Swimming Upstream

I love to watch Bullock Creek this time of year.  Earlier this week, we had a brief thaw; a good deal of our snow melted away, and we even had a decent rainfall at the same time.  When those weather patterns combine, that means one thing for sure:  Bullock Creek will be very high and will run very quickly.  At this time of year, I get to watch the creek from my office window, since the church property sits right on its edge.

photo by Etrusia UK
photo by Etrusia UK

While I was working on this week’s sermon, I gazed out at the water.  To my surprise I saw two ducks, a male and a female, swimming upstream in search of food.  Near the bank, the female was rustling through the brush.  Just a couple of feet away, the male was holding his position in the water; apparently, he was watching for predators or other threats.  As the female worked her way up the edge of the river, the male kept pace with her, always staying even with her as she progressed upstream.

Then I realized: this was no easy task for these two ducks.  The high water of Bullock Creek was moving very quickly – from my human perspective, let alone from a duck’s perspective!  All the melted snow and collected rainfall was rushing downstream, past a few large chunks of ice that had not yet melted away, and toward the creek’s passage under Homer Road.  To hold their position in such a cold, fast-moving stream must have required a great deal of effort.  Even though his upper body showed no stress, I was sure that the mallard was kicking hard with his legs to keep up with his mate.

One of the passages of scripture that we will read in church this coming Sunday is Philippians 3:4b-14.  This is one of this week’s lectionary readings, meaning many Christians around the world are scheduled to read it this week.  And this passage happens to be one of my favorite texts; it has meant a great deal to me for many years.  The final verse of this passage reads, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (NIV).

Often, people argue that the Christian faith is just spiritual self-help without much influence on everyday life.  But just like our neighborhood ducks had to work hard to overcome the power of the creek’s current, so we must press on in our walks with Christ to overcome the current of sin, which so easily entangles us (Hebrews 12:1-3).  We may wish that our lives were as calm and serene as the mallard’s upper body, but in truth the walk of faith requires what the mallard was doing underwater:  action, motion, movement, energy, work, and even missteps.  (He did stumble once or twice – on occasion he’d ruffle a wing to keep his balance.)

Friends, let us press on to become more like Jesus Christ.  Curious about what that means? Let’s talk.

–Pastor David

State of the Church

Every year, the President of the United States gives a “State of the Union” address.  This speech is usually designed to look back on the past year and to look ahead toward the opportunities in the future.  Today, I’d like for us to think about the “State of the Church” – specifically, the state of Mt. Haley Church of God.

photo by Brian Hathcock
photo by Brian Hathcock

Looking back on the past year in the life of this church, I see many high points.  We celebrated six baptisms on Easter Sunday.  We remodeled our youth room and have seen it begin to fill up on Sunday evenings with teenagers searching for God.  We have branched out with a weekly meeting for our sixth-grade youth, which has been very profitable and consistent.  We saw two adult discipleship groups spring up, a men’s and a women’s group, which met specific spiritual and relational needs for their members.  We worked with several local ministry organizations, such as the Mid-Michigan Teen Challenge and the Pregnancy Resource Center.  We held monthly men’s breakfasts for consistently strong groups of men from our community.  We learned about our spiritual giftedness and began thinking about how to put those gifts to use in creative ways.

Early in 2012, we asked the Lord for a reprieve from a series of deaths among our elderly members, and he saw fit to give us emotional rest for most of the year.  We channeled our energy toward positive improvements and ministry activities including our sound system upgrade, our upcoming Guatemala mission trip, and our sponsorship of a delegate to attend this June’s Global Gathering in Anderson.

We engaged in a fourteen-week study of the Book of Revelation on Sunday evenings.  A strong, consistent group of disciples came week after week to learn about this most confusing and challenging book of the Bible and about how the Church of God has interpreted it in the past century.  We were unafraid to ask difficult questions about scripture and our identity as people of God.  We found encouragement and challenge as we studied this book together.

All these and more are blessings from the Lord, reasons for us to celebrate his grace and give thanks for his guidance.  What, then, are the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead?  (These, by the way, can serve as areas of prayer for the coming year.)

We have seen new faces in our Sunday morning worship services, and for this we give thanks to God.  Yet our average attendance in 2012 was exactly the same as in 2011.  Real growth (numeric and spiritual) and consistent corporate worship are growing edges for us.

Our church council is in a prolonged state of transition.  Presently, we are searching for leaders to fill two specific leadership roles in the church.  This is an ongoing need for us, because the leadership of the congregation helps to set the tone for the congregation as a whole.

Our children’s ministry has relaxed in the past several months for many good reasons.  As we move ahead, this is one area that will need our collective attention:  how shall we minister to children?  (Hint: an effective way to attract adults to the church is to provide excellent ministries for their children.)

Our community and global outreach is continuing to shift and grow.  How can we become more aware of our neighbors and their needs?  How best can we meet the needs of people in our neighborhood so that the love of Christ shines through in all we do?  How can we make an impact for the kingdom of God in the world at large?

Our personal and corporate walks with the Lord must continue to move ahead.  We are called to grow in Christlikeness so that worship of God becomes something automatic for us:  not just Sunday morning attendance but an everyday kind of Christian faith.

My vision for Mt. Haley in 2013 is that we would become a people actively committed to our twofold mission, which is to grow in discipleship and to reach out to our world in the love of Christ.  Programs and people may come and go, but the goal remains the same:  to glorify God through our partnership together.  May God be blessed by our efforts in this new year!

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  (Matthew 22:36-40 NIV)

–Pastor David

A Chapter of Ascents
photo by henrikj

In the past few weeks, our sermons have been studying John 6, particularly the passages where Jesus refers to himself as the “bread of life.”  Take a few moments to read that chapter straight through.  And now allow me to map out the chapter for you, so we can see how the whole chapter fits together:

  • Jesus feeds the 5000 (verses 1-15):  Jesus has high popularity; he performs a miraculous sign; people suggest he might be “the Prophet”; they try to force him to become king; Jesus retreats to a mountain by himself.
  • Jesus walks on the water (verses 16-24):  the disciples are in mortal danger; Jesus performs a miraculous sign; the crowd searches for Jesus.
  • Jesus as the bread of life (verses 25-59):  the crowd finds Jesus and looks for another miraculous sign; Jesus claims to be from heaven, to have seen God the Father, and to give true food and drink through his flesh and blood.
  • Jesus loses the crowd (verses 60-71):  the crowd/disciples turn away; Jesus has low popularity; Jesus promises to ascend to heaven (after his death and resurrection); Peter suggests he is “the Holy One of God”; Jesus is left alone with his Twelve disciples, one of whom will become a traitor.

In the span of one chapter, Jesus moves from high popularity to low popularity, which is a descent of sorts.  But he constantly ascends:  he goes to a mountain to be alone; he explains how he came from heaven and is going to heaven; he is lifted up and praised by Peter’s declaration of faith.  The crowd wants to accelerate Jesus’s ascent to political power by making him king; instead, Jesus shows that his ascending path (as the King of kings) involves his abandonment and death.  And Jesus’s ascent is not done alone:  the disciples do not recognize him when he comes walking on the water, but by the end of the chapter they have come to know his true identity and remain faithful to him (for now) while everyone else has left him.

Of course, the story of the Bible includes the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, so now we know that he remains in heaven, sitting at the right hand of God the Father (1 Peter 3:21-22).  The story of Jesus’s ascent is complete – except for his ascent into first place in the lives of those who believe in him.

Has Jesus moved into the highest point of your life?  Is your relationship with him of primary importance to you?  Are your actions, decisions, and thoughts guided by the King of kings and Lord of lords?  What needs to happen to move Jesus just a little higher in your life?  How can we as the church help with that growth in discipleship?  Let’s talk.

–Pastor David

The Olympics and Spiritual Life

By now, our fast-paced culture has moved on from the London Olympics and is gearing up for a presidential election that will take months to resolve.  But today I encourage you to think back on the Olympics for a moment.  Did you watch any of the events?  Did you take note of how various athletes responded to winning, losing, succeeding, or failing?

When we put athletes on display at the Olympics, we give ourselves an opportunity to see the most raw of human emotions in these categories.  For some athletes, the sheer joy of winning a gold medal – especially when such a victory was a surprise – brought smiles to our faces.  For many, simply competing in a certain event was enough of an honor to provide us with a positive experience as observers.  And for a few, the cold reality of not qualifying, not finishing, or not placing high enough evoked feelings of frustration and disappointment – at least in the athletes, if not in us.

I was impressed by how many athletes, in their post-competition interviews, gave thanks and praise to God for helping them to compete.  Usually, this acknowledgement of God’s help came in good times (such as medal-winning performances) or at least respectable times (such as simply finishing an event).  However, I rarely saw an athlete mention his or her faith in God when a frustrating or disappointing result came about.

This speaks to something in our human condition:  it’s easy to be faith-filled and thankful to God when the sky is blue and things are going our way.  It’s harder to remember our faith when things are not so good.

Why, then, do we spend most of our prayer time in supplication, asking God to bring about something good (such as healing, restoration, a job, etc.) in someone’s life?  Why do we spend so little time, in our personal devotional lives and in our collective church life, giving God thanks and praise for who he is and what he has done?

I believe that’s because people generally rely on their emotions to gauge their spiritual lives.  When you’ve won a gold medal (in the Olympics or, figuratively speaking, in real life), your emotions point you toward thankfulness.  When a tragic or disappointing result happens in the race, your emotions direct you to ask God for healing or a second chance.

What if our spiritual lives were to be God-centered rather than emotion-centered?  What if our relationship with Christ were so central to our daily lives that the events of each day could be understood in light of that relationship?  The gold medal would still be worth celebrating, and the tragedy or disappointment would still be worth uplifting in prayer.

But the constancy of our relationship with Christ would remind us that the most important thing in our lives is that relationship.  Win or lose, success or failure – the real race still lies ahead of us.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  (Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV)

–Pastor David

Who Determines What’s Right?
photo by Marco Bellucci

Two recent stories have my attention today, and I’d like to share my reflections with you.  First, though, please know that my primary concern with these stories is discipleship and serving Christ, not politics or even ethics.

Yesterday on the radio I heard an interview of a woman named Sarah Tuttle-Singer.  She had an abortion at age 19, has become the mother of two children since then, and recently wrote an essay about her experience with abortion as a college student.  She stands by her decision to have an abortion, even though she acknowledges that it was a “very challenging, very painful process” – especially when she later became pregnant again. At the end of the interview, she commented that when a woman is considering terminating an unwanted pregnancy, “the choice that’s made has to be in her best interest and has to come from what that voice inside of her says is the right choice to make.”

This goes against a biblical understanding of how we should make our choices.

Today, I saw online a “mashup” video – a video that combines two different things or ideas.  With soft jazz music playing in the background, the video alternates between (a) biblical phrases taken from the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12), part of Jesus’s “Sermon on the Mount,” and (b) video clips of Christian pastors condemning homosexual behavior and the people who practice such behavior.  (If you are reading this online, please take a couple of minutes to watch the video.)  To be fair, many Christian pastors have gone too far in condemning individuals for specific sins, specifically those in the realm of homosexuality; it is God’s place to judge, not ours.  I don’t believe people are easily attracted to Christ while being mercilessly criticized by Christians.  What disturbed me, though, about this video was its conclusion:  after showing so many pastors (and children!) preaching that terrible things should be done to gays and lesbians, the video concluded with these words:

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:10 NRSV)

My interpretation was that the video was giving gays and lesbians the designation of “those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.”

This also goes against a biblical understanding of how we should make our choices.

Please remember that I am thinking about discipleship and serving Christ, not about politics or ethics.  I am not advocating for abortion rights or gay rights; however, those issues aren’t my main concern.  My main concern is how we view scripture, ourselves, God, and the nature of righteousness.

God has given us the immense responsibility of free choice, so that we can freely know and choose to follow him.  Yet that responsibility does not translate into a self-determined righteousness that says, “I believe this choice is good; therefore it is good.”  God has also given us the immense challenge to follow and to serve Jesus Christ with our lives, facing persecution if necessary from those who do not believe in the gospel message.  Yet that call to suffer for Christ does not translate into a self-validation that says, “I choose to live my life how I please, and look how persecuted I am by people who disagree with me.”

These present-day stories about abortion and homosexuality are warnings to us who claim Christ as Lord:  Our ethical choices about life and sexuality do matter to God.  Beyond that, though, our understanding of right and wrong cannot begin and end with our own preferences.  We must strive to become more Christlike, even when that goes against what we think or feel is right for ourselves.

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. (Matthew 6:33 NLT)

–Pastor David

What are you reading?
photo by Alexandre Dulaunoy

I have a stack of books in my office that I want to read.  These are great books that have been recommended to me by various people.  For my own personal growth and for my continuing education as pastor of this church, I really do want to read through these books.  The only problem is this:

My stack of books to read grows over time – it doesn’t get smaller!

You might think that I would actually make progress in my reading list, but unfortunately there are more books out there than anyone could ever read.  By the time I finish reading one book, three or four more have been recommended to me.  So many good Christian authors, especially in recent years, have written about the life of discipleship, obedience to Christ, faithfulness to God, church-related topics, and so forth.  What are we supposed to do?

It’s at times like these that I remember one particular Bible verse:

Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.  (Ecclesiastes 12:12b NIV)

This was a favorite verse for me in seminary, because it seemed like all I did was read books in school.  But my seminary friends and I always quoted this verse to each other tongue-in-cheek.  It really is a blessing to have access to so many different perspectives, authors, and ways of thinking about following Jesus Christ.

On my reading list right now are several books.  “You Lost Me” by David Kinnaman explores why young people who have been raised in the church are leaving it now that they are adults.  “Forgotten God” by Francis Chan is a book about our lack of emphasis on the Holy Spirit in our churches and our lives.  “10 People Every Christian Should Know” by Warren Wiersbe summarizes the lives and teachings of ten important Christian leaders from the past three centuries.  And that’s just scratching the surface.

What’s on your reading list?  Do you have a book or two handy (in addition to the Bible) that you are reading to help you along in your walk of discipleship?  Are you sharing your books with your friends and family?

If you don’t have anything to read that will help you grow in your faith, come talk with me!  I would be happy to share my books or the church’s books with you.  We have more than enough for everyone to use and to learn from!

–Pastor David

Discipleship Goals
photo by Brian Hathcock

Recently, I spoke briefly about five criteria for church leadership that Pastor Dave Perry (from Edgewood Church of God in Ithaca) shared with several area pastors at our last monthly meeting.  I would like to summarize and explain those points here in writing for you to consider.  Remember that these are not rules that must be followed dogmatically, nor do they form a perfect and complete list of expectations.  But I agree with the other Pastor David that these form a good basis for how Christian church leaders should orient their spiritual lives.

These ideas are, I believe, also applicable to anyone who would choose to follow Jesus, to anyone who calls himself or herself a Christian.  No one is expected to be perfect in the church, but all of us should be expected to grow and mature into full disciples of Christ.

So consider these five criteria as goals for our spiritual lives.  Take a few minutes to do a self-examination:  where do you stand on these five goals?  How can you improve?  What is God asking to change in your life?

  1. A personal testimony:  Having a story of how Christ has transformed your life is crucial.  This has to do with being connected to Christ and, therefore, to other Christians.  First Peter 3:15-16 encourages us to be ready to explain what we believe at all times.  Are you able to tell (or share in any other form) your testimony of how you became a Christian?
  2. A regular worshiper:  Setting Christ first in your life includes making regular worship a top priority.  Hebrews 10:24-25 speaks about our need to meet regularly, and John 15 uses the imagery of a vine (Jesus) and its branches (believers) to illustrate our need to remain connected.  Is regularly attending Sunday morning worship a priority for you?
  3. A positive supporter:  As taught in Philippians 2:1-4, the unity and progress of the church are more important than personal control or personal preferences.  You are not asked to say “yes” to everything that the pastor or other church leaders propose.  However, once a decision is made that is the opposite of what you prefer, are you first in line to support and help in that direction?
  4. A person of growing character:  Desiring to be Christ-like and being willing to grow are incredibly important characteristics.  Colossians 2:6-7 implores us to continue always in our pursuit of growth in Christ.  Are you an example to others of a believer who has not yet arrived but is pressing on toward the goal?
  5. A tither:  Giving to God ten percent of all we earn helps us remember that everything we have belongs to the Lord.  This spiritual discipline helps us keep our material lives in perspective and helps orient our spiritual lives correctly.  Malachi 3:10 challenges us to bring the full tithe into God’s house.  Are you trusting God to provide for all of your physical and spiritual needs?

Let’s all continue to grow on the path of discipleship together!

–Pastor David

Does Job Fear God for Nothing?

“Then Satan answered the Lord, ‘Does Job fear God for nothing?’” (Job 1:9)

photo by Buck Lewis

A few years ago, I was on an errand of some sort, and I found myself driving through the snowy side streets of inner-city Indianapolis.  In places, the snow was four or five inches deep, and for my light-weight, low-riding Honda, it proved to be impassable:   soon I was stuck in the middle of the road with tires spinning hopelessly.  As I began to rock the car back and forth (which is rather challenging with a manual transmission), I saw a stranger walking by.  A young man in his late teens or early twenties walked just behind my car.  I opened my door and asked him if he could give me a push, and I’ll never forget his response:

“I’ll push you for five bucks.”

I turned down the young man’s offer and finally got myself moving again without his help.  But the deal he proposed stuck with me:  I asked for a small, harmless favor, but he saw an opportunity to get something for himself.

“What’s in it for me?”  This is a natural (if selfish) question that nearly everyone asks sometime or other.  The most dangerous place for this question to appear is in our relationship with God.  And yet, if we’re not careful, the way we relate to God can be as selfish as the motives of the young man I met on that snowy street.

Are we in relationship with God for selfish reasons?  Do we serve God because of what we receive from him?  Think about how you pray:  what kinds of things do you pray for?  How often do you pray simply by giving thanks to God for who he is?  How often do you pray simply by confessing your sins to him?  I believe that many Christians pray mostly about their own needs and desires.  We tend to think of God as a divine vending machine that will dispense grace if we ask for it correctly.

This tendency extends beyond our prayer life, as well.  What motivates us to gather for worship?  Why do we give our tithes and offerings to God?  Why do we study the Bible and apply it to our daily lives?  If we do these things so that God will bless us in return, then we are in danger of being accused just like Job was.

In the first two chapters of the book bearing his name, Job is accused by Satan (whose name means “the Accuser”) of serving God with less than pure motives.  Job is incredibly wealthy and successful, and he has lived a blameless life.  But the Accuser challenges God to take away Job’s material blessings – his oxen, donkeys, sheep, camels, servants, and even his children – to see if Job will still serve God.

Would we worship and revere God for nothing?  Would we serve him if there were nothing in it for us?  Can we agree with the suffering Job, who remained true to God despite unspeakable losses?

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there;
the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;
blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Another Year Older
photo by Aih

We celebrated Christmas Day in style this past Sunday with one of our largest-attended worship services of the year.  What a joy it was to be in the Lord’s house on Christmas Sunday!  In a sense, it’s a shame that this particular holiday (or “holy day”) falls on Sunday only once every several years.

I hope you had a positive experience during this season!  Tara and I had a very good Christmas week.  We shared Christmas meals with both sides of our family on consecutive days.  We gave gifts, sang songs, and consumed cookies – all the components that add up to make a pleasant Christmas experience.

On our way home the other day, though, I found myself wondering something.  We have just celebrated Jesus’s birthday once again (although, to be fair, we don’t know exactly which day of the year was his actual birthday).  Jesus is, in a sense, a year older.  (Although, to be fair again, Jesus is eternal; he has always existed as the second person of the Trinity, in fellowship with God the Father and God the Spirit since before the creation of the universe.)  If Jesus is now a year older, so to speak, then what might he be thinking and feeling?

Birthdays often produce introspective, reflective, and pensive feelings in us.  We marvel at how quickly time passes and, perhaps, evaluate whether or not the past year was “good.”  We might even look toward the upcoming year and the opportunities it might present.  Even if we celebrate our birthdays with family and friends, there comes a moment when each of us realizes, “I’m another year older.”

So Jesus is another year older.  We celebrated his birthday with a beautiful worship service.  After the celebration, though, we should pause to reflect:  our Lord is another year older.  How was this past year for him?  How have we, his disciples, grown in relationship with him and with each other?  How have we, his ambassadors to the world, worked to spread the good news of the kingdom of God to our neighbors?  How have we, his hands and feet, shown mercy, love, compassion, and kindness to those in need?  How has Jesus extended forgiveness, grace, mercy, and peace to us and those whom we know?

And then, the follow-up question:  in each of these areas, what opportunities lie ahead for the year to come?

–Pastor David

The Need for Discipline

When I was a teenager, I spent a good deal of time and energy playing chess.  I developed a love for the game in childhood, but I never played “competitively” until middle school.  I remember that my first experience with a chess tournament resulted in a record of one win and four losses – not the most auspicious of beginnings to a chess career.

For some reason, I chose to devote myself to this game rather than to band, choir, 4-H, or other activities like those chosen by most of my friends at school.  Through a process of weekly practice sessions, tournaments through the school year, and individual study on my own, I developed into a pretty decent chess player.  I never won 1st place in an official tournament as an individual, but I often placed in the top ten and helped our team to do well from time to time.  The “crowning achievement” of my chess career was helping my school win the Indiana state team chess championship in my junior year of high school – a story so full of drama and tension that it would make for a good movie.  (At least, I would watch it!)

The need for discipline is a fact of life.  Discipline is required for any task at which we want to excel, whether it be a game like chess, a career or trade, a relationship with a spouse, or even a relationship with Christ.  It seems that we are quick to agree to training for a job or something “enjoyable,” while we are frequently hesitant to train for excellence in our relationships.  Why is this so?

In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NIV), Paul encourages us to “run in such a way as to get the prize.”  Of course, he is not writing about a literal footrace but rather about our walk of public discipleship.  Sharing Christ with those around us is so important that we should summon up all our energy for the task.  But any runner (distance or sprint) will tell you that you can’t just run and win the race.  You must train and train and train in order to be able to compete.  In fact, you will spend more time in preparation than you will actually racing.

Paul continues, “I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

Following Christ with our lives is hard work!  We must be dedicated to disciplines that will help us run the race:  prayer, Bible study, regular worship, fellowship with the saints, confession of sins to God, and so forth.  Are you engaged in these types of spiritual disciplines?  A better question:  are you excited about engaging in them?  I believe we could all stand to be more like aspiring high school chess players in our spiritual lives.