Paradigm Shift

I despised this term in college and seminary - it was one of those phrases that people couldn't wait to use, similar to words and phrases used today like "fleshing out," "dichotomy," "postmodern," and "contextual theology." But I can't think of a better term for this season of the Church. A paradigm shift is needed if we are going to be faithful to the mission of the Church. And like most shifts, they are painful and require sacrifice. As Chris Holmes, former DS and now coach-trainer for pastors across several denominations, says in his newsletter: "Shift happens."

I posted the above from Gil Rendle's book Back to Zero a few blogs ago - and I think it still has much to teach us about being the church. It would be very easy to be dismissive of this and say, "Eh, it's the latest fad, I'll wait it out until this wears off and dies down." The problem is that is this is far from a new fad; this is Ecclesiology and Missiology 101. We usurped that and replaced it with our new-and-improved way of doing things which ran tangent to the Great Commission. Membership is important, and I don't think we quit monitoring it. But discipleship is even more important; indeed, the true definition of membership - defined by our baptismal and membership vows - is to not just BE a disciple, but to make/generate/model disciples and discipleship. Any other definition of membership makes it akin to a club that has privileges. Church membership and discipleship has responsibilities.

For United Methodist clergy, the paradigm shift affects how we develop and deploy leadership. Already there is a lot of pushback from changes we are seeing - and pushback is usually a sign that a new reality is present. Changes in clergy deployment are being witnessed for a simple reason: our churches are no longer the churches they once were (economically- or attendance-wise), and the contextual realities where those churches are located are shifting. It's not ageism, sexism, or any other discriminism - it's "shift happening." As a D.S., I realize more than ever how much I have to learn, study, and be present in the district and conference to be in touch with reality. The shift for the superintendency (General and District) is less and less about being a bureaucrat and administrative manager and more and more about coaching, missional strategizing, and relating to people and churches.

I was taught in seminary about having "professional distance" from parishioners; yet intimacy and fostering relationships with people is more critical than ever in a discipleship and mission model of ministry. My style of preaching is having to change. We clergy have got to love people like we've never been hurt and be willing to take the risks for the sake of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom. There is no other way to teach and lead passion for the Gospel to transform a hurting world.

We clergy are going to have to do this knowing that (a) our congregations are shrinking, (b) our denomination is hurting in everyday imaginable (did you know that the United Methodist Reporter is out of business June 1?) and that un-sustainability is a real possibility, and (c) the role of clergy is shifting. Yet, at the same time, (a) our God is an awesome God, (b) there are more opportunities than ever to do ministry and make disciples, and (c) Jesus promises to be with us, to the very end!

There is much to be done - but there is joy in doing it! I remember in the minutes before I was ordained a deacon (back in the "old" days), I was so scared that I wanted to throw up and say, "I can't do it." But I also remember when the hands were laid upon my head that there was nothing else in this world that my heart burned for than to serve the Lord.

My friend Ed Kilbourne sings the most wonderful song, based on some traditional words. I wish I had the musical track to go with it, but here are the lyrics:

You've got to sing when the spirit says sing

And obey the spirit of the Lord

You've got to sing like you don't need the money

Love like you'll never get hurt

You've got to dance, dance, dance, like nobody's watching

It's got to come from the heart if you want it to work

And if you hold back the word that might heal somebody's pain

You're holding back yourself from the light

And if you make your decisions based only upon gain

You will see the world with only partial sight

And if you need some assistance but don't let your buddies know

You're keeping them from being all that they could

And if your heart starts a talkin', better let those feelings show

You don't want to stop the flow of something good

-"When the Spirit Says Sing," Traditional, verses by Missy Stratton Morgan, medely arrangement by Cafe Society,

chorus "Come From The Heart", Susanna Clark/Richard Leigh (©EMI April Music) 

I believe this is the paradigm shift we need to adapt to and adopt. Or, more accurately, re-adapt to and re-adopt.

Pax,
Sky+

Erosion of Trust, or Erosion of Faith?

Confession: I spent about five years of my ministry angry - namely, the years 2004-2009.

I wasn't angry about being mistreated as a pastor, or upset that my salary wasn't as high as I thought it should be, or that I was "passed over" and someone else got a church that I might have wanted. I was angry that the two generations of church leadership before me allowed United Methodism to get into this shape.

Over the years, I have helped put together conference journals, served the Connection at the General and Jurisdictional level, and represented my religious order at the General Board. What I witnessed, in ways financial and administrative, was that our UMC was hemorrhaging - and had been - for a long time. We have experienced a net loss of millions in membership in my lifetime, and it made me angry that my grandchildren and great-grandchildren might not have a United Methodist Church to attend; not because it was God's will, but because we failed to lead and make disciples. It made me angry that a lot more was going to be required of me than my predecessors if I were going to be faithful to my baptismal and ordination vows. It made me angry that I might not have a pension to live on in my last days. Anger threatened to consume me.

And it was wrong. I was wrong.

It took every prayer discipline I had to regain focus and perspective, and I realized that my anger was my own sin of wanting someone or something to blame rather than to do something about it, and that the reasons for church decline were far more intricate and complicated than could be attributed to any one cause. I allowed my own prejudices and need to blame erode my faith, and that was the true failure - with no one to blame but myself. I had experienced not an erosion of trust, but an erosion of faith.

Getting to the point of admission and doing something about it was freeing, it was empowering - it was literally my salvation. It changed the way I approached and carried out ministry. Instead of a career, ordained ministry became the way I best lived out my baptismal vows instead of a career (hey, clergy and lay alike, we're ALL called first by our baptism, not our ordination). I stopped comparing myself to other pastors and their appointments (a/k/a "Steeple Envy") and the unholy game of competition. It was time to fish or cut bait: either I start trusting God and the UMC (which I said at my ordination was the best way to express Christianity), or I hang up my stole and turn in my credentials. By God's grace, I started trusting God again. But like God's grace, trust in God is something we either accept or don't - that's on us.

In this season of the UMC, our trust in God is called upon more than ever. We are a communion not based on loose association, but by connection and covenant. Yet trust is severely lacking in the UMC; we've showed the world that in many ways, but we did so especially at General Conference 2012. Our trust was so lacking that one delegate wanted members of a committee/commission to stand so she could see if they were "diverse enough." And now that we are living into this difficult season in the UMC, our propensity to avoid the unknown, to shun the different, and to suspect the worse is making us paranoid and ineffectual. Manifestations of this culture of distrust have led us to public displays of distrust:

• Our bishops meet in a closed meeting to discuss accountability - instead of praying for them, we criticize them and say they are being non-democratic.
• Bishops and cabinets vow to make pastoral appointment-making missionally-driven instead of entitlement-driven - but critics say that they are being unfair and ageist.
• Clergy are encouraged to be vulnerable and transparent in their leadership - but are distrustful of laity because of past betrayals and recriminations.
• Laity are asked to sacrifice their time and money for the Church - but become distrustful of clergy who seem to be more concerned in maintaining their benefits and guaranteed appointments than sacrificial Kingdom work.

The root of all these things is not truth - it is fear. Fear that the bishops might be "scheming." Fear that another pastor might get a better appointment than me that I feel that I deserve. Fear that what we say in truth will be used against us in hate. Fear that someone has it better than I do. 

To embrace Christ fully, however, means to embrace that perfect love casts out fear. It means that our own wants and comforts are outweighed by the needs of the Kingdom and our sacrifices for it. It is not martyrdom - it's a glad and willing obedience. It means that nothing is sacred but the mission. Once I understood that, it became easier to trust. Our brothers and sisters may let us down, but God is always faithful and trustworthy.

Click to enlarge

When I was asked to be a district superintendent on March 1, 2011 (an AWFUL time to start this position!), I said yes. I knew in this season of the Church it would be difficult work. But I also knew that it was my opportunity to turn my former distrust into joyful obedience, and my despair about the Church into an opportunity to make a difference in the life of the conference and community of faith that raised me and nurtured me.

There is a letter that I keep at my desk that reminds me of my task and that there are no earthly "guarantees" ahead of me - indeed, I suspect there are tougher days ahead then there are behind for the United Methodist Church, as well as all Christians. But in casting out fear, the shackles are removed to work for the Gospel hope and future - and I don't think God is done with us yet. I believe that the best is yet to come.

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. There is no Christian alternative: we have to love like we've never been hurt, trust like we've never been betrayed. If we don't, we will simply choose to divide ourselves - and thus seal our fate as a denomination. 

I think God expects greater things of us - and I think they're coming. The Lord will take us there, and only by faith can we follow. 

Pax,

Sky+

Our Baptism is Our Ordination

Last week, the Paducah and Paris Districts completed the second weekend of the Generative Leadership Academy. I was hoping we would get 50-60 people to participate this year; instead, 150 showed up, paid money out of their pockets to be there, and availed themselves to four weekends to have their faith deepened and become church leaders who will in turn “generate” more church leaders and disciples (as opposed to members) to work towards church vitality and discipleship! Quite frankly, the response has excited me and terrified me all at the same time. I’m excited that laity are hearing the call to discipleship and responding; I am terrified that the ball will get dropped and we clergy and lay leaders wont’t seize the opportunity.

I recently read an article about Pope Francis that reminds me of a harsh reality about the Church: we are often guilty of clericalism, defined by Greg Kandra as “focusing fundamentally on the things on the things of the clergy and, more specifically, the sanctuary, rather than bringing the Gospel to the world.” Not just clergy can be guilty of clericalism – laity can become clericalized very easily in the name of the Church, functioning in church offices, serving on boards and agencies, driving hundreds of miles to represent this and that committee, and believing that this is our chief way of serving God and the Church. Whenever laity and clergy alike forget that spreading the faith to our communities and world is our primary task and that all other tasks are the tools and means for doing so, we forget our mission: to be and make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Nothing should be sacred but the mission!

In 1991 I entered ordered life, and it has been the greatest blessing of my life to live under a “rule.” Ten years later, I wanted to discern placing myself under “life vows”, and the mentor assigned to me was Hoyt Hickman (those of you who are United Methodist will know him as one of our denomination’s worship “gurus”). I had know Hoyt for several years, but having him as my mentor was one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received. When we first met, and for the several months we met afterwards, Hoyt cared nothing about my ordination vows, my vocational aspirations, or my gifts as a clergyperson. What Hoyt wanted to know what how I lived out my baptismal vows. In his words, “that’s where it all starts.”

It was a valuable lesson. And as I continue to grow in faith and now have this unique view as a district superintendent, I realize that it is THE question we need to be able to answer, whether we be clergy or laity: how are we living out our baptismal vows? How are we discovering and cultivating the gifts given to us through the Holy Spirit at our baptism?

You see, our baptism is our ordination. Clergy – see your laity as fellow ordinands for the common ministry of the Kingdom. And laity – know that you have been called and claimed by God and given all the gifts you need to do ministry. And Church – don’t stay in the sanctuary; go out into the world and take Jesus Christ to a hurting world who needs to know the Good News. To quote Pope Francis: “When the Church does not come out of itself to evangelize it becomes self-referential and then gets sick.”

And let the people say, “Amen.”

Pax,
Sky+

Not Your Parents' D.S. - Part Two

¶ 419. As an extension of the office of bishop, the district superintendent shall oversee the total ministry of the clergy (including clergy in extension ministry and ministry beyond the local church) and of the churches in the communities of the district in their missions of witness and service in the world. 

   1. The Church expects, as part of the superintendent ministry, that the superintendent will be the chief missional strategist of the district...working with persons across the Church to develop programs of ministry and mission which extend the witness of Christ into the world. - from the Book of Discipline, 2012, new language highlighted.

As I continue to live into this new part of my ministry expectations, I realize how much of a cultural mindset I have to work against. For so many years, district superintendents often gave well-meaning advice to pastors, such as: (1) the "one year rule" - don't change anything in your first year in a church, (2) seek to change by evolution rather than revolution. If these are understood as being a good listener and being kind, I think this is sage advice. However, if it falls under the category of being a benevolent hireling and gives in to a consumerist rather than missional mentality, then I think we make a supreme mistake.

We Christians are living in interesting times, and the case can be made that we are now a remnant church rather than an established one. While our mindset should have been missional all along, we are now forced to think of ourselves as such (which is not a bad thing!). But to shift back to being missional rather than institutional, we have to be ready to adopt another mindset and face deep change - deep change which can be exciting but also painful.

But it also forces district superintendents to adopt a new mindset too. Our job is not so much to satisfy clergy and congregations, administrate and act as personnel manager, but to help clergy and congregations discover what is the most faithful thing we can do to serve the mission field. That means getting to what our purpose is instead of making known what our preference is (I know, strange words to hear from a D.S. in March!!). That's going to be rough for everyone: congregations know what they like and don't like, pastors have in their minds what the ideal church should look like and do, and D.S.'s want to get the slots filled and for everyone to just get along. The reality is, a missional mindset may be about (at least initially) bringing a sword instead of peace. (Note: those are Jesus' words, not mine. Just sayin.')

Our work as disciples isn't just important work - it's sacred work. As the Memphis and Tennessee conference begin to live into what Bishop McAlilly is leading us toward, there is nothing sacred but the mission. It's the Christian way of living, not the latest pre-packaged downloadable program! This is something that, while hard, is something we can do!

Those few of us left in the remnant church cannot afford to bicker at each other anymore; our American political system is presently giving us a very poor example on how to work with each other. We have to be one with each other; indeed, we live by faith and hope and by the Golden Rule, speaking TO each other rather than about and around each other. A missional church can work no other way, and we may find that our differences from each other are our gifts to each other. The Twelve that Jesus gathered together were quite the mixed bag, yet went forth as the first missionaries to be the Church.

They sacrificed, though. A lot. Some with their lives. They lost friends along the way. Their "new" way offended many. Yet they believed that there was nothing more sacred than the mission: making disciples of Jesus Christ. Do we believe that? Can we believe that? And can we be not just hearers, but also doers, of the Word?

We can do this, Church.

Pax,

Sky+

Making Disciples - Not Members

As I shared in the district clergy meeting on Tuesday, keeping up with metrics in Vital Congregations is not antithetical to making disciples of Jesus Christ: metrics are an important tool. It’s taking the pulse of your congregation. It gives you a baseline to see where you are and where you might/might not be going. In the task of making disciples, however, we have got to move from our current understanding of membership toward a biblical and spiritual model of discipleship. In United Methodist circles, this means (to borrow from Gil Rendle):

If we're about institutional survival, we probably deserve to die. But if we believe making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world is our mission - and that this is the most sacred thing we can do - we'll be all about that! And we certainly need to keep asking ourselves how we might measure discipleship and making disciples. How do we measure the difference made as a person moves toward becoming a disciple? Asking that question will help us get toward the task at hand!

So with that being said, I'm going to rip off Joey Reed's blog, "I'm Done 'Growing the Church,'" as this gets to the heart of the matter.

Enjoy. Or be irritated. Or both. Just be forewarned that while some people might not like this message, others are desperate to hear it.

Sky+

I’m Done “Growing the Church”

Pews. Stop filling them. (Photo credit: boxchain)

Yes, you read that right. I’m done.

No more outreach strategies to fill the pews. No more ideas to draw young people. No more switching out the hard stuff for lighter fare in hopes that we will appeal to a larger audience.

No more “growing the church.”

It seems that every time I sit down to think of ways to lead people to Jesus, I find a new way to “align a program” or “bring focus to an issue” — or worse, I find good people who mistakenly think that my job is to be a chaplain, or just their “professional visitor.” Gotta get those visitors to close the deal and join up.

Too many people think that mission of the Church is to swell the ranks and fill the pews. Too many people think that this task is my job. Too many people find me a failure for not getting this done.

So. No more just “growing the church.”

Unless. Unless you mean something different when you say, “Grow, Church.”

Perhaps you mean, “Growing in Grace.” Perhaps the church is learning to become more mature about forgiveness. Maybe that would mean that the churches in the USA would be more willing to reach across boundaries of age, race, gender, and politics (yeah, I said it) in order to develop real relationships.

I would love to grow that church.

Maybe you mean, “Growing in Love.” That could mean that the church is learning to become more selfless. That could turn into giving our time and our money to help people who are in a bad way — even people we don’t think really deserve it.

I could see myself growing a cool church like that.

Maybe you mean “Growing in Depth.” Would that mean that people were learning to accept their flaws without glossing them over? Would that mean an outbreak of patience and kindness that only comes from realizing that we are all screwed up in one way or another, and God loves us anyway? Would that mean that folks realized that they are unqualified to do ministry – just like the minister – and would commit to doing ministry anyway? Would that mean that you realized the value of what you have in Christ is too valuable to not give it away?

I would give my right arm to grow that church.

What do you mean when you say, “Grow the church?” Because if you are looking for growth strategies that capitalize on market demographics and creative sales pitches, I’m probably busy that day you want to talk.

What do you mean when you say, “Grow the church?” Because if you are trying to find ways to impress kids, add some flash to your worship, and pray that they will give enough to pay for the brand new $2.3 million, 2500 seat worship center, I’ve got another appointment to keep.

But if you mean that you are interested in growing disciples into deeply committed Christians, let me invite you to pull up a chair, stop pulling out your hair, give up on pulling up your own bootstraps, and let’s get down to brass tacks.

- Posted on February 7, 2013 by Joey Reed

Pastoral Pride and Leadership

One Lent a few years ago, I publicly confessed to the sin of pride. Someone afterwards told me, "You just said that to get conversation started. You aren't prideful at all." And while I don't color my hair (or beard), drive older cars, and am not very materialistic, I nonetheless have often been guilty of pride. In my case, clergy pride.

A few months ago, something pinched one of my right fingers. Hard. It was my seminary class ring, and it was cracked. It took a lot of soap and tugging to get it off my finger. The jeweler called it a "cracked ring shank," and it is not uncommon among arthritis sufferers like myself whose joints and extremities often swell and contract several times a day.

Getting the ring replaced or fixed is not a big deal; it has a lifetime warranty. And it ought to: it cost a pretty penny when I got it (around $450 in 1990), and it was my birthday/graduation/Christmas present one year from my wife. I stared at it for a long time after I got it off my finger, and realized that I have been rather prideful about my education and ordination. That beautiful ring with my seminary's crest told the world that I had a theological education from a fairly prestigious school. Maybe I was wearing it for the wrong reasons.

So for the time being, my ring is still cracked and at home on my dresser. My diplomas from Tennessee and Emory are framed and in a closet. And while I am not ashamed of my ordination as a deacon and an elder (yes United Methodists, I am that old to have been ordained both), I have to remember that my ordination to ministry began at my baptism. They are gifts from God and the Church. I have NOT arrived - even if I am a district superintendent. God expects me to use these gifts, but He's not impressed.

I've been a district superintendent long enough to realize that the divide between clergy and laity is way too wide - and worse, the divides among clergy are just as wide. United Methodists have 26 types of "conference relationships" - distinctions that mean something to the Board of Pensions, Board of Ordained Ministry, and insurance companies - but mean very little to people in the pews (or, for that matter, those outside the pews). A friend of mine has continually noted that our "tiered" clergy system is nothing short of classist and perpetuates an evil just as bad as racism. Anyone appointed to the work of what elders and deacons traditionally does by the power of the Holy Spirit should be ordained and be given God-given (not institution-given) authority to do their work, regardless of their education. All the implications of itineration, insurance, conference relationship, etc. are matters for the institution to figure out. I'm not slamming the institution - heck, I AM a big part of it - but let's put it in its place.

(Just a historical note: Methodists used to ordain local pastors as "local elders" who did not itinerate and whose ministerial function, just like local pastors, was limited to the parish they were appointed to. And then we quit ordaining folks who weren't full connection. And then we started consecrating communion elements over the phone. And then we licensed local pastors to have local sacramental authority. And yes... we are stupid, inconsistent, and guilty of clericalism on this issue).

Those of us clergy who are "full connection" members aren't better than others because of our status; quite the contrary, we are supposed to be mentoring, leading, and guiding those pastors who for various reasons are not "full connection." To those who have been given much, much is required!

We also have to realize that, practically and ecclesially, local pastors and supply pastors are the elder-in-practice for their local church and parish. Our benefit of seminary education is a tool, but not an end-all. It is certainly no indicator of effectiveness or qualification - if it were, the UMC would be bursting at the seams instead of in decline.

Leadership has to be shared. Leadership has to be encultured. Laity are called no less than clergy toward ministry in the Church, and indeed may do it even better than clergy. A very wise pastor once told me that being the pastor and spiritual leader of a church meant that sometimes, a lot of education and leadership is needed at a church and one has to be proactive in guiding a church toward vitality. At other times, a church might have very gifted leaders and spiritual depth among its laity, and you have to be secure and big enough to get out of their way. Both require maturity, humility, and spiritual discernment to know the difference. We clergy, too often, sometimes think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think.

Our district recently had our first "Generative Leadership Academy." Around 160 laity and clergy met to begin to talk about and dig into what it means to be a leader and how to "reproduce" leadership and discipleship in our churches and communities. We have begun the work to see that God is asking lay and clergy to partner together in leadership. That's the direction we need to be headed.

Our theology of ordination can be rather fuzzy, and our understanding of clerical function can be fuzzier still. But our theology of baptism is extremely clear: every baptized Christian is a minister, an ambassador of Jesus Christ, doing priestly work in His name. Being baptized is being set apart from the world to be disciples, and make disciples, of Jesus Christ. For this season, especially for us ordained clergy, that may need to be our emphasis instead of our ordination and educational credentials. They are tools for ministry, but not the end all. "Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." (James 5:16)

More to come where baptism, church membership, and making disciples are concerned. Today, I confess clergy pride - and God forgive me for such.

Pax,
Sky+

Missional Strategy and Mindset

In an earlier blog (click here) I wrote about the changing role of District Superintendent in United Methodism. It is certainly requiring all of us cabinet members to adapt and adjust from the "old ways" of superintending.

But in a larger picture, whether intended or not, it is preparing all of us for a major shift change in how we "do" church. As I learned from Gil Rendle last week, we church folks are in the midst of a shift that goes beyond even the most radical ideas we had in earlier times. Simply put: the organized church in America is no longer an established entity anymore. People aren't just going to come to church because it's what good people do - "good people" can and do get along without a church home. The world got bigger overnight, the word "community" got redefined overnight, and the institutional church didn't adapt. While the church is driving a 1957 Chevy, the world is driving a 2013 Honda Accord. The '57 Chevy is certainly cool-looking, nostalgic, and if you're a car enthusiast like me it's AWESOME. But if you're going on a long journey, would you rather drive it or the Honda Accord?

I think that's where we're at, Church.

I have no illusions that what is ahead is an easy task. In order to transform the church and our past way of thinking means a HUGE shift in just about everything we do. The transforming power of Jesus Christ and His message to us hasn't changed, but we have no adapted to the tools and methods of evangelism we need for today. The mission field changed. Our cultural mores and milieu have changed. There is as much community found on Facebook and other virtual gatherings than in person. We are a multi-ethnic and far less homogeneous culture than ever before. If we don't embrace change - DEEP change - we will slowly fade into an esoteric society.

It has to start with us: laity and clergy alike - the baptized. We have to live out the fact that God has claimed us and called us to be disciples. We have to quit teaching and preaching the means of grace, the simple rules left to us by church fathers and mothers, the tried and true disciplines of prayer and fasting - and start DOING them. Bishops and cabinets will have to be less tied to "salary sheets" and tenure when making pastoral appointments and see ALL appointments as MISSIONAL - putting gifts and abilities above tenure. As Gil Rendle has warned us, our "clients" are no longer churches and pastors - the MISSION FIELD is our client. If we're truly going to be missional, our clergy can no longer expect to be served by our congregations and our laity can no longer expect their clergy to simply keep them happy. Indeed, if clergy and laity are to lead together, both will find that we will be meddling in each others' lives and the lives of others. Being disciples means living a higher standard and expecting greater things. It also means that we adopt the shift toward making disciples rather than making "members." Membership in the Church doesn't have its privileges; it has responsibilities.

EVERYTHING we do must be geared toward mission, and should be - not just for institutional survival and relevance, but to fulfill our Great Commission, which is missional and not institutional: Make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. The institution is a TOOL, but it's not the end-all.

It means some really rough and tough work is ahead. We are going to have to ask some churches if they aren't willing to be missional outposts who cultivate and make disciples, what then is your role? We are going to have to ask some clergy if they aren't willing to be missionaries and spiritual leaders, what then is your calling? Both are going to have to sort out the difference between purpose and preference. The institution is going to have to wrestle with trust and regain it by living with integrity and purpose while doing so in the midst of tough and radical shifts in purpose, functioning, and action. I know as a district superintendent/chief missional strategist, I have to lead and be faithful and not count the costs. So much for the thought of being a D.S. means "I have arrived..." I feel like Elisha; part of me honored to have the mantle placed upon me. However, the other part of me says, "That's it?!?! Just an old blanket?!?!? What the...."

Bishop Will Willimon says that there is no better job in the world than to be an elder in the United Methodist Church. I'd go further: there is no better job in the world than being a disciple of Jesus Christ. By our baptism, we are ordained for ministry in this world, given all the gifts we need by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Can we let go of what was to be what God wants us to be - not for ourselves, but for others? Can we give up what we used to think of as sacred and holy to go out into the mission field to do what is essential and faithful? We can only if we believe that Jesus Christ is our source of hope, and instead of panic we embrace maturity, non-anxiety, and calm. What we are about to embark on will be disruptive - transforming churches and congregations is the most difficult thing we will ever do, and embracing the mindset that we do not exist for our members but for the world is going to be a hard task indeed. But we can no longer remain cloistered, huddled together out of fear of change. If we want to have a faithful presence in the world, and indeed dare to transform it, worship on Sunday morning just won't get it.

If we'll think about it being about relationships instead of membership - I think that will get us on the right path.

We can do this, Church.

Pax,
Sky+

Citizenship, Politics, and Christianity - A Repeat

(Note - my writing muse of late has been nonexistent - so has my memory, and I had forgotten I wrote this a couple of years ago. Enjoy... or critique).

My fellow blogger and U.M. pastor Allen Bevere writes some great blogs. I want to highlight one he wrote at the end of 2009. Here is an excerpt:

Small town journalism is among the best reporting in the country, unlike the national media which continues to be a disgrace. Most journalists in the mainstream media think the square root of pi is coconut cream.

Local politicians are usually better behaved than national ones, probably because they are more accountable to their constituencies (there are, of course, exceptions to this).

Nowhere is the lack of serious and deep thinking more present than in Washington DC.

I do not understand why liberals say they are progressive. There is nothing progressive about wanting more government control over individual lives. There is nothing progressive about believing that government is the answer to most things. FDR believed that and enacted the era of big government. Today's liberals are not forward-looking, but rather nostalgic for earlier times. If 1935 ever returns the Democratic Party is ready.

By the same token, what is so conservative about Republicans? They are big spenders and have become foreign policy activists. There is nothing conservative in that philosophy. And it also appears that they have run out of ideas with no one standing out to lead the party. So much of late that comes out of Republican mouths is embarrassing. When 2012 arrives, the Republican Party will not be ready.

There were those in 2009 talking about the coming evangelical collapse. I disagree. Evangelicalism will not collapse, but it is in the process of being reformed. That is a good thing.

Theological liberalism is in large part repetitive and uninteresting.

Theological fundamentalism is in large part repetitive and uninteresting.

Fundamentalism and liberalism are simply two sides of the same coin.

-from Allen Bevere's, "Brief and Random Thoughts at the End of 2009," 30-Dec-09

Ever since I read Allen's above post, it has provoked a myriad of thoughts. One is that I fear our country will embrace rugged individualism to the point where, "I can do whatever I want," and everyone else be damned. Before you think that's far fetched, consider American Christianity, where you can pretty much believe whatever you
damned darned well please.

I really have to do some soul searching occasionally and remember where my allegiances are, and to know that being a good citizen does not negate being a good Christian... and vice versa. I was officiating at a basketball game a few weeks ago at a private high school, and we began with a prayer followed by the singing of the national anthem. Those are really not incompatible things - prayer is our communication with God, and the national anthem is our respect and love for the country in which we live. The test comes in what we do with what God communicates to us, and how we live our out love for our country.

If Christianity is experiencing loss of it's spiritual depth in America, I fear that patriotism is equally experiencing loss. Our continued fervor for partisan politics above a politic/policy for the common good is killing America (at least, the America that was founded many years ago). And no - I am not talking about health care. I am talking about politic. Πολιτικά. The affairs of the state. To be honest, I'm tired of what is passing for politics today. My language is atrocious enough without saying what I think today's politics resembles, so I'll stick to a safer and more polite term: self-gratification. We're all about ourselves.

Ultimately, if we are a country that (at least claims to be) Christian, we believe this: God has the last word in all things. We ARE our brother's and sister's keeper. Jesus redeems all things, and that includes justice, peace, and eternal life. It doesn't mean we have to be pacifists, but it certainly means we should at least have the goal of beating swords into plowshares. It doesn't mean we have to adopt Marxist socialistic ways about health care (which don't work anyway), but it doesn't mean we can avoid dealing with those less fortunate than ourselves, either. It doesn't mean that it's wrong to make money - as long as we remember the Source from whom all things come, and that to those who have much given, much is expected. The bottom line: do we trust God? If we don't, we will have a hard time living out the politics of being Christian.

"I Vow to Thee My Country" is a British hymn - and some critics say that it shouldn't even qualify as a hymn - but I think the words are poignant and can fit America as well as Britain. The words are below:

I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,
Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love;
The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,
That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.

And there's another country, I've heard of long ago,
Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
We may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
And her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace.

- Words: Sir Cecil Spring-Rice, 1908

Music: Gustav Holst, 1921

If we're American, and we're Christian, we should have no trouble singing either verse. The politics of Jesus and the costs of discipleship require our vow and and our sacrifice. But we do so as a community of faith, not individuals. Love doesn't insist on it's way, but insists on the truth.

Pax,
Sky+

No One to Imitate – We Have to Trust Each Other

Make no mistake about it – I miss officiating basketball. I miss being on the court, I miss having the best seat in the house to watch a game, I miss watching the strategy and ingenuity of coaches in smaller schools getting the most out of the players from their very shallow talent pool. Kentucky remains “open division” – and the smallest high schools often have to play the largest ones. I still keep up with the latest in basketball, and a friend directed me to this article today. 

What does John Calipari have to say that’s relevant to United Methodist ministry? Plenty in this season. D.S.’s are no longer managers, but extensions of the episcopal office and (as of January 1) the chief missional strategist for the district they are appointed to. So to adapt Calipari’s article, we are a denomination that, in many ways, has to adapt to a new way of doing ministry – what we have been doing isn’t working. As such, we don’t have anyone to imitate or mimic anymore, no upperclassmen to show us the ropes – we have to become the very best version of ourselves, and then - in true Methodist form - become a covenant community in which we just don’t tolerate each other, but we NEED each other.

My role is to help us get there – and I do so knowing that I am going to be struggling in some areas, but also see the writing on the wall: the facts about our wonderful denomination do not lie, and we need to be proactive and adaptive NOW to be effective at doing Kingdom work. So with apologies to Coach Cal, here’s how I see my role:

1.     Instead of beginning with pastors to build around, we have to start by quickly evaluating what each pastor and church needs, their skill set and how you have to deal with them as individuals. Every one of these pastors and churches needs me in different ways.

2.     I will have to convince them how hard they have to work consistently. That means task to task, day to day, week to week – not when they feel like it.

3.    I must get through to the pastors and churches that my job as superintendent and missional strategist is to care about each one of them and love them. Their job is to care about each other and love each other.

It’s more than just challenging churches and pastors – it’s about our spiritual health and evangelical effectiveness. If we are to be the ones who make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, we have to start adapting and conditioning ourselves to do so. I’m convinced that there is nothing wrong with doing so in a Methodist ethos. But how that looks in the 21^st century has to be different than what we did in the 20^th… because it didn’t work.

Results won’t happen overnight – it’s going to take time. But it will never start until we are willing to submit to it. Isn’t the Kingdom worth it?

Pax,

Sky+