The Gathering

I am sitting in the Grand Ballroom of the Doubletree Hotel waiting for the few minutes to pass before a new seminar is to begin. Roughly 2,000 Presbyterians are here from all over the country. They came for something called The Gathering. They came for different reasons.

In addition to this seminar there have been multiple small group discussion opportunities. My discussion group is #135. It is made up of pastors and lay people gathered from California, Arizona, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Colorado, Oregon, Georgia, and Texas.

One pastor is committed to sticking it out and ministering in place. One has a congregation that has voted unanimously to pursue a course of separation from the denomination, two pastors serve congregations that are divided if not conflicted on what to do, where to go, and how to respond. One person is newly ordained, only two weeks ago. Another is still in seminary and is exploring how to pursue God’s call upon his life. One is an Irish national pursuing God’s call to minister to a congregation within the United States. Another is striving to minister so boldly within his presbytery that it will transform the presbytery into something that addresses the slow death of the PCUSA. These are my brothers and sisters. They are yours as well.

This is the new reality in which we find ourselves and our churches at this time in the history of our denomination. This is the face of diversity. Diversity has been a term that has been used over the past several decades only to divide the church.

In the midst of this tremendous diversity what is there left to unite us? Historically, there is only one theme around which the Scriptures call us to unite. It is in fact the dividing line between authentic Christian doctrine and something else. It is salvation through Jesus Christ alone. It is the reason the pastor from Arizona has chosen to stick it out and “minister in place,” not because of the calling of Christ alone, but because of the unity the Spirit of God has been able to forge between evangelicals, conservatives, progressives, and liberals when all of them agree on what comes first – Jesus Christ. This is what we are called to as well, to minister where we are, not waiting for “the right climate or circumstances to fall into place, but realizing that people need Jesus NOW – not just when it becomes convenient for us to tell them about him.

The months ahead will bring changes within our structure. We will see or hear of changes around us. One thing will remain constant. Jesus Christ is Lord!

Pastor Craig

Remaking Church

If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears.

-- Glenn Clark

It is time to “remake” church. We have operated too long on too much of the same old traditions. We do that because they give us nice, warm memories about how wonderful it was long ago if not far away. We remember our times, or the times of our children in youth group. We think of retreats, lock-ins, camp songs, and special events. We remember how wonderful they were and we want to recreate that specialness again for a new generation. The problem is the new generation has moved on. They want to create their own memories, not simply relive ours. I do not intend to slam old traditions here. I have some very well entrenched traditions of my own. However, when it comes to where our congregation should be, I find myself quoting the words of Dr. Phil, “How’s that workin’ for ya?”

Youth and young adults these days are more direct than they were even in my generation. I was never allowed to call an adult by their first name, even if I tried to attach a Mr. or Miss to it. I remember VERY clearly being told to tell my father that Garland was on the phone and wished to speak to him. Well, I relayed that exact message to my father and was met with the following response, “That would be Mr. Disharoon for you. Please don’t forget that in the future.” Obviously, a comment and a tone that had a LASTING impression upon me.  

I’m not complaining about the new found familiarity that young people seem to have with adults. On the one hand, I think it helps us bridge the generation gap between adults, young adults, and youth. No, my point is simply that times have definitely changed. Yet, the church, consistently, is among the last place to change with the times.  

In response to my own comments, I am asking you to join me in a new effort in ministry at First Presbyterian Church. Carpathia will adopt the attitude of the RMS Carpathia which prompted the passengers and crew of that ship to put aside all other ordinary tasks when the call for assistance came from the Titanic, steam through the night, and work until all who could be rescued were rescued indeed. We will meet the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 P.M. in the church parlor. We will begin on Thursday, September 1^st. Come and join with us. Come with ideas, but come ready to champion your ideas through your own sweat equity as well. Together may we save all Christ will allow us.

Pastor Craig

COURAGE

“Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow.”

Mary Anne Radmacher

Courage is not just a good idea. It is not the action that is honored in the form of medals, tickertape parades, monuments, or plaques. It has been defined not as the absence of fear but as the clarity of mind and commitment to action in spite of that fear. Probably, for the sake of this brief writing, courage could best be defined as perseverance, possibly even faith.

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of thins not seen. (Hebrews 11:1). Faith involves courage. It is the step forward into the future, not because we know the future, but because we know the one who holds the future in His hands. I don’t know what will happen tomorrow. I do not know what will happen next week. I know what is on my schedule, but I have no assurance the things I have written on my calendar will actually come to pass.

James 4:14 says, You do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little awhile and then vanishes away. We do not know how much time we get on this earth. Though our Creator loves us, we have no guarantee that our plans will succeed. Christian marriages sometimes end in divorce. Christian parents don’t always have kind, gracious, obedient, respectful, loving children. Some Christians are homeless. Other Christians are in prison. Still others do not recover from their illness in spite of all the prayers that are sent to heaven on their behalf. Just why are we Christians, then? What prompts us to faith, perseverance, and courage? I certainly hope it is something more than the fear of a negative afterlife.

Yet, as Christians, we do not hold back. We do not adopt a defeatist attitude. We are not without hope. For every time we fail we recognize Christ’s forgiveness and start fresh. We move forward with a confidence not based in our own abilities, but in the one who forgives us for our mistakes and rebelliousness. Though the day be dark, the one who created the day gives us a completely new one with each sunrise and encourages us to try again.

Pastor Craig

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