My Christmas Confession

As I understand it, Christmas has a history of being hijacked. And I confess, I hope it gets hijacked again.

The first hijacking took place by the early Christians when they took December 25 from the Roman pagans who were worshipping “the unconquered sun” around that date. This may have been more about survival than anything. Long before the Christians had lots of money, giant cathedrals and political influence, they were a small, persecuted bunch whose story was continually in danger of being absorbed by the dominate culture that surrounded them. (Think: Being a Hindu or Buddist in Orlando today). So, the politically insignificant Christians thumbed their nose at Rome and said, “We know the ‘unconquered Son.’ His name is Jesus, and he is Lord. This is who we will remember on December 25.” Those were dangerous words at a time when proclaiming anyone but Caesar as Lord was punishable by death. That was the first hijacking.

I’m not sure where to pinpoint the second hijacking or who to pin the hijacking on. It was 1933 when the first Sears Roebuck “Christmas Wish Book” was published. In that catalog you could find “Miss Pigtails” doll, an electric (battery powered) toy automobile, a Mickey Mouse watch, fruitcakes, Lionel electric trains, a five pound box of chocolates, and live singing canaries. It was 2009 when, South Park’s Eric Cartman sang his version of O Holy Night. “O holy night! The something something distant. It is the night with the Christmas trees and pie. Jesus was born and so I get presents. Thank you, Jesus for being born.”

Was it Sears, South Park or someone else that thumbed a nose at the early church and said, “We know Jesus got presents on his birthday and we think it would be a good idea for everyone to get presents on Jesus’ birthday.” Strike that match in the middle of free enterprise and human greed and it isn’t long until you’ve got the kind of Christmas fire that we see in full blaze before Halloween in showroom and online stores. That was the second hijacking.

There’s a third hijack attempt that is about as popular as that first hijacking was with the Romans. This attempt meets with resistance from people inside and outside the church. I’m more familiar with the resistance inside the church since I feel it within my own soul. It is very difficult for me to imagine going through the “birthday party for everyone” version of Christmas and really honoring the incarnation of God and appropriately anticipating the coming reign of God on earth as it is in heaven. This has been a tension for me for as long as I can remember.

Lately I have thought that it’s a shame that this whole “birthday party for everyone” we know as Christmas couldn’t be sometime in July and called something other than Christmas. I’m not saying that I don’t like hanging lights, decorating trees, playing pretty music, eating great food and exchanging gifts. That’s fun! Who doesn’t like getting presents? Who doesn’t like making the ones we love smile – even squeal with joy – when they open up that present we gave them to find a great surprise or the toy they had been wanting? All that is great.

I just think we miss so much of what God’s incarnation in Jesus is about when it gets wrapped up in Eric Cartman’s version of O Holy Night.

Jesus wasn’t born so I could get an ipad, an xbox or a Furby. In fact, Jesus is known for calling a man to sell his ipad, xbox and Furby and come follow him. Jesus chose a life of homelessness and spent his time eating with outcasts and proclaiming that a new world was possible – a world without violence, where the hungry are fed, the vulnerable are noticed, the powerful are humbled, the blind receive sight, and people do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God.

The third hijacking of Christmas will not be as flashy or cool as the second hijacking. It will not appeal to our desire to be entertained. And if you work for Sears, it probably isn’t going to help your paycheck. This hijacking is born out of a desire to take Jesus more seriously than anything else, to live our lives in a way that make sense in light of the gospel that Jesus was born to proclaim, and to push back on a dominant culture that threatens to absorb the Truth that defines our lives.

If you are compelled to participate in this third hijacking of Christmas, I would recommend a little book called “A Different Kind of Christmas” and “Christmas Is Not Your Birthday” by Mike Slaughter. I would also recommend an online Advent retreat that is being offered by friends of mine, Rev. Jan Richardson and Garrison Doles. Perhaps you would also like to meet together with other Christians who would like to support you in your quest to remember the incarnation and anticipate the coming reign of God that look different from the “birthday party for everyone” version. Let me know and I will facilitate that gathering at Spring of Life.

Vision for 10 Years and Years to Come

It’s a big weekend for the people at Spring of Life United Methodist Church. We are celebrating ten years of ministry together. That we have become a community of faith with an average weekly worship attendance of 232, an average youth ministry participation of 25, an average children’s ministry participation of 60 and an average adult and youth discipleship group participation of 65 is a miracle of God.

Those are significant numbers of people and of course the numbers don’t tell the whole story.

From the time of our first worship service together on November 3, 2002 at the North Lake Park Community School cafeteria, we have said, “Spring of Life is a place you can come as you are.” So we all come with our habits, hurts and hang ups. We come with different levels of understanding about the God and the Bible. We come rich and poor, gay and straight, divorced and married, young and old, black, yellow, brown and white, faithful and unfaithful, confused and assured, anxious and at peace, sad and joyful. We come as we are to Spring of Life.

In time, we added to that by saying, “ . . . and become who God created you to be.”

Our conviction is that the God who has revealed himself fully through Jesus Christ is on a mission to remake the world. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is the “first fruit” of God’s new creation. The forces and powers of evil at work in the world have lost their ultimate power. The victory over them has already been determined by Jesus’ victory over death through his crucifixion and resurrection.

The gift of God to us through Jesus is that we now have the power to live our lives in ways that make sense in light of God’s good news of Re-creation. We have the power to extend ourselves in vulnerable hospitality to strangers. We have the power to forgive our enemies rather than nurse grudges and seek revenge. We have the power to take responsibility for our brokenness and sin by saying, “I am sorry” - making amends with those we have harmed. We have the power to pay attention to the cries of the poor and powerless, and use our power as allies for the vulnerable and voiceless. We have the power to use our resources rightly, acting as good stewards of what God has entrusted to us, rather than being consumed by the consumerism of our culture. We have the power to recognize, understand and appreciate the differences that exist among us as we seek to become the beloved community that God created us to be. We have the power to hear God’s call in our lives individually and collectively and take the next step on the way with Jesus.

This is the vision of who God created us to be and who Spring of Life is becoming by God’s grace.
We bring what we have – all that we are – to God and God takes that raw material and weaves it into a beautiful tapestry.

Last week as Carolyn, Julia and I stuffed envelopes with financial commitment cards to send to people at Spring of Life, I recalled the many things God is doing through this community of faith. I leave you with this celebration of what God is making out of the people at Spring of Life!

Spring of Life is a church where people . . .

• Provide meals, hospitality and love to families at Ronald McDonald House

• Give us space to remember that God invites people of every nation, tribe and tongue to worship together

• Give encouragement to parents of teenagers

• Pray for our loved ones who are sick and comfort us when we grieve

• Help us to die with hope for resurrection and new creation.

• Help us find ways to serve God with the gifts and talent he gave us

• Pray for our children when they get into trouble

• Clothe the naked, feed the hungry and house the homeless

• Teach us who God is through Bible study and challenge us to live according to His will.

• Celebrate our marriage and support us in our married life

• Welcome us when we feel alone

• Help us guard against crippling debt and loving money and stuff more than God.

• Help us recognize understand and appreciate our differences politically – finding unity through Christ rather than our national identities

• Listen to our confession of sin and remind us that we are forgiven and free from guilt and shame

• Give us a sanctuary space when life is uncertain and chaotic

• Strengthen and heal our marriage when we are hurting

• Help us heal through a divorce that we didn’t want

• Show us the value of having relationships with people of all ages

• Support us when we are caring for a loved one who is ill

• Keep faith when we cannot make sense of why things happen the way they do.

• Show us the value of doing hard things that are right and good rather than taking the easy way out.

• Encourage us to take risks by stepping out of our comfort zone to serve God

• Welcome us into a life of following Jesus through the sacrament of Baptism.

Election Day Communion

On Tuesday, November 6 millions will be voting for a new president along with other amendments, state and county leaders. This is important work for free people to responsibly engage, and we have reminded the church to take this work seriously. I’ve reminded the church many times that there are faithful Christians at Spring of Life who will choose to vote for Barak Obama, others will choose to vote for Mitt Romney, others will choose to vote for another candidate and others will choose not to vote at all. I am aware that these differences will not bother God as much as they will bother some of us.


Therefore, on a day when many of us in the church will be choosing differently, we thought it would be important to remember to choose one thing together.The most significant thing that the church has to offer the world is the self-giving love of Christ that recognizes our differences and unites us in a way that no nation or state ever can. For this reason, Spring of Life will be offering Election Day Communion in a very public and invitational way outside, near the entrance to the church property. We will have a 20 minute liturgy with all who gather to receive God’s grace and place their life under the authority of Christ. The times will be 7:00 am, 12:00 pm, and 6:00 pm.

Let’s meet at the same table,
with the same host,
to remember the same things.

We’ll remember that real power in this world — the power to save, to transform, to change — ultimately rests not in political parties or presidents or protests but in the life, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus.

We’ll remember that, through the Holy Spirit, this power dwells within otherwise ordinary people who as one body continue the mission of Jesus: preaching good news to the poor, freeing the captives, giving sight to the blind, releasing the oppressed, and proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:16-21).

We’ll remember that freedom — true freedom — is given by God and is indeed not free. It comes with a cost and it looks like a cross.

We’ll remember our sin and our need to repent.

We’ll remember that the only Christian nation in this world is the Church, a holy nation that crosses all human-made boundaries and borders.

We’ll remember that our passions are best placed within the passion of Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2).

We’ll remember that we do not conform to the patterns of this world, but we are transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2).

We’ll remember that God’s strength is made perfect in weakness.

And we’ll re-member the body of Christ as the body of Christ, confessing the ways in which partisan politics has separated us from one another and from God.

On Tuesday, November 6,
make a choice to remember.
Let’s meet at the Lord’s Table.
Let’s remember together.
Please join us for communion on Tuesday, November 6, at 7am, 12pm and 6pm.

Election Day Communion is a grassroots, multidenominational campaign inviting churches to express their unity in the face of increasing polarization, by holding a communion service on Election Day, November 6, 2012. Originally started by two pastors with no funding or organizational backing, Election Day Communion has quickly grown to include more than 425 churches from over 20 denominations. www.electiondaycommunion.org

A Call to Ministry

Recently we finished a series of sermons on different "call stories" in the Bible. My friend Evelyn Teran (pictured left) will be presenting her understanding of God's call on her life to ordained/licensed ministry in the United Methodist Church at Spring of Life's Charge Conference on Monday evening at 6:30 p.m. Below is her written account. We celebrate Evelyn's gifts for ministry and are grateful to be sharing this journey with her.

I was born and raised Catholic but at the early age of ten I experienced a renewal of my faith through the Disciple of Christ church. I started to develop a passion for ministry as I was able to participate in various ministry opportunities such as Sunday school, youth group, choir, bible study, prayer services and hospital visitation with a group of young adults. Even when my parents remain attending to the Catholic Church, they liked the idea that I was attending the Disciple of Christ church because they were able to witness and experience my dedication to ministry. Since my early youth I have been drawn to pursue a spiritual journey that will lead me to a spiritual formation that reflects the grace and the love of God for me and others!

Through the years I have experienced this call as making disciples of all nations. In 1989, I moved from Puerto Rico, to the state of Virginia, where I became a member of a Pentecostal Holiness church. After serving in the church as a Sunday school teacher and volunteer for various other ministries such as drama team, Hispanic Ministry, and as an usher, I was approved and sent to Youth with a Mission, a missionary international and worldwide organization.

During my six years of missionary work I was given the opportunity to disciple and evangelize to nations in the South Pacific, Europe, and North Africa. I became part of the leadership team that trained and equipped others missionaries. During the time I was committed to the mission field I was still looking forward to one day becoming the pastor of a local church. As part of my journey I have been given the opportunity to serve as a youth pastor and also as pastor of a small Hispanic congregation on a military base in Germany.

Throughout my 25 years of ministry serving God and the community I finally have been able to enter a pathway that will lead me to the final acceptance of my calling.  I have a passion for discipleship, leadership, and community.  I believe God has prepared me for a moment like this where I can serve the church with my talents and spiritual gifts. For the last four years I have dedicated myself to the Central Florida area serving as a hospital Chaplain and have been able to support and empathize with people during their darkest hours. I have as well had the opportunity to minister with prayer and counseling to staff and family members of the hospital. I believe God has guided me to serve as a Chaplain to form and affirm my pastoral identity with the intention to prepare me to do the work of a local pastor.

As I was seeking God and ways to better serve Him in the community His hand led me to the Spring of Life church. As I started to function as the leader for the Hispanic Ministry I found myself engaging in a pastoral role. Within this new role and my cross-cultural experience I believe that God is calling me to embrace a multicultural ministry that is compatible with the Gospel of Christ, where every nation and every tongue will worship together. In my calling I feel directed by God to lead and encourage others to walk in unity.

I believe I have the skills and spiritual gifts to teach, exhort, and discern to help and disciple the church to come near God and to develop an understanding of His love and grace. For the past few years I have pursued and accomplished pastoral clinical education in preparation in response to my calling. As I reflect on my journey I know that I have love and passion for the word, order, and sacrament within the church. I am passionate about empowering others to fulfill God’s call in their life, unifying and strengthening the church with the intention of making disciples of all nations. Within this journey one of my most sacred “memento” was the first time I was able to serve the communion for the Hispanic Ministry in Spring of Life, I felt the love of God in my heart affirming my call to serve others!

A Community of Extravagant Generosity

From support for those fighting cancer, giving to stop hunger now, doing minor home repair, to providing funds and labor for a wheelchair ramp, I see the generosity of the people of Spring of Life. I see many of you continuing to practice habits of good financial management in your own households so that you are free to give when God calls. You continue to push back on the culture of over-consumption as an act of worship. This hard work of financial discipleship is what we learn in Financial Peace University, and over time, we discover the joy of generous giving and the peace of being debt free.


Last Sunday in worship we heard Lenora talk about a call to ministry that she sensed for herself as well as her business (Cambridge School of Ballet). You might not think that teaching people to plié and grand jeté would be able to help put an end to human trafficking or provide clean water for people in Africa, but this was the vision that God laid on Lenora’s heart. Wow, can a business answer a call to ministry too?

A couple weeks ago in the Disciple Bible study on Wednesday night we read about God’s covenant (promise) that he made with Abraham. God said, “I will bless you and make your name great. I will make you a great nation so that you will be a blessing.”

“ . . . so that you will be a blessing.”

I remember one time after I had finished a funeral for a young man in my church, his dad came up to me and handed me a check for leading the service. I pushed back, trying to be gracious, and said, “Hey thank you, but I don’t need it. I’m well taken care of, thank you.” He just kept holding the check out and said, “Well, you know this doesn’t have to line your own pockets. Please take it.”

“. . . this doesn’t have to line your own pockets.”

Right. We are blessed so that we will be a blessing. God wants the world to know that he is a generous and self-giving God who notices the cries of the poor and oppressed. And so, we order and manage our financial life and our business so that we can reflect our generous, self-giving God to the world.

There is a person in our church right now who has been left alone by her family and unable to work right now because of surgery she recently had to remove what they thought was cancer in her abdomen. Thankfully, it turned out not to be cancer, but she remains vulnerable without a spouse, without family, and without a job to pay for food, shelter and healthcare. As you can imagine, she is afraid and lonely.

Those who know her at Spring of Life have told her. “We are your family. You are not alone. We are praying for you and we will make sure that you have food, shelter and friendship to get through this hard time.”

God says to his people: Do not to neglect the orphan, widow and vulnerable in your land because at one time you were vulnerable too. (see Exodus 22:21-22)

“. . . at one time you were vulnerable too.”

God is good to remind us when we have more than enough food, clothing, shelter; more than one means of transportation and a vast support network of family and friends that at one time we had none of that.

“What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift?” 1Corinthians 4:7

“. . . what do you have that you did not receive?”

The truth is that we need friendship with those who are vulnerable as much as the vulnerable need friendship with those who have material resources. Interestingly, the Bible says, “God is close to the brokenhearted” and “blessed are the poor.” Jesus, himself, chose a life of homelessness and called the rich young ruler who wanted to see eternal life to sell everything, give it to the poor and come be a homeless follower too.

So Jesus doesn’t model a life of throwing a few bucks at the poor, he lives among the poor, in friendship, and by so doing, redefines blessing for the world.

Questions for reflection:

What about giving brings you joy?

Are there barriers to generous giving in your life? What are they?

What do you have to give when you are feeling vulnerable and alone like the woman in our church?

What do you have to receive from friendship with the poor?

How do you think it is true that the poor are blessed like Jesus says?

Now and Not Yet by Lenora Rousseau

I remember as a pre-teen sitting in the back seat of our station wagon for a number of family road trips from California to Florida, anxiously looking forward to arriving at my grandparents’ house in Pensacola. The first day of our trip was always the same. I couldn’t get in the car fast enough. By the third day, there were never enough rest breaks, and my younger brother would inevitably test my waning patience, triggering that age old lament… “Are we there yet?” The answer was always the same…“No!” And, more often than not, it was accompanied by the following admonitions (fired in rapid, ping pong succession by my parents): “Stop whining!… You’ll know it when we get there!… You need to learn to enjoy the journey!” Prophetic words, indeed.

In our recent worship services, while reflecting on Jeremiah’s call story, Pastor Dave posed the question: “What do you suppose God wants you to be now and when you grow up?” This was aimed primarily at our youth, but served as a thoughtful reminder to the entire congregation that God calls each of us to serve him in different ways during every age and stage of our lives. For the past three years, I have been exploring a call to ordained ministry within the United Methodist Church as a Deacon. When I think about how this journey has unfolded, I don’t have a ‘burning bush’ moment I can point to. Hearing a call to ordained ministry has evolved over time, being revealed one step at a time, with just enough insight for the next step. In many ways, it has mimicked those long family road trips. And along the way, I have discovered that my call is really twofold: who God is calling me to be now, and who God is calling me to be in the future. The phrase now and not yet comes to mind.

Those of you who know my background might be wondering how a Jewish girl ends up becoming a Methodist in the first place, and then goes on to discern a call to ordained ministry. A road less traveled indeed! Well, the simple answer is grace, and lots of it! When I first arrived in a United Methodist Church ten years ago, I was extremely broken emotionally and spiritually. At seventeen, I had accepted Christ as my Savior. But by the end of my twenties, I needed much more than a shining white knight to save the day, or a golden ticket to heaven ‘when this life was over.’ I needed (and wanted) to be fully transformed from the inside out; I was desperate for a life of faith that I could sink my teeth into and be made truly new. The message of grace (in its fullness), a theological cornerstone of the United Methodist Church, enabled me to encounter the unconditional love of God in such a unique and deeply profound way that it changed my walk with God forever. Learning to incorporate the means of grace into my life– worshipping, sacraments, serving, praying, studying, giving, fasting, and such– has continued to mold and shape me. Ten years later, I can honestly say that who I am now is closer to who God has created me to be than ever before. For now, God has called me to be a wife (to the most amazing husband ever), a mother and homeschool teacher to three wonderful children, a daughter, a sister, a friend, an artistic director, a member of the praise team at Spring of Life along with other leadership roles, and a seminarian. All of which would be impossible without the grace of God.

It’s no secret that worship, especially worship arts are a passion for me. For the past five years, I have been blessed to be the Artistic Director of Cambridge School of Ballet, running all of our classes out of Spring of Life UMC. During this time, God has given me a vision for redeeming the arts by using it as a tool for discipleship while making a difference in the lives of less fortunate children around the world. Our logo incorporates the tag line, “Pursuing passion with a purpose.” I have sought to live that out that purpose through the M6:8 Mission (based on Micah 6:8) to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. If you are interested, you can learn more about the M6:8 Mission at www.csoballet.org.

Ultimately, serving at Spring of Life UMC and directing the ballet school these past five years have been catalysts for discerning a call to ordained ministry. Yet, I would be misleading you if I didn’t admit that this has been a slow and lengthy process. Why? Because I have been fearful and resistant, stubbornly hiding behind a long list of excuses. Yet, God has continued to call, and I have continually sought to answer that call. Why Deacon? I heard it said once that “worship equals change,” meaning whenever and wherever God is worshipped, redeeming change is inevitable. For many of us, Sunday worship (or time spent at the church itself) is the only time we experience this kind of transformation. But as the people of God, we are called to live a life of worship Monday through Sunday, redeeming this world for His glory. Often, the challenge becomes bridging the gap between the faith we celebrate on Sundays and the reality of our everyday, ordinary lives. St. Francis of Assisi is credited with saying, “Preach the gospel always, when necessary use words.” This is probably one of my favorite quotes. If we are going to be agents of Kingdom change in this broken world, we must learn to be the gospel message in all that we do. Using my gifts and experiences, I believe that God is calling me to support the worship life of the church, bridging the gap between the church and the world by leading and helping others discover how God is calling them to live out their faith – doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly one step at a time.

In June of 2011, I started seminary classes at Asbury Theological Seminary in Orlando, FL. I am currently working towards a Masters of Arts in Theological Studies, with the intention of potentially going on to pursue a PhD in the area of worship theology. In addition, I have completed the Ministry Inquiry Process with Pastor Carolyn. I plan to enter the Candidacy process by attending the retreat in January 2013. I welcome your prayers as I continue this journey - that I may continue to discern God’s call in my life and to have the courage to follow where He leads. Likewise, I pray that God will sustain and encourage you in your journey as you discover how He is calling you now and in the future. Whatever God calls you to, wherever He leads you, I am confident of two things: it will stretch you beyond your wildest imagination, and (thankfully) He won’t stop calling. Praise God for amazing grace!

You can contact Lenora via email at this address: csoballet@yahoo.com

Smells Like Jesus

You know how certain smells trigger a memory? Green bottle of Polo cologne . . . I'm back in Junior High School.

The Apostle Paul uses this fragrance metaphor in his letter to the church in Corinth. "Through us spreads in every place the fragrance of knowing Jesus," he writes.

This week I was having lunch with a friend and he mentioned that he longed to live his life in such a way that people noticed something different, something that pointed people to Jesus. I thought of this smelly metaphor.

Indeed, what would our lives be like if they smelled like Jesus? What if that smell was as ubiquitous as green polo in a 1984 junior high school? Awesome.

Jeremy Troxler from Duke Divinity School gives us a whiff in this blog. Check it out: The Tie that Binds. A divided world does not need a church free of conflict and sin but a church that models how conflict and sin can be transformed into peace. [read more...]

The journey continues...

Hello, friends.  Aaron here...

This Sunday marks the six-year anniversary of the first time I joined the Spring of Life community to worship God. I remember it well because I had just moved from south Florida to Orlando for a new job and Lenora and Gabrielle had not yet joined me; so, not only was I experiencing the awkward feelings typically associated with trying a new church, I was also alone and without my family.  Shirley Stoffer greeted me at the door, made me a name tag, and immediately made me feel welcome.  I completed a connect card and Pastor Dave called me the next day.  It didn’t take long for me to figure out that Spring of Life was going to be our new church home, which was an enormous relief because the only regret our family had when making the decision to leave south Florida was that we would have to leave the church where Lenora and I were married, Gabrielle was baptized, and where we were part of a praise team we loved very much.

I tell you this because Spring of Life has been, and always will be, an integral part of my faith journey. It is now my sixth year leading worship and third year leading youth. Had you told me those things were going to be in my future when I attended that first worship service in September 2006, I never would have believed you. Had you also told me that I would begin preaching in July 2008, discern a call to ordained ministry shortly thereafter, and begin seminary in June 2009, I never would have believed those things  either. And I certainly would not have believed that I was going to take a tremendous leap of faith and leave the job I moved to Orlando for in the first place so I could attend seminary full-time and make myself more available to serve God and the good people of Spring of Life. Finally, I probably wouldn’t have believed that our family would grow by two more children either. Let’s just say that the years that we have spent at Spring of Life have brought a whirlwind of change for the Rousseau family. God indeed works in mysterious ways!

Yet, through it all God has been faithful to us as we’ve sought to follow His leading. You, the faithful people of Spring of Life, have been a source of strength and encouragement for us and we are so thankful for your love and prayers.  Answering God’s call can be both fulfilling and wrought with challenge, so having the support of great pastors and a great congregation is truly of the utmost importance. As many of you know, I appeared before the District Committee of Ordained Ministry (DCOM) last Thursday to be interviewed and considered for their recommendation to the Board of Ordained Ministry (BOOM) as a Provisional Elder in the Florida Annual Conference.  I was disappointed to learn that they would not be recommending me to for Provisional Elder at this time.  Nonetheless, they affirmed my call to ordained ministry and the gifts that I possess for ministry by keeping me on the Provisional Elder track and re-certifying my candidacy.  Still, they felt that there are some areas of growth I should address to help me reach my full effectiveness as a minister, and I was assigned some contingencies to work on until my next interview as a result. The chair of the DCOM did tell me, however, that they will consider recommending me to the BOOM as a full-time local pastor at their September meeting. Simply put, this could be a means for me to find a full-time appointment in the Florida Annual Conference and serve as a stepping stone until I am approved and commissioned as a Provisional Elder. Lenora and I will be meeting with the District Superintendent in the coming weeks to discuss possibilities.  Like anything else, there are no guarantees, but if such an appointment does become available, it won’t be until next summer, after I have graduated from seminary. 

Now you know what we know, which I confess at times this week hasn’t felt like much. I thank Dave and Carolyn for being there for me this past week. I thank all of you for your prayerful support. In spite of the initial emotions that came following the DCOM’s decision, I remain grateful for this process and feel confident that I will be better for it.  While there have been times of question and doubt these past few years, I can tell you with all certainty that every decision I have made to answer God’s call has proven to be a right one.  I look forward to a year of great growth and what I know will also be another great year in ministry at Spring of Life.  Thanks be to God.  

Learning How to Fail

The title of this blog may seem a little ridiculous. Who needs to learn how to fail? Every human being seems to come by it rather naturally. Nobody is perfect right?

But I want to suggest that the church has a role to play in teaching people how to fail well.

This week I was reminded again that the church isn’t different from the rest of the world when it comes to causing harm. There are plenty of examples to choose from. Churches are going to be communities where people hurt one another. They are made up of human beings.

If you haven't been hurt at your church yet it is only because you haven't been there long enough or haven't gotten very involved. God’s hope for the church is that it would be different from the rest of the world in the way that it responds when hurt happens. This is where we must “learn how to fail well.”

Because of Jesus and his Spirit living in us, we can learn to fail well. We can admit when we are wrong and cause harm – either intentionally or unintentionally. We can speak the truth in love to someone who has hurt us. And we can forgive. Forgiving means we make a decision not to get even. We choose not to hold a grudge or nurse bitterness. It doesn’t mean we say, “What you did doesn’t matter.” It doesn’t mean that we “forget.” And it doesn’t mean that we begin to immediately trust the person who hurt us. Forgiveness means that we no longer hold the offense against someone by continuing to bring it up and thereby allowing it to continue fracturing our communion with one another and with God.

These two gifts, confession and forgiveness, are really what makes the church different from the rest of the world. Followers of Jesus do well to use these two gifts from God to show the world how God wants us to fail.

I believe that it breaks God’s heart when we fail and do not use the gifts of confession and forgiveness. I believe that because I know that the reason God sent his son into the world was for the purpose of reconciliation.

“God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:19

I found a great resource for helping people who want to get better at this and other practices that reveal God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. It is called, “Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals” by Claiborne, Wilson-Hartgrove and Okoro. It is a book to strengthen the prayer life of the church and a book that has helped me to learn how to fail well. I recommend it highly!

Here is an excerpt from the book on the topic of confession that I’d like to share with you:

Confession

“The Scriptures have much to say about not coming to the altar if we are holding something against a sister or brother. We are told that we will be forgiven inasmuch as we forgive. The early church was known for its public confessions of sins. Many traditions of Christianity have practiced public confession, and many great revivals have been sparked by folks beating their breasts and confessing sins to one another.

Consider ways of creating a space for confession to happen. We have built in some space for confession in each evening prayer office, but there may be other community rituals you want to practice. One practice used in some communities is “Prouds and Sorries,” where each person is given the space to share something they are proud of and something they are sorry about. Just as we confess things that are wrong, we also need to be reminded that we are better than the worst things we do. Reconciliation is one of the fruits of confession, and it is worth thinking about ways of speaking into each other’s lives as we hope to restore whatever may have been broken or lost. (Some communities respond to confessions by saying together, “We proclaim to you God’s forgiveness and ours.”) Confessional prayer assumes that our worship takes place in a deeply flawed community. The church has always been a worrisome and dysfunctional place. But by grace we can take small steps to restore trust. Maybe it is writing a note to someone we have offended or calling up someone we have murmured to (or about) and asking for their forgiveness. Maybe it means each week choosing to do something nice for someone it’s hard for you to like. Sometimes we call this “doing penance.” It’s not that we have to do an act of penance to earn God grace; it’s the opposite – because we have experienced God’s grace, we can’t help but do some act of grace toward another person.”

Life Together in an Election Year

The election season of 2012 will be starting in earnest with a primary election on August 14. As a pastor I am compelled to propose some agreements that would guard the unity of the Spirit within the Church as we move through this election season.


I begin with these words from the Apostle Paul to the church at Ephesus:

“I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” Ephesians 4:1-6

Paul reminds us who follow Jesus that our primary identity and allegiance is to our one Lord who is “above all and through all and in all.” That means that we are first Christian brothers and sisters, united in Christ, before we are Republicans, Democrats, Independents or Americans. Our identity as children of God transcends all those other identifiers. It is important to remember that all the time, but particularly during an election season.

It is important to remember that there are faithful Christians in your church who will be voting for different candidates. There is no single candidate or party that will be “the Christian candidate or party.” There are issues that are important to us as Christians that each candidate and party will seek to address in different ways. And it will be important for us to prayerfully consider how these philosophies, if carried out in our nation’s laws, will make for a more just world that reflects the Kingdom of God revealed in Jesus Christ.

With this in mind, I propose that we live by these agreements out of love for God and one another, and for the sake of our Christian witness in the world.

I agree to have one on one conversations whenever possible with people who disagree with me, and I will “seek first to understand before being understood” (expressing the humility, gentleness, patience, and bearing with one another in love that Paul speaks of). This means I will resist the temptation to participate in emotionally charged arguments via email, Facebook or blog comments. Instead, I will meet face to face for conversation whenever possible.

I agree to pray for the unity of the church as Christ prayed for the unity of the church in John 17. This is not a prayer that everyone would think the same, vote the same, etc. It is that we would give our allegiance to our one Lord and remember at the end of the day that our unity comes from our being Children of God rather than having an affiliation with a particular political party.

I agree to be responsibly engaged through study, dialogue and prayerful participation in the election process. If I am not registered to vote, I will get registered and participate. (Click here to register to vote).

I agree that if someone does not want to talk about politics I will respect that out of love for my brother or sister in Christ.

I agree not to make personal attacks or accuse another brother or sister in Christ of being unchristian for their political convictions. This includes agreeing not to post vitriolic messages, articles or comments through email, Facebook, Twitter or blogs. There is a way to have passionately held convictions without being mean spirited and accusing people of being evil. Remember that God doesn’t make evil people. We can all be complicit with evil without realizing it. Remember Jesus’ prayer? “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” That applies to all of us at times. The power Jesus gives us to resist evil is to first surrender to God ourselves through confession of our own sin and secondly through self-giving service and love. This is the way Jesus disarmed evil (see Colossians 2:15).

Understand that you will not hear support for a particular candidate from your pastors or church staff. But that does not mean we will not participate fully in the election. Our calling is not to advocate for a particular political candidate, but to proclaim the gospel of Christ and to equip the church for Christian service in the world. We fully recognize that there are faithful Christian men and women at Spring of Life who will vote for candidates from every party.

Out of love for God and one another, and for the sake of our Christian witness in the world, I will agree to live in this way and be held accountable for it by my brothers and sisters in Christ.

How about you?

Generosity in July

When Spring of Life Church started ten years ago Carolyn and I met with a group of about 15 people from other churches who either lived in the Lake Nona area or just had a desire to help start a new church. We were entirely dependent financially upon the generosity of Christians from other United Methodist Churches since the 15 of us couldn’t financially support the church’s start up. Other churches had faithfully taught their people how to manage money God’s way – staying out of debt, saving for emergencies and giving 10% or more of their income for God’s work in the world. Because other churches taught their people that this is normal for followers of Jesus, Spring of Life Church was born. Obviously money wasn’t the only thing necessary to start Spring of Life, but without Spirit-led people who had been faithful stewards of what God had given them, no one would be calling Spring of Life their church home today.


Christians from other churches paid $350,000 in 1998 for the 15 acres of property our church building is on. Christians from other churches gave us about $400,000 during our first four years as a church to purchase equipment, pay for staff, rent for worship space and outreach ministries. Christians from other churches gave us over $200,000 for building costs and mortgage support during our first year in the building. That is nearly a million dollars of support from Christians in other churches that helped Spring of Life get her start.

As Spring of Life began to grow and become a church that was sustained financially by the people at the church, I had this nagging question. Will we be the kind of church that teaches people how to manage their money God’s way so that one day other churches and ministries will benefit? Will there be a new church pastor who will go to their mailbox in the future and pull out a check for $35,000 written by a person who learned to manage their money God’s way at Spring of Life? (That happend to us, by the way.) Will orphan children in Burundi, Rwanda and Kenya be empowered and equipped to become secure, confident, self-sufficient and mentor one another as a result of generous gifts from people who learned to manage money God’s way at Spring of Life? Will you become increasingly free from financial burdens so that you can know the joy of giving like never before? I hope the answer is yes!

This is why Spring of Life Church keeps offering the Financial Peace University Course. We believe that when God gets hold of our heart we want to give generously to God’s work in the world. The problem so often is that people are over committed and over extended financially. As a culture we continue to spend more than we have. We are enslaved to debt, and we cannot be the kind of generous people God created us to be. Those who have gone through the Financial Peace University Course are slowly changing that culture.

125 people have gone through FPU at Spring of Life, and 82 of those are regular participants at Spring of Life. While this is an ongoing process, those people have the tools to eliminate debt, live on a budget within their means and therefore plan generosity into their way of life.

Here is where this work makes a difference. When I find out about needs in our church and community Spring of Life is in a position to respond. For example, one family in our church is caring for a sick parent. They needed a wheelchair ramp to get her out of the house and couldn’t afford to have it built. Two guys stepped forward to build it, and the generous financial giving we have seen this July (up significantly over last July) gave the Church the ability to purchase the materials for the ramp. Another woman called the church and shared that her 4 year old son had been diagnosed with cancer and she had missed work in order to take him to the doctor. She couldn’t cover the weeks stay at the hotel they are living in because she fled an abusive relationship. Because of your generosity in July we were able to help her through this difficult spot and refer her to Hailey’s Hopes and Hugs foundation that helps families with children battling cancer.

Last July I would have had to turn down both of those opportunities to bless those families in a practical way. Thank you for your generosity in July. I hope you sense the joy of sharing in the Lord’s work in this way. Keep up the great work you have begun!

And let me challenge you to pass on what you have learned by considering leading an FPU class at Spring of Life. All the materials are new. Dave Ramsey has shortened the course to 9 weeks, updated the course videos and it is better than ever! Please pray about stepping up and being a leader in this area. One of the marks of a disciple of Jesus is not just what you accomplish, but what others accomplish because of you. Email me if you will consider being a course facilitator.

Still dreaming of what the people of God could do for the kingdom of God if they were debt free!

God is a Runner

This morning while running through my neighborhood I passed a home with the front door open and the sounds of a man and woman arguing coming from within. Honestly it made me want to pick up the pace. Who wants to be around a heated domestic dispute, right?


As I ran on past that house the thought came to mind. God is a runner. Only, God runs toward the world’s greatest pain rather than away from it.

It always comes up when our lives are touched by tragedy. Columbine, September 11, Tsunami, Earthquake, Cancer, now Aurora . . . in addition to sadness, anger and fear, in every instance there is that nagging question, “Where was God?” Some conclude that it’s proof that God is make believe at best or doesn’t give a rip at worst. Others say, “Who can understand what God does! We just have to accept it by faith.”

None of those responses takes into account the major storyline of the New Testament, God became flesh and dwelt among us. (For my pastor friends who think running is a worthless activity that shortens your life, I just have to point this out.) God is a runner!

In Jesus, God runs toward the world’s greatest pain, not away from it.

If the crucifixion of Jesus tells us anything, it tells us that God is running toward the world’s greatest pain and not away from it.

Think about that for a minute. God is running toward the world’s greatest pain, toward your greatest pain.

The exact place where you think God has said to you, “That’s it, you’re on your own.” That’s what God is running toward. Your arguments with your spouse, your divorce, your sexual sin, your love of violence, your victimization, your hatred for others, your dishonest businesses practices, your addictive behavior that you try to keep secret, your feelings of inadequacy and your pride of self-sufficiency.

Why in the world would God want to run toward that stuff? This is the mystery of the good news of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul put the answer this way in his letter to the Corinthian church. “In Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself . . .” 2Corinthians 5:19

Apparently this is what God wants most – reconciliation. He wants it enough to run toward the world’s greatest pain - the places where division seems impossibly more powerful than anything else in the world.

What could possibly defeat the proud and painful divisions that we experience in this world? Christians are foolish enough to say Jesus.

Interestingly, Jesus way of reconciling the world to himself isn’t by pontificating platitudes. He doesn’t do it with shaming lists of “thou should” and “thou shalt nots.” He doesn’t reconcile the world to himself through violence and vengeance. Nor does he do by distancing himself from the pain of our lives until we figure out how to get our act together and come to him. Jesus way of reconciling the world to himself is by running toward the pain. Becoming flesh. Bearing the weight of our evil in himself on the cross.

Of course, as I continued running past the arguing couple in that house the thought occurred to me, “How will the world know that God runs toward the world’s greatest pain if His Body here on earth keeps running from it?” (ouch! Forgive us Lord when we, your body here on earth, run away from the world’s pain).

Paul continues his letter to the Corinthians by saying God has “entrusted the message of reconciliation to us.” Translation: "You are called to be a runner too." As Christ’s body on earth, the Church is called to run toward the world’s greatest pain.

What do we do when we get there? I don’t know. . . How about break bread? Confess our sin. Offer forgiveness. Ask forgiveness. Suffer with those who suffer. Share what we've been given. Place our trust in the Original Runner who trusted God in the face of death and rose from the dead victoriously. Embody Christ and His hope in the midst of the world’s greatest pain.

Run with Christ toward the world’s greatest pain. That is right where God already is.

Dehydrated?

It is as hot as it gets in Central Florida these days. It is estimated that 75 percent of Americans are chronically dehydrated already. We aren't getting enough water on a regular basis to keep our bodies working like they should.

Considering water is the second most important nutrient to the human body next to oxygen, this is not good. The body is made up of about 70 percent water, which plays a vital role in nearly every bodily process; water is essential for proper digestion and circulation, numerous chemical reactions, nutrient absorption, waste elimination and flexibility of the blood vessels.

This week the triathlon team coach at the YMCA gave everyone on the team a "come to Jesus" speech about staying hydrated this summer. One of the guys on the team got dehydrated and had a heat stroke. He is ok, but his recovery is going to take months and he very well could have died. The summary of her speech is, "Drink regularly." She said it is not only important to drink during a workout, but also before and after. And you shouldn't wait until you are thirsty.

Now the pastor in me can't help making a connection to our spiritual life in all this. First of all, Jesus is our source of "Living Water" according to John 4. And I wonder how many of us feel "spiritually dehydrated" because we only drink from this Living Water occasionally, not at all, or only during our worship "workout" on Sundays? It's great that you are drinking that Living Water on Sundays, but you're going to continue being spiritually dehydrated if you don't drink regularly, before and after worship on Sunday.


Being a disciple of Jesus isn't just about going to worship occasionally or bargaining wtih God to get something we want from God. Being a disciple is regularly following Jesus and drinking regularly of His Living Water so that we become who God created us to be. The goal is to be so regularly hydrated with this Living Water that we begin to love the things God loves.

I challenged everyone in worship last week to consider the last time you made the time to encounter the love of God in Jesus. Seriously, how long has it been? That is the only thing that will truly satisfy us in this world that is chronically spiritually dehydrated.

If you are vacationing this summer, do not neglect your spiritual life. Do not take a vacation from worship. Do not take a vacation from meeting with God in reading the Scriptures. And if you've never done it before, start this summer with one of the gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. Set an appointment wtih God everyday to meet Him and be hydrated by Him. Try the "You Version" app if you have one of those fancy devices. Or ditch the device and go old school - open The Book.

It is dangerous and foolish to not drink regularly in this heat. It just takes some awareness and planning to do it. The same is true for spiritual hydration.


I love the picture of the person handing off water to the runners in the race. It reminds me of the communal nature of our lives both physically and spiritually. Jesus might love you personally, but he never made you to follow him privately. Staying spiritually hydrated isn't possible without a community who will encourage you, hold you accountable and at times give you a "come to Jesus" speech about drinking more reguarly.

Drink well and often this summer (and throughout the year!)

Disagreement and Communion

One of the reasons I am United Methodist is because on any given Sunday former president George W. Bush can share a pew with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. They both happen to be United Methodist. That might be awkward, yes. But I believe it is a sign of God’s new creation revealed in Jesus when two people who hold such different opinions meet together at the table of the Lord. For a God who spent a lot of time hanging out with sinners and talking about loving enemies, it makes sense that God might even like to hang out in a United Methodist Church too. We’ve got no shortage of sinners and enemies for God to enjoy.

Last week I attended a day of the United Methodist Church General Conference as it gathered in Tampa. According to the UMC Discipline the General Conference is the legislative body of the church. Every four years, lay and clergy delegates from around the world meet to review the church’s Discipline, adding or editing language as we attempt to be faithful to our mission to make disciples of Jesus for the transformation of the world. The General Conference is the only body that can “speak officially” for the United Methodist Church.

Riding the bus over to Tampa last Thursday morning I listened to Rev. Adam Hamilton (pastor at the Church of the Resurrection UMC in Kansas City) present a proposed amendment to the United Methodist Book of Discipline that basically served to acknowledge our disagreement in the United Methodist Church over the long held wording in our church’s Discipline regarding homosexual persons. The current wording states : “The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible with Christian teaching.” Basically, Rev. Hamilton wanted the General Conference to at least come clean with the reality that there are some United Methodists (long-time, faithful ones) who are have monogamous, committed homosexual relationships and read the story of God in the Bible in such a way that their life together is affirmed by God rather than abhorred and rejected.

I thought it would pass. But I’ll admit that I don’t know that much about the politics of General Conference. All Hamilton was doing was stating the reality that we are living with in order for us to take steps forward as a church on an issue that has painfully divided and hurt people for nearly 40 years. Rev. Hamilton’s words struck me deeply. “If there were an issue within my congregation where 40% of the people strongly disagreed, then I wouldn’t continue on as if that weren’t a reality.” Exactly, I thought. That’s what we call “denial.”

We can’t heal a wound that we won’t acknowledge is there. In my opinion this acknowledgment would have been a positive step toward coming to the table in order to have an open and respectful conversation in order to understand and appreciate our differences in the context of God’s grace. Perhaps it would have, in the words of Martin Luther King Jr,. been a step toward building the beloved community.

When the petition failed and we were left in the same place we began the Conference, it took me a while to realize what had just happened. Those who were standing at the edge of the assembly in visible advocacy for those who are excluded looked at one another in disbelief. The crowd then moved slowly to the center of the room where there was a large communion table. They began to break bread and share the cup of Holy Communion. Looking back on the event, I can’t think of a more appropriate thing for Christians to do in the face of defeat, misunderstanding, confusion and division. We don’t have the words or actions to transcend such things – those words only belong to the Body broken and Blood outpoured of Jesus. The story of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection is the only story big enough to handle fractures that seem impossible to heal.

As bread and cup were held high and broken, it was a gesture to say, “One day, by God’s grace, we will become the reconciled community that we proclaim in this gospel of Jesus Christ.” And so, once again, in the midst of our very broken world, this meal was a glimpse and anticipation of God’s reign on earth as it is in heaven.

“For Jesus himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.” Ephesians 2:14

One day the people to which God has entrusted the message of reconciliation will be reconciled. Until that day I pray that we keep coming to the table with our differences and with hope.

Garden Dreams

Good theater always takes you to another place. That was the case for me when I got to see the Lake Nona High School student drama department perform “The Secret Garden” this week. If you didn’t get the chance to see it, you’ve got one last chance on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. They are a talented bunch of students!

Of course, I couldn’t help making some theological reflections during this invitation to imagination. Among other things, the garden in the play is a place of death and new life. It becomes a lens through which we can see the world, full of sadness and death that it is. While at the same time the garden is also a lens through which we can see the world bursting with life and new possibility.

It’s no accident that the Biblical writers use the image of a garden to convey the beauty of God’s creation in Genesis and another garden called Gethsemene in the gospels to convey the bitter sorrow of God in the face of death (see Matthew 26:36, John 18:1). But even that garden of Gethsemene isn’t where the story ends. There is yet another garden (we assume it’s a garden because Mary mistook the risen Jesus for the gardener in this story – see John 20:15). In the greatest transport of imagination that the world has ever known, the risen Jesus meets the weeping Mary, symbolic of all the world, calls her by name and inaugurates a new creation/garden that we couldn’t have imagined if left to our own resources.

God has moved from garden to garden, from creation to new creation in order to bring new life out of death. This is far more than a metaphor to give us hope that all our dreams will come true. This is a gift from God which gives us different dreams than we had before. What are these new dreams? Here are two that God has impressed upon me. How about you? What new creation, new garden dreams has the risen Christ given you?

Peacemaking that wields the weapon of self giving love.

Treating creation as a gift to be cared for rather than a commodity to be consumed.

Easter and Improvisation

It has been a few days and I’m still thinking about the implications of Easter Sunday’s experiment at Spring of Life using improvisational theater as a metaphor for responding to the resurrection.

During my Easter sermon I pointed out that Mark’s gospel ends abruptly after Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, and the oldest original manuscripts don’t have anything past verse 8. Three women come with spices to the tomb looking for a body and leave with spices in hand bound for Galilee to look for a living Jesus. And that’s where Mark leaves us. It’s like Mark is prompting us to pick up from there, respond to the resurrection ourselves, meet Jesus in the ordinary, everyday places of life – in the “Galiliees” where we live.

As an improv actor, one important rule to follow is accepting what you are offered and building upon it. One of the actors with us on Easter said that he listens carefully and treats the offer like a gift. That shapes the way he responds. He’s not thinking about trying to be funny or making things turn out “right.” That kind of thinking creates anxiety and paralyzes the drama.

Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are able to make a major liberating assumption: It isn’t up to us to make everything turn out right. That’s God’s job, and in fact, God has already made things turn out right through Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.

Have you ever thought of Jesus’ resurrection in that way? Its implication is much bigger than just good news for Jesus (as in, Yea for Jesus! Your’re not dead anymore!). Its implication is bigger than “there’s hope for life after death” (as in, we get to go to heaven when we die). The apostle Paul talks about Jesus’ resurrection as the first fruit of God’s new creation. Jesus’ resurrection is both the evidence and the promise that God’s reign is coming on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus’ resurrection is evidence that the forces and powers of evil at work in the world have been defeated, and that any evil at work in the world today will not have the last word. We can claim the power of the risen Christ at work within us to make everything turn out right. It isn’t up to us to make everything turn out right.

We can say along with the apostle Paul: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” Galatians 2:20

Most of us have a general idea about the way we’d like our lives to go. And when we sense that circumstances beyond our control are pushing us in a direction that we don’t want, we tend to get anxious, angry, depressed and controlling. This is classic non-acceptance. For an improve actor, this non-acceptance will kill the drama. For a Christian, this non-acceptance is really our attempt to be God and it kills the adventurous life God hopes for us.

What makes improvisation fun and adventurous is when the actors accept each offer as a gift without trying to force their own agenda or try to be creative, funny or original. They simply continue the story by responding to the offer in a way that is obvious.

This is fairly easy to do when you get offers that are kind or friendly. It’s easy to accept “kind” offers as gifts. The important next step is to learn how to accept the offers that you think are negative as gifts too. I’m not talking here about just “having a positive attitude.” I’m talking about learning to accept every offer in light of the bigger story of God’s resurrection hope. This is the basis of Christian hope.

Take the example of Jesus being offered crucifixion. He could have rejected the offer and fought to the death like many perhaps thought he should have. Instead, Jesus accepted the negative offer of crucifixion. However, he did so with faith that his death would not be the end of God’s story. Jesus accepted the negative offer of crucifixion with trust in God’s bigger story – something far more substantial than “having a positive attitude.” We don’t need a God who raises the dead in order to have a positive attitude. But we do need a God who raises the dead in order to have hope in the face of death.

This points toward a second major assumption we can make because of Jesus’ death and resurrection: God’s story started before and will continue after evil and death have had their way. Another way to put this is “death doesn’t have the last word.” In his book “Improvisation: The Drama of Christian Ethics,” Sam Wells suggests that we use the word “and” after every negative offer.

Wells writes, “This word, “and,” constitutes a significant statement. It indicates that the sentence is not yet finished. The story is not yet over. There is more to come, even when evil has done its worst. . . . For the power of Christ lies in the fact that he accepted death, even death on a cross; he was able to do so because he believed in the “And.” He believed that his death was not the end of the story: and so it proved.”

Because the living Jesus is at work in us, we are capable of accepting negative offers followed by the word “and.”

Think about a negative offer you have received and consider the way you can now accept it with the word “and” in light of the resurrection of Jesus. Here are some examples of what I’m talking about.

• I’m offered betrayal .. . . . and I will forgive you.
• I’m offered terminal illness . . . . and I will pray to see God present in this suffering.
• I’m offered a pink slip . . . . and I will remember that this isn’t the end of God’s story.
• I’m offered my own death or that of a loved one . . . . and I will remember that death doesn’t have the last word.
• I’m offered injury or other unexpected negative news . . . . and I will enjoy this detour because God will show me things I wouldn’t have seen otherwise.
• I’m offered physical or emotional attack . . . . and I will take this opportunity to learn to love my enemies better.
• I’m offered the irresponsible choices of a loved one . . . . and I know it is not my responsibility to make everything turn out right.
• I find myself becoming angry at the actions of another . . . . and I will seek first to understand before being understood.
• My teenage child offers me the words, “I hate you!” . . . . and I will love you.
• My loved one rejects Jesus . . . . and even so, God will have his way and get what God wants!

None of these responses are creative or original or clever. They are obvious in light of what Jesus has done through his resurrection from the dead. They are all responses that make sense in light of the new creation that Jesus has made possible through his defeat of evil and death. They are all things that Christians can and should learn to take for granted so that they become a kind of second nature response to the negative offers we receive. The extent to which these responses sound unusual, shocking or abnormal reveals the extent to which we have been formed by the way of the world rather than the way of Christ.

I’m not talking here about memorizing responses. I’m talking about being trained in the habits of Jesus so that these kind of responses become the obvious, “knee jerk,” kind of things we would do when we are given a negative offer.

Now for the next obvious question: How is your training in the habits of Jesus going these days?

Building the Beloved Community: Reflections on Modern Racism

Beginning February 27th, Carolyn and I attended a two and a half day diversity and sensitivity training for all appointed United Methodist clergy in Florida called “Building the Beloved Community.” Though it was not planned in response to the shooting death of an unarmed black 17 year old boy named Trayvon Martin which happened February 26th, the things I learned during that training have echoed in my mind in the wake of his violent death.

I wish I could say that it was my idea to attend the training. I’m not that good. We went to the training out of duty. Our bishop, the Rev. Timothy Whitaker, had a vision for the clergy and churches of the Florida Conference United Methodist Church to address the crisis which not only threatens our future, but renders us unfaithful in the present. Our crisis is a church that is far too homogenously white, aging and middle class.

The United Methodist Church in Florida inadequately reflects the diversity of people who live in the state of Florida. Why is that? Are we ok with that? Wait, the better question: Is God ok with that?

Perhaps you agree with me that God is not ok with that. Perhaps you agree that the angel in Luke’s gospel was right when she announced Jesus’ birth to the shepherds by saying, “I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people.” You might also recall the vision of God’s kingdom that the writer of Revelation imagines in chapter 7, “After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the Lamb [Jesus], robed in white, with palm branches in their hands.” This diverse and inclusive people of God are worshipping God together.

It is God’s hope that the church be a community that recognizes differences and seeks to understand and appreciate the diversity that exists in the world. Notice that these Scriptures don’t call us to be “color blind” or a “melting pot,” but rather multi-cultural. I’m learning that there is a difference.

This vision, though beautiful I think, sounds simpler than it is to achieve. One reason for that is discerned in this quote by William Faulkner: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”

My assumption as a white, able bodied, middle class, male is that racism is mostly a problem of the past. I assume this because of the progress made through the civil rights movement of the 1960’s to change laws that were unjust toward black people. As a result of this progress, I assume that racism exists today only in isolated pockets and is perpetrated only by a few.

What I’m learning is that the experience of black people is different from mine. I’m learning that racism is still very much a reality in the present. And I’m learning that this reality is as much subtle as it is overt, indirect as it is direct. I’m also learning that racism is a reality that extends beyond personal and interpersonal hateful actions said or done because of someone’s color.

It is difficult for me to imagine what it is like to be considered “suspicious” because of the color of my skin. I’ve never been watched by the manager while I walk through the aisle of a store. I expect people will want to hear what I have to say when I talk in a group. And it has never occurred to me that I wouldn’t be welcomed, have the opportunity to participate fully and have my culture represented and appreciated in my neighborhood, church and school. Those experiences of modern racism are all too common for black people.

Faulkner was right, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”

[For more on this reality see columns by Darrell Owens, Mark Pinsky and Drew G.I. Hart ]

Our bishop reminded us that the work of Martin Luther King Jr. may be most noted for his confrontation of unjust Jim Crow laws and a call for the nation to start obeying the 14th commandment of the US Constitution which states:

“No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

“But,” said our bishop, “King gave us a vision that was bigger than simply obeying the 14th amendment. He led as a Christian who longed for something bigger than that – a vision of becoming a beloved community."

Our faith gives us resources of love, forgiveness, humility, courage, joy, perseverance and hope (just to name a few) that will sustain us in the difficult, confusing, fearful task of confronting the ongoing problem of racism which fractures our churches, communities and nation. We will make mistakes. We will not agree. And that is ok. We can courageously enter the conversation.

So what do we do next?

Another Faulkner quote is instructive: “The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”

Here are the small stones I’m picking up (I’ll start with one):

• I’m going to read authors and writers who are not white men (admitting that two of my favorite authors are white men!). I need to learn more about the perspectives, differences and contributions of black men and women. I’ve decided to do this instead of visiting my black friends with endless questions to educate me and "help me understand." One place to start are the editorials referenced above and this article by Valerie Batts, Ph. D., Executive Director, VISIONS, Inc. “Is Reconciliation Possible: Lessons from Combating Modern Racism”

Toxic Work

Ever since I wrote about “Take Your Pastor to Work” day, I’ve had the privilege of visiting several workplaces. I’ve been to schools, diners to meet those searching for work, Dunkin Donuts to meet Realtors, a national plant nutrient group, a world-wide database company, a tax accountant, a world-wide missionary mobilization center and a fitness boot camp (yes, I did push-ups).

What impresses me about all these people at work? They all like their jobs. Even the guy looking for work was having fun doing it. Perhaps I caught him on a good day, but he was leaning into the opportunity to be part of God’s next adventure for him. These folks talked about working with great people who supported and respected one another – even prayed for one another. They all had great talent for the work they did and felt a connection to the mission of their organization. But this wasn’t always the case.

I heard some of them talk about previous experiences working in toxic environments. They spoke of distrust. They spoke of gossip tearing at the company culture and undermining its mission. They experienced people who had power and liked to use it for their advantage and people without power who passively sabotaged those who had it.

Those conversations came to mind as I read a New York Times Opinion blog this week by former Goldman Sachs executive, Greg Smith. He spoke of the culture when he started at Goldman Sachs almost 12 years ago and how it changed over the years.

He writes, “[When I first arrived, the culture] revolved around teamwork, integrity, a spirit of humility, and always doing right by our clients. The culture was the secret sauce that made this place great and allowed us to earn our clients’ trust for 143 years. It wasn’t just about making money; this alone will not sustain a firm for so long. It had something to do with pride and belief in the organization. I am sad to say that I look around today and see virtually no trace of the culture that made me love working for this firm for many years. I no longer have the pride, or the belief.”

Not having the power to change the culture of the company and not being aligned with its current toxic culture led Mr. Smith to resign. That choice is difficult in any economy, but in one that’s struggling, it’s even harder. Some of you know exactly what that is like and think, “Hey, toxic work is better than no work.” Maybe.

If you are in a toxic work environment, let me ask you this: Is God compelling you to stay for some reason? Just because your workplace is toxic doesn’t necessarily mean God wants you to leave. There are plenty of Biblical stories of God sending people into toxic environments with a mission in mind. [See Elijah, Jonah, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Jesus and his disciples]. Those folk had a calling to run toward toxic places like rescue workers toward a burning building. God had given them power to speak truth, model a new way, be agents of change. Even though the sacrifice would be great, they were led by a higher calling. Some people have that calling. Do you? If that’s your calling, then lean into it with all your heart.

In fact, that’s good advice for all of us: “Lean into your calling with all your heart.” Called to stay? Then stay. Called to leave? Then leave. Either way, it’s a leap of faith in the face of fear.

There is something of God that can only be known when we are obedient to go where he calls us to go, no matter what the environment is like.

Next blog will be about the practices of discerning God’s call. How do you know where God is calling.

Invite Your Pastors to College Day

It’s been almost 20 years since I graduated from college. Wha?! For a guy who still thinks he’s barely out of high school, this is difficult to believe.

I thought about my distance fromcollege days this week when Carolyn and I were in Gainesville for a continuing education conference. In addition to the conference we took the opportunity to meet for dinner with all the Spring of Lifers who are attending the University of Florida. I was so glad everyone’s schedule worked out so we could meet.

We started at the United Methodist campus ministry building known as “Gator Wesley” at the corner of University and 13th. In case you don’t know, the Spring of Life UF students are Adam Gutman, Tyler Crossley, Nathan Githens, and Alex Githens. I was particularly glad too that our friend the Rev. Dan Wunderlich, one of the campus pastors at Gator Wesley could join us for dinner as well. Incidentally, Dan was in the youth group at the Conway United Methodist Church when Carolyn and I started as associate pastors. We pestered Dan about God calling him into the ordained ministry the whole time we were at Conway. He’s a great guy, a talented preacher and I’m so glad that we got to introduce our college students to him.

After a brief conflict over sushi or BBQ, we made our way to the famous “Adam’s Rib Company” just down 13th street from the Gator Wesley building. It was meant to be. Adam’s Rib Company sells good BBQ in large quantities for a low price – the perfect place for 7 hungry Gators. In fact, one peek at the menu and we knew what we were ordering: “The Pro Platter.” The sub title for the Pro Platter said, “Enough to feed 8 hungry Gators.” Perfect. Only after we were finished, I suggest that they update their menu to read: “Enough to feed 7 hungry Gators.” There were no leftovers. I’ve never seen a human being eat so much, so fast (Nathan!).

The time for eating and conversation went by fast. I found myself feeling like more of a parent than a student (even though I clearly look more like a student). We listened as they shared about adjusting to new freedom and responsibility. We heard about challenging course work, deciding on a major, interesting internships, roommates, apartment living and of course football and basketball. And no dinner with your pastor would be complete without a little encouragement: “And if you haven’t ever gone to worship at Gator Wesley . . . Dan’s a really good preacher! What time did you say those worship times were, Dan???”

Going to college can be an exciting and fun experience, and it can be a challenging, frightening, difficult experience too. I hope you will join me in remembering to pray for all our college students from Spring of Life. I wish we could visit them all, but since we can’t I ask you to pray for them all. Here are their names: Kayla Hilkert, Kayla O’Donnell , Tyler Crossley, Kira Peterman, Brain Gutman, Adam Gutman, John Tomlinson, Nathan Githens, Alex Githens, Carson Sherrod.

If you’d like to do a little more, like send a card or a care package then send Debbie Sherrod an email request for address. She wants to help our church support our college students while they are at school.

Invite Your Pastor to Work Day

Not that I want to perpetuate the myth, but most of you think we preachers only work for an hour on Sunday. Since we’ve got so much extra time on our hands, I wanted to invite myself to join you at your job. Why you ask? Well, I’d like to see what you do and how you put your talent to work. I’d like to know what you are struggling with and what you want to celebrate so I can join you in prayer. Following Jesus, after all, is a work place endeavor as well as a Sunday worship endeavor.

It had to be a covert operation since we all know that religion and public schools don’t mix. But recently I was smuggled into a local elementary school by a member of our church who works there. I don’t want to incriminate my host in case this blog is being monitored by the school board. So, I’m changing his name to protect his awesomeness.

Mr. Levi (remember, not his real name, but a cool name nonetheless!) called me several weeks ago and said, “Hey! Would you like to come to my school to pray for our students and staff just prior to the week when we will be taking the big FCAT writes test?” He said he would even provide breakfast. I said, “Say no more. I’ll be there!”

Mr. Levi started by introducing me to his staff and sharing different initiatives to help struggling students while challenging the bright ones. He said he has a veteran staff that has had their share of adversity this year too. Some are battling cancer, dealing with divorce, or grieving the death of a parent. They deal with all this while creating an environment where children can learn, grow and reach their potential.

The students in Mr. Levi’s school face their own challenges. Over 50% qualify for the free or reduced cost lunch program. One is battling Lupus. Many come from single parent homes and/or have parents who are looking for employment. But these are not excuses for a lack of excellence according to Mr. Levi. He says, “I have a ‘whatever it takes’ attitude, and I expect the same from my staff.”

We walked down the halls and admired the children’s creative artwork, pictures of supportive PTA families, a destination college display, celebrations for kids who made the honor roll and kids who had met their reading goals for the quarter. We poked our head into a few classrooms - some with students sitting quietly and some with autistic kids crying loudly as teachers worked patiently along-side them. As the occasional child walked past us in the hall Mr. Levi would call them by name. He nearly knows all 500.

As Mr. Levi prays for his students and staff, particularly as they enter the “FCAT Writes” testing next Tuesday, he will be joined by me and now, you . . . all because he invited his pastor to work one day.

Email me and invite me to work with you one day! I promise I’m not a picky eater and I would love to encourage and pray for you as you take your everyday ordinary going to work life and offer it to the Lord.