The Pastor's Buzz

Taking time to consider the path

2009-07-02T08:14:00.005-04:00

I have a difficult time shutting down.

Earlier in my journalism career, I couldn't go out of town on vacation without picking up copies of out-of-town newspapers and watching broadcast news. I changed that habit sometime in the mid-1990s because it seemed I was always wondering, "Did we play that story correctly back in Maryville? Did we miss it entirely?" In short, I wasn't shutting down work; therefore, I wasn't truly on vacation. I wasn't taking a sabbath. So, nowadays, I try not to engage in the news while on vacation or sabbath.

My first vacation following the entry into pastoral ministry was sort of that way as well. We went to Folley Beach, South Carolina, and I spent the greater part of vacation preparing worship experiences. I was totally out of balance.

Since coming to The Meadow in April 2002, I have pretty much held it in balance when it comes to my time away; however, the church is never far from my mind. So at some point I find myself walking the beach and praying, "Lord, where is it you want us to go? What can I do at Green Meadow to help us become the church you have called us to be? Where do we go next?"

I do not see that as a failure to shut down, but to come out of my time away with a clearer vision and plan to move this ministry forward for Christ. The reality is this: I can not shut down who I am as your pastor, as a disciple of Jesus Christ, nor do I want to shut it down.

I'm not doing grunt work while I am a way, it's Spirit work.

A few weeks ago I asked that you be in prayer this summer for where God wants us to go next. I think God has given me the vision for where he wants me to lead next, but I want you to continue in prayer with me that God would sharpen that vision.

This morning, I read the following from The Call 2, the online version of the Holston Conference's newspaper. Here's a short URL to reach it: http://tr.im/thecall. The Bishop recounts a portion from Madeleine Albright's book that deals with the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, and a call that Tom Burnett made from Flight 93. Burnett said, "I know we're going to die, but some of us are going to do something about it." When I read the following, this vision of where to lead next took a bit of shape:

Since that awful morning, the memory of their heroism has inspired us. It should also instruct us. The reason is that when you think about it, “I know we’re going to die,” is a wholly unremarkable statement. Each of us could on any day say the same. It is Burnett’s next words that were both matter-of-fact and electrifying.“Some of us are going to do something about it.”

In focusing on mission and being open to doing church in a different way, we have moved beyond the mentality of a small church looking to merely survive. Nor are we in the mode of asking the district superintendent to "just leave us alone and let us die in peace." (Believe it or not, a former district superintendent shared the latter experience of having been told that by a church's leadership.)

Some churches have taken the attitude of, "I know we're going to die. Just leave us alone and let us die in peace." Ever since coming to The Meadow, the Spirit has been moving us ... and I believe we have been following. In finding creative ways to be in mission, we have taken what is the road less traveled by a church with 20 to 25 on an average Sunday worship.

I believe God has presented us with another point in our journey where the paths diverge. Pray with me that our path is made clear. It may again emerge as the road less traveled. If so, we can again trust that the power of God's Holy Spirit will propel us and sustain us along way.

Grace, peace and love ...

2009-06-29T10:27:00.002-04:00

I was doing daily offices at Mission St. Clare and noted that today is the day when the Church commemorates the martyrdom of Peter and Paul.

Peter confessed "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God!" and is believed to have been crucified upside down.

Paul reached a point in his ministry where he proclaimed "To live is Christ, to die is gain." He is said to have been beheaded.

Are we ready and able to count the cost of following Christ? It is not likely that we in the Western Church face crucifixion or beheading; in fact, the road is generally pretty smooth. Most of the time it costs us nothing to follow Christ.

Perhaps there is power in costly discipleship ...

Grace and peace.

The end of a tough week for celebrities ...

2009-06-26T07:38:00.003-04:00

The superstition in the cult of celebrity is that death comes in threes. This week, it seemed to play out with the deaths of Ed McMahon, Farah Fawcett and Michael Jackson.

As a Boomer, I'm still trying to get my head around the news. As a Christian, I stopped for daily offices at Mission St. Clare and was presented with these words from a 17th century poet, Baron Friedrich R. L. von Canitz:

Wake my soul with all things living
thanks be giving to the Source of life and day
Sunlight comes and gone confusion,
night's illusion, like the starlight
fades away.

All your hopeful plans confessing
ask for blessing on that good which you would do
but if you should need correction, ask direction
pray for purpose
clear and new.

Cry for help, when griefs assail you,
good friends fail you, life seems hopeless, death appears.
One whose child knew deep affliction,
crucifixion,
ever waits to dry your tears.

Wake my soul with all things living
thanks be giving to the Source of life and day
Sunlight comes and gone confusion,
night's illusion, like the starlight
fades away.

Thank you, God, for this day in which to serve you. I thank you that I know I am yours, and you know what this day holds for me. Cleanse me of any thing that would hinder the work of your Holy Spirit in my life. Use me to touch someone in your name today. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

And then the Spirit fell ...

2009-06-16T22:31:00.008-04:00

I had read Adam Hamilton's book "Leading Beyond the Walls" as part of an evangelism class. I believe it was two or three years ago.

So it was that I was prepared for this afternoon's session at Holston Annual Conference at Lake Junaluska, N.C. I had even shared some of that book with the community of faith that worships at The Meadow, during worship as well as a Sunday morning small group that one of my congregants leads. I included some of the questions it raised, on behalf of the church as well as those we seek to reach:

Would it matter to the commuity if your church was not here?
What do you say to someone who asks, "Why do I need Jesus Christ?"
What do you say to someone who asks, "Why do I need the Church?"
What do you say to someone who asks, "Why do I need this church?"

Still, even though I was familiar with some of the material, there was much offered this afternoon that sent my head spinning with challenges and possibilities for the Green Meadow community of faith.

Tonight, his words concerning preaching and worship were even more thought-provoking and challenging, but they were also somewhat convicting -- to use some religious-speak. I thought it was just my normal tendencies toward self-flagellation for wanting to do more in terms of ministry but feeling constrained by time and my other full-time vocation. Still, he was teaching -- nay, preaching -- on what has long been my most favorite and most studied aspect of ministry: Worship. And it was as if I were a grade-schooler sitting at the feet of a teacher and learning for the first time.

Quite honestly, it was most disconcerting and nearly disturbing. I was asking myself, "This is not the first time I considered some of this. When did I forget these things? Have I been going through the motions on some Sundays?"

Hamilton turned it over to the Bishop and I followed the writer and preacher out to the book-signing table where I purchased a long-overdue Christmas gift for my brother-in-law, as well as a couple of books for myself before returning to the auditorium. Trinity UMC's praise band was already into the final worship set. I joined the rest of the congregation in a moving time of worship in music.

When it ended, we were all packing up to leave when Bishop Swanson stepped out in the Spirit, offering pastors the opportunity for prayerful reflection upon the teaching we had received before leaving Stuart Auditorium. He called Trinity's praise leader back to the keyboards and asked her to play softly as he made the invitation. One by one, an untold number of pastors moved to the front, some kneeling and others standing, possibily joined by some lay people. The Bishop prayed and -- believe me, I do not use this phrase lightly -- in my humble opinion the Holy Spirit fell.

It's hard to guess what was happening to others, but when I opened my eyes and moved out of the crowd it was obvious many were moved in one fashion or another. For me it was a powerful moment that I intend to reflect prayerfully upon for the remainder of tonight and likely for some time.

It may be a turning point in this ministry I am engaged in for the sake of Jesus Christ and the transformation of the community in which I serve.

At least, that is my prayer.

Will it be your prayer as well?

Grace ... and peace.

Remembering the Rev. Ray Robinson ...

2009-03-22T08:02:00.006-04:00

We were at The Meadow taking part in a fairly extensive work day with other Meadow folk and volunteers with Family Promise of Blount County when Carol Green told me Ray Robinson was in critical condition at UT Hospital. I learned later that Ray had died.

I knew of the Rev. Ray Robinson long before I met him. He was held in high regard by longtime members of Middlebrook Pike UMC in Knoxville, which was my home church for more than 15 years. Ray served that church from 1965-69, the church's history records it as "a time when we needed a boost."

The history, some of which I still have on my hard drive, goes on to say this:

"It was as if we had 'bottomed out' into a low plateau of enthusiasm, interest and church growth. The Rev. Robinson got the church 're-organized and re-vitalized.'

"Fellowship dinners were started; a newsletter, the 'Messenger,' was published; the old Hammond organ was replaced with a new and larger one; landscape improvements were made; and our first pictorial directory was completed.

"Attendance and programs increased as a new feeling of spiritual alertness permeated the congregation. Plans for a new education building came into focus."

After Ray retired, his charge was at Maryville First UMC. He knew of my connection to Middlebrook as well as of my work at The (Maryville) Daily Times. He would occasionally take me to task about something he didn't care for in the newspaper -- never in a mean way, but in a challenging way.

I'm guessing that was the way he served at Middlebrook, as well as his other pastorates: Challenging disciples to move forward for the Kingdom.

Please pray for his wife Jane, daughters Anne and Joy and their families, as well as for the many friends and family members who are affected by his passing.

Grace and peace ...

Steven Doyal sermon on hate ...

2009-01-19T08:54:00.003-05:00

"Smoldering Cauldron" is absolutely one of the most concise, resounding messages on hate I have read. On this day of historic note, and the day before another historic moment, it would do everyone well to read it and take it to heart.

Grace and peace,
Buzz

Christmas: When Love Came to Town

2008-12-30T19:59:00.003-05:00

The story goes that a boy and his dad were walking through the woods one day when they came upon some ants working furiously to clear a path, but didn’t seem to be getting anywhere.

The bod and his dad watched the ants work for a long time. At some point, the boy looked at his dad and said, “You know, Dad, if I could become one of them for a short time, I could help them.”

God loved Creation so much, that he injected himself into Creation as Jesus the Christ. C.S. Lewis writes, “He loved us not because we were lovable, but because He is love.”

That is essential for us to understand: God is love, and because Jesus Christ was God incarnate, Christ was love. And because Christ has risen, Christ is love.

English poet Christina Georgina Rosetti penned a number of poems, including two that have found their place as hymns in the United Methodist Hymnal: “In the Bleak Midwinter,” and “Love Came Down at Christmas.”

In her poem, “Love Came Down at Christmas,” Rosetti writes:

"Love came down at Christmas, love all lovely, love divine.

"Love was born at Christmas — star and angels gave the sign.

“Worship we the Godhead, love incarnate, love divine.

“Worship we our Jesus — what shall be our sacred sign?”

When I think of that song today, I think of a song that U2’s Bono and blues legend B.B. King once teamed up to perform: “When Love Comes to Town.” Here’s a taste of the lyrics:

"I was there when they crucified my Lord.

"I held the scabbard when the soldier drew his sword.

"I threw the dice when they pierced his side.

"But I’ve seen love conquer the great divide.

"When love comes to town, I’m gonna catch that train.

"When love comes to town, I’m gonna catch that flame.

"Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down, but I did what I did before love came to town."

Because love came to town in the God-man Jesus Christ, the world has never been the same.

Because love came to town, a handful of disciples followed an itinerant preacher, and the world was turned upside down.

Because love came to town, the hungry have been fed.

Because love came to town, the naked have been clothed.

Because love came to town, the imprisoned have been visited.

Because love came to town, we have been challenged to love our enemies — and given the power of the Holy Spirit with which to do so.

Because love came to town, this community of faith has embraced teen moms and given them an opportunity to build a better life for the children they have brought into this world.

Because love came to town, several communities of faith in Blount County have joined together to shelter homeless families in a new organization called Family Promise of Blount County.

Because love came to town, workers recently banded together to help put food on the table, gas in the tanks, and a few gifts under the trees of colleagues who have been laid off.

I dare say that when love comes to town in your heart, you look at Christmas as something far more meaningful than the change of celestial seasons. You may even see it as an incarnational event that has transformed your life. I know I do.

When we think of the baby Jesus, lying in a manger, we think of love. Yes, love came to Bethlehem town: Love was eventually rejected; love was beaten; love was crucified on a cross; and love was buried in a borrowed tomb — but love rose again.

And because love came to town, my sins, your sins, have been forgiven.

Green Meadow United Methodist Church has a place in cyberspace, it’s called TheMeadow.org.

I couldn’t help but put the U2 and B.B. King video performance of “Love Comes to Town” on our church’s Web site as we lead up to the Christmas Eve worship experience. (I’ve since moved on to another video, but you can find the U2-B.B. King performance on YouTube.)

During that video rendition, Bono says, “B.B. King not only invented the blues, he’s got a cure for the blues.”

To which B.B. responds, “Yes, my cure for the blues tonight is love.”

“I said my cure for the blues tonight is love. Is there love in the house tonight? Is there love in the house enough tonight to make you want to help somebody? Is there love enough tonight to not make you want to hurt anybody?

“Then … there’s love … in the house tonight.”

"I was there when they crucified my Lord.

"I held the scabbard when the soldier drew his sword.

"I threw the dice when they pierced his side.

"But I’ve seen love conquer the great divide."

The divide between us and God has been bridged through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. The great gulf of death has been conquered by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

“Love came down at Christmas, love all lovely, love divine.

“Love was born at Christmas — star and angels gave the sign."

It’s my prayer that love will come to town in your heart in 2009.

Grace and peace ...

Christmas and Conspiracy in The Meadow

2008-12-25T22:53:00.003-05:00

As I began worship services for Advent at Green Meadow UMC, I stumbled upon the Advent Conspiracy. I led off with a worship experience with a Conspiracy theme, and introduced the congregation to the idea of an Advent where we sought to Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More and Love All -- the idea behind the Advent Conspiracy.

As we moved through Advent, I believe we actually did those very things:

The Wednesday before the 1st Sunday in Advent, The Meadow conducted a charge conference where the community agreed to formalize our cooperative mission with Family Promise of Blount County, which includes renovations for the purpose of housing the day center under a lease agreement to be negotiated by the trustees of Green Meadow and Family Promise of Blount County.

On the 1st Sunday in Advent, the community held its annual benefit auction and dinner, raising about $1,400, with half going to help with renovations for Family Promise of Blount County Family Day Center, and the other half going to School of Hope.

The community of faith at Green Meadow contributed just under $200 out of $1,500 that was raised to provide for families whose bread winners had been laid off by a local company. (Pastor Buzz and Donna made deliveries to eight families, ranging from Rutledge to Niota.)

The Rev. James R. Green led worship on two Sundays in Advent, allowing Pastor Buzz to attend to daughter Elizabeth's graduation and relocation.

To be sure, this was a different season of Advent and Christmas. And while I believe it was unintentional, for we were merely living out life as a community of faith, the people of The Meadow lived out the Advent Conspiracy: Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More and Love All.

Grace and peace ...

Family Promise of Blount County coming to The Meadow!

2008-12-05T09:25:00.004-05:00

Grace and peace to you in this season of Advent!

While not in the most timely manner, it is with great joy that I report to you the results of the December 3, 2008, called Charge Conference at Green Meadow. The community of faith was in one accord with the following:

To formalize our cooperative mission with Family Promise of Blount County, which includes renovations for the purpose of housing the day center under a lease agreement to be negotiated by the trustees of Green Meadow and Family Promise of Blount County.

What that means is we at Green Meadow and Family Promise of Blount County can now begin the work of raising $17,000 to prepare our church to be the Family Day Center for homeless families. The families will stay in one of 13 host churches during the night, coming to Green Meadow during the day.

There is lots of work left to be done, but this is an important step in the birthing of Family Promise of Blount County, and the life of Green Meadow as a missional community. May God continue to bless both communities as we seek to serve Jesus Christ by serving the least, the last and the lost. If you would like to give specifically to the Family Promise mission, please make the check out the Green Meadow, noting "Family Promise" on the memo line.

A stewardship note: In addition to our ongoing budget needs, we are in need of "extra-mile" giving as we seek to meet our obligations as a connectional United Methodist Church (that means our apportionments, which total nearly $11,000 this year). If you would like to write a check above your regular giving specifically for our apportionments, please note that on the memo line.

A missional note: Community Food Connection is barely keeping up with the growing number of hungry people in Blount County. Be sure to bring your peanut butter this Sunday, as well as any other "extra" food you may have on hand.

Grace and peace ...

Lamenting dropped signals and lost connections …

2008-11-22T22:24:00.005-05:00

There’s a funny AT&T commercial on television these days.

Apparently some poor consumer is being dragged by police from his friend’s home. His “cell phone” (which looks just like the consumer) explains that that his friend said he could use the house, but just as he was getting the alarm code, his cellular signal “dropped” and he lost the connection.

I know something about “dropped signals” and lost connections, because I have a confession to make: I’m one of those people you hate on the highway. Yes, I use my cellular phone while driving.

I know, I know: It’s not safe, but I have about a 20-minute commute from my office at The Daily Times to my home in West Knoxville. I tend to use that time to call my mother at Ripshin, or someone else who comes to mind. If I don’t make the call when I think about it, I may forget before I get home!

I do this so often that I know exactly where the dropped-signal points are encountered by Sprint users. As the handcuffed cell phone user in the AT&T ad can attest, losing a connection can have disastrous consequences -- for cell phone users, as well as Christians.

God created us to live in community and when believers fall out of community -- i.e., when they fail to gather in worship, mission and discipleship with their community of faith -- it impacts ministry, as well as the believer's spiritual life.

Dropped signals and lost connections are sometimes a part of life, but they don't have to be a permanent occurrence.

After nearly seven years of journeying with God’s people in The Meadow, I am grateful to have experienced faith, hope and love in this small community. I am convinced that God is calling this community of faith to journey the path of existing solely for the benefit of the “others” in our midst, to share with those who are on the verge of losing hope the words of Jeremiah 29:11:

“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.”

It's never too late to reconnect.

Grace and peace …

Choose Wisely

2008-11-09T21:24:00.010-05:00

“Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua 24:15

As I was reading these words the day after we elected Barack Obama — and I say, “we,” because it was our political process — there is a scene from an Indiana Jones movie that sprung into my mind’s eye. You may have seen the movie, “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.”

Toward the end of the movie, Jones meets the ancient Knight Templar who guards the “Holy Grail.” Christian legend maintains the Holy Grail was the cup used by Jesus during the Last Supper and it is said to possess miraculous powers. The root of the legend is a 12th century writing in which Joseph of Arimathea is given the Holy Grail by an apparition of Jesus. The cup is finds its way to Great Britain.

Later writers pen accounts where Joseph used the Grail to catch Christ’s blood while interring him and that in Britain he founded a line of guardians to keep it safe.

And then we have King Arthur’s search for the Grail and so on, and so on, until finally we come to Steven Spielberg’s adaptation where Indiana’s search for the Holy Grail has ended in this room filled with many choices of chalices: gold cups, platinum, silver, terra cotta and wood.

The Knight Templar tells Indiana, "You must choose, but choose wisely, for as the real grail brings eternal life, the false grail brings death.”

But Indiana isn’t the only one searching for the Holy Grail, of course, as there's a bad guy involved.

The bad guy comes in, looks around, and spots a glittering golden cup.

"Truly the cup of a king," he says, and drinks from it.

Shortly afterward, he goes through this metamorphic transformation to a nearly mummified figure before turning to dust.

The Knight Templar looks at Indiana and the bad guy's female companion and simply says, "He chose poorly."

Indiana spies a wooden cup, and says, "The cup of a Gallilean carpenter."

Still, he has that trademark Harrison Ford look of fear before he drinks from the cup.

"You chose wisely," says the knight.

He chose wisely.

We’ve just come off a week where tens of millions of people across USAmerica stepped into the voting booth and made a number of choices, one of which was the choice of who will lead this nation for the next four years.

I put in about 12 to 14 hours on Election Day.

I arose, went to Bluegrass School and voted. It took me about 30 minutes and, for some reason, I got the sense that there was a different feel at the polling place.

Since I was working election night, I went home and was prepared to get to work on this morning’s service, but all I could think about was election coverage. We were actually doing some live video feeds over the Internet, so I decided to go in early to make sure we were on task.

I went to the Post Office and then stopped by a coffee shop. The only way to put it is this: There was an air of jubilation, and no one had to tell me that these were Barack Obama supporters. The discernment came through loud and clear.

I knew then that the day was going to be different.

Many of us saw the crowd at Grant Park in Chicago when President-elect Obama gave his victory — some would say his inaugural — address Tuesday night.

There were tears of joy.

There were hope-filled eyes, and certainly hopeful hearts.

There were, actually, in some cases, expressions of worship.

It’s safe to say that millions of people have invested a great deal of emotion, a great deal of hope, in this one man, Barack Obama.

In campaigning for the presidency, Obama's laid out his reasons for such hope:

An end to our involvement in Iraq, having all troops removed within 16 months.

The lifting up of those on the lower rungs of the economic ladder, bringing them to the middle class.

Providing accessible, affordable coverage for all, and reducing health care costs for families.

And more.

The hopes, the dreams were cast … and USAmerica made its choice.

And now, President-elect Barack Obama has begun making his own choices as to how he will fulfill the hopes, the dreams of the millions of voters who put him in office.

Will he be able to do that?

Well, New York Governor Mario Cuomo puts it this way: “You campaign in poetry, but you govern in prose.”

It seems that, once they get to Washington, even the most humble and well-meaning public servant finds his or herself corrupted or influenced by corrupted forces. Too often, they end up making choices that are counter to the hopes, the dreams they promised when campaigning.

Because the basic choice is this: They must choose each day whom they will serve: Will they serve the gods of special interest, the god of self-interest, the gods of political dogma, or … well, I was going to say “the voters," but it occurs to me that Obama, and the nation, would be better off if the interests of God were served first.

Joshua is talking to the people of Israel at Schechem, in what appears to be a convocation, presenting themselves before God. We only read part of it, but what Joshua does is go through a review of Israel’s past on the part of God. We know this because Joshua uses the phrase, “Thus says the Lord …” When we read that, we know serious business is ahead. And the serious business begins at Verse 14.

This is a serious choice.

This is not, “Do I have decaf or regular?”

This is not, “Do I want special-sauce-lettuce-cheese-pickle-onion-on-a-sesame-seed bun … or do I want them to hold the onion?”

This is not, “Do I want to watch Indiana Jones tonight, or do I want to watch a chick-flick??

This is not even, “Do I vote for Barack Obama, or do I vote for John McCain … or Chuck Baldwin … or Bob Bar … or Charles Jay … or Cynthia McKinney … or Brian Moore … or Ralph Nader … or maybe I should write in Pastor Buzz …”

We get consumed with choices … even the choice of what church we attend.

“Do I want the rituals of Episcopalian, or do I want the passionate worship of the Pentecostals?”

There’s this scene in C.S. Lewis’ “The Screwtape Letters” where the devil Screwtape happily discerns, “Now, this is an achievement. They’re busy all the time making choices about things that don’t matter. We’ve got them now. They’re terminally distracted.”

But this choice that Joshua sets before the people is not one of those choices … decisions that have no eternal consequence.

This is a choice about what god the people will serve.

He says, in effect, “The time has come for you to make up your mind about who you’re going to serve. Which way are you going to go? Are you going to the left, or to the right, or are you just going to get off of the highway all together?”

“Are you going to serve those worthless gods of those who came before you, or are you going to fear the one true God?

“Will you give yourself totally over to him in worship?

“Will you get rid of the gods that your ancestors handed down to you?

“Will you choose to worship God?

“Now, you may not want to, but you’ve to decide right here. Right now.

“This ain’t no time to play around.

“If you decide you can’t, that it’s a bad thing to worship God, then choose a god you would rather serve — but do it today.

“Choose the god of your political party, or the god of the empire, or the god of self-interest.
“But as for me … as for my house, my family, we will worship Yaweh. We will worship God.”

Sisters and brothers, we all face that choice, of standing at the crossroads of faith and having to make the ultimate decision.

You’ve got to put something old down, in order to pick something new up.

There were a lot of nasty e-mails floating around ahead of the election.

One of those was that Barack Obama was Muslim.

There was a January interview with Christianity Today in which Obama addressed that particular rumor. Here is what he said:

“I am a Christian, and I am a devout Christian. I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that that faith gives me a path to be cleansed of sin and have eternal life. But most importantly, I believe in the example that Jesus set by feeding the hungry and healing the sick and always prioritizing the least of these over the powerful. I didn't ‘fall out in church’ as they say, but there was a very strong awakening in me of the importance of these issues in my life. I didn't want to walk alone on this journey. Accepting Jesus Christ in my life has been a powerful guide for my conduct and my values and my ideals.”

He will, indeed, face many choices in the coming four years.

And regardless of political affiliation, President-elect Barack Obama and our nation needs fervent, heartfelt prayer that the decisions made in regards to those choices will be made with God in mind.

“Choose this day whom you will serve,” because our decisions matter —particularly because we do not know the full impact of those decisions.

And so, in this morning’s text, the people of Israel rise up and say, “We will never turn away from God! Never! We’d never reject God for other things, for other gods! He’s our God!”

Then Joshua said, “Naw, you can’t do it. You don’t have it in you to worship God. He’s a holy God. He’s a jealous God. He won’t put up with your shenanigans. When you desert him for other things, for other gods, he’ll rub you out."

But the people were insistent: “No! No! We worship God!"

And so, Joshua relented: “OK, you are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to worship God. So be it.”

And they said, “We are witnesses. So be it."

And so, the decision was made.

But it didn’t last.

We read later that the people of Israel were not content with having God lead them, they demanded a king so they could “be like the nations.”

It appears the people weren’t content to live with their own choice; they wanted to rely on someone else’s choices.

In some manner or fashion, sometimes in ways we do not even recognize at the moment, we make decisions that reflect whether we have chosen to serve the Lord, or not serve the Lord.

We face the call of “choose this day whom you will serve.”

Joshua reminds us that we owe all that we are, all that we have, and all that we will be, to the God who brought us where we are today.

We must put away the many other gods that keep us from following the one true God.

We must cast aside decisions and choices that distract us from making decisions and choices that matter.

In the Parable of the 10 Bridesmaids, found in Matthew 25, we read that five of the women chose not to take oil with them. They grew drowsy and fell asleep. When the bridegroom came, they were not ready.

They chose poorly.

In that same parable, five of the bridesmaids took oil in jars along with the lamps. They grew drowsy and fell asleep. But when the bridegroom came, they were read to come out and meet him.

They chose wisely.

We were given a few cups to choose from in this presidential election, and we pray that we have chosen wisely.

But that was not the greatest decision that we face.

The greatest decision that each of us faces is this:

“Whom will you serve?”

“Choose this day …”

None of us wants to come to the end of our days and, as with the five foolish bridesmaids, hear the Lord say, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.”

Grace and peace ...

Gecko Judgment

2008-10-21T10:00:00.016-04:00

One thing you’ve got to say about Hollywood: It never misses a moment to capitalize on a current event -- even if that current event is the result of Americans paying the price of capitalism running amuck.

In September, we saw several large U.S.-based financial institutions fail, merge, and otherwise instill a lack of confidence. It wasn’t as if business journal prophets had not warned of these things to come, mostly pointing to sub-prime mortgage issues.

But they were like Old Testament prophets standing on the wall, shouting, “Woe! Woe! Woe!” Or, maybe it was “Whoah, Whoah, Whoah!” as in “Stop! Stop! Stop! You’re heading for a train wreck!”

But then, the train wreck came: Large financial institutions began to fall, and the wave rolled across the ocean, and moved around the world. Governments have now stepped in to help lay a little track, hoping to get the global economy back on track.

In the midst of all of this misery, Hollywood is moving forward on a sequel to the 1987 film, “Wall Street,” the 1987 film directed by Oliver Stone.

In that movie, Charlie Sheen plays an ambitious young stockbroker named Bud Fox. His idol is an unscrupulous corporate raider, played by Michael Douglas, whose character is given the unlikely name of Gordon Gekko.

Gekko is idolized by Bud Fox, whose father, Carl, is played by Martin Sheen. Carl is a maintenance worker at a small struggling airline, Bluestar. Bud gives Gekko some inside information on Bluestar that can make a stock trade profitable, while saving the company in the process. Gekko uses Bud to get more inside information, including concessions from the labor unions, and then decides to cannibalize the company -- selling off its assets and leaving the employees out of work.

The iconic line that Gekko offers in the film is this: “Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.” (These days it's difficult to tell whether life imitates art, or whether art imitates life.)

It's beautifully ironic that the greedy bloodsucker in the film “Wall Street” is named “Gekko.” While spelled differently, a "gecko" is a lizard found in warm climates around the world. There are about 2,000 species worldwide, with some unique characeristics:

All but one of the species lacks eyelids.
As a defense mechanism, they expel a foul-smelling material and feces.
Some species change color to blend in with their environment.

Gecko is seems an appropriate mascot for the lizards of Wall Street.

"Greed," the Gecko says, "is good."

Chameleons that excrete foul-smelling substances.

I think Amos knew something about Geckos.

Amos was an 8th century layman prophet -- not one of those professional preachers -- from the southern kingdom of Judah. He was a sheep and fruit farmer of sorts who had the audacity to go into the northern kingdom of Israel and preach.

He starts out with a roar, proclaiming words of judgment against Israel's enemies for atrocities committed in war. You can just hear the crowds yelling, “Right on! Preach it brother! Don’t hold back! Let ’em have it with both barrels.”

But then, Amos turns to his own homeland, Judah, the southern kingdom, and proclaims God's judgment -- not because of war crimes, but because of idolatry and a failure to follow the Lord.

And he turns turns to Israel, the northern kingdom, citing crimes of violence -- not the violence of wars against nations, but violence against the poor:

"Thus says the LORD: 'For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals — those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth and turn aside the way of the afflicted; a man and his father go in to the same maiden, so that my holy name is profaned; they lay themselves down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge, and in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.'” (Amos 2:6-8)

Amos is taking aim at the Geckos of Jerusalem, for systematically ripping off the poor.

Are not the Geckos of Wall Street doing the same today?

I wonder how God will judge us?

What we see today is that Gecko CEOS have left homebuyers, many of whom were led astray through suspect loan instruments, out on the street. Their hope for living the American Dream blinded their eyes to the fact that they simply could not afford that dream, and seeking it would actually lead them into a nightmare.

The Geckos have taken the sandals and cloaks of the poor and middle class to some golden temple of an offshore bank account, sitting on island sands while they drink!

In the Old Testament, God set His people apart to be salt and light for the world, not vinegar and bitter herbs.

I believe God had a similar plan for this nation.

Somewhere along the way, I believe we have forgotten the missio dei -- the mission of God -- given to USAmerica, or maybe we never fully embraced that mission to begin with.

Maybe, like Columbus, who considered himself God’s light-bearer of the Gospel to the New World, the prospect of getting rich got in our way.

I wonder how God will judge us?

Maybe He already is ...

Almighty God, in our desire for comfort and security, we often trample over others as we dash for the train that we believe will carry us to the American dream.

As we run for that train, O Lord, slow us down so that we might see others who have likewise fallen along the way.

Lead us through your Holy Spirit to not be afraid to reach down and lift someone else up ... even if it causes us to miss the train.

For in that way, we will become salt and light to your world.

In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Grace and peace ...

It's 5 o'clock somewhere ...

2008-09-21T14:28:00.005-04:00

Now, I’m not whining, but I’ve got to tell you, sisters and brothers, it’s been a tough week for me.

At The Daily Times, we had that 126-page section to get out because it was scheduled to run today. (As it turns out, it will be inserted into the Tuesday, Sept. 23, edition.)

We had a folder break on the press. A folder is a mechanism that trims the paper and folds the sections. What that means is we couldn’t run the press until it got fixed. So, one night, we had to have the paper printed in Sevierville.

I managed to escape the worst of that deal … but, people were still coming to me expecting answers.

And I did my best …

Then, we had Charge Conference at Green Meadow United Methodist Church — which, truth be told, was actually a high point in the week for me.

On Friday, I had to take a vacation day to move Elizabeth into an apartment in Johnson City — a second-floor apartment, mind you.

But we survived that, too.

In the midst of all of that, I was working on this message.

Now, as we say in the newsroom, the work flow for worship goes something like this:

Once I decide on the Scripture, I look for words and phrases to jump out a me as I seek to discern, “What’s the message, here?”

When that hits me, I think about the imagery.

I love this text, and have spoken about it before in the terms of “The 11^th Hour,” that being the time when the last workers were hired.

So, I did this quick image and was pretty much satisfied … that is, until the obvious hit me: The 11^th hour was not 11 o’clock in the text, it was 5 o’clock, for that was the 11^th hour in the Jewish custom and culture.

So, I reworked the image to look like this.

Well, that didn’t set right with me either, to have “the 11^th hour” and the hands being on the 5 o’clock hour.”

By then, it was about the 11^th hour for me — that being 11 or 11:30 p.m. — and I was getting a bit exasperated, so I just went to bed.

As I lay there with the text running through my head, the title of an Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffet song hit me and I turned to Donna and said, “It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere.”

If you're not familiar with the song, go to YouTube.

The lyrics go something like this:

The sun is hot and that ol' clock is movin' slow

And so am I

Workday passes like molassas in wintertime

But it's July

Gettin' paid by the hour and older by the minute

My boss just pushed me over the limit

I'd like to call him somethin'

But think I'll just call it a day

Pour me somethin' tall and strong

Make it a hurricane before I go insane

It's only half past twelve, but I don't care

It's five o'clock somewhere

Now, as you can tell, that’s pretty much a drinkin’ song.

But I’m not promoting alcohol, here.

Even though I don’t think having a glass of wine, or a beer, or whatever beverage you prefer, is a sin for most people.

I don’t drink anymore. As they say in the hills of Upper East Tennessee, I was once “bad to drink.”

So, in my case, it would be a sin, because I know where God brought me from, and I know where that one glass would eventually lead.

I never drank one of anything in my life.

I’m sort of like another country and western song -- which I could have written but Blake Shelton beat me to it -- that says, “The More I Drink, the More I Drink.”

So, I just don’t … drink, that is.

But there’s something about that song — “It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere” — that appeals to me that is outside of the obvious alcohol references.

Hang with me, now.

Today’s text, Matthew 20:1-16, is sometimes referred to as The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard.

This is a story about God's radical grace, where everyone will receive the same reward. In the vineyard, first equals last, last equals first.

The story goes that there was once a great debate in heaven as to who was the greatest monument of God's grace.

The stories were told, one after another, as those who had been redeemed described in lurid detail the sin from which Christ had delivered them.

The competition was tough, but one old fellow seemed to be winning out. There didn’t seem to be a sin that this old guy hadn’t committed. And then he related how he came to Christ on his deathbed.

But then a woman stepped up and told of how she had come to Christ as a child and had followed him all the days of her life.

When the vote was taken, it was not one who had lifted up from the miry pit who was seen as the greatest testimony to grace, but the woman who had walked with Christ all of her days.

That’s a pretty good story.

But what’s the problem here?

It doesn't match what Jesus says in Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard.

But that’s the way we view the gift of grace.

But the reality of Scripture is this: The economy of God’s grace says what?

First equals last; last equals first.

In the Kingdom of God, everyone receives the same reward regardless of how much work they have done.

Thank God in the upside down economy of God's grace that “It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere" and the reward is the same.

Somewhere, perhaps even as you read this, there is likely someone who is coming to Christ in his or her last hour. In so doing, they’re going to get the same measure of grace, the same reward, as the person who walked with Christ all of their days.

Look at your watch, it says ____.

But it’s 5 o’clock somewhere.

It’s 5 o’clock somewhere, and that believer will arrive at the same destination as the rest of us believers.

But we never know the hour we will depart.

Know that whether you are in the third hour, the sixth hour, or the 11^th hour, the same blood of Christ covers your sins.

But consider this: You may be in the latter hour … the 11^th hour … do not let it quickly pass you by.

You’re standing in the marketplace and the master is calling to you: "Why are you standing here all day long? Go, and work in my vineyard."

Grace and peace ...

David Crowder and pick-up sticks ...

2008-07-17T09:07:00.004-04:00

I'm on a lot of e-mail lists. How I got on some of them is beyond me. Fortunately, I do not get a lot of what I would call spam as a result of being on those lists. Call it God's cybergrace.

Today I got an e-mail from Catalyst, which appears to be some sort of Christian media site. The e-mail included a link to a column written by David Crowder, whom I interviewed in 2006. He's a pretty sharp guy, I might add. He took the conversation in a way that had me off-balance.

In the column, Crowder notes that he and his wife live in an economically depressed part of Waco, Texas. That in itself is interesting, given that he probably makes oodles of money from record sales. Few Christian music"stars" (feels funny even writing that) truly find a way to identify with the least, the last and the lost. But what's also interesting about this column is that it concerns a conversation he had with the homeless guy who drops by to pick up sticks in David's yard, hoping to earn a few bucks along the way.

Check it out.

Grace and peace ...

Media in worship at The Meadow

2008-07-02T07:56:00.015-04:00

Those who worship at The Meadow on Sunday mornings know that digital media is part of the liturgy used in our experience. The visual mediums could be still imagery, video imagery, or a mixture of the two.

More often than not, the experience starts with Scripture and a theme, such as with "Kudzu Christianity: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly." The text was Isaiah 5:1-7, a portion of "The Song of the Unfruitful Vineyard." Many summers we travel south to Florida for a week's vacation. Along the way there are untold acres of kudzu. We see it around East Tennessee. For the most part, it is an unfruitful vine, but some creative Southerners have uncovered various ways of making it fruitful. Thus the image of kudzu ...

There are times when still imagery is just not enough. Maybe it's a song that comes into my head and I begin to think of that song in a spiritual context. It could be a contemporary Christian song, a rock song, or even country music. While I have my favorites, there are very few genres that I can not appreciate in some way.

I have not yet purchased a digital video camera and analog-to-video is too cumbersome and time-consuming for me. So, many of my self-created videos are still imagery set to music. I began doing this with PowerPoint and a script in 1996. Today, given that I have not yet been able to afford a Mac, I use Windows Movie Maker.

Following a tornadic rampage earlier this year that killed nearly 60, I was struck by the stories of survival and created a video for worship, using news images and the music of Casting Crowns, "Praise You In The Storm." I would show it here, but there is the possibility of copyright infringement since this is not "a house of worship or other religious assembly." A good reference for what is allowed under the Copyright Law of 1976 is "Handbook for Multisensory Worship" (c 1999 Ginghamsburg Church). Which begs the question: How do those folks on YouTube get away with all of those copyrighted images floating across their pages?

As a bivocational pastor, it is difficult to create the experience that you pray will help people experience God. There is the issue of time, but there is also the issue of resources -- particularly if you are serving a small church, such as The Meadow, where resources are scarce. Large churches often have teams of people who are either paid staff or are drawn from a large pool of engineers. In a small church, neither of those resources exist to a great degree -- that is, money for staff and a large pool of volunteers. Because of that, I long ago decided to draw upon a number of resources so that we in The Meadow can fully experience God's revealing Word:

It starts with The Word

Sometimes I use the Lectionary, which allows me to use a variety of worship planning resources, such as the United Methodist Church's General Board of Discipleship worship site, TextWeek, and Desperate Preacher, and ESermons, the latter of which is a paid subscription site. (I chose that one to subscribe to because Len Sweet, one of my favorite contemporary theologians, has material on that site. My congregation would readily recognize his name, as well as Brian McLaren, Henri Nouwen and Rob Bell.)

Sometimes God leads me to another Scripture, in which case I search for a theme or metaphor within the text. Slowly reading and looking for words and phrases that jump off the page and into my spirit. I then look to commentaries, such as those within the New Interpreter's Bible, "The New Daily Study Bible" series, or other commentaries.

Then, there are times when something I am reading will strike a chord. That is what happened with Donald Miller's "Blue Like Jazz." I was reading that book in the summer of 2005 and one chapter led me to create a worship experience entitled "Christian Belief is Like Penguin Sex." It was around the same time that "March of the Penguins" debuted, which certainly made it timely. It also provided much needed imagery, thanks to marketing materials. (Again, I would show the imagery here, but there is that copyright law ...

Movies and music also draw me to certain themes. The no-brainer movie theme of the past few years has been the "Chronicles of Narnia" series. I have yet to see the "Prince Caspian" release, but like many pastors I built a series of worship experiences on the former movie. The not-so-obvious movie that I built a message upon was "The Shawshank Redemption." It was a great study of hope during Advent one year. Music has spawned a number of ideas, with songs like Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A Changin'" and Brooks and Dunn's "Red Dirt Road."

In short, I believe God is open to creative liturgy and uses a great deal of pop culture to get his message across.

I'll close with a few suggested resources for visual liturgy:

Sermon Spice: www.sermonspice.com
Lumicon: www.lumicon.com
The work of the People: www.twop.
Jonny Baker Blog: jonnybaker.blogs.com

Grace and peace ...

Out of the miry clay ...

2008-06-21T07:50:00.003-04:00

“You show me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Psalm 16:11

In summer 1985, Donna gave birth to Elizabeth and David was almost 3½ years old. Just months before, God put me on the path of salvation. As the psalmist wrote in Psalm 40:2, “He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.”

God had taken me out of the “miry clay.” He showed me the path of life, and in God’s presence I found “fullness of joy.”

The Newsboys’ “Devotion” comes to mind:

“You found me
in a shallow grave
You dragged (called) me out from beneath it all
You healed (touched) me
saved me
in the nick of time
Your perfect time”

As I have found, walking with God for more than two decades now, there is more pleasure in walking with God than all that Babylon has to offer.

And no eye has seen the pleasures that God has for us in the world beyond.

Grace and peace ...

Holy Conferencing and a confession ...

2008-06-10T10:52:00.025-04:00

The Rev. Randy Frye talks to Holston's United Methodists
about Holy Conferencing in Tuesday morning's session at Lake Junaluska.

The Holy Spirit is moving during this annual conference of Holston's United Methodists at Lake Junaluska, N.C., and it could be that we don't know quite what to do with this movement. The reason: It's not moving in the way that we would normally expect.

It's not because of the music.

It's not due to the preaching.

The Holy Spirit is moving through an introduction to "Holy Conferencing," and the arrival of God's Spirit in this manner is not something we are used to greeting; in fact, that is quite the point: We -- or, at least, I -- have not been hospitable to the Spirit of God in this matter.

The Rev. Randy Frye just finished a moving presentation on "Working Together in the United Methodist Way," in which he asked, "How do diverse people, worshipping one Lord, navigate through our differences in order to fulfill one singular mission ... to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world?" Frye suggested the following guidelines in calling us to practice Holy Conferencing:

Every person is a child of God.
As you patiently listen and observe the behavior of others, be open to the possiblity that God can change the views of any or all parties in the discuss. (And that means me, too.)
Listen patiently before formulating responses.
Strive to understand the experience out of which others have arrived at their views.
Be careful in how you express personal offense at differing opinions. Otherwise, dialogue may be inhibited.
Accurately reflect the views of others when speaking. This is especially important when you disagree with that position.
Avoid using inflammatory words, derogatory names, or an excited and angry voice.
Avoid making generalizations about individuals and groups.
Make use of facilitators and mediators.
Remember that people are defined, ultimately by their relationship with God ... not by the flaws we discover, or think we discover, in their views and actions.

As I listened to Randy, "my heart was strangely warmed." Yet, I also was convicted in that I am aware of the many times I have not practiced Holy Conferencing. I have:

Failed to treat every person as a child of God.
Stood firm on what I perceived to be biblical ground, not realizing that the propositions I claimed as truth may not be truth at all, but merely the opinions of man concerning God's Truth.
Failed to listen patiently before formulating opinions. Too often when appearing to listen to someone, or even when reading another person's words, I have found myself thinking, "Oh, they're coming from (whatever) point of view ..." The first time I became fully aware of such a practice was when reading Brian McLaren's "A Generous Orthodoxy." For the first time in my recollection, when I found myself heading down that path I would put the book down until I got over that train of thought.
Failed to consider another person's experience through which their views were formed.
Neglected to be careful of my words when reacting to someone else's opinion.
Intentionally or inadvertently "spun" someone else's views to buttress my own position.
Used inflammatory, or at least highly charged, words and emotions to drive home a point.
Made generalizations concerning individuals and groups.
Forgotten, or ignored the fact, that people are ultimately defined by their relationship with God.

Forgive me, O God, for my careless and hurtful words.

Forgive me for not accurately and fully presenting Christ to the world. Allow me to rise with newness of heart, and newness of Spirit, fully open to the move of your Holy Spirit as I offer Christ to the world. This is my confession, and I repent of the way I have hurt others and damaged the reputation of Christ and His Church in the world.

Thank you, O God, for your grace .

Amen.

Be in prayer for Steven Curtis Chapman family ...

2008-05-22T07:26:00.004-04:00

The Steven Curtis Chapman family has suffered a great tragedy: Five-year-old Maria Sue was struck and killed by sport utility vehicle driven by her teenage brother.

I've interviewed Steven Curtis and ask that you join in compassionate prayer for this family that has extended so much compassion to others.

StevenCurtisChapman.com opens this morning with a release concerning the accident.
The Tennessean.com is carrying an extensive story and has a picture of Steven Curtis and Maria.

A quote from John Styll, president of the Gospel Music Association, expresses things well:

“I don’t know of anybody who loves his children more than he does and is so committed to the adoption concept, and to lose one, no matter what the circumstances, is heartbreaking beyond all comprehension,” said John Styll, president of the Nashville-based Gospel Music Association.

“He talks about his kids all the time. That’s his life. His kids are more important to him than music, that’s for sure.”

May the God of grace and peace comfort this family ...

A prayer for the Church ...

2008-05-04T21:56:00.002-04:00

O God,

In these days before the celebration of Pentecost, we pray that your Holy Spirit would fall fresh upon your Church, breaking the spirit of Nominal Christianity.

Lord, some of us have just enough religion to keep us from being true followers of you. Let your Holy Spirit fall upon us.

Some of us want to be with you eternally just enough to make us feel safe. Lord, Let your Holy Spirit fall upon us.

Some of us care just enough for the least, the last, and the lost, just enough to appear pious and righteous before our friends. Let your Holy Spirit fall upon us.

We're tired of playing church, O God.

We're tired of a weak faith, O God.

Send your Spirit down upon us, shattering the spirit of Nominal Christianity once and for all.

In the Name above all names, Jesus Christ, amen and amen.

Living stones

2008-04-19T22:47:00.005-04:00

One of the disciplines I explored in college — I know, for someone as undisciplined as I was, that’s a strange way to put it — but one of the disciplines I explored was geology.

I chose that field for my science credits because, in high school, I always did better with earth sciences than biology … that and because I thought it cool in the ’70s to say that I enjoyed studying rock.

But rocks have always fascinated me.

I love to look at the mica found in Tennessee waterways.

Feldspar, or field rock, adds beauty to any landscape … earthen tones springing through fields of green.

River rock brings a reminder that God’s Creation will still be molding and moving things long after we are gone from this world.

Outcroppings, such as the Blowing Rock in North Carolina and the weather worn and time-chiseled features of Grandfather Mountain, are another fascination for me. Again, they remind me that God's Creation is constantly being molded into things of beauty.

In Peter's first letter we are urged, "Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:4-5) As "living stones," we are constantly being formed into the likeness of Christ, and are thus being used to build God's Kingdom.

Michael Card weaves it this way in song ("Living Stones"):

“Living stones, living stones

We are holy, living stones

Built upon the firm foundation

That is Jesus

And as we cling to that Rock

Who became a Stumbling Block

We remember we are living stones.”

"Come to him, a living stone ..."

Grace and peace ...

The Elvis Cup and 'Hotel California'

2008-02-27T10:11:00.010-05:00

I’m not the pop culture aficionado I was a few decades ago. Despite my vocation as a journalist, I sometimes get lost in the blur of names and faces that roll past the screen.

Maybe it’s age.

But I surfed over to on People magazine’s Web site a little more than a week ago and here were just a few of the headlines: “Angelina and Brad’s adoption of Pax Finalized,” “Hepatitis Scare Hits Ashton, Demi and Madonna,” and “Johnny Knoxville Recovering from Motorcycle Injury.”

You could surf over to about another half-dozen or more related stories on Angelina Jolie, and even get a glimpse of “Brad & Angelina’s Date Night.”

We obviously can’t get enough of celebrities — particularly, I suppose, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie; however, we’re now into celebrity offspring.

A couple of years ago, we couldn’t get enough of Shiloh Jolie, when People magazine paid $4 million for the U.S. rights alone to shoot pictures of the baby. Within the past month, Christina Aguilera debuted her newborn son, Max, on the cover of People for a reported $1.5 million. Not to be outdone, it was recently reported that Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony were negotiating a $6 million deal for exclusive photos of their twins.

Danielle Friedland, who runs Celebrity Baby Blog, said the craving for celebrity news is fueled by the tabloid media.

“Celebrities always have children ... it's just that we're paying so much more attention to them right now,” Friedland told The Associated Press. “The more that we see of them, the more we want.”

But why blame the tabloid media? We’re the ones who can’t get enough of this stuff.

Celebrities have been turned into little gods on big screens, and now we are worshipping the children of little gods.

We live in a culture of celebrity worship, but it apparently doesn’t take a whole lot to achieve the status of celebrity. The late social historian Daniel Boorstin, who died in 2004, wrote, “Anyone can become a celebrity if only he can get into the news and stay there.”

And that is what many of them do best: They get in the news, and stay there, and we glorify them all the more … sometimes, even after death.

Refusing to let a celebrity die in peace, the culture of celebrity worship creates conspiracy theories surrounding their deaths to keep them alive. Urban legends abound maintaining that Elvis is not really dead, nor is Jim Morrison of The Doors. We assign these celebrities the status of immortality, for it is difficult to let little gods die.

Len Sweet tells about the vial of “Elvis water” that sold on E-bay for $455 a couple of years ago. The water was the property of Wade Jones of Belmont, N.C., who said a police officer gave him a Styrofoam cup as a souvenir after a 1977 show by Presley in Charlotte. Inside the cup were a few sips of water. Jones writes on his eBay posting that after he got home he put Saran Wrap over the cup, put a rubber band around it, and placed it in a freezer. He auctioned off the remaining three tablespoons of water for $455.

Later, Jones auctioned off a one-time appearance by the cup, which was won by Nutballz, a company that makes food products free of wheat or refined sugar and who used the appearance as a benefit fund-raiser. The Elvis cup was in the house for all to bow down and worship.

Celebrity worship is detrimental to our own spirits, for only God is worthy of our worship. Celebrity worship is also detrimental to the object of our affections. Look at what happened to Elvis, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janice Joplin and Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones. Look at what’s happening to Britney Spears.

When mere human beings made only in the likeness of God are set up as objects of worships — as little gods — it’s no wonder so many of them end up living, and dying, as classic tragedies.

And look at the lives we are setting up for the children of these little gods. We pay $6 million just to see their images. Surely there is the temptation for them to later view themselves as little gods.

The year I started college at ETSU, The Eagles released the album “Hotel California.” There was an incredible amount of urban legend surrounding that album. There were rumors that the title cut was about a Christian church that was abandoned in 1969 and taken over by an occultic group. There were even rumors that The Eagles were Satan worshippers and that the image of the Satanic High Priest Anton LeVey could be seen in one of the windows of the building on the cover.

My wife gave me The Eagles’ double-CD set for Valentine’s Day. In the liner notes, Glenn Frye had this to say about “Hotel California”:

“ … we did not start out to make any sort of concept or theme album. But when we wrote ‘Life in the Fast Lane’ and started working on ‘Hotel California’ and ‘New Kid in Town’ … we knew we were heading down a long and twisted corridor and just stayed with it. Songs from the dark side — the Eagles take a look at the seamy underbelly of L.A. — the flip side of fame and failure, love and money.”

These lyrics point to the flip side of celebrity worship:

“Last thing I remember, I was running for the door/I had to find the passage back to the place I was before/‘Releax,’ said the night man, ‘We are programmed to receive. ‘You can checkout any time you like, but you can never leave!’”

Once you see yourself as a little god, once a culture has placed you in the residence of worship, it must be difficult — if not impossible — to check out of that hotel, to live a normal life, to see yourself once again as a child of God. As believers in the one true God, let’s open the door and set the idols free.

Let’s evict them from Hotel California.

A few brief thoughts and images from Divine Rhythm's first night of worship

2008-01-25T23:34:00.000-05:00

You got a sense that the Spirit was right at Country Tonite Theater when gremlins got into the video booth and patience won the night.

"They want me to tell a joke," emcee Mark Wills said, adding that it's difficult to come up with a joke on the spur of the moment.

It was obvious to the crowd that the pastor from Carters Chapel United Methodist Church in Greeneville was struggling, so someone lobbed a joke from the seats.

"What does a fish with no eyes sound like?"

After a slight hesitation, the answer came from what sounded like scores of voices:
"Fssssshhhhh ...."

Divine Rhythm was under way.

The Michael Gungor Band came out of the gate charging with some edgy originals. Beforfe the set was over, the gathering had moved into a time of solid worship, mixing standards such as "Here I Am to Worship" and "We Fall Down," with inspiring originals.

I look forward to hearing those songs again.

Shane Claiborne told bits and pieces of his story that likely left those just now getting to know him wanting more.

I'm certain they will get it.

Grace and peace ...

Missed calls ...

2008-01-15T13:06:00.000-05:00

Those of us who live in the world of cellular phones know the meaning of the words "Missed Calls."

You pick up your phone, see the words "Missed Calls" and immediately understand that someone has tried to reach you and you weren't available.

I wonder how many times God has called and we were either not available, or merely chose to ignore the call altogether.

For the past few years, the week after Christmas has been a time to retreat and relax after the Thanksgiving-to-Christmas dash. For the most part, I was able to accomplish that this year.

I retreated into the mountains of Upper East Tennessee and spent some time in contemplation, as well as using it as a time to just "be" with my family.

We ate. We talked. We ate. We talked. We ate ...

At some point in our sharing of stories from days gone by, my mom said, "You came home one day and told me you were going to be a preacher."

That was news to my memory and so I probed her, asking, "When was that?"

"It was when you were going to church with Uncle Russell."

That would have been 1969 or so, when I was baptized.

An older gentleman who knew my Uncle Russell had been picking me up on Sunday mornings and taking me to Hatcher Memorial Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia. I stayed connected to the church for about year after that, I suppose.

I don't specifically recall saying, "I'm going to be a preacher," but I have no doubt her memory is clear on the matter.

I now wonder whether that was a missed call.

Off and on in my life, there had been this sense of calling, even though I likely would have never used that word to describe the impression that is, at least not until my "heart was strangely warmed" at the age of 29.

I have this theory about the large number of baby boomers entering the ministry later in life: We allowed the noise of the 1960s and '70s to drown out God -- either never hearing the call in the first place, or allowing it to fade into the distance.

Some of us might even seek to fulfill that sense of calling through other endeavors, not even considering the possibility that the drive within our spirit is a movement of God.

Twenty-twenty spiritual hindsight being what it is, it's theologically reasonable that I would have felt a move of the Holy Spirit following my baptism.

Those of us who get into such things know that this past Sunday was "Baptism of the Lord" Sunday on the church calendar.

We read the story of Jesus' baptism and understand his calling, because we know the story: John baptizes Jesus; the Father says, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."

The call came and Jesus responded.

He gave up his home and consecrated his life to the mission of God's Only Son.

It was a dangerous mission.

He took up the call of the cross, which he carried all his life and on which he eventually died. He became a homeless man.

Those of who have been baptized in the Christian tradition identify with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The grace that baptism makes available is the atonement of Christ -- we are "at one" with God.

Baptism involves our own dying to sin, newness of life, union with Christ, receiving the Holy Spirit, and incorporation into Christ's Church.

As I look back on my own baptism, it was far too easy to conform to the world and not allow myself to be transformed by the Spirit of God. It was some 15 or 16 years later that I allowed God to transform my life, eventually leading to the acceptance of his call.

When we truly allow the Spirit of God to move in our life, the sacrament of Baptism transforms our lives and we think, speak, live, and act in ways that "re-present" the image of Christ to the world.

But there is a part of baptism that is the calling. We receive the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit endows us with gifts that are to be used in the service of God.

As baptized believers, we are called by God.

God has a claim on our lives.

The work that many of us call "ministry" is a response to that call, and that claim, that God has on our lives.

If we can not point to such a work, then we have missed the call.

As I said, I was baptized at the age of about 13; but I believe my true acceptance of grace came at the age of 29 in 1985.

It was Christmas 1990 or so that my niece, Wendy, looked at me and said, "Uncle Buzzy, I think you would make a good missionary or preacher, or something."

I was a bit taken aback, but said, "Well, Wendy, I think if God wants me to do something like that he¹ll let me know.²

In that sweet, little Virginian voice she said, "Well, maybe he is ..."

I let it pass, not giving it a great deal of thought.

About three or four years later, I was asked to speak to the "Liars Club," a group of older men from Middlebrook Pike United Methodist Church who met weekly at the West Town Mall Chik-fil-A.

Afterward, one of the older gents said, "You know, you'd probably make a pretty good preacher. You ever think of that?"

I was taken aback, but said, "Well, sir, I think if God wants me to do something like that he'll let me know."

The old saint said, "Well, maybe he is ..."

It was still five or six years before I gave in. But in 2001, I finally decided to run with it, rather than run from it. In religious-speak, I tried to "let go and let God."

My question today is this: What is God calling you to do this year, or even with the rest of your life?

Discover what it is, and then run with it -- don't run away from it. Believe me, if my experience is the norm, you will not be complete until you do so.

And what is God calling this community of faith in The Meadow to do next?

God declares through the prophet Isaiah, "See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare ..."

In the days of Isaiah, the new thing is the new exodus out of Babylon.

In the days of John the Bapitst, the new thing is the new exodus inaugurated with the coming of the Messiah, Jesus the Christ.

I sense that God is calling us to a new thing.

What is this new thing?

May we seek it together, may we discover it, and may we run with it.

To the glory of God!

Grace and peace ...

Wanted: Authentic disciples of Christ

2008-01-01T22:30:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I pulled out my stamp collection, which I started in college.

I love stamp stories, which is why in 1984 I read a book called "Nassau Street," by the internationally known Herman Herst Jr. Nassau Street was the center of philately in the 1930s, when Herst set up shop there.

One day after reading this book, I was wandering through a stamp and coin shop in Beaumont, Texas, when something on a sales stand caught my eye. It was a hand-painted auction card with a block of four stamps attached, with the card carrying Herst's signature. The auction card noted that the stamps, which commemorated the Byrd Expedition, had once been part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's collection and had been presented to him in 1933 by Postmaster General Farley. The stamps were part of the president's collection, which was sold at auction by order of his Estate in February 1946. The card notes, "Of the above item, which is Number 1RA, only one are guaranteed to exist."

Like most philatelists, I knew that FDR was an avid stamp collector and that Farley created intentional errors for the president and his friends. I didn't know whether this was one of those errors; however, one thing I was sure of was this: This was philatelic history right before my eyes -- and I had to have it. The cost was $50, at a time when we really didn't have $50.

But my wife bought it for me for Valentine's Day.

Within a week, I penned what would be the first of two letters to Herst, the first of which found its way to the auctioneer's home in Boca Raton, Fla. In his return note, he mildly chastised me for not sending a self-addressed stamp envelope, then shared some information with me. I sent him a second letter, to which he replied in friendly tone, again offering more information on this block of stamps.

I submitted the stamps to the American Philatelic Society for authentication, because I could not find them in the Scott's stamp catalog.

The certifier confirmed what Herst shared with me: I would not find them in the catalog, because the sheet of 200 stamps was printed specifically for Roosevelt. They are indistinguishable from single copies of other Byrd Exhibition stamps, and Herst explains that is "why I did sign each one and number them."

This is provenance.

These are the identifying marks.

I have all of that information in my collection: The auction card, the letters from Herst, the American Philatelic Society's certification, and the original receipt. In the collecting world, those items are called "provenance" -- records or documents authenticating an object, or the history of ownership.

In Saint Matthew¹s biography of Jesus, we learn of a time when John the Baptist was in prison and his disciples come to Jesus. The lone prophet who had been crying in the wilderness is now caged. He's waiting, and likely wondering about things. Jesus isn't measuring up to the picture that the baptizer had painted for the coming messiah. Perhaps John was asking himself, and his disciples, "Is this the Christ? Do we have to look for another? Should we keep searching?"

And so, John's disciples come and ask Jesus, in effect, "Are you the one? Are you the authentic Messiah? Or are you just another counterfeit on the market?"

Jesus told them, "Go back and tell John what's going on: 'The blind see, The lame walk, Lepers are cleansed, The deaf hear, The dead are raised, The wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side.'" (The Message)

Jesus knows that John¹s disciples understand that he is pointing back to the writings of the prophet Isaiah. Jesus is using the prophecies of Isaiah as the provenance that details the authenticity of his messiahship. Isaiah wrote, "God is here, right here, on his way to put things right. Blind eyes will be opened, deaf ears unstopped, Lame men and women will leap like deer, the voiceless break into song."

Jesus was doing these things -- and he is still doing these things.

Isaiah's writings, though meant for a particular time and place, became the provenance for the authenticity of Jesus as the Christ.

Many of us who are part of the Christian tradition are engaged in a variety of things that bear little of the signature of authentic Christ followers. If we look at the provenance of Christ, what would be that signature? The hungry will be fed; widows and orphans cared for; sinners will come to know Christ; and the people will live justly, do mercy, and walk humbly with their God. There will be healing in their midst.

An authentic Christian bears the authentic marks of a life like Christ; likewise with authentic Christian communities. It is only through such provenance that the world will accept the message.

Above all others, Christian communities should be the ones who show:

He is the One. We do not need to keep searching for another.

The blind see.

The deaf hear.

The lame walk.

The voiceless have a voice.

Grace and peace ...

Of Thomas Merton and Life as a Beginner in Prayer

2007-12-28T12:05:00.000-05:00

It's a cold, rainy day here at Ripshin.

I have spent most of the morning finishing Brennan Manning's "The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus," a text for what has become something of a retreat for me during this season of Joy. I believe it would be a good text for group study at The Meadow and have considered leading it during Sunday School. I will speak with Glenda about that possibility.

I had planned some outdoor activity today, but the cold rain has kept me indoors. Having finished the Manning text, I then moved on to a brief devotion by Thomas Merton, which amounted to excerpts from "Contemplative Prayer." I am impressed by the simplicity of his thoughts on such prayer, as well as how relevant they seem to my own experience.

The excerpt I read is from a book I purchased while at Fairhaven Ministries last Christmas season, "Devotional Classics: Selected Readings for Individuals and Groups," edited by Richard J. Foster and James Bryan Smith (1993 HarperSanFrancisco). I highly recommend this devotional resource.

In the reading, Merton warns against seeking some magical method, but encourages an "attitude," an "outlook" -- faith, openness, attention, reverence, expectation, supplication, trust and joy. "All these finally permeate our being with love in so far as our living faith tells us we are in the presence of God, that we live in Christ, that in the Spirit of God we 'see' God our Father without 'seeing.'"

He acknowledges that there is hardship in prayer and that we may find meditation difficult; however, we should not rely on feelings. Merton offers an insightful explanation: The movement of meditation is one of "paschal" rhythm whereby we move from death to life in Christ. In prayer, the "death" is a descent into "our own nothingness, a recognition of helplessness, frustration, infidelity, confusion, ignorance."

There was much more to this excerpt, but I will offer this last additional insight, one that speaks directly to me: "One cannot begin to face the real difficulties of the life of prayer and meditation unless one is first perfectly content to be a beginner and really experience himself as one who knows little or nothing and has a desperate need to learn the bare rudiments. ...

"We do not want to be beginners. But let us be convinced of the fact that we will never be anything else but beginners."

As 2007 draws to a close, here's to seeing myself as a beginner in the school of praying in and with the Spirit.

Grace and peace ...