Thoughts of Resurrection

Transition to WordPress

2007-01-29T16:34:00.000-06:00

Well, the test period did not last too long. I will be moving this blog to WordPress. Please use the following link: http://thoughtsofresurrection.wordpress.com

Thanks!

wordpress.com and blogger.com

2007-01-27T00:03:00.000-06:00

FYI - I have been working on a new blog located at: thoughtsofresurrection.wordpress.com. I have been intrigued with what I perceive to be some additional functionality of Word Press. On Church Communications Pro, there is a new series: Word Press for Churches. With the pages and other features of Word Press it could be used as a tool for a small website, which may be useful in the future. In Word Press, there is no longer the ability to add outside java script. I will be able to include all the current sidebar features, but in a slightly different ways.

In addition, I have shifted the feeds for these blogs:
Blogger: http://feeds.feedburner.com/revaeconard
WordPress: http://feeds.feedburner.com/ThoughtsOfResurrection

Bottom line - I will continue to post on both sites until further notice. At this time, take your pick and subscribe to the appropriate feed from the link in the sidebar of that site. Thanks!

Amazing Grace

2007-01-26T23:21:00.000-06:00

This morning I had the opportunity to screen the upcoming movie Amazing Grace along with other church leaders from the Kansas City area. Amazing Grace will be released on February 23, 2007. The movie tells the story of William Wilberforce who was a leader of the effort in the 19th century to end the slave trade in the British Empire. I found the film to be a quality portrayal of figure in history standing up for justice against great opposition.

Before the movie we heard historical background on the story that was about to be portrayed. I did not grasp the entire history when hearing it read, but this history helped give greater meaning to the movie while I was watching. After the screening, a representative from the production team spoke about the intent and hope for the movie - that it would be a catalyst for action. We had the opportunity to pick up an "Amazing Grace Leader Kit" at the end of the screening. This contained promotional literature for the movie, study guides, and ways to get involved. From that literature:

Five Amazing Ways to Join the Movement of Grace
Sing Amazing Grace on February 18.
Sign the petition to end modern day slavery.
Ask your friends and family to pray for "A Movement of Grace."
Use Amazing Grace for outreach.
Buy a block of tickets on opening weekend.

At first, I reacted negatively to this packet and encouragement to action. I felt that it was a thinly veiled marketing tactic. However, one of my friends on staff at Resurrection gave a different perspective which I appreciate and helped me to think about the issue in a different light. My friend asserted that the use of media was an effective way to proclaim the gospel in ways that would never be possible from a congregation. An example that was given - the reformation of the meat packing plants in the United States in the early 1900's was catalyzed by the book, The Jungle, in ways that would not have happened without the writing of the book. I take this as a valid point. The movie will certainly reach an audience that may not be reached by any particular congregation.

What do you think?

Word Press

2007-01-25T21:58:00.000-06:00

I am considering a switch from Blogger to Word Press. This site will be the location of Thoughts of Resurrection unless other notice is made. However, I would be interested in your thoughts and comments on http://thoughtsofresurrection.wordpress.com/. I am particularly interested in your thoughts in:

layout
design
differences in the sites
your suggestions

Please comment on this post to provide feedback.

Important Notice - http://thoughtsofresurrection.wordpress.com/ is still in development, as such please. It is a draft of what may or may not be a new location for Thoughts of Resurrection.

How do you interpret the statement Jesus Christ is Lord?

2007-01-25T10:38:00.000-06:00

This is post 4 of 17 in the Probationary Membership and Commissioning series.

Response to ¶324.9 of the 2004 Book of Discipline

How do you interpret the statement Jesus Christ is Lord?

I believe that the statement Jesus Christ is Lord is best interpreted through an examination of three words: Jesus, Christ, and Lord.

Jesus is a personal name that refers to an individual that lived in first century Palestine. The personal name of Jesus reinforces his humanity and points toward his unique identity among humanity. The meaning of the name Jesus also implies salvation. Christ is a title that points to the role of savior or messiah. This title has particular significance considering the Jewish expectations for the coming Messiah at the time of Jesus’ life on earth. Jesus Christ as Lord means that he is someone that has power, influence and authority.

I believe that the supreme power and rule of Jesus Christ, God’s eternal Word, extends to all of creation.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”^¹²

Not only was Jesus present with the Father at all times and before creation, but through Jesus all things were made. This implies that nothing is outside the scope or care of Christ. Every aspect of creation is loved and has value; the light of Christ can be found in all places. As all things were created through Christ, Jesus Christ is Lord can and should extend to all creation.

It is important to affirm that Jesus Christ is the one Lord. There are no others that can successfully challenge the lordship of Christ. There are no other individuals or conceptions of God to be held on the same level as Jesus Christ. “The true God and His activity can never be perceived within the framework of a general philosophy. … It would have to look first at the true God and His activity – in a specific occurrence.”^¹³

12 John 1:1-3 (TNIV).

13 Barth, Church Dogmatics III.3, 140.

Bibliography

Barth, Karl Church Dogmatics III.3: The Doctrine of Creation. Translators: G. W. Bromiley and R. J. Ehrlich. Editors: G. W. Bromiley and T. F. Torrance. London: T & T Clark International, 2004.

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Humanity and Need for Divine Grace

2007-01-23T13:52:00.000-06:00

This is post 3 of 17 in the Probationary Membership and Commissioning series.

Response to ¶324.9 of the 2004 Book of Discipline

What is your understanding of humanity, and the human need for divine grace?

I understand humanity to be a part of God’s good creation. The book of Genesis provides a description of this creation:

“Then God said, ‘Let us make human beings in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created human beings in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. … God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.”^¹⁰

Humanity is created in relationship - relationship with God and relationship with each other. Evil distorts humanity’s relationship with creation and with God. Humans need divine grace to be able to be in right relationship with God, neighbor, and creation. When one accepts the need for God and a relationship with God as a beloved child, one is enabled to move toward perfect love of God and neighbor.

Divine grace convicts people and draws them to God. Divine grace comes before humans do anything. It is what prevents creation from being hopelessly lost. Divine grace restores us to right relationship with God through the forgiveness of past sins. Divine grace is not only something that God does for us, but something that God does in us. Divine grace gives us the ability to follow Jesus. An excellent description of the need and work of divine grace is found in the Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church:

“Sanctification is that renewal of our fallen nature by the Holy Ghost, received through faith in Jesus Christ, whose blood of atonement cleanseth from all sin; whereby we are not only delivered from the guilt of sin, but are washed from its pollution, saved from its power, and are enabled, through grace, to love God with all our hearts and to walk in his holy commandments blameless.”^¹¹

10 Genesis 1:26-27, 31 (TNIV).

11 The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, ¶103.

Bibliography

The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church. Nashville: The United Methodist Publishing House, 2004.

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Mainline Emergent / S

2007-01-22T21:59:00.000-06:00

I am looking forward to attending the following event next week: Mainline Emergent / S: Conversations in Theology, Practice, and Hope. The event is being held at Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta. It will be great to connect with other Methodists. To my knowledge Jay from Only Wonder Understands will be there.

Are you planning to attend this event?

Provocative Propositions and General Conference 2008

2007-01-19T16:58:00.000-06:00

A recent article from the United Methodist News Service proposes to increase the collaboration among the denominations boards, agencies and commissions. I think that this is an excellent goal and will be important in the future effectiveness of the United Methodist Church. The article entitled, Proposals call for new collaboration among church agencies, also proposes four goals for the denomination in 2009 to 2012. These goals are:

Enable clergy and laity to develop the skills necessary for ministry in the 21st century through leadership, education and development, with a focus on the United States.
Extend the outreach of the church’s ministry and grow the church by energetically starting new congregations.
Partner with the poor to seek justice and address the causes of human suffering that result from poverty.
Bring healing, health and wholeness through a concerted effort to end preventable diseases of poverty such as malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.

These are bold goals and I believe that they will be the most important considerations at General Conference 2008. What do you think?

Are these goals appropriate and attainable?
How might these goals intersect your local congregation?

Necessary Changes for Congregations

2007-01-18T14:48:00.000-06:00

I am often questioned about how the church might be effective in reaching the 20-35 age demographic (of which I am currently a part) to make disciples of Jesus Christ. This is a question that I often consider. I found the following consideration by Lovett H. Weems, Jr. to be a very helpful and thoughtful response. This quote is from the article - It's Not about the Numbers ... Actually It is about the Numbers ... by Lovett H. Weems, Jr.

One of the myths of American industry is that Henry Ford invented the assembly line, which then permitted him to build a car that could be sold for $500, an amount that large numbers of working people could afford. The reality is just the reverse. Ford determined that $500 was the most that large numbers of people could pay for a car, and inventing the assembly line was the only way he could devise to accomplish that task.
The same sequence may be necessary in the church. It may be that we first must commit ourselves to reach more people, younger people, and more diverse people; and our very willingness to be accountable for such goals will lead us to discover what we need to do to accomplish the goals. We will then be forced to engage the people we seek to reach, to learn of their needs, and to understand the nature of their quest for God. In so doing, we will gather the information needed for worship and ministries appropriate for our changed context.

This article is a part of the current issue of the Leading Ideas: E-Newsletter published by the Lewis Center for Church Leadership. I have found Leading Ideas and other resources by the Lewis Center to be helpful and encouraging in seeking be effective in ministry. Highly recommended.

Understanding of Evil

2007-01-18T07:24:00.000-06:00

This is post 2 of 17 in the Probationary Membership and Commissioning series.

Response to ¶324.9 of the 2004 Book of Discipline

What is your understanding of evil as it exists in the world?

I understand evil to exist in the world made manifest in sin and death. Evil is conquered in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul writes about this in his letter to the Corinthians:

“When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”^⁶

Although evil and the power of sin and death is conquered through Jesus Christ, it still has a foothold in the world today. For individuals, the evil within is often more dangerous than the evil without. I believe that evil is perpetuated by individuals and systems who choose to turn away from a relational existence with God to a selfish existence. This is seen in individuals who cheat others for personal gain, systems that seek to perpetuate their own power, and whenever a relationship with God is denied.

The existence of evil is sometimes linked with the presence of suffering in the world. There is suffering that results from evil, but I do not believe that all suffering is inherently linked with evil. I do believe that God is particularly concerned with those that are suffering. “God’s power has ultimately to articulate itself in divine solidarity with the sufferer, that is, in the ‘weakness’ of suffering love.”^⁷ God uses power to reach out to those suffering and in need. This can be found in Jesus ministry as attested to in the gospels and also in the Psalms:

“Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of his people.”^⁸

This Scripture shows God in power and might reaching down to the earth and entering into solidarity with the suffering. Not only that, but God brings the suffering up to sit with the “princes of his people.”^⁹

6 1 Corinthians 15:54-56 (TNIV).

7 Hall, God & Human Suffering, 156.

8 Psalm 113:5-8 (TNIV).

9 Psalm 113:8 (TNIV).

Bibliography

Hall, Douglas John. God & Human Suffering: An Exercise in the Theology of the Cross. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1986.

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My Personal Experience and Understanding of God

2007-01-16T14:25:00.000-06:00

This is post 1 of 17 in the Probationary Membership and Commissioning series.

Response to ¶324.9 of the 2004 Book of Discipline

Describe your personal experience of God and the understanding of God you derive from biblical, theological, and historical sources.

While describing what I understand about God, it is important that I remember that it is impossible to circumscribe God. One can identify God, but never get one’s mind around God in entirety. Identifying and naming God does not control or define God. God reveals God’s self to the world and to individuals, but in that revealing there remains a mystery.

My best understanding of God in light of the gospel of Jesus Christ is God as Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The primary source for my understanding of a Triune God is the good news of Jesus Christ according to the writers of the New Testament.

Trinitarianism is a part of the structure of the gospel. One expression is found in the baptism of Jesus as described in the Gospels.

“As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’”^³

The baptism of Jesus occurs in all four of the Gospels and provides an example of the Trinitarian nature of God. Jesus is the Son as referred to by the voice from heaven. The Son implies that there is a parent. This is the one who pronounces the words upon Jesus. The Spirit is seen descending like a dove. This points to God as Father, God as Son and God as Spirit.

A secondary source for my understanding of the truth of a Triune God as revealed by Scripture is The Father’s Spirit of Sonship, written by Thomas Weinandy. I will explain my best understanding of his thesis because at this time it is my best understanding of the one God who is seen as three-in-one in light of the gospel. Weinandy’s central thesis is that within the Trinity, the Father begets the Son in or by the Holy Spirit, who then proceeds from the Father as the one in whom the Son is begotten.

Each person of the Trinity is identified by and in relationship to the others. It is not possible for one to be present without relationship to and in the presence of the others. The eternal Father eternally begets the Son and spirates the Holy Spirit. In a sense, the Holy Spirit is the breath with which the Father eternally speaks the Word (Son).^⁴ This explanation is consistent with Scripture. It is evident at key times in the narrative of the life of Jesus Christ: birth, baptism, cross and resurrection. For example, on the cross, the Spirit enables the Son to cry out Abba, to the Father. At the time of greatest need, the Son is able to cry out through the Spirit to the Father.^⁵ This conception of the Trinity is one that all traditions of Christianity, including Orthodox and Roman, would be able to affirm. I agree with Weinandy’s assertion that this arrangement puts the Trinity into a proper relationship.

My personal experience of God as Trinity has been shaped at various times through a feeling and knowledge of my relationship with God as child, sibling and vessel. There have been times in my life where I have felt cradled in God’s arms and cared for as by a loving parent, living as a brother of Jesus Christ and filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Knowing and experiencing God’s presence in many ways combined with belief in one God are important components of my personal experience of God.

3 Matthew 3:16-17 (TNIV).

4 Weinandy, The Father’s Spirit of Sonship, 75.

5 Weinandy, The Father’s Spirit of Sonship, 29.

Bibliography

Weinandy, Thomas G. The Father’s Spirit of Sonship: Reconcieving the Trinity. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1994.

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Probationary Membership and Commissioning - Introduction

2007-01-16T14:16:00.000-06:00

This is the introduction of the Probationary Membership and Commissioning series.

Response to ¶324.9 of the 2004 Book of Discipline

This is the introduction to a series of posts on my responses to questions from paragraph 329.4 from The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church 2004. I would enjoy feedback and your response to my answers to these questions. The questions are:

Describe your personal experience of God and the understanding of God you derive from biblical, theological, and historical sources.
What is your understanding of evil as it exists in the world?
What is your understanding of humanity, and the human need for divine grace?
How do you interpret the statement Jesus Christ is Lord?
What is your conception of the activity of the Holy Spirit in personal faith, in the community of believers, and in responsible living in the world?
What is your understanding of the kingdom of God; the Resurrection; eternal life?
How do you intend to affirm, teach and apply Part II of the Discipline (Doctrinal Standards and Our Theological Task) in your work in the ministry to which you have been called?
The United Methodist Church holds that the living core of the Christian faith was revealed in Scripture, illumined by tradition, vivified in personal experience, and confirmed by reason.
What is your understanding of this theological position of the Church?
Describe the nature and mission of the Church. What are its primary tasks today?
Discuss your understanding of the primary characteristics of United Methodist polity.
How do you perceive yourself, your gifts, your motives, your role, and your commitment as a probationary member and commissioned in The United Methodist Church?
Describe your understanding of diakonia, the servant ministry of the church, and the servant ministry of the probationary member and commissioned minister.
What is the meaning of ordination in the context of the general ministry of the Church?
Describe your understanding of an inclusive church and ministry.
You have agreed as a candidate for the sake of the mission of Jesus Christ in the world and the most effective witness of the gospel, and in consideration of their influence as ministers, to make a complete dedication of yourself to the highest ideals of the Christian life, and to this end agree to exercise responsible self-control by personal habits conducive to bodily health, mental and emotional maturity, integrity in all personal relationships, fidelity in marriage and celibacy in singleness, social responsibility, and growth in grace and the knowledge and love of God. What is your understanding of this agreement?
Explain the role and significance of the sacraments in the ministry to which you have been called.

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New Church Leadership Institute Summary

2007-01-16T09:27:00.000-06:00

All participants were asked to to describe the Institute to another pastor in a sentence or two. My response is:
My experience has been that the New Church Leadership Institute is an effective invitation to and catalyst for careful discernment for leaders and for the United Methodist Church about God's call to plant new congregations for the expansion of the Kingdom of God.

Stonebridge United Methodist Church

2007-01-11T20:04:00.000-06:00

This evening we heard the first half of a presentation from Don Smith on the planting of Stonebridge United Methodist Church in McKinney, Texas. He is founder of Vital Connections. From their website:

The mission of Vital Connections is to provide meaningful relationships where mentoring, coaching and encouragement serve to equip and inspire faith pioneers in successful ministry.

It has been a great story so far. It is important to remember that stories of other congregation plants always need to be contextualized - copy and paste mission and ministry is not effective.

Death of a Congregation

2007-01-11T10:43:00.000-06:00

New life and death are a natural part of the life cycle and overall health of a denomination and annual conference. This may be seen in the planting of new congregations, but it will also be necessary to move through the death of some congregations who are no longer effective in making disciples of Jesus Christ.

Recognizing that a congregation is nearing death in a life cycle may be easier for someone that is outside of the congregation, i.e. newly appointed pastor, district superintendent, etc. However, it may be very difficult for someone from the outside to bring this to the attention of the congregation and facilitate moving into the process of closing. What may happen is that the person from the outside is accused of not having the best interest of the congregation in mind.

Sometimes there will be a place where someone within the congregation notices that things are not going well and perhaps the best thing is to let the congregation die. This may become easier as there are more and more congregations that are closing within the annual conference. The closing or death of congregations is likely to increase within the next ten years for various reasons. According to Steve Compton, conference staff of the North Carolina Annual Conference, some of these reasons include:

Loss of family perpetuation of membership in rural and town churches
Longer effect of the natural life cycle
Dramatic shifts in community demographics.

This is true, not only in the North Carolina Annual Conference, but I believe in the Kansas East, Kansas West and many other annual conferences around the country. The death of congregations will need to be matched with both the birth of new congregations and the revitalization of existing congregations.

2007 NCLI Participants

2007-01-11T08:49:00.000-06:00

The roster for the participants in the 2007 New Church Leadership Institute came out yesterday afternoon. If you found this site via that roster, please comment here or come and see me during the conference.

Emerging Congregations in Arkansas

2007-01-10T20:12:00.000-06:00

This evening we heard from Barry Morton pastor at Mt. Olive UMC and Rob Williams pastor at Journey UMC in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. They are both in relatively new worshiping communities that are doing church in a new way. It is exciting to hear about new congregations that are being planted in a way that is bringing people to hear the good news of Jesus Christ that may not be reached by more traditional congregations.

New Congregation Plant Benchmarks

2007-01-10T09:51:00.000-06:00

From the session this morning...
There are benchmarks that are going to help discern whether a new congregation is going to be viable or not. These are tangible benchmarks that can be quantified within eighteen months of the launch of public worship. Some of these are:
Presence of a formal stewardship plan - The way that a person uses possessions and wealth is a sign of transformation in a person’s heart. This does not necessarily mean that the congregation is financially self-sufficient.
Growth in numbers - Gather the worship attendance of only adults for the first ten Sundays. Throw out the high number and low number and average the remaining eight. This will give a bench mark number for worship. Within eighteen months the number in worship will need to have grown significantly. New congregations are started to bring new people to Jesus Christ. If growth is not happening what happened was the start of a new small group, not a growing congregation.
Formal plan for helping people grow in Christian discipleship - People need to be growing in their faith and they need to have the opportunity to seek out and find assistance in that growth.
Existence of multiple small groups - This is a sign that people are connecting to each other, not just to the pastor.

Evening Session

2007-01-10T07:58:00.000-06:00

These photos are from the evening session on January 9. They give a good depiction of the room set up and the people attending the event.

Affinity Group

2007-01-09T12:17:00.000-06:00

One of the most important concepts that I have gleaned from this morning is that each of us has a particular group to which we have an affinity. A quote from Jim Griffith:

God is at work to draw people to God ... through you. What people are drawn to you? What people are you drawn to?

The answer to these two questions are what make up one's affinity group. This is a particular individual's mission field - the people that she or he is wired to reach. If there is no affinity with the community to which an individual is sent, how can any fruit be expected to be produced? It is very hard to preach the gospel to people whom one does not like.
Some examples of affinities include:

religious heritage - Did you grow up as a Christian, pre-Christian, churched or unchurched?
geographic and cultural - In what part of the country or state did you grow up? In what culture? Size of community?
psychographic - How do you understand the world? Black and white? Shades of gray? Truth is found in dialogue or declaration?
socioeconomic - Growing up, was your family financially self supporting? Did your family own the home in which you lived?
pre-call - What was your life like before receiving a call to ministry? What experiences could be examples of redemption that could provide hope for others?

I believe that this has application both in planting new congregations and the appointment process. For a pastor to be most effective her or his gifts, graces and affinities will be matched to the appointment. What are your affinities? Do your affinities match the role in which you currently find yourself?

Church Planter Orientation

2007-01-09T08:53:00.001-06:00

The keynote speaker for the morning is Jim Griffith. It is the first session of Church Planter Orientation. He is a part of the Griffith Coaching Network. He has worked with over 30 United Methodist Conferences in new congregation planting.

Photos from Mount Sequoyah

2007-01-09T07:55:00.000-06:00

I woke up early this morning and took some pictures around Mount Sequoyah before heading to breakfast and to the 2007 New Church Leadership Institute sessions for the day. This is my first time to visit Mount Sequoyah and it has been a great stay so far. Hospitality by all of the staff has been outstanding, the food is good, and the beds are comfortable.

Welcome sign at Mount Sequoyah opposite Inspiration Point.

Inspiration Point - overlooking Fayetteville, Arkansas

Dining Hall at Mount Sequoyah

Oklahoma Cottage - My humble abode this week

2007 New Church Leadership Institute

2007-01-08T09:48:00.001-06:00

This week I am attending the 2007 New Church Leadership Institute at Mt. Sequoyah in Fayetteville, Arkansas. My wife, Nicole, and I attended an interest meeting a few months ago for pastors in the Kansas Area who were interested in considering new church plants. We attended a meeting with about 8 other pastors and left with some more information and an application for more interest. I filled out the application and returned it. I heard back that I was invited to attend this conference. I am excited to learn more about what it would mean to be the pastor of a new congregation. I see this time as part of the discernment process.

A few of the goals from the published brochure:

Goals of the New Church Leadership Institute

Assist pastors to discern if they are called to be a church planting pastor.
Connect potential church planting pastors with successful church planting pastors.
Equip potential church planters with knowledge and skills for successful church starts.
Prepare pastors for a variety of New Start models, and a variety of models for leading an existing church through re-vitalization relocation, transition or merger.

I am particularly interested in the first goal - continued discernment in this area.

07-01-07 Pastoral Prayer

2007-01-07T14:51:00.000-06:00

This was the first weekend in which I was a part of the worship services in the main sanctuary. This is the prayer which I used in the service.

Pastoral Prayer

We lift our minds to the Maker of the mountains we cannot climb. We lift our hearts to the Calmer of the oceans raging wild. We lift our hands to the Healer of the hurt we hold inside.^¹

O God, “in you we live and move and have our being.”^² But we have questions and are searching for answers. We confess that we try to live one way but instead act in a different way. We bring those things and our questions to you now as we enter into a time of silent prayer and confession.

(silent prayer and confession)

Receive our prayers, O God. Forgive us. Teach us to live as we ought to live.

We thank you for the blessings of this day. For being able to gather and consider our doubts, questions and the way that science intersects with you and the way you work in the world.

Give us strength to work in and take care of all of your creation. Bring peace to each of the countries in this world. Show us how to care for and love those people in need around the world that we do not know and will never meet. Send your blessing on those people whom we do recognize in our daily lives who work around us in sometimes thankless jobs. Jobs that allow us to be warm, well fed and provided for. Direct us in ways to be a blessing to them.

Empower us to live as your people sent to change the world. Help us to bring about and live in your kingdom about which we now pray in the prayer which was taught to us by Jesus Christ.

1 Adapted from I Will Lift My Eyes by Bebo Norman and Jason Ingram. © 2006 Appstreet Music (ASCAP) / New Spring (ASCAP). All rights for the world on behalf of Appstreet Music (ASCAP) administered by New Spring (ASCAP). / Peertunes, Ltd./GrangeHill Music/J Ingram (SESAC)

2 Acts 17:28 (TNIV)

Preparation

2007-01-05T11:21:00.001-06:00

I have been preparing for an examination with the Board of Ordained Ministry in connection with my request for Probationary Membership and Commissioning. Today, I have been focused on responding to questions from paragraph 329.4 from The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church 2004. When ready to submit to the conference level board, I hope to post responses to these questions. The questions are:

Describe your personal experience of God and the understanding of God you derive from biblical, theological, and historical sources.
What is your understanding of evil as it exists in the world?
What is your understanding of humanity, and the human need for divine grace?
How do you interpret the statement Jesus Christ is Lord?
What is your conception of the activity of the Holy Spirit in personal faith, in the community of believers, and in responsible living in the world?
What is your understanding of the kingdom of God; the Resurrection; eternal life?
How do you intend to affirm, teach and apply Part II of the Discipline (Doctrinal Standards and Our Theological Task) in your work in the ministry to which you have been called?
The United Methodist Church holds that the living core of the Christian faith was revealed in Scripture, illumined by tradition, vivified in personal experience, and confirmed by reason.
What is your understanding of this theological position of the Church?
Describe the nature and mission of the Church. What are its primary tasks today?
Discuss your understanding of the primary characteristics of United Methodist polity.
How do you perceive yourself, your gifts, your motives, your role, and your commitment as a probationary member and commissioned in The United Methodist Church?
Describe your understanding of diakonia, the servant ministry of the church, and the servant ministry of the probationary member and commissioned minister.
What is the meaning of ordination in the context of the general ministry of the Church?
Describe your understanding of an inclusive church and ministry.
You have agreed as a candidate for the sake of the mission of Jesus Christ in the world and the most effective witness of the gospel, and in consideration of their influence as ministers, to make a complete dedication of yourself to the highest ideals of the Christian life, and to this end agree to exercise responsible self-control by personal habits conducive to bodily health, mental and emotional maturity, integrity in all personal relationships, fidelity in marriage and celibacy in singleness, social responsibility, and growth in grace and the knowledge and love of God. What is your understanding of this agreement?
Explain the role and significance of the sacraments in the ministry to which you have been called.

A New Kind of Christian - Book Review

2007-01-04T11:09:00.001-06:00

The following document is a part of my 2007 Goals. I would enjoy hearing your comments and feedback. Enjoy!

Conard 1

Andrew Conard

The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection

2 January 2007

A New Kind of Christian

In this paper, I will attempt to summarize some of the central themes of A New Kind of Christian, by Brian D. McLaren, and reflect on the significance and application to the United Methodist Church and the local church to which I am currently appointed, The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection.

A New Kind of Christian Christian theology, discipleship and ecclesiology during the current time. McLaren asserts that a shift in worldview is currently taking place among certain cultures. This shift is from a modern worldview to a post-modern worldview. The era of the modern worldview began around the year 1500 and the era of the post-modern worldview began around the year 2000. Worldview encompasses many aspects of culture and society and has a deep impact on the life and practices of Christians living in the era in which a particular worldview is dominant. The times of transition around 1500 and 2000 both involved changes in communication technology, scientific worldview, epistemology, transportation technologies, economic system, military technology, and an attack on dominant authorities with defensive reaction.^¹ The implications that a change in worldview has for Christianity are primarily addressed through ongoing conversations between two of the characters in the book, Neo and Dan. The first person quotes below are from the characters of the book.

The transition that took place around the year 1500 was a transition from the medieval to modern worldview. While addressing a group of students, Neo emphasizes the effect that worldview has on Christianity:

“To the Christian culture of medieval Europe, none of you today could be considered real Christians. True, you might say that you believe in Jesus and that you follow the Bible - but that would sound like nonsense to them if at the same time you denied what to them was essential for any reasonable person to accept: the medieval worldview, which was the context for their faith.”^²

McLaren asserts that a similar conclusion can posited for the transition from modernity to post-modernity. In some communities of faith, the modern worldview has become so much a part of the Christian life that the worldview is understood as essential to faith in Jesus Christ. Christians have always lived their faith in specific times and places. It is the responsibility of Christians today to find practices that that are true to the gospel and also relevant in the world in which they are living.

“I firmly believe that the top question of the new century and new millennium is not just whether Christianity is rational, credible, and essentially true (all of which I believe it is) but whether it can be powerful, redemptive, authentic, and good, whether it can change lives, demonstrate reconciliation and community, serve as a catalyst for the kingdom, and lead to a desirable future.”^³

Application for The United Methodist Church

I believe that the topics and themes addressed in this book have application and relevance for The United Methodist Church (UMC). One applicable theme is the importance of an ecclesiology that is appropriate for the present time.

“I want you to invest your lives not in keeping the old ship afloat but in designing and building and sailing a new ship for new adventures in a new time in history, as intrepid followers of Jesus Christ.”^⁴

It is more important to explore and begin to implement systems and structures within the denomination that will be effective in the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ. This is more important than spending time and energy on maintaining current structures. “Maybe you do both - create incremental improvement of your existing services and at the same time innovate by creating new ways of ‘doing business.’”^⁵ This is important at both the denominational and local level.

Another key theme from A New Kind of Christian that is applicable to the UMC is recognition of its existence among other denominations.

“The traditional churches will have to do one thing about their traditions, if they want to retain them: they will have to relativize them. They won’t be able to enforce them as being right, necessary, or biblically mandated; they will rather simply offer them as elements of their church culture that have meaning for them.”^⁶

The UMC is a part of the church of Jesus Christ that spans many denominations and understandings of the practice of faith. It is important for the UMC to offer a humble approach to living as a disciple of Jesus Christ. This approach involves: Wesleyan theology, balancing social and evangelical gospel, a particular concern for the poor and other distinct understandings and practices.

Application for The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection

I believe that the topics and themes addressed in this book have application and relevance for The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection (Resurrection). McLaren writes, “We would expect that the best modern churches in history exist today, right at the time when the modern world is passing, much like the world of the horse and buggy in 1910.”^⁷ I believe that Resurrection currently exists as an excellent modern church that is in transition toward being in mission and ministry within and to the postmodern world.

I believe that Resurrection has great potential to be a catalyst for change within the United Methodist Church toward being a church in focused on mission and making disciples of Jesus Christ in a postmodern context. This will be accomplished through intentional action to reach those generations that are not currently being effectively reached.

Additional Quotations

“Our interpretations reveal less about God or the Bible than they do about ourselves.”^⁹
“What a relief to have a third alternative - to read the Bible as a premodern text, emerging from a people who believed that truth is best embodied in story and art and human flesh rather than abstraction or outline or moralism. We relieve the biblical writers of having to conform to modern expectations.”^¹⁰
“I would say stop counting conversions, because our whole approach to conversion is so, I don’t know, mechanistic and consumeristic and individualistic and controlling. Instead, I’d encourage us to count conversations, because conversation implies a real relationship, and if we make our goal to establish relationships and engage in authentic conversations, I know that conversions will happen.”^¹¹
“A tangent - talking about God for pay always threatens to work against really loving God … So getting paid to love God can make it hard to love God. That’s why I believe that whatever new kinds of Christian spirituality and spiritual formation may be about, they should focus on the practices “done in secret” that no one sees.”^¹²
“Now stop speculating about hell and start living for heaven!”^¹³
“So salvation is joining God’s mission instead of trying to live by our own selfish personal agenda.”^¹⁴
“The issue is following Jesus, joining him in his adventure and mission of saving the world and expressing God’s love.”^¹⁵
“Spirituality focuses on the “holy” part. But it is not just about individual spirituality (as was the case in modernity, where everything was privatized, atomized, individualized). The spirituality itself is communal. … In these ways, through private and communal spiritual disciplines, we become unique, holy people.”^¹⁶
“As to your question, when people draw a small circle that excludes me or those I love, I try to draw a bigger circle that includes them.”^¹⁷
“Whichever path you choose, go to the front edge, the curl of the wave, the wild frontier, and throw your life and efforts there. That’s where we need you!”^¹⁸
“Community means that we create a place of belonging where people can learn to believe the good news, belong to a community that is learning to behave (or live) by it, and become (together) a living example of it.”^¹⁹
“But in my thinking, both spirituality and community flow into mission. Mission is the “apostolic” dimension of the church - “mission” and “apostolic” simply being Latin and Greek ways of saying that we are sent.”^²⁰
“That suggests to me that we would make our church services less about preparing to do something spiritual at home on their own and and actually doing something spiritual here and now.”^²¹
“The church doesn’t exist to satisfy the consumer demands of believers; the church exists to equip and mobilize men and women for God’s mission in the world.”^²²

Bibliography

McLaren, Brian D. A New Kind of Christian. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2001.

1 McClaren, A New Kind of Christian, 29-31.

2 McClaren, 34.

3 McClaren, 154.

4 McClaren, 38.

5 McClaren, 148.

6 McClaren, 147.

7 McClaren, 43.

8 McClaren, 29-31.

9 McClaren, 50.

10 McClaren, 159.

11 McClaren, 109.

12 McClaren, 117.

13 McClaren, 126.

14 McClaren, 132.

15 McClaren, 132.

16 McClaren, 155.

17 McClaren, 158.

18 McClaren, 164.

19 McClaren, 155.

20 McClaren, 155.

21 McClaren, 121.

22 McClaren, 157.

2007 Goals

2007-01-02T13:54:00.000-06:00

A portion of one of my goals for 2007 includes:

Reading books on the subject of the emerging movement within the Christian church and writing a two page summary of the book to include: summary of themes, possible applications and relevance to the United Methodist Church and possible applications and relevance to The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection.

I will post the book reviews on this site as I complete them. Feedback and comments would be appreciated.

History of Religion

2006-12-21T15:39:00.001-06:00

A post at churchrelevance.com brought my attention to a visual representation of the geopgraphy of religion over 5000 years. I found it to be a fascinating look at broad sweeps of history. You can find this 90 second clip at Maps of War via this link. Thanks, Kent.

Candlelight Christmas Eve - Preparation

2006-12-20T10:40:00.000-06:00

My office at the church is just down the hall from the office work room. Every Thursday afternoon I hear the thump-thump-thump of the risograph machine churning out Sermon Notes and Study Guides and Prayer Guides for the bulletin. This week, however, production has started for Candlelight Christmas Eve bulletins and will continue through tomorrow.

19,100 bulletins are being produced for the weekend. If predictions are accurate for attendance 1 in every 100 people in the Kansas City metro area will attend a Christmas Eve service here at Resurrection. It is things like this that remind me there are many distinct things about this place - God is at work.

Regardless of numbers in a particular congregation, Christmas Eve is one of the greatest opportunities to reach unchurched people with the good news of Jesus Christ. My prayers are that people will hear again or for the first time the story of the birth of Jesus and recognize that this story is for them. This is also my prayer for myself.

FaithWork

2006-12-18T13:05:00.001-06:00

On Saturday, I was able to take part in a mission project with my small group. At The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, one of the entry level mission opportunities is called FaithWork. It was a great experience. We arrived on Saturday morning, signed up for one of about a dozen projects that were

available, received driving directions and the name of a contact person when we arrived.

We drove downtown to City Union Mission. My wife, Nicole, and I served in the Christmas Store, which is a space set up to distribute Christmas gifts to low income families. An individual signed up, received an appointment time, and chose a particular number of gifts to be wrapped and delivered on December 22. I enjoyed the time and opportunity to practice my faith.

Cherry Vanilla Scented Windshield Fluid

2006-12-14T11:38:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I purchased windshield washer fluid for my vehicle. When I went to the local auto store and asked for windshield washer fluid, they pointed me to a stack of boxes. There were two choices: evergreen and cherry vanilla. They were both windshield fluid with de-icer. However, I had never considered the possibility of having something scented for the outside of my vehicle. In addition to a clean windshield, is it necessary to have one that smells fresh?

Does this happen in the church? Are there times when yours or other congregations engage in activities or ministries that do not truly assist in the congregation's vision and mission and in making disciples of Jesus Christ? Consider what is truly important. In the words of Bishop Scott Jones - "The main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing." That is... Making disciples of Jesus Christ.

Hospital Visits

2006-12-12T17:12:00.001-06:00

Tuesday is my assigned day for hospital visits. Each of the pastors of Congregational Care has a particular day to which we are assigned to visit people in the hospital, pray before surgery, etc. Today I had five visits in four different and traveled forty miles. This has been the busiest day for me thus far for hospital visits.

It is truly a blessing to be with people during this time. Being a representative of God and God's presence is a special blessing and responsibility. Being in a hospital brings an immediacy to events and circumstances. There is the history of the individual and then the next steps. Sometimes there is:

waiting for test results.
waiting for further treatment.
wondering what might be next.
preparing to go home.
preparing for death.

Each of these is important and has a place in our Christian life. The blessing of Advent is anticipating Christ's coming into our lives - in hospital or home.

Church Names and Clarifications

2006-12-11T15:32:00.000-06:00

In this blog, I tend to use different names when referring to particular communities. Language is important and I want to try to clarify what I mean. References may include the following:
community of faith - a gathering of people united by a particular faith. This could be of any faith tradition.
the church - the universal church of Jesus Christ, incorporating Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, and other communities of disciples of Jesus Christ.
local church - a particular gathering of people united by a particular faith. Most often, I use this term in reference to particular congregations of Christian denominations.
United Methodist Church - the particular Christian denomination of which I am a part. (www.umc.org)

What have you found to be the most helpful name or reference for a religious organization in which you participate?

Cultural Awareness

2006-12-06T17:52:00.000-06:00

An article titled "Pastors less informed about popular culture than are the people in their churches" was recently brought to my attention in this post by Kent at Church Relevance. From the article at Ellison Research:

Sellers [Ron Sellers, President of Ellison Research] also noted that one criticism people often have about churches is that they are out of touch with the world around them. “The data shows ministers are, generally speaking, not all that informed about the culture in which they seek to minister. The people in the pews feel much more informed about the internet, movies, videogames, and other expressions of popular culture than do their pastors. People are definitely impacted by the culture they consume – the web sites they visit or the music they listen to, for instance. Pastors need to be informed about what’s out there in order to understand how the culture is influencing the people they are trying to reach,” Sellers said.

It is important for both congregations and pastors to be aware of what is happening in the surrounding culture. In all times and places, Christians have lived out their faith in a particular context that affects their life and practices. It is my understanding that this is one of the concerns of the emerging movement - to present the gospel of Jesus Christ in a way that it can be heard and received in a particular time, place and culture.

My Response to Embers of the Fire

2006-12-05T21:34:00.000-06:00

In a previous post, Embers of the Fire, I posed several questions in regards to revitalization of churches. My responses are...
Do these reflections apply to your community of faith?
I believe that these reflections apply to my current community of faith. At this time, the local church of which I am a part is considering ways that the fruit of ministry that is being produced through the congregation can be spread to other churches so that the mainline church might be revitalized. The local church of which I am a part can be one small part of that revival - reigniting the fire.

Is your community of faith producing more heat than light?
I believe that, at this time, my community of faith is producing more light than heat - existing and living as an effective and active part of God's Kingdom on earth.

When a church is not in a period of growth, how can the energy that is present be harnessed for new growth?
Honoring the past and looking for the next faithful step. The next step for a local church will come from what it has been from the past and move it forward. (From Church Leadership class at Wesley Theological Seminary taught by Dr. Lovett Weems)

What is the best way to share momentum in making disciples with other communities of faith?
One of the most effective ways may be for individuals and leaders that are apart of a community that is actively living in and into God's Kingdom to go to other local churches or communities and to take some of the values and practices with them to share with others.

Is it more effective to start new churches or revitalize existing ones? Or both?
I think both are necessary for the making of disciples of Jesus Christ.

John Henry Faulk's Christmas Story

2006-12-04T10:08:00.000-06:00

While home for Thanksgiving, John Henry Faulk’s Christmas Story was shared with my family. I want to share this beautiful Christmas story with you. This narrative touches on some of the themes of the gospel: concern for the poor, equality of all races, and making room for all at the table. From the beginning of the audio file:

In 1974, the NPR program Voices in the Wind first broadcast “The Christmas Story” written and read by John Henry Faulk. Faulk died in 1990. In 1994, we pulled the tape from our archives and put it on the air at Christmas. You loved his story and his reading of it so much that it has become an annual tradition on our show. So it is our pleasure to continue that tradition today.

I hope that listening to this narrative will become a tradition for me each Christmas. You can find the audio file and more information here. Enjoy.

Ortho - what?

2006-11-30T14:12:00.000-06:00

During Staff Chapel on November 30, Adam Hamilton spoke on Part IV of Thomas Merton's Life and Holiness.
On page 73 of Life and Holiness, Thomas Merton writes:

It is quite possible to "believe in Christ," in the sense of mentally accepting the truth that he lived on earth, died, and rose from the dead, and yet still live "in the flesh," according to the standards of a greedy, violent, unjust and corrupt society, without noticing any real contradiction in one's life. But the real meaning of faith is the rejction of everything that is not Christ in order that all life, all truth, all hope, all reality may be sought and found "in Christ." (Merton, Thomas. Life and Holiness. New York: Image Books Doubleday, 1963.)

There is a difference between each of the following:

Orthodoxy - right belief
Orthopraxy - right practice
Orthopathos - right feelings

Orthopathos particularly made an impression on me. I had not considered what it meant to have right feelings about God. Right feelings and the right attitude - an openness to God's action in one's life and the ability to simply trust God. You can assent to and do the "right things" but without faith and trust in God there is something lacking in our life of faith. Christian discipleship is a call to giving all that we are to God in a way that goes beyond our thoughts and actions.

Internet Search and Reputation

2006-11-30T13:01:00.000-06:00

I read a post by Cory Miller at Church Communications Pro that piqued my interest. Cory's post, Houston, rather [Insert Your City Name Here], We Have a Problem, starts with this sentence:

Humor me and try an experiment … go to Google and type in "church" and see what site gets top billing in the coveted No. 1 spot.

This reminded me of stories of preaching in the market square where different types of people would meet and hear the gospel. Is the internet that place [market square] for people across the globe? Does it make a difference make where a particular denomination, organization or community of faith falls in the rankings of a search engine?

There are many other things that contribute to the impression of the local church held by individuals not connected to it. Internet presence and search ranking is two things, but there are many other and perhaps more important considerations, including but certainly not limited to:

activity in the community
relationships with other organizations
interactions between members and non-members
location of facility
appearance of facility

I think that it is important for a local church to have a good reputation in the surrounding community. This helps to remove barriers that may prevent people from hearing the gospel. How does a local church create a positive impression on the surrounding community?

Resources for Learning

2006-11-29T15:30:00.000-06:00

I am always looking for ways that I can continue to learn while being in a full time ministry setting. It has been a transition from being a seminary student to a setting where being I have found it a challenge to make time for study. My plan to be more intentional about study is coming along, but I still have work to be done.

In addition to reading, I have been listening to podcasts while working on other tasks while I am at work. I was recently introduced to a Creative Synergy Podcast. This podcast is self described as "a relevant resource to inspire and influence church leaders." Thus far, I have found this to be an accurate description. I have listened to the three episodes that they have out so far, and have been impressed. Recommended.

Embers of the Fire

2006-11-28T16:21:00.000-06:00

These are some reflections on the life of a denomination or individual church that initially began at a campfire on the night of November 6. I will begin with observations of a scene, pose questions related to the church and respond to these questions in a future post.

When there is a fire that is burning brightly there will be a point when the fire will begin to die down. At that point, fresh logs could be added to keep the fire burning. If the fire has burned down significantly, there are still embers that contain a lot of energy that can be harnessed for new fire. As the embers burn down, they begin to produce more heat than light and if they are spread out will burn out quickly.

What if you want to move the fire to another location? How can fire be spread to other areas? If you removed just one burning log or ember, it may burn out or it may be successful in starting a new fire. What if you took away half of the logs and embers to start a new fire. It would carry a greater likelihood of success in the new fire and would also significantly alter the initial fire. This would enable two new fires to be well lighted, but neither the new fire nor the one that remained would be as it was before.

Do these reflections apply to your community of faith?
Is your community of faith producing more heat than light?
When a church is not in a period of growth, how can the energy that is present be harnessed for new growth?
What is the best way to share momentum in making disciples with other communities of faith?
Is it more effective to start new churches or revitalize existing ones? Or both?

Always Ready

2006-11-21T11:34:00.000-06:00

This morning I visited a member of the congregation before surgery. I was a little bit later arriving to the hospital than I was hoping. I spoke with the woman behind the desk in the surgery reception area and she said that it would be a few minutes before I would be able to go back to see the member. I sat down to wait, and in a few minutes the woman came out to get me just before the member was headed into surgery. I was able to read scripture and pray with the member.

On my way out of the hospital, I realized that I had not taken time to thank the woman for making sure that I was able to visit before surgery. I went back to say thank you, and she said that she was a member of the Church of the Resurrection, where I am appointed. We had a short conversation about the church and then I went on my way.

I was surprised that she was a member of the congregation that I serve, although in a large setting I have found that it is not uncommon to not recognize members of the congregation. This brought some questions to my mind:

What does a Christian witness look like in every day life (grocery store, bank, etc.)?
As a Christian, how ready are you on a daily basis to be a and give witness to Jesus Christ?

This morning I found myself prepared for a specific interaction (pre-surgery) and not as prepared for the interaction as pastor with the woman in the reception area. I believe that Christians are all called to live our lives as witness to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior in all of our interactions.

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. (1 Peter 3:15, TNIV).

Local and Global

2006-11-15T18:04:00.001-06:00

Different communities of Christians may consider themselves to exist in several ways. One of the characterizations might be the following:

Individual faith communities are local incarnations of a global movement of disciples of Jesus Christ.
A global movement of disciples of Jesus Christ is made up of local faith communities.

I recognize that this is an over-simplification, but it does make me think about what it means to be the church. Denominations are another group which are partially addressed in both of these groups. It is important that local faith communities see themselves as a part of a global movement, and at the same time there is no global movement without individual communities of faith. I believe that both understandings are necessary.
What do you think...

Is a community of which you are a part consider its existence predominantly in one or the other of these groupings?
Is one of these characterizations more appropriate than the other?
How is a global movement lived out in a particular context?
How do local communities change and influence a global movement?

Revitalization of a Denomination

2006-11-15T17:25:00.000-06:00

For revitalization to take place within the United Methodist Church I believe that there will need to be changes that take place from top down and bottom up. I was alerted to the article "Global nature task force proposes a U.S. central conference" by RevFife via the methoblog. Some of the first paragraphs in the article are:

The proposal introduced to the United Methodist Council of Bishops on Nov. 3 would end the current system that splits the United States from the central conferences that govern the church outside the United States and would revise the United Methodist Book of Discipline into a "truly general book of doctrine, mission and discipline, deleting all portions that apply only to the United States." The existing U.S. jurisdictional conferences would exist within a U.S. Central Conference.The proposal would group all five U.S. jurisdictions into one central conference, putting it on par with the central conferences already in existence. If approved, the changes would take effect in 2012 (A UMNS Report by Linda Green).

My perception is that this proposal addresses the issue, among others, that change in the denominational structure may be necessary for revitalization within the United Methodist Church. In addition, it is imporant for the United Methodist Church to continue to move toward self-understanding and acting in mission as a global denomination.

What do you think...

For the revitalization of the United Methodist Church, are changes more effective at the denominational level or the local level?
Does your faith community operate as a local incarnation of a global movement?
Does this proposal help fulfill the mission of the Church - to make disciples of Jesus Christ?

What do you wear?

2006-11-14T17:09:00.000-06:00

As a pastor in a local United Methodist church there are certain things that I have with me every day:

Bible
Name tag for shirt
Key badge on belt
Wallet
Mobile phone

If I leave home without any of these items I will return to get them. Sometimes I feel that these things that are not really necessary for the work of the Kingdom of God. There are certainly the practicalities of ministry that call for these things, but what do we really need? Perhaps some words from the Bible could provide guidance...

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, gainst the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm them, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in placer and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:11-17, TNIV)

The state of our spirit, our willingness to serve and commitment to follow Jesus Christ are more important than the physical things that we carry with us every day. What do you wear or have with you every day?

Kansas Area Strategic Plans

2006-11-13T17:04:00.000-06:00

I grew up in the Kansas West Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and am currently serving in the Kansas City area which is a part of the Kansas East Annual Conference. Both of the conferences were challenged by our Bishop Scott Jones to undertake a vision process guided by the following strategic questions

How can we strengthen our existing congregations?
How can we start more and stronger new congregations?
How can we better serve ethnic minority persons in Kansas?
How can we strengthen student ministries?

Responses to these questions have taken shape in both the East and the West conferences. I am excited by the way that these questions have led to continued conversation about the mission of the church and the impact that the United Methodists can make in Kansas for God's Kingdom. I also think that these questions are applicable beyond United Methodism and beyond Kansas.

How are / might these questions shape your ministry?
What other questions would you ask with the purpose of making and forming disciples of Jesus Christ?

Pray-as-you-go

2006-11-09T09:24:00.000-06:00

It is good to get back to church from the time away during the retreat. However, whenever I return to the daily routine it seems as if there is endless catch up to accomplish. One of the things that I find that necessary and helpful is to to take a time of rest and recenter on God in the middle of the day. A daily prayer session from Pray-as-you-go has become a part of my daily routine. I subscribe with iTunes and listen through my computer. The following information is from the Pray-as-you-go website under the section "what's in it?"

A new prayer session is produced every day. It is not a 'Thought for the Day', a sermon or a bible-study, but rather a framework for your own prayer.

Lasting between ten and twelve minutes, it combines music, scripture and some questions for reflection. The aim is to help you to:
become more aware of God's presence in your life
listen to and reflect on God's word
grow in your relationship with God.
It is produced by Jesuit Media Initiatives, with material written by a number of British Jesuits and other experts in the spirituality of St Ignatius of Loyola.

I usually enter into this time of prayer after I finish lunch. It forces me to remember that whatever may seem pressing at the time is not as important as time with God.

Poverty in Kansas City

2006-11-07T10:29:00.000-06:00

This morning we heard from a representative of Community LINC in Kansas City about some of the issues surrounding poverty. Now we are preparing to move into a time of discussing the 2007 Strategic Objectives for the church.

Staff Bonding

2006-11-06T23:05:00.000-06:00

There is nothing quite like playing games late into the night to bond a staff group. Just being able to interact in things that are not project / staff / mission related is a great benefit. After our time of solitude and study, we had dinner, took a hayrack ride and ended at a campfire. Around the campfire we shared in worship, considered what a focus on poverty in 2007 would look like, and of course - toasted marshmallows for s'mores. I know that the experience in this time away will make a positive impact on how I interact with other staff members in the future.

A Calendar of Purpose

2006-11-06T15:49:00.000-06:00

We just finished a time of looking at the calendar of events for 2007. I am amazed at the level of future planning. I have never been in a setting where the entire year is pretty well planned by the previous November. I found myself even thinking - it would be worthwhile to begin looking at events two or three years out.

The next level of discourse was centered around this question is how do each of these activities / events line up with the purpose of the Church of the Resurrection:

To build a Christian community where non-religious and nominally religious people are becoming deeply committed Christians.

The idea of this analysis or question is as one of the discipleship staff said - "We are not trying to call people into activity, but leading people into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ." Now is a time of solitude and reflection...

2006 Staff Retreat

2006-11-06T13:08:00.000-06:00

I am currently on a retreat with the director level staff of Church of the Resurrection at the Tall Oaks Conference Center in Linwood, Kansas. It is a beautiful setting - wooded campground and a cool fall day. I was not sure quite what to expect yesterday when planning and packing for the experience. The schedule includes time for assessment of particular items from the past year and planning for the year to come. Also time for solitude, reflection, fellowship, worship, and communion. Thus far it has been a time of balanced work and rest, which is great. It has been quite valuable for me to get away from the normal setting of ministry to just relax and think about the coming year. I will continue to write and reflect on the experience. The ongoing planning and visioning is an area that I am excited to learn about and experience.

Reading Adventure

2006-11-05T21:30:00.000-06:00

In an attempt to better share my journey of reading and study, I have included a list of books that I have recently completed and the one which I am currently reading in the sidebar. Look for it at the bottom on the right. I will continue to update this section as I move forward in study and learning.

Sacred and Secular Partnerships

2006-11-01T15:16:00.001-06:00

I am curious about the potential for partnerships between secular and sacred organizations in the emerging culture. In such partnerships, I think that the mission of each organization could be advanced and also something new created that was not there before. I recently listened to The Secret Message of Jesus as a book on CD and I recall phrase from Brian McLaren that I will do my best to paraphrase - "We should not be concerned as much about the contamination that we might pick up, but instead focused on the good that might influence others." The reference was to individual actions, but I think that it could apply to organizations as well - churches, denominations, etc.

The case study that brought this to my mind came a few weeks ago, I read about Nothing But Nets in a United Methodist publication. From their website:

Nothing But Nets is a grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa. While the UN Foundation has been working with the UN to fight malaria for years, it was a column that Rick Reilly wrote about malaria in Sports Illustrated, challenging each of his readers to donate at least $10 for the purchase of an anti-malaria bed nets -- and the incredible response from thousands of Americans across the country -- that led to the creation the Nothing But Nets campaign.

What do you think? Are such partnerships helpful? Do they fit within the mission of the church?

Fall Leaves and Church Stages

2006-11-01T13:49:00.000-06:00

As I was driving to the shop this morning to drop my car off for some necessary work, I was struck by the vibrance of some of the trees - their leaves were positively bursting with color. I began to think about the seasons and how each has distinctive characteristics. For trees, spring can be a time of new growth, summer a time of steady growth and stable existence, in fall leaves are lost and preparations for winter begin, and the time during winter can be a time of dormancy waiting for the new growth.

As a result of the fall colors, I began to think about trees as a way to think about the church universal and the United Methodist Church. There are certainly different seasons in the life of individual communities of faith and in denominations or organizations as a whole. There are times of new growth, steady growth, stable existence, losing leaves, preparations for and finally dormancy. However, I think that there is at least one distinct difference in this comparison.

Whereas trees go through the cycle of the seasons as a single organism and with a similar cycle in all surrounding trees, the church may be experiencing different stages (new growth, stable existence, etc.) concurrently. I also think that this is scalable. In these examples, I use thriving as a characteristic, but I believe that it would hold true for any of the stages mentioned above. For example:

Particular denominations and groups may be thriving in the church universal.
Particular communities / congregations may be thriving within denominations and groups.
Particular ministries may be thriving within communities / congregations.
Particular individuals may be thriving within particular ministries.

Questions for all is: How can new growth that is emerging be nurtured? How can those parts of the body of Christ that are thriving spread healthy and faithful practice to others? How can those parts that are dormant be revitalized?

Discipline of Reading and Study

2006-10-31T12:45:00.000-06:00

In the past week, I was challenged by one of my colleagues in ministry to set aside a regular time of reading and study during my day. I previously had not been pursuing this discipline. As a result of that discussion, I have set aside one hour each day to read and study. This project began last week, and I have not always been successful in this endeavor. However I believe that a plan is the first step to move toward getting it done.

I believe that it is an important responsibility of clergy and church leaders to continue in efforts to be educated and grow in spirit and knowledge. It is my hope that the habits of learning that I established during my time in seminary will be able to continue so that I will be a life long learner.

As a part of the process of creating a method / discipline of reading and study, I decided to begin with the books that are currently in my collection. I made a list of the books that I currently have in my collection that I have not read. I discovered that I have not read 40% of the books that I currently own. It is easy for me to find books that I would like to read, but not easy to find time to read. I have made the decision that I will read all of the books that I currently own before I buy any new books. It may be over a year to reach this goal.

Ready to Respond?

2006-10-27T22:09:00.000-05:00

I had an interesting experience tonight that has made me think. This evening I had a wedding rehearsal and afterward I went out to eat with two of my cousins at a restaurant on the Plaza. I left immediately after the rehearsal and went straight to the restaurant. It wasn't until we sat down at the table did I realize that I still had my name tag on. I actually didn't recognize it, but had it pointed out to me when the following short conversation took place.

Hostess: "Oh, I see that you are a reverend."
Me: "Yeah, that's right. Does that mean that I get a discount?"

As I have reflected on it - this is a very poor response. This could have lead at least to identifying at what church I serve, perhaps an invitation to worship, or even a brief faith statement. This incident has made me think about how ready I am to talk about faith. I feel a need to be more ready to tell about my faith in all circumstances and times. There are different ways to be ready to tell about one's faith and the good news of Jesus Christ in different circumstances. I could have done better in this case.

How Rich are You?

2006-10-26T15:06:00.000-05:00

A post from KC One Campaign brough my attention to the Global Rich List. I was amazed at the result. I knew in my head that myself and many people living in the developed world (even having access to a computer to read this article) are among the very richest people in the world. This graphical representation of where I fall in income among the global population was sobering. Two organizations that I know of which are working to fight global poverty are The One Campaign and Oxfam.

One of the strategic objectives at Church of the Resurrection for 2007 is: "We will inspire, equip and deploy members of the church in ministry to the community and in witness for Jesus Christ. Develop a comprehensive approach to address the root causes of poverty within our community" (The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection 2007 Strategic Objectives). I am excited to see how this objective will take shape in the year to come. I am also seeking ways that I can become more aware and active in this area in my own life.

Time and Balance

2006-10-24T13:48:00.000-05:00

Last night I heard on the radio that today, October 24, is Take Back Your Time Day. This is an awareness day organized by Take Back Your Time. From their website:

"TAKE BACK YOUR TIME is a major U.S./Canadian initiative to challenge the epidemic of overwork, over-scheduling and time famine that now threatens our health, our families and relationships, our communities and our environment."

I believe that this organization is on target with this mission. I find in my own life that time seems to be the most precious commodity and often do not rest as I should. I am convicted by this message. However, I believe that there could be a theological / biblical underpinning:

"By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work" (Genesis 2:2, TNIV).

This verse can provide for us a model of rest and being able to know that one's work is done. Also, in John's account of the gospel of Jesus Christ, Jesus tells a story of a shepherd and sheep. Then proclaims:

"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10, TNIV).

I believe that living life to the full involves living with a balanced amount of time and energy committed to that in which we are involved. In addition, living life to the full is experienced when we see and do everything out of an understanding of God and God's action in the world and in our lives. This post is written for myself before it is written for anyone else.

Fasting and Spiritual Disciplines

2006-10-23T16:16:00.000-05:00

The topic of fasting was brought to my mind by Gordon in his post: "You Shall Not Live By Bread Alone". I have pursued the discipline of fasting at several times in the past. I have found that fasting is a discipline that does not necessarily produce fruit in a single instance. It takes the continued habit over a period of time. I suppose that is the purpose and meaning behind the understanding of spiritual disciplines. These are things that become a part of our life and over time become a natural part of our lives.

A resource that I have found particularly useful in both the understanding and practice of fasting and other spiritual disciplines is Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster. I recommend this book to those seeking a better understanding of spiritual disciplines and how they might become a part of our walk with God.

Transitions

2006-10-17T16:58:00.000-05:00

Having been through many transitions personally in the past few months, I was particularly intrigued by the post on the Emerging Women blog - Coming of Age Rituals in the EC. I agree that perhaps there may be more ways in which the church could mark the coming of age of individuals. In some churches, confirmation is a time at which individuals begin to decrease their participation in church to return later when they have children of their own. What are ways in which a ritual or ceremony could become more meaningful both for the individual and in the life of the community? Perhaps this would simply mean recognizing the significance of current ritual.

William Bridges has written a book on various life transitions - Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes that I have found useful and instructive in times of transition.

Into the Future

2006-10-16T17:21:00.000-05:00

"Let's say that instead of the present being pushed into the future by the past, that the past is being pushed out of the present by the future that is constantly rushing in." (McClaren, Brian. The Story We Find Ourselves In. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2003. p. 148)

I have been reading the The Story We Find Ourselves In and have been enthralled by the treatment of the future of the world. The idea that is presented in the above quote and extrapolated in the chapter is that God is calling the world into the future. The future that we pray for in the Lord's Prayer "thy kingdom come." I think that this way of thinking about God's work in the world is compelling. It is an active involvement that both allows the world to continue on a path and drawing the world toward a particular end.

2006-10-03T14:30:00.000-05:00

In the past few months, I have become more interested in the emerging church conversation that is taking place in various places within Christianity. I have currently been reading through a series of books written by Brian McClaren. I just finished A New Kind of Christian and am started on The Story We Find Ourselves In. I am intrigued by the ideas and thoughts about Christianity that are presented in these books so far. Have you read either of these books?

In addition, the UMerging Colloquy is “a gathering of United Methodists interested in the Emerging Church conversation.” (UMerging Colloquy Schedule). I will be taking part in this colloquy and am looking forward to the conversations that will be taking place. For more information visit: http://www.umerging.org/. Do you have any thoughts on emerging worship / church? Send me an email and let me know if you are interested in this conversation.

Pastorate N-R

2006-08-30T14:29:00.000-05:00

Hello out there, this is the first post to a possible Pastorate blog.