Creatures of Habit

I have spotted this egret at the same spot, same time-frame, each day now for two weeks.  In fact, I have a picture of him in my files from last year, same spot, same time-frame (near sundown).  With a whole ocean, and miles and miles of seashore, this bird keeps coming back to the same spot each evening in search of food.  As I have taken note of his pattern, I have been reminded that we are all creatures of habit, and even our spiritual diets are shaped by our routines.

A few years back, I had gotten into a "preaching rut."  It was not that I was preaching the same sermon repeatedly, or even from the same book of the Bible.  Basically, I was preaching from topics that had struck me either positively or negatively.  With a topic in mind, I would go to the Scriptures seeking Biblical support.  I never realized what a narrow approach this was until a Methodist friend introduced me to the Lectionary.  With the Lectionary, a whole ocean of texts that  I had never given serious attention to came to life.

Not only has the Lectionary forced me to deal with texts that I had never considered for sermon fodder, it has put me in touch with the Christian Calendar and the Christian Year.   Thirty years ago, seminary taught me much about the "Baptist Calendar:"  Cooperative Program Day, Season of Prayer for Lottie Moon. Season of Prayer for Annie Armstrong, Baptist Men's Sunday, State Mission Emphasis, Race Relations Sunday, etc., etc.  But it was not until recent years that I really got in tune with the Season of Lent, Advent,  Ascension Sunday, Day of Pentecost, Christ the King Sunday, etc., etc.

I have heard it argued that those churches which follow the Lectionary are too formal, lack a dependence  on the leadership of the Holy Spirit, and tend to rob Scripture of its proper role in worship.  My experience has proven this argument to be wrong.  I recently had the opportunity to visit a couple of  different churches during my summer Sabbatical.   The first church I visited was non-denominational, and the congregation would tout itself as being a conservative, biblically focused fellowship.  However, in the worship service which I attended, not one verse was read from the Scripture!  The pastor did make reference to a chapter in the Old Testament, and he did refer to a few "proof texts" to make a point in his sermon, but the Scripture was never read.  The pastor's sermon was basically a personal appeal for the support of modern-day Israel.

The second church I visited was affiliated with a main-line denomination.  The service was much more traditional, yet not stuffy.  I visited on Pentecost Sunday, and the whole worship--hymns, litany,  prayers, children's sermon--centered around the theme of Pentecost.  The pastor read all the Lectionary Readings for Pentecost Sunday--a lesson from the Psalms, the Old Testament, and the New Testament.  And the pastor's sermon was literally an exposition of Acts 2!  When the pastor opened the altar for prayer, one young man came forward for prayer and requested that the congregation pray for him as he seeks to be a witness to his friends.

I pray that unlike my egret friend, I'll never return to the rut of spiritually feeding in the same old place week after week and year after year.  God has given us a whole ocean to glean from in His Word.

Blessings,
Jimmy

A Lesson from a Gull

I took this photo last night.  Note that the fish is almost as big as the gull.  In fact, when I stopped my vehicle to grab my shot, I spooked the gull and he took off in flight with the fish in his mouth.  The fish was weighing him down to the point that he was really struggling to fly.  He didn't go very far up the beach, maybe 25 yards, and he dropped the fish in the ocean because of his struggle.  I felt a bit guilty, ruining his dinner.

I think there is a lesson here for all of us.  This fish was much more than this particular gull could consume in one meal.  There were lots of other gulls nearby, but the thought of sharing apparently never crossed this fellow's mind.  His actions indicated that he felt that this catch belonged to him and him alone.  He had worked for this meal and he was going to enjoy it all to himself.  But in the end, he was unable to hold on to it.

We are a lot like this.  We take the blessings that life offers and never give a thought to the fact that all we have and possess are really gifts.  We didn't earn them, nor do we particularly deserve them.   And like the fish that was swallowed-up by the ocean before my friend the gull could actually enjoy it, those things that we think we can hold tightly in our hand are here today and gone tomorrow.   Jesus Himself warned us about storing-up earthly treasures.

Blessings,
Jimmy

OBX

After a few days of working around the house, packing, etc., I am finally at the Outer Banks.  I feel that my Sabbatical has now begun.

I worshiped this morning at the Corolla Chapel.  The web site indicated it was a non-denominational church.  It felt very much like a typical Southern Baptist church.  During the service, I found myself doing what I fear many folks do, gauge the worship based on the ability of the pastor.  He fared well during the first half of the service.  He had a pleasing personality, very positive, encouraging, and pastoral.

In my judgment, he did not fare so well during the sermon.  I thought he mis-used and mis-interpreted the text, repeated himself too often, and had poor delivery skills.

Then the Lord convicted me during Communion that I was guilty of what I criticize others of doing--basing my worship experience on the personality and ability of the worship leader.  Worship is not about a person--it is about the Person.  Worship is about offering myself to God.  I'm sure there are many more lessons the Lord wants to teach me during this Sabbatical time.

I plan to take lots of photos this week.  I am uploading many to my photo site www.jimmymoore.info.

Blessings,
Jimmy
 

Sabbatical

Thanks to the generosity of the Lilly Endowment and the thoughtfulness of the congregation of the First Baptist Church of Washington, North Carolina, I will be taking a Sabbatical this summer (June-August).  I will begin my Sabbatical time by taking a few weeks of vacation on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  My family and I have vacationed on the Outer Banks over the course of the last 15 years.  From my very first visit, I have continued to be drawn to the beauty of this area.  It is truly a place of tranquility.  I plan to spend my time there resting, reflecting, journaling, and capturing in digital format images of God's beautiful creation.    I have arranged to spend an entire day with famed nature and wildlife photographer Jared Lloyd, photographing the wild horses of the area.

After vacationing on the Outer Banks, Karen and I will fly from Dulles International to spend 5 weeks in South Africa and Swaziland.  Our flight from Dulles will take us to OR Tambo International in Johannesburg, South Africa.  Upon arrival we will spend one night in Johannesburg, rent a vehicle, and make the drive to Mbabane, Swaziland.  While in Swaziland we will study the Swazi culture with the help of a Swazi tutor, visit churches of various denominations, meet with missionaries and religious leaders, and interview community leaders.  We will travel extensively throughout the Kingdom visiting churches, homesteads, and cultural attractions.

As we bring to an end our African experience, we will spend 9 days traveling through Kruger National Park photographing nature, landscapes, and wildlife.  Our good friends, missionaries Wayne and Barbara Myers, will accompany us on part of this journey.

When Karen and I return to the USA, we'll only have a few hours at home before hitting the road again.  We'll be off to South Carolina for some time with family, and then on to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for a few weeks before Karen has to return to her teaching duties.  I'll stay behind for an additional week in the Great Smokies, spending some time at the Pisgah Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway reflecting, journaling, and planning.  Before returning to Washington, North Carolina, our ministerial staff will join me for a Staff Retreat at the Cove near Asheville, North Carolina.

I am grateful that the pastoral needs of the congregation of First Baptist Church will be met by Reverend Phil Frady and our competent staff in my absence.

I will be posting here, as internet connection permits, during the course of my Sabbatical, and I will be uploading photos to www.jimmymoore.info.

Blessings,
Jimmy

Science and Faith

I had a very deep conversation with one of the youth of our church yesterday.  In science class, she had learned about the size, age, and constant change of the universe.  She had discovered that when compared to the vastness of the universe, the earth is relatively small.  This new found information troubled her deeply.  "If the earth is so tiny when compared to the universe," she asked,  "What does that say about us?  Do we really count?  What would compel God to care about us?"

To be honest I was really caught off guard by the depth of her questions?  And after preaching at two morning worship services and the normal busyness of Sunday mornings, my brain was not ready to wrestle with anything quite so philosophical.   But I could tell that this young person was really troubled, and was looking for some kind of answer.  I wish I could say that I wowed her with my insight, but I'm afraid I didn't.

I did tell her that her statement, about the vastness of the universe and the relative smallness of the earth, was simply an affirmation of the wonder of God's love and grace.  If the earth is a tiny speck, and we are even a tinier speck, doesn't that say something about God's incredible love?   I also shared that size has nothing to do with value.  Just because we are a tiny speck doesn't mean that God doesn't love or value us.  Jesus said that God values the birds of the air!   Out of the millions who live and have lived, He knows the number of hairs on my head and He knows my name!

I for one have the greatest respect for science.  The world of science has provided us with tremendous insights.  But science cannot answer the "value question." Only faith can tackle that one.  And it was faith that inspired the Psalmist of old to write:  "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have ordained:  What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him?  Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and you crown him with glory and majesty!" (Psalm 8).

Blessings,
Jimmy

A Troubling Trend

About six times a year, I receive SBC Life, a slick, colorful publication from the SBC Executive Committee.  Honestly, I usually pay little attention to it, but an ad in the most recent publication caught my eye.  The ad, a full-page ad, featured a picture of Dr. Paige Patterson, President of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and the caption read:  "Nowhere else in the world.  Only at Southwestern can you study with:  Dr. Paige Patterson."  The ad continues by listing many of Dr. Patterson's accomplishments.

I do not know Dr. Patterson personally.  I have heard from many who do that he is very personable and likable.  I do not question his ability as an administrator.  But I am really bothered by such an ad.

One of the problems I have with this ad is that it exemplifies what I see as a growing trend in the SBC and in the evangelical world in general.  We place too much emphasis on persons and personalities.  Too many of our churches are built around the person and personality of the pastor.  Too much of what I have experienced in SBC life, as of late, is person and personality driven.

Over thirty years ago I made a decision to attend seminary.  I can remember as a senior at Gardner-Webb College struggling with the decision as to where to attend.  I chose New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and have never regretted my choice.  But my decision was not based on who the president of the school was.  As a matter of fact, I had no idea who the president of the seminary was until after I became a student there.  My decision was based on the reputation of the school in general.

Seminary presidents come and go, so do pastors.  What happens to a church or an institution when it is built around a person, and for whatever reason that person leaves?   I think the answer is obvious.  I wish things were different, but I'm not very optimistic that things are going to change anytime soon.

Blessings,
Jimmy

Spiritual Leadership

The theme for the 2010 Deacons’ Retreat was leadership.  A last minute scheduling conflict with the retreat leader forced us to rely on a series of videos by a well-know authority on leadership.  It may have simply been my problem, but it was a real struggle for me to identify with what the expert was saying.  What he said made perfect sense from a purely secular view.  But I was really having trouble connecting the dots between leadership in general and spiritual leadership.  The video presentation was filled with ideas, stories, and illustrations, but most were taken from the business world.  It was as if he were saying--at least this is the way I perceived it--that spiritual leaders need to take their direction from the corporate world.   Questions  kept coming to my mind:  “If the Church is the Bride of Christ, called out by God, empowered by His Holy Spirit, and directed by His Word, why do we need to go to the corporate world for a model of leadership?  Is spiritual leadership not addressed in Holy Scripture?” 

For several weeks I wrestled with these questions, until one day a Google search of spiritual leadership led me to a book by Henry and Richard Blackaby.  The title of the book is, Spiritual Leadership:  Moving People on to God’s Agenda.  I am indebted to the Blaclabys for reminding me of an Old Testament character who is the epitome of a spiritual leader.  His name is Joshua, which means savior or deliverer, and his story is found in the book which bears his name.  From the life of this Old Testament hero of faith, I have developed the following series. 

1.   The Call of a Spiritual Leader--Joshua 1:1-9

        Spiritual leaders are called by God.  Leaders in general can be trained and developed.  But a leader, no matter how well developed or trained, will never transition to spiritual leadership minus a calling from God.

2.   The Task of a Spiritual Leader--Joshua 1:10-19

        Read anything written about leadership, and you will read a lot about vision.  Leaders cast vision!  One of the distinctions between a spiritual leader and a leader in general is, a spiritual leader moves people on to God’s agenda. 

3.   The Validation of a Spiritual Leader--Joshua 3

        Leaders are normally identified by their accomplishments.  Spiritual leadership is validated when extraordinary accomplishments are made which bring glory to God.

4.   The Style of a Spiritual Leader--Joshua 6

        The leadership image which comes to mind for many is the “star quarterback" who calls the play and throws the winning touchdown.  The success of the team rises and falls with his abilities.  A better image for a spiritual leader may be the violinist who follows the direction of the conductor, knowing when the score calls for a rest, allowing other members of the orchestra to play their part and to be             heard.

5.   Failure and the Spiritual Leader--Joshua 7

        A wise person once said that the only people who never experience failure are those who never seek to accomplish anything.  Spiritual leaders are not exempt from failure.  The distinction is the way a spiritual leader responds in the wake of  failure.

6.   The Reward of the Spiritual Leader--Joshua 24:29-3

       Leadership has its rewards.  Recently a popular collegiate coach was awarded a $4 million a year 

contract.  The rewards of a spiritual leader are far-reaching, not only bringing blessings to the leader 

himself, but for generations to come.

I plan to further develop this series and to preach from it during the Fall of 2010.