Some Thoughts on Federal Income Tax

I've been reading a lot of comments lately about outrage over Federal Income Taxes. It's been going around that 47% of American don't pay Federal Income Taxes. I've heard this before, but decided to finally do my own research on the matter. Here's what I've found: (and by the way, this is not a partisan posting. I'm seriously not interested in political bickering about this or that candidate. I'm just stating the facts).

1. It is NOT the case that 47% of Americans don't pay Federal Income Taxes. 47% of HOUSEHOLDS do not pay Federal Income Taxes (I read somewhere that it was more like 46%, but that's in the ballpark).

2.  This does NOT mean that 47% of Households don't pay taxes. They do still pay Payroll Taxes (that support programs like Social Security and Medicare) and any state taxes that they may be responsible for (as we are in the State of Oklahoma) and also local sales taxes. I'm not saying that all 47% percent always pay these taxes; only that most do.

3. About half of these 47% don't pay Federal Taxes because of tax credits for children, work status, or education. But there are multitudes of tax credits; this is why there are many very wealthy people who pay no Federal Taxes (some say thousands of wealthy people don't pay, but who knows). Many of these credits were expanded under the Bush tax cuts (which received bi-partisan support).

4. The other half of the 47% are exempt from Federal Taxes because they are living in poverty.


I know it's easy to have immediate outrage. However, in all humility, I would hope that we would all recognize the complexities of the matter, coupled with the actual facts. 

Thoughts on Consensus

I used to live in an intentional Christian community in Durham, NC, called the Iredell House. It was a wonderful experience of community life that I believe helped form me positively for pastoral ministry. However, one of the struggles of living in the Iredell community was our commitment to consensus models of decision making. As a house (7 permanent residents), we had to come to consensus on all decisions before we could move forward on anything. This worked out some of time and not so well at others. I left Durham with the conviction that consensus was the way the church ought to operate, having spent several years in community with this model. Even still, its deficiencies always plagued  me. Once I got into the parish as an Elder, my commitment to consensus as an all-holy model faded quickly. It just wasn't practical. Upon reflection, I realized that there were times in the Iredell house that the commitment to consensus actually stymied our ability to move and grow. Oftentimes, we were subject to the whims of individual dysfunction. I know I have colleagues who greatly disagree with me on this, but my experience has shown me that a leader must maintain a balance between consensus and autocratic rule. In this vein, I ran across an excerpt from Edwin Friedman's book, Generation to Generation. Friedman, of course, is the godfather of Family Systems Theory. He articulates what I'm getting at much more clearly.

Friedman proposes that a continuum or spectrum of leadership qualities exists in most institutions, be they families, churches, or corporations. On one end of this spectrum is what he terms the Charismatic and on the other end he terms Consensus. (noting that you cannot force a person into any end of that spectrum, that any leader may at times exhibit qualities across the spectrum). Following are some excerpts from his book Generation to Generation, looking at his understanding of the failings of extreme consensus models of leadership.

A counterpoint to the charisma philosophy of leadership is consensus. The strategies at this end of the leadership continuum, while designed to avoid the dilemmas of the opposite extreme, often wind up with similar effects. The basic emphasis in the consensus approach is on the will of the group. Consensus is prepared to wait longer for “results,” being more concerned with the development of a cohesive infrastructure. It tends to value peace over progress and personal relationships (feelings) over ideas. It abhors polarization. In such a setting, the individualism of a leader is more likely to create anxiety than reduce it. Since the will of the group is supposed to develop out of its own personality, rather than come down from the top, the function of the leader becomes more that of a resource person or an “enabler.”

            Some of the basic problems with the consensus approach to leadership are as follows: (1) The family led by consensus will tend to be less imaginative. The major creative ideas of our species have tended to be come from individuals rather than groups. Prophets are far more likely to hear “the call” in the wilderness. The muse rarely strikes the artist in a crowd. The world’s most important ideas, philosophical, religious, and scientific, have tended to come to people in their own solitude. It is not that the consensus approach gives people less time to be alone but, rather, that it discourages the initiative to be solitary. (2) Leaderless groups are more easily panicked and the anxiety tends to cascade. The circuit-breaker effect of self is missing in an undifferentiated crowd. For all its advantages over autocracy, democracy can have a more difficult time dealing with anxiety when there is no self-differentiated individual who can say, “Here I stand!” (3)Emphasis on consensus gives strength to the extremists. They can continue to push the carrot of unity further out on the togetherness stick as the price of their cooperation. In some absurd turnaround, when the main goal of a family is consensus, they actually make it harder to achieve that goal because they put themselves in the position of being blackmailed by those least willing to cooperate. This is as true in marriage as in the vestry. (4) Consensus is no guarantee against xenophobia or polarization. The paranoid dangers of emotional interdependency enumerated in the charismatic approach are also present in consensus approach. An emotional system led by consensus can become equally cultic. Paradoxically, as a consensus-based approach to family leadership nears its goal, the degree of emotional fusion that results is likely to create or exacerbate the very problems its approach was designed to avoid.

 Following, Friedman discusses some basic concepts and misinterpretations of the idea of leadership self-differentiation. He uses these arguments to counter the “false dichotomy” of the charisma-consensus spectrum.

            The basic concept of leadership through self-differentiation is this: If a leader will take primary responsibility for his or her own position as “head” and work to define his or her own goals and self, while staying in touch with the rest of the organism, there is a more than reasonable chance that the body will follow. There may be initial resistance but, if the leader can stay in touch with the resisters, the body will usually go along.

            This emphasis on a leader’s self-differentiation is not to be confused with independence or some kind of selfish individuality. On the contrary, we are talking here about the ability of a leader to be a self while still remaining a part of the system. It is the most difficult thing in the world in any family. And yet, when accomplished, the process will convert the dependency that is the sources of most sabotage to the leader’s favor instead.

            There are three distinct but interrelated components to leadership through self-differentiation, keeping in mind that successful leadership means not only moving a family toward its goals but also maximizing its functioning, as well as the health and survival of both the family and its leader. First and foremost, the leader must stay in touch. The concept is basically organic: For any part of an organism to have a continuous or lasting effect, it obviously must stay connected. This is not nearly as easy as it may seem. …It is far easier for a head to remain attached if it is content to merge its “self” with the body. Any leader can stay in touch if he or she does not try to stand out. The trick…is to be able to differentiate self and still remain in touch despite the body’s efforts to counter such differentiation.

            The second central component is the capacity and willingness of the leader to take non-reactive, clearly conceived, and clearly defined positions. …The functioning of any organism, often its survival, and certainly its evolution are directly dependent on the capacity of its “head” to…define self and continue to stay in touch. Note here, with regard to safeguarding against sabotage, that the leader is not trying to define the followers, only himself or herself. …It is their need for a head that will move them.. As was said, it is hardly that simple.

            Some may regard this as manipulation or as acting unilaterally. But if leaders want progress, in choosing between the poles of individuality and togetherness, they had better err in the direction of the former, less they be the ones who are manipulated. Some may think this borders on narcissism, but those who cannot distinguish self-differentiation from narcissism have no comprehension of the dilemmas or the value of leadership. They have confused pathology with power and the healing potential of properly self-conceived power. When spiritual leaders must defend time-hallowed traditions from the onslaught of contemporary backsliding and erosion, all the while jeopardizing their jobs, health, families, and resolve, it is time for a healthy infusion of what those who fear such strength mistake for narcissism, or they are not very likely to survive. But unilateralism is less likely to be narcissistic if the leader is also taking care to remain connected. That is once again the difference between differentiation  and “in-dependence.” It is independence or autonomy, without staying in touch, that is most likely to end in divorce.

What Young Clergy Want You to Know (Methodist Revised)

A former seminary colleague of mine posted on facebook a blog from a young, Lutheran pastor about what young clergy want you to know. It is from a Lutheran perspective (involving serveral polity issues particular to the ELCA), but it got me to thinking about what I, as a young clergyman in the Methodist tradition, want people to know. You can read the original blog post at this link:

http://pastorkeithanderson.net/item/what-young-clergy-want-you-to-know

Otherwise, here are my points as a United Methodist Pastor in Oklahoma. Some I share with the above, others are my own devising.

If you happened to show up at a gathering of young United Methodist clergy (let's say at the Hideaway), they would perhaps tell you (if you asked)...

1. They love Jesus, and most certainly love Christ's Church.
2. They are willing to do what it takes for the sake of God's mission in the world.
3. They understand that they are pastoring in a time of American Christianity's slow (but quickening) death.
4. They don't waste their time lamenting that (there's too much to do).
5. They want the church (people in the pews) and its leaders (the heirarchy) to be honest about where we are.
6. The sooner we can come to terms with our dyings (we are not the church we once were), the sooner we can live into the new life that is emerging from it. Despite their concerns, young clergy are remarkably hopeful.
7. They are native to a culture that the church, on the whole, does not fully - or hardly - understand or engage. That doesn’t just go for parishioners. It goes for clergy, too.
8. They are never going to act or sound like previous generations of clergy.
9. That is not a criticism of previous generations of clergy, only a new reality that does happen from time to time.
10. They feel the expectations placed on younger clergy are not enforced among older clergy.
11.  They are no less theologically committed than their predecessors.
12. But their work looks different, and their language sounds different.
13. This does not mean that they are unbiblical in their approach to ministry, only that they have learned to translate biblical truth for a new culture.
14. Many of their initiatives do not fit into existing church structures.
15. This does not make them less equipped or less effective at being pastors.
16. They are drowning in student debt.
17. They are not sure it is possible to have a full career at ministry, let alone service their student debt, cover expenses, and have a life and a family.
18. But money is not an obsession to them. No one goes into ministry for the money.
19. They understand the difference between Institutions (which are necessary for the furtherance of our mission) and Institutionalism (the self-perpetuation of structures as an end unto itself).
20. The paradigms of Old vs. New, Traditonal vs. Contemporary, Sacramental vs. Evangelical do not resonate with them. They see ministry more as Both/And rather than Either/Or.
21. They realize that this is the cultural context we are all in (whether others realize it or not).
22. They are not against the Itinerancy.
23. They are against cronyism.
24. They do not love business meetings.
25. They do love mission and will share their faith.
26. They understand that accounability, submission to authority, and selfless service are part of the covenant of ordination.
27. They do not believe, however, that all clergy live into this understanding.
28. They are frustrated by the inability or unwillingness - or both - of congregations and denominations who are not honest about why they can’t, won’t, or don’t change.


Ok. These are my points. I don't mean to cause a stir or to enrage any of my colleagues. There is nothing sacred about these points, and I am sure some young clergy would agree and disagree, add or change many of these. But, I hope it will be a good conversation piece.

From Last Sunday...

We Have Been Given This Treasure

A Sermon

Wesley United Methodist Church

Sunday, July 1, 2012

2 Corinthians 4:5-13

In the past few weeks, we have been looking together at the possibility that God may just have something remarkable in store for us. Paramount in this hope is the assumption that God is the one who is going to be leading us. We already have everything we need. If you were in church last week, you know that we have a boat; we have good friends; we have Jesus. We are, then, on the way. But what do we do on the journey? Perhaps that is the great question for anyone who is about to embark on some great adventure. What will we do along the way? We have been entrusted with a great labor that takes the work of Christ into the streets and outward to the world. We have been given a treasure. It is the treasure of God’s Truth – God’s mighty acts of salvation in Jesus Christ. Let us pray.

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, for you are our strength and our redeemer. Amen.

               Central to our work in the world is our proclamation about Jesus. Paul tells us today, that we do not proclaim ourselves, but we proclaim, instead, Christ. That is harder to do than what we might initially think. It’s a matter of getting out of the way so that people can see God, rather than us. Wesley United Methodist Church is about proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord, and we are servants to that Christ. We know something here. We proclaim it every week. Jesus – God in the flesh – who came to dwell among us… We have been given this treasure – this Truth – to proclaim.

What we say about Jesus will have a direct correlation to our fruitfulness as a Church.  I want to emphasize, firstly, that what we have to proclaim is, indeed, about God. Jesus came to proclaim the Gospel – the Good News. Have you ever stopped to think just for a moment about why this message we proclaim is “good” news. How is this message that Jesus brings so different from all other news that it is categorized as being “good” over and against all other news?

I remember lots of news that I have received over the years. I’m sure you do too. I remember getting the news that I was accepted to Oklahoma State University and again to Duke Divinity School; the news that I was being appointed to El Reno; the news that my dog had escaped the yard and was wandering the aisles of the grocery store. I remember the day the news came that the Murrah building in Oklahoma City had been destroyed. I remember watching live CNN news coverage of the towers falling in New York. I remember the news of the genocide in Rawanda; the genocide in Serbia; the genocide in Sudan; starvations in Somalia. I remember the news of humanity at its worst and our inability to make sense of any of it.

The Good News: Jesus came bringing the Good News of God. Jesus came into a world so lost, so broken, so in need of saving. His first act was to stare down temptation – sin, sorrow, and separation from God – to stare it down and emerge from that contest with Good News. God…is…here. Humanity at its worst and most vile is still no match for the God who broke into this world to face down sin and refuse to be lost in that abyss.  Jesus brought to us the Good News about God. God is here; God is with us; God is journeying alongside us and providing the power of his own Spirit to conquer the fear and the darkness – to lift us up from the evil powers of this world. The Good News is that temptation, fear, sin, and even death are not the final verdict. God is greater than the sum of all of that. This is a treasure we have been given.

It is a unique message, for we proclaim a Christ who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited. Rather, he made himself as nothing, taking on the form of a servant. Being made in human likeness, found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. We proclaim a Christ who humbled himself, suffered, and was crucified for us and for our salvation. This God who is here, full of grace and truth, is trying to show us a new world where all the brokenness of humanity is being pieced back together. It’s one of the great turnarounds in our faith. We triumph, not because we are mighty; not because we are wealthy; not because we are powerful or influential. We triumph – as Jesus did – through submission and humility. Any journey with Jesus begins in humility, recognizing that alone, we have nothing. But with God, all things are possible. We proclaim this Christ, who humbly suffered for us. We have been given this treasure.

We proclaim a Christ who overcame death. It’s all for not, if Jesus did not rise from the dead. Crucifixion without resurrection is a fine idea but it doesn’t amount to much. Crucifixion WITH resurrection means that God can overcome all things, even death. We have nothing to fear. If Jesus can come out of the grave, then all things really are possible, are they not? The darkness is not truly darkness; the night is as bright as the day, for death has lost its victory; death has lost its sting. We proclaim a Christ risen from the dead. And that is the most surprising thing of all – that we don’t worship a dead God. Do you know the difference between a dead God and Living God? Will Willimon has put it this way: the difference between a dead God and a Living God is that a Living God will still surprise you. We proclaim Christ is risen. We have been given this treasure.

We proclaim a Christ who established the Church as the first fruits of a final harvest – a body of people bound together in love, grace, and peace reaching out to show the world a new way of living. The Church was not established so that we could have one more social club to go to. It is the Body of Christ – wherein God has chosen to deposit his Holy Spirit for the work of mission in the world. Perhaps it was foolish of Jesus to choose this means for bringing his grace to the world. You and me? Why us? It’s not as if we’ve got it all figured out or do a perfect job. And yet, God’s foolishness is greater than any human wisdom. The Church is the means through which God’s grace is sent outward into the world. The Church exists for the glorification of God and for God’s mission in the world. We have been given this treasure. 

A Christ who died; a Christ who rose; a Christ who established the Church – these are the things of our proclamation. These are the points of our common affirmation about a God who is present, active, alive, and moving amongst us. This God moves amongst us, friends, and if you come to realize that movement, you just might find yourself moving along with this God. The presence of God changes everything. The journey becomes possible. There is no obstacle that can stand in the way of a people who endeavor to journey emboldened by Almighty God.

In our lives, we endure many things. Broken relationships, one to another; broken relationships between us and God; but also the suffering that comes with the regularities of human life. Our journey with Jesus is not so much about sufferings and dwelling on the bad things. There must me a recognition of it all, but the journey with Jesus is more about affirming God’s provision in all circumstances of life. God will attend to our needs, and the things we need should not be rooted in what we eat, what we wear, where we sleep, or who we know. Our needs are firstly rooted in the reality that God is with us. Again, that presence changes everything; it changes our priorities; it changes our desires. At least it should, if you truly are engaging God in the same manner as Christ: humbly, submissively, joyfully. Your priorities will change.  

So, today, I ask you, sisters and brothers, do you know what treasure you have? Do you know – not just with your head, but also with your heart – that God is in this place? Do you know that God came to dwell among us, to move us to a better day? Do you know that?

There’s a story from the Gospel of John, the 14^th chapter. Jesus is giving one final speech to his disciples before his impending betrayal and arrest. In the midst of this pep talk about God’s comforting presence, one of the disciples – Philip – says to Jesus, “Jesus, just show us God and we’ll be happy with that.” Jesus, after years of being with these young leaders, says, almost exasperated, “I and the Father are one. If I’m with you, then God is with you. And if you believe that,” Jesus says, “You will do even greater things that I have done.”

The treasure we have been given is Jesus, which means we have the Creator God with us to show us the way and to deliver us from our sin-sick lives. And, yes, to deliver the world through us because we will do even greater things. We have this treasure – not to horde, but to share. Sisters and brothers, this is the Good News. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.  

Pastoral Postulations

Lessons Learned

    Transitions teach me a lot of things. I don't always want to be taught knew things (I'm only 31, but I'm kind of a old soul). I've learned, for example, that no matter how organized you are during a move, you still won't be able to find anything when you're unpacking. Incidentally, if anyone knows where I put the toenail clippers, that would be splendid. I've also learned that one can, in fact, live without many of the things once thought to be indispensible. Going a week without cable or internet proves that point. A great lesson that I've learned is that no one is too much of a stranger for you not to say "hello". Neighbors are basically the same everywhere. It matters to be friendly.
     God uses the situations of our lives to teach us. Indeed, I believe every moment is a potential teaching moment. God knows this and is always using that truth to His advantage (especially when it comes to me). These days, I take comfort in the words of St. Paul in Romans 8: "God works for the good of those who love him, who are called according to his purpose in Christ Jesus." Even in the great times of change, transition, doubt, and confusion God is at work to bring about good. This means that even when we are consumed with fear, anguish, grief, or despair, God is still working in the midst of those things to bring about good. Never is there a time in which God is not working in this world to bring good.
     I was visiting with a farmer and his wife recently. They were experiencing the effects of a long drought. He told me that he prayed everyday that God would bring rain, and the rain just didn't come. In a bold moment (that is a bit uncharacteristic of me, I'll admit), I asked him why he thought we deserved the rain instead of other needy parts of the world? There is a finite amount of moisture in this world, after all. Are we more deserving? He puzzled over that for a few moments, then said, "I suppose in spite of the drought, we still have enough. We've cut back on things, but we still have plenty. I guess there's a lesson in it all."
    I do not mean to suggest that every situation is so clear. I know of so many families who have loved ones suffering (and even dying) from cancer. It is hard to find a lesson in it; it is hard to find God working in the midst of it to bring about good. A saintly lady once told me, after losing her husband suddenly, that she learned in her grief how valuable each moment of our lives is; that our time together is a gift from God that we should treasure. That is a lesson we would all do well to learn, however difficult.
     My friends, every day, God is providing us the opportunity to learn and grow. Sometimes that growth is easy, and sometimes it comes slowly and begrudgingly. Whatever the case, take comfort in knowing that God indeed does work for good everyday and in every life.

Grace and peace,


Pastor Barry

Baccalaureate Sermon

So, I don't normally post my sermons on here. I just don't feel like the written versions pack the same punch as the verbally delivered versions. Still, some have asked about it, so I thought I would share. Enjoy!

Be Strong

A Homily

Guymon Community Baccalaureate

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Joshua 1:6-9

Good evening. It is good for me to be here with you tonight. On behalf of the Guymon Ministerial Alliance, I welcome you. In the name of our God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – may you all find peace in the grace of the risen Christ. I have this wonderful privilege tonight – Seniors – to see your faces. You are all together and eager for the days ahead. On Friday, all I will see are the backs of your heads while you’re sitting at the stadium. Are any of you the least bit excited for what’s coming next? It’s ok to say so.

One thing I want you all to know, from the outset, is that I am going to keep it short tonight. I know you are excited and eager to get to the Senior Video. You are even more excited to get to Friday. So, I will promise you that this won’t take too long. But in this short time, let’s be agreed that it is a right, good, and joyful thing to pause together as a community of friends and family to reflect on the things God has done, is doing, and will do in your lives.

I myself am about to make a change. For the past six years I have had the opportunity to watch you grow up through Jr. High and High School. Now it’s time to go. We all have anxiety about what this means. Be strong. God is not through with you yet. It is only the beginning.

There’s this great story from the Bible. There was a young man by the name of Jacob. Jacob had grown up in a very religious family. He himself was pretty indifferent to it. He wasn’t necessarily against all the religious stuff his mom and dad were into; he just didn’t follow it himself very strongly. Jacob was a lot like all of you. He had dreams; passions; and a lot of hope for the future. But Jacob just couldn’t bring himself to think very far outside of himself. His whole life was a very self-centered existence. It was always, “Jacob gets what Jacob wants.”

One day, he had a pretty big blow up with his family. He stole something that was very important to his brother Esau, so much so that Esau wanted to kill Jacob. Jacob ran away from home to get free from all of it. At first, Jacob thought that he had really made it – away from home and able to live his life how he wanted. No more religious stuff from mom and dad. No more fighting with his brother. No more expectations. Jacob finally got what he thought he wanted. He thought he was being strong.

He made a lot of mistakes in that time. He met a lot of girls. Did a little partying. Had to find a job. In all of that “life stuff” Jacob just got angrier and more afraid and more anxious. He kept thinking, “any day my brother is going to show up to beat me up or even kill me.” He started a family of his; he did his best. But there was never peace; never true happiness. It was all because Jacob thought being strong meant being the best or being wealthy or having the hottest spouse or the most security. He thought that being strong meant being able to walk all over anyone that got in the way of the things he wanted. He thought being strong meant taking what he wanted regardless of who it hurt. Being strong – as far as Jacob was concerned – meant putting his desires ahead of all others. And it was killing him. It was tearing apart his soul.

Anxiety, fear, no direction, a troubled heart: do any of these things sound familiar? Have you ever been there, Seniors? Are you there now? We tell you to be strong, but what does even mean? Jacob had to be confronted with the truth. Having strength, as it turns out, is less about what you can gain for yourself and more about what God is able to do in spite of you.

So the story goes on: Jacob one day found himself all alone. He was traveling with his family, but he just felt like he needed to be alone. Sometimes, we all just need time alone. He sent the kids and everyone on ahead. He was standing at a little creek out in the middle of nowhere, and it was starting to get dark. Jacob was at a low point in his life. The guy who had run away from home and run away from faith was standing in the dark all alone – his soul wrenching from the agony of fear. He couldn’t put his finger on what the problem was, only that he was trying to be as strong as he possibly could. Out in the distance, in the darkness of that place, what appeared to be another man started walking towards Jacob. The other man didn’t say anything; he just grabbed hold of Jacob and wrestled him to the ground. They fought all night long. As the sun was about to rise, the stranger dislocated Jacob’s hip and told him, “From now on your name isn’t going to be Jacob anymore. It will be Israel, which means ‘the one who struggles with God.’” With that, the stranger disappeared, and Jacob knew that he had been wrestling with God all night long.

Jacob’s life changed forever after that. He realized for the first time in his life that his own strength was worthless. His whole life he had been fighting with everybody – taking what he wanted and living how he wanted. And, still, even with that version of strength, Jacob was nothing. He had nothing. He was vulnerable. His heart was sick with the years of sin and dark doubt and despair. “Oh my God,” he cried out. “Save me. Save me from a life of vanity and self-centered pride.” As it turns out, my friends, when we tell you to be strong, we are not telling you to be like Jacob. In fact, we are telling you to submit to the one who is stronger than any of us. 

Here’s the funny thing about strength. We as Christians don’t believe that it is physical strength that ever wins the day. Sure, you may win a fight or two along the way, but really our strength comes from the one who created us. Paul, in the New Testament (hundreds of years after Jacob), put it this way: “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight  in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions,  in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Jesus himself told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, they must first deny themselves. For the first will be last and the last will be first.”

This doesn’t seem right. The world around us has taught that you TAKE what you want; that strength is about what you can GET not what you can give. We Christians make this remarkable claim that our weakness is our strength, and it’s all because we worship a God who submitted himself to live the life of a servant and even to suffer on behalf of others. This is how the world is conquered: through submission, service, and sacrifice. Your strength comes by way of your willingness to give your life away for something so much bigger than yourself. That is the strength of Almighty God.

It is so true that you can go out into this world and take it. You can own this world on your terms. You can get more stuff. You can make money. You can walk all over your neighbors and hurt many people. You can do all of this while getting every pleasure your heart desires. That’s the thing about this world. It provides at one and the same times everything you want and nothing that you need.

Be Strong. God is bigger than all of that. Be the kind of person you were created to be. Be strong – not in the way the world talks about strength but in the way God designed it. Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Your class Scripture comes from the book of Joshua.” Be strong; Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged; for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” It’s all about God and what God is doing in your life, even if you don’t realize it. Some of you are full of fear and doubt and maybe even anger. God is bigger than that. Some of you don’t know what direction you are going. But God is bigger than that. Some of you are sure of the future and desire to take hold of it. God is bigger than even our understanding. I say to all of you, then, to trust in the God who called you according to his purpose and you will know what an abundant life – a life of complete joy – can really be.

The hard truth is that we cannot begin to truly live until we let go of everything. I think we have an ongoing problem with thinking that God will always desire the things we desire. We wrongly assume that because we want to be wealthy, successful, and well-thought of, that God must want those same things for us. The truth is, we don’t know what living is until we quit trying to live for ourselves. True life, Jesus tells us, begins in submission – in the denial of yourself. To lose your life for God’s sake means that you will gain it. You will find strength for the journey, not from anything you have done for yourself but from what God has done and is doing for you.

 Following Jesus into this world– even in the day to day – in that every day, walking around life – is nothing short of consuming. At least, it should be. We behave as if God is very small. But God is bigger than anything I could ever ask for or imagine. God is the source of our strength, and the way of God will  take you to places you never could have imagined before. With Jesus, we find the power of God that is capable of overcoming any of our hindrances, hesitations, and hang-ups.

Sister and brothers, be strong. Be strong in the Lord your God who has called you to his eternal purpose, and that purpose is to find faith, hope, and love worked out every day. Find strength in the God who gave himself up for you and me. THIS LIFE – you make take. But you’ll never truly live until you let go and let God be the source of your strength. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Lover

Derek Webb is one of the greats. My ipod was on shuffle this morning, and this song came up. Imagine it's Jesus singing this song, and it will make some sense. I've put the lyrics below and also a link to a video of the song. Enjoy! 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0b7Ys4K5OU

 

 

Like a man comes to an altar I came into this town
with the world upon my shoulders and promises passed down
and I went into the water and my Father, he was pleased
I built it and i'll tear it down so you will be set free

But I found thieves and salesmen living in my Father's house
I know how they got in here, and I know how to get 'em out
I'm turning this place over from floor to balcony
And then just like these doves and sheep, you will be set free

I've always been a lover from before I drew a breath
some things I loved easy and some I loved to death
because love's no politician, it listens carefully
of those who come i can't lose one, so you will be set free

But go on and take my picture, go on and make me up
I'll still be your defender, you'll be my missing son
and i'll send out an army just to bring you back to me
because regardless of your brother's lies, you will be set free

I am my beloved's and my beloved's mine
so you bring all your history and I'll bring the bread and wine
and we'll have us a party where all the drinks are on me
then as surely as the rising sun, you will be set free

A List of Misses

As I prepare to move to El Reno, I am finding that there are many things I will miss deeply about Guymon and Victory Memorial. Here is a highlight list (not in any particular order):

1. The Urban Bru
2. Sunsets
3. Variety Show and Cake Auction
4. Music on Main Street
5. Taco Shop
6. Novak Fresh Eggs
7. Soccer Games
8. Every Morning is Easter Morning
9. Repairing the Bus (again)
10. "May the Lord Bless You and Keep You..."
11. Horses
12. Outreach Committee Meetings
13. Keilbasa with Coach
14. CLEW Camp
15. Late Night Coffee at J & Js

This is only a small list of the things I will miss. The full list is much longer and growing, but these are some of the highlights. What would you put on the list if you were moving?