by | June 19, 2013 · 9:02 pm

Curious Minds Want to Know

I had a really difficult time in church when I was a teenager. I was a good kid, popular in school, athletic, smart, loved Jesus, and was at church almost every time the doors were open; however, I was also the kid who asked all the deep questions you’re probably not supposed to ask at church. I had questions about where angels and demons came from, why Jesus healed some people and not others, why David was a great king and a terrible dad, how Jesus could be fully divine and fully human at the same time while the rest of us are just human, and on and on from there. I’d like to blame it all on my parents who cultivated a love for learning in me, but that isn’t entirely true. Part of the reason I wanted answers to these questions is because other people in my school and at my athletic events were asking me these questions, and I didn’t know what to say to them.

While I’d love to say that my pastor welcomed me with open arms, the opposite is what actually happened. I remember walking up to him one day to ask him a question, and his response to me was, “I really don’t have time to help you, Alaine. You see those three guys over there (pointing to three guys from my youth group)? God has called all three of them into full-time ministry, so my focus of attention is on them, not on you. God would never call someone like you into ministry.” I asked if he knew of anyone else who could help me, and he did not. To be honest, I was shocked and hurt by his response, and I never asked him another question again.

Thankfully, my parents came to the rescue! They gave me a concordance and got me in touch with a youth pastor from a different city who was more than happy to help me find answers to my questions. This youth pastor gave me his phone number at the church, and I saw him at almost all of my athletic events because he was the “athletic events” volunteer bus driver for the local high school in his city. I loved it that he said, “I don’t know,” when he didn’t have the answer to my questions or “Why don’t you take a look at this passage (or this book) and then we’ll talk about it the next time we hang out?” He never shut me down, gave me funny looks, or made me feel that I was “less than” somebody else. Because of that youth pastor, I grew leaps and bounds in my relationship with Jesus and was better able to help the people around me grow in their relationship with Jesus too.

I thank God almost every day for that season of life. I learned that it’s good and healthy to ask questions, and that it’s awesome when pastors and other leaders choose to help other people answer their questions. I learned that everyone has value in the body of Christ, regardless of whether or not they are called into full-time ministry (incidentally, none of those three guys from my former youth group are in “professional” ministry today). I learned about the freedom God gives us when we choose to forgive the people who have hurt us, even when they don’t ask for it. Most importantly, I learned what it looks like to truly walk alongside someone as they grow in Christ. 

So here are a couple of questions I have for us:

1)   What can we, as ministers, do to create an atmosphere where it’s okay to ask difficult questions? If we’re not comfortable answering some of these questions, how can we help people without turning them away?

2)   Do we treat those we believe to be “called into ministry” differently than we do other people? If so, why?  If not, why not?

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by | June 18, 2013 · 5:50 am

The DMin I’d love to undertake: NT Context

Poor Scot! ;)When I saw THIS from Scot McKnight I jumped up and down in giddy excitement. Even my wife was excited and agreed that I should do something like this. And then reality  hit. It’s in Chicago and well, we are not. Not even close. But for those who are in the US this DMin looks FANTASTIC!

“The DMin in New Testament Context will give pastors the opportunity of a lifetime.  In my speaking and conversations with pastors, preachers, and lay folks, one of the most illuminating features we have to bring to the church is clarifying the historical context of Jesus and the apostles. Time and time again flashes of insight come to Bible readers when they grasp a social custom at work, a religious controversy throbbing behind a question put to Jesus, or a historical memory that is shaping precisely what Jesus was teaching or the apostle Paul writing. Because this “background” or “Jewish context” is so important and at the same time much less accessible for pastors, the DMin in the New Testament Context will provide pastors with the opportunity to focus study on Jewish texts and this will enable them to shed light on pressing concerns in the church today.”

-          Dr. Scot McKnight

I like the idea of a focused DMin program as opposed to what I see offered by many colleges and seminaries here in Australia. Should I ever get the chance I’d love to a DMin in the United states. But that is in God’s hands!

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by | June 17, 2013 · 12:35 pm

Thoughts on Grief

This is a re-post from my personal blog. — Dan Thompson

2 Samuel 1

I do not believe in reincarnation. But I’ve hedged my bets on this one. I put in a request just in case. 

I’ve asked God to bring me back as a black church choir director.

This is a request from years ago, when I learned so much about HOW to grieve from a couple of funerals at African American churches.

I was new into ministry, just out of college, and had come into a couple of situations that had rocked my very young world. The first one was watching a 15 year old girl literally die in front of my eyes. I followed the ambulance to the hospital and tried to be “pastoral,” as I found the mother in the waiting room. At that point it wasn’t confirmed the girl was dead, so I offered my prayers to mother, but had nothing else to say. I left quickly.

But the pictures in my head haunted me. I learned the next day she had passed away so I found out the time and place of the funeral and went. It was an African American church and it was my first experience at a funeral in a black church. The service went for hours. There was weeping, singing, laughter, joyous worship, loud grieving, all of it. All the emotions were laid out. Nothing was held back. Nothing was scripted. The musicians knew exactly what to do at the exact moment, it seemed, and never with any sheet music. Always on key. Always bringing the right emotion, it seemed.

The funeral helped me with my own shock and grief, even though I did not know the girl at all.

The second time I was at that same church for a funeral, the pastor knew me, as did the congregation. It was a couple of years later, and some friends we had that attended that church had lost their son. It turned out to be someone I knew vaguely from high school. He was only a couple of years older than me!

Again, the shock of mortality hit me. But I was friends with the parents as well, so I shared their grief.

This time when I went to the church, and it was packed out again, the ushers knew me. I was looking for a seat in the back and they said, “No pastor, we have your seat.”

They took me to the platform.

Knowing that African American churches honor their pastors by having them on the platform, I guessed I was simply sitting with the guest pastors. What I didn’t know what that when you sat up there at a funeral, you were expected to speak a few words. Fortunately, they started on the other end of the row. By the time the third man had stood up and gone to the pulpit I realized I was going to have to say something. 

I had nothing. I was 24 or 25. I had nothing. I meet twenty-somethings today who think they have all kinds of things to say. It’ll hit them in about ten years just how little they really had to offer. It’s just a matter of maturity and living some life, that’s all. But right then, in that moment, I knew my place. I had nothing. 

It would be great to say I just bowed my head and asked the Lord and he wondrously gave me the very words to say that spoke so deeply to the church… but I was so shook up I can only say I think I prayed… If I prayed, it was something like, “Dear God, how could you do this to me?” or something spiritual like that.

Mostly, it was, “Think of SOMETHING you idiot!“

Suddenly I remembered a story. A few years before I had watched this documentary on great black gospel singers and they had interviewed Thomas Dorsey. (Not Tommy Dorsey, the big band leader.) Thomas Dorsey was a tremendous force in black gospel music and had written the legendary song, “Precious Lord, Take My Hand.” 

In the documentary they interviewed Dorsey and how that song came to be written. It was out of his own grief. He had lost his wife and baby and out of that grief this song came to him. It was a song of lament.

When it was my turn to stand and address the crowd, I looked at the parents and gave a few condolences, then began to tell Dorsey’s story. As I did, the organist began playing “Precious Lord.” Before long a few people near the organ were singing the verse. It began to crescendo, and I thankfully sat down as the congregation began singing out the entire song.

That is why I want to come back as a black church choir director. It was the ability to know what to do in the moment, unscripted. It was the ability to lead people in lament and rejoicing. It was the ability to lay all the emotions out and leave nothing hidden inside. Grieving is too important to leave it locked up.

That is the teaching of 2 Samuel 1:17-27. When you grieve, get it all out.

Don’t do the “white” thing of go to the funeral in the morning and go back to work in the afternoon. Don’t bottle this stuff up.

Loss hurts and it hurts deeply. It may hurt long.

Let it.

When we suffer deep loss, we suffer deeply. We cannot hide it. David let all his emotions fly. We need to learn this valuable lesson.

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by | · 8:36 am

Being the Least

The LeastMy local fellowship has been traversing the landscape of Matthew’s account of Jesus and yesterday we were called to account for the “least” (Matthew 18:1-20). The “kingdom of heaven”, after all, belongs only to the least. This is the point of the little one called into the disciples’ midst in their question about greatness. It has nothing to do with the purity of a child (those who think such have apparently never raised a three or four year old). It also has nothing to do with acting or thinking like a child (Paul himself said he was done with that: 1 Cor.13:11).

It has everything to do with taking the status of a child: as the “least”. As the one under authority. As the vulnerable. As the helpless. This is what it means to be the least and it is as the least and welcoming the least that we encounter Jesus (Matt.18:5). It is in our joining together to agree in reconciliation that we share the burdens of the least and care for those whom God our Father cares for (18:10, 14). It is the Father who cares for widows and orphans. It is the Father who defends the downtrodden, the poor and the oppressed. It is the Father who gives strength to the weak, , who binds the broken-hearted, and who sets the the captives free. These are the least. This is where His children are to be found. This is where the disciples (called the brothers and sisters of our Lord Jesus) live.

So the question for us as pastors must be, Are we numbered among the least? Or has our quest for greatness (however humbly we may be conceiving it) led us away from the surrender, vulnerability, and helplessness of being disciples of Jesus and children of God? May we be numbered among the least. May we be found serving among the least. May we live as God’s children, born of His Spirit, and conformed to the image of His Son, who

though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil.2:6-11 NLT)

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by | June 14, 2013 · 7:45 pm

Ministry to the elderly in aged care.

One of the important tenants within a Charismatic / Pentecostal ethos is that of divine healing. And because of this, I took a elective subject this semester on that very subject. I think its extremely important for us to to reflect on this subject within a pastoral framework deeply to prevent less then helpful thinking and practice on this subject. I was both surprised and pleased to note, that though the college I study at is a Pentecostal one, the popular (in some circles) Word of Faith type teaching  was not promoted in class.

For my major assignment, I looked at the issues of ministering to the Elderly in Aged Care. 

Abstract

This essay looks at the subject of divine healing within a pastoral response to the elderly in aged care. I analyse and reflect on the practicalities of ministering within an aged care environment. I explore the cultural traditions of the person and how that may affect our response. And then look at the theological issues which need to be taken into consideration for a healing ministry to those who are in the latter part of their life and the expectation of death is close at hand. I then draw together the practical, cultural and theological discussion into formulating a pastoral response as to how to initiate and practice ministry with a broad exploration of what constitutes healing and how we can minister to those who are dying.

One of the issues that come out of my research was the need for us to reflect more deeply on the fact that our Christian Elderly even if in care, are still to be considered to be a vital part of the church body and therefore our ongoing ministry with them should be a continuation of any other fellowship ministry that is promoted in the church. Another surprising (for me) issue that came up within the divine healing context is that disease and illness is not bound by age and neither is God’s healing power. While its extremely important for us to recognise and acknowledge death and dying and that the elderly in care can be in that transition stage to glory, we can still pray for them that they will still live well despite their frailty.

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by | · 7:49 am

Guest Post — Sean Brewster

We have been asking for new voices who can be regular contributors to “Blue Chip.” Sean Brewster contacted me (Dan) and here is a guest post by Sean, followed by a brief biography. Please let us know through the comments your thoughts, as always! We want to make ALL pastors better! THANK YOU, SEAN, for the contribution! 

Let Other Peoples Yes be Yes and No be No

 All through my childhood I constantly would ask my parents for things, or permission to go or do whatever, this is normal. However, a lot of times I wouldn’t really be asking my parents if I could go here or there, have this or that, I was actually telling them what I wanted and when I wanted it. And if my parents didn’t comply with my demand that came under the pretense of a question I would try and manipulate them by throwing a temper tantrum, act sad, etc… And these manipulations that I tried hardly if ever worked at making my parents comply to my demands. Alas it is quite hard to manufacture consent (also a name of a Noam Chomsky book) out of your parents when your nine years old.

 This method though of trying to get people to do what you want them to do under the pretense of a question unfortunately doesn’t end in childhood, in fact as adults we get better at manufacturing consent. We still demand things of people yet subtly hide the demand in the form of a question. I remember at a previous job I had where people would ask for time off from the boss, and if the boss said no, the person would just call in sick those days. You see the person who is asking for the time off wasn’t really asking, they were telling the boss “hey I am not coming into work these days.” But you can’t just tell your boss when your coming into work, and how your holidays are going to work and the boss simply complies with your demands. Rather it is whether or not you request complies with the company.

  There seems to be an understanding within the Bible that people are given free will (to what degree is subject to theological debate, of which this blog won’t settle the issue). Were told by Jesus to ask, seek, and knock in our relationship with God but I believe also with each other (Matt 7:7). When you ask someone a question allow there yes to be yes and their no to be no. But in order for you to allow for a persons free response, you have to go to them with no pretense. You have to be willing to accept the answer they are willing to give you. Sometimes it is not the answer you want to hear, but you would not want somebody to manipulate you into responding the way they want you to respond. You see it is the lesson that doesn’t end in childhood and that is you have to be ok with not getting your way. If Jesus says “let your yes be yes and your no be no” (Matt 5:37) then we have to allow for people to honestly live that out.

 The only way I see this happening in healthy relationships is through honest conversation, where the goal is not to manufacture consent through manipulation. The goal is rather to build trust, honesty, vulnerability, and respect. I for one am a much more agreeable person when someone respects my free will enough to allow my yes to be yes and my no to be no. But I get upset when someone is actually telling me something, but it is under the guise of a question. I would rather people shoot straight with me meaning if you want to tell me something tell me, but allow me to respond without any manipulation. What I have discovered in my life is that when I allow other’s yes’s to be yes’s and their no’s to be no’s, and I let my yes be yes and no be no, I am more free to ask, seek and knock with God and with others. I am a less contentious, and pretentious, when I am doing this right. When I actually practice what I preach here my relationship with God is clear because I have a clearer understanding of him as my heavenly father that loves me enough to say no sometimes.

 Thanks,

Sean

Brief Biography

                 I am happily married to my best friend Jessica Brewster, and father to our soon to be one year old daughter Adia Brewster. I am an Alumni of Eston College Saskatchewan Canada where I earned an undergraduate degree in Biblical Studies, and currently am student at Briercrest Seminary working on an M.Div. (Administration and Leadership). I am ordained with the Apostolic Church of Pentecost Canada, and am a pastor of a small rural church in Grenfell Saskatchewan. In my spare time I like to watch television (sports, sitcoms, dramas), write, fish, play video games, play with my daughter, read, eat, and cook.

                What I love about pastoring is when I see people participating in God’s kingdom together, growing in faith and love, and continuing in hope despite circumstances. I feel honored to be a pastor because I get an opportunity to help disciple people into maturity to do the work of the ministry. I love Jesus and want to be more like him, so I have to be a disciple as well.

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by | June 12, 2013 · 11:51 am

Let’s Be Honest

Mark Driscoll (pastor of Mar’s Hill – Seattle)Honesty just blogged a reply to the question “Do you think it’s wise to take up a pastoral position at a church with which you differ on a few doctrines but agree with on most?” He gives several pointers to consider (read them HERE), but basically he replies (in my words) that the pastoral candidate needs to be honest with the church about the differences and honest with themselves about knowing just where the differences may lie.

Honesty is a paramount practice for pastors and pastors-to-be. Whether it is a matter of sermon presentation, financial management, mileage reporting, etc. But, my takeaway from this is that the greatest need for honesty is toward ourselves.

  • Are we being honest about our spiritual life?
  • Are we being honest in our prayers for ourselves, our families, our congregations and communities?
  • Are we being honest in our study of Scripture to discern just what God is actually saying rather than what we desire to hear and preach?
  • Are we being honest in our humility?

Lord, help us to be honest in all things. May the lies we tell ourselves be renounced in full integrity and the Truth of who You are be made known in, to, and through us.

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