Posted in Life

Some questions raised by Gosnell’s trial

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Even though pro-life voices claim that the murder trial of abortion clinic doctor Kermit B. Gosnell hasn’t gotten the media attention it deserves, one does not have to search far to find descriptions of the conditions, practices and deaths that occurred at the Women’s Medical Society in Philadelphia. One such report can be found here. I would have to imagine that readers on both sides of the abortion issue are horrified at the grand jury’s report.

As one who believes in the sanctity of all human life and opposes legalized abortion, the story raises other questions in my mind:

  • Why are more people not horrified at all abortions?
  • We’ve been told for years that abortion is part of health care. How many more clinics like this exist, providing neither health nor care?
  • Why are we surprised that such a place existed? When we start down a path that legalizes death, do we really expect to end up in a good place? We were told long ago that we reap what we sow. 

I know that not all will share my point of view and I know there is much more to the discussion than this one story. But I do hope that it will make us all think, talk and pray a little more about life issues. As one who has held many babies, including some of my own, at the baptismal font, my prayer today is once more, “Lord, have mercy.”

photo (13)
Symbol of baptism on the font
at Shepherd of the Coast Lutheran Church
Posted in Grace, Life

Boston in our prayers

Posted on by William Douthwaite

My heart goes out to the families of those who died in the bomb explosions near the finish line of the Boston Marathon today, as well as the many who were injured. I learned of it just minutes after it happened today when I quickly glanced at Facebook on my phone after a hospital visit today. In no time at all, there were prayers being offered (here’s one by our church body), rants against terrorists and the government, and even a Wikipedia page replete with details and references.

Instant news coverage means our lives are filled information, fear, anger and questions in an instant. It can be overwhelming. Thankfully, it also means that our minds are renewed with the perspective God’s Word gives us as the faithful have responded with proclamations of Christ’s victory over death, His mercy and healing extended through rescue workers, race officials, nearby churches and bystanders, and reminders to call upon Him in the day of trouble, for He promises to deliver us, and we will glorify Him (Psalm 50:15).

Our lives can end in an instant. Not just because someone has a gun, a bomb, mental illness or an ax to grind. It’s “because sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).

But…”the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). That is where we will find hope.

From a long time runner who didn’t quite qualify for Boston in 1982: “Lord, have mercy.”

11040_208573478980_5314150_n

Posted in Life, Ministry

The wrong church

Posted on by William Douthwaite

For a change, I answered the phone last Thursday while I was still at church finishing up my sermon for Sunday. It turned out to be a most unusual phone call.

I always answer, “Shepherd of the Coast Lutheran Church; this is Pastor Douthwaite.”

“Hello, pastor. This is K**** (name changed to protect the innocent). I visited your church on Mothers’ Day and I was hoping you could tell me more about the ship’s bell in your entryway.

Sometimes we have unusual items in our entryway, or narthex, especially when we are promoting Vacation Bible School. One year we actually had a ship’s wheel on display. I thought really hard about what might be out there, but finally said, “We don’t have a ship’s bell here.”

“Sure you do. You must be mistaken, pastor.” Really. You’d think I’d notice something like that, especially since I’ve been through the narthex almost every day for the last six years.

I decided to investigate a little more. “You attended Shepherd of the Coast?”

“Yes ma’am.” Respectful, but just a little off the mark.

“On Pine Lakes Parkway, on the west side of town?”

A moment of silence. “I think I may have called the wrong church.”

“Maybe.” Click. Conversation over.

Attend the church of your choice this weekend. Take note of any nautical items you see. Glance at the church sign. Pin the location on your maps app. And have a great week!

Posted in Life

Eighteen months

Posted on by William Douthwaite
The presidential campaigns have begun already, eighteen months before the next election on November 6, 2012. Can we handle eighteeen months of speeches, commercials, debates and news reports?

When candidates traveled by rail and made speeches off the back of trains, it didn’t take eighteen months. So why, with so many ways to effectively communicate, do we have to start so early? To raise money? I suppose. It takes a lot of money to run for office. To win in the primaries? The Iowa caucuses are next February, only nine months away. Fail there and your chances are slim. To get your message out? Perhaps. Most of the messages we will get will be trash the other candidates. That shouldn’t be too hard to accomplish. Everyone’s got something in their closet. At least til it comes out. To create jobs? It takes a lot of people to run a campaign. Here’s a chance to demonstrate you bring unemployment down!

We should spend eighteen months praying for our country and our leaders, both present and future. Up against so much we can’t control, from the economy to terrorism, unemployment to foreclosures, problems in the classroom to health problems in our families, we certainly could use some divine intervention. Actually, this might take longer than eighteen months.

Posted in Life

How much risk should we take?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
How much risk should we take as Christians? Do we throw caution to the wind and trust God to protect us? Ordo we play it safe, knowing that we are like sheep among wolves in this world?It depends on your definition of “risk.” Is it risky to talk to someone about your faith? It could be. You don’t know how they’ll react. You could offend and lose a friend. Or God could use you to reach someone. You never know.

Is it risky to go and do mission work in another country, like Haiti? It could be. Some of those who need Jesus the most live in some very unstable and dangerous places. Anything could happen.

Is it risky to play it safe and never let your faith leave the confines of your home or heart? Absolutely. You risk not experiencing how God can use you to make a difference. You risk not seeing someone experience his love in very tangible ways. Hopefully God will send someone else. He will, won’t he? How ironic. You can play it safe and still be taking a risk!

I’ll bet most Christians (at least in this country) don’t even think of faith as something risky. Depending on your beliefs or church, it could be boring or entertaining, tedious or fun, predictable or inspiring, irrelevant or demanding. But it doesn’t seem dangerous or risky.

What are you missing if you never take a chance?

Posted in Grace, Ministry

A better question to ask

Posted on by William Douthwaite

At a recent pastor’s conference, one comment really caught my attention. “How is our community benefiting from our church’s ministry?”This question was suggested to replace some of the usual barometers of ministry, such as

Is our attendance increasing?
How many new members do we have?
What kind of activities does our church offer?

Those kinds of questions tend to be inward focused and self-serving. The question, “How is our community benefiting?” is outward focused but harder to answer. I can count the number of people who show up for a worship service on Sunday morning. But how do I quantitfy our church’s impact on the community?

  • How many families are fed with the food donated for the resource center’s food pantry?
  • How many parents are now praying at the request of their children who learned to pray in our preschool?
  • How many of our youth are a positive influence among their classmates in the public schools?
  • How many children in the after school Bible club we sponsor have come to faith in Jesus?
  • How many children in Haiti have led their parents to Christ through our partnership in their school?
  • How many people have been blessed, strengthened and healed through our prayers for them?

Those kinds of questions not only make me thankful for the far-reaching influence of the church, but remind me that there is so much more to do.

Posted in Ministry

Eight ways to get your pastor to visit you

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Pastors (at least I do) spend a good deal of time visiting with people. A visit might take place in someone’s home, a coffee shop, a hospital, or at the church. If you’re hospitalized, homebound, or recent guest at worship service, you can usually count on a visit.

But what if you don’t fit into any of those categories? If you’re healthy and regularly attend worship, chances are the pastor won’t be stopping by. So how do you get the pastor to visit you? Here are a few tried and true (and intentionally humorous) strategies for receiving a call from me to set up a visit.

Have a baby. I love to come see the little ones! A litter of puppies works almost as well.

Buy a home. I’ll come out to bless it.

Get engaged. We’ll get together for premarital counseling.

Open a restaurant. I’ll stop by for lunch. A coffee shop works, too.

Mention your desire to make a significant donation.

Allude to your desire to teach Sunday School.

Decide it’s time to get serious about those evil spirits wreaking havoc in your house.

Got a tiki bar? I’ve got a blessing for that, too.

Yes, you too can be a good member and still get a visit from your pastor!

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 Ministry

A virtual member

Posted on by William Douthwaite

I’ve done pastoral ministry for nearly twenty-five years and I still come across situations I’ve never dealt with before. The most recent happened this week when I was updating some church records. I was going to delete an individual who hadn’t worshiped with us for several years and hadn’t responded to letters, phone calls, emails, etc. But when I hit the delete button, the database program alerted me to the fact that he had made a contribution in 2011. What? 2011? I know I haven’t seen him in years. it must be a mistake.

So I checked with the people who count our offerings and enter contributions in the database. Not only did he give an offering, but he made a pledge for this year in response to our stewardship program! Really?

Now what do I do? What do you do with a member who only exists in a database but not in worship or the life of the church? This is one of the reasons being a shepherd and watching over a flock is a lot harder than it sounds.