One Purpose

It seems there are so many things to tear the church apart these days. There are churches that have women pastors and officers. There are others that forbid them. There are Christians of all denominational flavors who are Pro-Choice, and there are others who are staunchly Pro-Life. You will find Christians on both sides of the issue regarding capital punishment. You can find Democrat Christians or Republican Christian. You can even find Tea Party, Independent, Libertarian, and Green Party Christians, just to name a few.

There are Christians who are separated by mode of baptism, theology of communion, stand on gay rights and the place of gays and lesbians in the worshipping community. We separate ourselves by worship styles and views on spiritual gifts. It is fairly easy to see why some people might avoid church. They already have all the turmoil and tension in their life they need!

The Apostle Paul doesn’t seem to recognize any of these divisions. If he does recognize them in other places, here he seems to say there is a higher calling. In fact he centers the Church and its mission on one, clear, concise vision.

“Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.”

                Philippians 2:2

Paul wants the Church to share one grand and holy purpose – to share the love, compassion, and forgiveness of Jesus Christ with all the world. If we recognize the problem of humanity as first and foremost a poverty of spirituality and a broken relationship with our Creator, then the solution to the problem is obvious. In fact Jesus Christ says there is no other solution, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by me.”

I won’t say the other things don’t matter, but I will say they become much less important once we get our number one priority settled. Once that is set, the other things tend to fall into place. Once that is set, we begin to put all the other issues in their proper priority as well. Once that is set, we realize we can indeed work with someone who believes quite differently on some theological points because we can agree on that point which has the utmost importance.

Pastor Craig

Search & Rescue

Our mission trip to New Orleans was amazing. Almost six years after Hurricane Katrina virtually destroyed a major US city there is still much work to be dome. Approximately 200,000 of the residents of New Orleans are still living away from their former home. Some of them, like a college classmate of my own, have vowed never to do something so stupid as to “live below sea level again!” Others long to return to one of America’s most unique cities.

Project Homecoming put seven teams comprised of 50+ people into the Central City and East New Orleans areas. My site was a home on AP Tureaud St. We painted, insulated, finished carpentry and generally cleaned up the area around the home.

Other teams began homes from the ground up. Still others sided homes that had already ben framed out. We worked with day camps for children, helped teachers get their classes ready for school, and generally brought hope through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

One symbol was common everywhere we went. It was a symbols of both hope and despair. It was painted thousands upon thousands of homes, remaining there from 2005 until today in the homes that are still unoccupied. The “X” you see at the top of this page has information regarding the day the property was searched, the status of the utilities at the time of the search, the team conducting the search, and a count of the corpses found inside the house. In the midst of this sea of destruction it was amazing the number of zeros there were for homes containing corpses.

However, the symbol reminded me that Christ is always on a search and rescue mission of his own. He comes seeking you and me. He comes every day. He comes calling us to respond to the command of the gospel to go into all the world and make disciples. His symbol looks something like this.

The question mark is asking the question of what Christ will find when he comes to search your life. Will he find a heart willing to respond to his call to go where he sends? Or, will he find only excuses? When government has forgotten most of the victims of Katrina in the six years since the disaster, it is a blessing to them to know that Christ and his Church have not.

Pastor Craig

What Will You Do When You Are Through?

What will you do when you are through? Today is Friday, July 29th. We have completed the last work day of our Youth In Mission trip to New Orleans. Tomorrow we head home, back to the lives we led before we arrive here - 23 people, some of whom had never met before, all of whom we will never forget.

What happens when one goes home? After such an event as this, can one ever truly go back to what was in their life before? We hope we will go on ministering. We know it won't be in the exact same way as we have been able to minister here. We will be confronted with the demands of school, family, and work. There will demands and requests for our time and energy. We will have to choose. We will have to set priorities. You see, ministry is one of those things that usually gets our left over energy. We spend it on our job, our families, our hobbies - then, AND ONLY THEN, we seek time to minister. Usually, by that time, we are as drained as we are from a workday in the New Orleans heat and humidity.

There is a picture at the top of this post. On my right is Mr. Charles Wilmore. On my left is Mr. Feltus Lee. Mr. Wilmore is 76. Mr. Lee is almost 88. They spent their summer assisting in a day camp with several dozen screaming, caffinated, highly energetic children. They could have, maybe they even wanted to, let the day softly stretch by as they rocked on their front porch at home. They could have watched television, gone down to the Senior Center, visited friends in the neighborhood, or played checkers under the shade of a huge live oak tree in the park as I remember so many of the older men doing in front of the courthouse in Winder, Georgia where I grew up.

Charles and Feltus, I did ask permission to be on a first name basis with them, chose to jump right in the middle of all those kids. They chose that because they realized they are not through, that God has something great and grand yet in their lives, that in the middle of the hurt and pain of New Orleans he has called them to spread hope.

Are you through with life? Please, I hope not. God has great and wonderful work he is doing all over the world, some of it in New Orleans, some of it in far off and exotic sounding places, but much of it in your neighbors' houses, among the hungry and the homeless in your own community, in the heart of the person you see at work who has yet to experience what Christ can do in their life if they will only let Him. However, to be that person, to do that ministry means getting up out of your chair, turning off the television, and making ministry a priority. It means also deciding on your ministry group, place and purpose, but, please, don't be through!

Pastor Craig

Lessons From the Oaks

I learned something this past week. Well, I guess I learn something every week. It’s just that sometimes the things I learn have a greater impact.

William Bryant Logan writes in Oak “In some forests, oak trees of compatible species graft their roots together and ‘become one flesh.’ Through their shared root system, the stronger, dominant trees may provide the weaker trees with nutrients. In this way, even the roots of stumps can continue to live and contribute to the forest.”

That’s kind of like the body of Christ, isn’t it? There are days, times, periods in your life where you are the mighty oak, supplying nutrients and life to those who seem to be running short on both. There are other days, times, or periods of your life where you feel sapped (Sorry, but I had to do that.) of all energy and hope for life and future. It is at those key moments that another part of the body of Christ comes along to pick you up and increase your hope, indeed your very life! My guess is that you are thinking about someone specifically who has been that tremendous blessing to you.

Even more appropriate is Christ’s own claim in John 15:5; I am the vine, you are the branches. We’ve known that all along. We can certainly tell the difference when we cut ourselves off from other believers, when we ignore fellowship and do not tend to our spiritual relationships, when we neglect times of prayer and Scripture reading. It doesn’t take long, after we pull our roots away from the source of our spiritual nurture, before we become spiritually unhealthy.

Jesus Christ is that never-ending spring of eternal life and love and hope that continues to well up within us even when times say it should be otherwise. It is through the Spirit of Christ that we continue to live, move, and have our being (Acts 17:28). Even when we don’t connect well with one another, we can be connected to Jesus Christ who nourishes us all and provides us with life now and life eternal!

Pastor Craig

Who Sings a Song About You?

There is a wonderful quote in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I think most of you will be able to pick up on the essence of the quote even if you’ve never seen the movies or read the books. However, just maybe it will inspire you to do both!

Sam: I wonder if we'll ever be put into songs or tales.

Frodo: What?

Sam: I wonder if people will ever say, 'Let's hear about Frodo and the Ring.' And they'll say 'Yes, that's one of my favorite stories. Frodo was really courageous, wasn't he, Dad?' 'Yes, my boy, the most famousest of hobbits. And that's saying a lot.'

Frodo: You've left out one of the chief characters - Samwise the Brave. I want to hear more about Sam. Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam.

Sam: Now Mr. Frodo, you shouldn't make fun; I was being serious.

Frodo: So was I.

Many of you, like Frodo and Sam on their journey to Mordor have come far. Most of you try to give credit to those many people who have helped you along the way. However, many more of you have failed to see how the Spirit has used you in the lives of others. Just like Sam, you think of yourself as baggage than bravery, more hindrance than helper. Yet, you are a child of God. We sing that chorus almost every week. It is a chorus of triumph and victory, not one of defeat or despair.

If you have given yourself to Jesus Christ you are under the power of the Holy Spirit. You are being used of God is ways small and large, obvious and obscure (at least obscure to you!)

Sam’s main gift was availability. He was willing to pour his life out to the last measure to assist Frodo in his quest to destroy the One Great Ring. He was nothing but an instrument, but it was that very attitude that made him the most valuable instrument of the whole journey.

This week, I want you to do a couple things. First, contact one of the Sam people in your life and tell them how much they have helped you along the journey of your life. Second, if even for only one day of this next week, put yourself ENTIRELY at the disposal of some other cause or person that can never return the favor for you. Pour yourself out on some great quest for others. If you choose to accept this challenge, I would love to hear about it in the weeks ahead!

Pastor Craig

What Is a Church?

What is a church? I could have asked, “What is The Church?” That is a very different question. When we talk about The Church we talk about all the believers in Jesus Christ regardless of denominational affiliation, differing theologies, languages, races, cultures, ethnic groups. The Church has no boundaries. The Church has no need for a building, nor does it even want one. The Church hopes, loves, believes, and welcomes without prejudice.

Then there is “a church.” A church is a local assembly made up of broken and failing people. It is a collection of sinners, saved by the grace of God through Jesus Christ. A church is a collection of walking wounded warriors sent out to do battle with injustice, Sin and sins, prejudice, hatred, guilt, evil, Satan himself. Yes, there is a real Satan. No, he probably isn’t red with horns and carrying a pitchfork. Yes, he is personal, meaning he has a personality.

A church is a group of children called to take on and fight legions of enemy warriors. A church involves people called to make a difference. A church is never satisfied. It yearns and longs for purpose and mission. A church is people like you, called by their Creator to do tremendous things.

A church is sent. Maybe that is the best way to think about it. A church is not called. Here, I know some of my Christian brothers and sisters will take issue with me. They will say, “Well, of course The Church is called! How could you say it is not?” For this purpose today remember this – a calling is to something. We are called to come to Jesus Christ for salvation, equipping, gifting, and commissioning. After that we are sent! We were never meant to be limited to just the Call. The Sending part ALWAYS follows the Calling part. God calls us to Himself to prepare us to do something in His name. That’s the sending part.

The mission of a church, even The Church, is never limited to looking through the windows and feeling sorry for all the people who may not know Jesus as we do. A church is a group of people who are committed to take care of and support one another for the express purpose of making a difference in the lives of the people who are on the other side of the glass through which we look.

A church is never guaranteed a future. It is called and sent into the present with all its resources and assets at the disposal of the mission of making a difference to those outside of the comfort and peace of salvation. Where will you be sent to make a difference this week?

Pastor Craig

An Open Letter Concerning the Recent Decision of the PCUSA

Below is a letter to the congregation I serve in Texas. The recent decision of the Presbyterian Church (USA) left the denomination adrift and at the mercies of culture and the whims of society rather than calling society back to the considerations of Scripture.

In August of this year (2011) there will be a meeting in Minneapolis of people who feel they are no longer welcome within their own denomination. Please be in prayer for that meeting. It is more important than any of us realize at this point. What is done, or not done, will effect millions of Presbyterians across the country and strongly impact the nature and ministry of the entire denomination. The letter is below. I would value your response to it.

June 1, 2011

First, I would like to say that the Presbyterian form of government is an awesome thing. We saw several unique and foundational principles from the Book of Order put into play on Sunday. My favorite comes from G-1.0301(a). “God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in anything contrary to his Word, or beside it, in matters of faith or worship.” In other words, we don’t have to agree. We can take different points of view on issues, even many points of theology, and no pastor, session, church, or denomination can say “you can’t do, believe, or say that” with any authority other than that which the Word of God or the Spirit of God would give of their own authority. It is an awesome foundational principle.

Ultimately, we MUST recognize one another as family. God gives us no other option. He has put us together, and when all the debate and discussion is over, that is where, if possible, God wants us to continue to stand.

I hope this explains why I consider this Minneapolis meeting so important. There are people within the PCUSA (yes, I am one of them) who no longer feel welcome in their own denomination. Viewpoints and theologies which were, at one time foundational pillars of Presbyterianism, seem to have been cast aside by popular vote. In some cases, entire congregations feel this with such intensity that they have requested dismissal from the Presbyterian Church (USA). The meeting in Minneapolis is not a meeting for or of those seeking to leave the denomination. None of the representatives or planning team members are planning to separate themselves from the PCUSA. The conference is an effort to find a place to stand within the denomination, not apart from it.

We are not aligning ourselves with one side or the other simply by our attendance at the conference. We are making a desperate attempt to save our family of faith from division. The worst thing we could possibly do is to remain unengaged, uninvolved, and uninformed. Attendance at this conference says in a loud, clear voice to our members, our presbytery, and our denomination that we want to do all that we can to continue our historical connection to the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Peace,
Pastor Craig