LAMENT OF THE WANDERER

Over the last four and a half years, the path forward in ministry has not been clear.  This led to a number of days of doubt and questioning.  I have often wondered if I am so completely dense to what God is up to that missed his signs.  Since we have walked with the Lord as faithfully as we know how, I guess I thought we might get some clarity as a benefit.  I was having coffee with my friend, Dave Wainscott, when the question was raised, "I have been faithful, Lord, but what the hell?"  It launched a bit of a lament.  Well, I finished that lament here.  

A word about lament is in order.  Lament is a form of writing that expresses deep sorrow, fear, or doubt.  The writer generally speaks out of the bitterness of a life event or life season.  In the Bible, a majority of the Psalms are laments, but with a particular bent.  In biblical lament, the writer pours out the anger or bitterness, but comes to a point of expressing some form of faith or confidence in the Lord in spite of the circumstances.  That is what I hope I communicated here.  This is my lament for the last season of life.

Lord, I have been faithful, so what gives?

Why this road? Why this path?  This doesn’t look like anything I saw at the beginning.

When I sat on that Big Rock, I asked you if I should take that road,

If I should learn to shepherd and serve as one who pastors.

And you said yes as clearly as I hear the voices of my family and friends.

In the voices of those close to me were affirmations of that call.

So I faithfully followed…yet it has not turned out as I thought.

What am I missing?  Did I miss a signal?  Did I fail in some way and not see it?

I guess I figured that faithfulness would count for something more,

For some reward I would not have to wait for.

So what gives? 

What gives, it seems, is my picture of what should be and my plan of how things should work out.

You have shown yourself faithful in every way.  You have proven fully trustworthy.

When there has been heartache and change, you have been our comfort.

When the road was desolate, you remained as our traveling companion and guide.

When it looked like we would have nothing, you were and are our faithful provider.

You use me in the way that is best for your purposes.

You are molding me so that I can accomplish best what will bring you the most glory.

This is a good road, where you will continue to include me in your plan.

As I walk this path, I will continue to walk in faithfulness,

Knowing you will bring me to that place of peace and service that brings me great joy and brings you great glory.

INSTRUMENTS OF PEACE

Proverbs 18:2 - A fool takes no pleasure in understanding; but only in expressing his opinion.

In light of the recent events in Ferguson, Missouri, many people have taken to social media and other forums to express their opinions of the grand jury, the police officer, the slain teenager, the process, etc.  I believe I have learned much from the different videos and postings regarding different points of view and different renderings of the events.  I have heard people seeking to be civil while their hearts were breaking.  And I have heard pointed comments that stake out a position as if it were high, holy ground.

As I consider again the events of the week leading to Thanksgiving, 2014, I was saddened that these events had to transpire at all.  I was saddened even more when people I know, people I call brother and sister could not seek to understand.  They wanted to be understood.

In  my reading of Scripture, I came across the above proverb that gave me pause.  How easy it is to have an opinion!  How easy it is to speak my mind and sound as if I know what I am talking about.  In an irony of the moment, is that not what I am doing right now?

At this moment, I pause to take stock and ask, "What hurtful way is in me?  What opinion do I hold that will keep me from simply hearing another perspective?  Are the relationships I have worth the harm I will do if I insist on hearing only the din of my voice because I could not hear my brother or sister?"

Saint Frances of Assisi asked the Lord to make him an instrument of his peace.  One such person seeks to bring or restore peace where it has been stolen away.  He understands that to be such an instrument, he would have to refrain from many so-called natural actions of judgment.  To be such an instrument is to accept the person across from her as being made in the image of God, however marred it may be, and possibly in need of consolation, understanding, and love.

A fool does not seek understanding - he seeks the promotion of his ideas.  A fool does not seek to console - she seeks to pronounce the sentence as if the pain of another was punishment.  A fool does not seek to love - he seeks to justify himself.

Too many times I am the fool.  When it comes to comprehending all that goes into the Ferguson events, I am better off listening, consoling, and understanding.  I certainly have a point of view, but I have no more first hand knowledge of this situation and its history than many of my fellow believers and friends.  My conversation needs to be seasoned with salt - an agent that purifies and preserves rather than contaminates and spoils.

Would you join me in this?  Can we speak to one another as image bearers of God so that we honor our Lord in how we communicate?  As for me, my desire and hope is that people see Christ in me not for what I have said but for how I said it, not for my opinion, but for the wisdom I showed in holding it.

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.

O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.

WHAT MAKES A DISCIPLE?

I have been pondering a big question lately, one that I know has been pondered by many before me. What are the traits of a person we perceive to be a mature follower of Jesus?

If I were answering this question twenty years ago, I would be looking at more knowledge-based answers. I think it would have to do with what a person knew. Yes, how they lived was important. But knowledge seemed to mean more than life.

Today, knowledge still seems to be a litmus test. Yet living the life of a Christ-follower seems to have its options. This troubles me. What are we as believers missing that has us pick and choose how to live a Christ-following life?

That's another big question. I believe one part of it is that each person who professes to follow Jesus really wants to pattern his or her life after Jesus. Since this is a theme of New Testament teaching, is this something we are not communicating well as an affect of the good news?

Okay, one more big question. But these questions lead me to the question I am pondering most. It's related to the first question. If I were to mentor someone in following Jesus and he or she wanted a life more aligned with the Master, Jesus, what would be good things to major on?

These are my thoughts so far...

• Humility 
• Service 
• Knowing what Jesus commanded 
• Grace 
• Compassion 
• A sense of God's history with people 
• Vocation - in ministry and in life 

 Now if you were mentoring someone in the faith, what would you make sure to pass on?

STETZER QUOTE

From the US Mennonite Brethren National Conference.  A quote from Ed Stetzer captured by my friend Rick Bartlett.

“Don’t let your church be a cul-de-sac on the great commission highway.” @edstetzer #usmb2014
— Rick Bartlett (@rbb2nd) July 26, 2014

WE NEED MOURNING WORSHIP SERVICES

I love going to worship on Sunday morning…except when I don’t feel like it.

I anticipate being in worship, singing songs of praise and adoration to the Lord and hearing a message from the Word of the Lord. But there are times I just want to be quiet and other times I just want to sit and cry. I have yet to go to a worship service that makes room for stillness or sorrow.

A number of years ago, I sat in a seminar with musical artist and theologian Michael Card as he explained how there seemed to be so little space given in our worship to sorrow and pain. It was as if worship was only meant to be uplifting and refreshing. For those experiencing loss, depression or distance from God, this continual diet of worship left no room for them. What language was there for them to seek God?

Michael suggested that we need to recapture the lost language of lament. Lamentation is the language of crying out to the Lord in our pain or sorrow and asking for His intervention or at least His perspective. When I consider that half of the book of Psalms from which we derive much praise language is written in the language of lament, this makes a lot of sense.

There have been some Sunday mornings when I have sat in worship, wishing someone would give me space to grieve. I have been asked if we could make space for quiet so that people could personally engage with God in whatever they are feeling. I think we need more mourning worship services.

I propose we set aside a few Sundays in the church year for lamenting. There are things we all can lament. We could lament our sin and penchant for wandering from the Lord and His call. We could lament the losses of the past season, be it a few months or a year. Maybe we could take a service and lament the passing of people in the congregation rather than just making it small part of our announcement or prayer.

To put this all in perspective, biblical lament does not focus solely on the circumstances of loss or pain. As Card points out, each lament rests on a fulcrum, a balancing point that starts heavy with the pain, but moves to expressions of faith and trust in the Lord. True lament cries and wails in sorrow, and then pivots to whispers and sighs of faith and confidence.

This finds its way into worship through prayers and songs of praise that rise from hurting souls that have found release into worship. As people find they can release their pain into the hands of the Father, they also can pivot to express their trust and confess their confidence that the Father has heard and accepted their cries – or should I say OUR cries.

This is my modest proposal. Can we make some generous room in our worship for lament?


For further reading:

A Sacred Sorrow: Reaching Out to God in the Lost Language of Lament (Michael Card, 2005)

The Hidden Face of God: Finding the Missing Door to the Father through Lament (Michael Card, 2007)

A LESSER KNOWN TRAIT OF A CHRIST-FOLLOWER

You have heard of faithfulness, holiness, mercy, and love.  The Lord exhibits these traits towards us and we seek to show them as followers of Christ.  There is one trait that does not get as much press.  Thanks to an Israelite king, I began pondering it.

Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place and strengthened himself against Israel. ² He placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim that Asa his father had captured. ³ The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals, ⁴ but sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments, and not according to the practices of Israel. ⁵ Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand. And all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor. ⁶ His heart was courageous in the ways of the Lord. And furthermore, he took the high places and the Asherim out of Judah. (2 Chronicles 17:1-6)

I usually do not consider courage as a Christ-follower trait because the land I live in allows me the freedom to worship as my conscience allows.  In some countries, courage is a necessity.

So why was it necessary for Jehoshaphat?  He was the king and one of the Chosen People.  Why did he need courage?  He needed it because his actions bucked the status quo.  He took on the popular practices and traditions that took root among the people after the days of Moses and Joshua.  During David's time, they were more muted.  After David, they came back with a vengeance.

The king's father and grandfather and great-grandfather were considered good kings.  But they let the practices of idolatry continue in their midst.  Jehoshaphat decided enough was enough.  He did not order the practices to cease.  He went out himself and destroyed the idols.  He sent teachers to the people to direct them to the Lord.  He took on the status quo and he was successful in the Lord.

I enjoy the freedom of this country.  That same freedom and its comforts easily lull me into going with the flow.  Why rock a boat that is drifting well with no waves around? 

Yet truly waves will come.  Will I be able to stay with the boat?  Do I need to get out of the boat as Jesus comes close and bids me go a new direction?  If change is absolutely necessary, am I willing to strike out alone if no one else wants to go with me?

Jehoshaphat was courageous in heart.  He did not let the status quo become his measuring rod.  As a Christ-follower, I feel the need today for the same courage.

BY OUR LOVE

Sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself.  It's as if they are showing you the way.   - Donald Miller

I snatched this quote from Reader's Digest before I tossed out the old magazine.  I pondered the quote after my first reading.  What do I love and what would I want others to be excited about? 

I first thought of foosball and how my girls enjoy a rousing game - especially if it means beating dad.  They love the game and play it when they can and it started with us.  It started with my enjoyment of the game passed on to them.

I enjoy the Hebrew language.  When I first studied Hebrew, it was to fill a requirement in my M.Div. program.  But taking Hebrew from Allen Guenther and Elmer Martens was not about requirements.  It was about learning to love a language they both loved.  I still remember Allen saying with fire, "Read the Hebrew Scriptures in the original even if you cannot translate it all.  It will transform you!"  I know he meant the transformation would come through the reading of the Word, but I could tell he was full of passion for its original language.

How we love something will tell others how important it is.  Take the disciples of Jesus.  I don't mean the ones in the Bible,  I mean the ones who worship each week in churches and join for Bible study and prayer groups.  I mean the disciples who live today and confess their love for the Lord.  Would you follow Jesus based on what you see?

Jesus said that the world would know who his followers were by their love for each other.  Is this evident among the followers of Jesus today?

The intent of these questions is both reflective and evaluative.  I mean to make the followers of Jesus (of which I am one) consider how their lives demonstrate a passionate love for the Savior.  It is also evaluative.  Do we have a love for Jesus that would cause someone else to take notice and want to love Him  as well?

I really hope I demonstrate that kind of love.  If others do not see it, then I pray that the Lord will continue to draw that kind of love out of me and that my love for Jesus will cause followers and seekers of Jesus to want to love Him more.

It is not like we are without an example.  See what kind of love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God.  And that is what we are.  1 John 3

MASS MIGRATION

This particular blog opened up a few months ago, but I am slowly migrating my writing from a former blog to this one.  As I do, those past writings will show up with the date and time they originally appeared.  Just thought I'd let you know.

WHAT WE THINK

Satan is more than willing to let us think whatever we want about ourselves as long as it doesn't line up with what God really thinks of us.

DIE EMPTY

Tonight was Clovis East's baccalaureate.  It was a time of celebrating faith and the future of our graduates.  The class asked Anthony Flores of Adventure Community Church to speak.  His message was simple.  As a person who was running from God in high school, he came to a place where he now follows God passionately and wants others to do the same.

So to the class of 2013, he gave this challenge - die empty.  He told the story of a young man seeking riches and he was directed to a cemetery wherein lied the paintings left undone, the stories left untold, the songs left unwritten, and the dreams left unlived.  Anthony said that when he stood before Jesus, he wanted to be able to say, "Lord, I left it all down there for your glory.  I lived to fullest to serve and honor you and I died empty."

What a challenge!  I know we are encouraged to live boldly and amass whatever makes us happy, be it memories, money, adventure, collectibles, etc.  What if we lived boldly and saw how much we could give away for the sake of the kingdom?  What if the parable of the rich young ruler came to life because we learned to give more away than we tried to keep, particularly in light of promoting and advancing the kingdom of God and His grace and justice?

Anthony spoke with passion and I am glad I was present to hear what he had to say.  It might have been directed at the graduates, but it was meant for me.

MY AIM

My aim is to follow Jesus - to learn, live, love and serve as Jesus did...and invite others to do the same.

You probably read this at the top of my blog.  If you did, one of those items porbably stood out among the rest.  Most people I think would get the live, love and serve like Jesus, but what about learn?

I am indebted to Bill Hull (http://www.billhull.net/) for this idea.

When Jesus was hear, he learned to operate within his finite world after laying down his right to his infinite state of being as Lord of the Universe.  Hebrews 5:8 tells us, "Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered."  Jesus learned a whole new way of relying on His father.  

So it is my aim to imitate Christ.  I am not just trying to imitate Him in what He did, but also to imitate Him in character and style.  I want to be like Him in how He learned so that I might also learn well. 

IT IS WHAT IT IS

Max Lucado tells a story about a man who had a beautiful horse, the most beautiful in the kingdom.  Through a series of events, the man looses the horse, gains it back with 10 more, has to care for his injured son who then cannot go off to war for the king.  With each turn of events, the people around him find reason to judge his circumstances either blessed or curse depending on how they view event.  With each turn, the man urges people to not judge the circumstance a blessing or a curse.  Each circumstance was what it was.  It was beyond anyone's understanding to decide if the event was a reward or punishment, a blessing or a curse.

This story came to my memory today as I sat and evaluated a number of events where things did not seem to be of much benefit to me or my family.  It did not feel good to go through any of them.  But was the outcome of any of them a blessing or curse?  Was it for our best or was something at work keeping me from enjoying a good thing?

The wisdom of Max's story became apparent to me.  I cannot tell if something is blessing or curse.  I cannot tell if a good thing was kept from me or if I was kept from a disaster.  I am left thinking that it is too wonderful for me to see beyond my circumstances or the circumstances of others to know what is really the best.

As I ponder this reality, another thought comes to mind.  The Lord I serve does know what is the outcomes mean.  He understands what He purposes and what He can make of each event, be it trial or victory.  He told a group huddled in exile, wondering if they would ever see home again, "I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

He used a man named Paul to remind me that, "God works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)

These are well known Scripture passages to many who follow Jesus.  They are comforting because we trust that He DOES have our best in mine.  They are challenging because it means I let go of wondering and worrying what my circumstances mean.  I continue to follow faithfully and patiently.  The one who works it all for good and knows what the plan is will cause it all to make sense at the right time.

KEEPING A TRANSPLANTED HEART

I just met a walking meditation on discipleship.

A leader from a nearby church stopped by to leave some flyers for a benefit concert.  He wore one of those masks that keep you from breathing in the germs and meanies from other people.  I went to shake his hands and he told he could not do that.  His kidney was replaced five months ago and he was just getting his immune system back.  He did not want to compromise his system.

He informed me that his immune system was shut down by the doctors so his body would not reject his new kidney.  Otherwise, his body would see the new part not as an unwatned intruder, not as a life-giving organ.  It would seek to kick it out.

I immediately verbalized, “That is just like what happens when we go through the transformation of being a Christ-follower.    What Jesus gives us is new life.  Our old man wants to reject it and kick it out unless something is actively done to keep it in place until it is part of us.”

God promises to give his people a heart of flesh for a heart of stone.  That heart of flesh is not natural to us, though it is the source of our life.  Something must be done to keep us from rejecting what God placed in us.  Our need finds its fulfillment in trusting the Lord, soaking in His word, and continuing to choose for Him when our options lead away from Him.  Little by little, that new heart comes to be the natural part of us and all that is not aligned with Christ’s heart in us is the stuff we reject.

I thank God for a new heart.  I also thank Him for the supplying me with all I need to keep His heart beating in me.

WORD PLAY

I like to play with words.  Sometimes words break out into others words.  The breakout gives depth or texture to the original word’s meaning.

Community sounds like “common unity.”  That may seem redundant, but it helps me see that what we hold in common connects us in a distinct way, opening the door for deeper relationship.

Our word for gospel comes from the Old English word split, “god spell,” which meant good news.  I track with the Old English thought that God spelled out his love in Jesus, the center of the good news.

Beware splits out to “be aware,” that is be wary or know what is going on.  It’s a warning not to be complacent.  Don’t think that the atmosphere has not or will not change.  Be on your guard.

I started thinking about the word “beware” because of a reading in Oswald Chambers.  In several successive devotions, the late preacher warns the believer to “beware.” 

Chambers exhorts us to beware that we not take God’s love too lightly; recognize the terrible price paid for our salvation through Christ’s death. He also warns us not to let circumstances distract us from a Christ-like mind, but to apply ourselves to prayer when we are discouraged.

The counsel that caught my attention was to beware wanting to be profound or deep instead of seeing God at work in the “shallow” moments of our lives.  Chambers chides the soul that wants to be considered only deep.  The soul that desires to be profound may think it is out of devotion to God, but Chambers diagnosis this as pride.  Here is his clincher, “Beware of posing as a profound person – God came as a baby.”

Now there is a simple thought that is truly profound.  In order to relate directly with us, God came to us in the simplicity and innocence of a baby, not the glory of a king or the wisdom of a sage.  He certainly possessed glory and wisdom, but Christ did not broadcast them to the world.  He wrapped them in the skin of an infant then unveiled them little by little as he grew “in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” (Luke 2:52)

Where does this hit home?  When I want to somehow sound original and learned when I preach.  What I really need is to keep it simple.  I want to appear knowledgeable when I testify of Jesus.  I don’t want to look too uncomplicated.  I want a profound thought and the right words that will cause someone to believe.    

What the Lord shows me – and all of us – is that complexity can be overrated.  He uses simple things to communicate profound truth.  He even started simply – an infant on a hay bed.  Beware trying to be profound and thus prideful; keep it simple, saints, and imitate Christ’s humility.

ONCOLOGICAL ENCOURAGEMENT

It’s not often that the words “cancer” and “encouragement” show up in the same place.  Today, I got to see two people with cancer connect with others in a meaningful way…it was a God moment.

I was visiting a with friend at Willamette Cancer Center at Riverbend.  He was in the middle of a chemo session.  He was keeping a good face, but the chemicals were taking their toll.  As we visited, another man walked by and stopped.  Normally, this man would have walked out a back door.  Today, he walked to the front and “just happened” to go by us.

“I know you,” he said to me.  I introduced myself and called him by name.  He said he was doing fine and I told him I was fair.  That’s when he said he was closer to fair than fine.  It was becoming obvious he was not either.  My friend fished into a bag and pulled out a wristband.  On one part it says, “cancer sucks.”  On the other side, it says, “choose joy.”  The man was grateful; this gift from a fellow traveler picked up his spirits. 

This man is friends with a group of pastors I meet with monthly.  I invited him to join us.  He said he would rather not but would see me some other time.  No more than five minutes later, he was back and asked if he could still join us.  Most definitely, I said.  He joined us for coffee and a good discussion about how to handle a sticky church issue.  Everyone at the table benefited.  All this because this man chose to leave his cancer treatment by a different door.

In all this rambling, you may not see what I saw.  I could see God connecting his kids for encouragement and support.  He was helping us share joy, life and wisdom.  He was opening opportunities to love each other in the midst of very difficult circumstances where there are no easy answers.  The good news is we took those opportunities and made the most of them today.  What fun!  What a blessing.  Wow, how good God is to open the doors to help us walk together.

THE VIEW FROM 35,000 FEET

The best seat on the plane is any seat with a window – and no wing to or engine to block the view of the ground.  That all works as long as the route is not blanketed with clouds.

Part of my trip to Fresno was through and over the clouds that covered Portland, Salem, and Eugene.  We were even flying inside the clouds for a time – I thought driving in the fog was bad!

Somewhere around Klamath Falls, the blanket of clouds ended and the 35,000 feet of space between our plane and the ground was fully visible.

From 35,000 feet, I could follow the roads and freeways as they cut and wound through mountain passes, roamed into hidden valleys, and ended up in the middle of nowhere.

From 35,000 feet, the courses of rivers and streams were clearly visible as they rushed and meandered through the wilderness and the cities.

From 35,000 feet, I saw the effect of the wind as it kicked up dirt and sand in the lonely places and dispersed it over the nearby hills.

From 35,000 feet, I could see where I would rather travel if I were on the ground…and where I would choose not to be.

There are days I wish I could jet to 35,000 feet to look at the full lay of the land so I can go where I need to go with as little trouble as possible.  I’m speaking metaphorically.  It would be nice to see the lay of my life in its detail.

When I’m on the ground, I am unaware of where each road leads.  When I choose to ford a river, I am not always sure there is not a bridge farther downstream…or a waterfall.

On the ground, I may find myself in the middle of a storm where I cannot see land or sky.  From the air, I would have seen it coming and chosen a different path.

And there are plenty of times I do not recognize that I am moving along quite well.  Things are find and the road is smooth.  I don’t think about a bird’s eye view then.

When my direction is comfortable, unsure, or wreckless, there is someone who always has a 35,000 feet view.  Through His Spirit he is able to navigate me through the needful storms and away from the unwanted turns if I will choose to hear Him.

The Teacher gave us this word of wisdom, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

My steps have a sure guide who does see from 35,000 feet and lived at ground level.  If I listen and trust, my route will always follow the best route.

PRAYING FOR THE IMPOSSIBLE

2 CHRONICLES 6:18-19

 But will God indeed dwell with man on earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built! Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O Lord my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you.

Sometimes I think I must pray pretty small prayers. I pray for the welfare and growth of my church. I pray for my family and friends. I bless the Lord and confess his goodness and my need for him. But I do not often pray for the impossible.

Solomon prayed that the Lord would come and be among his people in the temple he constructed. Yet he recognized that even the vastness of heaven did not contain God. If that were so, how then could this house hold him? Solomon had perspective. He knew his building was inadequate even though it was a remarkable human achievement in construction and design. The building was not so much to house God but to remind people of God’s holy presence with them. The sight of the temple was to wake them up to God’s righteousness and mercy, his holiness and justice.

Still, he prayed that the Lord would come in answer to his prayer to dwell with Israel, to judge her and forgive her when she recognized her wrongs. He asked the Lord to fill that building

What are my impossible prayers? I would ask God to save Eugene / Springfield and Fresno, California.   I would ask God to renew his church and make them all holy. I would ask that God finish poverty and homelessness in our midst. Why do these seem impossible? Because I know everyone will not buy into God as the source of the answer. Still, I know it is God’s desire that all people know him and live to honor him. Paul prayed that we would know the limits of God’s limitless love – another impossible prayer (Ephesians 3). In perspective, it means asking God to do something incredible and standing ready to receive his answer. The Lord filled Solomon’s temple with this presence. How much more can he fill us with the fullness of himself when we stand ready to receive his answer?

THINGS THEY ARE A CHANGIN'

So a friend of mine, Rick, left his job last year to pursue a run for a state office. Things they are a changing.

My wife, Cheryl, came back from Fresno about the time Rick made his announcement.  She brought two pieces of memorobilia with her. One was the Fresno Bee, which heralded the retirement of GL Johnson, 49 years the pastor of Fresno’s first mega-church. She also brought the memorial bulletin for Marvin Hein, the pastor that married us, who was a friend, and who recently passed into glory at the age of 82.

While Cheryl was gone, another pastor friend, Larry, was here helping my leadership team and I envision a new future for our church. Larry retired from local church ministry about three years ago. Now he is helping churches get to health or decide on a different route. But even he is talking about slowing down.

Back to Rick for a moment – he’s not old. He just happened to be going through a change at the same time these other men are. Add to this that his own dad passed away not long ago. Things they are a changing.

When I look at all these things together, I sense nothing but change all around me. Part of it is the changing of the guard – the older generation is handing off their vision and duties to those who will pick them up. Those who pick them up will shape them by the vision they received.

The change is also within the generations. Church and faith are taking on new tones, new nuances. There is a definite change in the feel of the gathering of believers. I see that when I meet with my elders – I have a different way of thinking about church and even that way is changing. For the elders, they have a picture of what church is and new ways of thinking are hard to get their mind around. But things are still changing.

I guess I am working at defining this change and that is really not possible. Things are changing around us and in me. Maybe it is just the normal path of things – we get older, perspectives change and we get swept up in the change for a time. Eventually, things settle down or the change goes on without us because we step aside to let someone else handle it.

I do know the world is changing as these men who have influenced me and others step aside or pass on. Now the next generation needs to pick up the baton and move forward with it. It is our leg to run…our time is now.

I don’t know…but things they are a changing.