Paying Out

For all you Methodist pastors, here's a thought.

Over the last couple months, we've had this internal conversation in our church about the budget. It seems that September panicked everyone about giving. We dropped tens of thousands that month over last year. As such, we've looked at the budget, tried to figure what we could do without over the period and looked to limp into the new year where all of a sudden, we will have money that we don't have now.

Over the last couple months, the question that has resonated with laity and staff is, "Are we going to pay out?" In other words, are we going to pay our apportionments in full by the end of the year. Apportionments are the funds that support the structure of the UMC. Paying 100% is so important that it's on the pastor profile we fill out each year. Bringing people to Christ is good, preaching sermons are good, providing discipleship to others is good, however, don't pay your apportionments, no gold star by your name on the pastor profile.

So we're worry that we might not "pay out."

Question: Is the focus on paying out or on discipleship? In my naive and simple way, I believe that giving even in an era of economic stress is a spiritual issue not a financial one. Many times, we frame the debate in terms of obligation. In order for us to meet our budget, we need you to give X amount. Perhaps that mindset should be framed in terms of generosity.

In John's gospel, God so love the world that he gave his only begotten son. "Only begotten" seems to imply all. Or the widow's mites. Jesus remarked about giving her all. Jesus speaks of an abundant life--does it come from obligation or generosity? Which fuels the abundant life?

In other words, if we give out of our generosity, will we worry about "paying out"? Hmm?!

Can I get a witness

Ben Witherington has this video on his blog. Any pastor who has been a pastor for more than a year has a wedding story. Or several. One of mine occurred out of high school. (No I was not a pastor yet) The young couple wrote their own vows. When the time for the vows cames, the bride (an angel) recited her. The groom promptly forgot his and replied, "WOW!" We were on the floor.
Or there was the wedding in the mountain in college in a small Baptist church on the side of the mountain. It was hot that day, no air conditioning--just funeral home fans (this was 1979!) What made the wedding was the bridal march played over busted speakers--"Here Comes the Bride" sounding like Thomas Edison had produced that version.
Ah, weddings!

Can I Get A Witness

Ben Wetherington has this video on his blog.  Any pastor who has been a pastor for more than a year has a wedding story.  Or several.  One of mine occurred out of high school.  The young couple wrote their own vows.  When the time for the vows cames, the bride (an angel) recited her.  The groom promptly forgot his and replied, "WOW!"  We were on the floor.  

Or there was the wedding in the mountain in college in a small Baptist church on the side of the mountain.  It was hot that day, no air conditioning--just funeral home fans (this was 1979!)  What made the wedding was the bridal march played over busted speakers--"Here Comes the Bride" sounding like Thomas Edison had produced that version.  

Ah, weddings!  

Simple is NOT easy

So I begin to blog this past summer.  Four blogs then silence.  Blogging is simple.  Put thoughts on a screen and push publish.  But no blogs for several months.  

Or trying to change my life--loose weight, get organize and live abundantly.  Sounds simple.  But it's not.  

Perhaps the problem in the Church is that we are more attuned to easy rather than simple.  Simple takes time to master.  We like easy.  We like to push the easy button and magic occurs.  Simple is different.  Simple requires practice.  Ah, perhaps that's the missing word, practice.  Practice implies effort, repeatability and sustainability. 

The more I'm part of a church community, the more I'm beginning to believe that the Church is not lacking in orthodoxy as much as orthopraxis.  What the church as understood and done for centuries are the spiritual disciplines.  Wesley called the means of grace--study, pray, etc.

Disciplines require effort, repeatability and sustainability.   

This thought resonated with me earlier today.  I go to the gym to run on a treadmill for 30 minutes and 15 minutes on an elliptical walker.  I don't like to go.  However, the accountability of having to loose 5 pounds by Sunday, December 7 and weigh in front of the congregation drives me forward.  Call it shame!  It works.  I'm within 2 pounds and possibly will close the gap in the next couple days with good dieting and exercising.  Disciplines.  Simply though not easy.  

Let's shoot for simple instead of easy.

Clutter

So it's been nearly 5 months since I wrote.  With the exception of one individual, the world hasn't missed my profundity.  

Why the silence?

Nothing to write, hardly.  

Nothing to say, hardly.

Perhaps it is the realization that my life has way too much clutter.  Having spent 1/2 day in a time management class in November, I have learned that clutter is delayed decisions.  

Sadly, my life is crammed full of closets and boxes and tubs of delayed decisions.  Sadly, most of us are encased in clutter.  What decisions have we put in closets, boxes and tubs to delay the decision.  Paul writing the Corinthians speaks of the day of salvation--a time of decision.  

Perhaps today is the day of decision making.  I know that over the last several months, I've wrestled with the need to make decisions and live out those decisions.  More about those in the coming days.  

However for today, perhaps the most important decision is to profess and believe, "Come Lord Jesus!"  Welcome to Advent!!

Feeling Weird

It has started again. Back in the summer of 1999, I received my call to ordained ministry. The call and its acceptance left me feeling weird. Then in the summer of 2001, I began my first appointment in Granville/Vance county. I remember that for weeks after the appointment, I kept telling myself that the Bishop and the DS had made a mistake and would realize that they had appointed me to a parish to minister. So for weeks, I felt weird. I kept feeling that I was not a pastor, but playing one in "real" life. Then one day, I realized that I no longer felt weird, but had become the pastor to the parish.

Well the weirdness has started again. Now that I'm ordained, I wear a stole in the traditional worship service and for the funeral I've done recently. Wearing the stole after seven years of not wearing one is weird. I have to remember the color of the paraments in the sanctuary. Prior to ordination, I just zipped up the robe and headed to sanctuary. Now, I have to put on the stole before I leave my office. In addition, I don't seem to have the hang of wearing the stole with both sides uniform. Invariably, I get one shorter than the other.

Now the good part of feeling weird--ministry is still important. It is easy to become cynically or jaded by the routine of ministry (whatever that constitutes). My prayer is that I continue to find ministry weird and exciting and challenging every day, week, month and year under appointment. Too many pastors have forgotten their first love and call. Here's to feeling weird!

Set Apart

Version 2.0 of "Setting Apart". I just lost version 1.0 so eloquently developed that version 2.0 is a downgrade--see Vista back to XP.

The last week and a half has been a time of adjustment to ordination. People ask me, "Do you feel different because you are ordained?" Feel is probably not the best word to describe my understanding of ordination in my life. After 9 years, I have fulfilled the call to ministry that God placed upon me. That which began in late February/early March has come to fruition on June 11th.

Last Sunday, I wore a stole for the first time of my ministry. It felt weird because for 7 years, I have worn a preaching robe without a stole. Looking at the video after the service, I thought, "I need to do a better job of balancing the stole around my neck--one side was longer than the other."

Last Sunday like the previous Sunday and previous days, I performed the responsibillities of first a student pastor and then an associate pastor. My hope after 10 days is that I will continue to grow in Christ. That ordination opens new opportunities to serve Christ, not to lord over others or feel superior because I've been ordained.

In six months, I'll have a better understanding of my ordination. Perhaps then, I can express it better.