ShermanSeries

What made Samuel a good listener?

2011-10-05T06:12:00.000-07:00

I believe that good speaking must come from good listening. I believe it and yet I do not practice it nearly enough. I suspect that were I to take the years of research to view and analyze all the times I chose the wrong door I would find, at the beginning, a clear instruction I did not hear, or, accept.
A few months ago I was thinking about Samuel – I think I was supposed to be listening to a presentation at the time which makes what I am about to say a bit of an irony – and realized I could learn about listening from the young acolyte.
When he heard a voice he responded, not with a reply, but, with another question. What I hear is not always what has been said, even, when the words have been clear. “Are you tired?” seems a simple question that calls for many possible responses depending on the context. If asked by your teacher during class, for instance, it would call for an entirely different response than if asked by a mate after the evening meal.
The advice given Samuel to wait for the voice to be clear, as I read the text, reminds me to wait for the person who is talking to me to become clear. Like many I have a tendency to interject my words for the one talking and thus attempt to finish their sentences. A fatal flaw in a marriage and truly irritating in casual conversation. Like the young man I hope to learn to wait to hear if the voice is really for me or if the voice is meant for someone else.
When he wasn't sure what he was hearing he asked a wise counselor. Admittedly this involves an “over time” conversation. Although, I have noticed, with age comes some built in wise counselors. Past voices that speak to me from conversations long ago or books read in other settings. So whether the wise counselor is a voice in my head that sounds eerily like my deceased father or mother, or, a text from scripture, I am wise to listen and place it in the context of the present discussion.
Finally, once the wise counselor spoke Samuel followed the advice. When Samuel final responded to God’s voice it was with the words of his wise counselor. I have wondered that he never mentions that advice or the wisdom of the man under whom he trained. No doubt the parenting skills of Eli had something to do with this, but, I think the main reason is that the wise counselor is not the center of our hearing – but – our willingness to hear from other sources before decisions, or, even, responses.

Clarity for Conversion

2011-09-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

The more I travel the clearer it is to me that humans do not communicate with as much as we communicate at each other. I don't mean to imply that we don't care if our message is clear. By all accounts we care very much. The most read How To...books are are about the lack of communication in marriage, parenting, friendships, politics, and, whatever your hot button issue happens to be. Not surprisingly mine is the Gospel. Wait for it! I can hear you sputtering now, "Which gospel?" and I appreciate your desire for clarity - hence this blogert (effort to explain by blog).
I just concluded a three week trip to Zimbabwe and, as a result spent hours going through security in airports, government compounds and road blocks. As I left on my trip I began by stripping myself of all metal objects for the screening. Not good enough. Seems the gum wrapper in my back pocket was one of the items to be removed before screening. Setting aside the debate over the potential for mayhem found in sugar free (paper, I might add) gum wrapper, I confess what I heard was, "remove all metal objects" when what was said (yes I hung around for the next announcement) was, "remove all objects..."
Naturally, I did the same thing while being screened in Ethiopia only to find that some objects, whether metal of otherwise, were Ok (eye glasses for instance) and was treated as a "slow" child in the class as I took off my shoes. My defense mechanism was to choose anger. These people must be "bad" screeners because they don't do it "right." They, on the other hand, considered me to be the "bad" screenee." Of course there was truth in both given your ethnicity or nationality. Every effort by both officials to announce clearly the procedures was lost on those for whom the local language and/or dialect was foreign.
Is it any wonder that so many people who enter our churches find themselves uncomfortable because there are so many "assumption possibilities" from where to park to when to stand the closing prayer/reading/greeting. So...don't expect guests (or some infrequent members) to understand what you thought you said in response to the question they didn't actually ask.

The Hunt

2011-09-14T23:45:00.001-07:00

It is before 7 AM in Chiredzi – too early to be able to see the clock – and I am watching my Grand Niece & Nephew (Isabelle & Noah) as they go on an adventure in their back yard. I see a four year old and 2.5 year old walking through a dirt yard spotted with leafless bushes, thorn trees, and sparse, dry patches of grass. There is the occasional pawpaw tree and bamboo growth to add color.
What they see is so much better. They see giant trees to be used as cover from the vicious occupants (beetles, scorpions, spiders and geckos) with deadly poisons. They each hold the handle of the bag holding their survival gear with one hand and their weapons (he a sword [what else?] and she a bow and arrow). The fact that they are actually holding a couple chopsticks does not lessen their courage only found in being well armed.
I cannot hear what they are hunting for, but, since it is the first birthday of their twin brothers, Jonah & Samuel, I assume it is for an appropriate gift to bear to their mother for wrapping and presentation at the appropriate time. Mother will, no doubt, be thrilled.
Dear Heavenly Father, may I be re-visioned with the eyes to see this great creation of yours as a place of new adventure and opportunity. Help me see these chopsticks in my hands as your sword and shield. Give me the courage to use the chopsticks with which you have armed me as courageously and with the same expectation of success as these two precious children. Please help me know that you will accept my meager gift with joy to be admired and used at the appropriate time, Amen.

The Sign of Jonah

2011-09-12T11:32:00.000-07:00

Like a lot of young men, my wedding day was a day to be endured. I – quite clearly – remember thinking that it would not be the first day I would endure to maintain a strong bond with the woman with whom I truly wanted to share the rest of my life. It is all a bit of a haze of early morning, nervous eating, awkward clothing, stiff ceremony, and, all to lengthy reception.
But God is good and gave me a second chance to have a great first day of marriage. Since the Shona culture requires a wedding in first the home of the bride and then in the home of the groom, Judi and I were required to fly to Zimbabwe to go through the whole process again. Judi was thrilled to be able to wear her wedding dress and I, on the night before that second service, had a chance to thank God for this most important of days that would never be repeated but would always be remembered with growing joy and deeper commitment.
Of these kinds of days, Jill Carattini managing editor of A Slice of Infinity RZIM, says, “There are moments in our lives when we realize that we are beholding the carving of a day into the great tree of history.” 9/11/2001 was certainly one of those days. Just as we recall more than the wedding day each anniversary so we recall more than the tragedy this tenth year after the World Trade Center was attacked and so many died.
We remember the unity of what was a divided nation. We remember the common front of a divided national leadership. We remember the bravery of the first responders and countless volunteers who streamed across the country to do “whatever is needed.” We remember how generous our fellow Americans showed themselves to be – again. We remember how everyone looked to God for strength, courage, and, of course, answers. Each year we continue to look for answers.
God’s answer continues to be for us what it was for the people of His day. The sign of Jonah.

Follower of Jesus

2011-08-14T08:19:00.000-07:00

I have always agreed and identified with the Apostle Paul’s finding that he/I is/am the chief of sinners. That has not posed a problem for me nor caused me to reflect on the paradox that I am pure before the Lord as a result of my acceptance of His Grace through the blood of Jesus. I have, however, wondered about calling myself a Christian when so many of my actions are not Christ-like.
Some weeks ago during a sermon I received an epiphany of sorts. It struck me that I am more of a follower of Jesus than a Christian. Since the first followers of Jesus were first called Christian after they began to preach the good news to people other than their own ethnic background I realize my own deficiencies.
I can – with all good conscience – call myself a follower of Jesus. I aspire to be a Christian and that aspiration takes legs when I follow Jesus.

Random thoughts on male female leadership

2011-08-04T09:46:00.000-07:00

I wonder why the issue of who leads – male or female – has such a bite to it. I don’t believe reasonable people would put the discussion in the category of “taboo.” By that I mean if you hold the “no woman in leadership over men” position that you would also believe that allowing women to be Pastors, for instance, would not bring God’s anger and retribution. Some might, but, there are a few who believe woman should be ordained pastors who would place their restriction of that rite in the category of taboo. There are extremes on both sides.
However, for the most part, it seems to me to be a comfort thing that is stated in theological terms. Certainly there are stories and statements in the Bible to support and not support either position. What it seems to come down to in most churches I have witnessed, and, these are anecdotal data, is whether there are women capable of such leadership and men capable of allowing that leadership.
Women who serve as pastors without title are legion. Anyone who has been in church leadership – regardless their position on the debate – has “ordained” a woman to pastor a group of people and if that leader has his, or her, wits about him or her, they have left that un-ordained female to do the work of an elder. The same could be said about men who do not want the title but serve in the responsibility.
From a gathering of the followers point of view we might do well to follow the lead of the Friends Churches who sit quietly at times waiting for one anointed, whether male of female, to speak wisdom from God into each heart.

Thoughts on Romans 7:19

2011-07-26T15:43:00.000-07:00

“For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.”
I think of myself as a good person.
I do things that make people refer to me as a bad person.
If both statements are true how can I rely on either statement to give me a basis for action in my next encounter with life?
This kind of cognitive dissonance (holding opposing statements as equally true) darkens even the brightest of days and sometimes dims the view of God’s grace in my life. I struggle with the knowledge that I am both people: the good and the not good. How do I continue to be good regardless the truth that I am sometimes not good?
Here are three propositions you can use to unravel truth when what you think about yourself seems to be challenged by what is happening in your life.
When one incident becomes your whole world, you have lost perspective. My life is not made up of one or two incidents in a day. What I did in 1966 cannot be allowed to drive what I choose to do today or think today. Certainly it informs it, but, does not dictate to it. My impact on the world around me must be kept in divine perspective. What would Jesus want me to do – is much more helpful.
When one experience is your whole world, you have lost context. A traffic ticket for speeding, while financially hurtful, cannot be allowed to drive how I respond to my wife when I get home. She may agree it is harmful to the family finances and my future use of the car, but, not my future relationship with her.
When one person can change your whole view of life for the worse, you have lost yourself. I need wise counselors in my life to help guide me through decisions great and small. Their opinion of my choices are helpful but not obligatory. They do not define who I am in God’s kingdom. They do not define who I am in my family. By using all of those voices combined with my understanding of God’s work in my life, I can see more clearly the person God wants me to see in the mirror of life.

On Being Watched

2011-07-12T13:47:00.000-07:00

"Stay out of life!"
"You don't have the right to snoop around my life."
"Get off my back - its my life."
Because we live in a society whose highest value is individualism we are always going to come to the flash point of Child's rights/Parent's responsibility. I remember as a young teen on a foreign mission station being concerned that certain of my things were hidden from the "prying" eyes of my mother. I did not re-think this closely held truth (my stuff, my life, stay out) until hearing the testimony of an 18 year old drug addict who stood up in church (I was attending because my good friend was the Pastor and I was passing through)affirm during testimony time, "I praise God that He wont stop bugging me."
I had not yet experienced the joy and fear of parenthood. I was still pretty sure my life was my own to live as I chose and any benefit to others was purely tertiary. I was struck by the reality of God's invasive nature - and - how badly I needed Him to be that way. I wondered how my life would have turned out had my father not "caught" me sneaking out for a first beer. I remembered how fortunate I was that my dad's elder sister demanded I call every hour from a party my hooligan friend was having "at his house" - er - older friend's drinking hole in Chicago - which effectively grounded me saving me from the police raid that night.
While the transformation was not complete that day it was begun. I prayed that I would desire invasion into my life by Him and those He appointed as watchmen and watchwomen over my life and ministry. Like that young man almost 50 years ago I too praise God for His meddling in my private life. While not always pleasant it has always been beneficial. If I had not opened my life to God's invasion I would never have opened all my drawers, files, cupboards, wallets, cases, file cabinets, internet history, voice mail, texts and email to my wife - which secrecy - even if benign - would have built a wall love could not scale.
Now when I hear young people complain that their parents invade their privacy and want them to stop I wonder if they realize they are asking for less and not more individual power.

Time to Connect

2011-06-15T19:13:00.000-07:00

When I ask our members, "What would make the church more productive?" the No. 1 answer is communication (after that, it's focus, collaboration, teamwork, time and understanding). The natural follow up question is, “What kind?” That is were it gets more diverse.
Some want information easily accessible them about the activities and responsibilities of the church. This group typically is happy with updating in hand outs and postings on the web.
Others are asking for personal touch – a more face to face delivery which is over and above the Sunday announcements. As long as they are involved with a Growth Group or a ministry team that touch happens on a monthly basis, at least.
The final group want more than information. They want to take part in a discussion about the information. Twitter, FaceBook and email are not considered “communication.” For them the Growth Group is a good option.
However, as you look at all three (and I realize they break down into more categories) you will no doubt see the proverbial fly in the ointment for all of them. Time – actual minutes free to take in the information – is an issue for all of them. The reality today is that people working today have less time than people in past generations – regardless the “time saving” devices. I have read that the eight-hour or nine-hour workday has been replaced by the 10 or even, 12, and, that is before travel time is considered.
Executives and managers have less than 90 minutes of free time in the course of a day and most have less than an hour each day - total. Given that we are so tied up each day – how do we communicate with each other in such a way that we feel we have been communicated with?
Hmmm, well, I dunno. Really – I don’t. Unless we begin to give the most important connections in our lives the top 25% of our time allotment – we will just work till we expire. I assume everyone has to work extra hard some of the time. With God, Family, and, Church priorities that hard work only gets a moment in time rather than a habitual process in life.
Oh, why only 25%? Well, if we alot our time in connection to our energy and we give the first 25% of our energy to God, Family & Church we wont find ourselves giving our “cast off” time to the ones who mean the most to us.

Can Spiderman Do This?

2011-06-02T15:56:00.000-07:00

I read somewhere (before hard drive storage) that bioengineers have determined the chemical makeup of an ordinary strand of spider's web is five to 10 times stronger than steel. While I knew from personal experience they are sticky, clingy and tenacious, not to mention, almost impossible to get that well-woven spider web out of your hair, your eyelashes or your clothing, this was news to me. I understand why bioengineers would spend time to break the spider's genetic code so that they can create a biochemically engineered polymer of which a pencil-thick strand could stop a Boeing 747 in flight (well, that might not be a good idea, but, you get the point). Rather than stopping a jet in flight I just hope it can stop a 2 year old from falling on his head after scaling Mount Pantry in search of forbidden fruit.
Strange as it seems this bit of trivia reminded me of the relatively small but logarithmic power of the Body of Christ. A community of normal people separated from the world population by nothing more than a belief in Jesus as the “lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” A small population that not only stops powerful forces from destroying souls but reaches beyond its own culture boundaries to bring peace, joy and healing to a lost and lonely world, which, for the most part, doesn’t even believe it needs.
This wonderful web, woven by the Holy Spirit, is made up of the church’s witness and commitment by believers to the mission of God.
The person who led you to Christ. The person who forgave you before you wanted forgiveness. The person who sat with you silently when others wanted to speak into your life words you were not yet ready to hear. These and many like them are the strands of this powerful web community.
Now we too, are those strands. What we do as a part of this body will determine who will be standing where we are standing in our church 40+ years from now. When you combine our spiritual gifts with the body in which we serve, not to glorify our individual selves, but to build up this body, we, the church, become a most powerful web for the world.
First I thank God for believing in me. Second I thank God for giving me La Habra Christian Church. Finally, I thank God for the chance to be part of a web strong enough to stop the runaway train of sin and injustice in our community.

God set all authorites - Questions

2011-05-01T20:58:00.000-07:00

In an effort to address the questions sent to ask@mylhcc.com in response to the sermon May 1, 2011, "What Authority Must I Obey?" as soon as possible I am bunching them together.
The following two questions fall into the same general category.
If an authority bans Christian practices or demands unholy practices, should we still obey? If not, then how can we draw the line between what to obey and what not to?
Civil rights mvmt, MLKJr? What about Gandhi?

When Martin Luther King & Gandhi called attention to the ungodly practice of separating people on the basis of their skin color (in the case of MLK) and claiming dominion over a nation on the basis of Manifest Destiny (as in the case of Gandhi) they were attempting to correct a law and/or practice of the existing authority. Without going into the history of both situations – which have been sensationalized in print and film making it hard for the popular reader to follow the main issues – my observation is that both men looked for the least illegal approach to resolving the issue/s they were wanting to address. While both practiced peaceful marches, for which both had precedent, but during which they faced authorities who, themselves, operated outside their own rules.
I do not mean to lessen the choices of them – and others like them in other countries – to disregard the authorities “rule changes” only to point out that when appealing to a higher authority, as in the constitution by MLK, there will be times when the area becomes more unclear. I would emphasize the need to check ones motives before deciding to take on the authorities in such a manner.
Let me address the individual who chooses to disobey a law he or she believes to be ungodly. In those situations the person is to obey God without rebelling against the existing authority. A doctor who refuses to perform abortions while working in a medical facility that requires that of its doctors must leave that employ or refuse to perform and be prepared to accept the discipline of the employer. That same doctor could, under the law, seek other remedies within the law. Christian martyrs throughout history have chosen to disobey laws they believed to be ungodly without rebelling and accepted the punishment.

The other two questions like wise fit into the context of Just War:
The colonies rebelled against England's authority when founding America. Are you saying that this was wrong and our founding fathers brought judgment on our country?
What about the American Revolution? The founding fathers disobeyed the English authorities in breaking away from their government. Was that disobeying God?

The American Colonies sought remedy from the King and when that met a continued deaf ear chose, as a matter of conscience, to separate with an appeal to God, taking the appeal to the level of a Just War. The principles of a Just War were originally put together by Roman Catholic scholars with Thomas Aquinas being one of many. I have included the basics below and more links can be found at
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/pol116/justwar.htm for further research.

Principles of the Just War
* A just war can only be waged as a last resort. All non-violent options must be exhausted before the use of force can be justified.
* A war is just only if it is waged by a legitimate authority. Even just causes cannot be served by actions taken by individuals or groups who do not constitute an authority sanctioned by whatever the society and outsiders to the society deem legitimate.
* A just war can only be fought to redress a wrong suffered. For example, self-defense against an armed attack is always considered to be a just cause (although the justice of the cause is not sufficient--see point #4). Further, a just war can only be fought with "right" intentions: the only permissible objective of a just war is to redress the injury.
* A war can only be just if it is fought with a reasonable chance of success. Deaths and injury incurred in a hopeless cause are not morally justifiable.
* The ultimate goal of a just war is to re-establish peace. More specifically, the peace established after the war must be preferable to the peace that would have prevailed if the war had not been fought.
* The violence used in the war must be proportional to the injury suffered. States are prohibited from using force not necessary to attain the limited objective of addressing the injury suffered.
* The weapons used in war must discriminate between combatants and non-combatants. Civilians are never permissible targets of war, and every effort must be taken to avoid killing civilians. The deaths of civilians are justified only if they are unavoidable victims of a deliberate attack on a military target.

Some Absolutes in Being A Follower Of Jesus

2011-04-27T10:42:00.000-07:00

I am not entirely sure where I am going with these thoughts – I assume that is the reason for “blogging” – it is another way to burp out stuff best not revealed in polite company. I know my Grandma Pemberton disapproved of gas release of any kind in public and would likely feel the same about these blogs.

I am in the middle of a series on sin and faced again with the apathy of many followers of Jesus and the majority of those not followers of Jesus toward delineating truth from falsehood. The most common phrase heard in this regard would be, “Well, what I believe works for me and what you believe works for you,” or, words to that effect.

I confess to being a reductionist when it comes to my faith in God. I like keeping the absolutes to a minimum so that the semi-absolutes can be more contextual. Because I accept the absolute of believing that Jesus Christ is the son of God the semi-absolute of reading His life and teachings is made more palatable and even enriching.

Because I believe I am absolutely required to trust God only for your salvation it makes the semi-absolute of presenting Him to others less stressful.

Because I believe I am absolutely required to accept all people as God’s children whether they have acknowledged him or not I am free to accept the semi-absolute to extend grace to even the most dissident agnostic I meet. There are more – but – that is a good place to stop.

Consider His Head

2011-04-14T12:37:00.000-07:00

Colossians 2:9-10
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.

Since the head is the source of all that is in the body – we – who are the body of Christ – need never fear being over run by an opposing ideology, quenched by a political force, or, neutralized by rejection of society. His presence is our purpose writ large. Power is only powerful when its purpose is Christ’s and authority only governs when its roots are in Christ.

Colossians 1:18-20
And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Because Christ is the head, the source, the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth of the church – the church draws her vision, information, warning of falsehood and right to speak only from Him.

Ephesians 4:15
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

From his head flowed his blood on Calvary – it was not the blood of His opponents – it was the blood for His opponents. When we, the church, forgive and serve out enemies, we then declare our covenant with the headship of Jesus.

Colossians 2:18-19
Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his un-spiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. 19He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

Because our very beginnings come from His head we can never be other than the church. We are not a political party. We are not the moral police. We are not pure and unsullied few. We are the redeemed who do not need government power to serve up grace to a hurting world. We are the reconciled who are like Him in as many ways as we can muster, yet with sin. We are the adopted who were the ugliest of all the orphans in the line – yet picked by Him for His purpose. When we, the church, relinquish our connection to His headship – we are just another group of people with a good idea and no way to carry to fruition.

My Brother's Last News Letter

2010-12-04T13:29:00.000-08:00

My youngest brother Bob Pemberton sent this letter to his supporters two days before he went to be with the Lord. He did not know his time on this earth was coming to an end but like all good servants of God he followed the commission of the Apostle Paul in Galatians 6:9-10 “… and did not become weary in doing good”, rather, was ready to continue to “do good to all people.” This letter was Bob being God’s servant till the day he was called home. May his example encourage us to be found doing good each day till Jesus comes!
In Him
Sherman Pemberton
Member of the Board of Directors, Hippo Valley Christian Mission, and Bob’s Oldest Brother.
When Nancy and I returned to Chiredzi for an extended period, we both felt that the word “bittersweet” would be the best word to describe our feelings. On the one hand we were not accompanied by our children. Stephanie, (22), and Mark,(19) who are enrolled at KCU and the separation was not going to be easy. On the other hand not only would we be reunited with our brothers and sisters in Christ but also were going to be living next door to Nathan and Tessa Lawson, (son-in-law and eldest daughter) along with our two Zimbabwean born grand children, Isabelle,(3) and Noah (22 months) with twin boys on the way, (now arrived). OK, so it was more sweet than bitter!

Now that we have been back for four months I can definitely say that although we miss Steph and Mark tremendously, so far our time here has been Sweet with a capitol “S”! After all, what could be sweeter than returning to the town you grew up in, where your children were born and raised, to work along side your brothers and sisters in the Lord and be a preaching elder in your home church, where you served as minister for over 20 years and where your son-in-law and daughter are currently ministering!

On the family side the two newest additions to the Lawson clan, Samuel and Jonah, made a six week early appearance on the scene, September 15. They were born identical weight, length and looks. To tell them apart Tessa dresses them, one in green and the other blue. Then, just in case, she drew a little fish on the bottom of Jonah’s foot. Babies and Mom are doing fine. So is Nathan. Raising this young family and being a Minister and our Managing Director’s special assistant, is an almost overwhelming task. I am constantly amazed at Nathan and Tessa,s ability to not only cope but serve effectively. Of course it is a joy for Nancy and I to be able to assist and fill in the gaps wherever necessary. In fact it’s downright sweet.

On the work side the sweet part is that my co-workers are family too. When we came to Zimbabwe Zebedee Togarepi was a family man with six children serving as a minister in our area. When Nancy started teaching Bible Knowledge at one of our high schools Zebedee was the Chaplain of the school and together they did amazing things with the youth. In fact many of our preachers and leaders today were former students Now, Zebedee is our Managing Director and a brother in every sense of the word except blood related.

We have been wonderfully busy these past few months. From fill in preaching to hosting a short term mission team to attending and participating in weddings, funerals and special event church services. Then there have been the meetings. Meetings with the preachers, with staff, with the Ministry of Education, with Headmaster(s), teachers, parents, doctors and church committees. Mostly these were with Zebedee.

To be honest meetings, especially schools related meetings, have never been my favorite thing. In Zimbabwe meetings are often long, very officious and in the past extremely adversarial. So, you will understand that I was less than thrilled when Zebedee asked me to accompany him for a meeting at one of our schools. Especially when he named the school and it was one of those I used to dread going to. A fiercely independent school, openly distrustful of the Board. We were going to officially announce the promotion of their Headmaster of 20 years to our largest High School, located in Masvingo. The Head, a strong member of the Church of Christ, had transformed the school from a rural school with a very poor record educationally and a very weak church to one with one of the highest pass rates in the area that attracted very well qualified teachers and is known for it’s witness for Christ in the community.

However, the spirit and the atmosphere were like no other school meetings I had ever attended. It was amazing. We basically had three meetings in a row to give them all what boiled down to bad news for them. First with the older students, then with the SDC, (PTA) and finally with the parents. In every instance, much to my delight, mutual co-operation was pledged and the priority of loyalty to Christ and his Church commited to. This was all capped by a party thrown in honor of the departing Head that, in addition to a great meal was nothing short of a full blown worship service led by the Head himself.

Lots of high points for me that day. Like when the Chairman of the PTA introduced me as the Responsible Authority and Zebedee reminded him that the RA was the Mashoko Christian Schools Board of which he was Chairman and me a member. My personal favorite was when the Headmaster made mention of the Revival Nathan and his team of youth from the Chiredzi Church of Christ, assisted by our Chaplain of Schools, (a former student of Nancy’s) had held in which 68 young people had accepted Christ.

Personal family and spiritual family coming together to glorify Christ without my presence. “His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.” Luke 1:50. Thank you for your partnership. Whatever generation you represent you have been and continue to be, an essential member of the family that made this possible.

I buried my youngest brother today.

2010-11-28T12:53:00.000-08:00

Gara ndichawuya – wait I am coming – was a name Bob had earned from the leaders with whom he served in Zimbabwe. I told Zebedee that Dad and Mom often said of Bob as he grew that he would be late to his own funeral. The gathered found the fact that the hearse was 20 minutes late both humorous and fitting.

Makusha was there with Jimmy and Joyce his children – Bob had filled in for Mabona to preach Makusha’s wife’s funeral – Mrs Bungu says she thinks back now and believes it was his goodbye.

Mabona said Sekuru died in America and was buried in America. John Mark died in America and was buried in America. Bob died in Zimbabwe and it appropriate that he be buried in America. He also said that Sekuru never said follow me but follow Jesus – and he called on the churches to stop being divisive over who owns what and begin to be generous in supplying the needs of the church. He was very passionate about this and told the crowd that the Zimbabwe churches were lame – it was rather funny hearing that word from his mouth – for not financing their ministries. He said the people in America are not all rich and yet they send missionaries to Zimbabwe.

Bob’s love of children came up many times and Stephy presented her challenge to fathers similar to the one she gave at Grayson.
Tessa led some songs and had the women dancing and the three of them sang Mark’s special “Oh how He loves.”
The filing past the open casket was well done and though the partial embalming did not permit a repeat at Mashoko the people was so pleased with the decision to bury this son of the founding missionaries on the first mission station that it was not a problem.

Zebedee James spoke from James 4:13-17 – very approproiate.
13Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. 17Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.

He concluded with Psalms 139:14-16 – we likely disagree on specific points of theology (Pam will understand) but the message was clear non-the-less – God made Bob for a purpose and Bob did it. We need to as well.
14I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Fearfully and wonderfully made.

Spike (the Jack Russell terrier met us at Tshovani which was a mystery as it is a good two miles from the house. Turns out the intern staying in the cottage decided to walk to the church and Spike invited himself along. He was with us for a while and then someone took him home.

The number of people gathered was stunning. Well over a thousand and they had been there since morning worship singing and dancing. We were warmly welcomed by the Department Heads (Dr. Bungu was at the service at Tshovani and Mrs Bungu was at Mashoko) I renewed acquaintance with many friends of childhood. A young man told me he was the brother of the male leader of the dancers at our wedding. He remembers he tried to eat all the sweet cakes.
I met former fellow Boy Scouts, preaching club members and soccer friends.
I brought greetings from Mom for the women and asked them to dance for Mbuya as she would have danced had she been with us. Oh Wow how they danced – for a good 30 minutes.
Chief Mabika (who is presently one our former teachers from Chikomo who used to tutor Bob from time to time – spoke long but well bringing in the theme of the afternoon which could be best stated, “Now we have history on our station.” Zebedee referred to the command of God to the Israelites in Joshua 4:5-7
5and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”

The casket did not fit the bricked in crypt prepared while we sang and talked but with some adjustment and muscle Bob’s remains were finally laid to rest. Mark and Stephy remained behind for some personal time and the rest of us made the 2+ hour journey over the rutted road back to Chiredzi. Had this funeral been one Bob had performed he have reached home and hugged his children a little closer and this wife a little more tenderly before going to his favorite chair to pick up his favorite book. May I learn to practice these simple but powerful actions.

In my final remarks I said that Dad taught me to preach, Mabona taught me passion, but, Makusha taught me Patience. Let add here that we need the desire to preach the word in season out of season with passion for the lost but patience as we watch His Spirit move in the hearts of the lost.

Do I trust the one who entrusted his gift with me?

2010-11-25T11:14:00.000-08:00

Last night, at a memorial service for my “little” brother Bob, the Pastor talked about trust. In the last eight years my family have been to four funerals for men of God serving on foreign fields. My father had lived a full life and we celebrated his life while grieving his loss to us. My younger brother died at the age of 53 having accomplished more in that time than many do in a lifetime. My brother-in-law, voted less likely to serve cross-culturally, planted a strong church network and bible college in Kiev and was doing the same in Kyrgyzstan when he was taken suddenly after a relatively few years on the field so we celebrated all he did but were hurt by this strong man’s passing. Last week my youngest brother died in Zimbabwe while serving the lost, lonely and least in the region in which he was raised.
It is very natural to ask, “Why him? Why now?”
The Pastor pointed out that since the giving of the commission God has entrusted his highest priority to his church. So I wonder if He is saying to us, “I have intervened in the past to save a life for my purposes but in this case, I know you can do what I have entrusted to you without this particular person who succumbed to the natural falseness of life.”
If I follow this path of reasoning then I am forced to ask myself if I trust God who has entrusted me with his precious promise.

An Ultra Brief Account of the History of La Habra Christian Church Part Two

2010-11-07T18:25:00.000-08:00

In Accordance With Our Heritage We Publish This Description Of Who We Are:
We Are A Christian Church.
Our message is "Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.” We require no other creed than this one. He alone is Lord and Savior.
We Are A Church Of Christ.
The church belongs to Him. We have no authority to change the teachings, rewrite the rules, offer altered membership requirements or usurp His authority.
We Are A Church Seeking Unity.
We seek to be one in Christ with all others whom He calls His own
We Are A Church Seeking "Restoration."
As much as possible we are trying to imitate the New Testament precedents. That is why our baptism is by immersion, our communion is every Lord's day, our leaders are called Elders, our preaching is about Christ, and our prayers are in Christ's name. Even our church’s name is an attempt to imitate the earliest disciples who were called Christians first at Antioch.
We Are A Thinking Church.
The Christian faith demands the best of our minds, so we are a studying church wanting to know what the Bible teaches and how we can intelligently apply its teachings in today's world.
We Are A Worshiping Church.
Ours is not a dry intellectual approach to God. We rejoice in the Lord; we praise and pray and love and serve from the heart.
We Are A Free Church.
Like the earliest New Testament churches, ours is an independent congregation. We have no denominational bishop or superintendent nor national headquarters to determine the policies here. As a congregation, we elect our own leaders, call and support our ministers, decide where our missions money will go and locally determine the outreach programs of the church.
We Are A Growing Church.
We want to grow numerically because we are under Christ's commission to disciple the whole world. We want to grow spiritually because we know we cannot achieve all Christ wants of us without striving for maturity.
Because we believe we are not the only Christians, but seek to be Christians only, and because we desire to speak where the Bible speaks, and be silent where the Bible is silent, and because we have no book but the Bible, no creed but Christ, and no law but love, we believe La Habra Christian Church should be your church. If this common-sense approach to God's word and His teaching is what you are seeking, we sincerely desire your fellowship.

An Ultra Brief Account of the History of La Habra Christian Church Part One

2010-11-07T18:22:00.000-08:00

La Habra Christian Church is from the church heritage referred to as The Restoration Movement (also known as the Stone-Campbell Movement) which is a Christian movement that began on the American frontier during the Second Great Awakening of the early 19th century. The movement sought to restore the church and "the unification of all Christians in a single body patterned after the church of the New Testament."
The Restoration Movement developed from several independent efforts to return to apostolic Christianity, but two groups, which independently developed similar approaches to the Christian faith, were particularly important to the development of the movement. The first, led by Barton W. Stone, began at Cane Ridge, Kentucky and called themselves simply "Christians". The second began in western Pennsylvania and Virginia (now West Virginia) and was led by Thomas Campbell and his son, Alexander Campbell; they used the name "Disciples of Christ". Both groups sought to restore the whole Christian church on the pattern set forth in the New Testament, and both believed that creeds kept Christianity divided. In 1832 they joined in fellowship with a handshake.
Among other things, they were united in the belief that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; that Christians should celebrate the Lord's Supper on the first day of each week; and that baptism of adult believers by immersion in water is a necessary step in the new birth. Because the founders wanted to abandon all denominational labels, they used the biblical names for the followers of Jesus. Both groups promoted a return to the purposes of the first-century churches as described in the New Testament. One historian of the movement has argued that it was primarily a unity movement, with the restoration motif playing a subordinate role.
The Restoration Movement has since divided into three main branches in the U.S.: the Churches of Christ, the Independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). La Habra Christian Church is associated with Independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ. Further information can be found by reading the Stone-Campbell Journal (http://www.stone-campbelljournal.com/).
The congregation now known as La Habra Christian Church came into being as a result of an evangelistic meeting held in July 1923. Clayton C. Root was the evangelist. The meeting was financed by the Clark Fund of Cincinnati, Ohio - a foundation to help start new congregations. The monies from this fund were under the oversight of the Christian Restoration Association.
On Sunday, October 14, 1923 after morning services and a basket picnic on the lawn, evangelist John LeGrande called for Charter Members and thirty-six responded. The first building was erected at Cypress and First Avenues, an old tabernacle style, with a chapel added to the back lot in 1934. It housed the congregation until the move to our present location in the spring of 1973.

2010-11-04T14:14:00.000-07:00

One of the questions that I was asked about the lesson from the outward movement of the church had to do with the millennial question. Revelation 20:1 – 6 refers to the thousand year reign. There are three different interpretations of what this means.
Pre-millennialism reap first of the believe that Jesus will come before the beginning of the thousand year reign. Before he comes there will be famine, wars, earthquakes and great apostasy. When he comes the antichrist will be slain and seated at the battle of Armageddon and Satan will be bound. Attached to this in most cases is the belief that there will be a final tribulation before his return and the rapture of believers.
Post millennialism holds the position that Christ will come after the thousand year reign of peace and righteousness. Life will get better and better until it's perfect and then Jesus will come. Along with this goes the belief that eventually the entire world will proclaim the name of Christ as a result of the missionary efforts of the church.
A-Millennialism considers the thousand years to not be literal in time but rather figurative in nature. Most believe that the thousand year reign began when Jesus inaugurated the kingdom of God and that he will return to perfect the kingdom.

I am a pro/pan-millennialist because I believe that I'm for what ever God wants to do and it will all pan out to his glory. I believe that the book of Revelation tells us two very clear things; Jesus is coming again and when he does good is going to win and evil is going to lose.

Did Thomas write a gospel?

2010-10-21T15:03:00.000-07:00

The Gospel of Thomas is one of the Nag Hammadi (A complete version in Coptic (an Egyptian language derived from the Greek alphabet) was found at Nag Hammadi, Egypt in 1945. The complete text has been dated to about 340 AD, while some of the Greek fragments have been dated as far back as 140 AD) documents. It is not really a "Gospel" as we might expect, but, collection of random sayings attributed to Jesus. The author is unknown and since these sayings are not tied to historical events we cannot determine validity. There are also purported questions/statements from Simon Peter, Matthew, Thomas, and Mary.
Any of the discussions about this purported catalog of comments begin with disqualifiers such as:
How Many of the Sayings in the Gospel of Thomas come from Jesus? Who knows for sure?
Does the Gospel of Thomas reflect the views of Jesus? That is unclear.
Is the Gospel of Thomas Gnostic? It all depends on what you mean by Gnostic. Maybe.
When was the Gospel of Thomas written? This is a question hotly debated by scholars.
There are a couple things I would note. The Gospel of Thomas is very different in tone and structure from the four Canonical Gospels and even the NT apocrypha. It is not a narrative account of the life of Jesus; and while the text contains a possible allusion to the death of Jesus there is no mention of crucifixion, resurrection, or final judgment.
The Early Church believed it to be a false gospel. Eusebius, for example, included it among a group of books that he believed to be not only spurious, but "the fictions of heretics" that should be thrown out as absurd and impious.
The Gospel of St. Thomas is considered "Gnostic" in that it holds that salvation of the soul comes from a quasi-intuitive knowledge of the mysteries of the universe and of secret formula indicative of that knowledge.

The more you want the less you have.

2010-10-14T14:40:00.000-07:00

It seems to me that when someone says, "More than anything in the world I would like..." they set themselves up for disappointment. Should they get that person, dream, thing, cash they will soon find it is not the panacea they at first thought.

This is not, I am sure the reader is aware, a new insight. The epiphane for me is that so many people seem to have a dream of how their lives will progress and even if most of what they dream seems to be in process they are depressed that it is not now available. They almost seem to resent the effort needed to make it thus or the time it takes for fruition.

So they wail, "I do not have my dream" when their joy could be found in, "I have and that is a joy in itself."

More is to often the salt of life when God has asked followers of Jesus to be the salt. When "more" is the salt we drink from the fountain of materials, sexual pleasure, substance intake and search for power. When followers of Jesus are the salt we drink from the water of life - and while never entirely filled - nor are we ever entirely parched.

When did "Jew" mean "Hebrew" and more

2010-10-12T10:20:00.000-07:00

Ok – we can all agree that Sherman is still getting used to the technology. I posted this once but did something wrong and so I am posting again. My mistake from which I learned to “post” before exiting.
Question One from last Sunday was, “When did the Hebrew people become known as the Jews?”
The Torah (Hebrew word meaning "teaching" or "instruction", or "law" also known as the Pentateuch which are the Five Books of Moses and comprise the entirety of Judaism's founding legal and ethical religious texts) does not refer to “Jews” as it is found in the post exilic period. The word Jew comes from Yehuda, the son of Yaakov who become the leader after Shimeon lost that position over the tribe of Judah.

Question Two “Was Adam a Jew?”
Adam was the first human (his name is an ancient Hebrew word for any human) which makes him the archetype (when God made human male and female Eve became the archetype female) and given the fallen nature of human – I have to believe we have no idea what Adam looked like. He and Eve were a standard to themselves.

Question Three came from a text which was truncated but here is the question I received, “The assumption that Noah had a sex act that caused the family disruption is just that...an assumption. It could just be what it says: That…”
Very good question as we don’t really know what happened. We do know that what ever it was turned out to be bad enough to cause curses to be placed by a father on a son. Here are some of the explanations I found on Wikipedia which is quoted in several other sites with Jewish contributors.
“The Talmud deduces two possible explanations (attributed to Rab and Rabbi Samuel) for what Ham did to Noah to warrant the curse. (Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin 70a.) According to Rab, Ham castrated Noah on the basis that, since Noah cursed Ham by his fourth son Canaan, Ham must have injured Noah with respect to a fourth son, by emasculating him, thus depriving Noah of the possibility of a fourth son. According to Samuel, Ham sodomized Noah, on the analogy between “and he saw” written in two places in the Bible: With regard to Ham and Noah, it says, “And Ham the father of Canaan saw the nakedness of his father (Noah)”; while in Genesis 34:2, it says, “And when Shechem the son of Hamor saw her (Dinah), he took her and lay with her and defiled her.” According to this argument, similar abuse must have happened each time that the Bible uses the same language. The Talmud concludes that, in fact, "both indignities were perpetrated."
In more recent times, some scholars have suggested that Ham may have had intercourse with his father's wife. Under this interpretation, Canaan is cursed as the "product of Ham's illicit union."
This "curse of Canaan" by Noah was likely connected to the conquest of Canaan by Israel. Both the conquest of Canaan and the curse, according to the Book of Jubilees 10:29-34, are attributed, rather, to Canaan's steadfast refusal to join his elder brothers in Ham's allotment beyond the Nile, and instead "squatting" within the inheritance of Shem, on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, in the region later promised to Abraham.”
See you Sunday

Why do we trust the Canon?

2010-10-06T10:02:00.000-07:00

The Bible’s authority comes from its being the inspired witness to the revelations of God. God did not dictate the Bible but communicated His will through His prophets and apostles.
Religion is humankind’s attempt to reach God and Christianity is God’s attempt to reach humankind. Generally God reveals Himself in His creation. He gives His Special Revelation through specific revelations and disclosures. He revealed His name, His covenant, His Commandments etc. The Bible is God’s infallible special revelation and it is reliable and trustworthy in His revelation of Himself and His will.
The canon we have today comes from thousands of years of critical testing. In some cases, where the authorship is clear, as in the case of The Gospels, their inspiration is accredited due to their closeness to the source, Jesus. Other books are included in the canon because spiritual leaders who we know and trust in history proclaimed them as inspired. The external test lies in the number of copies of portions, in some cases, and, whole books in others, though separated by centuries are found to be substantively and functionally identical. With over five thousand manuscripts in hand – some dating back to 400 years before Christ – we find less that a tenth or a percent difference in the final collection.
This compares to the minuscule number of late copies of the writings of Plato, Aristotle, or Shakespeare. As archeological discoveries reveal time and again the truth of the Biblical record there is now more reason to believe God’s special revelation today than on the day of Pentecost immediately following the resurrection of Jesus in which 3000 accepted God’s promise through Jesus Christ.

Men & Women & Sex?

2010-01-11T16:20:00.000-08:00

I ran this past my wife last night and she was underwhelmed so feedback would be helpful.
I believe that women's curse, yes the one in Genesis, was that they would be willing to do anything to have a relationship with a man. Man's curse (one of them) was embedded in the woman's curse, "they will lord it over them," as is that a man will always want to conquer life - which includes women.
That has led me to the belief that women have been historically willing to trade sex for relationship. I don't mean to imply women do not desire or enjoy the act of physical intimacy only that it is part of relationship and they are willing to enter into a physical relationship if they feel they will in turn have an emotional one.
Men are the reverse of this - they will "give relationship" to get physical intimacy which I believe leads to frustration after marriage when the man feels entitled and the woman feels used.

Clear Conscience vs Guilt Free

2010-01-05T13:15:00.000-08:00

What follows is a response to a penitent's concern that their remaining sense of guilt for past sins should prohibit them from submitting to Christian Baptism as they understood 1 Peter 3:8.

I am glad you are approaching this sacred responsibility with care and study. The point the Apostle is making says that baptism, when it is properly a symbol of the putting away of sin, and of the renewing influences of the Holy Spirit, and an act of unreserved dedication to God—now saves us. In that light the “pledge” prior to baptism is not to be confused with the promise received after baptism. The pledge is in your court – that you pledge your intent in coming to the sacrament of baptism is that you are wholly committed to giving your life, past, present and future, to Christ.
The issue of guilt is separate from “clear conscience” in that guilt is the sense of shame God gives to tell of wrong doing and conscience is the tool used by the Holy Spirit to communicate that shame. Guilt is useful when it is prodding us to repentance and right action. Guilt is harmful when oppressing us and bringing give up hope in our ability to right the wrongs we have caused. However, guilt is a wonderful gift that keeps reminding us that God’s forgiveness has freed us from the penalty and power of sin while at the same time prodding us to do the work the of repentance in setting right what we have wronged to the extent we are able.
It is in baptism we receive the internal presence of the Holy Spirit which gives us the strength to do all the above – something we are not otherwise capable. See Acts 2:38 , “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
One final thing about sin and guilt. When God forgives you are forgiven – however – our personal sense of forgiveness takes time for two reasons. The first has to do with the fallout of our sin – the people we hurt and the damage done still has to be righted to the extent possible. The second is like a wound that continues to hurt or itch long after it is healed – we have to accept the wound is healed even though we still feel the pain or itch left behind.

Be the Father or the Prodigal but NOT The Brother

2009-12-23T10:10:00.000-08:00

I was struck again by how easy it is to be the brother in the story of the Prodigal Son. The Prodigal attempts to create his own reality - in essence - saying to his father, "Your way works for you but I have to please myself so I am going to go my own way." When he discovers the loss of discipline, direction and direct contact with God leaves him without friends, funds or a future he makes a plan to at least have a roof over his head and a benevolent master for whom to work.
The father, of course, is the real star of the story and a challenge for any father to emulate. The fact that he had determined, even before repentance, he would forgive and forget, is a lesson to fathers everywhere that the consequences of an action is usually punishment enough for the penitent child.
It is the brother who reminds me how self righteous I sound when I require a time of repentance, acts of contrition, a period of ostracization before forgiveness will be given. How selfish I am when I demand my rights from someone whom God has received. Even as I write this I am uncomfortable with this complete a forgiveness.

Just reading it is good for you

2009-11-30T09:56:00.000-08:00

In “The Key to Overcoming Temptation,” an interview by Brian Proffit of Rev Magazine, Dr. Arnold Cole is the CEO and Director of Bible Engagement Research for Back to the Bible revealed his findings in how best to overcome temptation (http://www.rev.org/article.asp?ID=3374).
It was no surprise that men report three times the temptations compared to women and that 80% of all Christians report giving in to temptation “some of the time.” What came as a bit of a surprise was so few reported their best aid against sin was other people (at 5.5%), accountability relationships (at 2.1%) or church (at just 0.5%). Three out of four had shared their temptation with another person, but only this tiny percentage named Christian friends as helping them resist temptation. Reading the Bible was the number one method for successful resistance – though there is a caveat.
Dr. Cole referred “The Power of 4.” It seems there is no statistical difference between Christians who read or listen to the Bible two to three days a week and those who do not read at all! There is a clear watershed at four days. Those who read or listen to the Bible at least four days a week are 36% less likely to smoke, 57% less likely to get drunk, 61% less likely to use pornography, and 68% less likely to have sex outside marriage.
Oh, one very important side note. How often one reads or listens to the Bible seems a particularly protective factor for teens. Among teens, we find no effects for church attendance and prayer in alleviating risky behaviors. Our New Testament Challenge has started us on the right path to helping ourselves as well as our family from avoiding risky behavior.

Do What I Do

2009-11-05T10:20:00.000-08:00

I am challenged by Paul’s invitation to the Philippians in 3:17 to, “Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.” A few years ago I read an interview of John Stott in which he was asked about the greatest challenges to the church in the 21st Century. He surprised me by making tolerance the number one challenge – as well as a coveted virtue of the church.
Christians should be in the forefront in fighting for equal rights before the law of all ethnic and religious minorities. The church should also actively show social tolerance by going out of our way to make friends with adherents of other faiths, since they are God's creation who bear his image. But the third, intellectual tolerance, which is to cultivate a mind so broad and open as to accommodate all views and reject none, is, in Stott’s word’s, “the vice of the feebleminded.”
By rejecting this feebleminded tolerance the church then properly defines outreach as evangelism and not proselytism, the latter occurring when our motives, methods or message are unworthy. When we properly understand our call to tolerance we make room for evangelism which is (in terms of the Manila Manifesto), “To make an open and honest statement of the gospel, which leaves the hearers entirely free to make up their own minds about it.”
This then brings me back to Paul’s appeal to the Philippians which calls us to be what we profess to be. The covenant still challenges us to look like what we are talking about: This makes the church’s main concern that we look like what we are talking about..
1 John 4:12: "No one has ever seen God, if we love one another, God dwells in us." The invisible God, who once made himself visible in Christ, now makes himself visible in Christians, if we love one another.

You will get your guilt?

2009-10-22T11:38:00.000-07:00

Sunday after church, a mom asked her very young daughter what the lesson was about. The daughter answered, "Don't be scared; you'll get your quilt."

Needless to say, the mom was perplexed.

Later in the day, the pastor stopped by for tea and the mom asked him what that morning's Sunday school lesson was about.

He said, "Be not afraid; thy comforter is coming."

When Jesus told the Rich Young Man to sell all and give it to the poor he was not telling us to do the same. What he was telling us was to not make any thing, activity, person or commitment more important than our commitment to love and serve Him and His Church.

Just as there is a big difference between “you will get your guilt” and “your comforter is coming” so there is a big difference between, “give it all away” and “use it all for Me and My church.”

Oh Foolish Galations

2009-10-12T15:18:00.000-07:00

We’ve GOT to listen to somebody…we can’t listen to everybody…and when we make “please everybody” our goal then we will live in a constant state of fear and frustration.

Who are the wrong people? It’s really simple…there are people that do not love you, do not know you, have never tried to understand you and spend the majority of their time attacking you and others. They are not motivated by the love of God…but rather their own pride and arrogance (which they accuse you of because you will not listen to them…which is ironic!) You cannot let those who don’t love you and are not willing to stand beside you be the dominating voice in your life!

http://www.perrynoble.com/2009/10/01/six-things-that-leaders-should-always-apologize-for/

God called Paul to S___?

2009-10-09T11:15:00.000-07:00

While reading for the New Testament Challenge I was stopped in my reading when I read again the God's words to Ananias, “Go! This man [Paul] is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name” (Acts 9:15-16 ( NIV )).
Suffering? I thought he was called to serve? Turns out that Paul talks about service in terms of suffering and suffering in terms of service almost as much as he talks about the division of the Spirit and the flesh, except there are three distinct types of "suffering."
Persecution is suffering all believers endure. Some more benign, as in the West where Christians are treated as slightly demented relatives, and some much more severe as in North Korea where conversion is followed by death. In 1 Cor 4:12 Paul makes it clear that persecution is to be "endured" which leads me to pray for strong knees for prayer in my old age.
Tribulation is a more active attack from spiritual forces and could also be taken as "temptations" especially when they come from poor choices. We bring on tribulation by choosing to be with a certain crowd and then refusing participate in their chosen activities. Parents of school age children face tribulation in California as their children are taught tenants not consistent with the faith - but any rebuttal leads to prejudice shown to their children.
Suffering is more generic and could refer to "walking miles to do ministry" or "facing firing for not lying to a customer."
Jesus was calling Paul to suffer in all three categories - I invite you to send me examples of each.

What We Learn from Jesus' Temptation

2009-10-07T13:43:00.000-07:00

I have often quoted 1 Corinthians 10:13 when faced with trials and even strong desires that would move me out of God's approved path. You may remember it: "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." I have found it comforting at times but more often confusing as I struggled with issues that seemed to take over my life, sometimes for years. During the New Testament Challenge I was reading Matthew 4:1-11 where Matthew recounts the temptations of Jesus and I found there some consolation. It seems to me the temptations of Jesus are a template for all the temptations we are likely to face with the added benefit of "a way out so that [I] can stand up under it."
The first is the temptation to multiply what is in our hand for personal ease and comfort. What is at hand is the ability to make bread from rocks - or - money from using others; two helpings just for me from the loaded Thanksgiving platter; my own - for me only...whatever. Jesus shows us that we can only overcome this selfishness by reminding ourselves that our lives are not about us but about others.
The second is the temptation take God's promises and require them of God - to make God protect us from our impetuousness - recklessness - powerlessness. If Jesus was not willing to put God to the test to protect Him from harm should he through himself off a building, we must be doubly dubious about putting ourselves in personal, financial, spiritual danger because we believe God will never let us be harmed if we are doing "His Will." Here Jesus makes it clear that we do not want to be in the ranks of those challenging God unless He has invited that challenge.
Finally, the temptation to believe we can do it without God if we have a big enough bank roll, support base or preparation. James offers a bit of advice to believers who would never dream of denouncing God for any other power source but are willing to "go it alone" in earthly decisions when he warns in James 4:15-16, "Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil."
The antidote for all three forms of temptation is to pre-load holiness which Jesus offers in these words of response to the last temptation. “Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only’” Matthew 4:10.

Save the Best to Last

2009-10-07T13:27:00.000-07:00

I was invited to dine with a family some years ago while I was serving as the guest speaker for the church's Mission's Fair. They were a large family and their hospitality was just as great. As we sat for the meal the father led in prayer for God's gifts and barely took a breath from saying "Amen" before looking at me and announcing, "Life is short so I always eat dessert first."
I was impressed with his wisdom at the time, but, as I have aged I have come to realize that all that is good in life can be better appreciated after the less exotic tastes of beans, broccoli, and celery. While the broccoli feeds our nutrition and leaves us feeling good about our choices, it also clears our conscience for a small piece of pecan pie that feeds our taste buds.
I am reminded of the Wedding Feast at Cana of Galilee when Jesus was asked to supply more wine and rather than offering the pedestrian fair already consumed delivered a vintage with character eliciting from the Master of the Feast in John 2:10 the exclamation, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
Whatever has been on your plate this day - consume it - whether resolution of conflict, tedious book work, arduous cleaning and then be prepared for the dessert God has planned especially for you. It would not taste as fulsome served at the beginning of the day/life but it will be an eternal treat to hear, "Well done good and faithful servant, enter into your reward." I sure hope there is pecan pie in heaven.

Prophet to Pastor

2009-09-25T20:19:00.000-07:00

For most of my life God called me to be a prophet. One who loved Him and His church and was unwilling to allow the church to continue to run on only one rail. I saw the churches I was in and working with as being more concerned with nurture/fellowship and self improvement. I spent my energy focused on drawing them to a ministry of outreach. Then God did a strange thing. He changed me from Prophet to Pastor.
I mention this because I - being one of God's "special" children (as in "Be kind to Sherman is a bit...'special'"). I have had an epiphany of late and that is that the reason I have felt stymied in my ministry is because I have been thinking like a prophet when I am gift - now - as a Pastor.
This is going to require some thought - not to mention a bit of reprogramming. Be patient with me as God is not finished with me and I am finally on the same page as my Father.

The Stages of CultureShock Part 2: The 4 Laws

2009-09-10T16:10:00.002-07:00

Stage 2 is exchanged for Stage 3 by those who have a healthy acceptance of own culture as one of many, but, their own never-the-less. They view host culture as an environment where how people interact my be different but not necessarily wrong, Pemberton’s first Law of Cross-Cultural Communication is, “It is not wrong, it is just different.” Of course, some things are patently wrong, such as infanticide but much less of a host culture is actually wrong – though it feels wrong to eat dog, for instance – and just different. I believe this is the first law for moving from “teacher” to “learner” and preparing oneself for a healthy transition.
The second law tag teams as “It Doesn’t Matter Why, It Only Matters That.” Once one agrees that what they are experiencing is merely different the next obstacle is the “why” question. For the purpose of living and learning one is best served to begin life accepting certain truths without searching for the origins of them. Why do some cultures not allow shorts, sandals, hats, the color red etc. in public places? It does not matter why – it only matters that you have learned this to be true so practice it. If you are asked to be a change agent – as in the case of a missionary – you may want at some point to know the answer to the question why, but for emotional health and good interaction it is unimportant.
The third and fourth are mirror images of each other and help learn the “that” mentioned in the last paragraph. At dinner with a host family one of family members “intentionally” passes the main dish by you to your seatmate which momentarily causes you to feel some slight has been given. First, “Never Assume” what you think you saw is what you actually saw. There are any number of reasons for that practice, none involving rudeness. If you practice Law # 3 then you will need to follow it with Law # 4 “Always Look for Alternate Interpretations.” Living in a new environment involves an endless cycle of Observe/Experiment/Adjust from Observation/Experimentation and repeat till satisfied that Stage 3 has been achieved.
Stage 3 is achieved when the irritation of Stage 2 has been replaced by an understanding that the irritant is “normal” for the place and time and it is ok to accept it as not necessarily “normal” for the traveler. I can live any place where dog is a meat without becoming a butcher of dog meat, or, anti-dog eating activist.
There is a Stage 4 to transition shock and it is achieved when the traveler can both understand and tell jokes in the local language receiving appropriate responses.

The Stages of Culture (Transition) Shock Part 1

2009-09-10T16:10:00.001-07:00

Transitioning from one living environment to another almost always involves a process typically referred to as transition shock or in the case of cross cultural transition, culture shock. Transition shock is most commonly described as being in four stages, which are described in terms of experiences and not in terms of length of time. Time is less of a factor than attitude. Some people will transition through three of the stages in relatively short time, only infrequently reverting to the most toxic, Stage 2, while revisiting Stage 1 and living in Stage 3.
Stage 1 is the time when transition is new and is usually full of new experiences, most of which are seen as “interesting,” “quaint,” or “unpleasant” without being unbearable. At some point, when it becomes clear the environment is going to continue to operate as first observed and not adjust to the “foreigner” in the midst, these observations will become “intolerable,” “antiquated,” or “unacceptable.” Whether entering a marriage, new school, or new country almost everyone moves from Stage 1 honeymoon to Stage 2 distaste. Moving through Stage 2 to Stage 3 – as opposed to bouncing from Stage 1 to Stage 2 and back again – depends on how one enters the new environment.
Enter as a teacher, one who has better information than the locals, and you are doomed to live in Stage 2. The danger is determined by how long you intend staying. Vacationer’s returning from France, for example, who spent their two weeks identifying the things that need to change for their comfort suffer minimally, usually by not enjoying their vacation, as long suffering friends and neighbors will attest. They will most commonly reject “host culture.” However, there is also the possibility of rejecting “own culture.” In the first instance the host culture is negatively compared to own culture using paternalistic and patronizing references to the “childlike” nature of host culture or “barbaric” choices of host culture. Less common is to negatively compare own culture to host culture thus rejecting personal history and focus points. Longer term workers for corporations, government, or missions can suffer depression even to the point of suicide in this cycle.

Life Is Repetition

2009-08-22T11:06:00.000-07:00

It strikes me the reason I get in trouble - well, most of the time - is when I forget that life is doing the same thing over and over, improving with repetition where possible and following the path previously laid, perfectly, when improvement is not possible (how do you improve teeth brushing?). Quite possibly the only reason I brush "every" morning is because I have always brushed every morning even when in places water is scarce or even tainted. I find a way, because, well, I always brush every morning.
It is not a great epiphany to catch the application to spiritual disciplines. My parents drilled into me the practice of brushing every morning. Though I have never thanked them for that discipline it has served me well. They also required a certain level of Biblical literacy - that required regular Bible reading - if only to respond to parental questions. They required regular church attendance and membership in a local church. All practices I do not find odious but rather feel empty without.
I needed to remind myself of this practice because I become bored with repetitious tasks - even irritated by the "mundane." Remembering the importance of most repetitions (breathing comes to mind) I now face them with more a sense of responsibility than requirement - which may seem a small thing to some but is the difference between joy, on the one hand, and drudgery on the onther.

How Fast Are You Walking?

2009-08-10T09:42:00.000-07:00

A fellow was walking along a country road when he came upon a farmer working in his field. The man called out to the farmer, "How long will it take me to get to the next town?"
The farmer didn't answer. The guy waited a bit and then started walking again.
After the man had gone about a hundred yards, the farmer yelled out, "About 20 minutes."
"Thank you. But why didn't you tell me that when I asked you?"
"Didn't know how fast you could walk." (Received from Ann F. on Good Clean Funnies).

It got me to thinking about leading people to do what they have started to do, such as church attenders. Church Attenders have decided to move toward God and many of them want to be close to Him as soon as possible. They might even be heard asking, "When will I be able to face trials - overcome addiction - be the husband my wife needs?" Those along with many others. I think I have a tendency to try to answer that question before I see how fast they can walk.

When a Leopard Is Not a Leopard

2009-08-02T17:01:00.000-07:00

When I was young I in the home of a family who had rescued a leopard cub from the poachers who had killed his mother. They had the "cub" in their back yard with their two Rhodesian Ridgebacks and often with their infant son. My dad expressed his concern but the Doctor assured him that if the leopard received "civilized" treatment he would become a good pet, "he is just a big kitty," explained the Doctor.
Six months later we stopped in to find the "kitty" had playfully killed the two lion hunting dogs and was deemed "beyond redemption." It doesn't take a great mental leap to conclude that nature - more often than not - will rule over nurture in the animal kingdom. I believe that is largely true in the human world when it comes to our baser instincts. Maslow's hierarchy of needs can be tossed about in a philosophical discussion but at the end of the day he had pretty good grip on what our human nature would put first - self.
This is why the Apostle Paul wrote to the Roman church to not be conformed to fit into this world (our fallen nature makes that a rather simple process) but to let God "transform" us by His Spirit to become the worshipers He created. Translation: I cannot stop being fallen but God can redeem me from my nature and "civilize" me for Himself. All of which has been said before, and was in fact said during the sermon this morning (www.mylhcc.com/podcasts).
However, I feel compelled to remind myself that the Doctor, who meant well, truly believed and really tried to change the nature of the leopard - but to no avail. He wanted his child to have the excitement of growing up with a large cat, but, the cat could never become the pet he wanted it to be unless he was able to transform its very nature.
Which brings me, happily and finally, to my point. When followers of Jesus, who have submitted to the transforming process attempt to play/work/coexist with those who do not yet follow Jesus - they may be tempted to try to "domesticate" them. Teach them the principles of Jesus and the moral laws of God. However, just as a leopard is always a leopard - until - it has been transformed into a tabby, those who do not yet follow Jesus use works like love, trust, fairness, commitment and giving - to name only a few - far differently than those who are transformed to use those words and the actions that result as God intended.
Love is not about feeling but about commitment. Trust is not limited to one arena such as family, tribe or union. Fairness is not about equal distribution but equal access. Commitment is not limited to signed document and giving begins with the obligation to God. Not something I can do when I am trying to conform to the ever changing landscape of the present culture. God alone can make those words mean those things which helps my understand one other thing Paul wrote in
2 Corinthians 6:14 (NIV) "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?"

More from Sunday

2009-07-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

It strikes me that I did not talk about one area that is often referred to as a solitary place. When people who are in leadership get together it is common for them to use such phrases as, "it's lonely at the top, that's why we get the big bucks, or I wasn't hired to be their friend."
I agree with John Maxwell, and many other authors, who in his book "leadership gold" suggests that if it's lonely at the top the leader's doing something wrong. However, in every organization (whether it's organic such as the church or not) there is by default one person to whom everyone looks to in the event of major decisions or failures. In that sense, it can be lonely at the top.
I've never felt comfortable passing blame, whether deserved or otherwise, to those who serve under my leadership. I have known few good leaders who would disagree. Maybe this is where we find the answer to the age-old question (well as old as my leadership), "why don't leaders delegate more?" It is not that leaders delegate less it is that the delegates wait on the leader for the critical decision which causes the team to miss a critical window of opportunity.
The leader is left in the lurch -- the delegate feels responsible and yet somehow let down-- and the team sees the whole situation is a failure.
And so the good leader continues to fail and along the way he finds other good leaders going to learn from their failure.

Time Away is Not Time Away

2009-07-25T17:35:00.000-07:00

I realize this is not a mind boggling concept but having just spent five days away from work with Judi and some friends I am reminded again of how incredibly active the mind is when it supposed to be relaxing.
We spent the time with food, fun, games and, well, food, until I got food poisoning so for almost 72 hours of that time I was laid up groaning or recuperating.
Amazingly, as soon as I stepped back into the work place, for me that is La Habra Christian Church, I began to list the ideas that had come to me while away, even though they did not come to me until I began to talk about work. A Pastor should not be surprised when that happens. After all, God was very specific about our work schedule.
We work six days and take one day off. That is one day away from anything to do with work. The first followers of God were so convinced of the efficacy of such a requirement went about putting a hedge about it resulting in hundreds of laws and rules that, unfortunately, made the practice more of a burden than a blessing. I confess that in my younger years - last year :-) - I reversed their error. I avoided the Sabbath or, even worse, mixed Sabbath with Work ("Business or pleasure, Sir?" "Um, yes, please.").
As I have matured (see eta above) I have come to realize that work needs to be work and "not work" needs to be, well, "knock it off." However, I have found an interesting law at work - because when I am working I am relaxed and when I am relaxing my "self" is working - so that in my life while I do the work of the one who sent me - I find that in my rest He completes His work in me.

To Blog or Not To Blog That is...

2009-07-16T12:52:00.000-07:00

In a June 22, 2009 article on Christianity Today's website Dan Kimball, well known for his “missional” musings warned, “Do It, Don't Blog It” – a sentiment felt, if not expressed by many in the church world when bombarded with requests to “update” “tweet” or “confirm” from various social networks others have thoughtfully recommended.

I appreciated Kimball’s balance of mission and method – something I have always expected of myself and my staff, though I understand the and have suffered from the call of the “new” over the “passé.” I suspect, and this is hard to confess, the real measurement for any technology is not communication as much as it is results. I realize I am swimming up the relational stream here but I believe any tool is only as good as its product.

When the social networks lead to connections that affect lives for Christ they are sacred. When they lead to connections that make lives feel connected they are neutral. When they lead to connections that are distracting from mission they are profane.

There is a fourth option. They could just be gas in the wind, or, as the Bard would have it, “Sound and fury signifying nothing” not unlike this blog.

Arrested Development or St John's Disease?

2009-07-13T15:20:00.000-07:00

One of the professions I have had a love/hate relationship with has been MD's. As a Mission Executive I Administrated Hospitals in Africa and managed my share of MD's who are a sacrificial/self-important group (not unlike Senior Pastors - I hasten to confess). My love has been for their ability to hear a cough, rumble or squeak and identify the problem and recommend a diagnosis. Good diagnosticians are hard to come by and great ones are God's gift to the medical profession.
I have worked with at least two great ones in my career and have learned that many times the difference between a correct call and an OK call (one that does not do harm but does not really address the ailment) is all too often "gut" as opposed to brain. I have lived long enough to have a healthy respect for this "gut" input in my own profession and it is with that data I ask the question, "Is the church in America - more particularly the one to which I minister - suffering from arrested development or St John's disease?
Arrested development is the result of too little growth hormones, Bible reading, wise counsel, active church service and personal evangelism. As desperate as this condition my sound - a new believer who has never left the diaper stage and spends their Sunday's whining to be feed, but not too much - it is not a terminal illness. There are many 40, even 70, year old believers who still need to be changed by the Pastor before they can go out to play with the world, but who do little harm to the cause of Christ except as bad examples, which they don't really have much chance for since they spend so little time with unbelievers anyway.
St John's disease (C. Peter Wagner calls it a Syndrome) is best defined by Apostle John in the letter he transcribed to the church at Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-22 whom Jesus warned was about to be "spit out." But the condition could be seen developing in the church at Ephesus in 2:1-7 who was told to get back in touch with their first love, which I take to mean the love of the lost, given the powerful evangelistic movement in that church that led to a school of evangelism and the anger of the gold smiths of Diana.
I wish our illness today was arrested development but I fear it is St John's and while a good dose of spiritual disciplines will cure (if not heal) the former - only a rebirth in the fire of persecution seems to heal (there is no cure I know of) this malady which finds biological believers (for in America who is not at some point a biological? Few I would say) whining for government intervention to save a church whose Savior waits in the Doctor's lounge to be asked for a second opinion.

First Time Out

2009-07-07T11:58:00.000-07:00

I feel like Punxsutawney Phil sticking my head out of my Paper Office to see if it is safe to put thoughts on a cyber screen. However, I love dialogue and, truth be told, monologue more, so I am going to give this a try.
I respect the bloggers I have read in the past and follow in the present, whose names and sites will appear here from time to time as I rely on their wit and wisdom. I am sure the blogging community will set me straight as I err and even when I only opine.
As a former missionary, professor of Intercultural Studies, not-for-profit executive and Pastor I will draw on my experience, but, look forward to the new concepts I can glean from this new prism of my life.