Author: pastorlynnmalone

Ramblings and Rants…

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I can’t decide if I have too much on my mind or not enough on my mind…actually, it’s likely both. I have too much of the wrong things on my mind and not enough of the right things, so as I sit to write this morning, it’s going to be a mish-mash of ramblings and (a few) rants. It’s all just an attempt to clear my mind of the wrong things and try to fill it with the right things.

The Controversial Olympics

Whoever thought the Olympics were controversial? Yeah, only in the sense that we wanted to know if the Russians or Chinese were cheating. But, it seems from the opening moments there has been something stirring controversy in Paris.

The Last Supper?

There was a Facebook feeding frenzy after the opening ceremony by Christians (generally right-leaning) who were offended by the drag queen performance that resembled the Last Supper. It wasn’t long before other Christians (generally left-leaning) “corrected” their fellow Christians that it wasn’t the Last Supper, but rather a “Bacchanal” celebration (click here for a full explanation of a “bacchanal” feast).

I can’t comment either way. I didn’t watch the opening ceremony. Yes, I saw news clips and read several of the articles posted on Facebook. I see both sides. It certainly looked like the Last Supper. It could also be interpreted as a pagan orgy. Either way, there are a few rants I need to get off my chest.

First, why do Christians eat their own? I have many Facebook friends. Some of them are right-leaning. Others are left-leaning. Unfortunately, it appeared that my left-leaning friends took great joy in correcting my right-leaning friends…and not in a nice way.

I’m not mentioning any names, nor linking to any posts. After all, I don’t want to be one of those Christians who eat their own, but there was one response that was particularly scathing. It made me angry. Let me repent before I write this, but I got the sense that one was saying to the other, “You’re such a dumb-a**.” They said it in a much nicer way, but the point was clear.

Yup! I know all about Christian accountability. My left-leaning friends were simply holding my right-leaning friends accountable (I suppose). We shouldn’t do it in such a public way–even when the offense is done publicly. I’m reminded of Jesus’ counsel in Matthew 18:

15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. (Matthew 18: 15 – 17 NIV)

Brothers and sisters, can we stop the Facebook shaming (X-shaming, social media in general shaming) of one another? It gives the impression to those within and without the church that we really don’t like each other very much. We can do better.

Second, whether it was or it wasn’t the Last Supper (the director says it wasn’t), don’t Christians have the right to be offended by the public display of a pagan orgy? Actually, shouldn’t Christians be offended by the public display of a pagan orgy?

Just for the record, had I watched it, I would have been offended just by the raucous and sexual nature of the display, and no, I don’t think it was an appropriate way to begin what is supposed to be a celebration of international athletic accomplishment. The opening became a distraction to the accomplishment of every athlete participating in the Olympics, pagan or otherwise.

No, we shouldn’t be surprised that pagans will do what pagans do, but we have a right (and I say responsibility) to be salt and light in the world. Being offended by pagans is one means of being salt and light. Expressing that offense is also a means of influencing the culture, and if nothing else, disciples of Jesus Christ should seek to influence the culture. But, that’s just my opinion, which brings me to my final point on the subject…

Third, we Christians are entitled to an opinion. Opinions, one wise sage said (probably Mark Twain, though it might have been Abraham Lincoln), are like armpits–everyone has them and most of them stink. Even bad opinions can prompt one to think and consider the reason for holding one’s own opinion, and I am grateful for a constitution that allows me the freedom to hold a stinky opinion.

The first and foremost lens through which each of us should view our opinion is the Holy Spirit and scripture. Even then I suspect that we will arrive at different places (talk about statement of the obvious!), but let us respect each other enough to not devour one another simply because we did.

For the most balanced treatment of the “Last Supper Olympic” debacle, please read Dr. David Watson‘s substack article on the matter.

Trans-Gender Athletes

Yet another Olympic controversy has surrounded transgender boxers. I’m not going into all the details of that situation here. Here’s a link (I’ve found Axios to be somewhat reasonable and balanced in its reporting) that lays out the situation if you’re unfamiliar with it.

So, here’s my rant (stinky opinion though it may be):

The boxers in question at the Olympics each have a nuanced situation, but overall, the question of trans-gender female athletes competing in women’s sports should be a non-starter. Men should not compete against women. It is an unfair playing field (no pun intended).

Yes, I know there are nuanced situations, but those are far in the minority. The overwhelming majority of trans women participating in women’s sports are biological men who only want to win. They can’t do it on the men’s playing field, so they conveniently become women. I’m not buying it!

Seriously, the whole trans-gender discussion has only been a discussion for like the last five seconds. As a Christian, my starting point in the discussion is Genesis 1: 27–

So God created mankind in his own image,
    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.

Our opinion on the subject must first be formed theologically before it can be formed culturally and socially. I see a lot of Christian opinion being shaped by the culture and society first. My friends, that’s backwards. Let’s start theologically and see where we land, and let’s allow our theological reflection to guide or cultural response. Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to be?

I’m not going any further into the subject here. It would take too much space and the blog is already too long. Besides, I’ve already made too many people mad with my ramblings and rants. Let me just hush now.

Nothing Settled

Hey? I didn’t settle much, but I sure got a couple of things off my chest. My mind is not much clearer even with this rambling and even after the rants. Perhaps I need to remember Paul’s words to the Christians at Philippi:

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4: 8 NIV)

Yeah, I should think about those things. Maybe then I’d write a better blog.

Until next time, keep looking up…

This Ain’t That…

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Okay, so by now you’re aware that there was an assassination attempt on the life of Donald Trump on July 13, 2024. You’ve probably seen the soon-to-be iconic photograph taken that day at the fairgrounds rally in Butler, PA.

I’ll say with a fair degree of certainty that photograph sealed Joe Biden’s fate as far as the Presidential election is concerned. Regardless of what one thinks of Donald Trump, one must admit it is a compelling picture.

I continue to be amazed how some in the Christian community can try to make something out of current events that there is simply no evidence to support. Donald J. Trump may be a character of biblical proportions, and he may, in fact, be God’s man for God’s time (that remains to be seen), but please, let’s stop trying to tie biblical images to the man. We might just be opening a can of worms that we don’t need to open when we do that.

What do I mean?

Not too long after the assassination attempt, Donald Trump was tied to an obscure passage of scripture in Leviticus noting that Trump was somehow being anointed for God’s service (click here for an example).

The photo on the right also started hitting my Facebook feed shortly after the assassination attempt, and one prosperity preacher, Rev. Jentezen Franklin, made the connection while making remarks before the Faith & Freedom Coalition breakfast during the Republican National Convention. I searched the internet for the video, but it has apparently has been taken down.

Let me just say: This ain’t that!

Here’s the passage in question:

 23 Moses slaughtered the ram and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 24 Moses also brought Aaron’s sons forward and put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. Then he splashed blood against the sides of the altar.  Leviticus 8:23 – 24 NIV

In its context, Leviticus 8 is clearly Moses’ anointing of Aaron and his sons to the Old Testament Aaronic priesthood. It was a consecration of Aaron and his sons as priests for the nation of Israel. We must read it and understand it as we seek to understand what God was doing with His people in that time. To attempt to make a contemporary application is to open ourselves to several problems.

The Problems

Exegesis

Exegesis simply means the critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially of scripture. To take out of the text that there is a connection between the Aaronic priesthood of the Old Testament and Donald Trump is blatantly false. To suggest that the assassination attempt on Donald Trump is God’s anointing of him as some sort of priest or prophet for the United States of America is to have a completely wrong understanding of the Old Testament.

Connecting this passage of scripture, even as allegorical or metaphorical, is to make a very crass interpretation of scripture. We must be careful doing this…or tying any American President (or any person for that matter) to events in the Bible. We must be careful because two can play that game.

Here’s what I mean:

3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast.  Revelation 13: 3 NIV

Could Donald Trump be the beast of Revelation? I don’t know! I guess it depends on your interpretation of scripture (or your political party!).

Devil in the Details

Honestly, there are just too many details missing for Leviticus 8 to be in any way associated with Donald Trump. First, the blood applied to Aaron and his sons came from a sacrificial ram. That means something else had to die to provide the blood for the ceremony (think New Testament…think Jesus here). The blood applied to Aaron’s ear (and thumb and toe) was not his own.

Second, the Levitical instructions are specific in what was to be done with the fat and the entrails of the sacrificial animal. As best I recall, there was no fat or entrails (blood and guts) involved in the assassination attempt of former President Trump.

Third, as far as we know, none of the blood made its way to Trump’s big toe. We do know that he lost his shoes when he was tackled by the Secret Service, and he had the presence of mind to want to retrieve his shoes before departing the platform.

I’m going to say, as an aside, that wanting to get your shoes while someone is shooting at you is either the most narcissistic thing in the world, or the bravest thing in the world. There’s probably an element of both involved, but I’ll let you be the judge of it. Maybe they were just expensive shoes!

Lessons Learned

Let me be the first to say that I also think my Christian brothers and sisters who dispute God’s providence in the protection of Donald Trump through that attempt might also be hasty in their response. There is nothing wrong in acknowledging that God could very well have been provident in those circumstances, the fact that someone else was killed notwithstanding. One lesson in all of this is for us not to become extreme either way.

Another lesson to be learned is that the Bible is not a political prop and we shouldn’t seek to use it for political gain. It is the revelation of God the Father designed and given to lead us to repentance in Jesus Christ, the Son through the power of the Holy Spirit. Shame on us for using it any other way.

One final lesson we can learn is that Jesus Christ is our hope and the Savior of the world. We have so much hope and truth in the Gospel of Jesus Christ that we have no need of taking an obscure passage of scripture and misapplying it to our current situation to find hope. Jesus is the Savior who forgives sinners, saves them by His grace, invites them into His Kingdom and will one day come again in glory to reign eternally. That’s enough!

I’m telling you…this thing with Donald Trump…it ain’t that!

Until next time, keep looking up…

To Eat and Live Indoors…

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I didn’t get paid. And, really…I’m okay with that fact. There have been a couple of instances recently when I was invited to minister in settings and I was offered no remuneration. Can you believe that? Yeah! Me either! Geesh! What are people thinking?

No Complaints

Please, if any of you are reading this and I’ve been in ministry with you recently, don’t wrack your brain wondering if you “paid” me for the ministry. It’s 100% okay. I’m not complaining. I’m not in ministry for the money…though I do like to eat and live indoors.

Why am I 100% okay with not getting paid for ministry? Because I’ve learned the freedom that comes from not being dependent on the “church” for a living. Oh! There is freedom in that independence.

It’s been five years since I stepped away from vocational ministry. We stepped away from ministry totally trusting the Lord to provide for our needs (and He has). Yes, I had a job lined up, but even that job meant we had to adjust our lifestyle if we were going to make it, and I figured I would pick up some extra dough on the side by “filling the pulpit” to cover some gaps in the budget.

For twenty-eight years the “church” provided a good living (a very good living the last few years, I might add). I’ll be honest. It was hard to walk away from that security. Great salary. Great benefits. Great retirement plan (both in this world and the next!). What’s not to like? And, hey? Didn’t Jesus say that a “worker is worthy of his wage” (Matthew 10:10)?

I’m not indicting the model of vocational ministry that developed through the centuries. It serves its purpose to the Church (the institution) and to the church (the local congregation). Nor, am I indicting those who continue to serve full-time in vocational ministry. That’s your calling. You have to walk in that calling to be obedient. Good for you!

Paul’s Ministry

I am, however, going to espouse the freedom and the virtue of bi-vocational ministry. When someone hears the word bi-vocational, it is generally taken to mean a person who serves a congregation but also maintains secular employment–generally because the congregation can’t afford a full-time pastor.

What I mean when I say bi-vocational is a person who maintains secular employment as a means to support his/her ministry. I believe that’s what the Apostle Paul meant when he wrote:

4 On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. 5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. 6 We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. 7 Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, 8 so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. 9 Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you (1 Thessalonians 2:4-9 NIV).

The Apostle Paul was a tent-maker and he plied his trade wherever he went in order to support the ministry to which he was called. Yes, he could have asserted his right to be compensated by those to whom he ministered, but he chose otherwise. He was a traveling evangelist, but he wasn’t expecting a love offering wherever he went.

Advantages of Bi-Vocational Ministry

As I reflect on Paul’s life and my own experience over the past five years, I want to point out three advantages of bi-vocational ministry.

Don’t Compromise the Gospel

First, there is the freedom of not compromising the message of the Gospel. Paul says that he is “not trying to please people, but God, who tests our hearts.” I’m not saying that pastors in full-time ministry compromise the Gospel. Please don’t hear that. I’m saying in bi-vocational ministry, the temptation to compromise the Gospel is not present because one is not dependent on the congregation to eat and live indoors.

Let me offer an example, if I may. When I served as a District Superintendent, it was a common task to meet with congregational leadership to discuss pastoral leadership. More than once (a lot more than once) I heard church leadership say, “the pastor works for us.”

Too many congregations see the pastor as an employee. As an employee, he/she is supposed to do what the leadership says. As an employee, the pastor is dependent on the congregation for a livelihood. As an employee, the pastor can be fired. With that in mind, there is the temptation to “give the people what they want” so that I can maintain the security of my position.

I’m sorry, but no! The pastor is not an employee. Congregations need to hear that. Pastor, you are called to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Truth of God’s Word. That means we have to tell people what they don’t want to hear sometimes. We need the freedom to do so to be faithful to the call. Bi-vocational ministry provides the means to that end.

Role-Model

Second, bi-vocational ministry provides the opportunity for the minister to be a role-model for others on a daily basis. I love how Paul says that he did not “put on a mask to cover up…” It becomes really easy for a pastor to put on the pastor mask every day to go out into the secular world. It’s like putting on a clergy collar for the world to see (nothing wrong with a clergy collar), but It can too easily become a role we play instead a definition of who we are. Believe me, this one hits very close to home!

Being in the marketplace in secular employment every day challenges the believer (and especially the pastor) to model the faith in ever more faithful ways. You can’t hide behind the clergy collar when you’re around 8 co-workers who know your short-comings and see them five or six days a week. As Paul told the Thessalonians, “we were delighted with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.”

Evangelism in Truest Sense

Third, bi-vocational ministry puts the minister in the secular world where secular people live. If we want to reach the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we have to be where the people are. That is evangelism in its truest sense.

As a full-time vocational pastor, I spent more time with church people than I did with secular people. Between worship services, staff meetings, board meetings and bible studies, it left little time for engaging with un-churched and de-churched people. There was no time to share the Gospel with the lost (unless one considers folks in the church lost) because most of one’s time is already spoken for (you’re an employee, remember?).

Additionally, because a bi-vocational minister is in the secular world on a daily basis, living where secular people live, it becomes easier to interpret secular thinking and to stay abreast of shifting cultural values and mores. One gets the opportunity to understand why people think like they do and believe what they believe. It helps the minister make the Gospel relevant when the minister understands the mindset of the society and secular people.

A Final Thought

There are probably more advantages to being bi-vocational as a minister of the Gospel. These are just three I’ve thought about this morning reflecting on Paul and my own experience.

I never really saw myself as a bi-vocational minister in this regard. I’ve considered being bi-vocational in the traditional sense. Lord knows there is ample opportunity. I’ve said in recent years that I don’t have time for that. It’s not fair to the congregation because I couldn’t devote enough time to “grow” a church. After all, there’s no such thing as part-time ministry, only part-time pay.

But, I am bi-vocational in that I can work to support the work of the ministry to which I’m called. Right now, I’m called to be in the oil change business and preach in local congregations when asked. That’s what I’ll do for now. You can pay me, or not. I don’t care. If you do, I’ll be grateful and accept your blessing. If you don’t, I’ll thank God for His provision and that I had the chance to share the Gospel so as not “to be a burden to anyone.” That, and I like to eat and live indoors…

Perhaps the Lord is prompting you, Pastor, to reflect on His calling in your life. Is it time for you to become bi-vocational, too?

Until next time, keep looking up…

Praying for the USA…

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Please don’t mistake me for a Christian Nationalist (although some probably will), but I am reminded this morning of the words of the Psalmist:

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
    the people he chose for his inheritance.
13 From heaven the Lord looks down
    and sees all mankind;
14 from his dwelling place he watches
    all who live on earth—
15 he who forms the hearts of all,
    who considers everything they do.

16 No king is saved by the size of his army;
    no warrior escapes by his great strength.
17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
    despite all its great strength it cannot save.
18 But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
    on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19 to deliver them from death
    and keep them alive in famine.

20 We wait in hope for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
    for we trust in his holy name.
22 May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
    even as we put our hope in you. (Psalm 33: 12 – 22 NIV)

Now is not the time for followers of Jesus to point fingers and ascribe blame. Now is the time for us to pray.

For my left-leaning friends, President Trump is not Hitler reincarnated and he is not an existential threat to our democracy. Stop saying he is. Please!

For my right-leaning friends, President Trump is not the savior nor the Savior of America. Stop treating him that way. Please!

Rather, as followers of Jesus, let us pray for our nation and our leaders. That’s what we’re instructed to do:

2 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior,… (1 Timothy 2: 1 – 3. NIV)

Here is the question I have for my left-leaning friends: Did you pray for President Trump while he was in office? No? Then, shame on you! Are you praying for him now that someone has attempted to take his life? No? Then, shame on you!

Here is the question for my right-leaning friends: Are you praying for President Biden while he is in office? No? Then, shame on you! Are you praying for him now that the evidence of his cognitive decline is irrefutable? No? Then, shame on you!

Yes, I have my political biases and my political preferences. I will express those (although I’m guilty of occasionally expressing otherwise–yes, I repent) on Election Day at the ballot box. It makes us good citizens when we do.

In the meantime, I’ll recognize that President Trump was God’s man for God’s time (for whatever reason he was) while he was President, and I will treat him with the respect he deserves. I’ll also recognize that President Biden is God’s man for God’s time (for whatever reason he is) while he is President, and I will treat him with the respect he deserves. And, I will pray for them both…and their families…and our nation.

July 13, 2024 was a sad day in American history regardless whether we are right-leaning or left-leaning. Let us not, as those who say we follow Jesus, add to the division in our nation by joining in the expression of hateful political rhetoric (though both President Trump and President Biden make it so easy to do so). It is unbecoming of a disciple of Jesus, and it gives the Church a black eye when we do (guilty again–and again, I repent).

So, my rant is over. Will you join me in repentance? More importantly, will you join me in prayer?

Until next time, keep looking up…

The Coming Storm…

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I heard some bad news this week that makes me think it really is only the first winds of the storm that is blowing on the horizon for the institutional church, especially as it presents itself in the local congregation.

What was the news? I heard that this past Sunday was a pastor’s last Sunday at one local congregation because the congregation could no longer pay the pastor’s salary. I hated to hear the news, especially for the pastor who was faithful to lead the congregation through the disaffiliation process of the United Methodist Church.

I don’t know all the details of the transition. I know it was, by all United Methodist standards, a successful church plant a decade ago. The departing pastor was not the founding pastor (that might have a little to do with it), but the fact that the local congregation could no longer pay the salary points to a financial reality that many congregations will be facing in the future.

The news got me to thinking about some of the challenges that the institutional church will face in the future…there really is a storm on the horizon.

Challenges on the Horizon

Inflation

Thanks to Covid and bad national economic policy, everything costs more these days. That means people have less money to give to the church, but it also means that utilities, sound equipment, cleaning supplies, office supplies…literally everything costs more.

When people are unable to give to the church because their personal expenses have gone up, the local congregation can’t keep up with its own expenses. Programs have to be cut, personnel costs have to be cut. The model for the local congregation is unsustainable.

Real Estate

What inflation has done to everything else, it’s also done to real estate. I suppose this challenge could have been included in inflation above, but I think it stands on its own. Real estate prices have risen disproportionately to almost everything else, which is good for homeowners, but not really good for anyone else.

Real estate becomes a problem for the institutional church when it comes to the prospect of church planting. How can a “traditional church model” of church plant afford real estate in today’s market? Or, how can a “growing” congregation afford to either build or relocate in today’s real estate environment?

Not to mention building restrictions that many municipalities are placing on property use. Municipalities lose millions of dollars of revenue when property is used for a church. Those municipalities aren’t liking that much anymore and planning and zoning commissions are limiting the number of churches in some areas…because the municipalities need more revenue, too.

Salaries

Salaries will definitely be a challenge for local congregations in the future. Well, the future is now! Thus, the example given above. The local congregation could no longer afford the pastor’s salary. So it will continue to be as inflation takes its toll on the economy.

Even large congregations will find themselves scaling back on personnel in order to sustain the cost of keeping the doors open. Let’s face it, there are a lot of pastors and church staff who weren’t making a living wage anyway. It’s only going to get worse.

Congregations will begin (have begun) the transition to bi-vocational ministers, and pastors will have to transition to bi-vocational because, I know for a fact, that pastors like to eat and live indoors. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with that transition. It might even be for the best—it puts the pastor out into the community with an opportunity to meet un-churched, de-churched and un-saved people instead of spending all of their time “tending the sheep” inside the church walls, or sitting eight hours a day in the office because the Church Council demands their “availability” to the congregation.

Honestly, though, when you start cutting church staff, programs suffer and today’s institutional church model is built around attractional programming.

Clergy Shortage

Okay, so even if a congregation can afford to pay a full-time pastor, where are they going to find said pastor? (For more on the clergy shortage, click here and here).

There is no longer a functional ministry pipeline from which to choose trained professional clergy.  Number one, people aren’t going to seminary in the numbers they were in the past. Seriously, they finally figured out that spending all that money for a seminary education wasn’t paying off.

Many people who feel called to ministry have figured out they can fulfill their calling in the non-profit world and get paid more for it. I know it’s not all about the money in ministry, but pastor’s still have to provide for their families.

Additionally, traditional denominations have provided a pipeline and pastors would “rise up through the ranks” to fill pastoral roles. Well, there are no ranks anymore in many denominations. Many denominations find themselves in “warm body syndrome” where they just need someone/anyone to fill a pastoral position. Yeah, the Holy Spirit is really in that process.

Another issue affecting the clergy shortage is the fact that the majority of clergy are near or past retirement age. I know! Retirement is not a biblical concept, but most retired clergy don’t have the energy and don’t really want to invest the time it takes to “grow” a church. Yeah, I’m probably just speaking for myself, but I’ve also heard it from other retired clergy who have been asked about serving full-time or even planting a church.

The clergy shortage makes the traditional institutional church model unsustainable.

Shrinking Attendance

Rev. Max Edwards, General Superintendent of the Evangelical Methodist Church, posted a link to an article in his weekly newsletter that is really eye-opening. Church attendance has been falling for generations and according to the article, shrinking attendance has costs far beyond the ability of a congregation to stay open.

Also, the article states that since the 1990’s, 40 million people have stopped going to church—that’s one in eight Americans, and in 2021, membership in houses of worship fell below the majority for the first time.

Yeah, I know! Covid, right? Covid only accelerated the decline. Most churches haven’t recovered their pre-Covid attendance. Most churches never will. Shrinking attendance makes the traditional model of the institutional unsustainable.

Disciple-Making Process

Okay, as one who served as a full-time pastor, I assume my share of responsibility for this one, but the local congregation has not been very good at making disciples. Most congregations don’t have an intentional disciple-making process.

For generations, it has been about programming for the local church and for the passing on of information as if we can just get enough information we can experience transformation.

Yeah, well it doesn’t work that way. Information does not equal transformation. Only the Holy Spirit can transform a person and I suspect we were so busy planning programming and designing ways to keep people’s attention that we forgot to leave room for the Holy Spirit.

Heck, we didn’t even disciple our children and that’s the very place we should excel most. Young people have left the traditional church in droves and they’re not coming back!

Unless and until a local congregation implements an intentional disciple-making process—a process whereby a person grows up in faith and holiness to engage their own gifts for ministry in service to the Kingdom—the local church/traditional brick-and-mortar model is going to be unsustainable.

The House Church

I think there is a legitimate answer for the challenges facing the local church and the institutional church. I don’t want to talk about a bunch of problems without offering some solutions.

I am evermore convinced that the answer to the “church” problem is to go back to the future—The House Church.

I don’t intend to lay out the Biblical justification for house churches in this blog (for that you can click here, here, here, here and here). But, let me offer some reasons that I believe the house church is the harbor in the storm facing the institutional church.

Here are some reasons I believe this:

No Professionals Needed

You don’t need a “professional” pastor in a house church. All that is required is for a person to exercise his/her gifts for ministry.

There is no need for a salary because it is not a “job” or means of support for anyone who is part of a house church. The ministry pipeline already exists in every house church. The members of the house church are the ministers—each one engaging in the use of their own giftedness supporting the body of Christ.

No need for M.Div’s or theological schools and no student loans to have to pay back. The primary expense of any local congregation is cut in half when no “professional” pastor is needed.

Real Estate

In a house church, real estate is not an issue. You already own it (unless you rent, of course). What’s more, the government can’t shut you down in the next pandemic. The cost of maintaining a place of worship no longer exists because you’re going to live in your house anyway.

It’s More Evangelistic

Trust me, it’s easier to invite someone to your house for a Bible study than it is to invite them to a church building for worship.

With a house church, you can meet in the local coffee shop (a house church doesn’t necessarily limit one to a literal house) for prayer. Someone will see you praying and it will open the door for a conversation with someone present who desires/needs prayer.

Honestly, many existing local congregations, including many who disaffiliated from the UMC, are really Sunday school classes that own property. What if all those “Sunday school classes” transitioned to house churches and sold their property and gave all the money to missions—of course, that would have to mean the local congregation had a focus and passion for missions, but that’s for another blog.

The church becomes infinitely more accessible under a house church model in today’s culture—more accessible than a traditional church ever will be again.

Financially Sustainable

A house church doesn’t need gazillions of dollars to sustain itself. There are no salaries, no church staff, no buildings to maintain, no church vans or buses to pay for. The only need for money comes in the resourcing, and there are abundant resources for house churches whose costs can easily be shared by those attending.

Quickly Scalable

Because house churches are not dependent on large investments of money, and because they are only limited by the real estate that its members already own, it becomes simple to multiply and replicate.

So, your house can only accommodate 20 people? Cool! Start another house church!

Intergenerational

The church was/is meant to be intergenerational. The house church is specifically meant to be so. Yes, everyone stays together. Everyone prays together. Everyone sings together. Everyone studies together.

This is the absolute best example of disciple making for your children. We pray with our children and for our children…and they pray for and with us. That’s the way it is supposed to be.

We were never supposed to send our children to children’s church or our youth to youth services. Worship is meant to be intergenerational.

Tell me, really? Why does the “traditional” church model have “youth ministry” at 5 p.m. on Sunday, yet they don’t have any ministries at the same time for adults…or children…or anyone else?

And, really? We want the church to do for our children and youth what the Bible says parents are supposed to do? The home is now, and has always been, the greatest incubator of faith.

Like Hurricane Beryl in the Gulf of Mexico this past week, all the signs pointed to the storm that was coming. The signs are on the horizon for the local church. How will local congregations (and the institutional church) prepare for the storm ahead?

An Invitation

May I invite you to pray with me? Pray for the many local congregations that are struggling with their future. They have looked toward the horizon and see the storm brewing but are unsure how to prepare. Pray for the Holy Spirit to lead them into His future for them…and pray that the congregation will be open to the Holy Spirit.

Also, pray with me about The House Church Movement. The House Church Movement was a vision the Lord gave me back in 2020, but it has been on the back burner (I rather called it “paused”) for a couple of years. I am praying to discern if now is the time to re-launch the Movement.

I would love to hear your thoughts. Please comment below, and if you live in the northwest Louisiana area and would be interested in being a part of a re-launch, I’d love to hear that, too. All it takes is two:

20 “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18: 20 NIV)

Until next time, keep looking up…

A Glimpse Inside a Preacher’s Mind…

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I went to church last Sunday. I heard a good sermon from a good preacher. These former United Methodists, though, they are in uncharted waters. The preacher who was preaching was doing so “in view of a call” to be the church’s pastor. The congregation was handing out ballots so the people could vote. It just seemed all so Baptist to me, but we are living in a new world as former United Methodists, aren’t we?

A Critical Mind

I did what I usually do when I attend worship where I’m not preaching. I critiqued the sermon. Don’t judge me! I suspect it is what most preachers do when they attend worship. They’ll probably tell you otherwise, but only a few (those really holy few) really mean it.

What is there to critique? Well, there is first the choice of text. Unless the preacher is preaching from the Revised Common Lectionary, I wonder why the preacher chose the text he/she chose. Did the preacher spend time in deep prayer and devotion and was moved by the Spirit to preach this text? Or, did the preacher just pull out an old sermon, dust it off, freshen it up and preach it?

Next, I can usually find a reason to critique the points of the sermon. “Well, I don’t know if I would have included that in the message.” “Interesting direction he/she took with that point.” “That application doesn’t really work with that point.” “I think I could have found a better illustration for that point.” And on it could go…

Then, I can usually find a critique of the preacher’s exegesis. Exegesis is one of those three dollar theological words that simply means “read out of.” It is taking the biblical text and bringing out the meaning, rather than reading meaning into the text.

Let me see if I can say it another way: Reading into the text (called eisogesis) would be like saying, “This is what the text means to me.” Reading out of the text would be saying, “This is what the author meant when he wrote the text.” There is a world of difference between the two.

Finally, I can usually find a critique or two on the preacher’s delivery. The preacher’s dress code, the preacher’s cadence, the preacher’s inflection, the preacher’s diction. And, on it could go…

Not to worry, though. I know that when I preach to a congregation that has other preachers in it, I’m probably getting the same treatment. Nonetheless, we preach on in spite of the critique. And, seriously, the guy is a good preacher and he preached a good sermon. That’s what you do when you’re preaching in view of a call (it still sounds strange saying that as a Methodist).

A Thoughtful Mind

How do I know the sermon was a good sermon? Because it was thought-provoking. The notes I made from the message cover the worship folder from the service.

The scripture for the message was Matthew 14: 22 – 33–

22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

29 “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

So, here’s your opportunity to get a glimpse into how my mind works when I’m listening to someone else preach.

Thinking About Peter

The preacher’s message prompted me to look at the event from Peter’s perspective. My first thought was, “I wonder how many steps Peter took on the water?” Did he take one and then began to sink? Did he take ten before he began sinking? Even if he took one step, what a miracle that is because people don’t walk on water!

Also, Peter was actually willing to get out of the boat. What a risk of faith! Those who are willing to take the risk of faith generally reap the greatest rewards. Seems like there is a sermon in there to me. I’ll come back to this note another day. Yeah, I know, John Ortberg wrote an entire book about it. Nonetheless, I can put my own spin on it.

Peter, even in the midst of great faith, exhibited doubt and fear. No one is perfect…not even Peter…even as great as his faith was. Even the greatest among us can be overcome by doubt and fear…even in the midst of a miracle. Maybe it’s in the midst of a miracle that the devil shows up to do his most deceptive work?

Thinking About the other Disciples

I also think about the disciples who remained in the boat. I first got the impression that the disciples who remained in the boat are like most followers of Jesus. We are unwilling to take the risk of faith. The safest place is in the boat in the middle of the storm.

Interestingly, though, even disciples who aren’t willing to take the risk of faith still reap the benefit from those who do. They witnessed the miracle of Peter walking on water and of Jesus calming the storm. See how much difference one person’s faith can make? Yeah, probably a sermon in there, too. I’ll hold on to this note.

Thinking About Jesus

Of course, this is one of the Gospels, so what is most important is what do we learn about Jesus? First, Jesus is in the storm. That doesn’t mean Jesus causes the storm. It just means He’s there. Probably a sermon in there somewhere, too.

Not only is Jesus in the storm, sometimes He calls us into the storm. Yeah, I could do an entire sermon on our uniquely American name-it-and-claim-it prosperity gospel with this as an example of how we don’t need to avoid the “storms of life.” Jesus is there in the storm and He calls us to join Him there. It is where faith is built and miracles happen.

Jesus also gives us a powerful example of the spiritual disciplines of prayer and solitude. He went away alone (as was often His want) to pray. Jesus’s power was rooted in His relationship with His Father. I’m not so sure that this is not the most important point of the encounter. Jesus was sustained by this relationship, and all He accomplished He accomplished because of His connection to His Father. Exegesis (see above) proves this point well. Yeah, there’s a sermon in there.

One final thought I noted was the simple fact that Jesus is our salvation. Whether we are in the storm or in the boat, it is Jesus who saves us. Jesus saved Peter from the doubt and fear he experienced in the storm (while he was walking on water, I might add), and Jesus saved the other disciples when He calmed the storm once He got into the boat. Perhaps this is the most important point of the encounter–Jesus saves!

A Hopeful Mind

See? I told you it was a good sermon. No, the preacher didn’t make all these points in his sermon (it would be insufferably long if he did!). The sermon was good enough to get me to think all those things. So what if I might have gone a different direction? So what if the preacher’s diction wasn’t the greatest? So what if…? So what?

I left challenged to think more deeply about this event and its implications in my life and the life of the Church. I left asking more questions about Jesus and wanting to find the answers. That’s what good sermons do. I can only pray that my sermons are that good, too.

So now, you’ve had a brief glimpse into how the mind of a preacher works…or, at least how this preacher’s mind works. Please don’t judge me. I am, after all, not the perfect pastor.

Until next time, keep looking up…

Oh! How the Mighty Have Fallen…

/ pastorlynnmalone / 1 Comment

Bad news breaks hard, and unfortunately, bad news has been breaking hard for the Church for a few weeks now.

A Run of Bad News

First, return to late April. News broke of the suicide of a pastor’s wife in South Carolina (click here for a deeper dive into the story). Pastor John Paul Miller’s wife, Mica, allegedly took her own life after filing for divorce from her husband. The story reveals a tumultuous and allegedly abusive relationship between the pastor and his former wife. Newsnation has a series of reports on the entire ordeal (it can be found here). No matter the issues involved, it is a sad, sad story.

Second, on June 13th, it was announced that Dallas area megachurch pastor Tony Evans was stepping down from the church he helped found nearly 50 years ago over an “unnamed” sin. Dr. Evans had also built a flourishing media ministry through his Urban Alternative ministries. Dr. Evans was/is quite the celebrity among evangelical Christians, and the loss of his pulpit and ministry influence is a sad, sad story.

Third, news broke on June 18th, that Rev. Robert Morris, founding/senior pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, TX, had resigned his position as a result of accusations of sexual abuse and assault reaching back over 30 years ago. Rev. Morris had, in his own right, established a growing media ministry and exercised a strong influence among evangelicals just as Dr. Evans. Again, for his congregation and for the Church, his is a sad, sad story.

Finally, on a note not related to the Church/church, but closer to me personally (and reflective of the destructive nature of sin), I saw reports that a former co-worker had been arrested for crimes of a sexual nature. The accused and I worked together at the Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Office in another lifetime. I haven’t seen or talked to him in years, but the breaking news brought an overwhelming sadness to my heart because it, too, is a sad, sad story.

Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty! Although, both Evans and Morris resigned as a result of the allegations, so there is that. Rev. Miller (who I think has been relieved of his duties as pastor) hasn’t yet been charged with any crime, and my friend is yet to be tried for his alleged crime.

King David’s Lament

In each of these instances, I am reminded of David’s song in 2 Samuel 1:

19 “A gazelle lies slain on your heights, Israel.
    How the mighty have fallen! (2 Samuel 1: 19 NIV)

David, ever the song writer, expressed his deep emotion regarding the death of his adversary (King Saul) and his friend (Jonathon). Though many have since uttered the phrase in celebration over the fall of the famous or influential, David sang it as a deep lament.

I won’t rehash David’s relationship with King Saul or Saul’s son, Jonathon, here. You can read 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel:1 for the full story. Let’s just say David’s relationship with King Saul was challenging. King Saul sought numerous times to have David killed and David had numerous occasions to kill Saul and assume the throne he knew to be rightly his. Yet, David chose to wait for God’s timing and he never failed to view Saul as the Lord’s anointed.

Upon hearing the news of both Saul and Jonathon’s demise, David’s heart broke because to him, it was not a time to celebrate, but it was, in fact, a sad, sad story.

Unfortunately, there are many outside the church who are celebrating the fall of the mighty. It gives them an opportunity to point to Christians and say, “Look, just a bunch of hypocrites!” Unfortunately again, they would be correct. We are, for the most part, a bunch of hypocrites. That’s why we need grace. That’s why we need Jesus. That’s central to the message of our faith. Too many outside the faith don’t understand that fact, and that, too, is a sad, sad story.

There are also some within the church who celebrate fall of the mighty. The celebration comes from those mostly outside the evangelical community who have an opportunity to say, “See, I told you so! Just a bunch of hypocrites.” And, they would be correct. It affords them a chance to say, “At least I’m not like that publican, over there” (Luke 18:9-14). Nothing like attacking our own. Why do we do that?

Lessons to Learn

I’m going to choose to learn some lessons from David in these particular situations.

Reserve Judgment

First, I’m going to reserve judgment. I’m not going to judge either the person or circumstance. David consistently withheld his own personal judgment in regard to his relationship with King Saul. He knew that God would judge Saul and his circumstances in His own time. David trusted God enough to wait. If David can do that, so can I.

I wait to offer any judgment because I remember what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount:

7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7: 1-5 NIV)

There’s just something about that whole log and speck thing that slows me down when it comes to rendering judgment in any way. I’ve come to believe that we all have logs in our eyes…everyone of us have LOGS in our eyes. The log in your eye only looks like a speck to me because of the log in my eye, and the speck you see in my eye only looks like a speck because you can’t see around the log in your own eye.

The truth is I don’t want to be too hard on others because it means others will be too hard on me. We Christians believe in this little thing called forgiveness, and we work toward reconciliation and restoration, or at least we’re supposed to. Forgiveness is hard (especially in some of the circumstances above), but it is nonetheless demanded by those of us who follow Jesus.

Yes, accountability is necessary, and accountability will work itself out through the legal process (as it should). There are always consequences to sin. I suspect that each person whose name is in the news recently is experiencing that accountability first-hand. I’m willing to let that process play out without rendering judgment against the persons. I trust God enough to do that.

Respect the Person

Second, I’m going to respect the person. Honestly, I don’t know Pastor Miller. Never heard of him before the news of his wife’s suicide made national headlines. I feel reasonably certain there are folks who are standing with him during this tragic time, and that he has had a positive impact on lives under his care as a pastor (maybe not…I really don’t know). As far as I know, he hasn’t been implicated in any way in his wife’s death, but the “gossip” is rampant that it was his abuse that drove her to it.

I’ll choose to believe that no matter what, he has had a positive impact on someone, and I’ll celebrate that in the midst of my own sadness over the circumstance.

The same is true with Evans and Morris. Both have had a profound impact of the evangelical church over the past 20 years. They have positively impacted many lives through the ministry the Lord entrusted to them. I will choose to look at that impact and celebrate the goodness of God in those circumstances, even as I lament the sadness of their current circumstances.

And, I don’t know what my former co-worker’s life has been like over these past 35 years. But, I remember him as dedicated public servant who was funny and hard-working, and didn’t have an evil bone in his body. I’m going to celebrate those memories even as I lament the sad, sad nature of the tragic circumstances surrounding his arrest.

Our Work to be Done

The sad news of the past few weeks also serves to remind me that the Church/church has work to do.

Accountability

First, we in the church must practice accountability better, and we must submit ourselves to be accountable to one another. I’ll confess this has been a challenge for me in recent years (since I left vocational ministry). Previously, there were built in relationships that helped shape accountability in my life. As vocational ministry has grown smaller in my rearview, those relationships have likewise faded.

We must be intentional in accountability. That’s one reason I’m a Wesleyan. Wesley’s model of accountability (bands, classes, societies) is an effective model of discipleship when executed properly (and when submitted to properly). The practice of accountability is part and parcel to our pursuit of holiness, and we Wesleyans, if we’re not pursuing holiness, should be doing nothing else.

Prayer

Second, we must pray for those in circumstances like these. I think it was Oswald Chambers who said praying for others is the surest way to discover one’s own salvation. Not only to discover it, but also to live out the holy life to which one is called.

We must pray for every person involved in the situations…for the accused, for the victim/accuser, for their families, for the church. Praying for them helps us not lose sight of the hurt that affects everyone, and it reminds us that both victim and accused are people of sacred worth who are made in God’s image.

Naming Sin

Finally, we must name sin for what it is. Excuse me for saying it this way, but we can’t “poo-poo” sin. We can’t make light of it. We can’t sweep it under the rug. We can’t call it by any other name. Sin is destructive. It destroys lives and there are four very recent examples that leave very little doubt.

Sexual sin appears to be the Devil’s chosen means of destroying Jesus’s Church (and people in general). Folks, we’ve got to put guardrails in place to protect ourselves and the Church from sexual sin (well, all sin, but particularly sexual sin). The Devil has control of the culture and he is using that control to bring down the Church. We have to open our eyes to that reality.

For the Church to call out sin is not to render judgment. The Bible is relatively clear on the matter of sin and for the Church to call it out as such is to be faithful to Scripture. Judgment is the Lord’s, but the Lord has given His Church His Word. It is His Word that renders the judgment, not us as individuals.

I know this post may elicit some negative feedback. That’ll be okay. I won’t judge those who do. I’ll take it all in stride and include it as part of my continuing lament for the current climate of culture and news.

I’ll also remember that someone could someday be saying about me, “Oh! How the mighty have fallen.” Except I’m afraid they’ll be celebrating when they say it.

Until next time, keep looking up…

Happy Father’s Day!

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Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there! I did a blog honoring mothers on Mother’s Day, so I should return the favor to dads on Father’s Day. In that blog (read it here), I reflected on the mothers who were influential in my life, but I kind of did that previously (here and here) for dads, so I don’t feel the need to repeat all that again.

Someone asked me this week, “What are your plans for Father’s Day?” I answered, “Go to church, eat lunch and take a nap.” Sounds like a pretty good plan to me. I think that for most fathers the routine of a typical Sunday is perfectly fine for them. It’s not that we don’t appreciate the warm and loving gestures of our wives and children, it’s just that we view the Hallmark holidays a bit differently.

We view days like today differently because men are different. I don’t care what our culture has been trying to tell us for the past 50 years, men and women are different. It has been that way since the beginning:

27 So God created mankind in his own image,
    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)

Yeah, I could now launch into a long essay on how men and women are different from a biblical perspective, but if you’re reading this you probably don’t need my persuasion. Most of you probably already agree with me.

I also could expound on the impact that feminist ideology, and now trans ideology, has had (and continues to have) on culture’s view of fatherhood, but again, most of you probably don’t need my persuasion and most of you would agree with me.

I could connect feminist and trans ideology to Marxist ideology that has at its core the destruction of the nuclear family (see here if you don’t believe me). It really is eerie how that ideology is being played out before our eyes in today’s cultural climate. I won’t do that here, though, because most of you reading this already see it and you would agree with me.

Besides, doing so would be too much like work, and it’s Father’s Day. Most fathers would rather simply go to church, eat lunch and take a nap.

So, I’ll just say Happy Father’s Day to all our fathers, and I’ll leave you with a Facebook meme I saw this week that pretty much sums it up for me:

I leave that with you because it is what your children need. It is what your wife needs. It is what your church needs. It is what our culture needs.

Happy Father’s Day!

Until next time, keep looking up…

“Value-Added” Faith…

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It is always good to be with friends! I met a friend for coffee this week and the course of the conversation soon turned to our common journey of vocational ministry.

My friend mentioned a sermon he recently heard that challenged him. After our conversation, I was challenged, too.

A Moment of Conviction

Well, challenged is not really the correct word. Conviction is more appropriate in this case. The message of the sermon my friend heard, and the subsequent course of our conversation, centered around the nature of the gospel we have preached in our years of ministry.

It basically comes down to asking, “Have we preached a ‘value-added’ faith?” What do I mean?

“Value-added” faith is, in essence, coming to Jesus for what we can get out of it. Need a better marriage? Come to Jesus. He’ll fix your marriage. Want to be a better parent? Come to Jesus. He’ll make you a better parent. Financial problems? No worries! Follow these six biblical principles and soon your financial problems will straighten out. You get the picture.

Get Jesus…and this is the value He will add to your life!

And there was where the conviction came in! I am guilty of preaching a “value-added” faith. I also must confess that I didn’t do it occasionally, I did it often.

Enough with the Excuses

Don’t get me wrong, I have several excellent excuses. First, of course, is my desire to be relevant because if the preacher isn’t relevant, what good is he? How many sermons and sermon series have I designed based on topics rather than scripture? Too many, I’m afraid.

I looked back through my preaching calendars over the years. Here are the titles to a few sermon series I preached:

  • Breaking Bad (Circumstances, Decisions, Attitudes, Relationships)
  • Connected (Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat, Twitter [X], Texting)
  • Faith and Politics (Culture, Leadership, Role of Government)
  • Inside Out (Series on mental health)

I also looked back through the files for sermon titles. Again, here is what I found:

  • Learning How to Love
  • Living in Shades of Gray
  • Practical Advice for Surviving the Season
  • Priorities of Life
  • Racing is Life

There are too many others to list here, but you get the gist. They are all designed to speak to the value of having Jesus in one’s life. The routine was choose the topic, find a passage or two of scripture and craft a sermon that would be “relevant” to the congregation.

Another excuse is that I thought (or was taught) that in order to reach people with the gospel, sermons had to address a “felt need” in the listener (congregation). Actually, “felt need” and relevance are close cousins as you can see from the sermon and series titles above.

A “felt need” can be:

  • Financial security
  • Stability
  • Love
  • Peace
  • Stress (worry)
  • Loneliness

Again, the routine was to discover a “felt need”, find a passage or two from scripture and craft a message that would address that “felt need.” Sometimes it worked. Often times, it didn’t.

No matter how many times I sought relevance or addressed a felt need, the congregation always left pretty much like they came–at least time and reflection has proven it to be so. The Church in culture has been on the decline for generations. I’m not so sure that it isn’t because we preachers of the gospel have too often chosen relevance over honesty, felt needs over accountability. Perhaps it is only part of the reason.

I don’t mean to insinuate that my friend does that, or indict any other pastors. I speak purely from my own experience, and the conviction is mine and mine alone. Although, as I’ve conducted a few Google searches I can say there are a lot of sermons on the internet that, based on the title, are seeking the same end.

Having acknowledged my fault and repented of my failures, may I share a commitment for the future?

A Call to Surrender & Sacrifice

I believe what the Church (and the world) needs now more than ever is an honest, simple presentation of the Gospel. The world and the Church need to hear the Truth in a simple, straightforward way. I am reminded of the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer:

“The cross is laid on every Christian. The first Christ-suffering which every man must experience is the call to abandon the attachments of this world. It is that dying of the old man which is the result of his encounter with Christ. As we embark upon discipleship we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with his death—we give over our  lives to death. Thus it begins; the cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise god-fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ. When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die. It may be a death like that of the first disciples who had to leave home and work to follow him, or it may be a death like Luther’s, who had to leave the monastery and go out into the world. But it is the same death every time—death in Jesus Christ, the death of the old man at his call.” (The Cost of Discipleship, 99)

Bonhoeffer only echoes the words of Jesus to the ruler in Luke’s Gospel:

22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Luke 18:22).

Or, of what Jesus told His disciples (also in Luke’s Gospel):

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. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? (Luke 9:23-25).

The call of the Gospel, the call of Jesus Christ, the call to discipleship is a call to die to self, a call to surrender, a call to sacrifice. I fear I have not preached that enough. I fear that I have not lived that enough. I fear that is part of the reason the Church is where it is in culture today. I am heartily sorry for my part in bringing the Church to that place.

The message of the Gospel is self-surrender, not self-help. I’ve yet to see a “self-surrender” section in any local bookstore. Surrender and sacrifice are not popular topics in today’s culture. Perhaps those topics will be a little more relatable if I untuck my shirt and wear skinny jeans while preaching them. Yeah…perhaps not (this body wasn’t made for skinny jeans!).

This blog has gotten way too long, so let me close with my commitment to do better in my preaching. I’ll do my best to “give ’em Jesus.” He’s relevant enough. I’ll trust the Holy Spirit to do His work if I do mine.

Until next time, keep looking up…

Embracing Opportunities: A Bright Side to the United Methodist Church Situation

/ pastorlynnmalone / 1 Comment

What? Another blog post on the situation in the United Methodist Church? From someone who left the United Methodist Church? Can’t you please just move on?

Yes, I probably should move on, but honestly, it’s hard to simply walk away from an institution that was an integral part of my life for over 50 years…an institution that shaped me spiritually and theologically…an institution in which I still have many friends and acquaintances…an institution that I loved for so, so long. That, and when I write a blog about the United Methodist Church, my readership generally explodes, so there’s that!

Everyone (well, almost everyone) who reads my blog is reasonably familiar with the recent decisions of the General Conference of the United Methodist Church that has many UM traditionalists reassessing their prospects of remaining United Methodist, so I’m not going to rehash those General Conference decisions here. You can find all the information you want here and here if you need to revisit those decisions.

What I am going to suggest to my traditionalist friends who adopted the “wait and see” approach (and now find themselves considering what’s next) is that you may be in a season of wonderful opportunity, and to encourage you to embrace the opportunity that lies before you. I’m suggesting there really is a bright side to the situation in which you find yourself.

Opportunity #1

If you are a traditionalist in the United Methodist Church, the recent decision of General Conference has forced you to the margins of both the institution and the culture. Being on the margins is a good thing. The Church has always flourished best on the margins.

You are now in conflict with “the system.” Well, that’s exactly where Jesus was when he established His ministry on earth. The “power” dynamic has flipped. That’s a scary (and terribly uncomfortable) place to be. Traditionalists have been accustomed to palace living. What do I mean?

Ever since the Edict of Milan in 313 A. D. (when Emperor Constantine “legalized” Christianity), the institution of the Church has enjoyed relatively “favored” status in the culture. The palace (the power structure) looked favorably on the Church. Likewise, traditionalists were part of the structures that maintained the institution. It is relatively safe to say with GC’s recent decisions, that is no longer the case. You are on the margins.

Should you and your congregation choose to remain in the United Methodist Church, you and your congregation can be like “a voice crying in the wilderness” (John 1:23, et. al), or as a remnant left behind in Jerusalem (Jeremiah 52) to tend the vineyards and till the soil.

Opportunity #2

If you are a traditionalist congregation in the UMC, you may now be forced to deal with your “edifice complex.” You now have to assess just how much your property is worth to you. That is a good thing.

The Church has never been about a building or property. The Church has always been about people.

Yes, I know it is sad that you, your forefathers and foremothers poured your life and soul into a building and property. You made the investments. You raised the money. You made the commitment to pay the debts.

Your parents and grandparents were buried there. Your children were baptized there. You were married there. There are too many memories to count. That property carries a ton of emotional weight and the prospect of walking away from it generates an equal amount of grief.

Considering the emotional worth of your property forces a reflection on the purpose and mission of the Church, and that is a very good thing.

It can take the focus off the parking lot and put the focus on people. It can take the focus off the color of the carpet and place it on the process of discipleship. It can provide the opportunity to create new spaces that will be attractive to new people.

Can you imagine what a church budget would look like if 50% of it was dedicated to evangelism rather than light bills and maintenance?

Yes, leaving your property will require sacrifice (and it will seem totally unjust), but what is the Christian life apart from sacrificial living? The greater the sacrifice, the greater the blessing. What is the price of faithfulness?

And, who knows? Walk away from your property for a season and you might be able to purchase it back in the future for pennies on the dollar. I recall a time in the not too distant past when a particular Annual Conference was begging cemetery associations to form legal entities so it could unload abandoned properties and get them off the AC’s books.

Tons of abandoned properties will soon be an albatross around the necks of many Annual Conferences. Some have even explored the possibility of hiring additional Conference staff just to manage the properties. That will get old (and expensive) really quickly.

Seriously, beyond a few properties (mostly in downtown areas valued by real estate developers), there is little value in church property, especially if there is a cemetery attached to it.

You are being given that opportunity to revisit the purpose and mission of your congregation. Embrace the opportunity.

Opportunity #3

I believe that traditionalist congregations in the UMC are now being given the opportunity to rely on God in a new way. In the past, congregations had a power structure (the Annual Conference) that it depended upon for direction and connection. A departure from the power structure brings a new freedom to listen to the Lord for direction.

In the past, top down decisions dictated the direction and the leadership of a congregation. I am intimately familiar with one former UMC congregation who is living this reality even now. In the “good old days,” if they needed a pastoral change they conferred with the District Superintendent and the issue was resolved.

Now, in their search for a new pastor, the prayer life of the congregation has increased dramatically. Everyone is praying for the congregation’s leadership as they navigate the new waters of pastoral selection. They are living in an era of reliance on God in ways they never had to before. That is an amazingly good thing!

The congregation is out of its comfort zone, and that is the place where great things can happen.

One Consideration

One thing that I’ve been reflecting on has me concerned. It may surprise you. It is the name “Methodist.” Yes, what an amazing heritage and history! I have always been honored to be called Methodist, even if (or especially because) it was originally a derogatory reference.

I am concerned for all in the Wesleyan family who carry the name Methodist because the observing world doesn’t distinguish between those in the Methodist family. The world doesn’t know the difference in a United Methodist, an Evangelical Methodist, a Free Methodist, a Wesleyan Methodist or a Global Methodist. The world only sees “Methodist.”

The challenge is for all of us to be intentional in communicating who we are to a watching world. Of course, that should have been the challenge all along.

A Final Word

There are probably more opportunities for congregations. These are just the ones I’ve thought about as I’ve reflected on the situation. If you know more, please include them in the comments for others who might read the blog.

Traditionalists, you wanted to “wait and see.” Well, you waited and now you’ve seen. It is time to make a decision about where God is calling you in the future. Embrace the season. Embrace the challenge. Embrace the opportunity. But always, keep looking on the bright side!

Until next time, keep looking up…