I Love Ministry!

These past few weeks Haskell UMC and I have been on a spiritual pilgrimage.  What began as a dream back in the spring, has turned into a reality.  On September 19th, we started meeting together on Wednesday evenings to grow together in our understanding of the Holy Spirit and the gifts that he gives to us.  With a little trepidation (and a lot of prayer), about 60 of us started coming together to seek God's guidance.  We have taken a spiritual inventory, we have examined the spiritual gifts in detail, and we have discussed talents and resources.  This past Wednesday was the half way point.  Towards the end of class we  summarized what we had learned thus far and we looked towards the next three weeks of discovery.  I must admit, I have thoroughly enjoyed our journey so far and I am filled with excitement and expectation of what we will learn together soon.

Some of you may be wondering why I am telling you all of this.  I suppose it has to do with what we discussed this past week.  When I look back at what God has done in my life over the last several years I don't always do a good job of remembering.  I don't always remember my life as a member of the laity...when my entire focus was not on what takes place at church.  I don't always remember the other side of the coin.  But the truth is that most of my parishioners live a life outside the church.  They have jobs, family, and social responsibilities that demand their time, energy, and even their finances.  I guess my life gets so enmeshed with the church that I forget that.

But one thing that really spoke to me this week when I was preparing for the lesson is that ministry is (and should be) fun.  A friend of mine always reminded people that we don't "have" to go to church...we "get" to go to church.  I really like the way she always emphasized that.  Oh, I know, ministry can sometimes be tiring.  It can sometimes be stressful.  It can pull us in ways that we never thought possible.  But I have come to understand that God really does want us to enjoy ministry.  He wants us to be fulfilled.  He wants us to know that when we are doing the things he has called us into that our lives are made fuller, richer, and oh so much more...

This morning, I was reading from Ecclesiastes.  In chapter 3, the author states "God has made everything fitting in its time, but has also placed eternity in their hearts, without enabling them to discover what God has done from the beginning to end.  I know that there's nothing better for them but to enjoy themselves and do what's good while they live.  Moreover, this is the gift of God: that all people should eat, drink, and enjoy the results of their hard work" (11-13).  This verse made me think back to Genesis (before the fall).  Whatever Adam and Eve were doing with their time, it was not viewed as "work."  What they were doing was good.  They cared for the garden as God intended for them to.  It was only after the fall that humanity was required to work by the sweat of their brow.

But I think that when it comes to ministry that we are supposed to enjoy what we do.  Now it might not always be "fun" but it should always be fulfilling.  It might not always be "easy" but it should always make us feel complete.  Sometimes the ministry we are involved in might seem overwhelming, but it shouldn't be impossible. I really believe that God wants us to enjoy the work we do and to enjoy the fruit of our labor.  I think he wants us to get excited about visiting the sick and those in prison.  He wants us to be thrilled to feed the hungry and help those in need.  He wants us to be happy when we teach, preach, and study.

Take time to re-evaluate the ministries you are involved in.  If they bring you joy and make you feel good about yourself...then rock on!  But if you are filled with drudgery and a lack of enthusiasm, maybe you need a break.  Take some time to meditate and pray about it.  Maybe you just need an attitude adjustment (I know I do sometimes).  But maybe God is calling you in a new direction.  Our calling can change over time.  And we should never stick with something that God is no longer calling us into.

Whatever you do, don't give up on ministry.  It is too much fun to quit.  Until next time...

+May your days be filled with richness for the glory of our Father, through the Son, by the Holy Spirit.



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Do Not Squander Time...

The story of Exodus is a story of a man sent by God to deliver the nation of Israel from the clutches of an evil pharaoh bent on building his own empire.  When I hear people tell me how boring the Bible is I always look at them quizzically.  How can a story about a man drawn from the waters as a mere babe by his enemy's own daughter be boring?  How can a story that builds to a climax better than most Hollywood blockbusters not be read by the people who claim its authenticity?

My Sunday school class recently began to study the book of Exodus.  While it is a familiar story to I'm not sure that we fully engage in what was happening in the life of Moses.  After Moses was rescued from the "ark" by the princess of Egypt, he was raised in two worlds.  He was raised for the first years by his own family in a Hebrew home.  But after he grew into a boy, he was taken to the palace and raised as an Egyptian prince.  I wonder if Moses knew that God had a plan for him.  I wonder if he understood that God was developing him into a man who was supposed to free his people from bondage.  After all, when he saw an Egyptian taskmaster harming a Hebrew, he interceded and killed the Egyptian.  And when he saw two of his kinsmen fighting, he tried to intervene then too.

Whatever illusions of grandeur Moses had up until that time seemed to vanish.  He ran away to Midian to escape from what he had done to the Egyptian.  It seems as though Moses was content to live a life of a shepherd "beyond the wilderness."  It seems as though he figured that he had misunderstood his calling and he was going to simply exist on the fringes of society.  Even when God called Moses back to fulfill his duty, Moses wanted to argue.  He continually looked for excuses as to why he was unable to return to Egypt.

In the movie trilogy The Lord of The Rings, Frodo is called forth to destroy a ring forged from evil.  He is only a simple Hobbit.  He is someone who comes from the least of the beings of Middle Earth.  And yet, he and his friends undertook a most serious quest that had dire consequences.  Here is a scene from the movie where Frodo laments his task, especially since he is being pursued by the previous ring's owner.





Just like with Moses (and Frodo), each one of us is called into a vocation.  Sometimes the calling falls into our lap as it did with Frodo and the ring.  Sometimes the display of a burning bush illuminates the darkness around us drawing us to it so that we can receive our marching orders.  But usually our calling slowly matures within us.  It grows out of who we are...who God builds us to be...and who we need to be at that moment in time.

Gandolf tells Frodo, "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."  As humans, our time is limited.  As the children of God, we are called into a life of service and ministry built on the foundation of love.  But what we have to decide is what we will do with the time that is given us.  Will we go forth like Moses and defeat the odds or will we choose to remain beyond the wilderness because we are frightened of our calling?

Until next time...

+May God the Father give you strength to fulfill the calling of Christ through the Spirit's activity in your life.  Amen

"Do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of."--Benjamin Franklin

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Wounded Healer

When I was in seminary I had the distinct privilege of sitting at the feet of a man filled with wisdom, compassion, and mercy.  He is a professor at Asbury and has a long history with my alma mater.  Before I even left Texas for Kentucky, my pastor who had also attended Asbury told me about Dr. Steve Seamands. When I began to plan out my course work I made sure to include one of his classes as soon as I could.

I was not sorry.  In fact, as I journeyed through one of my first classes with this professor, he had us read one of the books the he had written.  One thing you must understand is that seminary is filled to the brim with reading material.  Students are assigned books to read, web pages to read, magazine articles to read, and anything else that a professor can lay his or her hands on for them to read.  Fortunately, most of the reading assignments are interesting and are beneficial beyond just imparting some kind of knowledge.

The life of a seminary student.

But the book that Dr. Seamands wrote and had us read was different.  I wasn't just gleaning information along with spiritual growth from it; it was as though the words from the pages of that book were being transmitted directly from his heart to mine.  Not only did I understand what he was saying, I had lived it.  In fact, I could feel my spirit being fed in a wonderfully frightful way.  At the end of the class one day, I tried to explain to him how I had been changed from reading his book.  I'm not sure I conveyed it to him very well that day, but I tried.

The next fall, he offered a course on Christian healing.  Once again he had us read one of his books and once again I could sense the Holy Spirit working in me as I read the words he had written.  Over the course of that semester, I was given an opportunity to give a testimony during a chapel service of my own healing from severe arthritis.  The next time the class met, Dr. Seamands asked me to give the testimony again for those who had been unable to attend chapel.  When I was finished, he made a statement that has been in the back of my mind ever since.  He said, "Dustin is a wounded healer."

At the time I guess I wasn't spiritually mature enough to understand fully what that statement meant.  I'm not sure I am spiritually mature enough fully to understand even now.  But this week while I was reading through 1 John, the Holy Spirit revealed more of my wounds and the ability of a wounded healer to work among people.  In 1 John 5 we are told, "Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts.  Those who do not believe in God have made him a liar by not believing in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son.  And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life."  As I read through these words, my faith was once again confirmed.

But even as my faith was confirmed, the evil things I have done were brought to mind.  The disgusting talk, the horrible way I treated people, the way that I had tried to make myself center stage came flooding into the forefront of my thinking.  All of the self-doubt, all of the selfishness, all of the hatred I had felt for others in their treatment of me had caused wounds in me.  But then the Holy Spirit reminded me of Dr. Seamands' statement, "Dustin is a wounded healer."  I had a decision to make.  I could either keep these wounds hidden away from others or I could go ahead and let people see the wounds and explain to them what caused them and how they had healed.  I could either continue to live my eternal life for myself or I could happily live my eternal life for the benefit of others.  I have chosen to live for others.

One of Dr. Seamands' books.

After I made that decision, I looked Dr. Seamands up on Facebook and let him know what had happened.  This was his reply, "Blessings on you too as you go deeper in Him, and as your scars become more radiant, like his."  That was the affirmation I needed.  I hope my scars do become more radiant in the coming years.  I hope that the wounds I have give me the opportunity to genuinely love, care for, and minister to those who need Christ's wounds.  I pray that my wounds never cause me to look back with resentment, but that they free me from the cause and help me to love the healer much more deeply.

My wounds have been healed and they are being healed.  That is what happens when you have the Son...you get eternal life.  Not some hoped for, distant other world.  You get to start eternal life now, having your wounds healed through the wounds of our glorious savior.  Until next time...

+May your wounds be healed by the Father, through the blood of Jesus Christ, by the ever present authority of the Holy Spirit.

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Face-to-face

I love the fall!  When we lived in Kentucky I came to appreciate this season so much.  Growing up in the panhandle of Texas, the seasons don't always follow the calendar.  It's not unusual to have a blistering day followed by a severe cold front the next.  It's also not unusual to have spring in the summer, fall in the winter, or even winter in the winter.  Usually the weather changes on a regular basis...but you're just not certain which season will come next.

But that wasn't the case in Kentucky.  Their weather followed a fairly predictable pattern.  The months of September and October would steal the heat and humidity of summer and we would be left with warm days and cool nights.  The green leaves of the growing season would change to bright reds and brilliant golds.  In fact, we would have enough leaves fall to the ground that we would rake them up and the girls would play in the piles.

But I've learned to love fall for other reasons too.  As a teacher, fall always brought the challenges and excitement of a new school year.  Learning new faces, names, and routines always helped make life richer and fuller.  Watching my kids get excited about school and getting involved in various activities brings a smile to my face.  When they come home from school and tell me about what they have learned, I understand their satisfaction of learning and growing up.

As a pastor I've come to appreciate fall for other reasons.  After a summer of so many people traveling, it is nice to see our pews filling up again.  But, it's more than just having fuller worship services.  I genuinely miss seeing people when they are gone.  I miss having interaction and sharing life with them.  I understand that we all like to travel and to visit family and friends in other places, but I also like to have my faith community gathered together each week.  So fall is turning into a great re-gathering of my brothers and sisters in Christ.  While there may be several people gone this Sunday due to the long week-end, I anticipate the coming weeks as our routines return.

In 1 Thessalonians, St. Paul is eager to see the church in Thessalonica.  He writes to them "Brothers and sisters, we were separated from you for a while physically but not in our hearts.  We made every effort in our desire to see you again face-to-face.  We wanted to come to you--I, Paul, tried over and over again--and Satan stopped us.  What is our hope, joy, or crown that we can brag about in front of our Lord Jesus when he comes?  Isn't it all of you?  You are our glory and joy!" (2:17-20).  I understand his eagerness.  I also desire to see those who have been gone throughout the summer.  I have come to love the people of Haskell UMC and they are my glory and joy.

While its true that I look forward to changing leaves, cooler temperatures, and fall activities, the real joy I anticipate is the reunification of our local church.  I look forward to laughing at their summer hijinks.  I hope to hear about family reunions and exciting trips.  But most of all, I can't wait to look out into my congregation and see all of the faces that were separated from us during the summer.  Until next time...

+May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

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Ohana

It's funny to me how God works in our lives.  What I used to think was coincidence I now realize is the Holy Spirit working in our lives.  Let me give you an example.

Two weeks ago I was preparing a sermon for our congregation here in Haskell.  Throughout the summer we have been looking at the fruit of the Spirit as listed in Galatians 5.  Through my studies I ran across a section from 1 Thessalonians that went well with my sermon.  In 4:3-5, St. Paul tells us "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from fornication; that each one of you know how to control your own body in holiness and honor, not with lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God..."  Since I was preaching about self-control, I incorporated these verses into my sermon and everything was fine.

But for some reason I couldn't quite let go of this verse.  It continued to rattle around in my brain for the next several days.  Myranda, the girls, and I took a few days off before school starts in order to have a time of rest.  During that time we were away, the verse continued to come to mind periodically.  At the time I wasn't sure why...

While we were gone, our lay leader here at Haskell UMC agreed to fill-in for me.   Yesterday morning I took some time to listen to her sermon.  She did a fantastic job.  I always love to hear other people preach and this gave me an opportunity to hear someone I have come to respect greatly.  Anyway, her sermon came from 1 Corinthians 12:12 where Paul discusses the importance of being the body of Christ.  Cathy did a marvelous job of proclaiming the truth of this passage.  In her sermon she reminded the congregation that it takes all of us to do what God has called us to.  No one has the right to get lazy and allow someone else do the job.  We are supposed to continue to work with one another and not become jealous of those who have gifts different than we do.

Well, after I listened to her sermon, I came back to mine in order to polish it up.  While I was finishing up, the Spirit led me back to the passage from 1 Thessalonians.  I noticed something I had never seen before.  When St. Paul is writing about sanctification as the will of God, the "you" he uses is the plural form of the pronoun.  In other words, as the Holy Spirit works in our lives he is doing so in the body of Christ.  The entire community of believers should be growing in holiness together.

I'm afraid that we in the United States have made Christianity too individual.  We think that as long as I'm okay and growing spiritually then everything is fine.  But the more I read Scripture the more I'm convinced this is a bad attitude to have.  As children of God, we are called to self-sacrifice.  We are called to serve one another.  We are called to submit to each other.  We are called to help one another in our Christian journey, not to run ahead for our own good.  In the Disney movie "Lilo and Stitch" Lilo says something very similar to this.  She says "Ohana means family.  Family means no one gets left behind." That's a lot of wisdom coming from a cartoon character.

Ohana means family.  Family means no one gets left behind.

So the Holy Spirit showed me some pretty amazing things the last couple of weeks.  I realize more and more how important a community of faith is in our development and growth.  I have come to appreciate all of my brothers and sisters more through this revelation.  May each one of you continue to grow in holiness, not for yourself but for the community of faith you serve.

Until next time...Ohana!

+May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.   



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Ripe Fruit

This summer our congregation has been looking at the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-26.  Each week, I have taken one of the Spiritual fruit and gone into it in more detail.  We have explored why St. Paul chose this particular attribute of God to emphasize to the church in Galatia.  Each Sunday, we have delved into this Scripture with great depth trying to come away with a stronger appreciation of what it is God is doing in our midst.

As I have prepared for each one of these sermons, I have grown in my own understanding of what Paul was up to when he composed this letter.  Each week I have come away from my time of study with a greater appreciation for the immense changes taking place within the children of God as we pursue holiness.  But it wasn't until this week that the series really clicked as a whole for me.  As I was studying the last fruit, self control, I was led to 1 Thessalonians.  Now what is really interesting is that I was already reading this book as a part of my personal spiritual discipline.  I'm confident that the Holy Spirit was leading me through all of this for a reason.

In 1 Thessalonians 4, St. Paul is encouraging his brothers and sisters in Thessalonica to continue to pursue a life that is pleasing to God.  He states, "...we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that, as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God (as, in fact, you are doing), you should do so more and more.  For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.  For this is the will of God, your sanctification...For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness."--4:1-3a,7

Our sanctification is God's will for us.  What an amazing statement!  When I re-read this verse this week all of the previous week's study about the fruit of the Spirit fell into place (I've told y'all I'm a slow learner).  The fruit of the Spirit that God produces in our lives has one purpose...to bring about our sanctification.  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control transform us from the way we were in our old flesh into the people God desires for us to be as his new creation.

God is continually calling each one of us higher and higher.  He desires for us to be drawn more and more into him so that we have a wondrous family resemblance with our Father and our brother.  But the most amazing part to all of this transformation is that it is not primarily done for us.  Now don't get me wrong, we do benefit from it for ourselves, but the primary goal is not for us to be better people.  The primary goal is for us to go into the world as changed people for the benefit of others.  When we exhibit the Spiritual fruit we are honoring God by showing the world who God really is.  When we practice these fruit in our lives, others are blessed through our relationship with the Father through the Spirit.

I am convinced that God continues to call all of his children to holiness.  I have no doubt that as he continues to ripen the fruit of the Spirit in our lives that our communities will benefit.  Our personal transformation will draw us out into the world around us as we obey God's desire.  We are empowered for service for the benefit of the world.  Until next time...

+May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

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How Do They Know?

A few weeks ago my friend Bill Hogan (who I greatly admire) posted a quote on his Facebook page.  He stated, "Don't be the best church in the community, be the best church for the community"--Eric Swanson.  This quote summed up what I have been thinking for the last several months.  It seems as though churches are no longer relevant within their communities.  We try to do all kinds of things to draw people to us, but when it comes down to the nitty-gritty of life we prefer to step aside.  We expect government social programs, educational institutions, or others to fill the gap so that people are able to have their needs met.

But I don't see that as the calling of the church community.  I see that our calling is to be so enmeshed in the wider community around us that the city government, the local schools, and the welfare programs can count on us to be there even when government funding stops.  I guess that's why this whole Chick-fil-a controversy makes me so angry.

Don't get me wrong; I fully understand both sides of the argument.  I understand that there is a "freedom of speech" component.  I understand that people have the right to boycott establishments if they so desire.  I understand that not all Christians will be of the same opinion on every topic.  I really do understand all of that.

However, what really bothers me about the whole thing is that Christians have become more passionate on both sides of this issue than they have about any number of other things.  I see people proudly displaying Chick-fil-a sacks on their social networking sites.  I see people bashing those who eat at the restaurant and calling them all kinds of horrible names.  And to what avail?  What's the outcome?   Hate.

In St. John's gospel, Jesus gave his farewell discourse to the disciples.  And in that discourse he stated all sorts of wonderful and amazing things.  One thing he said was this, "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.  Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."--13:34-35.

Well, I can honestly say that I haven't seen much love from either side.  I see people purposefully trying to hurt, harm, and be nasty to their brothers and sisters in Christ.  Whether we approve of a certain lifestyle or not, it does not make someone a Christian.  There are many different life styles by many different people, who I know personally that I don't approve of, and yet they claim Christ too.  Since that is the case, then according to Scripture, I must love them.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's time for this kind of non-sense to quit taking our focus from the reality of being the best church for the community.  It's time we put as much time, energy, and enthusiasm for caring for the sick, visiting those in prison, and feeding the children as we have into this fight.  It's time we become truly relevant within our community so that others will come to know the love of Jesus Christ too.   Until next time...



+May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.





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