the SIGNIFICANCE of insignificance

Erin’s out of town tonight at a meeting for an upcoming Emmaus weekend.  I took advantage of having the house to myself - I ate pizza and watched a guy flick.

Have you ever seen “We Are Marshall”?  It’s the Matthew McConaughey and Matthew Fox movie about the 1970-71 Marshall Football Teams.  I like to think that I’m a tough guy, but I started getting a little misty about 15 minutes into the movie.  By the end, I had pulled the Kleenex box onto the couch with me.  Go ahead and make fun, Erin would if she was here, but it was a great movie.

In case you haven’t seen it and aren’t up on your early 70’s football history, the Marshall football team of 1970 was killed in a plane crash, with the exception of a small handful and one coach.  In ‘71, it was up for debate as to whether or not they should suspend the football program, but through hard work, dedication, and an inventive, quirky new coach (Jack Lengyel) the program was rebuilt and a university and city began healing.

The first coach, Rick Tolley, finished his last game and told his players that nobody would remember them by the way they played, but by how many wins they had.  By the end of the story, that speech had been turned on it’s head and the new coach motivated his young team to play with heart because they WOULD be rememebered by how they played.  Pretty evident, since they made a movie about a team that had only two wins in a season!

Which statement holds most true in life?  Sure, I remember more about the 1980 UGA team even though I was an infant than I do about the 1990 team because of the number of games won.  But who are the people I remember in life?  I remember my grandfather as my hero because of the way he lived and the generosity that he exemplified.  I remember my college history teacher because of the investment he made in my education.  I remember my 6th grade math teacher because of her gentleness in putting up with wild 6th grade boys.

I’ve done plenty of funerals to know that people aren’t remembered in the end by how much money they made or how many homes they owned.  People are remembered by the way they “played.”  Isn’t this what Jesus taught?  Isn’t this why he had so many run ins with the Pharisees? 

We are remembered by the way we interact with others and the way we impact their lives, for better or worse.  My goal in life is not necessarily to be remembered - when I’m gone I won’t care if anybody remembers me!  My concern now is am I doing anything worth remembering?  I’ll never throw a game-winning touchdown; I’ll probably never be a Billy Graham; I may never lead a congregation from the margins to greatness, but I can still make a SIGNIFICANT impact in the lives of others.

How I raise my son, how I love my wife, how I pour my heart out to my people and listen as they pour theirs out to me, how I’m honest in my dealings, and generous in my giving, how I’m calm in my encounters, earnest in my prayers, and dedicated in my work will be how I am remembered.

I have a website for you to visit.  It’s www.weloveguy.com.  

Guy Shank (pronounced Gee) is a member of the First UMC of Lawrenceville.  Some of you may know him, others not.  Guy is a native Canadian that has had some trouble with immigration.  Thanks to Homeland Security issues, he is no longer welcome in our country, after 20 years of building a family, a home, and a business in Lawrenceville. 

He’s an active member of the church and does more than most people when it comes to missions and outreach.  He’s active in men’s ministry and in restorative projects at the church’s historic campground.  Outside the church he helps the Central Gwinnett HS band anyway that he can and in business, he always goes the extra mile for people.

If you know a congressman (or woman) or someone in his or her office, please give them a call and pull any strings you can.  Give them this web address and let them see for themselves.  Guy is in custody and awaiting deportation, but enough phone calls, letters, and prayers might just make a difference.  His wife, Dawn, and son, Tyler are still in Lawrenceville and are waiting for resolution of his issues. 

The website is constantly being updated.  Check back regularly for new information on how to help.

Praise God for beautiful days!  It’s 8am, Ben’s still sleeping, and it’s in the 50’s outside.  Good morning for sipping coffee.

 Yesterday was an adventure.  Have you ever experienced going on vacation only to return in a “vacation fog”?  I stuttered and stammered through the first half of my sermon yesterday, but Erin tells me I pulled it together at the end.  Good thing - it was one of the most challenging sermons I’ve had to deliver.

 I decided when I came to Mt. Bethel that I would preach the lectionary Gospel lesson each week until Christmas.  For those who are scratching their heads and asking, the lectionary is simply a listing of preaching texts for the year.  Each week, according to the season, has an OT text, a Psalm, a Gospel reading, and an epistle lesson.  It’s used by pastors across denominations and can be a good way to make sure you’re not preaching the same stuff over and over and that you’re dealing with difficult texts with your people.

I’ve held true to my decision so far.  Yesterday’s text was Luke 16:19-31, The Rich Man and Lazarus.  What a challenge to convey Christ’s words to people.  The rich man died and went to hell, not because of what he did, but because of what he didn’t do.  I’m serving a church that has had very little work in missions and evangelism.  The congregation’s been in the midst of a farming community for the last 180 years and are being challenged with a booming new growth in the area. 

I’ve been reflecting on this a lot lately.  There seems to be a feeling of desperation among many of the church’s members that they just don’t know what to do.  A small handful has tried door-to-door evangelism, but that’s proven unfruitful.  The older members are used to an agrarian culture where a new family moved in once every couple of years and with little effort, they joined the local congregation.  In the midst of a local population boom, there has been a feeling of being lost in attempts to reach new families.

It’s not so easy to reach new families.  We can’t simply open our doors and wait on them to come.  Even in areas that are still rural, the times have changed and so must our outreach.  For the last 100 years, churches have boomed in attendance simply because they were available and membership was part of being a good citizen.  Older churches are now being faced with the harsh reality that if you don’t provide what people are looking for, they won’t come.

 Servant evangelism is something that keeps coming to my attention and the more I see and the  more I read, the more I’m bought into this way of thinking.  I’ve added a new book to the book list on the blog.  Be sure to check it out.  Steve Sjogren has a plethora of easy ideas for people to share their faith without having to be like Paul.  I’ve caught the fever and I’m going to try a couple of these on my own.  I’m praying that servant evangelism will catch fire in the congregation at Mt. Bethel.

 As I finish this post, I’ve run across Tony Morgan’s blog for today.  Check it out.  It’s along the same lines of what I’m learning about our intentionality.  The mindset at Mt. Bethel is that it would be great to have 10 new members per year (just enough to break even or grow by 1%).  We’re clearly not thinking big enough.  Especially in an area that is becoming a bedroom community overnight.  Statistically, 30% of people moving in will look for a new church home.  In the new neighborhoods right around Mt. Bethel alone, and only looking at the homes that are currently on the market, we will have 200+ new households in our back yard that will be  looking for a new church.  What an opportunity!  It doesn’t take a prophet to figure out what God has called this church to do.

The challenge extends beyond the church as a whole though.  As individuals, what are we doing to reach other people?  The rich man/high priest went to hell by himself.  Jesus didn’t say that the whole temple went to hell or even the whole leadership.  Even though we live in community with one another, we are still individually accountable.  Are we relying on the few to do the work of evangelism for us or are we getting our hands dirty? 

I remember the first time on a mission trip that I was called on to share my faith.  I was terrified and rightfully so.  My faith was important to me and I wasn’t sure if I could handle any sort of rejection.  I wanted to be present with those who were sharing, but I didn’t want to be the one sharing directly.  I hid in the background until one of my good friends pushed me to the front.  I made every excuse I could, but Tom bested me in the end by simply asking, “do you remember the person who shared their faith with you?  How would your life be different if they had been too afraid?”

That one rhetorical question has provided the motivation for me to share my faith for the last 10 years and probably will for years to come.  Even now, I have times that I’m sitting in a coffee shop, working on a mission trip, or even getting up to preach on Sunday morning that I have my fears about laying it out there for someone else.  I’m always taken back to that day in inner-city Philadelphia and encouraged by Tom’s words.  I may never know if I’m making a difference when I share my faith, but  I know in my heart that there is always that possibility and that I never  do it alone.  God is the only one that can make it work, but I have  to make myself available as His tool.

How would your life be different if nobody ever shared their faith with you?  If nobody ever invited you to church?  If you never had the opportunity to encounter Christ?  What are you doing to be SIGNIFICANT for the Kingdom of God, even in the most insignificant ways?

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By the way, today is Stephen’s birthday!  Happy Birthday Stephen!  Nothing special happens at 27!