Got Any Change?

I have visited the city of St. Louis, MO, a number of times and have been to the famous “Gateway Arch” on at least three of those occasions. I have, however, only taken the trip to the top once. The view, as I remember it, was impressive, but not spectacular because you had to look out through rather small “portholes” as you looked over the city to the west, or to the Mississippi and the farmland of Illinois to the east.
What was more intriguing was the ride up from ground level to the top of the 630 foot high monument. Visitors are seated in small windowless tram cars which creep up the interior of the legs of the arch. Because you enter the car and are seated perpendicular to the ground, the ride must include adjustments along the way to allow you to arrive at the top still sitting upright rather than lying on your back as a result of the shift of 90 degrees at the peak from the level entrance at ground level.
I believe the necessity of the shifts required in that ride serve as a metaphor for the necessity of change in our lives. The world in which we live is changing around us and requires us to make regular shifts to keep ourselves in proper alignment. That world may be international in scope as we see societies and nations undergoing daily change. Perhaps our world is smaller with boundaries encircling our local community, church, or families. Changes are taking place within those more limited worlds requiring adjustments as the landscape shifts due to career, health, relationship, and economic factors. As we encounter new aspects in each of these areas of life we have to readjust our expectations to deal with them effectively. Failure to adjust results in our being completely out of alignment with the world around us.
I recently read a comment by Herb Miller, one of the foremost analysts of the Christian Church in the last 40 years. Herb wrote that “churches can no longer do ministry the way they did in the 1950’s and 60’s; nor can pastors lead in the same way they did in the 70’s and 80’s.” Just like in the ride up the “arch,” the landscape has changed, not just looking different, but tilting to such a degree that we can no longer stand straight without making required adjustments.
As a pastor I have had to accept that my role is far different in the 21st century than it was 30 years ago. I have had to develop different skills and perspectives. The churches I have served have had to reorient themselves to maintain their “balance” in a world that is not on the same level plane as in the past. In some cases we, both I and the churches, have been successful and have compensated for the shift; in other cases we are tilting badly and are struggling to stay on our feet. In a few cases, we are not at all together in determining what is upright and what is tilted, but we must continue to find our bearings and try to walk the path of ministry on the same plane.
Do you feel our of balance with the world around you? Does it seem that there are those, including your pastor perhaps, who appear to be walking in a way that is hard to understand because they seem out of balance or alignment with you? Perhaps it is because a shift that has taken place in your world that has not yet been recognized by you, or others, that must be dealt with in order to bring everything back into balance.
God’s blessing as we seek to find our footing and balance in this ever changing landscape.
Dr. Bob – You go nowhere by accident

“In the future everyone will be world famous for fifteen minutes.”  (Andy Warhol)  It appears that the future has arrived.  With “reality” shows like Jon and Kate Plus 8 (or perhaps more appropriate now – Jon minus Kate Plus 8), everyone can get TV, facebook, and twitter time in order to become known to a much wider audience than was possible in the not too distant past.

This past week we became acquainted with Falcon Heene, a six year old boy who was “mistakenly” thought to be aboard a balloon several thousand feet in the air.  It was later determined that he was not a passenger on the ill-fated flight but instead was part of a hoax perpetrated by his parents to get publicity that might lead to their own “reality” show.  What is it that fuels our need to be known?  What were at one time reasons for public humiliation are now sought after episodes proving the fact that ordinary people believe there is no such thing as bad publicity.  Send in your “funniest home videos” to earn $10,000; put embarrassing clips on Youtube; post humiliating pictures on Facebook; and post inane comments on Twitter so that you will be known, even famous, for you escapades.

What’s even worse, we believe we have become responsible to circulate information or unauthorized pictures of others using those same tools.  Sadly individuals, who had no desire to become “famous,” have been subjected to ridicule because others made decisions about their privacy.  Others choose to make us “famous” without considering our feelings about this new celebrity status.

Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” (John 10:14)  The most important thing in life is to be known intimately by God and to know God intimately.  Those who live with that truth have satisfied life’s deepest longing – to be known.  Sadly, we have substituted an inferior product called “celebrity” for deep and lasting relationships.  Rather than hungering for an eternal bond with our Creator, we settle for hollow substitutes promoted by the Kardashians, the Osbornes, the Hogans, and Paris Hilton.  Instead of immersing ourselves in the abiding love of God, we wallow in fantasizing about associations with people who are merely famous for being famous; whose existence provides no substance for life and whose examples offer us nothing but mindless excess.

Jesus said that he came so that we would not only have life, but so that we would have life in abundance. (John 10:10)  We should not waste our time in pursuit of that which diminishes life, turning it into a witless race after an empty prize.  Instead we should seek to fulfill a higher purpose in life, one that moves the focus from us toward a God who offers us what the world can never provide – a fulfilled life and a certain future.

Let me know what you think about the thirst to be famous.

Dr. Bob – You go nowhere by accident.

Tell Me a Story

One of the most distinctive and appreciated aspects of Jesus’ teaching was his use of story-telling. He used a particular type of story called the parable. Jesus’ parables were stories from the context of his listeners’ lives including people and principles that were easily identified, but not always easy to understand.
Many of those parables translate well into the 21st century because they address issues faced by every generation. The parable of the Good Samaritan speaks directly to us as does the parable of the talents and the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. We, like the first century listeners, can identify with characters in the story, but we also can fail to understand the significance of the twist that oftens comes at the end of the story. Along with the final turn that surprises us, we sometimes forget that Jesus is telling a story, not describing an actual event.
The parable we address this week in our church service is the Parable of the Prodigal Son, one of the favorite, and yet most difficult stories to fully grasp. It is, in its simplest form, the story of an indulgent father of two sons. The younger son asks that his father give him his inheritance before the father dies so that he can use it to satisfy his own ambitions. He is foolish and soon loses everything. In his impoverished state he realizes that his father treats his servants better than his current employer is treating him and so he returns to his home to become a servant.
His older brother has remained at home and has fulfilled his obligations to his father. He is offended at his younger brother’s return and that his father has accepted him as his son in spite of his earlier rejection of his father.
We believe we understand this story because we have all experienced sibling rivalry, spoiled children, and doting parents. We understand the indignance of the older child and we immediately seize upon the unfairness of the situation. We probably know real life stories about families who have experienced the same problems described by Jesus. What we fail to realize is that the story is not about which son is the better child or person, but rather about the unconditional love of a father for his children (God’s love for us). As we read and reflect on the story, we fall into the “comparison trap” and judge the younger son as a failure and the older a success because obedience trumps folly. We fail to realize that while God desires obedience, he wants it to be done as an evidence or outgrowth of a committed and loving relationship, not as an attempt to prove us more worthy of rewards than a less competent follower. When we turn obedience into a competition we are in the company of disciples who argued over who had earned the right to sit at Jesus’ side in heaven, or we become a Martha who wants Mary rebuked because she should be helping in the kitchen not listening to Jesus’ teaching.
At its root, the story of the parable is a love story about a child who finally finds his way to the love of his father rather than seeing him simply as a conduit through which property is transferred to him. Sons are loved by the father not because he owes them for hours spent laboring in the family business, but because they are lost sheep who need his love and redemption. In this, the older and more obedient son has failed to learn what the younger son has experienced, that there is nothing more important than being bathed in his father’s love.
Our situation is not that we one day take a stack of timecards and slap them down before God smugly showing that we are better than the spoiled brat and thus deserving what is ours. We are to recognize the love that God has for us and that it is a privilege to serve him and, when we fail in that service, to be confident that we can return to his presence certain that we are welcome and loved. We may see ourselves as the faithful, hardworking older brother, but we are seen by God as a child who needs to be loved.
This is at the heart of the parable.

Going Back

When my middle daughter was about three years old, she loved flying home made paper airplanes.  She would bring me various pieces of scrap paper and ask me to fold them into planes she could fly around the house.  After watching me fold enough of them she began to construct her own.  One evening she came into the family room with a contraption in her hand that looked more like a wad of scraps from the bottom of a wastebasket than a flying machine.  She called out, “Daddy watch!” and flipped it forward into the room where it promptly tumbled to the floor.  She cried out excitedly, “It lands!”

Often we tout the importance of “flying like eagles” and “soaring to new heights,” but in doing so we say little about the importance of being able to land safely.  I am not implying that it is wrong to set lofty goals and encourage others to rise above their perceived limitations, but I believe that we also need to encourage those we are teaching or mentoring on how to build relationships and connections that will allow them to have places of refuge where they can safely land after soaring to those giddy heights.  We need to return to earth after some of those adrenalin rushes to rest and refuel.

This week I will be returning to a church I previously served as pastor.  It is great to anticipate the return to a congregation where I was loved and supported.  One of the benefits that we clergy have is that we have an automatic worshiping and nurturing community into which we are welcomed and connected with a faith family.  We build a succession of airports where we can put our planes down and feel the security of solid ground.  Often we take for granted the welcome into a new church that we get as its pastor.  Often I meet people who have had a great nurturing community where they were loved and appreciated, but when they move to a new area they fail to establish similar bonds with a new group.  They try to live on the nostalgic memories of the past and fail to invest their time and energy in a new body of believers.  Their lives have become hectic, and often successful, but they make little time to find a new landing strip to provide safety, rest, and refueling.  The results can be discouraging and their faith can suffer irreparable harm.

I look forward to sharing the old stories of my 11 years at that previous parish, but also sharing the new stories that have come out of the take-offs and landings with my new friends.  Every community in which I have served has been, for the time I lived there, a safe landing place.  I encourage each of you, especially those who are not comfortable in you current “air-space,” to find a landing strip where you can set down.  It takes time and it doesn’t look like the old airport, but it can be just as secure as those from your past.  You need to seek out that place and practice a few landings and take-offs to become comfortable.  You need to learn the direction of the prevailing winds and get to know the other pilots who use that place.  If you do you will be blesssed by your efforts and find it to be  a place of refuge after an exhilerating or bumpy flight.  Eventually, no matter how fast or high we fly, we all need to land.

Blessings – you go nowhere by accident.

Dr. Bob

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.