Living the T-shirt Life

Brenda’s Blog – August 25, 2020

“I did it and have the T-shirt to prove it!” I have heard this about jobs, parenting, athletic events, and even eating contests.
My closet is full of Tees from travels, most of them very old and way too small for me now. But I keep them because they remind me of great experiences.

My grandson lives on hand-me-downs and thrift store offerings. Consequently, he has tees from a variety of colleges, cities, and sporting events. Often he is asked if he is a graduate of the college whose shirt he is wearing. People just assume he is a student. But no – he is the recipient of someone else’s history.

How often do we adopt someone else’s story instead of creating our own? Isn’t it easier to borrow someone else’s credibility rather than earning our own?

How often do we take on the spiritual background of someone else without establishing our own? I once knew a man who as an adult was challenged by his mentor to “stop riding my spiritual coattails and get your own testimony.” He was wearing someone else’s t-shirt.

Sometimes I randomly glance through my shirts and pause to remember – moments of time travel. Some make me laugh while others bring a few minutes of reflection. But then I fold them, put them back in the closet and promise to do something with them “someday.”

I have a friend whose wife mistakenly used a beloved, but ratty, t-shirt as a cleaning cloth. He almost cried as he explained the significance of the concert tee from his glorious days of youth.

What do our shirts say about us? Volunteer efforts, jobs, travels, athletic pursuits, political affiliations, holidays, or maybe faith statements? We Americans live a t shirt life. Every once in a while perhaps we should take inventory and consider what they say about us, our beliefs, and our character.

We will always go on proclaiming our experiences to the world, bear advertising like living sign boards, and announce our proud loyalties, won’t we? Let’s just make sure they rightly express who we are.

A Layman Looks To His Pastor, part four

Weekly Thought – August 25, 2020

Fred encouraged pastors for he knew the pressures they faced. He watched his pastor Father minister to suffering men and women throughout the Depressions of the 1920s and 30s. He and Mary Alice were never members of a congregation without befriending the pastor and his family. This final excerpt from the address to a large Pastors’ Conference summarizes his last points.

A Layman Looks To His Pastor, part four

Depression is a natural ailment in the ministry. I have great compassion for this struggle. The nearer one gets to God the ore Satan fights. The sharpest arrows come to the most potent soldiers.

I have spoken to you about the pastoral responsibilities to the congregation. Encouraging you all is a primary responsibility of each congregant. Charles Spurgeon urged each member to include the pastor in daily prayer.

I was told a pastor’s wife once spoke to Mother Teresa when she was in Washington, DC. “What can I do to make a difference in my husband’s life and ministry?” The Sister with great compassion took the woman’s face between her gnarled hands and sweetly said to her, “Love your husband and children.”

Sometimes pastors just need enough encouragement to take the next step. Don’t you think we often need a pit stop more than a pep rally?

For good measure I am going to give you a 10th point:

10) I want my pastor to have a spirit of participating in the Body of Christ, not as an organization, but as an organism. I am a proponent of denominations because they decentralize power. A centralized church tends to become a political church. Control leads to ownership, not to stewardship.

However I want him to have fellowship with those who bear different denominational badges. I like the picture of heaven with John Wesley, John Calvin, Martin Luther gathered around a table sharing stories.

I don’t want my pastor creating tribal loyalties which exclude other faith traditions. When I hear Christian leaders criticizing others I like to ask, “Are they going to be in heaven?” Their positive response prompts me to say, “What right do you have to beat up on another member of the Body of Christ?” When there is legitimate need for doctrinal discussion in love we should try to be corrective, but not destructive.

Like the English priest who guided me through the Roman catacombs said, “My brother, it is not the form that separates us but the blessed hope of the resurrection which unites us.”

This list isn’t designed to create the “total pastor,” rather stimulate thought and conversation. I believe such conversation can contribute to a pastor’s finding accomplishment, meaning, and challenge enough for a lifetime of faithful ministry.

This week think about: 1) How can I encourage my pastor this week? 2) What would I add to Fred’s list? 3) As a pastor, what can I do to strengthen my congregation?

Words of Wisdom: “Sometimes pastors just need enough encouragement to take the next step.”

Wisdom from the Word: “For everything that was written in former times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and through encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope.” (Romans 15:4 NET Bible)

A Layman Looks To His Pastor, part three

Weekly Thought – August 18, 2020

Fred believed life’s changes were built around what a person reads, where they travel, and their associations. He spent his life desiring to stretch others, but also being stretched. This excerpt from a speech to a pastors’ conference displays Fred’s ability to distill key principles, delivering them in a manner which motivated much note-taking. This week we cover points eight and nine.

As our friends in Christian higher education prepare to return to school, please pray with them. They face challenges beyond the normal ones of semester transition. The students are working on their education during a time of cultural upheaval and social disarray. The administrators, faculty, and staff are joined together to provide excellence in academics and faith development.

A Layman Looks To His Pastor, part three

8) I want my pastor to lead the development of community within the local church. Ray Stedman, pastor of Peninsula Bible Church in California introduced the policy of unanimity for elder decisions. When he first told me I thought it wasn’t necessary, but the closer I got to the situation I understood the wisdom of his policy. This was a solid way to build community within the elder board and the congregation.

We live in such a fractured world. Our cities are not friendly, oftentimes our workplaces are unfriendly (and even toxic), and sadly our homes are not safe haven but seriously dysfunctional. The fellowship of believers should provide a harmonious environment where no one has to play politics or join cliques. I am convinced churches which operate like this will attract people who see the Gospel creates a group who accept and bless.

In my experience each organization needs someone who serves as the glue and the leader of community building. I want my pastor to consider community a high priority.

9) I would like for my pastor to be a resource to the membership… and not just a resource to rehash current reading materials, TV shows, or movies. I don’t go to church to be caught up on cultural trends. I want my pastor to be a resource for spiritual refueling. I want to be responsible for using my gifts and look to my pastor to enable me to maximize my effectiveness. A pastor friend who is very mechanical identifies his role as knowing his congregation and the tools necessary for them to live out their callings. He verbalizes his role as knowing the tools in the garage well enough to put them in the hands of each congregant for each particular job that needs to be done. He calls himself an equipper.

These points demonstrate a key principle: I want my pastor to be in the “hope business.” The world is desperately in need of our pastors to preach the light and life of Christ. We hear from commentators about how lost the world is and how subject we are to disillusionment and depression. I want my pastor to know the reality of faith and transmit that to the congregation week by week. I want the God he serves to be bigger than any world government, or malevolent regime.

This week think carefully about: 1) How can I participate in building community within my church? 2) What can I do this week to speak hope to others? 3) Who can I join with to bring growth to my church?

Words of Wisdom: “In my experience each organization needs someone who serves as the glue and the leader of community building. I want my pastor to consider community a high priority.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well.” (Philippians 2:4 NET Bible)

Boxed In

Brenda’s Blog – August 11, 2020

“Hey, there – you in the cage!”

The billboard on Interstate 75 in Florida caught my eye and certainly made me laugh. The sponsor? Harley-Davidson, of course. Those flying freely down the highway on their roaring cycles look at us in cars as zoo animals in cages.

Two of my friends chose to ride from Texas to California on a bike as their honeymoon of choice – his choice, may I add? She had very few hours of preparation and reported the recovery time wasn’t pleasant. Happily after decades, they are still married, but the cross-country rides are a distant memory.

During a time of change I decided buying a bike and hitting the mountains of Colorado was for me. I cut out pictures of serpentine highways, pasting them on my bathroom mirror. I signed up for motorcycle classes and headed out to fulfill my dream. The “beginners” notation on the course was a true misnomer. How did I know? I was the only one in the class not to arrive on my own very large and loud bike! I got the highest score on the written test. When we actually got to the riding part I failed miserably. So miserably that I was asked to leave. I flunked the class.

Some of us are meant to see the USA on 2 wheels and others are happy to travel the roads locked in a cage with Sirius radio.

I went home, threw away the fantasy pics, pulled out my atlas, and started planning the first of many trips across America. When the bikes whiz by me there is a tug perhaps for a second or two. But when it is pouring rain and they are hunkered down beneath an overpass I am thankful for my dry cage.

All of us have dreams – and to be truly fulfilled we must understand and appreciate when they are honestly ours, and not just a reaction to circumstances. I wanted to embrace change in my life by becoming someone I had never been and would never be. When I saw my cage as the delightful means of experiencing marvelous sights and sounds I learned satisfaction.

A Layman Looks To His Pastor, part two

Weekly Thought – August 11, 2020

Fred respected the office of pastor. His desire to include his pastors in the personal goal of stretching others created long-term relationships. This week we continue our excerpting of Fred’s A Layman Looks To His Pastor. It is our prayer pastors and other ministry leaders in our BWF community experience growth and blessing as they read.

A Layman Looks To His Pastor, part two

(Fred spoke to a pastors’ conference and outlined nine ideas he shared with his pastor. The masculine pronoun is used by Fred. The editor recognizes the role of women in ministry, but did not change it to stay true to Fred’s writing in a different historical context).

4) I would like my pastor to trust me enough to let me be myself around him so that he can be himself around me. Maintaining images can alienate us from one another. A layman recently commented, “I cannot believe how my friends change when they are with the pastor.” Certainly I am not advocating total intimacy and transparency with everyone for this is dangerous. But I do support reality in relationships and wisdom in what is shared and with whom.

5) I would hope my pastor would maintain personal spiritual vitality so that his sure belief would be a candle in any darkness we all face. But also, that he would recognize when I let down on my spiritual disciplines and stopped growing. Spiritual vitality cannot be gained through osmosis. We all want to have associations with vibrant Christians, but we can’t lean on them for our own life of faith. There was a time in my early adulthood I depended on the Christian experience of a friend, even though my own experience was real. I vividly remember when he confronted me saying, “Fred, get off my spiritual back!” I was sucking him dry because my own walk was arid. God doesn’t want us to live through others, but through the Spirit driven relationship.

6) I want my pastor to know truth, not just the facts of faith. Just as information is not knowledge, and knowledge is not wisdom, so facts and word studies do not adequate express the truth of the revelation God gave in Christ. Father Hesburgh when President of Notre Dame was asked to sit on the board of Chase Manhattan Bank by David Rockefeller. When Father Hesburgh laughed, saying he didn’t even have a bank account, Rockefeller responded “There will be times when we will need to know the truth and for that we will turn to you.” He accepted the position.

7) I would want my pastor to not act humble, but actually be humble. I have always used the definition of humility as: “not denying the power, but admitting it comes through you and not from you.” My son, Fred, recently gave me another one that I like very much: “Accepting your strength with gratitude.” I like to see my pastor receive compliments with graciousness that bespeaks humility. Francois Fenelon said to his friend “Accept the compliments of worthy people as the blessing of God.”

This week carefully consider: 1) Which idea would be a good conversation starter with your pastor? 2) As a pastor or ministry leader, which point most interests you? 3) How can we use Fred’s idea to truly encourage our pastors?

Words of Wisdom: “God doesn’t want us to live through others, but through the Spirit drive relationship.”

Wisdom from the Word: “The fear of the LORD provides wise instruction, and before honor comes humility.” (Proverbs 15:33 NET Bible)

A Layman Looks To His Pastor

Weekly Thought – August 4, 2020

Fred grew up as a PK (preacher’s kid). His father pastored small Baptist churches, attending to the spiritual and physical needs of men and women throughout the dark days of the depression. Fred befriended pastors throughout his life. Even in his death he demonstrated his respect as he asked five ordained men to preach his memorial service. For the next weeks excerpts from a piece written with the title “A Layman Looks To His Pastor” will be the selections.

Please pray for Christian higher education. Many of those serving as Presidents retired during the last few years. Those assuming the responsibility of the role are facing great challenges. We need men and women trained in excellence, academically and spiritually.

A Layman Looks To His Pastor

When asked to speak to a pastors’ conference at a large denominational university I was given the title: “A Layman Looks At The Pastor.” I felt this was judgmental, since scripture tells us not to judge another’s servant. Pastors are the servants of God. Sometimes they forget this and behave like they are servants of the laity.
I changed the title and it made a big difference in the tone and content: A Layman Looks TO His Pastor. This is a personal view of what I have shared with my pastors during the years. It is not inclusive, of course, and not a dissertation on pastoral responsibilities to the church at large.

1) I want my pastor to teach me how to think about God more than just what to think about Him. Plato said the great teachers awaken the teacher within the pupil and then the pupil becomes his own teacher for his entire life. My pastor is not responsible for my spiritual health any more than my doctor is held responsible for my physical health. He is to help and guide me, but I must assume the final responsibility. To transfer that charge to my pastor would be wrong.

2) I would like for my pastor to be my spiritual dietician, based on my gifts, opportunities, and situation When I go to Mayo, the dietician studies my medical records and recommends specific intake which will optimize my opportunities and health. I have tried different “menus” over the years finding what fits. Currently I emphasize: the awe of God, the understanding and use of prayer, and the presence of the Spirit. I stopped calling my morning time “Devotions” and now speak of it as my “Spiritual feeding time.” This includes the Bible, the ancient saints, and renowned preachers of the past. These six or eight sources provide a balanced diet. Not every day is a spiritual high any more than every meal is a memorable one, yet each is necessary and useful. Hopefully, spiritual feeding produces what Chambers calls “conscious repentance and unconscious holiness.”

I am grateful for the pastoral care of those who were concerned for my development, giving me observations, articles, books, and recommendations, all of which nudged me along the right path.

3) I ask my pastor to remind me he is not my agent tasked with making a better deal with God then I can get. Too often we are tempted to ask the preacher to pray because we think God will listen to Him more than He will to us – that is not scriptural. I want my pastor to tell me it is my responsibility. This is good for the pastor to avoid the temptation of subconsciously believing in substitutionary grace or at least tacitly letting followers believe in it.

This week carefully consider: 1) What do I want my pastor to know? 2) Which of these points stands out as applicable to me? 3) How can I encourage my pastor?

Words of Wisdom: “I stopped calling my morning time ‘Devotions’ and now speak of it as my ‘Spiritual feeding time.’”

Wisdom from the Word: “We proclaim him by instructing and teaching all people with all wisdom so that we may present every person mature in Christ.” (Colossians 1:28 NET Bible)