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The Youth in All of Us

August 31, 2011 by pastoralex4

Some of you may not know this, but I’ve been “pinch-hitting” as the Calvary Baptist youth minister recently. Of course, I don’t want to make that sound like a bigger deal than it is. Mostly, I’ve just been leading some Bible study with our young people and working with our adult volunteers to coordinate some youth activities, and—in all honesty—if it weren’t for the dedication and the passion that those volunteers bring to the effort, I wouldn’t be able to manage even that. But still, it has been an important part of my overall ministry during these early days at Calvary…and so I wanted you to know about it.

On the one hand, I’m incredibly grateful for this time that I’m getting to spend with our middle school and high school students. It helps me get to know them and their families; and hopefully, it lets them know that they are just as ‘worthy’ of the pastor’s attention—and just as important to our church’s health and growth—as anybody else is. On the other hand, having the chance to be with our youth in this way makes me aware of how far I fall short of what they need. Not only do these ‘young-adults-in-the-making’ have special needs and concerns that could be better addressed by someone with the training and the passions to do so. They also need someone who has the time to be with them, to pay close attention to them, and to invest in them in a way that I can’t manage amid the other duties that I deal with as pastor.

That’s why I’m thrilled that our church is “fixin’ to get ready” to begin a search for a new youth minister. As I think you’ll see when our finance committee presents next year’s budget proposal, the recommendation is being made that we include money for a youth minister salary. By the time you read this article, our youth council and personnel committee will have met to develop an “initial profile” for the youth minister we’ll seek. And very soon, you’ll be invited to participate in a Q&A session in which you’ll have a chance to tweak that profile before any youth minister search begins.

I share all this with you partly to keep you in the loop…and partly to ask you to pray for the process as it unfolds. But even more, I share this with you in order to remind you that this is our process. You may or may not have a child who was, is or will be a participant in Calvary’s youth ministry; but these are still our young people. They are “the youth in all of us.” And since they are an integral part of this Body of Christ, we should care deeply about how they come to faith…how they grow in faith…and how they express their faith in ways that expand God’s kingdom.

 

Of course, “caring deeply” for our youth involves more than just making sure they have a youth minister (as important as that it). Perhaps even more, it involves connecting with them in ways that help them understand their value in the eyes of God. It means getting to know them and praying for them and encouraging them. After all, there may be few gifts you’ll ever give that have as much eternal value as taking the time to help a young person experience God’s love. I know, because I was the recipient of just such a gift.

I know from my own experience and from the testimony of many others how wonderfully God worked to bring me and Calvary Baptist together so that I could serve this church family as pastor. Won’t you join me in praying that God will work again to lead us toward the individual who can join our church family and nurture the youth in all of us?

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Our Love for God’s People

August 17, 2011 by pastoralex4

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people.
(Ephesians 1:4)

One of the things that has brought me great joy during these early months of my ministry here at Calvary has been discovering the unmistakable love that the members of our church have for one another. Ours is a congregation in which you can tell that people genuinely care about one another…and go out of their way to serve one another. This, of course, is what we’re called to do—both by biblical command and by the example given to us in our Savior Jesus. And so I think that it’s important to celebrate that love…and to let you all know how grateful I am to have become a part of a fellowship in which people are “living out” the good news in such beautiful and tangible ways.

At the same time, I am constantly reminded of how God is always inviting us to “expand the boundaries” of our love. I had a very meaningful visit recently with the daughter of one of our church members. This particular member is no longer able to participate in the activities of our congregation because of her health…and her daughter is caring for her, even though doing so exacts a fairly significant emotional toll. As we talked, it became clear that the daughter feels at least like her mother has been somewhat forgotten by the church family. And while there may be some very legitimate reasons that the number of cards and calls and visits has declined over time…it still made me aware of what an awesome privilege and responsibility it is for us to love this sister in Christ—in practical and faithful ways—to say nothing of the opportunities we have to extend love to her daughter, who I’m sure could use some additional encouragement and support.

Or consider a different example. We’ve been blessed in recent weeks to have quite a few guests joining us for worship on Sunday mornings. And I have no doubt that members of our church have been greeting them warmly and doing everything we can to help them feel at home. But let’s face it: so often at church we find ourselves trying to catch up with the friends we know…or we’re tracking people down to ask questions about various church ministries. And once we leave church, we’ve got busy lives! There are jobs to do and families to care for and chores to get done. Who has the time and energy to make “following up with guests” a high priority? But how might God bless us as we “expand the boundaries” of our love for these potential brothers and sisters in Christ? How might we be blessed if we took a few extra minutes to get to know them at a deeper level? How might they be blessed if we invited them out to lunch after worship…or gave them a quick call during the week? Acts such as these would take some effort, to be sure. But hasn’t Christ done so much more for us in order to bring us within the boundaries of God’s amazing love?

As I’ve been preparing to lead some conversations about our church mission statement on upcoming Wednesday nights, I’ve been asking myself if there’s a small phrase that captures the heart of what our church (or any church) is called to do. So far, I like this: Expanding God’s Embrace. May our love for each other—and for others—continue to lead people into the open arms of their Heavenly Father.

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A Special Note Concerning Recent Events in the Local Baptist Association

August 3, 2011 by pastoralex4

Dear Members of Calvary Baptist in Mount Airy,

As many of you have heard, messengers of the Surry Baptist Association voted in their most recent meeting to withdraw fellowship from the Flat Rock Baptist Church. The reason for this action was Flat Rock’s recent decision to call a woman as their pastor – a move which the messengers ”present and voting felt placed the church outside the boundaries of appropriate biblical leadership.

Because of the significance of this decision, a little context might be appropriate. When association leaders learned of Flat Rock’s decision to call a woman as pastor, they requested a meeting with the church – apparently in an effort to dissuade them from this course. The members of Flat Rock declined this request, feeling that it was the church’s place to discern the directions in which God was leading them. Of course, associational leaders felt a similar duty to discern the directions in which God was leading Surry Baptists, and this is why they brought the motion to withdraw fellowship. It is worth noting, however, that this motion was made without giving any advance notice to Flat Rock Baptist …without giving any advance notice to the churches of the association…and with only 5 minutes allotted for discussion.

I think it’s fair to say that the issues involved here are numerous and complex. Examining the role of women in ministry forces us to consider the ways we think about scripture, church, and God’s call (to name a few)…along with our interpretations of many specific biblical passages. Because of this, I doubt that all of us in this church (and certainly not all of us in the churches of the Surry Association) are likely to see eye-to-eye on all the matters that are involved.

For my part, I am affirming of women in ministry—including pastoral ministry—and I am led to this conclusion by what I feel to be the weight of biblical evidence. I do not share this with you, however, in the hope that you’ll adopt my position. If anyone wishes to chat about the biblical and theological particulars, I’m happy to do so. But when it comes to our shared life as brothers and sisters in Christ, I think that our goal should be to live by the maxim (attributed to St. Augustine): “In essentials, unity…in non-essentials, liberty…in all things, charity.” (Of course, the very fact that I’d quote this line reveals that I consider the issue of ‘women in ministry’ to be a ‘non-essential’…and that, in itself, is something about which we could disagree.)

I also do not share any of this information with you in the hope that our church will take some action related to our relationship with the Surry Baptist Association. The last thing I’d want is for a “non-essential issue” to distract Calvary Baptist from our core mission of “glorifying God by being a Christ-centered, caring church through worship, discipleship, missions and ministry.” What’s more, because I feel like it’s appropriate for Christians to “agree to disagree” on certain issues, I have no problem whatsoever in partnering with individuals and churches whose views differ from mine. Finally, since I think that it’s often better to “stop to pray” rather than “rush to act” (see my previous post: Don’t Just Do Something. Stand There.), the only action that I could possibly recommend at this time would be that of prayer and dialogue, conducted in a loving spirit that seeks understanding.

But I will ask you to pray. The question of “women in ministry” might be for you a minor issue or a major one, but I would hope that the way brothers and sisters in Christ treat each other ranks up there as being fairly significant. And while I affirm the right and the responsibility of the Surry Baptist Association to take the actions that it deems to be appropriate, I am disappointed by the way that our brothers and sisters at Flat Rock have been treated in this situation.

The work of the local association is important. The mission of God’s kingdom is too big for any one church to handle on its own, and so we need the partnership of other local congregations. I’m grateful for all the good things the Surry Association is doing, and I’m grateful for Calvary’s long history of fruitful cooperation with the Surry Association. I look forward to this relationship continuing to bear fruit for God’s glory as we discern His will together.

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Don’t Just Do Something. Stand There.

August 3, 2011 by pastoralex4

“Put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”
(Ephesians 6:13, NIV; emphasis added)

You might realize it, but we’re approaching a new beginning. It’s not the beginning of a new calendar year. It’s not the beginning of a new church year. It’s not even the beginning of a new pastorate (I guess I’m about 4 months late for that). But it is the beginning of a new school year, and—as someone who spent 13 years ministering in academic environments—it is the start of the school year that always creates in my heart the sense of excitement that comes with doing new things and launching new ministries that allow us to follow God’s call faithfully.

Now in my opinion, it seems like some new beginnings would be particularly helpful at the start of this school year. On the national stage, we need a new approach to dealing with our country’s pressing challenges. Closer to home, our local Baptist association could use a new way of addressing differences that arise as churches minister together (please see my next post). And right here at Calvary Baptist, I’d love to see us move forward with new efforts to find a youth minister…to expand our outreach…and to step up the adoption of a team-based approach to ministry (which started before I became the pastor) so that we can communicate more effectively and respond more readily to changing dynamics and circumstances.

However, even as I acknowledge my desire to get busy and do something about these and other matters, I have to admit that “doing something” isn’t always the best thing…especially in the midst of new beginnings. It’s easy to give into an over-inflated sense of urgency—the notion that if we don’t “act now” we’ll fall behind the curve and lose any chance of getting caught up. But scripture reminds us that before we rush to act – we must discern how God is acting. Jesus told us, “Apart from me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5). And as the passage from Ephesians that starts this reflection makes clear: We do need to put on the full armor of God; but before we go charging into battle, our primary task is to stand.

How can we “stand” as God’s people in a way that will allow us to discern more—not only “more” of what God wants us to do…but also “more” of how much He loves us and “more” of how much He’s already given us? The best answer, I think, is to “pray and wait upon the Lord.” That’s why—by the time we print our next newsletter—you should start to hear about some “prayer cottages” that will soon take place with this goal in mind. These “in-home” gatherings will allow members of Calvary to pray together and to listen for the Spirit’s promptings. If you’re able, I hope that you’ll participate. But even if you can’t or choose not to, you can still join with me and others as we ask God to make clear the things that He desires for us and from us as a church family.

I have little doubt that the days ahead will be full of activity as we resume our Wednesday night ministry schedule, settle into a new school year, and look forward to the joyful commotion that a new church year and a fast-approaching holiday season will bring. But for now, let’s not feel compelled to act. Let’s think…and pray…and wait. Don’t just do something…stand there.

 

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House Hunting with Jesus

July 12, 2011 by pastoralex4

As some of you know, my family and I have started looking for a permanent home in Mount Airy. In many ways, of course, that has been a lot of fun. It’s exciting to see new places and to dream of what you might do with a house once you moved into it. But the process has also been more than a bit frustrating—as I’m sure you can understand. After all, there are so many questions to ask: Is this a neighborhood where our little girl will find friends? What structural or mechanical problems might be hiding behind these freshly painted walls? Can we afford this? Then there are the “close-but-not-quite” scenarios: If only this house had another bathroom. If only the closets were a little bigger. Then, too, there are those occasional houses that you walk into and think, “Oh my…what were they thinking?!”

I can’t help but wonder if similar thoughts run through Jesus’ mind when he thinks about making his home in us—both as individuals and as a church. After all, the Bible does say that “we like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:5). Does Jesus get excited dreaming about all the things he might do with us if our hearts became his home? Does he agonize over all the questions there are to ask: Is this a place where my children will be welcomed? What problems are hiding behind this well-kept facade? Does he, too, encounter “close-but-not-quite” scenarios? If only she would let me heal her of this pain? If only he would turn this sin over to me? If only they would be more passionate about my mission? Are there even occasions when he steps in—eager to find something great—and ends up saying, “Oh my…what were they thinking?!”

Bob Bennet is a Christian singer/songwriter who gives us some insight into the “house hunting Jesus.” In a song titled, “You’re Always Welcome Here,” he writes…

Lord, I hear you knocking. You’ve been knocking at the door.
How long have you been waiting? Seems I never really heard You before.
I’ve kind of let the place go; I’m ashamed of what You’ll find.
But You can make yourself at home, if You’re sure that you don’t mind.
‘Cause when I cry, the roof leaks. And when the wind blows, the walls are weak.
But a house is known by the company it keeps.
And I feel better, now that You’re near. And I want to make it clear:
Jesus from now on, You’re always welcome here.

I’m sure that my family and I will eventually find a house, and I do ask for you to pray for us along the way. But maybe even more, I hope you’ll pray that Jesus will find a home in me…in you…and in the family that we call Calvary Baptist Church—because the good news of the Gospel is that our Savior longs to make his home in us. And I pray with all my heart that He’ll always be welcome here.

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A Picture’s Worth

June 30, 2011 by pastoralex4

Just in case you haven’t heard already, we’re getting ready to prepare a new pictorial directory for the Calvary Baptist church family. Individuals and families in our congregation will have the opportunity to sign-up (either at the church or on-line) for a portrait session between the dates of July 10 and July 31, and the photographer will be on-site August 12 to August 15—and again on September 13—to get the pictures taken. In addition, we’ll be making arrangements to visit with church members who are shut-in so that we can take good, up-to-date photos of them, too. But these visits will need to be limited in number, so we’re hoping that the vast majority of our congregation will help us by showing up in person.

Now I’ll confess: I have no idea what you feel when you receive this information. For some, it might seem like very good news. Perhaps it’s been awhile since you got the family together for a nice photograph. So you’re already figuring out what everyone should wear. For others, the thought of sitting for another directory photo makes your skin crawl. Perhaps you’ve never felt like you’re very photogenic, and this will be just another appointment to add to your already busy schedule. Besides, you don’t like the idea of some pushy representative trying to sell you pictures. For still others, the whole idea may do little more than inspire a resounding yawn of disinterest.

But whatever your initial reactions might be, I really do hope (in fact, I humbly beg) that you’ll participate. As a still-fairly-new arrival at Calvary Baptist, I can testify what a valuable thing it is to have an up-to-date directory that assists in the process of linking faces with names. Some of you have commented that you’re impressed I’ve been able to remember so many new people so quickly. But make no mistake: that would have been impossible without our existing church directory, which is at least 5 years old. Had it been more recent, I’d probably know even more of you – even better than I do.

But in addition to its value as a ‘memory aid’ for faces and addresses and phone numbers, I hope you’ll participate because a new directory can be (and hopefully will be) a testimony to the fact that we are one, united body of Christ. As Paul says in his first letter to the Corinthians, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you (emphasis added) is a part of it” (12:27). We are in this thing together. And if any part of our body is missing, our body as a whole is diminished.

I believe that God has great things in store for this body that we call Calvary Baptist Church. And I look forward to getting to know each of you better as “the whole body—joined and held together by every supporting ligament—grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Eph. 4:16).

Now that’s a picture worth a thousand words.

 

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A Moving Experience

June 17, 2011 by pastoralex4

It seems like it’s been a long time coming, but the members of my family—wife Teresa, daughter Windham and dog Mae—have finally arrived in Mount Airy. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for all the prayers and words of encouragement that many of you have offered for us over the course of the past couple months, nor can I say how deeply I appreciate Gray and Mary Jane Shelton (who brought us a “mid-move” meal)…along with Marvin Beasely, Lowell Layman, Bob McPherson, Ken Nowlin, Drew Nowlin and Owen Stone (all of whom turned out to help us unload the truck).

As it usually does, the process of unloading the truck got me thinking: Gee, I have a lot of stuff!! Of course, I know I’m not alone in that. Especially for anyone who’s been married for awhile…or who has a child or two…it can be downright mysterious how our hoard of “things” just seems to grow and grow, even without our effort or intention. And where the powerful forces of “almost-accidental acquisition” leave off, there are equally powerful forces of “marketing madness” that work on us almost all day, every day – trying to convince us that we need the “latest this” or the “new and improved that” or the “faster and more powerful other thing.”

None of this would be a problem, of course, were it not for the fact that we follow a Savior and Lord who repeatedly made it clear that “a person’s life does not consist in the abundance of their possessions.” As I’ve already mentioned once or twice from the pulpit, Jesus had more to say about the use of our wealth and possessions than almost any other topic, and most of what he said flies in the face of our prevailing cultural attitudes. Not only did he remind us that our self-focused consumption makes it increasingly difficult to live in a way that blesses others by providing for their needs. He also warned us that the worries about our financial and material well-being can quickly rob us of peace and divert our attention from where it most needs to be: the well-being of our relationships with God and others.

Sadly, an awareness of these truths doesn’t always lead to easy solutions…even for the pastor. But in a time when economic issues seem to drive so much of our personal and political discourse, maybe we take at least a step in the right direction when we come face-to-face with the almost ridiculous amount of “stuff” that most of us have – and allow the encounter to move us toward deeper gratitude and greater generosity.

Hmm…maybe I need to have a yard sale?

 

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Installation and Transformation

June 3, 2011 by pastoralex4

On Sunday, May 29th, the people of Calvary Baptist Church in Mount Airy, North Carolina, officially installed me as pastor. Now I’ll have to confess: in one sense all the hoopla seemed a little anticlimactic. After all, everyone in the congregation has received me so warmly—and has made me feel at home so quickly and so completely—that it feels like I’m already part of this church family…and have been for a long time. But in another sense, the day served as a perfect exclamation point on what has been a wonderful beginning. I cannot fully express how grateful I am for the way that people have opened their hearts to me and my family, and I am humbled by the opportunity that now lies in front of us to seek God’s face together and to become agents of His purpose here in our community and across the globe.

All of this, of course, is just another way of saying that now the real work (and the real adventure and the real fun) begin. I am reasonably confident that this congregation did not call me so that we could just “do church” on Sunday morning and then go through the rest of the week unchanged (nor is this why I said, “Yes” to the call). Instead, I believe that God has brought us together so that we can partner in the journey of transformation—transforming ourselves as we open our hearts more completely to Christ and to each other…and transforming our world as we allow ourselves to be used by God’s Spirit.

The challenge, however, is figuring out what transformation will look like for this church in this place at this time. As John Tadlock—my friend and our installation speaker—reminded us, we will need to “interpret our cultures.” We must interpret our congregational culture, so that we can rightly discern the passions God has placed within us. And we must interpret our community culture, so that we can rightly communicate those passions in a way that makes it possible for others to understand them.

With that goal in mind, the leaders of our church (deacons and church council) will be having some “mini-retreats” in the coming weeks. The participants in these gatherings won’t be making decisions or implementing new policies—those are tasks for the church as a whole. But they will be engaging in some unhurried times of prayer, listening and dialogue; through which I believe a clearer picture of our priorities and our “next steps” will begin to emerge.

Now to be completely honest, I wish that I could involve every single member of the church in that kind of “retreat experience.” I think that if we made time to listen intently to each other’s stories—and to share the ‘dreams for Calvary Baptist’ that God has placed in people’s hearts—we’d be moved to a whole new level of love for each other and the Lord. I am practically minded enough, however, to realize that the planning required to pull off a gathering like that would be quite cumbersome – and might short-circuit the process before it even got started.

But having said that, I still want to involve as many as possible. So I’ve asked church members to do two things. First: Pray. Pray for me. Pray for our church leaders, and pray for each other – asking specifically that God will help us “interpret our cultures” by helping us discern how He wants to move (and, in fact, is already moving) in our church and in our community. Second: Join the conversation. Whenever they can…however they feel led…share with me (or a deacon or a committee leader or each other) their sense of what God wants to do through the family of faith that we call Calvary Baptist Church. And if they need a little “push” to jump-start their thinking, I’ve offered a wonderful question that’s borrowed from Thomas Bandy, a leader in church development: Where will Jesus be…five years down the road…in our zip code…and what price is our congregation willing to pay to join him there?

The installation is over. Let the journey toward transformation begin.

 

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Oh, Rapture!

May 21, 2011 by pastoralex4

As I write this, it’s about 4 o’clock in the afternoon on May 21, 2011—the day that some Christian ministries have been proclaiming for months as the guaranteed day that Jesus will return to take His faithful home. Since my latest look at CNN.com shows no indications of sudden theophanies or mass disappearances of believers – departing for heavenly glory, I’m figuring that Jesus has only about 8 more hours to put in an appearance before this latest cadre of End-Times prognosticators is shown to be just as mistaken as all those who have gone before them have been. [Of course, to be fair, there are several others time zones where the end of May 21st will come later than 8 hours from now. So technically, I guess that Jesus may have a little more time than that.]

Now just on the off chance that the Rapture doesn’t take place—and all of us are still here on May 22nd—I can’t say that I’ll be surprised. I suppose that I have to count myself among those Christians who tend to think—that since Jesus himself said “only the Father” knew the day and hour of his return—it doesn’t do much good for us to burn much energy making predictions. Then again, I also can’t say that I’ll be especially pleased. After all, as one song puts it: “If we ever needed the Lord before, we sure do need Him now.” Given the level of violence and hatred and mistrust and unfaithfulness in the world, I actually do long for the day when Christ returns and ”God makes all things new.” However, assuming that we’re all still here tomorrow, I think that what I will feel is hopeful—hopeful that with this little sideshow behind us we can focus once again on being rich in love, faithful in prayer, and dedicated to living in such a way that “God’s kingdom comes and God’s will gets done on earth as it is in heaven.”

So while I do look forward to that day when God completes the “redemption and restoration” mission the He began in Christ (although I have no clue when or how that time of completion will come), perhaps I can pray for now that the Rapture will come a little every day, as faithful followers of Jesus make his presence a little more clear in the world through their words and lives.

Maranatha. Come, Lord Jesus.

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The Relentless Rush to Enter Rest

May 16, 2011 by pastoralex4

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me…and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29)

I’ve been participating in a lot of church committee meetings lately. All in all, that’s a good thing. In fact, it’s something that I requested, since I’ve been trying to use these gatherings as a learning tool to “get up to speed” on the ministries that are taking place in the Calvary Baptist family. However, I did have an experience the other night that made me wonder…

I was standing out in the church parking lot—waiting for some committee members to arrive for one of those meetings—and all the people who I saw pull in were talking on their cell phones as they arrived. Now I’ve got nothing against cell phones, and sometimes I wonder how we ever got along without them. But the sight off all these good folks heading into yet another meeting while simultaneously attempting to deal with other life issues reminded me: Sometimes the way that we live seems mighty far from the “rest for our souls” that Jesus promised.

Of course, this “hurry sickness” would be problem enough if it was just the result of “the world” or “the culture” pressing us into its mold. But often—too often, perhaps—I find that the church is at least somewhat guilty of adding to the problem rather than easing it. We get focused on all the good things we want to do for the Lord…things like teach the Bible, minister to children and youth, serve those in need, and so on. And so we form committees and recruit volunteers and schedule meetings. And all of this is well and good, until we get to the point—that in the midst of our efforts to “do things for the Lord”—we miss the Lord himself.

I feel this tension quite strongly as a pastor…and perhaps even more as a new pastor. As the leader of an organization that we call the local church, it is natural and appropriate to ask the question: What do we need to do to accomplish our mission? But as the pastor (or “under shepherd”) of God’s flock, it seems equally important to ask: How can I get out of the way so that the Good Shepherd can “make us lie down in green pastures, lead us beside still waters, and restore our souls”?

In the weeks and months ahead, I have little doubt that we’re going to identify lots of good things that we can do to glorify God and to bear witness to His kingdom here in our community. And I hope that we’ll do at least some of those things with whole-hearted commitment and joy. But through it all, I hope that we’ll always keep in view the essential truth that our faith is not built on the things we do. It’s built on what God has done. It really is all a gift of grace…and we as a church are accomplishing the most when we help people rest in that gift.

So thanks for all the things you do, Calvary Baptist. But thanks, too, for those times you stop…and put down the cell phone…and close the inbox…and simply abide in the greatest truth of all: God loves you! (And I love you, too.)

Rest in that…

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