Hands Off Vs. Hand Off

There is a difference between "hands-off" ministry and "hand off" ministry.

A "hands off" approach to ministry suggests that the pastor or leader doesn't touch the ministry area. He can't get his hands dirty or his mind involved. It's almost beneath him.

A "hand off" ministry is very different. It's like a quarterback who performs a hand off to a running back. That quarterback has held the ball, he's gotten his own hands dirty from the ball, but now it's time for someone else to carry the ball. The quarterback is still involved; he simply empowers other people to be part of the action.

I pray that all of us in leadership at Good Shepherd avoid a hands off approach to the ministry of the church.

And that we enthusiastically embrace the hand off approach.

Why is this critical? My default response is to run a quarterback keeper. Instead of handing ministry off to people who should own it -- the people of the church -- I hold on to it for all it is worth.

So . . . hands off? No. I want us to get in the trenches of ministry.

Hand off? Absolutely. Because ministry is too vital not to share.

X Marks The Stop

Down on the bottom button bar of my computer there is a small green x.

It's always before me. And I'm glad of that.

That x reminds me that there are some people I love dearly at this church who will receive a weekly report of any questionable places I visit on the internet.

Any YouTube video that's over-the-top. Or under-the-bottom.

Any discussion board that discusses what ought to be kept quiet.

And of course, any site that's targeted at the way men's sexuality is connected to what they see more than what they feel.

This x program is reciprocal. Not only do the folks I love receive my report, I receive theirs.

So the x doesn't mark the spot. It marks the stop. It ensures that those weekly reports are blessedly, mercifully, empty.

It's a boundary, it's a structure, it's accountability. The kind of accountability that is especially important for growing spirituality.

Especially in the digital age.

What boundaries and accountabilities have you set up in your life? Where's your little green x?

Top Five Tuesday -- Top Five Bruce Springsteen Songs

How does someone raised in Texas who spends most of their adult life in North Carolina end up a Bruce Springsteen fan?

Well, those seven years living in New Jersey didn't hurt. After all, many people in that place still want "Born To Run" to be the official state song.

(And doesn't that say everything you need to know about New Jersey's self-esteem? Born To Run's signature line says, "it's a death trap, it's a suicide rap, we've got to get out while we're young!" )

Then there was the time that Julie and I won a ticket lottery and so saw a show from his "Tunnel Of Love" tour from the front row, center seats. An amazing four hour show ensued.

So regardless of geography, I'm a fan -- drawn to the onstage passion, the musical ingenuity and the uncanny wordsmithing of New Jersey's favorite son. Here are my top five Bruce Springsteen songs:

5. Livin' Proof. When Springsteen sings about becoming a father, he sure gets it right: "searching for a little bit of God's mercy, I found livin' proof."



4. The Rising. An elegiac response to 9.11.01, complete with gospel choir in the back. One of these days, we'll do this one in church.



3. Radio Nowhere. Springsteen meets 867-5309 and this thoroughly modern tune is the result.



2. Badlands. He's right: it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive.



1. Brilliant Disguise. The disguise is not the only thing that's brilliant in this one -- so is the lyrical twist at the song's end. A truly haunting depiction of the ambiguities that characterize almost any relationship.



So there it is. A Springsteen favorites list without either of the "Borns" -- To Run or In The USA. Both great tracks, to be sure, but just a little too . . . popular.

Isn't It Ironic?

Julie and I spent this past weekend in Dallas celebrating my nephew's wedding. As a lot of you know, I was born and raised there, living in the same house from birth until I went away to college at 18.

Anyway, while we tooled around town visiting a lot of familiar haunts, we made a trip to a place I had never seen before: Dallas Theological Seminary, a large, non-denominational, evangelical school located on the outskirts of downtown.

DTS trained three of the most influential pastors in the US -- Chuck Swindoll, Andy Stanley, and David Jeremiah. In addition, several pastors who have been significant in my own spiritual journey did their theological work there.

Yet I'd never laid my eyes on the place.

It's in a different part of town than I grew up in, we Methodists run in different seminary circles than the independents, and I never made the trip until now.

It's not a beautiful school by any stretch -- the campus is mostly concrete and pale brick -- just an influential one.

And while I agree with much of "Dallas theology" when it comes to the middle of the bible, I am in a far different place on either end of it -- I am neither a young earth creationist nor a Rapture Ready dispensationalist.

So I'm forever grateful for my own time at Asbury Seminary.

All while leaving my hometown with a first-hand appreciation for the on-going influence of the seminary that bears its name.

Elements Week Four -- Notes

So we're moving on with Elements.

People have been stretched, challenged, comforted, and educated through our exploration of why we do what we do in church on Sundays.

I expect more of the same on Sunday.

And experiential look at the roles of "notes" in our worship gatherings.

Don't anticipate. Participate.

Sunday.

8:30. 10. 11:30.

A Personal Relationship With . . .

. . . Jesus Christ.

That's how most of us in the evangelical world have grown accustomed to completing that sentence. In many ways, that phrase has become synonymous with modern American evangelical Christianity.

Yet I wonder if that notion of a living relationship with a living Lord accurately describes what goes on for many of us. Perhaps not.

It may well be more accurate to say that a lot of us have a personal relationship with words on a page. Like these words on this page:



I've been through seasons in my faith where my relationship with God -- the wild, unpredictable, uncomfortable father of the Lord Jesus Christ -- has been reduced to whatever principles and precepts I could get out of that day's bible reading.

Now don't get me wrong: I believe in the authority and inspiration of Scripture. There's a reason we lift it up at Good Shepherd every Sunday.

Yet I want my connection with God to go beyond what I read about him in the arrangement of ink on a page. What I read should prepare me for an encounter with the living God, but it is not the encounter itself.

For the sake of my own spirit, I want my relationship with words to open me up to connection with the Word.

The Goal Of Happiness

I run into a lot of people who long simply to be "happy." Satisfied. Content.

And they devise all kinds of ways of reaching their goal: new relationships, new possessions, new appearance, new location.

But you know what happens, right? Those efforts inevitably fail to reach the goal of happiness. Or if people attain happiness, it is short-lived.

Which is why I point people towards Jesus' simple words of Matthew 6:33:

Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

In other words, happiness is never a goal, it's a result. It's a result of seeking after God.

When you pursue happiness, it will slip through your fingers, increasingly elusive through the years.

When you pursue godliness, happiness gets thrown in as a blessed consequence.

What are you running after today?

Top Five Tuesday -- Top Five Food Rules

I admit it: I've got some weird idiosyncracies when it comes to food.

Some of these have been in place a long time, while others I've had to adopt in recent years as my allergies to gluten & wheat products have emerged.

In any event, here goes: my Top Five Food Rules.

1. No Corn On The Cob in a public place. Why not? Because the kernels get stuck in your teeth, obviously! Even if I eat Corn On The Cob in the privacy of my own home, I have my container of dental floss nearby.

2. No Mixing Desserts. For example, if I have one kind of chocolate after a meal I simply will not add another type in the same time span. So a dessert platter does me no good at all. Why not? I don't want to compromise the taste of that primary dessert by adding a second one.

3. Cottage Cheese goes with anything. Especially at lunch.

4. The Wonderfully Warm Bread Loaf At Outback Is The Quickest Way To Get Sick. I used to think it was the steaks that made me ill afterwards, despite their great taste. Nope. It was eating half a loaf of bread beforehand. No more. And now, a night at Outback starts well and ends well.

5. Leftovers should be eaten. This is a holdover from my childhood in which leftovers were highly valued and never wasted. I've had a difficult time passing this truth on to my little family in Charlotte. I'm still holding out hope, though, and one day this week I'll have leftover sloppy joes for dinner (no bun). It does not get any better than that.

Three Points And A . . . Tie?

Yesterday was a different experience for me at Good Shepherd.

For one, I wore a jacket and tie. The most frequently asked question was "what's the deal with the tie?"

A few people even suspected that my Methodist "boss" would be in the service -- perhaps having heard about the messages on communion and baptism over the previous two weeks -- and that I needed to look my best for him.

Well, no. Actually, since I was preaching on preaching, I decided to dress something like a preacher.

See, the sermon was on sermonizing. Why is it that we use words to teach, inspire, frustrate, convict, and motivate when we gather to worship on Sunday mornings?

Which leads to a second way yesterday was a departure from the norm: instead of having one salient point -- and that repeated throughout as a (hopefully) memorable refrain, I had three main ideas.

After first comparing the task of preaching to that of a) a town crier in the Middle Ages and b) Paul Revere in the Revolutionary War, I developed a working definition of preaching as that of breaking the Word down -- explaining it accurately -- and then lifting it up -- celebrating its truths joyfully.

But then we had to deal with the "why" question. Why does God ordain that preaching is a way (not the only way, but clearly an important way) to communicate his love?

And the answer to that question had three angles. No poem to conclude, but three primary answers to the question of "why do we preach?"

What were they?

BECAUSE THE SUBJECT MATTER DEMANDS IT.

BECAUSE PEOPLE CAN'T ESCAPE IT (the call to preach, that is).

BECAUSE YOU LONG TO HEAR IT.

You can watch the message and see the tie here.

Guest Bloggers From Haiti -- Ron Dozier & Mike Gathman

Talbot,

We have had an amazing time here connecting with the children at the three orphanages we have visited. You would be very proud of the GS volunteers who are on this trip.
We have had some internet issues so that has delayed sending the blogs in a timely manner.

Latest Blogs: By Michael Gathman

July 13
Wednesday – This was day two for our team at Girlin’s orphanage. It’s hard to tell if the children or our team was more excited to see each other again – we’ll call it a tie! Nearly every team member had children to hug, love, and play with throughout the day. All the while some folks continued work on the bunk beds started the day before. By the end of the day one full bunk bed had been completed – which means two less mattresses on the floor.

While the team waits for the container of shoes to be released here in Haiti, we are limited by the shoes we brought with us in bags from Charlotte. Many of the sizes were far too big for the kids at the orphanage. But of course God had a plan for those shoes. We set up chairs just outside the orphanage, and began to share the gospel, wash the feet, pray for, and deliver a pair of shoes to the many local men working to remove rubble from a lot nearby. Many accepted Christ – some simply received the gospel seed. What started with a few men grew to be many men within minutes. Going with the Haitian culture, there was always a sense of peace and order even as the crowd grew in size.

Through Christ’s strength, we spent the last hour of the day at another baby orphanage – again loving, holding, and playing with the children. The beauty is that as we grow tired, Christ provides more strength, and a never-ending supply of His love to share.

Upon arriving home we celebrated brother John’s 50th birthday! The perfect ending to another great day in Haiti!

July 14
Thursday – John, our partner in Christ here in Haiti, decides to take our team to a “temporary” housing village built primarily by World Vision. En route, we pass hundreds of tents, busy people, children moving about, animals looking for a crumb to eat. All the while the anticipation of what we are about to experience is welling up inside. Finally after an hour or so of driving we arrive to rows and rows – hundreds of homes – where God has led us to minister for the afternoon. The “temporary” housing is much like a woodshed many of us use to store yard equipment. The reality is that this temporary housing is likely permanent.
In this village and with these people, this housing was more than sufficient. The space between houses was neatly cared for – much like we care for our yards back home. They too take pride in their living areas. As we began to walk and talk with the people, the needs were much like our own. We prayed for many pregnant women asking God for strength at this time in their lives. We prayed for a three year old child who could not walk, and another who had a knot protruding from his back. Others asked for prayer for a better life. As we moved house to house, people began asking us to come to their house next. At each stop we shared scripture through our translator – the Word of God is sharper than a two edged sword! We then prayed for each person according to the needs they shared. All glory to God.

Elements, Week Three: Words

We've eaten bread.

We've been immersed in water.

Now it's time for words.

Why do we use words in worship? What do we actually believe God does with them? Our vocal chords work, air emerges, words get sounded out, and that's supposed to change the world?

We'll see.

Sunday.

8:30. 10. 11:30.

More From Haiti

Here's another first-hand account from our team in Haiti:


A bumpy, dusty ride leads us to a tiny cement refuge filled with angels. “A New Life Orphanage” is the temporary address for the small ones left behind…

As we opened the gate dozens of sets of big brown eyes stared back at us….there was almost an instant connection, that’s what they long for the most, someone to call their own…if only for a few hours.

As we divided them into groups we could see the curiosity an excitement on their little faces.

While one group got their feet washed and heard about the light of our Lord, the other group did crafts and got their nails painted.

They told us about their dreams and their wishes…a pilot, a singer, a lawyer, an engineer – they have so little but no one can take their right to dream.

A hand bell signifies prayer time, the girls grab my hand and lead me to the stairwell where all 71 of them gather and begin to pray and sing and recite scripture in Creole…the sights and sounds of that thirty minutes won’t ever leave our minds or our hearts.

Wednesdays, Weddings And More Weddings

Is it something in the water?

I have more pending weddings than at any other time in my 21 years of pastoral ministry. And each couple deserves the best preparation that I can give them.

And isn't it sad that many couples devote more time & energy to planning their wedding ceremony than to the marriage that follows?

Well, not if I can help it.

That's why I made a change about a year ago in how I lead couples through premarital counseling.

From 1990 - 2010, I used the same format -- a fairly simple program I had outlined in a seminary class and stuck to ever since.

The problem was that I had begun to do it without thinking. My pre-marital counseling was on auto-pilot.

So last year I received some training from the good people at Prepare-Enrich and now the process I used is more involved, more personal, and, I pray, more effective.

It begins with the couple completing an online assessment and continues in depth from there. All the couples I've worked with have done the assessment eagerly and not been intimidated by its sometimes uncomfortable reports.

So now my calendar is full with couples going deeper than flowers, dresses, and tuxedos.

More From Haiti -- A Second Tuesday Post!

Beth Boutilier is our Haiti's team's official blogger. Here's her latest post:

The Sunday morning two worlds collided...
...a Haitian church alive with a hopeful spirit; welcome their American gests with open arms and broken English.

...wearing your "Sunday Best" took on a whole new meaning...brightly colored dresses, polished shoes and crisp suits adorned our Haitian hosts.
While their faces were stoic, their passion was epic. As they prayed and sang to our Lord the joy spilled out of them and filled the tiny steamy church with love and hope.
We have the same God, we share the same faith, but not the same past hurts or trials - they have seen things we can't possibly imagine - they have felt things that would break the human spirit - but their spirit was clearly alive.
Thanking God with genuine gratitude for what little they have...their faith is strong for what God has planned for them.

Admiration. Inspiration. Appreciation.

We pity the Haitians....but should we? Perhaps they have something we still desire...unwavering hope...against all odds.

Top Five Tuesday -- Top Five Energizers In Ministry

Pastoral ministry is often physically and emotionally draining.

We pastors get invited into some of the most crisis-filled moments in people's lives, we lead congregations through seasons of evolution & change, we do the best we can to motivate & manage staff, and in the middle of all those responsibilities, there is one inescapable reality: Sunday is coming. It does every week.

In other words, there is always another message to prepare.

Yet I have found in the middle of days of discouragement & exhaustion, energy breaks through. It is as if God intervenes by giving a pastoral assignment that is itself invigorating and energizing.

So here are five that do it for me:

1. Crisis. I have been influenced by Adam Hamilton's description that we pastors are allowed to be with people "in the tenderest moments of their lives." How true. When we get a call regarding a death or emergency hospitalization, it's like "game on." The adrenaline begins to flow, prayers get sent up, and in the aftermath I am able to say, again, "ah, that's why we do what we do."

2. Exegesis. Exegesis is the Greek word for "pulling out"; in other words, pulling the original meaning out of a biblical text. Sometimes that happens in direct reading; other times the commentaries help. Yet I never cease to be amazed at how the Word keeps breathing fresh life into those who study it to proclaim it.

3. Healing Services. Last night was a case in point. Before it begain, I was hungry. I longed to be at home. I wished we hadn't scheduled it. But in the middle of the service, praying with people, I knew there was no place I'd rather be -- indeed, no thing this church should rather be doing.

4. Sharing With Other Churches. Every so often, other congregations will ask us how or why we do certain things at Good Shepherd. While we always emphasize that things are far from perfect here, nevertheless it's always encouraging to receive that kind of request and then to follow through on it.

5. Stirring Up Methodism. I love this denomination's classic theology and historic mix of personal faith and social action. It gives energy to challenge some of its practices -- if you've heard the messages "Bread" and "Water" you know what I mean -- AND to battle for it to stay true to Christian orthodoxy.

A Haiti Blog

In the picture above, you see Good Shepherd's Haitian mission team. From the far left: Coleman Pierzchala, Jack Jones, Laurie Reiriz, Mike Gathman, Ginenne Rife, Charlotte Gott, Vladimir Andral, Beth Boutilier, Ron Dozier, Nancy Kaiser, Debbie Dearth, and two of the team's Haitian hosts. All these folks are giving of their time,talents, and energy to share the love of Christ in a land where it is desperately needed.

In the post below, you'll read from the team's arrival blog:

Saturday, July 9:

We turn off our cell phones for the last time as our plane's wheels lift off of American soil... We leave the world of "me" behind and begin to focus our hearts and minds on "them". Our journey has begun; we are boldly optimistic.

As we emerge from the cloud cover we desend towards our new nation...if only for a week. Our first steps on our new land were slow and steady as our eyes feasted on lush green mountainsides and deep blue ocean water, the sounds of a Haitian band greeted our ears, our senses were spoiled! But that was only one side of the airport....

Cement floors and the stale still air of this tiny gateway to the outside world clashed with the chaos and confusion of the travelers inside...the doors opened to the other side of the airport and our senses were once again on overload....

...hundreds of souls wondering the streets, shouts, cries, laughter, honks music... There is no silence here... garbage, tents, tarp homes, these are their homes. Their faces seem to lack emotion, perhaps this is how they've learned to cope....

The rubble and destruction remind us of that fateful day last January when the earth quaked Haiti to its core... perhaps the rest of the world needs to be reminded.

Splashes of color throughout this forgotten city give our eyes a break. Brightly colored paintings, mangos, bananas, and sugar cane decorate the sides of the streets....these are Haiti's sweet treasures.

Our driver Kensley shares his stories and knowledge of his beloved island, he is beeming with pride for his homeland and that lets us know that there is still love and hope in Haiti.... God is here!

We reach the guest house and are greeted with bright smiles and warm hearts. John....our selfless host spoke of the call that lead him to Haiti. The smell of delicious Haitian food makes our mouths water and our bellies grumble.... We are home.

Elements, Week 2 -- Water

Our Elements series got off to a strong start last week with a look at "Bread." We ended up celebrating communion in a different manner than ever before at Good Shepherd.

The second element is "water." Why do we baptize? Who do we baptize? When do we baptize? And how much water do we use?

We'll look at those questions and more. Along the way, you'll learn something about a very confused architect and how that relates to this church.

Who knows? We might even do some baptizing on Sunday as well.

Sunday.

8:30. 10. 11:30.

Some People I'm Proud Of ...

The students and adults you see in this picture are role models for the rest of Good Shepherd.

As you check this post, they are serving in Purdy, Missouri at a God-inspired movement called Camp Barnabas.

Barnabas exists to provide life-changing opportunities to people with special needs and chronic diseases in a Christian camp setting.

The Good Shepherd is in the middle of cooking meals, cleaning the campground, and, most importantly, interacting with the campers themselves. It is a truly exhausting yet deeply rewarding experience for campers and chaperones alike.

Some people I'm proud of making up a church I'm proud of.

In Me And Through Me

Most of us preachers are keenly aware of what we want God to do through us.

Usually, that involves things like growing a bigger, better church, one that prevails agaist the current culture of decline and advances the kingdom of God.

I'm OK with God doing something like that through me.

But is not the rather more important question what God is doing in me?

For example, am I cooperating with God as he endeavors to make me . . . .

more loving & less judgmental

more hopeful & less cynical

more content & less greedy

more forgiving & less conspiratorial

more like him & less like me?

Maybe, just maybe, if I allowed God to do more in me, then he'd be eager to do more through me.

Top Five Tuesday -- Top Five Preachers' Voices

I once attended a church where one of the pastors suffered larynx damage that slowly but surely robbed him of his voice.

A preacher without a voice is like a car without a gas pedal. Doesn't work.

Which gets me thinking . . . who are some preachers with voices of clarity, depth, resonance, and conviction? Even apart from the content they deliver, what five preachers could I listen to again and again simply to hear their voices?

Here goes . . .

5. Tony Evans. Dr. Evans doesn't have a classic, resonant voice, yet something in his his vocal variation is unmistakable. Combine that with an unparalleled gift for analogy and solid theology, and you've got #5 on my list of favorite pastoral voices.



4. Ellsworth Kalas. Dr. Kalas served as a highly-regarded Methodist pastor in Ohio before joining the faculty of Asbury Seminary in the 1990s. Thankfully, he taught homiletics and hundreds of Asburians sat at his feet, learning his tools of the trade. I don't know if he could "teach" his voice, though. Kalas led Asbury through as interim president through a tumultuous time from 2007-2009, and though he is well into his 80s still preaches with conviction and vigor. You can listen to him here.



3. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Baritone delivery, masterful content, and a nation never quite the same again.



2. Howard Olds. In the late 1980s, Howard served as pastor of Trinity Hill UMC in Lexington, Kentucky, and so was our pastor during my first year in seminary. He is still the best preacher I've heard, week in and week out. His heart-tugging content would come alive through his Kentucky-accented bass delivery. Howard's ministry career concluded at Brentwood UMC in Nashville, where he preached until his death from cancer in 2008. You can listen to Howard's sermons and radio spots here.



1. Chuck Swindoll I first heard Swindoll's "Insights For Living" radio broadcasts in the early 1990s. I must admit that this thought crossed my mind: "If I could take steroids and get that kind of gravelly bass, I might just do it!" Anyway. Through his leadership of Fullerton First Evangelical Free Church in California, Dallas Theological Seminary in (surprise) Dallas, and now at Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas, Swindoll is one of those preachers of whom I often pray, "Lord, thank you for making a man like him. He helps me believe more." I believe the deep pitch of his voice comes from the deep strength of his faith.

Elements, Week One -- Bread

According to ancient philosophers, all things are made of four elements:
earth, water, air, and fire.

But what are the elements that make up life in church?

What’s the deal with things like communion, baptism, singing, and preaching?

How is it that God invites us to take ordinary items from everyday life, use them in our worship gatherings, and something extraordinary and eternal is supposed to happen?

Why do we do what we do in church?

Elements.

A series where we’ll discover what’s so elemental about the elements.

July 3: Bread

July 10: Water

July 17: Words

July 24: Notes

July 31: Baskets

August 7: Voices