Heritage

Heritage refers to something to do with the past, a birthright, an estate which is passed from one generation to another.

The past few days Pat and I have visited family and friends between ministry appointments. Saturday morning Bob and I, a friend since we enrolled at Central Bible College in 1962, and a member of our wedding party in 1967, shared joys and challenges spanning decades. Life is good!

Wednesday evening we will be ministering in Bethel Assembly of God, Elkhart, IN. David and Stephanie were interns with us in the early 90's and have grown into mature pastors leading a thriving congregation. We hope to visit dear friends, Ralph and Louise Crites, on Thursday, people with whom we have worked, played, laughed and wept for more than 20 years. Another former intern now lives in Detroit and we hope to visit her family before we head home. People, and the experiences we share are part of our heritage.

But family is in a class by itself. Since Friday evening we have shared tales spanning decades with Pat’s father and her sister Sherri’s family. The uninterrupted chain of faith-laden experiences have been shared hour after hour. Our hearts have been filled with wonder and awe as we listened and remembered. It is our heritage, faith’s birthright left to succeeding generations. We’ll pick up another strand of the cord of faith’s heritage when we visit my brother’s family before ministering Sunday and heading home.

Esau did not value his birthright and swapped it for a bowl of stew. Those who carelessly cast off the influences and memories of their past are as foolish as Esau. Life will change. Old signs, buildings, and people disappear. It is inevitable. Styles have a short life in clothing, music, arts and architecture. But we are wise if we remember that we are who we are as a result of all those who have preceded us. Let us value those who have paid a dear price for faith, family, and nation. Some have given their lives, so that we have the heritage of faith and freedom.

The Spirit knows.

This morning we leave on our Midwest trip for ministry. I awakened early, a bit eager to begin traveling, and a little tense about communicating in a culture from which I have been long removed.

And then, an old truth dawned on me, “The Holy Spirit knows and has been preparing me for this moment.” We all face special occasions, difficult tasks, and hard to understand circumstances. That’s life! This week’s challenges of driving, preaching, sharing a dream, and arranging travel details are different than yours. However, your challenges are as real as mine and require the unique help only the Spirit of God can provide.

Before I ate a bagel and drank a cup of coffee, I was reminded that –

 The Holy Spirit brings truth and wholesome and redemptive experience to our remembrance. Those who have memorized God’s Word, meditated on its principles, and obeyed will have much material from which the Holy Spirit can bring to their remembrance.
 The Holy Spirit sanctifies our memory. The hurtful, negative, and damaging experiences of the past drift away from our consciousness as the good and redemptive are renewed as the Spirit speaks in us.
 The Holy Spirit teaches us to pray, brings words and dynamic ideas into our vocabulary and understanding. Dreams replace doubts and defeat. Vigor and victory replace whining whimpers. From out of the depths, the Spirit brings unutterable, deeply-felt longings and faith-filled possibilities.
There is more, but the Holy Spirit will minister to you also, far more personally and perfectly than me.

Careful now, you have a home state too! Michigan will always have a warm spot in my heart and the Detroit Tigers still have loyalty.

When we are in Indiana I will happily remind people that Pat is a Hoosier. And then, I’ll quickly add that she has not had to live there since 1967 and has almost fully recovered!

YOU MIGHT LIVE IN MICHIGAN IF.....

 
• You show people where you're from by pointing to a spot on the back of your left hand
• The only place in the world you can experience all four seasons in one day.
• You've never met any celebrities.
• At least one member of your family disowns you the week of the Michigan / Michigan State game
• You know how to pronounce "Mackinac." and get annoyed when other people can't.
• You've had to switch on the heat and the air conditioning in the same day.
• Your little league game was snowed out.
• Your year has two seasons: Winter and Construction.
• Driving in the winter is better because the pot-holes are filled with snow.
• Your favorite holidays are Christmas, Thanksgiving, and the opening of deer season, which you consider a national holiday.
• You have experienced frostbite and sunburn in the same week.
• You find 0 degrees "a little chilly."
• You know that UP is a place not a direction.

Passion!

T. Alan Armstrong, said, “Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character.” The passion to compete and win forms the character needed to thrive in arenas where skills and strength are tested. Many long for the notoriety and rewards of the champions, but few have the sustaining passion which forms the winner long before the public contest.

Old Testament victors, Gideon and David, come to mind when I think of the quiet, lonely preparation for contests each fought and won. Many would relish the fame, others were equally gifted. But, only a few change the course of history because of the passion preceding the contest.

Pat and I share a deep desire. We long to make a significant contribution in the generation emerging into leadership. The very young adults who will participate in “The Next Generation” learning-growing experience at Highway Tabernacle - Resurrection Life this summer represent a new era in urban Christian leadership. Because we are deeply convinced that Alvin, Brittany, Kayla and Zachary have amazing potential as servant leaders in the decades to come, we are giving our effort to raise awareness of the needed ministry of “The Next Generation.” We will be in churches throughout the Midwest, securing funds, and enlisting many to pray.

Our travels begin tomorrow as we head toward Green Bay, WI for services at First Assembly of God on Sunday. Wednesday, May 18th we will be in Elkhart, IN with Pastor and Mrs. David Lade, who served as interns with us in the late 1980's. And, then we will travel to Michigan to minister at Troy Church of the Nazarene on May 22. Between pulpit ministries where share our we will share our passion to develop another generation of Pentecostal servant leaders, we will meet with pastors and friends, repeating our story again and again.

Before we return home on May 22, we will have driven approximately 2500 miles; stayed with relatives, pastors and in a couple hotel rooms; and eaten few home-cooked meals. Of the 300 hours we will be away, less than 3 hours will be in a public arena, a pulpit. If we succeed, our performance will be a demonstration of endurance and desire that overcomes fatigue and natural desire for ease. Please pray for our safety as we expect to be behind the steering wheel more than 50 hours. Pat’s health remains fragile and travel is especially difficult for her. She is taking this trip, in part, because we have not seen her father for many months and he will be 90 years-old on his next birthday!

Please remember to pray daily for Alvin, Brittany, Kayla and Zachary. WHEN I WORK, I WORK. WHEN I PRAY, GOD WORKS!

Little things add up

There is great line tucked into the text of George Eliot’s classic work, Silas Marner. “Our consciousness rarely registers the beginning of a growth within us any more that without us: there have been many circulations of the sap before we detect the smallest sign of a bud.” The author’s observation squares with human experience and Scripture.

The attitudes and actions which disqualify us from full usefulness do not occur in a moment, but grow out of small experiences, lapses in judgment, and sins to which we grow accustomed. Esau serves as an example. Esau was thriving while his flaws were hidden to those nearest him. Disqualifying traits were either ignored or Isaac, with parental love, simply looked the other way.
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.” – Hebrews `12:15-17
Esau presumed that a rash moment would have little or no long-range effect. But, “Many circulations of sap” had coursed through his life story and the seed of bad judgment had germinated.

David’s private sins were buried beneath his reputation as a conquering warrior and champion.
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.” – Psalm 51:1-5
The bold warrior champion was undone by secrets tucked away in the depth of his spirit.

In contrast, the Apostle Paul writes of pure motives and acceptable behavior.
“My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.” – 1 Corinthians 4:4-5
Aren’t you glad the Holy Spirit uses many vehicles to call us to the truth in God. While George Eliot was certainly not a poster girl for church youth groups, her writing is still an instrument of the Spirit.

(By the way, Silas Marner is a great read!)

Have you returned to your elementary school as an adult? Do you remember the acute disappointment? Visiting ones elementary school in cap and gown was a tradition for high school graduates in Detroit, and I couldn’t wait to show off my emerald green gown to the little kids in my old school. But, the building that used to tower, reaching into the sky, was a rather squat two story affair the day I appeared as an emerging adult. The lighting was terrible and I was no longer used to the peculiar odor which had been a sensory trademark for decades.

This week my brother sent a photo of the “huge” house Dad built for our family in 1951. What had been the pride of our family boasts less than 1000 square feet. My father, mother, brother, sister, grandfather and I shared one bathroom – not counting a concrete, double laundry tub in the basement where we cleaned up after work. The attic bedroom was nicely finished, and all three siblings shared it for years as our grandfather used one of the first floor bedrooms.

The neighborhood has changed. The neighbors we knew are all gone, the street we were so proud to have as our address is now like most in Detroit, filled with abandoned houses, overgrown lots, and accumulated debris. Delicate details Dad included in our home, and which made us proud as children, are really insignificant now.

The memories prompted by the photo renew lessons learned in the years that have passed. They include –

• Things that once appeared so large, are not that big when ones perspective changes. Accomplishments and errors of youth fade as one moves on to greater responsibilities and challenges. Pat and I once wondered how we would make the twelve installments for a used car. The payments were staggering, somewhere between fifty and sixty dollars. The smallness of our first installment payment is now amusing!
• Good times and bad pass. A simple photo restores powerful and positive memories for us, but they joys of children and grandchildren have changed our perspective. The circumstances at the core of sleepless nights and intense prayer are now all but forgotten. The pure delight of family dampens the old anxieties.
• There is reason for Jesus’ disciples to believe that today will soon be a fond memory and that tomorrow is filled with beauties we cannot imagine. The Apostle Paul said it powerfully as the Holy Spirit inspired him, I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. (Romans 8:18-19)
As surely as today is Friday, May 6, 2011, Jesus will deliver us to the destination he is preparing for us! For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)
Perspectives, our views of reality change, but Jesus is forever the same!

Efficiency or Effectiveness?

Western culture values efficiency. Production speed often drives decision making rather than quality. Profit displaces beauty. The question too often is, “What works?” rather than, “What is best, what is beautiful, what will endure?”

The Kingdom of God values effectiveness more than efficiency. If we are not aware of the huge difference between Western culture and the culture of the church, we will fail to ask, “What are we to be and what are we to be doing?” and be satisfied with plugging in components promising religious efficiency. Jesus was effective, training a hand full of men and women for the work of establishing the Kingdom of God in culture. Jesus would never be invited by efficiency experts to address corporate leadership teams on growth techniques, the worth of his process took several generations to be proven effective and we don’t have time.

I am musing on the last 45 years as a pastor, and more than 60 years as a disciple of Jesus. During that brief span of history and experience, the church has embraced a series of “fool proof” methodologies, including “buses, Bibles, and banana splits;” Sunday School contests (intramural and intermural); crusade, mass evangelism; divine healing and Second Coming conventions and seminars; shepherding leadership; cell groups; and pilgrimages to places where something was happening. I am convinced each methodology or emphasis addressed an absence of a truth or response to human need which the church was then overlooking. And, there is some fruit from each “fool proof” method.

Collectable heirlooms made by artisans have been replaced by composite wood substitutes and laminated plastic, affordable stuff posing as furniture. The mystique created by missionaries traveling by freighter to distant continents has been replaced with jet travel. Some missionaries I heard in my youth carried their equipment in caskets, never expecting to come home. Boots on the ground servants who visited us every four or five years to report progress in the Kingdom of God are now visited by groups of church members annually. Visiting church members speak about having a “missionary experience,” without a single deprivation of missionaries a single generation ago. Are short term missions experiences bad? No, but they are not as effective as the person who carves out an expression of his calling over 50 years of unselfish service.

Slow moving surface mail has been replaced with digital communication. Efficient, yes, but materials are now posted at the click of a couple buttons without a time lapse created as film developed, type was set, and paper was printed. (I doubt I would receive as many communiqués if paper, postage stamps and a trip to the post office were required.) The delays of a few years ago allowed the author to assess, “Should this be sent?” Efficiency asks, “Can we?” Effectiveness asks, “What should we send and why?” Efficiency often says, “If we don’t someone else will!”

If we err in our way of doing ministry, let us err in our attempt to be excellent and effective. It seems as if the weeds in my lawn mature within hours, conceive and have babies. In contrast, the person who plants an acorn will not live long enough to sit in the shade of the mature oak. In a society driven by efficiency, we must deliberately think through decisions asking in-depth questions, waiting in prayer, searching the Word, engaging in conversations with those who have more life experience, reviewing history’s lessons, and then acting on the impulse of the Spirit. If we don’t, today’s methods will be discarded just like the big box store vinyl covered stuff sold as furniture to an unthinking public. I believe Jesus and the Kingdom deserve better than that!

Introducing The Next Generation

Please remember these names when you pray, Alvin, Brittany, Kayla and Zachary. These four young people will be the first high school students to participate in The Next Generation, discipleship training. Each of them were once enrolled in Spring Garden Academy’s summer camp program, but they are now juniors and seniors in high school and eager to develop skills needed for adult living and ministry.

You may download a video presentation defining Next Generation by visiting www.springgardenacademy.org/nextgen. I will be sharing more in the remaining days this week, and throughout the summer. The future for the urban church is being shaped daily and will intensify this summer as four youth – remember these names, Alvin, Brittany, Kayla and Zachary – develop under a team of dedicated mentors and church members who care deeply about their future.


God knows the potential of each of these promising youth. When you pray, remember the adage, “Almost anyone can count how many seeds are in an apple. But, we are serving a God who knows how many apples are in a seed!” Our team believes that we obeying Jesus by investing in a special way in Alvin, Brittany, Kayla and Zachary this summer. Remember their names in prayer – please!