2006 in Review, Part 3

In Western PA Conference, what were the big stories of 2006?

Those of us who moved to new appointments, of course, would make that our de facto #1! And, of course, each of us in our specific appointments dealt with issues of great import.

But the following issues tended to be the ones (in my view) which dominated our connectional conversations in our Conference. I've chosen 6, for 2006.

6) Pittsburgh Steelers win the Super Bowl
Our people were certainly affected by the celebrations and joy surrounding the team's first Super Bowl championship in 26 years. Excitement was in the air, and, for many of us, it seemed that Christmas 2005 didn't end until Super Bowl Sunday! What a wonderful distraction!

5) Jeff Greenway & Asbury
Rumors abounded, and much of the rumor mill was surely sinful. In my view, we were given a reminder of the importance of prayer and support for a colleague (and his family); this is part of why we have a connection! I would encourage all of us in Western PA to keep Jeff and his family on our prayer lists in 2007.

4) Celebrating 50 years of ordained Women Clergy in American Methodism
Bishop Violet Fisher was a wonderful leader at our gathering in Grove City. I found the celebrations to be extremely moving, and the recognition of what our female colleagues deal with and have accomplished to be long overdue. I pray we can continue to find ways to fight the rampant sexism in our connection and in the Church Universal, which can prevent women from answering the the Lord's call to pastoral ministry, offend the Spirit of God, and deny the Church some of its brightest possibilities.

3) The "Believe Again" strategic plan
None of us can know if the plan will bear fruit, but I think most of us appreciated the attempt to do something. It's an imperfect plan, to be sure, and will require much tweaking as we move forward, but - Hallelujah! - we're trying.

2) Ongoing mission efforts, esp. regarding Hurricane Katrina
What a blessing to see people mobilized for ministry...real ministry! Hopefully, we learned from our Spirit-led efforts in 2005 and 2006, and will continue missional involvement. I have great hopes for VIM (Volunteers in Mission) in our Conference. This can, and ought to be, be a key to revival in western Pennsylvania.

1) Bishop Bickerton's continuing optimism
We are blessed to have Bishop Bickerton as our episcopal leader. Truly blessed. We may not agree with all of his decisions; we may not agree with every idea he supports. But I believe we have a leader who is really interested in ministry, in trying new things, and in taking risks for the Kingdom. As we move into 2007 and the horrors of General Conference elections and legislation, let's continue to give thanks to the Lord for Bishop Bickerton, and promise to keep our bishop, his family, and his Cabinet in prayer every day.

May God bless each of us and our connection in 2007!

Back to Part 1 (Crosswalk) or Part 2 (Barna).

2006 in Review, Part 2

Far more interesting than Crosswalk's 2006 review is George Barna's list of the 12 Most Significant Religious Findings in 2006. I don't always agree with Barna, and sometimes find him quite irrelevant, but here are some gems in his report:

* "Although large majorities of the public claim to be “deeply spiritual” and say that their religious faith is “very important” in their life, only 15% of those who regularly attend a Christian church ranked their relationship with God as the top priority in their life. As alarming as that finding was, its significance was magnified by research showing that on average pastors believe that 70% of the adults in their congregation consider their relationship with God to be their highest priority in life."

* "The notion of personal holiness has slipped out of the consciousness of the vast majority of Christians. While just 21% of adults consider themselves to be holy, by their own admission large numbers have no idea what “holiness” means and only one out of every three (35%) believe that God expects people to become holy." (This should be particualrly alarming to those of us of Wesleyan tenor, who have for 250 years emphasized the idea of "scriptural holiness".)

* "Evaluating spiritual maturity remains an elusive process for clergy as well as individuals. Across the nation, the only measure of spiritual health used by at least half of all pastors was the extent of volunteer activity or ministry involvement. Adults were no more consistent in their self-examination of their spirituality."

* "Seven out of ten parents claim they are effective at developing the spiritual maturity of their children, but the Barna survey among 8-to-12-year-olds discovered that only one-third of them say a church has made “a positive difference” in their life; one-third contend that prayer is very important in their life; most of them would rather be popular than to do what is morally right. In fact, “tweeners” (those ages 8 to 12) deem their family to be vitally important in their life, but just 57% said they look forward to spending time with their family and only one out of every three say it is easy for them to talk to their parents about things that matter to them."

* "Relatively few people – just one out of every six – believe that spiritual maturity is meant to be developed within the context of a local church or within the context of a community of faith." (As Sting sang in 1991, "Men go crazy in congregations; they only get better one by one.")

There are some real challenges here. I don't think the institutional Church is of much help in addressing these issues; our Charge Conference forms and statistical reports don't ask how we are dealing with these and other substantive issues, being far more concerned about the minutiae of how much money was collected in loose change as opposed to offering envelopes, and the like.

Thankfully, in Western PA Conference, our bishop seems to have the desire to lead change. He doesn't seem to want to free us from institutional shackles as much as redefine those "shackles" to include freedom, creativity, and a recapturing of the missional heart.

The concern, of course, is that we simply redfine the institution while still being shackled by its heavy responibilities (not all of which are negative, of course). So, a new year's prayer for Bishop Bickerton and the Conference is in order. Let's keep praying in 2007!

On to Part 3 (Western PA Conference) or back to Part 1 (Crosswalk).

2006 in Review, Part 1

Crosswalk News, a Christian news outlet, has made a list of the Top 10 Religion Stories of 2006, and it seems to me to be a bit problematic. It should be qualified that the perspective is distinctly American conservative evangelical.

10) Navy chaplain’s fight to pray in Jesus’ name
9) Darfur conflict ongoing; some Christian ministries leaving the area
8) Christian movies keep coming (End of the Spear, The Nativity, Facing the Giants)
7) Israeli/Lebanese conflict
6) Gnosticism Returns (Gospel of Judas & Da Vinci Code film)
5) Muslims offended by Danish cartoons; Pope’s speech
4) Episcopal Church divisions & losses
3) Rick Warren in the middle of divisive issues (global warming, AIDS, etc.)
2) Ted Haggard steps down from pastorate and Nat'l Assoc. of Evangelicals
1) Amish response to Pennsylvania schoolhouse shooting

I am pleased with their #1 choice, which should teach the Church a great deal about vengeance and forgiveness, but I am curious about a few omissions.

Certainly, Iraq was still a major faith issue in 2006. Where is it on the list?

How about the 2006 elections, in which evangelicals bolted the GOP in large numbers to hand Congressional control to the Democrat party?

Or the global warming debate, which was all over the news as never before?

Or the ongoing waste of time that is the "intelligent design" debate"?

Or the continuing problems associated with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina?

Or the ongoing problems with global poverty and AIDS?

I suppose no list is perfect, and if Crosswalk's list helps to spur reflection, then it may yet be a positive list.

On to Part 2 (Barna) or Part 3 (Western PA Conference).

A New Year

"Blow ye the trumpet, blow! The gladly solemn sound
let all the nations know, to earth's remotest bound:
The year of jubilee is come!
The year of jubilee is come!
Return, ye ransomed sinners, home!

"Jesus, our great high priest,
hath full atonement made;
ye weary spirits, rest; ye mournful souls, be glad:
The year of jubilee is come! The year of jubilee is come!
Return, ye ransomed sinners, home!

"Extol the Lamb of God, the all atoning Lamb;
redemption in his blood throughout the world proclaim!
The year of jubilee is come! The year of jubilee is come!
Return, ye ransomed sinners, home!

"Ye slaves of sin and hell, your liberty receive,
and safe in Jesus dwell, and blest in Jesus live:
The year of jubilee is come! The year of jubilee is come!
Return, ye ransomed sinners, home!

"Ye who have sold for nought your heritage above
shall have it back unbought, the gift of Jesus' love:
The year of jubilee is come! The year of jubilee is come!
Return, ye ransomed sinners, home!

"The gospel trumpet hear, the news of heavenly grace;
and saved from earth, appear before your Savior's face:
The year of jubilee is come! The year of jubilee is come!
Return to your eternal home!"

- Charles Wesley

What I Got for Christmas

Robyn got me a harmonica. I played years ago, and not very well, but I've wanted to master the "mouth organ" for some time now. I'd love to sit with my guitar and "blues harp" and be like Bob Dylan. Ahh, to write songs half as good as Dylan! At any rate, I'm looking forward to this new musical venture. Robyn also got me a pedometer as I try and get myself in better shape in the new year, and she also cooked a fantastic Christmas dinner.

Christian got me a John Wayne / Maureen O'Hara DVD (Rio Grande, their first work together, the finale in director John Ford's excellent "cavalry trilogy", and arguably the trio's best collaboration)...Kate got me a pumpkin spice candle...Claire got me a reading light for late night reading...Elliot got me a Steelers pen. All nice stuff.

My mother got me a Barnes & Noble gift card, which I used yesterday to pick up Michael Crichton's latest book, Next. I've always enjoyed Crichton's style of techno-thriller. While I read a lot of theology and "practical" ministry stuff, I also read a lot of fiction, and would love to someday (maybe in retirement) write a novel.

My brother and his wife got me U2's Wide Awake in America on CD, which I actually purchased on vinyl record on the day of its release in 1986; aside from two good studio songs (including the super-fun "Three Sunrises"), it also has killer live versions of "Bad" and "A Sort of Homecoming". I've always loved Wide Awake in America because I saw U2 for the first time on their Unforgettable Fire tour, and having these live recordings from that tour takes me back. My niece got me a "world peace" magnet for my car.

Robyn's folks got me an IUP hoodie and an Edinboro shirt, both neat. The hoodie is really comfortable and warm. They also got us a "Netfix" membership, which we'll really enjoy. Robyn's sister got me several gift cards for Sheetz and Subway (meatball subs rock).

All in all, a good Christmas.

This week, I'm on vacation, so it's been very nice to just spend time with Robyn and the kids. We've seen some family, and will visit with some friends in the days ahead. Relaxation and rest, it seems to me, can be necessary, almost sacramental practices which we don't practice enough!

"He leads me beside waters of rest." - Psalm 23:2

Christmas Conference

This week in 1784, Methodist preachers in America met at Lovely Lane Chapel in Baltimore at the now famous "Christmas Conference". Francis Asbury wrote in his Journal:

"Friday, December 24, 1784: ...[I]t was agreed to form ourselves into an Episcopal Church, and to have superintendents, elders, and deacons. When the conference was seated, Dr. Coke and myself were unanimously elected to the superintendency of the Church, and my ordination followed ...We spent the whole week in conference, debating freely, and determining all things by a majority of votes... We were in great haste, and did much business in a little time."

Thomas Coke, already ordained in the Church of England, had been previously consecrated to the "superintendency" by John Wesley. Under the leadership of Bishop Coke and (especially) Bishop Asbury, American Methodism grew to become the largest religious movement in the United States, a role it lost in the twentieth century.

Christmas is thus an especially important holiday for American Methodists, since we celebrate not only the birth of Our Lord, but also the formalization of Methodist organization in the United States.

Theologically, there is much to be discussed concerning the ordinations which took place in Baltimore two hundred twenty-two years ago. Were these ordinations and Asbury's consecration valid? Was "apostolic succession" broken, and does that matter?

Here are some interesting resources regarding apostolic succession in American Methodism...

* UM Bishops Ordination Chain (PDF) from the General Board of Archives & History

* Methodism & Apostolic Succession by Gregory Neal, senior pastor of First UMC of Seagoville, TX

Using these two pieces of information, an ordained United Methodist pastor can trace his or her ordination through Asbury, Coke, and Wesley and back to the apostles.

NFL Rankings - Week 16

1 - San Diego Chargers (last week 1)

2 - Indianapolis Colts (last week 2)

3 - Baltimore Ravens (last week 4)

4 - Chicago Bears (last week 3)

5 - New England Patriots (last week 5)

6 - New Orleans Saints (last week 6)

7 - Philadelphia Eagles (last week 10)

8 - Seattle Seahawks (last week 8)

9 - New York Jets (last week unranked)

10 - Cincinnati Bengals (last week 7)

Honorable mentions:
Dallas Cowboys (last week 9), Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans

Merry Christmas

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it...
He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him.
But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God,
who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth."

- John 1:1-5, 10-14 (NRSV)

Farewell James Brown

God bless James Brown, one of the 20th century's most dynamic and important musicians. The "Godfather of Soul" influenced just about every musician who came after him, and earned the epithet "the Hardest Working Man in Show Business". The world is a better place for his music, and I thank God on this Christmas Day that we'll enjoy the music of James Brown for as long as the human race survives.

Thank God for James Brown.

The Christmas Miracle

"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.'
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!'"

- Luke 2:1-14 (KJV)

Merry Christmas from U2

Top 10 Christmas movies

1 - It's A Wonderful Life (1946)

2 - A Christmas Story (1983)

3 - Scrooge / A Christmas Carol (1951)

4 - Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

5 - Die Hard (1988)

6 - Holiday Inn (1942)

7 - Scrooged (1988)

8 - The Santa Clause (1994)

9 - The Preacher's Wife (1996)

10 - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)


Honorable mentions:
Batman Returns (1992)
Love Actually (2003)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
The Polar Express (2004)
White Christmas (1954)

Top 10 Christmas TV specials

1 - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)

2 - A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

3 - Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)

4 - Frosty the Snowman (1969)

5 - The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)

6 - Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey (1977)

7 - Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (1970)

8 - 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (1971)

9 - Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too (1991)

10 - The Little Drummer Boy (1968)

Honorable mentions:
Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (1978)
Jack Frost (1979)
Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)

Top 10 Christmas Albums (CDs)

1 - We Wish You a Merry Christmas by the Ray Conniff Singers (1962)

2 - Merry Christmas by Johnny Mathis (1958)

3 - Christmas! The Beatmas by the Rubber Band (1996)

4 - A Charlie Brown Christmas by the Vince Guaraldi Trio (1965)

5 - Christmas with the Chipmunks, Vol. 1 (1962) & Vol. 2 (1963)

6 - A Very Special Christmas by various artists (1987)

7 - Time-Life Treasury of Christmas by various artists

8 - Now That's What I Call Christmas! by various artists (2001)

9 - When My Heart Finds Christmas by Harry Connick, Jr. (1993)

10 - A Christmas Album by Amy Grant (1983)

Merry Christmas from Harry Reasoner

"The basis for this tremendous annual burst of gift buying and parties and near hysteria is a quiet event that Christians believe actually happened a long time ago. You can say that in all societies there has always been a midwinter festival and that many of the trappings of our Christmas are almost violently pagan. But you come back to the central fact of the day and quietness of Christmas morning - the birth of God on earth.

"It leaves you only three ways of accepting Christmas.

"One is cynically, as a time to make money or endorse the making of it.

"One is graciously, the appropriate attitude for non-Christians, who wish their fellow citizens all the joys to which their beliefs entitle them.

"And the third, of course, is reverently. If this is the anniversary of the appearance of the Lord of the universe in the form of a helpless babe, then it is a very important day.

"It's a startling idea, of course. My guess is that the whole story that a virgin was selected by God to bear His Son as a way of showing His love and concern for man is not an idea that has been popular with theologians. It's a somewhat illogical idea, and theologians like logic almost as much as they like God. It's so revolutionary a thought that it probably could only come from a God that is beyond logic, and beyond theology.

"It has a magnificent appeal. Almost nobody has seen God, and almost nobody has any real idea of what He is like. And the truth is that among men the idea of seeing God suddenly and standing in a very bright light is not necessarily a completely comforting and appealing idea.

"But everyone has seen babies, and most people like them. If God wanted to be loved as well as feared he moved correctly here. If He wanted to know His people as well as rule them, He moved correctly here, for a baby growing up learns all about people. If God wanted to be intimately a part of man, He moved correctly, for the experiences of birth and familyhood are our most intimate and precious experiences.

"So it goes beyond logic. It is either all falsehood or it is the truest thing in the world. It's the story of the great innocence of God the baby - God in the form of man - and has such a dramatic shock toward the heart that if it is not true, for Christians, nothing is true.

"So, if a Christian is touched only once a year, the touching is still worth it, and maybe on some given Christmas, some final quiet morning, the touch will take."

- TV news commentator Harry Reasoner

(quoted in "Illustrations Unlimited",

J.S. Hewett, ed., Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1988,

76-77)

Merry Christmas from Sting

Merry Christmas from Nat King Cole

Family

I wanted to post a blog about a subject I don't blog about too frequently, perhaps not often enough...my family.

I am exceedingly proud of my family.

My wife Robyn is absolutely stunning, too beautiful for words, and her compassion, merciful spirit and nurturing ways defy description. After having four children (she can't keep her hands off me), she worked hard (and continues to do so) to get into shape, and...oh, my. Incredibly, her physical charms pale in comparison to her emotional and spiritual strengths. She is the finest wife and mother anyone could ever hope for, and many times I've been asked, "How on earth did you land her?" (That started back in 1989, when Dayton asked that question when Robyn and I started dating.)

Our four children are a blessing (in every sense of the word...), and have brought great joy and exhaustion to our lives. Christian is now 16 (I can't believe that) and will soon be driving, and is very active in the high school band (trumpet) and in the drama department. He's looking forward to driving...God help us...and the school musical this spring, assuming his grades are acceptable. Kate is 12 going on 25, and loves New York City, Broadway, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and several movie stars. She sings and plays both violin and flute, excelling in music in every way she's tried. She's also very interested in politics and history, and follows the election cycles with great interest. Claire is 9 and is still in love with being a little girl. She's sweet, but has a temper that would scare the devil himself, and can be unbelievebaly loud for such a little thing! She loves playing piano and also loves her guinea pig, Cookie. Elliot, 5, is our little madman, who can also be sweet but often has no time for that. He has a devilish twinkle in his eye and is a really cute little boy. He loves cars (he loved the Pixar movie), dinosaurs, and animals of every kind. Thankfully, all of our children look like Robyn, which makes them good looking kids. Their obnoxious sides come from me.

We have three pets...the guinea pig Cookie, the rabbit Snowball, and, the main man, our dog (a minature poodle) Twister. Twister is now 10. We got him while serving near Punxsutawney, PA, from a breeder in...ironically...Jefferson Hills. While driving through the area, I said to Robyn, "Wouldn't this be a nice place to serve?" The Spirit moves in surprisingly humorous ways. At any rate, Twister is a great dog and a true, valued member of the family. There are two kinds of people in the world...cat people, and people who believe in God. Dogs rule!

We've been attending holiday concerts at our children's schools, and while it has been tiring at times, it's been very nice. I'm very, very thankful to have my family, and, despite the typical growing pains which most families experience, to be generally free of major problems (other than the horrible taste in music my children seem to have). I thank God this Christmas for the blessing of my family, and pray his protection upon us all, and the persevering grace of the Holy Spirit, that my children would grow into people who know, love, serve, and walk with Jesus, all the days of their lives and into eternity.

The Blessed Virgin

"Behold, from henceforth all generations
shall call me blessed;
for he who is mighty hath done for me great things,
and holy is his name!" - Luke 1:48-49

Mary's song (traditionally known as "the Magnificat") is rich with ideas and theological points. Surely, among the reasons the Father chose Mary and Joseph to raise Jesus was their extreme piety and close walks with the Lord. If it is the writer/editor of the Gospel of Luke who is primarily responsible for this wonderful song, then kudos to him (either way, it is the Holy Spirit who is ultimately responsible for the contents of Scripture).

In verses 48-49 of Luke 1, two things strike me, particularly as I prayerfully prepare to preach on this pericope (Sunday 9:30 AM).

First, being "blessed" by the Lord may not always be a "walk in the park". Elizabeth said to Mary in verse 42, "Blessed art thou among women...", and in this passage, Mary affirms the blessing. Think of it: Mary was probably 12 or 13 years old, single, poor, pregnant though not married, and living in a culture where this sort of thing meant at least ostracism, and possibly worse. This blessing could have turned into the end of any hopes she had of living a relatively normal life as a productive member of society. Blessings are not always what they seem.

The second thing that strikes me is that Mary is blessed not because she is pregnant, but because she is being used by the Holy Spirit to help accomplish God's plan. Though it's unlikely Mary understood all that was to happen in the future - what exactly her child would do and how he would liberate Israel - she walked in faith (a wondrously frightening thing to do) and chose to not only accept her role in God's plan, but to praise God for the blessing of being a part of the salvation story.

Mary stands as a shining example of a faithfully-lived life; she lived in humble obedience to God, and truly embodies (for me) John Wesley's covenant prayer...

"I am no longer my own, but thine.

Put me to what thou wilt,

rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing,

put me to suffering.

Let me be employed by thee

or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee

or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things,

let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things

to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God,
thou art mine, and I am thine.
So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen. "

NFL Rankings - Week 15

1 - San Diego Chargers (last week 1...still the Super Bowl favorites)

2 - Indianapolis Colts (last week 2...they played very well on Monday night, but I don't think they can get past San Diego)

3 - Chicago Bears (last week 3...still the best in a woeful NFC)

4 - Baltimore Ravens (last week 6)

5 - New England Patriots (last week 5...Brady, the most successful QB of the 21st century, was ROBBED of a trip to the Pro Bowl)

6 - New Orleans Saints (last week 4...still second best in the NFC...Drew Brees is the only challenge LT has for MVP, and Coach Payton is clearly Coach of the Year)

7 - Cincinnati Bengals (last week 7)

8 - Seattle Seahawks (last week 8)

9 - Dallas Cowboys (last week 9...TO should be banned from the NFL)

10 - Philadelphia Eagles (last week unranked...Coach Reid and QB Garcia are doing a TREMENDOUS job of keeping them in the mix since McNabb's injury)

Honorable mentions:
Atlanta Falcons (who are imploding), Buffalo Bills (who are showing real promise for next season), Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants (who, like the Falcons, are imploding), New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers

Gold stars to:
San Francisco 49ers and Tennessee Titans...two teams whose good coaches are keeping them from the league basement

Hat tip to:
Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers...quite possibly the toughest man ever to play team sports, and certainly one of the most entertaining athletes to watch, I hope he plays at least one more season