The Coolest Mystery that You'll Never Fully Understand

Yesterday morning turned a little crazy around our house.  My daughter called me in full blown panic.  She is being transferred to her new post and she has to drive herself.  Her Jeep was acting up again and she needed to find a place to live because there is no housing available on base.  All of this would normally be a minor nuisance except for the fact that she moves next week!  I don't care how old your children get-when something comes up, fully mommy mode kicks in because once a mommy, always a mommy!  Even if they are far away, somehow you find a way to help!  I spent the morning on the Internet and cell phone.  I do believe today will be a much calmer, quieter day-although there is still a lot of work to do!  There's a plan in place now to make the transition smooth!

Yup, my daughter is beautiful, intelligent, poised and level headed but every once in awhile she still needs her mommy!  I look at my children and am amazed sometimes because I wonder how in the world I managed to raise them!  Parenthood is part art, part science and a whole lot of mystery!  That little baby grew and became an amazing individual and in the whole scheme of things you're not really sure how that happened!

In The Message paraphrase Ecclesiastes 11 says this:

"Just as you'll never understand the mystery of life forming in a pregnant woman, so you'll never understand the mystery at work in all that God does."

Parents can relate to that statement!  Scientists and doctors can explain the process and National Geographic can create shows that illustrate the mechanical points, but that forming life is still a miraculous mystery that we will never fully understand.  As we come in to Advent I think about Mary and what it must have been like for her and how gutsy and courageous she was in saying yes to God's plan.  She knew, going in, that this child was going to be unique and special.  (All parents believe that each child will be unique and special but Mary heard it from an angel).  I doubt that she could even fathom just how things would turn out.  If she knew that 33 years later, the child that she carried, raised and nurtured was going to have to brutally die on the cross and that she would have to witness this, I wonder if she would have had cause to pause. 

Conventional thinking at the time was that the Messiah would be the "new" David.  He would be a king after God's own heart ruling a kingdom here on earth.  It was envisioned that he would be king and rule justly and live to a ripe old age and then die a natural death and be buried, just like David.  Persecution, suffering, they were not part of the equation. 

No parent ever envisions the worst for their children.  No parent wants to see their child suffer or make wrong choices or worse, that the child dies before the parent.  That is never part of the future that we envision for our children!  We envision the very best!  And though sometimes we can explain their choices, sometimes what happens to our children is a complete mystery!  We don't know what the future holds!  Why do they turn out the way they do with all of the likes and dislikes and quirks and individual personality?  The same set of parents raises the same set of children yet each turns out differently.  That is truly the mystery!

If that is how it is for us as parents imagine what it is like for God!  Each and every one of us created, each and every one his child, yet each and every one unique and different.  God envisioning the very best for each of us.  God also knowing though that pain and suffering will come in to each and every human life, to each and every one of his children.  It is a part of the warp and weave of life here on earth. 

No wonder he created a plan to be able to claim his children again!  No wonder he chose the mystery of childbirth-the creation of a baby in order to fulfill his plan.  God knew that there would be suffering and pain involved yet he also knew that there would be great joy that would come as well! 

God is the ultimate parent and he envisions the very best.  Yet sometimes a child will suffer.  It must be difficult to watch sometimes.  Yet that is the mystery of children, each one individual, each one with free will.  Will they make the right choice?  That is the question and that is the mystery.  It is the coolest mystery that we as parents will never fully understand!  That is exactly how it is supposed to be because that is a part of the mystery of life!  Just like Mary, we made the courageous choice to see it through, not fully understanding what that choice might entail but believing the very best for our children and their future.  We said yes to the mystery!  I for one am glad that I said yes!  I think just about every parent would say the same thing!  Life truly is a mystery!

Churches Trying to Find Their Way

I am continuing on my jaunt through Revelation and the Seven Churches and how their stories are similar to stories that we hear today.  Let's talk about the three churches that I put into "group one" from Tuesday's blog post.  These are the churches that appear to be churches but, in essence, have lost their zeal and their core.  They are the congregations without depth, a mere shell of what they once were and are on the path to dying if they do not change their ways.  These are the churches where you have members who long for the good ole days.  These are the churches where you have members who will try just about anything to try to turn the tide of decline.  They didn't plan to decline, it just happened!  Or, perhaps there was a difference of opinion which caused a rift and some of the members left.  Either way, they are not what they used to be when they started out.  Ephesus is told "you have abandoned the love you had at first." (Revelation 2:4).  Sardis is told "you have a name of being alive, but you are dead." (Revelation 3:1).  Laodicea is told "you are neither cold nor hot." (Revelation 3:15).

In modern day parlance, these are churches that our conference would identify as needing to be revitalized, particularly if they were in a "strategic area" (i.e. urban center or large community).  So the conference "lovingly" and "strongly" recommends that the church members agree to participate in a revitalization program (in our area, they call it the Healthy Church Initiative).  If the church agrees to participate, there are books to be read, consultants are sent in, secret shoppers show up at unknown times, teams are created and then a report is issued with prescriptions of what the church needs to do to turn itself around.  A mission statement and vision statement are created and the congregation has a year to implement the prescriptions.  Periodic "progress report" meetings are held during this time to make sure the church is staying on track.  My church chose to participate in the process.

Let me just say this, because I know I am about to tread in touchy territory as I voice my opinion.  Healthy Church Initiative is a good idea, as far as it goes.  My church was excited to participate and we did really well through the process.  I applaud the conference for trying to come up with a workable process.  There were changes made, and some of them worked out very well and they have had a positive influence.  But, there came a point when it seemed like the prescriptions became items to check off of a checklist rather than noble and worthy goals to accomplish.  I struggled for a long time trying to put my finger on the exact moment that the subtle change happened and I struggled with why it happened.  It wasn't until I heard Bill Hybels speak at the Leadership Institute that I made the connection and put words to the nagging feeling that lay just under the surface.  Bill gave a talk that he titled "5 Greatest Leadership Lessons" and it was a profound "ah-ha" moment for me at the time!  Here are the five lessons that he shared:

1)  Vision-paint a picture of the future that produces passion in people.  Watch out for "vision leaks".
2)  Get people in your church engaged.  There is a difference between agreeing with a vision and owning a vision.
3)  Make your gatherings memorable.  People are yearning for experience-to feel the touch of God, somehow, in some way.
4)  Pace yourself for the long haul.  "Hitting the wall" or "burn out" brings about anger-no depth.
5)  Pay attention to whispers from God.  Big things start with a whisper.  Discern-make sure they are from God then obey them.

Point number 2 was the "ah-ha" moment for me.  This also, in a round about way, gets back to the comment that John Meunier posted on my blog post from yesterday.  As a leader, as a church, you need to discern God's vision for you and your congregation, but at some point each individual has to take ownership of that vision.  Or, as Bill Hybels says, "you have skin in the game!"

Ron Crandall, in his book "Turn Around Strategies for the Small Church" says this on page 69:

"...pastors who lead congregations to find a corporate vision, have a personal vision already at work in their own lives.  They believe in a personal God who intervenes in history and changes people.  Their own experiences of conversion or their call to ministry are vivid, and they are thus convinced that God is ready and able to touch the lives of others."

The realization that I came to was that many agreed with the vision that came out of our Healthy Church Initiative.  Not everyone chose to "own" the vision. It was not a conscious choice or an intentional choice or even an outright rejection of the vision.  The effort was sincere, people were honestly looking for a way to improve!  But at some point along the way, the prescriptions became a checklist, rather than goals to help reach the vision.  The vision statement was warm and fuzzy enough to make you feel like it meant something but vague enough to leave room for interpretation.

Our members worked hard to try to fulfill the prescriptions.  Some burned out, and some ended up feeling hurt and angry because change didn't happen even though we as a congregation followed the prescriptions.  There are many good things going on at our church, but I sense that some long for more!

I often wonder what difference it would have made if we had written our own prescriptions?  Or, if instead of just having the prescriptions, if the consultants had led the congregation of literally writing goals and action items for each prescription listed?  If we had tied certain "action items" from the prescription, specifically to the vision would it have made a difference?    I can't say for sure that it would have made a difference but knowing the heart of the folks at my church I think it might very well have been the tipping point because the members would have had a say as to what was being done, how it was being done, but even more importantly why it was being done!

For me personally, I am a casualty of point number 4 on Bill's list.  I'm not angry, I'm just burned out.  Being at church is painful for me right now.  I love my church and I love my friends, my church family!  I see the hope that lives in them.  I also see the frustration and hurt and exhaustion.  I pray that the sparks of renewal become a flame.

Going back to Ron Crandall's book, on page 43, he talks about Howard Snyder's book "Signs of the Spirit". Howard discusses the 5 different but interrelated principles that historically have led to church renewal and revitalization through the ages.  They are:

1)  Personal Renewal-a dramatic, decisive experience or simply a deepening that gives greater peace and joy.
2)  Corporate Renewal-a dramatic spirit of revival sweeping the church, or simply by a gentle quickening of the church's life.
3)  Conceptual Renewal-God gives a new vision of what the church can and should be.
4)  Structural Renewal-simply finding the best forms, in our day and age, for living out the new life in Christ.
5)  Missiological Renewal-A church needing renewal is focused inward.  A renewed church focuses outward to mission and service in the world.

Maybe we, like the churches in Revelation, need a little more prayer.  And perhaps the conference can best help a church in these circumstances by bringing in the consultants and have them do the study, exactly as they have been doing.  But instead of the consultants writing the prescriptions, perhaps it would be best to lead the congregation to prayerfully consider  the information gathered, and write their own prescriptions.  It would help members connect to the vision and have "skin in the game".  They are not hopeless or dead, they are just trying to find their way.

Shepherd Leadership

I think that the first thing that we need to look at when talking about the seven churches in Revelation is the role that leadership played.  Leaders and leadership teams can make or break a congregation.  On the flip side, congregations can make or break a leader or leadership team as well!  Let's go back to First Peter chapter 5 where he tells the leaders his concern (from The Message paraphrase):

"Here's my concern: that you care for God's flock with all the diligence of a shepherd.  Not because you have to, but because you want to please God.  Not calculating what you can get out of it, but acting spontaneously.  Not bossily telling others what to do, but tenderly showing them the way."

Here is Webster's dictionary definition of Shepherd as it relates to leading:

"to conduct, guide (a group of people) and prevent them from lagging or straying" 

So a Shepherd leader guides a group diligently (preventing lagging and straying) and they do so because they want to please God.  It's not because they "have to", or because they like being in charge or because they think they'll get something out of it.  It's because of a love of pleasing God and doing what he has asked of his leaders.

Ezekiel 34 gives us an idea of what God had in mind when he describes what God plans to do as THE Shepherd.  God the Shepherd will:  rescue, bring them out, gather them, bring them to the mountain, feed them with "good pasture", make them to lie down (rest).  He will also, seek the lost, bring back the strays, bind up the injured and strengthen the weak.

Feeling overwhelmed yet?  Sound like Mission Impossible especially with some of the goats at your church who like to ram into everything head first?  On our own, I would agree that the task seems insurmountable!

I started writing this particular piece on Monday with the intent of publishing it on Monday.  I wanted to come up with some sort of list of characteristics that define a leader and really flesh out this idea of Shepherd Leadership.  So I pulled all of my books out on church growth and spent time browsing through them again.  What took me by surprise, was the realization that none of these books talk about what makes a good leader in the first place!  Each and every book, that I have read, specifically, about church growth and turn-around strategies focuses on the congregation-not the minister leading the congregation.  It is assumed that a minister already has the skill set to implement an effective vision.  The closest I can come to a list of leadership skills comes from the book "Turn Around Strategies for the Small Church" by Ron Crandall.  Here are the 11 items that he labeled "Leadership role of the Pastor":

1)  Visionary  2)  Enabler/Encourager  3)  Partner/Friend  4)  Facilitator  5)  Cheerleader
6) Transformational Leader/Change Agent  7)  Spiritual Leader  8)  Caregiver
9)  Manager/Director  10)  Coach for Success  11)  Expert/Initiator

Pardon me for saying so, but I think that list is just as clear as mud!  And maybe, just maybe, that is why we have growth issues in the modern day church.  If a minister-the shepherd-the leader doesn't have a clear understanding of what is truly required of them out in the field, then how can they lead change?  A minister needs a clear understanding of their calling and vision.  They need to know their strengths and weaknesses.  What is a minister's specific gifts and how can they best use them when ministering to a congregation?  If you do not have that in the first place then how can an individual be expected to help a congregation cast a vision?

The first session that Adam Hamilton led at Leadership Institute had to do with Leadership Essentials.  His five point list is where I got the Ezekiel 34 reference from, that I talked about earlier.  Here's what he said:

1)  It's all about people.  Effective leaders build relationships.
2)  Leaders Clarify the Mission.  Mission=Why (Ezek. 34)
3)  Leaders help churches or ministries to discern God's Vision.  Vision=Where
4)  Leaders honestly face shortcomings and pursue excellence.  How can we do this better?
5)  Meaningful, moving, well led worship.

Bill Hybels also spoke at the Leadership Institute but I will leave what he had to say for another day.  As to Adam's list, I like it, I think it is workable but I also believe that the list comes from a place where the leader has a clear personal vision in the first place.  I'm not so convinced that all of our Ministers have that sort of clear vision to begin with!

So instead of focusing on accountability, perhaps the leadership of the church should focus on helping their ministers create their own clear vision before they ask them to help a congregation create a vision for ministry in their community.  Perhaps we need to go back and look at how these individuals are being trained in the first place.  Are we truly preparing them to be able to handle what they will experience when they are assigned to a local congregation?  Have we helped them clarify why they are in ministry?  Is that vision strong enough to carry them over the rough patches?  Do they have the skill set to be able to Shepherd a church through a process of change?  I think that these are questions worth asking.  If we want to see change, we need to make certain that the individuals being asked to lead the change, clearly understand their vision, first!

Want to create Shepherd Leaders?  Then give them the tools they need to be able to see the process through!

Disconnect?

Here are a couple of posts by two Methodist bloggers that I read regularly.  Even though they are talking about different topics, if you look more closely, they are both talking about the same thing.

The Mediocre Commission from Dan Dick's Unitedmethodeviations blog

English Major Reads the Mission from John Meunier's An Arrow Through the Air blog

I'm looking at these posts after having read about Hezekiah in Second Chronicles chapters 29-32.  What struck me most as I read this section was what a dynamic leader King Hezekiah was in his time!  He focused on one thing only-as the leader he wanted Israel to get right with God again.  He cleaned up the temple, he cleaned up the town, he got rid of the things that had taken them away from God so they could focus on worshiping THE GOD once again.  Not only was there action regarding what he said, there was commitment.  The people clearly understood what was being asked of them and how to go about "fixing" the problem.  They cleaned up their act!  And they did so, without hesitation.  

Hang on to this thought as I jump over to Hebrews 3:7-8 (NRSV)

"Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in rebellion, as on the day of testing in the wilderness..."

Here's what the footnote says on verse 7 in the Wesley Study Bible:

"The emphasis on 'today' throughout this passage strikes a note of urgency.  Responding to the word we hear from God is the first priority for each day, not to be put off until another day."

Again, there is an emphasis on action and commitment.  

So, where is the disconnect today?  Where are the dynamic leaders clearly putting out a message of what needs to be done?  That, in a round about way, is the message I get from both Dan and John's blog posts (although they might disagree with my interpretation and conclusions).  This is not something that is happening just in the United Methodist church, this is happening in denominations across the country and around the world.  Not all!  But enough to raise the eyebrows.

It's not just leadership that is the issue though.  Let's go back to Hezekiah.  He cleaned out the temple and the towns-he got rid of the "sacred cows", to use a turn of phrase.  What would have happened if the people resented the fact that he removed the "pagan rubbish"?  What if they couldn't let go of that Asherah pole  because it had been standing for 100 years?  It was part of their "cultural heritage".    There are two sides to this coin-ineffective leadership on the one side, members who just won't let go of certain things on the other.

How do we overcome the disconnect?  One suggestion I have, is look at what Church of the Resurrection does, not because everyone should be like them, but because they have a very clearly planned path of Discipleship training (and it's not a 36 week course).  When someone asks them the question "what do I do next" they are able to answer that question because they have a course path already planned out.  It's clear, it's concise and it's ongoing.  The goal is to deepen their knowledge, their faith and their commitment (or as they describe it:  Head-Heart-Hands).  If members have a deeper spiritual walk, perhaps they will not feel the need to hang on to something that just doesn't work any longer.  It probably is not the only solution out there but I do think it is worth considering.  So that addresses one side of the coin, but how about the other side, the leadership side?

 Where, oh where, are the dynamic leaders who can guide a congregation to make needed change without inciting a riot?  Is that expectation of a leader to high a standard to set?  Now I suppose we could just avoid that sort of confrontation by letting the established churches continue on doing their thing and, instead, start brand new congregations.  But here's the flaw with that plan-at some point the "new" church becomes an old established church and you have the same exact problems all over again!  So how do we train our leaders to walk that fine line?  I get the distinct impression that most ministers would welcome some training in this area.  A class that is part "cast a dynamic vision" and "how to handle the grief of letting things go" counseling for church members.

All I'm saying is, we might as well try to address the issues now because it sure beats going round the mulberry bush over and over again!  If we can help our ministers to become better at managing transitions then we spend less time in-fighting and more time focusing on the community around us.  And let me just say this, because I have experienced it first hand, change poorly executed causes A LOT of hurt feelings and heartache and the damage of the "ghosts of Christmas past" carry on long after you think it's all said and done!  There are members who may be able to forgive but I can tell you they don't forget!  Although, you may not have been the minister who instituted the change, you better believe that at some point, it will be brought out of the closet and you will be forced to deal with the aftermath.  It's not pretty and it surely is not a lot of fun!

gett'n to it!  It's time to reconnect!

Am I a Dissenter?

Paul has some pretty strong words in Titus regarding "leaders" and "rebels".  In chapter 1, here is what The Message paraphrase says:

"Those who were brought up religious and ought to know better are the worst.  They've got to be shut up.  They're disrupting entire families with their teaching, and all for the sake of a fast buck."

In chapter 3 Paul goes on to say:

"Remind the people to respect the government and be law-abiding, always ready to lend a helping hand.  No insults, no fights.  God's people should be bighearted and courteous." 

Well, I'm not out for a fast buck, if I was I would have enabled the ad feature on my blog.  I do support my leaders in church and in government.  But I have been critical of some of the choices that leadership has made in recent months.  Does that make me a dissenter?  A rabble rouser?   Am I part of the problem?

It's a tough question but I think that we all have to ask ourselves this question every once in awhile.  It can be hard to be objective when you have to examine yourself but I ask myself the question to make sure that my moral compass is on track.  Am I doing what is being asked of me to the very best of my ability?  The whole point of blogging for me is not merely to criticize, condemn and complain but hopefully, to make people think and to inspire and encourage!  Yes, there are things that concern me and I do bring them up on this blog.  But there is so much out there that encourages me and, in my mind, they are stories that need to be shared and told and celebrated!

I look at the words in Joel chapter 2:

"Your sons will prophesy, also your daughters.  Your old men will dream, your young men will see visions.  I'll even pour out my Spirit on the servants, men and women both."

 There is a heart element to this as well.  A spirit element.  I know in my heart and spirit that the time is right to help ordinary people connect with the words.  The Bible is not merely a book.  It is a treasure trove of faith and hope, love and wisdom.   But if people are not being taught how to make the connection to their everyday lives than it has no depth and meaning!  I'm not a minister, nor a theology major, nor a professor.  I'm not a leader in government and I don't lead a church.  In truth, I am overlooked and ignored by these individuals. I'm just an ordinary wife, mother, citizen and an individual who happened to take the Lay Speaking course so I could fill in for the minister if needed or help at church in some way.  There is nothing that marks me as extraordinary or special.  I'm plain ole me.  Nothing more, nothing less.  How could I possibly have anything important to say?

The thing that drives me though, the thing that gets me up every morning and makes me sit here and type, is that I see a need to help others understand that they can make a difference!  Ordinary people, just like me, do have a calling and a purpose-they can have an impact!  And I am driven by the need to help people connect the dots.  Here is this parable, or verse and see how it is very similar to what is going on in our world today?  You can relate to the Bible, you can apply what it says and you can make a difference!  Ordinary people can do extraordinary things!

There is a lot of uncertainty in this world right now.  A lot more questions than answers.  But hope lives!  We need to remind ourselves of that fact every once in awhile!  I think the words from the prophet Joel are true today-I think this is the time when young and old will see visions and dream dreams.  Ordinary folk who will have a vision, make the connection and do what is necessary to fulfill those dreams and visions.  I would love to believe that our leaders will "fix" things and make changes but everything in my being says no.  True vision and true change is going to come from the ranks of everyday people-those individuals who are willing to dream and to work to make change happen.

So, if that makes me a dissenter than so be it.  I pray for my leaders and I hope that wisdom will be their guide.  I know, dear readers, that you hope and pray for the same thing.  But I know that I am called to serve the ordinary.  If one story that I share connects with your spirit and inspires you to go out boldly and do what you can do, to the very best of your ability, then I have done what I have been asked to do.

Take those dreams and visions and run with them my darling friends!  Others may view you as ordinary, but I know that your potential is not ordinary.  Your potential is extraordinary!   I will be here, cheering you on as you go out and change your world for the better!  God bless you for having the courage to use your gifts and talents to make a difference in the world around you!

And to answer my own question, am I a dissenter?  I'm pretty confident, the answer is no.  But I'm glad I asked the question.

The Land of Milk, Maple Syrup and Mentors

The first thing you notice when you cross the border between New York and Vermont is the lack of billboards.  Many years ago, the state decided to ban billboards because they were considered a blight on the landscape.  It's an immediate shock to the senses for me because billboards are everywhere here in Missouri!  Don't let the lack of billboards fool ya though, there's a lot going on in the state!  All one has to do is get off the interstate and travel the back roads and you see small farms and businesses thriving!  Small signs posted at the bottom of a driveway tell you that you can buy maple syrup or that a roadside farm stand is just ahead.  Or, you can stop by the Cabot Creamery Annex and browse and buy locally made products to your hearts content!  Add to that the local chambers of commerce who promote everything in their small towns and you have a winning combination!  Compared to other places, there is a stunning level of cooperation between small businesses throughout the state!  Cabot Creamery makes the best cheddar cheese as far as I'm concerned but when you walk in the annex, you find far more than just cheese!  Homemade mixes for biscuits, scones and pancakes.  I counted four different hot chocolate/hot cocoa mixes.  Let's not forget the maple syrup, maple sugar and maple creme!  Plus, micro-brews, hard cider, jams and jellies, salsa, crackers, sodas and soap, the variety is amazing!  Each and every one of the items in the store is locally made by small businesses within the state of Vermont!

Restaurants are no exception.  They go out of their way to use local products from fruits and vegetables to locally raised meat and poultry.  And of course, they use local syrup and cheese and butter.  Believe me, you can taste the difference!  They're proud of the diversity and they're willing to support each other!  They are also willing to talk to complete strangers and answer questions.  Some places like Cabot Creamery and Cold Hollow Cider Mill offer either tours or demonstrations of how their products are made.  They are proud of what they do and they want people to see exactly how it is done.

I tell you all of this because I vividly remember a time when Vermont was not such a hopeful place to live!  Jobs for the average Vermonter just were not there!  Farms were being bought by out of staters for high end developments because milk prices tanked and property taxes went sky high.  There were some farmers who couldn't afford to hold on any longer!  It looked like the Vermont way of life was going to be ripped up and paved over to make room for yet another condominium complex!    Open fields were being replaced by cookie cutter housing.

There were individuals, however, who decided that they were not going to give up so easily!  The traditional way of life was important, it mattered and somehow a piece of it needed to be saved.  Farmers got creative and started creating events that brought people to their farm-the birth of agri-tourism.  Small businesses started creating "value added" products.  Instead of just selling strawberries, how about making some really cool jams?!  They chose to work together and when they started to see success they didn't keep it to themselves.  Instead they created workshops and gatherings where they could teach others to do the same thing!  The cottage industry movement flourished!

You could use a lot of terms to describe these individuals.  Creative, visionary, diligent, hard working, risk taker.  A couple of verses in Proverbs really reminded me of just how important their vision and risk taking were to the community and the state.  In Proverbs 14 (The Message Paraphrase) it says:

"Cynics look high and low for wisdom and never find it; the open minded find it right on their doorstep."

This verse in Proverbs 15 (The Message Paraphrase) also jumped out at me:

"The empty-headed treat life as a plaything; the perceptive grasp its meaning and make a go of it."

The easy out would have been to take the cynics route instead of looking at what they had right on their doorstep.  The easy out would have been walking away instead of trying to make a go of things.  When I say some of these folks took a big risk, I mean they put it all on the line for their vision and goals!  Believe me, they went in to the venture with a lot of fear and trembling!  But life is like that, isn't it?  There's a lot of fear out there in the world today and a lot of hopelessness being purveyed.  Sometimes though, you just have to use that fear to propel you forward to take a risk that you know is worth taking.  Sometimes you just gotta lay it all on the line and trust God that you have been given the skills and strength to fulfill your dream and vision!

The second part of all of this, is the mentoring (which I can not emphasize enough!)  Sharing with others what you did and how you did it and helping them avoid your mistakes and sharing lessons learned is incredibly important!  Even just offering encouragement can be the best gift that you can give someone.  I saw that lesson first hand on the last day that we were in Vermont. 

My 17 year old son Robert starts his Senior year this fall.  I don't know what he will end up doing but I can tell you that he is incredibly gifted and amazingly smart!  One of the things that he is really passionate about is blacksmithing.  He has his own little mini forge set up in our front yard under the trees down the hill.  He had shown an interest a few years ago and after doing a little research I found a local workshop here in Missouri.  I signed him up for so he could check it out.  I signed my husband and Lonnie up as well so the three of them set off on a weekend adventure!  Rob was hooked!  He loved it!  But, there were a lot of people telling him that he couldn't make a business out of it. They thought that he needed to think about doing something else and just keep blacksmithing as his hobby.  I, on the other hand, think that he should follow his heart and use his gifts to the best of his ability!  Long story short, we had passed by a local blacksmithing shop in Marshfield, Vermont and on our last day there we decided to stop so Rob could have a look.  Blackthorne Forge is owned by the wonderful and amazing Steven Bronstein who creates the most incredible pieces of work out of metal!  Steven not only took time out of his busy schedule to talk to Rob, he also helped Rob troubleshoot a couple of things that he had been having problems with at home!  He answered Rob's questions, but more importantly he encouraged him to keep at it and also gave him the name of someone to get in touch with who might be able to help him down the road!  His passion and dedication and his success hopefully gave Rob the encouragement he needed to pursue his dream! 

My hope and prayer is that you are inspired and encouraged to follow your heart and take a risk and use your God given gifts and talents to make a difference.    Life is meant to be lived not feared!  It's time to step forward and do what you were called to do!  And someday, you will be the one mentoring others and sharing your story!  I am looking forward to hearing your story!

pour Pour POUR!

Yes, I like the Prophets.  They give me hope!  Joel 2:28-29 is one of my favorites:

"...I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.  Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days."

To me, this is the ultimate in balance because everyone is included, young and old, men and women.  If only the church leadership could get this idea! 

I've focused a lot on the Millennium generation and young people and young adults.  But there is another segment that tends to get left out-older adults. 

I remember as a teenager that the people I got along with best at church were the older adults.  You know why?  Because they would actually TALK to me!  I loved, loved, LOVED the older members of our congregation!  And when they couldn't come to church anymore guess who the teens in youth group would go and visit?  You betcha-the older adults from our congregation! 

I was incredibly blessed as a pre-teen and young teen to meet a lady with an incredible vision!  Her name:  Winnie Wrisley.  Winnie grew up in Waterbury and became a Deaconess within the United Methodist church.  She was a teacher and spent many years in New Mexico at a UMC mission school on a Native American Reservation.  She retired and came back home to little ole Waterbury, Vermont to take care of her mother.  I first met her when she took over the Friday afternoon children's church class.  We had a teacher, his name was Charlie.  Teaching rambunctious little terrors was not exactly Charlie's gift.  He quit so Winnie stepped in to teaching role.  I loved her right from the get-go!  About that time the Waterbury Center Community church was without a minister and it looked like it was going to have to close its doors permanently.  Winnie's mother had been raised in that church and if I remember correctly, her family had been one of the founding families for the church.  Guess who decided that retirement was over rated?  Winnie.

One of the first things that Winnie did was buy some tape recorders and blank cassettes.  They were placed up front right by the lectern and every Sunday service was recorded.  Once the service was over, the tape recorders with the cassette tapes were placed in a bag with a bulletin and a hymnal and volunteers delivered them to the members who were no longer able to make it to church on Sunday mornings.  She also bought a traveling communion set and would go and offer communion to these members on a regular basis.  We young whipper-snappers were called in to help as well!  We sang a lot of songs out of the old Cokesbury hymnbook because we knew that it was someones favorite and it would brighten their day when they listened to the service! 

Winnie had an amazing gift!  She knew how to bridge the generation gap.  She didn't see the church family in little segments and slices.  Her vision saw everything as part of the whole.  There was warp and weave and rhythm.  Everything was balanced and in proportion and everyone felt included!

Some of the proposals and programs being put forth by the UMC concern me greatly!  In my opinion there is a lot of slicing and dicing and counting going on and a huge thrust to "meet consumer tastes" at the expense of real discipleship!  And I'm afraid that older adults have been lost in the shuffle which is a shame!  As much as I want to see younger children, youth and young adults included I do not want it done at the expense of older members who are still a part of the congregation whether they can come to church or not!  If one lone Deaconess could figure it out back in the late 1970's without the aid of "church growth plans" or consultants why can't our leadership? 

Holy Spirit, pour, Pour POUR your vision out on young and old and everyone in between!  Help us to see the whole picture and not just focus on pieces and segments.  Help us find new and creative ways to serve and disciple all of your children!  That my dear darling friends is my prayer.  I don't want to see anyone left by the wayside because everyone is a precious child of God! 

And Winnie-the rest of the story:  she led the congregation at Waterbury Center Community Church for many years and then retired (again) and moved to a UMC retirement home in North Carolina.  Among the many things that she did while there  was to spend time tutoring at risk youth.  She passed away this past winter.  Servant right up to the end!  I loved her dearly and I miss her greatly!  I wish you could have known her!