November 9-15 2014

As I review November 9-15, I am keeping in mind the question of what I learned about God and me this week.

            I have kept up with my exercise program of yoga, total gym, and P90X2. My right shoulder is getting increasingly better. It still reminds me when I get in certain positions that it has not received healing.

            Certain groups for spiritual formation remain important to me. The Men’s Group on Saturday morning has been wonderful sharing.

            The Finance Committee had a difficult meeting. The worship design team had a wonderful meeting.

 

 

            This does not happen often, but this was a learning week for me. On Monday, I had a wonderful meeting with Rob Renfroe leading a discussion of his book, The Trouble with the Truth. Kayc Mykrantz and Peggy Billiard of the staff were present. What he invited us to reflect upon was balancing grace and truth. People will not hear the truth from us unless they also know our compassion for them. Truth matters because the ideas you have will have consequences in your life. He discussed the notion of worldviews, such as Christian, modernist, and post-modernist. Truth is objective rather than subjective, universal rather than relative, unchanging rather than ever-changing. The new absolutes are openness, tolerance, pluralism (all religions teach the same thing, sincerity rather than belief, do not judge me) and being non-judgmental. Jesus called upon people to repent because he loved them. The response of the church to this post modern setting is not to handle the truth either. One reaction is to go on the attack and the other is to be silent. Freud taught us we cannot even get hold of the self, let alone the truth. Protestant liberalism came out of the modernist world view. It boiled down Christianity to the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of humanity, as well as the sacredness of the self. Behind modernism is Bertrand Russell and Richard Dawkins. Your purpose is to pass on your DNA. It will say that Jesus is my way to salvation, but you may have another way. Evil is not hurting people in the post-modern view. We also discussed the Chris Ritter plan for the UM denomination to dissolve and create two denominations. He ended by encouraging us that all God has even had to work with is imperfect people, sinners like us. The world is not right, so it needs people who dream of what can be.

 

 

            Covenant day proved to be an intriguing day. Bishop Mike invited us to read Life Together, by Bonhoeffer. I quickly learned that it was OK not to have an agenda and trust the process. Some good conversation with Stacy Downing, Tom DeFries, Chuck Britt, and a few others. Bishop discussed form Ephesians 4 on what unites us. It was a particular blessing that it closed with retired clergy to stand around the sanctuary at St. Luke’s and receiving a prayer and anointing. In my case, when I saw Bill Clayton, I went to him, and just asked for him to pray for me whatever he wished. I thanked him for being a true father in the faith for me.

            My reading group met to discuss Malinowski, Magic, Science, and Religion. This was a significant essay that came out of anthropology. An intriguing essay in that it tries to reduce the distance between our experience of the world and primitive humanity. He was also part of the group that shows how religion is always present where humanity is present.

            A wonderful learning with the Peer Mentoring group as we discussed Alan Hirsch. There are are some videos on youtube. The mission of God has a church. A missional church sends its people out into the world and toward people not comfortable with church. He encourages us to develop relationship with unchurched people. The reason is that church is not attractive to a significant percentage of people today, possibly around 60%. He point out that the church has spent $70 Billion on buildings, and the result is continued decline. Hirsch has moved to America because he has come from the American future, Australia, unless it changes. He focuses on cultural distance. The culture has moved away from the church, while the church continued the same ministries. The organizational life of the church built up during a time when culture was close to the church. Yet, even in a largely secular culture, people still believe, even if vaguely, in God, they like Jesus, and they believe in some form of spirituality. The church does not come out so well. The mega church might reach about 40% of the population in America, but what about the rest? Churches are competing for the 40%, so to speak, rather than focusing on the 60%. The missional church is willing to move from the hole they are digging and move to another setting and dig there. Today, on any given Sunday, 18.1% of the American people are in church. In 2025, church attendance will be down to 9%, unless something significant happens. His point is incarnational ministry, finding out where unchurched people are hanging out, and having disciples of Jesus hang out there as well. He referred to Travellers as a possibility. Tampa Underground is another.

 

            Another important part of the week was the completion of study of sermons for May. This is always a learning experience.

            I have been working with a family for a Funeral that will happen on Saturday morning. I do not know the person who died, but I do know the family. It was good to hear them discuss what he meant in their lives. We had a wonderful service. Some good witness from the family, a song, and several stood up to witness as well. A very good spirit throughout. After that, at the same funeral home, Gundrum, I had the opportunity to talk with a member of the former Market Street UMC with the death of her husband. I saw several members of Cross~Wind present at the viewing.

            Suzanne and I are spending some time away once a month, and this was the week. We spent it with friends Fred and Judy Gerhardt in Lansing, MI. A great time. He had a book by Tim LaHaye, Global Warning.

            We also had a nice time with a choir from the Indiana Wesleyan College group that came to Logansport, IN to sing Disney songs. Very nice and many good memories.

 

 

            The Chicken and Noodle Dinner seemed to go well. I helped get out the desserts and collect the trays. A good spirit throughout the evening.