Good DNA

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At a conference a few weeks ago, I heard a presenter talk about churches that had "good" DNA and others that had "bad" DNA. Of course, since is church is not a living organism, it doesn't have DNA in the scientific sense. But each church is the living embodiment of Christ and thus has a spiritual DNA--some good, some bad.

"Bad" DNA was defined as a church that is inward focused. It has a country club mentality and its only mission is to attract members who are just like those that already populate the pews. Needless to say, they tend to be cold and unwelcoming of strangers, especially if the stranger isn't "just like us".

A church with "Good" DNA is mission focused. Rather than worry about survival, they care about carrying out God's will for their church. They do all in their power to proclaim the Gospel and make disciples for Jesus Christ. They know that everyone is in need of God's saving grace, so they are open and accepting of everyone who comes through the door. They may struggle with the choices people have made in their life, but they don't judge and they try to never let their negative opinions come to the surface. They are welcoming and hospitable to everyone. Everyone is welcome and has a place in the "family of faith".

Granted, no church is totally "bad" and no church is totally "good". But when the bad outweighs the good, the DNA is in need of a mutation. I heard two stories this week. One was from a lay person who said the church they had been attending hadn't been very welcoming. The other was a pastor who said he was constantly having to remind his congregation that they needed to be welcoming and hospitable. Obviously, there are two churches that might have "bad" DNA.

At Ridgecrest, I believe that we have "good" DNA. Not everyone is warm and welcoming. Those who are more than make up for the few that aren't. I think our "good" DNA is demonstrated by the number of visitors that choose to return. We do a pretty good job of making new people feel like they are a part of our family. Are we perfect? Absolutely not! But we have a firm foundation--we stand on the promises given to us in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ! You can't get any better DNA than that!

Here is the link!

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Last Sunday in worship I promised that I would show a very powerful video. Today, it was a part of my sermon. From what I could tell (and from what people said), it had a great impact on their lives as well. I wish that I could embed the video on this blog, but I can't. It is on God Tube.com and they don't yet allow that type of thing. So, below is the link to the site. Share the link with friends. It may be the greatest act of witnessing you will do this year!



The link is: http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=ee73e63418003b47d7d5&page=1&viewtype=&category=tr

PS. Don't be surprised if I get together a team of youth/young adults to act out this drama for the Easter Sunrise service next year.

A Bad Move

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At Project Transformation this summer, our kids learned some interesting things. There was a couple that came in to teach ballroom dancing. It is strange to see little boys that don't yet like little girls dancing with them. Another afternoon was spent with a man teaching the older kids how to play chess. For the rest of the summer, we had kids lined up to play chess during their spare time.

Kids playing chess surprised me. That requires a great deal of brain power because you have to try and figure out what your opponent is going to do in the long term. Also, you must be able to anticipate the outcomes of your move. If you do X, then what are the Y and Z's that your opponent will do.

In the same way, we as adults must consider the implications of all we do and say. None of us exist in a vacuum. Everything has implications and consequences. A few days ago, I was reading something that reminded me of that fact and it related to our beliefs about God. This was something I hadn't considered recently and had never really put it together in this way. Here is the revelation I had:

We live in a world that says there are many paths to God. Whether you think of them as spokes on a bike wheel or paths up a mountain, there are lots of ways to get from point A (where we are) to point B (God). Faith in the saving power of the resurrected Jesus Christ is just one of those ways. For liberal Christians, this is a part of their toleration mantra. Other faiths are equally valid so we need to learn about them so we can understand them and learn from them.

So, what this means is that the trip to God can be on paths A, B, C, D, E, etc. Now, let us say that path C is the path of Christ. Under this multiple path format, no one path is exclusive. Therefore, the path of Christ is just one of many ways you can get to heaven. From the human perspective, that doesn't seem to be that big of a deal. Most religions require a lot of their followers--some things (like prayer) are similar to the practices of Christianity. So, from the human perspective, the idea sounds good. [Can't we all just get along?]

But from God's perspective, there is a major problem. If, as traditional, orthodox Christianity believes, Jesus was God only begotten Son, then what happens with Jesus is a unique event. And the main "thing" that happens is the Crucifixion and resurrection. God allowed his Son to die on a cross so that we might be saved from eternal damnation. For a Father to allow His Son to die such a horrible death and not do something to stop it is child abuse (in human terms). If that death was necessary for the salvation of the world, then it is justified. It is a unique act that only Jesus could participate in and it is the unique way that we (humanity) are saved.

But if path C (Christ) is only one of a number of paths to salvation, then the cross was unnecessary. We didn't need Jesus and his death. We could follow paths A, B, D, E, etc. and still get to God. God needlessly allowed such a tragedy to occur. I don't know about you, but the God I worship is a loving God that wouldn't do such a thing.

For Christians to accept the multiple path concept is a bad move. It makes a joke of the cross and turns God into a child abuser.

Check mate!

Saving Grace - Everlast

We All Need Some "Saving Grace"

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I have watched the first couple of episodes of TNT's "Saving Grace". While I don't like the language, sex or violence (what a disclaimer), the religious message is out of this world. And Grace and her friends are hard living, hard loving people like you would find in most neighborhoods in OKC. This music video is the theme song and gives you a little bit of a taste of what the message is all about.

Baby Update

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Just a quick update on the baby boom that has hit our congregation. Kelli Gaston gave birth yesterday to a healthy baby boy. He weighed 8 lbs. and was 21 inches long (I hope I remembered that correctly). As of now he is "Baby Boy Gaston". Maybe mom and dad will be able to agree on a name before he graduates from high school! (LOL)

Also, we will be baptizing Nevaeh (Anna's new daughter) on Aug. 19th.

Peace and Grace

Jim

Toleration

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We live in a world where toleration is king. As long as the other person isn't hurting you, they are free (and encouraged) to do their own thing. And after you see others "doing their own thing" often enough, that "thing" becomes normal. You get used to it. And when others do something that isn't quite so outrageous, we are relieved.

Here is an economic example of what I am talking about. Last summer, on my vacation in Colorado, we went to Estes Park. I was mortified because the price of gas in that resort community was over $3.00 per gallon. Fast forward a year and you get to June/July of 2007. In Oklahoma, in the middle of a state built on the oil industry, we were paying over $3.00 per gallon for gas. And when my local station finally dropped the price back down to $2.89, I thought I was getting a bargain. I remember when my mother threw a fit because gas climbed over 50 cents--boy have times changed!!! There is a cartoon in today's paper (I think it is Blondie and Dagwood) where the most dangerous job in America is identified--it is the job of changing the price at the gas station!

As humans, pushing the envelop and expanding into new "stuff" is what we do. Be it technology or human behavior, we are surprised by change and innovation, but after a while, we become used to it. But what worries me is that God isn't human. God doesn't have standards that change every time the wind blows. We in America have so embraced toleration that sin no longer phases us. What was sin yesterday is normal acceptable behavior tomorrow. But that is for you and I--not for God. I pray that we learn to be tolerant, without abandoning our standards. God is depending on us to model the behavior that He expects from humanity. Heaven help us if we fail--but even more so if we never even try!

Enjoyed the Fireworks

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My family had an interesting night last night. We went to the Oklahoma City RedHawks baseball game. It was a great game. It was warm, but not too hot. There were some dark clouds, but it never rained. The home team won!

After the game, the RedHawks/Bricktown put on a tremendous fireworks display. It went on for about 20 minutes, with a finale that was so bright, it actually hurt my eyes. Following the fireworks, we made our way through the crowd, out onto Mickey Mantle Drive and around to the 6 story parking garage that is next to the ball park. That was when the real fireworks began.

Ben (my oldest son) and I entered the parking garage at 10:30. Lu Ann stayed with the two younger ones at street level. I assumed that once I exited the garage, I would pick them up and we would head home. When Ben and I got to the car, we started it up and sat. About five minutes later, there had been no movement in the cars behind me, so I shut off the car and sent Ben down stairs. I walked over to the openings that look down onto Sheridan and got my front row seat for the real show.

The parking garage became one huge traffic jam. On the street, a parking attendant (I don't think he was an OKCPD officer, maybe a private security person) had blocked off Sheridan going East. All cars from the garage were being merged onto Sheridan going West. It was a huge mess. About every 5 minutes, two or three cars got to exit the garage. I watched one particular car that was on my level. It did not move a full car length in a one hour span. There was complete and total gridlock.

Sometime between 11:00 and 11:30, things in the garage took on a mean edge. People got out of their cars (not those in line, but the ones who couldn't even pull out to get in line), went to the openings and began to scream. They wanted the traffic guy to "free" those of us being held captive in the garage. People on the ground got into the issue and we were on the verge of a riot. At some time during that period, real police officers showed up and things improved a little bit. Cars were getting out quicker, but the line behind me didn't budge.

At about 11:30, the police and traffic attendant packed up and left. This meant that traffic could move both East and West on Sheridan, but those of us in the garage were at the mercy of regular traffic. Finally, at about 11:45, the line behind me started moving. I was finally able to get in my car, back out and get into the line. At 12:00, I pulled out of the building and picked up my family. Like a few thousand other OKC residents, I spend 1 1/2 hours in a traffic jam. Needless to say, I wasn't a happy camper. When I finally got to be first in line, I was glad to see that OKCPD had returned and were stopping East bound traffic to let us get out of the garage at a quicker pace.

Two things I learned from this. First, God has been helping me with patience. A few years ago, that type of situation would have driven me crazy and elevated my blood pressure to dangerous heights. God helped me to back off, relax and wait for the jam to clear. That was a great blessing. Second, I learned that pedestrians in Bricktown late at night have a death wish. They will step out in front of cars with no thought for their own safety. We need to be praying for their salvation because for some of them, it is highly probable that they will be meeting their maker in the very near future.

I hope that your 4th wasn't quite so eventful or stressful.

Jim

Great Expectations

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Yesterday, someone e-mailed me and asked if I had written anything in my blog (OK, actually, the e-mail was about something else, but they did add that to the end). So, now I have two faithful viewers who pester me if I don't write. OK, pester might be too strong a word. But sometimes a gentle reminder is all that is needed.

This writing "thing" is new to me. Yes, I know, I wrote a "book" when I got my degree. But writing an academic thesis is not the same as writing to a blog. This is much harder. I mean, the people who read this are people who I interact with every week. If I say something stupid (can someone with a doctorate say something stupid? Yes, they can!!!!), they will call me on it immediately. And then I have to look them in the eye. Blogging is like writing in a journal--only everyone and their dog has access to it. It is a little bit intemidating.

I think part of my problem is that of expectations. Because I am a minister, people (especially those silly people in my congregation) expect that I think lofty, spiritual thoughts all the time. I must confess--that isn't true! In fact, too often I spend my time thinking about the average, everyday stuff that you think about. Like what to eat for dinner or what to do with the family for the holiday. Even at work, the job is often about fixing the plumbing, dealing with the finances or getting the technical stuff ready for a PT spelling bee. God is in the background of all I do, but it is mostly just average, everyday stuff. Nothing too dramatic or spiritual--nothing that looks good on the blog!

So, I guess what I am saying is that you shouldn't expect too much from my blog. I won't write everyday...that is too much like work! And some of what I say will be more like Homer Simpson than Homer (the Greek poet). So, don't expect too much.

Have a great 4th of July--stay safe and stay close to Jesus!

Jim

Jesus - Bring The Rain - MercyMe

As I was writing the previous blog, I was also thinking about my sermon this Sunday on Ecclesiates 3...and it was raining. For some reason, I went to YouTube and ran across this video. It says it all.

Free Floating

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I have gotten out of the habit of writing. Seems like the last few months, the only time I have written to my blog is when it is time for me to send info for the church newsletter. Then, I write on the blog and use the same article on the blog. Not a good habit.

I am sitting at home at 5:30 in the am. I have had trouble sleeping the last few nights (early mornings). Lu Ann asked me what I was worried about and I told her that as far and I knew, I wasn't worried about anything. And that is true. I don't really have anything "big" that is on the worry radar. I guess I just have some free floating worries. For me, those are the little things that are floating around in my brain that I am not even aware of. For example, the kids from Project Transformation are singing in worship on Sunday. I pray that it goes well, but I'm not really worried about it. I know that a few faithful kids and their families will show up and they will do fine. But there are always the small details that could go wrong.

I guess what I need to do is spend some time in prayer. This is Wednesday morning, so I meet with my Streets of Shalom minister friends for prayer. I need it!!!! Maybe after a time of intense prayer, I can turn all of this free floating anxiety over to the Lord. And get a little more sleep each night. How about you? Do you have things in your life that you need to turn over to God? He is willing to help. All you have to do it ask.

Something to Pray About

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As you may or may not know, I am teaching a combined adult Sunday School class this summer. Since most of our classrooms are taken for Project Transformation, this allows us to continue to have adult education, without having to do major set up and tear down each week.

My class is studying the book Leadership in the Weslyan Spirit by Lovett Weems. Bishop Hayes has asked each church to have a small group study this book. I decided "Why not have most of our adults involved in the study?" So that is what we are doing. Weems looks at our history as United Methodists (the Methodist part, not the EUB part) and then contrasts that with what we are doing in UM churches today.

Last Sunday, the topic was demographics. Weems pointed out that Methodists followed population changes in America as we expanded westward. Since people lived in small towns and rural settings, that is where the Methodist church settled. Of course, there were city churches, but most of our churches were in the country. In the last 60 years, things have changed. During and shortly after WWII, the people moved to the cities. Then, with the white flight of the 50s and 60s, the shift began towards the suburbs. According to Weems, our nation is now 25% rural, 25% urban and 50% suburb.

The church has been effected by these changes. Rural churches struggle as the towns and areas they serve dwindle and decline. The suburbs have experienced tremendous growth and we can't build enough new churches to meet the demand. The city churches, like their rural counterparts, struggle. The large down town churches are OK, but changes in the community have had a devastating impact on smaller urban church. Yet as I look around in my neighborhood, there are no fewer people living here today as there have ever been. The issue isn't lack of people, it is our failure to properly connect with and minister with the people around us. And Ridgecrest is actually doing better than many other urban churches in our area.

The problem, as I see it, is that we don't really have a comprehensive, conference wide strategy for how to revitalize urban UM churches in Oklahoma. I have been given the task, by our Commission on Congregational Development, to head up a task force to develop just such a strategy/process. I am just in the stage of gathering the members of the task force, but there is one way you can help---pray!!!! Pray for the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, that we might always be properly focused and in tune with the will of God in this matter. Pray that we might have the information that we need and that we might have the ability to use that information to craft a plan. But most of all, pray that we produce something that is effective. I don't want our labors to be for nought, nor do I want us to produce something that looks good on paper, but is all words and no action. Pray that God will show us the way to go...that we might more effectively make Disciples for Jesus Christ.

Word Left Unsaid

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Have you ever ended a conversation with a nagging feeling that you forgot something? Maybe you are talking with your spouse and that little voice inside your head keeps telling you that there is something you are supposed to remember to say. Maybe you took a phone call and there was an important message...but it has slipped out of your brain and all that remains is that little voice whispering a reminder.

Last Sunday, when I finished my sermon, that little voice was whispering (or yelling) at me. I preached on the story of Ananias and Sapphira from the Acts of the Apostles. Because we no longer hold all property in common or give all we have to the church, I tried to move the focus of my message to the fact that God knows all that is going on in our lives and expects us to act with integrity. When I finished, the little voice was whispering..."wasn't there something else you wanted to say?"

And this is what it was. While we don't hold everything in common and we don't give 100% of what we make to the church, we are called to be good stewards of what we have. Everything...100%...of what we have comes from God. He expects us to use our resources to further His kingdom and mission on this Earth. And, He expects us to return 10% off the top as a tithe to support the work of His church. That is part of being a good Steward, which is part of being a true Disciple of Jesus Christ. Don't ever forget that!

And while I'm thinking about "words not said," I am reminded that this Sunday is Mother's Day. If there is anything you need to say to your mother (or the mother of your children), make sure and say it. The same goes for your father, siblings or anyone else important in your life. Don't leave things unsaid thinking "I'll say that tomorrow." You don't know how many more tomorrows you will have. None of us knows what the future holds. Don't put off for tomorrow what needs to be done (and said) today. Just do/say it!

The Process of Perfecting

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Last week, I finished (at least I hope I finished) the process of perfecting my thesis. When I met with my committee for my defense, they had a list of corrections that needed to be made. On
Wednesday morning of last week, I retyped the last footnote and printed out a copy of the paper (no small feat, since it was over 150 pages long!). Then, for the next 4 hours, I went page by page, looking at the corrections that had been noted and then at the corrected copy, to make sure I didn't miss anything. And sure enough, I did. When I found a mistake, I had to come back to the computer, find the mistake, fix it and then reprint that page. It was a long, painstaking process--one I don't want to ever do again.

As Christian, our time on earth is just that--a process of perfecting. As United Methodist, we believe that all Christians are (or should be) moving on towards perfection. As a minister, when asked by Bishop Solomon whether I was going on towards perfection, I answered "yes." When asked if I expected to get there in this life, I answered "yes." Some people struggle with that concept. They don't see how anyone will ever, in this life, be perfect.

And we know that! As United Methodist, we know that none of us are or ever will be "perfect people." We all make mistakes and we all sin--whether we mean to or not. When we talk about "perfection", we are talking about the concept of being "perfected in Christian love." What we mean by that is that there will come a time in our lives when everything we do and say is motivated by love. Love will become the driving force pushing everything we do. When you get to that point, you are perfected. And between here and there, you are moving on toward perfection. Will we ever be perfect as the world defines perfect? No! But that doesn't change the fact that we are called to be perfected in Christian love.

For my paper, the process of perfection took about 4 hours. In our lives, the process may take 30, 40 or even 50 years. The issue isn't so much how quickly you get there but that you keep on keeping on--one foot in front of the other. One step at a time.

IT IS DONE!

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Sunday and Monday were great days for me. On Sunday, Reunion Weekend ended with a great worship celebration and a reception honoring of the former pastor of the church. Then on Monday, I finished typing my thesis for my doctoral program. I was finally able to heave a huge sigh of relief.

But of course, all the action didn't happen on Sunday/Monday. The last week or so has been a whirlwind of activity. The counter tops for the kitchen finally arrived on Thursday (yes, three days before the dinner). The plumbers were here on Friday to get them set up. The Friendship class came in to set up and decorate for the dinner on Friday evening. On Saturday, the Beacon class was in charge of the open house. The dinner went off without a hitch (though we didn't get as much meat as we were supposed to get. Sorry!!!!). Then we gathered in the sanctuary for a wonderful worship celebration. Bishop Bob Hayes preached and inspired us to remember the past and to be busy working to create a past that we can be proud of.

On Sunday morning, the Challenger's prepared a wonderful breakfast. The worship service was inspiring, with great music by the choir and the Mullins Family Singers. Then the Explorers did a good job of hosting the reception. All in all, it was a great event.

As you know, for about the last six weeks I have been working on writing my thesis. I finally got the last typing and corrections done on Monday. I'm not quite ready to mail it in yet. I am scheduled to defend it on Friday, April 13th (O Boy--Friday the 13th--I hadn't made that connection until now!!!!!). So, keep praying for me. But at least part of that burden is lifted.

The next two weeks, we remember another time when someone heaved a sign of relief (or pain) and said "It is finished!" This Sunday, we remember his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. On Thursday, we remember his last night on this earth. On Friday, we remember his painful death on a cross and we prepared for the sun to rise on Easter Sunday as we welcome the risen savior.

As we take a break from our weariness, let's not forget about the one who did the real work--the one who came to die on a cross for our sins. Remember and be thankful!

A New Update!!!!

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OK, OK! Someone who nags worse than my mother reminded me that I hadn't updated my update in a long time. I'm just joking about the nagging--I know that I haven't kept this up to date, but I have been incredibly busy.

I am writing this on Saturday at 5:45 am. I didn't sleep well. The next 36 hours will probably be some of the most hectic of my life.

So, here is the update. The kitchen at Ridgecrest is finally finished. We are missing one little counter top and a little bit of work is still to be done on the cabinets, but other than that, they are done. I will try to get some pictures taken and posted on the website. They didn't get the counter tops in until Thursday and the plumbing done until yesterday. So, the remodel came right down to the wire.

We have been working feverishly the last week getting ready for this weekends Reunion. We got it pretty much done. I still have a few little things to do this afternoon, but the church has not looked this good since I came here. We are ready for the dinner tonight. Bishop Hayes will be preaching. It will be a great evening, even if it will be stressful.

Tomorrow, we have a breakfast, worship and a reception. Piece of cake.

On my Doctoral Thesis. It is soooooo close to being finished. I have one little thing to type (the transcript of the last sermon--pretty short since most of the sermon was video). I need to finish corrections on three chapters. I need to work on footnotes and Bibliography. I need to print it, have copies run and mail it. I plan to work Sunday evening and early next week. Hope to be done by Tuesday and in the mail on Wednesday.

I am getting excited about the idea of graduating. I received a bill for my graduation fee. I received the instructions from the seminary (Brite) about the hooding ceremony--but I don't get my doctoral hood at that ceremony. I get it at the huge TCU graduation ceremony! I think this might actually happen!

Oh, well. That is enough of an update for now. Once the thesis is finished, I will get back to writing on a regular basis.

Be praying for me!

An Update

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In case you haven't noticed, I haven't posted much the last month. As you may or may not know, I am working on a Doctor of Ministry degree. I began the program many years ago. I completed all of my course work...and then stopped. I finally hit the dead line. I must do the project, write the thesis and get the degree--or, I lose it all. So, I am in the process of writing. I have finished two chapter (out of an expected seven), preached two of the three sermons and am on a roll. Until that gets done, other things (like blogging) are on hold.

The kitchen remodel at the church is going well. We have much of our stuff done. Now we are waiting on contractors (cabinet makers, counter top people, Heat/AC, sheet metal fabricators, etc.) Our target completion date is the end of February. We may not make it, but we are going to try. To see photos of the kitchen remodel, go to the church website.

I will write more when I have a chance.

Sunday Services Cancelled

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Due to icy conditions and the forecast for more ice/sleet and snow overnight, we are cancelling all Sunday activities at Ridgecrest UMC. That includes Sunday School, Worship, Youth, Bible Study and Genesis Kids. Please stay off the roads and stay safe during this icy period.

Weather Update

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Due to severe ice, the Ridgecrest Leadership Summit schedule for Saturday, January 13, has been canceled. It will be rescheduled and everyone will receive notification.


I didn't realize how long it has been since I posted to my blog. I will write more later.