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Just Thanks

May 14, 2011 by pastoralex4

It’s Friday night here in my new hometown of Mount Airy, NC. Although it’s been a slightly intense week (along with normal tasks of ministry and rich-but-unexpected interactions, I actually had at least one committee meeting every night) tonight has been one of those rare evenings that is extraordinarily rewarding, precisely because it’s so ordinary. After wrapping up a few things at the office this afternoon, I had the opportunity to walk the quiet streets of “Downtown Mayberry.” I made some dinner…talked to my family…did some reading…watched a movie. I realize how unremarkable (and perhaps to some – boring) it all might seem. But given the many hurts and heartaches that I know are out there (both close at hand and far away), the very simplicity of these hours has refreshed my spirit and has made me grateful once again for everything that has brought me to this moment in this place.

So to everyone who has been part of this week—family and friends, co-workers, church members and others—I’m so grateful to have you in my life. And to those who have humbled and honored me by sharing with me parts of your story—you’re in my prayers. And to the Father who gives me a quiet Friday night to sit back and reflect on it all—just thanks.

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Lovely Feet or Loose Lips

May 3, 2011 by pastoralex4

“How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news.”

The Prophet Isaiah, Ancient Israel

“Loose Lips Sink Ships.”

US Civil Defense Slogan, World War 2

I don’t know how many of you are aware of it, but we recently received word in the church office that Calvary Baptist had been named the recipient of a 2011 “Mountie Award.” This means that our congregation was chosen by readers of the Mount Airy News as the Surry County area’s “Best Church.” Naturally, I’d like to be able to say that this has something to do with the arrival of our handsome and talented new pastor (wink, wink)…but the voting on this year’s Mountie Awards clearly took place before I came on the scene. So I guess the best thing I can say is, “Congratulations, Calvary Baptist! You have been ‘letting your light shine’ in such a way that those around you have seen your good works and are glorifying your Father in heaven”…or at least…“They’ve seen your good works and are giving you an award (which doesn’t sound quite as biblical, but which is nice, all the same).”

Now somewhat ironically, in the very same week that we received news about the Mountie Award, I received a phone call from someone who had a very different impression of our church. This individual apparently had what I’ll describe as an “unpleasant encounter” with someone from our congregation, and—when she combined her impressions of this encounter with some unresolved feelings that she had from a prior experience—this was enough to make her question whether we had any true Christians in our midst at all.

In the end, of course, the truth of our church’s character is probably somewhere in between these two poles. We are likely not as good as our ‘best press’ would suggest…nor are we as bad as our ‘worst detractors’ would insist. Our church—like each of us individually—is a sometimes-frustrating mixture of sinner and saint. And perhaps the best we can pray for is that we’re slowly but surely making some kind of progress toward greater Christ-likeness.

But having these two interactions so close together has reminded me (as I hope it will remind all of us) that we are being watched. Whether we realize it or not…whether we like it or not…people are observing our behavior and listening to our words. And they are drawing conclusions—not only about us but also about the Savior we serve—based on what they see.

So what will we show them? Lovely feet that bring good news? Or loose lips that sink ships?

May we aspire to live in such a way that everything we do—in thought word and deed—is done in the name of the Lord Jesus. And may the warm glow of our fellowship cast such an appealing light that others are drawn to the beauty of Christ, who loves us and gave himself for us.

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Can You “Here” Me Now?

April 23, 2011 by pastoralex4

I’ve recently been reading a new book on spiritual practices or disciplines by Brian McLaren titled “Naked Spirituality: A Life with God in 12 Simple Words.” I’ve only made it through a handful of chapters at this point, so it’s a little premature to offer any overall assessments. But I’ve already been blessed by the first of McLaren’s “12 Simple Words”—the word “Here.”

As McLaren puts it, “Here is the simple word by which we show up, responding to the One calling our name. Here is the way we name where we are—pleasant or unpleasant, desired or not—and declare ourselves present to God’s presence.” As I read it, McLaren is advocating the same kind of goal that one finds expressed in Brother Lawrence’s Practice of the Presence of God and Frank Laubach’s Game with Minutes: a simple-yet-focused awareness of the reality of God’s abiding nearness. His ‘spiritual exercise’ for cultivating this awareness is tantalizingly simple. At any time and in any place, one can simply bring to mind this thought: “Here I Am. Here you are. Here we are together.”

Of course, McLaren lays the groundwork for this exercise by unpacking several biblical examples of divine-human encounters. And he points out that successfully cultivating an awareness of God’s presence ultimately requires time spent alone with God so that we can still ‘make the connection’ when we’re immersed in the rush of daily life. In this way, his simple word “Here” references what might more traditionally be called the disciplines of solitude and/or centering prayer.

But over the last few days, I’ve found that this single-word approach does have a certain power. Creating just the tiniest space for my heart to say, “Here” focuses me on the reality that I want to live in this moment (and not some other), and on the truth that God is with me in this moment. And for that, I give thanks.

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A Minor Twist of Faith

April 20, 2011 by pastoralex4

The church in Mount Airy, NC, that I’ve been serving for almost three whole weeks received a letter in the mail the other day. The letter was from a local family whose 5-month son had been taken to Duke Medical Center to receive treatment for a rare and serious heart condition. As you can imagine, the treatment (and the cost of staying near Duke) is expensive, so the family was seeking assistance with meeting the costs. Our church is making members aware of the need, so that they can contribute as they feel led. But in the meantime, I remembered (Duh!) that I have in-laws who live near Duke Medical Center. So I asked them if they might be able to stop by and offer this young family some encouragement.

My in-laws did exactly that, and here’s a snippet of the email they sent me in the wake of that experience…

I just got back from visiting with that young boy and his mom.  He is a precious little 5-month old.  His mother was remarking about how amazing God is to make the connection of you receiving the letter and having family here  that could look in on them.  I”ll be checking back with them again…they are handling a huge load. 

Thank you for letting us know about this child. I love the way God works. Being a part of that just makes it all the more amazing.

Isn’t it neat what a little ‘twist of faith’ will do?

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The Same Old Ride…But Different

April 14, 2011 by pastoralex4

I finally had a free afternoon to take my first “real bike ride” around my new home town of Mount Airy, NC. I was able to cover just over 18 miles in the time allotted, which is almost the same distance as the typical ride I used to take in my former community of Marshville, NC. But wow. It’s hard to imagine two equi-distant journeys being so different. Whereas the topography around Marshville was gently sloping, the terrain around Mount Airy is hilly and steep. For the first time in I don’t know how many years, I actually had to hop off my bike and walk part of one hill. And now that I’m back home, my calves are reminding me that I might do well to pace myself.

As I prepare to mark my official “one week anniversary” as a pastor here in Mount Airy, I suppose that some similar things could be said about my ministry. I’m doing a lot of the same things: developing sermons, visiting church members, working with leaders and so on. But wow. It sure feels different: different challenges…different opportunities…different spirit.

Of course, in ministry as in cycling, I need to remember to pace myself. But I’m excited to be engaging in the same old ride (but different) as I join God’s people in seeking Him and serving other.

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Unpacking Easter

April 11, 2011 by pastoralex4

For most of the past week or so, I’ve been in the process of unpacking—both at my office in the church and in the home that I’ll be occupying here in Mount Airy. As you probably know, unpacking can be a challenging task, and it’s one that I haven’t quite finished. Of course, the thing that makes the chore so difficult is that life keeps happening, even while I’m trying to get ready to live it. It would be so much easier if things could stop for a while so that I could put stuff away, figure out what’s going on, and get my head screwed on straight. But instead, there are new friends to visit and committees to meet with and worship services to plan…not that I’m complaining! This is the kind of thing I love to do, and I’m so glad to be doing it here at Calvary Baptist. But still (as the saying goes), it’s hard to change a tire while the car is moving.

It occurs to me that “unpacking Easter” can be much the same kind of experience. It would be so much easier of things could stop for a while. That way, we could think deeply about what God was doing when He raised Jesus from the dead. We could study-up on what it means to live with resurrection hope. We could decide exactly how we as individuals and as a church were going to tell our community and our world the incredible good news: “He is risen! He is risen, indeed!”

But instead, life keeps happening. We care for our families. We go to work. We move along a never-ending road of tasks and chores and responsibilities. And along the way we get joyful and frustrated and sometimes scared. And we find ourselves wishing that we had some peace and quiet and time to seek God and figure out what He’s doing in and with our lives. But the car keeps moving…and those tires won’t change themselves.

Perhaps we shouldn’t feel too badly about our predicament. If I recall correctly, Mary Magdalene didn’t even have time to catch her breath after having an awe-filled encounter with the resurrected Jesus before he was sending her off on a mission: “Go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (See John 20:11-18) The car does keep moving…and the tires may or may not be ready. But the most important thing about the journey is that Jesus goes before us. And that’s what makes the journey worth taking.

So my prayer for you (and for me) in the weeks ahead is that God will let us “unpack Easter.” I pray that we’ll find the time to reflect on the tomb-defeating joy that rests at the heart of our faith…and
that we’ll find the opportunity to share that joy with others. But even if all that gets interrupted because “life keeps happening,” I hope that we’ll all discover: Life is the point! And because of Easter, we know that Jesus is present with us, enabling us to live it abundantly.

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The Greening

March 8, 2011 by pastoralex4

We’re entering one of my favorite times of year here in Marshville, North Carolina. The fields that surround our community are beginning to turn the most amazing shade of green, as the winter crop of some unknown-to-me grain erupts into vibrant life. Only in pictures of Ireland have I seen a landscape so richly carpeted in emerald hues. This greening is to me both hope-full and grace-full: full of hope because it signals the sure approach of spring (and all the color and warmth that come with it)…and full of grace because it comes as a gift. Although I know that some farmer worked hard and invested much to produce this verdant growth, the sight strikes my heart as a sure testimony to God’s bountiful and unmerited favor.

This year, the greening around Marshville coincided with a journey that my family and I made to visit with the church family at Calvary Baptist in Mount Airy, North Carolina. We were there to meet with individuals and groups within the congregation and to preach in view of a call at the Sunday morning worship gatherings. And for me this experience, too, was both hope-full and grace-full: full of hope because it allowed me to anticipate the fruitful ministry that I believe we can share as we begin growing together…and full of grace because it, too, was a gift. God has been so good to open the door that has connected me with this church family; and even though we’ve only begun to get to know one another, I’ve been richly blessed.

Jesus once spoke about fields “white for harvest” (John 4:35). But before the growth and harvest come, there is a greening—a joyful beginning to announce a new season. Thanks be to God for all our new beginnings, and for the hope and grace that allow us to see them through.

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A Time for Clearing

February 28, 2011 by pastoralex4

Today, I paid to have a large pile of dead tree limbs and other brush removed from my yard. I really hated to waste money on an expense that offers so little in the way of tangible benefit (other than the absence of the pile). But the stack had grown far too large for me to haul it away myself…and it was too close to healthy trees to burn…and with my family trying to sell our house, we needed to do something to get rid of this major eyesore.

The great heartache in the project, however, was that I had never intended to let so much brush accumulate in the first place. The back-story goes like this: I had been visiting with a friend who had a large section of cement conduit (about 2 feet high and 5 feet across) that he was using as a backyard fire-pit. It was the perfect thing for gathering friends to engage in warm conversation (and the occasional marshmallow roast), and—when I expressed admiration for it—he promised me that he could get one for me, as well. So I started stockpiling broken limbs and sections of fallen tree, just waiting for the day that they’d become the fuel for many a family campfire. But that was three years ago…and my section of conduit never came. I suppose I should have realized when my friend moved away about a year ago that it was never going to happen. But by that time, I already had a big pile. So I just kept adding to it until—at last—the task of clearing it could wait no longer.

Funny, isn’t it, how things have a way of accumulating in our lives? We never intend for it to happen. But somehow a pile of “stuff” (or a mound of debt…or a stack of regret…or a heap of bitterness…or a mountain of sin) imperceptibly begins to grow around us. And we’d like to get rid of it, but at the time it doesn’t seem like a big deal…or its too close to things that matter to destroy without hurting something else…or it’s just too big for us to handle on our own. Then inevitably, the day comes when the pile can wait no longer; and dealing with it at that point is often far more painful than it would have been had we only acted sooner.

Thankfully, there are companies we can call to remove our piles of dead tree limbs. But a cause for even greater gratitude is the fact that there’s a God we can call to remove our other piles of stuff: a God who heals brokenness and forgives sin; a God who removes regret and restores our spirit. And unlike the local tree service (which charges a pretty penny, even out here in the rural south), God’s clearing service is offered as a gift of grace. Our Heavenly Father delights to haul the trash out of our lives, so that—in its place—something beautiful can grow.

Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.
You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one.
You do not want a burnt offering.
The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.
You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.
(Psalm 51:10, 16-17)

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“Go to the Land I Will Show You”

February 21, 2011 by pastoralex4

 ”The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you…and you will be a blessing to others.” (Genesis 12:1-2)

A quick glance at this blog will make it clear that it has been some time since my last post. What may not be immediately obvious, however, is that the sermon posted for December 5, 2010, was the last message that I preached at the First Baptist Church of Marshville. I wish that I could say that this was the result of a healthy and well-ordered process – that the congregation and I had come to a mutual and affirming realization that it was time for us to end our shared ministry journey for the sake of the kingdom. But, as is often (maybe too often) the case, that’s not quite the way things unfolded. Instead, differences emerged and weren’t handled well. Feelings got hurt. And before too long–whether it was “mutual and affirming” or not–it became clear to me (and to a number of others) that my time for fruitful service to the church was at an end.

Naturally, I hate that. I hate it for the sake of the wonderful church family at FBC Marshville, among whom I’ve been privileged to serve as pastor for the past 6-plus years. I hate it for the sake of the kingdom work that I think we were doing together but which has now been short-circuited. And I hate it for the sake of my family, since we had not been planning on dealing with this type of transition at this point in our lives.

But as much as I hate what has taken place, I am also filled with gratitude and excitement. As the weeks have gone by, there have been so many people who–in so many different ways–have expressed support and encouragement. In addition, God has been doing an exceedingly gracious work in my heart to protect me from a bitter spirit. Best of all, the Lord has been opening doors that very well may lead me to my next place of ministry. It’s probably a little premature for me to “spill the beans” just yet (even though most of the folks who might bother to read this blog may know already), but I have been in conversation with a congregation whose search team has been an absolute blessing to me. Our prayerful dialogue has led us to believe that the Lord is bringing their journey and my journey together, and hopefully–in the not too distant future–the church will affirm that belief. It is one of those moments in life that I am able to affirm (in the words of one of my favorite quotes): For all that has been – Thanks! For all that will be – Yes!

The book of Hebrews reflects on God’s call of Abraham (cited above) with these words: “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going…For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:8; 10) I almost always wish I had even more faith. But I am ready to obey and go, because I can’t wait to see all that our Master Builder will do.

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Christmas Pickles

December 5, 2010 by pastoralex4

My congregation and I continued our Advent preparation today with a message drawn from Matthew 3:1-12. Because we celebrated the baptism of one of our youth in worship today, the text couldn’t have been more fitting. It allowed us to focus on the way that the message of John “The Baptizer” calls all of us to repentance and baptism–not just as a one-time event–but as on ongoing reality in our lives.

The image of ‘soaking’ in the baptismal waters led me to the image from which the sermon title was drawn: Christmas Pickles. I don’t know if you’re familiar with this tradition, but at least some sources attribute it to a German custom. Supposedly, after the children had gone to bed on Christmas Eve a pickle was hidden among the boughs of the Christmas tree. Then on Christmas morning, the first child to find the pickle received an extra gift.

As I explained to my church, therefore, the title “Christmas Pickles” reminds us A) that God wants to give us a gift at Christmas: the gift of a new life; and B) that we must decide (and keep deciding): Will we be baptized cucumbers (who get dunked and that’s the end of it)…or will we be “Christmas Pickles” (who continue to immerse our lives in the living waters of Christ?

Christmas Pickles

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