DMac

The Best Laid Plans

2009-02-17T15:53:00.001-06:00

A week ago Sunday I made a to-do list with five significant items on it. The next Sunday the same list sat there in front of me; I had not done one thing on this important list. How does one explain this? Perhaps it was due to laziness but am usually energetic and compulsive enough to knock a few things off of the weekly list. Was it procrastination since I often hesitate and delay on important things out of some latent form of perfectionism? Actually it was neither of these. What happened was that my older brother died suddenly on that Monday. The important things on that list took a back seat to even more critical family matters. Two things occur to me. First, the most critical things in life are never tasks; the relational things are always bigger. Second, if only I had known my brother would be taken so soon, the lists of the last several weeks would have looked vastly different in my life. I would have called and travelled to visit him as well. In the midst of all of our important tasks it is good to remember our important relationships also.
DMac

The Great Garage Sale

2009-02-04T13:27:00.002-06:00

In a recent book, The Great Emergence, author Phyllis Tickle uses an analogy from an Episcopal bishop that I find helpful in these changing times. The Bishop noted that every five hundred years or so the church holds a "rummage sale" in which many of the church's practices are cleaned out. Five centuries ago the Roman Catholics saw the sale lead to the Reformation. Five centuries before that the church divided into East and West in the "Great Schism". Five centuries before that Gregory the Great led a massive change that resulted in the faith being preserved in monastic settings. And five centuries before that....? About 70 ad the Jerusalem temple was destroyed and Chritianity was spreading through homes throughout Asia Minor. Today, 500 years after the Reformation, the church is clearing its attics and parlors again. This can be very unsettling as practices, rituals, and interpretations are challenged, and in many cases, replaced. However, Tickle reminds us that the Faith not only survives these garage sales it grows and its influence expands. So right now our church may seem to be in pain. I am confident that these are birth pains of God doing something new and even better than what we seem to be losing.
DMac

Going Ahead

2009-01-28T13:17:00.002-06:00

One of the images that I have found most helpful in recent days is that of God going ahead of the Israelites in their escape from Egypt. The cloud led them by day and the fire led them by night. There was no question that God was with them in the plagues and Passover, but seeing God moving ahead of them might have seemed a new revelation. My recent trip to ancient Asia Minor reminded that God did this in the New Testament as well. I saw some of the 57,000 miles of road that the Romans built before Paul took his missionary journeys down those roads. God had used the pagan Romans to pave the way for the Gospel! In my recent family trials I can see how God has made a way for me ahead of time. My parents became ill in a month when my sermons were almost completely researched and I was even scheduled to be off a Sunday. There were almost no church crises and no funerals--very unusual for January. As I drove down I-37 I realized that not only were the roads paved --so was my schedule. God had given me extra time to spend with my parents. In those times I may not have always noticed God's presence but now I can see God was indeed there--way before I got there!
DMac

Mythbusters II

2009-01-20T14:03:00.002-06:00

Another myth exploded in my recent family crisis was the myth of the "prayerful person". I have always thought of myself as a prayerful person who is often in conversation with God. What I discovered in this crisis was that I was, in actuality, a person who prays when he thinks of it. I was surprised to find that prayer had not become second nature to me. Often in these days I found myself going to physicians and siblings before I went to God in prayer. I realize that God often speaks to us through the voice of others: I was just surprised that I made more room for the voice of others than I did for the voice of God. This is surely a result of the upheaval in my life yet it is a danger signal. Pastors and other Christians should be aware of the mistake which Adam and Eve made in the garden (according to Walter Brueggemann): they talked about God (to the snake) rather than WITH God. That being the case it is no wonder that I found myself so disoriented in the crisis. The good news is that God continues to want to be in conversation with me and that I am learning to make space for that conversation even in difficult and busy days.
DMac

Mythbusters I

2009-01-13T10:57:00.002-06:00

On New Year's weekend, both of my parents became ill and one was hospitalized. Over the last ten days my brothers and sisters have rotated responsibilities trying to help manage the situation. During this trying time I have learned a few things about myself including the dicovery of myths that I have been living by. The first myth I discovered while trying to assist one parent in the hospital while watching over the other one at home. I found that I could not be two places at once nor could I do things in a way that pleased me and the others involved. Surprisingly, I was surprised by this. Apparently I live in the myth of the "limitless self"-- the sense that I can do any and everything and keep everyone happy. The reality is that we were all created with limitations; even Jesus had to eat, drink, and sleep. Paul told the Philippians that he could do "all things" in Christ, but he did not say we should or even that he did. I believe he was pointing out that Christ's presence helped him cope in the midst of many trials. I am finding that to be the reality that keeps me going as my other myths fall apart.
DMac

2008:The Promise

2008-12-30T16:09:00.002-06:00

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

2008-12-19T15:37:00.002-06:00

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

2008-12-16T14:44:00.003-06:00

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?

2008-12-12T14:27:00.002-06:00

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

2008-12-09T19:08:00.002-06:00

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

2008-12-03T15:06:00.003-06:00

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

Thanksgiving I

2008-11-24T20:00:00.002-06:00

Iam thankful for so many things. I am thankful for my car so I can hurry from place to place and get more tasks done. Jesus had to walk and go more slowly through life. I am thankful for my corner office so I can get more accomplished without interruption. Jesus worked out in the open and people with problems came to him from everywhere. I am thankful for my four bedroom house in the suburbs so I can have my space. Jesus lived in a house with 12 disciples and Peter's extended family and had to learn life in community. I am thankful for my Ipod so I can fill my time with entertainment. Jesus had to live with more silence and pay attention to the thoughts in his head. I am thankful for all my Bibles at home and the office so I can always find God's Word. Jesus had no copy of the Bible; he had to memorize it and carry it in His heart . It seems that the things I value may actually serve to keep me from being like Jesus. Maybe I will make a new list for Thanksgiving.
DMac

The Limits of Learning

2008-11-18T13:53:00.002-06:00

This is the Celsus Library one of the most famous libraries of the ancient world. It was located in the ancient city of Ephesus, one of the most significant cities in all of the Roman Empire. Across the street, however, archaeologists have discovered a large brothel. It seems that having the collected wisdom of the day did not help the Ephesians live lives of real wisdom. Outside the city gates was the city dump. This dump did not house old tires or televisions; rather it was the site for infants to be dropped off to die fom exposure. As many as 500 infants might be left here at one time in this very educated prospreous city. Some, no doubt, born out of unions just across from the library. By the way, church tradition records that early Christians often came to the dump to rescue these babies. They also pooled their funds and bought slaves sold at the same gate to give them their freedom! I wonder if the the difference between the Ephesian pagans and their Christian counterparts may have been due in part to the reading material of the Christians. They were people of the Bible and their study led to actions that valued life and honored God.
DMac

Signs

2008-11-14T17:45:00.002-06:00

" Signs, signs, everywhere are signs...." goes the old song. Last night I was watching a game and after a player scored a touchdown he made a sign above his facemask. The referee flagged him for taunting even though, as the announcer pointed out, the ref probably did not know what the sign even meant! I agree with the ref; regardless of what the sign meant it probably served to separate the player from his opponents. Paul faced a church that specialized in separating themselves from others by claiming to follow different "apostles" like Paul, or Peter, or Apollos. Paul chastised the Corinthians and urged them to focus on what binds them together in unity--Jesus himself. I still see signs and bumper stickers 10 days after the Presidential elections. If it were in my power I would throw a flag on these folks and penalize them for harming the unity of our nation. Let us do all in our power to support the unity not only of our nation, but our church as well.
DMac

Refusing Guilt

2008-11-11T14:00:00.002-06:00

I love Erma Bombeck's take on guilt; she called it "the gift that keeps on giving". Experts identify two kinds of guilt: healthy (existential ) guilt and unhealthy guilt. Healthy guilt moves us to make positive changes in our behavior. For example I may feel guilty about what my consumption of gas is doing to the planet so I am moved to drive a more fuel efficient car and drive less. Unhealthy guilt is used to manipulate me to do what another person wants whether it would be good for either of us or not. So a person may try to make me feel like a "bad" pastor if I do not visit them or do something they want. One thing I note about Jesus is that he acted out of compassion and not guilt. This allowed him to do what was truly good for people whether or not they thought it was. How frustrating it must have been to people to find a person who they could not manipulate; but how much better did he make their world! A friend of mine talks about how he no longer "receives guilt" from people. They often get angry; but they often get healthier too! Today would be a good day to stop the gift of guilt from giving to us.
DMac

God's 401K

2008-11-07T14:33:00.003-06:00

I cringed when I opened my retirement statement last month. Some of my friends even refused to open their statements! I wonder what was God's retirement plan for God's people? I think it is found in the 5th commandment: "honor your father and mother". While many use this to encourage children to obey their parents ( I have done so myself), most scholars see this command indicating that children should care for their parents even when the parents can no longer contribute to the family's economic well-being. The aged should be valued for their life-long efforts and accumulated wisdom. Of course parents should live in a way that honors God and blesses their children. Trying to view this from a biblical perspective, I see three things: 1. Our society should repent of its fixation on youthfulness and move to value the elderly. 2. Parents, like me, need to live in ways that do not take away resources from our children- conserving energy resources and borrowing less would help. 3. We need to recover the biblical sense of community-- the issue is not our well-being individually, but rather the well-beingof all the members of the community. Ultimately there is no good retirement for any until there is retirement for all. That is a tall goal; can we take one step up to that in our lives?

the real speed of Change

2008-11-05T14:35:00.003-06:00

The time changed 5 days ago and my body still has not adjusted to the change. Often we hear of the rapid speed of change in our world. In many ways that is true; especially in the area of technology. But real substantive change, deep change takes much longer. I think of the Exodus, for example. It did not take God too long to get the slaves out of slavery in Egypt once the plagues began. However, the Bible indicates that it took 40 years to help the Israelites prepare to live in their new found freedom. That seems about right to me. Old bad habits and character issues take time to change in our lives. My best advice: Be patient with yourself while you are trying to change and be patient with others as well as they are growing to become who God is calling them to be.

Dmac

Bob Wills and Election Day

2008-11-03T10:11:00.003-06:00

There is way too much hype over the significance of this election for Christians. As a friend of mine who went to college in the 50's said years ago:"no matter who is in Austin Bob Wills is still the King!" Change the country singer to Elvis or even Kenny Chesney and the point is still the same. Elections may change things--but not that much. We serve a God who can never be voted out of office. Interestingly the Christian movement actually spread best and took over a continent (Asia Minor) while complete pagans were in office and killed any who dared not to worship them!

If the Roman emperors could not adversely affect our ability to live a life of faith and love and bless the world, then a Republican or Democrat in office will not derail us either!

Dmac

Halloween

2008-10-31T11:23:00.002-05:00

Many of my Christian friends refuse to celebrate Halloween. I understand their objection to its pagan origin and their fear of its ties to the occult. However, I celebrate that the church has moved in on this festival and has historically used Halloween as a time to poke fun at evil and to laugh in the face of the Evil One. Traditionally the day after Easter was a time the church would play tricks on each other to mark that God played a big trick on Satan on the cross. Satan thought he was rid of Jesus; he was not. Jesus grew more powerful after his death and resurrection. He is alive today and still as powerful! So go ahead dress up carry a broom or a pitchfork. Remember that in this world God will get the last laugh on evil. Halloween gives us a chance to laugh with God.
DMac

Back to the Future

2008-10-29T15:56:00.005-05:00

These are not good days for the institutional church. Interest in spirituality is up; interest in the church is declining.In the media Christian types are portrayed as homophobic, narrowminded and mean spirited. The media has enough anecdotal evidence of these traits to support their portrayal. I,for one ,propose that we give them no further ammunition. The early church was viewed as atheistic for not supporting the local gods. They were described as cannibals by those who misunderstood their Lord's Supper. The Romans even tried to destroy the church. However, within 150 years of Jesus former critics were coming to Christianity in droves. What happened? Many things but most notably people were won over by the love Christians had for each other (they shared posssesssions with each other) and by their love for the community (they shared possessions with the needy). One Roman official noted that they not only cared for their poor (the Christians) they cared for the Roman poor as well! If only that could be said about us as well.