Sabbatical

Sabbatical  

noun: a period of time during which someone does not work at his or her regular job and is able to rest, travel, do research, etc.

Ok, I swore I would never do what I just did.  I have heard this done so many times - I promised myself I would not resort to using a Webster Dictionary definition to speak or write about something but now I have.  Maybe I need to take a break to recharge my creative batteries.

Thankfully, I have a church that understands that.  After ten years of pastoring at Northside, I was given a sabbatical leave of six weeks.  No, I am not making this up, just check with the Personnel Committee (as soon as they all return from their vacations).  I am writing this post to let you all know that I will be taking my leave for the month of July and the first two weeks of August.

We have a capable and hard-working staff here and I leave things in their well-equipped hands.  Mickey Ewing and Dean Meade will be taking care of my preaching/teaching responsibilities while I am gone.  They always do a great job and I know that you will support them well.  I will not be doing a blog, don't worry, you will find other things to read on the internet until I get back.  I promise you, you will.

What will I be doing?  There is a whole list of things – working on my parent’s place that I have long neglected, visiting other churches, having a colonoscopy, seeing my daughters and something I have never done before, going on a full two week vacation.  I keep hearing people talk about a “weekend.”  Since I have worked Sundays as a pastor for 26 years, I am going to try to find out just what is a “weekend?”  Maybe I should look it up in the dictionary.

for the journey...

Tim

What the Church Can Learn from the Spurs

I admit that I am a Spurs fan.  I know that some of you are not - I still love you and especially pray for you.  But allow me to share something I have been thinking about since the NBA Finals in a post today about five things that the church can learn from the five time champs.

1. Team work always trumps individual effort.  The Spurs beat the team of the "best player on the planet" by not having a single super star.  They played as a team.  We need to remember that in the church in a day of "superstars" and "celebrities" even in the church.

2. Selflessness always defeats selfishness.  The Spurs won by individuals giving up things for the sake of the team - the extra pass to the man who had the better shot.  The church functions best when it serves, when individuals give of themselves for the betterment of the whole.  In a spiritual sense, who do you need to pass the ball to?

3. We work best together when we get over ourselves.  Spurs' coach Greg Popovich said that one secret to the team's success is that they are a group of guys who have "gotten over themselves."  We only function as the body of Christ when we "get over ourselves."  If you have no idea what that means, then it is something that urgently needs to happen in you.  Have a little talk with Jesus.

4. Diversity can bring strength.  The Spurs are a diverse group from different backgrounds, ethnicities, languages and nations, yet they have found a way to use their differences as strengths not dividers. The church in heaven is made up of those from every tribe and every tongue and every nation.  The church on earth today needs to know that we do not all have to look alike, talk alike or think alike to be like the church in heaven.  That will bring strength.

5. The accomplishments of youth are celebrated.  When it was announced that Kawhi Leonard, one of the youngest players on the team, had won the Most Valuable Player award and not one of the veteran stars, the older, more accomplished players did not just politely applaud, they became like little boys in their affirmation.  Slapping, laughing, shoving, head rubbing and shouting their approval on their young team mate.  If we are to have a future, we must encourage and celebrate the accomplishments of those younger, even if it means we older ones don't get something we have "earned."

Someday all that the Spurs have done, as enjoyable as it is now, will pass away.  What we do as a church lasts for eternity.  Let's play as a team.  Let's get everyone in the game.  Let's follow our coach.

for the journey...

Tim

Bergdahl, Redemption and Me

Disclaimer:  In this post, I will be talking about a controversial figure in the news and decisions that were made regarding him that are equally controversial.  There are many others who will debate these topics much better than I will.  My goal is not to make any kind of point about the rightness or wrongness of actions taken by and for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl - though those are important discussions worthy of debate.  I simply want to share some analogies to my (our) spiritual life from what we are seeing in the news.

A few months ago, I could have told you that there was an American soldier being held by the Taliban but I could not have told you anything more than that.  Now we all know the name of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, we wish we knew more of why he left his post and what his intentions were.  There is still a lot of controversy and will continue to be.  It has caused me to do some reflection on my own spiritual life though, that is what I want to share in this post.

The redeeming of someone's life is never simple, clear, easy or cheap.  It is costly, controversial, difficult and messy.  So was my redemption from sin.  And always there is the question, "Was it really worth the costs?"  Was what was given up worth what was gained?  What will be the future repercussions?

I must admit that I, and every human being since Adam and Eve spoke to the serpent in the garden, have had questionable, unfathomable and totally illogical dalliances with an enemy whose sole purpose is to steal, kill and destroy.

The very reason I needed redemption was because I had, in a sense, wandered away from my post - of what I knew to be right and what I professed to believe.  In so doing, I was taken captive by an enemy who used me to do his will.  I was lost and powerless to free myself.

My King, determined that I was worth redeeming, though the cost for that redemption was high.  It is said that six soldiers died in the search for Sgt. Bergdahl and they were not able to find him or secure his release, despite their best efforts and their supreme sacrifice.

My redeemer, sent to deliver me, did find me and secure my release at a great personal price.  Then there was the dealing with my wandering.  I was found guilty of my desertion that got me into trouble in the first place. 

Then here is the amazing thing - my redeemer then took my punishment for my failings upon himself. He took my sentence and died so that I could be set free.  Was I really worth it?  What could I give back in payment even if I devoted the rest of my life to fulfilling my duty that I had forsaken?  Nothing could ever be enough.  Yet my redeemer did all this lovingly and willingly.

This whole case shows me in a way I had not seen before the costliness of my own sin - it always costs me and it always costs others and it always causes a mess that I cannot clean up.  It also shows me the great love and sacrifice of my redeemer, who set me free.

This Lord's Day, we will come to the table to examine ourselves.  I have some new gratitude for my savior.  Will join me?

for the journey...

Tim

For Father's Day

My post on the video about Mother's Day - "The Toughest Job" is probably my most viewed blog posts.  So in following that vein, here is my post for Father's Day.  It is a video that answers the question, "What happens when kids tell the Bible story and the adults act it out?"  It was made by a group of adults at FBC, Marble Falls.

I hope you enjoy another video- blog because to be honest, I am too tired from VBS to write anything worth your time.  This is.

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=WGYW6WNX

for the journey...

Tim

A Unit of Unity

This Sunday, we will look at unity.  How do you measure unity in a church?  You can measure baptisms and budgets.  You can count attendance and offerings.  You can list the value of buildings and property, but how do you measure unity? 

In the Bible there are measurements of "homers" and "talents."  There is never a mention of a homer of harmony or a talent of togetherness.  It does say, "they were all in one accord" but Honda has never released those numbers.  (Bad play on a really old joke, I'm sorry).

How can something so vital to the church be so immeasurable?  I do know this, when Hattie Marshall came to our church from a neighboring African-American Church, she and her husband Victor brought some diversity to our church.  Hattie had a unique voice, no one else sang like her, no one else shouted Hallelujah like her (no one else ever shouted but her) and no one else spoke quite like her.  But that difference, that diversity, brought a greater sense of unity.  We grew more diverse but not more divided, we became something more than what we had been and we became more unified.

Hattie went home to be with the Lord this morning.  She is now in a place where there will be people from every tribe and every tongue and every nation but that place is more unified than any place here on this earth.  In Christ, the greater the diversity, the greater the unity.   That is not what common sense would lead us to think - unity should come from uniformity - not with God.

Common sense would lead us to say then that we need to focus on diversity to get to unity but that is not the case either.  Unity and diversity are only possible in the church as we as individuals step out in faith as Christ leads.  Hattie always said that Jesus led her to our church.  No transition like that is easy but she came.  I really think Jesus did not lead her here for her but he led her here for us - and for a new sense of unity.  So the way to unity and the measure of it, is only something that happens when we obey Jesus.  Can someone say, "Hallelujah, thank you Jesus!"  Can you shout it today?  Hattie can.

for the journey...

Tim

Borderline Dangerous

I went to see a controversial movie last night.  It is being universally panned by media and movie critics.  Here are a few of their comments:

• "unintentionally grotesque" and "worthy of damnation" Rafer Guzman, Newsday
• "depressingly regressive and borderline dangerous" Christy Lemire, rogerebert.com
• The movie, "consigns the [main] character into Eisenhower-esque irrelevance" Inkoo Kang

Other words I picked up here and there by more than one reviewer, "sexiest" and "un-relatable."   I saw no positive reviews by reviewers.  What did I see?

I saw a Christian movie about two stay at home mom's who invite their pastor's wife out for a quiet dinner (with out husbands and children) called "Mom's Night Out."  I laughed harder in this movie than I have in a long time.  I did not have to feel uncomfortable about the humor because it was all clean and, for me, totally relatable.  Let's just say nothing goes as planned for the ladies and their families when they take a "Mom's Night Out."

I cannot see how so much negative has been spewed at a simple comedy with a good hearted message.  Of course, it is not something new to see a Christian movie being blasted by critics.  That will always be the case, but "borderline dangerous?"  Another reviewer spoke of how Christians should not even attempt a comedy movie because comedy by its nature had to have "tension" over things appropriate.  There was also the lament that the movie was not "as crass as I had hoped it would be."  Clean comedy is dead - at least to reviewers. Audiences though seem to be enjoying it.

As a Christian, do you feel that you are seen more and more as the enemy just because you are a Christian?  It seems that way to me.  This Sunday, we will talk about how Paul dealt with that.  It should be no surprise to us that if we really live for Christ we will really offend those don't by our mere existence.  This is not a problem without benefits and blessings though.  I hope you will join me Sunday for a message that I am sure will be "borderline dangerous."

for the journey...

Tim

Lottie's Prayers

 "...and a little child will lead them.  Isaiah 11:6

Over the past few years, we have been privileged to baptize around twenty students who have come from China to Victoria to study.  Our Chinese Fellowship has done a great job of reaching out to them and loving them to Christ.  This Sunday, there will be another baptism of Chinese visitors but this time it will not be a student but parents of a student.

A while back a young lady from China - I will call her Lucy - came to Christ while here in Victoria and she was baptized at Northside.  When she went home to visit, her parents could see a change in her life.  They wanted to know more about what had happened to her.  She began to tell them about Christ and the difference he makes.  They also were witnessed to by a sister-in-law here in the Chinese Fellowship.  They have found a church to belong to in China.

Sunday, they are being baptized here while in the U. S. to see their daughter graduate with a Master's degree and begin her career in New York City.  Lucy is a very small, quiet young lady but her life spoke volumes to her own parents.  I watched intently as I met with her parents about baptism and she translated and shared Bible verses in Mandarin from her phone.  There was a joy about her in being a part of this moment.

My, if pioneer missionary to China, Lottie Moon, could see this today!  A Chinese girl came to Victoria, Texas and met Christ.  Went home to lead her parents to Christ in China.  Now she takes the gospel with her to New York and her parents get baptized in Victoria and return to take the gospel to China.  God does answer prayers beyond anything we could 'dare to ask or even imagine.'

It all produces a joy.  A joy that the gospel can travel so far, overcome so many barriers and keep spreading through so many different circumstances.  It is the same joy the came into Paul in jail in Rome as he wrote back to the church at Philippi.  It is that joy that we can celebrate Sunday and everyday because the gospel does not stop working.  It is that joy that we can know because God wants us to experience it.  I hope you can be here to share it, but also know His joy knows no barriers.

for the journey...

Tim