How a Harley Biker Threatened My Life Over a Pickle - or - What Harley Davidson Can Teach The Church

Over the Labor Day 2013 weekend an estimated 500,000 Harley Davidson enthusiasts are set to attend Harley Davidson’s 110th Anniversary Party in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  This unique gathering of bikers from all over the world is Harley Davidson's highlight of the year.   This festival consists of concerts, rides, exhibits, vendors, and great food.  But this is more than just a biker rally, Harley Davidson’s 110th Reunion provides three key lessons for the Church.

But first, a quick anecdote of how I nearly died because of a pickle...

In High School I briefly worked at the local Hardees.  During one of these massive Harley Anniversary Rallies a group of bikers strode up to the counter.  ‘I want six hamburgers with no pickles, or I will kill you,’ the leader growled.  I quickly turned to the line-cook and in my high-pitched voice relayed the order.  When I delivered the pickle-less hamburgers (after double checking them), he gave me an extra $20, and thanked me with a crooked smile.  The money was timely as I needed to order a new pair of uniform pants, to replace my newly stained ones...

Here is what Harley Davidson can Teach the Church

-People Want to Belong to Something Greater than Themselves

We are wired to connect with someone or something greater than ourselves.  Even the most fiercely independent bikers share their love of Harley’s with other Harley owners.  The popularity of Harley Owner Groups, or HOG Chapters speaks to the innate desire to belong.  Over 1,400 HOG Chapters exist all over the world.

Christians affirm that we are created in God’s image, which means that we are hardwired to want to connect with others and to Christ.  The British writer G.K. Chesterton once commented that, 'The man knocking on the door of the brothel is actually looking for God.'  His point: people want to connect to something that will provide them with meaning.

-We Enjoy Diversity within Unity

Harley owners live in paradoxical reality.  On the one hand they long for freedom and the lure of the open road.  They relish the ability to uniquely customize their bikes to be as individualistic as themselves.  But on the other hand everyone owns the exact same brand of motorcycle and these rallies are always well attended.  Where else do over 500,000 nonconformists gather at the same location and at the same time for the same reason!  

God’s Church is just as varied- from High to Low, formal to informal, liturgical to Holy Spirit driven; yet within this massive diversity, a unity exists.  Our unity is centered upon Jesus, his life, his death and his victory over the grave.  Maybe instead of trying to ensure uniformity the Church should embrace its diversity.

-We Will Gladly Sacrifice for What We Believe In

I once rode on the rear saddle of a large Harley.  The guy driving was a friend and he fit the stereotypical image: skull tattoo’s on both arms, an untamed beard, and always jeans and flannel shirts.  His love of all things Harley drove him to permanently alter his body, to pour thousands of dollars into his bike, and to join several biker clubs.  When the cause is one that evokes strong passions and actions, people will gladly make significant sacrifices!

I often hear pastors lament the commitment level of their congregations.  Sometimes churches try canned approaches to getting people to ‘buy in’ to their preferred ideal.  I wonder if instead of trying to motivate people to be more involved, Churches should instead focus their efforts at creating an externally focused culture -one that is truly worth sacrificing for... 

As always your thoughts and comments are welcomed...

Finding God in the Ordinary

It has been tough to find time to write.  The routine of life has consumed our spare time.  Do you go through seasons of life like this?  Over these past few weeks we have been in the process of getting Lynn ready for her fifth year as an Elementary School Counselor, preparing our son for his freshman year in High School, refinancing our house, celebrating our son's 14th birthday, hosting friends for coffee, and officiating a funeral for a friend's relative...

After climbing the spiritual mountain tops of this Summer's Sabbatical, these past few weeks have delivered me to the lower ends of the valley.  Nothing dramatic, no spiritual epiphanies or insights.  Just the routine, the day to day stuff of life...

I have learned something about God during these concluding weeks of this Sabbatical.  I have come to realize that for as much as we yearn to seek God in a mountaintop encounter, He more often than not meets us in the routine of life...

Christians have long realized the value of the ordinary.  For those who grew up in liturgical churches,
the longest period of the Christian Calendar is the time from Easter to Christmas.  These 33 weeks are called 'Ordinary Time' and are symbolized through the color green.

Finding God in the Ordinary means different things to different people.  The Apostle Paul knew of the value of finding God in the ordinary when he wrote in I Corinthians 10:31 'So whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.'  This would make a great life-verse, as Paul encourages us to see that our daily activities are just as honorable as our time together at Church.

I found God in the Ordinary of life through doing the dishes, having coffee with a friend, preparing a funeral service, weeding the garden, and running errands with my family.  God shows up in the most unexpected of places, surprising us and reminding us that all of life belongs to Him.

The mountain tops are enjoyable, but it is in the valleys that He finds us...

Tuesday Morning Sabbatical - August 12th, 2013

A 48 hour fast, terrifying prayer, and being alone in the woods.  More adventures in my Summer 2013 Sabbatical.

So last week I did something that I have never done before -No, not finally preach a good sermon or get a decent haircut-  For five days last week I took a solitude retreat, isolated in a cabin, just God and a pile of books...

Have you ever taken a solitude retreat?  I want to hear what you did and how you felt about it...  I found that a solitude retreat it can be both imminently rewarding and hauntingly terrifying all at the same time.

My friend Pastor Pete recommended that I start my time away with a 48 hour fast.  This is designed to get my heart focused on God and allow Him to speak into my life. So from Monday morning to Wednesday morning I only drank fluids; using my time to read through the first four books of the New Testament and to pray.  On Wednesday I drove to the nearby local cafe and broke my fast with this tasty breakfast.

(I love the local color of hometown cafes...  BowHunter Magazine and Field and Stream jammed in the periodical rack, every man in the place was both over 60 and wore a farm implement hat, and every neck swiveled as I placed my order.  Guessing no one had ever ordered cottage cheese with their breakfast).

The retreat was more ascetic than what I had planned.  Left my toiletry bag at home so I could not shave, and I was not able to figure out how to make the shower hot (yes I am slow like that).  I tried to use as little electricity as possible, so only natural lights and candles to assist in reading, with meals consisting of fresh fruits and simple foods.

Saw plenty of animals, deer, the rare black squirrel, wild turkey (the bird not the beverage), and all sorts of rabbits.  For exercise I ran three miles every morning and walked an hour every evening. The balance of my time was spent studying and preparing for a fall sermon series on the life of David, Israel's greatest King.  (I am so pumped about this character study and preaching the Life of David. Southbrook Church will kick off our fall ministry year on Sunday September 8th, which is also our first Sunday of three morning services 8, 9:30 and 11am!)

Here is what I learned while in the woods:
-Intentional Rest is Tough.  I am so used to a life of instant access: news/sports/entertainment/stock quotes, etc... even instantly connecting with family and friends.  The benefits that come from intentional rest are amazing.  Rest allows you to become more in tune with God, your environment, and even your own soul.

-God Rested, We Should as Well.  Genesis tells us that God rested on the 7th day. He did not need a break or to catch his breath.  By resting God models for us a reminder that He holds everything together.  He rests because he can.  We are wise to follow His example.

-Technology promises salvation, but delivers captivity.  The next time you are at your doctors, read a copy of Popular Science- circa the 1950's.  Promises of 12 hour work weeks, flying cars, and robots who do all the housework and cleaning -fill its pages.  Technology promises a life of health, exercise in a bottle, and wrinkle free looks.  Taking a sabbatical from our technological dependence is a way of reclaiming our humanity, a way of resetting our souls.

-Prayer Can be Terrifying. Yes it is great to know that we can communicate directly to God, anytime, anywhere.  But to be alone with God, where He has access to your innermost of thoughts -well this can be terrifying.  The need to regularly confess is critical to a healthy prayer life.

I had hoped to end my solitude week by connecting with a local pastor.  So a few weeks earlier I found a local bible church, emailed the pastor and inquired if he wanted to meet up for coffee.  The final morning of the week Pastor Tim and myself sat and talked for 3 hours about life, ministry and being pastors to our communities.  What a great way to end a powerful week!

Thanks to our good friend Erica for encouraging me to go, along with my wife Lynn and our son Jacob for creating the environment which would allow me this rare time away.

As much as I am enjoying this Sabbatical rest, I can not wait to get back into the ebb and flow of Southbrook Church!

Finding Myself Unnecessary Is A Wonderful Thing...

We all like to be loved and needed, right?  This is a key part of being a human. We like to be recognized and appreciated for the work that we do, for our friendships and care towards others.  But what if you found that you are unnecessary?  How would that make you feel?

As this summer sabbatical nears its end, I have come to realize two important truths; The first is that I am unnecessary to the life of Southbrook Church and the second is that this is liberating and healthy.

Pastors are real people.  We like to care and lead others.  We enjoy both the routine aspects of our calling as well as serving in great and public ways.  I can attest though that it is easy to lose sight of our dependence on God.  It is easy to get so caught up in using our gifts and skills that we ever-so-slowly substitute our abilities for God’s power.  We can become addicted to hearing, ‘great sermon,’ or ‘I am so thankful that you are our Pastor,’ or ‘we came to this church because of you.’  And like other addictions, we start to adapt so that we can receive more of this...

Over time an attitude develops which says, ‘God needs me to lead this Church.’  Or ‘God needs my skills for this task to be finished.’  Of course we would never verbalize this to others or to God.  But our lack of prayer life, our lack of dependence on God -speaks louder than our voices.

I believe that once we start to think of ourselves as necessary for the work of the Lord, that is when we lose our effectiveness.  Does God need me to be a pastor at Southbrook Church?  No!  The reality is that seminaries graduate thousands each year, many of whom would be an improvement.  Does God need me to teach and preach and care for others?  No.  God continues to give others these gifts, many of whom are waiting for an opportunity to use them.

Here is the truth boiled down as concise as possible: God does not need us, but He chooses to use us to accomplish His plans.  If He needed us, then we become more important than God.  If He needs us, then our whims and desires control Him.  If God is dependent upon me, then I have usurped Him.

He didn’t need Moses to lead His people out of Egypt (Why would anyone chose an 80 year old murderer turned sheep-herder anyway?).  He didn’t need Rahab to safely harbor the Jewish spies (What type of God chooses to bless a prostitute?).  He didn’t need a slave like Joseph to free His people from Egypt (There had to be better choices than him!).  And God certainly does not need you or I to Build His Kingdom!

What a Great God we serve, for He chooses to use us to accomplish His plans....!  This is why finding myself unnecessary is one of the greatest joys of being a Pastor.

Monday Afternoon Sabbatical -August 5, 2013

Marrying my friend Mike, Finding God through the Sikh Temple Shooting, and the Joy of having Coffee with a Good Friend...

Love the Despicable Me desserts that Ginny V, Wanda C, and Kelly B. made for Sunday Night's Youth Group Party. When I dropped off my son and a bunch of his friends, I found these guys in the kitchen, waiting for me to take them home!

August begins the final month of my summer 2013 Southbrook Church Sabbatical.  As much as I am enjoying my time of rejuvenation and refreshment, I realize that this gift is made possible through the extra efforts of Southbrook's Staff and Elders.  It is such an honor to serve alongside these great women and men and I look forward to carrying the load for them, when it is their time to be refreshed.

After 3 straight weeks of being on the road, we finally were home for a few days; which means: more house projects!  This time Lynn and I did a full-blown reorganization and cleaning of our basement. Now we are organized and have much less...!  Do you also find that getting rid of stuff brings a sense of accomplishment and joy, as you are also able to help others?

Coffee and Friendship
Have you ever had a coffee meeting with a friend and afterwards you realized how blessed you are to have that friend?  Well, what a joy it was to spend some time with Dave.  He has been such a strong encourager and role model for me.  Here is a man who lives his love for his wife and kids in such a way that others want to follow his example.  He is open with his failures, always ready to encourage, and truly cares about you and your family...  I am so thankful that God continues to provide strong Christian men to assist me.

During this past week we had a great God-moment while eating at local burger joint.  My wife Lynn is a school counselor, and she did her internship at a nearby school district.  Well it just so happened that our waitress recognized Lynn, and had a strong memory of how Lynn encouraged her to persevere through some tough personal circumstances... Here we are eating together and she starts to tell Lynn of the influence that Lynn had on her life...!  So glad that God brought them both back together, very cool, very proud of my gifted wife.

Marrying my Friend Mike
I've known Mike for the past 12 years, and last fall he asked if I'd perform his wedding ceremony to the beautiful Leigh... So this past weekend Lynn and I were up in Sheboygan at the gorgeous Whistling Straits Golf Course, the site of their wedding.  Perfect weather for this outdoor event.  This was the first wedding that I have done for someone who used to be in my Youth Group, while I was their leader.  A true honor to celebrate their love....!

A great and rare opportunity to put on our best...!

On Sunday Lynn and I went to New Hope Community Church, which is located just one block N. of Southbrook on St. Martin's Rd, in Franklin.  We are sister churches, with almost identical statements of faith and similar demographics.  I am so thankful to be friends with their pastor, Dave Bluhm. He is a passionate and awesome pastor. We truly felt welcomed and loved by Dave and the entire congregation.  I was excited to hear Dave preach on New Hope's core values...!  It is great to be able to model the unity that is found by being servants of the Kingdom of God!

Afterwards we slipped into Southbrook to catch our second service... what a great feeling to be at Southbrook after being absent for two months. Richard Brown, the director of The Captive Project (which is a Central City Discipleship Ministry that uses Rap and Hip Hop to spread the new of Christ), spoke on Faith, and man, can he preach!  Thankful that the quality of sermons actually has increased this summer....

Finding God in the Sikh Temple Tragedy
Today, August 5th, marks the One Year anniversary of the Sikh Temple shooting.  Gunshots rocked the neighboring City of Oak Creek, during the Temple's morning service.  The gunman fatally shot six worshippers and wounded four more, before turning the gun on himself.  Officers from Oak Creek arrived on the scene first, followed quickly by four Franklin Police Officers.  One of the first Officers was Patrolman John Finco, who later was honored by President Obama at a White House Awards Ceremony.  When asked how he handled the shooting, Officer Finco said, 'The way I handled it is, number one, my faith in God... that's primary.'  I called Officer Finco today and thanked my friend for his service to the city and to the nation.  Again he reminded me that God is in control and that it his faith in Christ which gives him the strength to be an officer of distinction.

Christians can affirm that in the middle of the worst of tragedies, God comes through in unique and powerful ways...

Thoroughly enjoying this Summer 2013 Sabbatical, though truly missing the Southbrook Church Community.  Looking forward to three services this fall!