Reconciliation or Retaliation?

Posted on October 31, 2011 by
“If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother (or sister) has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar.  First go and be reconciled to your brother (or sister); then come and offer your gift.” – Matthew 5:23-24

I am a firm believer that one of the greatest indicators of our relationship with God is measured in how we relate to one another.  It seems only natural that the grace given to us freely by God should flow through us and be shared with all those we are in contact with.  This simple truth has helped me to see others as God sees them – beloved, sacred, and worthwhile.  Of course, I have my moments (I know, big surprise!) where I see someone as less than sacred, and less than “deserving” of the grace that I certainly deserve (an obvious sign that I need a double-dose of humble pie!).  The fact of the matter is that human relationships are complex, and sometimes downright dirty.  
Jesus knew what it was like to be tempted.  As a matter of fact, he was led into the wilderness so that he could be tempted!  I think Jesus knows a bit about what it means to be human.  Jesus also knows what it means to be holy and what it means to live a life of grace and mercy.  As one who believes in the power of prayer to bring healing, restoration, and transformation, I also understand the reality of a sin-saturated world that places blocks to these ways of wholeness.  Sometimes these blocks are caused by forces outside our control, but many times I have found that these blocks are self-imposed.  Attitudes of bitterness, anger, unforgiveness, or revenge top the list of “wholeness-blockers”.  Just as an untreated wound would begin to fester and become infected if not properly treated, our spiritual wounds and brokenness become more susceptible to infection by sin as the roots of selfish pride dig deeper within us.  The desire to be “right” often trumps our call to be gracious and compassionate while the urge to fight back or “get even” shadows the call to be light and peace.  Fortunately, there is way to bridge our need for healing and wholeness while addressing these issues of selfishness and sin.
The beatitudes (Matthew 5) are a great place to begin this journey of transformation, and if you are like me, you will read and re-read, practice and re-practice (is that a word?) the principles taught by Jesus here.  Many times, you will fail.  Sometimes, you will succeed.  But God calls us to deeper relationship with himself through Jesus and our relationship with Jesus is deepened as we seek to love others through the power of the Holy Spirit.  This is exactly what is spelled out in Matthew 5:23-24.  Though we may have something important to do with regard to our practice of faith in God (bringing our gifts before God), we must first seek to be reconciled with our sisters and brothers (which is also a practice of faith in God, by the way!).  This is challenging work, but God’s grace is with us as we attempt to take that step.  Challenging us even further is the fact that just before these verses, Jesus equates verbal put-downs with murder (Matthew 5:21-22).  With this perspective in view, it really is more profitable to seek reconciliation rather than retaliation.
In what ways, in what areas, and with whom is God challenging you to seek reconciliation rather than retaliation?
For The Kingdom,
             Aaron
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Church Leaders and Kitchen Nightmares

Posted on September 27, 2011 by

I enjoy watching BBC America, especially Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares.  In the program, chef Ramsay tries to help struggling food establishments regain their footing by challenging them to go beyond what they are currently doing to survive.  Oftentimes, the methods Ramsay suggests (and sometimes just implements without any warning) are radical (changing the decor, the menu, and even the restaurant name).  Of course, with such radical changes come some pretty heated discussions and a reluctance to change by some.  However, by the end of each episode there seems to be at least a glimmer of hope for the once-failing restaurant.  Although Ramsay’s approach to making these changes is not necessarily what one would glean from reading a Christian leadership text, his methods do work for three reasons:

1. Ramsay has had experience with starting a new restaurant as well as times of working through struggling restaurants.
2. Ramsay is to the point and does not “beat around the bush” to get to what he is trying to accomplish.
3. He is determined to help the struggling restaurant begin to stand on its own two feet again (he really cares!)
I think that church leaders can learn from these methods as well:
1.Maybe you have had some experiences working through struggling situations, maybe you have started a new church.  Yet again, maybe not.  But that is alright!  It is important to seek out someone who has who can give you counsel and guidance in this area.  This is why I appreciate the role of mentors in my life.  Sometimes the techniques are simple, other times I am stretched in my faith and abilities to lead in new ways.
2. Second, I know that I need to learn the art of saying ‘no’ to some things that come up.  If I am to be effective as a leader, I need to be to the point and let my ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and my ‘no’ be ‘no’.  There is nothing worse than leaving someone who looks up to you hanging on a ‘maybe’.  We are leaders, we are to lead with integrity, compassion, and vision.  On the same token, if we don’t know we need to fess up and seek out someone who does!
3. Finally, as a church leader I know that it is easy to feel dis-ease with the church at times, especially when it seems “they just don’t get it!”  This is why it is important for every church leader to remember why we do what we do (Because we have responded to a call!  Because we love God!  Because we love people!).  Our job is to encourage the church to stand upon its own two feet once again, even in light of struggles that seem to overshadow the vision and mission of the church.  This is when the church really needs leadership to be at its best!  (and it won’t happen if we shrug our shoulders and say we don’t care).
I am curious to know what you think about leading the church today?  If you are not a church leader, what do you look for in a leader?
Peace,
   Aaron
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More Bread, Please!

Posted on September 7, 2011 by

As a pastor, I am completely blown away by my experiences with children in worship.  During the children’s time (a time when I share a message with the children in the church during the worship hour), I have learned to simply allow whatever happens to take place as it may.  Sometimes the kids are distracted by talk of a video game or movie they just saw, or they are simply being children and wandering off subject as children (and some adults, like myself) do.  Even though they may veer off subject, what the children have to say and how they say it, is really quite important and I believe we adults need to listen more closely.


I am reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 18:3-4 where he says that our faith should be that of a child’s faith, for thus is the kingdom of heaven.  Even Jesus’ words of caution to the religious leaders and disciples regarding our treatment of children points to the idea that children are vitally important in the kingdom of God (here and now).  


This past Sunday, I had an experience with the children in our worshiping congregation as we were preparing to partake of holy communion.  As I was blessing the bread and the juice, a small child from the back of the sanctuary came running toward the altar saying “I want some bread, please”.  I was in shock initially, mostly because I have never experienced anyone doing this in the middle of the communion liturgy.  At first I have to admit, I was a bit confused.  Confused about how I would handle the next few precious moments and how my reaction would affect this young person’s view of holy communion.  After I paused for a few seconds, I said “sure, have some bread” and the young child began to eat the bread.  I gently nudged the child back to the seating area and continued to process through the liturgy when I heard a child’s voice once again, “more bread, please!”


“More Bread, Please!” WOW!  From the mouths of little children we hear great truths!  If only our persistence in seeking the Lord were as humble and genuine as this child.  So many times we approach communion, or worship in general, with the same ho-hum attitude when in fact the Lord has called us to ask for more of him!  Needless to say, this was a teaching moment for our congregation and for myself.  The next time I celebrate communion, I will be up front asking “more bread, please!”

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Christian Healing – Part 1

Posted on June 10, 2011 by


 

This is part one of a series I am working on, talking about healing and why it is important for the Christian community.  It is also my very first video blog post, so please offer your critique and encouragement.  Please join me in conversation about Christian Healing by posting your comments and discussion.

Peace,

Aaron

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Relfections on My Seminary Experience

Posted on May 12, 2011 by

Today marks an important point in my life as I finish up my final classes and have experienced my final chapel as a seminary student at Asbury Theological Seminary.  My emotions are a mixed bag of joyful anticipation and the challenge of transitioning back to “normal life”.  I wonder in joyful anticipation of what God has in store for me as I will now be able to focus more of my energy upon the churches that I serve as well as being able to spend more quality time with my family.  At the same time, I will miss the community and fellowship that I have had the privilege to share with many great people from diverse walks of life while at Asbury.  With that said, it will be nice to re-acquire the 10+ hours a week that I have spent on driving back and forth from Blissfield to Wilmore every week for 3 years (the gas savings alone will be a nice change!)

I have decided to post the following experiences and thank-you’s as I reflect on my time at Asbury and I hope that you may find some encouragement in these words:


  • First off, my seminary experience could not have been possible without the continuous support and encouragement of my lovely bride, Maria.  She has sacrificed so much over the past five years and I am indebted greatly to her as she has consistently provided me with the love I have needed as I navigated this experience.


  • My Churches – I am so greatly blessed by the congregations of both Emmanuel UMC and Lambertville UMC as they have given of themselves so that I might experience seminary while also having the experience of pastoral ministry (and a paycheck!).  I know that you all have been praying for me and my family as we have journeyed together.  Thank You!


  • I am thankful for the opportunity to have experienced a truly world-class theological education by being stretched in my thinking, challenged in my walk with Jesus, and encouraged to share the whole gospel with the wider world.


  • My time at Asbury has proven to be vital in my spiritual formation as I have learned to grow through the engagement in daily spiritual disciplines and appreciating more deeply their roots in the rich Wesleyan heritage I subscribe to as a United Methodist.


  • Finally, the friends and colleagues that I have met along the way have been a tremendous encouragement for me.  God has blessed me with many opportunities that have proven fruitful for ministry, both now and in anticipation of future interactions with these brothers and sisters in Christ.


  • By coming to Asbury, I have been invited to engage in preaching opportunities in India and Liberia as well as churches within the United States.  This is significant for many reasons, not the least of which is a prophetic word I received from an African evangelist when I was 13 years old that I would “preach the gospel to thousands of people”.  At the time I certainly did not place much weight on this word, but God has recently revealed to me what He has in store for my future in this regard.



As I near the close of this chapter of my life, I am reminded above all that God has a plan for all of us.  I came to seminary not fully aware of this mystery, and there remain several questions upon my heart but God has been faithful to reveal Himself to me in ways I never could have comprehended prior to my time at Asbury.

Thank you, Lord for such a time as this!

Because He Lives!

Aaron

Posted in asbury, Grace, provision, reflections, seminary, Wilmore | 2 Comments

What’s So Good About ‘Good Friday’?

Posted on April 22, 2011 by

http://stushieart.wordpress.com/2010/03/18/easter-art-good-friday-2010-son-down/



It seems like an oxymoron, calling something ‘good’ when in fact it does not seem good at all.  That a man who committed no crime would be sentenced to death by means of one of the most painful and excruciating ways of torture and death, that is death on a cross.  But, there is so much more to the story as Sunday will certainly attest.  The death of this man, Jesus, will bring about the redemption of many through his suffering, death, and resurrection.

It is important that we do not simply gloss over Good Friday and indeed the entire Holy Week events and skip directly to Easter, even as we recognize the significance and impact of the resurrection itself.  But, how can the death of someone possibly be a good thing?

When it is the Son of God, the pure and spotless Lamb of God.

He is the One who has carried the weight of the sin of the world on his shoulders, enduring the wrath of God for our sake.

“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. ” (Isaiah 53:4–6, ESV)


The Psalms are a beautiful and poignant reminder of the depths of lament and the heights of joy, serving not only as the hymnbook of Jesus but also the prayers that Jesus prayed.  Psalm 22 illustrates this cry of anguish as Jesus recites words from this prayer as he is breathing his last breath on the instrument of torture:

“Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachtani….”

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? ” (Psalm 22:1, ESV)


Imagine the abandonment and loneliness felt by Jesus on the cross…

for you…

and me…

and the entire world…

forever…

This is certainly good, especially as we are reminded that Sunday is on its way!  Death no longer has the last word!  Praise be to God!

Think and reflect on this for today.  Attend a Good Friday service at your church or another church.  Allow God’s Spirit to minister to you as you open yourself up to him and what Jesus truly endured for your sake.  Try hard not to skip ahead to Sunday, allowing the depth of Friday to sink in, but don’t stay stuck in Friday as you are reminded that Sunday is just two days away.

Posted in Crucifixion, Easter, Good Friday, Grace, Jesus, Sin | 2 Comments

Meeting God at the Counter

Posted on March 31, 2011 by

Yesterday on my way to Wilmore, I participated in my weekly ritual of stopping along the way for a driving break and to grab some lunch.  Little did I know that I would learn something about being a disciple of Jesus.

Upon my entry into the restaurant I noticed a man sitting near the door with a look of need upon his face.  At the moment we made eye contact, I knew the question he was going to ask almost before he was to ask it, “do you have any money?” he said ” My car ran out of gas and I need to get back on the road”.  My immediate reply to him was that I do not give out money, but if he was hungry I could get him something to eat.  The man seemed thankful that I was offering to buy him lunch.  The events that had transpired up to this point were a repeat of events I have experienced several times, but what was to happen next taught me a lesson about what it means to be a follower of Christ.

When we approached the counter, I informed the cashier that the man ahead of me was going to be on my bill.  She responded by taking my order and then proceeded to receive my payment.  When the man sat back down to wait for his order, the cashier found it important to inform me that “he does this all the time”.   Wait! “He does this all the time?” I thought to myself.  At first, I admit I felt taken advantage of and a bit naive.  My response to the cashier was simply “well, that’s just how it goes!”  Yep, that’s the response of this follower of Christ…, “that’s just how it goes”.  Sure, I could have responded a bit more pastoral, inserting the gospel in there somewhere, but even then I fell short.  But, I think the basic message was communicated to the cashier.

The truth is…  we sin, we feel guilty, we repent, God forgives.  Repeat.

After my well-thought out response to the cashier (hint of sarcasm noted), I thought to myself, “how many times have I sought forgiveness from God, many times, in one day?”  and “how often has God responded by saying ‘you do this all the time’?”  Not once!  Never has God questioned my coming to Him to seek forgiveness and healing.  Not once has God turned me away just because I have continued to fail (miserably many times at that!).  Not once has God held his grace from me when I sought to be reconciled to him!

The difference between the cashier at the counter and God is that God never questions our coming to him, or stops forgiving our sins, no matter how often we come to the counter.  A lesson in following Jesus?  I think so.

Posted in Christian Living, Discipleship, Following Christ, Grace, Wilmore | 1 Comment

New Video Series – Rural Roots of the UMC

Posted on February 8, 2011 by

If you are interested in some United Methodist History, check out these videos!  It is really exciting to see that the Church is recognizing the power and significance of the smaller church.  Let me know what you think!

Peace,
   Aaron

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Anger Danger

Posted on February 7, 2011 by
“But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. ” (Matthew 15:18, ESV)

Nothing is more difficult to preach than a sermon that has brought conviction to the preacher.  Over the course of the seven-plus years that I have been preaching, I have experienced several “opportunities for growth” where the Holy Spirit has brought conviction upon my heart in the process of preparing and delivering a sermon.  I think this is good!  Especially given the fact that pastors are people too, we sin!  It is my prayer each and every time I deliver a sermon, that God’s Word would be spoken through me and that I would have enough sense to get out of the way so that His Spirit can work through me.  This week is one of those instances where God is working heavily upon my heart as a pastor and more importantly, a follower of Christ.
In preparing for this Sunday’s sermon on Matthew 5:21-37, God has brought a conviction upon my heart that I would like to share with you, both to bring healing to my heart (James 5:16) and hopefully to encourage you to do the same.
A key passage for me this week is Matthew 5:21-26, where Jesus says in verse 22 “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” (ESV).  It is amazing that many years prior to the advent of psychology and emotional awareness training, that Jesus is giving some practical help to those who struggle with anger.  Most potent for me this week is Jesus’ reference to “fool”.  In the Greek language, the word for “fool” is moros (where we get the modern word for “moron”).  It seems there is a progression from feelings of anger, to insulting a fellow brother (or sister), to the most extreme form of acting upon our feelings of anger, in this case calling someone a fool (or moron).
Just prior to these verses, Jesus speaks of coming not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17).  Jesus is not being legalistic here, but is speaking very practically in that matters of our heart eventually surface somehow!  As a counselor, I have worked with several individuals and families seeking to help them discover these emotional time-bombs before they explode in actions that one may later regret.  Truth be told, I have needed help in this area myself (I am a firm believer that no pastor or counselor can be effective without having been a “counselee” themselves).  But there is hope!  Just as James 5:16 calls us to confess our sins “so that you may be healed” (emotionally, physically, spiritually), Jesus calls us to seek reconciliation with our brothers and sisters before it’s too late! (while there is still time! Matthew 5:25).  
Maybe you are needing some encouragement to seek reconciliation with someone whom you have wronged in your heart, or maybe you are needing to offer forgiveness to someone who has hurt you.  My friend, let it be known that Jesus is in the business of healing our emotional woundedness, and the way to healing resides in knowing that Jesus has carried our afflictions and has suffered for our sake (Isaiah 53:4-5).  Seek out those with whom you have had anger toward, and ask their forgiveness.  Forgive them in your heart and before God.  And, don’t forget to forgive yourself!  God has already offered His great and wonderful gift of forgiveness in Jesus Christ.  Allow yourself to receive that forgiveness, even now.  And if you don’t know Jesus, ask him into your heart, to forgive your sins.  If you need to re-commit to the Lord, do so now in prayer.  God’s love and grace covers a multitude of sin.  God can handle our doubts, fears, and our reluctance to come to him.  Let God heal your inner wounds of anger and fear.
Peace,
   Aaron
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Strengthen Your Marriage – Do The Dishes Together!

Posted on February 6, 2011 by

It is truly amazing to see how normal, everyday life events can be used to strengthen relationships.  This evening, my wife and I were cleaning up after supper, all the while having a conversation about our day.  About halfway through finishing the dishes (I was cleaning, and she was putting them away), I mentioned to Maria that “It seems we have some of the best conversations over dishes!” to which she laughingly agreed.

Of course, it is great and important to have time set aside to spend with one another, however that is not always easy to do (especially when you have young children who constantly clamor for your attention).  One option is to begin doing tasks with one another (such as doing the dishes) to increase communication and to gain greater appreciation for one another.  It may or may not be the deep conversation and relationship building you and your spouse are looking for, but it may be a great beginning.  Give it a try, use the everyday moments for relationship building to the max.

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