Stupid Evangelical Christians...

Ok, I am about to say something that I know that I am going to regret, but I decided to address this issue on my blog rather than on Facebook where it really belongs so as to reduce the fallout. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I tend to lean a little more in the conservative direction than many if not most of my seminary colleagues. I tend to be a little more conservative both in politics and in theology, which could tend to make me some what of a pariah. (but a lovable one) With that being said, I think that most of the people who know me will also say that I am pretty much a middle of the road, live and let live type of person. I try to be kind to everyone, I work hard on loving those who I disagree with, and I try especially hard to do everything that I can to examine all of my views from every possible side, multiple times, and in addition, if someone is willing to share their opposing viewpoint with me in a kind, respectful and non-insulting fashion, I am always willing to listen and to even be persuaded, which I have been on multiple issues, especially in the past four years of seminary.

This brings me to my question which I pose especially to my liberal colleagues. As I have experienced and learned over the past four years, it is very important that as Christians we must be willing to listen to each other. I think that most of us agree that there isn’t anything more frustrating than trying to converse or read excerpts from someone who "knows it all," that claims to have it all figured out, and is now trying to tell you exactly how it should be. I also understand that it is very challenging to listen to someone who you profoundly disagree with, or even worse, someone that you know either empirically or just in your gut that they are wrong. But, as Christians we are called to listen as we can, treat others respectfully and then attempt, if we can, to show them the error of their ways in a loving fashion. I hope that we can at least agree on that much so far.

I have also learned that diversity and tolerance are very good and important things. I have watched as nearly every minority group known to humankind has been lifted up, defended, and spoken out for. Even when we may disagree with ones religion or world view, we know that it is NEVER appropriate or acceptable to ridicule, deride, insult, chastise, mock, demean, or put down someone simply because they are different, whether that difference is racial, ethnic, religious, or sexual. Do we agree on that as well?

I know, you are waiting for the question. Ok, Here it is. If we all agree that it is critically important that we listen to all viewpoints, and love each other. If we concur that we are called to not only love those who we agree with, but also to love our enemies:

Why then is it not only apparently Ok and acceptable, but practically encouraged to ridicule people who would consider themselves to be evangelical Christians or conservative? It seems like this is the one group that it is perfectly Ok to have open season on without fear of negative reprisal. I have heard negative and derogatory comments in class by both students and professors, I have heard many hateful comments at meal times, and especially, I am growing weary of reading these flagrantly hateful things that are posted on Facebook about evangelical Christians and conservatives by my colleagues.

The people who claim to preach only love, grace, compassion and tolerance, are the same people who show absolutely no respect or grace for those who are more conservative theologically or politically.

I am personally offended when anyone is marginalized, ridiculed and belittled. I find both the left and the right offensive when they use these tactics. However, where I might expect these hateful things from people like Rush Limbaugh or Keith Olberman, I not only do not expect them, but am deeply offended when they come from seminarians that SHOULD KNOW BETTER.

Wake up people, some of you will be graduating in 3 weeks, many of you will be serving churches that are filled with people who are everywhere from ultra-liberal to ultra-conservative. I certainly hope that the people in your congregations aren’t reading what you are posting. While some may agree, others will not, and you are called to be the pastor for everyone, even the ones who think differently than you do!

I realize that I have learned a great deal in the past four years about diversity and tolerance, and I know that I still have work to do in these areas, but, from some of the recent posts I have read on Facebook, I get the distinct impression that there are many others that have much work to do in that area as well.

Blessings

The Best of Times…

Well, it has finally happened. The miracle that I have been praying for, for many months has been granted. As of 2:00 PM on Tuesday, I have a $0.00 balance at the Methodist Theological School in Ohio and I have been cleared to graduate by the business office. Of course there is still the little detail of completing these last two classes, but that really shouldn’t be an issue unless something very unforeseen and unfortunate comes up. This has been such a long journey, and now I can officially see the finish line. I have even made reservations at a local hotel for all the kids who are planning on coming over for my graduation. I honestly think that the kids and Karen are more excited than I am.

To be honest, I am not completely sure how I am even feeling right now. Of course I am very happy and proud of what I have been able to accomplish with the help and support of a lot of people. I can honestly say that this has been the greatest and most difficult thing that I have ever done. I think that as I look back at my prior experience going through Chiropractic College, that I don’t remember it being quite so difficult. Perhaps that is because, for one thing, I honestly didn’t care as much back then. I wasn’t concerned with things like grade point average; I only cared about what I needed to learn to pass the next tests and the upcoming board exams. If it was just FYI or it wasn’t testable material, then I just didn’t care, and now looking back all those years ago I find my attitude unfortunate. However, I think that my outlook on education was probably just a byproduct of my age, because I see some remarkable similarities between the way that I was in Chiropractic College and some of my younger colleagues here in seminary.

I think another aspect of my feelings of mixed emotions can be a result of my trip over here to Ohio yesterday. As I was coming up the big hill from Versailles State Park, I suddenly heard a loud roaring sound. I couldn’t immediately recognize the sound, was it something in the wheel? (I have been having some vibration problems) Was it the exhaust system? Was it a tire issue? I just wasn’t sure, and it was raining, so I started looking for a place to pull over and as luck would have it, I saw a big driveway with a bunch of tow trucks, so I thought that this would be the best possible place. As I started to slow down, I could feel the car trying to slid out of control, but I managed to safely come to a stop in their gravel parking lot just as a cloud of blue smoke came blowing past my window. “This is not good,” I thought as I got out of the car. When I got to the back, I discovered the cause of my problem. The passenger rear tire was annihilated. (it was actually almost a new tire)

So in the rain, I took off the old tire and went to replace it with the donut, but then I realized that the donut was flat as well. I do carry a compressor with me, but I decided that I would go into the truck repair to see if they could put air in the tire for me. They were very kind and accommodating and soon I was on my way back out to the car to put the spare on and get back on my way. But as I leaned over to replace the tire I could hear a distinct ominous hissing sound. Oh noooo The spare tire had a nail in it:(

So, back inside for help. After a number of phone calls, the receptionist found a tire my size at the Marathon station in Milan IN which was about 5 miles away. She called one of the guys from the back who picked me up in his truck and took me to the station, waited while they put the new tire on my rim, and drove me back to my car. Words can not describe the relief, joy and thankfulness that I had for these people who were concerned for me, cared for me, and helped me. When I offered to give him $20.00 for gas and his time he said “Put your money away, if I can’t help out someone that is in need, then I’ve got no business being here.”

This experience seems to be a microcosm of my seminary experience. As I have traveled on my journey, I have encountered a number of trials and difficulties along the way, and just as I thought things would spiral out of control, there always seemed to be a hand that magically (or miraculously) took control and guided me to safety. Each step of my journey I have encountered people (angels) who have cared for me and have been concerned for me and have helped me, often times they were people that I didn’t even know. Then, once refreshed, repaired and ready to go, they would send me back out on my journey, wishing me well.

I have not made this journey alone. I could never have done this by myself. It has only been through God’s grace and the angels that I have encountered along the way that has made this possible. There is no doubt that for me, this journey has been the best of times…

Blessings

Exciting Times

These past few days have been very exciting for me. Of course yesterday we had the big celebration at Church for Dr. Butler’s 45 years of service playing the organ and also my friend Ron had simply an awesome day on his retirement Sunday, but those celebrations seem to only be a small portion of what has been going on in my world.

Probably one of the main reasons for excitement is my upcoming graduation. It seems like there are a lot of people working very hard to prepare for that. Yesterday afternoon my daughter-in-law Crystal and Karen were busy making plans for an “Open House” on Sunday May 24th here in Crothersville at the Fellowship Hall, and even though I am not a big fan of those types of things, Karen has already informed me to keep my mouth shut, smile a lot and say thank-you, that the party is not for me, it is for everyone that has helped get me through these past 4 years. It is certainly hard for me to argue with her on that one, so I will follow her advice.

It was also exciting to hear that the kids were all planning on coming over to the graduation exercises in Ohio. I know that I have made that drive many, many times, so I can certainly appreciate the sacrifice for those who are planning on attending.

Another factor is of course the challenge of getting my balance at school down to $ 0.00 in order to graduate, but I am sooooo close right now, that I can begin to, for the first time, breath a little easier, realizing that it is actually going to happen. Words really can’t describe for you the challenges that we have encountered in paying for a Masters of Divinity Degree. I have been very blessed along the way by help from scholarship opportunities through the school and though our Annual Conference. I have also been assisted greatly through my home church of Trinity UMC and of course I couldn’t possibly be here without the help and support of my two congregations of Crothersville and Cana UMC. The bottom line is that this has been a very long marathon, with an uncertain and seemingly ever changing potential outcome and now I am so close to the finish line that even if I were to stumble and fall, there are so many people running with me, pulling me, and pushing me that through their shear strength and will power I will be swept across the finish line.

These are truly exciting times, and I am blessed to be a part of them.

Blessings!

I suppose this wouldn't be a good time for me to retire?

Saturdays are always busy days in the life of a pastor, much more so than Sunday if you can believe that. Actually I look forward to Sundays. It is the day that I get to see everyone and catch up on all of the week’s activities. It is a day of numerous hugs and joyous celebration. It is also our traditional Cracker Barrel Day, but not this week. Tomorrow after church we are attending a dinner in recognition of the retirement of our organist for the past 45 years Dr. Butler. Actually he retired officially about a year ago but I kept hoping that he would change his mind. Unfortunately he hasn’t, so I thought that now would be a great time to show him our appreciation for his many years of service to the church.

Tomorrow also marks another day of retirement, and that is for my best friend and mentor Ron, who will be preaching his last sermon tomorrow and then he will attend a dinner held in his honor up in Waldron, IN.

So, tomorrow will be a wonderful day of celebration as well as a day of sadness as I say goodbye to two dear friends. As soon as the service is over for Ron, he and his wife will be officially moving to Gatlinburg to retire in the mountains. I must say that I bounce back and forth between being incredibly happy for them, sad that they are going and very jealous that it isn’t me:) I am just happy that Dr. Butler isn’t going anywhere, at least one of my retiring friends is staying put.

Join me in keeping both of these wonderful men in your prayers. They have each had a major impact on my life and I will always be grateful for what I have learned from them.

Blessings!

God Works in Mysterious Ways!

This is a statement that I have heard and believed my entire life, but never was it such an empirical truth for me until I made the decision to leave the comfort and security of my Chiropractic practice and enter ministry. Since that time I have had to sit back and just wonder in awe at the ways that I have seen God work in my life and in the life of others around me. But, with that said, yesterday my wonder and awe may have hit a new high.

Yesterday I had the opportunity once again to go visit my good friend Rick down in Jeffersonville IN. As I have posted before, Rick has been my friend longer than anyone else with the exception of my wife Karen. We have been though some wonderful times together as well as a few very difficult ones. When I met Rick yesterday, he handed me a stack of books for a paper that I am writing along with an envelope that he said I might want to open right away. So I looked at the envelope that had my name on it as well as the name and address of a couple that I didn’t know. As I opened the envelope I was shocked to see five $100 bills.

Rick said that he had talked to these friends of his (the names on the envelope) many times about my decision to leave my practice and enter ministry and that recently they had a conversation about the financial challenge that I was experiencing trying to have enough money to pay the school in order to have a zero balance and be able to graduate. These friends of Rick, that I have never met, wanted to help make sure that I would be able to graduate and they wanted to give me $500 toward that goal.

There are times when I have words and there are times when I don’t, and that was one of those times that I was speechless. God has continued to bless me over and over and over again on this journey. The funny thing is that I don’t understand why. Why have I been so blessed on this journey? Why did God choose me to begin with? God could certainly have picked someone smarter and better looking (it wouldn’t take much for either of those things). God could have picked someone who could speak much more eloquently or someone with more dedication, but for some reason, God has chosen me to go on this journey and each step of the way, God has seen to every need (not to be confused with wants) and just when I thought that I couldn’t make it, just when I found myself floundering in the middle of the river, barely treading water, with my nose just above the waterline, God has come along, swept me up in his arms and carried me safely to the shore.

I sure don’t know why God has done these things, I only know that God has. All I can say is that God sure does work in mysterious ways!

Blessings

Open our eyes Lord... We want to see Jesus!

It never ceases to amaze me how God seems to show up in some remarkable and spectacular way, often when I am least expecting to find him. Last night I had to venture into downtown Columbus, OH to meet with a pastor and a couple of lay members for a project that our group in Evangelism is working on. I will have to admit that, for one thing, I wasn’t overly excited about going downtown Columbus. It can be very confusing and the traffic is often bumper to bumper. In addition, I knew that even with the best case scenario, I wouldn’t get home until after midnight, and besides, all I could think about was the fact that, “Hey guys, I’m graduating in a few weeks and I am in pretty good shape grade wise in this class, so if you want a really good grade on this project, then you had better work hard, because old Jim is pretty much just along for the ride on this one” :)

When I arrived at the church, (I was very early since I had no idea where I was going) I watched as literally dozens and dozens of people went in and out of the church door. “Wow, something must be going on in there,” I thought. When it got closer to the time for my meeting I went in and was greeted by a very kind woman who tracked down the people that I was to talk to and then offered me dinner. The great multitude that was coming and going were a part of the food ministry of the church where they provide meals 4 nights per week to the community. What a blessings!

As I was sitting down with one of my fellow classmates, waiting for our meeting to begin, I was surprised when a man came into the room where we were sitting and asked if either of us was the pastor. Of course we both said "no, well at least not of this church," and he said, “So are you pastors or not?” We looked at each other and I responded that if a pastor from Indiana would work for him, then yes I was a pastor. He came over, introduced himself, sat down, and said “I just really need someone to pray for me.” After a brief conversation, we prayed together and then talked for the next 10-15 minutes. As he was leaving, I promised to continue to pray for him, he thanked us for our time and was gone.

He thanked us… Wow, that wasn’t what I was feeling in that moment at all. Instead, I felt that I needed to thank him. I felt so blessed for the opportunity to have my eyes opened to the suffering around me, I wanted to thank him, for allowing me to see and understand that God doesn’t care if I am in Ohio, Indiana, or lost completely in Kentucky, :) there is always work in the kingdom to do. What I thought was just another hoop that I had to jump through in order to graduate, turned into a massive blessing for me.

When our meeting with the pastor actually did start, I can honestly say that it was one of the most productive hours that I have spent in my entire time in seminary. The enthusiasm and knowledge that I gained from Pastor Dave, will remain with me for the rest of my ministry.

You know, I was pretty weary last night when I finally got home around 12:30, but I slept well and awoke refreshed. God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. We just need to open up our eyes and hearts in order to see.

Blessings!

One Day At A Time!

What a relief! I am so glad to be finished with the presentation in my Foucault class. It actually went very well, at least from my perspective it did. I know that I did well enough to pass, and since this class is pass/fail, that’s as good as an “A.” Tonight I will be working on preparing for my quiz in Evangelism, but the way I feel right now, it isn’t going to be a very late night of studying. I will probably jot down a few notes and head to bed early.

There must be something about those four hour drives that exhausts me. Either that or I am just getting old, but I am definitely growing weary of the journey to Ohio.

Oh and by the way, today, I am one step closer to graduation. The financial miracle that I needed in order to graduate is really beginning to materialize. It hasn’t happened yet, but it is so close I can almost see the end of the tunnel. Trust me, when it happens (notice I said when:) You will be the first to know. God is sure good!

Blessings