Several Ways to Vote "Yes"

First-Marshall has been under stress for a long time, some of it financial. On Sunday December 16 the congregation chose to end the suffering and stress by deciding to close the doors. It was a surprise to find our woes in the local paper though, if you want to you can find it at this link.

The way the motion was worded, a "Yes" vote meant being in favor of closing the congregation. A "No" vote was a vote to continue. The congregation knew that voting no wouldn't end our troubles, it would just end the Session's time line.

Now, I saw a "No" vote as a vote of confidence that the Holy Spirit wasn't done with us yet. I saw the "Yes" vote as "nope, this is done." In the last 24 hours I have learned that there was more than one kind of "Yes" vote.

• I'm sure there was a group of folks who just wanted to see the church close. They think ministry is done in this place. They might also think I am done here too.
• Then there is a group who thought "If we go now we can leave a the pastor and the secretary with a generous severance." I know for a fact some of these people voted yes.
• Then there is the yes vote that was cast saying "Pastor Paul would give this a try and work himself to death doing this. I'm voting 'Yes' so this doesn't happen."

So as you see, I have discovered that two out of three ways to vote against my continued work in this city and congregation are actually a vote for me as a pastor and as a human being. 

I believe a PC(USA) presence is still viable in Marshall, but here is what I do know--It is unlikely to continue at this location. Also, with praise to God, Pastor Paul needs to seek a new call.

I was upset at the yes vote, I won't lie. What this vote does is offer freedom to a whole lot of people to seek where God is calling them to be next. For that I praise God.

"Advent" means "waiting." Lord God of heaven and earth, I wait for you, I wait upon you.

Pastor Paul's December Newsletter

Dear Friends, sorry for the long time since my last blog post. Marshall has been wild and woolly and I haven't written much more than sermons and emails for about six months. As for this month's message, some of you know this story. If you've known me 25 years you do. Longer than 25, maybe not. Shorter than 25, maybe not. Then again, this story has been on this blog two other times in one form and another.

This isn't an easy story to tell, it may not be an easy story to read. Know that the blessings are available! They are available when we know our stories well enough to share them with the world, like I do here. This is truth, even in the pain. And as I say, see you in Church.
Paul

Dear Friends in Christ,

One of the themes I’ve shared over the past two years is knowing our faith stories. It’s when we know our stories that our faith becomes real. When our faith is real, it matters. When our faith matters, people want to know what makes it so important. So this is a true story. It’s almost twenty-five years old, and it’s mine. The names have not been changed. No one is innocent.

In the summer of 1985, I finished grad school, a Master of Science in Student Personnel (a counselor education degree for higher ed). But as a twenty-three year old with no professional experience in a tight economy I couldn’t find a job in my field. So, I went back to doing what got me through grad school, I went back to work in the bars.

I worked at a club in the Westport district of Kansas City, Missouri called Buzzard Beach. While there I met a girl, her name was Megan. She was home in KC for a couple of semesters from the University of Wyoming because her grandfather was dying. She was taking education classes at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, working at a hardware store, and playing shuffleboard at my bar. To make a long story shorter, I was taken by her. But too soon, in January 1987, she went back to Wyoming to go back to school and in an age long before email, we began exchanging letters.

That summer, she came back for a couple of weeks and when she did, she blew me off completely. I was ticked. Of course, I didn’t say “ticked.” There are bar words and there are church words, and I won’t use the bar words here.

After some time of hurt feelings and a couple of more letters, I came to know that I had fallen in love with her. I decided what I needed to do is put my cards on the table, tell her how I felt, and let what happens happen. It was just before Thanksgiving so I decided it would be best to do this in person instead of in a letter, but I never got the chance. On December 13, 1987 Megan shot herself. When I got the call, I let out a cry that made God himself shudder.

I knew I needed to be forgiven; forgiven for being so angry with her; forgiven for not telling her how I felt; forgiven for not taking responsibility for my feelings and my actions; or inactions really. But I could not find forgiveness, so I ran away and hid.

I hid in work. I hid in a bottle. I hid in plain sight. Finally, I ended up hiding in Lamar, Colorado 81052. About two after Megan’s death, I was running a dormitory at Lamar Community College.

After a few years in Colorado I began to hear that still small voice of the Lord, the one that told me if I was waiting to be “good enough” before going back to church I would never be good enough and I would never go. So one Sunday, I ended up in a pew at the First Presbyterian Church in Lamar and began the journey that brings me to you today. But since that’s another story I’ll finish this one first.

I attended regularly and began reading my bible. I started to learn about grace and forgiveness. But one thought haunted me: No matter how hard I tried to deal with my guilt, it never went away. Truth be known, I was probably giving it away with my right hand and taking it right back with the left.

One night, at a Presbyterian revival service (yeah, a Presbyterian revival—it may be an oxymoron, but it’s still a true story) the pastor spoke on forgiveness. He preached on Matthew’s version of the Lord’s Prayer with special attention to 6:15, “but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Don’t get me wrong, I understood, to be forgiven I would have to forgive. But what did I have to forgive her for? She was the one who was in so much pain that she thought the only way out of it was to kill herself. What did I possibly have to forgive her for? Then, by the grace of God, I was given an answer: I had to forgive her for forgetting. I had to forgive her for forgetting about her family, her friends, and I had to forgive her for forgetting about me. I had to forgive her for leaving. I had to forgive her. And in that moment, after nearly eight years of mourning, I did.

And at that moment, I don’t know if you heard the angelic choir or not, but at the moment I forgave, by the grace of God, I was forgiven too. I had held onto my mourning and sorrow for so long, when the weight was lifted I knew I was in the presence of God. At that moment, I was in a holy place in my life.

Wonderfully, just a few months later, I met Marie. If I had met her any earlier I wouldn’t have been ready. She would have known it, and life as I know it would have been without the love I know today. Thank God I didn’t meet Marie one minute before I was ready to meet her.

Megan’s mom came to Colorado for our wedding. Megan’s sister Jenny caught Marie’s bouquet. During the reception dance I thanked her for coming. And I told her that I am a better man, and will be a better husband, for having known her daughter.

I say that this is my story, but in truth it’s more than that. First of all, I have many more stories than this one, but this one is important and it was once the dominant story of my life. But more importantly, it isn’t my story, it’s God’s story. The Lord gave it to me so that I can share a personal story of grace and forgiveness.

So, what’s your story? Some folks have a big dramatic story like this one. I love the people whose story begins with “I have known the Lord all my life, so I really don’t have a big dramatic story.” Lightening moments are dramatic, but the peace that is beyond all understanding is just as glorious.

So what is the story the Lord has given you? When people ask how your faith shapes you these are the kind of things they want to hear. I’ll finish with something I said on November 11: “Jesus doesn’t want us to share the Book of Order with the world; he wants us to share the joy of our relationship with God in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Spirit. He wants us to share our relationship with God who is right here, up-close and personal. He wants us to share our relationship with God who loves the world so much he gave his only begotten son.”  This can only begin when we know our stories.

See you in church,

Paul

A Defensive Lament

I was recently told that I embarrassed myself. I didn't know that I had embarrassed myself, but I did and was graciously told what I did. I did it too, guilty as charged!

It's true, you can take a boy out of managing a bar, have him work in higher education for ten years, send him to seminary for over three, and put him in the pulpit for seven more years and when the $#it hits the fan, well, you get the point.

It's been a tough few months here at Chez Paul et Marie. A couple of weekends ago it got to me and I dropped a few "F" bombs in places they did not need dropping. The biggest problem with people who "overhear" stuff is that context is invariably lost. I was in a bad place personally, I was asked to share, and I did so with a strafing motion. It was all directed at myself (which isn't particularly healthy, but that's for another post), but when folks overhear and all they see is the bomb, they don't know how or why it's falling.

I confess my sin and I thank the person who shared it with me. I will also add that once the grapevine reported to her she told me. I honor her for that because it wasn't easy, she told me so. She did what others would not, she told me.

So, what did she do right?

• She came to me calmly.
• She told me what's what.
• She came in care and concern and love and honor and respect not just for me but for the people who shared with her.

What could I say but thank you?

I lament and I regret my potty mouth. That's a fact. The bad news is this is as close to a direct apology I can make because I don't know who's talking about me behind my back. Is this the "defensive" part? Maybe. Have I got more? Yes, but that's just me trying to get my camel through the eye of the needle.

All I can ask now is that you forgive me

I Met an Angel. His Name Was Earl.

This is an odd story, as many stories are. I suspect that if all stories were "normal" there would really be no point to recording or repeating them. This is the story of an angel named Earl. I'll let you decide if this story is worth recording or repeating.

Last Wednesday afternoon I had a meeting with my Spiritual Director. (Spiritual directors are folks who "who share a commitment to the art of contemplative spiritual compassionate listening." This statement comes from the Spiritual Director's International Website along with much more information about Spiritual Direction.

He asked me about how I had been blessed lately. I talked about my second anniversary at the church (celebrated on Monday October 1) and about other stuff, but there have been so many stresses in my life lately that sometimes the blessings get buried under the dung. It's like one comes like fairy dust and the other comes in a bulldozer. Can I get an "Amen"?

Not long after the Spiritual Director left a man rang the church doorbell. There was a black man at the door, maybe in his late 20's but looking much older, and having told us he could not read or write-his voice sounded like someone who could not read or write. (No problem though, his mamma could read it to him.) On top of it all, he was illiterate-he knew some of the stories but he had no idea what they were called or where to find them.

I hate using what we called in Kansas "discouraging words," but it was true. He was dirty. His clothes were in tatters. He looked and sounded like a walking-talking stereotype. Then again, this might have been a part of some sort of test. More on that in a couple.

When I answered the door, he said that he was sent over to us from another because he was looking for some bibles. I said "Sure" and headed toward the chapel. Georgia, the church secretary, offered to go and get some from the spares stored in the choir room. That was perfect, as Georgia frequently is. So he came into my study while Georgia went to the choir room for four bibles. I also gave him a Gideon's New Testament-Psalms-Proverbs book. He asked for three of those. No problem, there are plenty more where that came from.

He asked me to mark some things for him. He asked me to mark "that place where it says 'the Lord is my shepherd.'" No problem, the 23rd Psalm coming right up! By this time Georgia got to my office with the other bibles and she started marking them. He also wanted that story of the guy who "Satan took everything he had but God returned it seven times. "No problem, the book of Job coming right up!

This is when Georgia had to leave. She had a appointment. No problem, that was in the works all week.

This is when Earl made a less direct request. He said that he was watching TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) the other day and they mentioned a scripture "where God brings two people together who have nothing in common, but it blesses them both."

I thought about it for a moment. By this time I had begun to believe Earl was a soul God placed in my day so I could see that I could be a blessing and be blessed-kind of the on the nose about what my Spiritual Director was saying.

I told Earl that I didn't know the verse they used on TBN or what they were talking about, but I wanted to share Hebrews 13:2, "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." (NIV) I told him that he was a blessing in my life; he was the man I needed to see that day. So I marked it in the bible he handed me and that's when it got weird.

Suddenly, Earl's complete demeanor changed. He stood taller. His eyes were more clear. His voice took on a power and command I sure didn't expect. He gave me a blessing. I don't know exactly what it was because I was so taken aback that I didn't hear everything he said. What I did get was when he said "We won't see each other again for a long time, but we will see each other again," and that's where it got fuzzy again.

As he started to leave he dropped one of the small Gideon testaments, and when he went to pick it up the moment was over. His old voice returned as he said "Whoops."

It's said that the vast majority of people never have a spiritual experience while in church. Well, I had mine that day. I met a man who seemed to shrug off a human facade like I take off my shirt. He blessed me and told me that we will meet again one day. He spoke in a voice of peace and authority that I haven't ever heard from another human being. Was it an angel named Earl? I think so. I just pray that when you need to meet your angel, the experience will be as wonderful as when I met Earl.

God bless us everyone!
Amen.

A Tale of Parenting

As you know, I don't have children of my own, but that doesn't stop me from sharing my friends' stories. This one comes from sunny Lamar, Colorado 81052 (or at least the hinterlands). Since they don't know I am sharing the story with the world I'm leaving out the names.

It is also known that I love Steely Dan and wish everyone could know the Mighty, Mighty Dan. (On a side note, for those who think all Steely Dan fans are slightly dis-affected youths who are now in their 50's all I can say is--Guilty. Next...) These parents are Dan-fans too and I hope I had a bit to do with helping them introduce their children to their music.

So Dad tells me this parenting story--

One night their daughter came home late. Late. After curfew late. They were not amused.

Mom asked "Where were you? Where have you been with?"



After a moment of contemplation, daughter answers "Luckless pedestrians."

Dad covered his mouth and squinted his eyes closed tight. Mom said "Go to your room."

I think daughter knows her parents were not amused, but the Dan reference did make Dad proud. Pauley (how I was known to this wonderful family)is pretty proud too.

Is there a parent anywhere who doesn't have that moment? Upset in one moment and disarmed in the next? Yeah, go to your room!

Being a Jerk in the Name of the Lord?

Let me share something for a moment... I've been cranky lately. I don't like being cranky and people around me don't like me being cranky. I don't blame them, my cranky is real cranky. It's another reason my wife Marie should be loved and honored... She lives with me all the time. God bless her!

There was an item on the agenda from the last meeting of Grace Presbytery, an item that was very divisive. I was opposed to that amendment. Grace Presbytery posted this item online and as with all organizations, they hoped people would come prepared to debate. I was. Boy was I.

A note on the motion on the floor. The basic reason for its existence is that people don't trust each other. Everything is marked with the word "gracious"--yet without trust that's always going to be a tough nut to crack.

One of the items I found was that the way the amendment had been written, as proposed, within its own language, it could not have been approved at that meeting. As soon as the motion was made, I was going to drop the hammer and while debate would not have ended, effectively making a decision on that item would be all but dead for that meeting.

I told the Stated Clerk of the Presbytery of my plans so she would know where I was going. In football if you are going to have an Offensive Lineman eligible to catch a pass (usually they are not) then you have to tell the Referee. That's what I was doing, telling the Referee I was running a Lineman eligible play.

When the motion was made, one item was changed. One word was changed which blew my tactic out of the water. Boom! It was the perfect word. I had no evidence, but I was pretty sure the Clerk told the proponents of the motion what I was planning on doing. Frankly, the Clerk didn't like my motion, she wanted to get the item over with and done. So I wasn't upset that she warned them. She might have even provided them with the word they used to thwart my end-around play.

That didn't stop me though. Oh no. When the Clerk saw me in line I gave her a wink.

I asked the man who proposed the item what rationale was used to change the word he did. He really couldn't answer the question. He asked what I meant by "rationale?" I said "Why did you change it?" He consulted his expert on the subject. He answered that the Clerk had warned him that a member of the assembly was going to use the original language to prevent it from being voted on at this meeting.

I said, "Yes, I am that member." I'm a pastor, we're in the "confession of sin" business, what can I say?

So I asked, "Who was more gracious? The Clerk, the Representative of the Presbytery who told you what was going to happen or me who was going to use this against the motion?"

He said he didn't understand. I gave it another go, "The Clerk told you what was going to happen and I didn't, who was acting more graciously?"

Then he hemmed, he asked what I meant by "gracious." By this time, I had worn my welcome out by at least a full minute. I also figured that as far out of order I was, answering my own question would be severely out of order so I said, "I guess it's like whatever your definition of 'is' 'is.'" and sat down. Not a minute too soon.

Honestly now, what five year old couldn't answer that question. I was being a jerk and the Clerk was being gracious. I knew it, everyone in the room knew it. But for some reason this man could not say it. Why? I've got some speculation, but I have no facts so I'll let you draw your conclusions. They're as good as mine.

Let me say this again. I was a jerk. The book of James chapter 3 says something about me being a jerk.

Verses 9-10 say, "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be."

Verse 17 adds, "The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere."

My tongue was not filled with praise. My wisdom was full of something else.

Forgive me Father for I have sinned. I may have made my point that the Presbytery and its people are trustworthy. The folks are a wonderful group of people doing the work of God in Grace Presbytery. By building relationships, trust builds too.

So, being a jerk in the name of the Lord? It's really not in the name of the Lord. There must have been a better way of making my point because there the only way to make it worse would have included physical violence.

God bless us everyone.

Government Accountability

When I was working in Higher Education, the United States Education Department was being forced by Congress to be more accountable for the outcomes of students enrolled in the federally funded TRIO programs. This isn't bad in and of itself. These programs ought to be able to prove that they do what they are funded to do. This led to a squabble though, Congress had its own outcomes in mind, things that were never measured by the individual programs. It was a squabble and about that time I went to seminary so I don't know exactly how it was worked out.

Like I said, accountability isn't bad, but every now and them it's stupid. A case in point...

I recently went to our local Social Security Administration office. I was hoping to get the forms to try to get for Marie's disability. We figured it would be good to see the forms and put together the documentation before getting everything started.

It was about ten minutes before one in the afternoon. I was the only client in the office. There were two women behind roll up counters and an armed guard behind his station. I stood in front of the woman's desk. I was largely ignored. I said, "I would like to" before I was interrupted.

She said, "Take a number."

Really, take a number? I'm the only person in the room and I have to take a number. Ah, bureaucracy at its finest. So I took a number.

She said, "826" and I went to the window.

I asked if she had copies of the forms to register for disability. She said "No." They don't have forms anymore. I was told that it is available on line though. Then she asked "Would you like to make an appointment?"

I said, "No."

First things first, this woman is a worker bee, she's doing what she has to do. Her job calls for no imagination on her part. I bet even her responses are scripted from the computer terminal at her work station.

Second, I imagine this whole charade was a part of some accountability initiative. Through the computer some drone somewhere can see when I came into the office, how quickly she got to me, how long our transaction took place, and that I refused further service. That's a lot of information to be analyzed. If you consider the hundreds of thousands who walk into the Social Security Administration Offices everyday with their thousands of issues, this system will give them a lot of good information which may help with future services and products.

At the same time, being the only one in the room and being told to take a number is the stuff of unimaginative cartoons. Gary Larson would have been too bored to make it a panel on "The Far Side." Butcher shop mentality meets government accountability, it's our tax dollars at work.

Where I Was Eleven Years Ago

Eleven years ago today didn't begin like any other day. I was in my second week of seminary. My first class was at 9:00 on Tuesdays, Old Testament with the Rev. Dr. Kathryn Roberts. That day we were learning the Hebrew alphabet--our Alph, Beth, Gimel's. About 10:00 Central, the halls began to buzz. It was my second week at school. I didn't know the rhythms. Classes were about to change. I didn't know what was going on.

After class, I needed to go to the Financial Aid Office. There seemed to be a bit of extra hustle and bustle that morning, but again, I didn't know the rhythm of the place so I didn't know anything was unusual.

When I got into the office of Glenna Balch, the seminary's Director of Financial Aid, she was listening to the radio. On second thought, in this time before smart phones and good radio on the internet, people seemed to be huddled around radios. I asked what was up and she told me.

She told me everything she knew.

Together we listened to the radio.

After a while I noticed this was the moment when I knew what the people who first heard Orson Wells' "War of the Worlds" felt. There was a big difference though, this time it was real. Listening to the world crumble before your very ears is frightening. We were over 1,700 miles from ground zero and it was frightening.

As I said, this time it was real, yes, but I imagine you know what I mean when I say it was as surreal as it was real. Incomplete news reports, the Today Show switched to the live feed (it's a time zone thing), the Pentagon had been hit, the towers had fallen within the last hour, and United flight 93 was minutes away from falling. There was a lot more to come too.

Marie had become very sick, how sick we wouldn't know until November, and I had to get back to our seminary apartment to see how she was doing.

That night there was a meeting with the Austin Police Department, we were a low-level target. Then again, anyplace in the capital city of the President's home state was a low-level target. Training schools for Christian Clergy north of the University of Texas rated just below government buildings.

Eleven years later Osama Bin Laden is dead, the Iraqi Husseins are dead, much of the Old Guard Al-Queda leadership is dead. Thousands of American servicemen are dead and injured too. I can't tell you how it changed me. So much has changed since that fateful day I don't know what was because of 9/11 and what was because of my vocation in a post-9/11 world.

This I can say... God bless us everyone.

For those who died that day, Lord hear our prayers. For those who were hurt and injured, Lord hear our prayers. For the families of those who lost someone they loved, Lord hear our prayers. For the FDNY and the NYPD, Lord hear our prayers. For those who keep us safe in the military, Lord hear our prayers. For those in harm's way, Lord hear our prayers.

Only in Cub Scout Baseball

It's been a long time since I just told a story, and this one came back to me recently because of a friend who has returned to my life.

Moishe Sachs and I went to grade school and were in Cub Scouts together. Among the things we did was play Cub Scout Baseball. Let me add that I was awful! There's no other word, for the first two years I could not put the bat on the ball. I was just that bad.

One day we were playing and Moishe's dad Fred was calling balls and strikes behind the plate. All of the dads had to put on the mask at least once and that day was Mr. Sach's day. I was in the batter's box. I don't remember if there was anybody on base but I don't think so. The pitch came toward the plate, but it was a bit inside. I decided to stand tough, not move a muscle as it came below my hands.

Well, I misgauged the pitch, it was inside, but just a little higher than I thought. It hit the knob of the bat and rolled half way back to the pitcher. Well, I figured that I didn't swing so it wasn't a hit and it didn't hit me so I didn't get the free base. Everyone else must have thought the same thing because nobody moved. I didn't even hear anything from the parents' gallery.

Then Mr. Sachs said the magic words, "Fair ball." I didn't think it was a hit but I don't have to be told twice. I ran for the bag and the pitcher ran for the ball. The ball got away from the first baseman, so not only did I reach first--I got to second on the throw.

The Butt-Bunt was born. I might have been lousy, but people who were good never had stories like this one. They have enough sense to get out of the way.

God bless you Mr. Sachs. God bless you Moishe.

The Sky Continues to Fall

WARNING-PRESBYTERIAN JARGON AND LINGO FOLLOWS!

I am reading the proposed "Gracious Dismissal" policies from Grace Presbytery. I read the policy put forward by the Presbytery a few months ago, and with the exception of one section I can go with that policy.  The policy has a definite leaning toward the traditional interpretation of the Reserve Clause. For those of you who are not Presby Wonks, that means that in most cases church property decisions are Presbytery decisions, not the local congregation.

A group of Elders has put forward a different proposal which will probably be offered as a substitution motion. I haven't been able to get past one of the motion's foundational statements though...

Gracious Witness: It is our belief that Scripture and the Holy Spirit require a gracious witness from us rather than a harsh legalism. (full text from lines 30-31 of the proposal)

Here's my issue--I don't believe them. The tipping point that has led the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) toward schism is sexuality. Many of the people and congregations that want to leave the PC (U.S.A.) are using six (SIX!) pieces of scripture from the whole of the canon to create legal structures to exclude a group of people from ordained service. Using six pieces of scripture, pieces on which bible scholars argue meaning, to create rules is the definition of harsh legalism, not gracious witness.

I believe the fruit of the vine begins in the root. Hence I would believe that there was some "gracious witness" motivating this proposal if there was "gracious witness" at its root.

I have to read the whole thing, of course. It is my job as Presbytery Commissioner, but I must admit, using their own words from the 30th and 31st lines of a nearly 400 line proposal, my reading is already colored.

Having said that... Lines 30-31 of the substitute motion are lines 72-73 in the Presbytery's motion... Mistrust is mistrust without regard for who is mistrusting and who is mistrusted.

Pastor Paul's September Newsletter Article

Dear Friends in Christ,

Along with most of the Session Members who will serve this congregation next year, I recently attended the Presbytery’s Regional Leadership Development Training. There was a workshop on Officer Training that was a little history, a little theology, and a little rules and regulations. Another workshop was about Stewardship, especially how stewardship is not fundraising—it’s an exercise in discipleship. The third was on Church Transformation. This is the one I want to talk about here.

At the start of the workshop, the leader shared Matthew 16:13-14

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

Then he asked us to think about our congregations and answer this question, “Who do the people say that we are?” There were all sorts of answers coming from all over East Texas, some of them weren’t very complementary. People know the way the grapevine works and they were hearing some very sour things.

He then challenged us to change gears with verse 15 just like Jesus challenged his disciples:

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

He challenged us to take the turn again asking who we as the leaders of the church say that we are. This is where the workshop began to soar. Some say we are caring, others say we are giving. Some say we are welcoming. Others say we are aging. There were some encouraging words and others that were pointed.

He challenged us to know and remember the stories of the Body of Christ. As for this part of that body the Jesse Walker Bells and the Joe McDonald crosses. It includes the Dubach’s and the Abrahams’.

It’s the story of how the children used to hit up the men of the church for camp donations on the steps while they were trying to have a smoke before worship in peace. It’s the story of Glen Newberg ringing the Sunday School bell so people would get to worship—and ring it again when people wouldn’t get along into the sanctuary.

It’s the story behind the name “Ladies of the Evening Circle.” It’s the story behind the smiles you seen when someone says, “I’m confuuuused!” It’s the story of the first thing Miss Constance said to me after my first Sunday as your pastor. (Please ask me, I love to tell that story!”)

It’s the story of baptisms and confirmations and weddings and funerals and living everyday together faithfully. It’s the story of living in relationship with one another and with our Lord and God.

What was most interesting from the session was when people were asked why they worshiped at the church they worshipped, the answers were family, friends, and relationships. Nobody said that the reason they attended was because “Presbyterian polity spoke to me on a deep theological level.”

We worship a Lord who came became like us in every way except for the way of sin. The Lord Jesus calls us to come and join him in a better relationship with him, with the Triune God, and with one another. This was the message of Church Transformation, we must allow our relationships with God and with one another to transform us. We get to tell the old stories. We get to write new stories.

And there is one story we must never forget. It’s the story all Christians share. It begins with Matthew 16:15 and ends at 17:

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.”

This is our joy, this is our blessing, this is our story. God sent Jesus to Earth to be in full relationship with the people so that we can be in full relationship with one another. Let this transform us and this part of the body of Christ.

See you in worship!

Paul

What Doesn't Make It Into a Sermon

When I was writing the sermon last week, I began with a bit on what it takes to write a sermon. Frankly, it didn't belong in the sermon so it never made it there. This is a good thing. But still, I believe there are some words that may be valuable about the creation of "the interpretation of the Word of God."

Hope you enjoy... of course if you don't there are those "reaction buttons" at the bottom of the page and as always, a place for comments.

There are days when writing the sermon is easy. Those are days to be reckoned. No matter how easy the gospel seems to be, no matter how easy the words seem to come, the easy sermons are always the ones that lead us into peril.

The hazards of the sermon make themselves known in many ways. Some days they come up as a just a surface rendering of scripture. These days the sermon is like a wood veneer on some sort of cabinet. The outside says it’s oak, but on the inside it’s just so much sawdust and glue. It looks sturdy, but in truth, once the rubber meets the road, it’s not durable at all.

Another way the sermon can become a hazard is when the sermon is all sunshine and flowers. The opposite side of this same coin is when the sermon is nothing but doom and gloom. Neither of these sermons can carry the full weight of the gospel of Jesus Christ. One of them discounts the reality of sin and devastation while the other foregoes the reality of grace and redemption. The promises made by both of these sermons are incomplete. Yes, there is sin and devastation and there is grace and redemption, but one without the other is imperfect.

There is another quality to the sermon which when neglected causes the word of God to sound like a banging gong or crashing cymbal, a lack of love. The better way to say that for this situation is a lack of pastoral care.

Extending that musical instrument metaphor, I know that God will use me as his instrument. In God’s way, one of the extremes of how I will be used as his instrument is like a fine Stradivarius violin. This instrument, in the hands of a master will be in total harmony. The music will be finely tuned. The melody will be exquisite. The song will give glory to the one who plays it. In fact, while the Stradivarius is the finest violin ever made, its only glory comes from the one who plays it.

The other extreme is that God can play me like a cowbell; a one note, 1-2-3-4, hit-it-hard, keep-the-time cowbell. It’s useful. It keeps time as well as the one who hits it, and if it’s the Lord our God banging on the cowbell, it will be perfect. Of course, there are other ways to keep time. If all I can be in the pulpit is a cowbell, then the Lord can easily have me replaced.

In short, I need to approach sermons, and all of life, in a pastoral way. A way that glorifies God, shares the Gospel with the world, and sends us into the world to live the life God wants us to live. Let’s just say that this week; I have been played like a cowbell, hoping not to preach God’s word with the substance and nutritional value of cotton candy

Pastor Paul's August Newsletter Article

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today that salutation is particularly appropriate. I consider everyone who receives this newsletter to be a friend in Christ.

Some of you are far, far away from our beloved Marshall, Texas. You have long been faithful to this part of the body of Christ, longer than I have been alive. You have been faithful to this part of the body of Christ over the tenures of many pastors. You have been faithful at times when you have been the pastors to this part of the body of Christ. You are saints of this congregation even in absence.

Some of you have been doing God’s work in this part of the Body of Christ for a long time and are still active. You are the people who have served as Elders, Sunday School Teachers, and volunteers. You are the saints who serve everyday, many with nary a notice. You are the saints of this congregation and you are noticed.

Some of you are new to the area. You have been a part of the community for a year and even less. You are like Marie and I; we have been here less than two years. As I type that I think wow, two years… It’s not long at all and the time has just flown! These are the new saints of this congregation.

There have been lots of changes too. There have been weddings and there have been births. There has been great sadness too, grieving for those who have died. These are the saints in the church triumphant.

All of this talk of the saints may seem out of place, but it is not. In his many letters, Paul referred to the believers as “saints.” Especially at the ends of his epistles Paul asks the recipients of these letters to pray for the saints in…such-and-such a place. It may not seem usual, but it is real. It is true. Those who believe are saints—now and forever.

Friends in Christ, some are near and some are far. Some of you I see often, some of you not often enough. Friends in Christ, those of you who are far away I miss and hope to see soon. Friends in Christ, those of you who are near I hope to see soon. Saints of Christ, faithful followers of the Lord, I hope to see you soon.

See you soon,
Pastor Paul

Pastor Paul's "The Dark Knight Rises" Review

Let's begin with this, there is no real way any movie in this series can beat "The Dark Knight." Director Christopher Nolan (who also co-wrote the film with his brother Jonathan) and actor Heath Ledger did such a great job between themselves to make "TDK" such a physically and emotionally visceral movie that "TDKR" (The Dark Knight Rises) can only pale next to it. Getting that out of the way, I liked it.

I liked the action. I liked the story (when I could follow it). I loved the visuals. The audio was even great. The cameos made this a great movie. Bringing back Cillian Murphy, who played Dr. Jonathan Crane/The Scarecrow in "Batman Begins" was a stroke of genius! Liam Nissan coming back as Ra's Al Ghul was brilliant.

Honestly though, Bane as the chief antagonist is kind of boring. He's a brute, not much more. Even when we find the reason behind his brutality (and Darth Vader starter kit face piece) there isn't that much.

Some have pooh-poohed Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, but I liked her spin on the character--and the way she can kick ass in high heels. (I don't know if it was a stunt woman or not, and I don't care. I will forever think it was her kicking ass.)

There is one controversy that has come from this, Rush Limbaugh's Bane vs. Bain controversy...

As you can see in the clip, Limbaugh links together the villain Bane and Mitt Romney's Bain Capital hence Romney becomes the face of Bain/Bane. He fears this will influence "brain dead voters" who will link the two. For me, there was a message in the movie that should irritate and worry Rush more.

The movie make a great deal of what happens when the poor and downtrodden, with a powerful charismatic leader (Bane), decide the day of the 1% is done and it's time for the 99% to give it a go. In a plot point that shouldn't be much of a spoiler, it doesn't rue well for the power elite when the disenfranchised have the opportunity to turn the tables.

I think this should have been the big point that should have scared Rush to death because blowhard talk show hosts would be on the top of the list of power-elite banner carriers the tribunal would try. If the argument is that the 99% can't stay organized, that's probably true, but it's like the two guys trying not to be eaten by the bear. I don't have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun you.

If you're looking for a plot point in TDKR to be afraid of, that's the one.

Pastor Paul's July Newsletter Article

My sister has recently noted that I don't post much stuff here. She's right. It's not like I'm putting long-form content anyplace else, it's just that either I haven't had much to say recently or I've had so much to say it's all garbled and not making it past my fingertips.  Well, this much has gotten past. Here is my Newsletter Article from July. God bless and enjoy!

Dear Friends in Christ,

We are coming up on Independence Day, the day we celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It is a joyful day. It is a day that should be celebrated joyfully.  The declaration beings:

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

Reading this, from the perspective of a protestant minister, something very important pops up; The Laws of Nature have a place of precedence over Nature’s God. Natural law is a view that certain rights or values are inherent in or universally recognizable. In the battle for American Independence, one of the natural laws, the inherent values the Colonists held is that being taxed without having a say about how they are taxed is wrong. “Taxation without representation is unfair.”

I gotta admit, putting natural law before the one who creates natural law bugs me, but let’s not stop there, it gets better. The declaration continues:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

This part tells the world that our national forefathers believed that our Creator has first given us certain rights that cannot be denied and that the role of Government is to ensure that these rights are not denied. God gives us rights and Government helps secure these rights.

Romans 13 tells us that government is ordained by God so we must be obedient lest we rebel against what God has instituted:

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

This applies to taxes too…

This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

So friends, let us obey God. Let us give thanks to God for our leaders of yesterday, today and tomorrow. Let us give thanks for our leaders local and national. Let us even give thanks for our church leaders from the Session to the General Assembly, for they too are a government body, the leaders of our denomination.

God bless you all. God bless the PC(USA). God bless the United States of America.

See you in church,

Pastor Paul

Pastor Paul's June Newsletter Article

Dear readers, this is a particularly long writing for both a newsletter article and blog post. I pray you forgive me as I believe the subject matter deserves and needs these words. God bless you as you read and as always, please comment if you desire. ~Paul

Dear Friends in Christ,

Many of you are aware from the local newspaper and the coffee shop that the First Presbyterian Church in Longview has split. Many are leaving to form a new Evangelical Presbyterian Church congregation and the remaining members are staying to make a go of it in the historic First Presbyterian building.

Many of you also know that our own Harriette Malcolm has served as Clerk for the Presbytery’s Administrative Commission for First Longview. Now that the Pastors who served that church have demitted (sorry, church jargon—set aside/renounced) their PC(USA) ordinations Harriette is now Clerk of their Session. This will continue until the remaining members of the First Presbyterian Church in Longview elect a new Session and Clerk.

A couple of weeks ago, there was a Presbytery meeting in Dallas to discuss some things including the formation of that Administrative Commission. A meeting that could have been finished in an hour (including 40 minutes of worship) took three. It took that long because people were hurt and wanted their pain known and acknowledged.

Friends in Christ, any time a church faces a split there is pain. Few congregations in the Presbytery know that better than this one after a split over twenty-five years ago. There are still members of this part of the Body of Christ who feel that pain intimately. It is the Church’s version of a civil war where brothers and sisters and parents and children fight on opposite sides of the line, or in the case of the church the aisle. It is horrible. It is terrible. But as for the question of whether or not it can be prevented, well, the answer to that just might be no.

The Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow was the Moderator of the 218th General Assembly in San Jose. He is also a prolific writer and noted speaker on technology and the church. In a recent article the Rev. Reyes-Chow quoted Dr. Fred Heuser, Executive Director of the Presbyterian Historical Society, about the history of splits and reunions among Presbyterians. Dr. Heuser writes:

The conflict and divisiveness within the PC (USA) today is part of a broader pattern that is deeply rooted in our past. The “flash points” that have produced these conflicts may be different, but the underlying tensions that birthed them are remarkably similar.

The Rev. Reyes-Chow believes that we are in such a time. He continues, “Our struggle now is to move away from the many adversarial postures that exist and acknowledge that God may indeed be working through and in all of us during these days of denominations shifts.” [Italics mine.]

The way I read it, the former Moderator of the General Assembly is saying that we need to move from fighting one another because God may well be calling some folks out of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to do the work of the Body of Christ on Earth and calling others to stay and do the work of the Body of Christ on Earth.

To me, that sounds horribly painful. It also begs the question, “Can schism bring glory to God?” Actually, that’s not such a good question. It puts human work (schism) before God’s work. This is never a winning concept. Maybe this is a better question, “Can God do something glorious despite this schism?” That isn’t so good either. This question fails to remember that God does not love us “despite who we are” (sinful creatures). Instead we must remember that God loves us because of who we are, his children.

It’s as easy as that, God loves us because we are his children.

So the better question is “Can God do something glorious through this schism?” I believe the answer is yes. God meets us where we are, even on the battlefields we put up in our sanctuaries, Presbyteries, and General Assemblies. God’s overflowing love is greater than our understanding.

Granted, none of these things relieves us of the bitter realities of our feelings. Those who were here during the split know this too well. The pain of watching family leaving may be as fresh as a newly formed scab, a scar yet to be made. Others remember the pain. Even though the scab has long peeled away and the scar faded, even if just a little. Others just remember what caused it. The Rev. Reyes-Chow tells us not ignore that pain:

Now of course, this does not mean that I do not care or do not grieve the loss of the denominational relationships with those who are leaving, but I also do not begrudge anyone or have an overwhelming urge to fight to make people stay when they are feeling like this is no longer a good place for them. What I am trying to do is to be gracious in the face of frequent castigation (castigation means criticism. -Paul) and loving as I see colleagues move into a new denominational relationship; all the while, remaining committed and faithful to my part in discerning what it means to be the Presbyterian Church (USA) today and into the future.

There is grief and sorrow and pain over the departures. But what the Rev. Reyes-Chow tells us is that he doesn’t and we mustn’t act on the all too human urge to fight with or hold grudges against those who leave. Let them be committed to who they are being called to be and we will continue to be who we are committed to be. We need to do this with grace, not with a chip.

Now he also points out that when there is separation there are other questions to be worked out; questions that end up being asked and answered by church and civil, lawyers and accountants. Every legal split has its arguments about who gets the house and the stuff, but that is not the focus of his article nor this one.

This is a time to grieve the loss of PC(USA) relationships. This is a time to grieve the loss of church friends. It is not a time for hate or spite or distrust to overwhelm the truth that Christ is Lord of ALL. Regardless of any view of “us and them,” Christ is Lord of ALL. Because Christ is Lord of all, we can forgive those who have hurt us, and there is a lot of hurt going around among the current and former members of First-Longview and with in the denomination.

This is our call to continue living out the Gospel of Jesus Christ, regardless of where we do it. We can do this with grief. We can do this with sorrow. We can never do this with hate.

See you in Church,
Paul

For the link to Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow's full blog post, click here.
For the link to  Dr. Fred Heuser's full article, click here.

Law & Order, PC(USA) Unit

I trust you'll find this more enjoyable if you play the doink-doink noise before reading...

...of course I could be wrong.

Leslie Scanlon, Presbyterian Outlook Magazine National Reporter, reports that the Presbytery of the Redwoods has refused to follow through on the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission's finding that the Rev. Janie Spahr be rebuked after the Commission found that she had violated the denomination’s constitution by performing 16 same-gender weddings in 2008.

During that time, same gender marriages were legal in California, but were and are still not within the wedding policy of the denomination. The full article to is found at this link.

As Denver's own Mike Rosen would ask, I will tell you where I sit before I tell you where I stand...

Let's begin with my rather murky take on "same-sex" unions. I believe that in America, as a civil right, people (two human adults) ought to have the opportunity to form a legal union. I believe the civil benefits of family should pertain to heterosexual as well as homosexual couples. This is where I leave my self open, not only to those who think the sexuality of the parties to be at issue, but to those who disagree with the individual nouns I used: two, human, adults.

Some would consider my "two" qualifier too restrictive and "adults" to be unnecessarily binding. As for human, some might say your dog or my cat should have legal standing similar to my wife. Not me. So guess what, this is my blog and "two human adults" is my opinion. If you don't like it get your own blog.

Now, here's where I muddle the waters. In my study, I have found the scriptural witness of marriage to be between man and woman. Granted, not always just one, but still... Granted, the definition of "adult" in the ancient of days does not reflect our view of the age of majority, but still... It's man and woman. I can't get past that.

Here's the other side of that coin: I believe God can bless a union between two same-sex people. I believe a sovereign God will do as a sovereign God will do. This being within the giving loving character of God. God's love which is without limit, overflowing, and self-emptying.

On a final note, while I am muddling through how I might deal with this if called upon (Not a wedding, but a sort of union? What does that mean anyway? Holy? Civil? Still not a wedding. You can see I don't have that answer...), the congregation I serve is not. The official policy of First Presbyterian-Marshall is in line with the PC(USA) Directory for Worship as it is currently written. No homosexual weddings. Period, end of sentence. So speaking for the Session, don't ask to use the building.

Having said that...

I believe the Presbytery of the Redwoods has erred in not exercising the legal authoritative judgement of the Permanent Judicial Council. You don't have to like the rule. Shoot, Redwoods has always supported Rev. Spahr. Yet as a member of the covenant, all Presbyteries are expected to carry out the judgement of the Permanent Judicial Council. Sorry.

On a side note, I could see Rev. Spahr accepting this "rebuke" as a badge of honor. In one way or another, she has told the world that stood up for the gospel, and she stood up for the couples. I believe if you are going to wade neck deep into the hardest churning waters of Presbyterian Polity you shouldn't cross the river if you can't swim the tide. I believe Rev. Spahr is capable in these waters.

Yet, there is one other response Scanlan noted in her article. To quote:

Mary Holder Naegeli, an evangelical minister from California and executive director of the Presbyterian Coalition, described the vote in a blog post as “a new low in Presbyterian life.” Naegeli wrote, “I cannot recall in nearly 25 years as an ordained minister ever witnessing open defiance” of a direct church court order. She added, “this is a presbytery gone rogue.”

I agree with Rev. Naegeli that Redwoods Presbytery has acted in "open defiance of a direct church court order." But here's the rub. In our current national political climate, we need to beware of the phrase "going rogue." A phrase that is seen as a politically conservative badge of honor against the powers that be is in this case being used as a theologically liberal badge of shame against the powers that be.

It may be right to say in our current vernacular, "Going Rogue" is a good thing when it stands up for what we believe and a bad thing when it goes against whet we believe. Maybe the remaining similarity between being "good rogue" and "bad rogue" is that Governor Palin and the Presbytery of the Redwoods both see themselves as "good rogue." To both, being a rogue as a complement.

Go ahead, do the doink-doink thing again if you want...

Pastor Paul's May Newsletter Article

Dear Friends in Christ,

God is mysterious. With this in mind, a few years ago the denomination found a burning need to examine scripture to see what images the Bible uses to describe the persons of the Trinity. It was released in a report called, “The Trinity: God’s Love Overflowing.” They knew this was going to raise some hackles, which is why they stuck very closely to what the bible says. Here’s one example from that list:

As we are born anew by water and the Spirit, the Triune God is Compassionate Mother, Beloved Child, and Life-giving Womb

(Isaiah 49:15; 66:13; Matthew 3:17; Isaiah 46:3).

Of course the committee knew this, along with some of the other images they discovered, was going to raise a ruckus. Feminine imagery for God, no matter how biblical, is quite uncommon. I mention this because as a “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” kind of pastor, I need to remember that scripture contains other Trinitarian images that are biblical and important.

With this I say, Happy Mother’s Day. I use this preface because while we are used to seeing the face of God as the Father, God loves us and protects us and keeps us like a Mother too. In Mothers we see the strength of God. In Mothers we see life and life giving. In Mothers we see the face of God. By the grace of God, we are blessed by our mothers. We are also blessed by a Lord who (in 1970’s speech) is in touch with his feminine side.

The report contains this prayer—

In praising the Triune God we use biblical language, both classic –

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,

and surprising –

Mother, Child, and Womb.

We may use words that speaks of the inner relations of the Godhead –

Lover, Beloved, Love,

and those that speak of the loving activity of the Three among us –

Creator, Savior, Sanctifier,

Rock, Redeemer, Friend,

King of Glory, Prince of Peace, Spirit of Love.

Happy Mother’s Day! God bless Mothers—for you show us the face of God.

See you in church,

Paul

A "Suitable" Ending to House M.D.

House M.D. is a long running show on the FOX Network. Over the past eight seasons, Dr. House has led a misanthropic vendetta against disease and civility at the fictional Princeton Plainsboro Hospital in New Jersey with a dedicated if not dysfunctional group of doctors (and one med student).

The show was created and produced by David Shore, Paul Attanasio, and Katie Jacobs. Attansio worked with Tom Fontana on the NBC show Homocide: Life on the Streets.

On a side note, this is one of my favorite all time TV shows and yes, I got the box set for Christmas a few years ago. Thanks to my niece Vallie!

Fontana is also the creator of St. Elsewhere. This is where the whole thing comes together...

The last episode of St. Elsewhere ends with, well, I'll use a description from TVAcres.com.

During the life of the series Dr. Donald Westphall (Ed Flanders) worked at St. Eligius Hospital in Boston and had to juggle a busy schedule that included tending to the needs of his hospital patients and Tommy, his physically-challenged autistic son (Chad Allen). 

In the final surreal scene of the series Ed Flanders is shown as a blue-collar construction worker retuning home to his autistic son and his father (Norman Lloyd - who played Dr. Auschlander on the series). 

Sitting in the comfort of his home's living room, Tommy stares into a small crystal globe -- the kind you turn upside down to make it snow inside.

So, as tiny flakes of shimmering snow fell inside the snow globe, we get a close-up of the building inside...a likeness of St. Eligius Hospital.

The thrust of this is that everything that happened at St. Eligus Hospital was from the fertile imagination of Tommy Westphall. By extension, everything that ever happened in any TV show that is even marginally connected to St. Elegius/St. Elsewhere is from the fertile imagination of Tommy Westphall.

Tom Fontana was quoted saying "Someone did the math once, and something like 90 per cent of all television took place in Tommy Westphall's mind. God love him." In total, there are 282 shows, including St. Elsewhere, connected to Tommy Westphall's mind. This website even has a link to a wonderful grid of the whole Tommy Westphall Universe.

So what's this to do with "House M.D."? Isn't it obvious what's on my mind by now? Tommy Westphall grew up and became Gregory House. The Fontana/Attanasio connection is there. I believe Fontana would love to see Tommy all grown up as House. It would also be a twist no one has seen coming for seven years. It would open up and mess up a whole new generation of people who never knew of Tommy. This could work.

Honestly, I'm probably wrong, but it would be cool if I'm right.

A Gift Buyer's Guide to Mother's Day?

Mother's Day is a little less than two weeks away, so two local merchants here in Marshall, Texas are here to remind you it's not too soon to shop for that perfect gift.

On the way to work a Home Health Care Supply store has this sign--

Lift Chairs

for

Mother's Day

I guess that's because nothing says love like "Ma, you're so fat..." or "Ma, your knees are so badly shot that I got you a lift chair! Happy Mother's Day!"

I felt that way until today when I went to the pharmacy where the bags were stamped

Happy

Mother's

Day

I guess that's because nothing says love like, "Here ya go Ma, stay on your meds!"

Please, do better than that for your Mother this Mother's Day... unless she asks for a lift chair or meds. Then it's up to you!

And Don't Let the Door...

The Colorado Springs Gazette Newspaper is reporting that First Presbyterian in Colorado Springs has had a congregational meeting and voted to leave the PC(USA). The Gazette reports that this has been in the works for over a year. Anyone who is surprised by this just hasn't been paying attention to the current landscape of the PC(USA).

By the way, if that's you let me say I wish it was me.

There was something in the article which has drawn my attention that I feel needs to be shared. This comes from the Gazette article:

The final vote tally was 1689 church members in favor of the split with 80 opposed, the church announced during an evening service.


The shift to the new denomination may cause some members to leave, acknowledged Alison Murray, staff leader, after the results were announced.


“We grieve that and don’t want that to happen,” she said.


The church now has to try to identify those members who voted against the split and help them find new local churches within the Presbyterian Church, USA, if they want to leave, she said.

Read more: http://www.gazette.com/articles/presbyterian-137338-historic-downtown.html#ixzz1t4GN3td0 

What upsets me is that it is not up to the congregation to show the door to those who dissent.

One of the questions that has permeated this process is "in the event of a split, who gets the property." Here's the Cliff Notes version of this part of Presbyterian Polity. To paraphrase, the Book of Order says property is held in trust by the Presbytery and when questions of "which group within a split get to hold the property" arises it's the Presbytery and not the congregation that decides. (There are limited exceptions to this rule, but I don't know if they apply to First-Springs.)

Obviously if the Presbytery does not agree with the congregation about the property issues, this is going to play itself out in civil courts instead of church courts again.

But in advance, First Springs has decided it is the congregation who stays and for those who aren't comfortable can find another place to worship (and we'll help!). The congregation and its leadership has taken it upon itself to usurp Presbyterian Polity by creating a process to show dissenters the way to a place where they'll be more at home. Sorry, this isn't pastoral care, this is laying a siege.

I pray it all works out well for First-Springs. I pray all works out for Pueblo Presbytery. And I hope the Reverend Singleton makes his way into the history books as the father of a new denomination. I want to wish you all love and hope, but I think I'll first offer that love to the 80 people who have become disenfranchised by their own pastors, friends, and neighbors.

Suspensions for Sports Violence

Metta World Peace (hereafter referred to as MWP), the artist formerly known as Ron Artest, tossed this haymaker elbow in Sunday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder...

It was a tough game and evidently there had been jawing from victim James Harden during the game. As you see in the replay, MWP knocked down the basket and was ready to flex some muscle and attitude while getting down on defense. Harden was getting ready for the inbound, at least nominally. Suddenly, BAM!, Harden goes down.

MWP has a history of bad behavior in the NBA. In Indianapolis he was responsible for a huge fight in the stands. (It's true, he didn't start it, but going into the stands, especially when you start slapping around the wrong guy, is never a good thing for a millionaire to do. It'll get you sued quick!) So what ever his punishment will be, it will be based on being a repeat offender, and so be it.

I have heard that Harden has a concussion. Here's hoping he doesn't, but if he does he'll miss a few games.

So if I were the Czar of Sport Punishment, how would I handle MWP? Easy. First, I'll agree with everyone who says he should miss ten games. Good start. But here's my wrinkle: First, he misses the same number of games Harden misses because of the injury AND THEN he serves the ten.

So, if Harden misses six games because of the concussion, MWP misses a total of sixteen. If he's knocked out for the season then so is MWP then he serves the ten next season. If Harden misses the playoffs then so does MWP.

By the way, this has a "professional death penalty" implication too: If your intentional violent action ends someone's career then your career ends too.

My rationale is simple, nobody should benefit by intentionally injuring another player. I want the punishment to fit the crime. If you take someone out intentionally, you go too. For those who say I'd end careers, I would say "Well, in the (insert sports league here...). There's always Japan, Italy, Turkey, Israel, Finland...(I can't think of another place for NFL style football, so they'd better be careful or check out the Arena League.) Playing is a privilege, if you intentionally destroy someone's career you'd better be ready to pick up the shattered pieces of your career too.

I know accidents happen, Joe Theismann knows this better than anyone. But this Suspension for Sports Violence would not have been applied in that case because it was not intentional. It was a horrible injury, but it was not intentional.

Sure, lawyers, unions, and leagues would fight implementation tooth and nail, and that's fine. But implementing this sort of rule would curtail many cheap shots seen in sports and that's a good thing. As for the cheap shots still taken, implementation just might get it out of the league another way.

The Next "The Day the Music Died"

It's being widely reported that Dick Clark has died from a coronary and Levon Helm, drummer for The Band is desperately ill.

You know, I really don't have much to add to this, but it reflects a slice of my youth going to the permanent realm of memory. Go with God.

Bobby Petrino--YOU'RE OUTTA THERE

Bear with me, I'm going to take you on a long, convoluted explanation about why University of Arkansas Head Football Coach Bobby Petrino was fired.

The cover up.

Kind of a big build up for nothing, wasn't it.  Check this out...

• Bobby Petrino wasn't fired for having an affair. If people got fired for having an affair the unemployment rate would go through the roof.
• Yahoo! reports Coach Petrino gave his mistress $20,000. It is also reported that this was a gift from his personal accounts, not the University nor the Razorback Foundation which supports and funds Arkansas Athletics. So he wasn't fired for this either.
• Coach Petrino did not get fired for making a false report to the police because technically he did not make a report. As for lying to the police in general, well, that's "an error of omission, not commission."
• He wasn't fired for hiring his mistress. The violations of employment law was enough to get him fired, but it wasn't why.
• He wasn't fired for misuse of state employees. The local newspaper reported Coach Petrino contacted his personal game day security day man after the accident to get him to the hospital and keep things on the down-low. This man is an Arkansas State Trooper. This too could have gotten him fired, but it wasn't why.

What Bobby Petrino was fired for was lying about all of this to Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long. I believe all of this could have been swept under the inappropriate rugs if it were not for the lies. 

What Coach Petrino was despicable, I'm sure his wife would agree. But it's nothing a state university, athletic department, or team couldn't live with. And while I find that sentence despicable, I also believe it's true especially in the football crazy SEC.

In the end, it was lying to Jeff Long that made Bobby Petrino's stay at Arkansas untenable. If it weren't for the cover up, it could have all gone away.

The moral of our story is, as usual, those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Look at Watergate, Iran-Contra, Whitewater, and any one of a million other political scandals since time began. It's not the crime that gets you, in the end it's the cover up.

At least that's my opinion. Here's Jeff Long's...

Ozzie and Miami

When he was manager of the Chicago White Sox, Ozzie Guillen was known for putting his foot in his mouth. He would say the most absurd things! This was a part of the reason the Miami Marlins were so happy to land him, and why it was so easy for the Sox to let him go.

The Miami Marlins, formerly the Florida Marlins, have two World Series Championships and no fan base. It's almost impossible to get a house for a game in Miami! Between the weather (rain at 5PM anybody?) and, well, it's Miami people, the Marlins never drew much of a crowd.

This year was the first big step in changing that. There's a new baseball stadium on the site of the old Orange Bowl. There's a retractable roof so there's no more problems with the rain. There's a change from a generic "Florida" name to a new "Miami" vibe. The last piece of the puzzle was Ozzie. Venezuelan by birth, it was hoped Ozzie could speak to the Latin population of the city in ways others could not.

Whoops.

ESPN reports Guillen told Time magazine for an article published last week that he loves Castro and respects him for staying in power for so long. If you want to alienate Miami's Cuban population, with a stadium in the heart of Little Havana, that's the best way to do it.

I think this analysis says more about what Ozzie meant to say than the quotes. Ozzie has always seen himself as a rebel. He's willing to do or say what ever it takes to win games and championships, his way of staying in power. He said he deplores Castro's politics, but loves his chutzpah. He loves the fact that a man so despised by the world can be a "success." He is still President-for-Life after all. Maybe that's the title Ozzie wants, President-for-Life. Forget these silly front office people. Forget the press. Forget the crowds. All that matters is the number of wins. Fidel is a winner and Ozzie backs the winner... even though he hates his politics.

I know little of Florida or Miami politics, but this much I have learned: There is no way of extolling love for Castro in South Florida that even comes close to being appropriate. Ozzie committed the first sin of trying to get Miami's Latin and specifically Cuban population to follow. That's all.

Ozzie has apologized. Whether it's because he "betrayed his Latin community" or for causing such a storm that he might lose his job we'll see. In my opinion he'd be a fool not to be sorry for both of these things. In both of these things he seems sincere.

In the meantime, he begins a five game suspension. Will he be fired? I suspect it depends on whether or not the storm subsides and people go to the stadium or not. We'll see next week.

Support for Coach Ricky Sargent

Here's a plug for Coach Ricky Sargent.

Let me begin with a little about where I'm coming from. First, my mother and father taught me to respect and obey authority. You had better believe I obeyed my high school coach when we were out on road trips. Second, I have no kids of my own. The concerns of the parents, while understood, are not ingrained on me like they would be a parent. Finally, let's just say 60 miles today isn't what 60 miles was when I was in high school. I remember thinking it was a huge distance, but after living in rural Colorado and in Texas, 60 miles is nothing.

Ricky Sargent was the football and track coach at Hempstead ISD. The kids were being rowdy on the bus, so when they stopped at 11PM in Gittings, Texas, 60 miles from home, the coach told everyone they weren't getting any food.

Two boys, cousins, decided to disobey. They got left behind. The coach even went back to wait with the boys!

Now let me add two more things. First, getting stranded in 2012 is different from even being stranded when I was in High School in the late 1970's. The boys called their mommas from their cell phones, they didn't have to call collect from a gas station pay phone. Let me also mention again they were stranded in Giddings, Texas. Giddings is a wide spot in the road outside of Austin with a population of less than 6,000. It's not like they were left in a crack den in a methed-up neighborhood.

There is talk of discipline breaking down. Well here's somebody who showed that actions have consequences and for that he got fired. What did the young boys learn, "if I cry to momma I'll get what I want." What did the mommas learn? Nothing, by their actions all they say is "I can't discipline my children and neither can you."

I like what Coach Sargent did. Was it a good thing to do? In this litigious society it wasn't the smart thing to do. Do I think the the school board did the right thing? I think that to cover their collective asses in a litigious society they did what they had to do.

On a side note, what if the coach "had been playin'" and pulled around the corner? What's the lesson to the rest of the team? "Go ahead, disobey me, there are no consequences and by disobeying you are the only members of the team to get food." Now that would be messed up. Good for you coach. Here's hoping you, your 2011 State Championship in football, and no-nonsense attitude get a better job quickly.

Stories from MyFOX26 in Houston...
School Bus Abandons Student Athletes at Burger Joint
Hempstead ISD Fires Popular Coach

Toby Keith Presents "An Easter Pageant"

This post is being written in the style of my Rock and Roll Devotional blog, but for obvious reasons I felt it belonged here more than there. At any rate, hope you enjoy. By the way, this is an appropriate selection for Maunday Thursday into Good Friday.


Luke 22:20

And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”

and 20:41-42

Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Red solo cup, I fill you up
Let's have a party, let's have a party
I love you red solo cup, I lift you up
Proceed to party, proceed to party

"Red Solo Cup" by Toby Keith

Jesus often spoke in expressions, metaphors and similes, that describe things in more poetic ways than you would see in a more cut and dry prose. People call the Bible "Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth," but I think of it less as a technical manual and more of a divine work of art. Art has many, many more and deeper levels of meaning than a computer software manual.

Jesus calls the cup used after dinner "the new covenant in my blood." Establishing a new covenant, a covenant that completes and encases all prior covenants made between the Lord and all creation, Jesus seals his word not with the blood of any common sacrifice, but with his own. He knew by this time that his life would be coming to a horribly painful death soon, so declaring the new covenant by the cup poured out for us was an important act. The cup was the vessel that he used to help the disciples understand this new covenant.

While Jesus knew his time on this earth in this earthly incarnation was short, he did not have a death wish.In this case, the cup he asks his father to take was not the cup of the covenant, but the cup that held his fate. He prayed that if there was any other way possible may the Father take the cup from his Son's hand. Alas, it was not to be. The cup could not be taken. Jesus understood that this was God's will. He knew that only he could take the cup, take this fate, for all creation.

As time passes this evening we celebrate Maunday Thursday, the Christian celebration of the institution of the Lord's Supper. Luke's words from the institution of the supper are found in the first half of Luke 20. This is where we find the cup of the covenant.

Later in the evening, after the supper, Jesus goes to Gethsemane where we find the other passage listed in this devotion. This is the very moment between the events of Maunday Thrusday and Good Friday when Jesus is arrested and crucified. We go from celebration to horror in the time it takes to fill and empty a cup. But without these events there can be no resurrection. Without Good Friday there can be no Easter.

So let us revere the sacrifice Jesus made, the ultimate sacrifice. Hold dear the Lord as he pours out his blood from the cup of the new covenant and drinks the cup of his fate which will lead to his death and set forth the wheels of history unto his resurrection.

We need to love that cup. We must honor the sacrifice made by that cup. We get to celebrate the gift of God's grace, the gift of eternal life, the gift of forgiveness of sins. For that friends, let's have a party!

(By the way, I don't think Jesus would have been a fan of the debauchery in this video, the main reason I put this post here instead of Rock and Roll Devotional. But I am sure he would love everyone in it and hope he would get a chuckle out of it too.)

Pastor Paul's April Newsletter Article

Dear Friends,

During a recent sermon I compared Jesus preparing for his hour to a horse race about to begin. I said that there is a lot of training for the horse before the race. I compared that to Jesus being prepared—and preparing us—for the coming hour. I said, “I feel like we, this part of the Body of Christ, is that race horse being led to the gate. We have been made ready to run the race of our lives.” I think this is true. I feel like we are being prepared, being groomed for our next stage as the body of Christ.

Now this doesn’t mean we’re going to throw out the baby with the bathwater. Much of what we do—things like Sunday School, Women’s Circle, Fellowship Lunches—these are valuable to the mission of the church. Much of what we have started doing or started doing again—things like camp and lock-ins—are a glory to God! Our building is a great place, a center for the work of Christ in the community too.

These things only become a problem when we love the stuff more than we love Jesus. They only become a problem when our love of things past keeps us from moving into where God is moving us in the future. Remember that piece of wisdom, “Cherish our past—Support the present—Embrace our future.” If we can honor these three things, we can serve God with passion.

I wish I knew exactly what that meant for us, exactly what God is calling us to do. Again as I said, “Unfortunately, we don’t have the benefit of knowing the track is a dirt oval and the race is going to end after ten furlongs.” Horses and NASCAR drivers know how long the race is and where it goes, God does not give us such advice.

One of the great places to look is in our history. The Great Ends of the Church are six historical goals of the church. They were first put together over 100 years ago as a couple branches of Presbyterianism decided to come back together again after schism.

The Great Ends of the Church are:

1. the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind;
2. the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God;
3. the maintenance of divine worship;
4. the preservation of the truth;
5. the promotion of social righteousness; and
6. the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.

These six ends can help us focus on the answer to the question “so what next?” These six great ends can help us focus what we are called to do. These six ends can help us say, “We can do that, but how is that going to help us meet the Great Ends of the Church?”

We have to begin again with the basics. We have to begin with establishing Godly priorities. Our first priority is this, establishing a relationship with the Lord. That’s where it has to begin. It begins with walking the word. It begins with prayer. It begins by keeping company with those who walk in the word and live life bathed in prayer. It begins by realigning our priorities.

I say “we” because the Session and I need your help. We must do this together. Together we can plot a course that cherishes our past, supports the present, and embraces our future. It’s not up to me alone. It is not for the Session alone. This work is for all of us.

This I do know: “because of God’s good grace, we are called to respond faithfully. This is how we live eternal life, not just have it. To live life, we must share. We are called to take what God has given us and share it with the world.”

See you in church,

Paul

Who I Need in God's Church

I am currently rereading the Rev. Ken Howard's "Paradoxy, Creating Christian Community Beyond Us and Them." I am enjoying this read because it deals with what it means to persevere as a church during a time of schism. The second part of the book draws heavily on Howard's experience as Rector of St. Nicholas Church since it became a parish (a permanent congregation) of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington in 2003.

According to his page on the St. Nick's website, "this book examine [sic] the dead-end conflict between conservative and liberal Christianity and proposes a new paradigm of Christian community intended to help church's survive and thrive in the coming religious realiagmment. This new "Middle Way" is based in large part on the experiences of the St. Nicholas community."

What strikes me today is what he writes about his experience at St. Nick's, a congregation that he describes as "members who in terms of theology, run the gamut from those who gamely call themselves near-fundamentalists to those who would label themselves radically liberal."

If we were to have any success with our exploration, we will have to be open-minded yet rigorous, confident yet self-critical, creative yet provisional. We will have to be open to the possibility that we all might be a little wrong, that our adversaries may be a little right, and that there will likely be surprises out there for all of us. We will need to open our hearts and minds to a newer and more expansive reality, and to what our friend C. S. Lewis called a "deeper magic."

He then invites the reader to "enter the wardrobe" to see what we will "find on the other side." To earnestly seek this "deeper magic" we need to go together.

Does this frustrate me that not everyone agrees with me? From time to time, it does. I imagine what others might consider "my personal heresies" frustrates them too. But what do I learn if the the church was filled with nothing but "Mini-Me?" Speaking for myself, I don't need a church of people who think like me.  I need people who do not think like I do so I can learn from them, and hopefully they from me.

The greater truth is that what we share is more than what divides us. Let me say that again, what we share is more than what divides us.

As for my personal experience, one of my best friends from seminary and I deeply disagree on one of the touchstones of separation in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), allowing congregations and Presbyteries the ability to consider gays and lesbians for ordination to the offices of Deacon and Elder. We disagree and we know it. We have tried to sway the other to no avail. We have even stopped trying because we know it is to no avail. So what keeps our personal and professional relationship in tact? Two things, a deep personal love and relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ and love for one another as friends and colleagues.

This who I need in God's Church--Christians, people who in the words of Luke 10:27 "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" I need people who put this above all else.

In a time of schism, one part of the church chooses not to associate with another part of the church. It's an ugly word, but then again it should be because of the pain and sorrow that are inseparable from it. In this time of schism, I hope that we will all take a moment before taking the last steps before separation. I hope we can all put our relationships with our Lord and with one another above all else. Let us put love of God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, before love of dogma. Let's remember this begins at home and not with a mythical dreaded "them."

Let us remember what it says in Hebrews 10:25, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." The day approaches, let us meet it together.

You can get "Paradoxy" here or at your favorite bookseller.

Quotes from "Paradoxy" are taken from page 100 of the print version.