the SIGNIFICANCE of insignificance

About this time last year, I hit the point that I was free from the required reading of seminary long enough that I began to read on my own initiative.  I’ve been reading at least 2-3 books at a time since then and I’m running out of room on my shelves.  I’m getting ready to pull down some of the books that were flops (most of them suggested by seminary profs and required for conference meetings).

I want to take a few moments and let you know about what books I’ve read this year that are important to me and why.  These are in order until you get to #2 and then they’re in no particular order.

(1) The Bible - Need I say more?

(2) Everything Must Change (Brian McLaren) - I’m actually just finishing up this book after reading his “Generous Orthodoxy” and it’s already beginning to shape the way that I preach.  The premise of the book is that Christianity has been too focused on us getting to heaven for the last few centuries.  As our world continues to fall into disrepair and disorder (or sin / the undoing of God’s creation), we have to change the way we do things and recognize that if Jesus was only worried about our eternity, he could have died and risen alot sooner than he did.  I drank the Kool-Aid on this one.  McLaren is pushing for a Kingdom of God approach to ministry where we recognize that it will come to fullness one day, but that we must work to bring it forth on earth now if we are to be faithful to God’s will.

(3)  Good to Great (Jim Collins) - This is a secular leadership book that I was skeptical about when I picked it up, but all I can say is “WOW”.  Collins puts out his ideas on what qualifies as good leadership and backs it up with hard evidence from the last 100 years of business.  I’ve read alot of leadership books this year thanks to the North Georgia Conference of the UMC, and unfortunately, most of them are knock-offs that feel like the author had a manuscript deadline to meet and barfed up some cheap wisdom and a few bible verses.  There’s a reason that GtG is a bestseller though.  If you are in leadership - business, church, or otherwise - you need to get this book.

(4) Beyond the First Visit (McIntosh) - Since my new appointment in June, I’ve been looking for ways to get the evangelism committee to be more active in outreach and hospitality.  I’m still not sure how I found this book (or if it found me), but after reading several others, this book rose to the top as the comprehensive resource on welcoming guests to your church and getting them to come back.  I’m amazed by statistics like the fact that churches only have a 16% chance of keeping first-time visitors, but if you can get them to come back again the next Sunday, that number jumps to 85%.  Since we started with some of the basics of this book (only 1 month ago), we’ve already started to see some of the rewards of being intentionally hospitable. 

(5) Jim & Casper Go to Church (Jim Henderson) - This was a fun read and gave some good perspective on those mega-churches that alot of others would like to become.  These two guys, a retired pastor and an open-minded atheist, went to visit several of the most renowned churches in the US (i.e. Saddleback, Willow Creek, Lakewood, etc.).  Each visit was put into a chapter discussing everything from parking lot conditions and greeters to the sermon and the worship bands.

(6) Unbinding the Gospel (Martha Grace Reese) - This book now comes with resources to hold an E-vent at your church and have small groups in study about evangelism.  Evangelism has negative connotations in our culture and scares people away.  Reese’s book is good for getting around those stigmas and getting the church back to doing what it has been called to do.  I didn’t read too much that was new in this book, but it was a good perspective on doing evangelism in our own Jerusalem.  Now that it comes with very affordable resources, I’m thinking of using this with my congregation.

(7) Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations (Robert Schnase) - This book is written by a UM Bishop who narrows down the 5 things churches do well in order to have an impact in the world.  I’m preaching a series on this one after Easter.

My birthday is coming up this month and I’m sure that I’ll be out shopping for more good reading as I’ve read nearly everything on my shelves.  What do you recommend?  What has helped you in life, in faith, or in other areas of life?  Your comments are solicited…

I got an email about the new presidential $1 coins that are being minted this year.  The email was calling for a boycott of the coins since they didn’t have the words “In God We Trust” on the coin.*

I’ve been asking myself as issues like these come up how important this argument really is.  I feel like it’s just a sideshow a few ultra-conservatives have made into a key issue.  I mean, in the grand scheme of things, how important is it to have those words on our money, especially when we live in a culture wherein that is primarily a false statement.  With all of our trouble with non-Christian nations who look unfavorably on our faith because of the way our “Christian” nation acts in the world, why would we want that statement on our money?

I’m almost leaning toward the removal of the phrase since it has little or no meaning on our currency and in our culture.  And I don’t believe that I’m being unpatriotic, because I am proud to be an American and I thank God for the freedoms that I enjoy.  I support our military and I vote in every election and every state primary. 

Instead of printing our profession of faith on our money, maybe we should learn to exemplify that profession of faith in the public square.  It should be reflected in our interactions with others and we should become the living examples of Christ that we are supposed to be.  Just my take on things…

*The new coins actually DO have the words “In God We Trust” engraved around the edge of the coin.  It’s not actually on the face of the coin, but it’s there and actually in an interesting and possibly prominent place.

Pray for me.

I’m in the middle of some pastoral conflict right now and it’s become a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation.  I won’t go into more detail than that except to say that I have been wrongly and falsely accused of having ill will toward someone.

I’m in the process of discerning how significant this conflict is to my ministry and if it even needs my attention.  40 years from now, after I’ve retired, will I look back and laugh or will I look back and cry?

There are wonderful people in every church I’ve attended or worked in.  I’ve learned that the difference in churches is the outspokenness of those good people and their placement in leadership is what makes all the difference.  Every church/community of Christians have a shot at doing great things for the Kingdom - it’s just a matter of who’s driving the bus.

Here’s my prayer:
May I always do things with the best of intentions and according to God’s will and grace.  And may I never back down from a fight when I have done the will of God, but let me be humble and repentant when I am in sin.

May we all live our relationships this way.