Reflections From Sunday Evening

A few asked me to share some of the books I mentioned this morning. So here is some of what I was speaking about this weekend. I guess I could start with the Hardy Boys and Chip Hilton books. If you have youngsters interested in mystery or sports these would be some vintage books to share. But here goes with what I have been reading this year. I mentioned "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg. This is the basis for the new message series beginning next week. There are ways to overcome bad habits and develop good habits. I will be putting this in a spiritual context for the series. I read a couple of John Grisham novels this year. I don't only read theological material. I have referred to Andy Andrews book, "How Do You Kill 11 Million People?" Joel Manby, CEO of Herschend Family Entertainment contributes the the management/leadership literature. Today people are teaching that you do not motivate or manage with "sticks and carrots" but with affirmation. In Manby's case love is an essential ingredient. Jonathan Merritt wrote "A Faith of Our Own." He represents young evangelicals who are putting their own mark on faith rather than simply continuing the faith of their childhood. I read a novel by Wendel Berry; "Jabber Crow." For any who have rural roots or grew up in the country this will remind you of some familiar ways of life in rural America. Patrick Lencioni wrote "The Advantage." This is another leadership/management book that I found very stimulating. Michael Atchison (a member of Platte Woods) published the novel XL. I personally found it insightful. "Deep and Wide" by Andy Stanley is an important book. I am excited about learning ways to develop a church that people who do not like to go to church will love to attend. I also mentioned a number of podcasts and preachers I listen to. Catalyst podcast with Brad Lominick and Ken Coleman is filled with insights, new books, how churches and ministries are doing social action and many young preachers are featured. Some of the preachers I listen to on my iPod include Andy Stanley, Charles Stanley, John Ortberg, Joel Osteen (mainly for his joke!), Craig Groeschel, Tim Keller, Rick Warren and Bill Hybels. Of course you can always go to the Platte Woods UMC website and listen to our messages. It's been a good day. Getting ready for the new year with snow and all that. It's also been a good year. I think I'll read a little this evening. I hope you've had a good day. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

We had a blessed day at church today. Music is so great! It is always good to be surrounded by such a gracious Spirit. We are gearing up for Candlelight Services tomorrow. We begin at 3 and continue with two services at 5 (sanctuary and Memorial Hall), 7, 9 and 11. Christmas Eve is always a highlight of our year. One of the big discussion questions among some of my clergy peers has been about whether or not it is appropriate to serve communion on Christmas Eve. There is not a true concensus but generally it seems we should do what fits our context. That is pretty obvious. The issue really gets at people who may be coming to the church for the first or the first time in a long time. Frankly holy communion is a bit of an "insider" practice. So practically all the clergy who anticipate "unchurched" people attending are reluctant to offer communion. We will serve communion at our services with the exception of 5 and 9. It is a bit of an experiment. We are trying to be as welcoming to our new friends as possible. We will continue to study and learn. Christmas Day we anticipate serviing 200 meals to people who will be working during the noon hour. We have had a great response to this ministry. Hopefully people will get some down time in the days following Christmas. I certainly plan to enjoy some time with our family. Next weekend we will end the year with a message "What I have Learned This Year." I hope you will join us. I am actually still learning some things and hope to share a few ideas with you. If you do not have your shopping finished better hurry. I think I will head out for one more trip. It's been a great day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

The music of Christmas has the power to life hearts above the sorrow the world thrusts upon us. The music of Christmas has the power to bring light to penetrate the darkness in which we often stumble. The music of Christmas has the power to point to redemption from sin. The music of Christmas has the power to bring our memory of the story to our present experience. The music of Christmas was shared by our Wesleyan Choir this weekend. It was great. Perhaps worship truly does make a difference. Perhaps worship truly does lift the spirit. Perhaps worship is what we must do to be overcomers of sin and darkness. We continue to pray for all those touched by tragedy. We pray "thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." We see the "kingdom" in the child that was born. Together we continue the way to the manger and trust that once again we will experience the life of Christ in our heart. It's been a grace filled day. I hope you've be touched by grace too. steve

Sandy Hook Elementary School Reflections

Yesterday when I became aware of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School I wanted to share a pastoral response. I wanted to tell you everything will be alright. I wanted to give you words of encouragement. But that all seems to miss the mark. I've waited 24 hours to share a couple of thoughts with you. I kept waking up in the night thinking about these things. So here is my pastoral reflection for you. First I would remind you that the purpose of life is NOT to arrive safely at the grave. Our responsbilitiy as parents is not to merely deliver our children to teenage years and then to adulthood. And then safely to the grave. Our responsibility is much greater than that. We have the opportunity to instill courage and compassion in our children. We have the opportunity to instill faith in our children. We are able to help develop our children into a life constructed on faith rather than fear. So I encourage you to resist the natural inclination to hold your children closer than ususal and try to protect them from anything that could harm them. I encourage you to take your children with you when you go out today. I encouarge you to take your children to Sunday School and Church tomorrow. I encourage you to see your children off to school Monday like you would had Sandy Hook not happened. Certainly we are responsible for the safely of our children. Never put your children at unnecessary risk. We know that. But the purpose is building people of faith not delivering people safely to the grave. So live your life fully and faithfully and show your children how to do the same. Secondly I mention the idea Timothy Merrill - editor of Homiletics (a preaching journal I read) - put forward. This is the third weekend in Advent. We will be lighting the Advent Candle of Joy this weekend. He suggested we might want to leave the Joy candle unlit, or perhaps light a "grief" candle. This is not a bad idea. I have given it some thought. But I choose not to follow this suggestion. We have been reading a scripture from Isaiah 9 this month. "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned." (Isaiah 9:2) Christmas really is about more than tinsel and giving presents to one another. Christmas really is about God coming to our world. The Lord - Jesus Christ - the Light of the World - entered into a dark, sinful world. The Lord brings redemption to us. So rather than leave the Joy Candle dim I choose to light the Joy Candle and remind us again that Jesus has come to our darkness and sin to bring Light. Jesus brings to our darkness and sin Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. We will go on with our Choir cantata this weekend. We will sing and worship the Lord. I encourage you to look to the Light of Christ as we walk through these days of darkness. Remember all those families affected by the events of Sandy Hook. We pray God's Light shine into their (and our) darkness. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

A misfit "flees from the familiar to pursue the meaningful." A misfit has culture, people, family, friends, church and who knows who or what else telling them this is who you are, what you are, what you are supposed to be/do. But a "dissatisfied" (with status quo, or perhaps sin, disobedience) flees from the familiar to pursue the meaningful. The meaningful is discoverd in a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. It is to pursue our calling - find God developing our lives - follow the way of Christ. Have you "settled" into your "normal?" Have you believed that this is just what I do? Have you been convinced that this is simply what I am like? There is good news. "For to us a child is born, to us a son is givine." Pursue the child born, the son given and you will find yourself pursuing meaning. Flee the familiar and pursue the meaningful. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;" (Isaiah 9:2a) I could spend a great deal of time reflecting on the situation with Jevon Belcher and the Kansas City Chiefs. This tragic event has cast a pall over the city. Catching a brief interview following today's game we catch some of the sense of loss teammates are experiencing. Prayers are with all involved and touched by what has taken place. Sometimes events like this murder-suicide stand out because they happen in places we are more familiar with than other times we hear of things like this. But each day there are tragic events taking place. The first part of our verse certainly rings true throughout the world today. "The people walking in darkness..." But there is more to the story. Death never has the final word. God reserves that privilege. As we enter the season of Advent the second part of our verse stands out. "...have seen a great light." In the midst of hopelessness and despair a light shines. "A child is born, to us a son is given." We have become people of hope. Perhaps a great response to the hope received would be spreading, sharing and extending hope to those around us. Obviously there are many whose lives could be changed forever should they discover the hope the comes through the Light of Christ. Hope. Hope. Hope. Light. Light. Light. A child is born. A Son is given. Because of this even today is a good day. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

I hope you have had a blessed Thanksgiving holiday. I would love for us to take advantage of this reminder and make a new commitment to practice thanksgiving in our daily life. What if tomorrow morning when you got up (and got your wits about you) you began your day thanking God for those things that come to mind? Perhaps this "ritual" of thanks could continue the next day and the next until it becomes a habit. The next thing you know thanks could not only begin your day but also conclude your day. Then the next thing you know you find yourself taking moments throughout the day to give thanks. There is even more. You find yourself not only thanking God but you get even more intentional about saying thank you to people you encounter. Before long you are a different person. One more attitude - one more activity contributes to the Holy Spirit transforming your life. Thank you. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. Steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

What do you do on a "short" week? With Thanksgiving this thursday the school week is shortened. Most people will have thursday off from work - unless you are in the "Black Friday" thing. In church life I am never sure what to make of these short weeks. We take the day thursday like everyone else. It is also a great opportunity to do something differnt on friday. But the reality is Sunday comes just like any week and there is the expectation that church goes on and a message is shared. So a short week can be a challenge. But rather than look at a week like this as being short why not simply see it as a "different" week. There are the same number of hours in this week as there are in any week. We merely have a chance to change things up a bit. A short week is an opportunity to step out of a routine that may become rote. A short week is an opportunity to focus on something different than we might in a normal week. A short week is an opportunity to change the pace. A short week is an opportunity to recognize the Lord's presence in our lives with fresh insight. My prayer is that you claim the opportunity to experience the fresh touch of Jesus Christ as we step out of our routines and encounter the Lord is a different way. Be thankful. Enjoy your short week with a full touch of grace. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

This weekend I had the opportunity to lead a class on "Theology in the Wesleyan Spirit" for 18 students in the Course of Study. They were primarily part-time local pastors serving in our United Methodist Church. We had pastors from Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska and even a person from Washington state. It was a great group and I had a blessed time sharing with them. It is encouraging to find people learning to "think theologically." We all do this. We bring our understanding of God to the decisions and choices we make each day. At least I encourage you to bring God into your decision making process. It truly makes a huge difference. We think theologically when we manage our time and our money. We think theologically when we do something for someone else. I think you get the idea. God is a vital part of all of life. This week remember God is with us not only in worship and "church" things. God is with us in all of life. I pray you experience His presence this week. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Vote. We are afforded this unique privilege as Americans. I am aware of some who indicate they do not like either candidate and will not vote. Some do so as a stragety for change. If enough people refuse to participate in the system it will be reformed. Some would say since they cannot fully support either candidate it would be wrong to vote. There are other reasons why many will stay away from the polls this week. Let me go on record by saying I somewhat understand the sentiments being expressed by the "don't vote" people I respectively disagree. I do not believe anyone may make a system better by non-participation. Vote. We have been working a strategy for renewal/reform in America this past week. Monday through Friday last week nearly 100 people came for morning prayer services. Our "7:14" program has touched many. We will gather one more day - Monday Nov. 5 at 7:14 in the morning. We will look at the final part of 2 Chronicles 7:14 and focus on the promise. "I will hear thier prayers, forgive their sins and heal their land." We dare to believe it is a timeless principle that when we pray God always hears. When we ask God always forgives. When we seek God heals, or restores. Our strategy invovles ordering our lives in Christ honoring, Spirit filled ways. We expect a day to come when political ads will not be name calling and attacks. We expect a day to come when the American people demand that candidates give us their best ideas and plans to implement them in ways that will contribute to greatness as a nation. Vote. After you vote contribute to civility of discourse in the political arena. After you vote believe that you are part of something significant and 25-30 years(7 elections) from now Americans will be operating in a new, reformed, way. May people look back on the election season of 2012 and point to our time as the time when things began to change. Join us in continuing our strategy. Monday morning at 7:14 we gather to pray. Tuesday (election day) participate in our 13 hour prayer vigil as we continue in prayer while the polls are open. On Tuesday night join us at 7:14 P.M. for a "Praise Service." We should work for what we believe in. Support who you will. However we are not praying for our candidate, our party or our cause. We pray that God reign over us. We pray to order our lives in Christ honoring ways. You make a difference. Vote. Pray It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Today we shared that 7:14 was a reference to 2 Chronicles 7:14. "If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land." Our emphasis between now and "election day" will be praying. We are praying for our nation. The insight today focused on something to consider when we read the Bible. We were encouraged to search for "timeless principles" as opposed to "contextual promises." The "if my people" text is a contextual promise. Israel was promised that when times went bad and they prayed in repentance God would hear, forgive and heal their land. We should not try to emulate Israel. Rather we search for the timeless principle in the message. It is a timeless truth that when we pray God always Hears. When we seek forgiveness God always Forgives. When we ask God always Restores or Heals relationships. This is our prayer for our nation. We are putting this to practice this week. Between now and election day we will be gathering in our sancturay each morning at 7:14 A.M. to pray for our country. If you can't be physically present please join us to pray. On election day we will have a 13 hour pray vigil. (Polls open from 6:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M.) People will sign up to take a 30 minute slot through the day. When the polls close we will gather for a Praise service. We do this because frankly we are not praying for our candidate, party or cause but rather we are seeking the Lord. So we focus on God rather than the outcome of an election. As people pray we become part of something larger than ourselves. When we pray and commit ourselves to a Christ honoring, Spirit-filled life we contribute to greater matters. You contribute to renewal in your family, community, church and nation. I encourage you to join in prayer. God will hear, forgive and heal. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Thanks to Nicole Brandt for working with our children's dance teams these past few years. Nicole and family will be moving and today was their last time to share in worship with us. Nicole and Hannah - thanks for sharing your gifts with our children. Only the best for your future. On another note - Ginger told a joke today. Where is the safest place to be during a tornado? Arrowhead Stadium. Why. There are not "touchdowns" there. Ha ha. Was that Romeo Crennel I saw walk out of church this morning? Guess not. Here is another - Today I saw the church in action. We had a visitor today. Homeless. Been in town and had needs. He came where God dwells. Worship. After service concluded I saw one of our best (Jack Swinney) sitting beside him with his arm around his shoulder. Being present. The next time I saw them they were outside planning how to help. You never know exactly what it going on in these situations but someone experienced the touch of grace today. I certainly did. On yet another note - Today is the 1 year anniversary of NEXT - our Sunday evening worship service. I'm looking forward to sharing with Curtis and the congregation tonight. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

This has been a busy weekned. I had the privilege of teaching a class at St. Paul School of Theology. Actually I was teaching "Theology in the Wesleyan Spirit" to a group of local pastors in the Course of Study. This is the educational requirement for those serving as local pastors. Among the group were bi-vocational ministers, some serving in a part-time role, some full-time and some in staff settings. These men and women are true servants of the Gospel They were a great group. It was a joy to be able to share in their ministry. The local pastor is very important to the United Methodist Church today. In the earliest days of the Methodist movement John Wesley and later Francis Asbury would always be looking for people like this to serve the revival. Our local pastor's have a true heart for God and are very effective in giving leadership in many of our churches, especially many of our smaller membership churches. On another note - Today at church we had a great day. It is always a highlight when our 3rd grade students receive their Bible. I believe we passed out 49 Bibles today. These young people begin reading the Word and embarking on a lifetime of Christian Discipleship. On yet another note - The call today was make a life plan. Specifically an "after" plan. The "after" refers to after you experience God stepping into your life in a redemptive, life-changing way. God has a path for you to follow. It's been a great day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

We've had a very good weekend here. Friday was Cindy's birthday. Her goal was to take a group of women from her Bible Study, church, friends, sisters and others to the Farmer's House Market and serve for 60 minutes. (for her 60th birthday) So a group took the shuttle and had a wonderful time of service and fellowship. Here is where I come in. It was suggested that perhaps I could sit at the front desk at church and answer the phones so staff members could participate. So I did. At least I tried. Sorry to those who may still be waiting to be transferred to voice mail or something like that! Actually I managed to get a few messages where they were supposed to go and it went pretty well. Here is the thing. I could not do what our staff does day after day. I hope everyone realizes how essential our staff is. They do a great job of welcoming people. They provide the right information. They are the ones who facilitate our pastoral work. They make sure our facility is clean and safe. Our people who serve do so with excellence. After friday I am even more appreciative of thsoe who serve. Thanks Mandy, Lori, Kerry and Sarah - and all the rest. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflecions From Sunday Evening

Got a new insight from technology. Updating a cell phone could be a metaphor for growing in the spiritual life and discovering new insights. I have a notification on the phone. Update available. I click on the update. I wait and watch the signal that tells me the updating is taking place. When the process is complete something new is added and available. The change brings an updated model and new possibilities and effectiveness. Do you get the idea? In the spiritual life the Holy Spirit is always offering an update. When we open our hearts to the wind of the Spirit we wait and watch as we find the Lord changing us. Soon we find the new insights and experience of grace has opened our lives to new possibilities. Furthermore fruitfulness and effectiveness is enhanced. All due to the updating of our relaitionship with Christ. Anyone notice the update available? I pray the update be yours. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

It's not only been a good day but a very good week. I was able to share in our conference pastor's gathering, CONVERGE, this week. Mark Batterson of National Community Church in Washington D.C. was our keynote speaker and Juanita Rasmus of Houston, Tx. completed our time on thursday morning. It is always good when you have take-aways from events like this. Batterson brought me to a place of making "bold" prayers and making prayer circles around people and issues. Then you "hold on" and watch God move in power! Juanita invited us to gather in triads and pray with a four-fold focus. First ask God how to pray for this person. Second listen. Third record what you hear from God. Then pray what you hear as a blessing in the person's life. I got four great words on this one. Bold - Courage - Risk - Joy. I'm looking forward to sharing these prayer keys as we move forward and also how these words are impacting my life. The Spirit carried over into our worship services this weekend. I know we were in the presence of the Lord. It was a blessed day. Thanks to all who allowed God to use them today. It has been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

We are in the process of having our house painted. Before any paint goes on the house there has been a great deal of replacing bad wood, repair work, caulking, scraping, priming and preparing the wood for fresh paint. Another option could have been to ignore the problems and just slap some paint on the outside and call it good. That is certainly no way to care for a house. This has me thinking about the spiritual life. Many people seem content with covering up the outside without the discipline of inner preparation. Don't get me wrong. There is no amount of self repair that makes us ready for the covering of God's grace. But for a healthy spiritual life inner work (the house repair) takes place as the fresh covering of grace comes upon us. Christian living is not merely about outward appearances. It is a entire renovation. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Today our focus was on creating a culture of call. We seek an environment where people are becoming more and more aware of the awesome presence of God and developing an increasing expectation and ability to hear God's call. The first part of a call culture is recognizing the presence of God. Secondly in light of the majesty, holiness and spendor of God we acknowledge our utter dependence on the grace of God. This is our "evangelical experience" where we receive a keen sense of God's forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ. At this point we are in position to hear God's call. Three possibilities were offerd today. 1. A call to serve. Specifically we were asking 8 people to serve by picking up and cleaning coffee cups on Sunday's. It seems small but when service is done "as unto the Lord" all things are deeply significant. I asked for 8. NINE (9) people indicated a response to this act of service! 2. A call to invest in opportunity for others. Speicfically I asked people to underwrite a full scholarship for an Hispanic student to attend one year at Lydia Patterson Institute in El Paso, Texas. I asked for 45 peole to contribute $100 toward that goal. We understand that not everyone can give that. But the principle is; Not everyone is called to do everything but everyone is called to do something. SIXTY-FIVE (65) responses were returned for a total of $6500! So people gave extra. 3. A call to consider pastoral ministry. I asked for one person in the weekend to respond to that call. ONE (1)response was returned! (There was a report of another but I did not see the card.) What a day. I believe we are in the midst of a strong culture of call becoming more and more real among us. It's been a great day. I hope you've had a great day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

40 years ago today I married Cynthia Grizzell. Cindy and I are sitting here being grateful that God brought us together and has given us such a blessed life. It does seem a bit strange that we have been together for so long - but we don't really feel that old. The kids surprised us last night. I never saw it coming. A super evening with family and friends that I had no idea was going to happen. Thanks guys - it was a blessing. Later we are heading out for our anniversary dinner. Great day. As we have often done in these years together we spent the morning at church followed by lunch and a learning time with Rev. Doug Anderson. Very grateful for the place the church plays in our life. Thanks to Doug Anderson for being here to preach today. He said it was his anniversary gift to us! He did a wonderful job inspiring us about Radical Hospitality. Now for what's coming up. Next week I finish the series on Love Walks (yes, I do still preach here!) by sharing "The Catch." I preached this message on Sunday night a couple of weeks ago and look forward to sharing next weekend. On Labor Day weekend we will think about our "Culture of Call" and I will share some thoughts about responding to the Nudge of God. In September we kick off a series called "How to Find Fault With Others." More to come on that one! So it's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections from Sunday Evening

This month we are stressing Radical Hospitality. We continued our conversation about evangelism today. Pastor Ginger and I did a dialogue message this weekend. We were able to offer two perspectives on the story of Jesus and the woman at the well. (John 4) We can look at details of scripture passages or share in conversation which we did today. Your story of faith in Christ is worth sharing. I encourage you to watch for opportunities to engage someone in spiritual conversation this week. You may be used by God to awaken faith in someone's life. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. Steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Pastor Ginger began our August message series today. "Love Walks" shows us that the love of Christ compels us to "walk across the room" to share good news with others. The "church" word is evangelism. Often when people are invited to share thier initial reaction to the word evangelism some negative image arises. Pushy - arrogant - trying to get me to do or beleive something I am not sure about. Contrast these negative images with what we think of when asked to describe a person who has had a positive influence on our lives. We hope to help people see evangelism in the same positive light with those who have had the greatest impact on us. Evangelism is good news. We share the good news. One evening Cindy and I were with some friends at Zona Rosa. A teenager came walking past us talking on her cell phone. Her message: They are giving away free ice cream at Coldstone! That was the word all over Zona Rosa. People were telling their friends. They were telling strangers. It was good news and it was spreading fast. We got some free ice cream that evening! How could we chatter good news? - grace - forgiveness - hope - encouragement - assurance - confidence - peace - Come and receive. It's even better than ice cream. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Cindy and I went to church at Kearney UMC this morning. Spencer Smith is the new pastor there. He was apponted in June. Spencer was in junior high when we began serving in Joplin. He was active in our youth group and along with his family was regular in church. It was during that formative time in life that Spencer was sensing a call to ministry. I am so thankful that Spencer has responded to the call to serve as a pastor in the UMC. It was absolutely great to hear him preach today. When I think of where I was at that stage of life and see where our younger preachers are today -- let's just say we are in good hands with our younger clergy. During the service Spencer baptized a baby. The father was Scott MacDonald. He had been in the church in Raymore when Cindy and I were there. After church we visited with Scott, his brother Steven and mother Barbara. The other neat part of our day was walking into the church and seeing Spencer's mom and dad! It was great to see Jill and Dave. It was a pretty amazing day. The Christian life has so many connections. We find ourselves related to people from many different places. We also find the connections tend to transcend time. In Christ we experience a very unique unity. I feel like I got to experience a bit of that today. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Today Cindy and I worshipped in Atlanta, Ga. and Leawood, Ks. North Point Community Church and the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection each provide live video stream of their Sunday service. I heard two good messages. There was good music in each place. I even registered my attendance with COR today! It is a great service to offer. However, I'm not ready to make video worship my preferred experience. I miss interaction with people. I find it difficult to look on and not participate. I could go on for sometime discussing the pro's and con's of online church. It is something to consider. There are amazing possibilities. We'll see. I find it hard to substitude for face to face interaction. There is something to be said for singing, praying and sitting together in worship. I suppose it is the "high tech" and/or "high/touch" idea. I want to be as high tech as possible. Amazing things can happen. What I really feel committed to is being high touch. This is where ministry takes place for me. It is the high touch of grace. of love of kindness of compassion of mercy of forgiveness of hope of peach of patience of preaching of worship of joy of faith It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

It's been a meaningful day. I appreciate Christine preaching this weekend. We recognized and consecrated 25 congregational care ministers today. Christine gives leadership in this vital area in the life of the church. Thanks for a good word today. We also had a number of children who participated in Vacation Bible School sing at 9:30. They knocked it out of the park. VBS was a great success this year. Seeds of faith were sown and we trust they will grow to fruition in the lives of young people. This week I will be in Oklahoma City as a delegate to the South Central Jurisdictional Conference. The main purpose is the election of Bishops. We will be electing three Episcopla leaders and each area will have a bishop assigned for the next four years. My friend Bob Farr is a candidate for the Episcopacy and I will be encouraging people to support him in this important ministry. Let me close this post by sharing about the memorial service I participated in this afternoon. Bill Stout was 67 years ago. He grew up in Appleton City. He was my "boyhood hero." He came out to our house one Sunday afternoon to show me how to throw a curveball. I was probably 8 years old and he was a high school kid. He was funny and witty. His family and ours were extremely close for those many, many years. Bill died of cancer. We met in the funeral home and had a service followed by a military service at the cemetery. Bill did not always have it all together. He returned from his tour of Vietnam with many struggles. He battled with alcohol for years. He had good seasons of life and some that were not so good. In the past several years Bill was in re-hab at the VA hospital and things clicked. Through counselling and medication Bill found his way to live a good life. I had the opportunity to share a few thoughts at the service today. It was very meaningful to be able to do so. As I think of Bill and then consider the Church it gives me a deep sense of hope. Faith is constant even when the mind and body struggle. In 1975 I prayed with Bill and he made his confession of faith and accepted Jesus Christ as his savior. The seeds of that prayer eventually grew. Today we trust that Bill has been blessed with life eternal. The seeds planted in a visit with one in the hospital grow through the grace of God. The seeds planted in VBS kids grow through the grace of God. The seeds planted in the business of the Church grow through the grace of God. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Tomorrow we begin our week long Vacation Bible School at church. We anticipate over 300 children coming to learn about Jesus and the stories of faith. This is a tremendous opportunity. Likewise it is a tremendous privilege for those who will lead the children. I cannot help but think about VBS from the "old days." I still have memories of VBS at Trinity Methodist Church. In those days we went for two full weeks. (I would not even mention that to our teachers!) My friends were there. We ate homemade chocolate chip cookies made by mom's and grandma's. We drank red Kool-Aid. We played a game called Red Rover when we went outside to play. It was hot but we did not care. We made crafts from plaster paris. We learned Bible verses. We learned the stories of Jesus. When I think of these days I realize it to be an unimaginable privilege to have had these opportunities. I think about my experience in comparison to that of the hymn writer Edward Mote who wrote "My Hope is Built." "My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus' name." (He originally titled the hymn "The Immutable Basis of a Sinners Hope." They talked differently in the 19th century. Mote would not have been in Bible School. He did not grow up in a Christian home. He was often neglected by his parents who ran a pub in London. Even Sunday mornings would find him playing in the London streets. However at age 18 he was introduced to the Scriptures and was converted at the age of 18. Ultimately he became a pastor at the age of 55 and preached weekly for 21 years. This week we may reach a child who has not been to church before. We will certainly reach out to many who are very comfortable in church. We want to reach out in love and grace to all those who fill our rooms this week. Pray for the children we welcome this week. Pray for our Children's Ministry Dirctor, Jessica Duncan and the many, many voluteers who will be instruments of grace this week. It's been a great day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Today we remembered the sacrifice our Founding Fathers made when they signed the Declaration of Independence and followed through with their commitment to freedom. It would be good to search the web and study some of their stories. The bottom line lifted up today was "They had security but they valued liberty more." As Christians we have "security." We are forgiven. We have confidence of the love of God. We have the promise of heaven. But perhaps there is something to value even more than "security." We are offered liberty. We may live in freedom of Spirit. We are free.... to live to run to dance to sing to hope to serve to give to work to care to bless to honor to sacrifice We have liberty. We are free. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. May your week be blessed. Remember from where we have come. Be thankful for liberty. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Cindy and I were blessed to share lunch with Walter, Julie Bryant and family after church. Happy Birthday Walter! Today we talked about finding our character developed so we may be trusted with a vital spiritual experience. (see story about old time Methodist preacher Clovis Chappell.) That type of spiritual experience has the potential of causing Jesus to be preemminent in our lives. (that too from clovis chappell story) In many people Jesus is present; in some Jesus is prominent; is a few Jesus is preeminent. To check where we are we could take the "Mordecai test." Mordecai is a central character in the book of Esther. When all is said and done Mordecai rises to power and influence. The scripture says the reason for this is "because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews. (Esther 10:3) So here is the test of the preeminence of Jesus in our life. Are we working for the good of others and speaking up for those without a voice? It's been a good day. (although pretty hot) I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Followers of Jesus Christ find themselves in a tremendous position. Christians are forgiven, Spirit filled with all the inspiration and foundational work the Lord does in life, and assured of eternal life in heaven. That is all great. But that merely scratches the surface of the Christian life. Frankly we are not "saved" so we may enjoy the benefits the Christian life. The Christian life is about being called and challenged to claim the purpose God has for us. The way to meet the challenge is through courageous commitment to following Christ and serving Him and people. This was our lesson from the Book of Esther. She was discovering that she was not favored and chosen merely for the pleasure of royalty. She was favored and chosen and came to royal position to be poised for her purpose. When the challenge came she stepped forward with courageous commitment. What an example. Listen for your call and meet the challenge with courageous commitment. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Annual Conference

Good to be home from this year's session of the Missouri Annual Conference. From my perspective this was a great time. Our understanding of "conferencing" is so much more productive from other expressions that emphasize mostly legislative work with much debate and posturing. Bishop Schnase has led us to a place where "conferencing" points to learning and focusing on the mission of the church. This year was a prime example of what can take place when the people called Methodist gather to worship, learn and serve. Youth were our focus this year. It was really neat to see all the youth present and participating. On Friday several youth bands shared - Flight Line from PWUMC was a hit! Thanks. We ordained 17 elders. We commissioned 10 provisional elders. We recognized people for great work. We adopted a budget that represented a .05% increase. We celebrated appointments. Kendra Creasy Dean - "Almost Christian" spoke and communited the struggle with faith powerfully. A case may be made that we (church) have taught our young people to build a faith that is a Moral Therepuetic Deism. In other words we want to be tolerate of all, find a way to be happy and if we get in a pinch ask God to help us. That is a long way from "take up your cross and follow me" - Jesus. It is always great to see friends. It is great to be home. Back at church tomorrow - where the true joy takes place. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

People of faith may live and thrive in an alien culture. That is the thesis I propose being found in the Book of Esther. (This is our Defining Moments series this month - Defining Moment in the book and life of Esther.) The dispersed Jews found themselves in a very alien culture. Read the book of Esher and you will see what I mean. As Christians we find ourselves living in an alien culture. If you read Matthew 5-7 (the Sermon on the Mount) not looking for laws or rules but for a picture of what life is like when lived in relationship with Jesus, you get an idea of what a "Christian culture" might be. When we compare this culture - blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn (we prefer happiness), blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, with the culture we live in today we see a huge difference. Kingdom of God culture also loves our enemies, prays for those who persecute us, avoids lust, adultery and even divorce. The Kingdom of God culture is truly counter-culture. This is not a law but a grand vision for life as it is meant to be. Our culture is actully made of several sub-cultures. We have the culture of the rich and famous, the culture of violence and so on. A troubling point is that many of us tend to feel the kingdom of God culture is odder than this one we are living in today. The good news is that people of faith - Christ followers - Christians may live and thrive in an alien culture. I see our task not one of cultural accomodation. Neither is our call to escape this present age. I go with the old theologican Richard Niebuhr who says Christ seeks to trnasform culture. We are called to be agents of change. We are called to be empowered by the Holy Spirit and serve Christ as transformers of culture. People of faith may live and thrive in an alien culture. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections from Sunday Evening

Try not to get into anything! (Got the idea from a Lenoard Sweet sermon) Here is our take on this idea from today. Try not to get into anything - that detracts from the mission, purpose and vision God has given. This applies to our individual lives as well as the church. It serves as a reminder to keep focused on our mission - main thing. Our mission: To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the tranformation of the world. Our purpose: Honor God in all of life. Our vision: To build and outwardly focused Christian community of full participants in the life of grace. Try not to get into anything that detracts from this. At the same time TRY ANYTHING that contributes to or enhances the mission, purpose and vision. Through the Pentecostal power of the Holy Spirit we are empowered for the mission. TRY not to get into ANYTHING. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. And the day has more to come. We finish our Faith in Action weekend with worship at 5:00 followed by a bbq and fun fellowship. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Had a good day at church today. Pastor Angie reminded us that "faith without works is dead." A great lead up to Faith and Action next weekend. If you have not indicated where you plan to serve please do so this week. Many opportunities to bear with to Christ through serving others. At the 11:00 service we had confirmation. This is always one of my favorite services in the year. We had 12 students confirmed today. 2 were baptized and all made their profession of faith in Jesus Christ. A special thanks goes to Jim and Margie Thomas who met and worked with this group over the past year. We have another group that is currently meeting and will be confirmed later. It was a good day. This is also graduation weekend. Cindy and I had the opportunity to get around to some graduation parties this weekend. Great accomplishment and great joy. Through all we have been doing this weekend I have been thinking about what a blessing it is to be part of our church. I am grateful to be part of the body of Christ. Something I have just begun to think about will be showing up in other ideas and expressiions. My prayer is that we do not settle for modifying behavior in positive ways - as important as that is - but that we be about the ministry of changing lives. The Gospel brings people from darkness to light - from death to life - from despair to joy. The Gospel is more than helping us be more enlightened, tolerant, nicer and culturally adept. Join me in giving this idea some prayerful consideration. More to come. I'd be remiss to not mention the one year anniversary of the Joplin tornado. Our prayers continue as friends and brothers and sisters in Christ continue to re-build in that community. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

The Shirt. Here's the story. At General Conference a women's group from the Democratic Republic of Congo had shirts for sale. They seem to like bright colors there. They were hand made. They brought them to General Conference and had them for sale in the Cokesbury Store. I learned that the proceeds from the sales went to support women's ministry in the Congo. I saw them and wanted to get one to bring home. That's what I wore today. On Saturday night I put it to a vote. Should I wear the shirt tomorrow? They gave me a resounding YES! Actually it was said that if they were going to be subjected to the shirt those on Sunday should be too. Among teh comments I got on the shirt were "it's ugly". Many commented on how "bright" it was. A few liked it. Actually I call it a hit. But the real story behind the shirt is a story from the Congo. Last week another 3000 Congolese escaped their country into nearby Rhwanda to escape the recent surge of bloodshed in the on-going battles between the DRC army and a another militia. Evidently this brings the number of refugees in camps to over 50,000. The Shirt is a very small way to identify with and support our brothers and sisters in Christ who live in the Congo. One day we will see peace. May it come quickly. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

reflections from Sunday evening & General Conference

Today Cindy and I went to Trinity UMC in Appleton City to go to church with mom and dad. This is Dad's 81st birthday. Tuesday will be their 60th wedding anniversary. Our kids joined us as we went to eat at mom and dad's favorite Sunday dinner place. The restaurant even baked us a cake! My brother and I are truly blessed to have such great parents. Their influence has done much to form us and continues to do so. I got back in time to go to church and move back and forth between NEXT (contemporary worship) and ReFuel (Youth service.) Lots going on. I need to make a special note of Spencer's sermon! Great job young man! It was good to get back to my favorite church. Which brings me to another reflection from General Conference. As you know GC 2012 concluded about 10:27 on Friday night (but who was counting?) Frankly the final day was maddening. People had worked for over 2 years to develop a re-structuring plan that would be intended to position the church to be more nimble (a word that was often used) to help empower conferences and local churches to be more effective in making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. By the time we got to Tampa the IOC (we have lots of these things) or Connectional Table and the Council of Bishops had the Call to Action. This was soon countered by another proposal by MFSA (the social action caucus) and then by another group who developed Plan B. When the proposals were discussed in legislative committee none of the plans were able to gain sufficient support to move forward. At that point people who had been involved with the development of the plans began to meet and in a couple of days brought forward a new plan - Plan UMC. That was the plan that would eventually be approved by the General Conference only to be ruled unconstitutional at 4:00 on Friday afternoon. Frustrating. But after getting home things do not look as irritating. Now people will go back to work and craft a new plan that will correct the errors and hopeful provide General Conference 2016 will a new structure that will find wider suport. It could happen! One piece of legislation that was approved eliminated "security of appointment" or what we generally call "guaranteed appointment" for elders. As things developed it appears this act could also be ruled unconstitutional when the Judicial Council meets this fall. We moved our pension from a basic Defined Contribution to a Defined Benefit plan. With these acts I saw my guaranteed appointment removed and cut my pension 20-30%. Actually I supported both these initiatives. I call it a good step forward. The conference maintained the current disciplinary language related to homosexuality. The conference did not support a move to divest our pension funds from three companies doing business with Israel. That was a heated issue but failed to gain support by a 70 - 30% margin. On a positive note annual conferences were given flexibilty to structure themselves as they need to in order to fulfill their mission. We feel this is very positive for us in Missouri. Probably 80 - 85% of the petitions that were submitted were placed on a consent calendar and never brought to the floor. One that some of our members were interested in dealt with the issue of pay day loans. I will look but feel sure this resolution was passed. General Conference showed that our world wide church is extremely vast in perspectives. This conference voted about 60 - 40 in favor of more conservative positions. But there was never a clear, uniting vision that emerges. One part of our church things more pragmatically and is focused on making disciples for Jesus Christ with evangelism (something that was never seriously brought up) as a major point. Another group desires to make disciples for Jesus Christ with the emphasis on diversity and inclusivity. Frankly we have competing visions of how to fulfill the mission. I come home grateful for having the opportunity to engage in issues that affect the church and trust good will come. I also have hope that God will once again direct our attention, focus and resources to share the good news of Jesus Christ in life changing ways. It's been some 12 days! It's been good. I hope you've had a good day. steve

May 3 - General Conference

Today was our most difficult day. After some house cleaning work this morning we began work on the issue of human sexuality. We have a phrase in our Discipline that states all persons are of sacred worth however, "we find the practice of homosexuality incompatible with Christian teaching." For the majority in our denomination and General Conference this represents the most accurate picture we should have. For a significant minority this is seen as a huge problem. We spent the morning debating. When the vote was taken the current statement was upheld. This initiated a protest as a number of people came to the floor of the conference and began to sing. Bishop Coyner, who was presiding, dismissed the conference early for lunch. It was a very emotional and difficult morning. After lunch we continued our business. The issue this afternoon centered on clergy pensions. We discussed at length whether a defined benefit or a defined contribution plan would be best for the church. After much discussion the conference moved us toward the defined benefit plan. The remainder of our work today was completed. We have one day to go! Tomorrow it appears our main task will be working with the budget. Steve

May 2 - General Conference

A busy and somewhat intense day at General Conference. As always there were several pieces of legislation that were processed and dealt with fairly quickly. Then the morning turned to the re-structuring proposal. We went to General Conference with hopes of passing recommendations related to the "Call to Action." This is a complex restructuring plan for the United Methodist Church. When the initial proposal came out it was followed by a proposal from MFSA (Methodist Federation for Social Action) and then Plan B. None of the initial plans gained a majority of votes in legislative committee. Then proponents of the Call to Action and Plan B worked out a compromise plan. This became Plan UMC. After much discussion and parlimentary procedure the plan passed. It is now referred to the financial administration team (GCFA) and will be incorporated into the budget which will be addressed friday. The other intense conversation surrounded the issue of divestment in three American companies that have contracts with Israel. The issue relates to the occupied area of the Holy Land. This was a very emotional issue for many of our delegates. In the end the General Conference voted to not move toward divestment. The afternoon concluded with a demonstration by a group of LGBTQ supporters. The conference was adjourned for the dinner hour. This evening a few more pieces of legislation were worked through prior to adjourment for the night. Two more days and much to do. Keep us in your prayers. steve

May 1 - General Conference

This is my eighth day and frankly I'm tired! Today we moved quickly into petition work. The majority of the 1200 petitions submitted have been worked with in committees and we are able to approve the prior work by voting on the "consent calendar." We had an item today that was approved on the consent calendar and then faced a motion ro reconsider it. It was a significant issue - the elimination of security of appointment for clergy. For the last 60 years or so UM pastors have had a "guaranteed appointment." The principle has been that every church gets a preacher and every preacher (elder) gets an appointment. After some parlimentary movement today the issue of security of appointment was eliminated. This was actually the recommendation of the committee. I personally agree with this decision. Another matter that most of us in Missouri appreciate is the legislation that gives annual conferences great flexibility in structuring. It should help us put ourselves in position to strengthen local churches to make disciples of Jesus Christ. There were a number of other matters worked through. When we began the day there were 143 items to process and we had finished 11 of them. I imagine we improved on that some today but many are wondering how we will be able to complete the work. But these things do tend to work out. Our Missouri delegation had dinner together. It was a welcome time to relax and share together. This evening most of the time was devoted to ecumenical matters. Getting ready to turn in and give it a go tomorrow. Three more days! Keep us in your prayers. steve

April 30 - General Conference

Today we worked on some legislation. Actually completed a number of petitions. Two significant items pertain to electing a bishop to give full leadership to the council of bishops rather than serve an area and term limits for bishops. The first proposal was defeated in a close vote. The other item relating to term limits was also defeated. We had a presentation from Higher Education that highlights our vast education ministry in the United Methodist Church. We came back from dinner and spent time in conversation with other members at our table. The evening concluded with worship. Tomorrow we continue our legislative work. Continue to pray that God move in our midst. steve

General Conference - April 28

We finished the legislative work in the Local Church. Now our recommendations will go to the whole body next week. There will be minority reports. There will be more debate. But in a week this will be finished once again. The word is that the Call to Action work is not progressing. It is questionable if the conference will make decisions to re-structure. It does appear the "guaranteed appointment" matter has support to eliminate. I've made some new friends. I'm finding some good people to work with. Most committees are still working. I'll check on some later. We do not met tomorrow so no update. Steve

General Conference 2012 - April 27

The majority of the day was spent working through legislation. Tedious at times. You can sense some trends. We don't seem too intent on making lots of changes for change sake. Most of the petitions we have are not being supported. Next week the whole body will vote. There may be minority reports. Our committee is supporting the pastors authority to make decisions about membership. After a slow start we made good progress. This evening our session consisted of an act of repentance toward healing relationships with indigenous people's. Keep tuned. Tomorrow we will finish our committee work and move toward a week of action. Steve

General Conference 2012 - April 26

Today we bagan our work in legislative committees. In the committee on the Local Church where I am serving we have about 72 petitions and 4 Resolutions to work through. We read them, discuss them, debate them, perfect them and adopt, refer, reject or don't consider. There are about 65 delegates in our committee. We come from all over the world. The delegates from Africa are full participants in the work of the conference. It is very good to watch them grow into this church process. We completed 23 petitions. Not a bad start. Later I'll pick out a few specifics to share with you. Actually we were in legislative committees through the day. We concluded our day with a session where many people were nominated for the Conference Secretary, The Judicial Council and The University Senate. (you can google those last two and find out what they do!) Following worship it was back to the room for some rest before we do it again tomorrow. steve

General Conference 2012 - April 25

Day 2 of General Conference featured great worship to begin our day. We heard the Episcopal Address by Bishop Weaver. This was followed by the laity and young people's address'. All pointed us toward a better future. We finally approved the committee on rules recommendations. (ended up the same as we started but chased rabbits for a day) In the afternoon we orgainized the legislative committees. I am on Local Church. We will begin our work in the morning. A time of holy conferencing led to the dinner break. In the evening we did some business and heard some reports. The highlight came when Rev. Adam Hamilton led a presentation on the call to action. Adam left us with a challenge but a very hopeful challenge. Evening worship and a message by Bishop King concluded our day. INVITE.

General Conference 21012 - April 24

The first session of General Conference offers amazing worship. Bishop Goodpaster preached and together we shared in Holy Communion. Having attended previous GC's it is good to see familiar faces. Our Missouri delegation is ready to go. In the evening session we got the first taste of "conference." There were 18 (I am pretty sure) amendments made to the report of the Rules Committee. Here we go! Steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

This week The United Methodist Church's General Conference begins. This is a quadrennial meeting with delegates from around the world coming together to worship, debate and establish our discipline. This is a very interesting process. There are just under 1000 delegates and practicaly every possible viewpoint is represented. By the time the conference concludes on May 4 everyone will come home and get back to the task of ministry. There are a number of issues this year. As usual a series of social issues will be debated and voted on. There will be no clear concensus on the issues but eventually the majority will decide our official position for the next four years. Another area of interest comes under the heading of "call to action." A series of legislative issues will be worked through with the idea of re-structuring which is hoped to position the denomination to be more fruitful in our ministry. I plan to do a daily blog for GC and will try to keep everyone informed of the happenings. I urge you to be in prayer for our gathering. There is the potential for coming together with a shared vision. There is also the possibility of behaving in a manner that was referred to this morning in our mesage - as an "argumentative, disputatious group." In this setting as well as all our daily experiences of life, I seek the risen Lord Jesus to come and extend hands of grace. May the church unite to say "My Lord and My God." It's been a great day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

I truly appreciate these weekends after Easter. We have a great celebration on Easter. We rejoice in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. We talk of the "empty tomb." But the "Post-Resurrection" stories serve the purpose of validating that which comes with the empty tomb.
In the Post-Resurrection stories we find our "evidence" that Jesus really rose from the dead. Our evidence centers on the testimony of eyewitnesses as their stories are shared in the scriptures. So we have the witness of the scriptures. Furthermore we have the longevity of the message. Above all we have those lives that have been changed through faith in the Risen Lord.
The Post-Resurrection stores give us confirmation that Jesus is risen. These are the stories of the first witnesses and their experience of seeing Jesus alive.
Today we looked at the Emmaus Road story. (Luke 24) Next week we will look at Thomas. (John 20.) Other Post-Resurrection stories find Jesus and the disciples having breakfast after a night of fishing. The Apostle Paul even shares teaching that centers on Jesus appearing to others following his resurrection.
It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too.
steve

Reflections from Sunday (Easter) Evening

Why live a pedestrian life when you may run a resurrection life? Today we had a great day of worship at church. What a joy!
In thinking of what living the Christian Way is like we talked of the preparation that goes into becoming a follower of Jesus. Preparation comes through the sermons heard, the lessons discussed, the conversations participated in and a host of other experiences that bring us to the place of becoming followers. The life requires that moment of "yes." The resurrection life is then lived in on-going relationship with Christ and leads to joyful celebration.
We likened the Christian life to a race. Runners train and prepare. There comes the moment when the starter gun sounds and the runner starts the race. The race is run with strategy and determination. On a good day the race concludes with joyful celebration.
If you want to see what that looks like google Michael Johnson's world record 400 meter run.
Easter is a great reminder that we are invited - called - to live a resurrection life. Don't settle for a pedestrian life, wandering through your days on your own or just giving lip service to God. Join the resurrection race. Live in relationship with Jesus Christ. Life is amazing when lived in step with the Spirit.
It's been a great day. I hope you've had a good day too.
steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

The question today was "is our mission primarily to those God has already entrusted to our care or to reach a new generation?" (I heard this articulated by Dr. David Kerr in a board of ministry interview.)
The answer is YES. It is a both/and proposition. Unless we factor in the word "primarily." This means we have to give priority to one or the other. So where did we come down on the question?
We certainly have a very significant mission to those God has already entrusted to our care. This means we are meant to be accountable to one another for our growth in love and grace. This means we are meant to do all we can to help people become disciples of Jesus Christ. We develop discipleship for those already entrusted to our care.
Furthermore we are responsible for binding up the broken-hearted; healing the sick; visiting the lonely; feeding the hungry; caring for those in need; encouraging the downcast and an inexhaustable host of other areas of ministry among those already entrusted to our care.
There is so much to consider that many churches gets totally invovled with those already entrusted to our care.
That is a major reason so many churches lose sight of the next part of the question and do not take reaching a new generation seriously enough to devote resources, time and energy to this important outreach.
Is our mission primarily to reach a new generation?
If you were in church today you know that this is where I ask us to put our primary attention. As we read God's story in the Scriptres we find each generation responsibile for reaching the next generation. Ours is no exception.
It is a tremendous call and responsibility entrusted to us. While we provide excellent ministry to those God has already entrusted to our care we are meant to make the reaching of a new generaion our primary mission.
It is a big question. It is a big challenge. I invite you to consider your response and how we will respond to the challenge of making disciples of a new generation.
It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too.
steve
(Oh, and to our devoted basketball fans still filled with anxiety - rock chalk!)

Reflections From Sunday Evening

This weekend I was privileged to participate in the interview process for potential bishops in the South Central Jurisdiction. The delegations from Missouri, Kansas East, Kansas West and Nebraska gathered at Platte Woods UMC to spend time with 10 candidates.
This is the fourth time I have shared in the interview process and I truly believe those who are offering themselves for consideration this year are the strongest group I have met. Each bring strong gifts for leadership at a very important time in the life of the UMC.
That said I want to "brag" on the people of Platte Woods UMC. We were the host site for the interviews. Our people excelled at "radical hospitality." I could not be more proud of our church and especially all those who served.
On another note - Today I issued a "what if..." for our church. What if we were to provide clean water for 1 milliion people in ten years? With a sermon on the
"rivers of living water" in the context of our Lenten Water Project it all seems to fit.
When a church feels a nudge from God and claims a vision that requires more than we have to offer in resources and ability, exciting things are on the verge of taking place. I'm not sure how our congregation will respond to "clean water for 1 million in 10 years" but I have a feeling we are going to hear many ideas and see God send forth His Rivers of Living Water that will flood our lives, our church and our world with forgivness, salvation, hope, faith and life.
It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too.
steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

So we are in the middle of "March Madness." NCAA Basketball tournament is one of the most enjoyable events for sports fans. (yes, even MU fans) This comes in light of Mizzou (number 2 seed) being upset in the first round by Norfolk State (#15 seed.) That was followed by #2 Duke (a true blueblood program) also going out in the first round beaten by Lehigh.
There are more upsets. There are more to come. So what about all this?
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski has been in basketball for 37 years. Sports provide some of the greatest highs (he has won multiple championships) and some of the greatest lows. Absolutely true.
I remember the high of winning a baseball tournament in Little League. I remember losing to our rival, Montrose, in the semi-finals of our regional basketball tournament. We have all had moments of joy and moments of despair.
I remember the Chiefs losing the 1971 Christmas Day playoff game in double overtime.
I remember the Royals losing game 5 of the 1977 playoffs to the Yankees after taking a lead into the night inning.
I remember the Royals winning the 1984 World Series.
I remember the Chiefs winning their only Super Bowl.
I remember my son missing out on qualifying for state in cross country by one spot.
You get the idea. Sports are filled with ups and downs.
Oh yes, I remember the MU Tigers losing in the NCAA Tournament to Rhode Island one year - another lose to Northern Iowa on the last shot of the game - Tyus Edney (MU fans need no other explanation.)
But overall the wins and loses tend to balance out. The joy of competition prevails. Once the games end and the results are in the wins and losses are remembered but the experiences last forever.
So here is the bottom line. It is better to experience the lows of defeat than never participate. Sports carries with it the possibility of great joy but it requires the great risk of the experience of loss.
I hope you can see the implications for life in general - but for the Christian life in particular. There will be moments of joy and moments of despair. There will be times of gain and times of loss.
Always remember the life is worth living. The faith is worth claiming. Remember - Experience - make your moments in the life of grace.
It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too.
steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Lots to talk about this evening - if you want some sports talk. NCAA Basketball Tournament gets under way this week. MU and KU both have number 2 seeds. Two very good teams that have the potential to make noise in the tournament. In addition the conference gets Baylor, K-State, Iowa State and Texas in the dance. Should be fun.
How about some football thoughts? Do the Chiefs have a shot at signing Peyton Manning? My thought - doubtful. One of the things Manning is looking for is a commitment to winning. It is hard to make a case for the Chiefs having shown a strong commitment to winning over the past few years. Hopefully that will change but probably without Peyton Manning leading the way.
Back to basketball. The NAIA tournament (small colleges) tips off with the 75th anniversary event this week. Among the 32 schools earning a place in the national tournamet is Baker University. Baker is the only school in the field that participated in the first tournament. That was probably becaue one of the co-founders of the tournament (along with James Naismith) was Emil Listen, the former coach and athletic director at Baker. They maede a return trip in 1941. Not been back since. I plan to be at Municipal Auditorium and cheer on the alma mater.
It's a good time of year to step back a bit and rest up some. This is a fun time of year for me.
In the meantime I continue reading through the Scriptures along with a large number of our people at church. We continue our series on The Story this coming weekend. Looking forward to seeing you this week.
It's been a good day I hope you've had a good day too.
steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Over 500 copies of The Story are in the hands of the people of PWUMC. Chihldren and Youth versions are being read in addition to the Adult version of The Story. So we have many people engaged in reading the Scriptures during this Lenten season.
The impact of reading the Scriptures is making a difference. One person commented that since beginning to read the faith is in their heart like never before. Very meaningful.
Others have commented about how for the first time they are able to grasp the Story.
This is really encouraging.
We will have a stronger foundation of the Story of the Bible. When we gain a clearer understanding of the foundations in the early part of the Story we may expect to find even more meaning as we read the story of Jesus.
My prayer is that God continue you enrich your reading of the Scriptures through The Story. it's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too.
steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Lately many people have been talking about the difference in a movement and an institution - especialy as it relates to the United Methodist Church.
A movement has a clear identifying, unifying vision, or purpose. For example: the early Methodists were about "spreading scriptural holiness throughout the land and reforming the nation." A clear, unifying vision.
On the other hand an institution focuses on rules, regulations and structures.
The United Methodist Church as a whole is a perfect example of an institution.
In our Book of Discipline (the book of "ruels" for our church) the word "shall" is used 4,683 times. This means the institution seeks to "mandate" practice by demanding that certain things be done.
On the other hand the word "may" is used 1,382 times. This is permissive language. It gives more freedom to act as a "movement."
I think about how this affects our church. Do we specialize in rules, regulations and structure or do we operate from a clear, unifying vision?
Are we an institution or a movement?
In truth we are some of both. We have structure but we seek to have a simple structure that will not choke life out of ministry.
We have a clear vision. "To build an outwardly focused Christian community of full participants in the life of grace."
The more we actually live into this vision the more we resemble a movement.
We could say the church of tomorrow.....but in truth we need to say the church of today... will resemble a movement more and more.
It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too.
Steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

We are preparing to read the scriptures as a congregation. The Story is a compilation of the Bible put together in the form of a "story." This is God's story of redemption. We will be reading, sharing in small groups and preaching The Story during Lent (Ash wednesday is this Wednesday!)
I just read one of those stories we come across in the Bible and really had little or no idea they were in there. In 2 Samuel 6 there is a story about King David leading the procession where Israel brings the Ark of the Covenant back home. During the trip one of the oxen that is drawing the cart carrying the Ark stumbles. The Ark tips. A man named Uzzah reaching out his hand to steady the Ark. This incurs the Lord's anger and Uzzah is struck dead.
We generally have looked at this story and said it is a lesson on total obedience to the Lord. They were not supposed to touch the Ark. But do we have an understanding of God that we beleive the Lord kills when we step out of line or error on a technicality?
In our day we could look at a story like this from a different perspective. Our questions come when something bad happens to someone we consider good.
We get the idea that when someone is injured or even killed while doing the work of the Lord that God "took them."
Perhaps Uzzah was simply the victim of an "accident" that occured during his service to the Lord.
When you read the stories of scripture and come across those that cause you to stop and wonder what in the world this means, stop and reflect on your understanding of the nature and character of God. Our clearest picture is seen in the life of Jesus Christ. Always filter your responses to the story through Christ.
You may not have full or even satisfactory understanding of the stories but God will be in the midst of your discovery of faith and faithful living in Christ.
I encourage you not only to read the Story but also be in church each week to hear the Story proclaimed. Furthermore I encorage you to be in a small group during Lent where you will be able to explore the Story.
See you as you discover your story.
steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Being a pastor these days is a multifaceted job. Things have changed since I began ministry some years ago. The roles seem to increase. For instance --- we are
Pastors - we pray for the people entrusted to our care. We visit, we counsel, we build relationships, we enter into the lives of people at significant points in life - and a host of other things - Pastor
We are Administrators - thankfully we have Mike Cole at PWUMC! He takes the brunt of the administrative task from my desk - but even so there is a constant need to administer the life of the church.
We are Fund Raisers - Nobody told me anything about this in seminary! Thankfully (again) you are a very generous people and we have a host of great people working to ensure we have adequate funds to do the increasing ministry God puts before us.
We also have a role of Priest - That is when you lead certain "rites" in the church. We baptize - officiate at Holy Communion - perform weddings - funerals - confirm people in the faith -- what joy
We are Communicators - Week by week we are entrusted wtih the awesome task of opening the Word of God and teaching people God's way.
We are Justice advocates - We have the privilege of being a voice for the voiceless.
Ministry is a joy - it is diverse - it is something to share with a congregation.
Here is an insight I find valuable. (You really don't want me trying to do all those things and more.)
Less is best.
I have some strengths and there are so many of you who are so gifted that I am able to focus on what I do best. That way I can give you my best and not burden you with inferior efforts in areas I am not particularly gifted in. This works when (and only when) the people of God step into their roles of service and ministry. You are so gifted. Together we make a team.
It is a joy to serve Christ and His Church in these days. You make it so.
It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too.
steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

Something that is relatively new to me is the prompt on my computer that says - "Syncing IPod Do Not Disconnect."
In a way the Christian life is similar to syncing. The Holy Spirit is syncing us with Jesus Christ. We are syncing with the will of God - the plans and purposes of God - a relationship with the Lord.
I am never sure what would happen if I chose to "disconnect" before syncing was complete. I would be likely to lose the material being downloaded. I suppose the computer would not blow up. My IPod would not self destruct. There would be no physical harm to me. But I would lose connection and what I had downloaded up to that point.
See where this is going. God desires to "sync" us with Himself. It would be a good reminder for each of us - Do Not Disconnect -- Sync is in process.
If I choose to disconnect the relationship with Christ that is being synced I lose out. Things do not instantly blow up. Not everything already loaded will disappear. But something is lost - that part of life where the Lord is presently seekig to work redemptively - that progress toward living into the will of God - that steady progress toward perfect love and Christian Perfection.
So I think it best to heed the prompt - Do Not Disconnect - Syncing in Progress.
It's been a good day - I hope you've had a good day too. Now it is on to watch the Super Bowl - but how can that game compare to being synced with Christ?
steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

This afternoon we had a great turnout for our State of the Church/Church Conference. We elected our leadership for the coming year. We recommended a person for ministry. We noted some important reports that reflect work done this past year. Mike Cole shared our finances and other current trends. I took us through the prescriptions from our Healthy Church Initiative. We are certainly making progress! But there is much more to go.

It is hard work to fulfill a mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ. It is actually simpler to "build a church." But we are committed to making disciples.

We will be persistent. We will be dedicated. We will be diligent. We will trust the Lord and continually seek to be faithful in our call to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

We've been at this task all day. And it's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too.

Reflections From Sunday Evening

In high school I remember reading three books about football coaches. John Mc Kay, Bear Bryant, and Joe Paterno. Everyone has become aware of the sexual abuse scandal that has rocked Penn State University. This has sadly marred Coach Paterno's legacy. Today Paterno died after a bout with cancer.
I suppose everyone who follows football wishes things had been done much differently at Penn State.
We wish none of these things affected the Church, in particular the Catholic Church.
Sadly in a fallen world terrible things take place. There is no justification for these things but there is hope.
We trust the Church will come to grips with her struggles and move forward with the redemptive message of the gospel.
Penn State will deal with their failures.
Somehow I believe the legacy of Joe Paterno will also move on. He could have done more - by his own admission. Hind site is always great.
I pray Paterno's experience serve to remind all of us of how fragile our lives are. May God give us strength and grace today and every day.
Steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

It was said of an old time Methodist preacher - Clovis Chappell - that he was a person God could trust with a vital Christian experience.

Today we mentioned that often a person "wins" the lottery only to see their life take a terrible turn and end up losing everything. It is obvious that some people cannot handle great success. On the other hand many others thrive.

The point made was this: If you live beyond your means when you have little you will live further beyond your means should you have much.

It is an issue of character.

Jesus referred to those who were faithful with little receiving much. A matter of character.
Jesus also referred to those who were unfaithful with little - they would forfeit even that. Character.

The good news is that we may develop character - good character - specifically Christian character. In that perhaps we too could be trusted with a vital Christian experience.

On another note - Today we introduced Jessica Duncan as our new Director of Children's Ministry. Jessica comes here from the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, area. Next Sunday we will have a welcome reception for Jessica. Be sure to meet her and make her welcome.

It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too.

Reflections From Sunday Evening

I am in the middle of teaching The Wesleyan Movement to Course of Study students at St. Paul School of Theology. I get to work with a great group of students. I find myself learning more by teaching than if I were in the classroom.

The Wesleyan Movement is fascinating (at least it is to me). John Wesley began to encourage people to "flee from the wrath to come." That was all it took to be welcome in a Methodist society. Soon a movement began. Should they have written a "mission statement" it would have read - "to spread Scriptural Christianity throughout the land and reform the continent." In reality the movement had that effect!

This is our tradition. Over time our "movement" has become an "institution." In an article by Tim Keller the distinctives of a movement and an institution were given. A movement is marked by
1. Sacrificial commitment;
2. Generous flexibility;
3. Innovation; and
4. Spontaneous generativity (energy is generated within).

An institution is marked by rules, regulations and procedures. An institution does not necessarily have a shared vision.

Looking at our movement from a historical perspective the impact has been amazing. We face the challenge in our times of recapturing some movement momentum.

We find tastes of the Wesleyan Movement from time to time and from place to place. Today in worship there was a sense of "movement." When the people of God find themself in the presence of God a movement of God becomes possible.

It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too.

Relfections From New Year's Day - 2012 - Books

Here is what I've been reading this year.
I try to read some "fun" books. This year I read a Tom Clancy novel. (I jsut got a new one so I'll probably enjoy another this year.) I also read a couple of Stephen Lawhead novels (Scence Fiction) - "Skin Map" & "The Bone House."
Some of the business/leadership books this year include:
"Drive" by Daniel Pink; "Switch" by Heath & Heath; and "Managing Transitions" by William Bridges. A recurring theme highlights emerging styles of leadership, ie. lead with encouragement, responsibility and trust rather than "sticks & carrots."
A very enjoyable read was "Golf's Sacred Journey." It also became a movie - Seven Days in Utopia. Inspiring.
Books like "Radical"by David Platt, "Bearing Fruit" by Lovett Weems; "Veneer" by Willard & Lacy; "Weird" by Craig Groeschel provide new insights for ministry and living the faith.
A book by Kenda Creasy Dean, "Almost Christian" is very enlightening. You will hear me talk about faith being much more than 'moral, therapuetic deism.'
"You Lost Me" by Kinnaman gives insight into what young adults who grew up in the faith but have left the church teach us.
I just finished "American Saint" by Wigger. This is the story of Francis Asbury and the rise of American Methodism. I found it to be an amazing story and very inspiring.
There were others but these stand out.
I've learned a lot this year and look forward to new discoveries in 2012.
The new year is off to a good start. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too.
steve