OpenSource Pastor

Acts 2 Goes Corporate

Wanted to share this with you:

Books @ Leadership Network: The "groundswell" is about relationships, not just technology http://books.leadnet.org/2008/06/the-groundswell.html?cid=120027650

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Powered by ShareThis http://sharethis.com

Len Sweet Video

This week I had the humble privilege to work on the media team at the Annual Conference of the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. Among one of the many tasks was to provide media support for Dr. Leonard Sweet and his presentation during the Laity program on Friday night. I encourage all to watch this presentation below or click here to view the website.

Annual Conference Week

Follow the work of the NC Annual Conference this week via Facebook and Blogger.

Blog Link

Facebook Link

NC AC2008 Homepage

One Cool Pic

The Atlanta Journal Constitution posted this amazing photo of Atlanta Braves' Jeff Francoeur's home run swing. I share it not only as a Braves baseball fan, but also as a fan of awesome photography.

Parker's Grove Homecoming

Thanks to the people of Parker's Grove United Methodist Church in Linden, NC, for the invitation to preach at their 2008 Homecoming Celebration. Parker’s Grove Homecoming Sermon

Franklinton UMC - 1st Sunday after Easter

Thanks to Rev. Judi New for the invitation to proclaim the word.Franklinton UMC Sermon 

Many Questions, ONE Answer

Life is an interesting journey.  Along that journey I’ve found that my education and practical background comes back to haunt me.  I’m not talking about my higher education - that causes too much rivalry talk. No I am thinking about high school and specifically the echoing sounds of Ms Craig, “Why? How? Prove it.” Ms Craig was a lady who stood tall at 4 foot nine. She no more could fill a door than a pine tree. Nearing 60 she still thought it good to run every day after classes. Ms Craig stood tall in the classroom. She held court in the halls of Geometry presenting obvious squares and circles for proof.  (hold up a circle) What’s this? She would ask. A circle the class would respond. Prove it. (hold up a square) What’s this? She would ask. Prove it. 

Geometry is about mathematical logic.  While we commonly accept at face value that a circle is circle, a square a square, a triangle a triangle, Ms Craig taught us to question our presumptions and take our given data to prove our theories. 

That is the education and practical background that haunts me today.  I investigate and research everything.  My success in Ms Craig’s geometry class led to my engineering education where research tested theories that became designs that became reality. As a design engineer, I was taught to dream, and dream big; then, make that dream become real.  All along asking the questions Why? How? - Why does this work? Why does this not work? How can we fix it? 

That also got me thinking about faith. Why? How? Jesus, who? Resurrection - is that logical?  Let me run that through the simulator.  I was raised in the church.  Still, the more I learned the more questions I began to ask.  Not so much out loud, quietly and internally primarily.  

Frederick Buechner affirmed this questioning faith, “Whether your faith is that there is a God or that there is not a God, if you don't have any doubts you are either kidding yourself or asleep. Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it awake and moving.”  The questions, doubts, and skepticism can be a good thing as long as we search the well of truth.  There are many questions, just ONE answer. It sounds oversimplified, but Jesus is the answer, he is the way, the truth, and the life. We have many questions, He is the answer. We have doubts, He is the peace that passes all understanding. We are skeptic, He is living proof.  We seek a way to live, He walked the walked.  We wonder how we can afford the future, He called us to rely upon the Father.  We seek help for our relationships, He showed us the perfect way to love. Many questions, ONE answer. 

 

This week I'll seek to affirm this seeking faithand affirm the challenge to the future. I'm preaching at Franklinton UMC in Franklinton at the invitation of my friend Rev. Judi New.  

 

Let us weep for the mission field...

 Thanks to Brother T for the following blurb from Christian Post. The "Lost" generation of the United Methodist Church is the Gen-X and Gen-Y bracket. I am a part of that, and completely understand the needs of young adults to look elsewhere for faith communities. There are times that I consider if I was not a pastor, would I stay?  Our congregations are aging, and the Millenials are heading off to college. Will they stay with the UM heritage or find their way to more applicable settings? I fear we have LOST a generation.

Lovett Weems shares my peril for young adults along with a call for reaching a greater diversity:
"There is no future for The United Methodist Church in the United States unless we can reach more people, younger people and more diverse people," said the Rev. Lovett Weems, a researcher and professor of church leadership at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, according to the United Methodist News Service.

 Let us weep for this mission field and carry Jesus to their hearts.

Changing the Way We Change

Has the culture so greatly evolved beyond the culture of the church? Itineracy, one of Methodism's greatest traditions, was an innovative deployment system in its early years. Today, it still works; yet, has many complicating factors. I've jokingly called intineracy's appointment process the church's version of baseball's free agency and winter meetings: who's a free agent? who's got a trade?  The United Methodist Reporter shares greater insight: 
The itineracy was created for missional deployment to serve the territory; it has evolved into a system of either career advancement or guaranteed employment. Either track patronizes the clergy. 
Read the Entire Article 

Seeing Clearly

Seeing Clearly
John 9

The last couple weeks I have been dealing with an eye problem.  My left eye has an acute astigmatism brought on by a local infection or trauma to my eye.  Not exactly sure how it happened.  When I went to see my optometrist I was thinking I was simply going blurry in one eye. Maybe I would need to have my prescription adjusted. Lo and behold the infection had caused this astigmatism causing a blistery like roughness along with some headaches. 
Those of us who wear glasses and contacts can attest that impaired vision can give us headaches. With my acute problem over the last couple weeks I feel like I have dual vision. My right is still strong and with my glasses or contacts can see quite clearly. My infected eye -- well it pretty bad. During the exam I was not able to clearly see the top line of large characters on the eye chart. Doc said I was suddenly 20/60 with my glasses on! I told him it was more like 20/6000. 20/20 in the right eye and 20/60 in the left eye. Seeing clearly from the right side, and seeing poorly on the other. 

This week’s Gospel text got me thinking about how we all suffer with our spiritual eyes. How clearly do we see Jesus in our midst? How clearly do we see God at work in our lives?  Jesus, the great optometrist of faithful sight, met a man born blind. His disciples inquired about the man’s blindness thinking it was a consequence of his parent’s sin, as was the acceptable reason for such congenial infirmities in the day. Jesus would have none of that. “This is not the fault of his parents. This was done that God could be revealed in this man’s life. This was done that this man’s first sight would be God, the light of the world.” 

While blindness effects a segment of our population today, impairments of the eyes are more widespread.  The technological revolution while creating great new gadgets for work and learning has yet to produce a visual device that eliminates strain on the eyes. TVs and computer screens are a leading cause of eye strain, and we use them in some capacity daily. They also place a strain on our faith eyes.... TVs draw us into a false reality where the stories of life are played out in fictional dramas and sit-coms. Computers give access to the Internet where a world of information - good, not-so-good, and flat out wrong - is their to shape our thoughts and hearts.  This media saturation strains our faithful eyes from focusing in the One who provides the greatest vision. 

The latter verses of the Jesus story in John 9 speak of spiritual blindness. Jesus in conversation with the worldly Pharisees, the Big Deals of the 1st century, said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." Moreover, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.” The Pharisees were focused on God through the lens of the law. They looked at faithful living with lenses that focused narrowly on the law before them. They were so focused that they forgot the bigger picture of living for God.  

Where are our eyes focused? The reality before us presents a vast picture with numerous focal points.  Spend an evening watching TV specifically the commercials. What is Madison Avenue trying to tell you. Try this smooth new Cadillac. Live comfortably. Live in style. Read multiple news sources around the politics of the election. Vote for me as the next president and our our nation will be secure, little Johnny can be safe on the soccer field. Vote for me and we will reduce your tax burden that you can spend more on yourselves. 

Then spend a few hours focused on the Cross. We begin to see a different picture. We begin to see a sacrificial love so pure that promises hope, joy, love, and peace - just to name a few. We see a purity that can only know in the heart of the Creator. We humbly bow at the power of God knowing instead of snapping us he embraced us. When we allow Jesus the great optometrist, to gracefully adjust our focus we begin seeing clearly.

The great heartache in the world is trying to focus on two separate worlds. One eye focused on my life with Jesus. One eye focused on the world. Only one promises joy today and forevermore. Only one can truly give you clear sight. 

Lord, heal our blindness. Let us see you more clearly that  we can rest in your embrace. Amen.