More details about Encounters

Over the last couple of days, we have come across a number of people that are still unclear about what Encounters is and what it is not. In an attempt to help clarify, I want to offer the following details:

Encounters is the name that we have given to a very large outreach program here at the United Methodist Temple. Currently, there are a number of different ministries that are occurring under the "Encounters - an outreach of the United Methodist Temple" label.

#1 - Saturday evenings we are having a worship service (currently taking place about every other week, but scheduled to be weekly after the first of the year). This is a third worship service at UMT and is open to EVERYONE. The service follows a different order of worship and has a different style and feel to it, but it is a worship service that is open to anyone that wants to come. At this service, we preach a relevant gospel message that is applicable to everyone. This is not, I REPEAT IS NOT, just a service for folks in recovery. This is a service for anyone wanting to grow in their relationship with Christ (just like any other service here at the Temple).

#2 - On Thursdays we are offering a Bible study that we are currently calling Midweek Encounters (but the name is subject to change) that discusses the 12 steps of recovery from a biblical perspective. Because the steps came out of the scriptures we feel that they have some relevance to all Christians whether they are in a 12 step program or not. We believe that the 12 steps are 12 steps to a life of freedom in relationship to Jesus Christ and as such, everyone can benefit from studying them. Very basic Christian principles are at the heart of these steps. Things like honesty, faith, hope, love, confession, amends making, etc are all taken directly from the scriptures. These are things that all Christians are directed towards. As such, this class is open to anyone that wants to explore the relationship between the scriptures and the steps as it relates to their lives.

#3 - Came to Believe is the name of our Christian 12 step meeting that is specifically directed towards people in recovery. It operates like any AA, CA, NA or other 12 step group, but is open to people wrestling with any kind of addiction. This is a place where we can hold one another accountable to our programs of recovery and process what is going on in our lives from week to week. It is also a place where we do not have to check our relationship with Christ at the door.

#4 - Random Acts of Kindness are just our ways of being missional and evangelistic. Maybe a better way to put it is that these are additional opportunities to reach out to our community with the love of Christ. Sometimes this means taking care packages to families waiting in ICU, while other times it means working on a house (painting, etc). Through small gifts of service we are able to share the love of Christ with people in our communities.

#5 Lifegroups - Because the larger faith community meets on Saturday evenings, they miss out on Sunday school opportunities. Lifegroups is the small group version of Sunday School. These groups get together to pray for one another, study together, and serve together. These little communities help keep people from becoming disconnected in the larger community of faith here at the United Methodist Temple.

I hope that these descriptions have been helpful. I would ask that you do me a favor: if you are still unclear about any of the new outreach ministries or about our new worship service, please ask. It is important that everyone know and understand what is happening. With the right information, we can help direct people to the best fit for their worshiping and growing needs here at the Temple. To meet with me or find out more information about these happenings, please call the church office or email me at acts242@hotmail.com.

Many thanks and many blessings,

Russell

Facebook and other Social Media - Must see Video

I get asked by colleagues in ministry all the time about why I am connected to Twitter and Facebook and other forms of social media. A friend recently sent this video to me and I thought that I would share it with you. It is called Social Media Revolution:



You may not be an innovator (I'm not---I am usually an early adopter); you may actually be a late adopter...but my thought is this: Don't ignore this revolution!

What I am doing now

In the United Methodist Church, the pastors are itinerant - that is, they serve under appointment of a bishop and are moved from place to place over the course of their pastoral careers.

On June 9th, Erica, Bailey, and I experienced our second move. Our first move took us from Houston to Edom (in East Texas). This latest move took us from Edom to Port Arthur (Southeast Texas).

So what is it exactly that I am doing now? It is a little complicated, but let me try and explain.

This is Aldersgate Trinity United Methodist Church:



3/4 of my appointment is to serve as the pastor of this church. This includes preaching, teaching, ordering the life of the church, visitation, administering the sacraments, etc...you know, normal preacher stuff.

This is the United Methodist Temple:



1/4 of my appointment is to serve as the associate pastor of this church. My main purpose here is to launch a new worship service and outreach ministry called Encounters (you can check Encounters out at their blog here and on Facebook here) and to assist the senior pastor in any way that I can.

So I am still serving a two point charge, I am just 240 miles south of where I was. I invite you to check out the related links on the right for more information about Aldersgate Trinity United Methodist Church, the United Methodist Temple, or Encounters.

We are really grateful for the welcome we have received since our arrival and are looking forward to what God has in store for us in this new appointment!

The Meaning of Worship

I ran across this video today from Worship House Media...I think it asks a lot of thought provoking questions and offers a great definition of worship. Here is the video:





What do you think? Does this match up with your thoughts on worship? Why or why not?

Reflections on the Past 4 Years - Part III

When thinking about the past 4 years, school and church life are of course at the forefront of the remembrances. The truth is, however, that there are far more memories, relationships and blessings that have happened outside of these two contexts. Here are just a few more of my final reflections about the past 4 years:

First, it was almost 22 months ago that our daughter was born. As I think about our time here, my memories are filled with late night awakenings, mid-afternoon naps (with Bailey sleeping on my chest), and tons of fun with the people of Edom as Bailey's area of exploration has grown over the past 22 months. They had warned us that drinking the water at the parsonage has caused more than one preaching family to leave this place with a larger family than what they had arrived with!

One of my greatest joys the last two years we have spent here has been serving on the volunteer fire department. There is nothing like going into a burning building to get the adrenaline pumping. In the two years of service to the department I have had the privilege of working hundreds of calls from medical crisis to structure fires, grass fires to motor vehicle accidents, downed power lines to high moving water rescues. It has been a part of me becoming more entrenched in the community. It has been an extension of my ministry---there is simply nothing like showing up on an accident scene and having the person ask you "aren't you that Methodist preacher?" and then them asking you to pray with them. I will definitely miss going on calls in my new appointment.

Other ministry has included working with the teenagers at Sundown Ranch. Sundown is a residential treatment and recovery center about 20 miles away from home that has its own school (to where kids don't lose out on their education while working their programs). I have spent numerous afternoons with young men processing their 5th steps. It has served to ground my own recovery and to continually allow me to give back in an area that I am passionate about.

The friendships that have been made here have transcended denominational lines. As such, I have had the opportunity to work with other pastors in their ministry settings as well. There are many friendships from outside the church that I will take with me into future years.

I am grateful for the relationships that I have built with city and county officials. It is funny that the JP that was elected when I first got here, I met because of a speeding ticket I received on the way to school one morning. The current JP is a fellow hunter and sojourner in ministry and is an amazing man. He is a great example of how ministry happens with the laity in any job and any situation. The current mayor has also been a blessing to my time here...it has not gone unnoticed that when there is a city event (like the Christmas tree lightings) that in spite of her attending another church, she has continued to invite me to do the invocations (that has been a real blessing).

I had an experience once where I was standing between the county constable and the JP and I just busted out laughing. They looked at me and wondered what was so funny and I told them that this is only the second time in 12 years that I have stood between a cop and a judge and not been in handcuffs (they both know about my past struggles with addiction). They laughed heartily...after all, it is the little things in life that are important!

A couple of years ago, I did something I hadn't done since high school...I performed a lead in a play at the community center. The play was A Sanders Family Christmas and was a hoot to do. Later that year, I received two awards for my performance (best actor and best newcomer)...I am still not sure that they were deserved, but I welcome them as it is probably as close as I will ever get to winning any other awards for my acting and singing (thank goodness the lead wasn't supposed to be able to carry a tune in a bucket...that was right up my alley!)

Of course we can't forget about all of the outdoor activities available here in the country. I have been no more than 10 minutes away from my hunting spots for the past 4 years. Trust me when I say that this will be incredibly missed. Some of my new best friends are hunters here in Edom. That reminds me, how many Edomites does it take to track down and pull a deer out of the woods? Apparently 3...the JP, the plumber and the preacher! One night I shot a deer with my bow and arrow and it was a good shot, but she ran 40 yards into the deep thicket of woods off of the hunting trail. It took us some time to track and find her and since it was after dark, my buddy Boyd and I (I had called him to help me out) called the JP to drive up to the road with his lights on so we could find our way back to the main trail...absolutely hilarious! I have been able to play golf on a couple of different courses. I have also been able to fish some of the local fishing holes. I have been blessed.

I am leaving here probably knowing as many people outside the church as I do inside the church. They have all touched my life in meaningful ways...and I pray in some small way, that I have been a blessing to their lives.

Thank you Edom. Thank you Sexton Chapel. Thank you Mt. Sylvan. Thank you for all the friendships, blessings and memories that are now a part of the fabric of my life.

Reflections on the Past 4 Years - Part II

Much of my time in Edom over the past four years has been related to school and ordination.

During this time I have been working on (and completing) my MDiv at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. That means that I logged about 624 hours (that is 26 days folks!) on the road between Edom and Dallas for classes. That does not count the hours to Longview for internship or any of the hours on the road to Houston or Lakeview for conference related work. Add to the travel time the amount of time that it took to write all of those papers, complete all the projects, do all the reading (and I am still not done with all the reading...are you?), etc., and you will begin to get some sense of the insanity that has been my life these past four years.

I have been frequently asked about my choice for seminaries and what I thought of others. My seminary choice had a lot to do with family relationships and having enough money to go to seminary. Needless to say, the package that Perkins/SMU offered me was the best deal. It allowed me to stay and serve in my current conference and kept me close to family ties that we have here in Texas. Although I would say that I am more conservative than many folks at Perkins, I faired well with my grades and studies. My experience with seminaries is that no one school has it all. Some have phenomenal preaching teachers, while others are noted for their biblical scholarship. I have learned in my seminary career to temper everything. I have spent a great deal of time reading from authors and professors of other seminaries to keep my education as balanced as possible (or as unbalanced as possible...depending on how you want to look at it); and this has served my own spiritual growth and education quite well.

While there are areas of disagreement that I have with some professors at Perkins, I have been blessed to learn from some folks that I truly consider great in their fields. Some of those include Dr. Bassler, Dr. Howard, Dr. Heller, Dr. Abraham and Dr. McKenzie; just to name a few. I have been well served by the works of others outside of Perkins including Dr. Ray Anderson (Fuller Theological Seminary), Dr. Joel Green (Asbury Theological Seminary), and Dr. Darrell Bock (Dallas Theological Seminary). So the point of all of this, I guess, is to say that your education is quite literally what you make of it (regardless of who is at the head of the class teaching it).

Perhaps the best feature of Perkins was the mix of students that were there. Because of that mix, I have been able to have meaningful and thoughtful debates and conversations with ministers (and future ministers) in the Catholic, United Methodist, Anglican, Episcopalian, Greek Orthodox, Nazarene, Eastern Orthodox, Pentecostal, African Methodist Episcopal, Presbyterian, Baptist, Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ, and many other denominationally affiliated and independent churches. Add to that the ability to worship and study with folks from all over the globe (Iran, Russia, Africa, Australia, and many other places), I have been blessed with a deeper look into the cultures and practices of Christians everywhere. This has been, by far, the deepest blessing.

One of the realizations that I have had, now with more than 8 years of recent schooling, is that I am a student. I love to explore and to learn. And I love to share those explorations and lessons with others. While I am planning on returning to school to get my Doctorate of Ministry (DMin) degree in a couple of years, I realize that learning and education are just a deep part of who I am and how I am wired.

On the ordination side of things, I reached a milestone during my time here in Edom. At this last Annual Conference, I was commissioned as a probationary elder in the United Methodist Church. This process has taken 9 years to accomplish...and if all goes well, in a couple of years (the Annual Conference of 2011) I will be fully ordained as an elder in the church. There are/have been a lot of hoops to jump through and it has been an excruciating process at times. I am, however, better and stronger for having stayed the course. I look forward to the opportunities that I will have in the years to come to work with others to revise and improve upon this process for those that will follow me into ordained ministry.

I do want to say, that by and large, the commissioning interview (the big board) was one of the most affirming experiences to date in my process towards ordination. I have had several of the members of the Board of Ordained Ministry come along side me in the past few weeks and speak encouragement and blessing into my life. It is as if I have finally made it out of the wilderness and am truly becoming a part of something that is much larger than I could ever be on my own.

The highlight of Annual Conference for me this year, was the moment that Bishop Huie placed her hands on my shoulder, smiled, said my name, and spoke those historical words of the commissioning liturgy over me and prayed. It is a moment that I don't think will soon be forgotten.

So while at times, my journey has seemed tenuous and tedious, I am grateful to have completed these two huge milestones in my life and career as a minister within the United Methodist Church.

Reflections on the Past 4 Years - Part I

With only 11 days left until the movers arrive, I am finding myself doing a lot of reflecting.

Some of my reflecting has been around ministry these past four years in Edom. There have been good times and there have been challenging times.

Some of the challenges have been related to staff changes, people transferring their memberships to other churches, the church's implementation of the Transformation process, balancing everything (family, school, more than 250 members across multiple churches), restructuring the leadership, merging two churches, selling property, and so on. Change is stressful no matter what the result. Some of these changes have already born much fruit, while others are still getting off the ground. While not every change during my time in ministry has succeeded, I am stronger because of the journey. Valuable lessons have been learned...lessons I hope to carry forward into my ministry for years to come.

Many of the good times involve some miraculous work that God has done in our midst over these past four years. Here are just a few of the ways that God has blessed our time in Edom:

-during the three and a half years that Sexton Chapel UMC remained open, we witnessed 4 new members join...2 of which were professions of faith (not transfers from other churches)
-during the 6 months that Mt. Sylvan UMC has been a part of my charge, we have witnessed 2 new members join...1 of which was a profession of faith
-during the 4 years that I have pastored Edom UMC we have witnessed 30 new members join our church family...9 of which were professions of faith
-There have been 7 baptisms at Edom...including the baptism of my daughter
-I have officiated at 6 weddings during my time in Edom
-I have had the honor and privilege of ministering to 17 families during times of death. Often, I have been in the room when our friends and loved ones have gone home to be with their Lord. It is a rich blessing indeed to preach the funerals of these precious friends. These times have strengthened my ministry and relationships, perhaps like no other.

There is no doubt that God has been active during our stay here in Edom, Texas; but these numbers don't reflect the depth of work that God has been fully about:

-These numbers don't capture the teenage girl's blog posting after a mission trip that describe how deeply that trip moved her and changed her.
-These numbers don't capture the depth that people have served others in the world (how 6 have given so much of their time to facilitate needed heart surgeries for 11 others from the other side of the globe, or how the youth have built over 600 health kits in my time here, or how the lay shepherds have cared for the flock, or how our kids have helped kids in the Line Islands by sending $1,100 worth the school supplies and hundreds-if not thousands- more in books and toys, the list could go on ad infinitum)
-These numbers don't capture the increased depth of prayer life that prayer vigils, prayer triads, and other lessons and practices of prayer have accomplished in the life of this community
-These numbers don't capture the level of commitment to studying the scriptures or the transformation that can only come in the narrative of a person coming up to you explaining how they feel reconnected to the gospel after decades of not reading their Bibles.
-These numbers don't capture the way we came together with 6 other United Methodist Churches to reach out to those in our community last Advent season
-These numbers don't show how dozens of people rallied around a single mom and her four children in her greatest time of need (giving her housing, food, clothing, and love)

And there is so much more.

I give thanks to God for the work that has been done here during my time in Edom. I look forward to seeing what God will continue to do through the lives of those serving here. It has been a rich, rich blessing. And while the numbers may not fully show the magnitude of God's work here, the relationships and narratives that I carry with me bear witness to the plethora of fruit that God is harvesting in this little east Texas town.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow...Praise God!

Radically Altered - The Retreat

Today we will be loading up and driving from our vacation spot to the town of Trinity here in Texas. It is my honor and privilege to be the guest speaker at Chapelwood UMC's singles retreat.

This year we are going to be looking at the ways that we are radically altered by God's grace. Here is a breakdown of the sessions:

Tonight - introduction to the weekend and fun and games
Tomorrow - 3 sessions:
1) "I'm not who I was - and neither are you" - recognizing the work of grace that was begun in us when we accepted Christ
2) "Give me your eyes" - allowing our perspective to become God's perspective and stepping into mission and ministry in that place
3) "More radically altered" - recognizing that there are things that stand in the way of the work that God is doing in us and through us and letting that stuff go in creative ways to make more room for grace.
Sunday - "Remember your baptism" - a service of commitment and sending forth.

There is going to be great worship music (my friend Bobby Carr is leading the worship), lots of creative and interactive activities, a zip line, a camp fire, a catered BBQ dinner on Saturday evening, Communion, and so much more.

I will post pictures and share some of the wow moments of the retreat in a few days.

In the mean time, how is the grace of God at work in your life? Drop us a comment and let us know!

Constitutional Amendments for the United Methodist Church

I recently received an email with links to these two videos by Maxie Dunnam regarding items that will be voted on at our upcoming Annual Conferences as possible constitutional amendments.

I thought I would repost the videos here. Here are the videos:





I am curious what you all think about the amendments. Should we pass them? Why or why not?

Another Spiritual 2 X 4

I really love it when God slaps me upside the head with what I like to affectionately call the good old spiritual 2x4!

On Sunday morning I was simply exhausted. I had traveled 1200 miles in less than 6 days, found out about a new move, passed my commissioning interviews, encountered some negativity in some other meetings (and some tremendous affirmations to boot) and had been reflecting on the last 4 years of ministry. I asked myself questions regarding what is left to do prior to my move, what should have I done differently, etc. At the end of my time of reflection, I simply asked God to be present in worship that morning and to use me as a vessel of his mercy and grace.

On my way to the early service at the smaller of the two churches I serve, I was listening to praise and worship music on the radio (its what I do...both services at the churches I serve are traditional and I miss some of the more contemporary stuff from time to time) and heard Mighty to Save.

I was singing along to the song (yes, I'm that dorky...I am that guy)....Savior, he can move mountains, my God is mighty to save...He is mighty to save...forever, author of salvation...He rose and conquered the grave...yes Jesus conquered the grave...He is mighty to save...

The song resonated with me for the 22 minute drive from Edom to Mt. Sylvan...it was water to a thirsty soul.

We worshipped, I preached, and at the end of the service with only 22 people present, I almost opted not to have an invitation to discipleship...I paused and shared that Jesus said that those who are thirsty should come and they will receive a drink of living water, those who are weary they will receive rest, and so on. We began singing our hymn of invitation and I got lost in the singing. As I opened my eyes and looked up at the beginning of the fourth and final verse, I saw a couple standing at the front of the sanctuary.

The long and the short of it was that one transferred their membership from another church and the other joined by profession of faith restored after a long separation from the church (and after the spouse saying that they would never come to church!).

I thought about the events that had happened in the previous hour as I was returning to Edom for the second service. As I arrived I noticed that the parking lot was more full than it had been in a number of weeks...we had more than a dozen people above our normal church attendance that morning. I reflected again on the song from earlier in the morning: Everyone needs compassion...the love that's never failing...let mercy fall on me...everyone needs forgiveness...the kindness of a Savior...the hope of the nations...my God, he can move mountains....

I went home a little more tired and a little more refreshed than I had been when the day began.

Yesterday I was hanging out after Bible study and someone that had been wrestling with membership in our church (whether to join or not) for a while came up to me after the study to let me know that they and their spouse would be joining this coming weekend!

Again I heard the words: you're my Savior...you can move the mountains...you are mighty to save.

In months that have been lean when it comes to church growth in these two rural churches; in times that seem like we have gone through a lot of administration that seemed to have nothing to do at times with ministry; in times when we feel like nothing is happening...it is in these times that God continues to move.

It may not happen on our time table, but God is in our midst and is faithful to his Word. And that is my spiritual 2x4 this Lenten season (for those of you in my Bible study class this is just another classic duh-sciple moment!)...God is mighty to save!

So here's my question for the readers: What mountain is the Savior moving in your midst?

A Post of Thanksgiving

I tweeted (and consequently updated my Facebook status) recently with some good news. I thought that I would shoot off a brief post about the joys that we are celebrating in the Hall household.

First, I am thankful that after more than 8 continuous years of school, I will finally fulfill the minimum requirements for ordination in my denomination (more simply put, I will graduate with my MDiv degree). I think that Erica is even more thankful about this since I have been in school from the day that we met! It will be interesting to grow in our relationship without the school factor (at least for a couple of years until I begin my DMin degree!)

Second, I am thankful that I have been approved to be commissioned at our next Annual Conference in May. Who'd have thunk it!?!

Third, and this is new news for some (as it has just been made official in the last few days), Erica, Bailey, and I will be moving to Port Arthur somewhere between June 8th and 13th. My new appointment consists of 3/4 of my time as the pastor of Aldersgate Trinity UMC and 1/4 time as the associate of the United Methodist Temple. We are hopeful that during our time there we might be able to birth a Mercy Street type ministry that will permit me to work with others in recovery (and in need of recovery) from alcohol and drug addiction.

Finally, for all of the support, prayers, calls, notes, IMs, status comments, tweets, etc. that you all have sent, we are very thankful.

It seems as though someone somewhere must think I have been slacking off, because with all the celebration and change comes a ton of work the next two months. For those curious about what is coming down the pike, here is a glimpse:

This weekend will be relatively calm after more than 1000 miles traveled in the last five days.

Palm Sunday weekend we are having Shelly Wilson and Kerri Crocker in concert at our block party at Edom UMC on Saturday (April 4th) and then they will be leading worship for us on Palm Sunday (April 5th).

April 13th and 14th we will be hosting the Crafts as they come to see the community that they will be moving to in June (Jeff Craft will be Edom and Mt. Sylvan's new pastor).

April 18th and 19th will be the big April in Edom event that both the church and fire department take active roles in.

Erica, Bailey and I will be traveling and attempting to relax for a few days between April 19th and 24th.

I will be guest speaking/leading a retreat for the Chapelwood UMC singles group the evening of the 24th through Sunday the 26th.

I will be attending NCLI (boot camp for new church/ministry starts) from May 5th through 8th.

I will be graduating on the 16th.

I will be commissioned during the week of Memorial Day.

We will be moving sometime between the 8th and the 13th.

As you can see there is a lot ahead of us.

Now for you all to chime in:

Tell us what are you thankful for and what you are up to during the next couple of months.

General Update & Prayer Requests

This is just a crazy time in the life of this pastor. Perhaps it is because I am coming up to my final interview before commissioning. Perhaps it is because I am about to finish my MDiv degree and graduate. Perhaps it is because after this year at Annual Conference, I will no longer be considered a student pastor. Maybe it is because there has been an intense amount of administration that has had to be done in my ministry in the past few months (a land sale, a church merger, another land and church building sale). It might be because of the upcoming repairs that need to occur at my newest charge. It may just be because we are back into a season of illness with some members in our churches. There is also the added stress of having multiple deaths occurring in our community all in close proximity to one another. Oh yeah, and did I tell you about the great retreat we are leading at the end of April? Or the great concert and block party we have planned for April 4th? Or the incredible ladies we have leading worship on Palm Sunday?

The biggest change, however, is that there is going to definitely be a move in June. It will soon be time to pack, load, and haul our stuff from one place in the conference to another. As situations are still being discussed and finalized in cabinet and around the conference, it is too early to declare a landing place (that is, to let you know where we will be moving to), but as soon as the decisions are finalized, I will let you know where we will be located. It is an exciting time, but with all that is going on, there is a reasonable amount of anxiety and stress that goes along with all of these changes.

So until we can tell you more about our future home, I would ask that you keep our current churches, our future appointment, and our family in your prayers through this next couple of hectic months.

We would love to be praying for you, your family, your communities and your churches in the weeks to come. How can we be in prayer for these areas of your life?

Leave us a comment and let us know what's happening and how we can be praying!

Blessings,

Russell

Communion with Dad - Overwhelming Gratitude

I have only been in church with my dad a few times in my life. The first one that I can remember was at mine and Erica's wedding. The others have been since I have been appointed here in Edom. He comes to visit and will stay over through Sunday morning and attend church with us here and hear me preach.

It is not a secret that my dad and I spent a number of years apart. Alcoholism, addiction and dysfunction all had parts in creating the gulf that stood between us all those years. Through numerous hunting and fishing trips, getting the families together and hanging out, our wedding, our time is worship together...all have been a part of the reconstruction of our relationship. Dad and I decided a number of years ago that our history was just that and that we had the opportunity and ability to rewrite our future...and we have.

This past weekend, although hectic, was yet another gift in this new found relationship that dad and I have together. This past Sunday was the first Sunday of Lent and also communion Sunday at the churches that I pastor.

As is usual, Bailey and Erica came to the later service at Edom and dad came along with them. The gift came at the end of the service when we consecrated the bread and juice and dad came forward to receive communion.

I looked him in the eyes as I handed him the broken bread and said, "Dad, this is the body of Christ broken for you." He received the juice from a lay person helping me serve and as he walked off to my right, he found himself a spot at the chancel rail and knelt down and prayed. I hesitated for what seemed like an eternity before continuing to serve the remaining folks in the communion line.

In that moment, there was a peace that is simply indescribable. It was the first time that dad and I celebrated communion together...It was the first time that I presided over communion and was able to serve him personally. It was an incredible gift...almost as if we have not only found ourselves within each other, but that we have found each other with and within God as well.

The only words I have for this experience are overwhelming gratitude, Thanks be to God!

Time with God - A Growing Concern

There are more than 100 blogs in my RSS feed. They run the gamut from theological to family update oriented. Some are political, some are religious, some are for fun, and some revolve around some pretty serious issues for our world. In each of the blogging genres that I follow (except the family and friend general updates), I have selected some to follow that usually flow with my own beliefs, some that are at the opposite end of the spectrum, and others that fall at varying places along the spectrum. This creates a really interesting tapestry in which to explore, question, debate, and discuss my own understandings and beliefs. This also helps me to recognize patterns within my own perspectives and the perspectives of others.

In the realm of Christian faith within the blogosphere, I am beginning to notice a pattern that is disturbing to me. Many of our theological reflectors, our seminarians, church planters, church leaders, and lay people keep bringing up the same issue on their blogs regarding spending time with God. These folks often say that as ministry, school, and life demands increase, personal time with God (in prayer, studying the Bible, worshiping, etc) dramatically decreases. As a solution to this problem, we are encouraged to get back to spending more time with God (specifically in the aforementioned ways).

At the outer level, there is nothing seemingly wrong with spending more time in prayer, Bible study, worship, etc. These things are definitively a part of our journey as Christians...they can feed and nurture our relationships with God and with others...but they are not the only "parts" of our journey. This is where the disturbing part comes in...it seems to me that many are describing spending time in two distinct ways.

Let me back up just a moment and say that my understanding of the Christian faith revolves around relationships. What Christ has done through his life, death, and resurrection was to reconcile the relationship between humanity and God. You want to know about community, look at God. You want to be in relationship with others and the world around you, turn to God. After all, isn't it Scripture that reminds us that we are to love God and love our neighbors as we love ourselves...it is about relationships.

So (returning to our previous discussion) to delineate spiritual disciplines (under the guise of 'spending more time with God') as partial requirements of the Christian faith seems to do two things(in their most extreme presentations):

First, it seems to create a false compartmentalization between faith and the rest of our lives. For example, time with God can certainly mean time in prayer and time in the study of Scripture, but is time with God's children, in service, or with family any less time with God? With such effort in the world to compartmentalize our lives (our work lives, our home lives, our school lives, our family lives, our spiritual lives, etc) it appears to me that the Gospel speaks of a faith in God/a relationship with God that permeates the entirety of our lives. As such, faith isn't a single part of our lives, but rather is something that permeates the entirety of our lives. By keeping (or attempting to keep) God at bay in any area of our lives is merely to reify the compartments that are familiar to and comfortable for us.

The second extreme often presented is the use of spending time with God (referencing again the aforementioned spiritual disciplines) as rules for being Christian. Sadly, things like studying the Scriptures, worship, and prayer are relegated to requirements of what it truly means to be Christian...if you don't do them, in a particular way and with a particular frequency; then maybe you aren't particularly Christian. Isn't this part of the problem when Jesus is asked about the greatest commandment (almost as if those asking might be saying if we can't keep all of them, which one or ones should we pay particularly close attention to)? Didn't a segment of humanity take 10 simple rules and create more than 600 rules (like not wearing shoes heavier than a certain weight on the Sabbath because that might be considered work)...did not Jesus' response to the aforementioned question simplify things for us? In this perspective, we have to be very careful in discerning how the disciplines fall into Christ's discourse on the greatest commandments.

At these extremes, it seems to me that the gospel is distorted. As disciplines, yes they (the ways of spending time with God) can be means of grace that draw us closer to God and to each other. But if the transformation that is occurring in and through us in our study, worship, prayer times, etc is not reflected in our everyday walking around, breathing, eating, waking lives; then is it really transformation? We can't be truly altered/changed/transformed in our faith without there being fruit in the rest of our lives...our faith cannot be relegated to a compartment that only takes up part of our day or part of our week...and to present it as such, does nothing to speak to the truth of the wholeness and fullness of salvation that the gospel proclaims. At the other end of the spectrum, we have never been good at following rules. If my prayer, worship and study don't look like someone else's, it doesn't mean that it is not authentic or less fruitful. To say that spending time with God must look a particular way (frequency, presentation, etc) seems to squelch what the Spirit may be doing in a group of people or an individual. When we broach this extreme, we essentially set up a new law that becomes impossible to fulfill.

In the end, it seems to me that it is the work of the Holy Spirit, in and through us, that draws us closer to God and to one another. It is the overflow of love from God that drives us to know more about that love and pursue growth in that relationship. It is an ongoing desire to know God more that calls us to prayer, worship, study, etc. And it is in these places in more, that God continues the work he began in us. As we learn to love God more (out of the loving relationship that God has for us) we learn to love others. In our loving others we can still be present with God even in service to those others. In the end, it returns to our relationship with God and with each other. Our very lives, not just the faith parts, are radically altered by the saving and sanctifying grace of God.

I hope that my thoughts on this are clear, but if you want to do more reading on the subject, one of the resources that has had the most significant impact on my life regarding the disciplines and spending time with God is the work of Richard Foster entitled "Celebration of Discipline."

Am I the only one that has noticed this? What do you think about compartmentalizing God or turning the disciplines into rules? What resources have helped you come to an understanding about these things?

Deacons and Sacramental Authority - Part I

The new Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church (2008) includes a new twist that allows a deacon to preside over the sacraments in very specific circumstances. The text reads as follows:

"For the sake of extending the mission and ministry of the church, a pastor-in-charge or district superintendent may request that the Bishop grant local sacramental authority to the deacon to administer the sacraments in the absence of an elder, within a deacon's primary appointment."

Bishop Huie sent pastors in the Texas Annual Conference a letter about this via email today. While I have not yet completed reading the document that was attached to the email (from the General Conference level), I was hoping to begin a dialog about your thoughts around who should preside over the sacraments and why?

I won't say much about the whole thing just yet, except that I am inclined to believe that the approach of our jurisdiction and our bishop to limit this authority is a good thing. Specifically, Bishop Huie says: "Thus, it is my intention to interpret the Book of Discipline in a way that grants sacramental authority to a deacon rarely."

Let me know what you think...and yes, people who aren't United Methodist, I want to hear from you too!

New Church on the Charge

While we thought that yesterday's meeting was going to be just about the merger, the DS also asked permission to place another church on the charge...

...and, as of today, it is official - I am now pastoring Edom UMC (with the new additions from Sexton Chapel) plus Mt. Sylvan UMC here in East Texas.

This new church brings another rich and long history of United Methodism into the mix. It is a smaller congregation that Edom (which has 227 members), but larger than Sexton was (at 17 members when it merged). There are 66 members at Mt. Sylvan UMC with an average worship attendance of about 25-30 on Sunday mornings.

That means I now have 3 offices (home, Edom, and Mt. Sylvan)! I plan on spending time each week in the Mt. Sylvan community and in the church office there...what this looks like exactly, I do not know. While it would be great to have set days each week, I am not sure that my local, district and conference level commitments will permit that every week. So I may have to settle for an amount of time each week for these endeavors rather than specific days. More will be revealed.

I had a tour of the grounds today there are four separate buildings that include the Sanctuary, the fellowship hall, the Sunday school annex, and a parsonage (which is rented out---I will remain a resident of Edom) plus a small playground for the children. I didn't have my camera with me today, but will post pictures as soon as I can (I have a couple from my cellphone that I may be able to get uploaded this evening).

I met with the PPR chair today and found out much about the history and current ministries of the church. I appreciated her candor, honesty and authenticity and am looking forward to the time that I will have serving this congregation.

Stay tuned for more coming down the pike...it is never a dull moment around here!

Church Merger Complete

Many of you have been following the church closing/merger story involving the two churches that I serve here in East Texas. Here is the latest:

Yesterday, our district superintendent held a special called church conference at Edom UMC with the sole purpose to vote on the merger (remember, Sexton Chapel had already agreed and ceased services). After some questions from folks that had not been able to be at previous meetings, a motion was made, seconded, and the vote was unanimously yes.

Much work has been done by many involved in the process to date; and now the work takes a different twist. Accounts must be settled, audited, and transferred. Buildings and assets must be reallocated or sold. Membership must be transferred and reached out to by the shepherding group of the Edom congregation. Many valuable sources of history must be archived and protected. Certain artifacts must be logged and sent to the local museum (no kidding, it was part of the merger deal!). Insurance policies, deeds, etc. must all be renegotiated. The list seems to go on ad infinitum...

One thing is for sure, there will be no shortage of work this spring!

Thanks again to all who have been in prayer for these two congregations and for Erica and I.

Shalom,

Russell

Exciting Times

It's true, these are exciting times.

I have spent so much time talking about the challenges of a church that is closing and merging with another, that I have failed to highlight some really cool things that are happening at the other church I serve and with my life in general.

At Edom UMC, the new year marked the beginning of a new leadership structure. This new structure has been designed to make decision making more efficient and to better support the missions and ministries of the church. There are challenges that will have to be faced and walked through as this is doing church like it has never been done before here at Edom UMC. I am really looking forward to less meetings, more efficient meetings, and some looking toward the future (proactivity vs. reactivity) that this new leadership structure will allow.

Along with the new leadership structure comes a slate of new folks involved with ministry. We have been extra intentional about the identifying and equipping of people the last couple of years and have chosen leaders based upon specific gifts and graces rather than just plugging people into slots on a list. Because of this, we are already bearing witness to what God is doing in this process. For example, the new Administrative team is already making progress in positioning the church for future growth and ministry. Likewise, numerous leaders are asking questions and making suggestions that have not surfaced in years past (more about this in later posts)...suffice it to say, the way we do ministry is changing. The head of our Christian Education team is already preparing to launch two new groups/studies this coming year that will reach people in places of their greatest needs (more about this in future posts as well). Our leadership development team is gearing up for their first gathering and I am simply stoked about the vision that the leader of this team brings to the table. These are indeed exciting times at Edom UMC.

Life in general is also exciting:

I am entering into my final semester of seminary and preparing to graduate in May.

I am in the final stages of work necessary to become a probationary member/commissioned elder in the United Methodist Church. I hope that this will culminate in commissioning at our Annual Conference in May.

Erica and I just celebrated 8 years together (7 year of marriage) and Bailey is now officially 17 moths old as of today.

We are excited at the possibilities of where we might be moved to this coming June...we can't wait to see what God has in store for us next on our journey.

I am probably about to have another church added to my charge, which opens up a whole other set of possibilities for mission and ministry while here in Edom.

Yes, these are exciting times.

So tell me (tell all of us here at Radically Altered), what's got you excited about this new year that is already underway?

A Theology of Giving/Stewardship

One of the positions that I currently serve is on a committee that takes a look at how we support our larger structure (the Annual Conference) financially. We use a system of apportionments where every local church pays a percentage of money to the Annual Conference to cover the budget for the administration and ministry that happens at that level.

One of the things that has been asked of us is to define a theology of giving or of stewardship that represents our own beliefs.

I am continuing to work on my version of this definition...it entails relationship rather than obligation, recognizing that everything we have is a gift (we are stewards of what we receive) and that we should give freely of that which was given freely to us, and the difference between first fruits and leftovers...these are the discussions that are rambling around in my brain right now.

I thought I would take a little poll about peoples views regarding giving/stewardship.

Is it about relationship?
Does trust in God play a larger role than current economic activity?
How important is it to give to God first?
Is giving to God restricted to giving to the church?
What are some other thoughts you have about giving/stewardship?
Do your thoughts differ when discussing individuals supporting a church vs. local churches supporting a larger structure? Why or why not?

Let me know what you think.

It is finished...almost

Today was the day that ministry at Sexton Chapel United Methodist Church came to an end. It was the final worship service after more than 100 years of services. To say that today was surreal would be an understatement.

We had 20 people in attendance at this final worship service. You would think that with a membership of only 17, that that would be a good showing...actually, it was heartbreaking. Of the 20 people that were able to make it, only 5 were current members of Sexton Chapel. A couple of our regular visitors were home recovering from hospital visits and a couple of our members and regular attenders were at home sick. There are also several that are now residents of nursing homes that were unable to attend. Two of the people present included myself and my DS. All of our other visitors have been present at the church at one time or another attending worship services, Bible studies, or special events.

There was one family that had 2 church members present from the same family and they brought 5 other family members with them from their extended family. That says a lot to me about the importance of this church to that family. At least four generations of this family had been affiliated with this church during my time here; and this morning 3 generations were present in worship. This family had experienced baptisms, weddings, and funerals of loved ones through multiple generations. There was much solemness in these folks.

I have to admit that I was reluctant to preach this service. I tried to talk the DS into preaching at it, but he said that I should do it. So I did. I utilized the text out of Ecclesiastes 8:1-15 and John 12:23-26 as the basis of my sermon. I thought it was appropriate to end our time together by beginning our morning teaching with the same text that helped shape our decision making process. I did my very best to present the gospel and to have the focus point towards the resurrection. It was probably not the worst sermon I have ever preached, but it definitely wasn't the best. It was, however, among the top three most difficult sermons I have had to give during my time in pastoral ministry.

At the end of the service, the DS came up and shared some words of experience and re-enforced the thoughts of resurrection and how when we go to our new church(es) we have the opportunity to grow and be a blessing because of what we have been through together here.

He then gave the declaration of purpose and the declaration of deconsecration. Here are the words that were spoken:

Declaration of Purpose
"The time has come for this congregation of Christ's holy Church, under God's leadership, to disband and take leave of this building. It has been consecrated for the ministry of God's Holy Word and Sacraments. It has provided refuge and comfort for God's people. It has served well our holy faith. It is fitting, therefore, that we should take our leave of this consecrated house, lifting up our hearts in thanksgiving for this common store of memories."

Declaration of Deconsecration
"This building, having been consecrated and named the Sexton Chapel United Methodist Church, together with the land on which it stands and all objects remaining in it, we now deconsecrate and release for any honorable use. We declare that it is no longer the place of meeting of a United Methodist congregation."

These words were followed by prayer. You could see tears in the eyes of many. You could see others with their heads hung low...heartbreaking is the only way to describe it...I have no other words.

There was a part of me that wanted to join them in their tears and there was a part of me that wanted to remain strong...today, at least, the strength won out. My insides felt a lot like I felt when I first got to the treatment center more than a decade ago and they placed my on antidepressants and psychotropics while I was detoxing...simply put, it was (then and now) a mind blowing numbness that leaves you incapable of much emotional response. When you want to cry you can't. When you want to laugh you can't. There is nothing more than really heavy numbness.

I am sure that in time the grieving process will continue, although I know not what form it will take.

I wanted to offer a word of thanks to all of you who have endeavored to be in prayer for me and this little church. Your presence, and God's, has been felt and has been a blessing during this time.

We are a week away from the final vote (church conference) at Edom UMC to complete the merger. Then we will be neck deep in transfers, etc. I am sure that there will be much more to talk about as the process draws to a close...hence the title of this posting: It is finished...almost. For Sexton Chapel UMC, the end of an era has arrived. For Edom and for the individuals involved, there is still much work ahead of us.

Shalom,

Russell