Some Questions to Ask as You Look Forward to a New Year

There's something about New Year's Eve or your birthday. There is a turning of the page in a mental as well as physical calendar that helps you feel like there is a new start on the horizon. Here are some questions you can ask yourself as you look forward to a new year. Take the opportunity to get a head start on some changes that can make a difference in your life.

H.T. Between Two Worlds

Fighting the Ministry Blues

For all my ministry friends and colleagues who read the blog, I found an article over at Christianity Today that was helpful to me. Like most people in ministry, it is hard to stay juiced all the time. When the blahs hit, here are some helpful tips on beating the blues.

Dictators, Despots and the Death Penalty

I just got home and turned on the news. Saddam Hussein is scheduled to be hanged sometime tonight. I am conflicted in spirit for the following reasons.

First of all, I reluctantly accept that the death penalty is warranted in certain, serious and hopefully rare cases. In my mind, some crimes are so heinous and the possibility of rehabilitation of the criminal so small, that it makes no sense to incarcerate an individual for a lifetime as that constitutes a more "cruel and unusual punishment" than execution.

Second, as a believer I have faith that God can change a person no matter how criminal. The death penalty takes away any possibility for repentance, restitution and rehabilitation.

Third, death is permanent and seals the executed's fate for eternity. Those who have been given the responsibility to carry out death sentences are human and they may err in judging whether a person should be given the opportunity to own up to their crimes and return restitution.

There is no question that Saddam Hussein is guilty of atrocities that boggle the minds of sane, civil people. If there ever was one who "deserved" to have his life ended to pay for his crimes, he fits the bill. Nevertheless, the death penalty should alway be administered with a sick feeling in one's stomach, and a prayer to God for mercy and that justice will have indeed been served.

UPDATE: Saddam Hussein was executed 12/29/2006, appx. 9:00 PM Central Time

Back by Popular Demand . . . Minute Meditation

I write a simple column for our church bulletin. It consists of a quote out of a book I'm currently reading, a matching Scripture verse, and about 3 short paragraphs of commentary. I've written the column weekly for about 7 years. I recently went on hiatus with it to determine if it would be missed. To my pleasant surprise, there has been a slow but constant inquiry about the column. So back by popular demand is the Minute Meditation. This will appear most Sundays in the church bulletin and then be posted on the blog the following Monday. For those of you who can't wait, here is a sneak preview of the January 7 edition. I hope you enjoy it.

Minute Meditation:

“If you don’t love somebody, it gets annoying when they tell you what to do or what to feel. When you love them you get pleasure from their pleasure, and it makes it easy to serve. I didn’t love God because I didn’t know God.” (Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2003)

“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:8 (NIV)

God is the originator of love. He invented it. He is it. That is why if we want to learn about love, we should go to the source. Our ability to love or our lack of love is in direct proportion to our knowledge of God. Not only our head knowledge, but our heart knowledge.

Love changes our thoughts, attitudes and behaviors. When we feel or know that we are loved, we tend to reciprocate in kind. If we don’t have that sense of being loved, we look for ways to earn it, or be affirmed in it. If we know we are not loved, we tend to be suspicious, we resign or retire, or we lash out to protect ourselves. If we know we are not loved, we avoid people or circumstances that confirm the absence of that love.

People who don’t know God are offended at the idea that there is someone they must answer to, or be obedient to. What right does anyone have to run my life? But those who do know God, really know him, are excited and eager to be obedient to Him. If you are having trouble being submitted to God in obedience, the issue isn’t obedience. The issue is, have you grown in your love of God, and have you been affirmed in God’s love for you? Once that issue is addressed, obedience becomes a pleasure.

Those Links on the Side

You may have noticed that there are some links on the right side of this blogsite. Worldmagblog. Monday Morning Insight, and others. These link you to other blogs that I frequent from time to time as a source of news or information. I don't necessarily agree with everything that is on these sites, but I do find them interesting much of the time. Just click on the name and you will be redirected.

Have you checked out any of those sites? Do you have blogsites that you frequent? Send me some blog addresses and I'll check out some of your sites to see what you find interesting.

The Growing House Church Movement

If you have any doubt as to what the future church will look like, check out this article from the Daily Herald. The future is now. It has been estimated that millions of Gen-Xers are leaving the traditional churches of their parents and settling into house churches. House churches differ from the cell groups (also known as home groups, life groups, small groups etc.) of the 70's and 80's. They are not subgroups of local churches, but churches in and of themselves. Their attendance is rarely over a dozen people, but they are intimately connected and highly relational.

The article makes an interesting observation. Take away the baby boomers from your typical traditional church, and what do you have left? Most of the children of the baby boomers have deserted the churches of their parents. If the present "contemporary" church doesn't do something soon, the next generation will develop a new church expression parallel to the traditional church and eventually replacing it. This is not new, as the boomers did the same thing. They pretty much abandoned the church of their parents and created the present expression of "traditional" church. Out went the organs, and liturgy and in came the drums, electric guitars and casual atmosphere.

Traditional churches that will survive this trend are creating healthy small groups for people to join. These churches, although few in numbers, are growing at a healthy clip. They have found a way to tap into the need of the next generation and are successfully bridging them in. Each generation must make a commitment to creating new wineskins for new wine. After you read the article, post your own observations and thoughts.

Traditional Candlelight Services

Well, I tried to stay away from the blog until after Christmas, but I just couldn't. We spent the day at my sister's and tomorrow our children will join us for our own immediate family celebration. It should be fun.

I was thinking of our candlelight service last night and am warmed by the afterglow of its simplicity. I have alway believed that it is hard to do better than the story right out of Scripture. This article agrees with my simple belief.

Last night after our candlelight service we stayed up late watching the Christmas Eve service from Fourth Presbyterian Church in downtown Chicago. It was a great service. Very traditional, including some excellent readings, a short but good sermon, and a candle lighting component. These are the "rich upper crust" of Chicago's magnificant mile. Simple worked for them as well.

We switched over to watch the Celebration of Christmas broadcasting from Belmont University in Nashville Tennessee. This university cranks out some of the top people in the music industry. They showcased a traditional choir, traditional Christmas hymns and a couple of solo performances by some really good singer/musicians. Simple, yet very effective.

We then watched the program of a mega-church in our area. It was filled with acrobats, gymnasts, dancers, gifted musicians and soloists. The stage was covered with fog, synthetic snow and elaborate sets. It was quite an extravagant show. But, it left me somewhat confused. It seemed that in an attempt to retell the story in a fresh and relevant way, the simplicity of the message was made abstract and obscured. Maybe it was the traditionalist in me, but I didn't particularly enjoy it. I didn't think it was bad, actually it was quite good from a technical and creative perspective, just a bit confusing.

I guess that is the beauty of Christianity. The same story can be told in a hundred different ways, and we can choose how we experience it. The key being that the message must be communicated. Whether it is by word, song, music, dance or art, the message can be conveyed.

I'll stick to keeping it simple. After all, it doesn't get much simpler than a Virgin, a manger and Immanuel.

Celebrating the Birth of the Savior

I'll be taking a break for the Incarnation Celebration. I'll be back after Christmas. But before I go, I want to record a few observations that have popped into my head and heart.

• God became flesh.: Extraordinary! He who created the universe, and everything in it, would confine Himself to the space of one man, in one point in time.
• Jesus appeared as a baby.: Innocent, helpless and vulnerable. He could have come as a full grown general with all the armies of heaven behind him, but he didn't.
• Jesus grew up in a family.: We don't know much about Joseph, Mary or his brothers and sisters. They were as common to history and experience as you and I and our families.
• His coming was for an express purpose.: Jesus came to give his life as a ransom for your sins and mine. He satisfied the demands of God for perfect righteousness.
• Christmas is observed to commemorate the first step of redemption's reality in history.: It all started in a manger, takes a decided turn at the cross and explodes in power at the resurrection.
• His offer of grace is free, but it cost him everything.: You and I can receive this gift for free, but it will cost us our lives in service, obedience and submission to His lordship.

May this Christmas reveal to you your place in God's redemptive plan.

Merry Christmas from the Jawbone. See you on Tuesday, or thereabouts.

How Effective Are We at Reaching our Children?

George Barna is a Christian pollster. He spends zillions of hours polling every conceivable issue that helps us understand Christians and the Christian world. Every year he releases his results of the 10 or so issues and findings of the previous year. Here is one that will cause your eyebrows to raise:

"Seven out of ten parents claim they are effective at developing the spiritual maturity of their children, but the Barna survey among 8-to-12-year-olds discovered that only one-third of them say a church has made “a positive difference” in their life; one-third contend that prayer is very important in their life; most of them would rather be popular than to do what is morally right. In fact, “tweeners” (those ages 8 to 12) deem their family to be vitally important in their life, but just 57% said they look forward to spending time with their family and only one out of every three say it is easy for them to talk to their parents about things that matter to them."

Remember, he is not polling unbelievers and non-church-goers. This is a poll targeting Christians. How can we better impact our children? What advice would you give to a brand new parent starting out today?

Awkward Christmas Gatherings

It's that time of the year again. We gather together with extended family and friends and we're not sure what to talk about, especially with the newest members of the clan. Here is a suggestion to use as ice breakers for quality time at holiday gatherings.

I'm planning to use some of these to open doors for potential witnessing. People are especially open to spiritual topics during Christmas. As long as it doesn't turn into a "commerical Christmas" bashing session, or a guilt trip about what a lack of spirituality surrounds the Christmas Season, these are good conversation starters.

May the peace of God be with you as your gather with your loved ones to celebrate the One who makes the season.

If You're a First Time Visitor . . .

Churches love to have visitors. We have a good share of them come to our services. How first time visitors are welcomed varies from church to church. A recent study suggests that most visitors want to remain anonymous. How do you feel about how first time visitors should be acknowledged or treated? When you visit a church, how do you want to be treated as a first time visitor?

Fear Replaces Sex!

The tool most often used by Madison Avenue advertisers has shifted from sex to fear, so says this columnist. Here is an excerpt:

Advertisers are smart. They do this because they know that Americans are really afraid more than anything else of not being attractive, accepted or loved. We are afraid of ourselves, of being alone, of stillness, of our own mortality. We are a nation of addicts (food, work, image, drugs, drink, sugar) and culturally we love to believe in miracle cures. We don't feel good about ourselves, we take a pill and voila! We are new creatures - vibrant, trim, clear-skinned. We don't have friends coming to our house, so we buy a new couch or a new plasma TV and we imagine the house is suddenly filled with loving neighbors toasting Amaretto to our continued success. We believe in Gadget Gods. Gadgets bring love, long life, good health, new friends, better jobs, clean lungs, big muscles and long-lasting on-demand erections. And don't forget: The newest gadget cures best. So hurry! If you don't act now, there might not be any left!

Whatever happened to Roosevelt's claim that "the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself." Are we to substitute faith with fear in our decision making. Apparently, many Americans are buying into this fear mentality. Parents are now buying pre-teens cellphones "in case of an emergency." I'm still trying to figure out what kind of an emergency a preteen would have that would require him/her needing a cellphone. Especially when every teenager and adult around already has one!

We don't have enough insurance for our health, life, cars, and homes. Call the agent! You need more. After all a flood can wipe away all your belongings. Never mind that you live in the Arizona desert. Wire up your house and car while you're at it, even though the studies show, that in most places in America, you have a better chance of getting hit by lightning than to have your house broken into or your car stolen.

Why do you think Americans buy (pardon the pun) into this fear tactic?

If You Make $12 million a Year, Can You Claim to be Underpaid?

In this Sports Illustrated piece, the 10 most underpaid basketball players are profiled. My how we have skewed the value of chosen professions. While a missionary, social worker, or inner city school teacher scrapes by on fumes, we are paying really big people millions to bounce a ball and shoot it through a hoop.

But such is the free market. The truth is that good basketball players are harder to find than good teachers. The market for basketball players is a tight one and the competition to sign them is stiff. But what are we telling our children? While most of of our children will not end up hitting a baseball or bouncing a basketball, we expend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars feeding their desire to play. In the meantime, homework suffers and many of these children end up dropping out of high school, or going to community college or settling for lesser known state schools and never reach their true potential.

For that small percentage that makes it to the NBA, NFL or MLB or whatever initials sports enthusiasts follow, the lifestyle if lucrative and dangerous. The off court/field incidences prove that, although they are highly skilled athletes, they suffer from the same humanness that all of us have inherited.

The Secularization of Christmas by the Church

Are you going to church on Christmas Eve? Or Christmas Day? Last year some megachurches fired a shot across the bow of traditional Christianity by canceling church services on Christmas Day because it fell on a Sunday. Their excuse? They wanted their church members and staff to spend quality time with their families. There arose such a clatter, that some Christian awoke from their slumber to see what was the matter.

Secularism has indeed overcommercialized the Christmas season, but the church is guilty of her own secularization of the season. This article helps us understand that Christmas without the church is only a shadow of the Christmas celebration that is truly God honoring.

I hope that you will take time to celebrate Christmas with your church family. Recapturing the sacredness of the holiday starts with under-emphasizing the materialism our culture has bought into and rediscovering the spiritual focus of the Incarnation. Jesus was born to start the historical process of redemption. Those who embrace his Incarnation, His redeeming work on the Cross, and his ultimate victory over death, are part of His Bride.

The coming of Jesus through birth is a sacred observance for the church. This year, celebrate the event with your biological and spiritual family.

Christian Parenting and Santa Claus

Every year we get well meaning people who grinch about how we celebrate Christmas. The truth is, you can't escape all of the cultural trappings that come with the season. But you can help your children see through it. The easiest way I know is to make all of those other things (Santa Claus, lights, Christmas trees, Stockings, gifts etc.) secondary to the Story.

Help your children understand the Season first Biblically, and then culturally. For example: start a family tradition of always putting up a creche or nativity scene. Make it a meaningful ritual by reading the Story and taking time to explain how accurate or inaccurate the actual nativity scene is, but that what it stands for is totally true.

Shortly thereafter tell them the story of St. Nicholas (shortened to Santa Claus) and why gifts are given to children (as a symbol of Christ, the greatest Gift) being given to us. Then you can help them understand the tree, candy canes, lights etc., but, don't overload them. Over the years, as you repeat this ritual the children will be saturated with the truth of the symbols and the symbols themselves shouldn't become stumbling blocks of Grinchdom.

We've successfully raised three children walking them through the mine fields of culture. We didn't allow ourselves to teach them a gospel of denial, isolationism, or legalism. We carefully explained the story, and all the other trappings became secondary, and eventually unnecessary for successful celebration of the Incarnation.

If Santa Claus, lights, wreaths, candy canes and "let's mark everything up and then discount it so we can fool people into thinking there is a sale" were to disappear tomorrow, Christians would still have a reason to celebrate. It's the story that needs to be emphasized. If it is, God is able to reveal the truth of the story and change lives through our celebration of God in flesh laying in a manger.

Some Trust in Chariots . . .

We are an advanced civilization and yet so many things go wrong. Here is a short essay that will give you hope in a broken world.

H.T. World Magazing

Government Interference in the Church

Our Constitution guarantees us freedom to exercise our faith without government intervention. That freedom is being challenged on a daily basis but we tentatively hold onto it even though some of it is deteriorating. But can you imagine trying to be a church in Russia? The government there has imposed strict rules of reporting that make the red tape almost impossible to overcome.

Christians in America must stay alert to government attempts to interfere in our freedom of religious expression. Because we are a secular country and give that freedom to any and all religions, even cases involving non-christian religions have ramifications on the church as these cases are heard and judgments are rendered.

Churches should practice sound accounting principles and are accountable to her members. But if government is allowed to intrude, the cost of filing paperwork, in time, personnel and resources, will chip away at resources that should be used in evangelism, ministering to the needy and equipping her members.

Can You Make it on $150 Grand a Year

Apparently this family is having trouble. $150,000 just doesn't buy what it used to. These poor folks are having a dickens of a time making it on a measly 150 grand. I'm trying to find their mailing address so that I can send them a donation. Wouldn't want them to live without their TiVo. :)

Who Speaks for Christ on a National Level?

Jay Bakker (son of former PTL leader Jim and Tammy Faye (Messmer) Baker and Marc Brown have written a commentary on what they believe is wrong with modern day Christianity in America. You can read about it here.

The secular media has discovered their new ministry to their generation and have published their commentary. I am usually skeptical whenever the secular media prints anything that is supposed to represent current thought, Christians and Christianity in general. But I was troubled by the conclusions made by Bakker and Brown. While they may have some semblance of correct understanding of how politics and Christianity have been incorrectly blended by some Christians, their simplistic commentary leaves a lot to be desired.

Obviously their conclusions are a product of immature and undeveloped theological thinking. It is not enough to take a few scripture verses, or even concepts, and superimpose them on tough ethical and theological issues. Marc and Jay both exhibit a touch of the post-modernistic thinking that permeates their generation. Their "can't we all just get along" idealism and "everyone is entitled to their own opinion and can be equally right" position is evidence that they haven't thought through the issues to more logical and mature conclusions.

The whole idea that Christianity may not survive and may be doomed, is ridiculous. Christianity has always been challenged somewhere, at some time, by somebody and it has more than held its own. While Christianity may be stagnant in the West (Europe, America, Canada, Australia) it is growing by leaps and bounds in Asia and Africa. And not the liberal wishy-washy kind you find in the West. It is a vibrant Christianity that is very conservative and true to its first century roots.

Young guys like Marc and Jay haven't earned the right to speak on a national lecturn and shouldn't be given that privilege by a respected news organization. For that matter they shouldn't be taken seriously as spokesmen for Christianity in general. While their youth doesn't disqualify them, their inability to understand complex issues because of underdeveloped theological foundations does.

Our Innovative and Creative Soldiers

Check out this article on how our soldiers are using "Silly String" and other things to help them on the battlefield. Since it is impossible for military planners to think of everything that might be needed in a particular battlefield, it is left up to the soldiers to find ways to make their situation safer.

I'm proud to be a vet and prouder yet of our active military personnel.

Musicals, Cantatas and Commenting on Blogs

Blogging is a new experience for many people. It can be an excellent tool for discussion, but I have also been on blogs where discussion and debate deteriorate because commentors sometimes lose track of the issue being discussed. Links (highlighted words in a different color) are provided for readers to click on and get more context for the blog post. For instance, click here and you will be redirected to our Church website.

I received a number of responses to the issue on "Chreasters." (see below). I don't respond to everyone that leaves a comment unless they are a newcomer and leave their email address. I greet them off blog through email and welcome them to the forum. I let the discussion go unless it gets "unchristian" and since it is my blog, I have the right to intervene.

Here is a response I made by personal email to one poster who seemed to have disagreed with my post. The emphases are mine to draw attention to the central point of that particular post.

" . . . please read the blog post carefully to make sure you are addressing the central point of the post. In this case it is the link that has been provided as a spoof on Chreasters (people who only come to church on Christmas and Easter). Click on that part of the post and enjoy a good laugh at the satire. The other comments I have written are just general personal observations and certainly not a criticism of our church in particular.

I know that musicals can be anointed and a blessed event and can draw church members who work on these productions closer. The “criticism” is that sometimes churches substitute personal evangelism, which is by far the most productive, for program evangelism, which does bring results, but far lesser than personal evangelism. Again, we are not necessarily talking about Christian Hills as I am looking forward to the next time we will be in a position to do a musical.

Let me give you one similar example. I got saved through a Gideon’s Bible. Compared to personal evangelism, literature evangelism is nowhere near as productive. That doesn’t make it bad, it’s just an observation. I support Gideon’s ministry, musicals, altar calls, car shows, puppet and mime evangelism etc. All evangelism efforts have worth.

I look forward to your continued input on the blog. I have a ton of people who read it regularly but few post because they are afraid to see their words in print or to have someone else rebut their comments. This is a fun experience and part of the new wave of tools available to stimulate dialogue and get feedback from within and outside of the church."

Thanks for your comments. I hope you will visit and comment often.

Democrats and Faith Based Issues

For many evangelicals the idea that someone can be a Christian and a Democrat is a foreign and even impossible concept. But believe it or not, there are faithful Christians in the Democratic party. They are faithful to their convictions on most of the moral and social issues held by their Republican counterparts, but approach these issues from a different perspective.

Faith and politics do mix, but only like vinegar and oil as a salad dressing. If an issue isn't activated by some shaking, the two will separate eventually. It's the same way with political parties. Christians from both parties need to be involved in addressing the major issues of the day such as genocide, AIDS, the war on terror, religious persection, world hunger, and oppression against women and children etc. Politically it shouldn't be an either/or, but a both/and.

The present political polarization should not be along spiritual lines. The real issue should be, that as long as you are a Christian first and a Democrat/Republican second it's really quite alright to work both ends toward a healthy solution for national and world problems.

Congregational Meetings

I don't know if anything was accomplished tonight, but one thing I do know, if this is the way we will be engaging our congregation in the future to get insight, I want more of it. There was a spirit of genuiness among us as we asked questions and made comments. Everyone seemed comfortable to share their heart, even when what they had to share was in opposition to the proposals set before us.

Every pastor knows that the hardest thing to do is propose a change to the constitution. After all, if it seemed to work ok, why does it need to be changed. Some folks can get defensive, confused, fearful and even militant, but none of that seemed to be present.

There was a lot of prayer ahead of our meeting tonight from both sides. The leadership of the church worked diligently in preparing the proposal and the members have been praying about the discussion in anticipation of the final vote being taken in February.

We will have a couple of other meetings for discussion. I hope they go as well as this one seemed to go. If they do, I can live with whatever decision is handed down when the final vote is taken.

What Constitutes a Healthy Church?

Church experts pretty much agree that there are five components to a healthy church. While a lot of emphasis has been put on church growth, more church leaders are starting to learn that a healthy church is the desired goal in ministry. A healthy church will grow, but a growing church may not be healthy. What are the components of a healthy church?

A healthy church will have a heart for worship. People must desire to enter into the intimate presence of God. They enjoy good music, drama, sermons, liturgy and art that stimulate desire for God’s closeness.

A healthy church will have a heart for the lost. Reaching out to those who are living in darkness is a passion for a healthy church. Partnering with missionaries to reach unreached peoples is a priority. Looking for opportunities to witness to a neighbor, a co-worker or a family member is a daily endeavor. Healthy churches love sinners.

A healthy church will have a heart of prayer. Personal intercession on behalf of fellow members, friends and family is a daily exercise. Corporate prayer is joined in to experience the power of “where two or more agree, it shall be given to them.” Healthy churches are praying churches.

A healthy church is committed to fellowship. Small groups to live out faith together are a hallmark of healthy churches. A group so intensely intimate that you can count on, through joy and sorrow is a wonderful commodity. Laughing, crying, ministering to one another’s needs is resource that man lack but all desire.

A healthy church is driven by the Word of God. Scripture defines what they believe, what they do and why they do it. It seeks direction from the Bible through precept and principle. It relies on the Holy Spirit to illuminate those words and bring fresh understanding to their hearts.

A healthy church attracts people. An unhealthy church repels seekers.

The Importance of Words in the Abortion Debate

We are only a few weeks away from observing the anniversary that tipped the scale of decency to brutality. The right to life movement has adopted this day to remind us, pro-life and pro-abortion alike, that this day will be marked as an infamous day. At this point in time it has become a battle of words and redefining words, but the stark reality hasn't changed, millions of babies were not given the chance to be born.

To read about how important words are in this debate, click here. Those of us who are pro-life must not allow the English language to be hijacked by doublespeak. Children are dying and sanitized verbiage to soften the blow doesn't change that fact.

The Men's Ministry Pendulum

Why don't most men go to church? Of those that do, why is there so little involvement? One preacher recently got in trouble by suggesting that the church is too "chickified." In other words, ministry isn't geared to manliness. Writers like John Eldredge want to address men in all their rawness. So does this ministry.

Is this just another movement that will crest and disappear? Is this just another gimmick or fad to try to get men into church? Or is this true discipleship? Personally the thing that scares me about any movement is the choosing of a few choice scripture verses to give it credibility. I believe that is what is at the root of fads that come and go. After awhile participants get the feeling that there has to be more to this than just what we happen to be doing at the moment.

A true man has strength balanced with self-control. It is not just about flexing your muscles because you have them, but because there is a genuine reason to do so. It is not about venting anger, but being righteously indignant about the things God cares about.

I fear that some of these new attempts to attract men cater to their basest and lowest denominator. Men need to aspire to greatness, to believe that their contributions in this life are lasting. To provide and protect, not by fighting every battle that comes their way, but by carefully choosing the ones that matter.

God is not going to accomplish his purposes with brute force, but with the discipline that comes from exercising prudent judgment. A locomotive has a lot of strength, but it is only good if it stays on the track.

Praying for Your Pastors

I came across this little blog post over at "Between Two Worlds" and thought I'd send it out to you.

"The New Year is just around the corner; for many us, that involves fresh resolve to grow in godliness and in the spiritual disciplines.Here is one resolution I would encourage you to consider making: regular prayer and encouragement for your pastor. I read today the conclusion of Kent and Barbara Hughes's book, Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome, and thought it would be worth reprinting here:

Every pastor knows that the strength of the ministry rests on prayer, and that it is those faithful souls who pray regularly for him and the church who bring God's special blessing upon the ministry. This fact invites a marvelous "what if" scenario. What if not just a few but the entire leadership and congregation prayed in detail every day for the pastor and their church? What would happen to his heart, to his preaching, to worship, to evangelism, to missions? Can there be any doubt that the minister and his people would know greater enablement than ever before in their lives?

Prayer is where the congregation must begin in this whole matter of encouragement. Will you make a personal commitment to encourage your pastor by daily prayer for him and his work? If so, we leave you with this suggestive outline, from which you can draw your own prayer list.

• Pray that he will be a true success: that he will be faithful, true to God's Word and hardworking; that he will be a servant, following the example of our foot-washing Lord; that he will love God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength; that he will truly believe what he believes about Christ; that he will lead a holy life, and not succumb to the sensuality of our culture; that he will lead a life of deep prayer, following Jesus' example; that he will have a positive attitude free from jealousy.
• Pray for his ministry--for his preaching, for time to prepare, for understanding the Word, for application, for the power of the Holy Spirit in delivery, for Sunday's services, for his leadership, for immediate problems he is facing.
• Pray for his marriage--for time for each other, for communication, for a deepening love, for fidelity.
• Pray for his children by name. Perhaps you might ask the pastor or his wife how they would like you to pray for their children.

Consider printing this out, placing it in your Bible, and putting this prayer into practice.

HT: Justin Taylor, Between Two Worlds

Preparing for the Chreasters.

Pastors have an affectionate term for those parishoners they see only on Christmas and Easter. We call them Chreasters. :)

Our funny friends at LarkNews.com have a humorous piece on how Chreasters are approaching this phenomenon of attending church only twice a year. They are all geared up to make their visit and disappear, but this time they'll be more intentional about avoiding the push to make them come to church more often. I personally think it is amusing to see all the work churches put into cantatas, plays, dramas, special servies etc. in an attempt to reach that small percentage of attenders in a typical Christmas or Easter church service that is unsaved.

While you can always have a testimony or two of people who were reached for Jesus using these methods, I have always thought that it was a gargantuan effort for poor return. I know, what price can you put on a soul? I prefer year round friendship evangelism. Especially since most of the statistics continue to prove that those who come to Christ, and stick around, come as a result of a friendship made and not a special service, musical or play.

We'll get our share of Chreasters this year. I hope they will find a friendly congregation that will embrace them beyond just the 90 minute service. I also hope that our congregation will take the opportunity to invite those friends they have been sharing their faith with to come to our services. That will be a lot more effective than just expecting walk-ins to connect with the gospel and the church.

Having Trouble Defining Who is an Evangelical?

It used to be easy. You were either a Catholic or a Protestant. Then you were a Catholic, Protestant or Fundamentalist. Then a Catholic, Protestant, Fundamentalist or Pentecostal. On and on, the labels continue to multiply. But one of the simplest catch-all categories that accounts for most Christians is the moniker "Evangelical."

One theologian has defined "evangelical" this way: "To be an evangelical is to take seriously the cross of Jesus Christ as the only solution to the fundamental issues of the human life. We are sinners who need to come to the cross in order to get right with God. That's what it means to be an evangelical. Four criteria, enunciated by British evangelical historian David Bebbington, are widely accepted as necessary to be an evangelical:

• Conversion — the belief that lives need to be transformed through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
• Belief in the Bible as the supreme authority.
• Cruci-centricism — the emphasis on the Christ's atoning sacrifice on the cross.
• Activism — living out one's faith through witnessing to others, social action such as serving the poor and disenfranchised, and developing a holy life."

Evangelical is a generic term and umbrella for many Christians. You can find a fuller treatment by clicking here.

When Technology Forces a Redefinition of Family

“Driven by the increasing use of reproductive technologies, the debate over same-sex parenting, and the acceptance of single and even "group" parenting, a growing panoply of new "family constellations"—as one psychologist has termed them—is raising questions: Where does society draw the line between adults' perceived right to parent and what is best for children? What role should the state have in defining parenthood? And with little data to measure outcomes, is the world steaming away too rapidly from the two-parent, mother-father model?”

This well written article asks many of the important questions in the brave new world we have embraced. Children are growing up in non-traditional families and many are confused as to their identity and what and how family is defined. There is an old saying, “you can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family.” Children can be chosen through invitro-fertilization, adoption and a host of other methods. But the article goes on to say,

"The issue is adults making life-altering decisions for their children that are in the adults' best interests as opposed to what's in the best interests of the child." And while various child-welfare experts define "best interests of the child" variously, Clark argues that the real experts, the children themselves, are not being heard.”

As adults continue to make these decisions, they can rationalize their choices in myriad ways. But as one of the interviewed children, now an adult, states:

"The reality is that the children are not being heard," Stefanowicz said. "You're a dependent; you can't speak up. You can't say, 'I'm 6 years old and this is the third partner my daddy has had.' The children are completely silenced and have to pretend it's fine and OK."

The issue of redefining the family is not just a point to discuss in an ivory tower, or at a local pub. It will affect a whole generation of people who have put in a situation who were not given a choice.