The religion of Sports

Disclaimer (I always seem to have a lot of these): I am a fan of sports- I like them a lot, and I watch sports often. I'm not knocking sports.

I am a die hard Boston Red Sox fan! I was so happy on Wednesday, October 27! I almost wet myself when the final out was made- ok, so maybe not quite that extreme. But you get the idea- 86 years was too long to wait- the 23 years of my life was too long to wait to see my team hoist the coveted World Champion trophy over their heads!

I am also a New England Patriots fan, and have been as long as I've been even remotely interested in football. I was proud to be able to gloat in faces when they beat the Rams in 2002- particularly one person who told me that "the score is going to be 28-0 for the Rams... at the end of the first quarter!" Well- shoving in his face the Patriots unlikely victory was huge- and then another two years later was wonderful.

I was too young to remember other Boston sports victories... The celtics partcularly, for the Bruins have not won since before I was born. I even watched the New England Revolution play for the MLS cup a few years back- which was pretty cool.

And I love more than just Boston sports- I went to Messiah College. And do they ever have quality sports programs- Soccer teams consistently in the top 25 with 2 national championships for the men when I was a student- Basketball teams that had our women going to the national championship one year when i was there, and always a competitor.

Point being- I think sports are cool. I think they make life more interesting. When I had roommates whom I seemed to have nothing in common with, sports was there. But where do we draw the line of importance? I live in PA- and the big thing I hear a lot of people talk about is the religion of Penn State. And I know it's worse elsewhere. I had a professor from Alabama who loved it when ESPN did a special about how above all the churches there are in Alabama, none is as large or has people as die hard committed to it as the Alabama football stadium.

So do we have a religious affiliation of sports? In our society, atheletes are among the highest paid individuals, with the highest profile, and with the greatest ability to sell items. Everyone wants to be like Michael Jordan, so when he advertises something, we do not hesitate to buy it. Sundays are spent all too often, particularly in the fall, in front of the television- watching the sacred NFL do it's thing. 1.5 million people showed up for the Patriots parade through Boston- and there are estimates of upwards of 5 million for the Red Sox parade through town.

Could it be that we have a higher devotion to our sports than we do to our church- nay, our God? My fiancee used to be a cheerleader, and with the younger children's football/cheerleader programs in this area, there were Sunday games sometimes. And her parents told her that if there was a Sunday game, she sat on the bench for the first half because there was no way she was leaving church early or skipping church to be there. But we see people now who have unquestioned devotion to their sport.

One person in our congregation shared with me they wouldn't be in church one sunday because of the student's soccer game. They told me that it was the only Sunday game, so the only Sunday he would miss. If it were me, it's the only Sunday game, so it's the only game I have to miss because of church. Which is the priority here? I understand comittment to something you're involved in, but should our devotion and comittment to God be higher than anything else? Are we soccer players first, and then Christians?

My friend once said that he'd rather be a soccer coach than a youth pastor- and after hearing his reasons, I agree. I must tone down my required comittment, must tone down how much I require because I work within the church. A soccer coach can have unquestioned comittment, and require some of the toughest things from their players, but I cannot because, ultimately, church is an option for people.

It's easier to comitt 20 hours a week to soccer practice and games than it is to comitt 2 hours to church, or youth group. Somewhere in recent years, 20 hours of comittment became more acceptable and easier than 2-4 hours. And yet people will still pay lip service and tell you that Church and God are the most important thing in their lives.

Action speak louder than words, people.

Who belongs in Church?

The other night, my fiancee and I went to visit some friends of hers who work with a para-church mostly missions group. They are on a travelling team with this group and they do shows in the places they travel to. So, when they were doing one of their shows about an hour away from us, and my fiancee hadn't seen these friends in a long time, we took the opportunity to go.

The show was put on at a church, as I guess they do pretty commonly. and as far as I know, these are intended very much to be outreach. After the show, one of the guys got up and shared from his heart, and invited people to know Jesus.

I know what you're thinking if you've read anythign here before- ok- what's the trouble. Well, even though the missions group will remain unnamed, what I want to get out today is about the church. I had never been there before, never knew it existed or anything. I was there for one reason- to visit, along with my fiancee, some of her friends. And getting a chance to see the show was pretty decent, too. But as I entered this church, I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting.

What I saw was nothing. I mean, from the people. We got inside the door- and people, who had never seen us before in their lives, just walked past us as though they hadn't seen us. I hesitate to say that they ignored us, but... I attempted to make eye contact with some people, and I was expecting someone to walk up to me and at least greet me- especially since i'd never been there before.

I saw one person nod at me while I was waiting for Rae to come out of the bathroom, and about 10 minutes after we sat down, one, as in the lonely number, person greeeted me. This would have been ok, except this guy was apparently in a rush, he stopped quickly at the table, shook my hand and asked my name- which i gave to him. He never shared his, or if he did, he did so in a voice that i couldn't hear. And then he rushed off to whatever he was doing before.

That was it- my only interaction. I did what i thought I might do as an unbeliever- sat in the back in the corner, didn't really participate in what was going on around me, and looked a little uneasy. The only giveaway that i was not an unbeliever might have been about 5 minutes before the show started, Rae and I began talking with some of her friends, who were obviously with the team.

Then, following the show, this one guy approached Rae, and this was after i was done my experiment, so we were in conversation with her friend again, and this guy told her that he thought he saw Natalie Portman sitting in the back corner of the room and had to just come over and say that. Boy, that makes me feel welcome.

There is a point to my story- which is real (as opposed to friends who make up stories to get people mad... just kidding!)- is that if I were an unbeliever, or even as a believer, I am not so sure that I would want to go back to that church again! And this service wasn't even a normal sunday morning. It was more informal... But I wouldn't, even if I could, go to this church again. I felt no connection, was not impressed by too much, and... yeah...

Unfortunately, I must say that I see this as a possible trend in the American church! Particularly in a mega-church, it is easy to get lost, to not see anyone, and though some may be looking for that, I know too many people are looking for substantial relationships. This church that I went to may have a very welcoming group of people- they may have a wonderful small group ministry and an awesome worship team. But I would not get the chance to check those things out- because my first impression was not very good and I had decided not to go back (even if I could- which i can't).

I, and many others in this country, are looking for something real! They are looking for something substantial! They are looking for real relationships that will be a measure of support for them! Particularly in a country where many young people move far from their parents and family, the church can fill and important need for the close family type relationships that we need! We all need to be loved, welcomed, accepted and made to feel important to someone.

This is one thing the Church needs to get right- because unless people are drawn to the community that we have, they will not be drawn into conversion, and ultimately into being disciples. This one church mentioned here in particular is an example of too common of a theme. Churches draw into their own circles, and they are hard to penetrate- even for Christians who are solid. I have friends who went to college who told me that after 4 years at a church, they finally felt like they might be connected to some people there... I mean, honestly, folks- 4 years for an already Christian to dig in!!

So if your church isn't like this, then don't worry- but unfortunately, most people don't realize it- it takes coming in from the outside to notice it most. But it's time to stop keeping ourselves closed off to others! The church should be for the non-believer- because, after all, "it is not the well who need a doctor, but the sick!"

Maybe I should go to Cheers? "where everybody knows your name?" or how bout some coffee shop in NYC- "I'll be there for you"

Christian crack and the mega-church

Disclaimer- I am not knocking real stuff that really helps to change and turn around people's lives. So as you read this, do not think that I am against books and other stuff that I may mention here that is for real.

I own a copy of the Purpose Drive Life. Along with about a gazillion other Christians! I bought it becuase the young adult ministry at my church was going through it. And that's fine. This book has helped many, many people to discover God's purpose for their being- for their life. It has some great teaching in it.

I also read the Prayer of Jabez. I read that book before it hit craze stage- and I thought it had some wonderful teaching in it. It has helped many people move from mediocre lives to ones worthy of note.

Question- Since so many peole have read these two books, should we not expect churches full of changed people? Should we not expect that people would be living their lives more true to the Gospel, that our lives would be transformed to be more like Christ? I for one, expect that if people are truly reading these books, and others like them, and it is really as effective as people testify that it is, then people would be transformed and some of the problems that we used to see would be not there. If people are truly changed at the level these books go to, then it would filter into the rest of their lives!

Again, I am not saying this has not been truly helpful for some, but by and lage, too many people remain the same. The problem is this, and many other things, constitute what I call Christian Crack. It is highly addictive, it provides one with a high that is hard to top, and leaves the person wanting more! However, this stuff also does not produce a high percentage of true change in someone's life, and often times leaves a person living from one source to the next. I am not saying these authors should not have written these books, but when something becomes a craze, too many people jump on it because of one reason or another, but do not allow themselves to be changed.

other sources of Christian crack include (but are not limited to):

• Television shows- When Touched By and Angel was on and doing new episodes, many would come home from sunday night service and watch- or tape this show. It was a nice little show about how God loves you and that's the only thing you need to know for your peace of mind- forget Jesus or anything like that. Also, 7th Heaven- a great show about a minister and his family who go through the adventures many people go through in real life, but of course, they are a minister's family and there is more expected of them. Again, however, there is very little mention of Christ, and for some of the family, their faith makes them no different than any other person.
  

• Conferences, festivals and youth events- I went to Acquire the Fire rallies when I was a teen. They fired me up. Then when I got down from that high into the valley, i looked forward to some event in the spring, and then it was May Rally, and then it was Camp in the summer, which would hold me till the next ATF or a camp reunion. It was very fulfilling, but did not last long- and the worst part is that it took that much more to get me the feeling the next time. Until REAL change happened in me, it was only addicting, but required a higher fix every time! Many people go to conferences and get the presence of God, which is an amazing thing, but when they leave unchanged, or when it doesn't affect them in their daily lives, they come back looking for another high, and it takes more to get there.
  

• Charismatic stuff- Waving flags, having a prayer language, prophetic words about how all we have to do is keep doing our meetings and America is going to change, all that stuff... It's got its place. But where is that? I went to charismatic church and fully immersed myself in it- and so this "cynical" look that you might see is well informed, and comes from one who is not knocking it down completely. But too much of this stuff leaves no real change. People pray in some language (that sounds similar to many other person's prayer languages i've heard before) and they wave their flags in church, they get a prophet to come in and share a word that we all "AMEN" and people weep about. But where is our change? And why do we keep these meetings in church? If, as has been prophesied, America really will return to God, why are we expecting them to come to us? Why do we not go out and try to reach them instead of saying, "here we are- come". This is not field of dreams- just because we build it does not mean "they" will come!
  

• Mega-churches- here comes the second part of today's title. Mega-churches give people a high! Going to a great church that has a musically excellent worship team (even with the Spirit of God moving) has something enticing about it! Having a pastor who preaches dynamite messages is something that we all want! But too often the mega-church perpetuates the Christian crack, and it provides a "fix" of its own. And people go in, let their faces be lost, and seem to feel as though something has been accomplished. (please know that I understand what goes on in some mega-churches for people to be plugged in- see my "what, me, Rant" blog)

I have thrown a whole lot out on the line here! And I am not criticizing this stuff in and of itself- I watch 7th heaven because it is a show where i need not be concerned about having too much sex, and because i like the writing of it. I went to mega- church, got plugged in and got an amazing experience that really did help shape me. I have been into all the charismatic stuff. And this stuff can be great!

the problem comes when people are not transformed by it! There are a number of other things I didn't list here that I've refered to as Christian crack in the past, but... All that to say, there is so much out there that we risk being a people to just do stuff because it's there, not because we want, or because we're looking for God's best for us. The purpose driven life did very little for me- partly because I knew the direction I wanted my life to take, and I have been transformed by other bits of Christian crack out there. But for those who are transformed with these things, kudos- but remember this- the real thing that transforms, renews, and changes us is the power of God!

And keep in mind- if you live from high to high, then you will fall- and harder every time! If you find yourself bubbled in at some nice, safe place where worldly influences are banned, you can very easily fall back into what you were before because there is no preparation for life outside the bubble. It is easy to be a Christian with others around you- but you're set up for a fall if you aren't real or careful. Another Christian crack- stuff like that where you go, you are sheltered and when you leave, everything you've learned, expreienced and done has not prepared you to have to say no to everything you couldn't or wouldn't say no to before you got there.

I say this all in love, however, because I do not desire people to fall, or people to go from high to high... Christian crack can be helpful if it's not crack- but if it's real. But it can be dangerous for us because of all that it entails. Be careful!

Go and make converts of all the nations...

"Go" Jesus told them. I've heard that so many times- and, well- i suppose I must admit it is true. However, even as a non-greek scholar, I can see that the "Great Comission" is not saying that everyone must go. As a matter of fact, it should be quite simple to see the real command in this sentence. The command is to "make disciples" of all the nations, and the way you make disciples is by going, by teaching them, and baptising them (in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit).

I have trouble with our modern methods of doing stuff. This is not a condemnation of missions, however, if something fits, then perhaps we should rethink it. I know of a few short term mission organizations (which i won't point fingers because mommy told me it's not nice to point) and much of the way we do missions consists of sending people in for a few weeks- do some evangelical stuff and get people saved. Friends who have gone on mission trips before would tell (brag) about how many people accepted Christ.

Have we ever ONCE stopped to realize this is not the point? It is better to make 5 true disciples than to make 500 converts, or 5000 (what happened to that group that got fed by Jesus with two fish and 5 loaves?). The point of Christianity is not to save everyone- it's to change lives, one at a time. I'm not saying that we need to settle for just one, but, I would rather have one person truly discipled from an outreach than see a thousand who get "saved" but have no follow up. Unless people are getting plugged in, they are not truly changed. It takes someone wanting to be discipled, but often times they do not know how to go about that, so they need people to follow up on the evangelism.

I took a class called Evangelism and Discipleship, and i think that honestly those two terms should not be used without the other- kinda like fruit and fiber, or love and marriage (hehe). We should desire to see people give their lives to Christ and celebrate, but we should celebrate more when that person's life is being changed, and because of that change, they are affecting others!

So- some may think i'm talking about missions here. I'm not- this actually plays into something else that I really wanted to rant about in these heresies of the day. The seeker sensetive church. I am not against trying to reach people who are not comfortable in church. However, too often, these church offer very little substance and very much of a good show. How many people go to Willow Creek outside Chicago? close to 30,000 people! That's a FREAKIN' LOT!! How many people go to their services designed for the believers? it's more like.. 6-8000, i think. Which is still pretty good, but here's the question- how many people have been going to the church for a significant amount of time and are still not saved? And how many of those people are true converts vs. how many just started going there from other churches?

ouch- don't touch that one, preacher! After all, we've all switched churches a number of times, and everyone knows that the church with the best music is where we want to go! Or the church with the biggest youth ministry, or the church with this, or with that... That's beside the point- back to today's topic.

We are not called to give mush to people that sounds good, and is useful in life, but is not the whole truth. I mean, it's great to preach practical stuff, but the Gospel is OFFENSIVE!! Seeker sensetives go and try to not offend people, but that's going to be impossible with the true Gospel. Jesus told His disciples "when" they are persectued- he totally expected it for them- because the truth of it is so radically transforming, people are going to be offended by it and what it can do- and what it requires. I get offended at it sometimes, and I'm a PASTOR!

I know that seeker churches often offer something to aid discipleship, but that needs to be as prominent, and as accessible as the evangelism. Because Evangelism without discipleship is stupid- people are not changed and they remain the same with only a few phrases or thoughts to throw around, but nothing substantial. And discipleship is impossible unless the people are evangelized.

So? What do we do? Well, we start caring about quality as much as quantity. When asked about how big my church is, i can respond with numbers, but I could also easily respond with "my church has growing disciples of Christ who are maturing, and inviting others to Christ". or something like that... But the point is not whether my church has 150 or willow creek has 30,000. The point is that we are making the most of the people in our congregation- whether the people are truly being transformed, and becoming more like Christ.

Man, if only Jesus would have been content with thousands of people listening to him. I mean, that would have been great- if only he hadn't chosen 12 guys to pour his life into and disciple. If only he'd been content with the way things were- maybe he wouldn't have been killed. Yay... oh, wait...

What? Me? Rant?

Alright, ok! I have been accused of having something to rant and rave about every day that i post something here! Always it seems that I have something to complain about perhaps? Does anyone else feel that way? Does anyone else read any of these? I know one person read one of my personal rants... or...

So they are not supposed to be rants all the time. Sometimes they are sincere questions that i deal with... Sometimes it is a rant. Today, I will try to be an encouragement.

I want to affirm something that I am seeing more and more prevalent in churches in the United States. And disagree if you want to, but... So many churches have been grabbing onto the small group/cell group idea. Sure, Americans seem to be drawn more and more to the "Willow Creek" mega-church. And in my area, many christians go to a seeker-sensitive church in the area which is a very large church. The problem with a place like that is... well, a couple things. Firstly, solid Christains are not going to get solid food teaching (they might get a little milk) but perhaps they only want milk cuz it's less offensive and easier to take. But I will rant about that tomorrow- i'm trying to be positive today.

The big problem a lot of people run into in the mega-church is that they are unknown. Now some people are trying to get that- in college I went to a large church where one can get lost, and I met a guy in there who was a burned out pastor trying to hide from having to be involved because he was licking his wounds from his last church. No comment on that because as i've been in ministry even a short time, i can see how some people might get scourged and crucified by their church.

So if people are flocking to the large churches, then why am i praising small groups? Becuase I know a friend who went and did some research on willow creek, and they totally encourage all believers to be involved in one of their many small groups. Because I went to a small group at the church i went to in college. If you are not going to be in a small church, the next closest you can get is a small group. and small groups should happen even in a small church.

In the New Testament, that's what churches were. They didn't have big buildings to meet in- they met in people's homes. They might assemble together every so often, but more or less, the believers in the cities got their meeting together in the form of a "cell" group. When Paul wrote an epistle to the Church in Galatia, or somewhere else, this was written to be circulated among the various house churches that were in the city.

So, Church in America- kudos! This small group thing is very biblical, and is very relevant. I have seen so much potential and ultimately growth in people from this! Keep going on it- keep pursuing it! It is a major tool that will be helpful for us in reaching out, in discipleship, in growth, worship, prayer, stepping out in faith- lots of things! It is a safe place for Christians to tweak their talents, to test out hearing from God, to test out sharing from their heart and ultimately- a place to be a part of a family that many poeple haven't experienced or had.

So, in the noble words of Star Wars, the church can say "I got one!" and we can reply, "great! Don't get cocky."

Heresy of the Day

I have this friend. He was telling me about a class he was in where the students would come up with a heresy of the day- hence the title of this blog. He told me his favorite, and I agree (even without having heard them all) is this: Everybody needs to be loved. Jesus loves everybody- therefore I don't have to love you!

Ok, so that sounds pretty funny, and I've made many people laugh by quoting that to them. Heck, it makes me laugh thinking of it. But do I occasionally come across some heresy? I work with Christians, and sometimes I find they're the toughest nuts to crack (gee i hope no one from my church reads this right now). And sometimes, the most biblical concepts seem heresy to so many believers because it is so far outside of what we know and what we have seen.

Some of the concepts I have shared here- or responses to friend's posts seem heresy. I was just telling my fiancee the other day that I feel like i'm posting a heresy a day. So I wonder- why do some things seem heretical? I mean- I know God is concerned about our lives. I know that God directs us, but why do we think that He tells us exactly what to do and if we do not do it, it's sin? The truth is that we have free will, and often times when someone says God told them to do something- they use it as a cop-out so they have no accountability in doing something they want to do.

For some people, laughter must be heresy. I mean, I know guys who seem to enjoy good humor. However, when the simpsons, or some other show pokes fun at a stereotype of Christianity- that's problematic. We cannot laugh at such a show because it exposes some of the weaker sides of Christianity in today's culture. But we can't say that, so we just say they make fun of Christians and thus are bad. I've never watched a show in which a person's religion- particularly Christianity in this show, is so used as a theme in the show, and ultimately, so important in their lives. But forget that- it's heresy to expose anti-biblical stuff in the Church. Sure, the motives of the creators may not be right- but that is not my concern- my concern is that my own motives are pure.

I mean honestly, for these people, is their "religion" so weak that it cannot stand up under scrutiny? Then perhaps it is not strong enough to be real to them- if one show poking a little fun here and there can prove the religion to be wrong- or sway true believers from it. Sure, society may think it's funny, but we also know society isn't going to like Christianity- Jesus said so himself. I mean, the God i serve is certainly strong enough to hold up to criticism, and ultimately, cynicism. My "religion" can hold it's own weight in any arena, and ultimately, should be held in high favor by our society because Christianity should provide us with an amazing experience- the highest and best thing in society today.

But forget that- it is heresy to question the church. It is heresy to question the way we do things. It is heresy to think outside the box. It is heresy to raise the questions that I and others raise in places like a Blog. It is heresy- heresy!! (i am saying this so many times, if only to convince myself) I can't imagine anything more heretical than going into the way that the religious people do things, turning everything upside down and telling them they've got it wrong in oh so many ways. Nothing is as anti-God as telling people that they don't worship God, they worship themselves.

Nothing is more heretical than this... except for Jesus.

Who (or what) is Your God (or god)?

Disclaimer- This is not intended to be blasphemous. Nor is it supposed to be an open theological question/post for people to post their opinions about religion or which they think is best. This IS a post for Christians to think about in terms of what rules them.

Let me set the stage for you. Students play soccer, football, and other various fall sports. in the winter- more of the same, and in the spring- yet again, the same. This is great- I'm a big sports fan (thanks to college- before that i only really liked hockey- and a bit of baseball- Go red SOX!) and I'm all about students getting into something that is very positive for them. I was involved in music in middle and high school. before I became a Christian, that was a very positive influence for me and probably one of the few reasons i stayed a good kid instead of going the path of drugs and bad stuff...

But what does this have to do with my post? Well- sunday mornings have seemed relatively empty these days. and youth meetings have been sparsely attended. I don't have a large youth ministry normally, anyway, but we had 3- as in- can count them on one hand, even if i accidentally cut off two fingers in shop class. Now, I know that students are busy. I know parents are busy. And I'm not just picking on the students or the athletes here. I had my opportunity to miss church for various stuff in school- the only time i ever missed is if i was out of town for jazz competition or something... even when my church switched to a Saturday night service- I was there- never missed.

So where is everybody? Why has church become another option in our already filled option society? Even the best intentioned of people make half-hearted efforts sometimes. I set worship schedules for the singers on my worship team- and I inevitably have people approach me AFTER the schedule has been made for one of two reasons- either something has been planned and they will not be there (sometimes an acceptable reason, sometimes not) and they just didn't tell me before I set the schedule. Or they tell me they are going to be gone some sunday because of something that has been planned after i made the schedule and they have no sense of obligation to be there (whether it is a good reason or not).

What if I did church that way? Oh sure, it's my "job". whatever- just cuz i'm a worship leader/youth pastor/young adult pastor- sunday mornings do not count in my hours for the week. So what if i treated my job that way? "Oh well... I really needed to sleep in this morning, so worship will only happen during 2nd service. show up then if you want to sing." or "Gee- i was too busy this week to prepare! I don't have any songs- does anyone have a favorite song they want to sing this morning?" I mean- it's unacceptable for me to say something like that or act that way. Why not for anyone else? I know- it's because of my last post- i gotta be perfect. I spend enough days a week at church doing parts of my job- maybe i should just have my office converted into a bedroom?

What is important to us? I am not saying that we must be in church legalistically every week- but why would you not want to make every effort to be there? Even if the football game was late the night before- is that a valid excuse? The scriptures tell us that we are not to forsake the gathering together as believers (not as some are in the habit of doing). What is impotant to us?

So we may not have a buddah in our beds. Or a Shiva statue on the playing field. But is that really much better than what often happens? Personally- I prefer the nice round buddah- no more poking my eyes out with pointy finger gods.

Who was the One PERFECT man?

It's me- in case you want the answer to the question that is the name for this post.

Actually- it's not. I'm just a pastor- but some people expect me to be. WHY?? I have been workin' on this "Christian" thing for a while now, and I've come to a few conclusions. First of all, if i live with a defeatist mentality of believing that I can overcome no obstacles, then I will be a fortune teller- predicting my own future littered with only struggle and no success. However, I have also learned that I am not perfect- and struggle and toil as I may, I am not always the winner. As a matter of fact, I'm not the winner as much as I want to be- and probably not as much as people think I should be.

People can do their own thing, struggle with their own sin, but when the pastor also deals with it- particularly unspoken sins that no one talks about- kick the pastor out. I understand there is a need for a higher standard for Christian leaders- after all, we are representatives of Christ who are "trained" for being servants of the servants of Christ. It is partly our job to be spending enough time with God to be able to discern His direction, path and purpose for our ministries.

But why must I be perfect? Paul himself- arguably the greatest apostle, tells of the thorn in his side that he prayed would be removed. As I've read and studied, I believe it not to be a literal thing, but to be something he continually struggled with. Even if I'm wrong, Paul had a thorn that God would not remove and he still had in him. There is something about Paul that was not perfect for some reason.

Is there an unwritten rule- pastor's cannot be sinners? I don't know about many other pastors, but I haven't been saved my whole life- I was a sinner before I knew Christ. I still have that sin knocking on my door- I am far from perfect!!

However- my focus is right- my direction is true. I focus on Christ- my life is pointed toward Him and He is the director for my life. I seek Him, I desire Him, and even though I may grieve Him with my sin, I want to please Him.

And what is my punishment when I fail? Does God decide I'm not fit for His kingdom and I'm no longer a Christian? Do I get chastised? Does everything go wrong in my life because of my hidden sin? NO!!! All the punishment that God will mete out to me has already been placed on my Savior. All the punishment that anyone desrves for our sin has already been put on Christ.

So- maybe i'm the only one who struggles with this, but why am I unrealistically expected to be perfect? If you have the answer- try to get my attention by tinking on the glass of this fishbowl I live in. I'm looking forward to that magic thing that will make me perfect- so that Jesus isn't alone as the only perfect one. He must be lonely up there.

To keep, or not to keep...

What do you do when your ministry loses someone? Someone decides for some reason that they're not going to be around for your ministry anymore? Do you say, "don't let the door hit you on the way out"? Do you beg and plead with them to stay, even though it may mean a bad attitude to deal with? Is the concern having the number, or is the concern that people are reached and changed?

I have some in my youth ministry who have decided they don't like our ministry anymore- and in particular, don't like my fiancee because of the change of her role in their lives (and change that happens normally in people's lives as the grow closer to some and go further from others- see previous post). They are not coming anymore- the students have decided that, and because the parents let their kids do whatever, there is no forcing them to come. I am not saying I want the parents to force their teens to come, but since when was family dynamic a democracy? Last I knew, there were some things that I had no vote on.

Anyway, for whatever reason, the parents (who also do not like change- and this change) are letting their students do this, and they themselves may not be much longer headed for our fellowship. They are moving to a house 45 minutes minimum from the church (which they knew when the bought the place) and it seems they may not be long left for us.

So my question is this- how much sweat do I spend? I want these teens to like our ministry- i want them to like my fiancee, and I want them to be plugged in here. But- do we simply try to allow for reconciliation and let that be it? Telling them that if they want to work things out, call us, and then let them go?

What hurts most is when someone has a problem with you, but they will not tell you directly and you hear it from someone else... and they try to downplay this as not terribly serious, but it is hard to blow something out of proportion such as not attending a youth ministry anymore for these reasons- that's pretty darn big as it is.

so my question remains- what do we do when people decide to leave? Do we chase after them? I know that if these students were to stay, we might have a different atmosphere in our youth meetings, which would not be as good... But as these two go, we will likely lose 2 or 3 more who only were coming because of them... Good riddance? Please come back? It's hard to see someone go, but perhaps seeing some who live in a different social world, and those who change the social dynamic of the ministry for the not as good is not as bad as it seems?

My heart still goes out for these teenagers- I feel that they need to be plugged in, and I am concerned that they may not be- particularly with the parents feelings being the way they are. I want with all of me for these girls to experience something different- but alas- i cannot make that happen either.

Good riddance? happy trails? how about this- sorry for the way things turn out. we're here for you if you ever want to be back. blessings- pastor reid

Who in the world wants a Blog?

I signed up for a blog so i could post responses on a friend's blog. and if you can't tell, i'm going to try to use the term blog as much as i can in this blog. no- seriously- i'm joking. My friend has used this as a way to get thoughts and concerns out there, and asking for responses. So I respond to them- often with my own take and my own rant about it- half of those responses could be a post of their own, and....

There are issues that i deal with that i look for an outlet on at times.

Today- change. People change all through their lives. I am engaged and my fiancee has changed since we started dating, not too long ago. There are people who resist change, who don't like change, and ultimately, they are affected by that change. And so they get offended at her, take cheap shots and hurt her. The only reason no one around here is complaining about me changing too is because i have been here so short of a time that they don't see what has happened to me.

It is funny- some of these people were pushing so hard and so happy for us when we finally got together, and now they see that she does not spend as much time with them, has a different view of them, and acts differently toward them. This is part of her being put into the limelight of the church, in which we are still struggling to live. Ultimately, she has a different relationship with them- which is not bad, because change is an inevitable in life, but these people are not happy with change.

Here's my rant- why do people resist change so much? It is something that we always face- whether it be people in our churches, or friends in our lives, or stages of life. I have a best friend from high school whom I rarely speak to anymore- we're still friends, but he is married and lives in Texas trying to go to school and work. And i thought i had it rough...

Change- the only thing constant in life. Or maybe we should all just stay the same. That way, when a 40-something year old acts like a teenager, we can all say- it's ok, change never happens.