Let some love 'leak out' this holiday season

A woman at Prestoncrest asked me to pray with her a while back. Her request was that she could save up enough money to buy a "food basket" for a needy family as part of the church's holiday outreach to people in need. She doesn't make a lot of money, so I was impressed that she would have this beautiful desire on her heart.

Well, she came to me grinning last week. She had done it! She got enough money saved and was able to go to the store and put together a food basket as part of our drive to help hungry families. Amen!

If you feel like you have been blessed this year, let some of that blessing "leak out" and do something for someone in need this holiday season. If you are a member at Prestoncrest, one thing you can do is to give to the Food Basket Drive. Every bit of the food will go to a needy family from our community.

http://www.prestoncrest.org/documents/ThanksFoodDrive.pdf

If you live in Dallas, but aren't part of our church family, consider helping Central Dallas Ministries. This is a large ministry based in downtown Dallas that helps the homeless, the destitute, and families trying to make ends meet with food, housing and counseling.

http://www.centraldallasministries.org/donate/index.htm

Jesus said:

35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' 40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25.35-40

My best and worst country music song titles

10. Her Teeth Were Stained, But Her Heart Was Pure

9. If The Phone Don't Ring, Baby, You'll Know It's Me

8. You're The Reason Our Kids Are So Ugly

7. Mama Get The Hammer (There's A Fly On Papa's Head)

6. Get Your Tongue Outta My Mouth 'Cause I'm Kissing You Goodbye

5. I Wouldn't Take Her To A Dawg Fight, Cause I'm Afraid She'd Win

4. You're The Reason Our Kids Are So Ugly

3. My Wife Ran Off With My Best Friend, And I Sure Do Miss Him

2. She Got the Gold Mine And I Got The Shaft; She Got The Ring And I Got The Finger

1. If You Don't Leave Me Alone, I'll Go And Find Someone Else Who Will

Working with Shabbat. . .not on it

OK, I enjoyed the Thinktank last week and really loved getting to talk with Rabbi Hirshfield. He and I are chatting about, believe it or not, him doing something with me at Prestoncrest on a Sunday morning. Some Bible narrative where his perspective would be insightful/inspiring. I think it would be really cool and that the congregation would respond well to him.

Problem. As an orthodox Jew, he can't travel on a Saturday. Since he has a family, he doesn't want to come on Friday and spend more time away from his wife and kids. Since the Jewish Shabbat (Sabbath) ends at sundown on Saturday, he could catch the AA flight out of NYC that departs Laguardia at 7.50pm, but he can only do that before the next time change in March, because then, sundown encroaches on the departure time. Since I wanted to bring him in at the end of April, I'm up a creek.

Anyway. . .still working on the possibilities.

Check out a PBS interview with Rabbi Hirshfield on his visit to Ground Zero. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/faith/interviews/hirschfield.html

Interfaith Dialogue on Bipartisanship

I just got back from an invigorating discussion with a very diverse group of religious and political thinkers. We had political scientists, a politician, and representatives from diverse Abrahamic religious traditions (Muslim, Christian, Jewish). Let me just share what we did and the outcome of our conversations.


First, we met in Norman (the event was sponsored by OU). The event was called the "Heartland Institute on the role of Faith in Bipartisan Politics." At 5pm on Monday evening, we gave our opening statements about our individual positions on bipartisanship in politics and the role of religion. Folks shared their dissatisfaction with the way policy is being "discussed" in the national scene and the role they think their faith perspective should interact with the political mess. I was sitting between two Muslims and sitting directly across the table from two Jews (one practicing, the other a non-practicing Jew). During this opening session, folks were a little nervous and not sure quite what to expect from our evening together.



We then shared a meal together. Given the dietary restrictions of some Thinktank members, some of us had salmon, and some had a vegetarian meal. Good conversation around the table. Sheryl Siddiqui (an islamic activist from Boston) and I, along with Tom Boyd from the religious studies dept. at OU, had a conversation about helping people who are in grief. I also learned about the best place to get coffee in Istanbul from Saet, the muslim to my right who now lives in Houston.



After dinner, Barbara Boyd (prof. of religious studies at OU) and orthodox Rabbi Bradley Hirschfield from NYC stirred the pot and started asking questions to get some dialogue going and encourage us to move beyond our idealistic opening statement into the real world of politics and faith. A Jewish woman shared the struggle of her community being persecuted by an ultra-fanatic Baptist Church (e.g., rallies featuring, "Go to hell, evildoers!"). Rabbi Brad asked her, "OK, I get that you are pretty miffed about the way you guys were treated, but what did you do about it? Did you try to do anything positive to get to know those folks?" He talked about trying to identify and understand those who are radically different, even though you fundamentally and stridently disagree with them.



One of the major problems that we discussed with the help of our poli sci professors and the mayor of Norman was one of language. Language has gotten loose. It's hard to tell in a political discussion if honesty is happening, or just word games designed to bolster one's "side" and gently put down the other's point of view. Games of "gotcha" in politics have created an adversarial relationship where people of different parties or interests have difficulty working together in an honest way. It was noted that Orrin Hatch (conservative senator from Utah) and Ted Kennedy (now deceased) were close friends. One time after Kennedy gave an impassioned and leftward leaning speech, he went over and privately and honestly asked Hatch, "How did I do?"



An interesting idea came from Saet when he spoke about "ethical partisanship." Instead of looking for a concession-driven bipartisonship where two parties compromise and give in until they come to a solution, the group saw much value in partisanship, at least when it comes to faith. That is, we have strong views based on our religious heritages and we have an obligation to share and defend those views in the public sphere. Causes like Women's Suffrage, Abolition of Slavery, and Civil Rights were all, at least in the beginning, highly partisan issues which divided the nation. Yet, religious figures refused to give in on those issues and kept bringing them to the forefront of the political scene until a moral evil or injustice was solved.



Partisanship can be a good thing, as long as it is an "ethical" partisanship. In other words, there need to be rules that govern how one engages those who are of a different political view. Unfortunately, this is where things are really breaking down right now in politcal discourse. The other guy is the enemy, my view is the only correct view, everything's a battle of good v. evil and I must do anything in order to advance my cause, even if that means using half-truths, name calling, and gotcha politics.


Anyway, we didn't get into any specific issues but hope to dive into one or two in our next meeting. Things like health care refor, abortion, gay rights, etc., are real topics where our group will have strong and very different positions. That's when things will REALLY get interesting.



In the next few weeks, we will produce a "position paper" laying our conclusions from our initial meeting.



Since the event was filmed, I will soon have a copy and may use some of it for instructional purposes at Prestoncrest.



From left: Sheryl Siddiqui (Islamic Society), Rabbi Brad Hirshfield (according to Newsweek, Brad is one of America's "50 Most Influential Rabbis), at the end of the table in the green jacket is Cyndy Rosenthal (mayor of Norman).

What I plan to preach next year

Here are some of the message series that I plan to preach through in 2010.

• Money Matters
• Passion: Lost in worship.
• Compassion: Sharing God’s love through service.
• Amped up! Get plugged in to God’s purpose for your life.
• Where is God when it hurts?
• Home Team: Building strong families.
• Sacred Moments: Baptism and Communion
• God’s Community: Ephesians
• Stressbusters: From burnout to balance
• You. A blueprint for significance.
• A Glimpse of Glory: What does the Bible say about Heaven?

This is my plan. . .but I can say from past experience that I may not do all of it. Sometimes the Holy Spirit shows me another direction he wants me to go and I try to be open to that.

A couple of these will be "outreach campaigns" where we will use some TV/radio/mailouts to try to connect with our community.

Any thoughts????

Judging others

"Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment." John 7.24

Shepherds

The last few days, and really the last few months, I've been thinking about what makes a good Shepherd (elder). What does it take for a man to fit well into the role of Church leadership that is referred to either as Shepherd/Pastor/Elder/Overseer/Bishop. A lot of material has been written on the subject including. Jesus, Paul and Peter had plenty to say about it.

While there are plenty of qualities that form a good Shepherd, the kind of man that makes a good leader for the local church is one who DEEPLY LOVES the church. Translated: A man who deeply loves the imperfect men and women, teens, and children who compose the local church.

The shepherds and their wives at Prestoncrest have just that kind of love. I see this love in the way they pray for the flock. . . .individually. . .by name. Every Monday evening, they devote time to pray for specific members of the Prestoncrest congregation. I feel this love when I see them weep over the sheep who are hurting. I am drawn to this love when I see their deep and genuine concern for the flock under their care. I am inspired by this love when I hear them pray for the wonderful future that God has planned for the Prestoncrest congregation.

This Sunday I'll be launching into a short series on The Flock and her Shepherds. May God give me the words to say as we prepare ourselves to call out new Shepherds to serve alongside the wonderful men we have at Prestoncrest.

Pray for my messages over the next couple of weeks. . .more importantly, PRAY for our church family as we walk together through the Spirit-led process of calling out Shepherds from among the flock.