Revitalize Your Church

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 PR...

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. ...

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 t...

I discovered, long ago, that a wish or desire is not enough to get something done. Every accomplishment starts with an idea, of course -- but ideas, alone, won't make things happen. Even a very strong "want to" won't bring the follow through. Getting something done requires doing something ahead of time! 1. What Gets Scheduled Gets Done. A while back, I shared a great vacation idea with my wife, Cathy. "Hey, we should go on a cruise sometime!" "When are you thinking we should do this?" Cathy wondered. "I dunno. Just sometime . . ." Cathy replied, "Well, the only way that's going to happen is if it gets on the calendar." For years, I said I wanted to author a book, but never seemed to have the time to write it. Then, I actually did it. Here's what made the difference. I put" book writing" on my weekly calendar. When I scheduled a definite time to write -- presto -- the book magically appea...

I ran across the phrase, "earth born clouds" in  John Keble's  classic book of poetry,  The Christian Year , based on  The Book of Common Prayer. Keble, a 19th Century Anglican, was trying to connect his church liturgy with common language of the heart. Here's the phrase I read that captured me: Sun of my soul, Thou Savior, dear. It is not night if Thou be near. Oh! May no  earth born clouds  arise to hide thee from thy servant's eyes. I've been pondering -- what are the earth born clouds that keep us from seeing Jesus? What is the hazy mist that obscures our vision? Here are six -- 1. compartmentalization (segregating the sacred from the common) 2. inordinate affection (loving the things of earth too much) 3. discouragement (a spirit of heaviness) 4. negativity (unbelief disguised as wisdom) 5. anxiety (F.E.A.R. -- False Evidence Appearing Real) 6. turmoil (relational snags) I have experienced all of the above as earth born clouds a...

There is a pervasive form of contemporary violence . . . activism and overwork.  The rush and pressure of modern life are a form, perhaps the most common form, of its innate violence.  To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands.  To commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything, is to succumb to violence.  The frenzy. . . kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful. --  Thomas Merton  (From Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day by Pete Scazzero)

Setbacks are a part of life.  Nobody goes from one success to another without experiencing difficulties and troubles.  As philosopher, M. Scott Peck said,  "Life is difficult." Sometimes, life feels like a climbing a steep mountain on a hot, humid, summer afternoon, and there's no end in sight.  The struggle in oppressive heat and pressure brings weariness to the bone.  Our spirits naturally wilt in the afternoon heat, under the stress of these conditions.   We've all experienced these seasons of depletion, and troubles have a tendency to get the best of us, dragging us down into discouragement and despair.  If we don't get the best of them, they will get the best of us. Of course, it helps to remember that even Jesus had wilderness days when he was tempted, and he said, "In this world, you WILL have tribulation" (John 16:33).  At least we're in good company. Troubles and heartaches are a part of life, and so we need to lea...

"The game is scheduled.  We have to play it.  We might as well win!" -- Bill Russell former NBA star of the Boston Celtics

After a long hiatus from blogging, I've decided to start posting again.  At one time, Revitalize Your Church had a considerable following, and was often ranked among the leading ministry blogs.  Then, things happened.   My blogging slowed to a stand-still and the readership evaporated. Several have asked me why I stopped blogging.  Here is an explanation -- along with why I'm back in the saddle again: First, I started writing books instead of blogs.  My friend, Keith Drury, told me, "blogging is jogging".  The book is the marathon.  But post-marathon (it has been two years since my last book), I failed to take up "jogging" (blogging) again.  It's time to get back into shape and hit the "writer's road"!  This is, perhaps, the only way to make the next book that is within me come to life. Secondly, the church I loved and led, Hayward Wesleyan , was in need of revitalization.  The blog title, "Revitalize Your Church", mocked me...

Faith, the seed of heaven planted by surprise in earthen soil. The barren ground reluctantly invites, mostly disdains this small possibility of hope. Stirs slightly, irritated, yawns and then settles back in lazy slumber mostly convinced that the interruption is merely a burial of another empty dream. Entombed in heavy darkness the seed of heaven sings as it reaches for a land beyond its grasp and hopes for the hand of God it cannot see. But no dark place can silence the song of faith and hope. And calloused soil cannot withstand for long refreshing rains. Slowly, steadily, the seed of heaven toils upward, onward, through the dark towards heaven's gate. Sometimes singing. Sometimes sighing. Always longing for destiny awaits. Heaven beckons, Earth responds. That is the order of all created things. The earthen tomb becomes a womb of life anew -- and resurrection! A seed, a sprout, a stalk, and then a splendid crimson flower Blooming where it first began it's morning hour. Look...