Eclectic Echoes -- May 31st

Sorry for the late post, but it has been a crazy busy week! Not to mention there has been a lot of news.

An appropriate model for making a disciple

Facebook Survival Guide for Awkward Adults
Why I took a Facebook Break

Last Survivor of the Titanic Dies

First Person Writing

Barna on Casual Christians and the Future of America I agree that casual Christianity is a concern, but I disagree with his defintion of "casual" which assumes committed Christians share his particular theology.

Labrynth Musings

Getting your current members to invite

Evangelisn't and Evangelisn't Part II

Throwing the "b" card (I've done and will do it again!)
Christmas,Easter and Pentecost Christians

The Paradoxes of Poverty

In UM News:
Did We Get a Quantity Discount on Constitutional Amendments
Don't forget the 40 days of prayer from the young clergy!
What's Your Spirit
Lynn's new blog--Musings by One of God's Scardy Cats
Rock Solid
Keeping it all in the family

The Designing Women Game. Here is my Julia Rant:

I would rather spend two hours sharing fried mushrooms with Bonnie Barros than watch a woman who apparently purchased her intellect at Target for quarter chase twenty-five men with biceps made of tin and heads packed with Raisin Bran.
Because when future generations look upon what we have left for them, which may by then be little more than global warming and millions of non-biodegradable iPods, I fear they will conclude that they would have welcomed bread and circuses if only they had realized the alternative was potato chips and Survivor.
[sits down and crosses arms, but then immediately stands back up]
And let me tell you a little something about romance: Handing out roses like you are a mascot throwing Hot Tamales to the assembled hooligans at an Auburn football game is not my idea of romance. Romance is a man who knows the difference between John Wesley and John Wayne and who is capable of putting on a dress without scratching his head as if he is connecting a speaker without the instruction manual.
So do not ask yourself why I do not particularly enjoy a television show where the assembled male candidates represent romantic prospects inferior to the workers on the night shift at the TGI Fridays in Huntsville. Ask yourself whether, after a lifetime playing with a cultural slinky and dancing on the grave of Scarlet O’Hara you will ever...recover...your dignity.

Congregational Subtext

In family news, here are two articles about my brother's vow renewal service
Dream Wedding
Wedding Celebrates Ancestral Roots

Not so much a laugh as a smile for the week:

Still More on the Constitutional Amendments

Why the UMC should not create regional conferences

Andrew Thompson speaks out on Amendment 1 without the baggage(this is rather long but worth the read)

For my other posts on the amendments:

UM Constitutional Amendments
UM Constitutional Amendments Part II
More On the Amendments
Constitutional Amendments #4
Another View on the Constitutional Amendments

Eclectic Echoes--May 22nd

Abortion Statistics are Changing Should the church's rhetoric?

The Wisdom of the Crowd

Facebook and the Congregation

The Wesley Study Bible and the Local Church

Thin Places and Jesus

I don't want a life that requires much faith

Will anyone be tweeting at the North Alabama Conference?

Advice for New Pastor's from Bishop Willimon, Part III

Things that make you go hmmm . . . The Right Sized Staff

Obama on Faith and Doubt

On the "death" of the New UM Hymnal:
Steve West on a "bridge" hymnal
How to Make a New UM Hymnal Work
ReBe Hymnal

If you haven't yet, please subscribe to the Young UM Clergy 40 Days of Prayer.

Take action on behalf of Burmese peace and justice activist--Walk On

Earl moves from Resistance to Persistence

Prayer Often Is the First Thing to Go -- A Pastor's Confession to which I can relate!

On Taking the College Years Off from church. Many of us (including me) did it, but we don't recommend it!

Messin' with the (UM) System

Does blogging allow for deep thoughts or is it a shallow medium?

Five things the new American Idol did right. I confess I saw the announcement of the winner--however, I also must confess it was the very first time I had ever seen the show!

Now for this week's laugh of the week:

The Puzzle of Ministry

When the kids were younger, I used to keep a jigsaw puzzle out on the dining room table. Whenever one of us had time, someone would sit down and put a few pieces in place. It took time, but eventually we would have a fully complete puzzle with some beautiful or funny picture to admire. Jigsaw puzzles are hard work and time consuming. However, each piece has its own unique and correct place and once all are in place you have such a wonderful feeling of accomplishment! That’s why I love jigsaw, crossword, and Sudoku puzzles! I love the feeling of accomplishment and closure. I love that moment of thinking, “Wow, I’ve (or we’ve) done it!”

Yesterday, I was talking to a pastor of a new church start and he shared about the importance of getting the right people in the right spots so the new church could take off. At 19, New Life is still listed as a new church start, but it is fast approaching adulthood. However, I am still struggling with getting the right people in the right spots. We are currently in our first year of Natural Church Development (NCD) and the congregation indicated that our minimum factor was gift-based ministry—in other words we’ve done a poor job of getting the right people in the right spots. After much input from the congregation thought and prayer by our health team and guidance from our NCD coach, we decided that we needed to help our congregation identify their spiritual gifts. We plan to do this a number of ways. One way is using the Serving from the Heart curriculum from Church of the Resurrection. We have already had about 20 adults take the course as well as an equal number of youth, so we are on our way. They also suggested I preach a series of sermons on Spiritual gifts, which I began earlier this month and will conclude this Sunday.

The results of this effort were not exactly what I expected!!! Our worship leader discerned a call to work with our youth—which is great—but that means she has to give up working with the praise band—leaving an empty spot to fill. Our children’s director informed me she intended to resign at the end of July. I hate to lose her in that position and wanted to try and talk her out of it then she said something to the effect, “I’d been thinking about this a long time . . . and then your sermons on calling and spiritual gifts confirmed this for me.” I wanted to cry!!! I had hoped for more right pieces to fall into place—not more gaps!

Then I realized something very important, ministry is much more like one of those sliding tile puzzles than a jigsaw puzzle. Remember sliding tile puzzles? I used to have one of the Alamo, purchased on San Jacinto day at the dime store across the street from the Alamo. I HATE sliding tile puzzles! First, even when they are complete, they have are missing a tile! Second, in order to complete the puzzle, you have to mess it up entirely. The entire process involves moving tiles from one place to the next. And while the moves must be logical, you have a complete mess for most of the process. The tiles are constantly moving toward the end result and you don’t ever get that feeling of “aha! That’s it.” In fact, when you get that feeling it usually means you have completed one part in such a way that you can’t fix the others! And this reflects my experience of ministry! You no longer get one thing fixed and working then something else falls apart. You no sooner get one person in the right place then someone else moves or God calls them to a new ministry or their family situation demands they step back and you have to start the process all.

It is enough to make you want to tear your hair out!

Nonetheless (and I HATE to say this), this metaphor makes perfect sense. Ministry, unlike a jigsaw puzzle, is fluid—it’s organic. Our ministries should always be changing and growing and that means change. Sometimes we are called to change what we are doing. Sometimes we are called to change the skill and gift sets of the person doing the job. In addition, Christians are called to grow. God called Abram to leave his home and go to the promised Land, but he called him to move by stages. So too, God often calls us to particular jobs for a season to prepare us for what is to come. The tiles of our lives and ministry slide from place to place and sometimes it appears random and confused, but, if we are following God’s will as best we know, the tiles are being moved toward the goal God has in mind—God’s teleos.

As for that pesky empty hole in the puzzle, I think it remains there to remind us that the puzzle will never be completed by our efforts. No one pastor or church leader can ever complete the puzzle of ministry. There is always room for more! Most importantly, the only piece that will ever complete the puzzle is God.

So back—with God’s help and guidance—to sliding the tiles . . .

Another view on the UM Constitutional Amendments

For my other posts on the amendments:

UM Constitutional Amendments
UM Constitutional Amendments Part II
More On the Amendments
Constitutional Amendments #4

Doing it all wrong?

Christian musician, Shaun Groves, posed a question on his blog: "Our Witness?" which begins with a picture of a third world pastor with the caption "This guy is doing it all wrong" and then continues with picture after picture of the work begin done in third world churches and contrasts it with our model of a successful church.

And Dan Dick wonders if the church (specifically the UM Church) is suffering from theological root rot with our practical theology (such as that pictured so well at work in third world countries in Shaun Groves blog) disconnected from our philosophical and historical theology.

Yesterday, I had lunch with a friend who is at work in the trenches of the projects of Nashville and we were talking about the command that we make disciples and how so much of what we do is TALK about our faith rather than living it.

Shaun Groves challenging blog reminds us of the need to DO what we say we believe, but Dan Dick's reminds us of the importance of thinking about WHY we do it.

For those in the local church, how do we balance both--especially when the majority of our congregants are not especially committed to thinking about why we do what we do or doing anything other than show up on Sunday morning from time to time? (Let me just add how thankful I am for the faithful for whom that statement does not fit at all!!!)

Eclectic Echoes May 15th

It's a rather scary experience, but anyone who blogs knows this feeling:My DS reads my blog along with other People I actually know

Reflections on the recent poll indicating a majority of Christians support torture
life and grace, abortion and torture
How We Think About Abortion

UM Reflections
Bishops Roll Back Wages
An Attack on the Episcopacy
Are UM Bishops Overpaid
How Do You Know If It Worked
Bishop Willimon gives advice to new pastors--part 1 and part 2
Great (and not so great) Expectations in Worship

As usual, some really good stuff at Stuff Christians Like. My favorites this week:
Doubting Doubt
Saving Seats at Church
Getting Tricked into Volunteering at VBS
Making an Idol out of Sports (I confess I have always envisioned Satan in crimson red!--seems appropriate doesn't it?)

Could Green Day Be the Next U2?

Cartoons:
Morning Devotions OUCH! This one hurts!
Quitting Time This one hurts too!

Best Stimulus Package Ever

Dear Christians, This is a Bad Idea

Dr. Awesome gives advice on how to ask out a girl

If Mystery Science Theater did movies from the 80s

And now for the laugh for the week

Preparing for Sunday, May 17th

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. 3For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, 5so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. 6We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; 7ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; 8the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness. Romans 12:1-8

Paul calls on Christians to present their bodies as a living sacrifice. What does it mean to be a living sacrifice to God?

Paul says that this willingness to sacrifice is “spiritual worship.” How often do you fail to experience true spiritual worship because you are merely present for worship? What would you need to do differently to worship in this manner?

Can you name the spiritual gift(s) that God has granted you? How are you using those gifts? What do you need to learn or discern in order to use your gifts fully?

If you were not a part of the body of Christ, what would your congregation be missing?

Do you have a number 2 pencil?

For everyone taking finals or who have ever taken finals! (Please excuse the mild language but it was too good to not post!)

Constitutional Amendments #4

On Amendment 1: UMC Amendments or Brokenness

On Amendment 19 which grants the right to vote to some local pastors, associate members and provisional elders and deacons: Thinking Constitutionally

For my other posts on the amendments:

UM Constitutional Amendments
UM Constitutional Amendments Part II
More On the Amendments

Ecletic Echoes -- May 8th

Sitting at the feet of Rabbi Jesus

Cartoon: Fireproof

Jesus, Swine, and the Lord's Supper

Andrew reflects on how practice makes perfect or how genius is made not born.

Religion of Hatred

Real Live Preacher on Quakers

A Christian's Lament over the Pew Torture Poll

Mainliners don't torture but they don't pray either!
On praying at civic events

Life, Grace, Abortion and Torture

Death by Deism

Leading In a Culture of Change

Internet Monk on the Sin We Love to Hate

10 Stats More Disturbing than Swine Flu

Tony asks Mentoring or Teaching?

The appeal of origin stories: Kirk, Locke, and Wolverine

10 reasons why real Moms are much better than TV Moms.

Dr. Awesome helps Michelle find her Mr. Awesome

Reflections on the UMC:
40 Days of Prayer for the UMC
Are We Bold Enough to Be Fools?
Living the Questions
Faith in Flux
Women Still Pioneers as Senior Pastors
Women Mentoring Women (a wonderful video featuring Marlu Scott--one of my Vandy buddies)

Finally, In memory of Dom DeLuise
And in his memory, our laugh for the week


Image: After A May Rain by Frances Tucker at University of the Arts

Preparing for Sunday, May 10th

This week we continue to explore our calling and our spiritual gifts. Our Scripture this week is the beginning of three chapters dealing with Spiritual Gifts.

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. 3Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says "Let Jesus be cursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit. 4Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 7To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. 1Cor 12:1-11

• Why do you think Paul is telling Christians that no one speaking by the Spirit of God would ever say, "Let Jesus be cursed"?
• While Paul did not know anything about our current doctrine of the Trinity, notice that he seas of varieties of gift-same Spirit, varieties of services-same Lord, and varieties of activities-same God. Why do you think he is emphasizing these varieties and their connection to God?
• What is the connection between spiritual gifts and God's grace?
• What are the purpose of the spiritual gifts?
• Notice the order of the gifts mentioned by Paul. This list is not exhaustive by any means, Paul will list other gifts in other letters. What do you think he may have been trying to say with this particular list and with this particular order?
• Chapter 13, the "love" chapter often used at weddings, is actually the second of the three chapters dealing with spiritual gifts. What does love have to do with it?

More On The Amendments

Richard Heyduck supports Amendment 1 for a different reason

John Wesley Slider opposes the amendment because "membership "lite" results in membership decline."

David Livingston on the Worldwide Nature of the Church Amendments

For more on the amendments, see my other posts:
UM Constitutional Amendments
UM Constitutional Amendments Part II

March of the Unqualified

This week, we began our sermon series on vocation and spiritual gifts: March of the Unqualified

Eclectic Echoes--May Day Edition

For all the band geeks out there: Don't mess with the Marching Band Girls! You can do serious damage with a clarinet!

Church Lessons from HGTV (see even men can learn something from this wonderful station!)

Internet monk reflects on his latest attempt to become a complimentarian.

Lovett Weems on Congregational Integrity

The British Methodist Church seeks to connect faith with daily work

This I truly don't understand! A Pew Study which reveals that white evangelicals approve of torture

Jon at Stuff Christians Like reflects on the problem with equating bad times with bad people.

Bishop Woodie White reflects on suicide.

United Methodist Women seek change in denominational relationships

The UM Judicial Council affirms that UM clergy cannot perform same sex unions.
Jack reflects on that ruling.

Know of any women church planters? We have one in our district, but are there any others?

The Naked Pastor reflects on how visiting churches is like dating.

Read this testimony of how a Kaiaite Jew came to be baptized.

The Story of Ehud for Kids

The Trouble with "Christian America"

Get Thee To a Nunnery: The Shakespeare Insult Generator

Laugh of the week:

Swine Flu and Us

Well, Phillip and Laura experienced what is now being referred to as "the Most Expensive Bus Ride Ever"! Since Fall, the band students at Buckhorn have been working toward a trip to Orlando at a cost of approximately $500 for each student. On Wednesday, they loaded up the bus and drove to Paint Rock (say 10 miles) before receiving a call to return home because two six years old in Madison may have swine flu which is probably only as serious as normal flu.

I am baffled that they would force them to abandon their trip resulting in disappointed kids who had worked hard for this trip and the waste of a large amount of money (assuming 80 kids and chaperones, we are talking $40,000 just for Buckhorn. Two other schools also had to return.) However, malls and restaurants and professional sports still goes on!

Needless to say, many of us are a bit aggravated. Here is a 31 News story featuring Phillip's girlfriend, Christina, and her mom.

Image: Swine Flu by Bruce Eagle at Northern Star Art