Three years ago I was invited to speak at a conference on the Holy Spirit in Turkey. Being invited to speak anywhere is exciting. Being invited to speak on the Holy Spirit is really exciting. But being asked to do it for the Christians in Turkey, which is 99.7% Muslim, is downright cool.
A year later I was invited back to lead conferences for Turkish pastors and church leaders in two cities. I will be going back to do the same again in September.
There are fewer than 100 churches in Turkey, a country of over 70 million people. About half of the churches are in Istanbul. Few of them have been in existence longer than about ten years. As a result, there are very few experienced pastors in Turkey. There are also very few Christian books available in Turkish, and none that I know of on the practical aspects of administering a church. That may explain why my talks on that subject were so well received.
In the last year I have been working intermittently on expanding my notes into a book that can be translated and made available to Turkish pastors and church leaders. It will be in three sections, on the pastor, the local church, and the wider church. This morning I hit a milestone. I finished the first draft of the first section!
I know what you're thinking. "You've been working a year, and you just finished the first draft of the first third of the book?" In a word, yes. And it feels good. If you've ever worked a long time of a big project, you can identify.
Please pray that it is useful, and that I finish the rest of it more quickly. (As many of you know, the biggest problem is setting aside time to work on it regularly.)
And please pray for God's work in Turkey.
About Me
- Pastor David
- I serve as pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Annapolis, MD. I'm married to beautiful Paula, mother of my 4 sons and one daughter. I was a systems engineer before entering ministry 29 years ago.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
I Am No Longer My Own
“I am no longer my own, but yours. Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed by you or laid aside for you, exalted for you or brought low for you. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to your pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, you are mine, and I am yours. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.” - John Wesley, founder of Methodism
A spiritually significant event happened in the Sunday morning services on February 14. The people of Trinity United Methodist Church formally and officially renewed our recognition and acknowledgement that Trinity Church does not belong to us, but to God.
We did that by praying together John Wesley’s Covenant Prayer, printed above.
I know this is not the first time the people of Trinity have prayed that prayer. In fact, when I first moved into the pastor’s office here, I found several copies of a Covenant Service in which that same prayer had been used. Nonetheless, I believe it was a significant act.
I spent most of the sermon time talking about what it means to tell God that we “freely and heartily yield all things to your pleasure and disposal.” I told of two churches who have prayed that prayer. For one, God chose to “let it be full” and “let it have all things.” It’s now one of the largest United Methodist churches in the world. The other church was one of the largest United Methodist churches in its area when they prayed that prayer. God chose, at least for a time, to “let it be brought low.” (You can hear the sermon at www.trinityannapolis.org.)
When a church prays the Wesley Covenant Prayer, there is no guarantee which way God will take it. On February 14 the Trinity congregation heard the possibilities, took time to search their hearts, and were invited to freely pray it or not. It sounded to me as if almost everyone chose to pray it.
When we acknowledge that the church belongs to God and not to us, then it’s up to God what he wants to do with it. We know that it will be for the greater good, but it may not seem to be for our local good, at least at first.
I’m blessed that Trinity is a people who understand this. For instance, many were very skeptical of putting a big screen up in the front of our beautiful traditional sanctuary, but you were willing to go along with it if that’s what it takes to reach people who don’t know Jesus. And most of us have found now that we actually are glad to have the screen. Going along with God’s plan doesn’t have to be painful.
Of course, all this applies when we pray the same prayer for our own individual lives. Do you trust God that much?
So we’ve prayed the prayer. What will happen now? I believe that God will choose to take Trinity’s yieldedness to his will and turn that to something that, like the video screen, will not only bless our community but bless us as well. I can’t guarantee that, but it’s a feeling I have.
God has a plan for Annapolis. Trinity Church has now publicly said to God, “Whatever you need us to do to make your plan happen, we’ll do it.” I’m excited to see how God is going to answer that prayer. I don’t think we’ll have long to wait.
A spiritually significant event happened in the Sunday morning services on February 14. The people of Trinity United Methodist Church formally and officially renewed our recognition and acknowledgement that Trinity Church does not belong to us, but to God.
We did that by praying together John Wesley’s Covenant Prayer, printed above.
I know this is not the first time the people of Trinity have prayed that prayer. In fact, when I first moved into the pastor’s office here, I found several copies of a Covenant Service in which that same prayer had been used. Nonetheless, I believe it was a significant act.
I spent most of the sermon time talking about what it means to tell God that we “freely and heartily yield all things to your pleasure and disposal.” I told of two churches who have prayed that prayer. For one, God chose to “let it be full” and “let it have all things.” It’s now one of the largest United Methodist churches in the world. The other church was one of the largest United Methodist churches in its area when they prayed that prayer. God chose, at least for a time, to “let it be brought low.” (You can hear the sermon at www.trinityannapolis.org.)
When a church prays the Wesley Covenant Prayer, there is no guarantee which way God will take it. On February 14 the Trinity congregation heard the possibilities, took time to search their hearts, and were invited to freely pray it or not. It sounded to me as if almost everyone chose to pray it.
When we acknowledge that the church belongs to God and not to us, then it’s up to God what he wants to do with it. We know that it will be for the greater good, but it may not seem to be for our local good, at least at first.
I’m blessed that Trinity is a people who understand this. For instance, many were very skeptical of putting a big screen up in the front of our beautiful traditional sanctuary, but you were willing to go along with it if that’s what it takes to reach people who don’t know Jesus. And most of us have found now that we actually are glad to have the screen. Going along with God’s plan doesn’t have to be painful.
Of course, all this applies when we pray the same prayer for our own individual lives. Do you trust God that much?
So we’ve prayed the prayer. What will happen now? I believe that God will choose to take Trinity’s yieldedness to his will and turn that to something that, like the video screen, will not only bless our community but bless us as well. I can’t guarantee that, but it’s a feeling I have.
God has a plan for Annapolis. Trinity Church has now publicly said to God, “Whatever you need us to do to make your plan happen, we’ll do it.” I’m excited to see how God is going to answer that prayer. I don’t think we’ll have long to wait.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Snow Day
As I write this we are in the middle of what will probably be called “The Blizzard of 2010.” I’d guess we have at least fifteen inches of snow on the ground, and forecasters are calling for five to ten inches more by the time it’s over.
Some people have to work during a snowstorm, and I thank God for the plow drivers, first responders, power line crews, and others.
But for most of us, especially if we don’t lose electricity, a snow day is something we look forward to. I know it is for me.
A snow day is a chance to just sit back and relax. Nobody expects us to go to the office. Nobody expects us to run any errands. Nobody expects us to work in the yard or drive anyone anywhere.
So what do we do instead? Read by the fire. Work a puzzle. Play a game. Drink hot chocolate. Odds are the whole family is there in the house together, which may not happen often anymore, and we can do these things together. We might go out and build a snowman or have a snowball battle. Or we might just sit and talk to each other – which most of us need a lot more of.
And when it’s over, you feel good. You feel relaxed. You feel refreshed and rejuvenated. And you may think, “Wow, we ought to do that more often.”
You know what? God thinks so, too. In fact, God thinks it’s so important that he made it one of the Ten Commandments. One day out of every seven. The Bible calls it “sabbath.” It’s a time to rest, relax, be with family and friends, and be with God.
Your body needs it. Your mind needs it – just ask a doctor how many health problems are caused or exacerbated by stress. Your spirit needs it. Your family needs it.
Don’t wait for a snow day to force you to obey the Fourth Commandment. Do it every week. Start with church, which refreshes your spirit in worship and refreshes your soul by being around a wonderful bunch of people. Then spend the rest of the day doing things you enjoy and you aren’t required to do. You’ll be amazed at the difference it will make for you the rest of the week.
God didn’t command us to take a weekly snow day because he likes rules. He did it because he loves you. So enjoy it!
Some people have to work during a snowstorm, and I thank God for the plow drivers, first responders, power line crews, and others.
But for most of us, especially if we don’t lose electricity, a snow day is something we look forward to. I know it is for me.
A snow day is a chance to just sit back and relax. Nobody expects us to go to the office. Nobody expects us to run any errands. Nobody expects us to work in the yard or drive anyone anywhere.
So what do we do instead? Read by the fire. Work a puzzle. Play a game. Drink hot chocolate. Odds are the whole family is there in the house together, which may not happen often anymore, and we can do these things together. We might go out and build a snowman or have a snowball battle. Or we might just sit and talk to each other – which most of us need a lot more of.
And when it’s over, you feel good. You feel relaxed. You feel refreshed and rejuvenated. And you may think, “Wow, we ought to do that more often.”
You know what? God thinks so, too. In fact, God thinks it’s so important that he made it one of the Ten Commandments. One day out of every seven. The Bible calls it “sabbath.” It’s a time to rest, relax, be with family and friends, and be with God.
Your body needs it. Your mind needs it – just ask a doctor how many health problems are caused or exacerbated by stress. Your spirit needs it. Your family needs it.
Don’t wait for a snow day to force you to obey the Fourth Commandment. Do it every week. Start with church, which refreshes your spirit in worship and refreshes your soul by being around a wonderful bunch of people. Then spend the rest of the day doing things you enjoy and you aren’t required to do. You’ll be amazed at the difference it will make for you the rest of the week.
God didn’t command us to take a weekly snow day because he likes rules. He did it because he loves you. So enjoy it!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
What We're All About
It's a well-known fact that people who read Revival Fire Annapolis are exceptionally knowledgeable and intelligent (not to mention good-looking). As such, I would like your help with something.
We're doing some work on our Trinity Church website right now. As of this writing, none of the changes are published, they are still in draft stage. One of the things we are adding is some explanation to go with our vision statement: "Jesus: It’s all about H.I.M. - Hosting God’s presence, Imitating Jesus, and Making him known."
The below is what I wrote to go on the first page of our website. I would love to hear your thoughts. Is it clear? Is it engaging? If you were looking for a church, would this make you more likely to try Trinity? Is there anything about it that doesn't seem right?
I really appreciated the insightful comments I received on an earlier posting. Please let me know what you think of this. Thanks!
"Jesus: It’s all about H.I.M. - Hosting God’s presence, Imitating Jesus, and Making him known.
Hosting God's presence: God created people to share his love, so God's great desire is to live with his people. Our great desire is to be a people God wants to live with, comfortably and freely expressing himself to us, in us, and through us. We want everyone who comes among us to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are in the presence of the living God who loves you, and a church of people who want to love you as well.
Imitating Jesus: As a church, our job is to help each other become more and more like Jesus. This means growing in the four great characteristics of Jesus, by the power of the same Holy Spirit who lived in Jesus and who now lives in every Christian.
• Spirit-filled character - Jesus always demonstrated the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control that are the fruits of the Holy Spirit. We want to do the same.
• Spirit-led wisdom - Jesus always knew what to do as he followed the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We want to do the same.
• Spirit-powered actions - Jesus brought God's miraculous power to help in time of need. We want to do the same.
• Spirit-motivated multiplication - Jesus invited and equipped others to join him in advancing the Kingdom of God. We want to do the same.
Making him known: This is too good to keep to ourselves. We work to equip, motivate and encourage every Christian to carry the presence of God in love and power everywhere they go, to everyone they meet. And we want every small group of Christians to be ready to be the church and do church any time, any place, with anybody.
We base this on the following passages from the Bible: Revelation 21:3; Ephesians 4:13; Galatians 5:22-23; Romans 8:14; Acts 1:8 and John 14:12; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 8:4-8."
We're doing some work on our Trinity Church website right now. As of this writing, none of the changes are published, they are still in draft stage. One of the things we are adding is some explanation to go with our vision statement: "Jesus: It’s all about H.I.M. - Hosting God’s presence, Imitating Jesus, and Making him known."
The below is what I wrote to go on the first page of our website. I would love to hear your thoughts. Is it clear? Is it engaging? If you were looking for a church, would this make you more likely to try Trinity? Is there anything about it that doesn't seem right?
I really appreciated the insightful comments I received on an earlier posting. Please let me know what you think of this. Thanks!
"Jesus: It’s all about H.I.M. - Hosting God’s presence, Imitating Jesus, and Making him known.
Hosting God's presence: God created people to share his love, so God's great desire is to live with his people. Our great desire is to be a people God wants to live with, comfortably and freely expressing himself to us, in us, and through us. We want everyone who comes among us to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are in the presence of the living God who loves you, and a church of people who want to love you as well.
Imitating Jesus: As a church, our job is to help each other become more and more like Jesus. This means growing in the four great characteristics of Jesus, by the power of the same Holy Spirit who lived in Jesus and who now lives in every Christian.
• Spirit-filled character - Jesus always demonstrated the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control that are the fruits of the Holy Spirit. We want to do the same.
• Spirit-led wisdom - Jesus always knew what to do as he followed the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We want to do the same.
• Spirit-powered actions - Jesus brought God's miraculous power to help in time of need. We want to do the same.
• Spirit-motivated multiplication - Jesus invited and equipped others to join him in advancing the Kingdom of God. We want to do the same.
Making him known: This is too good to keep to ourselves. We work to equip, motivate and encourage every Christian to carry the presence of God in love and power everywhere they go, to everyone they meet. And we want every small group of Christians to be ready to be the church and do church any time, any place, with anybody.
We base this on the following passages from the Bible: Revelation 21:3; Ephesians 4:13; Galatians 5:22-23; Romans 8:14; Acts 1:8 and John 14:12; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 8:4-8."
Thursday, January 21, 2010
The Most Natural Way to Connect with God
What is the best, most natural, most spiritual way for human beings to connect with God? What spiritual practices result in the greatest spiritual passion and fulfillment?
Some say it's all about the Bible. Others say no, the Bible is good, but the Bible is really just to point us toward the real thing, which is experiencing God's power.
Wait, another one says. If you really want to connect with God, go in a closet and close the door and stay there. But that idea freaks out somebody else, who really finds God best by taking a walk in the woods.
As a pastor and a musician, I have had to faced the frustrating fact that in Sunday morning worship services, some people put up with the music in order to get to the sermon, while others endure the sermon as the price they have to pay to hear the music.
And then there are those who say all that is OK, but Christianity is all about serving people, and the only way to truly connect with God is by actively serving someone in need.
Who's right?
All of the above.
Two recent books each outline nine different ways in which different people most naturally connect with God. Christian Schwarz, in The Three Colors of Your Spirituality, calls these spiritual styles. Gary Thomas, in Sacred Pathways, calls them spiritual temperaments. Every denomination and tradition contains people of each style or temperament. The key to spiritual growth is first to discover your natural or native syle or temperament (both books provide help in this), and then to intentionally develop an appreciation for the others.
The point is that no one way is right for everyone, and no way is wrong (as long as it leads you to Jesus, as Jesus is described in the Bible). No one way is more or less spiritual or Christlike. But when we all work together and pool our connection with God, then we have something awesome.
Some say it's all about the Bible. Others say no, the Bible is good, but the Bible is really just to point us toward the real thing, which is experiencing God's power.
Wait, another one says. If you really want to connect with God, go in a closet and close the door and stay there. But that idea freaks out somebody else, who really finds God best by taking a walk in the woods.
As a pastor and a musician, I have had to faced the frustrating fact that in Sunday morning worship services, some people put up with the music in order to get to the sermon, while others endure the sermon as the price they have to pay to hear the music.
And then there are those who say all that is OK, but Christianity is all about serving people, and the only way to truly connect with God is by actively serving someone in need.
Who's right?
All of the above.
Two recent books each outline nine different ways in which different people most naturally connect with God. Christian Schwarz, in The Three Colors of Your Spirituality, calls these spiritual styles. Gary Thomas, in Sacred Pathways, calls them spiritual temperaments. Every denomination and tradition contains people of each style or temperament. The key to spiritual growth is first to discover your natural or native syle or temperament (both books provide help in this), and then to intentionally develop an appreciation for the others.
The point is that no one way is right for everyone, and no way is wrong (as long as it leads you to Jesus, as Jesus is described in the Bible). No one way is more or less spiritual or Christlike. But when we all work together and pool our connection with God, then we have something awesome.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
"Why?" Is the Wrong Question
The prayers and thoughts of people all over the world are with the people of Haiti, and those trying to help them. The last estimate I read said they expect 200,000 deaths from the earthquake, with countless more injured and homeless, without medical care, shelter, food or even water.
When terrible disasters happen - and it seems like we've had a lot of them lately - it's only natural to ask, "Why?" If God is real and God is good, why do things like this happen?
It's amazing how much time and effort people put into trying to find an answer to that question, and the number of different answers they come up with.
"Why?" is a natural question. But I think it's the wrong one.
I'll be talking about that tomorrow morning in my sermon. I won't ignore the "why," but I will be trying to shift us to something I believe is more relevant: what God expects of us in the face of such things. If you can't make it, it should be available in the form of a podcast on the church website by Tuesday.
In the meantime, the two great needs for Haiti right now are prayers and cash. You can pray by just talking to God, wherever you are, in whatever language feels right to you, right now. You can donate at church, or through a number of online sites. I recommend www.umc.org. The United Methodist Church has an excellent emergency/disaster relief program, and 100% of your gift goes straight to the need, because the denomination covers the overhead.
When terrible disasters happen - and it seems like we've had a lot of them lately - it's only natural to ask, "Why?" If God is real and God is good, why do things like this happen?
It's amazing how much time and effort people put into trying to find an answer to that question, and the number of different answers they come up with.
"Why?" is a natural question. But I think it's the wrong one.
I'll be talking about that tomorrow morning in my sermon. I won't ignore the "why," but I will be trying to shift us to something I believe is more relevant: what God expects of us in the face of such things. If you can't make it, it should be available in the form of a podcast on the church website by Tuesday.
In the meantime, the two great needs for Haiti right now are prayers and cash. You can pray by just talking to God, wherever you are, in whatever language feels right to you, right now. You can donate at church, or through a number of online sites. I recommend www.umc.org. The United Methodist Church has an excellent emergency/disaster relief program, and 100% of your gift goes straight to the need, because the denomination covers the overhead.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
What If I Didn't Get Healed? (Or Stay Healed?)
A few months ago Trinity Church hosted a guest speaker who led a weekend of healing services. There were some amazing reports of miraculous healings. Many of those who were healed are enjoying their new freedom. Praise the Lord for that!
But some people received prayer and didn't get healed. And others had their symptoms disappear, only to have them return again.
What's going on?
Some people say this kind of thing proves God doesn't really heal, it's all in people's heads. Others say it proves God is capricious or arbitrary or he plays favorites. Some say if you didn't get healed, you don't have enough faith, or the person praying didn't have enough faith, or the church doesn't have enough faith. Some say if something doesn't work every time, it isn't scientific, so forget it.
I don't buy any of that.
People don't get healed every time they go to a doctor. Does that mean all medicine is a fake?
People who do find relief through medicine sometimes find their symptoms returning. Does that mean we should forget the whole thing?
I believe God wants us well. The Bible refers to Christians as the children of God, the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, and the army of God. What loving Father wants his children sick? What head wants its body sick? What groom wants his bride sick? What general wants the army sick?
God so much wants us to be well that he has given us numerous redundant systems to make it happen.
In the natural realm, God put healing in our bodies through an incredible immune system. He gives us medicines, surgery, nutrition, exercise, and alternative therapies.
In the supernatural, the Bible describes a wide range of ways in which miraculous healings are ministered. I have seen people healed in many of these ways.
For a long time I didn't pay a lot of attention to the subject of healing, though I always believed in it and prayed for it and from time to time would see miracles.
Recently, though, God has brought this much more to my attention. In fact, I'm currently working on a book about what I believe are some neglected aspects of the subject. I appreciate your prayers for this project.
The ultimate healing, of course, comes after the death of this mortal body. That's when we receive our new resurrection bodies, fit for eternity. But God wants us well in this life.
God's will is not always done on earth as it is in heaven - that's why Jesus told us, in the Lord's Prayer, to pray for that to happen more. So sometimes people are not well. But that doesn't mean sickness is God's will.
To paraphrase Dr. Robert Tuttle, it's not a sin to be sick and die. But it is a sin to allow someone to be sick and die without doing everything we can to alleviate it.
That includes physical and spiritual remedies.
So I'm learning what I can, and doing what I can. I don't think any of us can do less.
P.S. I always appreciate comments, but I would really like to hear from you about this subject, especially if you have stories or questions.
But some people received prayer and didn't get healed. And others had their symptoms disappear, only to have them return again.
What's going on?
Some people say this kind of thing proves God doesn't really heal, it's all in people's heads. Others say it proves God is capricious or arbitrary or he plays favorites. Some say if you didn't get healed, you don't have enough faith, or the person praying didn't have enough faith, or the church doesn't have enough faith. Some say if something doesn't work every time, it isn't scientific, so forget it.
I don't buy any of that.
People don't get healed every time they go to a doctor. Does that mean all medicine is a fake?
People who do find relief through medicine sometimes find their symptoms returning. Does that mean we should forget the whole thing?
I believe God wants us well. The Bible refers to Christians as the children of God, the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, and the army of God. What loving Father wants his children sick? What head wants its body sick? What groom wants his bride sick? What general wants the army sick?
God so much wants us to be well that he has given us numerous redundant systems to make it happen.
In the natural realm, God put healing in our bodies through an incredible immune system. He gives us medicines, surgery, nutrition, exercise, and alternative therapies.
In the supernatural, the Bible describes a wide range of ways in which miraculous healings are ministered. I have seen people healed in many of these ways.
For a long time I didn't pay a lot of attention to the subject of healing, though I always believed in it and prayed for it and from time to time would see miracles.
Recently, though, God has brought this much more to my attention. In fact, I'm currently working on a book about what I believe are some neglected aspects of the subject. I appreciate your prayers for this project.
The ultimate healing, of course, comes after the death of this mortal body. That's when we receive our new resurrection bodies, fit for eternity. But God wants us well in this life.
God's will is not always done on earth as it is in heaven - that's why Jesus told us, in the Lord's Prayer, to pray for that to happen more. So sometimes people are not well. But that doesn't mean sickness is God's will.
To paraphrase Dr. Robert Tuttle, it's not a sin to be sick and die. But it is a sin to allow someone to be sick and die without doing everything we can to alleviate it.
That includes physical and spiritual remedies.
So I'm learning what I can, and doing what I can. I don't think any of us can do less.
P.S. I always appreciate comments, but I would really like to hear from you about this subject, especially if you have stories or questions.
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