John the Methodist

Sermons: Sanctity of Human Life Sunday

2012-01-23T12:41:00.002-06:00

Based on Proverbs 6:16-19, preached on Sunday, January 22, 2012 at Wesley United Methodist Church of McKinney:

Pro-life United Methodists should check out Lifewatch.

If you want to help women choose life and offer recovery concealing to women who have undergone abortion, support the Hope Resource Center of McKinney, TX.

To voice your support for life, marriage, and religious liberty, read and sign the Manhattan Declaration.

Covenant Sunday Sermon

2012-01-23T12:27:00.001-06:00

Based on Romans Genesis 15. Preached at Wesley United Methodist Church in McKinney, TX on Sunday, January 15, 2015 as part of a Covenant Renewal Service.

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A Call to Prayer and Fasting

2011-12-19T11:05:00.004-06:00

To the people of Wesley United Methodist Church:

Dear Wesleyans,

As you have probably heard by now, Kim Jung-Il, the repressive, anti-Christian dictator of North Korea who grew rich and built nuclear weapons while starving his own people, has died- sending the country into uncertainty and intrigue.

What you may not realize is that South Korea is home to perhaps the most motivated and passionate Christian community presently on the globe. South Korean churches have been praying for God to give them a chance to work freely in the North- to give care and comfort to the poor, to preach the Gospel, and to make disciples for Jesus Christ.

In this link, http://www.persecution.com/public/restrictednations.aspx?clickfrom=bWFpbl9tZW51, You can learn much about the plight of North Koreans, especially Christians, under the current Communist system.

Brothers and sisters, this is a critical moment not only on the Korean peninsula, but the world.

I am asking every member of Wesley UMC to pray today and every day for the next week that God would open doors for missionary work in North Korea. I am also asking that all of us set aside tomorrow as a day of fasting. Let us resolve to go before the throne of God on behalf of our brothers and sisters under persecution in North Korea and for our sisters and brothers in South Korea who stand ready to serve as the hands and feet of Christ if only they could get the chance.

This Christmas, may Jesus be proclaimed loudly in North Korea and throughout the world.

Grace and Peace,

John

Sermons - Advent 1, Hope

2011-12-01T10:42:00.001-06:00

Based on Romans 5:1-5. Preached at Wesley United Methodist Church in McKinney, TX on Sunday, November 27, 2011.

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December Letter To My Church

2011-12-01T10:18:00.001-06:00

Dear Wesleyans,

Years ago, I spent the summer as youth director at a small town church out in West Texas. A few weeks into my time there, I met a 15 year old named George through the High School summer program.

George was from the wrong family, in the wrong side of town, with no mother around, a father of no reputation, and a brother awaiting trial for murder. George himself was no stranger to the police and to school officials. The whole town could see the path he was on. Yet the Holy Spirit kept telling me that there was something to this young man which was being over-looked. I spent the next few weeks convincing George to come to youth group.

The first time he came to church, he walked right in the door of the sanctuary for Sunday worship. Some folks stared. There were lots of whispers and a little pointing. When he sat in the pew with the other High School youth, they were clearly uncomfortable. After church, I fielded plenty of phone calls from concerned church members. Wouldn’t George be a bad influence on the other kids? What if he makes trouble? What if he steals something? What will be Baptists say about us with him hear?

George had a sense of what folks felt about him, but he seemed drawn to the church anyway. He came to UMYF, Sunday School, Sunday morning worship, Sunday night worship... if the doors were open, George was there. Someone gave him a Bible, and he read the four gospels in two weeks. By mid-July, he had walked the isle, professed faith in Jesus and asked to be baptized. By August, he had started bringing six other teens with him- all of whom were from the wrong side of the tracks and with reputations of their own to overcome. George the troubled youth had, in a matter of months, become George the apostle to troubled youth. The transformation was nothing short of a miracle- something God alone can accomplish.

Beloved, there are Georges all around us: lost souls whom the Spirit is quietly planting seeds. In your family, your workplace, your school, your neighborhood- somewhere there is a George in your life- a story of redemption just waiting to find a place to happen; a child of grace waiting to find a church family that will teach them about the love of God; a saint locked in the life of a sinner, yearning to be set free if only someone would introduce them to the Savior.

As we near Christmas, let us remember that Jesus came for the Georges of the world. Let us each ask the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to see, our hearts to love, and our mouths to invite the Georges in our lives to come and worship Christ with us!

Grace and peace,
John

Unavoidable Folly?

2011-11-29T20:22:00.001-06:00

Noted United Methodist thinker Dan Dick recently posted a blog entry titled The Folly of Form Focus.

I agree with the basic premise article, but I feel strongly that he is overlooking the real issue facing Untied Methodism.

As Dan Dick points out, we are trying to make the function suite the form instead of the form to suit the function, which he rightly claims is a foolish and destructive way to make decisions. But he doesn't properly identify why we have settled on this illogical approach.

The reason is rather obvious from my vantage point: we are too theologically and ideologically divided to agree on a form from whence we can learn to function. Thus, since we can't agree on goals which could drive our practices, we have no alternative but to enshrine the practices and somehow try to make sense of them on the back side.

In the blog post he writes "to say our sense of mission and experience defines our theology is sad." And I agree. But if we did it the right way around and first defined our theology so as to then discern our mission, what would result?

The result would be the endless, tail-chasing debates we frequently have experienced for over a generation. The sad reality is that we don't have enough theological consensus to build mission upon.

So instead, the General Conference and the Bishops select mission goals and tell all camps to somehow squeeze themselves and their theology into the plan of action and somehow make us all fit together.

For all the complaints raised in Dan Dick's post, all of which I agree with by the way, I still must conclude that if we are to remain together as a single denomination, we must do so by using the very backwards-thinking approaches which he and I and, no doubt, many other other United Methodists find distasteful. Holding our noses and wading through is our only alternative to schism.

I suppose the question we all face is, how much can we stomach before a split seems preferable? Is our perception of unity worth the price?

Sermons- Christ the King Sunday - November 20, 2011

2011-11-23T10:24:00.001-06:00

Based on Revelation 21:1-14. Preached at Wesley United Methodist Church in McKinney, TX.

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Sermons - November 13, 2011

2011-11-22T16:24:00.001-06:00

Based on Revelation 3:14-22 and preached at Wesley United Methodist Church in McKinney, TX.

Revelation 3:14-22

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write the following:
"This is the solemn pronouncement of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the originator of God's creation:

'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot!So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth!Because you say, "I am rich and have acquired great wealth, and need nothing," but do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked,take my advice and buy gold from me refined by fire so you can become rich!

Buy from me white clothing so you can be clothed and your shameful nakedness will not be exposed, and buy eye salve to put on your eyes so you can see!All those I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent!Listen! I am standing at the door and knocking! If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come into his home and share a meal with him, and he with me.I will grant the one who conquers permission to sit with me on my throne, just as I too conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"

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Sermons - November 6, 2011

2011-11-22T16:18:00.001-06:00

Based on Revelation 3:7-13

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Some Thoughts on Inerrancy

2011-11-22T15:33:00.001-06:00

Recently in an on-line preachers forum I frequent, a debate has emerged about the doctrine of the inerrancy of the Bible. In reading and participating in the thread, it became clear to me that the definition of inerrancy is not always clear. Christians often used the term to convey very different ideas. So I offer this as an attempt to un-muddy the waters. At the very least, I want to make the case for what I view as the classical orthodox view of inerrancy, as opposed to the more Fundamentalist view of the term as well as the dismissive treatment of the term in progressive/liberal circles.

A Fundamentalist would define inerrancy as meaning that the Bible is always accurate in what it professes AND that all it professes is true in its most simplistic, literal understanding which would be immediately evident to anyone possessing the most basic literacy skills.

An orthodox person would define inerrancy as meaning that the Bible is always accurate in what it professes BUT to understand what it is professing, we need to consider the original language, genre and historical issues, and the historic witness of previous generations who have also studied these sacred texts.

A progressive person would define inerrancy as a foolish and backward way of looking at the Bible, which should instead be interpreted symbolically, spiritually, and primarily through the lens of our current cultural knowledge base and our personal experiences.

Both the Fundamentalist and the progressive place the location of right understanding in their own hands, though both would say that the Holy Spirit guides their reading.

The orthodox person holds that the Holy Spirit has been working through the text from the beginning and thus sound scholarship and a high view of historical, apostolic consensus can help us discern what the Holy Spirit is saying today. We realize that the Spirit of God never contradicts Itself and that what ever the Spirit is saying through the text today should line up with what the Spirit has already said to generations past. Thus if we arrive at some conclusion which contradicts the Great Tradition of the Church (the Creeds, historical consensus, and so forth,) we assume that we have erred and look again.

The Fundamentalist and the progressive, on the other hand, when they reach a new conclusion, they assume that it is previous generations who have erred and denounce the witness of Church history and substitute their own wisdom. In that sense I submit that the progressive and the Fundamentalist are opposite sides of the same modernistic coin, having more in common with one-another than either does to orthodoxy.

Sermons - Revelation 3:1-6

2011-11-02T11:27:00.002-05:00

Preached on Sunday, October 30, 2011 at Wesley United Methodist Church in McKinney, TX

Based on Revelation 3:1-6, which reads:

"To the angel of the church in Sardis write the following:

"This is the solemn pronouncement of the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: 'I know your deeds, that you have a reputation that you are alive, but in reality you are dead. Wake up then, and strengthen what remains that was about to die, because I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.

Therefore, remember what you received and heard, and obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come against you.

But you have a few individuals in Sardis who have not stained their clothes, and they will walk with me dressed in white, because they are worthy. The one who conquers will be dressed like them in white clothing, and I will never erase his name from the book of life, but will declare his name before my Father and before his angels. The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'

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Sermon Catch-up

2011-10-23T15:32:00.001-05:00

Sunday, October 16th, 2011

Part 3 of "Seven Letters to Seven Churches"
Based on Revelation 2:12-17
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Sunday, October 2nd, 2011

Part 2 of "Seven Letters to Seven Churches"
Based on Revelation 2:8-11
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Sunday, September 25, 2011

Part 1 of "Seven Letters to Seven Churches"
Based on Revelation 2:1-7
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Some Thoughts On Balancing Vocational Ministry and Family Life

2011-10-12T11:44:00.002-05:00

I was asked to write a paper on this topic as part of our Annual Conference's residency program and thought I'd share it here in case anyone has some feedback on how they view the topic.

Ministry Family

Bill Hinson's Bombshell Reconsidered

2011-10-05T10:42:00.000-05:00

In 2004, just months before his death, Rev. Bill Hinson, then pastor of First UMC, Houston, TX and president of the Confessing Movement, made a radical proposal to the General Conference.

He proposed creating a task force designed to help facilitate an “amicable separation.”

At the time, conservatives and liberals alike recoiled at the mere thought. “Too soon,” we said. “Schismatic,” we said. “God can still unify us again” we said. “Our polity, our love, our connection can heal this wound,” we said.

Sitting here now seven years later with the battle lines sharper and clearer than ever, with a widening gap between the two camps on the issue of human sexuality, I’m beginning to think that Hinson was right and we were wrong.

For me, the dichotomy between the intent of the General Conference and the practice of some in our connection is clear evidence that things are bound to get worse, not better. The gulf between the legislative intent of the GC on the phrase “self-avowed, practicing homosexual” and the clever and ingenious re-imagining of that phrase in the DeLong trial and verdict is startling. What’s more, we can expect that gulf to widen. Given the theological conservatism coming from Africa, I cannot foresee any liberalization in the Discipline’s wording on the subject of human sexuality. Yet given the statements coming from several Annual Conferences, neither can I imagine that the left here at home will cease looking to create loopholes in the Discipline through linguistic gymnastics or to limit penalties via Annual Conference legislation.

Consider our current path compared to the words of Bill Hinson back in 2004:"We feel that the gulf is too wide, the differences are irreconcilable—and we cannot bridge these."

Ask yourself- over the past seven years, has his warning not been proven? Has the gulf shrank in any way? Are we any closer to bridging the gap?

No, indeed, it is clear that matters are far more tense and explosive toady. Having watched the civil war in the Episcopal Church USA unfold, and witnessing even now the great conflicts and upheaval facing the Presbyterian Church USA and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, we now have a clear picture of where this road we are on will lead. Eventually, if we keep doing what we are doing, this powder keg we are sitting on will ignite. All hell will break out. And while in the end we know that someone will walk away with the brand name and the institutional assets, even the winners will walk away deeply wounded. Ask an Episcopalian or an Anglican if you don’t believe me.

Looking again at Hinson, the misunderstood prophet, we see him again correctly forecasting what we are facing and offering a solution: "So rather than having a winner or a loser here—as you would in a split—this is to be an amicable separation, so I'm sure both would continue to carry the best of Wesley's tradition."

For Hinson, the solution is obvious: a full split. Two new denominations with nothing in common but a shared past. Both would forgo the “United Methodist” brand name and head out with new names, fresh starts, and a chance to rebuild without having to go to rock-bottom first.

While I think Hinson’s model would work, I would like to suggest a slightly different one. What if we carried out a partial split? What if we created two new denominations which continued to share certain assets in common? What if both new denominations continued to hold in common our pension, health and property insurance system, publishing house, and UMCOR?

You may find what I’m suggesting just as radical as Hinson’s suggestion in 2004. But consider this: if we don’t find a way to part as friends and even limited partners, how then can we later avoid parting as enemies? And is either side served- or more importantly is Christ served- by remaining in denial until a rational, compassionate separation becomes impossible?

Sermons - Luke 15:11-32

2011-09-24T15:11:00.002-05:00

Preached on Sunday September 18, 2011 at Wesley United Methodist Church in McKinney, TX.
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Sermons - John 1:43-51

2011-09-14T13:56:00.001-05:00

Based on John 1:43-51, preached on September 11, 2011 at Wesley United Methodist Church in McKinney.

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Sermons - Acts 10

2011-08-15T11:10:00.000-05:00

Based on Acts 10:1-22, preached on August 14, 2011 at Wesley United Methodist Church in McKinney.

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Wesley UMC's podcast is available in the iTunes store.

Radio Apperance

2011-08-03T12:08:00.000-05:00

This afternoon, from 4-5 pm central time, I will be The Mike Allen Show, which airs on Real Life Radio 1380 in Lexington, KY.

In addition to his radio gig, Mike is the director for family ministries at the Lexington, KY Dioceses of the Roman Catholic. Before converting to Catholicism, Mike was a United Methodist pastor in the Kentucky Annual Conference. He holds both a masters and doctorate from Asbury Theological Seminary. From 2000-2002, my wife Laurie worked for Mike on the staff of Park United Methodist Church in Lexington where I was a lay member. Mike remains a role model for me because of his ability to blend a bold presentation of Christian truth with a gracious and loving presence.

As soon as the podcast is available, I will post it.

Sermon Catch-up

2011-07-10T20:40:00.000-05:00

http://wumcmckinney.org/MP3/Sermon%20July%2010th%202011.mp3

Based on Acts 3:1-11, preached on July 3, 2011 at Wesley United Methodist Church in McKinney.

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Based on Acts 4:23-31, preached on July 10, 2011 at Wesley United Methodist Church in McKinney.

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Why Choice Alone Cannot Define Sin

2011-07-06T14:16:00.015-05:00

And so here we are again.

Yet another controversy has come and gone in United Methodism and once again we are arguing about human sexuality.

Last week, a fellow pastor and I exchanged a few brief messages on on the subject and he made two essential claims.

First, he said that the UMC's present position on homosexuality would only make sense if one chooses to be gay.

Secondly, he argued that since homosexuality is not chosen but is a part of nature inherited at birth- and thus God's will for the individual- and therefore it is wrong to ask someone who was born gay to be celibate.

Now, I respect the man who made this argument deeply. I think highly of him. But his logic, if carried out, is not only unbiblical, but if broadly applied, downright cruel.

Let me evidence my last sentence.

The Bible teaches that sin is NOT limited to things we can choose. As I wrote in a blog post back in February, we Christians have historically believed in the doctrine of original sin.

Let me just two of the many implications of original sin which seem pertinent to to our debate on sexuality:

One: People are born into sin. As the Psalmist testifies in Psalm 51:5, human beings inherit a sin nature. As a father of four, I will tell you that all of my children- as wonderful as they are- come with no shortage of major issues. Children learn to lie as soon as they learn to talk. The learn to be selfish, belligerent, even violent towards others even before that. Don't misunderstand me. I love being a dad and I would do anything for my kids. I think they are the best kids who have ever lived. And yet even from the start, I will tell you my beloved offspring inherited traits, desires, and tendencies which are often harmful to themselves and others. (If you think I'm being cruel, just go ask any honest parent with a toddler.)

Two: The power of sin is stronger than the power of our own will. In Romans 7:14-24, Paul lays out the case that sin in a human is more powerful than the human him or her self. It isn't just that we sometimes willfully choose to do wrong (although we sometimes do) - rather it is that many times we wish we could do otherwise, but feel a compulsion to sin. To advisedly use a hot-button term, every human being has an orientation towards sin. After all, if sin was merely a matter of choice, then we could choose otherwise. No need for a savior. No need for grace. No need for the Incarnation, the Cross, the Empty Tomb, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit or words like "justification" and "sanctification." If sin were merely a choice, we'd have no need for any of the trappings of classical Christian theology- let alone the unique holiness-centered expression of theology called Methodism.

Thus, any assertion that "it can't be a sin if it isn't a choice" is, intentional or not, a flat-out rejection of the Biblical and historical definition of sin itself. To say that we choose sin is to misunderstand the whole breadth and depth of Jewish and Christian theology. This is what I mean when I say it is unbiblical.

Now let's explore the second half of my colleague's argument- that the way we are born is the way God wants us to be. On the surface, this sounds lovely and life affirming. Straight people are so by design and gay people are so by design and God is equally pleased with both orientations. But what if we apply this logic to other inborn traits and conditions besides sexual orientation? After all, if our status at birth in terms of sexuality is God's will, are not all conditions at birth also God's will?

Consider my wife who was born with Cerebral Palsy. She has limited use of half of her body, suffers from horrific muscle cramps and aches and pains, has undergone drastic surgery on her legs, and on bad days struggles to do the sorts of tasks your typical 34 year old mom never thinks twice about.

She was born that way.

Is that really what a loving God wants for her?

Laurie teaches special education. She works with kids suffering from all manor of behavioral and intellectual challenges. She's taught kids with terrible physical limitations. Some are unlikely to survive to their 20th birthday. Their mothers and fathers will watch them suffer and die way too young.

All of them were born that way.

Is that really what God wants for them?

Classical Christianity teaches us that original sin impacts not just the will and moral behavior, but also nature itself and thus the human body. Such conditions as I describe above are, to Orthodoxy, tragic bi-products of the fall.

But what are they to this new "Christianity" which does away with original sin?

They are gifts from a cruel God who has willed us to be born the way we are and has no intention or ability to change or save us.

Granted, no progressive pastor or theologian or church member would own up to this as the logical outcome of their theology. They will parse and dance to make distinctions. They will say God got it right on how our libido is wired, but somehow God messed up on all those born blind or deaf or otherwise less able- even those doomed to die after short, painful lives. But their logic won't hold up.

Either we are born exactly how God intends- and whatever state that is and what ever desires and consequences come with it are just the beauty of nature and God's design- or else we are born broken and marred by original sin.

Those who would insist that being born with a certain sexual orientation is obviously God's will must also insist that all conditions at birth are likewise God's will. That is the outcome of their theology.

Me, I will run to the graceful doctrines of the Bible which teach that what ever state we may be born into, Christ died to set us free. Our will, our souls, and yes, someday, even our bodies can and will be transformed by the grace of God such that what ever manifestation of original sin we were born with- be it sexually unholy desires, a foul temper, the urge to gluttony, or some unfortunate physical or mental malady- God will make us new creatures fit for glory and new life.

Do we still believe the Gospel has power?

2011-06-29T17:59:00.001-05:00

I've been trying for about 10 days now to write this post, and I just haven't been able to get my thoughts together.

This summer, I'm preaching a series on Acts, and I'm supposed to be blogging about those passages which I'm not covering on Sundays so that my congregation and I can get through Acts together.

But I've been absolutely dumbfounded in reading and re-reading Acts 2:14-41. Go on and read it for yourself- just click the link above.

Here is the part that has me at a loss. It's the reaction of the crowd in verse 37. The crowd, feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit actually asks what they must do.

Let that sink in for a moment.

The proclamation of the Word provoked such a vivid experience that the hearers were not only entertained, intrigued, or emotionally moved. They took the words to heart and were willing to respond in a radical way. In fact, this response sets the stage for the explosive growth of the early Church and the utter transformation of the world as we know it.

This was historic.

Now, of course, this was a unique moment. So don't misunderstand what I'm about to say. I know that while God is always active in the world, certain moments are special and unequalled.

That said, I can't help but feel convicted. Proclaiming the Word made Peter into something he had never been. A work of grace came over him as God used him on that day. And those who heard him were likewise remade that day.

The proclamation, empowered by a move of the Spirit, truly made a difference in an unequivocal way.

Fast forward 2000 years, and consider our attitude about the basic Gospel message. In my denomination, even among self-avowed, practicing evangelicals, the basics of the Gospel are treated as quaint rather than powerful. Move leftward through the theological spectrum, and those basic teachings of a Crucified Savior are treated with apathy and, in many camps, out-right hostility.

In short, we don't act like this message we've inherited can change our world anymore. We don't.

Case in point: the United Methodist Church released a Call to Action plan aimed at renewal in our midst. There are a great many keen observations and good ideas inside of it, but no real theological reflection and certainly to clarion call preach the basics of faith and demonstrate those teachings through acts of love. In fact, most of the content of the Call to Action could easily be re-edited and applied to non-Christian religious groups or even secular groups.

It has some Biblical imagery and quotations to be sure, but no expectation of God to work. There is certainly no "brothers and sisters, what must we do in the light of this word from God" material to be found.

By no means am I picking on the Call to Worship. I preach every Sunday, and I can't say my sermons compel such a response either.

But I wish they did.

I believe with all my heart that God can still speak through me and you in such a way that people come to faith. I still believe that God wants to turn the world upside down by having the Church proclaim the Kingdom of Christ in our ministries and missions.

And yet what I see- in my own life, in our church, and through our denominational connection- is a constant attempt to fulfill God's wishes through our wisdom and our efforts. We act as if we've outgrown basic, straight-forward talk about the life and death of Jesus for the sake of sinful people. Even when we do great things which could open doors for such conversations- when we feed the hungry, confront deadly diseases, train the jobless and so forth- we downplay the Gospel. We act almost as if we are ashamed of our beliefs. We want to be the hands and feet of Jesus, but His simple story is unfit for our sophisticated, educated, modern-day tongues.

At this point, I know I'm starting to ramble. But I cannot help it. I want to be bold for Jesus. I want to do great things for His sake- but most of all I want to say great things for Him. I want to make sure that every charitable act the Church performs is served up with a clear presentation of the Gospel.

I want to hear lost souls ask us what they must do to meet the Jesus who has sent us to them.

Through all this, I keep coming back to the same thought. We need to get back to the basics. We need to stop being afraid of seeming intellectual or superstitious or foolish. We need to speak the name of Jesus without shame. People need to hear that He died for their sins. People need to hear that every human being stands guilty before God and that we have all fallen short of God's glory. People need a chance to repent, a community to be re-born into, and a mission to live for. People need the church to be the church. They need preachers- people like me- to quit hiding behind theological ambiguities and topical sensibilities and just preach it straight-up.

So fair warning to my congregation. Like Paul said to the church in Corinth, I'm resolving myself to know nothing here at Wesley, here in the city of McKinney, but the simple story of Jesus. Every sermon, lesson, and prayer will come back to Jesus. Every leadership decision will be aimed at expanding His Kingdom. Every suggestion I make in committee meetings will be intended to help each of you join me in this obsession with the Gospel until our community of faith is known for our adherence to Jesus, our belief in His death and resurrection, our longing for His return. I won't relent. I want to see the power of God's Spirit pour out on us in amazing ways. I want us to learn to speak the language of the lost around us. I want us to do what ever it takes to demonstrate the Lordship of Jesus through our willingness to make sacrifices to help others. I want Acts 2 to become our story.

The Word of God is calling to us. It is powerful. Will we listen? Will we ask one-another, "what must we do?" Will we be faithful?

God is able still to change us by the Gospel of Jesus if only we have ears to hear- and mouths to repeat.

Sermons - Pentecost Sunday 2011 )

2011-06-13T10:40:00.000-05:00

Based on Acts 2:1-21, preached on June 12, 2011 (Pentecost Sunday, Year A) at Wesley United Methodist Church in McKinney.

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Wesley UMC's podcast is available in the iTunes store.

Blogging Between Sermons: Acts 1:12-26

2011-06-09T15:36:00.001-05:00

We're working our way through the Book of Acts this summer, and I won't have time to preach on every single passage. Therefore, I will be blogging on the passages between the sermon passages.

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called the Mount of Olives (which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away). When they had entered Jerusalem, they went to the upstairs room where they were staying. Peter and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James were there. All these continued together in prayer with one mind, together with the women, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty people) and said, "Brothers, the scripture had to be fulfilled that the Holy Spirit foretold through David concerning Judas - who became the guide for those who arrested Jesus - for he was counted as one of us and received a share in this ministry."

(Now this man Judas acquired a field with the reward of his unjust deed, and falling headfirst he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out. This became known to all who lived in Jerusalem, so that in their own language they called that field Hakeldama, that is, "Field of Blood.")

"For it is written in the book of Psalms, 'Let his house become deserted, and let there be no one to live in it,' and 'Let another take his position of responsibility.' Thus one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time the Lord Jesus associated with us, beginning from his baptism by John until the day he was taken up from us - one of these must become a witness of his resurrection together with us."

So they proposed two candidates: Joseph called Barsabbas (also called Justus) and Matthias.

Then they prayed, "Lord, you know the hearts of all. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to assume the task of this service and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place."

Then they cast lots for them, and the one chosen was Matthias; so he was counted with the eleven apostles.

Acts 1:12-26 New English Translation

Like the Ascension text, this passage is also rarely preached on- partially, I think, because it is both gruesome and, paradoxically, uninteresting. After all, hearing about a disembowelment is hardly stirring devotional fare. Further, the selection of Matthias isn't at all a gripping tale mostly because Matthias disappears into the background never to be heard from again after this.

But before we skip over this passage in favor of the more exhilarating account of Pentecost, which we will cover in worship this Sunday, I do think we can learn a few things from the words above. After all, they are inspired by the Holy Spirit and are in the Bible for a reason.

Let's begin by viewing this as a cautionary tale which stresses the importance of remaining faithful in our Walk with Jesus. Paul comforts us in Romans 8:31-38 that nothing can separate us from the love of God. That passage is the primary basis for our view of the assurance of faith. Notice, however, that Paul never claims that we ourselves can't reject God's love. In fact, in verses 12 and 13 of that same chapter Paul reminds us that we have a decision to make- continue to live by the Spirit and thus choose life or revert to living by the flesh and so choose death. In other words, even for the Christian, there remains a choice. This theme of choice is frequent in Paul- yes even the same Paul who wrote about election and assurance.

At one point, Judas made a choice to follow Jesus. He abandoned all- work, family, security, reputation- to walk in the steps of the Master. I dare say that for three years, Judas made more sacrifices for Jesus than most American Christians will make in our lifetimes- myself included.

And then one evening, blinded by greed and by the political ambition of the Zealot mindset (for Judas, the Gospels tell us, was a Zealot- part of a group dedicated to active and even armed resistance to Roman occupation,) Judas changed his mind and betrayed Jesus. Paul's words applied to Judas- nothing external came between him and the love of Christ. The Devil only got a foot-hold after Judas had made his choice. None the less, it was his choice. And it remains ours. Will we live out our faith, or will we let our own agenda get in the way of the Gospel? Will we remain faithful to Jesus, or will we abandon and even betray Him because He won't grant us our wishes?

The life of a Christian must be the submission of our will to that of Christ. We must follow Him not because of what He might do for us (though we trust that He works for our good) but rather we follow because He is Lord of all. The moment we make Him less than sovereign, we are at risk of repeating the sin of Judas. We must be vigilant in our submission to the King of Kings. That is the implicit warning of this passage of Scripture.

But let's look at the passage from another light- from the light of assurance. Notice that just because one of the 12 fell away and betrayed Jesus, the fledgling Church itself was not harmed. Just as Jesus prayed in John 17, those faithful Disciples were held together by the grace of God even in the face of Judas' betrayal.

So shall it always be for the Church. Jesus cannot, shall not fail. As John 16:33 reminds us, He has overcome the world. Therefore, so long as we remain His, nothing in this world can possibly shake us. That is ultimately what Paul means in Romans 8- which is dedicated to the triumphant assurance given the Church.

Today, many have forecasted the end of Christianity. Other have said that Methodism is dead. I've even heard of people wondering how our own little flock here at Wesley will be able to recovery from what we've endured recently, losing so many people in such a short time.

To them, I say look at Acts 1. Christ our Lord never leaves the Church without. There are always new leaders who can emerge by the Spirit's calling. That which was lost can be made whole again. And in the end, all that which God has granted to His Son Jesus the Christ shall be preserved to the very end when Christ shall return in glory. There is no need for panic or fear or dread. The true Church of Jesus Christ- that is the collective total of His followers who have faithfully preserved, practiced, and proclaimed His message regardless of their nationality or denominational affiliation- has survived persecution, resistance, cultural change, scandal, philosophical paradigm shifts, new religions, heresies within, and hatred from without. What ever we face today, we shall overcome it too- for our Jesus has already overcome on our behalf.

Therefore, let us not lose heart, but let us press deeper into faith, obedience, and service until the Kingdom of God is proclaimed through all the earth to the glory of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Sermons - Ascension 2011 (Acts 1)

2011-06-09T14:16:00.001-05:00

Based on Acts 1:1-11, preached on June 5, 2011 (Ascension Sunday, Year A) at Wesley United Methodist Church in McKinney.

To download (or for iPad and iPhone users), click here.

Wesley UMC's podcast is available in the iTunes store.

Rethinking Reputation

2011-05-17T11:02:00.000-05:00

While reading through the lectionary for today, I came across these words from Jesus Our Lord:
Then he looked up at his disciples and said:

"Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God belongs to you.

"Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.

"Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

"Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and insult you and reject you as evil on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and jump for joy, because your reward is great in heaven. For their ancestors did the same things to the prophets.

"But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your comfort already.

"Woe to you who are well satisfied with food now, for you will be hungry.

"Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.

"Woe to you when all people speak well of you, for their ancestors did the same things to the false prophets."

Luke 6:20-26 New English Translation

Once upon a time, being a pastor was the most noble, reliable vocation a person could seek in our culture. But after decades of church decline, scandals over money and sex, and the rise of manipulative televangelism, I notice that when I tell someone that I'm a preacher, I'm just as likely to get a negative reaction as a positive one.

I won't lie. That reality grieves me. Partially, it is because like anyone else, I want to be well thought of, trusted, and if not admired then at least not disliked.

But the greatest wound is that I know that the skepticism, resentment, and anger I sometimes encounter is, in many cases, justifiable. Before I followed the Lord Jesus, I had similar views of the clergy- that preachers are all about counting nickels and noses- that we want to fleece the flock and have a crowd of gullible souls who hang on our every word.

The truth is, a great many people have used the power of the pulpit for all sorts of selfish and, in many cases, abusive and shameful purposes. Small wonder our fellowship is tarnished. Small wonder the majority of honest, God-fearing, devout clergy shoulder the burden created by the small but destructive company of nuts, the con artists, the heretics, and the predators.

I pray that God raises up a generation of Christian leaders who can move us past the place where we've been for the last two or three decades and restore some honor and dignity to our work. Yet even when that happens, we shouldn't assume that any pastor- or any Christian for that matter- will necessarily be universally respected, trusted, and liked.

No matter what, we will face opposition and, from at least some quarters, scorn, rebuke, distrust, false allegations, and the like. All Christians must remember that the same spiritual forces who caused the crowds to shout for the crucifixion of Our Lord are at work around us today.

We can't be afraid of a bad reputation. We must make sure, though, that if we develop a bad reputation, it would be for the right reasons.

John Wesley's Sermons - A Call to Backsliders

2011-05-16T13:47:00.002-05:00

A Call to Backsiders by John Wesley

Narrative Budget 2011 for Wesley UMC

2011-05-14T17:25:00.000-05:00

Dear Wesleyans,

If you are like me, finances give you a head-ache. Line-item budgets, balance sheets, and other financial documents might as well be in hieroglyphics.

That's why for the first time ever, we're publishing a "narrative budget" to show you what our church spends your donations on. Basically, every expense has been placed into the category of ministry which that expense goes for. Some expenses, like youth Sunday School curriculum, fits neatly into one category. Other expenses, such as my salary or the electric bill, are divied into two or more categories to reflect that many times, a single line in our line-item budget impacts multiple ministries.

Of course, if you'd prefer to see our line-item budget, you can get it at the church office any time.

WesleyMcKinneyNarrativeBudget2011

Christ Alone is Lord of Salvation

2011-05-10T10:30:00.004-05:00

The Barna Group has once again released polling data which has brought me to my knees. This time, the poll was about American views of salvation, universalism, and pluralism.

Here is the part that is breaking my heart. Barna's poll breaks out between the general population and Born Again Christians, by which the Barna groups means people who profess faith in Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior and believe that their personal salvation comes from faith in Jesus.

Here is the response from Born Agains:

Nevertheless, despite their own personal faith convictions, many born again Christians embrace certain aspects of universalist thought. One-quarter of born again Christians said that all people are eventually saved or accepted by God (25%) and that it doesn’t matter what religious faith you follow because they all teach the same lessons (26%). An even larger percentage of born again Christians (40%) indicated that they believe Christians and Muslims worship the same God.

One out of four Born Again Christians espouse universalism? Slightly more than one in four think every religion teaches the same thing, that there is nothing unique about Jesus? Four in ten think the Allah of the Koran is the same deity as the Triune God expressed in orthodoxy Christianity and seen at work in the persons of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the Bible?

Don't get me wrong, I hope that most or all people will, in the end, be saved. It isn't that I want to consign people to hell or that I'm excited about the concept of damnation. I want everyone to know the love and grace of God.

But my desire to see all people get saved doesn't negate the essential teachings of the Christian faith- of the words of Jesus Himself.

In John 14:9, Jesus said "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." He also promised in Acts 1 that the Holy Spirit would come on His followers. In the stories of His baptism, such as in Luke 3, the Father, Son and Spirit are displayed as distinct persons acting as one God.

So from the teaching and life of Jesus, we can see that there is something unique about Jesus and this Trinitarian God which He is a part of. The Triune God is not like other gods- not Allah, who is clearly thought of as unitarian, and certainly not the pantheons of polytheistic gods. The God worshiped by Christians is different- 3-in-1, communal and yet undivided, multi-faceted yet of one nature, three voices which speak univocally. No god is like our God.

In John 14:6, Jesus said "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." In the Great Commission text (Matthew 28:16-20) Jesus commands us to make disciples for Him by teaching them to obey Jesus' commandments and to be baptized in the names of the Triune God. Earlier in Matthew, in Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus tells us that He will be the one who judges all the people of the earth and will along decide who enters the Kingdom of God and who is consigned to the fire. In Revelation 21:6, Jesus proclaims Himself as the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End- the One who alone can grant living water to slake the thirst of souls.

Thus we see Jesus and Jesus alone deciding who is in and who is out, who will be saved, and who will be lost forever. It isn't about how good we think we are or how fair or similar our standards are. We don't get to judge. Jesus does. At least, He claims to have that authority- and claims to share that authority with no one- not any other god or teacher of any other faith tradition or philosophy.

The evidence is overwhelming. Jesus says that His teachings are unique. You cannot really be His Disciple and still think that all religions are the same. They aren't. You can't belong to Jesus and think all the gods of the world's religions of the world are the same. They aren't. Jesus and the Trinity to which He belongs is different. The Bible tells us so over again.

Let me be blunt: if there are multiple paths to the divine, Christianity isn't one of them.

And if Christianity is a path to the divine, it must be the only path.

The Bible- from Genesis to Revelation- proclaims what some call the "scandal of particularity." The Psalms tell us over and over that the God of Israel is not like any other God. Jesus proclaims that He is not like any other king or any other teacher or preacher.

As politically incorrect as it may be, as offensive as it may be to many (including some in the Church)- the case is crystal clear. The Christian confession rejects pluralism and universalism. Period. To make it seem otherwise is to be unfaithful to the very words of Jesus Himself. And either Jesus was and is right, or he wasn't. Either He is God in human flesh, or He was an con artist or a nut job. Either the Christian message is the truth or else it is a lie. We each must make our choice. You cannot have it both ways.

So to these many Born Agains who have claimed Jesus as Lord but not truly submitted to His teachings, I would ask you to search the Scriptures and rethink your position.

John Wesley - On the Church

2011-05-03T11:22:00.002-05:00

Of the Church - Sermon #74

You know the next General Conference is looming when...

2011-05-02T14:12:00.004-05:00

So it happened again today.

I found myself in a lengthy conversation with another United Methodist pastor who is losing hope in our future as a unified denomination.

I never know quite what to say in such conversations.

As UM pastors go, I'm on the young side at 36. That means I don't carry the scars from battles of years gone by. It also means that I'm going to be doing ministry for a very long time. I believe with all my heart that I'm serving where God has called me to be. I'm not an alarmist or a pessimist. I don't want to buy into the doom and gloom.

But hearing my co-laborers lose heart makes me doubt- especially when it comes from people I look up to and from whom I have learned so much.

I don't really have much else to say. I've got no cheerful retorts. No nuggets of wisdom. No bell to ring.

I don't even have a fight to pick- though I know that my theology and my willingness to share it will probably land me in a few verbal sparring contests anyway.

I just feel tired already- knowing that the next 12 months are going to be full of a great deal of noise, worry, bickering, a no shortage of strife.

All I want is to serve in a denomination where Jesus and the message of His life, death, and resurrection is still our passion and reaching sinners with His love and grace is still our purpose.

I wonder why we spend so much time talking about Calls to Action, human sexuality, and global reorganization, but so little time talking about the Crucified and Risen Savior?

Then again- maybe that question gives its own answer. If we focused on the old, old story of how the Savior came from glory- maybe we wouldn't get so lost in the woods on all that other stuff. After all, Christianity isn't complicated- no matter how hard we work to make it seem so.

Lord have mercy.

Sermons - Easter Sunday 2011

2011-04-26T11:51:00.001-05:00

Based on Matthew 28:1-10, preached on April 24, 2011 (Palm Sunday, Year A) at Wesley United Methodist Church in McKinney.

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Wesley UMC's podcast is available in the iTunes store.

The God Who Loves Us To Death

2011-04-19T09:59:00.000-05:00

In this morning's Bible readings, I came across these words:

Now some Greeks were among those who had gone up to worship at the feast. So these approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested, "Sir, we would like to see Jesus." Philip went and told Andrew, and they both went and told Jesus.

Jesus replied, "The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the solemn truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces much grain. The one who loves his life destroys it, and the one who hates his life in this world guards it for eternal life. If anyone wants to serve me, he must follow me, and where I am, my servant will be too. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him."

John 12:20-26 New English Translation

As we work our way through holy week, it is hard not to think about the cross. It's shadow hangs over us, reminding us that on it, the love of God was expressed in its most powerful, confounding, troubling, and yet compelling way possible. On that cross, the love of God became tangible- and it transcended any critique. No more can we say that God doesn't care or has no regard to our suffering. No more can we say that God looks the other way when violence or disaster strikes. In Jesus, God has experienced the full depth and breadth of our suffering.

The cross teaches us that God understands.

The cross teachers us that when we suffer, the Crucified Savior suffers with us and for us.

The cross shows us that none of our faults nor our sins nor our wounds- neither the things we've done wrong or the things done wrong to us- have escaped the watchful, compassionate eye of our Maker.

God is willing to die that He might understand us- and in fact, God in the person of Jesus did exactly that at the cross.

That is the strange and mighty love of God.

On that same cross, God also calls us to die with Jesus, so that in the death of the cross new life may spring forth.

For in the passage above, Jesus isn't just talking about His impending death. He is also talking about our death- our surrender of our own will to the will of the One who loves us more than we can comprehend.

Jesus is the God who loves us to death- and the God who will love us to life eternal, springing new each day into the hearts of the faithful.

Sermons- Palm Sunday 2011

2011-04-17T16:35:00.000-05:00

Based on Matthew 21:1=12, preached on April 17, 2011 (Palm Sunday, Year A) at Wesley United Methodist Church in McKinney.

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Wesley UMC's podcast is available in the iTunes store.

A Song On His Lips

2011-04-11T10:03:00.000-05:00

Most Christians are aware that Jesus quoted Psalm 22 while He was dying on the cross because Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34 record Him reciting the lyric "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me." This is not surprising since Psalm 22 reads like a description of a crucifixion and ends with an emphatic celebration of the victory that David foresaw Jesus winning through His death on the cross. Psalm 22, then, is both one of the oldest and most accurate Old Testament prophecies which came true in the life and ministry of Jesus' first advent.

But until this morning’s Bible readings, I had missed a second example of Jesus quoting the Psalms on the cross. This time, it wasn’t Psalm 22 but Psalm 36. In Luke 23:46 we read:Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" And after he said this he breathed his last.
The words of Jesus here match Psalm 31:5. Jesus is once again using the Psalms to get Himself through the crucifixion.
At least for Jesus, there is something about a heart full of praise which cries out in song- even in low moments- that brings comfort. It brings a connection to the Heavenly Father. Something about the Psalms- about hymns, about songs of praise- connects us to God on a level that transcends our circumstances.

As a pastor, I have no doubt that Jesus didn’t just quote these Psalms on the cross for His own sake. He was modeling behavior which He wants us to emulate. Jesus has called us to take up our own crosses as we follow Him. He knows that the burden will be difficult- so He showed us how to find strength to endure by lifting voices of worship even in moments of anguish.

Last night during our evening Praise and Prayer, I have no doubt that the Holy Spirit was very active in the room even though we didn’t read a lot of Scripture and we didn’t have a sermon. We sang. We prayed. God showed up. That’s exactly how it is supposed to work.

I often worry for the Christian who doesn’t place and emphasis on singing and praise- for the solitary soul who is committed to the Bible and sound ethics, but take little joy in music as an avenue to experience God’s grace. Even in this season of Lent, where we wrestle with the tough stuff- perhaps especially in such a season- we need songs. We need music. We need that transcendent experience of meeting God in a moment of worship and praise.

As we come to the end of Lent, I hope that the excise of taking God seriously has taught us all to take ourselves a little less serious. Our over-inflated sense of dignity, our attempts to model a stoic form of religious properness, our fear of getting emotional in worship or getting lost in a song- these are not postures which make us more spiritual. They are postures which keep us from experiencing the joy of God and getting comfort from God when we suffer. Praise- even the sort of praise which shouts hymn lyrics in the face of death to the astonishment of our tormentors- praise is what we need.

As the calendar turns from Lent to Eastertide, I want us to take the journey with Jesus. I want us to feel the excitement of the Palms, the sacredness of the Last Supper, the anguish of the Cross- and most of all the triumph and sheer joy of Easter. Every step of the way, let us imitate Jesus, who even on the cross had songs of praise on His lips!

The Sheep and the Goats

2011-04-10T15:50:00.001-05:00

Based on Matthew 25:31-46, preached on April 10, 2011 (Last Sunday of Lent, Year A) at Wesley United Methodist Church in McKinney.

To download (or for iPad and iPhone users), click here.

Wesley UMC's podcast is available in the iTunes store.

My Thoughts on the UMC Leadership Summit

2011-04-08T10:59:00.005-05:00

Well, Wednesday's on-line summit, which is archived here, stirred up no small amount on conversation. I watched it with a group of 20 clergy at a church in my district. I also kept up with the on-line voices via this thread on twitter.

Let me start by saying I'm thankful for this event and what it was designed to do. I'm glad that our denominational leaders are starting to think in terms of global communication and the power of the new media. While many of my comments below will seem negative because I have many criticisms, I want to acknowledge that the summit was a step in the right direction.

In other words, I want to say that this was a success in that we tried something new even though I have a fairly sizable observation and suggestion list about how wrong the content was. The UMC is a large institution- and large bodies make slow, awkward turns. Anyone who expected this event to be all it had the potential to be was unrealistic. So I only offer the words below not to complain, but in the hopes of seeing better results in the future.

Let me begin by addressing the make-up of the panel. We had a young white male, and old white male, a while woman, a black woman, and a black man. Seems diverse. But wait- all but one was from America. The lone non-American, Bishop Wenner, is a white woman from Germany. It was a stage full of Westerners.

The quest for diversity cannot be defined only in terms of color and gender among people who share a common culture. Diversity for the UMC must now reflect a truly global (and increasingly non-Western) reality.

Further, there was some talk about growth in Africa and Asia. We were told that such growth is a cause for hope. And yet, no explanation was given to how churches in the Philippines or the Congo are accomplishing great things for Christ. We didn't hear their voices, their experiences, their insights.

Instead, we heard once more about numbers, numbers, numbers.

I don't mind numbers and I'm willing to fill out paperwork. It comes with the territory. I do mind, however, being told that I'm expected to grow my church just as my colleagues in other places are growing theirs- but getting exactly zero insight as to how they do it.

For me, the smacks of imperialism. The unstated- but unmistakable- impression was "if they can do this in the Third World, we should be able to figure it out. Work harder, turn in numbers."

The truth is that we've worked hard and we've collected numbers for years- and yet we decline. Something is missing.

Our sisters and brothers in other lands seem to know what ever it is we have forgotten- but instead of humbling ourselves and seeking their counsel, we do the western thing and look for new ways to record and analyze. We've become insular in our thinking. We've become arrogant and assumed that American United Methodists can't learn much from Africa or Asia. We've sinned. And we are wrong. Sorry to be so blunt- but there it is.

In fact, the format of this event- a webcast- would have made hearing such voices inexpensive and easy. They can't blame travel expenses this time. There is no excuse why in 2011 we should ever have a "global leadership summit" and NOT hear the voices of leaders who are experiencing success from around the globe."

Second, we heard a lot of buzz words. The phrase "vital congregation" was used so much that it became the object of dozens of Twitter jokes. Also used were "effective" and "disciple."

None of the terms were fully defined.

I'll say that again. We kept hearing words for which we were given no working definition. In other words, we were given jargon.

Thirdly, there was the question and answer session in the last hour. The presenters were pretty eager to answer technical questions- but theological questions lead to long pauses followed by fumbled, confused remarks.

Theology is the 800 pound gorilla in the room for us. If we are going to work together to make disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, we need a common, agreed upon understanding of who Jesus is, what a disciple looks like, and what sort of transformation God wants to bring to the world. We need a gospel. We need one gospel. We need THE Gospel. But when asked about God's vision for us or how Jesus fits into our plans, they really struggled to give a straight forward answer.

That is the real trouble. Imagine if McDonalds had seven forms for store managers to count sesame seeds on their buns, but no recipe for a Big Mac. Would they succeed?

Writing in response to the Call to Action Report, Dr. George Hunter gives us these observations which I think apply perfectly to the Summit:

The Call to Action acknowledges that it is an incomplete plan for the denomination’s renewal. As I studied the document, I became aware of some “great omissions.” Let me point out a few.

1. You would never know, from the Call to Action, that revitalization could have anything to do with theology, or that there could possibly be anything sub-Christian, dysfunctional, heretical, or eccentric about anyone’s theology. But there is a very strong connection between theology and vitality. Some churches are so theologically compromised that they are incapable of reproduction; they cannot even keep a bare majority of their own children into adult membership.

2. You would never know, from the Call to Action, that revitalization could have anything to do with the serious Spiritual Formation of the people. Revitalization without prayer?

3. You would never know, from the Call to Action, that revitalization could have anything to do with obeying and joining the Holy Spirit in Evangelism. Revitalization without new disciples?

To to express it more simply, I want to paraphrase Matthew 6:25-33 and apply it for out situation.
United Methodism is an institution with real earthly needs and actual pragmatic concerns. God knows that- but God doesn't want us to run around like just any organization to meet those needs. We aren't a corporation, we aren't a business, we aren't a charity. We aren't pagan or secular. We aren't supposed to run around counting nickels and noses because we're afraid of closing up shop.

We are the Church of Jesus Christ. We need to make the Kingdom of Jesus our top and only focus and trust that God will help us work the logistics out on the backside.

Yahweh Rules!

2011-04-05T09:42:00.002-05:00

In this morning's Bible reading, I came across this:

Psalm 97

The LORD reigns!

Let the earth be happy!

Let the many coastlands rejoice!

Dark clouds surround him;

equity and justice are the foundation of his throne.

Fire goes before him;

on every side it burns up his enemies.

His lightning bolts light up the world;

the earth sees and trembles.

The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,

before the Lord of the whole earth.

The sky declares his justice,

and all the nations see his splendor.

All who worship idols are ashamed,

those who boast about worthless idols.

All the gods bow down before him.

Zion hears and rejoices,

the towns of Judah are happy,

because of your judgments, O LORD.

For you, O LORD, are the sovereign king over the whole earth;

you are elevated high above all gods.

You who love the LORD, hate evil!

He protects the lives of his faithful followers;

he delivers them from the power of the wicked.

The godly bask in the light;

the morally upright experience joy.

You godly ones, rejoice in the LORD!

Give thanks to his holy name.

New English Translation

I've got nothing much to say other than this: if you aren't humbled, joyful, awestruck, and re-centered by that Psalm, read it again. If two readings don't impact you, check your pulse.

Want more? Read Psalm 99.

Sermons - Focus on the Task At Hand

2011-04-04T18:24:00.002-05:00

Based on Matthew 24:36-44, preached on April 3, 2011 (Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year A) at Wesley United Methodist Church in McKinney.

To download (or for iPad and iPhone users), click here.

Wesley UMC's podcast is available in the iTunes store.

What Freedom From The Law Really Means

2011-04-04T10:14:00.006-05:00

In this morning's Bible readings, I found these words from Paul:

Or do you not know, brothers and sisters (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law is lord over a person as long as he lives? For a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of the marriage. So then, if she is joined to another man while her husband is alive, she will be called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she is joined to another man, she is not an adulteress.

So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you could be joined to another, to the one who was raised from the dead, to bear fruit to God. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful desires, aroused by the law, were active in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the law, because we have died to what controlled us, so that we may serve in the new life of the Spirit and not under the old written code.

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! Certainly, I would not have known sin except through the law. For indeed I would not have known what it means to desire something belonging to someone else if the law had not said, "Do not covet." But sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of wrong desires. For apart from the law, sin is dead. And I was once alive apart from the law, but with the coming of the commandment sin became alive and I died. So I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life brought death! For sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it I died.

So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good.

Romans 7:1-12 New English Translation

If ever a doctrine invited mischief into the minds of Christians, it is this idea of freedom from the law. Here, we find Paul giving an inch which many would gladly stretch into a country mile and then some.

Given our cultural narrative as Americans, it is easy to assume that to be free from something means that we were once unfairly bound to it- that what ever we are now free from was in some way oppressive. The colonists were oppressed by the English and needed a revolution. The slaves were in chains and needed emancipation. Women and ethnic minorities were (and sometimes still are) disadvantaged and discriminated against and needed affirmative action. Where ever freedom goes, in the American mindset, it must be going from an evil to a good.

Not surprisingly, then, when American Christians- particularly those influenced by liberation theology and other progressive ideas- run into the words "free from the Law" in Paul, they are tempted to apply our cultural slant to the word freedom. The Law becomes this hideous, repressive thing which kept people down unfairly- and the cross of Jesus stands to free us from oppressive religious morality and legalism.

But if you actually read what Paul compares the Law to, it becomes clear that he doesn't view the Law as an evil or bad or oppressive thing. Instead, for Paul, the Law is a loving but finite covenant. He compares it with marriage- an institution which, when entered into rightly is a blessing- but which is never picture perfect because neither the bride nor groom will be able to live up to their vows in every way at every moment. Even in a good marriage, there are bad days- and sometimes we hurt the one we love.

Likewise, the Law was a good covenant, but one which was constantly measured by human faithfulness- and as such, finite. We can't live up to the deal. Worse, the more we focus on what we shouldn't do, the more temped we are to do it.

So Paul says that Jesus came to fulfill the Law- to perfectly keep the rules of the contract on our behalf so that when He died, the contract reached an end-point. When that happened, we became free to enter into a new covenant- one measured by our relationship to Jesus, not in law keeping.

This changes a great many things about what Godly religion looks like because it shifts the emphasis from legalism to love.

But it does not nullify the high moral standards which God requires of us. God still expects us to practice love and faithfulness to our families, good conduct in the civil square, honest dealings in business, grateful self-restraint in our bodies, and the avoidance of immorality- including sexual immorality.

In other words, when Christ set us free from the Law, He didn't set us free from the moral values which shaped the Law- for the Law was good.

As Paul will remind us in several passages, it is foolish and flatly unholy to assume that the freedom Jesus grants us is a license to do abandon old fashioned moral values. Just because the Old Covenant has been fulfilled doesn't mean we are left to our own urges and that we now get to define right and wrong for ourselves. If anything, Jesus amplified many of the moral teachings of the Law in the Sermon on the Mount. (see Matthew 5:1-7:28) Where the Law said don't kill, Jesus said don't hate. Where the Law said don't commit adultery, Jesus said don't even let lust in your heart or your eye. Where the Law said get even, Jesus said to turn the other cheek and walk the second mile.

If anything, the moral expectation on those who live under grace is actually higher than for those who lived under the Law. We have a greater stake in God's work in the world. We have the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit to guide us. No longer do we need a Law to micromanage us and motivate us through punishment- but instead we are expected to self-manage out of love and gratitude and a passionate commitment to helping build God's Kingdom.

So dear Christian, when you look on the cross, know that you are now free. You aren't free to do what ever you wish without consequence. Rather, you are free to partner with God in the task of redeeming the world. You haven't been cut loose. You've been promoted. The bar is now higher because Jesus makes us capable of more than we ever thought possible.

Many, All, and Paul

2011-03-31T09:45:00.002-05:00

In today’s Bible readings, I found these words from the Apostle Paul:

So then, just as sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all people because all sinned -for before the law was given, sin was in the world, but there is no accounting for sin when there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam until Moses even over those who did not sin in the same way that Adam (who is a type of the coming one) transgressed.

But the gracious gift is not like the transgression. For if the many died through the transgression of the one man, how much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man Jesus Christ multiply to the many!

And the gift is not like the one who sinned. For judgment, resulting from the one transgression, led to condemnation, but the gracious gift from the many failures led to justification. For if, by the transgression of the one man, death reigned through the one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ!

Consequently, just as condemnation for all people came through one transgression, so too through the one righteous act came righteousness leading to life for all people.

For just as through the disobedience of the one man many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of one man many will be made righteous. Now the law came in so that the transgression may increase, but where sin increased, grace multiplied all the more, so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:12-21, New English Translation

I don’t have a lot to say this morning as this is one of those passages which, to do justice to, I’d need to spend far more time than I have to give today. So instead of expounding, I will simply point out what you may have missed in your first read-through and then apply that to the hot button debate of the day which Rob Bell has triggered- that being the debate of hell and universalism.

I will simply note that Paul uses “all” language to describe sin and judgement as well as “all” language to describe on who’s behalf the righteous act of Jesus is intended to bless and bring life to. And yet, Paul uses “many” language instead of “all” language to describe those who will actually receive the benefit Jesus offers to them.

In other words, this passage seems to dismiss both universalism, which teaches that all will be saved, and Calvinism, which teaches that atonement is only offered to the predestined elect. At least in this passage, Paul seems to affirm the Arminian/Wesleyan claim that while the gift of new life in Jesus is freely offered for all, not all will ultimately choose to embrace it- many will, but not all.

My Loss, His Gain

2011-03-30T14:48:00.000-05:00

As you may have noticed, I'm a big guy. In fact, I'm a huge guy who is battling diabetes and other issues because of my weight. I'm also a pastor, a husband, and a father. I have a great deal to live for- and many reasons why I should lose the weight and get healthy.

I was discussing this problem with my Accountability Group, which includes three other United Methodist pastors from surrounding communities when one of them suggested that we make a covenant to lose weight together. Not only are we hold ourselves accountable, but we are also going to ask our churches and our friends to help us get healthy by creating a pledge campaign.

So from March 21-June 5, I will be seeking pledges that you might donate a given amount per pound that I manage to lose. The proceeds will go to fund pension and health care to pastors or the surviving spouses of deceased pastors who are in need.

As you may or may not know, there are many retired pastor and pastor's widows in North Texas who live close to poverty due to serious problems with our pre-1982 pension plans. We're talking about men and women who served real churches- perhaps even this church- with integrity and honor, but who are now living hand to mouth.

Looking beyond North Texas, there are literally thousands of retired pastor or their widows/widowers who are living in poverty- including those who spent their ministry preaching and serving in the poorest places on the globe. There are real needs today- and you and I can make a difference. I have a bold goal. I hope to raise $5000. If I can manage to lose 20 pounds, and if I can get 250 people to pledge $1 per pound, I can reach this goal.

It is a lofty goal- but I'm going to give it my best shot. Would you prayerfully consider helping me meet this great need? I will have a pledge sheet in the Sanctuary of Wesley UMC this Sunday or you can e-mail you pledge to me. (All collected funds will be chaneld through Wesley UMC of McKinney.)

(Note- if by the grace of God I exceed this plan, I may choose to divert some of the excess funds to other worthy United Methodist causes. If that happens, I'll give everyone a full report so you know where every dime went.)

Even if you can't afford to make a pledge, you can help by praying for me and helping me be accountable to my goals. (In other words, if you see me eyeing the donuts on Sunday- tackle me!) Thanks for reading this- and for prayerfully considering a response.

Grace and peace,
John

Putting the Good Back in the Good News

2011-03-29T09:27:00.000-05:00

This morning's Psalm reading includes the following words:

Pay attention, my people, to my instruction!

Listen to the words I speak!

I will sing a song that imparts wisdom;

I will make insightful observations about the past.

What we have heard and learned -

that which our ancestors have told us -

we will not hide from their descendants.

We will tell the next generation

about the LORD's praiseworthy acts,

about his strength and the amazing things he has done.

He established a rule in Jacob;

he set up a law in Israel.

He commanded our ancestors

to make his deeds known to their descendants,

so that the next generation, children yet to be born,

might know about them.

They will grow up and tell their descendants about them.

Then they will place their confidence in God.

They will not forget the works of God,

and they will obey his commands.

Then they will not be like their ancestors,

who were a stubborn and rebellious generation,

a generation that was not committed

and faithful to God.

Psalm 78:1-8 New English Translation

For the past six years, I've spent a fair bit of time commuting- be it for seminary or the church. And that has left me with lots of time in the car to listen to various radio shows and podcasts and to reflect on what the general mood of Evangelicalism is in America today.

And I am not at all pleased with what I've found. Evangelicalism- a word which implies that our movement is about Good News- has become a negative, whiney, pessimistic, worried and worrisome lot.

Granted- with wars and disasters all around and an explosion of troubling cultural changes in terms of morality, it is easy to be negative.

But Christianity isn't supposed to take the easy way.

The way forward for us is not complaining about what is- even though we must acknowledge what is.

The way forward is lifting up the message of Christ. We, like the Psalmist, may cry out, asking the world to bend an ear towards our Good News. We've got to teach our youth, not give them a guilt complex or a good scare. We've got to remember the ancient message, not fret over what the immediate future might hold.

There is still reason for hope- because God is still in charge, Jesus is still Lord and Savior, and our Message still makes a difference every time it is preached and practiced.

This season of Lent, which does make us wrestle the the bad things in life- our sins, our pains, our fears- this season eventually ends. It ends at the cross where we lay all those things down so that a new day can dawn for us on Easter Sunday. It is a season for honesty- but not for pessimism.

Dear Christian, make it your heart song to proclaim the great works of God, not complain about the folly of humanity. For the God who has worked in ages past is alive and well today- and a new generation is waiting on us to make God known to them!

Sermons - Love God, Love Yourself, Love Your Neighbor

2011-03-28T09:57:00.000-05:00

Based on Matthew 22:34-40, preached on March 27, 2011 (Third Sunday of Lent, Year A) at Wesley United Methodist Church in McKinney.

To download (or for iPad and iPhone users), click here.

Wesley UMC's podcast is available in the iTunes store.

Faith Like Abraham, Works Like Abraham

2011-03-28T09:52:00.001-05:00

This morning in the daily lectionary I read this from Paul:

What then shall we say that Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh, has discovered regarding this matter?

For if Abraham was declared righteous by the works of the law, he has something to boast about - but not before God. For what does the scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."

Now to the one who works, his pay is not credited due to grace but due to obligation.

But to the one who does not work, but believes in the one who declares the ungodly righteous, his faith is credited as righteousness.

So even David himself speaks regarding the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

"Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the one against whom the Lord will never count sin."

Is this blessedness then for the circumcision or also for the uncircumcision?

For we say, "faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness."

How then was it credited to him? Was he circumcised at the time, or not? No, he was not circumcised but uncircumcised! And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised, so that he would become the father of all those who believe but have never been circumcised, that they too could have righteousness credited to them. And he is also the father of the circumcised, who are not only circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham possessed when he was still uncircumcised.

Romans 4:1-12 New English Translation

The season of Lent asks much of us. There is a great deal of focus on prayer and fasting and other spiritual disciplines. We look inwardly at our sinfulness and work in cooperation with the Holy Spirit to change our ways. We seek opportunities to bless others by acts of Evangelism and Justice. We are work-focused.

It is a season where we could be tempted to assume that all this work saves us.

Yet the Gospel is not a message of salvation by works, but a message of salvation by faith.
Paul holds up Abraham as the example. We know that Abraham did works for God. He was circumcised. He protected the vulnerable and confronted unjust rulers. He showed hospitality to strangers. He prayed. He obeyed.

But the Bible tells us that before he worked, his faith had saved him.

Works, then, are not a means of getting saved.

They are instead a means of letting our salvation- which God gives freely by grace through faith- play out in every aspect of our lives.

So the works of faith are not a burden. They are a joy.

Here in the midst of our Lenten disciplines, I pray that you won't feel drudgery in the season. Don't keep plugging away at your commitments so God will love you more. God's love reached as far and wide for you as possible when Jesus went to the cross. God can't love you more.
Instead, persist through the season with joy, knowing that through your willing obedience, God is showing you who to truly get the most out of the gift you received freely even though none of us deserve it.

May the rest of Lent be a blessing for you and God helps you be a blessing for others.

Listening Is A Matter of Life and Death

2011-03-24T09:52:00.001-05:00

This morning's Gospel reading includes these words of Jesus Christ our Lord:

I tell you the solemn truth, the one who hears my message and believes the one who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, but has crossed over from death to life.

John 5:24 New Living Translation

Over the past few weeks, the Christian blogosphere has been dominated by talk over Rob Bell's new book and the subject of Hell. I've touched on this lightly in recommending Jerry Wall's book Hell: The Logic of Damnation, but I've stayed out of the fray mostly because I haven't read Bell and won't comment on a book I haven't read.

Yet if I see any benefit in the whole controversy, it is that Christians are, for the moment, not navel gazing over American culture war issues or denominational politics- but instead are, glory be, engaged in a serious discussion over core theological doctrines.

Our focus most always begin and end in reflection on the words of Jesus, the example of Jesus, the Kingdom of Jesus, and the commands He has given to us. All these other concerns- be it matters of national politics or even the restructuring of my denomination- must be viewed through the prism of the teachings of the Lord of Lords.

In reality- this whole world and all its institutions are dying. The more we invest in politics, power, influence- even in ecclesial settings- the more we sink into the grip of death. If our ear is inclined to worldly wisdom, then our hearing is full of only the voices of the dead and dying.

Yet the words of Jesus are alive and cause us to live. He is the one who holds judgment in His hands. None shall be condemned who are His, and none shall be saved who are not.
Regardless of who’s formulation of what judgement day will look like, no matter if Rob Bell or Mark Dricoll or Ben Witherington turn out to be correct on the mechanics of judgement and salvation, all of them agree that what ever happens will happen because of Jesus. He gets the final word because He is the Word.

But here is the Good News for us in this season of Lent: Jesus is speaking now. He wants to call us from life to death today so that we might live tomorrow and beyond. No matter who is right about hell, we know that the pathway to eternal life starts today- and it starts by listening to and obeying the very words of Jesus.

Regarding an omission in the daily lectionary

2011-03-23T10:35:00.002-05:00

A lectionary is a cycle of Scripture readings designed to take readers through the sweep of the Biblical narrative over a frame of time. Since most lectionaries don't attempt to cover every single word of the Bible, there are always gaps.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Who wants to re-read the long genealogies in Numbers ever two or three years?

On some occasions, content which is critical to the though process or narrative gets cut. Sometimes, these cuts are done in the name of keeping the daily or weekly readings a manageable size. In other cases, cuts are made to suit the theme of a season in the church calendar. Sometimes, I fear, these cuts are done for ideological reasons- weather to avoid "hot button" debates or, worse, to skew the reading to favor one theology over another.

Over Lent, I've asked my congregation to read the Daily Lectionary, a two-year cycle used by many Protestants and Catholics which has two or more Psalms for each morning, two or more for evening, plus an Old Testament lesson, a Gospel lesson, and an Epistle lesson.

That lectionary's Epistle lessons for Lent this year are coming from Romans. Yesterday's reading was Romans 1:16-25. Today's reading is 1:28-2:11- omitting verses 26 and 27.

Now in verses 24 and 25, Paul speaks of impurity and people dishonoring their bodies and worshiping or serving the created rather than the Creator. Verses 28 and 29 pick up on that thought and note how people who have done "what should not be done" eventually become filled with "every kind of wickedness."

If you read the two passages yesterday and today, you would realize that Paul regards the pervasive ness of a certain form of sin as a sign that God has allowed people to put their idolatry into action. And yet, based on the way the lectionary breaks the passage apart, you would have no idea what that sin is. This makes verses 2:1-3 practically indecipherable- for Paul tells us that none of us can judge those who do such things even though God will- for Paul says in some way, we are all guilty of these acts or, at the very least, the conditions under which they emerge. Paul is telling us that there are acts which we must avoid and yet, paradoxically, which we must not judge others for being involved in- that there are acts in the proverbial "love the sinner, avoid the sin" category. And yet, at least if you only read the lectionary, you would have no idea what these acts are.

Is Paul being vague? Not in the least. Paul details his thoughts on the matter in verses 26 and 27, which have been omitted by the lectionary editors.

I don't know why the verses are left out, nor will I speculate to the reason. I have no desire to put the lectionary editors on trial.

But I will simply post the passage in total (plus a few extra verses to complete Paul's thought) and allow you, the reader, to wrestle with Paul's words for yourself. This is from the New English Translation, available at bible.org.

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 1:17 For the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel from faith to faith, just as it is written, “The righteous by faith will live.”

1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness, 1:19 because what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 1:20 For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse. 1:21 For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened. 1:22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 1:23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles.

1:24 Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor their bodies among themselves. 1:25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

1:26 For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged the natural sexual relations for unnatural ones, 1:27 and likewise the men also abandoned natural relations with women 55 and were inflamed in their passions for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

1:28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what should not be done. 1:29 They are filled with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice. They are rife with envy, murder, strife, deceit, hostility. They are gossips, 1:30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, contrivers of all sorts of evil, disobedient to parents, 1:31 senseless, covenant-breakers, heartless, ruthless. 1:32 Although they fully know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but also approve of those who practice them.

2:1 Therefore you are without excuse, whoever you are, when you judge someone else. For on whatever grounds you judge another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge practice the same things. 2:2 Now we know that God’s judgment is in accordance with truth against those who practice such things. 2:3 And do you think, whoever you are, when you judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself, that you will escape God’s judgment? 2:4 Or do you have contempt for the wealth of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, and yet do not know that God’s kindness leads you to repentance? 2:5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourselves in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed! 2:6 He will reward each one according to his works: 2:7 eternal life to those who by perseverance in good works seek glory and honor and immortality, 2:8 but wrath and anger to those who live in selfish ambition and do not obey the truth but follow unrighteousness. 2:9 There will be affliction and distress on everyone who does evil, on the Jew first and also the Greek, 22 2:10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, for the Jew first and also the Greek. 2:11 For there is no partiality with God. 2:12 For all who have sinned apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 2:13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous before God, but those who do the law will be declared righteous. 2:14 For whenever the Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature the things required by the law, these who do not have the law are a law to themselves. 2:15 They show that the work of the law is written in their hearts, as their conscience bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or else defend them, 2:16 on the day when God will judge the secrets of human hearts, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.

Refuge

2011-03-22T09:36:00.002-05:00

During today's morning prayer, I read these words:

Hear my cry, O God,

and listen to my prayer.

I call upon you from the ends of the earth

with heaviness in my heart;

set me upon the rock that is higher than I.

For you have been my refuge,

a strong tower against the enemy.

Psalm 61:1-3 NRSV

Sometimes in life we need a refuge. We need a place to turn. We feel harassed and attacked. We feel stressed and frazzled. We feel weak and confused.

Sometimes our enemy is the system of sin and temptation which runs though our culture.

Sometimes our enemy is the threat of natural disaster or illness.

Sometimes it is something wicked and twisted- a person or force bent on our destruction.

Sometimes it is just the collective force of change- even good and needed change- which has overwhelmed our capacity to keep pace.

And if we are truly honest, sometimes the enemy is ourselves. We can't blame other people or society, or nature, or happenstance, or the devil. We must look in the mirror and recognize that the thing oppressing us, the thing holding us down is our own heart or our own mind.

No matter what the issue, no matter who the enemy, there is one refuge. It isn't a place. It isn't an ideology. It certainly isn't an earthly indulgence to calm our nerves or blind our senses with momentary pleasure.

God is our refuge. The love of God is our tower and defence. The grace of God is the anchor which holds fast when the seas threaten to carry us away or send us to the depths. The strong hand of God's providence is the rock on which we can build, knowing that though the roof may leak and the windows may rattle, our spiritual home built on the rock will stand through it all.

Dear friend, are you looking for shelter in all the wrong places?

If so, then in the spirit of Lent, I ask you to cast an eye heavenward and seek your refuge in the God of the Cosmos- and the Christ of the cross. There is a refuge which will fold fast.

Are you hungry yet?

2011-03-21T11:31:00.003-05:00

In reading through the Daily Lectionary today, I found this exchange between Jesus and His disciples in the Gospel lesson:

Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.”

But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”

So the disciples began to say to one another, “No one brought him anything to eat, did they?”

Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to complete his work."

John 4:31-34, New English Translation

The simplicity and bluntness of Jesus' words here are easy to ignore- but once you see them, they lead to a decision point.

For many of us, our faith is one more component of a well-rounded life- and that is simply in terms of belief. When it comes to faith in action- making the will of God and the work of God a priority- well, that is not so much a component as an accessory or option.

We've taken the doctrine of Sola Fide (or salvation by faith alone) and watered it down to a frankly unscriptuiral level.

Faith in the saving and sanctifying grace of God made manifest in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ is not simply intellectual belief.

If it were, then Satan would be counted among the redeemed- for the demonic believes. (See James 2:19)

No, faith is belief backed by devotion. Faith is understanding that the God who saves calls us to share in the venture. Faith is doing the work of God in concert with the Holy Spirit who lives in our hearts.

Faith is knowing that Christian service nourishes us and sustains us even when our bellies are empty.

In this season of Lent, as we contemplate hunger and self-sacrifice, we would be wise to examine the faith Jesus calls us to. It is the faith He Himself modeled for us in passages like this.

Sermons- Grace Ain't Supposed To Be Fair

2011-03-21T09:44:00.000-05:00

Based on Matthew 20:1-16, preached on March 20, 2011 (Second Sunday of Lent, Year A) at Wesley United Methodist Church in McKinney.

To download (or for iPad and iPhone users), click here.

Wesley UMC's podcast is available in the iTunes store.

Sermons - Mercy Must Be Contagious

2011-03-13T16:21:00.001-05:00

Based on Matthew 18:21-35, preached on March 13, 2011 (First Sunday of Lent, Year A) at Wesley United Methodist Church in McKinney.

To download (or for iPad and iPhone users), click here.

Wesley UMC's podcast is available in the iTunes store.

Sermons- "Take Up Your Cross

2011-03-10T11:22:00.000-06:00

Based on Matthew 16:21-26, preached on March 9, 2011 (Ash Wednesday, Year A) at Wesley United Methodist Church in McKinney.

To download (or for iPad and iPhone users), click here.

Wesley UMC's podcast is available in the iTunes store.

A Reminder About Lent (An Open Letter To Wesley UMC)

2011-03-08T10:32:00.000-06:00

Dear Wesleyans,

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. As I said in my article in the church news letter, Lent is a season of self-denial, prayer, and spiritual discipline as we prepare ourselves to journey with Jesus into Jerusalem, to the cross, and ultimately to the empty tomb when Holy Week arrives.

So I’m sending this today to encourage each of you not to miss this sacred season. I hope that all of you will join us for our Ash Wednesday service tomorrow night at 7:00 pm. Even if you can’t come to the service, I hope you will spend the day in prayer and fasting.

I’m also hoping you’ve all considered giving up something (like sodas or baked goods or television) and/or taking on a discipline (like journaling, fasting once a week, or observing morning and evening prayer) as a way of experiencing God’s presence and sharing in the fast Jesus observed during His 40 days in the wilderness.

Finally, I want to encourage you to join me in reading Richard Foster’s excellent book Celebration of Discipline- which can be found at most book stores, on-line, and in the library. (I’ve even got a copy I can loan out.)

Let us remember the words of James, the brother of Jesus, who said:

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” (James 4:10)

Grace and peace,

John

Starbucks Looks at 40

2011-03-08T09:00:00.000-06:00

The following set of song lyrics is in honor of Starbucks'40th anniversary which is today. My apologies to Jimmy Buffett.

Mother mother Mermaid,
I have heard you call.
Until I pull in your drive through
My day doesn’t start at all.
You’ve got it all.
You’ve got it all.

I once made due with Folgers.
Drank some Nescafe.
Now it seems my caffeine habit
Costs seven bucks a day.
But I will pay.
Yes I will pay.

Yes I am an addict.
That seems to be my fate.
I need some go-juice to get me running,
So make my latte quick before I’m late.
No time to wait.
No time to wait.

I’ve have been tweeked now for over two weeks.
Caramel Macchiatos and some iced ventis.
Quad espresso and wouldn’t you guess- oh
I can’t seem to fall asleep.
But it’s sugary sweet,
So who needs sleep?

Mother mother Mermaid,
After all the years I’ve found
A handy location on every corner,
It’s good to know that you are around.
Keeping me wound.
All around town.

If I feel like humiliating myself, I might record a youtube clip of this and post it later.

Sermons - Beware the Yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees

2011-03-06T15:20:00.001-06:00

Based on Matthew 16:1-12, preached on March 6, 2011 (Epiphany 7 Year A) at Wesley United Methodist Church in McKinney.

To download (or for iPad and iPhone users), click here.

Wesley UMC's podcast is available in the iTunes store.

Of Dogs and Swine

2011-03-03T10:29:00.001-06:00

“Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For by the standard you judge you will be judged, and the measure you use will be the measure you receive. Why do you see the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to see the beam of wood in your own? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while there is a beam in your own? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Do not give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs; otherwise they will trample them under their feet and turn around and tear you to pieces. "

Matthew 7:1-6 New English Translation

This is from today's Gospel in the Daily Lectionary.

Notice how just five verses after telling us not to judge lest we be judged, Jesus also tells us not to present holy things in the presence of "dogs" and "pigs."

Today, we here the former verses quoted all the time, yet curiously we almost never hear the latter. I wonder what would happen if we wrestled with the tension of trying to honor both those commands instead of keeping the first while ignoring the second?

Hell and the Modern Methodist

2011-03-02T11:25:00.001-06:00

The concept of hell and the doctrine that God will ultimately condemn those who reject Jesus as Savior has been a source of serious controversy for centuries- especially in the era following the Great Enlightenment, when many thinkers began mixing the materialist sensibilities of modern science with Christian language and symbolism, giving rise to a new form of our old faith.

In recent days, news of a new book from Emergent guru and lightning rod Robb Bell of Mars Hill in Minneapolis has re-ignated this fierce debate between old-school orthodox types who believe in hell and the Universalists who don't. (A simple Google search gives you a taste of the debate out there.)

Now, I'm not going to address Bell's book because I haven't read it. I like some of Bell's materials- especially his famous Nooma videos which I have used as illustrations in my own teaching work. On the whole I find Bell imaginative in his communication style. On the other hand, I often find myself wanting a deeper, more clear message from him. He comes across to me as long on style but short on substance. Still, I don't want to criticize a book I haven't read. That simply isn't fair.

I will take the opportunity to recommend the best book on Hell I have ever read. Hell: The Logic Of Damnation by Dr. Jerry L. Walls (who was one of my professors at Asbury) is a logically powerful defense of the doctrine of hell, demonstrating how a good and loving God can rightfully condemn people without at all diminishing God's character.

In doing so, Walls also manages to pick 5-point Calvinism to shreds and demonstrates the validity of Wesleyan/Arminian theology from both Biblical and logical perspectives.

It isn't always an easy read- and it helps if you understand the bare basics about logic and rhetoric. That said, it is worth the effort.

If you are at all serious about examining the Wesleyan/Arminian view of hell, Wall's book is a must read. Be sure to also check out his follow-up book on Heaven.

A Few Words About Spiritual Gifts

2011-02-28T15:54:00.001-06:00

I just sent out a letter to my congregation in which I included the following quote from St. Paul:

Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit.
And there are different ministries, but the same Lord.
And there are different results,
but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.
To each person the manifestation of the Spirit is given
for the benefit of all.
- 1 Corinthians 12:4-7

In my mind, this is one of the most critical- and tragically least applied- Biblical teachings about Church life in all of the Bible.

In this age of consumerism, we've embraced a view of the church based entirely on our own needs and expectations. Even around clergy, I often hear grumbling about what the church isn't doing for us.

Am I being fed?

Are my needs being met?

Do I enjoy our worship style?

Now, don't misunderstand me. Every Christian has basic needs which our Church family ought to meet.

But what we often miss is how God intends to use the Church to meet our needs.

It isn't about the staff or the programing. It is about the whole body contributing out of their spiritual gifts.

In this sense, the Church family is like any other family. The spouse who is always keeping score is almost never happy and almost never feels fulfilled. On the other hand, the spouse who truly puts their other half first and serves him or her in love and devotion will discover two things: first, their service brings its own sense of fulfillment, and secondly that acts of love tend to be reciprocated- at least when practiced in healthy relationships.

So it is for us in the Church. Any member (or pastor for that matter) who is always worried about what they are or aren't getting out of their relationship to their local church is rarely satisfied. Conversely, the member or clergy who learns what their Spiritual Gifts are and finds ways to use them to bless the congregation typically finds themselves being blessed again and again- not only by their own service, but by the ministry of others in the congregation who are equally invested in ministry.

Of course, there are marriages, families, and even churches where dysfunction has settled in and this principle doesn't work out so well. So by no means am I saying that the answer for every disgruntled saint is "stay put and try harder."

But at the very least, I can confidently say this: if you are unhappy with the direction of your church, before you complain (and especially before you quit) examine your own soul. Are you really using your spiritual gifts the way Paul instructs you?

If not, then I promise you that even if you visit a thousand churches, none will truly bless you until you with its gifts until you find one you are willing to bless with yours.

What Game Theory Says About Human Nature- and Why Church Leaders Should Pay Attention

2011-02-23T15:35:00.003-06:00

You may not know the name of Bruce Bueno De Mesquita, but your government does.

De Mesquita is a college professor and government advisor known for making extremely accurate predictions about Geo-political events. According to the CIA, Professor De Mesquite is correct (or at least mostly correct) 90% of the time- more the double the success rate of the CIA's internal political and event predictors.

His method is called game theory. Here is a clip of him explaining how it works:

Notice De Mesquita's rather cynical observation that most people act from self-interest. Human selfishness is the sadly universal trait which allows others to predict our course of action. Noble ideas and good intentions notwithstanding, when the going gets tough, you can generally count on a human being to do what they think suits them regardless of the impact on others.

This should come as no surprise to Christians since we believe in the doctrine of original sin.

Yet many times we assume that such acts of self-interest are only the stuff of the world outside the church. We want to assume that all those in Christian leadership- pastors, bishops, church staff, committee chairs, Sunday School teachers, musicians and so on- have overcome the urge of selfishness. And indeed, each of us as leaders should strive to do what is in the interests of Christ and other rather than ourselves. After all, Paul instructs us to do exactly that in the second chapter of Philippians- telling us to embrace humility and place others first.

However, if we are honest, we must admit that we all struggle with selfishness. It is self-deceptive to assume that our own motives are always pure and naive to assume that the motives of others are likewise pure. In fact, the difficulty of putting our needs truly on the back-burner can be seen in the very passage I sight above. Many translations of Philippians 2 state "think not only of your own needs but of the needs of others" when the Greek seems to actually say "think not of your own needs but the needs of others." That subtle translation error shows that even the scholars who translate the Bible wince at the prospect of true selflessness.

To get around this, Christian leaders need to name the issue intentionally- not in an accusatory way, but in an honest, self-reflective way.

Let me explain what I mean. As a leader, when I'm in dialog with others in the church attempting to make a sound decision or resolve a conflict, I have a responsibility to careful reflect on- silently and aloud- the possibility that the position I'm pushing for may stem from a self-oriented place rather than a Christ-and-others place. My hope is that those who I share leadership with will adopt the same disposition.

If we can dialog with one-another frankly about our views and humbly consider the possibility that God may be asking us to sacrifice for one-another, then we are able to hear God speak to and through us- letting us make wise decisions that the Bruce De Mesquitas of the world cannot predict: the sorts of decisions which reflect the love of Christ and compel even the staunchest of skeptics to consider the power of God.

Sermons - The Parable of the Soils

2011-02-21T14:42:00.003-06:00

Based on Matthew 13:1-9, preached on February 20, 2011 (Epiphany 7 Year A) at Wesley United Methodist Church in McKinney.

To download this sermon, right click on this link and save the file. iPhone and iPad users can also use that link to get the sermon.

Wesley UMC's podcast is available in the iTunes store.

Why the doctrine of original sin matters.

2011-02-04T18:24:00.002-06:00

Do people need a savior?

If you think about it, this is the primary question which Christianity must answer in our modern culture.

Wait, you say, don't we first need to prove that God exists? Or that Jesus of Nazareth actually lived? And that He rose from the dead because He is, in fact, God in the human flesh?

Of course, to bring someone to faith, we'll need to present the case for those core doctrines. But in doing so, we are pointing to the cure for a disease which a person might not acknowledge that they suffer from.

Original Sin is that doctrine whereby we teach that the human condition is fatally flawed. Further, our flawed condition is so grave that it necessitates our mortality and ultimately the end of the cosmos as presently constructed because a perfect and just God must eventually re-make the universe into a perfect and just place.

Once upon a time, classical atheism and orthodox Christianity agreed on that premise- or at least on the human condition the doctrine pointed to. It was once generally agreed that we are, as a species, broken. The disciple and the doubter might disagree on how we became broken and what our brokenness says about ultimate reality- but both could see the problem.

Then as the notion of inevitable progress emerged during the 19th century, people stopped agreeing that we are broken. It was thought that through education and technology, we would overcome our flaws. From that time onward, we've slowly but surely abandoned the notion of original sin in our culture. We've bought into "I'm OK, your OK" thinking, telling ourselves that if we can just cure this, invent that, solve this, and learn that, that the world will become all that it should be. Science has embarked on a quest for immortality. Education has pushed teaching self-esteem even in the absence of achievement. Political polarization has convinced us that if "our side" can just win the next election, we'll set the nation straight. We aren't damaged goods, so we tell ourselves, we just haven't arrived yet.

In his 1908 book Orthodoxy, brilliant Christian thinker G.K. Chesterton diagnosed this warped and false abandonment of original sin thusly:

The strongest saints and the strongest skeptics alike took positive evil as the starting-point of their argument. If it be true (as it certainly is) that a man can feel exquisite happiness in skinning a cat, then the religious philosopher can only draw one of two deductions. He must either deny the existence of God, as all atheists do; or he must deny the present union between God and man, as all Christians do. The new theologians seem to think it a highly rationalistic solution to deny the cat.

So long as we can deny the cat, so to speak, it is difficult for the modern conscience to feel the conviction of the Spirit which is a means of prevenient grace. So long as we refuse to see the sickness, we can continue to ignore the pleas of the Healer. So long as we delude ourselves with a sense of innocence, we need not contemplate the wonder that Christ our God should die for us.

Oh, we post moderns are more open to spiritualism than the materialists of Chesterton's day- but our religiosity, even in supposedly Christian circles, is still built on the myth of progress and, necessarily, the denial of original sin- though the denial may be explicit, implicit or expressed in sheer hypocrisy and shallowness of theological thought.

The end result is that we wind up presenting a Jesus of our own creation. For some, it is the Hippy Jesus who wouldn't ever judge someone's sex life. For others, it is the Talk Radio Jesus, who wants to save us but can't unless we vote Republican. For still others, it is the lovable but utterly ineffective Jesus of pop culture who is good for a warm fuzzy or perhaps a laugh at his expense but who can't make any real difference for us. Doctrine becomes contextual. God becomes whatever we need God to be. Truth becomes relative. Christianity becomes a medium instead of a message, used by all comers to get their own way.

In the end, the denial of original sin has led to a series of horrific mutations of the Christian faith.

Yet consider what happens the moment we once again acknowledge the cat. Once we admit that we are a broken race full of broken individuals who continue to construct broken societies ruled by broken governments who issue broken promises- once we acknowledge the horror of it all and our inability to overcome it on our own- what then can we say about our God and our Gospel?

Then we can say that our God is merciful for we are still here. Then we can say that our pain has been seen from On High, for Jesus came in the flesh and lived awhile among us. Then we can say that our guilt can be addressed, for the Guiltless One suffered and died for our sake. Then we can say that our brokenness has been itself broken, for even the grave which awaits us all could not hold Our Savior. Then we can say that someday He will come and set the wrong things right. He will come to bind our wounds, heal our hearts, forgive the contrite, abolish the unremorseful, and make all things new.

When human beings admit that we are smaller than our problems, we are able to embrace a God who is larger still. Then and then alone we might discover the Truth and begin to truly live.

An Open Letter to Wesley UMC

2011-01-24T11:05:00.000-06:00

Dear Wesleyans,

Last Summer during an episode of the Daily Show, comedian Jon Stewart described Methodism as “the University of Phoenix” of religions. His point was that becoming Methodist doesn’t take much and being Methodist doesn’t mean much.

It is easy to see why he might say that. Many United Methodist churches don’t ask much of prospective members prior to joining. Often times, newly minted church members don’t know a thing about John and Charles Wesley, or the Holiness Club at Oxford, or how the early Class, Band, and Society system worked. They don’t know what the Book of Discipline is, what a “trust clause” is, and they are mystified at the idea that the preacher may get moved even if the church and preacher have a great relationship.

Of course, the result is that if new members aren’t asked to learn this stuff and why it matters, then odds are many existing and long-time members won’t know it either.

And from where I sit, this is really a tragedy because I think Methodism has much to offer. Our doctrine, practices, and tradition are rich. Our roots go back to an earnest attempt of some young college kids in England who simply wanted to understand the Good News of Jesus Christ and live discipled lives which please God. Methodism, then, sprang from an honest attempt to become Biblical people.

It seems to me that our world needs a fresh generation of Biblical people.

And that is why I like to say that I’m Methodist on purpose.

Over the next few months, I will be using this space to share some thoughts on what being Methodist on Purpose looks like.

I will also be developing classes for potential members so that before they join, they will know who and what we are. When those classes launch, I won’t just be inviting potential members and new members to participate. I’ll be asking you to join us too. My goal is that in the next two years, 90% of our active membership will have taken the course and will choose to be Methodist on Purpose.

Until then, feel free to send me your questions about where Methodism came from, what it offers to Christians today, and where it might be going in the future.

I’d also love to hear the story of how you came to join Wesley and what being a Methodist at Wesley means to you! Send me an e-mail, call me, or make an appointment so we can meet face-to-face. I look forward to hearing from all of you.

Grace and peace,
John

Sermons: Matthew 5:1-15 "Who We Are Called To Be"

2011-01-18T13:52:00.003-06:00

Originally preached at Wesley UMC in McKinney on Sunday, January 16, 2011.

To download this sermon, right click this link and save the file. You can also use that same link to access the sermon on your iPhone or iPad.

Wesley UMC's podcast is available in the iTunes store.

Chicken Little Doesn't Rule This Roost

2011-01-11T12:41:00.002-06:00

In the January 2011 issue of Christianity Today, there is a great piece by Dr. Jennifer Powell McNutt called "The Enduring Church." (Sorry- no link for this one. Unless they add it to the website, you'll have to buy a paper copy of the magazine to read it.)

McNutt provides a solid, if brief, exploration of current and previous claims that the Church is dying and that the Christian faith is in inevitable decline. She shows how from the 4th century in the days of Augustine, to the 10th century reforms which split Catholicism and Orthodoxy apart, to the Reformation of Luther and Calvin, to the dawn of the Enlightenment- at every turn many critics pronounced the faith as DOA, and many of the faithful worried that those critics were right. Thus far, all have been wrong. Though we've seen many winters, spring always comes. Today, the same essential teachings of the first century apostles can still be found in pulpits and prayer meetings and in the hearts of many.

The article is a great read for those who see the chaos in American Christendom and fear the worst. As McNutt reminds us, great revivals often follow or coincide great upheaval in polity and popular teaching. She even notes how Methodism exploded during the late 18th and early 19th century in a period some scholars would otherwise consider and age of decline in the broader Church.

As an evangelical preacher in a mainline denomination, I occasionally feel the temptation to fret about the future of the Gospel in our nation. l see how the John Shelby Spong 's of the world are leading many mainline protestants away from our historical claims. I've even heard fellow United Methodist clergy declare that the UMC is not a confessional church and that we don't have set beliefs even though Part II of our Book of Discipline is a full-throated affirmation of orthodox Christian theology as expressed in the tradition of Wesley and Otterbein.

There is no doubt that we are in trying times. The waters are deep. The giants are tall. The promised land seems desperately out of reach. There are many logical reasons why a Christian in this age might question every tenant of our teachings and doubt the value or viability of it all.

That is, until we recall how many generations before also faced great challenges from within the Church and without. And we know that God preserved the Church through those perils times because if He hadn't, there would be no Christians today.

Last night in a finance committee meeting here at Wesley, we were looking at some tough numbers. I know from experience how quickly financial tension can cause a crisis of faith in the life of a church. And yet as I listened to our lay leaders on the finance committee, all I heard was a desire to do ministry even in lean times and to push deeper into faith in God as we wait on a better day.

Stress? You bet.

Panic? Not on your life. The saints around that table last night know that our God is bigger than the our budget.

McNutt shares a quote from Martin Luther which I think the folks at Wesley (and concerned mainliners everywhere) should take to heart. Luther said:

"We are not the church's guardians, if it were up to us, the church would perish before our very eyes, and we together with it. ... But it is Another who obviously preserves both the church and us."

And that quote reminds me of the words of Jesus: "And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20b - New English Translation)

I don't know about you, but words like that give me the courage to press on and believe that great days are still to be had and that our Gospel won't fail us no matter what others may say.

Greetings from McKinney!

2011-01-04T14:45:00.000-06:00

Day two in the job at the new church is coming along. The busyness of the holidays along with the sudden nature of my re-appointment has kept me from blogging, but I hope to remedy that as the weeks wear on.

I did want to take a moment to express my love and gratitude to the people of Tyler Street UMC in Dallas for the wonderful experience I had serving among them.

I also want to make a declaration to the people of Wesley UMC that I intend to mirror the goal *Paul brought to Corinth- to preach nothing to you but Jesus Christ and Him crucified so that y'all may grow in the grace of Jesus and share His boundless love in McKinney and beyond.

Last night at the Trustee's monthly meeting, I got to see your mission statement for the first time- and I'm delighted. For those who aren't familiar with it, the mission statement of Wesley UMC reads:

"Our mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ as we proclaim the truth of God's word; invite people into a loving relationship with God and one another; meet vital needs and help all to find their God given purpose."

If we are truly committed to such a lofty and Biblical mission, then certainly God will bless our church in 2011 and beyond!

*See 1 Corinthians 2:1-2

Book Review: Outlive Your Life: You Were Made To Make A Difference

2010-12-17T13:25:00.002-06:00

When I first became a Christian, I read several Max Lucado books and they really helped nurture my early faith. Some of the lessons I learned reading On The Anvil stick with me today. In many ways, this guy from Andrews, TX whom I've never met in person had a larger influence on my soul than the pastor of my home church.

Then, as I went off to study theology in undergrad and seminary, I read less and less of Lucado's books. Partially, this is because of the extensive reading lists my education presented. Part of it is that I sort of burned out on Lucado. Part of it is that I discovered other voices which I needed to learn from- chiefly Wesley, Arminius, and N.T. Wright.

So when I sat down with Outlive Your Life, it was my first encounter with Lucado's writing in about a decade.
I was long overdue.

In his straight-forward and straight-to-the-heart way, Lucado makes the case for Christian service in a compelling and emotionally convincing way.

Now this isn't the deepest book on Christian servant-hood I've ever read- but in a way, that is the strength of this book.

Let's face it: American churches are full of people who have confused church membership with consumerism. Many of us attend worship and other church functions with an emphasis with what the Church does for us.

And yet our Gospel tells us that we should put God first, others second, and ourselves third.

In other words, there is a disconnect between our people and our Gospel.

By writing this book in his typical, casual style which even new Christians will find accessible, Lucado presents the discipled, self-sacrificial life all Christians ought to live in a way that should help motivate many a pew-potato to find enough faith to take risks and love the world for Jesus' sake.

I highly recommend this book for personal study. Better yet, get your small group or Sunday School class to read it together- and then commit as a group to take up Lucado's challenge and let Jesus make more out of your life.

Why are you a Methodist?

2010-12-13T15:11:00.006-06:00

In the last six months, two pop-culture figures have poked great fun at Methodism.

The most famous example which has been blogged on by others repeated, is Jon Stewart of the Daily Show calling Methodism "easy" and "the University of Phoenix of religions."

If you missed it, fast forward to about 4 minutes into the clip below:

Less publicised, but far more detailed and sadly bursting with accuracy was The Methodist Blues from A Prairie Home Companion's Garrison Keillor:

Among the many choice lyrics, these words sum up the problem pretty well:

"I've been going since I was a kid
I keep going cause my parents did
Doesn't have much to do with the Bible
Church is a club, it's downright tribal...

...Our theology gets thinner and thinner

We don't talk about saving the sinner...

...Got no purpose, got no mission

Just layers and layers of tradition

Just another retail business

Everything picks up around Christmas"

These words irk me, but I can't get angry at the messenger. When you look around our Connection, it is clear that Stewart and Keillor have hit a raw nerve by observing what most of us know but don't want to talk about.

Being United Methodist doesn't mean much these days. If we want United Methodist to exist decades from now, we'd better change that situation.

This leads back to the question at the top of this post.

I was asked this question recently by a discouraged fellow Methodist.

My answer isn't like the one in Garrison Keillor's song. I wasn't born Methodist. I wasn't raised Methodist. I wasn't even raised in any church. So when I became a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, I explored various denominations and traditions and considered their theology and their practices carefully. After thinking and studying and experimenting and praying, I chose to be a Methodist.

In other words, I'm Methodist on purpose.

United Methodism has long prided itself on being a Big Tent denomination. And while ethnic and social diversity is indeed a reflection of the Kingdom of God and should be our goal, our attempt to be theologically diverse has diluted what it means to be Methodist. In fact, I doubt that the average United Methodist church member could easily explain the theological and practical tenets which early Methodism was built upon.

As Keillor lampoons in his song, we've let Methodism become more of a quasi-religious club than an actual Bible-based holiness movement.

This simply has to change.

So if you are reading this and you are a Methodist, I ask you: why are you a Methodist?

Do you belong to a social club?

Or do you really believe and practice the historic doctrines of the orthodox Christian faith as expressed in the Methodist tradition?

If you can't affirm the latter, maybe it is time to do some business with God and rediscover the transformational force Methodism is intended to be.

The Opposite of Camouflage

2010-12-10T14:13:00.000-06:00

In January, I will be assisting in the wedding of two friends of mine who are finally getting hitched and the groom asked me to wear a clergy shirt. You the know the type- black with a white tabbed collar. If you are like me, you might have even called these "Catholic priest shirts."

Being a good friend, I willingly said yes and started shirt hunting.

The first thing I learned is that the clergy shirt actually comes out of the Protestant tradition.

No, I'm not making that up. According to the ever-reliable Ken Collins, the clergy shirt was first worn by Rev. Dr. Donald McLeod of the Scottish Presbyterian Church. So right off the bat, I realized that I had a lot to learn. I also realized that I'm probably not the only one who doesn't know the Protestant origins of this style of clothing so rarely worn by Evangelical preachers.

So once I headed to ye old Cokesbury and bought myself one, I decided I needed to try it out in public.


The Man In Black

So last Thursday, I had a Dallas Area Interfaith breakfast to attend and I figured it was a suitable maiden voyage for the fresh threads. I woke up, got my dog collar on, and hit the door.

The first stop was the dry cleaner, where I was treated pretty much the same as any other day.

Then came Starbucks, where I got a few nervous glances. The guy in front of me in line turned around and said "I know you are a preacher, but I gotta have my coffee so I'm not giving you my place in line."

This struck me as odd. Do people usually get out of line for priests and other wearers of clergy shirts? Has my choice of polo shirts and business suites cost me speedy access to coffee?

I also noticed that a young woman with a nose ring kept glaring at me in a rather uncomfortable way. I wondered why. Was it the shirt? Was she anti-Catholic, or anti-Christian? Or did she just dislike fat bald guys no matter what line of work they are in? I couldn't help but wonder where her obvious anger came from. Given the busyness of the shop, I didn't get any chance to speak to her, but I found myself praying for her all day.

At the DIA breakfast, about half of the clergy were dressed like me, so that was a wash.

Next stop was a drive-through for a diet coke. The clerk was very rude on the loud speaker, but when I pulled up to the window, she looked right at the collar and apologized. (I hadn't said a word to her about her service. I planned to let it go.)

After that I ran a few errands- the pharmacy, the grocery store, etc. I got called "Father" three times, "Revered" twice, and had a handful of polite nods and smiles along the way. At the deli counter, the lady who sliced my lunch meat told me all about growing up in Boston and going to a Catholic School. By the registers, I was stopped by an older Catholic priest who wanted to know where I served. (He seemed annoyed when I told him I am United Methodist.) Most of the attention I received was positive, though I also got a few more glares not unlike the angry young barista from earlier in the day. It all made me feel very conspicuous- something I don't really enjoy. I like being anonymous while I do my shopping.

Really, that was the sensation of the day for me. I stuck out like a sore thumb. I never felt 100% comfortable. I knew that at any moment, someone could be watching me and linking my actions to that of Christianity. I felt judged. I felt on display. I felt the weight of Christian witness on me in how I drove, how I shopped, and with every word that came out of my mouth.

I didn't like it.

I was relieved when I got home and took the thing off and slipped into a tee shirt.

But in the days that passed, I've had time to reflect on the experience. And I realized that the shirt made me do what the Bible says I should do anyway- to live every moment of my public life as an ambassador for Jesus and His Kingdom.

This led to a sense of conviction. It is sinful for me to dislike being conspicuous due to my faith. I should be happy to be on display for My Lord.

I'll be honest. I haven't worn the shirt again yet. But I will. Not because I want to, but because I need to. If I am ever to persuade churches to put Jesus at the very center of their daily lives, I've got to learn how to do it myself. And thus far in all my years as a Christian, nothing has forced me to be so public about my faith as that simple black shirt with that simple white tab.

Confronting Writer's Block - And This Time I Mean It

2010-11-23T09:47:00.000-06:00

Once I blogged daily. I e-mailed thoughtfully to those in need of an encouraging word. I jumped for chances to write for the church newsletter or generate printed curriculum.

But oh how the block has fallen for two years.

So I'm writing today. I'm just going to write this post, steam of conscious style, maybe to make like John Henry and pound my way through.

After all, there is real writing to be done.

The Advent Conspiracy devotionals need to go out ten days ago.

This blog is a joke.

The youth and parents deserve weekly e-mails and clever Facebook posts.

Lent is around the corner and I've always promised God I'd write for Lent.

It is time to write.

So what gets in the way of writing for me?

Well, there is the obvious- the ADD and dyslexia. It seems that every third word I type has a red squiggle under it. And even when I get the spelling worked out, sometimes in my haste to get a thought out of my head, through the keyboard, and onto the warming glow of the monitor, some key word gets left out. Often it is the verb. Sometimes it is the adjective.

Then there is subject matter.

I used to write frequently on the topic of United Methodist polity and our struggles as a denomination. But I got tired of getting drawn into debates. I got even more tired of repeating myself post after post. Most of all, I got tired of sounding like a pessimist because I'm not one. We United Methodists have an abundance of problems and many of those problems could kill our denomination. When I write on those topics, I'm honest about the profoundness of our difficulties. And yet I refuse to believe that God is done with us. I believe that we will get through this season and come out on the other side a faithful, healthy denomination. I'm not pessimistic about our future even though I see serious matters confronting us. That's a lot of words to say that I don't want to write about the state of Methodism until I figure out how to convey my optimism without glossing over our problems.

I could write on matters of culture and politics, but let's be honest: even if I post a two-sentence thought on such things on Facebook, I tend to stir up a hornets' nest. I'm an equal opportunity offender in this regard. My liberal and conservative friends both get mad at me and accuse me of belonging to the other camp. I admit that I do enjoy being an iconoclast sometimes, but I'm a preacher, not a politician or a pundit. So I don't want to write about that much either.

Finally there is theology and matters of spiritual practice. This is what I know I should write about. But I struggle because I think God deserves the best when it comes to His servants teaching on matters of Christian faith and practice. I'm good at oral communication, so I enjoy letting God use me to preach and teach. Oh, to be sure, I feel inadequate as a person, but I trust the gifts of God within me to do those tasks. But when it comes to writing, though I feel called to do it, I don't feel gifted. The lack of the gift coupled with my own insecurities as an unworthy vessel chosen by God in spite of myself combine to render me fearful at the keyboard. And maybe that is what these past few years has been about.

Maybe this is all about trusting that God can use me even when I feel incompetent. Maybe this is about serving God out of an area of personal weakness and trusting in His power to make something out of it. Maybe all I needed to get me out of this rut is to admit that I'm afraid to write because it is such a difficult task for someone like me.

Excuse me. I've got some writing to do.

A Call To Hope for United Methodism

2010-10-29T15:09:00.002-05:00

In case you missed it, the final report of the Call To Action steering team is in and our Bishops are and will be passing along new ideas and guidelines intended to help us turn our shrinking and often divided denomination around. (You can read the report in PDF form here and get more info on it here.)

Our own Bishop Bledsoe made reference to the report at our annual clergy retreat and I am deeply encouraged by his words and I am looking forward to seeing positive progress.

Yet in talking to several older colleagues who have been around the block a few more times than me, I keep hearing the same response: "been there, done that." (Well known UM pastor and author Dan Dick sums up this sentiment in a recent post from his blog which you can read by clicking here.)

I find myself somewhat torn. I want to be (and intend to be) optimistic because I believe that God has lead me to become a United Methodist pastor, and unlike the newly freed Israelites, I don't think God has lead me into the wilderness to die. I believe that a new day is coming- a day of revival and renewal, when our brand of practical theology and our blend of personal and social holiness will once again bear much fruit for the Kingdom of Christ.

At the same time, I would be foolish to dismiss the voices of my elders, who point to similar past efforts within the General Church which amounted to little.

It is in moments like this that I recall the words of my Old Testament professor from Asbury, Dr. Lawson Stone. He tells about the great gift of the "second naivety." We all come into church leadership bright-eyed and hopeful and naive as all get out. Then we hit the wall. Perhaps someone disappoints us or hurts us. Perhaps we fail. Perhaps everyone does everything right, but the results aren't what they should be. Perhaps the politics are just too ugly for us. Whatever the wall looks like for each of us, every single one of us will have our bubble popped. When that moment comes, we can justifiably become jaded or bitter. We can give up on the cause entirely. Or we can become sharks who abandon grace in favor of expediency. Or, Dr. Stone reminds us, we can look at the Crucified King who bears all human inequity through His many scares and stll triumphs through faith and love. We can choose to be as naive as ever, not out of ignorance, but because we choose to see with eyes of hope and resurrection instead of eyes of distrust and defeat.

So I choose to absorb the concerns of the nay-sayers and keep them in the back of my mind, but I refuse to be dissuaded by them. Our denomination has been here before and failed to learn our lesson- so we must be alert, but not dismayed. Like a shrewd serpent, we should keep a watchful eye out for the mistakes of the past; and yet we must also choose to soar across an uncertain sky with the grace and gentleness of a dove.

It is easy to be skeptical. It is easy to assume that this current denomination-wide effort will have the same result as previous attempts. But I, for one, have never settled for the easy path. Like many of my fellow Evangelicals in the UMC, I have long prayed for renewal. Here is an opportunity to see those prayers come true in our midst. This is no time to lose faith. Our Bishops are talking about simplifying our structure, streamlining our procedures, and most importantly returning to the roots of our faith- the very things many of us have longed for. It is a golden opportunity. Let us not squander it.

I dare you to answer these questions!

2010-10-15T09:43:00.002-05:00

I spent this past week at the beautiful Mt. Seqouyah United Methodist Retreat Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas at the New Church Leadership Institute, a continuing education event to help potential church planters discern if they are called to start new congregations or not and to give some basic training for those who are. I won't get into my discernment process, partially because I'm still stewing on some things and partially because I need to report back to those who sent me before I start shooting my mouth off in public about what I may or may not feel called to do someday.

I do want to spend some time talking about the tragic realities facing our existing congregations and the realization of how badly existing churches need to be turned around if we are to be effective. (OK, so some of my discernment process is probably about to seep out.)

According to the statistics we were given my various speakers, most of our established UM congregations did not receive a single adult by way of profession of faith last year- and they won't this year either.

Worse yet, most of our active clergy cannot report EVER personally leading someone to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

If your jaw isn't on your lap, you need to re-read that last paragraph.

In other words, our congregations are basically "holy huddles" (or at least allegedly holy) where the pastor is expect to tend to an insular flock.

At best, we have failed to teach that part of being a true disciple is reaching out to make more disciples.

At worst, we have mistaken discipleship for mere group affiliation and religious inclination.

I left Fayetville more convinced than ever that we need new churches so we reach new people.

But unless we intend to close all or most of our current churches, then we have an equally pressing need to bring the missional attitude of new church starts into existing congregations.

So here is my challenge to clergy and lay alike. Ask yourself the following questions- and if you don't like the answers, then do something about it!

When is the last time I told the story of my faith journey- including how coming to know Jesus as both Savior and Lord changed my life- to someone who wasn't already a practicing believer?

When is the last time I bothered cultivating a friendship with a non-believer who I could potentially tell my story to in the first place?

When is the last time I personally invited someone to worship with me on a Sunday morning?

When I meet someone who obviously is living a life I regard as sinful, do I feel sympathy for them, affinity with them, disdain towards them, or pride that I'm not like them? (Be honest with yourself.)

How often do I pray for someone I know to come to faith in Christ? Have I ever told such a person that I have been praying for them?

When a new face turns up in our worship service, do I enjoy walking over to greet them, or do I sit back and hope someone else will?

I bet some of those questions stung a bit. Rest assured I've had to say a few prayers of repentance just while typing them up.

But here is the stark reality. Our churches will not become evangelistic dynamos through some neat curriculum, or a cool program from our evangelism committee, or a hip new worship service, or even a well-designed Annual Conference initiative aimed at revitalization. All those programs can certainly help and are sorely needed- but unless our pastors and lay-leaders take personal responsibility again and unless our definition of being a disciple includes helping make new disciples as a non-negotiable, bed-rock, either-you-is-or-you-ain't element of following Christ, all the programs in the world won't cure what is killing us.

Turning our churches around won't be easy, but it is simple. All it takes is a resolute determination to teach the sort of disciple-growing that leads to disciple-making. And with God's help, we can do it.

Some Questions About Starting New Churches

2010-10-08T12:06:00.000-05:00

Next week, I'm off to Arkansas to participate in the New Church Leadership Institute which is designed to identify and train United Methodist pastors and lay-leaders who might be called on to help plant new congregations. I am very excited as I've always been drawn to the idea of church planting. While attending this event doesn't in any way guarantee that I will get to be a church planter someday, it is a vital step in the discernment process. Even if I never get to plant a church, I am confident that some of what I learn next week will be applicable in what ever setting I might find myself appointed to. Plus, I figure Mt Sequoyah in the fall is bound to be beautiful.

As I get closer to leaving, I find myself wrestling with some key questions. I'm sure the presenters at NCLI will address many of those questions, but I want to ask them here in case some knowledgeable soul who happens by cares to share their wisdom with me.

Here goes:

What is it about new ministries and new congregations that leads to often dramatic growth rates? What is the appeal of newness? And how can wise leaders take advantage of that appeal rather than squander it?

What qualities are necessary for a pastor to be successful in planting a church?

What qualities are necessary in lay leaders and how do you find and recruit them?

What are the most common mistakes made by new church starts?

What can established churches learn from successful new church starts?

RENEW Network's Lisa Kittle Wieghs In on the Call to Action Report

2010-09-24T13:32:00.001-05:00

The document below comes from the RENEW Network and is a response to the reports commission for the "Call To Action" Steering Committee of the UMC.

By posting this document, I'm not necessarily endorsing all the points contained therein. I'm still digesting all this and I may or may not post something later.

I'm simply passing along the information for any who are curious. If any of you have responses from other groups, I'd like to read those as well.

The United Methodist Church Faces a Financial and Relevancy Crisis By Liza Kittle

Book Review - Justification by N.T. Wright

2010-09-17T09:47:00.004-05:00

This impressive work by Bishop Wright is a direct response to John Piper's attack on Wright's interpretation of Pauline material. It is organized into two main sections.

The first section is a lengthy introduction which lays out the nature of the debate Wright and Piper and a great many others are tied up in, gives the core of Wright's point of view, and lays out a tight theological and pastoral case to defend it.

The second section is a densely packed examination Paul's own words in Galatians, Philippians, I and II Corinthians, Ephesians, and most critically for the matters at hand Romans. Wright's intent is to prove that his perspective best fits what Paul actually wrote. In doing so, Wright is basically asserting that Piper and most Reformed and Evangelical preachers, commentators, and students have gotten Paul's basic theology wrong in at least a few critical areas.

Now if the subject matter of this book doesn't sound interesting or relevant to you, let me ask this: is the meaning of the word "salvation" at all important to you?

This is not some obscure theological issue which the majority of pastors and laity can simply ignore while focusing on more pressing things. No- how one understands (or fails to understand) terms like "salvation," "justification," and "sanctification" will have a critical impact on how true to our Christian faith we actually are. In other words, Wright is weighing in on one of the most important subjects in all of Christian thought.

So here is the big question: does Wright offer a convincing case?

In my opinion, he does. Section one of Justification is one of the best arguments I have ever read for a broader a broader interpretation of Paul. Wright quite successfully points out the believer-centric flaws in Piper's view on the subject and the error of reducing the theological concept of "salvation" to become practically a synonym for justification.

In Wright's view, salvation certainly includes justification, but it is more than that. He reminds us that to understand salvation we must also wrestle with the concept of sanctification. As a Wesleyan, I could not help but cheer Wright on as I read.

Wright doesn't stop there. Throughout the book, he does a masterful job of reminding us that salvation is not just one individual being transfered from bondage to sin and death unto transformation and eternal life. Wright argues that God's plan for salvation is the epic story of humanity and creation: at stake is God's plan to make all things right through Israel and ultimately through Israel's Messiah Jesus. He makes a compelling case that while each believer needs to have a personal experience of salvation, we must also remember that God's saving work is bigger than any one person.

In my estimation, this is perhaps most needed correction for the ills of Western Christianity and its over-emphasis on the individual. In many ways, Wright is attempting to give us back a truly Biblical God-centered world view so that we might lay aside the person-centered view which has steadily dragged even the most conservative schools of theological thought off the rails over the past few centuries. He does so by placing Paul back in his proper context and letting the apostle speak on his own terms rather than trying to pigeon-hole Paul into modern or post-modern modes of thinking.

My only criticism of this book is the density of the second section. Wright's insight into Paul's letters is nothing short of astounding and the force of his evidence is overwhelming. Unfortunately, it is a tough read because so much information is packed into a very small space. This requires the reader to have a fairly extensive baseline understanding of Paul's works and the ability to digest one complex thought after another. Even after having both undergraduate and seminary training, I found myself constantly putting down the book to look up something in the Scriptures to make the connections. At other points, I had to re-read the same paragraph two or three times to let the whole thought sink in as Wright's attempt to pack three volume's worth of material into one somewhat think book gave my ADD and dyslexia fits. (Kindle readers who share my learning disabilities take note- using the Text-to-Speech feature really helps with the more dense passages as listening while reading lets your auditor centers get the rest of your brain in line.) Had Wright opted to put forth a larger work, or perhaps a set, he could have broken his thoughts down to make the experience more user-friendly

Because of the issues I sight above, I can't fully recommend this book to everyone because it is too deep for the novice and at times too blunt for the theologically thinned skinned. That said, for those who know a little bit and want to go deeper, this book is practically a must-read, if not an easy one.

Book Review: Living With Confidence in a Chaotic World by Dr. David Jeremiah

2010-09-10T14:49:00.005-05:00

This book is a companion to another of Dr. Jeremiah's books called What in the World is Going On: Ten Prophetic Clues You Cannot Afford To Miss. So right off the bat, you know this book is aimed at a certain segment within the Christian market place: those who are prone to dwell on end times issues. Those who know me know that I'm not one to spend much time on that particular subject.

Don't get me wrong. I believe that there will be an end. I believe that Jesus will someday come back. I believe in Judgment Day. I believe that the world as we know shall fade away and that a new world will come. The Bible is clear.

In fact, I've spent the better part of the last two months teaching on Revelation 21:1-26 to two different groups in the church.

The problem for me is this: every generation of Christians for the last 2000 years has believed that the end would come in their lifetime. Thus far, they've all been wrong. The lesson I've gleaned from history of prophecy studies is that many a teacher and preacher as wrecked their credibility by making predictions which didn't pan out.

I don't want to be among them.

Moreover, my job is to preach salvation in Jesus Christ. If the second coming is next month, next year, or not for a thousand years, my job is still to preach salvation in Jesus Christ. So even if I could win the speculation lottery, what good would it do me?

Anyway, back to the book at hand. While I have no interest in the companion book, I found Living With Confidence to be a nice read. It presents some straight-forward advice which would benefit all the prophecy buffs out there who tend to get panicked when the headline turn nasty.

In fact, the advice in this book would be applicable to all of us- no matter what our view of the End Times might be. Dr. Jeremiah's advice on how to deal with worldly dangers is sound, even if I'm not sold on his views on prophecy. So if you think the end is near (or even if you don't but this recession and all the other bad news is testing your faith) this book might provide some comfort and advice for you.

Because the book has a limited appeal, I give it a 2.5 on a scale of 5.

Sermons - Be Ready

2010-08-11T18:35:00.000-05:00

Based on Luke 12:32-40, preached on August 8, 2010 (Proper 14 Year C) at Tyler Street United Methodist Church in Dallas.

My Apperance on the Mike Allen Show

2010-08-11T15:08:00.000-05:00

As I posted last week, Mike Allen is a former United Methodist pastor (once my pastor and my wife's boss at Park UMC in Lexington, KY) who is now a Roman Catholic and hosts a daily radio show which airs on Real Life Radio 1380 in Lexington, KY

Part 1

Part 2

Preaching Almanac - Preparing for Sunday, August 15, 2010

2010-08-11T08:29:00.003-05:00

Lectionary Passages for Proper 15 Year C (Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost)

Isaiah 5:1-7

Psalm 82

Hebrews 11:29-12:4

Luke 12:49-56

Prayer for Proper 15:

Almighty God, you have given your only Son
to be for us a sacrifice for sin,
and also an example of godly life:
Give us grace to receive thankfully
the fruits of this redeeming work,

and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

(Book of Common Prayer, 1979 ed.)

Food for thought:

Since we are in His image and likeness, as Scripture says,

let us presume to speak just as He expresses Himself in the fullness of His majesty.

Ambrose

Sermons:

John Wesley, On God's Vineyard (Isaiah 5:4)

Martin Luther , The Comfort of Christ's Sufferings (Hewbews 12:3)

We Confess, July/August 2010

2010-08-09T17:21:00.000-05:00

From The Confessing Movement With the United Methodist Church.

Newsletter16.4

A Challange To Preachers - Proclaim Sanctification!

2010-08-06T08:39:00.000-05:00

Over on Faith Experience, Shane Raynor has an excellent post defining and examine the Wesleyan (and I would argue deeply Biblical) doctrine of entire sanctification. In it he provides the following summations of the doctrine:

Christian perfection is a process and a destination. It’s a second work of grace. It’s an empowerment of the Holy Spirit after justification that enables us to get rid of the sin in our lives. (Put another way, after we’re saved from the penalty of sin, God starts saving us from the power of sin.)

Christian perfection doesn’t mean that Christians are freed from temptation. Even Jesus was tempted. But we’re not bound to give in to that temptation.

Christian perfection doesn’t mean that Christians don’t make mistakes or don’t commit involuntary transgressions.

John Wesley thought that it was possible to be an “almost Christian” or an “altogether Christian”, but impossible to be a “half a Christian”. The message here was that sanctification is included in the package with justification, and for the authentic Christian, it’s not optional.

Perfecting grace frees Christians from outward sin and inward sin.

Entire sanctification can be realized before death.

As a United Methodist pastor, I am deeply concerned that most lay folk I know have never or rarely heard of our Wesleyan view on sanctifying grace. I'm also concerned that too few of my fellow preachers seem bothered by that lack of familiarity among our people.

After all, Methodism is supposed to be a holiness movement- it is supposed to be about changing the heart through a radical encounter with the untamed grace of the Living God.

Shane's post is timely at this hour of our denomination's history. It is also timely for those of us who preach on the lectionary schedule.

This Sunday's Gospel passage is Luke 12:32-40- a passage which speaks clearly about the need for Christians to be diligent and faithful. It is a text that begs for a sermon about the importance of sanctification.

So I'm challenging you other preachers out there who will be in your pulpits this Sunday morning. If you are preaching the text from Luke, take the opportunity to teach your congregation about sanctification and even perfection.

And if you post your sermon audio on-line, send me the link if you would be willing to let me share your sermon with others.

Someone is crazy enough to put me on the radio.

2010-08-04T11:29:00.001-05:00

That's right, Mike Allen, Roman Catholic radio host and former United Methodist pastor has invited me to be on the air with him for an hour today. Mike was my pastor and Laurie's boss when we were at Park UMC in Lexington from 2000-2002. He and his wife Angie get the credit or blame for Laurie's desire to have more children than any other family on the block.

Meet Mike:

Current Catholic, former Methodist, Asbury Seminary grad,
father of the decade, and a huge influence on my view of what good pastoring looks like.

His show airs on Real Life Radio 1380 in Lexington, KY and I will be on for his 5:00 pm hour. (4:00 here in Dallas.) I'll post the podcast in a few days for anyone who wants to hear our dialog, which is part of an on-going series he does, interviewing a different protestant each week and seeking common ground between Catholics and Evangelicals. Mike is a true talent and a man after God's own heart, so I'm looking forward to an hour of energetic conversation about the shared faith between conservative Catholics and Evangelical protestants.

As a sign of good will, , I will try hard not to reference any material in the following youtube clip:

Good Links: The Communion of Saints: August in Christian History

2010-08-03T10:52:00.001-05:00

The Communion of Saints: August in Christian History from Methodistthinker.com

Preaching Almanac - Preparing for Sunday August 8, 2010

2010-08-02T13:41:00.000-05:00

Lectionary Texts for Proper 14 (Eleven weeks after Pentecost)

Contemporary Collect:

Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always

those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without

you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will;

through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you

and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(Book of Common Prayer, 1979 ed.)

Food for thought:

What is the mark of a Christian?

It is to watch daily and hourly and to stand prepared

in that state of total responsiveness pleasing to God,

knowing that the Lord will come at an hour that he does not expect.

Basil the Great

Sermons:

John Wesley, The Discoveries of Faith (Sermon 110- Hebrews 11:1 )

John Wesley, On Faith (Sermon 106 - Hebrews 11:1)

John Wesley, On Faith (Sermon 122 - Hebrews 11:1)

John Piper, Call upon Me in the Day of Trouble and I Will Deliver You (Psalm 50)

"Little But Lovely" - by Charles H. Spurgeon (Luke 12:32)

An apology and an offering

2010-07-23T10:44:00.000-05:00

Due to the insanity of my calendar this week, the preacher's almanac just ain't going to happen.

To make up for it, here is a bunch of faculty from Asbury Theological Seminary in a parody of a beer commercial. Have fun.

How to turn around a church according to Paul Washer

2010-07-18T17:08:00.000-05:00

Baptist pastor Paul Washer shares some practical and I think Biblical advice on reforming a church. While Rev. Washer isn't a Methodist, I believe what he puts forth would work in Methodist churches if we've got the guts to try.

I found this clip through the Facebook page of the Confessing Movement Within The United Methodist Church.

Sermons - "This Is Tough Stuff" (Proper 8, Year C)

2010-07-16T15:06:00.003-05:00

Preached on Sunday, June 27, 2010 at Tyler Street United Methodist Church in Dallas, TX.

Download this sermon by right or option clicking the link below. In Internet Explorer, choose "Save Target As"; in Firefox, choose "Save Link As"; in Safari, choose "Download Linked File As".

Download

Preaching Almanac - Preparing for Sunday, July 18, 2010

2010-07-16T10:36:00.002-05:00

Late again two weeks in a row. Oh, well...

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, Proper 11, Year C.

Collect:

Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom,
you know our necessities before we ask
and our ignorance in asking:

Have compassion on our weakness,
and mercifully give us those things

which for our unworthiness we dare not,
and for our blindness we cannot ask;
through the worthiness of
your Son Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Contemporary Collect for Proper 9, Book of Common Prayer, 1979 ECUSA edition

Food for Thought:

Paul did not say "he was made before all things,"

but "he is before all things."

He is not only maker of all,

but also manages the care of what he has made

and governs the creature,

which exists by his wisdom and power.

Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrus

Sermons:

John Piper, "All Things Were Created Through Him and for Him" (Luke 10)

George Whitfield - One Needful Thing (Luke 10)

C.H. Spurgeon Christ The Creator (Colossians 1)

Random news links

2010-07-12T09:46:00.000-05:00

Methodist Thinker has a post where UM lay-member Joe Whittemore breaks down the numbers on the failed constitutional amendments our denomination considered during 2008-2009.

The United Methodist News Service has this interview with Leonard Sweet which focuses on his new book, co-written by Frank Viola, called The Jesus Manifesto.

The Religion News Blog has a story on a Muslim man who has become first person ever to be charged for promoting genocide under Canada's hate speech laws.

RNB also posted this story about federal agents arresting leaders of the so-called "Hawaii Cannabis Ministry." I would post a witty one-liner about this story, but I can't pick one. Feel free to try a few in the comments.

If I had a bucket list...

2010-07-10T16:28:00.000-05:00

... playing a Contra-bass saxaphone would be very near the top.

Preaching Almanac - Preparing for Sunday, July 11, 2010

2010-07-09T09:29:00.001-05:00

Better late than never, here is a bit of material for what will be Proper 10 of Year C, or the seventh Sunday after Pentecost depending on how you like to call it.

Collect

O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers of your people who
call upon you, and grant that they may know and understand
what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and
power faithfully to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ
our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Contemporary Collect for Proper 9, Book of Common Prayer, 1979 ECUSA edition

Food for thought:

Freed thus from the condition of darkness,
that is, plucked from the infernal place,
in which we were held by the devil both because of our own
and because of Adam's transgressions, who is the father of all sinners,
we were translated by faith into the heavenly kingdom of the Son of God.
This was so that he might show us by what love God loved us,
when, raising us from deepest hell,
he led us into heaven with his true Son.

Ambrosiaster, Commentary on Colossians

Sermons:

John Piper, "Love Your Unborn Neighbor" (Luke 10)

Bob Allred, We've All Been Hungry For More (Colossians)

C.H.Spurgeon_The_Plumbline

Preaching Almanac - Preparing for Sunday, July 4, 2010

2010-07-01T11:10:00.002-05:00

Proper 9 (6th Sunday after Pentecost)
Revised Common Lectionary Year C:

2 Kings 5:1-14

Psalm 30

Galatians 6:1-16

Luke 10:1-20

Collect

O God, you have taught us to keep all your commandments
by loving you and our neighbor: Grant us the grace of your
Holy Spirit, that we may be devoted to your with our whole
heart, and united to one another with pure affection; through
Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Contemporary Collect for Proper 9, Book of Common Prayer, 1979 ECUSA edition

Food for thought:

Since we posses the Lord Jesus
who has freed us by His suffering,

let us always look on Him
and hope for medicine for our wounds from His sign.

That is to say, if perhaps the poison of greed spreads in us,

we should look to Him, and He will heal us.

If the malicious desire of the scorpion stings us,
we should beg Him, and He will cure us.

If bites of worldly thoughts tear us,
we should ask Him and we will live.

These are the spiritual serpents of our souls.

The Lord was crucified in order to crush them.

He says concerning them,

"You will tread on serpents and scorpions,
and they will do no harm to you."

Maximus of Turin, preaching on Luke 10:1-20 (sermon 37.5)

Sermons:

Charles H. Spurgeon Mr. Evil Questioning Tried and Exicuted (2 Kings 5)

Bob Allred, It Doesn't Hurt to Ask (Psalm 30)

John Wilks, "Build the Community" (Galatians 6)

Mark Driscoll, "Reaping and Sowing"

Bishop Scott Jones on restructuring the United Methodist Church

2010-06-28T18:46:00.007-05:00

Methodist Thinker has a post on the work of the Committee to Study the Worldwide Nature of the UMC. This body, chaired by Bishop Jones, is working on a new plan to re-organize the connection in the fall-out of the failed 2008 plan.

For the record, I was against the plan and said so on this blog (though I said so by posting videos of someone else explaining what was lacking in the plan.)

That said, I am open-minded when it comes to such ideas so long as the final plan will streamline our cumbersome and expensive strings of agencies, give regional bodies the ability to respond to what are essentially regional issues, and most importantly, help our denomination reclaim our Wesleyan doctrine and practices. It was heartening and deeply encouraging to hear a United Methodist Bishop point us to the Scriptures and defend our faith.

After listening to the presentation below from Bishop Jones, I am guardedly optimistic that the next time around the General Conference will give us a plan worth voting for. I'll let you listen for yourself.

Having stated above my agreement with most of what is in the speech, I am somewhat troubled by the concerns he raises in regards to the future when non-US delegates out number US delegates at General Conference. Most especially, I disagree with the cynical implication that delegates from poor nations would unfairly take advantage of the power to set apportionment levels. It implies that somehow it is unfair for those who have to be forced to share more apportionment dollars with our Christian brothers and sisters who have not.

When I was a student at Brite and first read the proposals we have since rejected, I couldn't help but hear echoes of "separate but equal" on the pages. It seemed to me then, and still seems to me today, that such arguments about what will happen when impoverished third-worlders get to set apportionments are frankly paranoid and colonial. In fact, the Discipline already states that socio-economic status should not be a factor in deciding who gets to vote on what or serve in what capacity.

Going forward, I hope that Bishop Jones and those framing the next proposal will reconsider their rhetoric and the attitudes such arguments betray. We need reorganization which intentionally strengthens the spiritual and familial bonds across the globe while gently loosening bureaucratic bonds. For that to happen, we must assume the best about one-another. Unfortunately, arguments like the one Bishop Jones makes concerning apportionments displays a lack faith in the integrity of our sisters and brothers in the Central Conferences.

Until we trust one-another, I doubt any plan will get the votes needed to pass. That was the real lesson of 2008-2009- a lesson I hope we don't have to revisit in 2012.

Preaching Almanac - Preparing for Sunday, June 27, 2010

2010-06-22T12:36:00.001-05:00

Proper 8 (5th Sunday after Pentecost)
Revised Common Lectionary Year C:

2 Kings 2:1-14

Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20

Galatians 5:1, 13-25

Luke 9:51-62

Collect

Almighty God, you have built your Church
upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone:
Grant us so to be joined together
in unity of spirit by their teaching,
that we may be made a holy temple acceptable to you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Contemporary Collect for Proper 8, Book of Common Prayer, 1979 ECUSA edition

Food for thought:

“A person who wishes to become the Lord's disciple
must repudiate a human obligation,
however honorable it may appear,
if it slows us ever so slightly in giving
the wholehearted obedience we owe to God”

Basil the Great, commenting on Luke 9:57-62, from Concerning Baptism

Sermons:

John Wesley, A Call to Backliders (Psalm 77)

Charles H. Spurgeon, Preparing to Depart (2 Kings 2)

John Piper, The Radical Cost Of Following Jesus (Luke 9)

Ed Lantz, "Let The Spirit Lead!" (Galatians 5)

Preaching Almanac - Preparing for Sunday, June 20, 2010

2010-06-16T11:16:00.000-05:00

Proper 7 (4th Sunday after Pentecost)
Revised Common Lectionary Year C:

Collect

O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers
of your people who call upon you,
and grant that they may know
and understand what things they ought to do,
and also may have grace and power faithfully to accomplish them;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Contemporary Collect for Proper 7, Book of Common Prayer, 1979 ECUSA edition

Food for thought:

“I beseech you to again observe

the incomparable majesty of Christ who transcends all.

With irresistible might and unequalled authority,

He crushes Satan by simply willing that it should be.”

Cyril of Alexandria, from Commentary on Luke, Homily 44

Sermons:

Rev. Ed Lantz, "Children of God"

Calling all Methodist/Wesleyan Preachers

2010-06-16T09:53:00.000-05:00

One of the laments of Methodists everywhere (in the UMC and in other Wesleyan denominations) is that our theological distinctive are unknown to the general public. People know what the Baptists stand for and what makes the Roman Catholics tick, but Methodism is a bit of a mystery to the masses.

In an admittedly small attempt to do something about this, I've started a new website called scripturalholiness.org. My goal is to post one sermon a week from a different pastor in the Wesleyan family tree with an emphasis on our distinctive views concerning grace, holiness, and practical spirituality.

So now I need content.

Wesleyan preachers, send me links to your best stuff so that we may make the world wide web our parish!

A Charge To Preachers

2010-06-10T16:12:00.002-05:00

Maxie Dunnam on The Pastor as Prophet, Priest, and Evangelist

As found on Methodist Thinker

Preaching Almanac - Preparing for Sunday, June 13, 2010

2010-06-08T06:12:00.000-05:00

Proper 6 (3rd Sunday after Pentecost)
Revised Common Lectionary Year C:

Collect

Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love,
that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness,
and minister your justice with compassion;
for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen

Book of Common Prayer, 1979 ECUSA edition

Food for Thought

Now: another thought experiment. Let us suppose we only had a fragment of this letter, consisting of 2:11-16a, and stopping right here, “not justified by works of the law.” What would we conclude about the meaning of “justified”? We might well know, from extraneous verbal evidence, that “justified” was a lawcourt term meaning “given the status of being ‘in the right.’” But Paul is not in a lawcourt, he is at a dinner table. The context of his talking about “not being justified by works of the law” is that he is confronted with the question of ethnic taboos about eating together across ethnic boundaries. The force of his statement is clear: “Yes, you are Jewish; but as a Christian Jew you ought not to be separating on ethnic lines.” Reading Paul strictly in his own context—as John Piper rightly insists we must always ultimately do—we are forced to conclude, at least in a preliminary way, that “to be justified” here does not mean “to be granted free forgiveness of your sins,” “to come into a right relation with God” or some other near- synonym of “to be reckoned ‘in the right’ before God,” but rather, and very specifically, “to be reckoned by God to be a true member of his family, and hence with the right to share table fellowship.” This does not clinch the argument for my reading of the whole doctrine. But the first signs are that, for Paul, “justification,” whatever else it included, always had in mind God’s declaration of membership, and that this always referred specifically to the coming together of Jews and Gentiles in faithful membership of the Christian family.
- N. T. Wright commenting on Galatains 2:11-21, from Justification: God's Plan and Paul's Vision (IVP Academic, 2009)

Sermons:

Martin Luther, Efficacy of the Gospel

Mark Driscoll on Luke 7:36-8:3

Preaching Almanac for Sunday, June 6, 2010

2010-06-03T09:17:00.001-05:00

I'm late with this post, but maybe there is something worthwhile for last minute sermon tweaking. (Because no one preaching Sunday is just starting sermon prep today, right?)

This Sunday is the Second Sunday after Pentecost. That's Proper 5 Year C on the Revised Common Lectionary.

1 Kings 17:8-24

Psalm 146

Galatians 1:11-24

Luke 7:11-17

Collect (opening prayer):

O God, from whom all good proceeds:
Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right,
and by your merciful guiding may do them;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Contemporary Collect for Proper 5, Book of Common Prayer, ECUSA 1979 edition

Sermons:

Charles Hadden Spurgeon, The Inexhaustible Barrel

Dr. Tim Walker, Extreme Mercy: The Defeat of Death

June 28, 2009 Extreme Mercy: The Defeat of Death from First United Methodist Church on Vimeo.

Preaching Almanac - Preparing for Sunday, May 30, 2010

2010-05-24T13:03:00.001-05:00

Trinity Sunday
Revised Common Lectionary Year C:

Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31

Psalm 8

Romans 5:1-5

John 16:12-15

Collect

Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us
your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to
acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the
power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep
us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to
see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father; who with
the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen.
Book of Common Prayer, 1979 ECUSA edition

Food for Thought

The union between the Father and Son is such a live concrete thing that this union itself is also a Person. I know this is almost inconceivable, but look at it thus. You know that among human beings, when they get together in a family, or a club, or a trade union, people talk about the 'spirit' of that family, or club, or trade union. They talk about its 'spirit' because the individual members, when they are together, really develop particular ways of talking and behaving which they would not have if they were apart. It is as if some sort of communal personality came into existence. But of course, it is not a real person: it is only rather like a person. But that is just one of the differences between God and us. What grows out of the joint life of the Father and Son is a real Person, is in fact the Third of the Three Persons who are God.
- C.S. Lewis, from Mere Christianity

Sermons:

John Wesley - On The Trinity

John Piper - What is Man? (Psalm 8)

Mark Driscol - Trinity: God Is

Renewal Issues: Dr. Charles Keysor

2010-05-19T08:43:00.004-05:00

Methodist Thinker's current podcast features the founder of Good New Magazine, the late Dr. Charles Keysor's speech at the 1970 Good News Convocation, the first such event. Even if you aren't an Evangelical, I suspect you will appreciate the speech for its historical value.

The post which accompanies it is also worth reading- and you can do so by clicking here.

If you don't want to click through to Methodist Thinker but want to hear the podcast anyway, I've included the audio below.

Preaching Almanac - Preparing for May 23, 2010

2010-05-16T19:15:00.003-05:00

Revised Common Lectionary Texts for Sunday, May 23, 2010

Pentecost Sunday, year C

Genesis 11:1-9

Psalm 104:24-35

Romans 8:14-17 or Acts 2:1-21

John 14:8-17, (25-27)

Collect:

O God, who on this day taught the hearts of your faithful people
by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit:
Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things,
and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Book of Common Prayer, 1979 ECUSA edition

Food for thought:

“Good works can hardly be done without suffering,
yet the suffering of the saints is nourished by great hope.
For nothing earthly is promised but rather eternal glory.”

Cyril of Alexandria, from Explanation of the Letter to the Romans

Sermon Links

John Wesley - On the Holy Spirit

Martin Luther - The Gift of the Holy Spirit

Maxie Dunnam - Claim the Promise

Descent of the Holy Spirit

Peter Paul Rubens

c. 1619