Lessons from Sabbatical

Crossroads graciously has granted me a sabbatical for the first two months of 2014.  In my 25 years as a pastor, I've never had such a break from the weekly routine of ministry.  This has been quite a blessing for me.  I've had extended time with the Lord, and I have visited other churches.

Here are a few random lessons I have learned from my experience.

• It is hard to unplug.
• Ministry goes on without me.
• God likes for me to smile.
• There is still not enough time for me to do what I want to do.
• Life is better when I am rested.
• I'm barely scratching the surface of life with Jesus.
• The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) say very little about church.
• I constantly feel like I should be doing something.
• Sunday mornings are disconcerting for me when I'm out of my routine.
• I love my church.  I really miss seeing people.
• Prayer is harder than I thought.
• My family is great.  I like them.
• There is a lot of restless among the people of God.
• We want him to do something radical and new.

I Don't Like This Word

I have never cared for the word "sanctification."  It sounds stuffy, holier-than-thou, and downright difficult.  Maybe, years ago, I heard some stuffy, pompous people talking about sanctification.  I don't remember.

Of course the word itself refers to the process of becoming more holy.  Why would that bother me?  Maybe it's my desire to make myself look more holy than I really am.  If I pursue sanctification, then I  have to prove to others how holy I am.  I'm just not good at that.  When I try to be holy, I fall short, so I have to fake it.

To avoid faking it, I just don't talk about sanctification.

Becoming more holy takes a lot of work.  I have to put myself in the position that God can pour his Spirit into me.  But when I practice spiritual disciplines, God does the work of making me more holy.  It flows naturally, or supernaturally, in my life.

I'm reading Dallas Willard's The Spirit of the Disciplines, and it's blowing my mind.  It's making me hungry for real spirituality, hungry for Jesus, hungry for living the real life that Jesus promises.

I might actually want to be sanctified.

So, God, who am I?

I've been preaching for years that we should
Center on God,
Connect in Relationship, and
Change our World. 
As we center on God, I have said, we need to Know God and Know Self.


I have always thought that self-discovery happens when I pay attention to my life.  That helps, but if I really want to know myself, why not ask God?  Surely he knows.  Last Saturday I wrote out some questions I have for God about myself.  I have yet to listen for the answers, but finding the questions is a start.  Here's my list.  What would be on your list?

• Why have you made me?
• How am I unique and special?
• Where is my thinking on target?
• Where am I off base in my thinking?
• What should I pursue?
• What should I give up on?
• What talents am I wasting?
• What makes my heart sing?
• What is my fatal flaw?
• How can I be more fully alive?
• What do you like about me?
• What do you want to change about me?
• What lessons am I failing to learn?
• Do you care about my legacy?  Should I?
• Why do you love me?
• What motivates me?
• What hurts have shaped me?
• What successes of mine really matter?
• What do you need me to hear from you now?
• What are my real talents?
• What should be my most important contribution?
• What habits will help me become my true self?
• What is your purpose for me?
• How can I move beyond myself?
• How can I delight you?

And Now for Something Completely DIfferent..

It's a new year.  It may not be completely different.  Most years are not.

But I have to wonder, what would happen if I approached 2014 with abandon?  If I really believed what Jesus said about seeking his kingdom first.  If I put aside my fears, my inhibitions, my lukewarmness.

I want to live life on the edge and embrace the Christian adventure.  It won't be boring.  It might change the world.

Redneck Weed Control

I tried an experiment today.  I'll let you know if it was successful.

You see, I'm very allergic to poison ivy.  I hate the stuff.  This time of year, it has no leaves, but you can still recognize the "trunk" of the vine.  The big vines look hairy.  Even in the winter, contact with these vines can cause severe outbreaks, so I try to stay away from them.

Unfortunately, these vines are all over my farm.  As I walk through the woods, I cringe when I see them.  At least they don't have any leaves right now.  And so winter is the best time to kill the stuff.  I searched the internet for ways of killing poison ivy in winter. One clip was helpful--it showed a guy using long handled clippers to sever the vine.  You don't want to use a saw or axe or machete, because these will cause the evil urushiol poison to spray out from the vine.

Clippers would work fine for small vines, but I've got some vines bigger than my forearm.  Clippers would never get through these suckers.  So, I had to think of a way to cut the vine without getting sprayed with the poison.

So here's my experiment.  I took my 12 gauge Remington semi-automatic shot gun and used it as a primitive saw.  From a safe distance--at least I hope it was safe--I fired away at these nasty vines, as close to the root as possible.  Some vines were so thick, it took a dozen shots to blow them in two.  White wooden bits of terror flew everywhere, but not near me.

In the spring when these vines sprout from their stumps, I'll hit them with Roundup to finish the job.  It's not cheap to fire so many rounds at these vines, but I'll be glad to get rid of them.

In a few days I'll know if I stood at a safe distance.  I'm itching to find out.


Epilogue:  No rash from the vine blasts!  Oh yeah, I need some more 12 gauge shells.  There are dozens more of these evil vines to kill.

Church Burning Forgiveness

Riding into town on Wednesday, I heard the national noon radio news on CBS radio.  They announced a story from Stokesdale, NC, so my ears perked up.  When our town makes the national news, even on the radio, it's a big deal.

They briefly reported that the arsonist who destroyed the building of Gideon Grove United Methodist Church had been sentenced.  He pleaded guilty, and so the judge was to set the sentence.  As law allows, the pastor of the church, Wanda Lancaster, was allowed to address the judge concerning the sentence. Believing that the 18-year-old man would not benefit from a long sentence, she asked the judge to be lenient.

The judge was lenient and the young man received no prison time, but was fined and is required to do 100 hours of community service, including roof of the new building.  He also must address the members of Gideon Grove, reading a letter of apology.

Not everyone shares the desire to go lightly on the defendant.

The Rockingham County fire marshal has written a letter of protest to other fire and law enforcement officials in the area, calling the punishment a slap on the wrist.  Records suggest that restitution could have been set at about $45,000, just for the personnel and equipment needed to put out the blaze.

Others believe that a stiffer penalty would serve as a deterrent to arson in the future.

Wanda prayed and wrestled with her decision.  She spoke for herself, not for the whole church.  She spoke with courage, knowing that she would be criticized.  And she did what she believed was right.  She reflected the grace and forgiveness of Jesus.

Wanda, I appreciate your standing up and standing strong.  Some may say you are weak.  They said the same thing about Jesus as they nailed him to a cross.

May the spirit of forgiveness humble this young man and set him on a better path in the days ahead.  That day of sentencing for him was certainly a turning point for him.  Let us pray that he turns the right way.

Thoughts on Phil Robertson

Good old Phil speaks his mind.  No one should be surprised about that.  Because he is now famous, more people pay attention to what he says.

A&E listens.  The broader media listens.  Everybody wants to weigh in on Phil.

Phil merely described graphically something he does not understand about the appeal of a particular sin.  He also marvels at the illogical nature of sin in general.  His graphic description pulls the curtain back and exposes the sin, while many in media seek to romanticize it.

Phil has the right to say whatever he wishes.  A&E also has the right to dismiss him from their show.

But A&E, in pursuit of profits, seeks to offend as few people as possible.  The high value of tolerance seems to have imploded.  Phil sounds intolerant, but can't we tolerate that?  Tolerance as a core value proves empty.

Meanwhile Phil seems unfazed by the flap.  He doesn't need A&E.  Even if he did, he would not compromise his values to please them.  His values are not based on polling numbers or advertising revenue.

Through it all, he seems happy, happy, happy.