rethink: Grace

In light of a new perspective on sin can we only begin to understand how incredible the grace of God truly is. If grace has been some sort of “get out of jail free” card that has allowed you to do whatever you want because you know that God’s grace is always available, then you need to rethink:grace.

Grace is free but it is certainly not cheap. Paul says in his first letter to the Corinthians that we have been “bought with a price.” A price that is beyond anything you or I could ever afford on our own; the very blood, sweat and tears of God’s very own Son. If the things that Jesus endured on the cross in order for you and I to experience grace seems cheap, then I would suggest that we need to rethink:grace.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, when talking about grace being costly said,

Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it costs God the life of His Son: "ye were bought at a price," and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us.

Maybe you and I need to begin to rethink:grace in order to better understand its weight. When we stop for a second to rethink the grace we have been shown, despite all that we have done, we begin to see how much of a difference this can make if we are willing to rethink:church.

rethink: Sin

I gave a sermon on 8/9 entitled "rethink:" and suggested four topics (sin, grace, church and evangelism) that we may need to spend some time thinking about again or in an entirely different way. Over the next few weeks I am going to blog about some of those different topics that might need some rethinking, some of which I spoke about this morning and others that I didn't get a chance to touch on. Feel free to join in on the conversation at any time.

If sin is something that doesn't disgust us, then it may be time to rethink it. We can read throughout Scripture how much God detests sin, how it disgusts Him and how He wants nothing to do with it. When we think about sin like this, we realize that it so much more than this little thing we do or don’t do.

We often think about sin in terms of good vs. bad or right vs. wrong. I think this can lead us to think that anything that is good can’t be sin. So, who decides what is good or not? If we’re honest, it usually ends up being you and I who decide when it comes to those day in-day out, everyday decisions, right? So that means that anything that I think seems good or feels good is obviously not sin.

We need to rethink:sin as anything or anyone that comes in between us and our relationship with God. If our spouses, significant others, careers, hobbies, etc. come between us and God, they are becoming sin. Even things that are good, like loving my wife, can become sin if my love for her trumps my love for God. The Church, when seeking after Jesus is a good thing but if we make the seeking after Jesus part more important than Jesus Himself…I think we might be sinning.

When we stop for a second to rethink:sin we begin to see it as this thing God detests and that we are all guilty of we realize we may need to take a little time to rethink:grace.

New Layout

I've got to ask, are you feelin' it or no?? Do you like the new layout of A Journeyman's Catalog? Let me know what you like/don't like or anything you might like to see here. I would certainly appreciate hearing any thoughts you might want to share.

Disorganized Religion?

Maybe it's just arguing semantics but I'm not really sure I understand what people mean when they say they don't like organized religion. Are they actually saying they don't like traditional styles of worship? Mainline denominations? Customs and rituals that can also be known as liturgy? Or the politics that are found within the church framework? Is organized religion seen as a religious or spiritual version of 'The Man' that is holding their spirits down?

It might just be the way my mind works but when someone tells me s/he doesn't like organized religion then I can't help but wonder if that means s/he would rather be involved with a sort of disorganized or unorganized religion, a sort of spiritual chaos where anything goes. This seems more like an attempt to justify doing or believing whatever one wants by freeing one's self from any sort of expectations or accountability. The organization of thoughts and beliefs is going to take place, it becomes an issue of who is going to do the organizing. Will it be at the sole discretion of the individual or a collaboration of church fathers that have gone before with those of us who find ourselves inside the church structure today?

Don't get me wrong, I know mainline organized religion is not perfect (I work for a church), however I do think there is freedom to explore what faith can look like to and for an individual inside this structured framework. Without any sort of framework it can become really easy to find ourselves missing the picture all together.

The Dead Weather

So I took another listen to Jack White's most recent project entitled "Horehound" from the band The Dead Weather which is made up of Alison Mossheart on vocals from the Kills, Dean Fertita on guitar from Queens of the Stone Age, Jack Lawrence on bass from The Raconteurs and Jack White on drums.

On my initial listen I was not a fan and after subsequent listens I am still not really a fan. The sound is somewhat unique but I think what makes it that way is that it should have come out 25yrs ago. "Horehound" has a dark, bluesy kind of rock sound that reminds me too much of the 80's, especially with Mossheart's vocals. I have no doubt she has a voice that can rock it out but it never seems like she really has the chance on this album to let it go. And while I am jealous at the freedom Jack White has to pretty much do whatever he wants musically and bring together an extremely talented group so he could play drums, I would rather have heard him on lead vocals. What makes Jack unique from other current artists is his voice and his lyrical way of telling stories, not unlike a number of his tracks with The White Stripes and The Raconteurs. I am really hoping that The Dead Weather does not become his lead project and result in the previous two bands being neglected, especially The Raconteurs (I was surprised at how much I like them).

I would not recommend buying this album but if you find yourself being a die-hard Jack White fan, at least give it a listen first. Despite that, I really liked the guitar on the song "New Pony" and would say that "I Cut Like A Buffalo" and "So Far From Your Weapon" were my two favorite songs on the album.

On Health Care

This is not my attempt to explain the health care situation in our country because honestly I have not taken the time I need to understand what is going on. What I do know is that it doesn't seem to be working that well as is and that there are a lot of people that don't have health insurance or access to health care due to its cost. Of course there are as many opinions about this issue as there are potential solutions to the problems and like other major issues, politics play a part as well.

I heard on the news today that the federal deficit is growing as a result of a number of issues, one of them being rising costs of health care. The report went on to say that the federal government was not ruling out the possibility of raising taxes on the middle class in order to help cover the gap in the federal budget.

To be honest, I have no problem paying more of my hard-earned money in taxes if it will help provide health care for an individual or family who otherwise would not have access. I am blessed enough to have access to health care and it seems like if I can help someone get the care s/he needs then that is what Christ would expect me to do. I'm not sure I know which political party has the right answer to the health care question but I am pretty sure that regardless of your political affiliation, if you consider yourself a follower of Jesus you are called to serve all, even the "least of these".

The Tech Mask

Technology is great, I really enjoy it and embrace it. One of my few vices is having the latest gadget or gizmo. There has been a ton of buzz over the past few months about all of the social networking sites and technology that has become extremely popular...ala MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn and more recently Twitter. And of course there are a variety of ways you can access these social networks from your pc to your phone not to mention all of the different applications that can help you manage your profiles on each of these sites, some even allowing you to update multiple social networks at once. I enjoy all of these though in the last 2 months or so Twitter has become my new favorite passing Facebook. I haven't used MySpace for some time now and I'm still getting use to LinkedIn but I digress.

One of the things I have noticed recently with the combination of advancing technology and the rapid growth of online social networks is the ability they give to individuals to become self-proclaimed "experts". Now, I'm not saying these aren't actually experts, just that I've noticed everyone is an expert of something now. Technology is allowing us to determine our own field of expertise with one of, if not the main credential being the number of followers, friends or connections one has.

If we're not careful we can find ourselves wearing a mask or masks that technology makes possible for us to wear that will eventually fall off because it's not who we are. I'm guilty of this myself as a matter of fact, in my last post even. Technology has allowed me to be a movie critic, or at least wear the mask of one.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

I had a chance to see the latest Harry Potter movie earlier this week and while I'm guessing pretty much all of you have seen it already, I'm going to give a review of it anyways. Before I do that, it is important for you to know that I have not been following the Harry Potter series. I have not read any of the books and am not really sure if I have seen all of the movies or not. They kind of all run together for me, just like the one I saw on Monday has already done with all the other ones.

Overall I thought it was a well-made movie. For being 153mins long it did a nice job of not making me think it was 153mins long. It seemed a lot like the other HP movies I have seen with some magic stuff going on, well done computer graphics, and a lot of character/story development. I was a little disappointed by the lack of "action" in the movie and it was really a combination of this and the rather weak ending that made this movie feel like an "in-between" movie, almost as if it was simply filling space in the series. Don't forget that this is coming from a guy who knows very little about the Harry Potter series, so from that perspective, this was not really a movie that could stand on its own, unlike some of the other movies in the series. I give it a B.

Quality Over Style?

My class this week has caused me to think a lot about different aspects of worship; everything from the types of digital projectors we use to the images in our slide shows to the type of music we use in worship. All of this has made me wonder if before the 31 flavors of worship, people value quality above variety.

I know we each have our opinions of the style of worship we appreciate most but I would venture to guess that we would settle for a different style if it is done well, especially if the style we prefer is not done with the highest quality. Would you rather attend a well done X style of service as opposed to your preferred Y style done mediocre at best?

More and more people are saying that 20's & 30's are starting to prefer more traditional styles of worship, while I won't necessarily disagree with that (though I am 30 and would prefer a well done contemporary service) I'm wondering if we are seeing this apparent trend because traditional style services are "easier" to do well. Please don't be offended by that statement, what I mean by this is simply that traditional style services are much more scripted with the use of liturgy, hymns, choirs, etc. Contemporary style services tend to be much looser and more dependent upon the musicians and worship leaders in order to execute well. Am I making any sense? Seriously, tell me.

I guess the point I'm wondering if I am getting to is that people tend to attend worship services that are done well, almost regardless of their style preference. While I prefer a contemporary style of worship, there is no question in my mind that I would attend a high quality traditional service with a dynamic speaker over a mediocre contemporary service with the same speaker. I think my desire for quality trumps my preference of style.

What do you think? Am I way off base?

"Wesleyan Osmosis" Movie

So the class that I am taking this week is called Technology in Ministry with Dr. Boyd. One of our assignments was to storyboard, shoot, edit and produce a group movie project in less than a day's time. Here's what we came up with...

Use Me God: Finding Your Spiritual Gifts Week 7

Here we are at the 2nd to last week(7/26) of our study entitled "Use Me God: Finding Your Spiritual Gifts". I hope you have found it interesting and helpful over these past few weeks. This past Sunday (7/19) we took a Spiritual Gifts Survey in class and had some good discussion around the various gifts the survey said we did and didn't have. I have plenty of copies of the survey if you would like to take it and didn't get a chance, just let me know (matt@castletonumc.org).

Here are some things to be looking at and thinking about over the next couple days in preparation for our class on Sunday (7/26).

Matthew 7:21-23
1. Would you call these people fruitful based on their activities?
2. What are these people missing?
3. Is it possible that you are doing stuff for God but aren't connected to Him?

John 15:1-8
1. What does it look like for you to "abide in Christ"?
2. Are you?
3. What does the pruning Jesus mentions in vs. 2 look like in your life?

Psalm 1:1-3
1. How often do you "delight" in God's Word?
2. Are you using this as a way to abide in Christ?

Some things to think about...
Over the past month, have you grown or declined in:
1. Love toward God and others
2. Joy regardless of the situation
3. Peace with your set of gifts and where you use them
4. Patience in the face of frustrations
5. Kindness in affirming and encouraging others
6. Generosity in willing to go the extra mile
7. Faithfulness in doing what you said you would do
8. Gentleness in listening to others
9. Self-control in being a team player

As always, feel free to share your thoughts and questions.

*this study has been adapted from the book Gifts: the joy of serving God by John Ortberg, Laurie Pederson & Judson Poling*

Secular Music in Worship

I find myself down in Wilmore, KY for another class at ATS during the second summer session. This week my class is Technology in Ministry and looks to involve video editing, digital photography, photo editing and powerpoint work. Those are the practical aspects of the class, the philosophical aspect of the class involves a discussion around the effective use of technology in a worship service setting. It looks like we will be wrestling with questions of when, where and how things like video clips, music and slides can help create an atmosphere of worship.

The very first example Dr. Boyd used in class this morning was a slide show using the lyrics of a Paul Simon song entitled "Slip Slidin' Away". Of course I know who Paul Simon is and actually I like his stuff but I must admit that I had never heard this song before this morning but that is beside the point. I found it interesting that he chose to use a "secular" song as his first example for us, which played right into something I have been thinking about for a while now...should secular songs be used in worship services?

If you don't know this about me, you should know that I like music a lot. To the point that it becomes annoying for some people around me because I have music playing almost constantly. I am also a self-proclaimed music critic which has led me to avoid the majority of "contemporary Christian" music. I tend to think it's just not very good. Having said all of that, I believe that God can and does use "secular" and "Christian" music to connect with people in one way or another but am still working through the use of "secular" music in a worship service setting. I'm not saying I'm for or against it just yet, just that it seems like surely there has to be enough decent "Christian" music out there to use instead.

I guess I'm not sure that when unchurched visitors join us in our worship services and hear songs from Hootie & The Blowfish, The Beatles or Three Dog Night they leave thinking they experienced the presence of God, just attended church and/or plan on coming back. Sometimes it is easy for me to make a connection between a particular "secular" song and God but that's coming from someone who has an established relationship with Jesus, what about the person who is unfamiliar with church, God or His Son?

I'm not convinced either way at this point but would certainly love to hear what you think.

Hurry Up and Wait

Patience is a virtue...blah, blah, blah. I have a hard time waiting. I'm sure some of this has to do with the consumer focused, instant gratification type of society we live in here in the U.S. but I bet some of it has to do with me as well. I tend to be someone that wants things now, almost to the point where today isn't soon enough. I like change, it doesn't bother me and I find it spices things up a bit but I have a hard time waiting for it. Or even when things are hard I would rather face it, deal with it and move on. The thought of waiting around to see how things are going to play out can drive me mad.

This morning I was reading something from Carlo Carretto, who's writings I have just recently discovered, and it made me think about patience in a new way. I think I'm moving toward the conclusion that we were made to have an attitude of patience, of being willing to wait. Carretto says it much better, "We must assume an attitude of waiting, accepting the fact that we are creatures and not Creator. We must do this because it is not our right to do anything else; the initiative is God's, not ours."

I'm not sure I would say this is life changing for me but it might be. So often I am quick to see or make things happen to the point of stressing myself out when it seems like life would be so much more enjoyable if I would simply wait. I am the created, not the Creator and so I have no business worrying about making things happen before their time. I must simply wait and in those times of waiting come to know God.

"Be still, and know that I am God"

Psalm 46:10

Use Me God: Finding Your Spiritual Gifts Week 6

We continue our study on Spiritual Gifts this Sunday (7/12) and will be spending time talking about what it is that motivates you and I to serve God by taking a look at Galatians 3:1-3; Luke 10:38-42; Matthew 23:5-7; and Acts 6:1-4, 7. Take some time over the next couple days to look over these passages and questions in preparation for our time together this weekend.

Galatians 3:1-3
1. What was the issue here?
2. Does your motivation to serve come from a mind-set of grace or performance?

Luke 10:38-42
1. How would you describe the difference between Mary's and Martha's interactions with Jesus?
2. Do you think it is possible to do "Christ-like" things without actually being Christ-like?
3. Is it possible to do too many "good" things?
4. How how easy is it for you to avoid getting lost in the busyness of doing "good" things?

Matthew 23:5-7
1. What is it that is motivating the Pharisees?
2. Is this ever a motivation for you?

Acts 6:1-4, 7
1. What happens when people serve outside their gifts?
2. Why is it that 20% of people do 80% of the work, even if that means they must serve outside their gifts? Or worse, keeps them from serving within their gifts?

For further thought...
-Jesus' ministry lasted not more than 3yrs and yet he needed rest, what does that say to you about your need for rest over a lifetime?
-One a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the best): I am serving in an area that best fits my gifts? I am doing the things I need to do to find rest?

*this study has been adapted from the book Gifts: the joy of serving God by John Ortberg, Laurie Pederson & Judson Poling*

Lifestyle

What kind of lifestyle do you lead? I think this question has the ability to be one that is gut wrenching-ly difficult or one that can be answered somewhat flippantly. My guess is it becomes the former if we take the time to truly examine the kind of life we lead; the things we do, the things we say, the things we value, the way we spend our money, our time, our energy. All of these contribute to the type of lifestyle you and I live on a daily basis.

It seems like, at least to me, the best type of lifestyle to lead is one that focuses on the lives of others first. It really is to everyone's advantage to live a life in this way because it moves the emphasis of my life off of me and on to the needs and concerns of others. What I think this looks like on its most basic level is a lifestyle modeled after that of Jesus. Isn't that really what Christians should be striving for in the first place?

The benefits of a life trying to imitate Jesus are obvious as the things we do, the things we say, the things we value, the way we spend our money, our time, and our energy are all directed by the way Jesus would use those things...for others. It's a win-win for everyone involved: for those whose needs and concerns we are trying to meet and for ourselves because it's in those moments of selfless service that we find true fulfillment and joy.

"Freedom Fries"

A sermon I gave yesterday (7/5/09) at our Sunrise Campus.
*************************************************************
So we are starting a series entitled “All American Ideas” and the best title I could come up with was “Freedom Fries”. It really has little to do with what I want to talk about this morning other than the idea of freedom, and specifically freedom in Christ. When I was told what the series was going to be and knowing that I would be preaching on Independence Day Weekend, "Freedom Fries" was the cheesiest (no pun intended...get it? cheese fries) title I came up with so I decided to go with it. Ok, enough about cheese fries...err, I mean "Freedom Fries"...I want to ask you a couple questions before we jump in:

How many of you need to be in control or feel like you have control? How many of you have ever had a decision made for you or taken from you? How many of you have ever had times when the outcome of a certain situation, circumstance or relationship has been taken out of your control?

If you're like me, you could relate to each one of those questions and often times find that you never really had control in the first place. And the times when you did "have control" you just messed things up, at least that's my story most of the time. Sometimes all of this can lead to a sense of being trapped by fear, doubt or worry. When the worries of this world cage us in, we quickly realize that despite living in the "Land of the Free" we often times don't feel so free.

This is what led me to think about what freedom in Christ can mean and look like for you and I this morning. Now there are probably more things that you could think of that Jesus wants to set us free from or set us free to do but I feel like these four points will give us a good place to start. If you other ideas you want to share of what freedom in Christ looks like, please don't hesitate to let me know. Ok, let's jump in...

1. Jesus wants to set you free from religion.

-Matt. 11:29-30 (^28-30 "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." The Message)
-This is the idea that Paul talks about when he mentions the ‘Law’ in a number of his letters.
-Jesus says that if you and I know Him, we will obey His commands.
-Jesus is setting us free to focus on a relationship with Him and not the rules or regulations.

2. Jesus wants to set you free from the concerns of this world, but not for this world.

-Sometimes we get distracted by the cares of this world and find ourselves held captive to policies, staff directives, finances, bosses and expectations others have for us.
-John 16:33
-John 14:27
-John 17:15-16
-Jesus recognizes this world desperately needs people like you and me who have a relationship with Him to care for it. I think He also wants us to see that the world doesn't need more religion but rather people who are following Him.

3. Jesus wants to set you free to love and serve.

-Gal. 5:13-15 (^{13-15 “}It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows. For everything we know about God's Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That's an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then?” The Message)
-This means we are set free to forgive those who have hurt us and to show mercy to those we’d rather seek revenge on.

4. Jesus wants to set you free from yourself

-Rom. 6:17-18 ( ^{15-18 ”}So, since we're out from under the old tyranny, does that mean we can live any old way we want? Since we're free in the freedom of God, can we do anything that comes to mind? Hardly. You know well enough from your own experience that there are some acts of so-called freedom that destroy freedom. Offer yourselves to sin, for instance, and it's your last free act. But offer yourselves to the ways of God and the freedom never quits. All your lives you've let sin tell you what to do. But thank God you've started listening to a new master, one whose commands set you free to live openly in his freedom!” The Message)
-In the very next chapter of Romans Paul talks about doing the very things he hates doing…even when we think we have control we don’t
-You and I are not in control. If even for a moment we had it, we’ve lost it. We can’t even stop doing the things we know we don’t want to do.
-Jesus said, “I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full.” In order to have life to the fullest, we must allow Christ to set us free from ourselves.

Independence Day

Happy 4th of July! I hope you have the chance to celebrate with family and friends all of the various freedoms that you and I experience on a daily basis and probably take for granted every once in a while. I find it interesting that we say we live in the "Land of the Free" and yet so many of us don't really feel free at all. Sure, no one is telling us how to live our lives but we still can't seem to get free from anxiety caused by things like finances, relationships, jobs, health...and maybe even...guilt, shame or regret.

Tomorrow morning I'm going to be preaching on the freedom that is found in and through Christ. It is a freedom unlike any other you or I might experience. The cages of worry, doubt and fear have been broken by the One who said, "Take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) This is the kind of freedom that makes us free to fully love, fully hope and fully live. Gives a whole new meaning to "Independence Day".

Use Me God: Finding Your Spiritual Gifts Week 5

I apologize for the delay in getting Week 5 of our study posted. This past Sunday (6/28) we spent some time discussing the issues of comparison, envy and pride. Along with these topics we took a look at: Romans 13:13, James 3:13-16, 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 and Luke 18:9-14. I would encourage you to spend some time with these passages and their questions.

Romans 13:13
1. Notice the list of things Paul includes envy (jealousy) in with.
2. What does that tell us about the seriousness of envy?

James 3:13-16
1. Where does James say envy comes from and leads to?
2. Could this explain the dire warnings to avoid envy and pride?

1 Corinthians 12:12-26
1. Sometimes comparison leads us to devalue the gifts of others. So, what is the difference between admiring someone and envying them?
2. How easy is it for you to mourn with those who mourn or rejoice with those who rejoice?

Luke 18:9-14
1. Of the two men in the story, which are you more often like and why?
2. How difficult is it for you to be humble or be humbled by someone else?

Spend some time with these passages over the next week as our class will not be meeting this Sunday (7/5) and look for Week 6 to be posted early next week. Please feel free to jump in on the discussion and conversation here on the blog or you can email me at matt@castletonumc.org. Comments and questions are always welcome.

*this study has been adapted from the book Gifts: the joy of serving God by John Ortberg, Laurie Pederson & Judson Poling*

6 Questions for The United Methodist Church

A large group of young clergy (under 35) have begun a campaign to ask 6 questions of the UMC in order to raise important issues about the next steps of the denomination, provide guidance for the future and shape the denomination (www.umcyoungclergy.com/6qumc, Twitter hash tag #6qumc). These questions are not just to be asked or answered by young clergy but rather is an attempt to generate conversation around the fact that the UMC denomination desperately needs young clergy if it is going to survive.

There is an online forum where you can vote on the questions being asked or even submit your own question to be voted on. A couple of the questions that I have liked so far are:

-In the Pastor of a Local Church section: "Does the gospel you preach naturally lead others to follow Jesus?"

-In the Pastor of a Local Church section: "Do you, as pastor, lead the church or just seek to maintain it?"

-In the District Superintendent section: "When recommending an appointment do you consider the non-ordained staff in the church profile? Why or Why not?"

-In the District Superintendent section: "In what ways are you using technology to communicate and be in community with the pastors in your district?"

-In the Board of Ordained Ministry: "What are we doing to help local churches and district boards better discern whether a candidate has the gifts for ordained ministry within the United Methodist Church before that candidate has made a significant investment of time and treasure?"

So I'm working on a couple questions of my own to ask but I'll let you know how that goes. If you have any questions you want to ask or think I should ask or want to ask me just let me know.

Indiana Annual Conference

So last week I had the opportunity to experience my first annual conference as a clergy member of the United Methodist Church. To be honest, this was the first annual conference I have ever experienced, clergy or otherwise. This also happened to be the very first annual conference of the new Indiana Conference of the UMC. It lasted four days from Thursday morning until concluding on Sunday morning with the Ordination and Sending into Ministry service. Besides being kind of long, the service was pretty cool.

One thing I found interesting was that the demographics were largely the same across the almost 3000 people that were in attendance and I'll just leave it at that...

My favorite part of the four days was listening to Adam Hamilton speak at the three opening sessions. I knew very little about this guy or his church and was expecting him to be a giant dork but he actually seemed to be pretty cool. I think he had some good things to say in regards to leadership, preaching and what is going to happen to the UMC if things don't change. He shared some statistics that provided a much needed slap in the face or hopefully a wake-up call at least. I think I would be safe in saying that a number of churches, denominational and non-denominational, need to take a step back and evaluate how "church" is being done.

While I Was Away...

I know it has been over a week and for those of you who keep coming back expecting something new, my sincerest apologies but rest easy, I'm back. In the past 10 days I:

-Finished up and turned in my 5 essays that were due today for the Church History 1 class I took down at Asbury last week.
-Annual Conference for the Indiana Conference of the United Methodist Church began yesterday on the campus of Ball State Univ. in Muncie, IN. The conference lasts 4 days and involves lots of sitting and bald dudes.
-We continue to work on our house in hopes that some day this summer we might actually be able to paint it.
-The office move is still in progress. This is literally the 5th time I have moved from one office to another while on staff at Castleton.
-Ended up buying a new car. Well, when I say "new" I really mean a 2007. Ended up getting a Saturn VUE...never saw that one coming.

I know you don't really care about all of that but you might care about some of the things that have happened over the past week or so. A couple thoughts I had on some of those things in no particular order...

1. Gov. Sanford...really?!? You're not serious? You have got to be kidding me, this continues to be absolutely ridiculous. I had just posted a blog talking about this very issue of horrible "leaders" in regards to a fellow politician of yours. At what point are leaders going to learn from the mistakes of other "leaders" and actually step up to the plate and lead? Quit causing people to be suspicious and untrusting of those of us who are attempting to legit leaders.

2. Piggybacking off of that one, I wish people would STOP CHEATING! Seriously, stop cheating on your spouse, your family, your faith, yourself. Stop cheating at work, at school, in church, at home, online, wherever. JUST STOP IT!! Take a minute to stop and realize that regardless of how good cheating might make you feel or how sneaky you think you are it will only leave you empty. When we cheat, we make it all about you and me and eventually that will really suck. We will never find true fulfillment or satisfaction in ourselves and until we realize that, the empty feeling we feel after endulging ourselves will become all too familiar.

3. RIP Michael Jackson. Talk about random, on my levels than one. I was sad to hear that he passed away, despite the fact that his personal life got a little strange. I'm not going to lie, I've been jamming to some of his classics as a sort of tribute. A couple of my favorites of his are: Billie Jean, Wanna Be Startin' Somethin', The Way You Make Me Feel and of course Thriller. Whether you liked his music or not you can't deny the boy could sing back in the day of the Jackson 5. Now that is some classic Motown.

4. RIP Farrah Fawcett. Bummer that she passed away. I know little to nothing about her or her career other than she was on Charlie's Angels. I will say that I feel bad that her death was completely overshadowed by that of MJ's.

That's about all for now. If I missed something over the past week let me know. It's good to be back.

Another One Bites the Dust

I am sick of hearing about "leaders" that keep getting caught in extramarital affairs. Seriously, it's gotten to the point where it is just ridiculous. Regardless of political affiliation or profession, these individuals who find themselves in positions of leadership, prominence and popularity and proceed to make choices that disgrace, hurt and deceive the people they love and lead is shameful. We read of another example of this, a GOP Senator from Nevada admitted to having an extramarital affair with one of his staff members (who also happened to be married) for a number of months while she worked for him. Mr. Ensign is certainly not the first on this long list of "leaders" who have failed to actually lead.

Now, I may be coming across as harsh but to be honest, I am intending to be and here's why:

1. As someone who is studying leadership at the graduate level and is attempting to be an effective leader to those I lead...I am frustrated at how little respect these "leaders" have for the positions of leadership they find themselves in. The more I study leadership I realize it has more to do with the people being lead than the one doing the leading. In my opinion, the self-centeredness of these individuals excludes them as true leaders.

2. I completely understand that no one is perfect or without sin. I understand that we all face a variety of temptations on a daily basis, some of which we cave to. I also understand that a leader is called to higher expectations, that's what makes him or her a leader. If leaders lived and worked without these higher expectations than what would make them leaders? One of the reasons that you and I are willing to follow people who lead is because we expect more from them. I want to follow someone who is trying to do it better than me, not worse or really even the same. When you and I decide to take positions of leadership, we must understand that we are agreeing to live and work with a set of expectations that are higher than those we lead. That is part of the responsibility of being an effective leader.

3. I'm not naive enough to think that extramarital affairs don't happen everyday in this country. Sure, it might not be a new one that starts but I can guarantee there are plenty that keep going. That is NOT COOL! Regardless of whether you are in a position of leadership, prominence or popularity it is flat out wrong. What comes up HUGE in situations like that is the grace and forgiveness that is available through Jesus Christ, for both the leader and non-leader. However, in my humble opinion, when a "leader" decides to be involved in an extramarital affair they effectively stop leading. They have forfeited the privilege and responsibility of leading others. Grace and forgiveness through Jesus Christ is equally available to them as well and I also believe that we as followers of Jesus are commanded to forgive them BUT that does not mean they should be allowed to continue in their position of "leadership". I have to forgive as Jesus forgives but I don't have to let you lead, possibly ever again.

My last point, I promise...
4. As I've read a little about this recent fallen "leader" and saw something about that Jon dude from the TV show Jon & Kate + 8 I came across this article by Wendy Atterberry entitled "Is cheating ever deserved?" and just had to comment. As someone who sits down with couples in the pre-marital process, I can't even fathom coming to the conclusion that our friend Ms. Atterberry does when she says, "Cheating isn't right, but neither is emotional abuse and neglect. The bottom line is: If you push someone enough, it shouldn't be any surprise when you push him into the arms of someone else." I'm sorry Ms. Atterberry but are you serious?!? Cheating is never, ever deserved, along with any kind of abuse or neglect so why then provide this kind of 'out' for people? The rationale of, "Well, you have been neglecting me so I guess I am going to have to fill my needs with someone else." is not only lame but a cop-out and garbage! I tell couples there is this crazy thing called communication that can really make a difference in their relationship if they are willing to try it with each other. Why would you have not suggested that as an option prior to or instead of cheating? Well, at least the commenters of your article thought of it...

Use Me God: Finding Your Spiritual Gifts Week 4

Our study during Week 4 brings us to focus on three figures in Scripture who, despite their weaknesses, are used by God. We will spend some time looking at Moses in Exodus 3:1-4:17, King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:1-30, and Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. As you spend some time with these passages consider the following...

Moses
1. Notice the concerns Moses raises with God. Do you relate with any of them? Why?
2. When it comes to your own servanthood, what are you doing that you couldn't do without the power of the Holy Spirit?
3. How easy is it for you to "play it safe"?
4. What is holding you back from boldly following the leading of the Holy Spirit in your life?

King Jehoshaphat
1. How did you feel about Jehoshaphat honesty concerning his fears?
2. How honest are you when it comes to dealing with your fears in serving others?
3. What encourages you from this story?

Paul
1. How would you explain this seeming contradiction?
2. What does this look like in your life?

Question to ponder:
How has God allowing you to deal with your weaknesses and fears impacted your faith journey?

Use Me God: Finding Your Spiritual Gifts Week 3

This past Sunday (6/14) was Week 3 of our ongoing study around the topic of spiritual gifts. Much of our discussion in class focused on how we might define a 'spiritual gift' while also listing the gifts listed in a few passages of Scripture (which you can checkout here). Bill Hybels describes spiritual gifts as, "...divine enablements -- special God-given abilities -- that he entrusts to each of his people in order to involve them in the task of advancing his purposes. Simply put, God has made you a specialist in some area of ministry."

Some thoughts from our discussion:
How would you describe a 'spiritual gift'?
-it comes easily or is easy to do for an individual
-it is a part of who you are
-it is for God's purposes
-it is the part of you that reflects Christ

What comes to mind when you hear the word priest (1 Peter 2:9-10)?
-leadership
-out of reach, select, special, separation
-exclusiveness
-connection to God
-dedicated life

From the passages we spent time studying and talking about we came up with this list of gifts mentioned and instructions given:

Gifts: serving // teaching // encouraging // prophesying (here Paul is speaking in regards to the ability to speak prophetically about upcoming events) // generosity // leadership // serving // showing mercy // evangelism // administration // healing // wisdom // knowledge // miracles // speaking in tongues // interpreting tongues // distinguishing between spirits // faith

Instructions: use them to serve God and others // God supplies the power // everyone has at least one spiritual gift // each of us are unique in the combination of spiritual gifts we have // we must be patient // we must be unified // we must use them cheerfully // we have a common purpose

Take some time to go through this list of Spiritual Gifts (this list is not exhaustive) and make a note about the ones you know you have and the ones you think you might have. Feel free to ask questions or leave a comment to generate discussion. Here are a couple things to think about when considering your spiritual gifts...

1. Have there been times while serving God that felt like you were using the gift(s) He had given you exactly as they needed to be used?
2. It is possible to overlook a gift you may have or to think you have a gift you don't. One of the best ways to help figure this out is by listening to the feedback of others. Another way is by putting those gifts to practice to see how it goes. Would a trial-and-error approach to ministry be beneficial for you?

*this study has been adapted from the book Gifts: the joy of serving God by John Ortberg, Laurie Pederson & Judson Poling*

Spiritual Gifts List

This is not an exhaustive list of the Spiritual Gifts but instead will serve as a place to start in order to get an idea of the gift(s) God has given each of us to further His kingdom.

____Administration: You have the gift of understanding clearly the immediate and long-range goals of a committee, working group, or the church as a whole. You are also able to create and carry out effective plans to accomplish these goals.

____Arts and Crafts: You have the gift of using your hands, imagination and mind in the area of construction, maintenance and upkeep for the benefit and beautification of the Kingdom of God.

____Building & Maintenance: You have the gift of using your hands, imagination, and mind in the areas of construction, maintenance, and upkeep for the benefit and beautification of the Kingdom of God.

____Proclaiming the Faith: You have the gift of sharing the Good News with others in such a way that these people want to become disciplined Christians.

____Exhortation: You have the gift of providing words of comfort, consolation, encouragement and counsel to others.

____Faith: You have the gift of seeing with certain and special confidence what work God wants a person, a committee, a working group or the church as a whole to undertake. You are also able to move forward with the belief that anything is possible through God.

____Giving: You have the gift of contributing your material resources to the work of the Lord with great joy, eagerness and generosity.

____Helps: You have the gift of doing those small, but important behind-the-scenes activities, which are essential to the success of the work of the church.

____Hospitality: You have the gift of providing a warm welcome to others with food, lodging, or personal attention.

____Intercession: You have the gift of having a disciplined prayer life, which sees frequent and specific answers to your prayers.

____Knowledge: You have been blessed with the gift of discovering, accumulating, analyzing, and clarifying information and ideas.

____Leadership: You have the gift of getting people to work together to accomplish worthwhile goals.

____Mercy: You have the gift of showing compassion for those who suffer distressing physical, psychological, or financial problems.

____Music-Vocal: You have the gift of using your voice in the singing of praises and joy to the Lord.

____Music-Instrumental: You have the gift of playing a musical instrument in praise of God.

____Serving: You have the gift of identifying the unmet needs of people and doing something to meet those needs.

____Shepherding: You have the gift of being responsible for the spiritual well-being of an individual or a small group of people.

____Teaching: You have the gift of helping children or adults grow spiritually.

____Wisdom: You have the gift of having insight into and understanding of life situations. You also know what to do about them and how to do it.

____Writing: You have the gift of putting your thoughts or feelings into words in such a way that people receive courage, guidance, knowledge, or inspiration.

*adapted from Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow by C. Peter Wagner

Church History I

I find myself again at the beginning of a summer of classes. For those of you that a) don't know b) don't remember or c) don't care I am and have been (for half of my life it seems like) working on my Masters of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, KY. I will be taking a total of 3 week-long intensive classes this summer, one in June, July (Technology in Ministry) and August (Church History II) with my first one starting today. I have finished my first day of Church History I and have to admit that I kind of like it up to this point. I think the combination of what seems like a good professor and my overall nerdiness makes liking a class about church history a possibility for me. So if you see me blogging or tweeting about random church history facts, you know why.

Anyways, as I was sitting in class today diligently taking notes I found myself thinking about something our prof said, "we are writing church history." This statement blew me away and humbled me all at once. The thought that what we are doing and not doing right now in the life of the Church is making history is kind of scary as well as exciting. I couldn't help but think how sweet it could be to be involved in some sort of great new chapter in the life and history of the Christian Church. What a huge responsibility and privilage. Thankfully we're not left to do this on our own, the Holy Spirit has been actively involved in the story of the Church throughout the centuries and I have no reason to think that is going to stop any time soon. Good thing because if it were left up to us, I have no doubt we would find a way to destroy it pretty quick.

"It'll All Work Out"

This has been my catch line for about as long as I can remember. I honestly believe that things will work out and the only thing I can attribute this to is the impact Christ has had on my life. I know, you read that and might say to yourself things like "How cheesy!", "That's way too Christian for me.", or "That sounds nice but is just not practical for my life or situation.". I can completely understand why you might have those thoughts because every once-in-awhile I have them too but when it comes down to it, I really do believe that things will work out.

Now, when I say "work out" I seldom know what that means or looks like exactly but trust that Christ does. It is that fact that helps me deal with situations that catch me off-guard and don't seem to make any sense. Have you ever had times when it feels like the weight of the world is trying to squeeze you into an abnormally small box? Or the odds are not in your favor and you don't see any way out of a particular situation? It's then when faith in Christ comes up HUGE! Sure worry, anxiety and stress might creep in but overall there is a peace that I am able to have that makes about as much sense as the situation itself.

In situations where we have lost all control (or what we perceived as control) what is more practical than having a "peace that transcends all understanding"(Philippians 4:7) believing "It'll All Work Out" because of Christ in your life?

It Keeps Going and Going and...

UPDATE: Well, since these pics last week I have fired the painters we hired to scrape, prep, prime and paint our house because they effectively did none of those things. After not scraping and still deciding to prime the house I told them thanks but no thanks. Two steps forward, three steps back. As a result we have had to pretty much scrape the entire house "again" and look to get some help from the place I should have gotten it from in the first place, a handful of college guys from my youth group. All of which are great guys and hard workers so I'm not really sure what I was thinking by going in another direction. Here is my chance to say 'thanks' to them for spending a few hours yesterday helping me scrape in hopes of being able to paint this weekend and show off a couple pics of our work.

Use Me God: Finding Your Spiritual Gifts Week 2

This past Sunday (6/7) was the 2nd week in our Sunday morning study entitled "Use Me God: Finding Your Spiritual Gifts" and provided some great discussion in class. We spent time discussing how easy it is to compare ourselves to others spiritually and be left feeling inadequate or frustrated. The point was also made that the comparison can take place even within ourselves as we remember other times in our life when we were more or less spiritual. It made it interesting to think about how people might view the Church when people start playing the comparison game.

We also spent time talking about the scripture passage from last week and so I thought I would share a few thoughts that were mentioned:
- Transformation is a choice. We must choose to allow the Spirit of Christ to transform us.
- "renewing of your mind" is a kind of rebirth; a new way of looking at things, a new attitude.
- "living sacrifice" is a continual surrender, not just a one time event.
- one quote from class discussion, "People need to be reminded more than taught."

Follow-up questions we were left with were:
- Is there a sin in your life that is keeping you from fully living for God?
- In what ways do you tend to disconnect your "spiritual life" from your "real life"?

This Sunday (6/14) will be the 3rd week in our Sunday morning study and will focus on: 1 Peter 2:9-10, 1 Peter 4:10-11, Romans 12:3-8, Ephesians 4:1-13, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. I encourage you to spend some time with these passages throughout the week and consider these questions...

1. What comes to mind when you hear the word priest?
2. Spend some time looking at the gifts mentioned in the last 4 passages listed. These lists are not exhaustive but can give you an idea of some of the gifts that God may have given you. Do you feel like God has given you any of those listed in these verses?
3. Have there been times when you were serving God that felt like you were using the gift(s) He had given you exactly as they needed to be used? What did that feel like?
4. If you are not sure yet what your gifts might look like or how to use them, how beneficial might a trial-and-error approach be for you?

Feel free to comment and interact here during the week and join us on Sunday mornings as we continue our study and discussion. Don't hesitate to contact me at matt@castletonumc.org with any questions, thoughts or comments if you would rather not post here.

A Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace!
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not
so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
-Saint Francis of Assisi

Whitewater River

I had the opportunity to go on an overnight kayaking/camping trip with 4 guys who were in my youth group back in the day and are now college students. We drove to Brookville, IN and put in on the Whitewater River with 2 canoes, 1 kayak and all our gear split between the 2 canoes. We left around noon and paddled for about 14 miles and about 4hrs before we finally found the perfect campsite on an island around the bend in the river. The weather was perfect for paddling and sleeping, if you brought a sleeping bag, which 2 of the guys didn't for some reason...unfortunate since it dropped into the 40's. After a decent night's sleep, we paddled for another 5 miles or so and got picked up around 11 the next morning. Here are some pics I took with my iPhone.



Overall it was a great trip. A couple highlights were:
- Seeing a bald eagle both days and having it fly with us along the river for the majority of the morning.
- Watching one of the guys make multiple attempts at putting in his contacts in the morning. I have never seen someone use so much solution, to the point where he kept knocking it off his finger into the dirt and would then start the process all over again.
- The weather. I'm really not exagerating when I say it was absolutely perfect. Warm during the day but not hot, a nice breeze and not a cloud in the sky.
- The chance to hang out with some pretty cool guys and share some youth group memories.

Remember the Holy Spirit?

I don't know about you but I find myself not giving the Holy Spirit enough credit. More often than not I don't even think about it, let alone give it credit for stuff. It seems like we are missing out on the power and presence that is promised to those who follow Jesus through his Spirit. This is a Spirit that promises power and to empower, peace, courage, guidance, and direction. If we believe in the Triune God then we must recognize that the Holy Spirit that dwells within us is the very same Spirit that was and is God, that has been and will be for all eternity. We, I, have to start paying attention to the leading and moving of God's Spirit because it is the source of boldness, love and self-discipline (2 Tim. 1:7) that has the ability to transform people's lives. It is not only time to remember the Holy Spirit but live a life that responds to its leading.

The Spirit is God himself, a merciful power establishing his reign over man's heart, over the whole of man, inwardly present to man and apparent in his workings to man's human spirit.

~The Church by Hans Kung

Use Me God: Finding Your Spiritual Gifts

The class that I am teaching on Sunday mornings has just started an 8 week series I've entitled "Use Me God: Finding Your Spiritual Gifts" (I have adapted most of this from Gifts: the joy of serving God) which is going to focus on spiritual gifts: what they are, how to find yours and how to put them to use. I will be posting thoughts, readings and questions over the next couple weeks here on my blog and invite you to follow along.

This past Sunday (5/31) we spent some time discussing a couple of these questions (feel free to share your thoughts as well):

1. Do you consider yourself a spiritual person? If yes, what does that mean or look like? If no, why not?
Some thoughts that were shared in response:
-depends on the environment
-Do you think community is needed for spirituality?
-"No" because of distractions
-"Yes" when it involves reaching out to people, relationships but doesn't have to be tied to evangelism

2. Do you think being spiritual is hard or takes a lot of work?
Some thoughts that were shared in response:
-it takes dedication and discipline

3. Do you have a clear picture of the kind of life you'd live if you were to be more spiritual?
Some thoughts that were shared in response:
-be more disciplined
-more of what God wants and less of what we want
-live more by faith

Spend some time with Romans 12:1-2 throughout this week and think about these questions...
1. Why is it so critical for you to know and trust the goodness of God in order to fearlessly offer up a "use me" prayer?
2. Paul urges us to "present" or "offer" our bodies, what do you think about this?
3. What does it mean for you to be "transformed by the renewing of your mind"?
4. What struck you as you read the words "living sacrifice"?
5. In what ways do you tend to disconnect your "spiritual life" from your "real life"?
6. What is keeping you from being fully used by God?

A Little Bit Closer

So the painters came out today and somehow, some way, were able to scrape and prime our house in about 4hrs. Needless to say I'm a little anxious to see how this is going to look when it's done. The blue we are going with is much darker so don't freak out, we had the primer tinted as you can clearly see.



Before we got to this point, I was finishing up getting the house ready for the painters to come out and finally decided I had to evict the freeloaders that have been living with us for 2yrs now. Little did I know there were 2 "teenagers" that were home when I came knocking and almost hit me in the face as they flew away. As you can see, they had a pretty nice pad and apparently their mom gave up on one of their siblings. But hey, at least I uncovered some detail of the house.

"Is God Dead? Or Just Not Riding The Bus?"

Time.com posted an article today entitled "Is God Dead? Or Just Not Riding The Bus?". I was intrigued at first but as I read the article I noticed that it ended up being about how atheists want the freedom to spend thousands of dollars to advertise they are atheists. I have absolutely no issue with people who want to share their opinions and views, or even those who want to spend a lot of money to do so because that is one of the foundational freedoms of our country.

I guess the part I'm confused about is why would they spend all of that time, energy and resources to convey a message of the even harder work involved in disbelieving. The article says, "The ads are designed to show lonely atheists that they do not walk alone — and they can go on disbelieving." Can you imagine how difficult it must be to convince yourself day after day, hour after hour, minute after minute that you don't believe in the Creator? That most, if not everything you see is a result of randomness? Man, and some people think having faith is hard work...

I have to give credit to Steven Gray because the title of his article certainly got my attention and even caused me to click on his link but come on...God...dead...really? The whole idea that somehow someone or something can kill God is really just funny to me. What are we going to kill God with, our magic opinion bullets?