Perspectives Day 6 – Featuring Jim Gallop (Major) “Reminiscing”

Reminiscing

Reminiscing; a song written by Graeham Goble of the Little River Band in 1978. While this song received ample air play on many radio stations during the late 70’s and early 80’s, it has unfortunately faded into relative obscurity. After all, the song is about ‘looking back’, and in todays hurried culture most people seem intent on ‘living in the moment.’ Yet this lively and upbeat piece of music still affects me today as I skim through my state of the art Ipod. The song delves into the writer’s memories of a time period, seemingly removed from today’s progressive pace of life. He writes romantically of his pursuit of that one special lady whom he wishes to ‘build his world around’. He croons nostalgically of the joy which he and his love experienced as they danced across the floor to Glenn Miller’s band which was ‘better than before.’ He then tells us of their present condition, when he intones “older times we’re missing, spending the hours, reminiscing.”

Reminiscing…..thinking about the past with an intense yearning to re-live those days which excite your memory. When those memories are shared, they can ignite a much needed spark in a relationship which may have waned over the years.
Many things can cause romance to lose its spark; too much time spent at work, the numerous events involving our children as they grow and mature, wasted hours in front of the television, exhaustion from little sleep. All of these challenges whittle away at the precious commodity of time, and in doing so tend to cause an imbalance in even the best of relationships.

The ultimate question is for the couple who wants to both maintain and strengthen their marriage. Is there a way to rekindle that spark which initially set your romance aflame? Or are we going to choose to be bound by those self-made schedules which in turn allow us little to no time to creatively explore our partnership with our wives/husbands?

The singer of reminiscing reminds us of a simple, yet poignant point. He reminds us of the way in which their romance started, singing “That’s the way it began, we were hand in hand.” To be hand in hand with your partner in life, and in ministry. To be united in love, under God, and with His desire that your love be expressed to one another. To make sure that the love you have for your partner remains fresh and alive, and does not become stagnant.

Is this an easy task? Not at all. It requires an effort by both partners; an effort to step beyond the status quo, and into the potential of re-discovery. It also takes commitment to achieve this, commitment to one another, which in turn will hopefully flow into romance. Further, it demands dedication; to not give up despite the hardships which you may discover as you seek that time together. To keep trying, keep seeking, keep that spark alive. Hopefully, it was there on your wedding day. Prayerfully, it is still there. We just need to re-discover it……and if it takes “reminiscing” to do so, then so be it! Let God’s love, which is ever new, and ever exciting, lead you into a greater commitment to your partner. Let your marriage be one filled with excitement, as God created marriage to be!

May 31, 2014 0

Perspectives Day 5.1 “Poetry” – Featuring Commissioner Harry Read “Heart-Talk”

Heart-Talk

If I but give myself to thee, O Lord,
Roll over on to thee my life and way,
Acknowledge heavenly truth within thy word,
Believe thy love is constant every day

Then will I know the peace that trusting brings,
The power that issues freely from thy hand,
The joy which rises from eternal springs,
The quality of life which thou hast planned.

O grant me, Lord, the wisdom to believe
That life is only life when lived in thee;
Grant me the faith to ask and then receive
The promised life which Christ would live in me.

Shine thou through me thy love and righteousness –
A glow of hope in this world’s hopelessness.

Psalm 37: 5.6
‘Trust in him…he will make your righteousness shine like the dawn.’

By Harry Read.

May 30, 2014 1

“Perspectives” – Day 6 Featuring Jared Collins (Lieutenant) “The Fickle Nature of Love”

“The Fickle Nature Of Love“

I found out early last week that a young man, Reggie, who was in our corps youth programs a few years ago was arrested for the murder of a 15 year old kid. I found myself going through an interesting thought process as I sought to make sense of the needless act of violence. My first thought was, “What could I have done better as a person who had influence on this young man’s life that may have changed where he is today.” I then was immediately ashamed of the thought. Because I, like so many of us, had made the whole situation about me instead of others. So then I thought about Reggie. And I thought about where he was at that particular moment.

At the College for Officer Training we, as has been a long standing tradition, went to the Cook County Jail during Christmas time to sing some carols and do a little devotional for the occupants. My small group had an interesting time as we were sent to a cell block that was much smaller than those visited by our other groups so we were finished much more quickly. So they sent us to a group of individuals who were just finishing being processed and awaiting a more permanent cell assignment. It was one of the more profound moments of my Training for me.

These (mostly) young men were just then realizing the gravity of their situations. Most of the others in the cell blocks we had already visited had been there for quite some time. Even though it was a jail and not a prison some, we were told, had been there in the process of their trial and, therefore, in that jail for over 10 years. But these young men we were sent to had just been arrested hours before. We quickly realized this wasn’t the place for some flippant Christmas carols and a message that would, no doubt, fall on deaf ears. So we put the music and message aside in favor of individually speaking with each person who wanted to talk. Almost every one of them was in the same mindframe – shock at the prospect of where a good deal of their future may be taking place.

And I thought about Reggie in those young men’s shoes. We had gone to Stateville Prison as well while at CFOT and had met all the men who had (mostly) come to accept their sentences. But, if Reggie was like those young men who were just finishing processing, he was a long ways away from a peaceful frame of mind.

So I wrote Reggie a letter. It wasn’t long or particularly articulate, but I really felt led to tell him two things: I love him and God loves him. Nothing about the arrest or the trial, just a short message of love. I don’t know if Reggie truly murdered that 15 year old boy, but I do know that I love him and that God loves him.

Which led me to the shame I felt after mailing the letter. Maybe shame isn’t the right word. It was more a reflection on the fact that I had mailed that letter without much thought for the deceased 15 year old or his family and friends.

The article that talked about Reggie’s arrest said that the arrest came with “the help of the community and social media.” So I looked up Reggies facebook profile and saw that he had, indeed, posted something about the 15 year old’s death – expressing shock and dismay at the thought of losing someone whom he called a friend.

His post was shared dozens of times, all from people who were outraged by his alleged audacity at posting something feigning innocence and ignorance when he may have pulled the trigger. One comment was particularly interesting as it was filled with expletives and hate towards Reggie and ended with the innocent comment, “My prayers are with the [deceased’s] family.”

Now I know that not all who use that last phrase are practicing Christians and it could just be a kind sentiment not meant to convey actual spiritual convictions, but I was struck by the seemingly two-faced nature of the comment. On the one hand tearing apart and expressing hate while simultaneously expressing compassion. I won’t say that it shocked me. Nor will I say that I can’t imagine how someone could do that but, implicitly, I think my subconscious was saying to me that I would NEVER say something that duplicitous.

And yet…

I’m writing this right now as my wife is in the hospital with a beloved congregant because she was, just minutes ago, physically assaulted, maybe with a gun, and maybe raped. And as a reasonably well balanced person I’m more than a little disturbed to have been sitting here contemplating going over to the residence of her attacker and sharing a piece of my mind and, perhaps, my fists. This urge has been tempered by the understanding that the attacker has been taken into police custody but this understanding has NOT tempered my anger and maybe even hatred towards this man.

So now I ask myself, “What’s the difference between this attacker and Reggie?” Should I not be just as outraged at Reggie for allegedly taking the life of a teenager? Will I be writing a letter to this attacker telling him that God and I love him? The obvious difference is in the knowledge and relationship that I have with the victim of tonight’s attack and with Reggie. Because I know them and not the 15 year old boy or the attacker of my congregant, I am more prone to love and forgive them than I am those I don’t know.

It’s a double standard, I know. And it’s based on no rationality and I even acknowledge that it’s wrong and sinful for me to hate the attacker of my friend. And I think, more than anything, it boggles my mind as I attempt to grasp the mind of God and the measure of his love and forgiveness.

I think I finally understand where some of the 1st century Jews must have come from in their incredulity at the inclusion of the Gentiles into the family of God. How can God offer forgiveness and love towards them?

I am a very loving person (though I don’t often express it in any grandiose way) and yet it is very difficult for me to find the love within myself for the attacker of my congregant because I know what he has done to my friend. And to think that God, knowing the heart and actions of this man would still have love for Him makes no sense to me because I seem to be incapable of doing it myself.

And so I know that this offers no new insight. It’s almost a cliche to say that God loves you no matter what you’ve done. He loves Reggie. He loves the duplicitous writer of the facebook post. He loves the family and friends of the 15 year old boy. He loves my congregant. He loves her attacker. And he loves me, even though I struggle to always love them and myself for having conflicting thoughts.

None of this is particularly revelatory except when I think that I, as a pastor, have the capability of harboring hatred in my heart. It was naive of me to think that any massive change would happen to make me impervious to hatred or sin in general when the trim on my shoulders turned red. But it scares me to think that these feelings may be in the hearts of my fellow pastors and officers. And we may think little of these feelings because we implicitly believe they’re somehow outweighed by our “holiness” and righteous deeds.

So it’s to us that Paul is writing the entirety of Romans 2. But specifically verses 17-29.

¹ Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. ² And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. ³ But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? ⁴ Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? ⁵ But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, ⁶ who will render to each person according to his deeds: ⁷ to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; ⁸ but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. ⁹ There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, ¹⁰ but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹¹ For there is no partiality with God.

¹² For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; ¹³ for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. ¹⁴ For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, ¹⁵ in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, ¹⁶ on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

¹⁷ But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely upon the Law and boast in God, ¹⁸ and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, ¹⁹ and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, ²⁰ a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth,²¹ you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? ²² You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? ²³ You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? ²⁴ For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written.

²⁵ For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. ²⁶ So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? ²⁷ And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law? ²⁸ For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. ²⁹ But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.

(NASB)

Thank you, God, for verse 11 – for showing no partiality towards or against us. Forgive us for the times that we fail to feel and, even more, to show that impartiality to others.

I want, dear Lord, a love that cares for all. A deep strong love that answers every call. A love like Thine, a love divine, a love to come or go. On me, dear Lord, a love like this bestow¹.

Create in me a loving heart, that people may see your impartial love through me.

In His Service,

Jared Collins

¹George Galloway Jackson. I want, dear Lord. SASB#426

May 3, 2014 1

“Perspectives” Day 4 – Featuring AmyJo Ferguson

“Holiness and Tomatoes”

Reverend Wiley advised me not to divorce him

For the sake of the children,

And Judge Somers advised him the same.

So we stuck to the end of the path.

But two of the children thought he was right,

And two of the children thought I was right.

And the two who sided with him blamed me,

And the two who sided with me blamed him,

And they grieved for the one they sided with.

And all were torn with the guilt of judging,

And tortured in soul because they could not admire

Equally him and me.

Now every gardener knows that plants grown in cellars

Or under stones are twisted and yellow and weak.

And no mother would let her baby suck

Diseased milk from her breast.

Yet preachers and judges advise the raising of souls

Where there is no sunlight, but only twilight,

No warmth, but only dampness and cold—

Preachers and judges!

From Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters

Once we lived in darkness. I once accidently grew some tomato plants in darkness. They were supposed to have a nice sunny window, but before they sprouted, I stashed them under the entertainment center to hide the dirt from some visiting guests. I remembered them a few weeks later.

They came out not looking so pretty. They were crooked, yellowish and weak. Edgar Lee Masters in Spoon River Anthology writes about people who are similarly twisted because they had been raised in “twilight” instead of sunlight and without warmness, “only darkness and cold.” In some way that it is the human condition: we have been born into a world which is sick with sin. The light of God to us in this condition is best described as “twilight” rather than sunlight. We turn out crooked and weak.

Romans 3:9-18 (NIV)
⁹What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.
¹⁰As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;
¹¹there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.
¹²All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
¹³“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.”
¹⁴“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
¹⁵“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
¹⁶ruin and misery mark their ways,
¹⁷and the way of peace they do not know.”
¹⁸“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Into this condition, shines the light of Jesus Christ. When I brought these tomato plants into the light and began to care for them, the change was remarkable. They turned their leaves upward. They began to green. Through initial sanctification, salvation, we are plunged into the light of Jesus Christ. Our sins are cleansed and the change in us is dramatic, YET, it is still evident that we are still plants raised in darkness.

Even though my tomato plants were now living in the light, I had to prop them up with small sticks and string. In the life of a Christian, initial sanctification can and does bring a wondrous change to our lives; however, in some ways the sin problem is still quite problematic. There is still a pull to remain crooked to grow as we grew before we knew the light. As William Booth writes, “I remark that in the early stages of Christian experience this deliverance is only partial. That is, although the soul is delivered from the domination and power of sin, and is no longer the slave of sin, still there are the remains of the carnal mind as roots of bitterness left in the heart, which, springing up, trouble the soul, often lead it into sin, and which, if not continually fought against and kept under, grow up, attain their old power, and bring the soul again into bondage” (The Privilege of All Believers 9).

At some point, I had to take radical steps with my tomato plants or they might not give me any tomatoes at all. They needed to be completely transplanted into good fertilized soil. Most of their crooked, weak stem had to be buried in this new soil which allowed completely new and perfectly aligned growth to occur.

Romans 6:20-22 (KJV)
²⁰For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
²¹What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
²²But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

This is like entire sanctification. When we consecrate our lives to God and he faithfully takes us and transplants us completely into his grace. Romans 12:1 (NIV) “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship.” Like the tomato plants that now grow in perfect alignment to the sun, our lives grow in alignment with God’s Son.

Entire sanctification is the door through which holiness (the acts of entire sanctification) enters into our lives. Through entire sanctification, we dedicate our all to God and in turn, God miraculously heals the crippling effects of sin in our lives. He straightens us out, in order for us to bear fruit for him.

May 1, 2014 1

“Perspectives – Day 3” Featuring Sean Wise (Lieutenant) “Transparency”

Transparency

April 30, 2014 1

“Perspectives” Day 2 – Featuring Dennis Strissel (Colonel) “Clipping Toe Nails”

Opinion–8-ed
(A series of eight installments)
Number four – Clipping Toe-Nails

“Lieutenant, can you clip my toe-nails?” I couldn’t remember the toe-nail clipping class at the CFOT, so I thought the request a tad unusual. Elmer was in his mid-eighties and, for the most part, bed-ridden. He had been a long-time Salvationist and his wife still attended the church meetings without him. In fact, our very first Christmas dinner together as a married couple was with Elmer and Mabel, huddled around a very small kitchen table sharing fried rabbit together. Some things you just never forget…
“Lieutenant, can you clip my toe-nails?” I heard the words again and they kind-a woke me out of my contemplation of the request. It wasn’t a matter if I could or not…it was a matter if I wanted to or not. Do you understand my dilemma? I smiled at Elmer, grabbed his big old German foot and commenced to clipping. As I dodged the clippings flying off his toes, the thought crossed my mind that I never expected that the list of my service to the Lord would include clipping toe-nails.
For those readers still with me and not running to the bathroom sick to their tummies, my journey, and it might as well be yours too, is full of things we never thought we’d be asked to do as a service to others, as unto the Lord.
“Hey Lord, can you call me through a burning bush like you did for Moses? Can you cause a great revival of mean, God-hating people like you did for Jonah? Can I be of service to you and kill a giant like David did?”
Now those acts of service sound like great projects and worthy of a servant of the Most High God. However, I have discovered that service looks more like dishing up a plate of spaghetti for the homeless, reading a book to the first grade class, putting away tables and folding chairs for the officer or pastor, and, you guessed it, clipping the toe-nails of an elderly person. It’s not so much about the MIGHTY things as it is about the MUNDANE.
Do you remember the story Jesus told about the ruler, leaving ten servants in charge of the kingdom while he went away? He entrusted them with varying amounts of money and even though the money was small, he complemented and rewarded them upon his return.

Luke 19:15-19

15 “When he came back bringing the authorization of his rule, he called those ten servants to whom he had given the money to find out how they had done.
16 “The first said, ‘Master, I doubled your money.’
17 “He said, ‘Good servant! Great work! Because you’ve been trustworthy in this small job, I’m making you governor of ten towns.’
18 “The second said, ‘Master, I made a fifty percent profit on your money.’
19 “He said, ‘I’m putting you in charge of five towns.’
THE MESSAGE.
They were faithful in the mundane (small job) and were found faithful and rewarded for that faithfulness. Why? Because service is not so much about making the supreme sacrifice as it is about making a personal investment in someone or something else.
Gordon B. Hinkley said “Though my work may be menial, though my contribution may be small, I can perform it with dignity and offer it with unselfishness. My talents may not be great, but I can use them to bless the lives of others…. The goodness of the world in which we live is the accumulated goodness of many small and seemingly inconsequential acts.” (http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/service?page=1).

Stop looking and longing for the service show-stoppers and the roof-raisers and concentrate on the everyday, little areas where you can lift the lives of the few by your personal investment in their lives, while honoring the Lord with yours…even if it means clipping toe-nails.
Dennis L.R. Strissel

April 29, 2014 2

“Perspectives” Day 6 Featuring Deb Thompson “Don’t We Have Something Better To Give?”

Don’t We Have Something Better To Give?

By: Deb Thompson

December 1, 1955, Montgomery, Alabama.

Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a segregated bus.

Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. is called in to lead a bus boycott.

See that word, “reverend” before his name? That means he was an ordained minister. And he worked alongside other ordained pastors as well, such as Reverend Ralph Abernathy and Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth. These pastors founded a well-known organization entitled, Southern Christian Leadership Conference (emphasis is mine).

Why do I point this out?

Because when we think of the Modern Civil Rights Movement, we think of politics. We think of people changing laws and going to jail. We think of former President John F. Kennedy and his brother, Robert F. Kennedy, both politicians being involved. We think of community leaders using fire hoses and guard dogs. We think of “I Have A Dream” speech being held at Lincoln Memorial to commemorate the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. We think of Thomas Jefferson’s quote in the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

We rarely stop to realize that first and foremost, the Modern Civil Rights Movement started in The Church, with a group of pastors of different denominations with different views on things such as salvation and resurrection, coming together to free people of injustice.

The Modern Civil Rights Movement was The Church changing American History.

Remember that.

Recently, I read, “Birmingham Revolution: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Epic Challenge to the Church” by Edward Gilbreath, and it has brought me to a place of deep challenge. This book was excellent because Gilbreath interviewed people who knew the leaders personally and were involved in marches. He gives this sense of experiencing the feelings that is more realistic to the movement than the glorified and worshipped scenes we see on television today, during February, Black History Month. People despised the Civil Rights leaders, they were not popular among conservatives or liberals, nor were they popular among the black churches or white churches. Nor were they perfect leaders.

In August of 1963, MLK Jr. was arrested on his way to the Birmingham March and spent time in solitary confinement. There, in a jail cell, void of human contact, he spent time thinking and praying. Then someone snuck in a newspaper for him. In that particular paper, 8 white religious leaders criticized MLK Jr’s strategies, timing and activity in the movement. MLK Jr. writes a lengthy letter in the margins of the newspaper, on scraps of paper and on toilet paper. His letter wasn’t full of politics, his letter was chocked full of theology and Scripture that challenged The Church.

When the article asked why he was intruding on Birmingham instead of focusing on Atlanta, his response was, I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.

When they criticized MLK Jr. for disrupting the peace by doing the march, his response is, You deplore the demonstrations that are presently taking place in Birmingham. But I am sorry that your statement did not express a similar concern for the conditions that brought the demonstrations into being.

When these religious leaders ask why the Negroes can’t just wait for justice to come in its own time through the political system, King points out a hard truth, I guess it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say “wait”. But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick and brutalize, and even kill your black brothers and sisters with impunity; when you see the vast majority of twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she cannot go to a public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her little eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see the depressing clouds of inferiority begin to form in her little mental sky, and see her begin to distort her little personality by unconsciously developing a bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son asking in agonizing pathos, “Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?”; when you take a cross-country drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you; when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading “white” and “colored”; when your first name becomes “nigger” and your middle name becomes “boy”(however old you are) and your last name becomes “John,” and when your wife and mother are never given the respected title “Mrs.” ; when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never knowing what to expect next and plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you are forever fighting and degenerating sense of “nobodyness”—then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait.

When these men in the article ask how MLK Jr. could have the audacity to break the law of Birmingham, stating that it was unlawful to march, he responds, …there is nothing new about this kind of civil disobedience. It was seen sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar because of a higher moral law was involved.

When called an extremist, MLK Jr. replied, …I gradually gained a bit of satisfaction from being considered an extremist. Was not Jesus an extremist in love?—“Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you.” Was not Amos an extremist for justice?—“Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.” Was not Paul an extremist for the Gospel of Jesus Christ?—“I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” Was not Martin Luther an extremist?—“Here I stand; I can do no other so help me God.” Was not John Bunyan an extremist?—“I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a mockery of my conscience.” Was not Abraham Lincoln an extremist?—“This nation cannot survive half slave and half free.” Was not Thomas Jefferson an extremist?—“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate, or will we be extremists for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice, or will we be extremists for the cause of injustice?

As you can see, MLK Jr. had a lot of great things to say in his “Letter From A Birmingham Jail” but nothing is as strong as this quote, But the judgment of God is upon the church as never before. If the church of today does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authentic ring, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century. I meet young people every day whose disappointment with the church has risen to outright disgust.

The Church of King’s time isn’t too far of a distant cry from the struggles of our Church today. In fact King struggled with the Church with its emotionalism used in sermons and a lack of education on the preacher’s part. King was hungry for social change and for bettering humanity and he felt the church was the most logical place for him to do so, which was what made him feel called to be a minister. He had a deep sense of need to work for social change which led him to move back to the South after falling in love with the views of the North.

We can almost hear the voice of those in The Church today wanting and seeing the same things as King did back in the 1950s. They are tired of filling out stat reports and finding a new program, but rather they are hungry for social change. They want more theology and less emotionalism and sensationalism. As followers of Jesus, who was radical in his social justice, they long to make a difference in society, but are left to go to retreats and kiss pigs when the attendance is/isn’t where the projected goal was made.

We often ask, “What makes The Church relevant to today’s generation?” and we try to answer this question by pretending to be people we’re not, by gimmicks or by media. Yet, as I finished this book, I realized something: in order to be relevant, we have got to get our hands dirty in the social injustices of our time. By demanding oppressed people a sense of what King called, “somebodyness” by the oppressor, we aren’t talking about being set apart, it is what makes us set apart. When sitting by the outcasts, who smell of sin, and raise them up to a place where they can say, “I matter because someone has fought for me to matter” then we become relevant. By loving our neighbor and being humble people, we can do the unthinkable, which makes us relevant.

After reading and contemplating on this book (as well as another one) I decided it was time for me to be active in something, so I joined our area organization that helps to educate and stop human trafficking in our community. Christianity in pews isn’t enough. Christianity in our social clubs that meet on week nights isn’t enough. Feeding the hungry once a quarter isn’t enough. We are called to see people as Jesus sees them and then do something about it because we have something far greater to give than what the world is capable of giving.

So here’s a challenge for you, what change do you want to be in the world? What social justice needs your time? Your energy? Your resources? Your Spiritual gifts? It could be something as simple as researching Fair Trade products and making sure to purchase only those items, and then help others to value its importance. It could be something as great as leading a nation to a better understanding that all men are created equal with nonviolent protests. How will you be relevant in ministry?

The Modern Civil Rights Movement was The Church changing American History.

Remember That.

“A Letter from a Birmingham Jail” Source:

Click to access king.pdf

February 28, 2014 2

“Perspectives” Day 5 Featuring Clive Adams (Commissioner) “Lessons from the Sports Field”

Lessons from the Sports field

It is no secret that I am a sports fan, and that I am an avid Manchester United supporter. So, it would not surprise many to hear that, on being given the opportunity to watch them play at Old Trafford on New Year’s Day, I grabbed hold of it with rather indecent alacrity.

Many of you will know that my beloved Reds were beaten that day by Tottenham Hotspur. I was seated at the Stretford End – traditionally, the source of the most vocal support. Some of the fans around me blamed the referee; some, rather unreasonably, in my opinion, vented their frustration at the Spurs players. (I cannot describe the aggressive passion with which this ranting was expressed.) However, I saw things rather differently to many of my fellow supporters.

I saw where the problem lay – it was not the referee, nor could it possibly be the uncooperative Spurs team who, despite the best (read: worst!) wishes of my fellow supporters, were not sticking to the script! No, my attention was on a team that seemed to have lost its hunger for victory, that was operating considerably below its potential, seemingly content, complacent, sated by its own success. The enthusiasm and energy, the drive and determination, the commitment and competitive edge that one would expect of champions was not there for the better part of the game. These only became evident when they conceded the second goal. I turned to my friend (a Spurs fan) and expressed my concern – calmly, I hasten to add – that they only started playing to something nearing their full potential when it was too late.

A fortnight ago at Old Trafford, Manchester United’s past triumphs appeared to have become a present barrier to working with total commitment for future success. (There is a strong parallel with the England cricket team and their approach to the recent Ashes series in Australia, but I believe I have made the point without having to inflict unnecessary pain!) The very heritage United celebrates appears to have become a hindrance to their drive for new accomplishments. They seemed to be in a “that will do nicely” mode rather than “that and better will do”!

On the way home from the match, my friend, the Spurs fan, told me an interesting story. It was about rowing, and I was relieved that we had moved off the topic of football given the outcome of the match. The story featured the British 8+ rowing team which participated in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney and was in stark contrast to the Manchester United experience.

Up until 1998, the form of the rowing team had been dismal. They were ranked seventh and risked not even making the final even if they qualified for the event. In 1998, the team sat down to discuss their situation. They agreed that they had three options:
1.   They could continue as usual, and expect the same mediocre results;
2.   They could admit their mediocrity and give up rowing;
3.   They could do something completely different to effect a different result.

They chose the third option.

The “something different”? They agreed that for the next two years leading up to the Olympics, they would examine everything they did – individually and as a crew – with a “litmus-test” question: “Will it make the boat go faster?” They were diligent in following this rule. “If I go to the pub, will it make the boat go faster?” or “If I spend 70 minutes on the rowing machine, will it make the boat go faster?” And, despite overwhelming odds against them – which were epitomised by the British commentators expressing doubts during the race that they could win even when they were ahead – they won gold!

Their past failures were used as a springboard in their everyday to work with total commitment for the future success they wanted.

These two stories from the sporting world have significant lessons for us. It is vital that we refuse to let our triumphs be a barrier to future success and that we use our failures as springboards to future victory.

Let us be wary of resting on our laurels, of being complacent about past success, about going through the motions, about losing our hunger for “even greater things”.

There are still people dying in the world out there who need Christ, let us make sure that we continue to be out there, in the middle of the muck which mires so many people, rather than standing on the parade ground looking smart. Let us drop the posing and get on with the practice of being whom we claim to be!

And, while we’re getting on with it, living on the edge, let us keep our focus sharp, by being diligent in applying our litmus test: “Will it make us fit for mission?”

Blog Source:

http://insight.salvationarmy.org.uk/lessons-sports-field?fb_action_ids=10153755536015232&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582

February 27, 2014 0

“Perspectives” Day 4 Featuring Dennis Strissel – Opinion8ed

(A series of eight installments)

Number two – Lessons in Leadership

The shelves of my library are bowing under the weight of books about leadership. I know it’s an exaggeration, but I feel as though I have bought and read every possible piece of printed material that speaks to the study and discipline of leadership. In short … I am a student of leadership, still learning more every day, attempting to do my best as a leader. With that as a backdrop, I would like to humbly offer a few personal opinions relative to the leadership lessons learned over the years of service to our organization.

Good leaders live as servants, exercising humility

Mark 10:41-45

41 When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

NIV

1) Good leaders are focused first on others and not on themselves

Seems fundamental, doesn’t it. Unfortunately, too many want-to-be-leaders get this totally backward. I am reading the autobiography of John Dramani Mahama, current President of the West African country of Ghana. He tells about his primary school experience with a bully. The bully, who was ironically named Ezra, which means “helper”, was nothing of the sort, demanding the snacks of all the smaller boys at school. This tenuous relationship with this bully actually began as a selfless friendship and evolved in a selfish one. Leadership is not self-serving but self-giving.

2) Good leaders don’t think less of themselves but think of themselves less

There’s an important distinction between the two. The leader must exhibit enough confidence to convince and attract followers to a goal that they believe is achievable together. The healthier part of that statement summed up in the old Sunday school chorus JOY – Jesus first, yourself last, and others in between.

3) Good leaders live sacrificially

Boarding the SS Dorchester on a dreary winter day in 1943 were 903 troops and four chaplains, including Moody alumnus Lt. George Fox. World War II was in full swing, and the ship was headed across the icy North Atlantic where German U-boats lurked. At 12:00 on the morning of February 3, a German torpedo ripped into the ship. “She’s going down!” the men cried, scrambling for lifeboats.

A young GI crept up to one of the chaplains. “I’ve lost my life jacket,” he said. “Take this,” the chaplain said, handing the soldier his jacket. Before the ship sank, each chaplain gave his life jacket to another man. The heroic chaplains then linked arms and lifted their voices in prayer as the Dorchester went down. Lt. Fox and his fellow pastors were awarded posthumously the Distinguished Service Cross. (Today in the Word, April 1, 1992).

Good leaders are strategic thinkers and planners

Acts 6:1-7

6 During this time, as the disciples were increasing in numbers by leaps and bounds, hard feelings developed among the Greek-speaking believers — “Hellenists” — toward the Hebrew-speaking believers because their widows were being discriminated against in the daily food lines. 2 So the Twelve called a meeting of the disciples. They said, “It wouldn’t be right for us to abandon our responsibilities for preaching and teaching the Word of God to help with the care of the poor. 3 So, friends, choose seven men from among you whom everyone trusts, men full of the Holy Spirit and good sense, and we’ll assign them this task. 4 Meanwhile, we’ll stick to our assigned tasks of prayer and speaking God’s Word.”

5 The congregation thought this was a great idea. They went ahead and chose —

Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit,

Philip,

Procorus,

Nicanor,

Timon,

Parmenas,

Nicolas, a convert from Antioch.

6 Then they presented them to the apostles. Praying, the apostles laid on hands and commissioned them for their task.

7 The Word of God prospered. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased dramatically. Not least, a great many priests submitted themselves to the faith.

THE MESSAGE

4) Good leaders know how to set priorities

You’ve heard the expression, putting first things first? That is all about setting your priorities. There are many things that will compete for your attention but if you allow them to get out of control you will end up accomplishing very little. Start your day by listing, in order of their importance, the responsibilities for the day and you will accomplish much more.

5) Good leaders cast a vision of a preferable future

“Not even the most perceptive leader can think of and plan for every potential turn of events. Unpleasant surprises, unexpected emergencies, and possibly terminal threats to leadership lurk in the undergrowth along almost every path. But one thing that separates good from great leaders in the extent to which the great leaders are able to foresee the unforeseeable, and therefore are empowered to deal with the unexpected” (Jinkins, Jinkins, 1998, p.49).

6) Good leaders build a bridge to that preferable future

I often use the terms that have impressed on me the visioning process and its importance. One of my favorite authors is Dr. Robert E. Quinn from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. He uses the term “Build the Bridge as you walk on it.” He writes in his book Deep Change; “Organizational and personal growth seldom follow a linear plan. This is an important principle to remember. When people recount the history of growth, they often tell it in a linear sequence, suggesting a rationality and control that never really existed. When we have a vision, it does not necessarily mean that we have a plan. We may know where we want to be, but we will seldom know the actual steps we must take to get there. We must trust in ourselves to learn the way, to build the bridge as we walk on it”, (Quinn, 1996, pp83-84).

7) Good leaders are not preoccupied with the problem but press forward towards a solution

This can be counterintuitive for some people. They become so preoccupied with the problem that moving toward a solution becomes too difficult. The term I use to create a picture of possibility discovery is “opening the door.” When you think of it as opening a door, the exit from one world, (the problem), and the entrance into the next, (the solution), it may be the trigger to forward momentum and attaining a solution.

Good leaders are stewards of their human capital and other resources

Titus 1:5-9

5 I left you in charge in Crete so you could complete what I left half-done. Appoint leaders in every town according to my instructions. 6 As you select them, ask, “Is this man well-thought-of? Are his children believers? Do they respect him and stay out of trouble?” 7 It’s important that a church leader, responsible for the affairs in God’s house, be looked up to — not pushy, not short-tempered, not a drunk, not a bully, not money-hungry. 8 He must welcome people, be helpful, wise, fair, reverent, have a good grip on himself, 9 and have a good grip on the Message, knowing how to use the truth to either spur people on in knowledge or stop them in their tracks if they oppose it.

THE MESSAGE

8) Good leaders are balanced, fair, not given to exaggeration or exploitation, and exercise the discipline of good judgment

When I think of living a life of balance, fairness, and discipline, I think of the Paul listing the fruit of the Spirit from the King James Version; “Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law”, (Gal 5:23). The New International Version would read like this; “gentleness and self-control”. Self-control is a great way to describe this important characteristic.

It’s way too easy to get life and all it brings out of balance. Once out of balance, it becomes more difficult to achieve balance and, in fact, often we encounter a spiral effect that leads to crisis.

9) Good leaders invest, equip and encourage those they mentor

In the study of leadership you’ll find a variety of styles and models depending on who you study or what source you find. The following is a summary: Autocratic (sometimes called authoritative), Participative (or sometimes called democratic), delegative (or sometimes laissez-fair). While, to a certain extent we utilize all of these styles, I would council a different method called transformative.

Transformational leadership is a type of leadership style that can inspire positive changes in those who follow. Transformational leaders are generally energetic, enthusiastic, and passionate. Not only are these leaders concerned and involved in the process; they are also focused on helping every member of the group succeed as well. (http://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/a/transformational.htm).

10) Good leaders surround themselves with smarter people than themselves

The good leader understands his/her weakness, is not threatened by people who excel and have specialized knowledge needed to move an event or an organization forward. What we are attempting to do through the STEPS process is create multi-disciplined teams to bring their expertise to the table to help every corps. This only happens when the leader accepts their weaknesses and compensates with people who have those strengths.

It’s difficult to choose only a few characteristics but, per my opinion, that’s my top ten leadership lessons. I suspect you could come up with your own top-ten, and I encourage you to do so, connecting the lessons to scripture. Who knows, you could become a student of leadership too.

Dennis L. R. Strissel

Reference

Jinkins, M., Jinkins, D.B., (1998). The Character of leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Mahama, J.D. (2012) My First Coup D’état; and other true stories from the lost decades of Africa. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing.

Quinn, R.E. (1996). Deep Change; Discovering the Leader Within. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers

February 26, 2014 1

“Perspectives” Day 3 Featuring Philip Davisson (Major) “WWJD”

“WWJD”

WWJD—and the missing piece

Although the concept of imitating God in our daily lives has been around for centuries in the form of the imitatio dei, “What Would Jesus Do” began as an idea in a book from 1897 by Charles Sheldon called In His Steps. As a four-letter concept, it experienced a renaissance of sorts at various times throughout the twentieth century, and even now there are untold numbers of ways to sport WWJD with jewelry, buttons, books covers and even movies.

I like the idea of thinking through critical actions by posing that question. But I think there is a piece missing in the equation. Imagine for just a moment if Jesus, in the flesh once again and very much present in our twenty-first century world, were here to talk over some of the pressing questions of our time. Of course, this is what we’re supposed to be doing in prayer and meditation when we ask the WWJD question. But this time, Jesus is physically present and can answer out loud, as it were.

The missing piece is exposed when we’re forced to realize that much of the silent conversations we’ve been having around the WWJD questions—assuming we ask the question before we commit ourselves to action—have been rather one-sided. That’s because I think we unfortunately project our own way of thinking onto our conversation ‘partner’ and the result is hardly any different than if we came to the question with an answer already in our pockets.

To fill in that missing piece, we have to return to imagining Jesus here with us right now, grappling with the same issues we do. In a context and with issues simply not found in Scripture, or in Bible times, so to speak. The principles behind the issues are the same, though, so that’s where he’d start. He wouldn’t respond with a ready answer, perhaps, but Jesus would know where to begin working his way through the issues at hand, sorting through his priority list of principles, and then begin applying them in a way that is both right and just.

I think that’s how Jesus would do it. He’d have a process of thinking through it, one focused on identifying what’s at stake, what biblical principles might be involved, and then which of the principles should be given priority if any two or more them are odds. Just about any course of action has some measure of good in it, some reason to argue in favor of doing it, but some actions are better than others, and we ought to realize to make a moral and ethical choice is sometimes choosing between two otherwise good things.

The real key here is to read the Bible looking for the principles that Jesus favored, searching for his list of priorities. When faced with two actions that both plausibly have ‘biblical support’ it’s best to look at how Jesus went about deciding what to do. Jesus can become our model in making decisions when we seek to follow his method.

So here’s a proposal: instead of asking what Jesus would do, begin by thinking how Jesus would discover what to do. That’s the best education anyway, not just knowing the what, but knowing the how, the process necessary to get the whats and the whys and so on, of any given situation, especially those we haven’t faced before.

How would Jesus think…? I like that better than What would Jesus do. But don’t rush out and make any buttons with HWJT on them, okay?

February 25, 2014 0

Category: Perspectives