reminded me in Christ Plays in 10,ooo Places, work and Sabbath need each other. I also wish I had some extra cash in the bank to scoop up some beach property; with the economy in a downturn, many properties were up for grabs! Well, retirements a long way off anyway...

Annual Conference of IL Great Rivers

This is my first experience at a United Methodist Annual Conference gathering. Bishop Gregory Palmer's preaching has been, far and away, the highlight of this gathering.

Each morning Bishop Palmer has preached a sermon during "Morning Manna." He also did a phenomenal job at the ordination service on Friday night. Let me say this:

The bishop

can

preach!

Thankfully, these messages have been recorded. Below are the links to each message. If you're not United Methodist, I think you'd benefit from these messages. If you are United Methodist, you'd also benefit, especially as Bishop Palmer is the current President of the Council of Bishops. You won't be sorry you listen to this audio!

Thursday Manna

Friday Manna

Saturday Manna

Ordination service

The Three C's of God's Mission

Faith Under Fire 1 - Training for Martyrdom

What do we do when others are hostile to our faith? By exploring the story of Stephen in Acts 6 and 7, I describe how can we prepare for resistance to the gospel.

You can download the message here. You can also subscribe to our church podcast on iTunes.

The Scripture text is Acts 6:8-7:2a, 51-59.

This kicks off a new series focusing on the challenges we face in regards to our faith and the resistance we sometimes encounter in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.

Missionary Membership

Bill Easum has a great post on why every Christian is a missionary. As always, Bill is practical as can be, explaining how this should affect our church membership classes.

I created a membership class for my current church. So far as I could tell, my predecessor basically had a sit down with potential new members. I wanted something more. What I have is not the best, but it's something.

My class tries to tell you what membership as a missionary is all about. Easum's example tries to show you. Read it.

Cookout

Busy week! One of the things that was drilled into me during my church planter's "boot camp" (which I still need to blog about) was the necessity of networking. Whether you're a church planter or a pastor seeking to lead your church in evangelism, you gotta network.* That means, practically speaking, getting out and often doing things that may not look like "work" - going to the local diners, going to the gym or golf course, joining book clubs, taking a class at a community college, having cookouts, etc. In other words, get a life!

I've made the time to hang out at local diners lately. I've also hit up the movies with people and had a cookout today for other young adults I've come into contact with. Know what I've learned? Outreach is exhausting! I need my sabbath rest!

*NOTE - My simple definition of networking: getting to know a lot of people. Whether someone ever comes to my church or not, I can learn something from them and enjoy someone God took delight in creating.

Cash for Clunkers

File this under the "what the...?" file. It looks like Congress may approve the "Cash for Clunkers"
bill. Basically, if you trade in a beat up piece of crap with awful gas mileage for a newer vehicle with better gas mileage, you get a nice fat rebate. Edmunds has the breakdown.

Why does this suck for me? Because my clunker (please don't tell her I said that) is a 95 Ford Escort. Nearing that fabled 200k mark, she still gets 33 mpg! I also have an 06 Honda Odyssey that gets 22mpg. You see - the with great gas mileage is the old clunker destined to be replaced first. Oh well.

Prayer is the Greater Work

"Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater work."

I ran across this quotation from My Utmost for His Highest, a classic devotional written (we think) by the early 20th c. Scottish pastor, Oswald Chambers. I just returned from a Boot Camp for church planters (and for launching any new ministry, really). Every time I sit at the feet of seasoned pastors who have shown fruit for the kingdom of God, the power of prayer is driven in forcefully.

Since becoming a pastor, my own experience has proven this true again and again. Prayer is the main work God calls us to. It's the lifeblood of a Christian's relationship with Jesus himself, and without that personal relationship of growing discipleship, the mission of the Church is useless. But it's also crucial in revitalizing God's people in mission.

All my preaching and conversation in my present charge has focused relentlessly on the Church's mission. In my United Methodist tradition, we express that mission in this way: "to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world." In my church, I express it this way: "to make disciples of Jesus Christ through worship, outreach, fellowship, growth, and service." I pray daily for this mission, overflowing from our communion with God through Jesus Christ, to become our church's lifeblood. And I'm convinced the Enemy hates it.

When I left divinity school and entered the local church full time, I didn't think I'd have to engage the enemy camp, spiritually speaking, too much.

I was wrong.

I learned quickly that if our church is to move from mere survival to a thriving, transformative presence in the surrounding communities, then we must resist the unseen enemies of God through prayer. The Bible refers to these enemies under many names: the serpent, the devil, Beelzebul, the accuser, the enemy, demons, and powers. Whatever they are, I'm convinced they oppose the work of God and the advance of God's kingdom. So, yes, I pray to resist the Enemy. And prayer - authoritative prayer that stands on the name of Jesus - must be the ammunition against the Enemy. On our knees, we can drive the Enemy down on his.

Hope Again 5: Hope Beyond Limits

The world can slap some unhealthy names and labels on us, crippling our God-intended identity. In this message, I share the new name God gives to overcome the labels and limits of the past. The Scripture passage is Galatians 3:26-4:7.

You can download the message here. You can also subscribe to our church podcast on iTunes (cf. "Lacon-Sparland").

Hope Again 4: Hope Beyond Separation

How do we overcome the walls that separate us from others and, most importantly, from God? In this message, I explore the hope beyond separation found in Jesus Christ. The Scripture text is Ephesians 2:6-22.

You can download the message here. You can also subscribe to the church podcast on iTunes (cf. "Lacon-Sparland").

Hope Again 3 - Hope Beyond Death

Death is an intruder in God's good creation. But what hope lies beyond death? And how does hope for the hereafter affect life here and now? In this sermon, I describe God's gift of hope beyond death as we explore 1 Corinthians 15:12-58. In this fascinating part of the apostle Paul's letter to the Christians in ancient Corinth, Paul goes into surprising detail about our future beyond death.

You can download the sermon here. You can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes by searching for Lacon-Sparland.

Hope Again 2 - Hope Beyond Failure

Wow! I've gotten behind on posting. I now have two sermons to post!

What's our response to failure? What is God's response? In Acts 13:13-41, the Bible tells us that Jesus Christ offers the hope of true freedom beyond our failures. In this sermon I describe the hope God offers beyond our failures - especially our moral failures.

You can download the sermon here. You can also subscribe to our church podcast on iTunes. Just search for Lacon-Sparland.

Hope Again 1 - Surprised by Hope

In this Easter sermon, I explore the foundation for genuine hope: the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. This sermon launches a five-part series called Hope Again. Each sermon explores another angle of the hope God gives us, all built on this foundation of Jesus' resurrection.

You can download the sermon here, or from iTunes.

Upcoming sermons in this series:

Hope Beyond Failure
Hope Beyond Death
Hope Beyond Isolation
Hope Beyond Limits

Bart Ehrman: My Anti-Fetish

Bart Ehrman, estwhile religion scholar at UNC Chapel Hill, bugs me. He's once again written a layman's level book which seeks once again to discredit Christianity - at Easter, of course! Jesus Interrupted intends to relieve us of the silly idea that the New Testament authors actually shared any common ideas or practices amongst themselves. Instead, he argues, each New Testament author produced such a unique picture or interpretation of Jesus as to make that picture or interpretation its own religion.

Ehrman claims that discrediting Christianity isn't really his goal, but one wonders how gullible he thinks his reading public to be. Perhaps he thinks us a bit like his undergraduate religion students. He does have at least a cult following as I discovered when I attempted a critical review of his new book on Amazon. I was attacked as a "Christian with an ax to grind." Fearing that I may in fact be harming the witness to Jesus Christ with my words, I went ahead and removed that review. Maybe I'll post another some day, but I doubt it. I don't need to. Everyone from Stephen Colbert to New Testament scholar Ben Witherington III has done a far superior job of refuting Ehrman.

Ehrman is a fine textual critic, which means he studies the actual manuscripts of ancient documents, including the New Testament. But as Ben Witherington has pointed out, Ehrman is not a scholar who actually studies the interpretation of the New Testament.

I encourage you to check out Witherington's multi-part response to Ehrman's new book. You can also read Bishop Will Willimon's review of Ehrman's previous book, God's Problem.

Post-Easter

We had a great Easter at my (main) church. We have averaged about 45 in worship over the winter but we blew that away on Easter: 93 people!

For one month prior to Easter, I challenged our regular worshipers to pray for and invite at least two people unlikely to regularly be in church. While several invited folks from out of town who do go to church, I was pleased that they at least were inviting. I sent out a number of follow up letters to previous guests and inactive members, along with several personal invitations. I think no matter the size church, pastors should always be building relationships with those outside the church. Pastors can then model the kind of real-life faith sharing they ask from their churches. In this case, I think it paid off.

Now comes the hard part of keeping up Easter momentum. I launched a new sermon series on Easter called Hope Again which will explore the real world hope God offers us, a hope grounded in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. I'm also working on growing our young adult group, giving our Sunday School a boost, and following up with Easter visitors.

In addition, I'm also trying to strengthen my personal Christian disciplines. I'm reading and trying out fasting, for example, something I've done poorly in the past. I'm finding a greater need to keep myself refreshed as I lead our church in the mission field. More on that later.

Holy Week Craziness

I've not posted much this week because it's Holy Week, and if you're a pastor, then Holy Week means craziness! There's a million things to do. Since I'm doing them for the first time, it makes it a little more difficult. Here's some stuff happening for me during Holy Week:

• Trying to get our church building ready for Easter, make it a little more guest-friendly.
• Find a nursery worker for Easter.
• Helping our fledgling young adult group grow.
• Get my Easter sermon series ready.
• Plan services for Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and (of course) Easter.
• Get my taxes done (yep, waited till the last minute)
• Avoid Discovery Channel's sensationalistic shows about Jesus and Christianity.

And try to get sleep and be a good family man. Craziness.

Bono & Spiderman

What hath Bono to do with Spiderman?

Apparently, a lot! Check out the new musical now underway...

Palm Sunday 2009 - Meditation

Rather than preach a full-length sermon (whatever that is), we had a dramatic reading of Mark 1:1-11 and Mark 14 and Mark 15 in worship today. I then preached for about 8 minutes on the saving tragedy of Jesus' final trip to Jerusalem during the first holy week.

Here's my sermon, also available on iTunes.

More Young Clergy Stuff

I'm very intrigued by what Bishop Will Willimon is doing in the Northern Alabama Conference of the UMC. He's rocking the boat but making waves can be a good thing.

Willimon is deliberately pushing his conference to embrace young adults and young clergy. The bishop recently sat down with young clergy to talk. There conversation is here.

The first commentator, "Clay," asks an excellent question: "what needs to die?" It's totally biblical and at the very heart of Christianity (the cross, anyone?) that rebirth and renewal always follows a death-like change.

I've been pondering this myself but Clay managed to articulate it so well. What has to die, yes, in my own life, but what has to die in the current institutionalized version of the American Church? Being a young adult who's agonizing over the absence of other young adults in the Church, and who wants to connect them with the One who I have found to be ultimately life-giving, this issue constantly surfaces for me and in conversations with young, like-minded colleagues. How must the institutional Church die in order for the Christian, kingdom of God movement to grow and be reborn in a new generation?

Just to be clear: there's nothing inherently wrong with Baby Boomer or Builder generation ways of doing church. It's just the plain fact that not all those ways connect with a new generation. Now, what has to die...

Free Leonard Sweet Book

Christianaudio.com is offering a free Leonard Sweet audiobook this month! Christian Audio offers a free audio book each month. Some are so-so, but this looks like a great deal. In fact, Sweet's book isn't even in print yet! Get your free download.

Meltdowns, Financial and Spiritual

I've struggled with how to respond to the so-called "financial meltdown" of the economy. I was already gearing up for a series on money back in Fall 2008 when the crap hit the fan. Many of my sermons have at least gestured toward the anxiety that now seems ever-present in America. It's tough to galvanize God's people in an outward-focused mission when there are threats, real or peceived, to one's livelihood. I plan to address the cultural mood in my Easter series, but in the meantime, here's a great article about financial meltdowns and the Bible.

Church Hopping Weekend - Part 3

I ended my weekend of church hopping at First UMC - Peoria. I arrived very early for the 10:45am "contemporary service." To be totally upfront, this service is led by my friend and colleague, Eric Swanson. Eric is, like me and my wife, a rarity: a UM pastor under the age of 30. From our conversations, we share many similar values and aspirations.

The congregation was diverse. Most were wight though there were several people of color. Many attendees were young but a good number of Baby Boomers were present, too. Several people expressed themselves in ways that I'd expect to find in a Charismatic service. They weren't speaking in tongues but they freely raised their arms and some even jumped around. For what it's worth, the Boomers seemed more into this kinda worship.

Here's a few other reflections:

1. Hospitality - I arrived 45 minutes early just because I had nothing else to do and wasn't sure how long it would take to arrive considering the freak winter weather. The band was practicing and a few people were milling around. I doubt anyone was expecting visitors to arrive that early, but several people were gracious and welcomed me anyway. The coffee bar was pretty much up and running, which was impressive. One guy talked to me for quite a while.

As more people arrived, more greeted me. The majority of those who welcomed me were Boomers. In fact, the one guy who went out of his way to welcome me after the service, and invite me to another ministry event, was a Boomer. I can't really recall any young adults welcoming me. Those sitting in my row were also guests, however.

The order of worship was a two-sided 8.5x11 sheet with color graphics and today's Scripture reading. It was useful and too the point.

2. Facility - The contemporary service is actually housed across the street from the main FUMC facility in a former bank. The outside looks like great slabs of concrete (if I could personally change something about the outside, I might add some more signs and/or color to liven up the drab grey of concrete).

The inside, however, is well done. It has "modern" look to it - no stained glass, two-toned painted walls, screens, stage, chairs over pews, and a rafters-only ceiling painted black. I should not that there is a huge wooden cross adorning the stage. There's an information area in the back near one entrance and a coffee bar with drink area by another entrance. Overall, I was personally drawn into physical presence of the space.

One church I attended in college was St. Paul's Free Methodist Church in Greenville, IL. At the time, the church was housed in a very small converted house. However, the worship space was often adorned with the art of the many college students who attended there. If I were in this space, I might try to welcome a rotating selection of art, perhaps based on the sermon series, church year, seasons, etc.

3. Preaching - Eric preaches through topical series, so far as I can tell. They're finishing up a series called "Be Reconciled." The graphics were very good. Biblical texts were flashed on the screen. The focus was on reconciling with one another in the church ala Matthew 18.

Eric does not use a pulpit but roams around the stage area, Bible in hand. I might encourage him to plant himself every once in a while (I know he's reading this so I tread gently!). The whole roaming around thing is an issue for me too so I have to be very deliberate to plant myself ever so often. Standing still when making important points can help to drive home the point.

Eric's demeanor was inviting and energetic. His passion for preaching and the topic at hand were evident. He knew what he was talking about and could illustrate his points with personal stories. Ever since I read Tim Keller's article, Evangelistic Worship, I've been more sensitive to how preachers (and worship leaders, depending on the context) are demonstrating awareness of outsiders in worship. I'm most sensitive to my own preaching on this and try to at least gesture toward outsiders in my preaching and leading of worship. Since this sermon was addressed to those "in the Church," I would ask how do you address the outsider in such a sermon? I don't recall anything that screamed "insider-only" in Eric's sermon, but it's a question I think preachers should always ask.

4. Music - The band was good. Very talented. I wasn't familiar with several of the songs. I didn't really feel invited into worship through music, I hate to say. In some ways this is one of those intangibles that's tough to nail down. Part of it is outsider awareness. I'm a church guy but I pastor a traditional church. I don't know the songs. How can I (in this case, an outsider) be invited into the singing without a long mini-sermon on the song? Again, good music, gifted people, but I think there could've been more musical hospitality.

Overall, I thought the service was good. It doesn't have the ordered feel of a traditional service but that's kinda the point. I was a bit tired by this point, having gotten up early to finish stuff for my home church (that ended up not even having service thanks to winter weather), so I know that influences my perception of feeling connected. This service has a lot of potential. I'm eager to see where it goes!

If you live in Peoria and are looking for something non-traditional, give the contemporary service at First UMC a go!

Church Hopping Weekend - Part 2

This was the weirdest off weekend yet! I had a guest speaker all lined up so I could take Sunday off. Our speaker had a health-related family emergency on Saturday. I then lined up another guest speaker. I printed the bulletins early Sunday morning...after 3+ inches of nasty snow. And then the power went out. So my worship service was canceled while I drove like a turtle to visit other churches. Seriously, the roads were downright nasty. But why waste a morning off, right?

In my previous post I chronicled my visit to Northwoods Community Church. Today I had two more churches on my list.

First on my Sunday list was Crossroads UMC in Washington, IL. I've met the Directing Pastor (we're in the same district) but didn't really know anyone else there. Crossroads is one of the success stories in our annual conference, having once been a landlocked "First UMC" with under 200 in attendance. I don't know which came first, but in the last decade they moved to a new building on the edge of town (alongside a major thoroughfare) and have grown to about 700 in worship.

I attended the first worship service at 8:30am, a traditional worship service (i.e. with hymns, robes, choir, pews, etc.). My overall experience was fantastic. Though I got the impression that attendance was down due to nasty winter weather (someone behind me said so), I'd say there were still at least 100+ people present though spread out. I'll comment on several items:

1. Hospitality - Hospitality was really first rate. In my previous post I wondered how to balance "professional" greeters (i.e. people with badges whose job is to greet you) with a culture of hospitality. On this occasion, I felt like Crossroads got it right. People were warm, approaching me to offer assistance without seeming pushy. When you enter Crossroads you walk into a kind of coffee and fellowship area "in the round." You can't make it to the sanctuary without walking through this welcoming area. This is off to the right. Off to the left as you veer toward the sanctuary is an information booth. Again, the folks manning this booth greeted me with a smile and offered me assistance without being pushy. Very impressive.

A greeting time occurred early in the worship service. We were encouraged to greet other people with a handshake, which I did. I deliberately chose not to wander too far from my seat, partially to see how many would approach me. I received many handshakes but I don't recall anyone trying to strike up a conversation, no matter how brief. Again, this kinda disappoints me. As a pastor, I deliberately try not to rush this time (sometimes called "The Passing of the Peace") when I lead worship. But no matter how much time you allow, this is really a heart matter of hospitality. For whatever reason, no one latched onto me. If I went to visit again or tried a different service, I might have a different experience.

Everyone was invited into the coffee area for free doughnuts and coffee. We were also invited to discipleship groups/classes following this service. I didn't stay because I was off to another church. But I did see many people enjoying one another's company. As a young adult, I love walking into a church and seeing this.

2. Preaching - The preaching was outstanding. I don't say that to flatter. The two associate pastors were leading the worship service. The preacher was the Pastor of Discipleship, an older man with many years of experience as a Methodist pastor. His Scripture reading was punctuated with little bits of commentary, which I'm not always a fan of, but he did ok with this.

His overall tone in preaching was warm and inviting. From the moment he stepped into the pulpit, he began a story that everyone could connect to: a wedding story, his first wedding in fact. He had an ease with speaking, appropriately used laughter, and connected well with me as a listener. Preaching from James 2, his main point seemed to be this: all our Christian theory often gets interrupted by reality; therefore we should focus less on getting all our beliefs just right and focus more on living our beliefs in the daily grind. He's not Andy Stanley or Rob Bell but he still seemed to connect with a variety of people. Overall, it was a great sermon that connected with me.

3. Facility - The facility was immaculate. The building isn't very old. Parking was good. Everything looked clean. The sanctuary is magnificent (if you like traditional sanctuaries, which that church-born part of me will likely always be a bit partial toward). It delicately combines traditional accoutrements with modern technology like stage lighting and screens. The screens were flush with the wall. They showed the words to all hymns (I didn't notice anyone using the hymnbooks).

They also had the most comfortable pews I've ever sat in! The pews had individualized padding. It was great. But butt says, "Thanks!"

4. Intangibles - On the whole, I felt like this worship service helped me to connect with God. Despite the nasty weather outside, things inside just felt right.

The Pastor of Congregational Care who co-led the service did a wonderful job of welcoming everyone and transitioning between parts of the service. He, too, had a genuine and inviting warmth.

I also liked the laminated orientation guide for guests found in the pew backs. These were 4" x 11" cards that welcomed guests and explained how to better connect with the church. The other side had a brief explanation of Christian salvation. I may have to borrow this idea...

Great church! If you live in or near Washington, IL, check out Crossroads UMC.