Category: Rant

Posted in Rant

Repost: I’m not giving up anything for Lent

Posted on by William Douthwaite

(Originally posted February 20, 2010)

That’s right. I”m not giving up anything for Lent. Zip. Zero. Nada. Zilch. Over the last few years I’ve heard much more about giving something up for Lent than ever. For some reason it has seen a resurgence not only among Christians, but in the secular world as well. On one popular afternoon talk show in Orlando, an avowed atheist and an individual from a Jewish background were discussing what they would give up for Lent. It seems that the practice has gone viral.

I have a problem with the practice on several levels. First of all, if you are going fast, even if just from one particular food or activity, you aren’t supposed to advertise it on social media or talk about it among your friends. Jesus said that if you were going to fast, it was something between you and God. You were to go about your day as if everything were normal. If you’re going to give up something for Lent and then whine about it for the next 38 days on Facebook, I’m going to block you until after Easter.

Next, God’s not impressed when people fast but then turn around and treat each other like dirt. Read Isaiah 58. The kind of fasting God’s interested in is one that helps other people, especially those who are hurting and going without some of the basics of life. When people who have little interest in church or ministry decide to fast, it means nothing. Why bother?

What do you think of this Lenten prayer by Christian Sine?

We have chosen to fast

Not with ashes but with actions

Not with sackcloth but in sharing

Not in thoughts but in deeds

We will give up our abundance

To share our food with the hungry

We will give up our comfort

To provide homes for the destitute

We will give up our fashions

To see the naked clothed

We will share where others hoard

We will free where others oppress

We will heal where others harm

Then God’s light will break out on us

God’s healing will quickly appear

God will guide us always

God’s righteousness will go before us

We will find our joy in the Lord

We will be like a well watered garden

We will be called repairers of broken walls

Together we will feast at God’s banquet table

Rather than giving something up, maybe we could start doing something new for Lent, something that makes God’s love real. Who knows? After forty days, it might become a habit.

 

Posted in Grace, Life, Ministry, Rant

It’s harder to come back than I thought

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Ed Stetzer has written an interesting article for Q ‘How Christian Consumers Ruin Pastors and Cheat the Mission of God’. I have often struggled with those folks who simply come to church for a product or service, not unlike taking your car to an auto mechanic or hiring a contractor to work on your home. It could be a baptism, wedding, funeral,counseling or some other type of inspirational entertainment. We pastors step in it all the time, willingly providing what we think people are looking for, fearful of what will happen if we do not continually attract and retain an influx of new people at church. How effective and healthy can ministry be if that’s the model?

In retrospect, it was so good to get away to Haiti for nine days. Even though it was an intense, tiring week, the only expectation was that I be a pastor. “Do justice…love kindness…walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). Help people, show compassion, pray and preach the word. No meetings, few demands, and countless opportunities to proclaim the gospel in words and actions.

You get spoiled real quick. It’s freeing to not be hounded by time and schedules. So when you get back to the real world, it’s hard — real hard — to take seriously some of the things you used to spend time and energy on. Like meetings that accomplish little if anything. Complaints and concerns about our facilities. Shopping and travel plans for Christmas. A whole bunch of people who live in tents in Haiti, including many of our friends, are now in the path of a hurricane in the Caribbean. Suddenly, it’s real hard to focus on that other stuff. And maybe that’s a good thing.

Posted in Rant

“Pastor, we quit.”

Posted on by William Douthwaite
In the past few weeks I’ve gotten a brief letter from one member of the congregation and an email from another saying basically the same thing: “Pastor, we quit.” The communications came with no warning, no previous discussion or complaint, or even a hint that anything was wrong. Just a one sentence communication, “Please remove us from membership because we won’t be attending worship there anymore.”

My first reaction is one of guilt. What did do? What did I say? What didn’t I do? I asked my elders if they had any information, but they were as surprised as I was. So I called to find out what was going on. I was right. It was me. But it was also a lot of other things. As I listened, it seemed like everything was a problem. A huge laundry list of reasons why it just wasn’t working out anymore.

My next reaction, then, was of cynicism. You needed ten reasons to quit? You couldn’t even call? You just decided not to show up anymore? Nice commitment. Glad we could count on you. For those kinds of attitudes I ask forgiveness. Shepherds really aren’t supposed to feel that way, are they?

Then, came acceptance. Over the years I’ve learned and have come to accept that people come and people go. Especially in our culture. It’s doesn’t take much to cause people to switch hairdressers, grocery stores, and churches. In the past, I’ve been on the receiving end. Families have joined our church, relating how miserable their previous pastor and congregation were. It shouldn’t surprise me that some will leave and go someplace else with similar stories about us. Many Jews stopped following Jesus himself at certain points in his ministry. And the student shouldn’t expect to be treated differently than the teacher.

I am thankful that there are other churches in our area which are working out better for them, where they are now attending. I think I’ll keep them on my email list, too. Maybe they’ll read my emails. Maybe they’ll block me. Either way is OK.

Posted in Rant

Your church wedding

Posted on by William Douthwaite
I had two weddings this past weekend — one on Saturday, one on Sunday. For most pastors, weddings are not in the top ten list of things we like to do. Why?Well, let me count the ways.

My thoughts here are about those things a couple should expect when they come to the pastor and say, “We’d like to get married at the church.” (The following items are based on 24 years of experience in the parish, somewhere between 150 and 200 weddings, and a Lutheran bias when it come to worship and ministry.)

  • A wedding in the church is a worship service, including an invocation, scripture readings, a sermon, prayers and a benediction. We worship the one true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. While you may have always envisioned your wedding beginning with “Here comes the bride” (the Bridal Chorus) and ending with “There goes the bride” (i.e. the Wedding March), you can do so much better than that! There are so many powerful hymns you can choose from that truly honor the God before whom you will take your vows. Give them a chance.
  • We preach the word. We proclaim Christ crucified. When you pick your scriptures for the wedding, why not look beyond 1 Corinthians 13:4-7? Those overused verses about “love” weren’t written about marriage at all. The apostle Paul wrote them to a church divided about who had better teachers and abilities. Why not consider some passages important to you? Like a confirmation verse, or one that helped you grow in your faith. Let the pastor suggest some passages that speak to you and your relationship. You’ll get a much better message that way.
  • Just because it’s “your day” doesn’t mean you get to do anything you want. Remember, when  you step into the church, it’s really not about you, but about God. If you have some really unique (read “bizarre”) things you’d like to do for your wedding, don’t plan a church wedding. Have your ceremony on the beach, in your home, in a backyard or a museum.
  • I probably won’t attend your rehearsal dinner or reception. Why? Unless you are an active member of our congregation, I probably won’t know many people there and it’s not that much fun sitting off in the corner by yourself. Need a prayer before the meal. I’ll gladly write one for someone else to say.
  • Try to  show up on time for both the rehearsal and ceremony. Besides myself, many people have set aside some time to witness your vows and celebrate with you. Unexpected things always come up, but if you arrive a little early, it relieves some of the stress of that day.

In the early days of my ministry, I was honored when someone asked me to do their wedding. I soon grew to dread it when I learned I was basically just being hired to preform a service, along with the photographer and florist. In the past few years, however, I have begun to enjoy it again as I have worked with a number of young couples who had a marvelous faith and relationship with the Lord. I am grateful to them for helping me rediscover some of the joy of performing a wedding ceremony.

Posted in Rant

Holding the bucket

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Today I got another letter from my church body asking me for money. I get such a request from ministries and organizations from within and from outside the church several times a week. In addition I am invited to take part in fundraisers for youth, band, sports teams, and scouts. Universities and graduate schools to whom I am already paying substantial fees regularly call me to see if I’d like to give them even more of my money. It’s like the whole world (including the church) is sitting outside of Walmart with a bucket, pleading for money.

There has to be a better way to fund the ministry of the church other than begging people to let us wash their cars or buy brownies! I read an interesting comment to a Facebook post today that mentioned that a church doesn’t necessarily have to be big to be viable. Ten families tithing should be able to pay the salary for a pastor. Maybe five more to cover benefits. Another five to rent a place to worship. And another five to fund some missions and ministries. That’s all you need to do the basics! Sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it?

The thing is, few want to settle for something that basic. We want a lot more, especially that nice building to call home. And once you head down that road, you can’t afford to stay small. You have to grow because you need more givers (and you know many of them won’t be tithers). The money you put into a mortgage and maintenance will soon dwarf your expenses for staff, ministry, and missions. Before you know it, you’re sitting outside Walmart along with everyone else.

In a world where bigger is perceived as being better, I wonder how many wish their church had stayed small?

Posted in Rant

I’m not giving up anything for Lent

Posted on by William Douthwaite

That’s right. I”m not giving up anything for Lent. Zip. Zero. Nada. Zilch. Over the last few years I’ve heard much more about giving something up for Lent than ever. For some reason it has seen a resurgence not only among Christians, but in the secular world as well. On one popular afternoon talk show in Orlando, an avowed atheist and an individual from a Jewish background were discussing what they would give up for Lent. It seems that the practice has gone viral.

I have a problem with the practice on several levels. First of all, if you are going fast, even if just from one particular food or activity, you aren’t supposed to advertise it on social media or talk about it among your friends. Jesus said that if you were going to fast, it was something between you and God. You were to go about your day as if everything were normal. If you’re going to give up something for Lent and then whine about it for the next 38 days on Facebook, I’m going to block you until after Easter.

Next, God’s not impressed when people fast but then turn around and treat each other like dirt. Read Isaiah 58. The kind of fasting God’s interested in is one that helps other people, especially those who are hurting and going without some of the basics of life. When people who have little interest in church or ministry decide to fast, it means nothing. Why bother?

What do you think of this Lenten prayer by Christian Sine?

We have chosen to fast

Not with ashes but with actions

Not with sackcloth but in sharing

Not in thoughts but in deeds

We will give up our abundance

To share our food with the hungry

We will give up our comfort

To provide homes for the destitute

We will give up our fashions

To see the naked clothed

We will share where others hoard

We will free where others oppress

We will heal where others harm

Then God’s light will break out on us

God’s healing will quickly appear

God will guide us always

God’s righteousness will go before us

We will find our joy in the Lord

We will be like a well watered garden

We will be called repairers of broken walls

Together we will feast at God’s banquet table

Rather than giving something up, maybe we could start doing something new for Lent, something that makes God’s love real. Who knows? After forty days, it might become a habit.

Posted in Rant

“I need to talk to the pastor…”

Posted on by William Douthwaite

The other day I got a phone call from a member who had a question for me. She wouldn’t tell the office administrator what the call was about. She had to speak to me. A question about something she read in the Bible? Something that came up in a discussion of her faith with someone? Perhaps she wanted to get involved with a ministry at church!

Nope. “Is it OK if I come by at 1:30 tomorrow to show a caterer our kitchen?” For this you need to speak to the pastor? This fits in the category of pulling me aside 30 seconds before a worship service starts to inform me, “The ladies room is out of TP.” Thanks for the timely info. And then there’s the ever-popular, “Pastor, is anything going on at the church June 19th?” Of course I have all the events for the year committed to memory.

I guess the predominant thought in churches is that the pastor pretty much runs everything. I would like to dispel that myth right now. I would love to pray with you about someone you are witnessing to. Let’s discuss a controversial sermon topic. Let’s toss around ideas about where you think God wants to use you and your abilities.

For the other stuff you might want to talk to someone else.

Posted in Life, Rant

Coffee crisis

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Coffee maker crisis. The most annoying thing in our lives right now, at least first thing in the morning, is our coffee maker. We’ve become totally dependent on a Keurig one cup coffee maker, which has developed a mind of its own.

Here’s the problem: you never know how much coffee will end up in your cup. Sometimes it is a normal 8 oz. serving, exactly what you expect. Other times, the coffee maker holds back, giving you a couple ounces of really strong stuff. Still other times, you get more than you expected, more than will fit in the cup you have. I’ve cleaned it, de-scaled it, done everything I’m supposed to do, and we still can’t get the one thing we really want to work in the morning to work in the morning.

I know, this really isn’t much of a crisis, especially when people in Haiti don’t have water to drink and plenty of people in the world have no food much less a cup of coffee. It just shows how easy it is to get hooked on a convenience. This morning I reflected on the olden days when we had to get up and actually brew a cup of coffee, a process that could take 10 minutes. Now we call that roughing it.

There are lots of coffee makers on sale right now, so we’ll probably just shop around for a new one. Then my mind can move on to bigger and better things.

Posted in Ministry, Rant

Why doesn’t our church do that?

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“Why doesn’t our church do that?” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that question. Another church, near or far, does something newsworthy, and the first question is, “Why aren’t we doing that?” It’s a good question, and I’ve thought about a few responses, some better than others.

When I first hear a question like that, I’m tempted to think, “Great, something else I have to do.” That is not at all true. It is just an opportunity, and more specifically, an opportunity for the person who brought it up to get involved. We should assume that if someone notices a need for ministry, then God is moving them to get involved in that ministry. So a better response is, “That’s a great idea. What’s your plan? Who are you going to get involved?”

But as I think about it further, I believe we also need to stop thinking about competing with other churches. If a congregation is doing a ministry, then we are too, if we truly believe that the “church” is just more than our local congregation. In effect, if another church is doing it, then our church is doing it, too, and the question becomes, “How can we can join them in their efforts?” We do not need to reinvent or clone every ministry, but can enhance what God is already doing. Maybe that’s part of the message he’s sending when we wonder, “Why aren’t we doing that?”