What's the Difference Between the Y and the Church?

. . . practically nothing.

Most of you know that I go to the YMCA quite frequently. With few exceptions, I go at 6:00 in the morning 5 days a week and quite often on Saturdays too. I have a routine to not only my week, but my days. Certain days I go to the locker rooms, while other times I simply put my things in a small locked box. There are machines that I work on, there are classes that I take, there are lanes that I swim in routinely, and there are faces there that I know. I’m not the only one with that routine. If I were to take you with me, I could almost definitely point out specifics about people and their tasks and habits.

I have a routine when it comes to church too. But I’m sure that you do as well. Every day when I look out at you, I can tell if you’ve been there based upon where you sit. Now, there are some of you who like to mix things up – but for the most part, I know where you sit. You come in through the same door each week, you speak to the same people, you read the bulletin, you park in the same place, and you leave through the same door. I know which songs you will sing and which ones will challenge you, I know who falls asleep, and who doodles during the sermons.

The YMCA has a message and a purpose. The church has a message and a purpose. The gym has regular attendees, as does the church. There are guests, there are opportunities; there are those who participate, there are those who don’t. There are people who like to make “suggestions” in both places

But if there’s practically no difference between the gym and the church, why do people routinely greet one another while they somehow bristle at the opportunity in the church.

The other day as I was finishing my swim, I engaged in conversation with someone. I was curious about a piece of equipment that he was using – so I talked to him. It wasn’t more than a few sentences in before he stopped, apologized and said, “I know we’ve seen each other around for the last few years, but I don’t think we’ve been introduced.” I concurred, introduced myself.

Last week, during a class in the morning, someone new came into our class. While I had been away for several weeks during Lent he had been attending, but had not recently. Standing next to me he too said, “I don’t think we’ve met.”

In recent months, I’ve been invited to different activities and classes by other members, I’ve been asked about events and standings, I’ve had conversations about “spiritual” things (yes, many people know that I’m a pastor). And within each of those circumstances, I often reflect about our willingness as a church to do the same.

Now, I know that there are some of you who do everything that you can to welcome and invite. However, I also know that there are many of you who fear the very thought. How many times have you ever used the excuse, “I’ve seen that person so long now, I’m embarrassed to say that I don’t know.” “I’ve asked before, and I’ve forgotten – I’m embarrassed.”

And I also know that we are often afraid of asking others to join in an activity that we’ve got down to a T. Sometimes we’re afraid that an additional hand will spoil the broth.

We’ve been talking a lot recently about the need for authentic relationships. These relationships can lead to conversations and lead to changed lives. But how can we share the message without the relationship? How can we begin a relationship that is honest and authentic without reaching across the aisle and greeting one another in the peace of Christ, and introducing ourselves by name?

“Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:1-2

One simple statement caused me to write these words, “I know we’ve seen each other around for the last few years, but I don’t think we’ve been introduced.” I’d be missing out on a new person this week had we not greeted one another, and I might just have missed an angel in my presence.

While the Y and the Church are similar, they are different. Our message is different and that’s where the power lies. But quite often the message is lost in the church because we lack the relationships that lead to those spiritual conversations.

I’ll be the first to admit to you, introducing yourself to someone you think you should know can be an awkward experience, but so is missing the opportunity to share in Christ’s presence. Take some time to welcome the stranger in your midst this week, you will be blessed.

“Why would they treat that man like a dog?”

Just the other day, we were catching up on the sports world in our daily dose of ESPN. It was on this day that SportsCenter was reporting on the previous day’s celebration of the life and legacy of Jackie Robinson. Everywhere in major league baseball, players wore the number 42 in commemoration and in celebration of Jackie Robinson.

Many of you may remember the day, I only remember the story. But on April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball. He will be remembered, not only as a great ball player in his own right, but as the person who put up with all manor of behavior, most of which is unspeakable, just to play the game he loved. Up until his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers, baseball had been segregated. At that time in the United States, many white people believed that blacks and whites should be kept apart in many aspects of life, including sports.

If you place this event into a timeline, Robinson's entrance into the National League in 1947 came a year before the President desegregated our military, and seven years before the Supreme Court ruled desegregation in public schools was unconstitutional in the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education.

As Tracy and I watched that morning, we noted that Jackie Robinson exposed the world to the issue of race with grace and poise. He could have been quite resentful about the time that he did not spend in the big leagues, but instead loved the game and even offered grace to those who reviled and persecuted him.

As Sports Illustrated's Bill Nack wrote: "Robinson was the target of racial epithets and flying cleats, of hate letters and death threats, of pitchers throwing at his head and legs, and catchers spitting on his shoes(ESPN.com)." Tracy then noted, “He was treated like a dog!”

Our six year old only heard one phrase that morning. Her bagel was more important and made more sense than words like prejudice, racism and color barrier. But what did make sense to her was someone being treated poorly. “Why would they treat that man like a dog?” she asked innocently and curiously. “Because of the color of his skin, sweetie,” we tried to explain. To which she responded, “Why would somebody treat him like a dog for their skin?” Good question, my dear, good question.

My kids don’t understand racism. They don’t understand, and I hope for quite some time, why someone is treated differently. Racism is a difficult concept to describe to children, but it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist.

Racism can be defined as any action, attitude, or practice that subordinates an individual or group of persons based upon skin color or ethnicity. It can be enacted individually, culturally, systemically, or institutionally. It can be conscious or unconscious.

Unfortunately, because we “celebrate” broken color lines; we’ve elected a minority as President of the United States; and our children don’t understand racism; some erroneously believe that racism is no longer a problem in America.

Even more unfortunate is the reality that racism does exist and it must be something for which we stand against as a church. The gospels support that mandate, not in words about color, but about how we are to treat all individuals with love, respect, dignity, and affirmation.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with your entire mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like the first, that you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Those familiar words from Matthew 22 remind us that our relationship with a loving God demands that we treat others as equals. Yes, we are different, but we are all chosen and precious in the sight of God.

I once had a professor at Allegheny College who during our class entitled; “Black Culture and Black Radicalism” admit that he was a “recovering racist.” To our initial unbelief, he explained that racism is something that we have to fight every day of our lives. He grew up in the south during a time of segregation. He had seen things that are often unspeakable. To be prejudicial and participate in a racist society comes quite easy for us as white Americans. But just as some fight everyday from addictions, he also fights the feelings and the sentiments that are exhibited in racist belief and behavior.

Consciously and unconsciously, racism exists. And it is something from which we must be delivered. I pray that God would speak to us in these moments of Easter and Pentecost – that God’s mighty Spirit might break through the lines that separate us and bring us to a place of wholeness and life in the Risen Christ.

Looking to the Heavens

The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Ps 19.

(The following is a guest post from my 10 year old daughter)

The only thing that went wrong when I was at the Star Gazing Party behind McKnight Elementary was that I was wearing short shorts. I saw Saturn, the Moon, and the Orion Nebula. it was amazing and I enjoyed every single bit of it. When I looked at the stars and the planets I thought of God, I thought of him because he created all of the stars and planets! It's just a spectacular sight and there's no way any of these memories will leave me! You just have to see what I mean.

No one asked, but . . .

I have had some time to think about some things over the past few days. I've been processing those thoughts and think its just time to put it down in writing.

The other night, I was without kids and my wife was away, so I thought I'd take a ride. I went out of my way to a store that happened to be closed by the time I arrived. However, I realized that I was close to a newer mall in our area, why not go to a store there.

Upon my arrival, I decided to check out a store front that once held a new church start in our Annual Conference. The Conference abandoned the site last fall for a number of reasons. That is not the purpose of this rambling, at least I don't think so.

I walked around the mall, and to my deepest surprise, another congregation had occupied the space that we had abandoned. I have to tell you that my range of emotion was varied from resentment, to disappointment, to celebration, and even righteous indignation. I celebrate the power of God's truth and our need to spread the message. We have to be about building God's kingdom, so most of that was not directed at the "other church," but toward my own.

I posed a simple question. "Why is our conference failing where others are succeeding?" And further, "if we take so much stock in building the church in natural ways, why are we not seeking to do more to build new places for new people."

I keep asking more and more questions. I am hoping that some of these questions will lead to more questions that will lead to some answers some day.

But . . .Why are we not using multi-site models in our local churches. Why are we not getting people excited about meeting the needs of others by planting new places for new people?

. . . .Why are we not celebrating and modeling the places in our annual conference that are doing that very thing?

. . . ..Why do we continue to put more stock in the feelings of those occupying space in a pulpit over the needs of those persons whose needs are not being met by those pastors?

. . . .Why are we not creating new places within our existing congregations? If the people are not equipped, we need leadership to be bold and ask for space within those spaces.

I think we've done enough talking about decline and we need to talk about the real opportunities that exist to provide relevant, indigenous, authentic, relative, sustainable and powerful ministry that build relationships with others and with Jesus Christ. It's time that we develop strategies that will be ready for the next opportunity. It's time that we start building the kingdom, one person, one church, one leader, and one follower at a time.

Sleepwalking through Lent

For some reason this morning, I woke up feeling ambivalent about Lent. The only way that I could describe what I was feeling was to say that I felt like I was sleepwalking through Lent.

Tracy and I talked about it at breakfast this morning. I explained that it felt as if the more removed we became from Duke and our "Liturgical Worship Education" the less I felt strongly about a strict adherence to the Season of Lent.

We had an awesome conversation. We shared the importance of the season and our love for the liturgical and lectionary cycles. We talked about the power of the message and the opportunity for really moving through a period of repentance and forgiveness. But, I still felt a little numb.

Maybe it was the busyness, maybe it was the opportunities that I had chosen, maybe it was the fact that I wasn't preaching this weekend, or maybe it was a combination of them all.

We then talked about the fact that maybe it isn't so much that the season has lost it's power, but the church has lost its ability to find a true expression of the season through its application. I take some personal responsibility in that at least in my most current setting, but I think the church has a lot of work to do.

In order to be relevant and timely, we have got to find a way to express the power of a changed life through the life and grace of Christ. This is not a once a year gig - but something we have to do all year. If all we do during Lent is put on another dinner and attract those who are already here - than we're missing an opportunity. If Lent is to be a time of conversion, maybe we have to do more to give opportunities for relationship building throughout the year, so that when these seasons do arrive, we would have opportunity for catechises. WE have got to rethink how we are followers of Christ and be that expression in the world.

I think Lent has become something for those on the inside, and that's probably what disturbs me the most. Next year . . . no, next week, I'm going to begin to seek new ways of being the church. It has to start now, so that next year I won't feel the same way.

I think that I'm just tired of going through the motions right now. Maybe that's my act of confession!

Tithing as a response to God's Love

April 15th is one of those dates that come around every year. I know that it is coming, and yet at the same time when I think of it, I get a little nauseous in the pit of my stomach. I start to worry about how much I will owe, how much I will have to tighten my belt, and what we will be forced to lose in the weeks following our return.

Early estimates this year tell me that we are going to owe good old Uncle Sam about $1,200. This is directly related to that “stimulus package” that we received last year. It’s complicated – but let’s just say that as a self-employed tax payer by IRS standards, this was more than just an advance to a return. Because we estimate our taxes each year, it really wasn’t an advance on anything.

That initial shock of that number sent chills down my spine, but that won’t linger. I have a calm assurance that we will be ok and that God will provide me with what I need when I need it in order to pay.

Tracy and I tithe our income. If I do some quick math, I could simply withhold that tithe to the church for about two months and I could make up that payment to the government. We could – but we won’t. I won’t do that because I believe that giving and tithing is a response to God’s faithfulness in my life. I will continue to give, because I know that God continues to supply me with everything that I need. It won’t be easy, but I will do it out of faith.

What I owe to the tax man is only one example of what I owe, it is only one example of what you owe. But I believe that tithing, giving a first share, giving 10% of my earnings, is an act of faith. When I give first, everything else has a way of working out.

Tithing causes us to make priorities on our spending. My discipline is really to give my tithe first so that the control must come later. I don’t give out of what I have left over, but what I have first to give. It is an act of obedience; it is an act of faith.

In these difficult economic times, the hardest thing that you might have to do would be to tithe. But have you tried it? Maybe this is exactly the time in your life when you need a little discipline for your spending, a little obedience, and an act of faith. Even though on April 15th, I am going to be cutting a check for $1,200 to the United States Treasury, I am also going to be writing a check for $175 for the work of God in my life.

Scriptures tell us, ““Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.””

Now hear me out. I think you should try it too! In order to really get through these difficult times, why don’t you put complete trust in God and try to tithe just for a week, just for month, just for 6 months? See if God won’t just throw those gates open and pour out a blessing on you.

I actually saw the sun today!

After what seems like several weeks, I finally saw the sun today. I was flying out of the lovely city of Pittsburgh to a training event in Jacksonville. But I saw the sun after only being in the air for minutes.

I don't think I'll ever cease to be amazed at the beauty of all of creation. As we quickly flew through the cloud deck that hovered over the greater Pittsburgh area, the sun was there bright as ever.

As we were ascending to our cruising altitude, I actually caught myself noting how warm the sun was as it came streaming through the window! I said a quick prayer of thanksgiving for the Sun and everything that it is for us. I was quickly energized, warmed and thankful.

Groundhog day is coming soon, and so is spring. With it are the many days when the cold and snow of winter will yield a mystery. I love the seasons, but I am really looking forward to seeing that sun more often.