Out of the Box

No Government Bailot for the Church, Please!

Summertime for a pastor is always a difficult time. We thrive on big crowds and opening up overflow rooms. Not a problem in the summer. This year we added about 150 seats to our auditorium which is absolutely necessary three seasons out of the year. Most of that time we have to run a live feed of the service to overflow and then it's not always enough. But the extra seats now just add to the feeling of emptiness in the room. I can handle it for a short while, but then I'm ready to get packed out again. What I have a more difficult time with is the lack of funds. When people vacate for summer they also take their tithes with them. Three months of tightening our fiscal belts around here will eventually cut off spiritual circulation. For example, last month we had 50 less givers than in the Spring. Ouch! So it got me thinking. What would happen if we applied for government subsidies; like GM or Chrysler for instance.

Then I began thinking. Now that DBBC is considered a large, if not mega, church we would probably be called on to redistribute our wealth. As a condition for government assistance, Uncle Sam would probably insist we share our members with less populated churches. What if they insisted that the most optimum size would be 500. We would be asked to downsize by sending 2,000 of our congregants to smaller churches so they could be stimulated. While that would hurt us a great deal, imagine what it would do to Brother Joel out in Houston, Texas. He would have to give up 22,500 members to smaller congregations. I bet it would be difficult to pay the light bill with funds left after such a mass redistribution of wealth. Or what about poor Bill Hybels at Willow Creek in Chicago. Bill would have to sacrifice 16,500 faithful followers to other congregations in and around the Windy City. 

I can imagine if the government did get involved in church bailouts their would be bureaucrats galore. Someone suggested the formation of a government agency called Church Redistribution of Saints and Sinners. (CROSS) They may require pastors of churches receiving government funds to adhere to the government mandated Fairness Doctrine. The Fairness Doctrine would assure that Arminian and Calvinist doctrines be given equal time in Sunday sermons. Balance would be required when addressing issues like pro-life|pro-choice, gay|straight, and conservative|liberal interpretation of the Bible. CROSS would evaluate the church based upon important social issues like tolerance and acceptance. Any smack of standing for absolute values would incur the wrath of big brother. Churches who do not show a financial profit or numerical growth may face an end to their government subsidies or even face nationalization. 

Of course receiving a bailout would mean DBBC would have to comply with OSHA standards as well. Total immersion baptisms could be considered a form of "water-boarding" and strictly forbidden. It would also be difficult to sprinkle or pour since the water would have to be inspected for the presence of organic microscopic creatures who's lives are protected under law. Deacons would have to pass physicals and complete a government certified course on safe food handling before being able to administer the Lord's Supper. 

OK, so much of the above was said with "tongue in cheek, just suggesting these impositions by the federal government may brand me as a rebel. Well, if being a rebel means that I believe the government should stay out of the church's business then I'm guilty as charged. I believe, as did James Madison, "Religion flourishes in greater purity without...the aid of government." So I'll endure a paucity of monies during the lean summer months if it means keeping our independence to worship in freedom and without interference. Seems like some other forward thinking followers of Christ held to those same ideals a few hundred years ago. It worked for them and the God that blessed their determination has never changed. Hang in there pilgrims!

Pastor Ken           

Heads Up from Middle School Retreat in Gulf Shores

Hey, just a word from sunny Gulf Shores, Alabama. I'm here on the DBBC Middle School Retreat cooking for the kids. This is one of my favorite times of the year. All week I get to work in the kitchen 8 - 10 hours each day and serve our young teens. It gives me a chance to meet many of them that I would never get to meet back home. Let me say, we have great kids. The bus drivers, who have driven thousands of kids to camp, said these are the most well behaved teens they have ever transported anywhere. 

Yesterday I had the awesome opportunity to baptize 8 of them in the ocean and 2 more in the pool as the other 98 or so stood around and cheered. Last year I baptized in the Jordan River in Israel and this year on the Gulf of Mexico in LA (Lower Alabama). How's that for diversity? Well, I've got to work with the other kitchen help, Dawn Noles and Beverly Stone, to get lunch ready. Keep praying that God moves in the lives of these kids as He has the last few days. We leave in the morning so pray for a safe trip home as well. I will write again next so in the meantime have a happy 4th of July and we'll see you soon.

Pastor Ken

Tidbits from SBC in Louisville

Well Marilyn and I are in Louisville, Kentucky for the annual Southern Baptist Convention. We're back in the room for a few hours while we take a break from the seemingly endless reports from committees and institutions. It's not all boring however, there are some moments of intense emotions and even laughter. Always there are opportunities to engage in my favorite activity, people watching.

Pastors and messengers from all over the country are here in the blue grass state. I've noticed from simple observation that the new attitude of praise and worship is to keep your arms folded high on your chest, often resting on top of the belly,  and look absolutely dis-interested. I know this must be a posture of praise because so many pastors adopt this position and I know they know how to praise the Lord. A look of disgust has also replaced tears and the occassional smile in worship as a way to express your gratitude for Jesus saving your wretched soul. 

I have also discovered the style or genre of music is no longer an issue when it comes to worship. I have heard praise, southern, traditional and classical music. Pastors respond the same way to all types of music now. See paragraph above for further details. 

I am happy to report that others have discovered that ties, since the invention of the button, are no longer needed for shirts to be worn without being im-modest and showing too much chest hair. At least 75% of the speakers and designated prayers were without ties! I think it must be a sign of the end times. 

I have also noticed while people watching that Southern Seminary students, whether male or female, are not as fashionable as their counterparts in the other 5 SBC institution of higher education, partcularly the one in San Francisco. Which means they will probably be great pastors but their wardrobes will not qualify for mega-church status unless their is a fashion intervention.

I have also noted that lay people are better "worshippers" than those of us in the professional ministry, regardless of their age. One couple who has been in the same seating area with us for the last two days are a perfect example. I know he is not a pastor because when a man asked all pastors and their wives to stand for prayer, they did not stand. ( I can look remember, I am a professional.) This elderly couple worships out loud and proud. She raises her hands high and sings to the top of her lungs. He would too, but his hands are not able to get too high and his lungs aren't what they used to be. Neither is his hearing evidently, and I am glad for it. They talk loudly to one another and I have not heard one single negative word out of either of them no matter the style of worship of the identity of the preacher. I've considered taking them home with me. Unfortunately, he has a tendency to get lost. Whenever, he goes to get coffee or to attend matters in the men's room she looks worried until he returns. She will usually find him a few sections over looking for his chair and wondering why they keep rearranging the room. 

I am glad to report that Dr. Johnny Hunt was re-elected president of the SBC without opposition. He is a great man of passion for the Word of God and compassion for the lost. We are blessed to have him as our president for a second term. He has been a great example to me and many others who have gotten to know him and his lovely wife Janet.

Let me leave you with this quote from our president. Making remarks about the sorry condition of our finances and the uncertainty of our country in the world he said, "Many people want to end their speeches with God bless America. We should be crying out that American should bless God." Then, and only then, may we begin to emerge from the mess we are in. Preach on, brother! 

God bless and I talk with you soon.

Pastor Ken                  

SBC Could Learn from VBS

Summer is hot and hectic around here. Just yesterday was a first for DBBC. We had both a funeral and VBS going on at the same time on the same campus. Thankfully, all went well. I had this fear that some class of grade schoolers would march into the worship center and start "hooting and hollering" as we say down in Mayberry. It didn't happen. What was cool though was looking at both ends of life from the same hallway. In one room was a group of mostly senior adults paying their respects to a life well lived. In the other rooms and hallways were children who were being given a boost to live out their lives in a meaningful and powerful witness to the reality of God. 

This weekend there is a motorcycle ride through the country for a bunch of us who ride. Then Sunday is Father's Day and worship. Sunday afternoon Marilyn and I leave for Louisville, Kentucky and the annual Southern Baptist Convention. Three days after I get back from Louisville I go to Gulf Shores, Mississippi with a bunch of our middle schoolers. But what I wanted to share with you concerns the SBC. 

When I first became a Baptist I knew nothing of the Southern Baptist Convention. We just didn't talk about it at church among the common folk. When I became a pastor I was told I was now a part of the largest non-Catholic denomination in North America. I went to my first convention in New Orleans, Louisiana in the early 90's. The city rolled out the red carpet for us. We were headline news and the talk of the town. Not everyone liked us, but they loved to talk to us and about us. Protestors lined up all along the street outside the Superdome. I had never been in such crowds and such excitement. The same atmosphere continued for the next few years and then I began to observe a subtle change. When I picked up the newspaper in the city holding the convention I noticed we were no longer front page news. Sometimes we were buried in the Metro section close to the lodge notices and  wedding pictures. People would remark in cafes and coffee shops that they did not know we were in town. How could this be. Since the 1940's Southern Baptists flooded into cities by the tens of thousands. Bar owners actually complained to city councils that we were bad for their business. Not anymore. What happened?

I think we began to think it was a status thing to be the largest denomination in America. We started being arrogant about who we were rather than Who's we were. We thought, no assumed, that everything we did would be successful. We fought the battle of the conservative resurgence and that boosted our spirits and increased the crowds for a short while. After we kicked out the liberals we began to quarrel among ourselves as to who was most conservative. Reports began to surface that our numbers were diminishing. Baptisms were dropping along with giving to mission causes. No longer did we fill convention centers or football stadiums, but now we roped off upper balconies and half of the floor of basketball gyms. As my mom would say, "We had gotten too big for our britches" and God was allowing our decline. Our fighting among ourselves over insignificant matters had taken its toll. The excitement is no longer in the hallways of the convention center. More and more old timers are talking about the good old days. What's the solution? I think I know and I saw it this week.

When kids get together at VBS each summer there is an air of expectation. It's cool to finger paint and drop Mentos into Coke bottles and watch them explode. They are mesmerized as someone dresses up like a Bible character and speaks from God's Word. You don't have to wow them. You just have to love them. You don't have to be perfect. You do have to be real. They don't care what denomination you are. They do care that you are glad they are there and tell them so. When a teacher tells them about the love of Jesus they don't try and determine from which theological perspective they are coming from. They just listen and begin to wonder if Jesus loves them too. What I like about VBS is that it's cool, but not too cool. You have teenagers working next to senior adults. You have black children playing with Asian kids. They stay for three hours and hate to leave.  At the SBC messengers get up and browse bookstore when someone at the platform exceeds 30 minutes.

I have an idea. Let VBS directors plan the next Southern Baptist Convention. Let's take off the ties and business suits and wear shorts and t-shirts. Even the best of people get irritable in the summer in a tie. Let's tell the simple story of Jesus again. I vote for finger painting over listening to one more seminary president defending their institution. They condemn those who do not preach the way they prescribe. The way, they have determined, God intended. I saw a cross painted by a child in a third grade VBS art class that said more than many sermons I have preached or heard preached by gifted orators. And rather than pointing fingers at others who may not do church just like you do church, wouldn't it be great if we walked together like the kids in VBS. Sometimes hand in hand, but always excited about where they're going. Then maybe, just maybe, the world would notice us again and listen to our story. After all, we have the best news in the world.

See ya,

Pastor Ken  

Summer Reading Suggestion

Often the thoughts that I share here come from my reading. I am usually reading a couple of periodicals, a reference book, a book on preaching and my Bible at any given time. Only recently I added a book that is destined to become a classic beside White Fang, Great Expectations and The Grapes of Wrath. It's called Rick and Bubba's Big Honkin' Book of Huntin'. It's one of those books you just can't put down. (Not to mention it is the only book I've ever owned that has a 3-D 12 point buck on the cover.) I thought I might share some insight from that book but then I realized it might be a little too deep for some of my regulars. You know who you are.

So I turned to Biblical Archaeology Review for inspiration when I saw this headline, "Understand the Fun and Beauty in Mathmatical Concepts." As my friend Jamey Ragle would say, "Now, ain't that a blessing!" Those guys need to dig up something fast or I'm cancelling my subscription! Thankfully there's always the Bible. You can depend on God's Word for worthwhile reading everytime. So I have just finished I Kings and I'm beginning II Kings. The last chapter of I Kings ends with the story of the death of evil King Ahab. Listen to this for a word picture; "So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried him there. They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria (where the prostitutes bathed), and the dogs licked up his blood, as the word of the Lord had declared," (I Kings 22:37 - 38) After reading that text I can't get the 70's tune "Workin at the Car Wash" out of my head. Anyway, II Kings begins with Elijah pronouncing a death sentence upon King Ahaziah, Ahab's son and successor. It seemed Ahaziah had been snooping in the attic for last year's Christmas ornaments or something when he fell through the lattice work. I'm not kidding, read it for yourself; ""Now Ahazariah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself." (II Kings 1"2) I know someone has had the same flashback I just had of Chevy Chase in the attic of the Griswold's home with a an old mink wrap and mittens watching movie reels of childhood holidays. Ok, so the king sends, not for a doctor, but for word from a prophet of Baal to tell him if he will survive from his injuries. He knew prophets on the king's payroll are sure to give a hopeful diagnosis. But along the way God's prophet, Elijah, intercepted the messenger and delivered bad news to Ahaziah. "Tell him he is going to die" Elijah told the king's servant. 

Of course, this wasn't the cheerful report Ahaziah wanted to hear so he sent an army captain and fifty soldiers to bring Elijah to Samaria in an effort to persuade him to change his report. When the men arrived at the mountain retreat of Elijah the prophet called down fire from heaven and the captain and his fifty soldiers became crispy critters. Ten years earlier Elijah had called to heaven and God burnt up the sacrifice on Mt. Carmel in front of 450 tired and bleeding prophets of Baal. King Ahaziah sent another captain and another fifty men and they met the same fate. So the third captain began to see a pattern that he didn't like. He was smart enough to bow before Elijah and ask for mercy. So God told Elijah to spare this man's life and the lives of his fellow soldiers and follow them to see the king. So I'm reading with great anticipation how this confrontation between the prophet and the king turns out. (Yes, I have read it before, but I had forgotten the details.) Elijah walks up to the king and says, "You will certainly die! So he died..!" (II Kings 1:6 - 7) So much for cliff hangers. 

So I encourage you when Redbook, Men's Health or Cosmo leaves you feeling like you have wasted your money pick up your Bible. I'm not sure if it made Oprah's summer reading list but it always makes mine!

Pastor Ken       

Twisted

I launched a brief summer series last Sunday called "Twisted." Basically Twisted is designed to reveal that there is an unseen enemy and his desire is to destroy your life. He only has one weapon at his disposal and that weapon is deceit. Christ said Satan is a liar and his native language is lies. He also said that the devil is a murderer and was from the beginning. So if you allow him to ruin your life he can only do it one way, through deceiving you. Simple enough.

In explaining how twisted the enemy can get our thinking I gave examples of "twisted thinking;" Such as terrorism, murder and genocide. I brought it home when I shared my horror over late trimester abortions and the redefinition of ma rria ge. With the proclamation that these were wrong and a contemporary example of twisted thinking the congregation broke out in spontaneous applause. I was not expecting it nor did I prompt it with a pregnant pause or solicitation for approval. It was a real affirmation that I had touched a chord in people's lives who were fed up with ambiguity and complacency in the church. 

So Monday morning I am watching the news when I learned that someone had murdered a doctor who performed abortions at church where he was also an usher. It occurred to me some of the  most twisted thinking comes from those who claim to be acting upon the will of God. When does it become right to kill a man without provocation? When do we think it is our place to fulfill the righteous indignation of Christ. If anyone is to serve up a healthy dose of justice it will not be us, but the only One Who is worthy to judge. I don't remember Christ asking for any assistance turning over tables and running thieves from the temple. The only time I remember Him asking for the administration of justice by others they refused to comply. Instead they dropped their stones one after another and walked away. 

Let me repeat. I think abortions are wrong, at any stage of pregnancy. However, we are called to share the good news of forgiveness with everyone. Christ came to save the vilest of sinners. The problem is with over zealous religiouss nuts who take matters into their own hands. Now, there is one less person who will be able to repent and find forgiveness. Sometimes the most twisted thinking come from those who are religious but deceived.          

Rested but Still Pale

It’s good to talk to you all again. I skipped last week’s blog entry because my family and I were vacating. If you were at church for the last message of “Couch vs. Cross” you understand what I mean about “vacating.” We traveled South and East to Charleston, South Carolina. We actually stayed outside of the city on an island called the Isle of Palms and in the resort community, “Wild Dunes.” We love Savannah and Charleston was always brought up in conversations as the sister city of Savannah. So from Monday afternoon until Saturday morning were out of Town. How was it, you ask? Thanks for asking. It was for the most part “just awright dawg.” We arrived the same time a tropical depression settled only a few miles off the Atlantic coast. It was the coldest week in May that anyone could remember. Those offering that tidbit of history would add, “but it supposed to get warm and sunny by the weekend”; not very encouraging words for those of us leaving that very weekend.  Anyone who has had the misfortune of being with me when there is nothing to do is grimacing right now. I get bored quickly. When I get bored I also get cranky. When I get cranky I either become sullen and depressed or loud and critical. As the wind blew torrents of rain just outside our patio my temperament swung almost as rapidly as the palm trees. I paused to thank the dear Lord that I was me and not someone imprisoned in the condo with me.

This brings me to the topic at hand. I am basically an unhappy person. It’s partly because I am so goal driven that if I am not competing at something I’m miserable. That corresponds to my primary personality type, the powerful choleric. Choleric people are goal driven and competitive. They are often happiest when working. They vacation poorly; except when there is much activity and opportunities for golf, volleyball, croquet or badminton. In such athletic pastimes there are sufficient opportunities for fist pumps and victory laps.

 

I am secondarily a melancholy personality. This person is also very goal driven, but is negative to boot. We, of the melancholy type, are more than a little annoyed when things don’t go according to plan. (I can tell right now many of you are dropping to your knees and praying for my family and staff before proceeding any further.) So with nothing to do and all my plans dashed against the rocks it was the perfect storm.

For me to be happy I need to be busy. You have time to relax when you die is my philosophy. When I was a much younger man successive strings of projects and activities were my bread and butter. In college I was a full time student, a congressional intern and I worked second shift, full time, before going home to study. I did not tire and I was very happy. Now turn the clock ahead a few decades. My mind still wants to stay busy, but my body is crying for rest. As Jesus put it in the Garden of Gethsemane, “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  Which brings me to another source of frustration. Age. I hate getting older. Why? Because it is something I can’t control. Remember I am a choleric personality and we want to control everything. It annoys me not to be able to do the things as quickly and effortlessly as I once did.

So, I get to the office after Memorial Day and everyone asks how the vacation went. Without going into details I told them about the weather and the lengthy confinement to the room. Most dropped their head and moved away swiftly before anyone got hurt. One person, however, had the brashness to say, “The Lord must have known your body needed rest and otherwise you would never have gotten any.” Don’t you just hate it when someone plays the God card when you want to be miserable? I thought about it and you know they were right. There’s no way I would have rested that much if it were up to me. I would have filled every moment from daylight til dark with activity. I would have come home exhausted. The effect would not have been immediate, but soon I would be tired, cranky, and miserable. I would have not only been mentally fatigued but physically as well. The Lord certainly knows best. So thanks Lord for the rest, whether I wanted it or not. Thanks to all of you for your prayers as you asked God to provide rest for me and my family. Unfortunately you ticked a lot of other people off all over the Eastern seaboard who just wanted to get some sun.

Still sulking but rested, Ken

Does Everything Have a Price?

Ok, so I'm reading along in one my favorite magazines when I notice a provocative title, "Virginity For Sale." If the magazine were Cosmo or even Men's Vogue it may not have caught my attention. But this was in Leadership. This magazine has as a subtitle "'Real Ministry in a Complex World." So it's written for church leaders and while it may be a little radical for us men of the cloth it is terribly tame for mainstream America. I soon discovered this article wasn't in the classified section but in a part of the magazine called "Toolkit." Upon closer observation I found it to be a fascinating article on declining moral values. Here is part of what I read.

"Natalie, a 22-year-old woman from San Diego, California, decided to fund her post-graduate education by selling her virginity to the highest bidder. The idea came from her sister, who was able to pay for her education after working as a prostitute for just three weeks. "I know a lot of people will condemn me for this," Natalie says, "but I don't have a problem with that."

Here's the amazing part of the story, at least to me:"Since announcingng the auction, Natalie has received offers from over 10,000 men. The highest bid came in at over $3.7 million. Even Natalie was surprised. "It's shocking that men will pay so much for someone's virginity, which isn't even prized so highly anymore," she says." 

Ok, ready for the most surprising part? She plans to use the income from selling her virginity to pay for a degree in Marriage and Family Counseling!

The question is: can everything be assigned a monetary value? Does anything have inherent worth that cannot be bought? In the world of commerce everything has a price. The price is determined by the simple truth that value is determined by what the seller is willing to receive and a willing buyer will pay. My opinion is that somethings are more valuable than money, any amount of money. The Bible teaches us that there are things that are inherently valuable. God cannot be bought. Salvation cannot be bought. Some things have higher prices than anyone would ever be able to pay. Some things are not commodities and are infinitely valuable. One such thing would be a human being. Human beings are created in God's image and have immeasurable value. People should not be abused, discarded, abandoned or exchanged as mere commodities. Life should be valued and regarded as a gift from God. Whether it is the life of an unborn child or a handicapped man or woamn, every life is valuable beyond measure. 

We cannot allow ourselves to assign monetary worth to sacred things. Any price on a gift from God  de-values the gift. I am disappointed that men would take advantage of the girl's offer to lose her virginity for a price, but I'm more disappointed she would sell something of infinite value to pay her college tuition. Get a loan!

Pastor Ken             

What Else Would You Do With A Jeep?

I have wanted a Jeep since I was old enough to drive. My first car was not a Jeep but a 1966 Ford Falcon. The Falcon was a reasonable $325 and ran like a sewing machine. As a matter of fact, it sounded like one too. My second car was not a Jeep either. It was a 1969 Firebird. Hot car! So hot it blew up on the way back from Carson Newman College just south of Athens on I-75. So you're guessing my third car was a Jeep. Nope, wrong again. The third car was a beautiful land yacht called a 1969 Chevrolet Caprice. That thing had the smoothest seats I ever sat on then or since. I won't bore you with the many cars since, but I will just say none of them were Jeeps. 

A couple of years ago I saw a car on the road that just demanded my attention. It was a Jeep, but not just any Jeep. It had four doors. This thing was awesome. The guy had the top panels out and he was enjoying some rays. The bug hit me again as hard as a june bug on a motorcycle. I soon traded my Yukon for a Jeep. It was a 4 door silver Sahara. It has the nice wheels and two tops. It even has an in the dash GPS with satellite radio. Yeah, baby, that's what I'm talking about! 

The great thing about Jeeps is that other Jeep owners wave at you on the street and walk over to talk to you at the gas station. There are Jeep clubs and jamborees. There is Jeep clothing and there is Jeep art. It is an entire culture. Kind of like owning a Harley, but less expensive. (You know HD really stands for hundred dollars) So here's where I'm going with this. The first time I was preparing to take my Jeep off-road to do some scouting for deer season my wife said, "You're not taking your car out in the woods, are you?" I understood where she was coming from. Most 4 door Jeeps I had seen were spit polished and rolling on shiny tires with high gloss wheels. They were pampered and garage kept. So I understood her question. It had been formed in her mind by what she had observed. In effect, Jeeps were losing their distinct identity by people who refused to use them for the purpose for which they were made. Just the other day I pulled up to a propane tank to have the young attendant fill my gas tank for the grill. He said, "Man, it wouldn't do for me to have one of those. I would have scratches and dents all over that thing." It just so happened that I had just washed it for the weekend and had no immediate plans to go off-road. I quickly defended the honor of my Jeep by saying that it wasn't usually this clean. I told him that I often took it out into the woods and this was the first time it had been clean in a long while. He looked at me and said, "Really, man, you take it off-road?" I suddenly realized that this warped thinking had trickled down to our youth. Where is the world headed when an all American, red-blooded, young man believes the vehicle that helped win WWII should be coddled and kept on the pavement?  

A fate similar to that of the Jeep has befallen the church as well. I know because not only do I love Jeeps, but I love the church too. I have devoted much of my waking hours for the last 20 years, with the help of many others,  building Dallas Bay from where it began to where it is today. Of course, I can't take any credit, it has been led by the Spirit and founded on the Word's of Christ. I just have a lot of sweat equity in this place. Still, I'm concerned how the purpose of the church has changed in the mind of people since it began. Just as the Jeep was used as a vehicle to win the war, the church was also established for a fight. Christ taught that the church would actually battle the forces of hell; and win! The church is to be known by her bloodstains and bruises more than her wood trim and tapestry. The church was never intended to be a place of comfort but of sacrifice. Her early leaders did not point the members to safety, but they did sound the trumpet that led to battle. Classes were not originally about how you could prosper but they were about survival. Early church-goers would not complain about the length of the service when they knew that trouble and persecution were waiting just outside the door. What happened? When did we decide not to take the church off-road? When did we lose the purpose for our existence?

Somewhere, and I'm not sure if I can point to a date, we became more interested in self-indulgence than self-sacrifice. Church leaders became more interested in crowds than commitment. Someone decided that width is more important than depth and now we are suffering from this misconception. The church is pretty; it's just not effective. Any suggestion to take the church "off-road" is met with criticism. One pastor told me that a ministry to inner city children was scrapped when one of the members complained the kids were leaving handprints on the walls. Another resigned over one committee fighting another committee over the placement of flowers in the church. The church has become spit polished and garage kept. So why is my denomination losing ground instead of growing? Could it be we were not created to be clean but bloodied from the field of battle. If we are the body of Christ then we are to be nail scarred and bruised. Instead of asking how to become great maybe we should be wrapping a towel around our waist and washing each others feet. I can't begin to list the ways this may play out in ministry. We have a mindset to change before we can change our actions. Jesus commanded that we go out and compel them to come in. To go out means to go where people live and not just expect them to visit us because we have a pretty building.  

Churches, like Jeeps, are losing their identity because people want to use them for other purposes than why they were formed. I suggest taking your church off-road. Sling some mud! Not at each other but at the enemy. And if we get mud on one another then we should grab a towel, get on our knees and wash it off. Jesus did.

Looking for dirt roads,

Pastor Ken (aka Bubba)                  

Do You Have "Antimonotonitis?"

It's Wednesday and I'm a day later than I typically try to share my thoughts with you. It's not that I'm tied to blogging on Tuesday contractually or anything, I just started adding it to my "daytimer" on Tuesday months ago and have never changed. So I moved to today for the sake of change. People who have heard me speak more than once or twice know I like change. I rarely drive to work the same way two days in a row. The same scenery gets boring morning after morning. I don't like to vacation in the same place twice. I choose restaurants because of their diverse menus so that when I return there is always something new to try. This drives Marilyn nuts since she finds a favorite item on the menu and sticks with it time after time. I think I may be stricken with the rare disease called "antimonotonitis" or I may have the mental disorder "monotophobea." These are rare conditions indeed. I find out how rare they are around Dallas Bay every time we make a change.

The most recent change is in our service times. We moved Saturday's contemporary service to Sunday at 5. We deleted Sunday morning's 8:15 service altogether. The two remaining services are are at 9 and 10:30. There is no longer a Sunday evening service at 6. Sunday evenings are now full of Bible studies that individuals or families can choose from a variety of teachers on a variety of subjects. The multiple services, especially the three on Sunday morning beginning at 8:15, were just too much for the staff to handle over a long period of time. 

Most people understood the need for change, but the first rumblings of discord came at the last meeting of my leadership class last Sunday night. I started having people tell me that they were behind the change 100% even though many others were not. I had another tell me that they were not one of the complainers and that they were praying for me and the rest of the staff. These reports of support and prayer were the first I had heard about any such complaints about the change. One fellow said that he had prayed for us because some people would allow the staff to work themselves into the ground if some people had their way. One person spoke up and said ,"You know pastor, some folks just don't like change of any kind." Once again I was reminded that while I viewed the change as a "shot in the arm " and a "breath of fresh air" my opinion was not shared by all. 

This all happened as I was planning for my series "Couch vs. the Cross." It began to occur to me that change always involves movement. Change in a positive sense means you are moving forward and negatively means you are taking steps backward. But change always involves activity. The couch, in my series, symbolizes inactivity. To sit on the couch is to watch the world go by before your eyes. Someone once told me that life is a parade. Some choose to march in the parade. Some choose to stand by the road and observe the parade. And some ask, "Is there a parade?" To move forward away from the couch and toward the cross is a struggle for most of us. It takes effort. It stretches us mentally, physically and spiritually. Christ bids us, "Come follow Me", but He does not stand behind us and push.  Change is often painful and slow. It is a day by day process. Jesus invites us to take up our cross daily and follow Him. When you are accustomed to inactivity in your own life and the group of people with which you associate are moving it can cause some friction. Remember the Israelites in the wilderness? Part of them wanted to go back to Egypt while others wanted to move on. When the ones who chose to move forward finally entered the Promised Land many of them wanted to stop before the journey was truly complete. Their task was not just to enter Canaan but to conquer its inhabitants as well. The majority wanted to leave the "giants" and the fortified cities alone. They would settle for just a little blessing. While a few wanted all that God had for them. Those moved on and God fought their battles for them. 

I like to sustain such an environment so that when change occurs it doesn't hurt too badly. You know if you try to get off the couch and run a marathon the results would be painful if not deadly. The prudent approach would be to walk around the house first and then maybe around the block. Eventually, people who get off the couch and experience the adrenaline associated with movement and change will never be satisfied with only complaining about it. They even may come to embrace it and the challenges change affords all of us to pick up our cross and follow Jesus. Or maybe not.

Pastor Ken