Don’t Be Insane…

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You know the definition of insanity, right? Insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting a different result. The definition has been attributed to Albert Einstein. No one really knows if Einstein said it, but regardless, it is still true.

I bring up insanity only as a follow-up to my previous blog (here) dealing with the pastoral supply shortage in the church world (particularly among Methodists). Many congregations are searching for pastors and they are doing so with a mentality that is either dying or already dead.

Many congregations want a pastor like the pastors from the “good old days”–one who visits the sick, comforts the grieving, preaches good sermons, leads great bible studies, attends all the church functions, opens and closes the church on Sunday, etc. Many congregations are looking for a pastor “Who can meet our needs.” They are looking for Pastor Fetch.

If you’re a congregation that is searching for a leader, and you’re looking for a Pastor Fetch, you’re being insane. The reason for your insanity is because you’re trying to do ministry in a world that no longer exists. The world (the culture) has changed and your congregation is not changing with it. My counsel to you is “Don’t be insane!”

The 21st century and the dawn of the Information Age (call it the rise of the internet), along with the introduction of social media, has changed the landscape for EVERYTHING in our world. The church, as per usual, is one of the last institutions to adapt to that changing landscape (although the Covid pandemic did speed up the process for some). The tectonic shifts in culture have rendered the “old” models of ministry (and ministers) dead, or at the very least, on life support.

The “Old” Models

What are the “old” models of ministry I’m referencing? First, there is what I will call the “priest” model. This model has the leader who has been “trained” in all the rites of the faith tradition, and has the credentials to prove it. This person “stands apart” from the lay persons in the congregation and is the go-between for God and the people.

Another model of “old” ministry is that of “chaplain.” Yes, this model has the congregational leader as a “shepherd” of souls. You need a “pastor” with counseling skills and psychological insight who can visit the sick and care for the needy.

Another “old” model of ministry is that of “preacher-teacher.” The leader has to be trained in Greek and Hebrew in order to interpret the ancient texts. This leader is the resident scholar and theologian, and the sermon is the centerpiece of this model of ministry. An entire industry of theological education grew up to support this model of ministry, and the reality is that industry depends on the survival of this model for its continuation.

A more recent “old” model of ministry is that of “CEO-Manager.” This model has a leader who manages budgets, recruits and manages people for tasks, develops programs for ministry, gains new “customers” (converts) and casts vision for the congregation. This model is pretty much a singular reason we have so many “megachurches” these days.

None of these models has been ineffective. None of these models are necessarily un-biblical (with the exception of the CEO-Manager model). Unfortunately, each of these models have been rolled into the job description for one person, thus the leader who became “Pastor Fetch.”

A “Pre-Christian” World

The parallels between the first and twenty-first centuries is striking. I guess we might say is “there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). The parallels include globalism, religious pluralism along with a new focus on “spirituality” (people are “spiritual but not religious), and the collapse of institutions (including religious institution) are but a few of the most obvious ones.

The re-emergence of a pre-Christian world (culture) necessitates a new model of leadership in the church. It is called the “Apostolic” leadership model, and it harkens back to the days of the first apostles. I believe God is calling congregations and Christian leaders to re-learn and re-engage in this model of ministry to be effective in this new “old” world.

The “Apostolic” Model of Leadership

So, what does it mean to engage in this new “Apostolic” leadership model? First, this model is “missional.” The congregation (and its leaders) must be on mission–the Great Commission.

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28: 19-20 NIV).

Evangelism and sharing the Gospel must be at the heart of every congregation. We must be prepared to tell the story of Jesus to a world that increasingly has not heard the Word, and we must do it with creativity–taking the church to the street, or the amusement park, or the ball park, or the concert venue–well, you get the point. One congregation actually leases an amusement park once a year and invites the community free of charge to come as a means of promoting the Gospel.

Next, the new “old” model is “kingdom focused.” To be kingdom focused means that we believe Jesus’ kingdom does not fit the model of this world, and that it actually extends past the walls of church building programming. This does not mean we are pursuing political power, but are looking for collegial relationships that are community based and community focused. It is not about “how do we get people to come to our church,” but more about, “how do we take church to the people.”

Thirdly, the new “old” model is “team-oriented.” Pastor Fetch cannot and will not do it all in the apostolic model. Jesus had a team of twelve (probably more) that he taught and commissioned to begin the work of ministry. The Apostle Paul had Barnabas, Silas, Timothy and Luke as helpers for the work of ministry. A team orientation to ministry assists in bringing ALL the necessary skills to the work, and it promotes accountability among leadership in a much more spiritual way.

As part of this team orientation, ministry leaders will be focused on developing disciples who exhibit and practice the “five-fold ministry gifts” found in Ephesians 4.

11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature,attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4: 11-13 NIV).

Ministry leadership is about developing others to fulfill the calling of the mission. Congregations seeking pastoral leadership need to be looking for persons who can lead them in learning to the do the ministry instead of leaders who do the ministry for them.

The Leader a Congregation is Looking For

In this cultural age, every congregation should be looking for a pastor who is evangelistic, meaning their primary desire should be to see others come to Jesus. The primary desire of your new pastor should not be to meet your spiritual needs, but rather should be concerned with inviting others into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

Another characteristic that should be high on a congregation’s list of qualifications is a person who is interested in community engagement, a person who has demonstrated the ability to engage in building relationships across congregations, businesses and other non-profits in the communities they’ve served.

A final characteristic I would be looking for if I were looking for a pastor is a team-building mentality. Is the person capable and has he/she demonstrated the capacity to surround him/herself with other leaders and allow them to share the work of ministry. Has this person delegated responsibility to others, and has this person taught and trained others how to use their giftedness for ministry?

Those are not necessarily qualities that have been high on your list for previous pastors, but if a congregation goes looking for a pastor like their previous pastors, then they’ll likely get exactly what they’ve gotten in past, and that will only lead to a continuing decline in the congregation. But, I say, “Hey, if you want what you’ve always had, then by all means, go for it. You’ll get what you’ve always gotten, and that’s just insane.”

But, then again, what do I know? I’ve been out of vocational ministry for five years. I don’t know much of anything. I’ve just been observing from the sidelines. One can learn a lot, though, when observing from the sidelines.

Until next time, keep looking up…

Another Supply Shortage?

/ pastorlynnmalone / 1 Comment

Remember March 2020? I’m sure you do! It was the beginning of the Covid pandemic in the United States. Most of us remember where we were and what we were doing when the “lock-downs” started, and who among us will ever forget the great toilet paper shortage of 2020?

The Great Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020

Toilet paper became the brunt of all our jokes and countless social media memes due to its short supply during 2020. “Panic buying” was the most often quoted reason for its short supply, but the most likely reason had more to do with the way toilet paper is manufactured and supplied to stores, and they places we used it.

Think about it this way. People split their time between home and work, which meant they likely used as much toilet paper at work as at home. Suddenly, we were spending all our time at home, which meant toilet paper consumption at home mostly doubled (or more). We needed more toilet paper at home.

The toilet paper used in workplaces is usually different from the toilet paper we use at home, as is the packaging and distribution. Suppliers simply couldn’t shift packaging and distribution quickly enough to handle the transition, so store shelves were left empty until the transition could be made. It all eventually worked itself out and we were able to catch up on our toilet paper needs, and no one (that I know of) was relegated to ancient sources of clean-up as a result (crass, right?).

The Great Pastor Shortage of 2024

But, let’s not go on talking about toilet paper. I bring it up only because I’ve noticed another commodity that’s in very short supply these days–pastors. The pastoral supply shortage was taking place long before the pandemic, but the “epidemic” of departures/disaffiliations from the United Methodist Church seems to have exacerbated the problem.

I belong to a couple of Facebook groups that are dedicated to helping churches find pastors and pastors find churches. One is called Kingdom Leaders Association, and as of two days ago, it listed 17 congregations (all disaffiliated UMC’s) who were seeking pastoral leadership (and it’s a small Facebook group-199 members). The other group is called Pastor Search (over 20,000 members) and the churches that post there seeking a pastor is just too overwhelming to count (last time I counted it was over 200 from various denominations and independents).

I know the shortage was real before the pandemic because as a District Superintendent trying to staff congregations with pastors in my district of 84 churches, there were always those listed as TBS (to be supplied). There was an annual scramble to find retired clergy or lay persons who were willing the fill these slots, and yet many of them remained un-filled.

Why the Shortage?

There are a number of reasons for the shortage. One reason is pastoral burn-out. Pastors are tired. One study revealed that 42% of pastors have considered leaving the ministry in the past year. The stress of pastoral work and the toll it takes on a family has simply become too much for a pastor to be willing to continue, especially in a world where there are so many other options.

Another reason is a decline in seminary enrollment. Put another way, there aren’t enough new people entering the pipeline to ministry. There are now more pastors over the age of 65 than there are who are under the age of 40, and those numbers have flipped since 1992. Many young people are simply not answering the call to ministry in the same way they once did, and that is being reflected in congregations ability to locate “trained” clergy.

One reason some younger folks are not answering the call to pastoral ministry might have to do with the unrealistic expectations many congregations have of their leaders. In my experience, many congregations want a 42 year-old pastor with 20 years of experience, an earned doctorate, a family of four with a spouse who plays the piano, and the congregation wants to pay that person $35,000/year. The congregation’s mentality is, “Lord, you keep the pastor humble, and we’ll keep the pastor poor.”

They want their pastor to be available 24/7, cut short their vacation if a member dies, preach like Billy Graham and shepherd like Mother Teresa. I could go on, but you get the picture. Too many congregations want full-time ministry with only part-time pay. Those expectations are killing pastors and now they’re killing congregations.

I apologize if I drone on about the reasons for the supply shortage. I could unpack a dozen other reasons that add to the problem, but unpacking those reasons does nothing to solve the problem. So, I’ll shift my focus to some things that might be helpful to congregations that are searching for a pastor.

Recommendations

First, be encouraged that this is not the first generation to deal with a labor shortage when it comes to ministry leadership. Remember the words of Jesus to His first disciples:

37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Matthew 9: 37-38 (NIV)

Jesus gives us the first key to identifying leadership–prayer! Pray for a pastor, and when I say pray, I mean set aside intentional times of congregational prayer to ask the Lord to send THE leader who will lead the congregation to faithfulness and fruitfulness. This doesn’t mean a passing reference during the prayer time in a worship service. Be intentional in praying for leadership.

Another helpful step? If you are an independent congregation, join a denomination. Joining a denomination may not be the end all and be all for finding pastoral leadership, but it certainly gives a congregation a head-start due to the simple fact that denomination’s have processes in place to assist congregations in finding clergy leadership. Keep in mind, though, that many denominations are dealing with their own clergy shortages. It is not a uniquely Methodist matter.

Let me also encourage congregations to look within. Your next pastor might be sitting in the pew next to you. Where do pastors come from? They come from congregations. If churches do not have enough pastors, it might be because the congregations (and their leaders) have not been intentional in identifying leaders within their own congregation.

No one knows a congregation better than members of the congregation. It’s time to start tapping people on the shoulder to say, “Hey, you have a gift for teaching. Ever thought about using it in the Kingdom?” A congregation’s next pastor could already be in the congregation. Pray about it. Identify them. Call them. Encourage them. Train them. And, then, most importantly, follow them. If necessary, ordain that person as a congregation. If John Wesley could do it, so can you!

Conclusion

This should probably be a much longer post, or at least a multi-part series, but the reality is that I’ve been away from vocational ministry too long to understand the issue as I should. I’ve just offered a few rambling reflections because the issue has been on my mind the last week or so, and because I’ll be serving as pulpit supply for a couple of churches on that list I mentioned earlier in the next few weeks.

I’m also a feeling a little guilty because I know I could be serving any of those churches, but I’m choosing not to do so right now. Yes, I’m praying about it, but I’m waiting on my next burning bush experience before I make a decision concerning future ministry opportunities (feeling a little guilty about that, too–and burning bushes are rare this day and time).

Forgive my comparison of toilet paper and pastors. They are only similar in that they both are accustomed to taking _______ off people. They are different in that it’s much easier to get toilet paper back on the shelf than it is to get pastors in pulpits. It’s easier to make toilet paper than it is to make pastors, and it takes less time, too.

Oh, well! I’m done now.

Until next time (if there is one after this blog), keep looking up…

Meanderings from a Muddled Mind…

/ pastorlynnmalone / 2 Comments

So, motivation is key, right? Well, I’m not motivated to write this morning, but write I do because writing is a discipline and I NEED to be disciplined. That, and I might disappoint the 12 of you who read my writing regularly, and anyone who knows me knows I hate to disappoint anyone (though I so often do).

Writing helps me process things I’ve been thinking about. It helps to bring clarity to certain issues and it keeps me in practice for writing sermons on the (ever more) rare occasions that I’m invited to preach somewhere.

It becomes too easy to pull out an old sermon, dust it off and freshen it up, and preach it again. I don’t like doing that (though I have) because it seems to me that the Lord has something fresh to say, and I would hope (and pray) that He might actually want to say it through me.

Things that Muddle

There are a few things that I need to process, but I won’t process them via this venue. Too many of them are political in nature and doing so would probably alienate half (of the 12) the people who read. Processing them via this venue also might bring no clarity because this election cycle may be hopeless in trying to make sense out of anything that happens.

I really am befuddled that in a nation of over 350 million people that we are stuck with the two choices before us, and that we still have nearly seven months to hear all the foolishness that’s coming our way.

Another issue I’m processing is my increasing impatience with the way people drive. One thing I’ve learned over the past two and half years in the oil business is that people can’t drive. Seriously, people can’t drive! That’s probably one of the reasons insurance rates are so high in Louisiana.

And, drivers are so inconsiderate when they’re driving…but, I’m starting to process, so I’ll move on. I don’t want to come across as an angry curmudgeon, and if I continue that’s exactly what I’ll do. Let me simply say, “Please, drivers, put your phones down and pay attention. Someone’s going to get killed.”

So, moving on…

Heros

I’ve been thinking about biblical heroes and trying to process an understanding of what actually constitutes a hero. When I think about biblical heroes I think about the likes of Moses, David, Paul and (of course) Jesus. Others that come to mind are Joseph, Joshua and Esther. Every one of us could make a list and each list would be different, but surely those names would appear on everyone’s list.

As I’ve pondered the subject, though, I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s only one hero in the Bible, and that would be Jesus. Yes, there are many people in the Bible who did heroic things, but all of them (save Jesus) were broken, fallen people. I mean, really, Moses was a murderer. David was a murderer AND an adulterer. Abraham was a liar who was more than ready to put his wife out in front of an on-coming caravan to save his own skin.

I think about the Apostle Paul, without whom we wouldn’t have the New Testament and who is singularly responsible for the growth of the early church, but who was also responsible for jailing (and even killing?) the early followers of Jesus.

It was Paul who wrote “love is not boastful” (1 Corinthians 13: 4), but who also wrote, “I will boast, too…” (2 Corinthians 11: 19ff). The apostle who wrote “love keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Corinthians 13: 5) was the same apostle who recited a laundry list of wrongs that had been done to him (2 Corinthians 11: 23ff).

Paul came across as arrogant to some. Well, if he came across that way, he probably was that way. Arrogance is so off-putting and would not be at the top of the list of quality characteristics of a follower of Jesus.

I don’t mean to make “anti-heroes” of the biblical characters. I rather think that it means the Lord can make heroes out of us…that He actually wants to make heroes out of us. Our stores are no different than their stories (well, maybe we’re not all murderers?), and just as the Lord used them in His story, so He wants to use us in His story. As I’ve written in other places: It’s not about discovering where Jesus fits into our story, but about discovering where we fit into His story.

It’s His Story

Honestly, I’m still trying to discover where I fit into His story. I once thought I knew, but circumstances beyond my control (and a few within my control) only served to confuse me. But, I’m still searching because I believe He still wants to use me, even as broken, bruised and battered as I am. I might add old to that list, too. That’s okay, though. Moses was old when God used him. Abraham and Sarah were old when God used them. There’s hope for us all–even us old angry curmudgeons.

Sorry if I’ve given you a glimpse into my muddled mind. It only comes as a result of me having nothing to write about, but wanting desperately to keep the discipline of writing. Please don’t hold it against me, and might I ask you to pray that the Lord would give me something to write about next week.

So, what are you processing? Where do you find yourself fitting into His story? Why not share them in the comments with the other eleven people who read my blog?

Until next time, keep looking up…

God Does His Greatest Work in the Dark…

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Let’s see…

The Israel/Hamas War, the Russia/Ukraine War, the Taiwan threat from China, North Korean nuclear proliferation, Houthis attacking Red Sea shipping channels, inflation, racial tensions, a border crisis, a fentanyl crisis, drug cartels, human trafficking, increasing crime rates, gender confusion, a very divisive Presidential campaign, declining church attendance, decaying cultural values.

Have I forgotten anything? Probably so, but you get my point. Read the headlines (or more appropriately, listen to the news) and we get the sense that we are living in dark times.

There are plenty of reasons for concern about the world in general, and western culture in particular, but I’m want to remind us that our’s is not the first generation to face dark times, and if the Lord tarries, it likely won’t be the last.

What I do want to remind us is that though we live in dark times, God does His greatest work in the dark! Easter reminds us of that fact.

Stumbling in the Dark

So many of us stumble around in the dark, and we’re often afraid because we can’t see. When we’re in the dark, we grasp for something, anything to hold on to that will give us some stability, some comfort, some assurance that we can make it until we can turn on a light.

We’re unsteady, unsure, and we lack a certain amount of confidence, and all that makes us just a little leery. Not necessarily because we’re afraid of the dark, but because we’re afraid of what we can’t see in the dark. Sometimes, though, we have to move forward. We have to get to the place that we can turn the light on. We have to get up. We have to keep moving. In those times, we have to see with the eyes of faith. Easter is that which gives us our eyes of faith. 

For the disciple of Jesus Christ, the resurrection is THE central event of history. We may say that time is measured from the birth of Jesus Christ, but hope is measured from the resurrection. We come this morning to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and with it the victory of life over death, of good over evil, of grace over the grave.

This is our holiest of holy days, and it still reminds us that there is light even in the darkest of worlds, and that no matter what else may be happening in our lives, there is always hope. That is the power of the resurrection.

20 Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.

John 20: 1 (NLT)

John’s Resurrection Account

The resurrection account is recorded in all four of Gospels, but not all four report it the same way. The Gospel of John shares it differently. John alone tells us that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb, “while it was still dark.” Just because John has Mary Magdalene going alone does not necessarily contradict the other three Gospels. Maybe John’s just telling that Mary went down before all the others got there.

John has been called a philosopher of sorts. John’s Gospel is full of symbolic language, and the words on the page don’t always mean what they say. With the phrase “while it was still dark,” we note that John is carrying on a theme that he started very early in his gospel—the contrast of light and darkness.

John introduces the theme in the opening paragraph of the gospel: 

“Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it”

John 1: 4-5 (NLT

In John 3, a Pharisee named Nicodemus comes to see Jesus “after dark one evening,” and in John 6, he tells us of the time after “darkness fell,” that Jesus came walking on the water to his disciples.

Then, in John 8, the Pharisees bring a woman caught in the act of adultery to Jesus in an attempt to trap him. He refuses to condemn the woman (some have even indicated that the woman was Mary Magdalene), and then he says to the people:

“I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

John 8: 12 (NLT)

It is little wonder that John would return to that theme and tell us Mary came “while it was still dark.” Whether he meant it literally or figuratively, we’ll never know for sure, and for his purpose (and for ours), I’m not sure it matters.

For Mary, it was dark, both literally and figuratively. Mary Magdalene was standing at the foot of the cross as Jesus died. She was there at the cross with Jesus’ mother, Jesus’ aunt, and John. When the rest of the disciples had abandoned Jesus, she was there, and she was there when they took his body down from the cross. It was a dark day. The sun may have been shining, but to Mary it was a dark day.

Mary loved Jesus. Luke 8 tells us that Jesus had cast seven demons out of her, and since that time she had been his follower. There is even some evidence that Mary Magdalene was the prostitute who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and anointed them with perfume. Is it any wonder Jesus would say, “The one forgiven little loves little, but the one who has been forgiven greatly loves greatly.” Mary is not on the fringe of Jesus’ followers, which means that for Mary, as much as for any of Jesus’ other disciples, she was living in the dark days of grief.

Mary is probably wondering how things can get worse, and just about the time she does, guess what? Things get worse. Isn’t that the way life always is? Just about the time we think things can’t get any darker, they do! Mary gets to the tomb and she finds the body of Jesus gone. John has painted us a picture of the dark getting darker, but he also paints a picture of one who lives out faithfulness and hope, even in the midst of the darkness, and we discover what happens as a result.

Catch this! Mary went to the tomb. Despite her fear and despite her grief, Mary did something. She went to the last place she knew Jesus was. Even though she thought Jesus was dead, she went. She went because in the darkness she longed for light…some light…any light. She went looking for light. She had hope, even in the darkness.

You know what’s interesting? Think about when the actual resurrection took place. It took place in the dark! There was no one there to see it. There were no earthquakes or flashing lights. Someone shows up early in the morning and there’s just an empty tomb. The central event of human history, and nobody sees it.

Joseph and Mary were firsthand witnesses to Jesus’ birth, and even angels announced his arrival to shepherds. There were stars in the night sky that foreign astrologers could read, and an earthly king was mad enough to order a massacre of children, but with the resurrection, all we get is second-hand witnesses. It happened “while it was still dark,” but it happened.

Finding Light in the Darkness

Spiritually, the resurrection is our hope. We’ve all had dark times in our lives. When it’s dark and we can’t see what’s going on around us because of the grief and pain and doubt, it’s then we’re tempted to turn our backs on God, believing that God doesn’t care, or worse, believing it’s all God’s fault. We’re tempted to pull the covers over our heads and give up.

I remind you—Mary went to the tomb “while it was still dark.” In the midst of the darkness, she went to the tomb because she loved Jesus, and in the darkness he spoke her name, “Mary.”

So, he does with all of us. When in the darkness of sin, of addiction, of pain and loss, of grief, if we come to Jesus, he’ll speak our name—John, Sally, George, Margaret, Lynn. Mary shows us what faithfulness in the dark looks like. We find Jesus, or rather, we’re found by him, in the dark because we’re looking for him there. The tears vanish when we realize God did His greatest work in the dark. It wasn’t in the papers (I’m really dating myself with that reference), nor did it make CNN or Fox News. We can’t tell when it happened, we just know it happened. 

Life is funny. One day, we’re on a mountain and we can look and see for a million miles. But, as quickly as the sun comes, the darkness settles in, and we go from saying how blessed we are to “I can’t take this anymore!” Darkness comes. Mary was not afraid of the dark. Mary was unwilling to take Jesus’ absence as an answer to anything, and by staying in the dark, Easter dawned!  

I wonder who today is searching in the dark? Some of us remember a time when Jesus was alive. We felt his presence and knew his love. We ate with him and drank with him, and we shared life with him. But, something has happened. We lost a spouse or a child to death. Our marriage went south, or we lost our job. Perhaps we just fell out of love with Jesus.

For those of us in any of those situations we need to do what Mary did—go to the last place we saw Jesus. Was it in the Bible? Then read the Bible, even when the words make no sense.

Was it in prayer? Then keep praying even when it feels like our words are hitting the ceiling and falling back down on us.

Was it in church? Then keep going, even when we feel like we’re surrounded by hypocrites, and we’re just going through the motions.

Some today are in the darkness of broken relationships. Others are in the darkness of addictive behavior. Still others are in the darkness of grief and pain. So many of us are looking for a little light, any light in these dark, dark times. We’re here because we believe that there is still light.

Listen. Listen for the voice of Jesus calling our names. His light is shining because Easter has dawned.    When Easter dawns the light shines in the darkness and the darkness does not overcome it. It cannot overcome it. It never has and never will. Life and light makes our world new.

Easter comes out of the darkness.

Dark times come to everyone, even to Jesus. Darkness is not a sign that we have no faith. Darkness is the opportunity to show our faith. Darkness is the time to get up and face the fears of life head on. Darkness is the time for us to get up and go to the tomb. It is the time to recognize that Easter happened in the dark. When everybody was depressed and thought the work of God was a sham, God was doing His greatest work of all.

Easter is here, my friend. Easter is here.

Until next time, keep looking up…

Palm Sunday Ponderings…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

It is Palm Sunday. You know what that means? Yes, it is marked as the day Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem before His arrest, crucifixion and resurrection. It is such a pivotal moment in Jesus’s life that all four Gospel accounts mark the event (Matthew 21: 1-11; Mark 11: 1-11; Luke 19: 28-40; John 12: 12-19).

You know what else it means? It means that Lent is almost over! As I’ve mentioned before, this has been a challenging Lenten season for me and I can’t wait for Easter Sunday. The season began without much fanfare for me. I was quite willing to let it pass without much notice. The Lord had other plans. It’s been a good Lent, albeit a very challenging one.

The challenges of the Lenten season have been numerous, and this past week has been no different. The Lord has particularly challenged me in the area of prayer this week. I think I’ve discerned that in this season of the Church’s life, the greatest need is for prayer warriors.

The Church doesn’t need CEO’s and entrepreneurs. It needs prayer warriors. The Church has tried the CEO/Entrepreneur model (really since the 1970’s and the emergence of the Church Growth Movement). As was its purpose, the CGM got the Church a lot of megachurches. The CGM is proof that strategies work. It also go the Church a lot of Christian celebrities and celebrity pastors. I’m not knocking the CGM. I was on that train for a long time. I rode that train until it ran ME out of steam. Now, I think the steam is finally running out of that train for the Church.

Though the CGM got the Church a lot of megachurches and celebrity pastors, it also got the Church declining attendance and fewer disciples who are willing to take up their cross and follow Jesus in the way of surrender and sacrifice. There are some who will blame the free fall in church attendance on the Covid pandemic, but I suggest the pandemic only hastened what was clearly already taking place in the life of the Church. CEO’s and Entrepreneurs cannot sustain the Church. They were never intended to. Though megachurches do show up in many places around the world, they are a uniquely western invention.

The Church (and the world) are in desperate need of revival. Revival always starts with prayer, thus the greatest need of the Church in this culture is for prayer warriors. The Church needs leaders who pray–both lay and clergy. Leaders who pray will bring change to the Church, and the Lord will use the Church to change the world. That’s been His plan from the beginning.

Makes me ask the question “How many churches have a prayer ministry?” When I say prayer ministry, I’m not talking about a prayer group that meets and prays over the prayer requests that come into the congregation. I am NOT discounting the need for that type of ministry, nor am I denying there is power in that type of prayer. Unfortunately, most of those type of groups (and most of that type of prayer) are really just gossip sessions disguised as prayer groups. There is some value in praying for Aunt Sally’s ingrown toenail or Uncle Joe’s gout, but that is not the prayer that will change the world.

When I say prayer, I mean gathering for an intentional time of seeking God’s face…of the people of God asking God what His will is, asking the Lord for His vision, gathering to actually hear from the Lord. I mean the people of God coming together to confess their sin (individually and collectively) and to repent before Him publicly so that grace and forgiveness is sought and found so that the way is cleared for a fresh invasion of the Holy Spirit can bring clarity and direction to His people concerning His vision.

How about a prayer meeting where we pray for boldness to proclaim the Gospel? How about a prayer meeting where we pray for the Lord to put people in our path who need healing and salvation? How about a prayer meeting where we read one verse of Scripture and then sit silently for an hour pondering that singular passage to hear what the Lord wants us to hear?

Yeah! That would probably be too uncomfortable for too many people. But, hey! We’ll never grow until we get out of our comfort zone. Just as our physical muscles won’t grow until we push past what we think are our limits, so our spiritual muscles won’t grow until we push past what is comfortable and easy.

I’ve lived with a great amount of conviction over this Lenten season as I’ve reflected on my own participation in and leadership of prayer group gossip sessions. I need to repent for that. I hope I have repented for that. Prayer in my congregation won’t change until prayer changes in me. Revival won’t come to the Church until revival comes in me.

So, my prayer is for revival to come…to the Church and to the culture…but first, let revival come to me. Let me pray to hear the voice of God. Let me pray for boldness to proclaim the Gospel. Let me pray for people in my path who need Jesus. Let me pray for a revival in me. Let me pray for a transformation in my attitudes and desires and priorities. Then, perhaps I can begin to pray for each of those for the Church and the culture.

The Church and our culture…our world…are in desperate need of revival. So am I! The Church and our world are in desperate need of prayer warriors who will pray for the same. I pray I can become one of those warriors. Do you have the guts to pray the same prayer?

And you thought this was going to be a blog about Palm Sunday. Silly you!

Until next time, keep looking up…

The High Cost of Faith…

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There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.

39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised,

Hebrews 11: 35b – 39a (NIV)

Reading this passage in Hebrews this morning made me think, “Faith is not for sissies!” Faith is, in fact, hard work.

A quote credited to Ravi Zacharias also came to mind as I reflected on Hebrews 11:

“Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay. –”

R. Zacharias

Then I thought, “Guess what? Faith will take you farther then you often want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay and cost you more than you want to pay. Only it takes one in the opposite direction.”

We don’t realize where sin is taking us until we arrive and then it’s too late. Suprisingly, we enjoyed the journey, but the destination kills us.

Conversely, we know where faith is leading us and we anticipate our arrival. Often times, the journey is difficult and challenging, and we are often tempted to turn back…to take the easy road of sin…but, the hope of the future keeps us moving, and one day…one day…all the struggle, all the challenge becomes worth it.

Faith is hard work, but most things worth having require hard work. No, we’re not saved by our work. We are saved by grace through FAITH, for good works.

Keep working my friends. Keep struggling. Keep moving. Faith in Jesus will get us there.

Until next time, keep looking up…

Re-gaining Focus…

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Once again, I’m discovering that this Lenten season just keeps on giving. Or, perhaps it’s the Lent that won’t end. I’m just not sure. What I do know is that it’s been another week of discovering how out of focus my life has become. What clued me in to the fact that my life is out of focus? Well, the Holy Spirit, of course, but He did so through this little verse from Paul:

9 So we make it our goal to please him,whether we are at home in the body or away from it.

2 Corinthians 5: 9 (NIV)

“…make it our goal to please him…”

I confess that pleasing Him hasn’t always been my goal. Oh, I always hope that the things I was doing He would find pleasing. After all, I was doing many of those things in His name, but HE wasn’t always the focus.

There was a point in my life where the goal was “climbing the ‘corporate’ ladder” of the United Methodist system. In so doing, I thought He might find it (and me) pleasing. For the most part, I achieved the goal I was pursuing, but it left me flat…and dry…and empty…and doubtful. That’s because it was the wrong goal. I should have been pursuing Him.

I could run down a long list of “pursuits” over the years in ministry (and as a believer), but it would only lengthen the blog and end up making the same point as the previous example. Suffice it to say, this Lenten season has “brought those chickens home to roost.” I’ve lived with the dawning revelation that I have lost my focus on Jesus. It is a further exploration into the whole “working for Him or walking with Him” thing that I questioned previously here.

It came home to me in a profound way this week when I started feeling sorry for myself that I wasn’t getting more requests to fill pulpits. I love preaching and I do miss it, but the phone hasn’t been ringing much lately (not at all, actually), and it had me feeling rather down. Then, I read Paul’s words.

My goal is not to preach. My goal is to pursue Him. My goal is to please Him.

My goal is not to write. My goal is to pursue and please Him.

My goal is not to obsess over politics (Lord, have I been doing that!). My goal is to pursue and please Him.

My goal is not to sell a lot of oil (though I sure do need to!). My goal is to pursue and please Him.

My focus has been on all these things. He has just sort of been in the background.

“Lord, You guide me in my preaching, guide me in my writing, guide me in my selling oil and running a business.” That’s been my prayer. My focus has been on the performance and the completion of the tasks rather than on the One who makes all things possible.

My pursuits have been for selfish ends. Accolades, adoration, affirmation and good, old American profit. Hey, if He receives glory from those pursuits, then good for Him! Of course, the undertone was that it was all for His glory, but this week has shown me that it was really all for me. Darn this Lent!

I earnestly pray that He is giving me this Lent as a gift to re-gain focus on the right things. I say the “right things,” but there is only one right thing–Jesus Christ. He is, and always must remain, our true north. He is, and must always remain, our only pursuit, our only goal.

As He is helping me re-gain my focus on Him, He is also showing me the again the dangerous nature of sin. I guess that’s what happens. I was sinning without even knowing I was sinning. That’s because that’s what sin does. Oswald Chambers says, ‘One of the penalties of sin is our acceptance of it.” We get so accustomed to performing for Him that we forget to pursue Him. We think it’s our performance He finds pleasing when it is actually our pursuit of Him that most pleases Him. It is then that our performance can actually become sin…and we never even realize it.

Then, Lent comes, and we are reminded that we are sinful…that from ashes we come and to ashes we shall return…that we are called to “repent and believe the Gospel.”

I thank God that Easter follows Lent. I look forward to Easter. I look forward to the resurrection, when we’ll receive new bodies no longer stained by sin. Until then, I’m going to make Jesus the goal. May every activity of life flow from my pursuit of Him. I’ll pursue Him through prayer. I’ll pursue Him through Bible study. I’ll pursue Him through worship. I’ll pursue Him through Christian fellowship. All those will be the means. He will be the end.

I can’t wait for Easter.

Until next time, keep looking up…

Learning to Walk Again…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

Well, the challenging Lenten season continues. It’s strange really because I didn’t enter the Lenten season very seriously. For the first time in over 20 years I didn’t attend an Ash Wednesday service. If I’m totally honest I’d tell you that if it weren’t for Facebook I might have forgotten it was Ash Wednesday.

Logging on to Facebook I couldn’t help but know it was Ash Wednesday. I saw so many people posting pictures of themselves with ashes on their foreheads. Nothing like social media to feed our narcissistic tendencies…even when it comes to our sin, right? No indictment intended, but I just find it ironic that we feel compelled to show the world our piety by posting selfies of ourselves being pious. But, I digress…

Anyway, I didn’t take Lent seriously, but the Holy Spirit has challenged me all season long. He has challenged me concerning my love for Jesus (click here), and thereby, my love for others. I’ll confess that I can’t grasp the love of God that loves a Venezuelan migrant murderer as much as a Georgia nursing student (see here). I’ll confess that I don’t know that I want to grasp it, and that scares the hell out of me!

What I do know is that I would fight tooth and nail if someone (anyone) hurt one of my daughters. One of us would die. I don’t know that I could forgive that. With time and the grace of God, maybe. Yet, forgiveness is what the Lord asks of us, and that’s an awfully big ask. The Holy Spirit and I have been talking about it. We’ve not settled the issue yet, but this is still Lent. Easter is coming…it can’t come soon enough.

Not only has He challenged me on my love for Him, but He’s also challenged the nature of my surrender. I know that I have, too often, chosen my own way in service to Him rather than being attentive to where He was actually calling me. I may even be living that circumstance today. Part of my prayer each day is “show me Your will so that I might walk in Your way.” I think what I really mean is “show me Your will and I’ll choose whether to walk in Your way.”

The question He challenges me with is, “Are you surrendered?” I like to believe I am, but Him even asking the question causes me to wonder. True enough, He has been oh, so very gracious to me regardless. I can’t even imagine why I’ve been so blessed. How or why does He bless when I can’t answer a simple question, or know that I am surrendered to His will? ‘Tis mystery, indeed!

The Holy Spirit has also challenged me concerning the nature of joy. That’s right…joy. How so? Well, the Apostle Paul tells the Roman church, in essence, that joy comes through tribulation (see Romans 8: 31-39). I like to think I’m joyful, but the Holy Spirit has me wondering. I know that I “enjoy” life, but enjoying something doesn’t necessarily mean I am living joyfully. I know I’m grateful…grateful for all His blessings. I know I’m humbled…humbled by His grace.

Do I not know the depths of true joy because I’ve not endured the hardships of tribulation? Dare I pray for tribulation so that I might find out? Yeah, I’m probably not going to do that, and the fact that I’m unwilling to pray such a prayer causes me no little amount of heartburn. Darn this Lenten season!

I suppose the challenge of this Lent has me questioning my commitment to Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. It comes down to a question Jesus asked his disciples in John 6:

66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.

John 6:66-67 (NIV)

“You do not want to leave, too, do you?” I feel like in one sense that I have, in fact, gone away…I’ve turned back…I’ve fallen down. Abandoning full-time ministry feels almost like an abandonment of Jesus. It feels like I “turned back.” For me, I think it was a matter of ministry was “working for Jesus,” without “walking with Jesus.” There is a difference, you know?

I spent so many years working for Jesus that I quit walking with Him. Perhaps that is the thing that burned me out. I guess He’s just using this Lenten season to teach me to walk with Him again, since I’m not “working” for Him during this time. I am learning to walk again.

Let me say that if a person has a choice of working for Jesus or walking with Jesus, chose walking with Jesus every time. Intimacy with Jesus can easily get lost when we are working for Him. Walking with Him promotes the intimacy we need to actually do the work for Him…and I mean the work that He wants and needs us to do, not the work we want and think He wants us to do. The differences are oh, so subtle, but they are oh, so real.

And to think, I was going to let this Lenten season pass unnoticed. Perhaps all these challenges are my punishment for not giving something up for Lent.

Until next time, keep looking up…

“Do You Love Me?”

/ pastorlynnmalone / 1 Comment

Jesus, after the resurrection, encounters several of His disciples along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and in the encounter He asks Peter, not once but three times the question, “Do you love me?” (See John 21)

So, that’s the question I’ve been wrestling with most of the week myself: Do you love me? I must confess that wrestling with that question has caused me no small amount of pain and not a little confusion.

My initial answer, like Peter’s, is “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” As with Peter, so with me, Jesus has been persistent in asking the question and with each answer I find myself a little more confused, and if I’m honest, a little more uncertain that my answer is truthful.

I’ve come to the realization that I don’t love Him the way that He loves me. That’s probably because I am unable to grasp how much He really loves me and unless I can grasp that, I can’t love Him that much. Of course, you understand that when I say he loves me that I mean “us”…all of us. He loves us deeply and passionately…so passionately and so deeply, in fact, that He was willing to die for us…to give His life for ours.

Consequently, His call to us is to love others in the same way He loves us. He calls us, like Peter, to pour ourselves out for others (“Feed my lambs,” “Take care of my sheep,” “Feed my sheep”). His love for us is shown by action, not by emotion. Our love for Him can only be seen in our actions toward others. Unfortunately, I’ve come to realize my love for Him stays on the emotional level. I love Him as long as I’m receiving some benefit from Him.

The entire conversation has caused me to question my motivations for leaving full-time ministry in 2019. That’s nearly five years ago now, and this week of reflection on this passage has brought it back up. I’ve wondered if my leaving full-time, vocational ministry is proof that I don’t really love Him. I’ve questioned whether my leaving was courage, or cowardice? I want to believe it was courage. I’ve come to think it was cowardice.

Loving Jesus is a heavy lift. It demands a willingness to “take up our cross and follow Him.” It demands forgiveness. It demands holiness. It demands sacrifice. It demands loving and caring for His sheep…his smelly, dirty, rotten, hard-headed sheep. Did I abandon His sheep? Have I failed to take up the cross? Did I count the cost and determine the price was too high? Was that my way of saying, “Lord, I don’t really love You”? Perhaps I don’t have the strength (or the courage) to do such a heavy lift. After all, I’m not Peter.

I suppose the season of Lent is for grappling with these kinds of deep questions. You might be surprised to discover that when you to get to the end of this blog you’ll not find a deeply compelling answer or a shocking revelation. I’m still grappling with the question. I don’t have an answer yet. Jesus really has backed me into a corner with His question.

All I know to do at this point is pray this prayer: Break me, Lord, until I love you. Let me hurt with the most awful pain until all I have left is to love You. Perhaps I don’t understand what I’m asking for, but perhaps You know best what I need. I know I want to love You the way Peter came to love You. I want to take up my cross and follow You. I want to be broken by You and I want to be broken for You because I want to answer Your question with a definitive, “Yes! Lord You know I love You!”

I can only thank Him that Sunday is coming! Lent can’t be over soon enough.

Until next time, keep looking up…

Suffering for Lent…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

I received a question last week that I didn’t answer immediately. I had to ponder it a while. I had to ponder it because it actually was a great question, especially for the season of Lent which began this past Wednesday.

The question was, “When He says pick up your cross and follow me, is that referring to laying down things of this world and utilizing our gifts to serve Him?”

I initially assumed that the asker was referring to the time Jesus encountered the “rich young ruler” in Mark 10:

20 And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”

21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

Mark 10: 20 – 21

but, I remembered that Luke’s Gospel was an encounter with all the disciples, and that it carried a broader idea than Mark’s encounter:

22 And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”

23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

Luke 9: 22 – 23

I initially wanted to answer, “Yes,” to the question, but that would have been the easy answer, but I’m not so sure it is the correct answer. As I’ve pondered the question over the past week, I think the correct answer lies in grasping the concept of suffering…a concept not too many of us want to think much about. We like our easy life (and let’s confess, most of us have it pretty easy in these United States of America), and we want to keep it that way.

Actually, there are a lot of preachers of the prosperity gospel who tell us if we’re not having a great easy life, it’s because we don’t have enough faith. But, that subject is for another blog post. I’m rather certain that if any believers in or purveyors of the prosperity gospel read this that they will vehemently disagree with me. Oh, well!

For Jesus, the call to his disciples to “take up the cross” was a call to enter with Him into His suffering. He’s fairly clear on that matter. He says that, “The Son of Man must suffer many things…”

So? Let’s talk about suffering! Such a fun topic, right? Who wants to suffer? Suffering is so un-American, right? This is the land of opportunity and so many of us have done so well “suffering for Jesus.”

I mean, really, if anyone should be suffering, surely it would be those called by God to serve in ministry, right? Ha! I was 28 years in vocational ministry and I never missed a meal. All my bills were paid and I put up a nice little nest egg for retirement. Actually, I was doing pretty well at the end of my vocational ministry journey…pulling in six figures and all that. Yeah, I often wondered if I was worth what I was making (those who were paying me were probably thinking the same thing), and I often thought, “I can’t believe they pay me this much to do what I do.” Yup! I’d call that suffering for Jesus!

Please don’t take this as a knock on those who are serving in vocational ministry (and doing well doing so). It is not intended to be that. I know very well what Paul told Timothy:

17 The elders who lead well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle the ox while it is threshing,” and “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”

1 Timothy 5: 17 – 18 (NASB)

But, I also know what Paul told the church at Corinth:

15 I will gladly spend myself and all I have for you, even though it seems that the more I love you, the less you love me.

2 Cor. 12: 15 (NLT)

Taking both of those passages in their context, one would have to say John Wesley had it right: “Gain all you can…save all you can…give all you can.” (For the full context of Wesley, click here).

I don’t mean to make this blog about money, either earning or giving. I’m just tying to answer a question that is not an easy question to answer. So, let me try to answer the question: I believe that the idea of “taking up our cross daily” is about entering the suffering of Jesus. It is about joining Jesus in His death so that we might also join Him in His life…eternal life.

Three things I would note about suffering:

First, suffering is to be expected. Jesus was pretty clear on that matter. Remember what He told His disciples in John’s gospel?

33 These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

John 16: 33 (NASB)

Second, suffering builds character. In this, Paul (Romans 5: 3-5), James (James 1: 2-4) and Peter (1 Peter 1: 6-7) are all in agreement. Our suffering is not in vain! Just as there was a purpose behind the suffering of Jesus, there is purpose behind our suffering.

Third, suffering is only temporary. One of the best quotes I ever heard was “Jesus could face the cross because He saw beyond it.” Jesus looked at the cross with the resurrection is sight. The Apostle Paul was able to see the resurrection as well. I love his counsel to the Corinthian church:

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 4: 16 – 18 (NIV)

It is hard for us to see past the cross, especially during the season of Lent. Remember, though, we can’t get to Easter without going through the cross.

No, we in western culture have had the benefit of a couple of centuries of Christian influence that has prevented us from enduring too much suffering on Jesus’ behalf. Perhaps that time is coming to an end and the suffering Jesus warned His first century disciples about may soon be upon us. Who knows?

I know that if it is, we should embrace it, learn what it is that Jesus wants us to learn, serve Him faithfully through it and come out the other side of it spiritually renewed bringing glory and honor to Him and building the Kingdom through it all. We should “take up the cross” and follow Him.

I’m not sure that answered the guy’s question, but at least the question prompted me to think. Maybe I have a little more thinking to do.

Until next time, keep looking up…