I’ve had a couple infant baptisms over the past few months and have a number of couples that are expecting babies to arrive soon and the topic of baptism vs. dedication was brought up recently. I don’t think “vs.” is the best way to frame it but we’ll work with it for the purposes of this post. A couple different thoughts were raised so I thought I would write a two-part post in response.
Is infant baptism scriptural?
It was not uncommon for the apostles to baptize entire families, including babies & small children. We see examples of this in Acts 16:11-15, 31-34; 18:7-8; 1 Cor. 1:16. Baptizing an infant would fit well with the Jewish thought of covenant and how baby boys would be circumcised on the eighth day to represent their involvement in the covenant and then have the opportunity to “own” that for themselves at their Bar Mitzvah (Bat Mitzvah for girls). In The United Methodist Church, the opportunity to “own” one’s infant baptism comes through the process we call Confirmation.
John Wesley talked about a form of grace he called prevenient. The idea is this type of grace comes before, or prior to, one’s realization of its presence. It is by God’s grace that we even become aware of God’s grace. For me, infant baptism has become one of the most beautiful pictures of God’s prevenient grace, present in a baby’s life before s/he is ever aware of it. It seems as though infant baptism speaks to the very nature of grace, which is always prior.
What are your thoughts? Where do you see yourself on this topic? Look for Part II talking about doing a baby dedication at an infant baptism church.
January 26, 2012
Infant Baptism vs. Baby Dedication: Part I
January 23, 2012
A Chance for Change?
2012 proves to be a significant year in the life of The United Methodist Church. Every four years delegates from all over the world meet at General Conference (#gc2012) to discuss matters concerning the denomination. This is also the elected body that determines the governing policies of how the UMC operates. Everything from clergy salaries & pensions, ordination process to the denomination’s stance on issues of homosexuality. This is the body empowered to bring about real change, the question is, does meaningful change really have a chance?
So, with the thought of change on my mind, over the coming weeks I am going to post some thoughts on change as it relates to The United Methodist Church at the General Conference, Annual Conference, District, and Local Church levels. Personally, I know more about certain levels than others but that’s what makes this conversation so interesting, you can help fill in the gaps. Of course there will be things that are a priority to me that won’t be for you, which changes would you like to see in the UMC? If you’re not a part of the UMC, which changes would you like to see in your denomination or church?
January 16, 2012
MLK Day & the Church
This Martin Luther King Jr. Day has me thinking about the phrase, "The most segregated hour of the week." This is referencing Sunday mornings in the Church. I'm curious to hear your thoughts...
Do you think this is the case? Why or why not?
If Sunday mornings really are the most segregated hour, is this a good or bad thing?
How do we go about changing this if it isn't the way it should be?
January 14, 2012
Crossroads Super Bowl
My wife and I have plenty of friends and family who have left the Midwest only to return or count down the days until they could. I find it oddly satisfying how often individuals hate on the Midwest, and Indiana specifically, only to long to be back.
I am excited about the opportunities the Super Bowl will bring to highlight the great city of Indianapolis and the Midwest in general. It's about time the rest of the country recognizes the Midwest has plenty to offer.
Visit Indy has a great list of events happening around the city during Super Bowl XLVI. Know of other events we can't miss? Tell us!
January 12, 2012
Outside In
Of course there is a lot of talk about politics right now and as I was driving into the office the other day I heard one of the Republican candidates talk about eliminating most, if not all, of federal taxes. As I thought about it I thought to myself that I could be alright with that. I have a decent paying job, house, cars, saving account, investments, etc. I'm not sure it would bother me not to pay taxes and really allow me to keep more of my hard earned money. But then I kept thinking...
What about the individuals who have minimum wage jobs that are barely getting by, which most aren't even doing? Without taxes many of the government funded assistance programs become no more and the family that doesn't earn enough to feed themselves now goes hungry because their food stamps are gone. There are countless examples of hardworking people who rely on government support in order to make ends meet.
Those of us on the "inside" don't want to pay taxes because we don't see the direct benefit from them per se but that fails to remember those who have been left out. It seems like taxes are one way for those on the inside to help those on the outside. This sort of inside-out thinking happens in the Church all the time. Most of the decisions we make in the Church are based on those who are already inside, which sends a message to those who aren't. I wonder what might happen if we were to change our mindset and instead of starting with ourselves (inside -> out) to starting with those who aren't already here and figuring out ways to invite them in (outside -> in).
January 2, 2012
Happy 2012!
Happy New Year everyone! I hope your holidays were relaxing and joyous. I had the chance to see plenty of family which was a great time, especially when your sister has twins.
So, it's a new year. I don't know about you but I am all for new beginnings, starting over, clean slates, etc. The new year also brings another birthday for me, being born on Jan. 2nd so I am ready to start trying some new things. I don't typically make resolutions but I have come up with a few things I'm going to try and work on:
- Drink more water. I am going to try and drink at least 32oz/day. I am also thinking of drinking only water when I go out to eat.
- I am going to blog at least 3x/week. Sometimes long ones and sometimes really short ones.
- I am going to start a new blog but need help with a name for the blog/url. Any ideas?
November 21, 2011
CEB
I've been asked to be part of the Common English Bible blog tour over the next 3 months entitled "Thank You - Come Again - I Promise." With that being said, I used the CEB in my sermon this past Sunday for the first time. I taught from Luke 12:35-40 and it seemed to go over well, which is interesting considering the use of "Human One." Here is an explanation of the CEB's use of this phrase in place of "Son of Man."
If you want to learn more about the Common English Bible translation, be sure to check out their site and see why it might be a meaningful translation for you. If you have any thoughts on the translation let us know.
November 14, 2011
Is NOT tithing realistic?
My Twitter friend @PeteThePlanner just dropped a great post on tithing that you should check out here before reading some of my thoughts below.
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Tithing can be such a touchy subject, mostly because it deals with our money. Generally, we like our money and work hard to get it. We also don't typically like other people telling us how to spend our money let alone spend it. Tithing is hard and can seem overwhelming, as Pete mentioned but I wonder, as a Christian, is it realistic not to tithe?
Jesus talks about money a lot but he doesn't talk about tithing specifically much at all. He calls the Pharisees out for focusing on the percentage but neglecting the people. Jesus says that's not cool.
One of the fascinating things to me about Jesus is his ability to address issues and make them heart issues, which he does with money. When he says things like, "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21) and later, "we can't serve two masters," (Matthew 6:24) he's making our pocketbook a matter of the heart. I don't think the focus is as much on a percentage as it is a heart willing to serve, which means some of us may be called to give more than 10% and for others the sacrifice might be less. That's what makes it such an important heart issue.
Giving (tithing) to the Church is a way to establish priorities, grow in faith, and be used by God. It is a practical way to live out our discipleship, which I'm not sure is real without it.
What do you think? Feel free to add your questions or thoughts to the conversation. I look forward to hearing from you.
November 2, 2011
Take Control
I just recently had a conversation w/my friend @sssemester on Twitter about the topic of control. Are you someone that has to be in control? How do you deal with things that are beyond your control?
This idea of control got me thinking about its relationship to faith and trust. Are faith and trust lacking when control becomes an issue for us? Perhaps there is no relationship at all. What do you think?
October 13, 2011
Hoarding Grace
Grace is confusing, amazing, free but not without cost, life-changing, outward focused, messy, borderline illogical, _________ (fill in the blank), etc.
Webster defines grace (n.) as: a : unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification b : a virtue coming from God c : a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace. I would describe it as "unmerited favor."
A small phrase from Jesus in Matthew 10 caught my attention, "Freely you have received; freely give." This sounds like grace becoming a verb.
Do we hoard grace for ourselves? It seems so easy for us to desire grace (what we don't deserve) for ourselves and justice (what they deserve) for others. If it were not for the grace we have freely received, the justice we deserve would destroy us.
Receive grace, receive life.
Give grace, give life.
October 11, 2011
Giving at a Distance
In my area there are a couple of Fall fund drives that are taking place right now on the radio and I started to wonder...
How often do we invest in our various charitable organizations so we don't have to invest ourselves into the lives of others? Even through our giving we can keep the sick, the lonely, the broken, the poor at a safe distance.
October 5, 2011
A Magic Bullet?
You don't have to look far before reading something about the need, desire, or drive to get more young adults in church. As a young pastor in the UMC, I recognize the need as obvious yet I began to wonder, do we view the young adult demographic as some sort of magic bullet that will kill this downward trend the church finds itself in?
Speaking as a young adult, I believe we need to target my demographic because many of "us" are looking for a faith community to call home. My fear is we end up going to another extreme focusing on one particular demographic at the expense of the others.
How are we being intentional about engaging the Boomers? More and more I see the gap widening between students/young adults and the grandmas and grandpas. Where are the 40-55 year olds? It seems that many of them are becoming disengaged as they struggle with either being too young or too old, and we have struggled to figure out how to bridge that gap.
It seems that focusing on a specific "magic bullet" may not be the best way to create disciples, but perhaps I'm wrong. What do you think?
September 22, 2011
Can You Hear Me Now?
I read this quote the other day
We listen foremost in order to hear the other into speech...Lately I've been trying it, listening others into talking. Not only have individuals begun to talk but they open up to the point of truly sharing. It has been fascinating. Perhaps you and I could be a little quicker to listen and a lot slower to speak?
September 20, 2011
Well Hello There
I know, I know, it's been awhile since I've dropped a post. Sorry about that. "Blogger's Guilt" (not sure if that is a real term, if not, I got dibs) has certainly been gnawing at me. The past month has been jam-packed with lots of life, school, and ministry making it difficult to blog regularly. So, here's what I'm thinking...
1. Connect with me on Twitter if you haven't already. It's quick, easy and I'm on it just about all the time. You can find me at @mattlipan.
2. I'm going to blog more but for the next couple months I anticipate that my posts will be fairly short and sweet. Which could be pretty cool and possibly even encourage you to engage more often and even connect with each other. That could actually be pretty fun, so maybe it's worth a shot?
Having said all that, let me know if you're still out there and we'll connect soon!
August 15, 2011
Bottom of the 9th
Yesterday was my 9yr anniversary (which is sort of a long time) of being on staff at Castleton UMC here in Indianapolis so I thought I would take a quick look back.
In my 9yrs at the church, God has allowed me to:
-move my office at least 5x
-lead mission trips to: Dallas, TX; New York, NY (2x); Obion, TN; Frakes, KY (4x); Marion, VA; Hayesville, NC; Baldwin, LA; Grand Rapids, MI; Quito, Ecuador (5x); San Andres, Guatemala
-see at least 8 individuals pursue full-time ministry
-work under 1 senior pastor the entire time
-be a part of becoming a multi-site church and lead the Sunrise Campus (our 2nd site)
-hold 3 different positions on staff: Director of Student Ministries, Director of Young Adult Ministries, Pastor of Family Ministries & Sunrise Campus (associate pastor under appointment since Nov. '08)
-witness the building of a new sanctuary
-witness our church reach the community in countless ways
-go from being "undecided" about the UMC to being "in process"
-start and nearly complete my Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary (2012 graduation)
-launch a new Saturday evening contemporary service called "Renovate"
-say, "I'm sorry" and "my bad" plenty of times
-be blessed to be able to say "thanks" quite a bit as well
-change, and hopefully mature in my ministry and thank CUMC for putting up with me as I continue to grow
It's crazy to think how long 9yrs is and how fast they went by. I am excited to see what God has in store for this 10th year of ministry and beyond. Thanks for joining me as we journey together.
July 23, 2011
Looking In to Reach Out: Inside Looking Out
Part 4 of my "Looking In to Reach Out" sermon series.
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"Looking In to Reach Out: Inside Looking Out"
"Setting the Table" - Part 1
"1st Time Eyes" - Part 2
"Messengers" - Part 3
Recently Google released something called Google+, which some have called “Google’s version of Facebook." Inside Google+ individuals have the ability to place people in various circles depending on the nature of the relationship.
Think of the various relationship circles you have and how they were formed. Some are the result of time, expertise, blood (family), commitments, etc. and we do things to protect and maintain these circles don't we? Not unlike the religious leaders of Jesus’ day...
Sometimes when I read the Bible, I end up with more questions than answers and sometimes when I write a sermon, I find myself asking lots of questions. This is one of those times. Please feel free to join the conversation here or at www.Facebook.com/RenovateCUMC.
Luke 11:37-46
Do we get caught up in the "hoops?"
-The Pharisees created "hoops" people had to jump through to be considered religious. Is the Church guilty of the same thing?
What happens when people don’t know or follow the “rules?"
-The Pharisees made up rules people had to follow to be welcomed in the church. God's command to “keep the Sabbath holy” turned into: don’t walk more than a certain distance, don’t carry more than a certain weight, don’t tie a certain kind of knot...
Does our church only look welcoming/inviting from the outside?
Do we use our “perks” to invite in or keep out?
Do we create burdens or carry them?
-Are we making it easier or harder for others to connect with Jesus?
*Bring on the answers!
Looking In to Reach Out: Messengers
Part 3 of my "Looking In to Reach Out" sermon series.
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"Looking In to Reach Out: Messengers"
“Setting the Table” – Part 1
“1st Time Eyes” – Part2
Think of all the ways you communicate...phone, text, Facebook, Twitter, instant message, email, face-to-face, etc. Now, think of all the messages you encounter on a daily basis and how many of them you simply ignore because they are not worth your time?
Acts 1:1-8
Know the message
-Luke clarifies the foundation of the message, Jesus is alive and believers are empowered by the Holy Spirit
-“many convincing proofs” = it was undeniable that Jesus was who he said he was and in fact had risen from the dead (vs. 3)
-The message is one of: victory over evil (Col. 2:15; 1 Peter 3:22), forgiveness and holiness for sinners (Rom. 3:21-26; Heb. 9:11-12; 10:10), participation in the Kingdom (Matt. 19:24-26; John 3:3), and salvation through repentance and trust in Christ (Matt. 4:17; John 14:6; Acts 8:12)
-Help people recognize the message you have to share is worth hearing
Be able to share the message
-1 Peter 3:15 tells us to “always be prepared" to explain our reason for hope
-People aren’t simply looking for answers, they are looking for authenticity
-Your story is your best bet
Find those who want/need to hear the message
-Matthew 28:16-20
-We can’t passively wait for people to come to us
-Start near, go far…like ripples in a pond (Jesus mentions Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria (hostile land), and then the ends of the earth). There are surely people you know who are just waiting to hear this message.
Looking In to Reach Out: 1st Time Eyes
Part 2 of my "Looking In to Reach Out" sermon series.
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"Looking In to Reach Out: 1st Time Eyes"
John 9:1-12
Can you imagine what it would be like to see things for the very first time? My 7 month old is reminding me what that must have been like. Here we read a story of Jesus healing a man blind from birth, giving him the opportunity to see the world through "1st time eyes."
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to see the Church for the very first time? Imagine walking into your church and seeing the space and the people for the very first time...
The Story (a few things we can pull from the biblical story)
-The cause of the man's blindness is not the main focus
-Jesus heals physical needs as well as spiritual needs
-The man was physically blind as well as spiritually blind
-Jesus, as the Light of the world, is able to heal both physical and spiritual blindness
For Us (what some of this means for us today)
-We consistently have new visitors choosing to worship with us
-This means people are consistently seeing us & our church as something they have never seen or experienced before with "1st time eyes."
-People have baggage. The baggage people bring with them to church doesn’t matter because people have baggage, which includes you and me.
-Christ invites us to “bring sight to the blind” along with him. Not because we're anything special but because he is.
-Some people are responding to the need to be in church, and can't really explain it, so don't make them. Whatever reason brings people to church is second to the fact they are there and must be welcomed.
Looking In to Reach Out: Setting the Table
This is the first sermon in a series I have been preaching over the past few weeks. The purpose of the series is to spend some time taking a look inward as the Church in order that we might make a concerted effort to reach out in the Fall.
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"Looking In to Reach Out: Setting the Table"
Most of us like being invited to parties, most of us like going to parties, and some of us even like hosting parties.
Think of the last time you entertained someone in your home…
And all of the things you did to prepare for your guests to come over…
Why did you do all of this?
We want to make sure people feel welcome, comfortable and at ease when they come over, right? If we don’t have things to accomplish this, we go and get it…food, drinks, furniture, etc.
Matthew 25:35-40
Preparation leads to hospitality
-Preparation provides us with something to give
-Preparation provides freedom
Inside and outside
-Hospitality on the street leads to hospitality in the home
-If I’m not nice to you ‘out in the world’ why would you want to come to my house for dinner?
-Christians must demonstrate hospitality outside the church if we hope to invite others in
We’ve all been there
-Don’t forget (Deut. 10:19)
-As disciples, hospitality happens without even recognizing it
July 1, 2011
The Theology of K-LOVE
I like music, sort of a lot. I especially like live music and going to shows. I also like to think I have a decent ear for good music and that is partly why I have never been a big fan of contemporary Christian music.
So, over the past few weeks I have been making a concerted effort to listen to more Christian music, which has meant a considerable amount of time with the nationally syndicated station known as K-LOVE (WKLU 101.9 FM in my area). Overall the music has been fine, at times I might even say good but my biggest struggle has been the seemingly shallow theological message that is being communicated.
I understand K-LOVE's message of being "positive and encouraging" but it seems as though this station, with its millions of listeners, has the potential (and arguably responsibility) to establish deeper theological roots. Of course individuals can find encouragement from the message of the Gospel but to fail to mention the call of discipleship to service, suffering, and sacrifice does not convey the whole message. Without a proper understanding of these components of a relationship with Christ, the message teeters on the 'prosperity gospel' cliff.
*If you or someone you know works for K-LOVE or has some connection with the station and believe I could help in any way or want to talk more, feel free to contact me.
