Who Is The Customer?

I was asked this question on a recent blog posting, and needed to give it some thought before giving my answer. For those interested, here it is, from my perspective. Let’s start with answering that question in the reality of our world from a business perspective. Who is the customer? There are many different levels of ‘customer.’ To the manufacturers of the product (let’s stick with toothpaste as the product, as per last week’s blog), WalMart itself is the customer. Aquafresh markets to WalMart, not to the end user. For WalMart, the customer is the person who actually purchases the product. Mom comes along, and throws a few tubes of Aquafresh in the cart, takes them to the checkout, and buys them. In one sense, Mom is the customer. However, who is the end user, or consumer? Now the Aquafresh makes its way to the master bathroom, where Mom and Dad use it dutifully every morning. Another tube goes to the family bathroom, where the kids use it as well. And yet another tube goes to the guest bathroom, where it is only used occasionally. Mom is the customer, but so are the others: Dad, the kids, the guests, etc. One might call them residual customers, because although they didn’t actually make the purchase, they are using it and they are benefiting from it. So, in a spiritual sense, who is the customer in our churches? I believe the customer is the one who benefits. Let me be clear, we’re not hawking a product here. We’re sharing good news with people that can lead to a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ. If ‘good news’ is our ‘product,’ then, who benefits from us sharing it? God? One could say that our worship pleases God, but God is unchanging. God does not benefit from our worship of Him. He is, was, and is to come, regardless of what we do. Who benefits? I believe the people in the pews benefit from coming to church, praising God, hearing the Word, and being spiritually uplifted, challenged, encouraged, etc. They are, in that sense, ‘the customer.’ Who else? Those outside of the church who benefit because people in the church are sharing the love and mission of Christ. These are the residual customers; the end users. The husband who may not come to church regularly, but is blessed with a godly wife who influences him and the children. We may not see the results immediately, but there are residual benefits that are passed on to people outside of the church. I realize there are people who are thinking – IT’S NOT ABOUT WHO BENEFITS! IT’S NOT ABOUT WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME, WHAT I GAIN, ETC.! But isn’t it? I realize we are in worship for what we can give, and what we can offer to God in our praise and worship and submission of ourselves to Him. But the Bible is full of examples of Jesus teaching that coming to God results in benefits for those who come. Rest for the weary. Peace for the troubled. Eternal life for the lost. Relationship for the disconnected. Hope for the hurting. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. If that isn’t a benefit, I don’t know what is. Sunday mornings, I come to give and offer what I have and who I am to God. But God gives me abundantly more than I could ever give to Him. I forget who said it, Spurgeon perhaps: “I am simply a beggar who is telling other beggars where to find bread.” I’m not going to send them there and say, “but don’t expect to get anything for yourself out of this! There’s bread there in abundance, but it’s not for you!” Of course it’s for us, that’s why God sent Jesus into the world.

Marketer Created Preference

In my business classes in college, we studied the concept of a "Marketer Created Preference." Basically, this is when advertisers set a standard, or create an expectation (preference) for their product in a way that is self-serving. Examples abound in the consumer goods industry. Look at your average toothpaste commercial. The ad shows a swirl of toothpaste in the shape of an "S" on the toothbrush - about 3 times as much toothpaste as is necessary. If you put that much toothpaste on your brush (and many people do), most of it falls in the sink before it ever hits your mouth. Cha-ching! The more you waste, the more often you have to buy another tube of toothpaste, which means more money for AquaFresh, Crest, etc. Over a life time, if you buy toothpaste twice as often as you need to, that doubles their sales. If everyone does this, the increase in sales is quite significant. Shaving cream is another great example. Barbasol shows a man with enough shaving cream on his face to pose as Santa at the local shopping mall. It's absolutely unnecessary to have that much. But, in showing these quantities in their ads, the marketers 'create' the preference, and people blindly follow along, using their products in like manner. It's quite an interesting concept, and it works for marketers. Very well. Think of the products you use, and think about why you use as much as you do. Is it really necessary, or do you just do it because that's what the commercial/the box/the actor says you should do? So, how does this relate to the church? What 'marketer created preferences' exist in your church? What standards and expectations have you set? These aren't always bad things. You can create good, positive preferences for people, and guide them when they aren't sure how to use a certain product, and you can use church created preferences, for lack of a better term, to teach people how to live a Christian life. How often should a person read their Bible? Pray? Evangelize? Serve others? Are you, and others in your church, modeling a good standard for others to follow? On the flipside, are you wasting people's time by modeling ineffective behaviors and patterns that ultimately don't accomplish much? Just as many people trust advertisers and follow their lead, so do many people trust you, and follow your lead as a Christian. Set the standard high, and make a positive impact in the lives of those you lead!

STRESSED? Line Up the Usual Suspects

What are the usual suspects when it comes to stress? I believe there are 4 that 'line' up readily for most of us - Headlines, Deadlines, Lifelines, and Bottom lines.

1. Headlines - Reading the morning paper or watching the evening news can trigger unbelievable levels of stress, as we consider the common newsroom phrase "If it bleeds, it leads!" Sadly, this is all too true. So much tragedy, death, and destruction abounds in our world, and simply reading the Headlines every day can depress and stress us.

2. Deadlines - Too much of life is a race against time, trying to squeeze in every activity, for ourselves or others. Church responsibilities, family responsibilities, unexpected situations, etc. can take away so much time, and leave us scrambling to get done with the things we feel we need to accomplish.

3. Lifelines - Here I think of health and wellness issues, and relationships. How does our lifeline look? That call from the doctor regarding your last checkup, that last meal you ate that gave you heartburn, that anxiety over the growing numbers on the scale, etc. Problems in relationships - with God, with spouses, family members, friends, that idiot that cut us off in traffic - can cause unbelievable amounts of stress and worry.

4. Bottom lines - Financial issues, folks. Debt continues to grow, expenses continue to rise, and income continues to, well, not quite keep up. This happens personally, and in the church. Financial issues are one of the top issues that couples fight about, and are a common factor in divorces.

Think about what stresses you out. Does it fit into one of these 4 categories? Most of the time, my stressors fall squarely in one of them. There are no simple answers, but I do think that identifying what stresses us out can help. I also think that when we categorize them like this, it shows us that it is very common for these things to cause stress, and we can know we're not alone in battling anxiety in these areas. While there are no easy answers, I do believe that perspective is important. Paul writes in Philippians 4 some very compelling and challenging words that relate to all of these things:

Philip. 4:10-13 "I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last
you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you
had no opportunity to show it. [11] I am not saying this because I am in need,
for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. [12] I know what it
is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the
secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry,
whether living in plenty or in want. [13] I can do everything through him who
gives me strength."

What an amazing outlook! I used need to take a page or two from Paul's book when I start to worry about the things going on in my life. And I thought I was an optimist!

A Priest and a Rabbi walk into a bar...

Alright, I don't really have a good joke here. But maybe I should come up with one! That's the teaching from a workshop in England that focuses on training clergy to use the presentational skills of a stand up comic. Intriguing! Read on:

British clergy are seeking preaching tips from stand-up comedians. Not that
there's anything wrong with that. (rimshot)
In February, the annual Leicester
Comedy Festival introduced a new workshop to help clergy preach better. Leader
and comedian Andy Kind wants to make Christianity more accessible to average
people. The course focused on improving body language, voice modulation, and
overall performance skills. Kind wants to build the preachers' confidence and
self-awareness, while encouraging them to be engaging and
relevant.
"Christianity can be seen as something terribly serious, but Jesus
must have been a great laugh to have had such a following," Kind says. "He used
humor and so can we."

I agree with this, and think we could all use a little extra humor in our lives, and in our preaching and ministry. Of course, I've had many people tell me my ministry is nothing but a joke.... Not that we want to come across overly light-hearted, but I think too many pastors come across way too heavy-hearted and serious. We have a variety of tools at our disposal to communicate the Gospel. Humor is certainly one of them, and at the appropiate time, can be a very effective one.

Memory Almost Full

This is the title of Paul McCartney's latest album (Not that I like the Beatles! I just happened upon this press release), and it got me thinkin'

Paul McCartney says the inspiration for the title of his latest album, “Memory
Almost Full,” came from a phrase he saw on his cell phone. “It seemed
symbolic of our lives today,” the 65-year-old ex-Beatle said Monday. “Your
messages are always full. And your mind is always full. And it
doesn’t matter if you’re my age or 20, I think that we all need to delete stuff
every so often.”

For the first time, I’ve been inspired by the Beatles! Not from listening to their music, but from reading this article on McCartney’s latest release. It inspired my sermon for this week, which is from Philippians 3. I’m still doing a sermon series on Philippians (thanks Brett!) and this week’s teaching is focused on vs. 13: “But one thing I do, forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,…” I think this resonates with McCartney’s statement that we need to delete stuff. We need to let go of certain things from our past – baggage we’ve been carrying, negative attitudes, old grudges, sinful behaviors, etc. – and free up some room for the exciting new things that God wants to fill our lives with. Ready with the delete key, everyone!

The Numbers Game

What a great month it has been! We welcomed 6 new members into our fellowship last week, all but one by profession or reaffirmation of faith. 3 of them had been out of any church fellowship for the past 12 years, 1 of them is a recent convert, and 2 just moved to the area. We celebrate their commitment and welcome them to our congregation. As I updated our membership records, I started looking at the numbers, and what I saw surprised me. This year, we've added 10 new members. Last year, we added 23. That's very exciting! But, our average attendance is down from 127 to 117 over the last 2 years. We've had some deaths and some folks moved away, but not enough to account for 33 new people and 10 less in attendance! What gives? I looked at a listing of our regular attenders (those who are here at least twice a month). 180 people. And yet, our average attendance is 117. That means that 1/3 of our regular attenders miss on any given Sunday! Discouraging. However, I am encouraged that we have 180 people who are committed members and who attend regularly. This isn't a Christmas and Easter crowd, me and our PPR looked over our attendance and together came to the conclusion that we do have an active congregation of 180, yet our attendance is closer to 120. A few years ago, our regular attenders numbered closer to 150, so we do have 30 more than we did. Are people just less committed to attending worship than they were before? I'm really struggling to figure out this trend. Anyone else run into things like this?

A Lesson from Wal*Mart

When I started out in retail management, I worked for a Wal*Mart store in Richmond, VA. The next closest store was in Mechanicsville, about 20 miles away. The 'suits' in Bentonville decided to build a brand new Wal*Mart about 2 miles from our store. We were doing about $40 million a year in sales, and were quite distraught that a new store would be opening so close, 'stealing' all of our customers. Wal*Mart's philosophy was simple - if store A does $40 million a year in sales, we're limited to that. But if we build store B and generate $30 million in sales, and store A then does $10 million less than the previous year but still does $30 million, then Wal*Mart Corporation gets $60 million between store A and B, instead of only $40 million just from store A. They built the new store, and it affected our sales a little bit, but overall, we knew the company was doing better as a result of the new store.

At Bethany UMC, we're looking into starting a second service on Sunday mornings. Some folks are concerned that it will split the church into 2 groups who will no longer know each other, or that our 'main' worship service will lose people and we'll be smaller. But most people seem to be enthused about the idea and are hopeful that it will be a good thing for our church. They understand Wal*Mart's principle of growth, and are willing to sacrifice a bit of their familiarity for the prospect of reaching new people with the gospel. We're not growing like we think we can, so we are looking to try some new things to generate growth and reach more people.

Making an Exception

Typically, I'm pretty laid back, but I can be pretty anal retentive when it comes to certain things. One of those things involves premarital counseling for weddings. I have a marriage policy with fairly high standards, and I don't normally make exceptions to it. But I had a couple approach me back in May, in desperate need of a pastor to officiate at their wedding. They had no church affiliation, but had been planning their wedding for the past 18 months with an ordained clergy person from another denomination. Everything was in place, and 3 weeks before the wedding, this pastor told them he had to go to a conference that weekend, but he would find someone else to do their wedding. Long story short, he left them in the lurch, and they came to me through a member of my church. Normally I wouldn't perform a wedding with only 3 weeks notice and little time to connect with the couple or do adequate premarital counseling. But after hearing their story and seeing the need they had as a result of this unreliable pastor, I agreed to do the wedding if they would come to church at least for the few weeks remaining before the wedding, and come for premarital counseling with me. They did so, and I married them. Fast forward to September. This couple, AND the bride's parents, are now taking the membership class, getting involved actively in ministry, and are joining the church. On top of that, the groom got saved during this time period, as a result of seeing how God opened all of the doors necessary to help them get married in their time of need. I don't make exceptions often, and I'm not recommending that we as pastors relax our standards regarding premarital counseling, baptisms, weddings, etc. But in certain cases, there are some real opportunities to reach people and help them in a time of need, and I rejoice when things work out. Too many times, I feel people 'use' the church to get what they want, and then we never hear from them or see them again. Until the next time (baptism, funeral, etc. - you all know the drill!). This was one occasion, however, when the church met a need, and the people responded by being drawn to God. Praise God for this!

NewComers Class

We started our Fall NewComers class at Bethany this morning, and it went great! This is a 4 week class that we hold for people who are interested in joining the church. It's a great way for new people to get to know each other, and to get to know about the mission, vision, and ministries of our church. The class members really responded well to everything today, and I am looking forward to guiding them through this and welcoming them into our fellowship in October. What kind of things do all of you do for new people, and for those who are looking to join the church? I started requiring this class for people at my last church, and here at Bethany, and it has really been a good thing.

Balaam's Ass

Have you ever decided on a certain course of action, perhaps even being convinced that it was God's will, only to find that obstacle after obstacle presented itself? For every door that opens, 2 more close. I guess it is still just learning how to discern the will of God, rather than our own human will. Balaam set out on a course of action, and thanks to his ass (meaning donkey, all you members of the explicit content control board!) he was prevented from pursuing it in his own way. Three times Balaam attempted to get his ass in gear, so to speak, and three times he was thwarted in his attempt. At last his eyes were opened, and he could clearly see that God was really the one preventing him from moving forward, until Balaam approached things from God's perspective, not his own. I know there have been times in my life where I have tried very hard to move things forward, or to try something that I truly believed God was leading me to, only to find the path blocked over and over again. It takes awhile, but I finally come to the realization that either my motives aren't right, or the timing isn't right, (or it's just a hare-brained idea to begin with!) or for reasons unbeknownst to me, God isn't leading this one- I am. It is a lesson for me to make sure I realign myself with His will, not my own. Next time you think someone is being an ass, maybe you should be thankful for them! They could be keeping you out of trouble.

Just A Few Questions

This is the title and lyrics of a song by Clay Walker (yes, country music!).

How in this world can we put a man on the moon,

And still have a need for a place like St Jude's?

And why is one man born,In a place where all they know is war?

An' a guy like me, Has always been free.

An' how can two people who built a lovin' home,

Try for years an' never have a child of their own?

When somewhere out there tonight,

There's a baby no-one's holdin' tight:

In need of love. To me, that don't add up.

But I wasn't there the day you filled up the oceans.

I didn't get to see you hang the stars in the sky.

So I don't mean to second guess you,

Or criticise what I don't understand.

These are just a few questions I have.

An' why did my cousin have to die in that crash?

A good kid, only seventeen, I still wonder 'bout that.

It seems unfair to me,

Some get the chance to chase their dreams,

An' some don't.But what do I know?

Why do I feel like you hear these prayers of mine.

When so many oughta be ahead of me in line?

When you look down on me,

Can you see the good through all the bad?

These are just a few questions I have.

I share some of these questions myself, but the biggest ones definitely involve children. Why is child abuse so prevalent? How can God possibly allow child pornography to even exist? Why do children get cancer, or get abducted, mistreated, molested, etc.? I know of a couple right now who are on the verge of divorce. The wife has prayed so much for things to improve, but they've only gotten worse. Where is God in this? Is it not in His will for us to have healthy marriages, and not to divorce? Why then, do so many prayers appear to go unanswered? I'll post some theological questions later that I wrestle with, in addition to these every day life issues. These are just a few questions I have.

Salvation for Young and Old - what about in between?

I had the opportunity this past week to share the gospel and pray with 2 individuals, both of whom prayed to receive Christ. I rejoice in this, and look forward to seeing how life will change, at least for one of them. The title of this post mentions young and old, because that's what these 2 individuals are. One is a 15 year old girl, and the other is an older man on his deathbed. The young girl is facing a very difficult and traumatic time in her life. She has just been diagnosed with cancer, has been cutting herself and using drugs, has alienated many of the people close to her, and her parents are going through a divorce. She called me out of the blue to talk to me about her life (she is from one of my former churches), and I encouraged her to talk to her mother about the drugs and the cutting, and I encouraged her to talk to God and her pastor about some of the other things going on in her life. She didn't know how to talk to God (or her mother, for that matter!), and I tried to give her some guidance on both counts. I firmly believe in the transforming power of the gospel, but I'm not one to hear a tragic story such as hers and simply respond by tellling her to get saved and everything will be ok. I listened, and tried to help her with some of the issues she was facing, and she later asked me how to get saved and asked me to pray with her. Now I hope that God will help her get her life turned around somehow, and shine some light into her darkened world. I feel good that she has connected with God, but I feel horrible for her that all of her problems are still there. She did talk to her mom, and her mom flipped out on her (from a teenager's perspective, anyway). So, I don't know what type of hope to offer her other than a listening ear and continued prayer. I called her current pastor and talked to him about her situation, and he is aware of it and is doing what he can to help. It's just exceedingly complicated on many different levels. At any rate, my post is about her desire to pray and talk to God. The other instance was an older man who is very near death. He also asked me to come and pray with him. He wanted to pray for peace and assurance, knowing that his final days are fast approaching. In my ministry, I have found that youth are very open to God, and that older people (especially in situations of bad health, impending surgeries, etc.) are very open to God. I think the reasons are obvious. But people from age 25-65 are not typically as open as youth and older folks (and that's a pretty big age range!) What are the connection points that we can make with people who are pretty much self-supporting and able to make it on their own two feet? I do have a lot of committed, faithful, middle-aged people in my church. But most of them made those commitments in their youth. Anyone have any positive experiences with leading middle aged folks to God?

Quotable Quotes, Part 3 - My All Time Favorite!

"Jeff, I agree." -Keith McIlwain

The Secret Identity of Eric Park

Batman is really the entreprenuerial millionaire Bruce Wayne. We know that Superman's altar ego is the mild-mannered Clark Kent. Ladies and Gentleman, I have discovered the Secret Identity of the Pewboy, Eric Park. Check out the website here: http://ericpark.highroad.org/

Polished, preaching pewboy by day, manufacturer of "Gen-u-Wine bottleneck guitar slides" by night! Eric, what exactly is a Gen-u-Wine bottleneck guitar slide?

Quotable Quotes, Part 2

"Fear is the most powerful of all thoughts with one exception, and that one exception is faith. Faith is the one thing against which fear cannot stand. Day by day, as you fill your mind with faith, there will ultimately be no room left for fear. This is the one great fact that no one should forget: Master faith and you automatically master fear." -Norman Vincent Peale
This is from "The Power of Positive Thinking" and it is a truth that has helped me through many a fearful challenge. I don't know why I am prone to be fearful and filled with worry over things, but I am. I often need to remind myself that my faith (in Christ) is much stronger than my fears. "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world." This NVP quote above is one thing that I use, but I also often recall the promises of Scripture as well. I just like the way this quote is worded.

Quotable Quotes, Part 1

"All boats rise with the tide." This doesn't sound very profound at first read. It's the context in which they were spoken that makes them powerful words for me. I don't know who first said this quote. I heard it from a professional speaker named Jim Snack, and he said them when he was explaining his philosophy on helping others. Jim is a phenomenally successful professional speaker and magician, and he is also very down to earth and willing to go above and beyond to help other people succeed in whatever they set out to do. When I complimented him on his positive influence and selflessness, he responded with the above quote. In other words, by helping others, he raises the bar of what professionalism is, and in so doing, the entire industry (in his case, speaking and magical entertainment) is enhanced. We in the church would be wise to follow this idea as well, both those behind the pulpit and those in the pews. Helping others with our ideas, sharing what books have influenced us, inspiring with personal testimonies, encouraging with mutual accountability, and even challenging with a good swift kick in the pants when necessary (in a loving manner!). What can you do to raise the bar in your area of influence? Who can you help in some special way, noticed or unnoticed? What are you giving back? Are you helping others to rise, or are you bringing others down? Food for thought for today. More formational quotes to come...

You Can't Change the Weather...

Vacation last week. Jersey shore. Beach. Boardwalk. Fun in the sun. Problem? No sun! It rained the entire 3 days we were there, and it brought up for me the old saying: "You can't change the weather, so you may as well change your attitude about the weather!" We changed out attitude and had a great time anyway. But it got me thinking. We can't change or control the weather. Can we change or control the culture, and the church's place in it? How do we cope with a changing culture, where the church loses ground year after year? Not just in membership, attendance, and giving, but in societal importance. In the previous generation, the church was often the meeting place for the community. Sometimes people went for worldly reasons (business contacts, to uphold their family's good name, etc.), but for whatever reason, the church had a higher esteem in the minds and hearts of a community. This has changed radically in recent years. No more blue laws that keep stores closed on Sundays. Coaches often schedule practices and games on Sundays, which was, for the most part, unheard of even 10 years ago. People have less disposable time, so it's hard enough for many to make time for worship on Sunday mornings, let alone Wednesday evening Bible Study or a Saturday outreach. So what do we do as a church? Do we go along with society, and expect less of our members? Do we shorten our Bible studies and outreaches, and just accept that people will choose the soccer field over the sanctuary if the coach says so? Or do we not change our ways at all, and just insist that people prioritize God (as I believe they should, but realistically, many no longer do) and continue to do things the way we always have? When the culture passes the church by in the fast lane, how does the church remain the church, yet still keep up and stay relevant?

Paul - Traditional or Contemporary? Yes!

"I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings."
In reading this passage, I've wondered if Paul was being two-faced. Did he act like a Jew around Jews, a weakling around weaklings, a strong person around tough guys, a skin headed, guitar-strummin' pyromaniac around Brett Probert, etc.? What gives with Paul's chameleonlike tendencies in this scripture? I've come to believe that Paul wasn't misrepresenting himself or being deceitful in his identity. I believe that Paul was building on the common ground that he had with whoever he came into contact with. Paul was, in fact, a Jew. So around Jews, he could connect on that level, and then bring in his perspective on Christ and the gospel. With those who are weak, Paul could connect as one who has weaknesses (don't we all?), and with those not under the law, Paul could connect as one who is no longer under the law, but as one who now lives under the Law of Christ, and can share that with people. The title of this post focuses on traditional or contemporary, and I think Paul would say "yes" if asked which was better. Both have their value, and both can connect with different people in different ways. I think the concept of entertainment in worship is also something that Paul would say 'yes' to, as long as it was done appropriately and 'for the sake of the gospel.' It's not where you start, it's where you finish. I'm glad we have different types of churches and different styles of worship, because there are so many different kinds of people in the world, and one worship style wouldn't work for all of them. What is important is not the style of worship, but the focus of worship. As long as the focus is on Christ, and as long as the gospel is being offered, then the video clips, praise choruses, hymns, liturgies, etc. are all the icing on the cake. Are we so set in our ways that we can't change or be open to new expressions of worship, or are we willing to be all things to all, in the hopes of saving some?

To Hell with the Devil

Prince or Prisoner? What is Satan's place in Hell going to be? I always used to see Satan as the Overlord of Hell, similar to Hades, the god of the Underworld in Greek Mythology. Gary Larson often depicted Satan in Far Side cartoons as the one in charge of Hell, and it is a common conception in our culture. Is it the correct one, though? I don't find Biblical evidence for this understanding of Satan. He is referred to as the god of this age in 2 Cor. 4:4, and as an angel of light in 2 Cor. 11:14. In Job, we see him with access to God and able to wreak havoc on the earth. But what is Satan's fate? Will he be living it up in Hell for eternity, torturing the souls of those he has deceived? I don't believe the Bible teaches this concept. I think it is taken from Greek mythology, some classical literature, and pop culture, but it doesn't come from the Bible. Here is what the Bible says regarding Satan's future, in Revelation 20 -

"And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss
and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that
ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan and bound him for a thousand
years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him,
to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were
ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. ... When the
thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go
out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth... But fire came
down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them,
was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false
prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever
and ever.

What do you think? Is Satan the Prince of Hell, or is he a Prisoner?

Cult of Personality

I decided to take this test that everyone is posting about, and discovered that I am an ISFP. I know from similar inventories that I am a peacemaker, I avoid conflict like the plague, and I am more people-oriented than task-oriented. I find these things helpful in ministry because it helps me to see my strengths and weaknesses as they relate to myself and to others. Check out your profile at mypersonality.info!

The Sound of Music

Last week I preached a sermon about the place of music in worship and life. We explored the Psalms as they demonstrate the highs and lows of human emotion, and we looked at how Jesus and His disciples sang a hymn together before setting out for the Mount of Olives and the upcoming crucifixion. To introduce the feeling of how music can inspire us and give expression to our feelings, I played a track from Jeff Kahl's recently released CD, "Glory". There are 1o songs, 7 of which are self composed, all of which are stirring, inspirational, and uplifiting. I've had several people from my church request copies of his CD, so I'm busy burning them this week. Just kidding! Actually, I asked Jeff how to get more, and he is going to send me some to offer (only $10) to those who are interested. This is not a sales pitch, just a post to make you aware of an awesome new collection of excellent piano music for anyone who is interested. It also made for a great intro into my sermon, and I've used it as background music for powerpoint shows as well. What creative ways have some of you incorporated music in your worship services?

Off to Camp!

Tomorrow I head off to Camp Allegheny for my annual excursion into the wilderness. Extended Horse Camp. Wild animals. And I'm not talking about the horses! 49 teenagers will converge for 7 days of fun, fellowship, and oneness with our Creator. It's up to me and 8 counselors to keep them in all in line, and direct them in their relationship with God. It's actually my 7th year of deaning this camp, and I have a great time. The kids are wonderful, and it is a great opportunity to lead them closer to God. It has been a great responsiblity to have such a large camp, but it is also a great privilege to reach so many lives over the years and to share in the development of these youth. Please be in prayer for the campers, the staff, and myself as we seek to connect with God in a special way at Camp Allegheny.

Always Singing One Note

“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 the saints – the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you.” -Colossians 1:3-5
In a recent sermon I shared the story of William Tyndale, a pastor from the 1500s who was passionate about translating the Bible from Greek and Hebrew into English, so the common people of England, Scotland, and other English-speaking countries would be able to read the Bible for themselves. His passion was met with great resistance, because the religious hierarchy of the time, sadly, did not want to give up the power they felt they had over the common people. Eventually, Tyndale did make a translation of the New Testament, but he was executed shortly afterwards, and it wasn’t until years later, 1611, that the King James Version was authorized and put into print. In William Tyndale’s lifetime, however, he made great strides in helping people understand the grace of God that was available to them through a relationship with Jesus Christ. It was said of him throughout his life that he always sang one note – that note being that people needed the Bible to be translated into language they could understand, so that they could know of God’s grace through Christ. This was his passion, this was his life’s purpose, and this was the ‘one note’ that he always sang. It made me think about what my ‘one note’ might be. What is my passion, my life’s purpose, my constant thread in my preaching, in my thought patterns, and in my life? Now that the Pittsburgh Steelers have ‘one for the thumb,’ I can finally start focusing on something else as my passion in life! Seriously, what is my passion? What is my ‘one note’ that I want to get across more than anything else? In a word, hope. Paul says it in Colossians 1:5 (see above), and I say it as often as I can as well. There is so much darkness in the world, there is so much tragedy, there is so much bad news out there, and yet in the midst of it all, always, there is hope. There is hope for this life, that there will be better days ahead. There is hope for this world, that we can leave it a better place for our children and grandchildren. And, thankfully, there is hope for us all when we pass from this life into the next. All hope is found in Jesus Christ. Our hope for our lives, our hope for our world, and our hope for our eternal soul. Hang on to hope! Always hang on to the hope that Jesus Christ is with you, and that His love and His power is stronger than anything the world may put in your path. Remember, too, Paul’s words about what hope. Hope is a spring from which love and faith abundantly flow. Do you have hope? Do you let your love and your faith flow out of the hope that God has stored up for you in heaven? Paul writes elsewhere of faith, hope, and love, and he makes it clear that the greatest of these is love. Here in Colossians, however, he makes it clear that love springs forth out of hope. Keep your hope alive in Jesus Christ, and He will see you through. What is your 'one note'?

Hook, Line, and Sinker, Sucker!

I believe I've been taken again, thanks to my overly optimistic desire to trust people. A man showed up at my house today (conveniently, or not so, located right next door to the church) with a seemingly sincere tale of woe, and a desperate need for some cash to get him safely on the road to join his ailing family member, etc., etc., etc. Well, sucker that I am, I gave him some $ and gave him a ride to where he needed to be, with many assurances from him that he would be back to repay me for my kindness in his time of need. Well, I like to believe the best in human nature, so, although I doubted I'd ever see him again, I hoped that he would live up to his word. Surprise above all surprises, he did indeed come back later to repay me! When he walked up to the house the second time and said that he had come to pay me back, I was utterly floored and beginning to praise God for this genuine display of appreciation. (I have helped people before, and NEVER been repaid, but for some foolish reason, I continue to help people in apparent need). So I was amazed and pleased that finally I had helped someone who genuinely needed help, and here they were, back on their feet again, and ready to repay me! Wow! Well, not quite. He pulled out a checkbook, and prepared to write me a check for the amount I had given him, PLUS an extra $ amount that he wanted me to give him additionally right then, to help him get something else taken care of that he needed that night (Sunday, no banks open), and I could cash the check tomorrow and be paid back in full for my generosity. Well, at that point, I was onto the game, and my earlier joy at thinking that here was a genuine person in need came crashing down to reality as I realized that he had duped me once, thought I must be an easy mark, and was now trying to get even more from me. At this point I told him I had helped him all that I could, and didn't have anything else to give him. He insisted on writing a check for the amount I had given him earlier, and I had him write it out to my church, but when he gave it to me, I saw that it was a starter check (no name or address), and I'm confident that it is as rubber as he is crooked. I can't win in these situations, because if I help someone, I can't help but fear that I might have been swindled. And if I don't help someone, I can't help but fear that I might have turned Jesus away in a time of genuine need. Either way, I feel guilty and unsettled whenever this type of situation occurs. The words that guide me are those of the dear grandmother of my DS in seminary, who always lived by this mantra: "Better that I give and they not need, than that they need and I not give." I try to live by these words, but still have a bitter taste from the overwhelming evidence that most of the time someone asks for a handout, they really don't need it.

Grace and Gunfire

My daughter Gabby is returning home from a mission trip to Detroit, sponsored by YWAM Pittsburgh. They are returning a few days early due to a harrowing and dangerous situation in which, by the grace of God, no one was hurt. She spent the first week at 'missions boot camp' at the YWAM center, working on skits, songs, and street evangelism training. Monday, 3 groups of 50 kids and 24 staff piled into vans and cars and made the trip to Detroit, where they would be doing street evangelism. It has been an eye opening and life changing experience for Gabby, for which we are very thankful. However, it was potentially very dangerous on Tuesday, as one of the groups (thankfully, not Gabby's) was witnessing to what they later found out was a street gang. A rival gang drove up in a van and started shooting at the gang that the YWAM kids were witnessing to. By the grace of God, no one was hurt, but the gang in the van then held everyone up at gunpoint and robbed them of all of their cash, not to mention their sense of safety and well-being. After that experience YWAM pulled out of the Detroit area and returned to Pittsburgh to continue their mission work there. I am so relieved that no one was hurt (this time), but at the same time, my heart breaks for the people who can't simply pack up and pull out of Detroit, or New York City, or even certain areas of Pittsburgh. People live with the reality that bullets could fly through their neighborhoods at random. How sad that even when the light of Christ tries to penetrate into a darkened area, Satan's strongholds can dim the light. Hopefully Christ, through YWAM, was able to make a lasting difference in the short time they were there. Remember in prayer those who live each day in unsafe areas, and those who try to bring hope to the dark places in our world.

Happy 4th of July!

We just returned from an outstanding (albeit, short) fireworks display at Idlewild Park. Anything that can keep a 3, 5, and 6 year old boy quiet and focused for any length of time is a wonderful thing in my book! My boys loved it, and had a great time listening to the music and watching the fireworks. As an added bonus, Idlewild has a magic show on the main stage this year which we also got to see tonight, so it was a great night for me! It was an amazing array of sight and sound, with the bright lights and the big booms, escalating into the grand finale to close the show. So where is the spiritual significance? I don't know that there was any, but it did get me thinking. We need to celebrate more. We need to find happy events and special occasions, and mark them in our minds and in our lives with a celebration. When were you baptized? When did you accept God's grace and welcome Jesus Christ into your life? When did you overcome a struggle, or accomplish something that made you (or someone else) feel special? When did you feel God at work in or through you in a special way? Mark an occasion! Buy yourself a vase of flowers, or a balloon bouquet, and celebrate! Send someone else a greeting card and let them know that you celebrate their friendship, or something else about them. Celebrate, share some joy in this world, and give God the glory!

New Park = New Opportunity!

Our community just put in a playground about 6 blocks from our church. We take our boys there to play, and I started thinking of ways to use this as an opportunity for outreach. For the past few years, Jeff Bobin has brought in people to the Conference Center to teach how to make balloon animals. While some may look at this as childish, I see it as a way to make a connection point for people. Yesterday I took my bag of balloons, printed up a bunch of stickers with our church name and website and "Balloons from Bethany UMC!" on them, and decided to see what would happen. It was amazing! The second I started on the first balloon, I had a line of kids waiting with their parents. As I blew up the balloons and made the animals for each child, I asked their name, and shared with the parents who I was and what church I was with, and told them there was information on the sticker about our church if anyone was interested. I ran out of balloons just when the last kid came forward, so I was able to make one (or two, there were a few popped balloons along the way!) for everyone. Then as I was sitting down watching my kids play afterwards, it was easy to talk to some of the parents who were sitting there and engage in conversation about church, ministry, and family. Yesterday was the first, but certainly not the last time I will be doing this. I bought more stickers to print, and I need to get to the party store for more balloons!

Living Prayer

This past spring I taught a class for our District Lay Speaking School, and as our material we used "The Workbook of Living Prayer" by Maxie Dunnam. This is a wonderful source to use for anyone who would like to deepen their prayer life and learn different ways to approach God as well as to hear from God. I also read "Prayer: does it Make a Difference?" by Philip Yancey during this same time period, and together, those books helped to rejuvenate my prayer life and help me come to a MUCH greater understanding of how to "pray continually." Living prayer involves being in tune with God in an almost constant conversation with Him throughout the day. This is certainly not easy to do, and I am not even close to fully grasping how to live in such a way. But I'm much closer than I was before I read these two books and started experimenting with the different methods and practices the authors recommend. I like the way Philip Yancey summarizes prayer in one particular chapter of the book: 1. Keep it Honest. 2. Keep it Simple. 3. Keep it Up. There's a nice 3 point sermon for those who are looking for one on prayer!

"GIVE GOD THE GLORY."

Perhaps one of the most inspiring moments for me on my recent trip to England was when I saw John Wesley’s grave. This amazing man lived to be 87 years old, which was certainly a ripe old age in those days. As I reached out and my fingers came into contact with the cold stone memorial, I thought of all that John Wesley accomplished in his lifetime, and I was grateful to him for the life he lived and the foundation which he laid for us to build on as we continue to reach people for Christ through the United Methodist Church. I spent a moment reflecting on him, and thinking of what a great man he was. Then I walked around his grave and read the inscription on it, and was humbled by these words at Wesley’s resting place: “READER, if thou art constrained to bless the INSTRUMENT, GIVE GOD THE GLORY.” In other words, if anyone who is reading the accomplishments of John Wesley, and is inclined to think what a great man he was, Wesley’s memory says, don’t. Don’t think of the man, the instrument that God used, instead, give God the glory for using Wesley to accomplish His purposes.
In our churches today, we place a lot of emphasis on what preacher we have, what programs we develop, and on which person is doing what. All of those are important things, but they pale in comparison to the Almighty God we serve. We are tools in the Master’s hands, allowing Him to work in and through us for His purposes. May we look at our own lives in such a way that we let God use us as He will, and whether He chooses us for great things or small, may we always give God the glory! As though speaking beyond the grave, Wesley reminded me once again that it is not about us, it is about the God whom we serve. Give God the glory!

Dads and Grads

Today we showed appreciation for two special groups of people in our congregation - dads and grads. For the graduates, I wanted to do a little bit more than what we typically do, which is to call them to the front, present them with a gift (usually one of the 'devotions for graduates' books that they seldom if ever read - I still have mine from 17 years ago, and have never finished reading it!), say a prayer for them, and applaud as they take their seats. It's nice to recognize them and do all of that, but I've always thought we could do a little more to make it more memorable and meaningful. So, this year I asked their families to send me photos of each graduate, and I compiled the pictures into a powerpoint slide show, with "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts as background music. It went VERY well, and gave the congregation a glimpse into the lives of the graduates from childhood through high school. The goal was to send them off to wherever God is leading them with the blessings and affirmation of their home church, and to encourage them to remember where the roots of their faith took hold. I think we accomplished this admirably, and thank God for the inspiration for this addition to our worship service today. For Father's Day, I preached on Ephesians 6:1-4, specifically vs. 4 - "Fathers, do not exasperate your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." I shared how my own father had brought up me and my siblings in such a way, and highlighted some of the lessons we learned from him. Then I shared how those very lessons that my dad taught us, had been taught to him (and everyone else) in the Scriptures, and we looked at some of the important 'training and instruction' lessons from the Bible. A very touching and special service today, and one which I hope will draw people closer to God as our Father in Heaven.

Delegate, Delegate, Delegate!

It is SO hard for me to delegate. But, it is so rewarding and beneficial on so many levels whenever I do. In the past 6 weeks, I spent a week and half in England, was back in the pulpit for a Sunday, then took a week's vacation to celebrate our 10th anniversary, then was back in the pulpit for another Sunday, then went off to Annual Conference for a week. Needless to say, I haven't been in the office much since, well, April. This Saturday we have a HUGE event at our church, our 4th Annual Community Day Festival and Flea Market. This Festival is a great outreach to our community, and we typically get a lot of response from families in the area. The Flea Market is a great fundraiser as well. For contact information, we always have a number of door prizes to give away, and people have to fill out a registration card to be eligible for the drawing. That is a great incentive for people to give us their contact info so we can follow up with them later, and it astronomically multiplies the number of registration cards that we get. A great tip for those who are looking for a way to get people to fill out contact cards at any event your church offers! Now back to my post. With me being gone so much over the past 6 weeks, I neglected to leave someone in charge of setting up the flea market this week. So when I returned to the office on Tuesday, our fellowship hall was piled high with items for the sale, and nothing was in place to arrange, price, and organize the items on the tables. Now my first response to a situation like this one is always to think of how I can organize my own time so I'll personally have enough time to come in, set up the tables, arrange the items, and price and organize them all. I planned on setting aside the entire day to do this. Then I thought to myself (in one of those rare moments of productive thought) - "I could spend hours doing all of this, or I could spend a few minutes on the telephone, swallow my pride over my neglect of this important aspect of our event, and ask a few others to come in and help me with it." I got on the phone, and an hour later, some of the wonderful people of Bethany UMC came together and by the end of the afternoon, EVERYTHING was priced, arranged, and organized perfectly. I spent a little time at the beginning getting them organized, suggesting how to lay out the tables and arrange things by category, then I was able to go back to the office and catch up on a load of things that had accumulated while I was away at AC. It gave the people of the church an opportunity to use their gifts of service, it gave me a chance to work side by side with them for awhile rather than trying to do it all on my own, and it then gave me a chance to get done with some other important things that needed to be done. Hopefully I'll remember this lesson the next time I need to!

Re-Opening an old debate: Why not?

Here we go, Keith. Let's pop open this can of worms again and see who's biting. This Sunday our church is celebrating Dads and Grads (and honoring God as well, of course!). For the Graduates, I have put together a musical power point show using pictures from their pasts - from infant and toddler pics to their Senior year graduation pics. Now for the can of worms part - I'm playing "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts as the background for the slide show. During a worship service. (gasp!) This will be early in the service, before we really get into the flow of worship, hymns, liturgy, etc., but it does take place during the worship service. I am doing it because I think it is a great song, and very appropriate for the setting in which I'm using it. It even mentions God's grace, so there you go! But, it's a country song, not a Christian/church song by any stretch. It is another example of my attempts to be relevant to the people in our pews, many of whom listen to country music. It's also an opportunity for our church to honor the achievements of these bright young individuals as they mark this milestone in their lives. I pray that in that, God is honored as well.

Annual Conference Afterglow

I always look forward to Annual Conference, and am always disappointed when it's over and we have to wait another year to get together again on such a grand scale. By far the biggest highlight for me is getting to see all of my friends and colleagues. A very close second is getting to meet the new people that are either coming in to the conference, or just new to me because I haven't met them before. I definitely enjoy the people aspect of AC. The legislation and voting, well, not so much. Every year I take home an overall impression that often sets my direction for the summer and even into the fall. Two years ago I was incredibly inspired by the (at that time) new Bishop, particularly his opening sermon when he took off his robe, put down his staff, came down off the stage (and, symbolically, the pedestal I had placed the office of "Bishop" on for years), and became a partner in ministry with us, while still being veiwed as our leader. Last year, the whole Believe Again! plan served as inspiration to me, and my summer sermon series was based on the "Find Your Path, Share the Journey, Believe Again!" concept, and I later preached on the 5 goals of the plan as well. This year, I'm not sure what I'm taking home with me. I think part of it has to do with the 'politics' of a voting year, which, for me, takes away from the spiritual emphasis of AC, no matter how hard we try to prevent that. While I was impressed with Dr. Vance Ross and thoroughly enjoyed (and was, at times challenged by) his preaching, I did sense an agenda in his presentations that took away from the spiritual aspect that I think would have been more prevalent had the agenda not been there. But, I realize that he was probably doing what he had been brought in to do, and this being an election year for us, I anticipated that our focus would be different. So, what did I come away with this year? First of all, I came away with a renewed sense of relationship - with my fellow pastors (many of you on the blogosphere!), with the probationers and ordinands who it has been my privilege and pleasure to work with, and with God whom we serve. Secondly, I came away with greater confidence in the democratic process of our AC. So often people get caught up in 'politicking' or championing their cause or their candidate, and we fail to see the hand of God at work through the people who make up our AC. I believe we saw God working this week through our process. Finally, I came away with a renewed hope and sense of calling. This comes primarily through ministry night and the ordination service, both of which I sometimes consider skipping due to the length, but which I am glad I attended because of the inspiration and experience of sharing in ministry, affirming the ministries of others, and celebrating together the high calling which God has chosen to place upon us. May we look forward to the year ahead with the anticipation and the challenge of living out that calling in ways that bring honor and glory to the One who has called us.

Refuse to Settle for Less

Many people are familiar with the Biblical account from Genesis 12:1-5 and following. Does the Scripture reference ring a bell for you? It is the Call of Abram, and it is an inspiring (and challenging!) text to read as we consider the ways God calls us in our own lives. What I found interesting about this in a recent study came not in the Genesis 12 text, but in the preceding verses from chapter 11. "Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there. Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Haran." Two key 3 word phrases stand out to me - First, Terah set out to "go to Canaan." Secondly, when they came to Haran, "...they settled there." It makes me pause and wonder - did God place a call in Terah's life to go to Canaan and find the Promised Land, but somewhere along the way, Terah got comfortable and decided to 'settle' in Haran? He isn't condemned for this or spoken ill of, and his story largely gets forgotten in the light of what God did through Abram. But for me, it begs the question - Did Terah settle for less? Here then, is the question for us - are there things God has called us to do that we start out doing, but along the way, we stop and settle for less? What things, great or small, does God purpose to do in or through us, but because we choose to settle for less, God must accomplish through someone else? Let's refuse to settle for less, and to pursue the fulfillment of God's purposes in our lives as we live our lives for His glory! (Not that I do this as much as I should either, but let's keep moving on to perfection!)

Marketing, Magic, and Ministry

Much of what I do in ministry is influenced by my interests in magic and marketing. In one classic sleight-of-hand book, "Strong Magic," the author makes the point that in advertising, marketers exaggerate the feature(s) of their product that they want consumers to notice. Think of the recent pizza ad where one of the men has a huge nose and comments on the smell, another has huge eyes and says "look at the cheese," and the last guy with big ears says, "that sounds good!" The new Subway commercial shows two people ordering at a fast food drive-thru, and the items they order are such things as a double chin, thunder thighs, and a bedonk-a-donk butt. The caption is, "What are you really ordering?" Good marketers help the consumer to focus on the real features of the product, and they use various methods, such as exaggeration, to highlight those features. (What feature of the glue is being emphasized in the picture?) I use magical routines in order to point people to different Biblical truths and teachings, and I'm sure that different people have different ways of getting people's attention and leading them to truth (Keith puts Led Zeppelin lyrics on his marquis - great idea!). My question for everyone is this: If you were putting together an ad to accentuate the features of your church that you want people to notice, what features would you highlight? What characterizes your church and your ministry? What real needs does your ministry meet in the lives of people, and how can you show that to them? Can you come up with 3 features that are unique to your ministry?

Finding God's Presence

Earlier this month I was privileged to fly to England with the incoming class of Ordinands, the Bishop, and others from our Conference. It was an outstanding experience, one that I will treasure for years to come. I can't tell you how many sermon illustrations I took home with me! But I will share one here. Part of me expected to experience the presence of God in a special way as I entered the ancient cathedrals where saints and sinners throughout the centuries have bowed before God and worshipped Him. Or maybe I would share in Wesley's "Aldersgate" experience as I stood on that same street. It didn't happen. Not on Aldersgate Street, not in York Minster, not even in Westminster Abbey. I'm not saying God wasn't present there, but I didn't have a special experience like I had hoped for. Ironically, I found that the spacious cathedrals captivated me and drew me to focus more on the architecture of the building, rather than on the God the building was supposed to represent. My Aldersgate experience took place in a UM Church in Conneautville, PA in the late 1970's. I felt God's touch in a special way again in 1994 at a beach in Long Island when God called me to be a pastor. One thing I learned on this trip to England is that God isn't limited to spacious cathedrals, or ancient places. God can reach out and touch us anywhere, at anytime. That's part of the beauty of serving a God without borders, and I find great comfort in knowing that God cares enough to reach out to us wherever we are.

10 Years and Counting...

My wife and I celebrated our 10th anniversary this month. On May 24th, 1997, in a Baptist Church in Long Island, NY, we shared our vows before family and friends and in the presence of God. (Aldersgate Day, to you United Methodists!) What a journey we have been on together -starting out in a small, second floor apartment above a TV repair shop, where my seminary roommate (Jeff Kahl, now the associate pastor at Bakerstown UMC) still lived, then to a smaller basement apartment at the seminary while serving a rural 3 point charge deep in Ohio farming country (did I mention that my wife is from Long Island, NY?!?), on to our first appointment in WPA and our first real house, and ending up here in Johnstown at Bethany UMC. There have been a lot of changes in these first 10 years together, but a lot of consistency as well. God has guided us through many transitions, and we believe He will continue to lead us in our marriage and in our ministry.