2008:The Promise

Looking back on 2008 at AHUMC I saw a number of promising signs:
1) The church really began to understand and live out the importance of Mission in the world with trips to Piedras Negras, The Great Day of Service, Thanks giving Service Sunday, the Hope Center and more
2) Holy Conversations helped us rediscover the passion of our founders for children in need; this is an appropriate way to move in to our 2nd century in 2010
3)We began to rediscover and apply learnings from an even older source-- the Jewish roots of Jesus
There is much to bless God for as we look back at 2008 to prepare for 2009.
DMac

The Wisdom of the Magi

Scholars debate just how wise the "wise men" really were. Some criticize them for putting Herod on to the baby Jesus while others dismiss these magi as Jeanne Dixon types---mere astrologers and quasi- magicians. Still others see them as the real scientists of the day; people who might appear on the stage of a Billy Graham revival. I tend to side with the scientist view. Either way these magi show me a deep truth in Matthew 2:11 when they bow down and worship the baby Jesus. The truth is not just that we should bow down before Jesus-- we certainly should. It is seen in where they bow down. If Jesus is born in a "stable" which is actually a cave in ancient Israel, then these magi are getting their knees, if not their faces, in the sheep manure which would cover the dirt, mud and rock bottom of any cave. The truth I see in this is that if I truly want to worship Jesus I will have to get "dirty"! To worship Jesus means that we get involved in the painful and difficult places of our world on his behalf. We want to worship Him with clean hearts but our feet and hands should evidence that we are working for good in His world.
DMac

Jesus' Birth and Herod's Death

This month's Natiional Geographic contained an article on the discovery of King Herod's tomb at his large palace called the Herodium. It contained an eight story structure built on the top of a man-made mountain. At the base of the mountain was the largest swimming pool in the world. Not coincidentally Jesus was born just a few miles away in a Bethlehem cave a short time before Herod's death. Herod was the world's richest man who did everything on a large scale with the hope of being remembered as one of the greatest builders who ever lived. Jesus built on a smaller scale touching individual lives and forming a small and loving community. At last report Herod's buildings were in ruin and few remember him. Jesus is being celebrated around the world and his community still lives and grows. It seems that building relationships is more permanent then building monuments to ourselves in God's way of doing life.

DMac

Christian Carousel?

When I wrote to the evangelistic association as a teen to tell them that I had made a commitment to Christ, they kindly wrote back and gave me a gospel of John and some advice. They advised me to find a local church where the Bible was preached and to leave mine if the Word was not preached there. Sounded like good advice; the only problem is that it was not Biblical! One is hard pressed to find any evidence of "temple hopping" in the Hebrew Bible( there was only one!) and people did not" synagogue shop" in Galilee during Jesus' day. People understood that they were not a member of an organization which they could choose to join or leave; they knew that they were part of a community and that they would have to live and work out issues in that community. Not so today. People switch frequently (my church gains many folks this way). In fact I find the more "biblically based" people say
they are the more likely they are to consider switching communities. Perhaps they are more biblical but not in this case; Jesus would be amazed at their move and a bit disappointed as well.
dmac

Donor Insensitivity

I read alot in philanthropic fund raising materials about "donor sensitivity". This means that organizations work to make giving opportunities fit the donor's needs and desires. Essentially one tries to make giving very palatable to the giver. This puts giving at the service of the donor. I am sure this approach is popular with donors who then "call the shots "on the giving. However, I cannot see in the gospels that this is Jesus' approach. He is hardly considerate of the rich young ruler's desires. He is not very concerned about James and John's family business. He calls them to leave their Father. It appears that in matters of giving Jesus wants to make the calls and then we can decide whether or not to follow. I think Jesus understands one big thing that we often do not- that the possessions we "donate" actually belong to him anyway. He has been kind enough to let us borrow them. When he asks for a part of them back that's his call not ours!

Mustard Seeds and Megachurches

The mustard seed was about the smallest seed known to the world in the days of Jesus. Yet when Jesus wanted to talk about the Kingdom of Heaven he used the seed as a main metaphor to describe its nature and method of advancement. Me? I would have used something larger and more majestic. Shane Claiborne notes that Jesus did not compare the kingdom to the "cedars of Lebanon". I would have. Is not size the goal of the kingdom? Isn't bigger always better? Churches like mine seem to be built on those premises. If we are big then we are certainly in God's will. If we are big enough won't we be more attractive to the world? Apparently not, according to Jesus. The mustard seed is small and it spreads almost randomly, but the remarkable thing is that it is impossible to kill once it gets going --- like kudzu in Florida, notes Ray Vanderlaan. What might this mean for my church? Perhaps we could worry less about how big a splash we can make or how many we can assemble in the building and worry more about spreading acts of Christlike love in a random pattern-such as taking Christ everywhere we go!
DMac