The Meaning of Advent

This past Sunday we observed the First Sunday of Advent. What is Advent? Based on my research and understanding, its roots go back to 313 AD, when Constantine the Great, the emperor of the Roman Empire, issued the Edict of Milan, which gave Christians religious freedom. Then he approved the construction of the church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, in the area where Jesus was born. He also declared Jesus’ birthday a national holiday. By the time Constantine was baptized on his deathbed, Christianity had made the transition from being a persecuted sect to being the authorized religion of the Roman Empire. A few years later, in 350AD, Pope Julius I set the official date of Christmas as December 25^th.  And finally, in 567, the 2^nd Council of Tours established the period of Advent as a time of fasting and preparation before Christmas. In more recent times, it has taken root on the Christian Calendar as the four Sundays before Christmas.

That is a brief history of Advent, but what is it? Well it derives from the Greek word “parousia” which means “the appearance, the coming.” It is used in the New Testament 24 times, mostly to refer to the Second Coming of Christ. When the Bible was translated into Latin, the word “parousia” was translated “adventus”, the Latin word for “arrival.” Essentially,  Advent is the expectation of and preparation for Jesus’ arrival. Therefore, throughout Christian history, Advent has reminded us of Christ’s two arrivals: his first arrival as a helpless baby in a stable many years ago and his second arrival as a conquering king, which awaits us in the future. 

So Advent is about the coming of Christ: reflecting on it, preparing for it. For hundreds of years, Christians took it so seriously, that they fasted in advance of Christmas. Christmas was not about gifts, decorations or eggnog. Jesus Christ has come once, which reminds us he has promised to come back again.

Theologians have long used another term for the Advent of Christ: “the incarnation.”  It is based on Matthew 1:22-23, which calls Jesus “Emmanuel,” which means “God with us.”  At Christmas, we remember the birth of Jesus Christ and marvel at the amazing fact that God left his home in heaven and became a baby in order to rescue our lost and broken world. 

So what does that mean for us? Well first off, I think pondering all of this would give you and me a sense of awe, wonder and thanks. God himself cared enough about us to abandon the glory and splendor of heaven and to come to our tiny rock hanging in space. God must love human beings and think we are very valuable to put forth all that effort. I don’t know about you, but that gives me encouragement and hope during this season in world history!   

Secondly, the Bible is clear that every person who claims the name of Christ is to be an imitator of Christ: to follow in his footsteps and to adopt his humble and sacrificial attitude. God did not come into a gold-glinted palace smelling of sweet incense but instead arrived in a tumbledown barn with the pungent scent of straw and manure. That means we are to take the low road of servant-hood instead of the high road to glory.  The Apostle Paul framed it this way: “Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Don’t think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing. Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross” (Philippians 2:3—8, New Living Translation).   

I think for many of us, during Advent, we make an extra effort to be more humble and compassionate and generous. We give more money to charities and rally around community needs. But here’s the thing: Why don’t we do that year round, regardless of the holiday? Does Christ only want us to imitate him during Christmas? After all, Advent is not only about his first coming, but his second coming as well.

It’s all about the people!

 

Have you ever wondered why we as Americans obsess about our homes/buildings/facilities? Every year we spend millions of dollars on decorations, paint, repairs, renovations and upgrades. The Home Depot and Walmart have countless people pass through their doors looking for the right appliance or epoxy that will spruce up or fix their humble abode.  The same is true of companies and corporations that hire maintenance staff and landscapers to make everything look just right.

                One answer to this question is what ancient and modern philosophers and theologians have referred to as “aesthetics.” That is, humans are hard-wired to seek and create beauty. It touches our souls. I believe this desire for beauty is an example of what the Bible teaches regarding the “imago Dei”: human beings are created in the image of God.  God is lovely and creates lovely things, therefore we share the same passion.

                Nonetheless, I have to wonder if we have taken it all a bit too far.  I have been reflecting on this recently because of all the construction that has taken place on our church facility since I became Pastor two and half years ago. When I first arrived the church was just started an ambitious renovation campaign to dramatically modernize and improve our foyer, offices and sanctuary. Then we moved on to upgrading our children’s and youth wings. And then we installed air conditioning in the sanctuary. And then we replaced our sanctuary speaker system. Now we are rebuilding the ramp to our front entrance while also seeking to upgrade our fellowship hall. When does it ever end? The church building is only 37 years old and yet in the past two years we have spent tens of thousands of dollars to maintain and improve it. 

                Now don’t get me wrong! I am not complaining, just musing. Facilities, particularly church buildings, can serve an important purpose. They can provide a place to gather for meaningful worship and fellowship, where people can connect with God and one another. Creating the right environment is an important piece for connecting: studies show that lighting and colors and scents impact and shape people’s perceptions, moods and emotions. There is a reason people will pay four dollars for a cup of coffee at Starbucks rather than two dollars at Dunkin’ Donuts and contrary to popular opinion it is not all about the taste of the coffee. People will pay extra money to sit in plush chairs situated by fireplaces. (Believe me, I know from personal experience!)  

                Yet as is often the case, the Bible corrects my thinking and puts everything back into perspective. Ultimately, the church is all about the people, not the building. That is why the Bible calls the church, aka God’s people, the Body of Jesus Christ and the Bride of Jesus Christ.   The closest we get to the building image is found in 1 Peter 2:5: “And now God is building you, as living stones, into his spiritual temple.” (New Living Translation)  The Apostle Peter reminds us that we are a “spiritual temple” composed of “living stones.” Now the church in the first century understood and embraced this concept fully because they did not possess church buildings.  Acts 2:46 tells us that “They worshiped together at the Temple each day [and] met in homes for the Lord’s Supper.”  As the church spread rapidly, Christians would meet wherever they could find space: homes, fields, etc. And when the Roman Empire persecuted them, they dug holes underground called catacombs. (I have toured these subterranean dwellings near Rome and it was an unforgettable experience!)

                Ironically, God’s people have oftentimes seemed better off without official buildings. In China, where Christians are currently persecuted, (along with other religious groups) Christianity is exploding. And it is due to small groups of believers meeting in homes or secret places to worship and fellowship. They don’t have the option or resources to invest large sums of money into buildings. They meet where they can, when they can. I must admit, there is something refreshing about that.

                All of this helps me refocus my energy and attention onto people. Because after all, that is the heart of Christianity: a relationship with the Triune God and with people. No buildings required.

We need a ministry paradigm shift!

Hello Everyone,

I don’t know if you like stats, but these stats are paradigm shifting for me. We need to pray and strategize (as leaders and churches) and most importantly, understand that WE ARE missionaries in Rhode Island. Please check out the link and my summary below:

*THE BOTTOM LINE:

Southeastern New England (Boston to Providence corridor) has the lowest percentage in the US of “evangelicals” and “born again Christians”.  It has the least “Christian oriented” population. It has the lowest rate of small-group participation in the US. It is where people are least likely to share their faith in Christ. It is the least likely place for people to believe in the sovereignty of God. It has the highest percent of “notional Christians,” atheists and agnostics!

http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/173-godless-hollywood-bible-belt-new-research-exploring-faith-in-americas-largest-markets-produces-surprises

Summary of Barna Survey Results (24,000 adults in 86 largest metro areas):

*Of 86 US metro areas, Salt Lake City, Hartford, and Providence have the lowest proportion of evangelicals.

*In the US, 4/10 people are ‘born again Christian’ [not self-defined]. There were also six out of the 86 markets studied that had fewer than 25% of the adult public satisfying the born again standard. The lowest of those were Boston (21%) and Providence (21%).

*The Faith By Market  report estimates how Christian-oriented a market’s population is, based upon a combination of faith factors. The markets whose indexed score was at the bottom of the list were Boston and Providence, whose scores were 35% below the national norm.

*The three markets with the lowest rates of small group participation are Albany (NY), Boston and Providence.

*Adults are most likely to claim they have a responsibility to share their religious beliefs with other people if they live in Birmingham, Alabama. That perspective is least common in Providence and Green Bay.

*Believing that God is “the all-knowing, all-powerful creator of the universe who still rules it today” is least predominant in Boston and San Francisco.

*The states with the lowest proportion of born again residents having shared their faith in Christ with a non-believer in the past year were Massachusetts and Tennessee.

*The largest percentage of adults who are “notional Christians” – that is, those who consider themselves to be Christian but are not born again – are found in Massachusetts and Wisconsin.  

*One out of every six residents of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Washington are atheist or agnostic – nearly double the national average.

An Open Letter to My Newborn Son

Dear Kelan William Hoffman,

It was our overwhelming joy when you were born on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 at Newport Hospital. You arrived two weeks early and with a delivery time of less than 40 minutes, faster than we could have imagined! But you and mommy were healthy and happy and so we thanked God.

 Since you came into this world right before the 4^th of July, I want to give you a brief history of “Independence Day” and update you on the current state of affairs of this great nation of which you are now a new citizen.  

 On July 2, 1776, at the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, the 13 American Colonies voted to declare independence from Great Britain. On July 4^th, our Founding Fathers sealed their commitment to freedom by signing the Declaration of Independence. The famous preamble declares “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” John Adams, one of the “Committee of Five” that drafted the declaration,  penned a letter to his wife Abigail in which he said “The second day of July 1776 will be the most memorable epocha in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the Day of Deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.” In his Pulitzer Prize winning book “John Adams,” author David McCullough states “That the hand of God was involved in the birth of a new nation he had no doubt. ‘It is the will of heaven that the two countries should be sundered forever.’ ”

 Kelan, this nation was founded by people that believed deeply in God and in personal sacrifice. By breaking away from Great Britain, they were now traitors, to be hunted down and executed for rebelling against their mother nation. Now these men were imperfect: some had affairs and most possessed slaves. Yet they held the conviction that freedom was worth fighting for and dying for. They knew that God created a world in which you cannot have rights without responsibility.

 And that brings us to the year you were born. The USA is in a recession deeper than we have seen in the past 25 years, and perhaps even the greatest since the Great Depression of the 1930’s. Unemployment now stands at 9.1%. Our government is trillions of dollars in debt, much of which you will most likely inherit and pay for. Consumers, banks, and automakers are on the verge of failing or going into bankruptcy. Economists say our current situation is due to a “lack of regulatory oversight of financial markets.”  Theologians label it individual and corporate greed. A nation once founded on personal sacrifice has lately been driven by personal materialism and self-indulgence. Historically speaking, nations that continue on this trajectory are weakened until they implode from within and/or are defeated from without (i.e. see Roman Empire).    

 But Kelan, for better or for worse, your father is an optimist and not a chicken little. The 4^th of July is coming, and you can’t cry on the most important day of your nation’s history. However, you can choose to listen to your nation’s Founding Fathers who said that on this day, all Americans “ought to celebrate, commemorate, and do solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.” What are these solemn acts of devotion? Well, one night this same God Almighty appeared to King Solomon and said “…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land”(2 Chronicles 7:14).

 My dearest Kelan, if it was God’s will that this nation be birthed, then perhaps it is God’s will that this nation be rescued and restored from its sinful choices. There is always grace and redemption when people look to God for help.

 That is what I want you to know this 4^th of July, and every 4^th of July in which you live and breathe in this great nation where you were born.

 

Your loving Daddy,

 

Paul Hoffman

Don’t Forget to Remember!

 

            This past Mother’s day I took a brief sojourn to my hometown of Portland, Maine. I had not visited there in six years, which is a little less than 1/5^th of my life!  Since that time, I have lived in Massachusetts, Colorado and Rhode Island. I have worked in the business world, bought a house, had our first son, failed at planting a new church, and led the revitalization of an old church. Sad to admit, but in that short time I have also traveled to Italy, Poland, Israel, Switzerland, Germany, France and Jamaica. I feel like I have lived a lifetime in just 6 years!

Since a return to my old stomping grounds was long overdue, I headed 180 miles north on I-95. My first goal for this trip was to join my sister in taking my Mom out to lunch for Mother’s day. But my second goal was to reflect and reminisce in the place where I lived from grades five through twelve. Those were formative years with many struggles and successes.

Given the fact I only had two days to work with, I did a tour de force. After Mother’s Day lunch, we weaved around the Old Port of downtown Portland. We sauntered around the docks where we used to catch the ferry to Peak’s Island for our annual summer vacation. I stood in the pulpit of the church I attended during my teenage years. I then went out to dinner with my father at the Mexican restaurant where my sister works. Afterwards we watched the sunset on the Western Promenade and read the inscriptions on three hundred year old gravestones. The next day I poked around my old house: the pool I used to clean and do back flips into, my bedroom where I slept and did Spanish homework, the basement where I lifted weights. Every room evoked dozens of memories. Then we stopped by my high school, which has since been renovated and connected to the old junior high building. I spoke with my US History teacher and thanked her for helping give me a passion for the past. I walked around the track where I used to pole vault and do sprint relays. Then, to cap it all off, I visited with one of my best friends from high school, and got to meet her youngest daughter. After that I hit the road back to Newport.

            The whole experience was a bit surreal. Since I moved to Newport over two years ago, I have felt a gentle, yet persistent tug to return to my roots. When I finally got there, I did not know what to expect or how I would respond. Yet even though it seemed that Portland had changed, I realized I had changed vastly more. I was not the same person. This came through when my emotions varied widely: at times I felt a strong twinge of nostalgia while at other times I felt detached, like I was touring a museum and observing the exhibits.

            When it was all said and done, I was so glad that I went.  My time in Maine brought to mind a line from the Bon Jovi song Who Says You Can’t Go Home?: “You take the home from the boy, but not the boy from his home.” We are all shaped by our past: our experiences, our family, our education, our location. That is why one of key commands of the Bible is found in the word REMEMBER. According to the PC Study Bible, this word appears 167 times in the New International Version. In Deut. 5:15 God commanded the Israelites to “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outreached arm.” God constantly admonished his people to remember who he is, who they are, and what he has done for them.

            So you and I cannot forget to remember and to reflect. Our past has created our present. I am so glad for holidays such as Memorial Day, when we remember those who have paid the ultimate price in service to our nation. But remembering must become a constant companion in our daily lives.  Because when it isn’t, we lose sight of our very own identity.

Not so Simple!

Simple is in! The new trend in the business world is to simplify everything. For some reason, this idea has become a boomerang that keeps returning and whacking me in the head and it’s beginning to hurt!

It all started when my sister gave me the book Simplicity: The New Competitive Advantage in a World of More, Better, Faster. My sister is not even in the business world! Then one of my best friends got a job at a company that is hired by corporations such as Dominos Pizza and Alaskan Airlines in order to simplify its phone prompts and website interface so people can navigate as quickly and as easily as possible. Companies don’t want customers wasting time or getting frustrated buying their products! Then a pastor friend recommended I read the book Simple Church which discusses how churches can simplify their structure and “process for making disciples.” This book points out how the Ipod is designed for simplicity: it has one big button through which the user operates and accesses files. Furthermore, Google has a very streamlined and simple main page. And then yesterday I spoke with a Colonel in the Marines who is part of a think tank at the Navy War College. He attempted to explain to me the concept of “singularity.” According to Wikipedia “technological singularity” is a “theoretical future point that takes place during a period of unprecedented technological progress sometime after the creation of a Superintelligence.” Apparently, sometime between 2025—2030, one supercomputer will have more intelligence than all human beings on earth combined. Perhaps this computer will simplify a lot of problems. If it has the power to pay my bills and change diapers, sign me up!

Now all of this is nice in theory. But I am clergyman. On a daily basis I operate in the vast realm between God and people. In the midst of those two entities, nothing seems simple! Everything appears unwieldy and complex. For example, there is the seeming contradiction between God’s omniscience and human free will. I like how Rabbinic literature explains this problem: “Everything is foreseen; yet free will is given” (Sayings of the Fathers aka, Pirkei Avoth 3:15, Rabbi Akiva). Protestant theologian J.I. Packer, in his book Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, explains the conundrum of God’s sovereignty and human free will as an “antinomy,” as two opposing yet equally valid truths. Packer points out that light in an antinomy: it is both a wave and a particle. Does any of that sound simple to you?

And then we must face the complexity of human beings. Philosophers and theologians such as Plato, Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, Hegel, Nietzsche, and Sartre have debated as to what a human being is composed of for thousands of years. Are we body, soul, mind, being…some of the above…all the above?

If God and human beings are so complex, why are we trying so hard to simplify everything? Are we attempting to gain a sense of control by imposing false constructs that will never work? Are we creating a mirage and so deluding ourselves? Can anything be simple?

Well since I am a pastor, and Easter has just passed, it reminds me of a particular story regarding Karl Barth. Even though I personally do not agree with all of his teaching, Dr. Barth is considered to be one of the greatest theologians in church history. Pope Pius XII described him as the most important theologian since Aquinas. The story goes that once a reporter asked Dr. Barth if he could summarize the content of his many volumes of writing. He paused for a moment and then replied “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

His response sounds so simple, almost too easy for a complex world. But it is a good start and I’ll hang my hat on it!

A New Kind of Desperation

  

Have you ever witnessed an event which shocked you? Which put your life back into perspective? I experienced a moment like that a few days ago. Our church just commissioned its first ever, overseas, short-term missions team.  Ten people (including myself) spent a week in Jamaica serving the poor in Christ’s name.

 

Now lest you think we were there primarily to acquire a nice tan while making ourselves feel good by doing a few acts of kindness, you must understand the condition of this island nation.  There are two Jamaicas: the resort areas and the rest of the country.  For example, the average Jamaican survives on ten American Dollars a day!  The website www.CIA.gov states that Jamaicans face serious problems such as high inflation, high unemployment, and a high crime rate “including gang violence that is fueled by the drug trade.” 

 

This reality was made personal to us through an unpleasant incident. Our team was working in a small town called Zion, in the parish of Trewlany, which is east of Montego Bay.  We had been helping add an addition to a church, consisting of a bathroom, children’s church room and an office.  We were also involved in empowering Jamaicans through micro-enterprise development: building and repairing chicken coops and providing chicks and feed so the Jamaicans could support themselves.  On Monday, March 9 a delivery of chicks and bags of feed was dropped off a hundred yards from the church we were working at.  A crowd gathered and then the fireworks started!

 

We had a list of Jamaicans who were to receive this initial gift of chicks and chicken feed. One man who was a beneficiary of this generosity started yelling and swearing at two Jamaican women. He brandished a jack knife and waved it in the air as a show of force, to add emphasis to what he was saying (which is still unclear to me). He grew louder and more frenzied in his gestures until he slashed open a bag of feed to drive his point home. Afterwards, he calmed down and asked for forgiveness for his outburst. Even though we were not in physical harm, the chaos and confusion caused a few of our team members to become upset.  Consequently, we removed our team from the location to make sure everyone felt safe.

 

Before we left another unfortunate event occurred.  A Jamaican named Andy, who had been helping with the construction work at the church, stole five bags of feed during the chaos and sat on them. He was not scheduled to receive anything that day but took advantage of the situation.  A couple of his Jamaican friends and a few of our team members pleaded with him to return the bags, but he refused.  He starting sulking and cursing, saying this was his only chance to get a “break in life” and that he deserved it. We told him if he would just return the bags and apologize, we could bless him with chicks and feed in the future, but he flatly rejected us. 

 

Then one team member found Andy’s backpack at the church, gave it to him, and told Andy he should do the right thing, as he had just done the right thing in returning Andy’s back pack.  He explained to Andy that he could have kept the back pack, which was stealing, but instead returned it to him and implored him to do the same with the bags of feed.  Our team was dismayed when Andy missed the lesson and refused to show mercy as he had been shown mercy. 

 

That night, as our team processed the event, one of the things that struck me was the desperation that Andy must have felt to do something so stupid.  He was operating from a momentary outlook.  By stealing now, he ensured we would not give him anything in the future so as not to reward his bad behavior.  If he could have expressed his desires to us, we could have helped him soon thereafter.  But by publicly pilfering a few dollars worth of chicken feed, he forfeited the future blessings that could have been his. Therein lay the real tragedy of the situation.   

 

But I wondered aloud, apart from my Christian convictions, if I would have acted any differently than Andy.  If I felt his despair, would I have done the same thing?  Like so many things in life, I believe it all depends on your perspective.

Does Character Matter Anymore?

        Earlier this month, two of President Obama’s Cabinet level nominees abruptly removed their names from consideration. On Wednesday, Feb. 4 Tom Daschle withdrew his nomination for Secretary of Health and Human Services and Nancy Killefer withdrew her nomination for being the “chief performance officer.” In response media giants like the Wall Street Journal openly criticized the President for his apparent hypocrisy of promising to change our political culture and then attempting to place people in prominent positions of leadership who did not seem able to pay their taxes until they came under national scrutiny and were forced to do so.
        To President Obama’s credit, he admitted that he “screwed up” and said “I’ve got to own up to my mistake.” Of course he said that after he publicly and unwaveringly supported Daschle. But for me, this whole situation raised the issue of character vs. competency. In American history we have traveled this road many times in debating the difference between a person’s personal and professional life. I remember this being a big issue when President Clinton was dealing with the Monica Lewinsky scandal. People argued that as long as Clinton could still function well in his professional life, his personal life did not matter: it was irrelevant or even off-limits.
        I passionately believe that Biblically speaking, that kind of thinking is incorrect. Many of us know the story of 1 Samuel 17 where David fights Goliath and wins. But not many people know the story of 1 Samuel 16 where we see HOW God chose David to be the next King of Israel. In this passage, God sends the prophet Samuel to choose a new leader because King Saul had gone off his rocker and God decided to replace him. When Samuel arrived in Bethlehem, the town where David lived, he immediately wanted to select David’s brother Eliab based on his good looks: tall, dark and handsome. He looked like a king! But God told Samuel this: “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
        God looks at the inner man, at his character. It matters greatly to God. God does not distinguish between who we are in public and who we are in private, between “what we do” and “who we are.” To Him, they are one and the same. It is only humans that create this false construct.
Now I believe that to be true of all people, but especially true of leaders because leaders are held to a higher standard. That is what it means to be a leader. Leaders are entrusted with something great, the care of people. We willingly choose to serve and protect real hearts and lives, whether as a President, or teacher or pastor or police man, etc. With the rights and respect of being a leader comes great responsibility, including being a role model that people look up to. Leaders are public figures that should be both willing and able to handle the heat that comes with their job. If someone cannot handle the responsibility of being a leader, he or she should step aside and let someone else do it. There is no shame in that. There is only shame in attempting to ignore one’s responsibilities and have it both ways.
        When it comes to a discussion of leadership, one of the best models I have seen is presented in the book The Ascent of a Leader by Thrall, NcNicol and McElrath. They argue that good leadership is a like a ladder with two sides (or rails): character and competency. A leader must be developed in both areas to be effective. If a leader’s competence (ability) is greater than her character, then she will make poor moral choices in the face of hardship. Likewise, if a leader’s character far outstrips her competence, she will not have the necessary tools to complete the tasks required. That is why leader’s need to be balanced on the inside and outside. But make no mistake, both sides are interdependent.
        So let’s strive to be people that develop the inner and outer man/woman, because it truly matters to God and to those who might follow us.

A Day in the life…of a Pastor

            Usually in my Clergy Corner article I endeavor to explore and discuss what I believe is a compelling issue impacting our community and society. For example, in the past I have written about underage drinking, faith and politics, the economy and even the U.S. Automakers bailout plan. But this time around I want to try something different, maybe even a tad risqué. I am going to be vulnerable; I am going to reveal a small slice of a pastor’s heart and life. So here goes…
            Sunday, December 14 was a unique and special day in my life as a clergyman. At that time, I had served as the Senior Pastor of Evangelical Friends Church of Newport since February of 2007, about 22 months. But this day was one of only a handful of days that I am sure I will look back on years later, and smile, and thank God for. That morning we celebrated the retirement of the GRO plan, an ambitious renovation project the church adopted in December of 2006. Because we believed God wanted to do a new thing in our church body, we raised $170,000 to update and improve our facilities so we could reach and accommodate new people: people who are hurting and need encouragement, people who like God but not church “as usual,” people who are searching for the loving family they never had, or people looking to connect with God in a more meaningful way. And we are so thankful because we are in the process of accomplishing that goal as our church has grown spiritually and numerically.
             But that was not even the best part! During a few crucial moments in our campaign, the church dealt with some contentious and potentially divisive issues. Some people in our church—including leaders—held strong views on both sides. But on Dec. 14 we retired that history along with our debt. One of our former elders (who had since relocated to Dallas) flew into town for the celebration. This man, along with a few others, gave stirring public testimony to the beauty and power and unity of God’s work at our church. Afterwards, there were few dry eyes in that sanctuary because we realized we had come out on the other side stronger and more effective as a body of believers. Praise be to Jesus Christ!
             As if that was not enough excitement for one day, a few hours later that elder and I went to Newport Hospital to visit an important person. Allow me to explain. At the end of September one of my pastor friends watched as his wife collapsed during a Sunday morning worship service. She was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital where she was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm and given a small chance of survival. Myself, and other pastors traveled to Providence to lay hands on her and pray for her full restoration. Many churches and hundreds of Christ-followers on Aquidneck Island and all around the U.S. prayed for her healing every day. Slowly, over the next couple of months she started to recover. In December she was transported back to Newport Hospital and then returned home before Christmas. On this Sunday afternoon my friend and I were amazed at her memory and cognitive ability. You could hardly tell anything had ever happened to her. It is truly a miracle!
             In my line of work you witness and experience a tremendous amount of heartache and pain as you walk with people through the gritty reality of their daily lives. It can weigh on clergy, so much so that many quit because of burnout, never to return. But on December 14, 2008 I experienced an extraordinary day. A day for the ages. A day that refuels and energizes you. A day that reminds you of the critical importance of fulfilling your God-given mission and vision, because so much hangs in the balance.
            I don’t know about you, but I think we all need more days like that.

Rewarding Failure

          Do you think failure should be positively rewarded? I don’t. That is why I felt a sense of frustration as Congress announced this week that they were looking to give an emergency loan package of between $15—17 billion to the “Big Three” automakers to keep them solvent through the beginning of next year. Remember, this announcement comes a few weeks after the CEOs of the automakers jumped on the bailout wagon (sorry I couldn’t resist the pun!) and showed up at Capitol Hill in their private jets (which cost $20,000 a trip) and asked for blank checks with no apparent plans to change their cash bleeding ways. When the public backlash hit, the chastened CEOs returned to Washington driving hybrid cars with slick business models. Needless to say, they were greeted with much skepticism. The primary reason they have gained a hearing is due to the attempt to save millions of American auto related jobs in this historic recession.
          But is this how America has come to operate? We will forgive and overlook repeated futility and failure? We have witnessed this song and dance before from the automakers. They have already received billions of dollars in government aid and still they are on the verge of bankruptcy. How do we know this time things will be any different? How can Americans be assured we will not be rehashing this same conversation a year from now? Honestly, when is enough, enough?
          The Bible is very relevant regarding the issue of failure and consequences.  Galatians 6:7—8 states “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man [or woman] reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” (NIV). The Bible teaches that there are consequences to our actions. Bad behavior results in punishment. Good behavior results in reward.
          When God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20, He was laying out boundaries as to what behavior was acceptable and what behavior was unacceptable. Imagine that, God has standards! My wife and I teach the same thing to our three year old son. It is not appropriate to hit other people, or pull hair, or steal a toy, or yell, or be disrespectful, to name a few rules. If he violates the rules, there are negative consequences, like a time out. But if he is a good boy, we reward him and praise him.
          But the automakers seem to operate in an alternate reality. They are losing sales and revenue because foreign competitors are beating their socks off, their stock prices are dropping to historic lows, and they are incurring massive debt. They beg the government for help and then the government says “OK, here is some more money to keep perpetuating your bad behavior.” It is simply rewarding failure. I would be labeled a bad parent if I acted that way. And I would be called a bad pastor if I ignored or even rewarded inappropriate behavior at our church.
Now as I write all of this I feel a strong tension. The greatest concept in the Bible is the idea of Grace. That God does not always give us what we deserve (punishment) and sometimes gives us what we do not deserve (kindness). God is not a capriciously vengeful God, but a God of love and forgiveness. But He still has standards.
          Thankfully, Congress is now talking about providing oversight and accountability by creating a cabinet level “car czar” position and taking a 20% stake in the auto industry to ensure its success. And surprisingly Chris Dodd, the Senator from Connecticut, has publicly called for the CEO of General Motors, Rick Wagoner, to resign if GM is to receive any bailout money. Finally, someone is trying to enforce a level of accountability! But my question is this: why now? Why wait until the ship is sinking to fire the captain? Is this all too little too late?