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Bittersweet Moving
I have just learned that some dear friends and folk in our church are going to be moving from the area in the next 6 months.
I’ve known actually for some time that they were moving, but now that a house has been sold and a house has been bought reality sinks in!
This is bittersweet for me! As a friend I am extremely happy for them because they are moving to be close to kids and grandkids. But as a friend and also as a young pastor my heart aches! Since my arrival at The Visalia Seventh-day Adventist Church Chuck & Darlene have been true mentors & friends to me in my ministry.
Yes they are in their 70’s–But I feel like they have as much joy and enthusiasm for ministry and my ministry success as I ever have! Many, many a time I have enjoyed sitting at their feet soaking up their wisdom.
They have always encouraged me even when disagreeing and at times gently correcting me.
They have modeled for me an openness to the will of God in all things, even when that will may push them out of their comfort zone.
They have modeled for me unconditional support to the cause of our Lord through their weekly service to the church, their generous giving to their church, and their unendning love for the people in the church.
A church that has a Chuck and Darlene is far the richer for it.
I think of the young pastors that don’t have Chuck & Darlene in their congregation. I wonder what struggles they face and what challenges they fall to, because of not having the wisdom of years?
I dread to think of ministry here without them and pray for God to send someone in their stead!
As I think tonight about Chuck and Darlene I would give this word of advice to folk out there.
First to young pastors: If you have a Chuck or Darlene in your midst spend time with them. Learn from them, if they rebuke you in love, accept the rebuke. If they disagree with you find out why and see what steps you should have taken so you won’t repeat the mistake in the future. Include them in your leadership team (Darlene is one of my Elders & Chuck sits on our finance team). If they have been at that church for some time, Chuck and Darlene have been in Visalia for almost 40 years, ask them about the history and how things have moved and shook in the past. Most of all thank them as they encourage you and help you to grow as a pastor.
To the elderly in the church: Be gentle counselors to your pastors. Be appropriately critical, but not overly so. Encourage, encourage, encourage. Defend your pastor against the attacks of others in your generation who don’t like things simply because they are “new” and “different.” Embrace change and support your young pastor in that change. And most of all pray for your pastor and let him/her know you are doing so in love!
Chuck and Darlene I’ll miss y’all! If it wasn’t a sin I would covet the new young pastor you will be mentoring!
I love you both, thanks for making the Visalia SDA church and my ministry so rich by gracing us with your love!
The Apple Store
My iphone 4 went kerplunk yesterday, and living in an age and working in a profession where I “feel” the need for a phone constantly by my side, we can break down that flawed thinking later, I headed out to the Apple store in Fresno to figure things out.
I left the store with a new iphone 4s, I’m getting that out of the way because that has nothing to do with what I want to share with you in this post.
“ENTHUSIASM” is what I want to share with you! That is the word I would use to describe the employees at the Apple store. It struck me how ENTHUSIASTIC the folk are about their product. A cynic would say, “Well they are paid to be ENTHUSIASTIC.” I would ask said cynic, “Have you ever been around an Apple product owner?” People don’t have to be paid to be enthusiastic about Apple!
In fact every Apple purchase I have ever made has been done completely on the ENTHUSIASM of another human being–
My laptop & desktop — My best friend, Scott
My orginal ipod — My Mom & Dad, Vicki & Daryl
My original iphone — My brother-in-law, Chad
My ipad — My wife, Christina
Their ENTHUSIASM on all said products made me want what they had! Again the cynic may say, “You obviously are easily impressionable.” I would say to said cynic, “Ask anyone who knows me how comfortable I am holding an opinion that is contrary to the general support of the crowd.”
It was folks ENTHUSIASM that truly swayed me and made me take a first and a second and eventually purchase each of those products.
And that ENTHUSIASM was on full display in the Apple store yesterday. These folk seemed genuinely happy for me that I now owned an iphone 4s.
My question to Christians is do people see that you are ENTHUSIASTIC about Jesus? When folk walk into your church will they feel an ENTHUSIASTIC anticipation for what Jesus is going to show up and give to people?
When people in our church make a decision for Jesus is there true ENTHUSIASM for that individual going home with Jesus in their life?
If you can’t answer yes to these questions for you personally or for your church. Then there is something wrong!
“I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” –Luke 15:7
Heaven is rejoicing because they are ENTHUSIASTIC about someone else walking around with Jesus in their heart.
Are you?
Val Kilmer & I
So I’ve been told a lot in my life that I look like Val Kilmer (I’m hoping the Val Kilmer of the Top Gun days!). If you know me well, you probably already know this little fact. Now I am not saying that I think I look like Val Kilmer, I’ve never claimed that, this is just what I have been told.
The first time I can remember being told I looked like Val (after so many years, we’re on a first name basis) was my Sophomore year in Academy by the Peach sisters. It has only escalated since then, in fact now 18 years since that thought was first expressed I still receive the occasional “Val” reference.
So why am I telling you this? To share a quick lesson I’m learning as a parent and as a pastor. Due to the fact that I have been called Val and asked if I look like Val, and even gawked at as if I were the real Val so often, I began to learn lines from Val Kilmer movies I could deliver:
“I don’t like you because you’re dangerous.” –Top Gun
“You can be my wingman anytime.” –ibid
“I’m your huckleberry. That’s just my game.” –Tombstone
“Why Johnny Ringo.” –Tombstone
“You’re no daisy.” –Tombstone
And of course the Val Kilmer pursed lips and stare…
What is the point?
Because people were always asking me if I knew I looked like Val Kilmer, I felt the need to start delivering Val Kilmer lines. To get into Val Kilmer character…
I have discovered with my kids and even in my relationships with folk as their pastor, that in both cases the more I treat and talk to my kids or members as I believe God sees them and less as they may actually be, that eventually they begin to take on this character. If we affirm people even when they may not be quite there, I believe they are more likely to take on the character we are affirming than to go back to whom they may be or may have been.
Isn’t this after all what God has done with all of us?
“God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;” –Romans 4:17b
And didn’t Jesus say, “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends,” –John 15:15a
“Friends”, even though if you keep reading in the book of John the disciples kept acting like servants.
God calls each of us as He sees us, not as we actually are. I pray that in my life and I pray that in your life you will do the same for your kids and for any others you have influence over!
The One Project Analysis
I attended The One Project in Seattle this past month and wanted to share my analysis of my time at this “gathering.” It was not a conference we were told but a gathering, a discussion on the supremacy of Jesus Christ within the Adventist church.
I and almost 700 other folk gathered for two days. Most of us attended because of invitation from either one of the leaders of the gathering or the personal invitation of a friend that had attended the first One Project gathering in Atlanta, GA. a year ago.
One of the questions I received over and over again from folk that knew I was attending was, “What is this thing all about?” My answer was consistently, “I don’t know.” When I vocalized that sentiment on twitter I was assured, “Jesus. ALL.” In other words I was told, “the gathering is all about Jesus.”
Did I find this to be true? Yes and No.
My perspective on the idea of “Jesus. All.” after hearing people insist to me that Jesus is “ALL” we are about, no agenda. After hearing the encouragement before the meetings for people to prepare for the gathering by reading the Gospels and/or The Desire of Ages. After hearing Japhet De Oliveira give his explanation to the purpose of this gathering in the opening remarks I understood Jesus.ALL. to mean that it would be all about JESUS HIMSELF.
With that expectation in mind I found it to be NOT Jesus. ALL.
There were several talks, the majority of talks in fact, where scripture was not opened and where Jesus as God, Man, Savior, Friend, etc. were not addressed in any manner and so if you came like me with an expectation of learning more about JESUS HIMSELF, then you would have found this event wanting.
If you came with the understanding that it would be about Jesus primarily as how He has been used and focused on throughout the history of the Adventist church, then yes it was Jesus. ALL. This was the focus of much of the gathering. Jesus 1844, 1888, 1957, Doctrine, Mission, the future.
In every talk I found things I could, “AMEN”, in every talk I thought there were wonderfully valid points made. I resonated strongly with Sam Leonor & Mark Witas’ talks. My heart was touched as a Dad & as a former prodigal with Pastor Terry Swenson’s story about his own son.
And there were things said that concerned me, statements I believe were on the border of ideas or teachings I would in no way be able to support. That said, these statements were either intentionally or unintentionally veiled and therefore hard for me to make a completely accurate assessment of.
The format of the conference was amazing! There was no wasted time! After our break times we went straight into the speakers, no wasted words on announcements or giveaways. The music led by Nick Zork w/ an assist by Kimberly Bulgin and many others was amazing. On a side note, I believe if we invested through our church education system in wonderful worship leaders as much as we do other areas of ministry, all our churches would be well served! (It is Biblical 1 Chronicles 6:31,32) The fellowship was wonderful. It had a nice reunion feel to it. The organization was terrific and the leaders I spoke with were gracious in hearing my concerns and humble in hearing my praise.
In summary I would say, it was not the gathering I expected, but this doesn’t mean it was a bad gathering. The focal point I expected, learning more about Jesus and drawing nearer to Jesus, was not the primary focus I experienced, and based on that alone I would probably not choose to attend again.
However, this is only their second (in some ways 1st) intentional gathering, and I think it is wise, unless there is was just absolute heresy, (which I choose to believe there was not) to reserve judgment after just one round. I was also encouraged by Alex Bryan’s statement that Chicago’s 2013 gathering will be a discussion on 8 stories from the life of Jesus. With that statement by Pastor Alex I believe a return and reinvested look at The ONE project is deserved, at least from me.
No Defense, So Amazing!
“He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.” –Isaiah 53:7
This has to be one of the most incredible verses in the Bible & one of the most amazing attributes of Jesus.
Jesus didn’t defend Himself even though He was completely in the right! The accusations against Him were statements of assumption, statements of hearsay, statements based on misinformation, well to be direct they were just flat out lies; yet, Jesus spoke not a word of defense.
There are few things I find so amazing from a human perspective as this. I find that even when I am a little in the wrong I want to defend myself; but when I am being accused based on assumption, hearsay, misinformation, and absolute lies I want to scream from the mountain tops my defense; charge the guilty parties with sword of tongue drawn, ready to cut them to bits with words, but…
But this in no way models Jesus’ example. Jesus was so secure with His mission, with His purpose, with His love and acceptance from the Father that He never opened His mouth even though He was absolutely right and His accusers were absolutely wrong.
Jesus help me to plant this scripture in my heart and remember it every time I want to open my mouth in defense, even when I’m right, help me to be silent!