Innocent as Charged

The death of legendary Penn State football coach, Joe Paterno, this past weekend has unleashed a maelstrom of comments in both support and criticism of this football icon.  He spent six decades at Penn State and served as the head coach of the team for nearly half a century.  He was greatly admired and respected by his colleagues as well as the general public outside of State College, PA, and was worshipped by those who chant the mantra of the university – “We Are Penn State”.  His career ended suddenly and tragically when it was revealed that a former associate, defensive coach, Jerry Sandusky, was charged with sexual abuse of children.  The alleged victims were participants in a respected charity headed by Sandusky who introduced them to the football program and used its facilities.  The accusations are horrifying, and because of information shared by the children and others, are very believable.

Paterno’s role in this tragic story was not that he participanted in any abusive conduct, but that he was made aware of an abusive encounter involving his former colleague and a young boy at the Penn State facility. His resulting response was judged to be far less than adequate.  Subsequently he was dismissed by the college’s Board of Trustees.  If the information shared by those involved in the incident is accurate, then there is no escaping the fact that he made a tragic mistake.  The result of all this is that a massive amount of fingerpointing and self-righteous judgment has surfaced.  I, in no way, am lobbying for a declaration of innocence on the part of this football icon, rather I would say that we all bear more responsibility than we are willing to acknowledge.

Paterno’s testimony to a grand jury investigating the accusations indicates a reality that has been missed, or perhaps dismissed, by most of the public, and certainly by those who claim that they would have been decisive and heroic in their immediate response.  Paterno indicated that he couldn’t truly grasp what was being shared with him by a graduate assistant who witnessed a shameful event.  Paterno, in his mid-70s at the time, said he could not understand what was being described to him.  It simply didn’t fit his concept of reality.  Those of us, more worldly and less naive than the coach, find it inconceivable that he didn’t understand what was really happening between the nationally known former coaching assistant and an innocent child.  One columnist stated that Paterno hadn’t changed his wardrobe since the 40′s and his morality since the 50′s.

As a person who has dealt with elderly parishoners for nearly 40 years, I am constantly amazed at what many don’t understand about late 20th and 21st century sexuality.  I say this not to excuse Paterno for his failure to respond to the circumstance, but instead point out his blissfully limited and outdated view of reality.  Rather, I would challenge each of us to take more seriously our responsibility to be aware of the problems that naive perspectives can cause in the reality of today.

Coach Paterno’s outdated attire and acknowledged naivete were part of the mystique of his iconic nature and the source of humorous anecdotes.  In fact, the things which made him quaint were the very things that threatened his dealing with problems beyond his experience and comprehension.  He was the most recognized and respected symbol of his university’s personna. As such he was above challenge or rebuke, and that is a recipe for tragedy.  Just like the elder whose driving skills are no longer adequate for today’s driving conditions, and thus a potential threat to themselves and others, so was this coach who lacked the realization of the dangers of today’s sexual landscape.

Those who had the opportunity to acquaint the coach with those dangers – his family, colleagues, univerity, etc. - neglected the responsibilty to insist on a review of his competence in those areas where a 1950′s perspective was no longer adequate to deal with today’s realities.  Just as it becomes necessary for someone to take the car keys from the driver no longer equipped to take to the road, so also was the responsibility for someone take away the keys, or provide a chauffer when the coach was no longer equipped to handle the potential problems of the “road”.  There are no automatic downloads to update understanding of changing times and issues.

Yes, Joe Paterno failed to do all that he could to protect those who were put at risk on the campus of Penn State.  But others share in that guilt because they failed to step forward to challenge him in order to protect the vulnerable.  To critics who arrogantly insist that they would have been willing to risk life and limb to protect those who could not protect themselves, where were you when you chose to make jokes about a quaint elderly coach rather than risk confronting him about his inadequacies in dealing with the reality of today’s issues and problems.  The excuse for each of us is that we weren’t or aren’t willing to risk our place and position in life to confront our icons.

A local radio station began playing “holiday” music around the clock two Saturdays before Thanksgiving.  The “holiday” they were acknowledging was not Thanksgiving, but Chistmas.  While I would like to applaud those who participate in a celebration focussing on the birth of the world’s Savior, I realize that has little to do with the reason for entertaining us with the songs of the season.

The real reason that many of us immerse ourselves in the Christmas, excuse me, “holiday” spirit, is far less lofty.  This is the time of year that we all look for a surge of material good fortune.  Retailers depend on successful sales figures to make their year; the hospitality industry depends on year end celebrations and revelry to boost profits.  Even non-profits and, yes my congregation, hope to balance their budgets with an increase in giving before year’s end.

An alarming result of this commercial focus has me wondering what has happened to us.  News sources reported that there were at least seven deaths resulting from “shopping violence” on the day after Thanksgiving known as “Black Friday.”  This has become one of the top retail sales’ days of the year.  We are enticed to storm stores opening early in the morning on Friday, or more so this year, at midnight on Thursday, along with hoards of shoppers lured in to snatch up deals as they fill their Christmas, excuse me again, “holiday” lists.

This year Black Friday shopping took a nasty lunge forward.  In scenes that have been described as “riotous,” shoppers and store employees were injured, and in several cases, killed as customers rushed to fill their arms with deals.  In at least one case a security guard was beaten to death trying to stop celebrants of the birth of the “Prince of Peace” from stealing items that they were going to give someone to acknowledge the coming of the Messiah.

Many times I have participated in movements to “put Christ back into Christmas,” but perhaps it is time to remove Christ from the “holiday” festivities.  My disgust for those who storm store shelves to greedily grab an item to give in Christ’s name leads me to think that this has become an abomination in the sight of God.  We have become captive to a new spirit of the season that finds its purpose not in the gracious work of God, but in the carnal cravings of a humanity that is becoming inhuman.

Is it time to say no to the spirit of self that is gratified in having the newest toy (for any age) and instead return to giving rather than grabbing?  Is it difficult for you to think that there might be a gift under the tree that is the result of elbowing someone else out of the way?  That is not my kind of Christmas celebration.  If that is the manner in which the gift was acquired, then keep it for your “holiday” celebration and leave Christ and Christmas, and me, out of it.

Let’s put the “Holy Day” back into the “holiday.”

Public Witness

Quarterback Tim Tebow of the National Football League’s Denver Broncos has been labeled one of the most polarizing characters in the league. His style of play and skill level are well outside the norm of the typical quarterback. He is not known for his talent as a player, yet he wins games. He took over the reins of a struggling team with little hope for a successful season and has led them to five wins in six games through a series of remarkable late game comebacks. But his wins and “rah-rah” attitude are not the only things that make him a polarizing individual.
Tim Tebow is an unabashed and outspoken Christian. He does not make bold statements about controversial beliefs as many devout adherents to varioius belief systems or causes often do – such as proponents or opponents of abortion, homosexuality, treatment of animals, green technology, or global warming; rather he opens press conferences with statements thanking God for the opportunity to play football or for giving him success, and he often ends the interviews by saying “God bless you.” For this he is a controversial figure and stands accused as trying to “ram his beliefs down the throats of everyone.” Cameras follow him everywhere he goes on the field, including the sidelines, where he often drops to one knee to ostensibly offer a prayer after a touchdown.
This past week another football player, a wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills, mocked a fellow athlete in celebrating a touchdown catch by pretending to shoot himself in the leg and then swooning around in the endzone like an airplane which ultimately crashed in full view of 60-70,000 fans (he later dropped a potentially game winning pass). Another football player’s fiancee announced publicly that she was not going to have sex with her boyfriend until he caught a touchdown pass – he has yet to catch one in 11 games this year.
In an age where players mock the misfortune of others, stomp on other players in front of millions of TV fans, allegedly threaten people with handguns, and mock sexual standards of society, how is it that we find a young man whose life and personal conduct is exemplary to be the number one polarizing figure in his sport? Perhaps it is because his lifestyle is so unusual in our self-centered, self-promoting, undiscplined society that we don’t know how to deal with it. Perhaps those who are so eager to criticize see the bankruptcy of their own beliefs and lifestyles and they have to denigrate those who have not sold out as they have.
Thank you Tim Tebow and others who offer thanks to the God who has given you the gifts and attitude to succeed in a world and sport where there is little appreciation for humility and faithfulness.  If that creates controversy and polarization, so be it.

God Bless You!

What constitutes news?

As the writer of a blog, having several email and facebook accounts, possessing a cell phone, two land lines, and with several apps that keep me connected to texts and various alerts, I have avoided tweeting.  It is not that I have any particular bias against that form of communication with others, rather it seems that I have more than enough ways to “network” with family, friends, and complete strangers.  One has to draw the line somewhere.

In 10 days I will complete my 34th year of ordained ministry, and with that continue to add to the number of times I have stepped before a gathering of people to deliver a sermon.  By my estimate that has occured somewhere around 2600-2800 times to this point in my life.  Although it may not have appeared so to those in attendance, I was usually prepared to deliver the message I shared with my listeners.  I have learned, painfully at times, what it means to speak and have my words and thoughts praised, challenged, criticized, and ignored.  Regardless of the response to any particular sermon, I know what it is like to step again before a group of people and deliver the next message.

As a result, I continue to seek to use my words, and generally the opportunity to speak, carefully.  I have many examples of mis-statements, mis-quotes, and general blunders publically presented and digested.  My ego has taken some shots and some relationships have been challenged or perhaps built because of the things I said, failed to say, or were heard differently.  My intent has always been to encourage people to think about the important things of life with significant emphasis on how the Scirptures and the Holy Spirit impact those concerns.

Philippians 4:8 is a key reference to that perspective.  The condensed form of that verse reads, “Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy – think about such things.” (New International Version)  My call or intent has always been to raise the level of thought above the drivel that sometimes consumes our day to day interactions.  We should not be captive to the tyranny of immediate expression that seems prevalent in our present age.  We become enthralled or embroiled with some mindless comment on Facebook or Twitter which may, or may not, represent a valid perspective of an individual or group.

“News” now seems to be limited to the spectacular or to conflict.  We seem to seek out controversial comments by celebrities (aka. any public personality) and attempt to turn it into news.  We hound people hoping to hear a misstatement that we can use to some advantage, even if it is in no way an indication of the true feeling or belief of the speaker.  We just want to create an opportunity to berate, discredit, antagonize, or embarrass a person or group.  We exchange serious discussion about meaningful things for frivilous chatter about inconsequential topics.

I do not care what some 23 year old football player says about Osama bin Laden’s death, but I do wish we had a greater concern about how we help people express their thoughts about justice and mercy; or about supporting our young men and women in the military while at the same time gaining more understanding about resolving conflict without violence.  I am not consumed with concern about a college football coach’s actions or a congressman’s indiscretions, but I would like to engage others with discussions about the meaning of integrity in our lives.  Is it possible to redirect our interest in the words of others from seeking out emabarrassing “sound-bites” to instead establish points of contact that lead to deeper understandings or stronger relationships?

Can the “news” that we follow begin with seeking after the significant concerns of life that transform us, rather than the trivial events that simply incite us to mindless chatter?  True, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy – think about these things occasionally at least and engage others in speaking and responding to them.  Text, tweet, email, or post me about some of these things, and if I can tear myself away from the latest news about Lindsay Lohan, I might respond.

“You go nowhere by accident…”

The Habit of Work

“My heart I give you, O Lord, eagerly and completely.” These words of John Calvin, symbolized by an upturned hand holding a burning heart, form the foundation of my May-June preaching topics – The Seven Habits of the Burning Heart. The fourth habit in the series is the habit of work. While most of us, who have continued in the same profession for more than a few years, would admit that the majority of what we do on the job is done out of habit, the habit of work that I am considering is less about what we habitually do in our work and more about developing habits about our understanding the nature of our faith and our work.
Living in the state of Michigan, where work is often defined by the legacy of Henry Ford and the factories of the “big three” auto makers, assembly line repitition and habitual actions are the order of the day, and the measure of work style for “Michiganders.” In this context, how can work be an extention of a passionate heart?
Those involved with the study of muscle movement and its application in a variety of areas have discovered that in order to create “muscle-memory” a person must perform the same task at least 25 times to make that action a habit. Whether we are swinging a golf club, writing a letter of the alphabet, or fingering a guitar chord, we need to repeat the action 25 times before our fingers or shoulders or hips perform their needed function without our mind directing the movement.
The habit of work is not a new method to make us more fluid or graceful or efficient in the workplace so that our job is done better or with less effort. Rather the habit of work involves intentional effort on our part to incorporate our faith, and the character it creates in us, into the work we do for our employer giving it greater meaning and purpose. Do the hours we spend on the job simply fulfill a requirement for us to get to the end of the shift so we can go home or somewhere else where meaningful things are done? Is our professional life and its accomplishments just a grueling or boring path to the next paycheck?
What can we do to create a pattern of faith “muscle memory” that brings an increasing level of integrity, excellence, or service into the market place? How do you “practice” your faith in order to infuse it into how and why you do your job?
Let me know what you do to incorporate your faith into your profession.

As always, Grace and Peace – you go nowhere by accident.

Dr. Bob

The Habit of Purpose

The third of seven habits of the burning heart is the habit of purpose.  Actually it is the habit of mission and ministry, but together they give us purpose in life.  The “Blues Brothers” said they were on a “mission from God,” they insisted they had a purpose to fulfill.  While that story line may have been humorous, it is highly doubtfull that they were on a mission from God, but they did express a great truth – we all have a purpose in life.

The Halvorson Benediction that we use to close each of our worship services begins with the assertion “You go nowhere by accident, wherever you go, God is sending you; wherever you are, God has put you there and has a purpose in your being there.”  We can fatalistically accept that premise and live like human pinballs, bouncing from bumper to bumper, blindly submitting to what we believe is God’s frenetic purpose and that we are only along for the ride with no personal responsibility; or we can be transformed from people who live in conflict with God’s intentions (“your ways are not my ways” Is. 55:8), to those who want their purposes and God’s to be aligned with one another (“teach me you way, O Lord; and lead me in a staight path.” Psalm 27:11).

We are to be people with a purpose and that purpose is to be in line with the will of God.  Our purpose in life should involve mission and ministry.  Our mission does not have to be divinely directed.  The man or woman on a mission does not have to be doing anything remotely related to God’s plan of redemption or testifying to the nature or person of God himself.  Our mission can be completely self-centered.  Our mission may be that we make our first million before age thirty, or that we own our own company, or that we be nationally or internationally recognized.  None of those purposes requires an acknowledged connection to the divine.

If, however, we add the element of minstry to the purpose mix, everything changes.  Ministry demands a concern, as well as action, for the sake of others.  When we do that we move from self-centered purpose to a focus on the needs and identities of others.  When our attention and effort becomes outwardly focused, we began to move toward the person of Christ.  Jesus said, “Greater love has no man than this, than a man lay down his life for his friends.”  Our mission and ministry seem to lie somewhere in between that expression by Jesus and the assertion and “the one who dies with the most toys wins.”

What is your purpose in life?  Can it be expressed only in what you want or what you will acheive for your own benefit? Or is it defined by what you selflessly do for the sake of others?

Do you have a personal Mission Statement or Defining Vision?  Does it include benchmarks for ministry to others to which you can hold yourself accountable?  If you have a personal mission statement, let me know what it is.  I would like to learn from it as I review my own.  Here is my personal mission statement as pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Petoskey:

“My Purpose and Mission as Pastor of First Presbyterian Church is:

To Grow Personally and Professionally in my Commitment to the Triune God;

to Present the Gospel in Word and Deed to the Body of Christ;

and to Equip the Church for the Work of Christ in the World.”

 

I will seek to accomplish these purposes by:

• Spending time in personal study and prayer; participating in Continuing Education Events balancing personal interests and professional skills development.
• Faithfully preaching and teaching the Word of God; Modeling a Christian lifestyle in the role of Leader, Husband, Father and Friend in the church and in the community.
• Discipling individuals to be leaders in Small Group Ministries; providing training and encouragement for church members to accomplish works of Christian compassion through a commitment to the Priesthood of all Believers.

Grace and Peace – You go nowhere by accident.

Dr. Bob

The Habit of Building Relationships

The second habit I am addressing in my “Burning Heart” series is the habit of building relationships.  It’s an appropriate topic for Mothers’ Day since mothers are the single most significant mentors in the lives of children.  William Ross Wallace said, “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.”  The Apostle Paul is confident of the faith of his disciple Timothy because he knew the faith of Timothy’s mother and grandmother (II Timothy 1:5).

What do we learn about faith and relationships in the study of the scriptures, combined with the practices of everyday life?  Some of the observations I have made include the problem of passing on our enemies to our children, substituting factual knowledge for actual relationships, and believing that ability and success lessens our need of personal intimacy.

Jesus says that we are to pray for our enemies.  Yet we know that one of the key ingredients to establishing unity among people and groups is the ability to identify a common enemy.  Individuals, families, communities, and nations are often mobilized  to work together because the individuals or groups that ally with one another acknowledge a common foe.  Jesus words admonishing us to break down the barriers with others can also burn the bridges that connect us to one another while the threat of an enemy looms before us.  Hatred and fear do not provide secure footing for strong relationships, however.  When one enemy disappears, or is defeated, we need to identify another to build a new alliance; often we look to those close by to find that common threat.  Mothers, as well as fathers and other mentors, need to teach and model relationship building based upon prayerful compassion and grace, rather than fear and judgment.

In the book of Acts (5:12-14) we are told that people listened to the words of the early church’s leaders, but were afraid to ally themselves with believers.  They feared the power evident in the lives of those Christians.  Knowing about the truth was enough for them.  They did not want to actually submit to the source of truth for fear that the relationship would require an accountability they could not accept.  Paul addresses this same issue in his letter to Timothy when he says there are some who hold to “a form of godliness, but deny it’s power.”  Knowing about someone is not the same as living in relationship with someone.

Finally, the psalmist says that God is not pleased, or impressed, with those whose lives are ruled by power – strength of a (war) horse, or their physical power (legs) – but rather in those who build a relationship founded on God’s continuing and unfailing love (147:10-11).

Good relationships do not just happen.  They are the result of intentional effort made not only by the individuals seeking to be connected with others, but also by those who teach and mentor others to take positive steps to establish relationships based upon the love and grace of God.

Any thoughts to share?

As always – Peace and Grace.  You go nowhere by accident.

Dr. Bob

Seven Habits of the Burning Heart

My View of the Bay

“Seven Habits of the Burning Heart”

     John Calvin, father of Reformed Protestantism, is acknowledged as having a heart devoted to his God.  On the seal used to commemorate Calvin’s life and contributions to the church is a hand holding up a heart on fire.  It symbolizes Calvin’s offer of himself to God’s kingdom – “My heart I give to you, O God, eagerly and sincerely.”  Members of our Vital Church Ministry Team, a group of church members who give me counsel and suggest ministry ideas for our church to consider, asked that I consider preaching a series of sermons entitled “The Seven Habits of the Burning Heart.”

     The group had been reviewing the Vital Church concepts of Dr. Stan Ott, Presbyterian Pastor and founder of the Vital Church Institute.  In his book, Twelve Dynamic Shifts for Transforming Your Church, Dr. Ott identifies seven habits that will help develop passionate disciples in the church.

     On Sunday, May 3, I introduced the first of those habits, The Habit of Devotion, and we distributed red, stress reliever, squeeze hearts imprinted with the words, “Seven Habits of the Burning Heart,” to members of the congregation.  It is our hope that these hearts will serve to remind us that we are, like Calvin, to offer our hearts to our Lord, eagerly and sincerely.  As we consider the various habits, listed below, I encourage your thoughts and questions in preparation to sharing those messages with the people.  I plan to share my thoughts from the scriptures before and after the sermons are preached, so please watch this blog space for my comments and feel free share yours with me.

 The Seven Habits of the Burning Heart

            May 3, 2009 – The Habit of Devotion

            May 10, 2009 – The Habit of Building Relationships

            May 24, 2009 – The Habit of Ministry and Mission

            May 31, 2009 – The Habit of Work

            June 7, 2009 – The Habit of Stewardship

         June 14, 2009 – The Habit of Well-Being* (physical, emotional, spiritual) – Rev. David van Dam preaching

         June 21, 2009 – The Habit of Fellowship*

                  *These topics may be reversed

 

Peace and Grace – you go nowhere by accident.

                                                                                                Dr. Bob

Welcome to My View of the Bay

Welcome to my new blog site.  I hope to share my monthly pastor letter, My View of the Bay, as well as comments and reflections on topics I address in my sermons and teaching ministries.  I may also share some thoughts that come when my basketball bracketology is exposed as being even worse than it appeared last weekend (I still believe Pitt will win the national championship in a close game over Memphis).  I did pick Kansas last year!

My View of the Bay reference is the perspective I have since Petoskey overlooks Little Traverse Bay, a beautiful location on the Northeastern shore of Lake Michigan near the tip of lower Michigan.  The inspiration for the title comes from a mentor of mine, Dick Massaro, who wrote an article entitled “My View of the Hill”, referring to Prospect Hill, a view near Sioux City, IA, where three missionaries, including Presbyterian pioneer, Sheldon Jackson, set a course to bring Christ to the Western frontier.  It was also near the sight of the first fatality of Lewis and Clark’s expedition.  I have a love of history, obviously, and my blog will include some interesting (to me) historical facts on occasion.

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to add your comments.