tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59235738286707963582023-11-15T08:57:47.690-08:00striveforwisdomThis blog reflects only the views of the author, and not those of Montgomery Baptist Association or any other entity with which the writer is connected. Its purpose is to reflect on the life of faith Christ-followers are called to live.Kenneth P Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09266014961291815745noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923573828670796358.post-59990212344549818062011-02-01T06:58:00.000-08:002011-02-01T07:09:17.034-08:00Spiritual LeadershipI wrote this column two weeks ago and it was published in our weekly newsletter on the back page of the Alabama Baptist. I received a very affirming email from one church lay leader, so I thought I would post it here. I have added a couple of sentences since I am not as restricted by length of article requirements. I hope it is a challenge for you.<br /><br />Who are the lay (non-staff) leaders in your church? What are they leading? Are they “running the show,” keeping the organization and activities going, or are they offering real spiritual leadership to the congregation as she seeks to move forward in Kingdom work? Not too long ago our staff honed in on four barriers that keep our churches from being effective Great Commission (Acts 1:8) churches. The four barriers we identified were (1) lack of spiritual vitality (need for revival/spiritual awakening), (2) lack of Holy Spirit-led leadership, (3) lack of effective disciple-making, and (4) lack of strategic framework and direction. In addressing the second of these, the lack of Spirit-led leadership, I want to first note that this is not intended to be a slam on any current church leader. All too often we have placed people in leadership positions because others are unwilling to get involved. In fact, one pastor a few years back lamented the fact that a woman in his church would always volunteer to take a position "if no one else will do it." He knew that sometimes it was better to leave a position empty than to fill it with someone lacking the gifts, calling, and passion to make it work. <br />Many of our elected church leaders do exactly what is expected of them. Most of the time a failure of leadership is both a failure of leadership and a failure of “followship.” We don’t hold high spiritual expectations of our leaders. We don’t foster an environment where they are encouraged to deepen their spiritual walk but rather engage in incessant complaining and criticism. If we expect Spirit-led leaders, then we have to strive to become Spirit-led followers.<br />Perhaps the time has come to redefine the roles of our lay leaders. We need to hold them accountable for their personal spiritual development and maturity, not just running our church organization. We cannot do that unless we are striving to be all we can be in Christ ourselves. I think concerted effort on the part of both followers and leaders to grow in our understanding of our calling in Christ would move us a lot further along the road toward spiritual renewal and revival. When was the last time you reminded one of your lay leaders that you were praying for them? When have you been on your knees asking God to encourage and strengthen them? When have you encouraged them to listen to the Lord? Only when our lay leaders are focused on being Kingdom citizens and Kingdom leaders will me begin to turn around the declines we have experienced in recent years. Only when we have become more transparent in our spiritual walk will we be able to offer the kind of spiritual leadership to lead our churches forward. Your prayers for them will help instill in them a humility necessary for effective leadership. Your prayers will serve to remind them they are called to serve God first and the congregation second. I invite you to join me in praying for our churches leaders in the coming months.Kenneth P Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09266014961291815745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923573828670796358.post-87036674855051772622011-01-11T20:24:00.000-08:002011-01-11T20:26:45.326-08:00Creative ThinkingWhat is it? How do we do it? Why is it so hard a practice to develop? Look for some comments coming soon.Kenneth P Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09266014961291815745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923573828670796358.post-90143990555966485572010-06-03T08:35:00.000-07:002010-06-03T08:39:05.037-07:00Words of Wisdom from Others on the JourneyEvery now and then I run across something someone else has written that I want to share. Having been a pastor and having occupied myself a good part of the time (and I’m giving honest confession here!) calming the waters and trying to keep people happy or comfortable, I found the following word from Dr. Bill Wilson, president of the Center for Congregational Health in Winston-Salem North Carolina, to be appropriate. Here is what he wrote. <br /><em>"Don't you want to be part of a church that challenges you to be more than you are? To do so will require some amount of pain and inconvenience. If not, where in the biblical text do you find yourself? If your church simply exists to make you happy, is it actually the church of Jesus Christ?<br /><br />A far more rewarding model for leadership and church membership is to "speak the truth in love" to one another. Compassionate confrontation is how Jesus operated with those He loved. He never saw His role as one of making His followers comfortable, but of helping them become the persons God intended them to be. To think that we can do that significant work without challenging one another or pushing each other out of our comfort zones is at best naïve. <br /> <br />God's people, the church, will only be able to flesh out the kingdom agenda (thy kingdom come here on earth as it is in heaven) when we accept the fact that our task necessitates each of us agreeing we are not all that God intends us to be. What if discomfort is a prerequisite to finding genuine meaning and purpose? <br /> <br />When we understand that truth and join with other believers to discover the joy of costly discipleship and followship, then clergy and laity alike will find the harmony we seek in the midst of meeting challenges – and the discomfort they bring.”</em><br />Did you find those words challenging? When we compare ourselves, not to others, but to the biblical standard, we come up lacking. When I reflect on so much of my experience as a church leader, I recall a much greater weight given to “avoiding a discomforting situation” than “doing the right thing.” What challenge is your church facing? Are you avoiding them because addressing them would be uncomfortable? Are they the “elephant in the room?” I pray for God’s Holy Spirit to convict us to do the right thing, even when it may be uncomfortable. I also pray for spiritual growth that comes when we are obedient in spite of the temporal costs. I pray for our people to “discover the joy of costly discipleship.”Kenneth P Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09266014961291815745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923573828670796358.post-81234194209724496422010-03-22T13:39:00.000-07:002010-03-22T14:17:20.072-07:00GCR Task Force Additional ReflectionsThere has been a lot of discussion from fellow directors of missions/associational missionaries, state missionaries, and some pastors regarding the preliminary report of the SBC Great Commission Resurgence Task Force released last month. Last week I had the opportunity to listed to a recorded conference call with several members of the task force hosted by the Network of Baptist Associations, a group I have been affiliated with for the past four years. I must say that I was more encouraged by the clarifications I heard in the conference call than I was by the written preliminary report. That being said, however, I still have concerns about a process that originates from the floor of the Southern Baptist Convention, and what impact a national statement and subsequent realignment of national entities can have on the work that belongs to the local congregation.<br /><br />I will be the first to admit that most of our SBC churches, while they may affirm verbal and even financial support for the Great Commission, do not act like Great Commission churches. For several decades we in denominational life challenged our churches to get with the "program." Many, if not most of them did get with the program. However, somewhere over the past 20-25 years, the "program" stopped being effective-- culture was changing at an increasing pace, and methodologies in use fell way behind the times. The focus was inward, on sustaining the organization, having good programs, bolstering attendance finances, but little attention was given to encouraging individual churches and individual members to fulfil the Great Commission in their world and their lives.<br /><br />In 2004-5 the North American Mission Board rolled out the Acts 1:8 Challenge/strategy, an effort to challenge churches to focus on becoming a Great Commission church in the context of Acts 1:8- Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. Because it was presented as a strategic framework based on scripture for the local church, I was encouraged. I prayed it would not just become another "emphasis" or another slogan. I still pray that prayer and continue to believe that for many churches, an Acts 1:8 strategy can move them out of their lethargy into significant missional engagement.<br /><br />Since most of the preliminary report of the GCR Task Force focuses on the work of the North American Mission Board, those recommendations have generated the most discussion. Most people I have talked with have little objection to the tenor of the report and to many of the recommendations. However, there is concern about the development of a "national strategy for church planting" and the phasing out of the cooperative agreements with the states. I personally have no problem with reworking these "cooperative agreements" and even with phasing out some of them. However, my colleagues in Pennsylvania/S. Jersey, Michigan, or Nevada will know far better how to develop a church planting strategy for their regions than would a group of NAMB missionaries in Alpharetta. While "decentralizing" NAMB might sound good on paper, would not these regional offices be seeking to supplant the existing conventions and associations in those areas. I am very reticent to give any more control to a national agency when in reality, the real control needs to be at the local level where missionaries are in touch with the real issues and have real relationships.<br /><br />Likewise, I am convinced that a top-down "national strategy" will have little or no impact on local churches. Obviously we need revival. Obviously our churches need to get busy doing the Kingdom work Jesus has called them to do. Perhaps a coalition of the willing among those who have a passion for impacting lostness will be what brings about resurgence, not a national strategy.<br /><br />In our association of churches, we are always looking for those churches that are being creative in how they impact their communities with the gospel so that we can highlight their work and encourage others to do similar things. It is slow, but it is catching on. We don't try to get any church to do any program, but simply challenge them to pray, seek God's vision for their church, and let us come along side and help resource that vision. We only are asking them to do what God tells them to do. It's hard getting them to buy into this after all those years of promoting programs, but I am convinced that is the only way we will impact lostness in our area.Kenneth P Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09266014961291815745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923573828670796358.post-19363728430109957292010-03-03T07:44:00.001-08:002010-03-03T07:51:01.899-08:00Think Tanks Don't Always Arrive at the Best SolutionsThere has been a lot of talk about the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force since that Southern Baptist group released their initial report. I have read reports/links from the Network of Baptist Associations site that many of my colleagues have written. Let me add my own comments.<br /><br />First, much of the report brings a focus that we need to engage. We are losing the battle in impacting lostness in North America. We do need confession and repentance and revival that leads to spiritual renewal. However, developing a "national strategy" that works from a top down approach to reach the lost and plant churches is not best acheived from Alpharetta, GA when it pertains to Los Angeles, Minneapolis, or New York. Strategies need to be developed from the grass roots in those areas. NAMB needs to listen, assist, and resource. The reason our previous efforts did not succeed is not because there was not enough accountability, it was because outside people with the money came in and told the local folks how they had to do the work.<br /><br />Nuff said.Kenneth P Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09266014961291815745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923573828670796358.post-68595088608735902802010-01-29T12:34:00.000-08:002010-01-29T12:44:46.092-08:00Disciplemaking Part 2I raised the question in my previous blog, "What happened to disciplemaking?" Recently I attended a seminar session where an individual who had written a book on discipleship was leading. A key approach involved a personal self assessment of church members as to how they were growing as disciples. The aspect of self assessment is critical, but this individual's approach had all the questions in the assessment geared overwhelmingly toward church program activities. Instead of the old six point record system, you could not have a 40 point or an 80 point record system.<br /><br />Let me say clearly that church program activities are not bad except where they keep the individual from being involved in the best activities. I am convinced you cannot evaluate a person's level of commitment to following Jesus by gauging how many church events or activities they participate in. Neither can you simply ask about their "quiet time" or daily Bible reading or study and get a clear answer.<br /><br />First, we must ask, what does a committed follower of Jesus look like? The answer is "Jesus!" Our job is to encourage people to grow their lives so that that think like Jesus and act like Jesus. Are they compassionate? Do they love even their enemies? Are they outwardly focused? Do they engage the world's people where they are? All of these are good question to ask.Kenneth P Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09266014961291815745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923573828670796358.post-9374898690692566362009-11-10T18:08:00.000-08:002009-11-10T18:18:54.401-08:00What happened to disciple making?If anyone is wondering, as I have been, what ever happened to the spiritual formation task of making disciples of Jesus, I think I have the answer. Decades ago we turned from a process to a program and almost destroyed our opportunity to grow disciples. We developed a system that led people to become simply religion consumers rather than committed followers of Jesus. We moved from one study to the next study with no accountability for life development. We measured attendance instead of impact because that was easier. We structured ongoing classes and programs because that was easier to manage, promote, and control. We trained people for church service rather than for community service and now we wonder why the world ignores us.<br /><br />One pastor has led his congregation to ask of everything they do, "Is this Jesus?" If its not, they stop doing it. My staff and I developed a diagram from the old Serendipity model of small groups, a triagle with each side representing the essential components of disciplemaking - koinonia(including accountability, encouragement, support, affirmation, etc.), mission (what we do out in the world for Christ using our giftedness and passion) and content (what we did in all those programs for decades). I really don't think you have disciplemaking without each of those three equally balanced. If you have a better idea, please let me know.Kenneth P Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09266014961291815745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923573828670796358.post-79347701564483200252009-09-30T10:01:00.001-07:002009-09-30T10:24:01.595-07:00The Role of Church LeadershipPart of our traditional vision of church leadership goes something like this. Leader(or leaders) casts a vision and tries to get people to buy into it. Leaders develop structures to implement the vision and work on ways to get people involved in implementing the vision and filling out the structure or organization. Churches have traditonally been managed from a central authority or body that oversees what the church does and often controls the system.<br /><br />In a conversation with one of our pastors this week, I affirmed his church's leadership efforts. His leadership team was simply trying to respond to what was happening among the membership on the outer edges of the congregation. Members were engaging in ministry. The leaders were simply trying to keep up with what the members were doing in response to the leading of the Holy Spirit. I see this as a good thing. People are listening to the Spirit and are engaging in ministry. The leaders are not busy trying to get the people to do something, they are encouraging and facilitating the ministry that is taking place.<br /><br />This conversation led to my stating two key convictions: <strong>Our existing church system or structures cannot contain an outpouring of God's Spirit, a spiritual awakening, or a great revival.</strong> In fact, I am convinced that these structures often inhibit the movement of the Holy Spirit. When our thinking is confined to our systems, where is the room for the Spirit to act or lead? We have done such a thorough job of acclimating church members to our system, that many cannot think or act for themselves. They have to wait on a word of instruction from one of the "leaders." These leaders expend all their energy trying to get people to work in the church system in order to make the system work. Our mistaken belief is that if the church system is working well, then we are doing what God wants us to do.<br />Jesus made it clear if we will just listen: You cannot put new wine (outpouring of the Spirit) into old wineskins (church structures and systems).<br /><br /><strong>The second conviction is that if genuine spiritual awakening occurs, no one of us can describe what it will look like.</strong> The mistake church and denominational leadership have so often made is to call for spiritual awakening and then define how that would look, i.e. specifically in terms of the existing church or denominational structure. I can say two things about the spiritual awakening for which we pray. First, it will be in keeping with the character of God as revealed in scripture, and second, the movement will be in keeping with Holy Scripture. I think if we say more than that, we are restricting and hindering.<br /><br /><br />What if leadership took a responsive position over a restrictive one? What difference would that make? Isn't that what the Jerusalem church did toward the outpouring at Antioch? They sent Paul and Barnabas to see what was happening and responded to the need for spiritual development among the new converts.<br /><br />Maybe it's time to rethink church leadership!Kenneth P Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09266014961291815745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923573828670796358.post-27482113709502650572009-08-30T10:10:00.000-07:002009-08-30T10:24:40.015-07:00All Activity and Little ReflectionI can't believe that is has been almost TWO MONTHS since I posted anything on this blog! That's how busy summer has been. It is usually that way during the summer month. This is not a slack time in associational work. The month of May is fairly light, but June is budget preparation time, and during June and July we are working on nominating committee stuff, getting ready for Executive Board meetings in July and September. Then we have our church Key Leader Conference in August and this year we tried something really different. It was a success based on early comments we have received, but the preparation was more intense and detailed than it has ever been. Add to that a short vacation in the mountains in July and a trip to our annual 5 day reunion in Mississippi and you see why there was little time for reflection. Add to this the preparations for our daughter's wedding in September at the beach and our son's wedding in November in Tennessee, and it leaves little wonder why I have not posted on this site.<br /> Reflection on life is an important part of living, so let me back up and reflect on a couple of experiences that strengthened my relationship with a couple of our churches. I mentioned in the previous post that I spoke at homecoming for one of our smaller churches. I also had the opportunity to go back for five weeks and lead a Christian money management seminar. It was good to get to know those folk at a more personal level. I feel like I have made some new friends. In another situation, one of our pastor's had to have bypass surgery and my associate and I filled the pulpit for three consecutive Sundays. That was a positive experience, particularly since the pastor was able to be there the final week I preached.<br /> These are just two opportunities but they teach a very important lesson about relationships. It's hard to build strong relationships without significant "face time." Relationships take commitment. Nothing can take the place of being there with people. I hope that is a lesson I never forget.Kenneth P Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09266014961291815745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923573828670796358.post-35955508341661768552009-06-08T07:21:00.000-07:002009-06-08T07:40:19.741-07:00Are We in Denial?Part of my "job" includes interacting with pastors and church leaders. It is a part of the work that I really enjoy. Sometimes I have opportunity to present information in a seminar form or maybe good books for them to read. It's always fun to give people things! <br /><br />Those who know me well know that I am a positive outlook person. I am generally an optimist, looking for a positive outcome. Yet in my position as a mission strategist, I must also present the realities as I see them. And one big reality I see, is that the evangelical church in general, and Southern Baptist churches in particular, are declining in influence and in inpact on our culture.<br /><br />Yet, most church leaders just keep on doing what they have been doing, hoping for things to get better. On pastor said he didn't finish a book I gave him because he disagreed with the author. Another said it made him angry at first, but he knew the author was correct in his assessment. The first pastor, and many of his colleagues with him, is in denial. We make excuses for why things are not improving, often blaming those we are trying to reach without acknowledging that we are simply trying to get them to do something for us that they are not particularly interested in doing, that is, come to our church. That denial represents a refusal to see the reality, the facts, the current trends, and all that goes with them. <strong>Most church leaders are doing the best they can to sustain their church system.</strong> They are busy with all the ongoing responsibilities of day to day and week to week church operations that they literally "don't have time" to do creative thinking and develop new insights. I long to give them "permission," or to get their churches to "give them permission" to <strong>stop</strong> doing a lot of things that have not significant Kingdom impact, so they can begin to explore new ways of seeking the Kingdom. That can only begin when we get over our denial.Kenneth P Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09266014961291815745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923573828670796358.post-39462275317245984382009-05-06T13:00:00.001-07:002009-05-06T13:07:17.095-07:00Following a passionSunday I spoke at homecoming in one of our churches. It's a small church with a lot of older members. Their music style is southern gospel. What is unique about this church is a ministry they have been doing for years. Each Sunday, the pastor holds services at a truck stop in Montgomery. Some days, nobody shows up. On other days there might be five or six. Regardless, he shows up every Sunday to share the gospel with those who are willing to come. Occasionally, a member accompanies him there. What I like about this is that the church is willing to do something to engage people outside the church building. None of those who participate in the service at the truck stop is likely to ever attend or join this church. Nevertheless, the ministry goes forward, and the focus is outward on the Kingdom of God, not inward on the church members or the church organization. Are there other things this church could do. Sure, and I hope they will discover some new venues that may enhance the vitality of their congergation. Now, however, I celebrate what they are doing and thank God for their effort.Kenneth P Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09266014961291815745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923573828670796358.post-8257555157454427982009-04-28T13:21:00.000-07:002009-04-28T13:30:20.552-07:00Where is the wisdom?Well, it has been so long since I blogged, some of you were wondering if my mind took a big vacation. I confess, it did. I wrote for our newsletter, but I haven't written lately for this blog. I guess I just haven't felt very creative, and I have been busy with lots of meetings.<br /><br />Last week I got to participate in a men's golf retreat with my church. The weather was superb, the course was great, and my golf, for the most part, stunk up the place. Just like many of us presume upon God, I presumed that I could resume golf after a 9 month layoff and not feel any negative effects. That's not entirely true, because I knew I would not be very good, I just did not think I would be this bad.<br /><br />One thing impressed me about this group of 24 who participated. I heard a lot of personal comments about individuals following God's direction in their lives. This was really encouraging. I heard about one who led his brother-in-law to Christ, and another who was seeking his next ministry after the current one plays out. Those are the kinds of stories I needed to hear. Even though I often look at churches that don't seem to "get it," I realize all around are individuals living out their personal calling from God faithfully. That is something I am thankful for.Kenneth P Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09266014961291815745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923573828670796358.post-58004653143456488002009-03-13T13:07:00.000-07:002009-03-13T13:09:54.523-07:00Here is Part ThreeSeeking First the Kingdom – Part Three<br /><br /> In the first article of the series, I talked about Matthew 6:33 and its personal application. The second article dealt with making application for the local church setting. In this third and final of the series, I want to address current threats to the church and how our obedience to this command of Jesus can address those threats.<br /> Did you see the recent article noting the increased percentages of people who claim no religious preference? This survey affirms my long held belief that we are becoming more and more secular. Any general cultural “preference” for religion, and particularly in our regions, Protestant expressions of Christianity, has diminished greatly. Persons in these past surveys, even though they might not have been Christ followers, or church members, generally expressed a preference for the term “evangelical” or “Christian.” That is no longer true for larger and larger numbers of people.<br /> Is this a bad thing? Obviously it weakens the “perception” of strength of evangelical Christianity, but maybe it is time for us to stop taking adherence to our common “Christian” values for granted. We all knew those who expressed a preference for calling themselves “Christians” or “Evangelicals” did not express a true faith in Jesus Christ. The church of Jesus Christ is not better off because people identify themselves in a survey as “Christian”. The church is better off when people are expressing their personal faith in Christ by being obedient to His commands and allowing Him to direct their lives.<br /> It is also obvious that in these days that churches face some serious economic threats. Shortfalls in giving threaten our missions programs, our church program activities, our staffing, our buildings, and our way of doing church. But let me ask this question. Even if our church can no longer exist in its present form, are we not better off to seek the Kingdom first? Jesus answered that with his life. He laid down his life for his sheep. Did he not call on us to die to self? Does that command not also apply to the church? Maybe our churches are not dying to self because our leadership (I am starting with me) has not modeled their obedience to this command of Jesus. Stewardship of life and life’s resources (both are gifts from God), is one of the critical issues we face in the 21st Century.<br /> Obviously I cannot address all the threats to the church in such a short article, but one other serious threat is holding a consumer attitude toward church and faith. This mentality picks and chooses what one wants; much like a shopper picks and chooses among merchandise in a store or from menu items in a restaurant. We need to be reminded that Biblical faith is not a matter of choosing what we want to obey or do. Christ followers are called to lives of faithfulness and sacrifice. No one would choose this life for himself. We are called into this life through faith in Jesus Christ. Bonhoffer said, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die…” not to pick and choose, but to live obediently under His Lordship. <br /> I am praying for your life in Christ to be fruitful for the Kingdom’s sake.Kenneth P Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09266014961291815745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923573828670796358.post-61278457072109561152009-03-11T14:13:00.000-07:002009-03-11T14:15:08.025-07:00Seeking First the Kingdom - Part TwoIn the last post, I looked at how an individual applies the truth of Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” In this portion, part two of a three part series; I want to apply those truths mentioned in the last article to the local church situation. We often are quick to make personal or individual application of the truths of scripture, but we are much slower at applying the truths of scripture in the corporate context. Perhaps it is because we live in such an individualistic culture. While our Western culture has stressed the individual for centuries, the scriptures were written with a tribal, village or family/group context. I am convinced that practically every scripture that we have individualized probably also needs to be interpreted and applied in the corporate focus of the congregation of God’s people.<br /> So, to put this gospel truth into congregational context, I might ask the local church, “What are you worried about?” Or, as I learned in Healthy Congregations training, “What raises the anxiety level of the local congregation?<br /> What are we worried about in our churches? I would say the two most likely answers would be “money” and “people,”--- “money” to meet the budget (i.e. keep the utilities open and pay the staff) and “people” to keep the church system running (teachers for classes, deacons to serve, people to attend). When we are worried or obsessed with these issues, we are not focusing on the Kingdom of God, we are focusing on us. This is just like those people in Matthew 6 focusing on what they had to eat or to wear. <br /> When have you seen a church obsessed with ministry in the community in Jesus name? When have you see a church obsessed with evangelistic fervor, dying to reach the people in their community? I dare say you have not seen these. Yet, ministering to the community in Jesus name and reaching the lost in our community are Kingdom issues. Paying the bills and keeping the church system running are not. A key part of our mistake has been equating church activities with Kingdom work, and sadly to say, they are not the same. When our focus is turned inward, we worry about our programs and our buildings. We worry about our staff and about our ability to sustain our level of activities. Yet Jesus commanded us to seek FIRST the Kingdom of God. I am convinced that when we do that as the first order of business, He will take care of the other things. And, I am not so sure that we wouldn’t be better off without so many of our busy activities of church life that wear people out without providing spiritual sustenance they need to be Kingdom citizens. Yet, who will give us permission to stop doing all these things. Guess what. I hereby grant you permission to reorder your church life to focus on the things that really matter (not that my permissions is necessary) and make a Kingdom difference.Kenneth P Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09266014961291815745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923573828670796358.post-9734148497298343382009-03-05T10:58:00.000-08:002009-03-05T11:00:45.136-08:00Seeking First the Kingdom - Part OneIn the Matthew 6:33, we find a verse that is familiar to most Christians, “But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Most of us understand the context of this verse. Jesus discerned the thought processes of the people of his day. He knew their concerns. He lived among them. When you spend time with a person or a group of people, you come to know their concerns. He recognized the people of his day were focused on what they would eat or what they would wear, simple projections of the basic human needs. But, the times in Jesus day were difficult for the Jews. They lived in occupied territory. There was hardship all around. These were legitimate concerns. You and I recognize that the issues confronting people in our day are not much different from those mentioned in this passage. Often we clothe this passage in the context of simple “worry.” In reality, I think it is much deeper than that. It’s not just about worry, though Jesus uses that word. It is about the thought processes that dominate our minds and our moods. <br /> Today’s news shows are dominated with talk about our economy. What occupies your mind most of the time? I confess, I watch TV programs to see who can explain the economic mess we are in, without much success. I doubt I am any better off for it. <br />But in these days of economic uncertainty, what occupies your mind? <br /> Jesus’ challenge to those hearers and to us was to focus primarily on the Kingdom of God. Instead of seeking after wealth or personal security, he challenged us to seek the Kingdom (rule and reign) of God. What does that mean? I think it simply means to live in a relationship of complete reliance upon God, seeking to fulfill God’s will for our lives. It means that God sets the agenda for my life, not me. Uh oh! Do you fall into that trap like I often do of not allowing God to set the direction? I confess! If you pair this verse with Luke 9:23, you understand that “denying self and taking up the cross” means getting off our agenda and getting on God’s agenda.<br /> What is Jesus’ promise that follows this command? It is a promise that we will have those things (basic needs of life) added to us (by Him). In other words, what we were concerned about – i.e. the basic needs of life – food and clothing, He will provide when we first seek His Will.<br /> If I am concerned about my retirement fund, what I am looking for is long-term security after I retire from full-time work. That is why I have for the last 32 years put money into my retirement fund. But, the truth is, that if I trust God, He will provide for what I need, even if my retirement fund is not there when I retire. What I have to do now it to get busy seeking His Kingdom.Kenneth P Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09266014961291815745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923573828670796358.post-19473466248295232312009-02-17T18:20:00.001-08:002009-02-17T18:44:03.152-08:00Who Get's It? It's About the Kingdom of GodIn my work with 57 churches in our association, I am able to gain quite a different perspective than when I was a pastor or campus minister. All of these churches face challenges in today's world. Many, if not all, have a number of committed Christ followers. However, the power of the institutional system we have created at times tends to clearly overshadow any real Kingdom focus. What do I mean by that? We (that's us Baptists and evangelicals in general)developed a very strong and powerful church system. It is organized, structured, and managed much like a business. When we adopt that business management style, we become producers and consumers of religious services and activities. As religious consumers we focus on what we want and what we want for our families instead of focusing on what Jesus would have us do and how Jesus would have us live. That means that those churches with the best programs and the most entertaining "worship" tend to attract the most "consumers."<br />We lose sight of what it means to be disciples of Jesus and makers of disciples. We lose our missional focus. We learned very well how to "do" church but we have not learned as well how to "be" the church.<br /><br />Here is how that is fleshed out. Church members focus on whether or not they have good programs and activities, interesting and lively worship services, and whether or not they are growing, that is, getting larger in attendance, membership, and contributions. With these "nickels and noses" ideas, if things are not growing, we fall into "survival" mode, doing whatever we can to insure the "survival" of our church. As you have probably noticed, I mentioned nothing about being missionally focused. Few members are focused on doing the mission, that is, making Jesus followers.<br /><br />Do you wonder who gets it? How does the one who gets it live out his or her calling while staying engaged in the church institution? I don't all have the answers, but I do have a suggestion or two. First of all, we can't wait until everybody "gets it" because everybody won't "get it." So, we have to encourage and empower those who "get it" to be involved in fulfilling their God-given mission, and we have to try to expand their influence within the existing church system. Hopefully we can surround them in prayer and support. Secondly, we have to share the light, tell the story, proclaim the good news about those who are actively involved in the missional enterprise. Thirdly, we must honor the command of Jesus who said "Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into His harvest." Become earnest in prayer for the missional task. Prayer changes things, but more than that, it changes us.Kenneth P Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09266014961291815745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923573828670796358.post-68929115860591675782009-02-09T13:49:00.000-08:002009-02-09T14:42:09.736-08:00Corts, Fuller Deaths are a Loss for All of UsLast week two very influential men left this earthly life rather suddenly. Both died of apparent heart attacks. I was privileged to have met and had interactions with each of them. The first to die was Millard Fuller. A very limited part of Millard's (and his wife Linda's)story has been told widely and most people recognize them as the founders of Habitat for Humanity, a Christian housing ministry. I would encourage each reader to get <em>The Cotton Patch Evidence</em>, by Dallas Lee, as a background, and then to read each of Millard's books (<em>Love in the Mortar Joints, The Theology of the Hammer,</em> etc.) to <strong>begin</strong> to get the full impact. The goal of Habitat is to provide lost cost affordable housing to God's people in need. These homes are sold to the homeowner with no interest loans. Costs are kept low through donated volunteer labor and "sweat equity" work by the new homeowner. If you have never visited a Habitat home, or a Habitat neighborhood, that would be a start. But better yet, work on a Habitat home alongside the prospective homeowner. Due to a disagreement with the board of directors, the Fullers left Habitat a few years ago and began the Fuller Center for Housing, Inc.<br /><br />Back in the mid 1980's I took a group of Alabama students to Americus, Ga. to do a week's work with Habitat. In fact, one of those students, a local newspaper writer, was the first person to notify me of Millard's death. While we were there, we had a chance to sit down to dinner with Millard and Linda at Amigo House for a potluck supper. I also had opportunity to have a personal conversation with Millard and to know something of his heart. Each morning while we were there, we met with Habitat families, children, volunteers, and staff for a daily devotional. Several of the Habitat families continued to meet with the group long beyond any obligation they had.<br />The highlight of that week came when working on a framed-up house. A little boy rode up on his bicycle and showing me a space in that house said "This is my room."<br />Later that day as I hung off the rafters of that house, I received the famous one finger salute from some driver and passengers as they honked their horn. It's hard for me to understand why some people don't want others to do well.<br />When we were living in Troy, Alabama, I was privileged to serve on the steering committee that got Troy/Pike Habitat started, and later served on that board for several years before moving away. Each Habitat chapter is encouraged to tithe their income to Habitat International, that builds housing in countries across the globe.<br /><br />Millard was a magnificent witness of personal commitment, forsaking his fortune in worldly goods to build homes for people on earth and treasures in heaven. He clearly demonstrated the biblical truth that love requires action. Millard was active. I count it a privilege to have known Millard, to have been a campus ministry colleague with his son Chris, and to have been impacted my his life and ministry.<br /><br />The second untimely death was that of retired Samford University President, Dr. Thomas Corts. Dr. Corts gave tremendous leadership to Samford across the many years he served. He was a superb spokesman for Christian higher education in Alabama and across the nation. I was privileged to serve on the Board of Ministerial Mentors for Samford while Dr. Corts was President. Our daughter attended Samford and graduated while Dr. Corts was at the helm. She also graduated from Beeson Divinity School, a school founded under Dr. Corts' leadership.<br />Dr. Corts was an outspoken leader in the effort to update or replace Alabama's repressive and cumbersome state constitution, and I pray all those who have joined that battle will not rest until we see the job completed. He served as the leader of that effort, and after his retirement, served a term as the chancellor for post-secondary education in Alabama. He brought impeccable credential to that task, but his leadership was not fully appreciated by our provincial acting State Board of Education. Dr. Corts got us going in the right direction to clean up the mess of nepotism, cronyism, and mismanagement in many of our community colleges. Most recently Dr. Corts served President Bush and our nation in Washington with an education initiative. <br /><br />Dr. Corts was a committed Christ follower and a superb leader for Alabama Baptists. His leadership will be sorelly missed.Kenneth P Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09266014961291815745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923573828670796358.post-5161054508639722192009-02-02T13:12:00.000-08:002009-02-02T13:39:02.322-08:00A Call to Spiritual RenewalI promised in the last post that I would address the issue of spiritual renewal that I sermonized a week or so ago. The text for that message was Revelation 2:4-5, 7a<br />Of course the entire letter to the church at Ephesus is appropriate, I just did not want to get bogged down in the other portions.<br />Two or three factors came to mind as the Holy Spirit led me to develop this message. The are: 1) For the past 50-60 years Southern Baptists have devised and developed every kind of program, event, learning kit, book, booklet,or magazine aimed all at helping Christians live the Christ-like life. These seem to be built upon the strong supposition that we fail to live that life because we lack the right information. Our people are trained to the gills with all kinds of awards and certificates, but we are not impacting our world. 2)The city where I reside, Montgomery, Alabama, is more "lost," to use standard SBC lingo, that it was 20,30, or 40 years ago, despite all our programs and activities. A smaller percentage of the population is classified as "born again" or "evangelical" that during the earlier decades. 3) We have become self-focused consumers of religious activity rather than disciples of Jesus. What we truly need is spiritual renewal. <br /><br />The problem with calling for spiritual renewal is that we have heard that call before, only in most cases those issuing the call could describe what the renewal would look like (Sounds somewhat presumptuous toward God, doesn't it?). Let me give a disclaimer here. I do not pretend to know what it would look like, except to say that it would be in keeping with the character of God and what is revealed in Scripture.<br /><br />Here are the points of the message I delivered:<br />1. The road to renewal begins with repentance. The church at Ephesus is called to repentance. We are called to acknowledge that our ways have failed, and that our self-focus had led us off course. We must turn away from these selfish ways and toward Christ.<br /><br />2) The second step is self-denial. Oops, there is a second scripture here, Luke 9:23 where Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me."<br />Have you seen churches practicing self-denial? I must admit it is not a common trait. My Illinois friend says it is because so few pastor's are practicing self-denial. Rick Warren said it best in the opening to his best selling <em>The Purpose Driven Life</em> when he said, "It's not about you! <br />3) The Third step is to follow Christ. That means getting off my agenda and getting on his. What is his agenda? Helping people.<br />4) We must practice listening to God. Too often our prayer lives have focused on telling God what we need. "Anyone who has ears to hear should listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.Kenneth P Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09266014961291815745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923573828670796358.post-27101544853703059702009-02-01T19:33:00.000-08:002009-02-01T19:52:06.904-08:00What's wrong with the ChurchJust over a week ago, I had the opportunity to preach in one of our local churches. I always look forward to that experience each time I get the invitation, but I must admit that since I no longer serve as a pastor, the practice of sermon preparation has suffered. I do miss that weekly discipline, but I love what I am doing.<br />What is unusual is that the last time I filled the pulpit in this church I wrote what I thought was one of my better sermons. Unlike most of my sermons that focus on a text and the exposition of that text, this one had three texts, and of course, three points! There was no poem at the end, however. The points were: 1)the Church in the West today has lost its cultural relevance -most of society is not interested in what we are doing as long as we don't bother them. They are not necessarily against us and are willing for us to have church for us; they are just not interested. (scripture- Paul's statement "I become all things to all men that I might by all means save some." 2) We have lost our relevance because we have lost our mission. We thought our mission was to get people to come to church. No, our mission is to connect people with Christ. Getting them to come to church is too much about us and not enough about Jesus.(scriptures -pick one II Cor 5:19, Mt. 28:19-20, Acts 1:8, John 20:22)and 3)We have lost our mission because we have lost our first love. (Revelation 2:4) We have ignored the relationship aspect of salvation in favor of the performance. We have forgotten how to love Jesus more each day because we have neglected our relationship with him.<br /><br />I had the opportunity to tweak this message and preach it four or five other times.<br />One time I used Jesus experience with the woman at the well in John 4, to talk about our mission and cultural relevance. It is my conviction that when we serve others (outside the church) in Jesus' name, seeking to improve their lives, we will not be irrelevant.<br /><br />This most recent message, I followed up on the Revelation 2 passage, to talk about spiritual renewal. That will be my topic in the nest post.Kenneth P Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09266014961291815745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923573828670796358.post-92166647131365160342009-01-14T12:03:00.000-08:002009-01-14T12:10:59.535-08:00For Fear of Sounding RedundantI write regulary for our association's newsletter, published each week on the back page of the <em>Alabama Baptist </em>newspaper for those families whose subscriptions originate from one of our member churches. It doesn't go all over the state like one woman in my previous church believed. She said, "I don't want people all over Alabama knowing our business." Well, she didn't have to worry. It's called a "local edition." The print media has been a mainstay for our communication effort for the past 30 or more years. But you can imagine that we discover a diminishing number of subscriptions each year, thus a reduction in readership.<br />Hopefully we will begin some creative electronic communication efforts in the near future to help those more "wired" to connect with what God is doing in our midst.<br /><br />I say all that to say that every time I sit down to write, I get the feeling I have aleady stated this emphasis. So, with that acknowledgement, please forgive any redundancy in my thoughts and expressions. I hope to be writing more very soon.Kenneth P Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09266014961291815745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923573828670796358.post-45696773121195921722009-01-09T20:03:00.000-08:002009-01-09T20:25:40.831-08:00Spiritual RenewalI served for the past two years on the Leadership Team of the Network of Baptist Associations. The primary purposes of this loosely knit organization have been to advocate for associationalism, to network associational leadership, and to provide for relevant continuing education opportunities for persons serving in associational leadership. In a separate blog, www.heykenmay.blogspot.com, I wrote about my recent trip to Texas to attend the annual Summit, where I had the opportunity to meet a very distant cousin.<br /><br />One of my colleagues I have connected with the past four years shared an impression with me. He said we spend so much time and energy making "mechanical" adjustments to our activities, structures, and content that result in minimal change in impact.<br />He is convinced that our "mechanical" changes are not the ultimate answer. The reason we are not more effective is a spiritual one. Referring to a passage of scripture, Luke 9:23, where Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me," my friend interprets this to mean "I get off my agenda and get on God's agenda." He calls for a new spiritual awakening, saying that the church has drifted significantly but so slowly that it seemed imperceptable since the last great spritual movement in 1858. He pointed to a document he had composed while returning from a trip to South America that contrasted the church of scripture with the church and our lives today. It was pretty telling. There is no doubt in my mind that we need a great spiritual awakening and renewal today. I told my friend I have heard many people call for this in my lifetime, but they almost always seemed to know how this would take place and what form it would take. Thankfully, my friend said he did not have a clue.<br /><br />All this reminded me of what my associate said a few weeks ago. He read about a monk to set out to change the world. After several years of struggle, he realized he could not change the world, so he sought to change his country. When this did not work after several years, he sought to change his city. Of course this effort did not succeed so he decided to focus on changing his family. Well, by now you know this did not happen, so near the end of his life be begin to focus on changing himself. Obviously, he got it all backwards. Spriritual renewal must begin within. I cannot effectively call for spiritual renewal if I am not seeking spiritual renewal for myself.<br /><br />How does this happen? It begins with serious prayer and reflection, seeking that deeper relationship with our Lord, and our Lord's will for my very own life. As change begins there, it can then begin to spread to others. I dare not ask others to pray if I am not willing to make the same commitment, or one that exceeds what I am asking of others. How can I seek spiritual renewal in others if I do not seek it as an essential in my own life.Kenneth P Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09266014961291815745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923573828670796358.post-48974846435532431302008-12-16T08:26:00.000-08:002008-12-16T08:35:04.936-08:00A Prayer StrategyToday we are meeting with some church prayer coordinators to develop an appropriate prayer strategy, or perhaps I should say, strategies, to undergird our effort to begin implementing the "future story" (see earlier posting). <strong>Prayer is an absolute necessity.</strong> Already a tremendous amount of time has been invested in prayer by our strategic focus team. Now, as we begin to tell the "future story," we want to enlist the believers in our churches in a greater prayer effort.<br />There is an old adage that says "prayer changes things." I think it is more accurate to say that "prayer changes us" and it is with this thought that our team recognized that without a heart change on the part of our church members, we would never be able to make any significant impact for Christ on our Montgomery area. When Jesus sent out the 72 in Luke 10, he first instructed them to pray. So, tonight, and tomorrow morning, we are meeting with these prayer coordinators to enlist their input in developing these strategies to engage our churches and their members in living into the "future story." Our desire is to see a Montgomery Missional Movement begin. More on that later.Kenneth P Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09266014961291815745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923573828670796358.post-58908341931949712352008-12-10T11:44:00.000-08:002008-12-10T12:15:12.905-08:00Discipleship journey versus discipleship programHaving lived all my life in the culture of Southern Baptists, I am more than adequately acquainted with discipleship programs. As a child, we called it BTU(Baptist Training Union). Then it became simply Training Union, then Church Training and more recently Discipleship Training. The framework for all of these was a "program" with an organized <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">structure</span> (i.e. organization). One of my seminary professors even went so far as to say we needed to kill "Church Training" as an organization but retain it as a ministry. The old approach was focused primarily on content over relationship, though there was an effort to build good habits like daily Bible reading into the student's life. We studied our "part" on the program and were to learn how to make a content presentation through that effort. I had my first "part" on the program when I was nine or ten years old. It was about "giving" and I memorized it, though my parents encouraged me to tell it. <br />When I got to college, our church group would study books like <em>A Taste of New Wine</em> by Keith Miller, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Elizabeth</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">O'Connor's</span> <em>Journey Inward, Journey Outward</em>, or Elton <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Trueblood's</span> <em>Company of the Committed </em>instead of a "quarterly<em>." </em>These groups obviously became more relational, but the effort lacked the personal <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">accountabililty</span> necessary for a genuine discipleship journey.<br />I was involved early on in the introduction of <em><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">MasterLife</span></em>. This effort built strong accountability into the process but was too rigid in the expectations for leaders and participants, that it seemed to lack flexibility. All of these efforts seemed to establish in the minds of the participants and desire to "get through" or "finish." The same mindset is prevalent in current study groups who move from one book to the newer latest book by a popular author.<br /><br />What seems to be lacking in these approaches is the failure to see a lifelong discipleship journey that can be developed to meets the needs and desires of the current Christ-follower. While doing collegiate ministry, students were frequently asked by their peers in a particularly ministry, "Have you been <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">discipled</span>?" The concept was good, but the question implied that if you answered yes, you were where you needed to be. Also underlying this concept was a lack of appreciation of the above mentioned Christian education model of discipleship. And, it implied that is you hadn't been "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">discipled</span>" in their process, you hadn't been "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">discipled</span>." I know they all had a very good intention, but this is how they came across.<br /><br />We seemed to then move to mentoring, coaching, and accountability groups. These approaches are much more fluid and allow for genuine contextualization of the process and the content. They also allow for the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">unique</span> individuality of each person.<br /><br />What I would really like to see is a process developed, first with people who are already engaged in ministry outside the walls of the church, to explore through study, prayer, and encouragement, the ways God is using their ministry experience to shape their lives into His image. Too often volunteers get "burned out" because they lack the nurture, the biblical foundations, and the encouragement they need to see their work as crucial Kingdom work. It won't come in the latest new book or study guide, although content is certainly needed. It will be relational and be like a support group, and it will provide a deepening journey for those involved.Kenneth P Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09266014961291815745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923573828670796358.post-776317851576319832008-12-07T13:52:00.000-08:002008-12-07T14:30:53.265-08:00What does it take to be faithful amidst a culture of traditionalism?I visited a church today to present a plaque commemorating their 100th anniversary. This is a once rural church now on the edge of suburbia. The current pastor is in his eighteenth year as pastor, quite long for Southern Baptists. I had the privilege of preaching in this church a number of times back in the 1980's. Then it was a rural church, about 8-10 miles outside of town, with a very traditional approach toward doing church, in worship, ministry, and governance. Those who were there in the mid 1980's would not recognize the church today. They worship in a newer building addition that doubles as a fellowship hall. (A Spanish-speaking church meets at the same time in the old sanctuary.)<br /><br />When I visited the church a couple of years ago, the worship was what one would classify as contemporary, meaning to most people that the music was of a more contemporary nature, led by a praise band. Today, there was no praise band, and the worship through music was led by an evangelist and his family. Of course the service was different from the usual ones. This week there was actually a printed order of service (remember, it's the 100th Anniversary service).<br />But normally, there is no printed order of worship. In fact, for the past year, since the worship leader left, there has been no hard and fast structure for worship (music) leadership. They even had a period when they intentionally worshipped without music. Now, a team of musicians gets together on Wednesday evenings to worship together. From that joint worship experience, they determine what is meaningful and what and who sound right together, and plan the worship experience for Sunday. Members are encouraged to offer themselves and their inner expressions to God in whatever form that may take- in art, or writing or music. The halls are lined with worship expressions toward God in the form of art and writings. Today throughout the service, a young female artist was offering her expression of worship through a painting.<br />On other occasions there may be a dramatic presentation, or some other offering to God.<br /><br />Not only is the overall style somewhat serendipitous, but the actual arrangement of the worship center has changed. Previously the chairs were all lined up in straight but wide rows. No one was far from the front. Now the chairs are in a U shape, with the ROUND communion table in the center of the U. Each week, the congregation holds communion, sometimes in the midst of the service and sometimes at the end. Individuals and families come to the table, select a piece of the unleavened bread, dip it in the grape juice (we are conservative Southern Baptists, remember), and then gather in families or different groups for a prayer together as they partake. This structural transformation, the pastor says, has helped lead to the subsequent changing of the attitudes and approaches of the worshippers. Now the emphasis connects them with one another, and encourages each worshipper to offer his or her personal worship to the Lord.<br /><br />Something particular struck me in what the pastor said during the sermon this morning. He recalled an experience at a previous church when God had been faithful, against all odds, and had provided finances for a church van. A second similar need and experience at this church had occurred, but having made it through once before, the pastor just proceeded. His revelation from God came like these words(and I paraphrase), "I covered you this time, but don't presume on me again. Seek my will and listen to me." Well, I was excited to worship in a church where the primary focus seems to be on listening to God and following God, even if it means doing things in a totally different way.<br /><br />Now, back to my first question, "What does it take to be faithful amidst a culture of traditionalism?" First, it takes genuine encounter with God and willingness to hear what the Spirit says. "He who has hears, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."<br />Second, it takes a commitment to be faithful to God no matter what. This requires both faith and the courage to venture out. I believe faith supplies the courage. Third, it requires an acknowlegement that our traditional ways of doing church, while they may have somewhat of a biblical basis, are human constructs for the purpose or comfort of those who construct them. We have to get back to the underlying purpose behind what we are doing, and ask if there is a better way to connect us with God in worship.<br /><br />One primary problem with our traditional ways of worship is the limited genuine interaction we have with one another. We are set up to be primarily spectators, and most of us are wondering what comes next and when are we going to be through. After all, isn't worship supposed to connect us to God and then to one another to prepare us for being the hands and feet of Jesus in the world?Kenneth P Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09266014961291815745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923573828670796358.post-16316061643285861412008-12-05T08:09:00.000-08:002008-12-05T08:16:19.920-08:00Why are we so busy at Christmas time?Tis the season of hustle and bustle, calendars full of activities, shopping to be done, preparations to be made, trees, wreaths and garland to be decorated and hung. All the while we complain about the "commercialization" of Christmas. It used to bug me that some of those who complained the loudest about this distortion of the Christmas season were the least likely to engage in any spiritual reflection, attend any special worship services, or change their own behavior in any meaningful way. We must love to find something to complain about.<br /><br />What are the best ways to commemorate Christmas? My suggestion includes worship, reflection, and thanks giving prayer, as well as a gift or gifts to the less fortunate and to some missions cause. I hope to do my share of these this season. "God bless us, everyone."Kenneth P Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09266014961291815745noreply@blogger.com0