Thursday, September 21, 2006
Been Working on some Church Stuff
by Surly Dave
I spent the last couple of days work on a baby dedication service. It's interesting doing stuff like this because, 1. the church I belong to hasn't really had a hard and fast way of doing stuff like this, and 2. This is the first time I've done something like this. I'm honored to be asked to be part of the service, and have been praying that the service will be a blessing to the parents, their guests, and the church as well.
Here is a rough out line of how it will go. I just cut and pasted it from Word.
Intro: The Parent's Make their Commitment.
Why do we do a dedication? Dedication is a practice taken primarily from texts like:
Lk. 2:22: When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.
A Baby Dedication is a ceremony in which believing parents, and sometimes entire families, make a committment before the Lord to submit a child to God's will and to raise that child according to God's Word and God's ways.
Christian parents who dedicate a child are making a promise to the Lord to do everything within their power to raise the child in a godly way, prayerfully until he can make a decision on his own to follow God. Parents who make this vow of commitment are committing to raise their child in the ways of God, and not according to their own ways. Some of the responsibilities include teaching and training the child in God's Word, demonstrating an example of godliness, disciplining according to God's ways, and praying earnestly for the child.
Parents come up front and share testimonies, scripture…
Introduce Child to the body...
Invite Grandparents Up
Duet:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. [a] 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Dedication of Child
“In the spirit of Gen 22, we are giving back to God the gift he has given us”
Anoint with oil-why
Consecration: To set apart for Gods purposes. Webster's definition of consecrate is “To devote irrevocably to the worship of God."
Exodus 40:9-15 9 "Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy. 10 Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate the altar, and it will be most holy. 11 Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate them.
12 "Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water. 13 Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest. 14 Bring his sons and dress them in tunics. 15 Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue for all generations to come."
As they anointed the temple to consecrate to God…
1 Corinthians 6:19 19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
…We also anoint the child to consecrate him in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Prayer: Pull up chairs for the family, ask people to pray as they feel led, please wait for the microphone.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Women in Ministry: Last Call
by Surly Dave
Here is the final draft of my position paper on Women in Leadership. I want to thank all the people who challenged, encouraged me, and even disagreed with me.
What you have here is the result of a lot of prayer, study and discussion.
I want to establish from the beginning that I believe that the Church’s ministry to the Church is to Encourage, Equip, and Release.
When I first started researching this paper, I noticed a correlation between the ordaining of women and the embracing of liberal theology:
1. The Methodist Church and the Presbyterian Church-USA (North) began ordaining women in 1956.
2. Presbyterian Church-USA (South) in 1964, (North) in 1969.
3. The ELCA in 1970.
4. The Episcopal Church in 1976.
Today, these denominations are noted for their liberal theology, sinking to the point of ordaining homosexuals, accepting Unitarianism (rejecting the Work of the Cross, everyone gets in), and denying the Bible as God's divinely inspired Word.
At first, I thought that the two issues of women in leadership and rejecting God’s Word went hand in hand, and I felt that the way to stop the encroachment of liberal theology was to keep women out of leadership because allowing them to assume leadership over men seemed to be the ‘beginning of the end’.
Though the last few weeks of prayer, study, and discussion, I have come to the conclusion that the issue isn’t women in leadership, but the spirit by which they got there. The list of churches above began accepting women into leadership not because of a call on peoples lives or a recognition of giftings, but out of a more political sense: Feminism. Once they embraced feminism, there began the downward spiral.
They began rejecting the inerrancy of the Bible, started emasculating men and blurring gender roles, and began questioning the Fatherhood of God. (I’ve seen paintings of ‘female Jesus’ in places where liberal theology has taken root in the Philippines and Guatemala) There are people in these liberal churches encouraging prayer to “God, our Mother”, which opens the door to Earth Goddess religions and the rejection of the Bible all together.
However, I see that in charismatic circles, the ordination of women has not lead down a path of liberalism. Why? It’s because they believe in the inerrancy of the bible, the fatherhood of God, that homosexuality is sin, that men and women where created with different characteristics and roles, that Jesus died on the cross for our sin and to pave away to reconciliation. They also recognize that God calls people and gifts them for ministry, and that you don’t arrive there due to quotas, equal rights, or earning it. It’s not a function of politics.
So to discuss women in leadership is to actually ask, “What are the qualifications for leaders, regardless of gender?”
Titus 1:5-9 5The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. 6An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. 8Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 9He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
When it comes to selecting elders and pastors for the Church, the Bible gives us a clear list of character traits a leader must have: must be blameless, one spouse (This is the only rewording of scripture that I will use), their children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient, blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain, must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.
Their lives are already baring bearing fruit consistent with the call.
There is also a call to “hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” One of the biggest challenges the Church faces today is being swallowed up by the world around. We can’t embrace the world and embrace the cross. So even though the world is trying to tell us what to believe, that our doctrine is wrong, that something is wrong with the church because we won’t accept the world, we must stand on the Word of God and live our lives in the shadow of the Cross.
I believe that the ‘sound doctrine’ aspect of choosing an elder or pastor must include, but not limited to :
1. The belief the Bible is God's divinely inspired Word, revealed to mankind (2 Tim. 3:16)
2. The belief that the fullness of God came to earth and lived in the human body of Jesus Christ of Nazareth 2,000 years ago (Col. 1:19).
3. The belief that believing in (John 3:15-19, 5:24), and obeying (Luke 8:21, John 3:20, John 14:21, 23-24) Jesus Christ is the only way to have eternal life or to be reunited with God (Acts 4:10-12).
4. The beliefs that God created men and women with different characteristics and roles that compliement each other.
5. The belief that homosexuality is a sin and not an acceptable lifestyle. (Romans 1:24-27)
6. An acknowledgement of the Fatherhood of God.
Really, if someone has issue with any of these basic Biblical believes, I can not accept them as a leader.
To summarize:
1. A leader’s life must bare bear fruit consistent with the call prior to the call.
2. That call needs to be confirmed by others.
3. There needs to be an acceptance of basic Biblical beliefs.
Blessings,
Dave
Friday, August 25, 2006
Tough Question: Women in Leadership
by Surly Dave
This is the rough draft of my position paper on "The Roles of Men and Women in Church Leadership". It's long. It's heady. Probably the most scholarly thing I've written since attending college. And to be honest, I'll probably become one of the least popular people in my church. But my intention is to follow Jesus, and I believe the Bible is God's divinely inspired word, so that is where I find my peace.
While this is a position paper on biblical views of women in ministry, a couple of statements regarding the biblical role of men and women in general must be addressed. This is from the Danvers Statement, compiled by the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW).
1. Both Adam and Eve were created in God's image, equal before God as persons and distinct in their manhood and womanhood (Gen 1:26-27, 2:18).
2. Distinctions in masculine and feminine roles are ordained by God as part of the created order, and should find an echo in every human heart (Gen 2:18, 21-24; 1 Cor 11:7-9; 1 Tim 2:12-14).
3. Adam's headship in marriage was established by God before the Fall, and was not a result of sin (Gen 2:16-18, 21-24, 3:1-13; 1 Cor 11:7-9).
4. The Fall introduced distortions into the relationships between men and women (Gen 3:1-7, 12, 16).
o In the home, the husband's loving, humble headship tends to be replaced by domination or passivity; the wife's intelligent, willing submission tends to be replaced by usurpation or servility.
o In the church, sin inclines men toward a worldly love of power or an abdication of spiritual responsibility, and inclines women to resist limitations on their roles or to neglect the use of their gifts in appropriate ministries.
5. The Old Testament, as well as the New Testament, manifests the equally high value and dignity which God attached to the roles of both men and women (Gen 1:26-27, 2:18; Gal 3:28). Both Old and New Testaments also affirm the principle of male headship in the family and in the covenant community (Gen 2:18; Eph 5:21-33; Col 3:18-19; 1 Tim 2:11-15).
6. Redemption in Christ aims at removing the distortions introduced by the curse.
o In the family, husbands should forsake harsh or selfish leadership and grow in love and care for their wives; wives should forsake resistance to their husbands' authority and grow in willing, joyful submission to their husbands' leadership (Eph 5:21-33; Col 3:18-19; Tit 2:3-5; 1 Pet 3:1-7).
o In the church, redemption in Christ gives men and women an equal share in the blessings of salvation; nevertheless, some governing and teaching roles within the church are restricted to men (Gal 3:28; 1 Cor 11:2-16; 1 Tim 2:11-15).
7. In all of life Christ is the supreme authority and guide for men and women, so that no earthly submission-domestic, religious, or civil-ever implies a mandate to follow a human authority into sin (Dan 3:10-18; Acts 4:19-20, 5:27-29; 1 Pet 3:1-2).
8. In both men and women a heartfelt sense of call to ministry should never be used to set aside Biblical criteria for particular ministries (1 Tim 2:11-15, 3:1-13; Tit 1:5-9). Rather, Biblical teaching should remain the authority for testing our subjective discernment of God's will.
9. With half the world's population outside the reach of indigenous evangelism; with countless other lost people in those societies that have heard the gospel; with the stresses and miseries of sickness, malnutrition, homelessness, illiteracy, ignorance, aging, addiction, crime, incarceration, neuroses, and loneliness, no man or woman who feels a passion from God to make His grace known in word and deed need ever live without a fulfilling ministry for the glory of Christ and the good of this fallen world (1 Cor 12:7-21).
10. We are convinced that a denial or neglect of these principles will lead to increasingly destructive consequences in our families, our churches, and the culture at large.
The bible teaches clear roles for men and women in the home and in the church. While I don’t want to see anyone excluded from walking out the call that God has places on their life, that call will be fulfilled and walked out with in the confines of the written word.
I think that placing a woman into leadership in order to "make a statement" about one's church, to meet some type of master plan or quota, or to equalize some supposed "power structure" in the church is a mistake. We should also beware of placing anyone into leadership just because, “Well, they deserve it.” We should not place anyone into leadership to satisfy a sense of moral responsibility: man or woman.
After much prayer and study, examining both the egalitarian and complimentarian views, I believe that biblically, women are to be excluded from the leadership positions of pastor and elder.
1 Timothy 2:11-14 11A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. 12I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. 13For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.
In 1 Timothy, it is often argued that Paul was not allowing women to teach because the women where teaching heresy. Paul doesn’t address any particular heresy, and he would have, as evidenced by the fact that he addressed gossiping in 1 Tim 5:13.
An other argument is that the women of the time where uneducated and lacked basic understanding of scripture. Actually, Ephesus was a cultural center with many educated men and women.
One of the women brought forth as an example of women in leadership is Priscilla. Priscilla was from the church at Ephesus, and the directive applied to her as well. Yes, Priscilla and Aquila helped instruct Apollos in the word that they learned from 3 years of tutelage from Paul (Acts 18:26), but it is never implied that she was a elder or pastor in the church, or taught in church.
The reason Paul gave this directive is because isn’t because of anything happening in Ephesus, but because of what happened in Genesis: 1 Tim 2 13For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.
So even though there where women who learned directly from Paul, they weren’t allowed to have authority or teach.
1 Corinthians 14:33-36 As in all the congregations of the saints, 34women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. 35If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. 36Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached?
1 Corinthians 11:5, Paul clearly allows women to pray and prophesy in church. Prophesy is not scripture, and doesn’t have more authority than scripture: It’s reporting something that God spontaneously brings to mind. Ultimately, Elders and Pastors are to judge the word, especially words of direction to the church.
Both 1 Timothy 2:11-14 and 1 Corinthians 11:5 show that Paul was consistent in the way he applied this principle.
Requirements for elders are set forth in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.
1 Timothy 3:1-7 1Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer,[a] he desires a noble task. 2Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) 6He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.
Titus 1:5-9 5The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint[a] elders in every town, as I directed you. 6An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7Since an overseer[b] is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. 8Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 9He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
These directives were given to two different churches, in two different cultural contexts, showing once again that Paul applied this consistently.
Other examples that God intends men to be the elders/leaders of the church.
1. There were no female Apostles. Some argue that this was because Jesus was respecting the culture of the time. In fact, Jesus often stood against the culture of the time by confronting the Pharisees in public, eating with tax collectors and sinners, healing on the Sabbath. If Jesus wanted to make a point, He did. To say Jesus caved into public opinion is to question his integrity.
2. The leadership through out the bible has been consistently male. Once again, If God wanted to establish women as leaders, he’s had thousands of years.
3. Debra and Hulda were prophetesses, but they always prophesied in private. (Judges 4-5, 2 Kings 22:14-20)
Other arguments:
1. Ministry should be determined by gifting, not by gender. The same Holy Spirit that gave the gifts also inspired the Bible, and the Holy Spirit wouldn’t contradict itself.
2. God is giving a new revelation. Prophesy or revelation is not a greater than God’s written word. We can’t allow ‘new revelation’ to steer us away from the inerrant world of God.
3. The New Testament focuses on servant leadership, so we shouldn’t be hung up on all this ‘authority’ stuff. Jesus was the ultimate example of servant leadership, yet one of establishing factors of his ministry was his authority.
The issue of women in ministry is one that causes tempers to flair, feelings to be hurt, and people to leave. But I think that the real issue behind women in ministry and leadership is one of whether we believe in the inerrancy of scripture or not.
The danger of allowing women into elder/pastor roles is that this often goes hand in hand with rejecting the inerrancy of scripture. In the last fifty years, a number of major denominations have started ordaining women.
1. The Methodist Church and the Presbyterian Church-USA (North) began ordaining women in 1956.
2. Presbyterian Church-USA (South) in 1964.
3. The ELCA in 1970.
4. The Episcopal Church in 1976.
Today, these denominations are noted for their liberal theology, sinking to the point of ordaining homosexuals and endorsing a sinful lifestyle.
Most of the cases for egalitarianism I’ve read take liberty in interpreting scripture to fit what they wish it said. They will take the most obscure possible meaning of a word and skew it to fit their desire, or worse, use it to dismiss the scripture all together. They reject the inerrancy of the Bible.
When we reject male and female roles laid out in the bible, the Fatherhood of God comes into question. I’ve seen paintings of a ‘female Jesus’ in places where liberal theology has taken root. There are people encouraging prayer to “God, our Mother”, which opens the door to Earth Goddess religions and the rejection of the Bible all together. The only way we can say, “That will never happen to us” is if we stand on God’s written word: the Bible.
Some might say I’m being defeatist, jumping to conclusions, chauvinistic, fundamentalist…so on. I believe the Bible is the True word of God, and that His Word lays out the proper roles of Men and Women in church and in the home.
, Church, Complimentarian,
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Church in Transistion: Tough Questions
by Surly Dave
I haven't posted on the transition my church is going through for a while because it's been a process of meetings, questions and discussions. One of the tough questions that has come up is, "What is the role of women in ministry and leadership?"
It's one of those questions that can cause tempers to flare, feeling to be hurt, and people to leave.
Right now, a few of us are are writing position papers on the issue. It's an exercise we went through a few years ago but nothing came of it, and as a result of a couple of hard drives crashing, I can't find my old paper so I'm starting over.
Smarter men (and women) have dug into this issue than I, so I have been reading " Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: A Response to Evangelical Feminism" by John Piper and Wayne Grudem. They take the unpopular ' Complementarian' view.
I have also spent a lot of time reading through an article by " Christians for Biblical Equality": Men, Women, and Biblical Equality, which takes the egalitarian point of view.
Through prayer and study, I've become a "modified complimentarian". There are prescribed roles for women and men, neither is better than the other, both stand equally before the cross, mutual submission, ect...If you're familiar with the issue, you know what I'm talking about.
I don't have a problem with woman in ministry. Let them teach, preach, pray, prophesie (if your into that), do Sunday School and so on. The Harvest shouldn't turn away workers.
As long as they are submitted to a man.
See, I can't reconcile women in leadership roles as elders and pastors.
The critical verse for me is 1 Cor 11:3 "Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God" (Read whole Chapter here to see the context).
The verse clearly states that man is the head of woman. I know that people try to interpet this as being a result of the culture and Paul trying to do this or that, but those are people who assume that Paul was trying to oppress women. I don't see this at all because Paul commends women in ministry in some of his other writings.
My view of this is that woman aren't oppressed, but doubly blessed. They not only have the coverage of Christ, but they also have the coverage of their husbands. While Eve was first to take the apple, Adam was the one who was upbraided by God, and when the fall is discussed in the bible, Adam bares the blame.
More on this later.
Christianity
Monday, June 5, 2006
Church in Transistion: Sermon Preached 6/4/06
by Surly Dave
I showed up Sunday morning with two complete sermons: One on why the church needs vision, and one on "The Prodigal Son". During worship, I kept going back and forth on which to share. Eventually, I ended up sharing the high points of each. Essentially, it boiled to this: Our church needs to have vision, and everyone needs to walk in the gifts and talents God has given them.
The Church, as in the Bride of Christ, the Church Universal, has three purposes:
1. Ministry to God (Worship)
2. Ministry to the Believers (Nurture)
3. Ministry to the World (Evangelism and Mercy)
Vision is the individual churches expression of these purposes.
As far as The Prodigal Son goes, my 'bent' on the story was that there were people in our congregation that had been given gifts and visions from God, but had 'squandered' them by either not using them (for what ever reasons) or that the had used them, but stopped (for what ever reason).
Gifts, spiritual gifts, are given to individuals for building up the church. They weren't given to people for their sake, but for the Church's sake, and to withhold them was, well, sin.
But God the Father, as characterized by the Father in the parable, is anxious for their return, waiting for them to repent, and restore them.
And where our local church is at right now, we need everyone to step up in what God has gifted them in and called them to.
Some time down the road I'll post my notes.
Christianity, Sermon,
Monday, May 22, 2006
Church in Transition: Week 2
by Surly Dave
This Sunday we met in the usual place, enjoying worship and bringing ourselves to God in praise. The Pastor preached out of Acts 1, discussing the period between when Jesus went up to the Father and Pentecost.
Acts1:7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Then he was taken up.
The guys went back to Jerusalem, where they picked Mathius as replacement for Judas, and they spent a lot of time together.
Acts 1:14They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
The disciples lost their leader, and now they were waiting to see what was next.
Now, Pastor's emphasis was on the meeting together and waiting on God. This is good stuff. I think that during anytime of transition, praying and waiting on the Lord are paramount. How else are you going to do the right thing? As I have said in my previous post, we don't want to muscle it up: We want to walk with the Lord and do what he calls us to do. So, while waiting on God, do we feel called to be part of this church, or to move on.
So the challenge laid down was this: Are you in or not? If your in, we need you to jump in with both feet. If not, we want to honor your doubts. If your not in, then we want to bless you as you leave. No hard feelings, no bitterness.
The Pulpit team met and put together a schedule for preaching for June. I'm up on the 4th and possibly the 25th. So, if your praying people who are following this spell binding, gripping tale of a Church in Transition, well, your prayers are appreciated.
I don't think a lot of people are following the story, because my traffic has dropped off since I started it. I guess I should increase the snarkiness level.
Christianity, Church
Friday, May 19, 2006
Church in Transition: The Pastor's Letter
by Surly Dave
Here is an edited letter from my Pastor to the congregation. I'm posting it with his permission. I've removed the names of people and the name of the church because, as I've said before, that's not as important to me as chronicling the heart of the transition.
Most of you know that this past Sunday I announced that I will be leaving this church. Even as I wrote that sentence, my brain locks up from the surge of emotions that come. I know from responses I’ve heard that, for some of you, this news s a shock to your system. My wife and I were certainly not prepared for the turn of events that precipitated this change, so I imagine it was unsettling for you as well.
To answer some of your basic questions, I want to offer some responses that may help you process this change:
Q-Why are you leaving?
A-In a nutshell, I’m leaving because God is asking me to. Some have wondered if I’m tired, discouraged, frustrated, etc…all of those are the normal emotions and experiences of regular life and church life, but in NO WAY or FORM would I let those motivate me to make such a change. Negative emotions rarely propel you towards a positive decision. I am simply doing my best to say to God, “…as you wish”. The Lord spoke very clearly that He was going to “move me on”, and through much prayer and a series of confirmations over the past four weeks, my family and I are clear that God has a new adventure in store for us and for the people of this church.
Q-What will happen to this church?
A-It has been and remains my deepest prayer that God will lead all of us through these changes. My vote is that this church would continue…I see all kinds of good reasons and possibilities in that… mostly because of the people who make up this church. What kept me going at this church were the people and community we have.
This church's future now rests on you as individuals and as a body to hear a fresh and clear call from God. It is imperative that you listen carefully to what God is saying to you as a member of this church. Over the past 10 years, it has been my burden to instill into the people of this church that we all are the Church. We all do the work of the ministry, and we cannot rely on one single person or small group to carry the load for everyone. We each have a responsibility to press in to hear what Jesus wants to say to His church.
Q-What would happen if we decided to continue?
A-First of all, I offer you my support and coaching. I have deliberately made arrangements to be available over the next year if you’d like that. Secondly, it is important to recognize that God is calling us all into a new future. We need to seek Him for clear plans and purposes. The shape and form of this church will undoubtedly change – it may even disappear, but we can be certain that as God moves us it will be toward greener pastures! God has never taken his hand away from the people of Harvest. His desire for us is to conform more and more into the image of Jesus, and sometimes that takes moving us around to give us those opportunities. Please pray for the Lord to clearly communicate His plan.
Q-How can we make this a good transition?
A-The biggest challenge I see is managing the spectrum of our emotions. There is loss here. There is disappointment. There are a lot of questions that emerge from these changes. We can’t ignore those…in fact, to ignore them gives place for them to rule over us in a negative manner. So, the first challenge is to present and release those to God. He knows. As you bring those thoughts, questions, and feelings to God, release them; don’t rehearse them. The Psalmist illustrates this over and over again in his “journal” to us.
We need to listen carefully to what our hearts are experiencing and how God may desire to touch that. Moves like this bring us into a vulnerable place, but the Lord loves to minister to us there. Working to be still and listening for His words can bring great peace and transformation to your heart. I am praying earnestly for all of us to sense God’s great heart for us.
His word says, "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 2:32)
Finally, I want to share my heart with you. My ministry is largely driven for the quest of family. Part of that is because I grew up longing for real family. I can honestly say that I have experienced the greatest depths of that here at this church. To leave is a call, not a joy. You guys have been deeply woven into my heart.
Somehow in the gift of family, God has seen fit to have a transitional flow…babies turn into kids who grow into teens who soon leave the nest while parents become grand-parents and ultimately pass on to the other side. All those changes and transitions bring challenge and potential blessing. I don’t think God would plan for it unless it ultimately winds up for our good. Here, we are facing a similar transition. For me, I am fixing my eyes on a Creator who is continually working all things together for good. I have to. I invite you to as well.
It has been my honor and privilege to serve you and for that I am deeply grateful.
Together in Christ,
Pastor
Christianity, Church
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Church In Transition: A Project Managers Perspective
by Sweeter Half
My surly husband is right in the sense that this has been an emotional roller coaster. This whole church in transition thing really threw me for a loop. On Monday, when I was supposed to be focused on the many important actions on my list of to dos, I was amazed at how much of my brainpower was being chewed up thinking about how our pastor presented us (meaning the church body) the gift of the church that he and his family so sacrificially planted and nurtured for the last 10 years.
Tonight, I questioned his analogy of it being like "picking up the keys" as if the church were something as easy to drive as say a used car perhaps. It's not that easy, both Surly and I have acknowledged that. But then again what is easy?
When a teenager learns to drive a car it isn't as automatic as it is for someone who's been driving for nearly 20 years or more. They need to be fully engaged. Their eyes are being trained to focus on the road ahead as well as any obstacles that would appear around them. Their ears need to be trained on their instructor (yes this is a situation where a teen learns the value of listening to their parents). The young driver is also aware with their hands and feet. Just learning the rocking motion of their feet as they move from gas pedal to break and adjusting their hands to the 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock principle takes some awareness. Basically, a young teen driver, who wants to stay on the road, is fully engaged with their whole body.
I think it is the same for our little church. If we want to make a go of it we need all of the members to get engaged. We can't find our way as a body without those who have the gift of vision. We won't make it if our ears aren't attuned to God and to the valuable wisdom of those God may bring to help us. It will also take the hands and feet of all who are involved to truly make a go of things.
Whether or not we can pull off the kind of full-body engagement to make a go of things is to be seen, but in order for us to really grab hold of the keys and take our little church for a drive we're going to need everyone’s gifts to do it.
This brings be to my Project Managers perspective. I'm a marketing communications project manager by day and in my role I assign work to people who are gifted to do various tasks. Each individuals role is specific, important, and rarely interchangeable. I think it is the same in our congregation.
To make a go of it as a body, I believe there are three things that need to be in play:
1) People need to understand their giftings.
2) The body needs to acknowledge their giftings.
3) People need to do the things that God has gifted them to do.
If we can do these three things, I think we'll make it as a church. But, as Surly said, I don't want to force it. God's going to have to be our "driving instructor". Without his coaching, we may run off the road.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Church in Transition
by Surly Dave
I have decided that I am going to blog the transition of the church I attend as the pastor leaves and the members pick up the keys and take ownership.
I'm not naming the church or the pastor because I don't think that's important. I also don't want anyone to lay down judgment on the other people who attend, or the pastor who is leaving. What I think is important is watching to see if the body takes ownership of the church, or choose to close it down.
Close it down? Shut down a church? Unheard of! Some might be shocked at the notion, but I challenge you with this: Maybe God called all these people together for a season, and is about to disperse us. Perhaps what we have learned about community and relationships will make us blessings to other churches.
Take ownership? What's that all about? It's kind of like this: If you have been whining that your church needs a better children's ministry, or a missions trip, or even the hedges pruned, then maybe it's time for someone to do something about it, and that someone is you. It's easy to play Sunday Morning Quarterback from the seats.
See, I'm in a position in the church, along with a couple of other guys, to take control. But I don't want that. The other guys don't want that. We want to see the body, the church, be the church.
I'm not asking for pity or sympathy or anything like that. I think that what we are going through may be an encouragement to others.
Christianity, Church in Transition
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Changes O' Plenty!
by Surly Dave
Well, a little more in the ole "Changes" department. This last Sunday, my Pastor announced that he was leaving. It wasn't that much of a shock, but a shock none the less.
Spiritually, I understand that the (or a) church isn't built on a man, but on Jesus.
Emotionally, it's been a roller coaster the last few days. I'm not afraid of what will become of the little church I belong to. Maybe we will raise up new leaders from within. Maybe we will bring someone else in. Maybe we will dissolve. Who knows? My wife and I will keep praying and see where God leads us.
One of my concerns is the relationships. I hope that the friendships and relationships we have built weather whatever happens to the legal structure that is called a 'church'. In other words, I hope that the community holds up regardless of whether we have a traditional looking church. Does that make sense? Let me try it this way: The relationship and communal factor are more important than if we have the classic Sunday morning get together with music and a message.
Not that I'm against Sunday morning meetings, music, and messages. Perhaps someday I'll go deeper into it, but not today.
The greatest source of angst for me is the unfinished business. I had a friend and mentor that just decided to up and leave. I guess I'm feel abandoned, like the rug has been pulled out from under me. My struggle is to keep my anger in check, and to constantly plumb my heart to make sure bitterness and/pride doesn't take root.
So there. Yet another peek into my soul.
Update:I talked to my pastor this evening. Once I worked through my personal disappointment and frustration, we found some level ground and had a pretty good talk. The one thing that really stood out is that if this is God's call, then we should rejoice and support him. I'm going to assume that God is indeed calling him to move on, and that leaves me no ground for
speculation regarding his motives.
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