Social Justice

It is interesting to me that lots of people from my former denomination are arguing over social justice.  I don't understand that.  Why would a follower of Jesus not be for social justice?  I am a white male who has been given much.  I was raised not to be prejudiced but I know it is is in me.  When I pastored a church in Charlotte, NC we did a demographic study around the church.  We found that there were 50% African Americans within 5 miles of the church and we had ZERO in our church. That bothered me.  I lived in a nice subdivision and our two next door neighbors were African American.  My children's best friends were African American.  Yet, I would say they were not welcomed at our church.  My student minister and I were convicted and started inviting the community to the church.  You know what happened?  They started coming.  In fact, it started that Sunday.  We had at least 20 students that came to the student ministry.  We had an African American couple visit our Sunday School class.  I led them to Christ and they wanted to join the church.  I'll never forget the anxiousness I felt as they came to the front of the church to let the church know the decision they made.  It should have been a time of rejoicing.  But, I was nervous because I wasn't sure how our church would react.  Isn't that horrible? 

To the church's credit, they voted this couple in.  However, the backroom gossip and complaints began.  Our deacons, personnel committee, and church council called for a special meeting to discuss the "State of the Church."  The concern was over the African Americans that were coming to our church.  I told them that our church had 3 options:  One was to reach our community,  which was my desire.  The second was to relocate and let a church that would reach the community to do so, which I was willing to do.  The third was that the church would die.   For the next two or three hours, the people in that room went at each other.  These were long-time friends.  Some of them wanted to reach the community.  Others did but didn't want the baggage that it came with.  And some just let it be known that they didn't want that in the church.  I looked over at my student minister and he was fuming. 

I left that meeting depressed.  I told my wife that I couldn't lead a racist church.  So we prayed and decided that I would resign after our mission trip.  There was one more New Orleans Missions Trip that I was leading in 2 months and our son was going.  Our student minister was also going.  The next morning I met my student minister at Starbucks like we often did.  I told him that he should be looking for another ministry position.  He had this look in his eyes I will never forget.  He said I've already been offered another position.  We both decided to finish the mission trip and both resign.  The problem for me was I had no job to go to.  The mission trip was awesome.  The next Monday was right before Thanksgiving and 2 deacons came to talk to me.  My plan was to resign after Thanksgiving.  They brought up the problems in the church.  Mainly the changes I had brought.  I'm sure some of the problems were my fault.  I did bring in drastic changes.  The other problem was the new people that were coming in.  In other words, African Americans.  I was appalled!  Somehow the talk went to having someone else taking over the church.  So, I resigned on the spot.

I'm not hero and I won't be talked about in any social justice discussions.  But this was my experience and I can't believe in 2019 Christians are arguing over social justice.  Of course, we should be concerned with the plight of others.  Look what Jesus said in Luke 11:42

“Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.

How can any follower of Jesus neglect justice?  I can't believe what I'm hearing from Christians.   If we love God, then we should care. 

Nothing is an accident

I was covering for our pastoral team at church while they were on a staff retreat.  After my shift, I went to see my wife at one of the other campuses of our church.  I was about to leave when a man walked into that campus needing someone to talk to.  My wife let him know that the pastors and staff were on a retreat. He asked if he could go to the main campus.  My wife asked what he needed?  He said he needed some to talk to about grief.  She looked at me and said to the man I don't think it is an accident that you are here right now.  She introduced me and I talked to him.  I don't believe in accidents.

You never know who is watching

Yesterday I responded to a pastor friend's Twitter post about the legalistic and mean tweets that some misguided people have responded to a prominent feminist Christian writer who died.  What I feel about her beliefs don't really matter at this time.  There is no reason to qualify them at a time like this.  What we should say is that we are sorry for her family's loss and we will be praying for them.  Period.

My pastor friend posted a horrible response to her passing.  It was actually very mean.  I responded that it is no wonder there are many who don't go to church.  I had no idea that a friend from high school saw my response.  He responded to me and my pastor friend that this is why he hasn't been to church in 40 years.  Ouch.  I wonder if my legalism drove him away when we were in high school.  I was a Pharisee.  I hate to think about how I was back then.  In this age of social media, you never know who is watching. 

Christians, (ME THE MOST), think about what you say and post.  Eternity does hang on the brink.

Small Groups

Our church is the 2nd largest in the US right behind Lifechurch.  Megachurches aren't for everyone.  I do think they get a bad rap.  Churches of all size are needed.  We enjoy our church because there are so many ministry opportunities available.  Some say that megachurches are impersonal.  I guess that can be true.  But I've been to small churches where not one person spoke to me.  At our church, I promise that you will be greeted by at least 10 people. 

What makes our church small and intimate is small groups.  Now the negative of small groups is that you have to make time away from Sunday services to attend.  We do not have a traditional Sunday School.  You have to make an effort to attend.  But what I love about our small group is that we have people who attend that I would have never met or become friends with.  It is an eclectic group.  That is a good thing.  We have two former pastors (me included) and a bunch of business professionals.  We have some who have been married for many years to the same person and those who have been married several times.  I learn from them about my own prejudices and points of view.  I think that is what God wants.  We need to get out of our own bubble and get stretched.

Because I don't ask

Sometimes things are right in front of us and we don't see it.  I've heard in sales that what separates an average salesperson from a great one is that the great one's ask for the sale.  God wants to give us the best.  I wonder how many times I limit God by my small mindset?  I convince myself that what I'm praying for is not that important.  I make the decision for God without even asking.  James 4:2b-3 says.

You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

I could care less about getting rich.  I didn't get into vocational ministry to make money.  But God has given me a dream.  It has been stuck in my head for almost 4 years.  It hasn't happened.  Was that dream just indigestion?  Or have I just said that my request is not important to God?  It is a God-sized dream.  It is something that I have no way of doing on my own.  Maybe I'm the problem.  Maybe I just ask with the wrong motives.  My dream has nothing to do with money.  So it isn't to get rich.  I'm asking God today.  I'm not sure how much I believe.  But God helps those with just a little faith.  That is all I have.

Debt Free living

Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. (Romans 13:8 NASB)

With so much turmoil on the earth, world leaders try every diplomatic way to achieve peace. Nations have summits, visit each other's countries and write treaties. We can't even get along in our own nation, so how do we think we will achieve world peace? National peace? Most people don't even have peace at home. How do we achieve peace?

Have you ever owed anything? Of course that is a dumb question cause we live in a country that is in debt over our heads.  We try to live debt free financially & that prevents us from going places we'd like to go. But we don't feel the financial burdens of having to pay off those debts either. Unfortunately medical bills arise and cause stress, so I do understand debt.  I believe the worst debts I encounter in my care sessions are relationship debts. I've met financially broke people who had joy overflowing because their relationships were solid. They had few regrets. But when I encounter a person who has relationship debts, they struggle to make it through each day. Everyone needs to be loved. Everyone!

As I was studying my Bible I came upon the verse above. I'm sure I've read it 100's of times but today it hit me like a ton of bricks. God doesn't want us to owe anything to anyone but to love them. If you think about it, if we truly loved the way Jesus taught us to we wouldn't have the turmoil we have in our homes. We wouldn't have wars & crime. I realize that we live in a sinful world, but what would happen if just a few believers in Jesus truly loved unconditionally? What would happen if American churches loved and owed nothing to anyone but love? What if followers of Jesus became known for love instead of what we are against?

Maybe the law would actually be fulfilled.....

Why our "WHY" is important

“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ “ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ” (Luke 15:25-32 NIV) 

Our ministry began to look at why we do what we do.  I thought it was our mission statement but as we debated and prayed it became apparent that it is found in Luke 10:27--To Love God and Love People. As I was thinking about our "Why" it became apparent that I didn't always believe all of Luke 10:27.  I loved God but I'm not sure how much I truly loved people.  In the passage above you will a young man who loved God.  But he didn't love people.  His father did, but the older brother had God compartmentalized. He was like the Pharisee who asked Jesus what must he do to inherit eternal life?  I think the Pharisee and the older brother both loved God but they didn't love people.  They probably like a lot of us who had a check list that let them know the score with Jesus. 

Before I was called to the ministry I was a High School Football coach.  We always told our guys to give 100%.  But in our Christian life some of us only give 50%.  I dare say most Christians love God, but how many truly love people?  We all know the story of the younger brother in the passage before the one above.  He blew everything before he realized he had everything at home.  He humbly came back to his father.  We see that daily in our mission fields.  But I dare say there are many Christians who are like the Older Brother.  Many of us dealt with Older Brothers/Sisters in our churches.  Many people say they love people, but what they really mean is they want the people to become like them.

I'm going to be transparent.  I was the older brother.  I was blessed to be brought up in a ministry family.  My dad's ministry was to Prodigals and just plan pagans.  I was spoiled and had 2 parents who loved me and shared Jesus with me at a very young age.  I loved God, but I didn't love people.  In fact, I didn't like the people my dad was ministering to.  I thought I was better than them.  I had my check list that proved how spiritual I was.  I read my Bible, check.  I prayed, check. I tithed, check, etc....  If I saw someone who sinned, I would point it out.  I graded my spiritual life vs others.  I was wrong but it was my life. My dad's staff shared with him how I had become a snob and he confronted me.  But it took something to really shake up my life.

I had a friend named Jimmy (not his real name).  Jimmy and I were best friends in high school.  We were both active in our church and were both in a discipleship group together and did everything together.  But Jimmy met a young girl name Suzie (not her real name) and they began dating.  She was active in her church but began pulling Jimmy away from our church.  One day Jimmy confided in me that he was in an intimate relationship with Suzie. I told him that he was wrong, but unlike my judgmental attitude towards others I stayed Jimmy's friends.  One day 3 months before graduation, Jimmy pulled into the school parking lot and asked me to get in his car.  He told me that he and Suzie were getting married that Saturday and he wanted me to be his best man.  He then told me that Suzie was pregnant.  You could have hit me in the stomach with a baseball bat.  Had it been anyone else I would have poured on the heathen remarks.  Had it been anyone else I would have turned my back on Jimmy. But this was my best friend.  I was like the Grinch at that moment.  My heart changed.  I loved Jimmy.  I began to see how Christians especially at my church turned on Jimmy and Suzie.  Despite my attempts to be their friend, they both dropped out of church and today Jimmy is in jail. I could go into more detail, but needless to say, that was when I realized that people mattered to God. 

Up until that point, I looked at people like Jimmy and Suzie as sinners not realizing that I was sinning by my judgmental attitude.  I'm not saying that the inner Pharisee doesn't come up in my from time to time but today I get moved by lives that our changed.  I believe God has called each of us to not only love Him but to love people.  Why?  Because people matter to God.  In the first part of Luke 15, Jesus tells three stories of how much people matter to Him.  A man lost his sheep and went on an all out search for the one sheep.  A woman lost an coin and went looking for that coin.  Then the prodigal left and God allowed him to leave but always was looking for him.  Instead of being like they older brother, God wants us to search for lost people and rejoice when they come to know him.  The biggest party we can ever imagine occurs when lost person comes to know Christ.  Why? Because people matter to God.  So instead of being partial Christians I want to challenge each of us to Love God & Love People.

Sometimes "NO" is the best answer!

My parents were in ministry their entire adult life.  My dad worked with High School Students for more than 30 years.  My mom told me a story about how early on in their marriage my dad was gone at night more than my mom liked.  So they set up an appointment with their pastor to talk about it.  What they discovered was the pastor was busier than my dad.

I worked on staff at churches for over 20 years.  One of the things that bothered me is that we had so many programs that I felt we were pulling people away from their families in order to do more programs.  Most churches had multiple services on Sundays and that is understandable.  But many have programing everyday of the week.  There is such a tension placed not only on the pastors but also the church members to be at the physical church building for every program. I've heard pastors say that the Sunday night crowd was the most spiritual. Really?

A fellow church staff member and I who had the youngest children on the church staff were called into a meeting with our Senior Pastor at the time.  He was concerned that we weren't seeing enough decisions (actually, not enough people walking down the aisle) so he wanted the two of us to give up our "OFF" days and work on getting people to join the church.  I said no.

It was about that time I read a book by Andy Stanley called Choosing to Cheat.  His premise was that we are going to cheat something: our job or our family, so he chose to cheat his job (church).  He said that he left everyday at 4:30 to be home with his family.  That book resonated in my spirit and I decided that I was choosing to cheat my job for my family.  Now, I'm not lazy but I have only ONE first wife and Two Biological Children.  I want them to know that God comes first and they are second.  Some people mistakenly think that their relationship with God and attending church and church programs are the same.  I believe involvement in church is a necessity but busyness is not!

In Luke 10 Martha and Mary invited Jesus over to visit them.  Martha was so busy "SERVING" Jesus that she had no time to be with him.  Mary spent time at the feet Jesus worshiping Him and Martha got so upset that she told Jesus to make her sister come help her.  But Jesus told her that Mary had chosen what was better.  I've seen too many of my Christian friends and ministers get overburdened and burned out by doing every program at church!  I'm not saying to stop doing ministry, but you can't do everything.  Sometimes we get so busy "DOING CHURCH THAT WE HAVE NO TIME TO BE THE CHURCH!"

About 6 years ago I read another book that actually instrumental in my changing my thinking about church.  It is called the Simple Church by Thom Rainer.  I tried to lead the church I was pastoring to reduce the programing so we could be more effective with our families and in reaching our community. But I realized they weren't ready for that radical change.

I believe sometimes the best word in ministry is "NO." God never intended for us to do everything.  He wants to spread the work among the body of Christ.  Even God rested one day after creating the Earth. If we do everything we are robbing other people of opportunities to serve Him.

Church Police?

There aren't many things that cause me to boil over, but hypocrisy is probably at the top of the list. Full disclosure that I struggle with it myself so maybe that is why it bothers me so much. Former smokers are often are more anti smoking that those of us who never have smoked.

One thing I've never understood among fellow believers in Christ is why there are a few that think it is their gift or responsibility to monitor or "Police" pastors & other ministry leaders.  There are radio programs & websites devoted to "protect" the church from heretics (at least what they consider heretics).

Billy Graham has probably been the most scrutinized minister in my lifetime. Rick Warren has been the whipping boy of the last 20 years. Then it was Andy Stanley & Craig Groeschel-- both who are my favorite speakers outside of my own pastor. Now we have a new crop: Perry Noble & Steven Furtick. Full disclosure, I've heard both speak in person & like both of them.  I like anyone who is leading people to Christ. Do they have blind spots & weaknesses? I'm sure they do, but I have enough to work on with my own failings than to spend hours writing blogs & designing websites.

Recently I began reading some recent "news" reports about both Noble & Furtick. I was in Charlotte this week & have a friend who knows them both personally so I asked him what all this was about? He had a lot of wisdom and I realized that these reporters/bloggers have way too much time on their hands.

So what makes someone think they are God's Police Officer? When we planted a church 13 years ago, we never heard complaints from those outside the church. But we received plenty of scrutiny & criticism from church people who would never visit our church & were not our target audience. Stuart my associate & I affectionately referred to them as the "Church Police."

When I had my previous blog, there was one man who actually printed out everything I had ever said on the internet & was convinced I was a heretic. He never abided by Matthew 18:15 which clearly said the man should have met with me in person. Maybe I had some things that I needed to repent of. But to blast someone in public is not what Jesus taught.

Back to the criticism of these mega church pastors. Why haven't the reporters/theologians/bloggers confronted these pastors in person? They are sinning by not responding to a brother in Christ in a manner Jesus commanded!

The Apostle Paul taught in Philippians 1 that there were people who did preach out of wrong motives. I don't think any of the above pastors do! However, even if they did, Paul says no matter the motives as long as Christ is preached he rejoiced.  Why can't the "Church Police" do the same?

Pastoral Pressures

To say the recent string of suicides among pastors is tragic would be an understatement. My heart breaks for their families, friends & their churches.  I often wonder what could be so bad that it would lead you to take your own life?  I also hear about ministers who get involved in affairs, drugs, alcohol and other destructive behaviors. Why I ask? But having grown up as a minister's kid & being a pastor myself for over 22 years I know too well the pressures that those in ministry.

Now I'm not making excuses. I'm just saying I understand the pressures they endure. I remember watching my parents struggle with people who criticized their ministerial methods. Not unchurched people, church members! One of my best friends had death threats from a church member because he led the church to relocate! He also had Full Page ads in the local newspaper blasting him as an unGodly man. This was from a so called Christian. It's bad enough that pastors have to deal with styles of music and what we wear, but imagine being expected to be at everything that goes on in the lives of church members.

These pressures are not limited to the pastors either. Family members have unrealistic expectations placed on them. My then pre-teen son had one of his Sunday School buddies brag that his parents voted to cut my salary by a large amount.  He has never forgotten that. I had a man at another church who disliked me so much he printed out everything I had ever said on any blog, not just my own. Then he brought the stack to the deacons to try to get me removed as pastor. Credit to our deacons that they tried to stop him. But then he got a room at a local restaurant & recruited people to come hear why I should be removed.

Now I have never thought about taking my own life. But I did consider going back to secular work. I even tried to get a secular job. But God wouldn't allow me to leave the ministry. I was reminded of my calling.  But some ministers don't have the same support system that I have. I have a supportive wife & family. Some ministers suffer in silence.

I'm fortunate to be allowed to use my Spitual Gifts in a para-church ministry and have become active in our church. Pastors are my heroes! Not in an idol worship way but because I know how difficult it is to feed their flock & lead them to do what God wants them to do.

What can you do to make sure your pastor doesn't get to a breaking point?
1. Pray for your pastor daily.
2. Ask them how you can serve him?
3. Don't place unrealistic expectations on him?
4. Make sure they take a day off & guard it for him.
5. Make sure he has time to be with his family.
6. Take care of them financially.
7. Pray again.

Why complain about Modern Worship?

Psalm 105:2 says "Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!"

I've heard since I was a kid-people complaining about Modern Worship.  I grew up in a church that sang from the Hymnal but also sang "Choruses." For our day, I guess we were contemporary.  I can worship in any kind of style of music.  I will never say that Hymns are bad and Contemporary is good or visa versa.  The reality is Praising God is good no matter what style it is in.  My personal preference is Contemporary but I'm not a hater on Old Hymns and love the way new artists redo them for a Modern generation.

While I was pastoring one church I often heard snide remarks about a contemporary service we started.  Some griped about "7-11" songs.  They said the songs were seven words sung 11 times.  That may be funny to some but who cares?  Where in God's Word does it say you can't praise God over and over?  What can possibly be "Wrong" with any song that gives praise and glory to God and puts attention on Him rather than us?

Why would a growing follower of Jesus have a problem with someone praising God?

Huh?

It has been quite a while since I last blogged. To be honest, my previous stint blogging became burdensome. I was very active in my former denomination's reform efforts. In retrospect I'm not sure it was worth the effort. 

For the last 5 1/2 years I have been on mission as a workplace chaplain & manager in Birmingham, AL. We attended several churches from my former denomination and for various reasons never fit in. It was a little frustrating. Finally, to my hesitation, we visited a multiple-site non-denominational church. However, we ended up loving it & have gotten very involved.

I always thought God was calling me to lead a cutting edge church that reached the unchurched. But I don't know if I had the skill set to do it. It is so refreshing to be involved in a church that is reaching the unchurched without compromising the Bible. 

I think I finally found what I was meant to do. As a church staff member I always looked for opportunities to interact with the unchurched. I would hang out at Starbucks, go to health clubs & just try to meet my neighbors. But, the pastor tag always seemed to put up a wall between me & those I wanted to influence. But God in His wisdom gave me a new platform. Every day, I get to hang out with people who would never set foot in church. I have built relationships with these people. We are friends. I would never talk about what I have encountered because of confidentiality.  But, needless to say I get to hang out with all of the people whom I attempted to hang out with as a church staff member. This isn't a criticism of churches, but just an observation that I get to do everything that I went to Seminary to do through the workplace. 

I'm not going to make promises that I will update this every day or even every week. I really could care less about how many people read this.  I'm excited about what God is doing in my life & that I get to be a part of a great workplace mission field & a mission minded church.