How Do We Talk About Hope?

Two of our sessions in Adult Confirmation focused on sin and hope. It is easy for us to talk about sin because of how rapidly our eyes and attention are drawn to the consequences of sin. In just one segment of broadcast news, we're likely to hear a report about police brutality, labor conflict, political oppression, etc. Because of how prevalent this bad fruit is, hope becomes more recognizable when we see and experience it. Communities and individuals forgo expenditures so they can send relief aid to Haiti, Japan, The Sudan, and countless other places where it is needed. Organizations form to care for the mentally disabled, the imprisoned, or those who struggle with addiction. These are fruits of hope.

How though, as disciples of Jesus Christ, do we talk about hope? How do we explain to someone who is un-churched, de-churched, over-churched, or just-the-right-amount-of-churched (whatever that means) that our hope is founded in something far deeper than mere charity or goodwill? If someone were to ask you what the difference was between your church and the United Way or UNICEF, what would your response be? The way that we communicate speaks just as much as what we try to say. 

In Session 6, "Salvation and the Solution of Hope," the table groups did an exercise from Romans 3:21-31 [an exercise borrowed from my friend and colleague Rev. Will Rice]. They were asked to paraphrase this selection of text without using the words: RIGHTEOUS, RIGHTEOUSNESS, RECONCILE, RECONCILIATION, JUSTIFY, JUSTIFIED, ATONE, ATONEMENT, GRACE or FAITH. Most of these words are used frequently in our churches; you might even say they are "church words." The point of the exercise was to help us talk about salvation - the source of our hope - with someone for whom "church words" aren't a part of their normal vocabulary.

Here is how some of the groups responded:

• Everyone has sinned and everyone is a sinner. Those sins have been forgiven through belief in Christ. Christ was a sacrifice presented for us from God whose blood cleansed us from these sins. God is a God for everyone, alike and different.
• We have all sinned. God has freed us from sin through the blood of Jesus Christ. All we have to do is accept Jesus Christ as our Savior. We are not bound by law. We do not earn this great gift by works. All we have to do is believe. This gift is open to all. Our belief is not an excuse to break the law, but a reason to uphold the law.

This was a tough exercise, and I am really proud of their work. For those of us who've been a part of congregations for a long time, we sometimes forget that much of the world doesn't speak using "church words." As much as this exercise helped us better understand our salvation, we need to be reminded that part of salvation in Christ Jesus means we share it with others. How can we share our hope if we aren't sure how to talk about it?

Yours,

Michael C. Andres

Director of Discipleship

Adult Confirmation - Session 7: Sanctification and Our Wesleyan Heritage

A summary of Session 6 will be posted later this week, but here is the look ahead for next week's session:

Prayer of the Week:
Lord God in Heaven, You humbled Yourself upon the cross so that we might be exalted in heaven. Through Your Son we have been given new life, and through the movement of Your Holy Spirit, we experience Your perfecting grace. Give us the will to submit ourselves to You each day, that we might live our lives transformed and bear witness to our salvation. Amen.

Opening Thoughts:
The 18th century was arguably one of the most chaotic, transformative centuries in history. The European continent was ravaged by on-going wars. Empires in the Middle East and South Asia were rising and falling, and colonization of the Americas, Africa, and the South Pacific dominated the economic and political thinking of the time. This was a century of turmoil was spawned tremendous bursts of creative energy from musicians, thinkings, writers, and artists. It was an era of rapid change both in landscape and world-view, and the church was no exception.

In England, there was an Anglican priest who was led by God to preach The Gospel to the people who were being tossed and battered by this change. John Wesley began a movement within the Church of England that expanded throughout the country and across the sea that was centered on salvation by grace through faith. He created and implemented a systematic approach to discipleship - the process of growing in grace - so that as hundreds and thousands of people entered into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ; they could be formed into His disciples. The focus for this week of study, discussion and exercise is to explore our heritage as United Methodists, our call to intentional discipleship, and the movement of God's grace among us, so that we may better understand who it is God has called us to be in the world.

Suggested Scripture Readings:

• Exodus 34:29-35 - "The Shining Face of Moses"
• Joshua 5:1-9 - "The New Generation Circumcised"
• 1 Samuel 16:1-13 - "David Anointed as King"
• Matthew 10:5-15 - "The Mission of the Twelve"
• Romans 5:1-11 - "Results of Justification"
• Philippians 3:12-4:1 - "Pressing Toward the Goal"
• Hebrews 12:1-13 - "The Example of Jesus"

Reflection Questions:

• What does it mean to grow in faith?
• How do you know whether or not you are growing in faith?
• Read Ephesians 2. What does this tell us about God? About us? About our relationship?
• Read the "Wesleyan Core Term" attached to Ephesians 2. What is more difficult for you, loving God or loving your neighbor?
• Reflect on where you were in your faith at the beginning of Adult Confirmation. Does your faith look different now?

Yours,

Michael C. Andres

Director of Discipleship

Lenten Study Companion - Week 3

"When Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him; and there was a leper who came to him and knelt before him, saying, 'Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.' He stretched out his hand, and touched him saying, 'I do choose. Be made clean.' Immediately his leprosy was cleansed."

Matthew 8:1-3

Under Jewish law, if you were leprous, you were isolated from the rest of the community and condemned unclean. To be unclean was to be unholy, and the furthest away from God that someone could be. A person afflicted with leprosy was socially and spiritually dead [see Leviticus 13-14]. So when Jesus comes down the mountain and is approached by a leper, He is being approached by someone beyond the fringes of society.

We hear the leper's words not as a questioning of Jesus' healing power, but instead as a profession of faith - "Lord, you can make me clearn" - and in response to the man's faith, Jesus cleanses him. What occurs here is more significant than just a changing of a skin condition. Jesus took a man who was, for all intents and purposes, dead to the world, and resurrected him, so to speak, giving him new life and enabling him to share in the community of faith.

Each of us, regardless of our upbringing, ailments, or socio-economic status, have either felt dead to the world or have been dead to the world at some point in time in our lives. Yet, we come to understand that we have been offered life anew in Christ Jesus; not that we would keep that life to ourselves, but that we would share in this joy with one another and spread this good news. Jesus' own death and resurrection are an example to us that our sufferings, be they grand or small, cannot conquer the love and will of God.

Reflection Questions:

• Who do you know that is experiencing life on the fringes of society? How have you engaged them?
• When you pray for God's action in your life, is your prayer a questioning of God's ability to act or a profession of faith that God can act?
• How have situations in your life affected the way that you pray in this way?

Practices of Preparation:

• PRAYERS - take time to in your prayers to audibly profess your faith, even if you aren't sure of how strong or weak it is
• PRESENCE - drive or walk around your neighborhood - work or home - and reflect on where the fringes of society are in your midst
• GIFTS - give a can of food or an extra dollar as a part of your offering to assist the McFarlin Food Pantry and Utilities Assistance programs
• SERVICE - call or visit someone who know who is feeling "dead to the world"
• WITNESS - share with someone how you experienced God by practicing one of these four things listed above

Yours,

Michael C. Andres

Director of Discipleship

Adult Confirmation - Session 6: Salvation and the Solution of Hope

It would have been my preference to combine Session 5: Sin and the Problem of Evil with next week's session, but unfortunately, there are only so many hours on a Sunday evening...or any evening for that matter. It is almost impossible to talk about salvation without also talking about sin, and while it possible to talk about sin without talking about salvation, there isn't much point unless you want to simply depress someone. Our lesson and conversation this past week was difficult at times, and caused all of us to interact with and address some questions which we too often just prefer to ignore. But, as expected, we closed out our time already with our hearts and minds shifting towards to the promise of redemption, reconciliation, and our everlasting hope in Christ Jesus. In preparation for next Sunday evening, here is the handout for Session 6: Salvation and the Solution of Hope:

Prayer for the Week:
Holy Father, you have blessed us and given us dominion over all the earth. Increase our reverence for life and give us deeper insight into your purposes. Grant us the wisdom and determination to be agents of your grace, that through the workings of the Holy Spirit within us, the world may share in our hope - the eternal joy of salvation in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Opening Thoughts:
We have all hoped for things throughout our lives - toys, cars, test scores, relationships, etc. These are unique items that perhaps not everyone around us wishes they had, but which we have desired so that we may cherish, find delight in, and share (or not, depending on the toy). Yet when we place our hope in these things, we often find ourselves disappointed, frustrated, or confused. Toys break, cars age, test scores fail, and even our relationships can crumble.

The consequences of our sin cause turmoil in our lives and in the lives of others. These consequences are instability and hurt which we often cannot comprehend. But, we have been given hope; a hope upon which we can place the fullness of our expectations and it will not fail us. We have been offered redemption and salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! The focus for this week of study, discussion, and exercise is to explore the atoning work of The Cross, God's reconciling action in the world, and how we begin to grow in this grace so that we may continue to spread and share in true hope.

Suggested Scripture Readings:

• Genesis 3:20-24 - "The First Sin and Its Punishment"
• Exodus 6:1-13 - "Israel's Deliverance Assured"
• Psalm 141 - "Prayer for Preservation from Evil"
• John 3 - "Nicodemus Visits Jesus"
• Romans 8:31-39 - "God's Love in Christ Jesus"
• 1 Corinthians 15:35-58 - "The Resurrection Body"
• 1 Peter 1:3-12 - "A Living Hope"

Reflection Questions:

• What does it mean to be in a right relationship with God?
• How is your life affected by Jesus' death and resurrection?
• Think of a time in your life when you have wished for something with all your might. think of how that wish/desire affected your relationships with others. How did you communicate this hope?
• What feelings do you have about sharing the hope of salvation in Christ Jesus with someone else - whether that person is a family member, friend or complete stranger?

Yours,

Michael C. Andres

Director of Discipleship

Lenten Study Companion - Week 2

"The apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith!' The Lord replied, 'If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you'."

Luke 17:5-6

If we go back and read from the beginning of this chapter in The Gospel of Luke, we discover that this passage is connected to a much larger message than having depth in faith. Jesus has recounted a number of illustrations teaching on forgiveness. It is interesting then that the disciples response is not, “Help us forgive,” but is instead, “Increase our faith!”

They rightfully understand that forgiving one another is a matter of faith, but even so, they have still missed Jesus’ point. The disciples assume that we must have a great deal of faith in order to forgive someone, and so, they cry out for more. Jesus responds by teaching them that they have yet to realize the fullness of faith – a faith which enables them to work in powerful ways contrary to the very laws that seemingly govern this world.

When we think about this extraordinary gift applied to the lives of one another, imagine the healing, comfort, and forgiveness that we can give one another because of faith. Jesus has called us to be agents of His grace in the world. If we have experienced grace in forgiveness from God, we are compelled to then pass that grace (through faith) along to others. Forgiveness is not about us; it is about God.

Reflection Questions:

• Think of a time when you were wronged or wronged another, how would the apology and forgiveness look if it was about God rather than yourself?
• Read Matthew 13:31-32. What connections do you find between faith and fruitfulness?
• How would you share this lesson with someone using a more modern illustration?

Practices of Preparation:

• PRAYERS - pray for those who are struggling with their faith, whether they know they are or not
• PRESENCE - spend time with someone from the church who isn't a family member
• GIFTS - keep a log of what you spend for three days, on the fourth day, make an offering to the church that is more than one of the expenditures on your list
• SERVICE - practice "mustard seed" forgiveness
• WITNESS - share with someone how you experienced God by practicing one of the four things listed above

Yours, 

Michael C. Andres

Director of Discipleship

Adult Confirmation - Session 5: Sin and the Problem of Evil

An important component to offering any sort of reoccurring study opportunity is providing time and space for feedback. At the beginning of our last session, I did just that, and one of the items which came up was a desire to post the handouts used each week in preparation for the upcoming lesson. Below is the handout from the session we just covered:

Prayer for the Week:

Lord, everywhere we look, everywhere we turn we see violence, chaos, infirmity, and injustice. Give us the will, heart, and mind to be agents of Your grace in this world, to be vessels of hope filled with Your Holy Spirit, Your love, and Your peace. Calm the restless and troubled, heal the broken and the sick, bring to justice those who oppress and abuse. You are our King, let us be a people of mercy. Amen.

Opening Thoughts:

We can turn on the television and within five minutes, we will be inundated with images that remind us of the broken world in which we live. Some of these scenes can be directly attributed to the evil doings of wretched men and women; others seem simply to occur because of the way in which nature has been ordered. Each of us had had a time in our lives when we've asked, "Why?!" We've inquired, time and time again, of a problem whose origins begin with our own narrative, and whose solution we ourselves cannot bring to bear.

We cannot share in the Easter resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, unless we are first willing to come to terms with the fact that the wages of our sin are death, and that price had to be paid. Our call to be agents of God's grace in the world necessarily means that we must confront the reality of sin on a regular basis. The focus for this week of study, discussion, and exercise is to explore how sin shapes our lives, the lives of those around us, and our world-view. We do this in an effort to understand the costly call of our discipleship, and the charge for us to be ministers of hope, healing, and grace.

Suggested Scripture Readings:

• Genesis 3 - "The First Sin and Its Punishment"
• Genesis 6:5-8 - "The Wickedness of Humankind"
• Leviticus 4 - "Sin Offerings"
• Psalm 50 - "The Acceptable Sacrifice"
• Luke 23:26-43 - "The Crucifixion of Jesus"
• Romans 6:15-23 - "Slaves of Righteousness"
• 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 - "The Ministry of Reconciliation"

Reflection Questions:

• Is there a difference between "evil" and "sin?" If so, what is it?
• Nowhere in Genesis 3-11 is the word "sin" used. What is sin?
• What purpose do you find in the sin offering being both precise and gruesome?
• There are many examples in Scripture and in our own lives of our actions causing calamity, disorder, and hurt to one another. How then are we to understand natural events (hurricanes, famine, floods, etc.) which cause the same thing?
• Practically, how can you be engaged in the ministry of reconciliation?

Yours,

Michael C. Andres

Director of Discipleship

 

Systematic Discipleship and Community

A great challenge for many churches, and especially churches the size of McFarlin, is being able to effectively keep track of everyone in the congregation. It is difficult to know where someone is spiritually if we don't know where they are physically. For example, McFarlin has over 5,300 members on its rolls, an active membership of roughly 1,200, weekly worship attendance around 850, and roughly 690 in Sunday school (at all age levels). How can we know who is attending worship but not Sunday school? Or is involved in the church somehow, but doesn't regularly attend worship? What about the 4,000 men and women who at one point joined the church, but for whatever reason, have seemingly disappeared? It is all too real a fact that for many of us, we place much effort and energy on making our "front door" as attractive and inviting as possible, while leaving our "back door" completely unattended or neglected.

When asked, "I know someone who wants to get connected in the church, what do they need to do;" what answer do we give them? Join a Sunday school class, come to Wednesday night supper, go to the Tuesday morning Bible study, sing in the choir, go to Mexico, play in the basketball league, etc., etc. These have been our answers for years and years, and for hundreds and thousands of men and women, they were wonderful points of community and connection. Yet, especially in large churches, there is still a sizable gap between those who have come in the front door and those who have stayed once they entered. So why do we keep applying this method of connection?

McFarlin has decided it is time to try a different approach; an approach which is still very much in the developmental stages - "The Movement." Instead of connecting to any number of these small group opportunities (and yes, a 100 person choir is just as much a small group as a 4 person reunion group), we want to connect people to a process of intentional faith development. By participating in "The Movement," someone agrees to be discipled and we, as the church, agree to provide opportunities where discipleship can occur, hold them accountable to this commitment, and be held accountable ourselves. Part of this necessarily includes a system of follow-ups - e-mails, letters, lay lead care teams, and pastoral contact.

This doesn't mean Sunday school, Bible studies, choirs, sports leagues, mission trips, quilting guilds, or any of that disappears; it just means they take on a different role within the community of faith. Instead of being disciple-making opportunities, they become intentional experiences of care and community, supporting the faith development efforts of the church, and providing men and women a place to practice and live out their faith.

Will this completely close the "back door?" Probably not, but we're going to give it a try. At the very least, we'll begin to get a more clear picture of where people are - physically and spiritually - which will help us be more effective in living out our call to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

Yours,
Michael C. Andres
Director of Discipleship

Lenten Study Companion - Week 1

For the 2011 Lenten Season, our pastors, in both our traditional sanctuary services as well as our contemporary Lifeline service, will lead us in a sermon series entitled "If..." The idea behind this series is to look at Jesus' teachings in the Gospels that begin with this powerful conditional part of speech. For example, the first sermon in this series is from Mark 8:34 - "He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, 'If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me'."

In addition to this series, we have developed a small study companion that the congregation can use throughout the week that correlates to the sermon. Here is this week's Lenten Study Companion:

----------

Many of us understand Lent as a time of year where for forty days we give something up – chocolate, Facebook, fast food, late night television and so forth. This season of sacrifice is important; it helps redirect our focus to God. Some men and women reach a point in their faith where they practice this sort of sacrifice weekly or sometimes bi-weekly; going from sunrise to sunset consuming nothing but water or the occasional glass of fruit juice.

However, there is a distinction we must make between sacrifice and the spiritual discipline of fasting. We tend to think of sacrifice as “going without,” whereas in fasting, we are wise to think of it as “going with.” We don’t sacrifice during Lent to demonstrate to God that we can go without the pleasures of this world; we fast so that we may open ourselves up to go with God. When we rid our lives of just a fraction of the noise and volume with which they are so filled, we create an opportunity for our own hearts and minds to hear the whispering guidance and comfort of the Holy Spirit.

Lent is a time of readying ourselves for the crucifixion and death of Jesus the Christ, just as much as it is a time of preparing for the celebration of The Resurrection. To deny ourselves and to take up our crosses is to engage in a life of “going with,” of allowing our words, thoughts and deeds to be informed and guided by the movement of God’s grace.

Reflection Questions:

• What distracts you most from experiencing God’s movement within you and in the world around you?
• What might God be speaking to you in the quietness of your heart? Or through the words of a friend or loved one?
• Read the next verse in this passage, Mark 8:35. How do you feel about the idea of having to “lose your life” in order to save it?

Practices of Preparation:

• PRAYERS - pray for the lay, staff, and clergy leadership of the church
• PRESENCE - come to a church event this week in addition to worship
• GIFTS - offer to buy a stranger's meal or cup of coffee
• SERVICE - open the door for someone and instead of saying "thank you," say "may God bless you"
• WITNESS - share with someone how you experienced God by practices one of the four things listed above

Yours,

Michael C. Andres

Director of Discipleship

Adult Confirmation - Session 4: The Holy Spirit

Our main time of discussion in this week's session was centered around the question: "How have you experienced the Holy Spirit?" Each of the table groups spent about ten to fifteen minutes sharing with one another their responses to this question. Since our class is quite diverse in terms of faith background, there was a possibility that some people may not have had an answer to this question, while others may have had an entire catalog of these moments. Here are two of the experiences members of the class shared:

Shannon - Movie Theater Nudge
Her son had gone to see a movie with a group of friends, and right before the movie began, an attendant came through the aisles to perform a ticket check. Unfortunately Shannon's son had thrown his stub away, and was then kicked out of the theater. Standing outside, while all his friends remained, he called her to inform her about the situation. On her way to the theater, she began to get more and more angry that her son had done what was right, by paying for admission, but was being punished for it, while others had gained entry dishonestly. She thought of all the things she wanted to unleash on the management and attendant, but by the time she arrived at the theater, a calmness had come over her. She'd been reminded of her Bible study lesson from that week - do not take vengeance. The Holy Spirit had moved within her, to direct her thoughts, speech, and action towards being more Christlike. When she picked up her son, she spoke with the attendant and management, but rather than yell and fuss, they were able to have a civil and productive dialog.

Mike - From Norman to Christchurch
Mike's family is friends with another family whose daughter is blind. In order to be able to share in community with other blind men and women, she had joined a voice-prompted social network online. One of the people she had begun to develop a friendship with lived in New Zealand. After not receiving any messages from her friend for several days, she felt led to give her friend a call. On the other end, her friend, audibly distressed and in pain, answered. She had been trapped under rubble following the earthquake which rocked Christchurch days before. For whatever reason, her phone had not been able to make or receive calls, and she had given up hope of being found. But then, Mike's friend here in Norman called and it went through. The woman in New Zealand, being blind, was able to give an exact of her location - each step counted, purposed, remembered. From Norman, Mike's friend was able to lead rescue workers directly to her friend's location, where they were able to save her and get her the medical attention she needed.

The Holy Spirit's movement within and among us is powerful. Whether it is the small prompting reminding us of the Scripture we'd read earlier in the day, or as grand as an unprovoked call which saved someone's life, we all are participants in the movement of God's grace.

How is it that you have experienced the Holy Spirit?

Yours,
Michael C. Andres
Director of Discipleship

More Than an Information Exchange

Just about every church has some sort of program or opportunity for people to study the Bible. Every church, in some way, shape or form, is engaged in faith development - discipleship. But if we stop and look, how many of these programs and opportunities actually equip the men and women involved to be engaged in their own discipleship? How many of our studies are just mere information or faith exchanges?

One of the best things church leaders can do for their congregations is to marry the how-to of studying Scripture with their studies, small groups, and Sunday school classes. If Mom had not taught me to cook, my diet would consist solely of convenient and fast foods. Would I die from lack of nutrition? Absolutely not, but over time I'd end up with an amply soft mid-section and a number of other health issues. Why would we expect something different in our discipleship?

Just as a cook gathers their ingredients before preparing a meal, they also gather the equipment and tools they'll need. For us, in our faith development - discipleship - there are tools which we too can assemble to help us better understand, wrestle with, and live out The Gospel. One of them is a study Bible, and in Adult Confirmation, each participant is given their own copy of The Wesley Study Bible.

This is a great resource that supplements the Biblical text with commentary, scholarship, and practical application from Methodist theologians and pastors. As with any study Bible, it is important to remember that the text in the margins, footnotes, and commentary are not Scripture. They are words which help us understand passages that don't make sense, enlighten us about customs and peoples from eras long before our own, and guide us towards living our lives worthy of The Gospel.

Before Adult Confirmation began back in January, the senior leadership team of the church made an intentional decision to make this investment. We can't expect the men and women of our church to grow in their faith - to engage in becoming disciples of Jesus Christ - if we aren't equipping them with the teaching AND the tools to do so.

Yours,
Michael C. Andres
Director of Discipleship