Revitalize Your Church

Here we stand at the threshold of the New Year. 2018 will soon be passed and packed away, living only in the attic of memories.   Looking ahead to 2019, I can guarantee one thing: a lot of living will go into it. How will it turn out? Only God knows. This chapter may be drama. Perhaps it will be romance. Action adventure. Comedy. Tragedy. Mystery. Next December, upon reflection, you will be able to describe the events of 2019 – but not now. The best you can do is throw your shoulders back, trust God, and march right in. You see, although you don’t know anything about the upcoming months, God does – and He will be with you as you travel from mountain top to valley.   Nobody knows what tomorrow holds, but we do know WHO holds tomorrow.  Despite our moments of anxiety, discouragement, lonliness, or sorrow,  God has promised never to leave us or forsake us. An anonymous writer captured this idea with these inspiring words: I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year

When the song of the angels is stilled, When the star in the sky is gone, When the kings and the princes are home, When the shepherds are back with their flocks, The work of Christmas begins: To find the lost, To heal the broken, To feed the hungry, To release the prisoner, To rebuild the nations, To bring peace among people, To make music in the heart. -- James Thurman

I have a need of such clearance as the Savior effected in the temple of Jerusalem a riddance of clutter of what is secondary that blocks the way to the all important central emptiness which is filled with the presence of God alone -- Jean Danielou

In her devotional,  Edges of His Ways (1932) ,  the great missionary, Amy Carmichael (1932).wrote the following based on: Psalm 68:13: Though ye have lien among the pots. . . . I think we sometimes feel as though we had. Perhaps we have been especially eager to press through and up into the clear air, and meet our Lord in the radiant, intimate way granted to others, and we do not seem to have been able to do so. The more we looked towards Him Whom our soul loveth, the more we saw His dazzling purity, the more we felt “among the pots”, sooty; like him who “would not lift up so much as his eyes unto Heaven”; like him who said, “Woe is Me! For I am undone . . . for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.” “Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.” It is the sun striking down upon the bird that gives that look of silver and gold. I have never seen it, on our doves and paddy-birds flying ac

" Lord, Thou knowest better than I know myself that I am growing older, and will someday be old. "Keep me from getting talkative, and particularly from the fatal habit of thinking I must say something on every occasion. "Release me from craving to try to straighten out everybody's affairs. "Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details-give me wings to get to the point. "I ask for grace enough to listen to the tales of others' pains. Help me to endure them with patience. "But seal my lips on my own aches and pains-they are increasing, and my love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by. "Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally it is possible that I may be mistaken. "Keep me reasonably sweet; I do not want to be a saint-some of them are so hard to live with-but a sour old person is one of the crowning works of the devil. "Make me thoughtful, but not moody; helpful, but not bossy. W

Dear Lord and Father of mankind, forgive our foolish ways; reclothe us in our rightful mind, in purer lives thy service find, in deeper reverence, praise.  In simple trust like theirs who heard beside the Syrian sea the gracious calling of the Lord, let us, like them, without a word rise up and follow thee. O Sabbath rest by Galilee, O calm of hills above, where Jesus knelt to share with thee the silence of eternity, interpreted by love! Drop thy still dews of quietness, till all our strivings cease; take from our souls the strain and stress, and let our ordered lives confess the beauty of thy peace. Breathe through the heats of our desire thy coolness and thy balm; let sense be dumb, let flesh retire; speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire, O still, small voice of calm! --  John Greenleaf Whittier

"You cannot effectively lead  from a heart of insecurity. Security encourages debate; insecurity fears debate. Security encourages criticism; insecurity fears criticism. Security welcomes diversity; insecurity builds walls. Beautiful challenge of self-awareness today." -- L. D. Buckingham in Zoom conversation with my Launching Your Ministry Class.   Notes from Paige Rouse.

"Satan is not necessarily opposed to all Christian work. He cares little how zealously we busy ourselves at good things so long as we do not work in the power of the Holy Spirit. He is often pleased if we work so hard and so long that we begin to fret and worry. He is happy if we undertake more work than we can saturate with prayer. He would not seriously oppose if every Christian were a tireless worker -- so long as he worked only in his human energy and was not empowered and anointed by the Spirit of God." -- Wesley L. Duewel

Thanksgiving is not a holiday -- it's an attitude! If it's just a holiday for us, then we let ourselves off the hook. "I'll celebrate Thanksgiving one day a year, and be a grouch the other 364!" Actually, Thanksgiving Day is simply a reminder of how we should live every moment.  It is a special day to celebrate what we are called to be all year long! Thanksgiving is "Thanks-living!" Did you know that thankfulness and mental health go together? Counting your blessings brings healing, inner strength and emotional well-being. Everything goes downhill with negativism and self pity. How does a person cultivate a thankful heart? 1. Go hunting for small blessings. Your life is packed with millions of small treasures! Sometimes, petty annoyances distract us from the abundance of joy. 2. Focus on what you have rather than what you wish you had. Perhaps you don't have everything you'd like -- Is this really the end of the worl

“The first service that one owes to others in the fellowship consists in listening to them. Just as love to God begins with listening to His Word, so the beginning of love for others is learning to listen to them. It is God’s love for us that He not only gives us His Word but also lends us His ear. So it is His work that we do for others when we learn to listen to them. Christians, especially ministers, so often think they must always contribute something when they are in the company of others, that this is the one service they have to render. They forget that listening can be a greater service than speaking. Many people are looking for an ear that will listen. They do not find it among Christians, because these Christians are talking where they should be listening. But those who can no longer listen to others will soon be no longer listening to God either; they will be doing nothing but prattle in the presence of God too. This is the beginning of the death of the spiritual lif

  A man went to the doctor, worried about his wife’s temper.   The doctor asked, “What’s the problem?”   The man said, “Doctor, I don’t know what to do. Every day my wife seems to lose her temper for no reason. It scares me.”   The doctor said, “I have a cure for that. When it seems that your wife is getting angry, just take a glass of water and start swishing it in your mouth. Just swish and swish but don’t swallow it until she either leaves the room or calms down.”   Two weeks later, the man came back to the doctor looking fresh and reborn.   The man said, “Doctor, that was a brilliant idea! Every time my wife started losing it, I swished with water. I swished and swished, and she calmed right down! How does a glass of water do that?”   The doctor said, “The water itself does nothing. It’s keeping your mouth shut that does the trick.”   (Thanks to my brother, Steve, who shared this funny joke with me.)

God is love—love lived out through the power of the Holy Spirit in a community of gifted individuals playing one musical piece in different parts, a holy symphony.   Holiness is life lived by people in the fullness of the Holy Spirit who are empowered to offer a drastic alternative to the world around them. Love is the melody running through the community, underneath the community, and all around the community.   The Christian community is not a place of jarring instruments singing different songs, or a place of gossip, conflict, rejection, pain, strife, and hatred. It is a place where the Spirit’s fruit is present in abundance, so much so that the world around the Christian community can’t help but join the melody. It is a community that is so unified, so melodious, so beautiful that it stops others in their tracks. Those on the outside can’t help but peer in, and watch with awe and wonder, and notice the unity of the symphony.   Instead of the emphasis being on the so

Occasionally, all of us find ourselves overloaded. Sometimes, it’s the result of circumstances beyond our control. Often, however, it’s because of poor energy/time management on our part. As Momma said, “You’ve bitten off more than you can chew!” This is particularly true for “can do” people with a bias for “yes.” They get a lot accomplished, and occasionally find themselves swamped in the process.   As one of those “can do – bias for yes” people, I’ve found myself in that condition numerous times along the way. I’ve gleaned a few insights from those experiences, and offer a few suggestions to consider when you’ve bitten off more than you can chew. 1)   Ask yourself – “Why am I doing this?” We assume unnecessary responsibilities because we don’t want to disappoint someone, or because we haven’t mastered the art of gracious refusal. If you don’t have a good reason why you’re carrying the load, that’s a good clue that you shouldn’t have picked it up in the first place.

A man was bitten by a rabid dog and ended up in bed seriously ill.  He  mustered up enough strength to request a pen and a pad of paper.   Then, he began to write furiously -- page after page.  "Honey, are you  writing your last will and testament?" his wife asked.  "No," he  replied, "I'm making a list of people I'm going to bite!"  "His bark is worse than his bite" has been said both of dogs and  grumps.  Unfortunately, there are some people who can pack a pretty  vicious bite.  Perhaps, you have been "bitten" by someone.  Maybe you felt the sting  of gossip or the barbs of unjust criticism.  Such encounters leave us  wounded and in need of emotional first aid.  How do you handle "attack dog people"  -- the ones who snarl and snap  at you, and will take a hunk out of your behind if you turn your back?  1.  Remember, hurting people hurt people.   When they lash out, it  reveals their deep inner pain.  It is

 One day, after making a hospital visit in Duluth, Minnesota, I was drawn by the spire of the old First Presbyterian Church. A kind secretary opened up the sanctuary for me to sit and pray for a while.  Gazing around, my eyes fell upon a beautiful stained glass window. It was the picture of a gravestone with dark purple and black hues overshadowing it. But at the top of the window, squarely in the center of a black night, shone a bright golden star -- which seemed to exude hope and light. The star was the focal point of the window.  At the bottom, the following words were inscribed: In memory of Sarah Agnes Graff  1853-1889  Build a little fence of trust around today.  Fill the space with loving work and therein stay.  Look not through the sheltering bars upon tomorrow.  God will help thee bear whatever comes, of joy or sorrow. I wondered what the story was behind Sarah Agnes Graff -- who passed into eternity at the tender age of 36. What was it about her th

Image from https://www.xpastor.org 1.  Intelligent boards don't mind making complex decisions and they don't want the decision made for them ahead of time. 2.  The higher the engagement and leadership horsepower, the less likely rubber-stamping will be satisfactory.  They will not settle for the first, simple solution.  They need to think it through. 3.  Intelligent boards need good information in order to make good decisions.  This requires a good amount of homework on someone's part, and a clear presentation of options at the meeting. 4.  The best way to frustrate (and lose) intelligent board members is to clog the agenda with trivial non-essentials.  Every meeting should be built around the highest priorities. 5.  Hearty, constructive, debate, expressing differences of opinion is a good way to discover the best answer.  This requires at least some measure of emotional health on the part of all the participants. 6.  Understand that stress and anxiety from

If you are given the task to lead the congregation in prayer on Sunday morning, I encourage you to consider the following: 1) You are the representative of the people  -- bringing their prayers and the concerns of their hearts before the Father. It is not just your own personal prayer -- so instead if saying, "God, I love you so much" say, "God, we are here to tell you how much we love you." 2) Be sure you don't pray the same phrases every time.  Change it up. If you don't prepare and think about the prayer, you will automatically resort to old familiar cliches -- which wear out quickly in public usage. 3) Say "thank you" to God early in the prayer.  "O Lord, we thank you today for providing strength, peace, and contentment for each moment. . ." 4) Don't preach at the congregation through the prayer.  Don't yell. God is not hard of hearing.  5) If you use an ancient or other written prayer -- let it stand alone.  

As you came near the spring you would marvel, seeing that the water was endless, as it constantly gushed up and poured forth. Yet you could never say that you had seen all the water. How could you see what was still hidden in the bosom of the earth? Hence no matter how long you might stay at the spring you would always be beginning to see the water. For the water never stops flowing, and it is always beginning to bubble up again. It is the same with one who fixes his gaze on the infinite beauty of God. It is constantly being discovered anew, and it is always seen as something new and strange in comparison with what the mind has already understood. And as God continues to reveal himself, man continues to wonder; and he never exhausts his desire to see more, since what he is waiting for is always more magnificent, more divine, than all that he has already see. -- Gregory of Nyssa

From Wesley's journal:  October 3, 1774:  I met those of our society who had votes in the ensuing election, and  advised them:  1) To vote, without fee or reward, for the person they judged most  worthy.  2) To speak no evil of the person they voted against.  3) To take care their spirits were not sharpened against those that voted on  the other side.

Having problems? Then be happy, because it means you are alive. The only folks in town with no problems are those in the graveyard who have gone to heaven. Any time you attempt something worthwhile, you're going to run into troubles. They come with the territory of progress. Forward movement always brings friction and resistance. These problems in our lives are there to test our resolve and resilience. Here are a few helpful principles for facing life's difficulties: 1. Big problems are reserved for big people.    The person who desires to go forward with life and aim high will have bigger problems than the one who just sits around doing nothing and watching the world go by.  The rewards are bigger, too -- and definitely worth the struggle. 2. Big plans bring big problems. God gives us the vision of what He can accomplish through us. Sometimes, His vision is accompanies by big plans and big problems. One guarantee: If God supplies the vision, He will put a PRO in f

While digging through my father's old files, I found some interesting clippings from The Wesleyan Methodist Magazine .  These articles, written over five decades ago by Dr. Oliver G. Wilson, struck a deep chord with me.  Although culture has changed considerably since that time, the essence and need of humanity remains the same.  We all need to belong, to be loved, and to be encouraged.  This is true for all people at all times, in every culture. One delightful article told of Dr. Wilson’s friend who, driving down the street, saw a mallard sitting on the sidewalk. The gentleman was intrigued by the unusual sight.  He stopped his vehicle, got out and approached the sitting duck.   Alarmed, the duck sprang to his feet and started running as fast as his little ducky legs could carry him.  The man decided to follow the worried bird. Anxiously looking back over his shoulder, the terrified mallard ran faster, and the man sped up behind him. Finally, after a running a co

After leading or participating in over a thousand board meetings, I've concluded that the most effective boards have figured out how to do the following things well: B --  Believe:   Operate by faith rather than fear.  Prayer for guidance is essential.  When faced with a big challenge, what you do next reveals what you really believe about God. O --  Optimize:   Look for ways build up, strengthen and move forward.  Focus on the possibilities, rather than the problems.  No nit picking or circle spinning. A --  Argue:   Perhaps I should say "argue constructively."  A good board is not just a bunch of rubber stampers.  Neither should it be a collection of cantankerous cranks.  On a healthy board, divergent viewpoints are encouraged and expressed positively.  The best outcomes occur after the various perspectives are weighed.  There's a way to disagree agreeably, keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  Of course, this requires humility, love and und