My Two Favorite Words . . .

 

 

I have to say, I thought the biopsy would come back clear.  BUT, it didn't.  So, in the most convincing way possible, I was confronted with my own mortality.  When the doctor talked with me about life expectancy projections and I heard myself saying, I'd like 12-15 more years, I realized that I am on the down side of the mountain of life and there's nothing I can do to change that.  I've already lived far longer than I have yet to live.  Each day that passes pushes me closer to the end of this life.  But it's not a sad thing.  In fact, it's a joyous thing because it has kindled a new sense of urgency in my life.  A different kind of urgency.  It's an urgent desire to finish well. 

 

Even without the cancer diagnosis, if asked, I would tell you that I'm in the twilight of my life.  But now, with the diagnosis, I am moved to evaluate my life thus far.  And when I do, I'm not that impressed. 

 

I have been blessed far beyond what I deserve.  I have the most wonderful friend and I've been privileged to call her my bride for almost 36 years.  I have 2 boys who have been such a beautiful mixture of challenge and blessing.  My life has been so enriched by the 3 of them.  And then, one of them brings home the daughter I've always wanted but never had.  I'm proud of them all.  It's been a life of pain and glory, storms and sunshine, and through it all, with all of our flaws, we survived it together. 

 

I guess my life has been gratifying.  But what concerns me now is how I've short-changed my heavenly Father over the last 35 years of vocational ministry.  I spent part of that time hoping to 'climb the ladder' of my denomination.  I spent part of that time seeking comfort and security for my family and me.  I spent part of it wishing I could be somewhere else, doing something else and occasionally wishing I could BE someone else.

 

When I reflect on my Father's guidance and blessing over the last 3-4 years, I wonder why it took me over 30 years to practice what I had been preaching.  In seeking comfort and security, in seeking promotion and prosperity, I have robbed myself of the thrill of trusting God with all my heart.  Risky Obedience!  It's what Peter did when he stepped out of the boat on the stormy sea.  Why?  Because Jesus said to do it!  That urgency I spoke of earlier . . . is an urgency to embrace the risk of obedience to my Father.  It's an urgency to never fall back into a "safe" faith.  It is a willingness to spell faith    R-I-S-K.  It's an urgency to give as many people as possible the chance to know and experience Jesus the way I have over the past 3 years.  It's an urgency to finish the race with a sprint! It's an urgency to hear those words "Well done, good and faithful servant." 

 

For now, as the day of surgery approaches, I will cling to those two words from the scriptures that I have come to love so much  --  'But God . . ."  And I will use them to preface the great words of Ephesians 3:20-21.  I have cancer.  But God ". . . Who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us---to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen."   I'm sure He will do more that we can ask or think if we will simply yield to His sovereignty and submit to His care!  It's worth the risk.



Three Little Words

Words CAN be life-changing.  I had life-changing words spoken to me on March 13, 2013.  Three little words:  "You have cancer."  Now I understand that prostate cancer is not exactly a death sentence.  When diagnosed early, the survival rate is in the 90+ percentage range.  It's not lung cancer or colon cancer or lymphoma or myeloma.  But it IS cancer.  And when you hear those words directed at you, you know that your life is about to change.  It was confirmed that I had, within my body, mutated cells that could take my life if left untreated.  It was early, probably localized, and definitely treatable. 

SO, there were decisions to be made. Basically, I had three options:  1) Watch & Wait - This cancer (I think it's called adenous carcinoma) might be small and slow.  We could do quarterly PSA tests (should be <2 for a man my age.  Mine was 3.9) and watch for increases.  Then, a year down the road, we would do another biopsy to see if it had changed.   2)  Radiation Therapy - There are different variations of this and it does NOT do the more widespread damage to "good tissue" that used to be a major side effect. But there is no guarantee that cancer will not occur in other parts of the prostate in the future.  3)  Prostatetectomy - Cut it out.  As one general surgeon friend said to me, "You cut, you cure." 

With each of the options comes the reality of physical and lifestyle changes.  I will be 59 years old if God grants me life until June 24, 2013.  Prior to the diagnosis, I would have told you that my life expectancy was another 12-15 years.  Now, I'm not so sure.  Along with the physical issues I face, I'm also skeptical about the availability and affordability of future healthcare.  IF I were to lose my job and/or my health coverage, I'll probably not be a desirable candidate for many jobs and would most certainly be considered uninsurable.  I'm too young for medicare, too young for social security, too young for my annuity, and not sick enough for disability.  When I look into the future, I see the fight for my health as a drain on my family's resources and one more thing to add to the stress level.  For a while, I was stunned, uncertain, and breathless from the competing emotions of fear and excitement.

And then . . . I hear a young theologian named David Platt say, "When the disciples left everything everything to follow Jesus, they didn't always know where they were going or what they were doing, but they always knew WHO was with them."  It was like being doused with cold water.  It was as if God were saying to me, "Wake up!  Don't forget My promise.  I will be with you."  There was a sense of peace that really was beyond human comprehension.  I know I can't explain it well.  I wanted to cry.  I wanted to say why me.  I wanted stress over the future.  But I was reminded that in all things, Jesus' call to me was simply to follow Him.  Those disciples followed Jesus in the light and the dark, the valleys and the mountaintops, the prayer garden and calvary.  Sometimes they stumbled.  But even then, Jesus was there. 

I was reminded that I just needed to follow Jesus wherever He leads me.  If following Him takes me through physical illness, it has not caught Him off-guard.  If following Him takes me through financial strain, again . . . He's not surprised.  When I look into the future and nothing but darkness, that's OK.  I don't really have to know what my destination or how I will get there.  I just need to follow Jesus.  That's what He called us to do:  Matthew 4:19; Luke 9:23; Luke 14:26-27; John 12:26

I'll be writing more on this journey over the next few weeks, hoping to pass along some of the things God is teaching me during this battle.  But today, know this!  Whatever you are facing, whatever valleys you maneuver, whatever mountains you face, whatever unknowns crush your spirit . . . you don't need the answers.  You just need to follow Jesus.  And like those disciples, even when you don't know the hows, whys, and whens, you will always know WHO is with you! 

Deja Vu All Over Again

"I'm going fishinig," Simon Peter said to them.  We're coming with you," they told him.  They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.  When daybreak came, Jesus stood on the shore . . ."   John 21:3-4 (HSCB)

 



I've had a five month sabbatical from writing.  No, from blogging.  I've missed it and I've been convicted of not making good use of this marvelous tool.  I feel like I think Peter felt after the death, resurrection, and first couple of appearances of Jesus.  The busyness around my work schedule, a change in my personal life, the responsibility of a new church plant, fighting fires . . . some, if not most of you have been there.  Something had to give and for me, the blogging was the first thing to go.  Then I began to cut back on my reading.  Like Peter, after all the excitement of what God has been doing around me and for me, I went back to fishing, so to speak. 

Everything I did from daylight to dark focused on some form of work.  Sermon prep, visitation, committee/team meetings, WMU, Men's Ministries, weddings, funerals, chaplaincy calls.  When the enthusiasm wanes into routine, it's easy to fall back into a rut . . . like fishing. 

Do you remember what Simon Peter was doing when Jesus FIRST called him?  Go back to Luke 5 and check it out.  It was the middle of the day and Jesus told him to go out into the deep water and put out the net for a catch of fish.  This was the WAY it was done, this was not WHEN, this was not WHERE it was done.  Simon reluctantly obeyed and a miracle occurred.  So many fish were in the net that the boat began to sink.  Simon called for his partners, whose boat also began to sink. It was at that moment, in that sinking boat, that Simon's perception of Who Jesus was changed.  He simply bowed and said, "Go away from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord."  Jesus said, 'Don't be afraid.  From now on, you will be catching people." 

Even in the aftermath of spiritual pinnacles, we can, like Simon Peter, fall back into the rut.  "I'm going fishing!"  And so, once again, Jesus comes to lovingly confront Peter with his initial call -- "Follow Me and I will make you to become fishers of men."   Matthew 4:19    The miracle of John 21 was very much like the miracle of Luke 5.  And the result was the same.  There was the issuing of call.  In John 21:22, Jesus said to Peter, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?  As for you, you follow me!"

In the quiet of my little fishing boat (or more likely my office when no one is around), Jesus came again.  This time, he re-issued my call with great patience and encouragement.  And he said, "Don't settle for the rut.  Feed my little ones.  Take care of my sheep.  Nourish my growing ones.  Don't worry about what I've called others to do.  YOU FOLLOW ME!"

Okay, Lord!  It's like deja vu all over again.  Thanks for the reminder and for pulling me out the rut!

Back to Life

Take a look at the previous blog.  It's dated March 15, 2012, and is titled "Teetering Between Life and Death."  It's a startling look at the fact that 1,000 Southern Baptist Churches closed every year.  I list four reasons that churches die:  1) Failure to Re-Dream; 2) Clinging to the Comfortable; 3) Choosing Religious Tradition over Biblical Community; and 4) Creating a "Church Culture" rather than Developing Disciples. 

There is no denying the reality.  Thousands of churches are plateaued or declining, on the downside of the life cycle.  Oft times, a few will recognize that there is a problem, but far too often, we look for answers in the wrong places.  Let me give you some examples:

         * We need pastoral change!  It is inevitable that churches and pastors will need to separate from time to time.  Ideally, it should be a mutual agreement based on the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  But far too often, it occurs because of control issues.  Seeking a pastoral change, by the congregation or the pastor, doesn't have to be the initial step. 
         * We need a Youth Worker!  That might be true, but it will not result in the kind of changes that are necessary for sustained spiritual and numerical growth.  The fact is that anything "new" will spark enthusiasm temporarily.  But when the new wears off, the result is often the 'same old same old' or worse.
         *  We need to change our style!  Moving a traditional church to a blended or contemporary style of worship is one of the most difficult tasks that any leadership team will ever undertake.  Occasionally it will work.  More often, it can leave bodies in the wake, metaphorically speaking.  If the truth is told, God does not speak in any particular environment or through any particular style.  In fact, He speaks and acts where and when HE chooses regardless of location or style.
        *  We need to build a Family Life Center (Gym, larger fellowship hall, etc)!  Ditto the above.  He speaks and acts WHERE and when He chooses.  New buildings, especially if they incur debt, do not necessarily guarantee numerical growth, much less spiritual growth. 

So what are the answers?  How do we change direction?  How do we revive those teetering between life and death?  Here are some clues based on 2 Chronicles 7:14:
1)  Humility -  We must come a point of utter, desperate dependence on God.  Part of our tendency to cling to comfort is manifested in our planning and budgeting.  When we attempt only what we know we can cover with personnel and pay for with money in hand, we don't need God.  We pride ourselves in our buildings, our accomplishments, our giving to missions while the communities around us hurtle towards hell.  We do what we want to do to convince ourselves that we've done our part.  No sacrifice, no surrender, no selflessly.  Church becomes about us and ours when it should be about God and those He sent His Son to save.  God forgive our arrogance, spiritually, culturally, and nationally.       James 4:6; Matthew 23:12
2)  Prayer - Those who utterly depend on God will spend much time praying.  Those who act as if they don't need God will use prayer as a cursory identifier of their faith.  Let's face it.  Many of us have been involved in churches, classes, and mission groups where prayer was tacked on at the beginning and end of meetings to validate those meetings.  The fact that we "pray" makes us different from civic clubs and fraternal/benevolent organizations.  Yet, what often happens between those prayers does not positively reflect the God of the universe.  And quite often those prayers seem canned and rapid-fire.  God forgive our prayerlessness.  We seem to have forgotten how to fall on our faces and worship you.  We've reduced prayer to a recitation of our needs and wants when it should be a battle zone where we wrestle with spiritual forces of darkness for the souls of our neighbors, family members, and friends.   2 Chronicles 7:15; Ephesians 6:18; I Thessalonians 5:17
3)  Submission - This is another way of saying "seek (God's) face."  There is a statement that I have heard far too often from the lips of folks who were supposed to be mature followers of Christ.  In talking about their church, their pastor, and/or their worship experience, I've heard far too many say something like this:  "I don't get anything out of it."  How selfish can a person be?  It's not about you!  Worship is about God!  The American Church culture has become as consumer-oriented as the culture at-large.  We go to church for what we can get out of it rather than to meet and experience the God of the universe.  Realize this!  Even if your grandfather gave the property, the church is not "yours."  The church belongs to God.  It has been bought and paid for by the precious blood of Christ and you are simply a part of it.  Whenever we meet, whether for worship or work, revival or rehearsal, meals or meetings, we should be living out this truth:  Let what we say and do here bring glory to God our Father and point others to Jesus as the way of salvation.    James 4:10
4)  Turn - The Greek equivalent of this word is "metanoia" which simply means turn or change direction.  It's been said that to continue doing the same thing while expecting a different result is the definition of insanity.  Well, it might not define insanity, but it can define death.  Paul told the Corinthian disciples, "If any person is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come."  2 Corinthians 5:17  As human beings, we are in a constant state of change.  Appearance, preferences, passions.  None of us is the same person we were a year ago or 10 years ago.  The only time we really stop experiencing change is when we die.  That's one reason medical science is now encouraging senior adults to work, exercise, read, study, and engage in challenging new activities.  It keeps us young and energized.  Don't be afraid of change when God's in the changing business, you might miss out a blessing or two.     Acts 3:19

If . . . My people who are called by My Name will humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, THEN I will hear from heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their land.

The answer to the death rattle in so many churches today is not necessarily new staff, new style, or new buildings.  It's new hearts, humble and submissive before almighty God, prayerful in seeking to know and do His will, and turning away from the things that displease Him.  The answer is you and me doing our parts to come before Him with clean hands and a pure heart and making ourselves available for His use. 

Check out these passages:  2 Chronicles 7:13-15; Nehemiah 1:4-11;  Psalm 51:17; Psalm 25:9; Jeremiah 32:38-39;  Ezekiel 36:26; Matthew 5:8;  Matthew 6:21; John 7:38

 

Teetering Between Life and Death

The last full week of January, 1977, was one of the toughest weeks of my life.  My father, who was two months shy of his 60th birthday, had suffered a heart attack on January 5.  He spent the last 22 days of his life in Tuomey Hospital in Sumter.  20 of those days were spent in the ICU.  Those units were different 35 years ago.  The waiting area was right outside and sometimes, he would be the only cardiac patient there.  In the waiting area, you could hear the telemetry alarm and then the "Doctor Rush ICU" on the intercom.  Usually, when that happened, we knew that the staff was battling for my father's life.  On January 27, I was entering the hospital when I heard the "Doctor Rush" alarm.  I raced up the stairs and found my mother in tears.  She knew this was the last stand and sure enough, 10 minutes later, the doctor came out and told us the battle was over. He had put on a valiant fight, but it was too little too late.  He had battled a few culprits that ultimately led to his death.  He was 'borderline' diabetic.  His cholesterol was questionable.  He liked fried foods and beer.  He didn't exercise.  And he came from a family line that was fraught with males who "dropped dead." (I use that term because that was what the doctor listed on my paternal grandfather's death certificate.)  SO, if ever there was a family that needed to do things differently not only to survive, but to thrive, the Brown family was it. 

My friend, Ron Barker, tells me that 1,000 Southern Baptist Churches die every year.  The tragedy is that most of these church deaths could be avoided IF the leadership (particularly LAY leaders) in these churches recognized the danger signs and took some preemptive action to get healthy and stay healthy.

What are some of the danger signs that indicate declining health and potential death?

1) Clinging to the Comfortable -  We have become accustomed to comfort in our churches and resist the adventurous work of the Holy Spirit.  We cling to homes that are more house than we need, we cling to cars that are far more expensive than we need, we cling to status symbols, to church buildings, to racial/cultural stereotypes to the point that we make Nehustans of them.  (This was the bronze serpent used at God's instruction by Moses to save the Israelites from the fiery serpents.  Numbers 21:5-9 and 2 Kings 18:4)  Our comfort has become our idol.

2) Creating a "Church Culture" rather than Developing Disciples - Jesus' Great Commission to ALL who would follow Him is to "make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you . . ."  Matthew 28:19-20.  We've attained excellence at indoctrinating people into a church culture that is  self-protective and self-serving more often than risking all to share the gospel.  If Jesus had approached the cross with the same fortitude that most of our churches approach the Great Commission, he would have retreated into the wilderness like a spiritual "Robin Hood and hoped for a good outcome."  If being the church means anything, it means going out, telling The Truth, baptizing new believers, teaching them biblical principles, and deploying them as missionaries.

3)  Exacting Religious Traditions rather then Enhancing Biblical Community - Very few churches that I know have written core values, but all of them have core values.  These unwritten and often unbiblical core values often create conflict and, in staff to congregation relationships, can create suspicion and ill-feelings.  Many years ago, in the first church I pastored, there was a large family Bible on the pulpit that made it difficult to place and follow my 5.5x8.5 manuscript.  One Sunday morning, I simply moved the Bible and placed on a platform chair.  There was a called deacons' meeting afterward and I was told that no one heard anything I said after that because "everyone" was upset with my actions.  It was an unwritten core value and my ignorance was no excuse.  That was my first strike.  If that happens to pastors, imagine what it's like for someone who is not familiar with church culture and religious traditions.  From meeting times to music to what most consider "missions," we've let our preference for traditions overpower our responsibility to be a biblical community.

4) Failure to Re-Dream - Sometimes when I visit churches, I feel like I'm walking into the movie "Pleasantville." Everything should be in black and white because so much of what is being done hearkens back 30, 40, even 50 years.  One church I visited in the late 1990s even had their classrooms labeled as beginners, primaries, juniors and intermediates.  For those of you who are Southern Baptist, you know how dated that is.  To me, it clearly illustrated that most of these churches were trying to continue pursuing a dream (vision) that had died long ago.  How can we who serve a forward-looking God constantly be looking back at the way things were?  We need to be in the here and now because this is where God has placed us.  Churches need to re-dream often, at least every five years or so.  As rapidly as our culture changes, the dream/vision should probably be revisited every 2-3 years, because when we get stuck in the past, we cannot effectively connect with and win the present culture.

This is not an exhaustive list.  It's just a few of the fried foods, sugars, and hydrogenated fats that we continue to ingest.  And guess what??  It's killing 1000 churches a year. 

A Safe Place

 

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 has been a favorite passage of mine for many years.  It addresses the importance of relationships, both personal and with God.  For those of us who are median and older adults, many, if not most, of the virtues and securities that were the norm in our childhoods have become extinct.  Integrity, loyalty, and personal responsibility are among those virtues that have become so rare.  Job security, financial security, domestic security, and even social security are all at a much higher risk today.  Our culture is becoming a culture of chaos, brokenness, and suspicion. 

Yet, the fact is that we really need each other.  People need people.  It's the way God created us.  "Two are better than one . . ." says the scripture passage.  Perhaps a more important truth to grasp is that people need God and others.  This triangular relationship is that " . . .cord of three strands not easily broken" that the author of Ecclesiastes references in verse 12.  Now I understand more clearly a shocking statement made by an Arizona pastor who said, "A person who has God alone does not have enough."  Indeed, though Adam walked with God face to face in the Garden of Eden, God found that environment and the relationship incomplete.  In fact, God Himself said, in Genesis 2:28, "It is not good for man to be alone."

So, He created two great institutions for meeting that need.  Those institutions are the Family and the Church, in that order.  These are the safety nets that He has woven for times of uncertainty and insecurity.  They are to be the places where virtues and values can be taught and modeled.  They are the places where hope, help, and acceptance are always readily available.  They are the places where love should be unconditional, loyalty unwavering, and personal worth consistently affirmed.  These are to be the safe places for ourselves and our children amidst the cultural storms assailing us.  

Men, fight valiantly against the torrent of enemies that will assault your marriage and family.  Be a godly husband and father.  Women, nurture your family and model the grace and love of Christ for them.  Kids, honor your parents because God demands it.  Let God be that third cord in those relationships because He is the One that will hold things together.  Worship and serve as a family, because the old cliche still holds true . . . "The family that prays together stays together."   

Is your home a "safe place?"  How about your church??  And what are YOU doing to assure that they are?

The Barrenness of a Busy Life

 

"Beware the barrenness of a busy life."  -- Aristotle 

        "He who is too busy doing good finds no time to be good."  -- RabindranathTagore

Entering the village of Bethany, Jesus had no where to go for respite.  But a woman who apparently had the gift of hospitality invited Him to her home.  She lived there with her sister, Mary, and brother, Lazarus.  Over the years, they, along with their sister, Martha, would become "extended family" to Jesus.  But on this particular day, His stop at their home generated a little conflict.  You see, Martha, with that gift of hospitality, was an obsessive hostess.  She wanted everything to be perfect -- the cleaning, the food preparation, the "many tasks" mentioned in Luke 10:40.  Mary, on the other hand, was so captivated by Jesus that she simply sat at His feet hanging on to every word He spoke.  Martha didn't like what she saw, so she shifted her focus from her busy-ness to Mary and complained to Jesus.  "Lord, don't You care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Tell her to give me a hand." But Jesus would have no part of it.  He said, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary.  Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her."  The whole story is found in Luke 10:38-42.

American society has become saturated with smart phones, tablets, year-round sports, longer academic years, and longer work weeks.  It's a culture of busy-ness.  From hurried children to harried pastors, people move from one appointment to the next in an effort to find a niche, strengthen self-esteem, or build a legacy.  Even among Christians, the combination of church, community, occupational, and family responsibilities can become burdensom.  In the process of fulfilling one's obligations, one's focus can become a bit skewed.  That happens when our busy-ness precludes time alone with God.  Over the course of time, the empty spirit finds little joy in the activities that have become what Jesus called "many things."  They are distractions that keep us from the "one thing (that) is necessary."  Far too often, we immerse ourselves in doing what we think is good while neglecting the one thing that Jesus said was an absolute necessity for purposeful, abundant, life --- to sit at His feet and drink in His presence.

Martha did nothing wrong.  In fact, all the things she was doing were good.  But what Mary was doing was best and necessary and Jesus commended her for it.  Don't settle for good when Jesus wants you to experience His best.  Don't become distracted by so many things that you neglect the ONE thing that Jesus said is necessary.  If we desire to do what Christ wants us to do, our first priority must be to become what Christ wants us to be.  Our greatest responsibility as disciples is to become more like Jesus and the way that happens is by spending time at His feet.  Empty gas tanks mean the vehicle doesn't run. Empty water bottles provide no relief from thirst. And empty spirits go through the motions, but never really experience the abundant life that Jesus promises.

The only way to refill and refuel is time spent at the Master's feet.  I want to challenge you!  For the next 30 days, carve out 15 minutes each day to read your Bible and spend some time praying.  Use a Bible translation that is easy to understand.  HCSB, TEV, NLT come to mind (if you're buying, just ask for them by initials).  Use a commentary if you have one, but only as an illustrative companion.  It is God's word and your prayers that will open your mind and heart to all that Christ desires to do in you, for you, and through you.  Take the challenge  . . .  15 minutes a day with Jesus.  Perhaps, by the end of this 30 day period, your thirst for time with Him will be as strong as that of Mary.  Then you will discover, as she did, that He will never disappoint you.