A Few Thoughts...

I was asked for the process of forgiveness contained in my sermon yesterday on Romans 5:1-11  after church and in a few emails.  And then this morning, I read  Just Forgive?  by one of my favorite professors, Dr. Frederick Schmidt (I commend his blog to you) .  So, I took it as a sign (an inside joke for Dr. Schmidt) that I should write about forgiveness this morning. Dr. Schmidt succinctly explains one of the most challenging aspects of pastoral ministry.  Many Christians are living in various states of unforgiveness and pain due to horrible circumstance that should not be trivialized.  As I began my ministry, I did not fully understand how many Christians struggle to forgive others or how many people had experienced tragedy.  It seemed odd to me that so many who claim to be born out of forgiveness are unable to forgive.  I did not realize how these tragic events can harden the hearts of the faithful and make forgiveness difficult for Chris...

The District Leadership Team of the Southeast District of the Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church had a conversation on Wednesday about the guaranteed appointment that led me to do a little more homework on the subject.  ¶337 of the book of discipline is the primary paragraph in question regarding the “guaranteed” appointment of elders in the United Methodist Church.  The current language is that, “All elders in full connection who are in good standing in an annual conference shall  be continued under appointment by the bishop...”  The source of the legislation on the guaranteed appointment seems to be from the Study of Ministry Committee’s Report and Recommendations.  The Study of Ministry Commission’s Report & Recommendation can be found at http://www.gbhem.org/atf/cf/%7B0bcef929-bdba-4aa0-968f-d1986a8eef80%7D/DOM_STUDYOFMINISTRY2011PROPOSAL.PDF .  Before we consider the changes proposed in the Study of Ministry Report, let’s consid...

 Will the real Jesus please stand up.  The images of Jesus portrayed in Israel and are difficult to follow.  In Nazareth a Muslim banner, obstructing the view of a church, proclaims a quote from the Koran that "God does not beget, nor is he begotten.". While at the same time, the whole community seems to cater to and benefit economically from the pilgrimages.  As Christians, one of our essential claims is that Jesus is eternally begotten.  Human and God in one.  Jesus is still not accepted in his home town. The Jewish guides I've overheard seem to focus on Jesus' role as a Rabbi.  Jesus would have had a prayer shawl.  Jesus taught the Torah.  Jesus' knowledge came from training, not divinity.  Capernaum was the perfect place for Jesus as it was too small for a full Rabbi.  In Capernaum, Jesus would have been a part-time teacher of the youth and able to spread radical ideas into the surrounding areas. Jesus' teaching are simply too c...

Did you know that Christians ruled the Holy Lands during two periods, each of which lasted longer than Texas has been a state?  During both the Byzantine and Crusade periods the Holy Land was ruled by Christians for hundreds of years.  I knew, but forgot.  This land, like the food, has produced an overlapping set of cultures.  Canaanite, Jewish, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Catholic Crusaders, Ottoman, British, and now Israeli.  The most difficulty thing is that we don't understand Israel and the complexities and nuances of its history at all.   Our translator and guide has been fantastic.  He has helped us to grow a lot in our appreciation and love for all Israelis: Christians, Muslims, and Jews.  However, three days in a country does not make me an expert on the nuances of Israeli political life.  And, a nation like the U.S. with less than three centuries of experience is challenged by conflicts and nuances that are older than our nation....

 Today, I visited Capernaum.  My images of a city were shattered and replaced by a small, very small, fishing village of about 30-40 families of 8-12 people each.  The stage of Jesus' ministry was much smaller than I imagined.  And, it was poor, very poor, even by first century standards.  Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John give Capernaum a place in the beginning of Jesus' gospel.  John suggests that Jesus spent a few days there, but Mark suggests that Capernaum was a significant base of operation for Jesus from which he launched his three year ministry.  Walking through the ruins of Capernaum, we knew that Jesus had at the least walked along the main roads and spent the night in Peter's mother-in-law's home.  So, we walked where Jesus walked.  It was a holy place, but I was struck by how much it reminded me of Haiti.  Capernaum was small, crowded and poor.   Today, there is a church with a glass floor built over the site of Peter's moth...

This morning as I wait to travel to Israel, I'm incredibly excited about being able to walk where Jesus walked.  I have been asked to lead a devotional for my group at the Mount of Beatitudes, the place where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount (read Matthew 5-8).  Every time I begin reading to prepare I become overwhelmed by the beauty and authority of Jesus' sermon.  To think of delivering a message in that spot where Jesus taught and spoke seems overwhelming.  But then, I remember that isn't that what we as Christians are called to do in every way, every day?  We walk where Jesus would walk.  We speak what Jesus would speak. In a world full of hurt and broken lives we are called to walk and speak int the situations that Jesus calls us through our baptism to care about.  As I journey on this pilgrimage, my prayer is that God will continue to lead me and challenge me to grow in my awareness of God.

Mamba is a type of Hatian peanut butter mixed with cayenne pepper that is used with every meal to supplement it with more calories.  By itself on crackers or on toast it is okay.  But, as Matt in our team pointed out, with a little of the sweet jelly it is "glorious".  It is funny that I've known crackers, peanut butter, jelley, and cayenne pepper all of my life, but suddenly placed together, they're glorious. The church in Haiti was a lot like this delectable mamba treat to us.  The church this morning gathered, we gather in the states also.  The church this morning sang, we also sing.  The church shared the word proclaimed too, but like a little cayenne pepper in the peanut butter, the urgency and expectation created an amazing experience of shared hope.  It always amazes me how comfortable worship feels.  The movement of the Spirit beyond language becomes a refined form of worship that provides a common thread that binds our hearts in Christian...