At the writing of this column I find myself at an interesting point. I’m sitting at my desk reflecting on the events of the last 24 hours. It is Sunday afternoon and in a few minutes I’ll be heading to the worship center for the evening service. What makes this time interesting is the bittersweet moment I’m experiencing. Two fellow servants – one a mentor who guided me through my first two years of pasturing; the other a co-laborer with whom I’ve shared ministry over the last 10-12 years. Dr. Tom Owens, director of Missions for the Cimarron Baptist Association went to be with the Lord Saturday afternoon. Tom walked me through my first wedding, first funeral, first baptism and first Lord’s Supper service. His office door at First Baptist Pawnee was always open to me. I spent countless hours sitting and talking with Tom. His wisdom, sense of humor and kindness has continued to shape my ministry. I’ll miss Tom but I’m greatly encouraged by the fact he made it “home” for worship Sunday.
I learned just a few minutes ago my friend Tom Woodson, pastor of Keystone Hills Baptist Church also went to be with the Lord yesterday. Tom was just 47 years old and following a massive stroke on Thursday died Saturday evening about 11:45 pm. Tom and I served together on several committees for Tulsa Association and on the Board of Directors of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. Tom’s death shocks me. Partly because it was so sudden and unexpected (I was not aware of any health issues with Tom); and partly because he was my age. I grieve for Tom’s wife and children. I don’t understand why his life would end so suddenly and why such suffering for his family. When I said in the sermon this morning that, “there are times when we cannot see God’s hand and thus we must trust His heart” I wasn’t expecting to have to practice that myself this afternoon! But it is true. And I find great comfort in knowing God can be trust and my friends are both home this evening.
Rod
Wow, thank you for the very generous love offering Sunday evening! It is hard to believe it’s been 17 years. I know many of you have told me it seems so much longer. To have the opportunity to watch our children grow up in the same church we did; to baptize them in the same baptistery and see them stand on the same platform at their wedding ceremony is a privilege very few pastors enjoy. To see them shaped and molded by many of the same teachers and leaders that played such a vital role in our lives is a great joy. Rheadon and I want you to know how much we love and appreciate you as our family. You are a great blessing to us and we pray, that by God’s grace, we are a blessing to you. Thank you for the privilege of serving with you.
On Sunday, August 10, we had a missions meeting. This was a meeting for any and all who are interested in the mission goals, programs and education of our fellowship. We had a great response to this first meeting and as a result we had several suggestions made. John Taylor and I have meet and categorized the suggestions and have developed an overall framework. We will be meeting again on Sunday, August 24, at 4:30 pm. Again this is an open meeting. You are urged to attend if you want to serve or if you just want to know what is going on.
At this point we are looking at three teams: evangelism/outreach; mission education; and service ministries and projects. We will divide people up according to interest and allow them to develop each area as they fill led. We are excited about the future and where this will lead. I want to encourage you to join our team as we seek to spread the name and fame of our God here and around the world. I’ll see you Sunday.
Rod
It is hard to believe school has started. I’m left wondering, “Where did the summer go?” It is time to refocus our energies as we gear up for the coming church year that runs from September – August. We still have some needs in our staffing for the coming year. There has been some reorganization, the convention has changed some of the literature, but we are in fairly good shape with a few weeks to go. I would ask you to be in prayer as we seek to fill the few remaining spots and as we seek an answer to our nursery woes. We’ve gone with an all-volunteer force in the nursery for several years but we have some significant needs on Sunday morning during Sunday School and on Wednesday evening. Please pray for our nominating committee and our personnel committee as we seek to address these needs.
We had a great response Sunday evening for our missions meeting. Pray as we put our team together and begin working through the suggestions received Sunday and develop a mission strategy to guide us as we seek to spread the name and fame of our God in the days to come. Our goal is to educate, inspire and provide “hands on” experience in mission work locally, nationally and internationally. Pray for us as we seek to put our vision into action. Of course there is always room for you to join us! If you were unable to attend the meeting but want to be a part call the church office and let Katrenia know.
On a personal note, I appreciate the kind words and the good response to our Sunday morning study of Revelation. I would ask your prayers as we continue to walk through this important book together. I look forward to seeing you and your family as we gather this coming Lord’s Day.
Rod
“You will be my witnesses.” When our Lord spoke these words it was not in the form of a question. It was not an invitation. He did not say, “Would you like, sometime, to tell someone about me?” He said, “You will be my witnesses.” And you will be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the uttermost part of the earth. God’s Mission is at the heart of who we are as the people of God. It is central to our life together as Southern Baptist. Being “on mission” is not an option for us. It is a matter of obedience or disobedience. Through the years we’ve been involved in missions locally, statewide, nationally and internationally as we’ve given to various offerings and individuals have gone on mission trips. It is time for us to take the next step.
It is time for us to put together a comprehensive plan/strategy for mission involvement. That’s why we are having a meeting Sunday evening, August 10th at 5:00 P.M. for anyone interested in missions. I want us to get together in one place and pray and dream about have we become involved, “hands on,” with missions. I would like for us to get to the point that we are intentionally involved locally, nationally and internationally. We do not have to reinvent the wheel. The structure is already in place through our association, state and national convention. We also have sister churches with established relationships with mission projects who would welcome our support. I hope that you will be a part of the meeting Sunday as we begin the process of looking beyond our walls and actively seek ways we can impact our world with the Gospel of Christ. I’ll see you Sunday.
Rod
“But it looked good on paper.” Have you ever been in a situation where that was your response to something that didn’t go according to plan? I was thinking about that a lot this past Sunday (Not I’m not referring to the mix-up in the service with the offering/special music). I mean I thought about it while teaching the Sunday School lesson and then during both messages. I guess I should let you know that – contrary to common perception I actually do “think” during the message! During Sunday School I thought about that debate during the Jerusalem Council. These were genuine brothers in Christ hammering out a serious doctrinal matter (the nature of the Gospel itself was at stake). Both sides were passionate and convinced they were right. It is one thing to “go to war” with an enemy – it is something else to do battle with a brother. It’s easy on paper to stand for truth…it is something else to look a brother in the eye and say, “You’re destroying the Gospel.”
During the morning message I couldn’t help but think, “It is easy to stand in this pulpit and boldly declare the truth. But what if the doors were to burst open and I was called upon to change my message or forfeit my life?” It looks good on paper but I have to wonder if my courage would fail. Sunday evening I wondered if I could have said to those who threatened my life, “My life is in your hands, do with me what you consider to be good and right.” Do I really believe in the Sovereignty of God or not? It looks good on paper but…
As I’ve reflected on it this evening I’ve come to this conclusion – it’s not a bad thing to think during a message! And it is great to be part of a family that will challenge and encourage you in your walk of faith. We as disciples of Christ are called to live out our faith together. To spur one another on to good works and to encourage one another all the more as the Day of the Lord approaches.
It’s worth giving it some thought. I see you this coming Lord’s Day.
Rod
It’s more than a little embarrassing. I was listening to a program on the internet a while back and they were talking about a new book called “Rapture Ready! Adventures in the Parallel Universe of Christian Pop Culture.” The book is written by a Jewish man who is a freelance author who writes for The New Yorker Magazine as well as other publications. He spent a year traveling around the country interviewing people and taking a look at the church from an outsider’s perspective. Amazingly he was not overly critical! He actually had some positive things to say. But some of what he reported was well…disturbing.
Yes there were the ridiculously silly things that we sometimes refer to as “Jesus Junk” that one finds in too many “Christian” bookstores but more disturbing to me was the attitude or mindset that drives the whole Christian subculture. He talked about an ad that he saw for “Christian” golf balls. These were golf balls with a Christian message printed on them. One pastor said, “It was the best golf evangelistic tool he had seen.” I of course wondered how many golf evangelistic tools there were! What disturbs me is not that someone might use a gold ball with a Bible verse on it – I’m just curious about the idea of it being an effective witnessing tool when someone finds it in the weeds or at the bottom of a pond. I guess what really bothers me is that I could see how I would be much more willing to use that method than to walk across the street and talk to my neighbor. That might involve me sharing my life with them…could get messy. Maybe I’ll just give them a “testamint” fresh breath is important.
The problem with all this silliness is that we cheapen the Gospel in the process. Why should they take our message seriously when we present it in such a way? It’s worth thinking about. See you Sunday.
Rod
I had a conversation with a friend last week. He is a pastor from another denomination. One very different from ours in some respects but nonetheless a brother in Christ whom I love greatly. We had not seen each other in awhile so I made a point to go by and see him and we sat in his office and had a great visit. We talked about the church in general, about family, about our churches in particular. It was nice. We were not trying to solve the problems of the church or the world. We just talked. I did notice something after I left. I noticed that I did not have to fight or resist the urge to “defend” my turf. I didn’t need to explain why certain things were as they are, justify what we do or argue for why we don’t do certain things. My first thought was of how great it was to have a friend who did not judge me or gaze at me with a critical eye. Just a friend who loves and accepts me as I am. But then I realized that while that was true – that wasn’t really it.
I think it has more to do with me and my views. Views that are changing due, in no small part, to our study of Revelation on Sunday mornings. I’m seeing the church differently. The church is not an enterprise to be marketed or a cause to be defended. Nor is it an idea to be championed. The church is a body to be loved, cherished, and nurtured. The church is a group of flawed individuals covenanted together clinging to the grace of God and seeking to live out their faith together. As such the church is not perfect. There are often inconsistencies and we usually say more than we live. While we must seek to correct one another and spur one another on to love and good deeds – that’s not to be done in anger or with an air of superiority. It is to be done in humility through tears.
I guess one of the things I’m learning is that the church is worth weeping over. If I’ve learned nothing else it’s pretty clear the Lord of the church will not be patient forever with His church. He says things like, “I will remove your lamp stand” or “I will come and war against you.” He expects repentance and faithfulness. Now when I notice things that are not “right” in the church (meaning the church at large) I no longer get angry, I hurt. My heart breaks. But I have to admit…it hurts pretty good! Maybe I’m starting to resemble my Father.
I’m going to be gone this Sunday, July 20th. Vance Wiley will be preaching in my place but I’ll be back on the 27th. I’ll see you then.
Rod
I don’t know if you spend much time reading blogs (if you don’t know what that is – don’t worry about it) but I read a few. I blog is a web-based journal of sorts. People write their thoughts for the world to read and comment upon. Sometimes the most interesting part is to read the comments and witness the give and take going on in response to a written piece. Among Southern Baptist bloggers there is a great debate about the Southern Baptist Convention and its future. Does it have a future? Will it look anything like what it does now? Why are we connected in the first place? How connected ought we to be? A related discussion has to do with what it means to live out the Gospel in our cultural context. How should we respond to the culture? Where is the line that marks compromise with the world? All seem to agree we should be “missional.” That is we are to be on mission and bring a missionary mindset to the task of evangelism.
To be missional is to recognize that American culture has changed in recent years and it is no longer the “Christian-conditioned” culture of the past. A few years ago American culture was dominated by a Judeo-Christian worldview. That is no longer the case. We have become an increasingly secular culture driven by a secular agenda and shaped by a secular worldview. That means some things have to change if we are to reach the people of this new culture. The trick is we must do this without changing our message or compromising the truth. So while some things must change others must not change. I must admit at this juncture I have more questions than answers. I’m still wading through the issues but let me share some things I’m certain have not and must not change.
As we seek to reach our culture we must view all men as people for whom Christ died. We must be eager to take the Gospel to people of every economic level, every ethnic group and every lifestyle. We must not view any group as “outside” the love of God. Second, we must believe that God has a people in every nation on earth. People from every tribe, nation, kindred and tongue will gather with us before the Father’s throne. Then it is essential that we understand that our confidence in reaching the culture and transforming lives lies in the Gospel itself and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. It is not our intelligence, wisdom or powers of persuasion but rather the power of God.
It’s worth thinking about. I’ll see you Sunday.
Rod
I read an article recently that talked of the need to “make the Bible relevant.” The author was concerned that sagging attendance, the drop in baptisms and overall decline within our denomination was the result of “irrelevant” preaching. We need to speak to the practical needs of people. We need to address people where they live. I applaud the intent of the writer. I agree that we must address the real needs of people but I don’t know of any better means than the faithful teaching/preaching of the Word of God. I don’t know of any better way to speak to the hearts, minds and wills of people than to expound upon the Word of God and allow the Spirit to convict and convince. I’m of the opinion that the Bible is already relevant. It doesn’t need me or anyone else to make it relevant.
As I’m working my way through Jeremiah on Sunday evenings and Revelation on Sunday morning I’m finding it very relevant! It seems to me it speaks directly to our culture and to the church. The words of the Lord of the Church to the seven churches of Revelation seem to address our pluralistic culture head on. His word to the church fighting to be heard in an antagonistic culture seems spot on to me. Jeremiah’s burden for a “church” that has grown comfortable and set in its ways is at times too close for comfort.
I think the best way to be relevant is to allow the Word of God to speak for itself. As you seek to hear a meaningful and relevant word – I’ll do my best to stay out of the way and allow God to speak for Himself. I hope to see you Sunday.
Rod
Some things are just easier than others. There are messages I love to preach. There are passages that are personal favorites and I love to expound upon them. Then there are those texts that are, without question, true and from the Lord which are hard to hear and I can assure you even harder to declare. This past Sunday was one of those. As I spent last week pouring over the letter to the church at Ephesus I found my heart increasingly burdened. It seemed too familiar to me. Its truth hit too close to home. Like the church at Ephesus, I believe there is much to rejoice in concerning our fellowship. We have much to be grateful for. But I could not escape the feeling that like Ephesus we have abandoned the love we had at the first.
Some of that is reflected in the declining numbers for Sunday School. Some of it is reflected in lack of workers to staff the classes we have. Mostly I think it is seen in the fact that we are…well…comfortable. We know what we believe. We are confident in our beliefs. We refuse to compromise, we have no trouble standing our ground, we call error, error but our passion has cooled. Don’t misunderstand me. By passion I don’t mean we jump up and down, wave our arms, stomp and shout. Enthusiasm is not necessarily passion. I also don’t mean we need to cry, turn red or crank up the volume to say we really mean this. Passion is demonstrated by commitment, sacrifice and devotion. Passion is seen in the radiance that comes across your face when you speak God’s truth. Passion is reflected in the fact you tear up when you witness a baptism, hear a testimony or glimpse of the wonder of new found faith.
My purpose Sunday was certainly not to guilt anyone into anything. I don’t want anyone to teach a class or serve on a committee or be involved because they are driven by guilt. I hope your response will be what mine has been. I’m not angry. I don’t feel guilty. But my heart is broken. I want what “ought to be.” I long to be passionate about my faith, my Savior, and my church. The way home is simple. Simple but not easy. Remember. Repent. Return. It’s a start. I’ll see you Sunday.
Rod
