Val has been posting

In case you are following the adventures of Val, a member of our church who has gone to California as a US-2 Missionary, she has posted a few new entries on her weblog. Check it out:

Val's Weblog

peace,

will

Taking Things a Bit Literally

When we read the Bible too literally, making the entire thing one long directive from God, this sort of thing happens:

CNN.COM - Sunday School Teacher Dumped for Being Female

peace,

will

Life with Joshua Part I

I have written very little on the weblog about life with a baby in the house. I will start by sharing the column that will appear in this week's church newsletter:

I thought it sort of poetic that on the day after Pastor John had returned to Austin to finalize plans for his first daughter’s wedding that some people from Methodist Children’s Home arrived at our home to deliver to Alisha and me an 11 month old baby boy. Joshua arrived Friday, August 11^th, entering our lives at a whopping 25 pounds.

Joshua is a foster child placed through Methodist Children’s Home’s new outreach office here in Corpus Christi. MCH normally takes foster children voluntarily from parents who can’t currently cope with the demands of parenting or whose circumstances make being a good parent impossible. The goal of MCH is to return children to a loving and secure environment with their birth parents whenever possible. This may not be possible with Joshua and he may remain with us.

I am sure you will hear me reflect on how life has changed for Alisha and I since Joshua joined us. However, I want to take this opportunity to talk about how important foster parenting is. Jesus says in Mark’s Gospel:

“Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.”

I hear a lot of talk lately about the value of a life. Many of my Christian brothers and sisters are quite passionate about abortion and stem-cell research, and those are important topics to discuss, but very little attention is paid to the children among us who have very little hope of having a full and abundant life. There are more children than you can imagine who live in situations of abuse or neglect and children who have no one at all to love them. There are children who begin their fragile lives addicted to drugs and alcohol. Some can recover with a lot of love and attention and some spend their entire lives suffering from something that happened to them before they were even born.

I have mentioned in a sermon that often with problems this large we are overwhelmed and do nothing. The words of Jesus I mentioned before are just a little different in Matthew’s Gospel where he says:

Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

Not all the children, just one. When and where just one child is safe and warm, when and where just one child is told, “I love you and I am going to take care of you,” then and there we are welcoming God.

Alisha and I are responding to God by opening our hearts and home to share God’s unconditional love with Joshua. We thank you for all the love and support you have already poured out upon us that we may feel loved as we are loving him.

peace,

will

This Week's Sermon - Text and Audio

Sunday's sermon has been posted in both audio and text forms:

Sermon #27 - Obey Your Thirst
Sermon #27 - Obey Your Thirst (Audio)

peace,

will

Some thoughts on welcoming

Luke 9:46-48

46 An argument arose among them as to which one of them was the greatest. ⁴⁷But Jesus, aware of their inner thoughts, took a little child and put it by his side, ⁴⁸and said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest.’

You may think that since I have little baby at my house that in reflecting on this scripture, I would be writing about babies, but I am not. This is a scripture that is very relevant to our task as Christians and I shared it as such the other night at our Welcoming Team meeting.

I think that we are limiting this scripture a bit when we take “child” too literally. Replace the word children with “someone new to the faith” Let read that again.

46 An argument arose among them as to which one of them was the greatest. ⁴⁷But Jesus, aware of their inner thoughts, took “someone new to the faith” and put them by his side, ⁴⁸and said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes this person new to the faith in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest.’

I don’t think a church has to work all that hard to be welcoming to other church people. I mean church people kind of know what is going on. They know we worship in the sanctuary, they know what a fellowship hall is; they know that the bulletin is the thing we use to guide us through the service; they know what a narthex is. If they are really spiritual grown ups they should be excited if they have trouble finding a place to park, if the church is crowded or they stumble over all the little kids running around. If there are mature spiritually, they shouldn’t care one tiny bit if the parking lot is cracked or the ceiling leaks or the bathroom smells funny.

Honestly, I don’t have a lot of patience for lifelong Christians who visit and have complaints about practical things. If they are lifelong Christians, they should, by now get that it isn’t about their comfort. If a lifelong Christian comes to worship here, and I call them later in the day to see how it went and they say, “I didn’t feel very welcome; the person next to me didn’t even speak to me.” I want to say, didn’t occur to you that perhaps that was there first time in any church, why didn’t you welcome them?

But what about someone new to the faith, someone who is truly seeking to fill that God shaped hole in their hearts, what if they come here? They may not know words like narthex and fellowship hall, they may not understand all those “churchy” words we use. What’s more, they may have spent their whole life living solely by the standards of the world. Think about this for a moment, do you judge your church differently than you would a nice restaurant? Say someone took you out for a nice dinner and while you were there, you were checking the place out to see if it would be a good place to invite your spouse for an anniversary or a new acquaintance you really wanted to impress.

What would you look at?

You would look at the appearance, the service, every little detail. Before you even got inside you would take note of the building and the parking lot. If you were ignored when you walked in, you would notice, if you had to wait an hour for your table, you would take note. If there was a stain on a table cloth, spots on the silverware you would see that. If the waiter seemed confused or dropped your plate, points would be deducted.

But we wouldn’t judge our church that way, because as Christians, we know that this stuff is not important. Right?

‘Whoever welcomes this person new to the faith in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest.’

Think about it, those new to the faith have no other way to judge our church except by the standards of the world. Remember the effort we would put in checking out a restaurant? They are thinking about trusting their life in our hands. They are thinking in one way or another about surrendering their life to God, they don’t know what that looks like yet and they are using whatever criteria they can think of to see if we are a safe place to do that.

In the church we do a lot that it “good enough for church.” We do that because we are trying to be good stewards of the church’s money and we do it because we realize that the gospel calls us to something more than appearances. But, I think that there is a theological problem with that in that we should really give our best to God. More importantly though, there is an evangelistic problem with that.

‘Whoever welcomes this person new to the faith in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest.’

We need to look critically at every single thing we do. Are we doing "good enough for church" work? Or, are we doing good enough that someone may trust us with being part of the most important decision of their life?

Something to think about.

This Week's Sermon

This week's sermon is posted and ready to be read:

Sermon #26 - Read the Instructions

The audio version is not up yet. I will try to post it tomorrow. The studio I use to record the sermons is at the house and there is now a little extra activity at the house!

peace,

will

New Addition, This One is Not a Pet

I have been a bit off my blogging game, but for good reason. After fostering and adopting dogs, turtles and even a one-eyed cat, we stepped up this week and began caring for our first foster child. I have been busy with the transition and thinking about how I would handle all this on the weblog. Sometimes technology is pretty far ahead of our ability to best use it. I like the use the weblog as a way for people to get a little inside glimpse at the life of a pastor (be it their own pastor or not.) I also use it to talk about God and theology in ways I don't have time for on Sunday morning. More often than not, that includes personal stuff.

My wife Alisha ends up living a little bit in a fishbowl too, but I try to give her some privacy. So, I was thinking about how to deal with this new little person living in my house. I am going to play it by ear. For now, the weblog won't have pictures or even his name. If you are a member of the church or know me in other ways, you will get plenty of that. Otherwise, you get to learn about this new addition to our household the way scientists study things they can't see, by observing their effect on things around them. It would be hard to not notice that my life is being radically altered by the little boy living in my home. It is quite difficult to operate the same as usual in the midst of poopie diapers, endless snuggles and paddycake.


peace,

will

Sunday Preview - You Get it First Because You Read the Weblog!

It feels like a while since I have preached. I am back up this weekend and here is what is going on:

Sunday Preview
Sunday, August 13^th (10^th Sunday after Pentecost)
Scripture: Matthew 7:24-28
Sermon Title: “Read the Instructions”

Have you read the Bible much lately? Most of us answer that with something like, “Not as much as I would like.” We are going to talk about that in worship and think about how we can see scripture as the foundation of our faith.

This Sunday is Rally Sunday, the day our children and youth move to their new classes for the new Sunday school year. It is a great day for us, as adults, to think about how we are growing in our faith.

I hope to see you in worship!

peace,

will

They seem to be getting along

It has been a few months since we got Violet (the one on the right) and she seems to have settled right in. Bodhi, who spent nearly 10 years as an only dog has settled into resigned annoyance, but he is willing to share the bathroom rug.

peace,

will

More Light Reading

I am always trying to balance out my reading by reading one fiction and one non-fiction book most of the time. Last time I was in Austin, I picked up a few books at the really great Goodwill store Alisha and I used to live near. You can usually find recent titles for $2.50 and our latest visit was no exception. (I also found a popcorn popper that I have transformed into a new coffee roaster, but that is for another entry).

I picked up Ken Follet's latest, Whiteout. If you read the blog much, you know that I am somewhat finicky about what I read, even fiction. (See my entry on Michael Crichton's Prey.) Follet's latest was pretty good though. It was a quick, fun, adventure thriller, more like watching a movie than reading a book. It had a bit too much romance for my tastes, but that might just be me.

The weblog is always a great place for you to post what you are reading. I like to know what people are into. Plus, my stack of books to read is getting a little low and I need to know what to get next.

peace,

will

Making Safe Sanctuaries

Thank you to everyone who came out last night for our first session of training and reflection on Safe Sanctuaries. Safe Sanctuaries is a program developed by Joy Thornburg Melton in her books Safe Sanctuaries, Reducing the Risk of Child Abuse in the Church and Safe Sanctuaries for Youth, Reducing the Risk of Abuse in Youth Ministries.

I cannot stress enough the importance of this program. This isn't just another state of church mandated program to cover ourselves from lawsuits. This is a comprehensive undertaking, an effort to do everything we can to protect the children and youth of our church for abuse and neglect.

As the body of Christ, we are called to be responsible for the most vulnerable members of the body. That means not just having good intentions, but being intentional about doing every thing we can to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the children who seek and expect sanctuary in our presence.

The training last night and this Sunday is only mandatory for people involved with children and/or youth at the church. However, everyone is welcome. Whether you attend the training or not, I hope everyone will embrace these programs and policies and see them as part of the ministry of the church.

peace,

will

Such a nice name for a tropical storm

It is that time of year. Time to keep an eye out over the water. Tropical Storm Chris is churning around in the Atlantic. We don't think much about the technology that allows us to track these storms. I realize that it is not always accurate, but think about the days before hurricane hunter aircraft, radar and computer modeling. Your only real warning of a killer storm was when the surf started really kicking up. If you knew it was coming, the barometer might give you a clue as to whether it might head right for you or veer off. The only way to know how big the storm was was to look at the damage after it was over.

There is always a point, however, when technology goes from lifesaving to just plain silly. It won't be long now before we get to watch cable news anchor people trying to keep their hair looking good while standing in 60 mile an hour winds letting us know exactly how bad the storm is.

peace,

will

Betraying My Reading List - Reading About Disciple

In case you haven't noticed it, there is a panel on the right side of my weblog that lists the books that I am currently reading. Occasionally I ignore it and pick up another book. As we are coming upon that time of year to register for Disciple Bible Study, I picked up a book that has been on my shelf for a while, Nancy Kruh's The Disciple Story, The Transforming Power of Scripture, (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2003)

Kruh tells the story of the origins of Disciple and then goes on to tell a number of stories of personal and church transformation brought about by the study. I actually know some of the students she spoke about, but what was amazing was how similar the stories were to the many stories of transformation I have witnessed in classes I have been involved in.

This book says what I am always saying, Disciple is was more than just a great Bible study, it actually changes lives.

Feel free to ask me about Disciple and don't forget to sign up. If you don't have a form, just send me an email.

Disciple Redux or Remedial Disciple

I have yet to say this or write it anywhere publicly but I am considering filling a couple of slots in my Disciple I class this year with people who have taken the course already. I don't mean to make this available just as a refresher. I have talked to a number of people who, for a number of reasons, don't really feel like they had a positive Disciple experience. I find that when people don't really have a quality experience with Disciple I they sometimes don't get as much out of the rest of the offerings or just never bother to sign up for them.

So, if you have taken Disciple I already, and really feel like you should take another shot, send me a note or email, and I will try to make a spot for you in this year's class.

peace,

will

Valerie's Weblog

As you may have heard or read in the newsletter, one of our member's Valerie Borhauer has just been commissioned as a US-2 Missionary of the United Methodist Church. Good news for us, she has a weblog and we can follow her adventures. You can find it here:

http://valerieborhauerus2-2006.blogspot.com/

peace,

will

Wonderful Book - Unfortunate Subtitle

I just finished the latest book from Rabbi Michael Lerner, The Left Hand of God, Taking Back Our Country from the Religious Right (New York: HarperCollins, 2006)

The thing that I like least about this book is the title. There are some that might be intrigued by such a title, but there are also some who will never pick up this book simply because of the title. This seems to ago against the open-minded political sensitivity and warning against liberal elitism that Rabbi Lerner expresses in the book.

Wherever you find yourself on the political spectrum there is a well spring of deep insight in this book that will get you thinking theologically and politically. The title may mislead you. Lerner has some harsh insight for everyone. He speaks of a deep spiritual yearning within the American people and how the political right has exploited it and how the political left has ignored it.

The book does a wonderful job of looking historically at where the political and religious right and left have come from. This sort of writing can help people better understand each other so that they may engage in meaningful dialogue instead of partisan bickering.

Lerner calls for an embrace of the left hand of a God. This is not a political hand, but a hand that is rooted in compassion, love, generosity of spirit, kindness, peace, social justice, environmental sanity, and nonviolence.

The Rabbi has a vision and a plan as well. He wants to make the world a better, safer, more loving place and has some ideas of how to make it happen. He may sound a little idealistic, but then so did Jesus.

If you read the book, I would love to talk to you about it, whether you love it or hate it.

peace,

will

Peace Vigil

WHAT: Peace Vigil, Stop the violence in Lebanon Israel and Gaza

WHEN: Thursday, July 27, 2006, 7:30 PM

WHERE: 900 North Shoreline on the sidewalk by the statueof Jesus, Buford and Shoreline

BRING: Flashlights, water, signs urging peace (some signs will be provided

Email me for more info.

peace,

will

Where's My Camera? Wait, Where's My Paddle?!?

I didn't take this picture, it is stock footage. I was busy paddling. Alisha and I took a nice, leisurely evening paddle on the Nueces River last evening. We put in at Hazel Bazemore Park and paddled up to the salt water break at Labonte Park. On our way back, we were paddling along, enjoying the evening as the sun set when all of a sudden things got interesting. Suddenly, the water on the right side of the kayak was all frothy. Then the boat started lifting up out of the water. I looked down to see the back of a friendly south texas alligator. It was hard to tell how big it was since it was underwater, and surrounded by splashing water, not to mention the fact that it scared the _____ out of me. It was over in an instant and we went back to paddling. All the splashing soaked us both to the skin.

As scary as big teethy alligators can be, seeing one is actually a rare blessed moment. Despite what scary movies make you think creatures in the wild know better than to hang around with humans. The chances of actually having that close of an encounter with a gator is probably somewhat like getting struck by lightening. They do have more problems with them in Florida because humans have made the mistake of feeding them so they have lost their fear.

Have a blessed week and keep you feet out of the water.

peace,

will

The Power of Technology

In my short time in ministry, I have always believed in trying to use technology to help spread the gospel message. Here are a couple of ways I have seen that at work this week:

First, a man in Indonesia found the weblog and noticed that I was posting audio sermons. He emailed me to ask me a technical question about how I was posting the audio. He wanted to find a way to distribute audio via weblog for his ministry there.

Second, a woman found my page on myspace and sent me an email asking about the church. I don't know if she will ever come, but at least I got to make an invitation that I probably wouldn't have made otherwise.

Be sure and tell people about the weblog. You never know what other connections might be made.

peace,

will

Praying and Reading

I began teaching Prayer 101 this week so I decided to do a little reading about prayer. Roberta Bondi’s To Pray and to Love, Conversations of Prayer with the Early Church has been on my shelf for a while. I started reading it in seminary and only got through a couple of chapters. That happens a lot in seminary. Any book that is not required reading has a pretty good chance of being shelved in favor of something that from a current class.

Bondi’s work is very interesting in its appeal. Some people I know find it very light and uplifting, some find it a little hard to get through. I don’t know why that is, but I am somewhere in between. I love what she has to say, but sometimes I get a little bogged down in it.

In To Pray and to Love does a wonderful job of placing the early writings on prayer from Christian monastics in a more contemporary context. Bondi helped me see how similar my modern struggle with prayer is to the struggles that the earliest Christians had. As in all her work, she also reminds us of the depth and far-reaching nature of life of prayer. She says it in rich, deep ways, but also says it simply with the words, “prayer is a shared life with God.”[1] If that was all this book offered, a reminder that prayer is more than simply something we do, but rather a way that we live, than the book would be worth reading.

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[1] Roberta Bondi, To Pray and to Love, Conversations of Prayer with the Early Church, (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1991) 27