In a blog by a friend, I was redirected to a piece by William Willimon. It gets a little long, but I thought the first half of his piece was intriguing so I’m giving it to you here.

Though I could not have known it at the time, a momentous event in my faith journey occurred on a Sunday evening in 1963 in Greenville, South Carolina, when, in defiance of the state’s archaic Blue Laws, the Fox Theater opened on Sunday. Seven of us — regular attenders at the Methodist Youth Fellowship at Buncombe Street Church — made a pact to enter the front door of the church, be seen, then quietly slip out the back door and join John Wayne at the Fox.

Only lately have I come to see how that evening symbolizes a watershed in the history of Christianity in the United States. On that night, Greenville, South Carolina — the last pocket of resistance to secularity in the Western world — gave in and served notice that it would no longer be a prop for the church. If Christians were going to be made in Greenville, then the church must do it alone.

There would be no more free passes for the church, no more free rides. The Fox Theater went head-to-head with the church to see who would provide ultimate values for the young. That night in 1963, the Fox Theater won the opening skirmish.

In taking me to church, my parents were affirming everything that was American. Church was, in a sense, the only show in town. Everybody else was doing it. Church, home and state formed a vast consortium working together to instill Christian values. People grew up Christian, simply by growing up American.

All that ended the night that the Fox Theater opened on Sunday.

While my parents or their forebears assumed that the culture would help prop up the church, almost no one believes that today. Baptists, Methodists, Episcopalians, Catholics — everyone knows that something has changed. Jerry Falwell may still believe that electing a few senators, passing new laws and restoring Father Knows Best to television would allow us to relax again and let the culture do our work for us, but most of us know better. It is not “our” world — if it ever was.

My former neighbor across the parking lot, the rabbi, helped me understand this dynamic. One day over coffee he remarked, “It’s tough to be a Jew in Greenville.”

I granted him that. If I were Jewish, I wouldn’t sleep well either with Bob Jones running around loose. He continued: “We are forever telling our young, ‘That’s fine for everyone else, but it’s not fine for you. You are special. You are different. You are a Jew. We have different values, a different story.”’

I suddenly realized that I had heard very much that same concern expressed in a young couples’ class at Northside Church in Bible-Belt Greenville. “Such language is fine for everybody else but not for you,” couples would tell their children. “You are special. You are Christian. We want other things out of life than the Joneses want. We have different opinions. We are Christian.”

Once again, it seems, the church must learn the peculiarity of being Christian from the synagogue, which has long appreciated the peculiarity of being Jewish. My neighbor the rabbi served a faith community that never had any illusions about its stance in the world: if its children were to grow up Jews, they would do so as strangers in a strange land. They would not be born Jews; the synagogue would have to make them that way.

I believe that the day is coming, has already come, when the church must again take seriously the task of making Christians — of intentionally forming a peculiar people.

How many years ago was it that the kids from Pease were sneaking into the back door of the movie theater in Princeton while their Elders hovered at the front door? The war was already going on back then – but the church was not expecting the city of Princeton, the state of Minnesota or the United States of America to keep their kids from the movies. They sent their Elders to do the work of the church.

One statement from Willimon really stood out for me: Greenville…gave in and served notice that it would no longer be a prop for the church. If Christians were going to be made in Greenville, then the church must do it alone.

A prop for the church? Ouch!

Fast forward to today. If the issue has shifted from John Wayne and movies to homosexuality and gay marriage, it would seem that the issues are quite a bit more weighty (although many of the blogs I’ve read say that the influence of those movies that our parents tried to keep us from have greatly shaped our culture and the debate that we now find ourselves engaging in).

• In a country that espouses a separation of Church and State. who is entitled to receive the benefits traditionally given to married couples and families?
• How is marriage different than same-sex unions? Are Christians who oppose same-sex marriage homophobic – i.e. afraid of homosexuality? Or are we just opposed to homosexualism – i.e. the practice of homosexuality? If afraid, what are we afraid of?
• What is the purpose and function of marriage? Is it strictly a legal matter? A religious institution? Why do religious leaders perform weddings that entitle people to legal and tax benefits?
• Are gay and lesbian couples content to “just” receive the legal and tax benefits without the moral and religious status of marriage?

As can be expected, an issue like this will stir the pot. I for one am thankful that it is stirring up some good discussion as well as the usual dregs of American discourse.

Along with the marriage debate, however, I would hope that we can also have the discussion within the Church about what we expect society to do for us and what we expect to have to do on our own. That is, we must wrestle with the question of how much our morals should be allowed to shape our countries laws so that our countries laws can shape our children and our society. As we discuss this, we should keep in mind that it could happen in the very near future that we have a Mormon President. We already have a Muslim Senator. Many of our political leaders are either self-described atheists and agnostics or act as if they are.

Along with the religious variety, we also have moral diversity. John Edwards was running for President in 2008; today he’s trying to avoid jail. If a man is guilty of adultery and potentially misappropriating campaign funds to cover that up, will that not in some way affect the laws that he proposes and votes for? Representative Barney Frank is openly gay – and is regularly reelected by wide margins. His morality will also affect his votes and our laws.

In the Christian Reformed Church, we have often talked about the three-legged stool of faith formation – home, church and school. If our children are attending Christian schools, they have that additional support that public school students don’t necessarily have. Nevertheless, it should be noted that there is not a fourth leg to the stool labelled government. That is entirely understandable given what government is and isn’t capable of doing.

I would never suggest that Christians should get out of politics and let everyone else steer the country. But is it time for Christianity in the United States to “evolve” in our understanding of our relationship to the State? That is, is it time for us to be more clear about how Christians are formed and how morality is established in a country? Even in Israel – when the laws came straight from the hands and mouth of God! – morality was established in the home. To the extent the Jewish families were successful in shaping the minds and hearts of their children, their children then went out to shape the culture that they lived in.

Jesus described us as the salt of the earth. We are the ones who – when sufficiently “salty” – get sprinkled on the culture around us to preserve it. We will have a far greater impact on our culture by being “salty” and being in culture than we will by writing laws that prohibit decay from happening in the first place. What will prevent more abortions: protest rallies and political action OR teaching our children and the ones we influence the value of life? What will allow our children to cherish marriage as a lifetime commitment between husband and wife: constitutional amendments or Biblical teaching and godly examples?

1. MPR sets a goal for how much money they want.
2. MPR interrupts their regular, commercial-free programming to insert any  number of “live commercials” for…themselves.
3. MPR cajoles, guilts, encourages and shames their listeners into giving money to meet the goal.
4. Wealthy benefactors offer “matching grants” to further spur on the listeners.
5. Listeners who have never supported before are encouraged to join the ranks of those who pay for what they are receiving by giving a gift “in whatever amount.”
6. Previous givers are encouraged to become “sustaining members” – which means that money is taken monthly from your account to support MPR.
7. Gifts are given to people who are new to giving.
8. The pledge drive ends…for another 6 months.

The worst part about the pledge drives is that my favorite show – Marketplace Tech Report - gets bumped during pledge drives. I no longer hear the voice of John Moe regaling me with fascinating stories from the Tech world. And fascinating they are! A recent one was on doctors in Belgium who helped out an 83-year old woman by using a 3D printer to print a new titanium jaw for her. Check it out!

Summary: during the dreaded pledge drives, MPR stops giving me what I want so that they can get what they want…my money! Grrrr! Those dastardly villains!

Stop! Wait a second! Hold the phone…so to speak! What happens if you substitute “the church” for “MPR” in the above scenario? Well, it doesn’t compute…because our pledge drives only come once a year (not twice)…and because we don’t offer gifts to new givers! Aaack! Are we also dastardly villains? Some would say so! Consider the following “not quite” true story.

Two men were marooned on a tiny island. One man paced back and forth worried and dreadfully frightened, while the other man sat back, whistling and sunning himself. The first man said, “Aren’t you afraid we’re going to die here?” “Nope,” said the second man. “How can you be so sure?” the first man asked. “Well, you see,” said the second man, “I make $100,000 a month and I tithe faithfully to my church… My Pastor will find me.”

I’ve heard the story before – and I take offense at it! I would have thought by now we were on a first-name basis! Instead, he calls me, “My pastor.” Harumph!

More seriously, the story is retold by Sid Litke in a series that he has posted at bible.org on Biblical Financial Stewardship. I’ve used his outline for the devotions for the upcoming week. We’re tackling the issue of giving. Perhaps you are tempted to take a week off from the devotions. And who could blame you? You’ve been working hard on getting through these devotions! And money is tight these days.

Before you make that decision, consider the following:

1. The Bible talks a lot about what to do with our resources. “Crown Financial Ministries now says that there are actually about 2,350 verses on finances and possessions in the Bible. That is more verses – more material – than all 13 letters in the New Testament that Paul wrote!”
2. Financial stewardship is about much more than giving to the church. While churches do have General Funds (like ours from which salaries, utilities, Ministry Shares, building expenses and ministry expenses are paid), giving is not about supporting the church or helping God do ministry. Giving is a spiritual discipline that is used to train us to trust in God.
3. If money is not “tamed” in our lives, it can take on a god-like importance that can have the effect of pulling us away from the one true God that we do want to worship.
4. A proper understanding of and relationship to money is vital for living a contented life. This is true not only about our attitudes toward money…but also our use of money. Just as a proper understanding of credit and debt will not keep you out of the poor house, so a proper understanding of the Biblical perspective on money will only keep you out of the spiritual poor house if you apply what you know.

In the coming week, we’ll be working toward a Biblical perspective on what money is including understanding:

• how the Bible views it
• what our attitudes are toward it
• how we are to use it

I know this might be taking you away from what you would prefer to focus on right now. The good news is that we’re not studying this in order to meet some kind of financial goal for Bethel Church. We won’t be telling you what to give or whom to give it to! We’re focusing on this now because it is vital for your spiritual life. Think of it as an investment in your spiritual life – both the mortal and the immortal portions of it!

Please understand – when I was in high school, I hated running. When we would run a mile or two before wrestling practice, I was with the other heavyweights – at the back of the pack. My breath came in spurts in the thin mountain air of Aurora, Colorado. I thought our coach was a sadist for making us run THEN start to practice. If you would have told me then that I would love running today, I would have laughed and thought you crazy.

Yesterday, I received my Daily Kick in the Butt from RunnersWorld magazine. Here it is:

If running is important to you, then your mind-set shifts from “Can I find time for it?” to “When can I find time for it?” You think in terms not of “Will I run today?” but “When will I run today?”

Scott Douglas, author the The Little Red Book of Running

It’s true…not that I run every day, but that I look forward to running as often as possible.

When I read the quote from Scott Douglas, my mind immediately went to Playing Church and the transformation that we are working on in our lives. We’re not looking for people to become runners of 5K and 10K races; we’re looking for people to become runners of the race of faith. A significant piece in that transformation is that we take on a new mind-set. I would paraphrase the words of Scott Douglas this way:

If following Jesus Christ is important to you, then your mind-set shifts from “Can I find time for Him?” to “When can I find time for Him?” You think in terms not of “Will I spend time with Him today in His Word and in prayer?” but “When will I spend time with Him today in His Word and in prayer?”

I know that I am seeing that change happening in my life. I trust that you are experiencing the same.

I know of at least one Council member who doesn’t particularly care for the title. That’s understandable. Often, when we characterize people as “playing church,” we mean that we don’t think they are taking their faith and the cost of discipleship seriously enough. In other words, “playing church” is a judgment that they are playing games rather than taking their faith seriously.

One of the things that I don’t like about describing people as people who are just “Playing Church” is that we give the impression that people are either “playing” or they are “serious.” It’s black or white, light or dark, on or off. But that simply doesn’t fit with the reality of what the life of faith is like.

I think a better image for the Christian life is that of a journey. We are on a path toward righteousness. Some are at the beginning of the path; others are nearing the end. Some have stopped walking for a while; others are running. Some might even be turned around or have gotten off the path. But we gather together as a congregation because we all in our own way are striving to walk the path toward Christian maturity.

So, why make such a bold statement that we are going to stop “Playing Church?” Because we are. Going to stop. “Playing Church.” Inasmuch as we are pretending to follow Jesus Christ, we’ll stop pretending and admit the truth. Insofar as we are not giving our best effort, we’ll stop pretending that we are doing our best and we’ll engage in a more concerted effort toward growing in Christlikeness. Or, as the announcement will say on Sunday, we will “put an end to formalities and rituals and get back to the basics of the Christian faith.”

In 2012, we at Bethel Church are going to embark together on a journey toward maturity in our faith.

I did mention to you a video that had to do with learning to walk. You can find it here (http://www.carbonfibergear.com/ellie-may-at-5-years-old-is-the-youngest-person-ever-to-have-carbon-fiber-legs/).

I hope you enjoy the poem. I know I did!

On Monday, March 28, I will return to work. It seems kind of odd to say it. I’ll go through my regular morning routine except that – at the end of it – I’ll go to work. I’ll probably park in the same spot (or maybe now I won’t, just to prove myself wrong!), say hi to Bonnie, set up my computer and start thinking about sermons and Art Camp and who to visit and… It will be just like coming back after any other weekend. NOT!

These 12 weeks off have been intense. As I delved into the past, I relived some significant hurts and feel like I am now able to let those memories “rest in peace.” I also worked with a sponsor to go through a 12-Step program through Crossing Recovery. It was very humbling to realize how deeply my character defects – my hurts, fears, resentments and failures – have contributed to the troubles that I continue to deal with today. I also have discovered in a deeper way some of the joys and limitations of present-day relationships. My troubles are far from over; my problems are far from solved. I can only trust that God who has begun a good work in me will complete it as well.

On April 3, I will be preaching again. I have no idea what I will preach on or what it will feel like to be back. I do know that I appreciate the many people from Bethel and beyond who have been so supportive and prayerful during this time away. It has been a gift beyond measure to me and I appreciate your patience with me. Thank you!

While I am in Wisconsin, I would appreciate your prayers for me. They describe their retreats this way:

Our self-directed retreats are a time for rest, reflection, and recreation. Think of the experience as “continuing education of the heart.”

For each pastor and ministry couple, the process is unique, but the outcome is the same—you leave the retreat refreshed, renewed, and more deeply in love with the God you serve.

So pray for that: refreshment, renewal and a deeper love with the God I return to serve.

By now, most of you reading this know that I am taking a 12-week leave of absence. I partially explained the reason behind that on Sunday when I announced it during our morning worship. Since not everyone was there on Sunday and since some might want more of an idea of what I’m going to be doing, I’m posting this today.

The shortest explanation I can give is that I am tired. I have been under a great deal of stress in my personal life and was finding myself less and less able to do my work as a pastor. There are things – weaknesses, if you will – that I want to work on personally that I know are going to take even more energy. Knowing that I could not face my weaknesses while at the same time serve our congregation, I asked for the leave of absence.

During the leave of absence, I will be focusing on two areas:

The Past: I plan on dealing with the losses and grief of my childhood so that I can live in the present, rather than the past.

Relationships: I plan on forging relationships individually and in small groups so that I can learn how to be in relationship with others more fully.

FAQs:

1. What are you taking time off from? Pretty much everything. If there are crises or deaths, I will want to be available to the congregation still. But I will not be attending meetings, preaching, doing regular pastoral care, maintaining office hours, etc.
2. Where will you go? For the most part, I will be around. I am going to look for private places where I can work through the past. But I’ll still take my kids to school and pick them up after. Most evenings, Ill be at home – as much as my kids schedules will allow me to be.
3. Can we still talk to you? I will be meeting with some people for breakfast, coffee, lunch…whatever. I have been advised to limit that so that I can get the rest I need.
4. When will you be back? The 12 weeks will end on March 28. I should be preaching again on April 3.
5. Will you get paid? No. I didn’t feel it was fair to ask the church to pay me while I was not working.

A journey to the center of the earth: what would possess someone to try it? What made them think it was possible? Or that they would survive? And would any of them have dared to try it alone?

Beginning in January, 2011, our congregation is going on a journey as well. It’s not a science fiction journey to the center of the earth; it’s not an extreme vacation journey to a far-off land; it’s a journey to the heart of God.

The idea for the Ninety-Day Adventure in Prayer originally came from Vital Churches Institute. We’re modifying it to fit our congregation, but the basics are the same:

The practice of daily prayer. When we practice a new habit ninety days in a row it more easily becomes part of our ongoing lifestyle. To help in this, Rob Braun is working on a daily devotional based on the Heidelberg Catechism that not only teaches us what prayer is but encourages us to practice prayer. Each day, you will have questions that will help you to reflect on Scripture, respond to what God is saying to you and to pray.

The practice of praying in very small groups. We would also like to encourage you to be involved with 2 others in a prayer trio. The trios meet weekly for twelve weeks, in person if possible, to share what you have been learning in your personal times of prayer and to pray with and for each other.

During this 90 days, we anticipate that those who get involved will establish a habit of prayer AND form new and lasting friendships.

I’d like to invite you to join together on Sunday night, January 2 at 6:00 pm to hear more about this 90-day adventure in prayer…and to take the first step on the journey by committing yourself to daily prayer on your own and weekly prayer in a very small group.

Here’s the quote.

“Wonder is my second favorite condition to be in, after love – and I sometimes wonder whether there’s even a difference: maybe love is just wonder aimed at a beloved. Wonder is like grace, in that it’s not a condition we grasp: wonder grasps us. We do have the freedom to elude wonder’s grasp. we have the freedom to do all sorts of stupid things. By deploying cynicism, rationalism, fear, arrogance, judgmentalism, we can evade wonder nonstop, all our lives. I’m not too fond of that gnarly old word, sin, but the deliberative evasion of wonder does bring it to mind. It may not be biblically sinful to evade wonder. But it is artistically and spiritually sinful.”

So, what do you think? Is wonder (aimed at God or His creation or life in general) an important part of your spiritual life?

• we take time to give thanks to God, the giver of all good gifts (James 1:17);
• we open our eyes to see the ways that God is blessing others (Psalm 107:31);
• we encourage each other to see that God can work good even in difficult circumstances (Romans 8:28)
• we remember that these blessings pale in comparison to what God is going to bring (Romans 8:18).

During our worship service, we will have an open mic time – a time in which you are encouraged to share with us what you are thankful for this year. Would you take a few moments right now to consider what you are thankful for…and how sharing that on Thursday morning could encourage thankfulness in others?