Acknowledging Hidden Influencers

John 8:31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."  33 They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, "You will be made free'?"  34 Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.  35 The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever.  36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. 

[Today, we honored veterans with music and with prayer for anointing.]

Political freedom is precious. It does not take much reflection on the history of America, as well as that of the world, to understand that freedom is always under attack. America fought for its independence. America also fought a war to end its own failure to value freedom for its own citizens in the civil war. World War II was largely a war to defend democracy and political freedom from the onslaught of fascism. The Cold War was fought to defend freedom from Communism. Today, America faces another threat, that of Political Islam, Militant Islam, or any other name you want to give it. Yes, some people do not treasure freedom. In fact, they want to end it. We always need citizens to defend political freedom.

There are approximately 23.2 million military veterans in the United States, with 476,000 in Indiana

•9.2 million veterans are over the age of 65,

•1.9 million veterans are under the age of 35.

•1.8 million veterans are women.

•7.8 million veterans served during the Vietnam War era (1964-1975), which represents 33% of all living veterans.

•5.2 million veterans served during the Gulf War (representing service from Aug. 2, 1990, to present).

•2.6 million veterans served during World War II (1941-1945).

•2.8 million veterans served during the Korean War (1950-1953).

•6 million veterans served in peacetime.

 

The United States got its start with an all-volunteer military. We went through a period when we needed to draft young men into the service. The All-Volunteer Force in place in the U.S. today, beginning in 1973, relies on men and women to step up and volunteer.  Without volunteers, the system would cease to function and the U.S. would have to rely on a conscription service, denying young men and women the choice of whether or not they serve in the military.  When choosing to volunteer, service members do much more than march off to war to be a hero.  They give up their personal freedom as to where to live. They sacrifice holidays, birthdays, and family milestones for the greater good.  They postpone educational pursuits and professional careers.  They strain family relationships. They forego their personal passions and hobbies for the long hours necessary to ensure that the United States is the most professional and successful fighting force on the planet. They have volunteered to do this. Less than 1% of the population of the U.S. serves in the military.  For every 1 who volunteers, 100 do not have to do so.

That is what I would call a hidden influence on the people of this country. One percent makes it possible for the ninety-nine percent to live as they choose.

 

            An article in the McKinsey Quarterly from March 2014 discusses the importance within organizations of “tapping the power of hidden influencers.” The point in that article was that executives need to find employees who are part of an informal network of individuals who influence attitudes regarding change. Such influence can be positive or negative, of course.

            Finding hidden influencers is a process they call snowball sampling. Start with an interview, and ask that person whom they need to include in a study or change effort. Interview them, and ask them for whom else to talk. The process will continue until the same names start to emerge. Particular individuals will surface, which is the snowball effect.

 

Indeed, informal influencers exist in every organization, across industries, cultures, and geographies. They are, simply put, people other employees look to for input, advice, or ideas about what’s really happening in a company. They therefore have an outsized influence on what employees believe about the future, as well as on morale, how hard people work, and their willingness to support—or resist—change.

 

The "hidden influencer" is the person whose opinions and ideas have an outsized influence on other members of the group. He or she may not be the group's designated leader, but such people are likely the ones who have a significant effect nonetheless on the morale, level of cooperation and outlook within the group.

            We are social creatures. We need to consider the influence we have on the social networks of which we are a part. We need to be part of building healthy and civil communities.

 

Are you a "hidden influencer?"

As we learn in John 8:32-36, people who listen to the word of Jesus and are disciples of Jesus are often hidden influencers. In this case, they experience true freedom by being in relationship with Jesus.

Think of the parable Jesus told in Matthew 25 about the five foolish and five wise people waiting for the arrival of the bridegroom. Who among them was the hidden influencer?

The "wise" group: Do you not suppose there was at least one young woman among the wise group who said, "Aw, come on, we've got enough oil for the party tonight! Let us get going. Party on!" However, they did not listen to her; they listened to another group member whose opinion they valued -- the hidden influencer -- and then they went out and purchased more oil. Thus, all five -- even the one who argued that they did not need more oil -- made it into the wedding feast and Jesus gives them credit for being wise.

The "foolish" group: Likewise, in the foolish group, do you not suppose there was at least one member who said, "You know, I don't think we have enough oil. We need to stop at 7-Eleven and get another jug." Instead, they listened to their "hidden influencer," the bridesmaid who said, "We have plenty." Her word, so valued, although wrong, was the word they went with. Therefore, all five -- even the one who advocated getting more oil -- were shut out of the festivities and Jesus branded them as foolish. 

Churches are the same way. Some people have a hidden influence that permeates throughout the church. They either help the church to move forward or pull the church back.

 

Are you a hidden influencer?

Consider the roles you play in your life. Most of us can think honestly about ourselves for a few minutes at least. Consider the influence you have on those around you. I am going to suggest that all of us have a hidden influence on others. If you have an outsized influence, you need to consider whether it is a positive or negative influence.  Does your influence lift people up to a hopeful place? Does your influence bring people down and bring them to a darker place?

            The word used for leadership by Paul in a list of spiritual gifts, used only in I Corinthians 12:28 in the New Testament, is a word that comes from steering or piloting a ship. One will guide a ship, for example. While an officer will direct the course, someone else on the crew will do the actual steering. If the sailor follows the prescribed course, the influence is helpful and a blessing. If the sailor doing the steering thinks he or she has a better idea, problems will arise.

            Hidden influence is a form of leadership among our social network. Let us make sure that our influence is toward the wisdom that opens people up toward God.

 

            To come back to veterans, think of the way they have influenced your life, and thank them for that. Remember, they have volunteered to do what they do, giving you the freedom to do what you do.

 

Thank a veteran that you knew you would be present for the birth of all your children.

Thank a veteran that you have pursued your educational goals safely and uninterrupted.

Thank a veteran that your biggest stress is not getting your training ride, workout, spin class, yoga, pilates, or run in for the day.

Thank a veteran that you can sit home nights and write.

Thank a veteran that you have pursued a successful professional career.

Thank a veteran that you have the security to be a stay at home parent.

Thank a veteran that you have chosen to make your home close to your, or far from your family, close to the ocean or deep in the mountain… but you choose it.

Thank a veteran that you were able to attend every one of your child’s sporting events, music recitals, spelling bees and parent-teacher conferences.

Thank a veteran that your spouse or partner comes home predictably every day.

Thank a veteran that you have your weekends free.

Thank a veteran that you pursued your passion as an actor, professional athlete, model, musician, or under water basket weaver.

November 2-8 2014

            Today, I want the question with which I am working is what was life-giving for me this week.

            It remains life-giving to exercise physically. I continue with my total gym, free weights, Anytime Fitness, and yoga. I have noticed improvement in my right shoulder. I have gone off my fast this week regarding certain foods. Circumstances demanded this, but I hope to be on it again this week.

            I must say it is life-giving when we as a family can watch some shows together. We completed The Following, Season 2. We also watched Godzilla 2014, which was actually a return to the original franchise of the monster defending humanity. The Edge ofTomorrow, a Tom Cruise movie, shows he can still carry a movie. Of course, for me, the science fiction was wonderful, especially its dealing with time. I also have a show I watch when I am alone. This time, it was Supernatural, Season 9. We went to Interstellar, starring Matthew McConaughey. If you like science fiction and movies that play around with time, this is excellent. Some good surprises along the way. We also watched Draft Day, starring Kevin Costner. If you like NFL or Costner, you will like this.

            It was a life-giving moment to spend some time with Suzanne at Starbucks in Kokomo.

            Worship was life-giving in many ways, both in response to the sermon, with communion, and with the youth group Sunday evening. I found it life-giving to visit with a young family in the hospital. It was life-giving to contact parents of Upward Soccer children. This year, Staff-Parish was life-giving beyond anything I have experienced. It was life-giving to teach Triple S on John Chapter 7. It was life-giving to be part of the Domestic Violence food tasting fundraising event at Cross~Wind with Suzanne, noted in the picture above. We had some good conversation throughout the evening with others. I have been studying throughout the week for sermons, whether for Sunday, for May 2015, or for December. We had some computer issues in the office that I was able to help resolve. Of course, some administrative matters, as with most weeks.
 

            Election Day was life-giving. I still like voting on Election Day. If find that this act of citizenship is one I feel best about when I enter booth in the company of others. It was life-giving as well because the Republican Party did well. This decision came as I went through my 20s, reading people like William F. Buckley Jr., George Will, Walter Williams, Thomas Sowell, and Milton Friedman. Of course, my reading in this area would later expand, but that was the beginning. I note that Mia Love, a black woman, won election in Utah as a member of the House. I also note that Elise Stefinak of NYC is the youngest woman ever elected. Senator Jodi Ernst is the female Senator from IA. Tim Scott is the Senator from South Carolina. The governor of New Mexico is a republican Hispanic. The governor of Louisiana has a heritage from India. The governor of South Carolina is a woman. I also note that in these states, Democrats outspent Republicans. This was true in AK, AR, CO, IA, LA, and NC, the key Senate contests. If you expand beyond the expenditure to non-party expenditures, the Democrat side still well outspent the Republican side. Yet, in these states, the Republicans won. My reason for bringing this up is that you cannot really buy an election. You still have to have an attractive (not a physical reference) candidate who proposes policies to which people respond. I would like to think that the rhetoric of the Republican Party being the party of the wealthy would go away, but it will not. The fact on the ground is that many wealthy, the upper one percent, are Democrat. Further, I would like to think that the success of both women and black Republicans would put the race and gender issue to bed. However, it will not. After all, the Democrat Party was still raising the fear that the Republicans will take away Social Security. What saddens me more is that so many within the black demographic and within the single female demographic seem to believe readily the hype. For me, while the baby-boom generation is highly ambiguous regarding what it has accomplished, has done very well in leading the way for America to repent of its racist and sexist past. Today, a racist would not receive the nomination from either party for anything. In 1950s and 1960s, racists were prominent in the South in the Democrat Party. Further, no one wants to back to women staying at home and relying on the man. The idea of gender war by a political party is ridiculous anyway, for excluding half of the electorate would be suicide. In both cases, the attacks are a smokescreen. The Democrats promote policies regarding domestic programs that have the effect growing dependence on the small amount of government support rather than encouraging people toward self-sufficiency and independence. We need economic policies that promote economic growth. Republicans know how to do that. Regarding women, the policy promoted is abortion. If you want any restrictions on abortion, you are conducting a war on women. My wish is that we have an honest debate regarding the political arrangements of the country and their effect upon culture, family, environment, economic life, and the role of America in the world. I have a small hope that some things might get done. Several bills passed the House with some good Democrat support, but died in the Senate. With some good fortune, bills like that will receive support from both sides of the aisle and go before the President. In terms of election analysis, it matters who turned out. Fewer of the “constituency” of the Democrat Party showed up than in 2012, of course. This led to not just Senate, but governors, more in the House, and, significantly, more in the state houses for Republicans. It seems like Hilliary Clinton is a loser in all of this. Todd Steyer (spelling?) was a big loser as he poured $100 million to Democrat candidates who made climate change a priority.

Getting From Sunday to Monday: 1) Beginning the Process

 Getting From Sunday to Monday: Beginning the Process

 

Ephesians 4:11-14.

“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.  Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.”

 

“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, and being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”  II Corinthians 3:18

Getting from Sunday to Monday is a code phrase for bridging the gap between belief and experience, between what we say, and what we do. It reflects our desire to live authentically, so that the "trip" from the head to the heart--and eventually to the hand--is congruent with the true self, or God's will for us.

We sense the gap between what we hope and profess to be true of us on Sunday to our experience of our lives on Monday.

At some point, we, as human beings, become aware of this gap between our beliefs and our experience and begin to wrestle with our questions about how to live authentically. The desire to enter those questions, and as the German poet Rainer Maria Rilke wrote, to "live into the answers," usually occurs in mid to later life---though not always. God created us in such a remarkable way that we are actually wired for growth that leads us closer and closer to communion with God-- to knowledge of God, not merely about God, a knowing of the heart, not just the head. Evidence of this wiring (our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee, according to St. Augustine) is found in what most of us experience around mid-life. We get this yearning to live with more authenticity, and if we respond to that yearning (instead of shoving it back down again), it can be an unsettling enterprise, not only to ourselves, but also to those in our relational orbit.

No matter how many books we read, how much information we soak up, no one can do it for us; the individual journey becomes uniquely our own. Secondhand information may inspire and entertain, even guide us, but in the final analysis, it is still secondhand.

We need to distinguish the Journey from the map.

One way to understand the significance of firsthand experience is to use the simple analogy of a person who wants to drive from Logansport to Ft. Lauderdale. If I were preparing for such a trip, I would definitely spend some time with a map, whether on my computer or my phone. I would make sure my car was ready. As old as my cars are, I would probably rent a car for this journey. I would think through everything I might need on the journey. However, you know as well as I do that I can study that map, be aware of the detours, talk to others who have made the trip--in fact, I could memorize the map and quote it, become an expert on the map--but I would still be in Logansport. The truth is I must experience the journey myself.

 Even if this oversimplifies the case, the symbols work for our spiritual lives. Whether we identify the map as the Bible or church doctrine or the American Way, any map is just a guide to the journey. But because we often do not want to risk the vulnerability of the personal journey, we often, in our religious fervor, mistake the map for the journey and end up worshipping the map. One could be a great scholar of the Bible and not have a transformed heart. One could be mean-spirited and judgmental, rather than loving. Information is not necessarily TRANSformation! Unless we invite the Living Word of God into our lives, even a sacred text can just be words on a page.

A brief look at another familiar map can provide a segue into part of the journey. United Methodists call this model the Wesley Quadrilateral, illustrated as a table supported by four legs. Simply stated, it is this: The Truth of Something (top of the table) is supported by four things (legs of the table)-- scripture, tradition, reason, and experience.

I think we would all agree that through the years, the church has done a creditable job in the first three areas: We have Bible studies and emphasize the primacy of scripture; we provide studies of doctrine and liturgy and church tradition; heaven knows we try to "think" ourselves to the truth--with lots of classes and seminars and academic pursuits in an effort to be reasonable. But what about this fourth area--experience? It tends to get short shrift. Experience is murky, messy. It is not the same for everyone; there are always exceptions. We cannot seem to control experience, quantify it or pin it down. It's uncomfortable because it doesn't always fit or make reasonable sense. No wonder it is hard to bridge the gap between Sunday theory and Monday experience!

Regardless of our understanding of truth, unless we integrate this area of experience, the other three legs have no staying power; they cannot support the table for long. That is, no matter how authoritative it sounds in the Bible, or how eloquently stated by the church fathers, or how intellectually sound it may seem, unless it resonates somehow in our experience, it remains just a good idea--a pretty Sunday morning platitude. And THAT, by the way, is where our spiritual journey oftentimes takes place -- in the head, where we can control and isolate it.

The journey involves moving from Thought to Feeling

The trip from the head to the heart is not an easy trek; it is filled with detours and land mines and, strangely enough, incredible freedom. It is in this personal experiential part of the journey that we discover the meaning of true freedom in Christ. Think about it: Faith as a belief system ONLY has very little power. We can believe all the right things and still be mean-spirited; we can believe all the right things and still be miserable; we can believe all the right things and still be in bondage; we can believe all the right things and still be relatively untransformed. Faith is more than that. It is borne through one's EXPERIENCE of God, not knowledge about God.

            The temptation is always present to turn what needs to be a personal wrestling with God into little more than an external system of belief or ritualistic habits. Do not get me wrong, for thinking through what you believe in connection with new knowledge gained and establishing good habits are both important. Yet, it seems that a spiritual itch is always there, a divine discontent, that nudges us toward closer friendship with God. For many of us, we would rather read a book about prayer, or be in a group and discuss prayer and the inner life, but never actually engage in its practice.

            We need to embark upon the journey.

What does it mean to "take the journey ourselves"? Remember that we have free will: We can refuse to move, to explore, or to take the trip. God's love always surrounds us and invites us, but God's full healing seems to wait for our longing and consent, for the inner YES that indicates that our center of consent is engaged. We are not helpless puppets. God has created us to be children, heirs, partners, co-creators with God.

One danger in all of this is that we turn such an exploration into spiritual growth into a narcissistic career of self-knowledge and intellectual navel-gazing. In fact, genuine spiritual transformation is for the sake of the mission of God to transform the world and not just your individual life. Becoming a servant of others is not just part of the process, but the goal. What happens in our inner work re-energizes us for living and serving daily with integrity and with pure motives. In reality, our lives need to reflect the natural and ebb and flow of inner and outer life. If you become an empty cup, however, you will nourish no one.

Believe it or not, every one of us is on a spiritual journey. It is who we are. Pierre de Chardin, in The Phenomenon of Man (1955) said, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.” People often paraphrase it to say that we are not so much human beings on a spiritual journey, as we are spiritual beings on a human journey. This reality is why we ought never to find complete satisfaction with our lives with God or with others. Our spiritual nature always hungers for more. We simply pay more attention to it at some times than at others.

Surprisingly, this process is more about letting go than trying harder. We need to learn different ways we can loosen our grip and open ourselves to God's guiding hand.


This series has its basis in the following. It spoke to me, and I hope it speaks to you as well.

Douty, Linda R. "Getting from Sunday to Monday." Stepping Stones for Spiritual Growth, 2002, explorefaith.org.

Maybe the real test of Sunday is not how you come in but how you go out.

 

October 26-November 1 2014

The question I am asking myself today is What was life-giving this week?

This month is Pastor Appreciation Month. I have been blessed with many cards and personal notes. I have been blessed with cards for Starbucks and for China Lane. One member of the church invited us to their home for a wonderful meal that involved the first time I have had marinated turkey breast.

 

 

On a personal note, physical exercise has long been a life-giving experience for me. I have continued with my exercises involving yoga, Anytime Fitness, and the Total Gym. My right shoulder continues to limit me, but I realize my healing will take time.

It was life-giving to be with other clergy at a retirement seminar. I am close enough to the magical age that I need to attend. I do not want anyone to think I am going to do so this year. However, it is time to think seriously about it. I received what I thought was good news.

The Men of Integrity meditation this week was reflections from Brad Formsma, I Like Giving. The key study passage was II Corinthians 9. Living generously is about giving your life to other people so that everything you do becomes a gift to others and rewarding for yourself. Giving is more than money. Do something generous without anyone telling you. Ask for an opportunity to come your way. I note Buechner, The world says, The More you take, the more you have. Christ says, The more you give, the more you are.

Sunday was an “interesting” day. What was life-giving here was that in the second service, one person with a guitar led us in worship. Although it was out of necessity, it was very nice and different. In addition, our pianist in the first service had us guess the prelude tune. It was the first time she did that, and it was fun. The tune was, O Love that Will Not Let Me Go. From my perspective, we had a good spirit throughout the morning, even if low attendance. I had a brief meeting with Finance people afterward. The Logansport Cluster met for the last time this year. Pastor Dean brought a very nice devotion. We are particularly planning for the Food Truck arrival on November 21, 2014, 4-7. Each church will collect an offering for their part in the cost. We need ten people from each church to help serve. It was particularly life-giving to have the prayer time at the end. I had several administrative matters this week. I have been following up on the cards submitted to Upward Soccer. It has been life-giving for me, and I hope for those I have contacted. I met with cluster clergy at Buffalo Wild Wings in the afternoon on Thursday. We had some serious conversations this time. Yet, it is always life-giving to meet. Met with choir and the director in the evening, which is always life-giving. We have some wonderful messages in music coming up in November and December.

I continue my study of Karl Barth and Church Dogmatics, this time focusing on III.4, a volume that reflects on theological ethics in light of the God the Father is the creator.

I have been studying the book TheBible’s Yes to Same-sex Marriage because of a seminar I plan to attend this year.

October 19-25 2014

This week, the question “What inspired me this week” is what will guide my reflections. 

Men of Integrity magazine had a set of reflections this week from Rick Bezet, Be Real; Because Fake is Exhausting. The theme was forgiveness. Its basis was Matthew 18:21ff, where Jesus tells a parable about one person who the king forgave a large debt and the person then not giving the small debt owed by another servant. He discussed myths of forgiveness. Although forgiveness is an essential part of restoring a relationship, it is not sufficient to heal a broken relationship. Failure to forgive will lead to bitterness and sarcasm coming out an inappropriate times. It can also lead to a failure to mature, because one gets stuck in terms of personal, emotional, and spiritual growth. Forgiveness leads to freedom. What struck me this time was that we, who sin against God and have the assurance of forgiveness from God, will not forgive others who do something wrong to us. The discussion on this led me to think of the importance of developing a forgiving way of life or spirit.

            My physical health continues improving in terms of my right shoulder. It still hurts. I have continued with P90x2 yoga and cardio, the total gym, and some time at Anytime Fitness.  

            On a personal note, we saw a movie (Suzanne’s fault) Best of Me, the worst movie I have seen in my life. However, I balanced that with Gone Girl, likely the best movie I have seen in a long time. If you like crime thriller’s, this one is excellent. One inspiring thought was the exchange between two officers. One says that often the simplest answer is the answer. The other responds that she has never found that to be true. The simplest answer was decidedly not the correct answer in this movie. The Book Thief was inspiring in that it showed life in Nazi Germany from the perspective some average Germans. It was slow and a little depressing, but it ended well. It had some interesting insights in the voice-over from “Death,” who encouraged us to relax when our times comes. We also completed watching Bones, season 9, which had a wonderful and surprising final episode. What I find inspiring here is the relationship between Bones and Booth, two people who are so different, and yet have such profound love and respect for each other.

Here is a picture of two beloved members of the household.

            Worship was inspiring for me, and I hope for others as well. Music was wonderful in both services. Good response throughout the morning. Think Orange was wonderful, as was the Youth Small Group in the evening. I worked on the sermon plan for November and December, and that always is an inspiring time. The Finance Committee was longer than normal. Many matters to discuss. Triple S is always inspiring to me, this time s we worked out way through John 6. We had a few computer issues to consider this week. I spent some time reflecting on my appointment form. I also filled out a willingness to serve form on the Annual Conference web site to be a delegate to General Conference. In terms of personal study, I have been working my way through Church Dogmatics by Karl Barth a second time, focused on III.2/3. Although this is not easy, I find it inspiring. I found III.2 to be a masterpiece of how to do a theological anthropology, combining sharp biblical insights with a good reading of psychology and philosophical anthropology. His discussion of providence in III.3 is also inspiring, stressing the parental care of God, that we are always in the friendly hands of God, even when it does not look like it.

October 12-18, 2014 reflections

The question guiding me this week is: What surprised me?

This week, Men of Integrity magazine surprised me a bit with selections from a book by Ian DiOrio, Trivial Pursuits. He wanted to expose the meaningless trappings of culture. He thinks that too many are content with the small portrayal of God and the actions of God in the world. The surprise was his definition of the trivial as that which you can find everywhere, having no depth or real beauty. The Key study passage was Proverbs 4:5-7, 15:14, 18:15 and the need to develop wisdom in the use of the material culture provides us.

I have some surprise that two things are happening together physically. My right shoulder continues to hurt when I put it in certain positions, while my exercises are going better, especially yoga and total gym. I continue going to Anytime Fitness.

Suzanne and I had the pleasure of couple visiting us for a few hours. That was a nice surprise. They graciously treated us at Applebees. The conversation flowed easily. We tentatively set a date for a visit to them in Michigan.

I was certainly surprised by the ending of Homeland, Season 3. It made sense that Carrie loses the things that matter in her life, but still, that was tough.

Locally, many people can imagine that much of time has been with the Galland family. It has been surreal journey, moving from his fall on Thursday, his successful surgery on Friday, a good talk and prayer on Thursday night and Saturday morning, and a massive stroke early Sunday morning. We had a circle of prayer around his bed on Sunday afternoon. He died on Tuesday night and his memorial service was Friday. A great turnout of family and friends. Wonderful meal provided at the church.

Charge Conference was at Main Street UMC.

My surprise here was that we had one of the best charge conferences of which I have had the privilege of participating. I thought we had a good turn out of the five churches involved. The focus was the outwardly focused church. The book was Get Their Name. Chris asked us to consider when we experienced the love of God, where we were, how old we were, what was going on around us, what happened to us, and who took us there. Asking and answering these questions will go a long way toward developing your personal story that you can then share with others.

I went to choir practice and had several good talks with individuals. The choir will sing Because We Believe on Sunday. I received the surprise of a young man whom I have not seen for a while who simply stopped by to say high when he noticed my car there.

My reading group met on Wednesday morning. My surprise here was that we were in large agreement with the insights of our author. We discussed Carl Jung, Modern Man in Search of a Soul. We were completing the psychological part of our journey as we have been exploring philosophers who address matters related to religion. We expanded it to psychology. For me, this lead to re-reading other books: James Hillman, The Myth of Analysis, Karen Horney, Neurosis and Human Growth, M. Scott Peck, The Road Less Travelled, Otto Rank, Truth and Reality, and Rollo May, Love and Will. These book have been a good reminder that while Freud did much good work, later psychotherapists have had to work correct his errors. In particular, his over-extension of sex, his tendency to look upon morality in a negative way, and his negative approach to religion.

Here are some scriptures on which I have been reflecting this week and will lead to the sermon on Sunday. My surprise here was that imagery Jesus used concerning money is leading to what I hope are some helpful and challenging reflections for people on money.

Psalm 99

⁹ Extol the Lord our God,

and worship at his holy mountain;
for the Lord our God is holy. 

I Thessalonians 1:

{2} We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly {3} remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Matthew 22 {21} "Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's.

October 5-11 2014 Reflections

I begin with the reflections in the Men of Integrity magazine, this week focusing on Short-circuit Porn's Power, from the writings of William M. Struthers. The devotions centered around how shows to women and to men the selfishness, domination, and violence that men can do. Yet, failure in this area does not define the man. The key study passage was I Corinthians 6:12-20. I have studied this passage quite deeply for other reasons.

I have continued an exercise program that involves yoga, the total gym, and Anytime Fitness. Care for the body is as important as care for the soul and mind, I think.

I preached from Matthew 21:33-46 around the question of whether Christianity is as simple as learning to be a good tenant. We had communion and we had a different opening of worship in the second service. We are working on the flow of the service. I saw God present in many ways this morning, but in particular, in a person being trained to help with communion in the second service. In addition, in the afternoon, I saw God present in a couple who stepped up to help with Family Fun Day to do the script. The music and the energy of the kids is wonderful. Something around 35 people present, several from outside the church. I see God present in the youth small group as well, as we discussed dreams we have for ourselves and the dreams God has for us.

Throughout the week, I saw God present in preparations for worship, both for Sunday and for sermons in April. Some of this study was at Starbucks. This is always a meaningful time for me.

I did have some difficult conversations this week, not church related. I can only entrust the conversations to those involved and to God.

A wonderful spirit at Triple S as we studied John 4. We usually read a passage and discuss, that went particularly well on Tuesday. Yes, God is present when we honor each other and honor the Word of God.

I felt the presence of God at the Trustees meeting, as people stepped up to help in various areas that needed attention at the church and the parsonage.

God was present on Thursday as a "peer mentoring" group met at Cross~Wind. This group involves pastors who are involved in the Fruitful Congregation process. It was interesting to discuss the single board concept. However, the focus was a discussion of the book, Get Their Name.  The book discusses practical ways to engage in relational evangelism. In particular, when we tell our story of Christ affects our lives, we learn to keep the story current as to how God is at work in our lives lately. We discussed the discipleship pathway as a movement from outside to guest, guest to connected, connected to disciple of Jesus, and disciple to missionary. As an extension of this, I see God present in our cluster clergy meeting at Buffalo Wings. The care the pastors have for their churches and for each other is beautiful to see.

I had an abbreviated time with the choir, but God is certainly present as people put their hearts into singing their faith. Suzanne was with me, and that is always nice. One of the members of the church had fallen in Kokomo and was now in memorial hospital in Logansport. Good discussion and prayer.

In other news, Suzanne and I watched The Equalizer. It was nice to see Denzel Washington in this role. The movie was an origin movie, describing how the equalizer became such. For those too young to remember this, it was a television show that began in 1985. It brought back some good memories.

Lord, I offer this week into your loving hands.