Isn't the bicycle the noblest invention ever? And with skyrocketing gas prices, doesn't that dusty beauty leaned against the garage wall look a little better every day?
I have heard the bicycle described as the most important machine to come out of the Industrial Revolution. That's hard to dispute when one considers the benefits bicycles have brought to every region of the earth in less that 150 years. The bicycle is at the center of the hub (no pun intended) of commerce in many developing countries. People in western nations still resort to the bike when ownership of a peronal automobile is unrealistic. That may apply to you and me before long.
But for now, riding a bicycle for most Americans is about fun and freedom. When we were children, we crawled, walked, ran...and then we rode, and we discovered the world where the sidewalk ends. I was able to rekindle a little bit of that discoverer's joy as I watched my own children take to two wheels and disappear around the corner and out of sight.
I'm still possessed of a bicycle-fed, childlike wanderlust to round the corner and disappear from view for awhile. This summer I will either ride from Fayetteville, North Carolina to my hometown of Ironton, Ohio (430 hilly miles) or cross Ohio east to west (240 not-so-hilly miles) in the first week of July. Being a flatlander for so long, I'll probably choose the latter. Either way, I'll be traveling in style on the noblest invention. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Newsflash: be Christian and someone's going to take advantage of you
The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-11) can be real head-scratchers. From the world's standpoint, being meek and merciful are surefire ways to get treated like a doormat. And yet, there they are-- counterintuitive attitudes bearing the Messianic seal of approval and divine promises of blessing.
As many a stranger's first point of contact with our church, I have the privilege of being the benevolence ambassador for the down and out looking for a few dollars or a meal.
There are lots of homeless (or one rent payment away from homeless) people in my part of Fayetteville, North Carolina. I've heard every hard luck tale imagineable. Several of these folks, I suspect, have strung together a list of helpful churches and are merely "making the rounds." For others, the bag of groceries, the chicken dinner, or the bus ticket I help them get is the difference between life and death.
So, am I chump? Are people taking advantage of me? Yes. Some are. But one only has to help out a seriously disadvantaged person one time to begin to touch the concept Jesus described in the beatitudes: blessedness.
As many a stranger's first point of contact with our church, I have the privilege of being the benevolence ambassador for the down and out looking for a few dollars or a meal.
There are lots of homeless (or one rent payment away from homeless) people in my part of Fayetteville, North Carolina. I've heard every hard luck tale imagineable. Several of these folks, I suspect, have strung together a list of helpful churches and are merely "making the rounds." For others, the bag of groceries, the chicken dinner, or the bus ticket I help them get is the difference between life and death.
So, am I chump? Are people taking advantage of me? Yes. Some are. But one only has to help out a seriously disadvantaged person one time to begin to touch the concept Jesus described in the beatitudes: blessedness.
Don't ask the question if you can't handle the answer
As a pastor, I've always believed that knowledge is power. I want to know what's going on in the church. At least the big stuff. It helps me prepare for situations and not be blindsided by them
A recent phenomenon I've had to deal with is getting information I need but blows my mind when I get it. Last week I asked our Wednesday-night adult class to rate their preparation for Bible class on a scale of one to five-- One being, "I did my homwework. Sit down preacher an' let me take over;" five being, "Has anyone seen my Bible?" SEVENTY -FIVE PERCENT of my students reported no advance planning for class. I've walked around with a harpoon sticking out of my side all week from one!
Alas, don't ask the question if you can't handle the answer.
Sometimes I'll ask a Christian brother or sister to describe the goings-on in some church committee meeting. Invariably, he or she comes around to saying something like, "Oh, by the way, we also discussed your (fill in the blank) work. I just thought you would like to know so you can think about what to do." On the one hand, I'm grateful for the insider information. On the other hand, many of these communications cause me to sit upright out of a sound sleep in the middle of the night and question others' love for me or my own sense of adequacy.
I'm torn. Not to ask is to remain in the dark about serious ministry that affects me. But I have difficulty handling the answer. Lord, help me to think the best of others and to regain my objectivity.
A recent phenomenon I've had to deal with is getting information I need but blows my mind when I get it. Last week I asked our Wednesday-night adult class to rate their preparation for Bible class on a scale of one to five-- One being, "I did my homwework. Sit down preacher an' let me take over;" five being, "Has anyone seen my Bible?" SEVENTY -FIVE PERCENT of my students reported no advance planning for class. I've walked around with a harpoon sticking out of my side all week from one!
Alas, don't ask the question if you can't handle the answer.
Sometimes I'll ask a Christian brother or sister to describe the goings-on in some church committee meeting. Invariably, he or she comes around to saying something like, "Oh, by the way, we also discussed your (fill in the blank) work. I just thought you would like to know so you can think about what to do." On the one hand, I'm grateful for the insider information. On the other hand, many of these communications cause me to sit upright out of a sound sleep in the middle of the night and question others' love for me or my own sense of adequacy.
I'm torn. Not to ask is to remain in the dark about serious ministry that affects me. But I have difficulty handling the answer. Lord, help me to think the best of others and to regain my objectivity.
THE QUEST FOR A PERFECT CHURCH
What makes a perfect church? I doubt I’ll ever know. Surely I would find something in any local body of believers that would make me question their orthodoxy. If I’m honest with myself, there are actions and attitudes within me that would probably lead to me being excluded from the perfect church. To adapt the quote by Groucho Marx: “I wouldn’t join a church that would accept me as a member!”
If I go to the New Testament in my search for the perfect church, I see how difficult perfection can be: Corinth suffered from division and open immorality; the Philippians were a body of believers who had left their first love; Rome pushed the limits of grace. Likewise, my church isn’t perfect, but we’re striving to meet Jesus’ intent for his people. While not perfect, there are some things very right with the church where I worship:
It’s is a snapshot of the church in the world. There is a broad spectrum of attitudes, opinions, and Spiritual maturity levels at my church. The experiences of our members run the gamut: small, conservative church backgrounds, large metropolitan church backgrounds, and little or no church backgrounds at all. This creates a melting pot of values and a refreshing spirit of acceptance where one does not need to be afraid to express his or her understandings. We wrestle together with biblical truths and we are unsatisfied with static propositions. When it comes to disagreement, we come together on the high ground of Holy Scripture where necessary and maintain humble opinions about the “gray areas.”
We are comfortable with diversity. We didn’t become culturally diverse by sweeping differences under the rug. Rather, we “go the extra mile” to understand brothers and sisters from varied ethnic, racial, social, and economic backgrounds. This mutual submission—this “others orientation,” holds out the promise that as God’s people, we can transcend the issues that fragment the world. We joyfully embrace our inheritance as a people ransomed by Jesus “from every tribe, language, people, and nation.” (Revelation 5:9-10)
We strive for a team approach to ministry. The decentralized philosophy of our elders, deacons, and staff creates an environment where each member can use s or her unique Spiritual gift in cooperation with others. From youth and women’s ministries to multiple staff and committees, we believe that empowering all members of the body of Christ for ministry is a dynamic and biblical way to be the church. (Romans 12:4-8). There’s a place for to be, grow, and serve at Helen Street.
We have sensible, cross-centered preaching. Nothing kills the spirit of Christian mission and Spiritual growth like preaching that incessantly hammers away at issues. The church that curses the dark more than it sends forth light will never become in our world what Jesus was in his.
Our church is a place where you can be confident that God’s messengers will treat you and your non-Christian friends with respect and dignity, and where the only offense people will confront is the offense of the Cross. (Matthew 10:37-39)
What makes a perfect church? I doubt I’ll ever know. Surely I would find something in any local body of believers that would make me question their orthodoxy. If I’m honest with myself, there are actions and attitudes within me that would probably lead to me being excluded from the perfect church. To adapt the quote by Groucho Marx: “I wouldn’t join a church that would accept me as a member!”
If I go to the New Testament in my search for the perfect church, I see how difficult perfection can be: Corinth suffered from division and open immorality; the Philippians were a body of believers who had left their first love; Rome pushed the limits of grace. Likewise, my church isn’t perfect, but we’re striving to meet Jesus’ intent for his people. While not perfect, there are some things very right with the church where I worship:
It’s is a snapshot of the church in the world. There is a broad spectrum of attitudes, opinions, and Spiritual maturity levels at my church. The experiences of our members run the gamut: small, conservative church backgrounds, large metropolitan church backgrounds, and little or no church backgrounds at all. This creates a melting pot of values and a refreshing spirit of acceptance where one does not need to be afraid to express his or her understandings. We wrestle together with biblical truths and we are unsatisfied with static propositions. When it comes to disagreement, we come together on the high ground of Holy Scripture where necessary and maintain humble opinions about the “gray areas.”
We are comfortable with diversity. We didn’t become culturally diverse by sweeping differences under the rug. Rather, we “go the extra mile” to understand brothers and sisters from varied ethnic, racial, social, and economic backgrounds. This mutual submission—this “others orientation,” holds out the promise that as God’s people, we can transcend the issues that fragment the world. We joyfully embrace our inheritance as a people ransomed by Jesus “from every tribe, language, people, and nation.” (Revelation 5:9-10)
We strive for a team approach to ministry. The decentralized philosophy of our elders, deacons, and staff creates an environment where each member can use s or her unique Spiritual gift in cooperation with others. From youth and women’s ministries to multiple staff and committees, we believe that empowering all members of the body of Christ for ministry is a dynamic and biblical way to be the church. (Romans 12:4-8). There’s a place for to be, grow, and serve at Helen Street.
We have sensible, cross-centered preaching. Nothing kills the spirit of Christian mission and Spiritual growth like preaching that incessantly hammers away at issues. The church that curses the dark more than it sends forth light will never become in our world what Jesus was in his.
Our church is a place where you can be confident that God’s messengers will treat you and your non-Christian friends with respect and dignity, and where the only offense people will confront is the offense of the Cross. (Matthew 10:37-39)
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