Friday Top 10: Best Things About Thanksgiving

1 - An Excuse (as if one is needed) to thank God

2 - An Excuse to spend time with family

3 - Lots and lots of football

4 - Turkey (yum!)

5 - Dressing (yum, yum!)

6 - Potatoes (more yum!)

7 - Gravy (seriously...good with anything)

8 - Pumpkin pie (how can you not love this?)

9 - The Macy's parade & the unofficial start of the Christmas season!

10 - Indians & Pilgrims (It's the only day of the year when Calvinists are actually cool.)

Thanksgiving Letter to JUMC

I am a firm believer that God is very active in today’s world, still moving in exciting ways and often doing the unexpected. Because I believe this to be true, I can say that it is no accident that Thanksgiving Day is celebrated during the same month as All Saints Day.

"I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!

“I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.

“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the one who takes refuge in him! Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack…
The LORD redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.”

- from Psalm 34 (ESV, adapt.)

We have many things for which we should be thankful to God: family, friends, food, shelter, and, above all, Jesus himself, through whom we can share life eternal and abundant.

But as the smells of potatoes and gravy mix with the cool autumn air, do not forget that we celebrate our national day of Thanksgiving in the shadow of All Saints Day. This is a reminder to us that in addition to the familiar experiences of the holiday, we are to be exceedingly thankful for our loved ones in the faith who have already been received into the arms of our Heavenly Father. This is a reminder to us that in Jesus Christ, by the prodigious, unexplainable power of the Holy Spirit, we are united with these saints in a way we cannot yet fully comprehend, and in a way this broken world in which we live can never understand. In a very real way, these saints – with Jesus – are present at our tables of celebration.

Look around you as you share the holiday meal….see the turkey, the dressing, the pumpkin pie…hear the sounds of football, clanging silverware, and pleasant conversation…smell the bounty of excellence before you…and know that you are not alone in your joy. Sitting with you, enjoying the day more than you ever could, reveling in the delight of family laughter, delighting in the gathering of love, smiling energetically at the wondrous festivities, is Jesus, the one who loves you most of all. And, as is often his way, he is not alone; he has brought guests with him to the table, who are also filled with gladness and the kind of peace that defines eternity.

Know that the love you experience at this banquet is but a foretaste of glory, and that the One who makes it all possible is filled with joy as you give him richly deserved thanks. So, light a holy candle this Thanksgiving in honor of the guest of honor, that crazy, loving preacher from Nazareth. And light another to honor those who in the past have shared the meal with you…and continue to do so because of the life, death, and resurrection of that preacher. And may this holiday find you to be truly, abundantly thankful.

In Jesus,
Pastor Keith

Friday Top 10: Study Bibles

1 - Reflecting God Study Bible (NIV; Zondervan/CHP, 2000) - out of print

2 - Wesley Bible (NKJV; Nelson, 1990) - out of print

3 - Oxford Annotated Bible (RSV/NRSV; Oxford, 1977) - I prefer the first two editions to the third

4 - ESV Study Bible (ESV; Crossway, 2008)

5 - Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible (NRSV; Harper, 2005)

6 - New Interpreter's Study Bible (NRSV; Abingdon/Cokesbury, 2003) - I'd place this higher if it weren't so bulky and unwieldy

7 - NIV Study Bible (NIV; Zondervan, 1985)

8 - NLT Study Bible (NLT; Tyndale, 2008)

9 - Spiritual Formation Bible (NRSV/NIV; Upper Room, 1999)

10 - Life Application Study Bible (NIV/NKJV/NLT/NASB/KJV; Tyndale, 1987)

Excerpts from Church Conference report

Church Conference for JUMC
held at First Bethel UMC, 7 PM,
11/4/08

“…holiness befits your house, O LORD, forevermore.”
– Psalm 93:5

It is a joy to be a part of the family of Jefferson United Methodist Church as we celebrate our 165th year of ministry. The congregation has a wonderful legacy of love and mission, and I feel blessed to be a part of her story. Our area is growing, and our circle of influence grows with it.

Some exciting things have been happening in our congregational family:

* While numbers are rarely a primary indicator of missional faithfulness, our average participation in Sunday worship has increased significantly in the past 2 ½ years; our baptisms and our new members are vastly outpacing funerals and transfers, which is a positive “turnaround trend”;
* We continue to get more visitors each week, and are retaining most of them;
* We have completed a bold building plan to improve and modernize our physical facilities, connecting our worship center with our education building and making some much needed repairs;
* Our new folks have been getting very active in the life of our congregation, in study groups, leadership opportunities and mission;
* We utilize our technological capabilities more efficiently, making use of power point and video in worship and in study;
* In the community, I have been meeting with area clergy in the hopes of gaining greater cooperation in ministry, and our West Jefferson Hills Ministerium continues to do wonderful things, from worship gatherings to collaborative missional efforts.

It has been a busy and positive year! And yet, there are even greater things in our future...

2009 will be my third full year in ministry at Jefferson church, unless our Bishop and his Cabinet determine that a change is in order (which is always a possibility in our connectional system). As I prepare for my third year, the number “3” has been running through my mind. With my love of music and respect for the great hymnody of the Church, the hymn “Holy, Holy, Holy!” has been a frequent refrain. This beautiful classic, with an 1826 text by Reginald Heber, extols the glory of the Triune God:

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,
casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.

Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,
though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see,
only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
perfect in power, in love and purity.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity.

I have been reflecting on this hymn for the past several months, praying it several times a week as part of my devotional life. I believe we are being challenged by the Spirit to focus in 2009 on “holiness”…the holiness of God and our own calling to be holy for Jesus’ sake in the midst of a broken world. Holiness, after all, was a crucial aspect of John Wesley’s ministry and the early Methodist message, and is an important part of our faith heritage.

Holiness is more than just living simple, healthy lives (though that’s important); it is being fully devoted to Jesus. The Kingdom of God is described as ‘the Way of Holiness’…

“…a highway shall be there,
and it shall be called the Way of Holiness.”
– Isaiah 35:8

How might we be more holy? Spend more time in prayer with our Heavenly Father? Read and study Scripture more effectively? Be more intent about our marriage and family commitments? Serve the poor, the lonely, and the lost with greater passion? Be more obedient regarding our attendance and participation in congregational worship? Stand against societal sins such as racism and sexism with more vigor? Love one another and our neighbors with less compromise?

Rather than listing goals for the next ministry year, I will be urging us to reflect on the theme of holiness in 2009 - what it means to serve a holy God and what it means to be a holy people. My expectation is that as we reflect upon this theme, the Spirit will open to us new possibilities for growth and effective disciple-making. We serve a God who honors faithful, honest reflection!

My only goal, then, for 2009, as a pastor and a leader of this wonderful congregation, is that we “take time to be holy”, and seek Jesus’ holy character in our own lives. I believe that we will be transformed in significant ways, as will our community.

May God continue to bless the people of Jefferson United Methodist Church and all that we do to build Christ’s Kingdom.

Pastor Keith H. McIlwain
November 4, 2008

Friday Top 10: Best Records in Rock and Roll History

1 - "Good Vibrations" (1966) by the Beach Boys

2 - "Be My Baby" (1963) by the Ronettes

3 - "Like A Rolling Stone" (1965) by Bob Dylan

4 - "Strawberry Fields Forever" (1967) by the Beatles

5 - "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (1968) by Marvin Gaye

6 - "Johnny B. Goode" (1958) by Chuck Berry

7 - "Runaway" (1961) by Del Shannon

8 - "River Deep - Mountain High" (1966) by Ike & Tina Turner

9 - "Reach Out I'll Be There" (1966) by the Four Tops

10 - "Respect" (1967) by Aretha Franklin

Note: This is not a "Best Songs" list, nor it is a list of "Most Important Records"; those would be decidedly different lists.

Home from Jumonville

I returned home today from Jumonville, a beautiful camp and retreat center which is an important part of the ministry of Western PA Conference. I was facilitator for a retreat of our newest pastors (those commissioned to ministry in June), focusing on worship, liturgy and sacramental theology and practice in the United Methodist tradition.

It's a good group of pastors, and I'm encouraged that the future of the United Methodist Church here in western PA has talent, diversity and theological seriousness. I'm also encouraged that this is a group - like my own - which takes mission seriously but don't take themselves too seriously. They like to laugh and have fun, which is half the battle in ministry, in my opinion.

It's always good to get back to Jumonville. In June of 1983, I knelt at the altar of Whyel Chapel and surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus. This weekend, I was able to facilitate discussion of Christian worship in view of what for me is the planet's holiest spot. Way cool.

In addition, I was able to spend some time with the Right Rev. Randy Costolo, who serves in Hopwood (where Jumonville is located). Randy is a good friend and true brother in Christ, and he's also one of our Conference's best pastors; we served together in Dawson, PA several years ago. We ate junk food together, talked a lot, and watched the Cardinals/49ers game on Monday Night Football. Good times.

Tomorrow, it's off to beautiful downtown Reynoldsville, PA for a meeting with my accountability group...Thursday to Slippery Rock, PA with my oldest son for a college visit. Busy, busy week.

Not a very theological post, I know, but time for reflection is a luxury I haven't yet had this week! Nevertheless, God is very, very good!

Friday Top 10: Best U.S. Presidents

1 - Abraham Lincoln

2 - George Washington

3 - Theodore Roosevelt

4 - Ronald Reagan

5 - Franklin Roosevelt

6 - James Polk

7 - Andrew Jackson

8 - Thomas Jefferson

9 - John Adams

10 - Grover Cleveland

A Prayer for Presidential Leaders

Gracious Heavenly Father, whose glory is in all the world: We commend this nation to your merciful care, that, being guided by your Holy Spirit, we may dwell secure in your peace. Grant to President George W. Bush, President-elect Barack Obama, and to all in authority the wisdom and strength to know and to do your will. Protect them and their families; fill them with the love of truth and righteousness, and make them ever mindful of their calling to serve, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Halloween 2008

Christian, Kate, Claire, Elliot (2),
and our Jack O'Lanterns

Friday Top 10: Greatest Monsters

1 - Count Dracula / Vampires

2 - Frankenstein's Monster

3 - Werewolves

4 - Kong

5 - Wicked Witch of the West / Witches

6 - Ghosts

7 - Mummies

8 - Zombies

9 - Godzilla

10 - Phantom of the Opera

Friday Top 10: Scariest Movies Ever Made

1 - Scott of the Antarctic (1948)

2 - Psycho (1960)

3 - Jaws (1975)

4 - The Blair Witch Project (1999)

5 - Phantom of the Opera (1925)

6 - The Exorcist (1973)

7 - The Amityville Horror (1979)

8 - Deliverance (1972)

9 - The Haunting (1963)

10 - Race With The Devil (1975)

Retreating

I attended a retreat near Ligonier, PA this week with other United Methodist pastors from Western Pennsylvania Conference. Entitled "The Great Escape", the leader of the retreat was Gil Rendle, a consultant from eastern Pennsylvania whom our Bishop praised as one of his ten biggest influences since entering the episcopacy. Rendle is author of several books, including Holy Conversations: Strategic Planning as a Spiritual Practice for Congregations and Leading Change in the Congregation, which I've read. Fellow retreat attendee Bob Zilhaver has accurately described the retreat in his own blog as, "...not as much a retreat as a workshop on systems theory led by Gil Rendle."

And, while it was wonderful reconnnecting with sisters and brothers in Christ, worshipping together, experiencing Eastern Orthodox vespers, communing together, enjoying the spectacular beauty of autumn in Appalachia, and being touched by the word as preached by the consistently inspiring Eric Park (whose own retreat reflections are detailed on his blog), I left feeling a bit of a spiritual vacuum. Perhaps I went to Ligonier with unrealistic expectations. I had hoped to find some holy time and space for directed spiritual renewal. Instead, I got advice about how to change my congregation. These are not unrelated results, of course, but they're not identical.

Systems theory itself is not something to be wholeheartedly rejected. This "study of complex systems and relationships", which originated as a philosophy of biological study sometime during the early twentieth century, has done well in pointing out many issues in church and society. It really became the "sexy choice" among analytical theories among church consultants around 1995, a few years (I believe) after it entered the business world. It's sleak, professional, and modern.

The problem is that we are in a postmodern era, and systems theory in this "new world" has limited ability to speak proficiently and prophetically, being so rooted in a twentieth century worldview. Gil Rendle's presentation pointed out the ways in which the world, the church, and ministry has changed, and for the most part, he was correct. But the information and approach is now quite dated. There was little that he shared that wasn't already well known by those if us under, say, 45 years of age. It was old news. It was modern in an age of postmodernity.

In postmodern Christianity, theological language and symbols have a powerful and important place. In systems theory, theology simply doesn't matter.

This - in my humble opinion - has become a mantra in The United Methodist Church, certainly in our own Conference. We can't agree on doctrine, how to interpret it, or how to incarnate it, so we find other ways of uniting and building the church. But while systems theory may help us build profitable businesses or stronger institutions, it can do little in helping build the Kingdom or even in helping pastors become more "relevant". "Pastor as CEO"...how 1985. And this is a model that is lifted up? In an age when CEOs are blamed for wrecking the nation and enjoying "golden parachute" escape packages? This gives new (unintended) meaning to the title of our retreat.

The notion that theology simply doesn't matter was reinforced for me in two instances in which Gil Rendle - whose theology I don't know and whose integrity I do not intend to question - discussed his consulting work with a large Unitarian congregation. Unitarians? Aren't those among the folks we're trying to convert? Why help them build stronger congregations? Why take their money for helping them? Well, if theology doesn't matter - then why not?

Theology matters. Inasmuch as our leaders ignore this, we will continue to stumble and decline as a denomination. Why are afraid to talk about salvation, or holiness, or perfection? Aren't these theological emphases among the reasons there is such a thing as Methodism? Are we so afraid of conflict and struggle, so eager for consensus, that we want to avoid issues which - important though they may be - might arouse the passions of folks in every corner of the theological spectrum?

As the perfect capper to the retreat, I learned near the end (over a meal) that our Rules Committee may suggest a new Conference Rule which may disallow campaigning or endorsement of any kind when it comes to electing delegates to General and Jurisdictional Conference. My prayer is that we defeat this sub-Christian idea. Why would we be so afraid of free, open, respectful debate that we actually ban it? Let's talk about the issues and deal with them, rather than ignoring them in the hopes that when we lift our heads up from the dirt, the danger will be gone.

I pray that in the future, we hold retreats which center on prayer, Scripture, spirituality, and renewal. Why not center on a theological theme at Annual Conference, encouraging respectful dialogue and, if necessary, teaching us how to do it in a faithful, loving manner? Why must we retreat from the theology which has birthed renewal movements throughout the history of the Church, including our own?

Friday Top 10: Best Trick-or-Treat items to receive

1 - 3 Musketeers

2 - Hershey bar

3 - M&Ms

4 - Bottle caps

5 - Kit Kat

6 - Pop rocks

7 - Peppermint Pattie

8 - Plastic spider rings

9 - Fun dip

10 - Plastic vampire teeth

Western PA Conference Clergy retreat

Tomorrow, I'll be heading out of town for a few days in order to participate in a retreat with our Conference clergy, entitled "The Great Escape". The retreat will be held at Antiochian Village Retreat Center in Bolivar, PA, about 30 minutes or so from where I grew up. Former Alban Instititute consultant Gil Rendle will lead us, and the Conference is also bringing in a comedian for entertainment. I'm not sure what the retreat theme will be, but it's good to get away and de-stress with sisters and brothers in Christ.

I'm especially looking forward to three things:

1) There is nothing like the beauty of western Pennsylvania in autumn, and I am quite familiar with the breathtaking scenery of the Laurel Ridge this time of year. The greatness of God's work in creation will be sure to inspire.

2) While I am looking forward to seeing so many of my pastoral colleagues, I am particularly pleased that all the members of my covenant group will be at the retreat together, and we're using the time to catch up, pray, and hold our monthly accountability meeting. Good folks all. Always good to spend time with them.

3) I love worship, and there are several worship opportunities during the week. Included in the schedule is participation in an Eastern Orthodox worship gathering, and I'm giddy just thinking about it! Eastern Orthodox worship is the antithesis of contemporary, consumer-driven "worship lite" compromises, with great Scriptural, historical, and sacramental depth, and I'm certain that our Blessed Triune God will be praised in meaningful, powerful ways!

"The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble!
He sits enthroned upon the cherubim;
let the earth quake!
The LORD is great in Zion;
he is exalted over all the peoples.
Let them praise your great and awesome name!
Holy is he!
The King in his might loves justice.
You have established equity;
you have executed justice
and righteousness in Jacob.
Exalt the LORD our God;
worship at his footstool!
Holy is he!
Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel also was among those who called upon his name.
They called to the LORD, and he answered them.
In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them;
they kept his testimonies and the statute that he gave them.
O LORD our God, you answered them;
you were a forgiving God to them,
but an avenger of their wrongdoings.
Exalt the LORD our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for the LORD our God is holy!"

- Psalm 99 (ESV)

Natural Church Development

Western PA Conference has used the "natural church development" program extensively in the last decade or so. Pioneered in western PA by former church consultant Rev. Sharon Schwab (now superintendent of the Indiana District) and supported wholeheartedly by Bishop Thomas Bickerton and the "Believe Again" staff (put together by our Bishop to lead the restructuring of our Conference), this program has inspired many disciples in our Conference and has seen some success. The program is based on a 1996 book by Christian Schwarz. Personally, I see much good in NCD, though it appears to be an imperfect model (what's the role of doctrine in NCD, for example, or doesn't theology matter?). I am providing a link to a friendly review of the book, found at the "More than Cake" blog. The review is written by my old friend Joe Miller, with whom I was confirmed at Westmont UMC in Johnstown, PA in 1984 and who is today a church planter in the Pacific Northwest. It's an interesting take and worth a read.

Friday Top 10: Worst Trick-or-Treat items to receive

1 - Necco wafers

2 - Bible tracts denouncing Halloween as Satanic (just turn off your porch light and don't participate, folks; it's 2008, not 1308, after all)

3 - Good and Plenty

4 - Home-baked cookies (it's 2008; there's no way parents will let their kids eat these unless they know the baker personally)

5 - Pixie stix (they're good, but they're useless when wet)

6 - Those little wax bottles with weird juice in the middle

7 - Bit-o-Honey

8 - Oh Henry!

9 - Bite-sized candy bars (is it too much to expect the real thing?)

10 - Fruit of any kind (come on...what kid wants fruit when there's so much candy around?)

BONUS:

11 - Circus peanuts

12 - Raisins

13 - Anything coconut

"All Together Now" movie

Friday Top 10: Paul Newman movies

1 - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

2 - Cool Hand Luke (1967)

3 - Hud (1963)

4 - The Sting (1973)

5 - The Hustler (1961)

6 - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)

7 - Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956)

8 - Cars (2006)

9 - Slap Shot (1977)

10 - Hombre (1967)

Caesar, mammon, and all that

News outlets have inundated us with coverage of the current financial and economic woes of Wall Street and other world markets; it's beyond saturation level at this point. Personally, I'm not convinced that Ragnarok is just around the bend. In the midst of seeming global chaos and an uncertain economy, the Spirit of the living God speaks to us. God has not abandoned us; Jesus is still The Answer to the most vital questions of life. The world ponders the serious losses in the world markets this week, and the cries go out that doom approaches. Caesar preoccupies us all.

The truth is, however, that we who serve the one true Lord have already made decisions pertaining to loss, gain, and real security. The epistle lesson from this week's lectionary speaks to us loud and clear:

"...whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ - yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead." - Philippians 3:7-11 (TNIV)

This is not to suggest that we do not need to be in earnest prayer for our world and for all those who will be affected by the financial events of these trying days, particularly the poor; quite the opposite. What it should suggest is that those who number themselves among Jesus' disciples should not be so preoccupied with the doings of Wall Street or Congress that we forget that we have already surrendered everything to our Lord, and that our peace and security will never be found in mammon. Ever. Perhaps God is calling us to a new kind of faithfulness we have never considered, and would prefer to avoid. Perhaps this is an opportunity to refocus, reaffirm, and recommit.

I'm sure of this: if the Church had the same sense of urgency for making disciples that the media and politicians have for "fixing" the economy, we would have a very different Church and live in a very different world.

Farewell Paul Newman

God bless Paul Newman (1925-2008).

Paul Newman was one of filmdom's greatest actors. Nominated for bunches of Oscars (he was awarded 3), he was hugely influential on other actors and helped make several excellent films into iconic movie moments with his astonishing craft. My mother, mother-in-law, and wife all loved him for his physical traits. He died today of cancer.

Some of Newman's best roles included boxer Rocky Marziano in Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956), Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), Fast Eddie Felson in The Hustler (1961) and The Color of Money (1986), the title characters in Hud (1963) and Cool Hand Luke (1967), Henry Gondorff in The Sting (1973), Reg Dunlop in Slapshot (1977 - filmed in Johnstown, PA), Doc Hudson in Cars (2006), and - my personal favorite - Butch Cassidy in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969).

His great performances are only part of his legacy. Newman was one of the first big Hollywood liberals, who donated to and campaigned for various liberal causes through the years, even making it onto Nixon's "enemies list". In our era, when so many obtuse celebrities try to make insipidly vapid "contributions" to the political arena, Newman evermore seems like the real deal. He walked the walk and talked the talk, doing more for charity than perhaps any other celebrity in history with the exception of Jerry Lewis. Additionally, the late Gil Kane, a comic book legend, modeled his character Hal Jordan (the second "Green Lantern") on Paul Newman.

Newman's greatest legacy is his family. When his first marriage ended after 10 years, he married actress Joanne Woodward, and they remained together for fifty years. He had six children; his only son died in the late 1970s from a drug overdose.

I'm sad that Newman has passed and I thank God for his life. He was an inspiration as a family man and as an activist; he helped the lives of so many people through his charitable work; he has left a rich film legacy matched by few other actors in screen history; he will continue to challenge and inspire for years to come.