Training

Earlier this week I attended a software training seminar in Atlanta at Emory University.  I was excited to be there, partly because I wanted to learn more about the Bible study software I am now using and because it would be a much needed break from my routine.  Sad to say, I am a creature of habit and sometimes those habits become a rut.  This would be a chance to step out of the rut.

Other than having a little bit of trouble negotiating the traffic, I arrived at Emory's Candler School of Theology in plenty of time.  I knew that Candler was one of the training centers for the United Methodist Church, but I have to say I was not prepared for the size of it.  My assumption was that it would be on the same scale as Vanderbilt Divinity, but it was both larger and was dominated by newer buildings.

Certainly as impressive as the place were the people at the seminar.  I was one of about 40 and they were really a diverse group.  What struck me were the number of guys who were at least my age and some a good bit older.  I met one "pastor emeritus" who looked like he was in his eighties!  I had to wonder if I would be attending a software seminar if I shared his demographics.  I have to say I took some inspiration from that.

Finally, I got to know Accordance Bible Software better than I ever had before, and I have to say I was impressed.  There are many things that you buy which seem to have great promise but then don't deliver nearly what you expect.  Accordance is that rare product that actually has a lot more to offer than you realize.

As I drove home I thought I really had gotten out of my rut.  I was glad for the day, now I just wished I could get out of rush hour Atlanta!

Losses

2014 is not off to that good of a start.  I have already done two funerals for church members and have another two that seem to be not long for this world.  After the second of those funerals, I looked back at my records and noted that I had 10 funerals in 2013, which is the most that I have had in any year of my ministry.  I really don't want to be the preacher known for his funerals, but it seems like I may be headed there.

In two of the last three funerals I have done I was overcome by the emotion of the moment as I came down to the end of the funeral message.  Now, some might think of that is pretty normal, but it is not for me.  I usually have very good control of my emotions at a funeral service.  I think of it as being the responsible way to respond to the situation.  The family and friends may be all torn up by the emotion of things, but the pastor should maintain control and lead the family through this experience of grief.  I realize that many will not agree with me on that, but it has been my thinking on the subject.

All that being said, I realized with these two funerals where I just "lost it" that it communicated something to those assembled.  I probably received more compliments on those than on the previous years worth combined.  I don't really think that I did that much better of a job as a preacher in those messages, but there was more of an evident emotional connection.  I learned something important in that.  One of my foundational beliefs about pastoral ministry is that the pastor must love the people.  Now, you can't manufacture an emotional moment to express that love, I suppose all you can do is thank God for those moments when it comes through.

Thinning The Field

This past Thursday I played in the Master's Men Golf Tournament and throughly enjoyed myself.  While I have done this a number of times I did not have my usual partner, Sterl Paramore.  We had originally intended to play together, but his work would not permit it this time around.  The result was that I got paired with Benjamin Simpson, who is a much better golfer than me (or Sterl for that matter!).  We ended up shooting a two under par 70, and from previous experience I figured that would mean we were not good enough to win but probably too good to win the "second flight" trophy.  Turns out we were right on the mark for second place, second flight, which means we were the second best of the bottom half of the golfers that played.  Now I know that sort of sounds like the kids who all get a trophy for just being on the team, but I was still glad to be taking a trophy home.

A friend commented as I stood grinning holding my trophy, "You know you just won that because not as many guys competed this year."  That might be true, but so what?  Woody Allen once famously said that half of success is just showing up.  I showed up, I played a decent round, and I came home with something to show for it!

Now, this may be crass allegorical application, but it strikes me that a lot of life is like that golf tournament.  Were there a lot of potential golfers, who are a ton better than me, who might have played in that tournament?  Sure.  Did they play?  No.  Now for the application.  Are there a lot of guys more gifted, better educated, and with a more exemplary track record than me who could successfully pastor a church like Bethlehem?  Sure.  Are they willing to do it?  No.  I think it is up to me to do the best I can, to enjoy myself, and I have no doubt I will go home with a trophy.

Unexpected Blessings

I have just gotten back home from the National Association of Free Will Baptists, which met this year in Tampa Florida.  Joy and I drove down on Sunday afternoon, finishing up the trip on Monday morning.  If I were to characterize the mood of that trip, I would say it was a lot like the weather.  We had storms off and on and even though we hit Atlanta on a Sunday afternoon, the traffic was still thick and fast.  Now, lest some misinterpret what I said about the mood of things, the black cloud in the car had nothing to do with the other occupant of the vehicle.  No, I have to say that I was down.  I'm always a bit emotionally spent after Sunday morning, which typically leads to a Sunday afternoon nap, but today I was trading that for the traffic of Atlanta!  This day however seemed to be a peculiar combination of things.  Over the past few months we have lost some families from the church.  On top of that we did not have a good attendance Sunday and then when the service was over a couple wanted to explain to me why they would be leaving.

So with all of that weighing me down I got in the car to drive to the National.  I don't suppose I was very good company.  Thank the Lord that we had some good things to listen to on the trip.  When we finally got to our destination, it seemed like things were looking up.  We had a very nice room which was a short walk to the Convention Center.  There was no controversy to snarl up the business session and I heard some good preaching, especially from a man named Oral Macafee, that I had never even heard of before.

The kicker to all of this was when we got to the business session.  The Commission for Theological Integrity was giving its report.  They got to the election of new members.  It turns out they had one more opening on that commission than they knew they were going to have.  The result was that the nominating committee submitted my name!  I turned to a friend sitting next to me and said, "This has to be a sign of the apocalypse!"  I actually got elected.

Now, that election did not change things back at Bethlehem.  I still have a real uphill battle to make the church that I love everything that God wants it to be.  Still, this was an unexpected blessing, one that the Lord knew I needed.  Thank you, Lord.

Boots

I have always enjoyed Christmas, though I think that enjoyment has evolved over the years.  Early on, it was about what I might get and later about what I could give.  I think the latest step in the evolutionary trek is having opportunity to interact with people that I don't see all that often.  This year I had opportunity to talk with my nephew's daughter, Jane.  She is 5 and I suppose I see her maybe three times per year.  I noticed at our Christmas get together she was wearing boots, and looking for some way to interact with her I asked about them.  I suppose that we talked about her perspective on and history with boots for maybe five minutes.  Now, she did not say anything profound on the subject, but she did have definite opinions and all of this brought a smile to my face.  That, I think, was one of the best Christmas presents I got this year.  Children will do that for you, especially when you are not really expecting it and don't have any right to it.  I mean, after all, I'm just "Uncle Randy" who is very seldom around and yet she seemed delighted to tell me about her boots.  This leads me to say that I think it is the personal interaction that makes a holiday memorable.  Jane did that for me.  I am already looking forward to next year.  Maybe we will talk about hats.

Conviction or Preference?

Years ago I read an insightful piece by Warren Wiersbe about Christian decision making.  As I recall he said that every decision we have to make falls into one of three categories.  They are either matters which are fundamental, matters of conviction, or matters of preference.  Obviously, there is a desending order of importance in these terms.  Now it is entirely legitimate to make a decision based upon considerations from any one of those categories.  What typically happens in Christian circles is that something which really is a preference we elevate to the level of a conviction and possibly even to the level of a fundamental.  The example which comes to my mind is either having a projector "putting the words on the wall" or singing out of the hymnal.  I can't really see how anyone could say that is anything more than a preference.  Yet, if you have been involved in the "worship wars" you know that people are quick to think of themselves as Martin Luther standing up for justification by grace when they defend using hymnals.

The purpose of this post is not to make a strike in the worship war.  I use it simply as introductory to what I do want to say.  Recently I heard of a church board issue where the lay leadership unanimously wanted the pastor to change something about their church.  The pastor refused.  Who was right?  As I heard the story my mind went to that bit of wisdom from Warren Wiersbe.  Was the issue at hand a matter of conviction or preference?  Now, I do think there are times when pastors must be willing to draw a line in the sand about some things.  I see this as a matter of conviction.  However, if it was an issue of preference, even though the pastor disagreed, shouldn't his say leadership have some input?  If it really is a matter of preference, can't some compromise be worked out?

I suppose the bottom line for me was having the wisdom to discern between a conviction and a preference.  That would seem to be common sense.  Unfortunately, common sense is not all that common.  I do hope all of this can be worked out for that church.  I don't suppose I will ever know since I really only accidentally heard the tale. Whatever happens though it has gotten me to thinking about the process of decision making and maybe it has done the same for you.

Giving Thanks

I suppose I will be one of multitudes who will blog about thankfulness this week.  So be it.  I really do want to articulate some of the things that I am thankful for.  As a Christian I am certainly thankful for my salvation, but I want to emphasize one corollary to that concept.  God did not just save me, He called me into the ministry.  That means I have the opportunity to be vitally involved in the spiritual formation of an entire congregation.  Now, there are some of the members here at Bethlehem that I don't seem as connected to as others.  I am not saying there is an antagonism, just not as much of a friendship as with others.  Maybe they are just not looking for that from their pastor.  I am particularly thankful for those that do count me a friend.  I have the privilege of being a coach, a guide, a cheerleader, a spiritual resource, and a prayer partner for them.  To summarize it in biblical terms, I am there to care for their souls.  I cannot imagine a bigger challenge or a more satisfying possible vocation.  I suppose what I'm saying is that I am thankful for my church, but I am also thankful for God's calling to this church.