tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83349251186241342132024-02-19T01:45:15.991-05:00Word From the PastorMichael Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00204699917474462449noreply@blogger.comBlogger159125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334925118624134213.post-47271998133257897322011-08-27T17:03:00.000-04:002011-08-27T17:03:48.483-04:00We've Moved!The pastor's blog has moved. Please update your bookmarks and visit us at<br />
<a href="http://nativitypastor.tv/">http://nativitypastor.tv</a>Michael Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00204699917474462449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334925118624134213.post-32539250103914354922011-08-26T13:06:00.000-04:002011-08-26T13:06:31.273-04:00Earthquakes, Hurricanes and Other Things to Shake You Up<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Weather wise this has been an amazing week, if you don't count earthquakes and hurricanes. This is also the third week of our current message series, which is all about the Mass. Tom will be speaking about the Offertory of the Mass. I heard his message yesterday and I can tell you, it is challenging.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As the Liturgy of the Eucharist begins members of the congregation bring to the altar the bread and wine for the celebration as well as their "gifts for the needs of the Church and the poor" (The Sacramentary). When all is prepared, the celebrant says to the congregation: "Pray that our sacrifice may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father." </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">OUR sacrifice. What is our sacrifice? Showing up. What do </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>we</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> sacrifice at Mass? We remember Christ's sacrifice on the cross at Mass, but that's </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>his </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">sacrifice. What's ours?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After their exile, the Jews of the Old Testament were eventually allowed to return to Jerusalem, rebuild the Temple and restore the worship there. This was a very challenging period of time, as we read of it in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. We can also learn more in the book of the prophet Malachi. There was discouragement, and malaise among the people of God, a distinct lack of hope in the promises of God. And nowhere was this more clearly seen than in their worship. It degenerated into a listless, meaningless perpetuation of mere forms and rituals (sound like some of your church experience?). </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, faces the problem with strong language. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>"A son honors his father, and a servant his master. </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>If I am a master, where is the honor due me?</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>If I am master, where is the respect due me?"</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>says the Lord Almighty.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>"You show contempt for my name.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>But you ask, 'How have we shown contempt for your name?'</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>You place defiled food on my altar."</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Malachi 1.6-7</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">What's he talking about? Sacrifice. He's talking about their sacrifice in their worship. Basically they weren't sacrificing. They were showing up and going through the motions, and maybe throwing pocket change into the offering basket when it came by (their version were crippled animals of no market value). Meanwhile, their faith and their hope was listless and failing. These things are not unrelated.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">How much we bring to our worship, what we are willing to sacrifice there will absolutely determine what we "get out of it." Sure, showing up is part of it, and so is singing and praise. But lets be honest. If we're not making an offering, if we're not making a financial sacrifice, we're playing games with God.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">King David, who knew more about worship than anybody who ever lived before him, donates his personal fortune to the construction of the temple (which he knew he wouldn't even live to see). And he appeals to the people to do the same as a fundamental element of their worship. When the offering is complete, here's what David says:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand...</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>And now I have seen with joy </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>how willingly your people who are here have given to you...</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>O Lord, God...keep this desire in the hearts of your people forever.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">1 Chronicles 29.16,18</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This weekend's message is meant to challenge our congregation to awaken, or reawaken our desire to truely worship God, through sacrifice. It could just shake you up.</span></div>
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Michael Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00204699917474462449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334925118624134213.post-68684643574902238412011-08-21T16:09:00.001-04:002011-08-21T16:09:53.651-04:00The Work of the Word<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This is week two of our current message series, taking a look at the Mass. Today we're looking at the Liturgy of the Word (liturgy means work).</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">At Mass we read the Scripture, but not in a linear way from Genesis to Revelation. Instead it comes in cycles, that are repeated every three years. Interestingly, the idea of a three year cycle of readings is rooted in ancient Jewish worship. Some scholars think it's probably how teachers and rabbis presented Scripture in the local synagogues in Jesus' day. During the course of those three years we hear a lot of Scripture: 14% of the Old Testament and 70% of the New Testament. That's great, but it also underscores the importance of private Scripture reading, to see the Sunday readings in context as well as read the Scripture we do not hear at Mass.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The first reading is taken from the Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible. When Jesus refers to Scripture, which he did all the time, this is what he is talking about. In the Old Testament the beginning of the story of our faith is told, the mystery of our salvation begins to unfold, and Christ is everywhere present (though in a hidden way). Read the Old Testament looking for Christ, and you will find him everywhere. The reading usually corresponds to the Gospel reading, underscoring how the events of the Old Testament prefigure and prepare for Jesus Christ.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After the first reading comes the Psalm. Thus, God speaks to us and then we speak to God. But we are using the words he gave us. The Psalms are a collection of 150 hymns, or songs, many written by King David.The Psalms are deeply rooted in the human experience and give expression to the full range, from triumph to tragedy, but always in the context of God's power. Then comes the second reading, from the New Testament, mostly the letters of Paul to the early Christian communities like Rome and Corinth. This reading will probably stand apart from the first reading thematically, but between the two we have the story of God's family both before and after Christ.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It is in the Gospel that we have his own story itself. Because of the special importance of the Gospel reading we stand, sometimes there is a procession, and we sing. We sing "praise the Lord!," we just do it in Hebrew: "Alleluia!" In the reading itself, we aren't invited to hear a story about something someone did long ago. Rather, we are invited into an encounter with the living Lord who speaks directly to each of us. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After the reading comes the homily, or the sermon. Homily is a Greek word that means "discourse" and sermon is a Latin word that means exactly the same thing. Not sure when the former became Catholic and the latter Protestant since it doesn't seem to matter which one is used. Internally we like to call it the <i>message</i>, because that seems to best underscore the point: communication containing information God's word tells us we need to know. Here are a few principles I find myself relying on when it comes to preaching:</span><br />
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">First of all, I preach to myself, because that guarantees I'll always have something to say. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Second, I preach to my community, and the message needs to be relevant to the culture of the community, as well as the season of the year, current events, whatever can be touching the hearts and minds of listeners.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Third (and this is a huge value for us) we say "one church, one message." We offer the same message at every weekend Mass nearly every weekend of the year. We think that keeps the parish focused on one theme, facing the same challenges, growing in the same direction.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We also preach messages in series. Exploring a single theme over the course of multiple weekends is a common practice in many evangelical churches. But it makes so much more sense in liturgical churches that have the liturgy's seasons and the lectionary's cycles of readings. We're not as good at this as we want to be yet, but for sure the strongest, most effective series are closely linked to the liturgical readings.</span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The purpose of the message is the same one Jesus had in his own preaching: life change. We're trying to help people move, intellectually and emotionally move from where they are, closer to where God wants them to be. We're trying to help people change the way they think and the way they feel about God's word so that he can shape them according to his will, so that they can start changing their life. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Taking a page from our friend Andy Stanley, we like to ask the question: "what do we want them to know and what do we want them to do?" We try and be as clear as we can about that, because if the message is a little fuzzy up in the pulpit, it will be a dense fog out in the pews.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When it comes to the weekend message, lets be honest. The most brilliant homily I will ever give has a shelf life of about two days. It's just the way it is. So, the best way for me to approach my weekly task of preaching is going to be with the attitude that all I'm doing is getting the conversation going. The best compliments I get are when people tell me they were discussing the message in the car on the way home, or around the dinner table or water cooler. The best place to do it is in your small group.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Liturgy of the Word is an authentic encounter with the living God. The Bible doesn't merely talk about God, it is God's own speech. And it has power to change us. Scripture itself says it best:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b>For the word of God is living and active.</b></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b>Sharper than any double-edged sword, </b></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b>it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit.</b></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Hebrews 4.12</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>Michael Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00204699917474462449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334925118624134213.post-12404215572794182842011-08-14T14:55:00.000-04:002011-08-14T14:55:29.690-04:00Do This....<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This weekend we kick off a new four week series all about the Mass, we're calling it "Do This" because the Mass is something Jesus told us to do. In fact, it's the last thing he told us to do before he died. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The series also anticipates the new Roman Missal (if you need to catch up here, the Missal is the book of prayers the priest uses at Mass, it is written in Latin and a new English translation is being introduced in November....and with this new translation comes changes, large and small). I am just going to go ahead and say it: the new Roman Missal is of keen interest to <i>churchpeople</i> and of little or no interest to the rest of the people. (I will probably have a separate post on the topic at some point). But preparation must be made nonetheless.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Anyway, our new series is all about taking a closer look at what we do, and what we should be doing in the Mass. Today we start at the beginning, with the Opening Rite. (In subsequent weeks we'll look at the Liturgy of the Word, the Offertory and the Eucharistic Prayer; I'm speaking this week and next, Tom wraps up the series (and the summer) in weeks three and four.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Second Vatican Council wrote about the full, conscious and active participation of the assembly in the Liturgy. That sounds great, but it is awfully difficult to achieve. One of the goals of the series will be to continue to improve the level of participation on the part of our congregation by looking more carefully at what the Mass actually asks us to do.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">First of all, the Mass asks us to assemble together, to form a community for worship. We are not a community just because we happen to be in the same place at the same time. We are a community as we acknowledge and greet one another. For us, this starts in the parking lot. Our parking ministers actually introduce the weekend service by wordlessly communicating <i>"we're waiting for you, we're glad you're here, this is important to us." </i>Then our host team goes ahead and says that, so by the time you get to your seat you've been greeted perhaps twice or more. Those greetings should make you feel welcome and part of a community (even if you're visiting).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sometimes visitors are surprised that on coming into the sanctuary before Mass there is music, announcements on the screens, friendly greetings going on. In their world view that is disrespectful, the time before Mass is only for quiet reflection. Certainly we need to prepare for Mass, and if that is the value they are arguing for, good for them. Another value is continuing to build that sense of community out of the assembled individuals (and finding another time for quiet time). A few years ago we went ahead and added a greeting before Mass, asking people to stand up, reach out and say hello to their neighbors. To our surprise it was instantly a hit. We think it definitely sets the right tone.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Hopefully so does the opening song, which should knit together the growing unity of the community and begin to collectively put us in the same place before God: worship. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Singing is the highest form of worship and the most effective. It has the greatest ability to touch and move the human heart. More than that, we like to say that the liturgy is like transportation; if it's working, it's taking you somewhere; you are not simply in the same place afterwards. Music is the water on which the liturgy sails. So, unlike many parishes, we don't have a "quiet" Mass. Mass should have music (the Last Supper wasn't a "quiet" Mass, the apostles and Jesus sang <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(Mark 14.26). </span>And unlike many parishes, we no longer have different music at different Masses, we use to think that was a good idea. But now we think a better idea is having the congregation all singing the same music. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And we do mean everyone. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Our level of congregational singing is currently quite good (for a Catholic church), but it's not good enough. Singing is what the congregation is suppose to do. If you're not singing at Mass, you need to ask yourself </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>why?</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> What are you doing when the rest of us are singing? Whatever it is, it's not what you came to do. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Coming to Mass and not singing is like going to the gym and not working out...just watching everyone else work out. Liturgy is work and singing is part of the workout.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The other major components of the Opening rite are the "Kyrie" and the "Gloria." One acknowledges who we are (sinners in need of mercy) and the other proclaims who God is </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(our savior). If you would like to hear to hear the whole weekend message, just hit the "watch a message" tab on this page.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If we'll enter into them with confidence and humility, the Opening Rites of Mass really can prepare us for an encounter with the living Lord Jesus, who can change our life. That's why he told us to do it.</span></div>
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Michael Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00204699917474462449noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334925118624134213.post-34862436108081271212011-08-05T13:07:00.000-04:002011-08-05T13:07:41.319-04:00Back to Work<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I returned to the office this week and, gradually, to my usual schedule. I still won't be speaking this weekend though. As it turned out, Tom ended up doing the entire series we are currently in (on the Old Testament) and will be wrapping up this weekend. I am very grateful to him for an outstanding job which made it possible for us to continue our message series through the summer and give me some time off. It also made it possible for me to really focus on the book, which I have been blogging about. Next weekend, by the way, we will be kicking off a new series all about the Mass, and taking a look at the changes to the Mass which will be coming as the new Roman Missal is introduced later this year. And yes, I will be speaking for the first two weeks of the series (Tom again will be speaking for the third and fourth week and then we'll be kicking off our 2011-2012 season of messages on September 10 & 11).</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Anyway, I am back to work. What do I do, you might be asking (maybe you're not asking that question, but it's a good transition to what I want to talk about). One of the things we reflect on in the book is the need to redefine what pastors and pastoral staff people do, what their jobs should be because too often it is misunderstood. And that misunderstanding can lead to conflict and division, it can also keep a parish from really growing. Here's the job description the Bible gives me:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>God gave some to be apostles, </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>and some to be pastors and teachers, </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>to prepare God's people for the work of ministry.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Ephesians 4. 11-12</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">People like to tell me what my job is all the time. They think they know. And for a long time I let people go ahead and define it for me. Whatever they wanted me to do, whatever kinds of requests (or demands) they made, I went ahead and tried to meet them. I don't do that anymore. And not just because if I did I would run myself into burn out (again). I don't do it because my job isn't about meeting people's expectations for what a pastor should be. It's meeting the job description God has given. And that is all about building up a community of believers who do the work of ministry. The work of ministry isn't even my work, it is properly the responsibility of the community. My job is to get them ready to do that.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">How do I do that? I lead and feed, that's the way I like to say it. I lead by setting direction and casting vision for the parish community; making sure we're on task with mission and focused on our real purpose. Developing and investing in staff and volunteer leaders. Leadership should also come from the pulpit. Feeding is about sharing the word of God, also through preaching and the celebration of the Eucharist, God's word made flesh. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When I concentrate on the thing I can do, and help people prepare for what they can do, we're all working for the Lord, we're all doing what he told us to do. So, it's back to work.</span></div>
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Michael Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00204699917474462449noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334925118624134213.post-27766024699111133372011-07-30T18:34:00.000-04:002011-07-30T18:34:48.518-04:00Avalon Journal IV: Bringing the "Book" Home<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Regular readers of this blog will remember my promise to finish the book this summer (the book Tom and I have been working on for about a year, and talking about for a lot longer than that). I even vowed to stay here in Avalon until the project was complete. One anonymous commentator to the blog noted that isn't exactly like 40 days and nights in the desert. Granted. But I've got to tell you that getting up every morning with the prospect of doing nothing but writing, or rewriting, is very difficult. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">However I am coming home this week. And truth be told, the book is <i>not </i>finished. Partly the problem was an overly optimistic assessment of what was still to be done, in terms of what we wanted to get done. We recently invited a circle of people to read the book and let us know their thoughts. So we found ourselves doing some rewriting in response to their comments too. Some additional research that seemed required also slowed us down. Anyway, its not done.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But it will be done. This summer. And it needs to be done. My experience here has convinced me of it, more than ever. We need to address the people out there like the lady I was talking to this week. She is a friend of the family, two kids in Catholic school, belongs to her local parish. She tries. But, as she told me, she doesn't think she can do it anymore. She's tired of trying. The weekend experience is boring and bad for her, meaningless to her kids and not even an option when it comes to her husband. Her parish is in deep financial turmoil, and that's one of the central messages from the pulpit each week. And to top it all off, her pastor was removed this past spring for creditable allegations of child abuse. Who could blame her for giving up. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But we can't. We need to get our book out there for people who are still trying, people who want to be Catholic and want to be excited about their faith, fired up in their relationship with their savior. We want to tell our story about doing church differently and coming to very different outcomes in terms of membership and participation and ministry and stewardship and just the enthusiasm of the people in the pews. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We need to bring the book home.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>Michael Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00204699917474462449noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334925118624134213.post-85225128075683411332011-07-23T12:19:00.004-04:002011-07-23T12:25:48.107-04:00Avalon Journal Part III: Enjoying Happy Hour Vs Being the Church Christ Wants<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It's hot in Avalon. Too hot for the beach, or for much of anything else. Fortunately, the heat provides even more incentive for me to sit tight, in a cool spot, and continue to plow away at "the book." Our working title, by the way, is called "Beyond Retail Religion." This past week I rewrote a troublesome chapter that was all about our small group experience here at Nativity. Today I am digging into a section we're calling "Things We Still Don't Know." Presumably that should be a huge chapter, but I'm actually not sure what we don't know. Maybe that's the problem with not knowing, but I'll give it a shot anyway.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Today is also church day for me in Avalon. I go on Saturday to "get it over with." I guess I've already made it clear what I think about that experience. It hasn't been so great and last week was worse. Another fundraising pitch, in place of God's word. This time from yet another charity, though again it was unclear what they wanted money for. I guess the basic exercise is, they have a captive audience for two or three months a year, so they just shake the trees for every possible nickel and dime. It didn't take long though, nor did the rest of the Mass. In fact, I am sure others feel the same way I do when it comes to the "getting it over with" part. In place of the closing <i>"Go in peace to love and serve the Lord"</i> the celebrant actually said, <i>"Enjoy happy hour."</i> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Maybe I'm being too hard on the parish. But my point isn't to beat up on them. It's is to open us the conversation about our Church community and be honest, even if it doesn't seem very nice. We have some deep seated problems that seem to me to be cast in stark relief in my experience here in Avalon this summer. These problems aren't about one parish community simply getting it wrong, or trying their best and failing. It goes deeper than that. Much deeper. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Merriam-Webster defines culture as "the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends on the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations." It's also about the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a group (religious, social, political). And it is the characteristic features of everyday life shared by the group. When we try and make the point in "the book" that the Church has "cultural problems" it is to this range of issues we are speaking. It is not really about the quality of preaching in some parish in South Jersey; it probably doesn't have much to do with whether the new Archbishop of Philadelphia can clean up the problems he's been handed; even some of the more prominent and contentious debates in the larger Church today do not get to the core of this problem, however we might wish they were resolved. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Culture, not mission, not even vision, culture is the most powerful factor in an organization. As author Samuel Chand has pointed out, culture determines how receptive people are to new ideas, it encourages or suppresses creativity, it creates a sense of pride or discouragement, and it shapes individual morale, teamwork, effectiveness and outcomes. That is what "the book" is aiming to address. We propose a return to the Church culture described in the New Testament. Go back and read verses 42-47 of the second chapter of Acts. It describes the pattern of life and worship Christ intends for his Church. And it helps us understand the fruit of doing it the way he told us to:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Acts 2.47</span></span></div>
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Michael Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00204699917474462449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334925118624134213.post-7183187612722140692011-07-16T12:33:00.000-04:002011-07-16T12:33:54.606-04:00Avalon Journal, Part II: The Church's Cultural Problems<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Today is Saturday and that means I have to go to church again. I could go tomorrow, but that is just prolonging the pain. I'll go to the 5pm Saturday Mass today and get it over with. That's what people do, don't they? They go to get it over with. Why? Obligation, guilt, habit, concern about appearances. Maybe some people just want communion. Doubtless there are people who seek to honor God, even if its not very inspiring or uplifting. I go for all these reasons, oddly. And also because it provides valuable material for blogging.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I have recently been reading the business blogger and author Seth Godin. I liked this quote:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>The organizations that need innovation the most</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>are the ones that do the most to stop it from happening.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My whole experience of the parish here in Avalon underscores everything we are discussing in "the book." Did I mention, Tom and I are writing a book? Actually we're currently completing the project and my time here is all about getting it done without a lot of distractions. I suppose the experience of the local church here isn't a distraction thought, its a reminder of why we're writing. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The book is about the "culture" of churches. Culture is the sum total of behavior and belief. Its like the atmosphere around us, we hardly even notice it, but it influences everything. We make the proposition in the book that the biggest problem in <i>churchworld</i> today isn't really any of the problems we hear about all the time that everybody argues about. The biggest problem is exactly the one I'll encounter this afternoon at the 5pm Saturday "get it over with" Mass. And everyone will come (late) and then they'll leave (early) and they won't even recognize that there's a problem. And that's because the problem is a cultural one, and everybody inside it can't even see it.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If I was going to Mass at Nativity instead of Avalon, my experience would be very different to be sure, and the differences would be easy to list. But the real difference, and this is what casual visitors to our place usually miss, isn't in any of those details. The real difference is in the culture. Our book is about our experience of changing the culture in a Catholic parish. The exercise is about innovation in an organization adverse to innovation but profoundly in need of it.</span></div>
Michael Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00204699917474462449noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334925118624134213.post-23166002628453761472011-07-10T22:49:00.001-04:002011-07-10T22:49:18.955-04:00Avalon Journal Part 1: View of the Local Church<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I began my annual vacation on Friday here in Avalon, New Jersey, joining a large group of extended family members. There were, on and off, about 25 to 30 of us. Interestingly on Sunday morning, this group of Italian-American, parochial school Catholics mostly all stayed away from the local church.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">What did they do instead? Some slept in, some went out in search of South Jersey "sticky buns," some went running, a group hung out and read the Sunday papers and watched the Tour de France and sipped coffee; some hit the beach early...only 3 went to Mass. Since many of this group are under thirty, you might wonder what I did about this unchurched environment in the heart of my own family? What did I do? Well, sad to say, I breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness they didn't go to church, at least <i>this</i> church.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I know what I'm talking about, I went. Every year I dread going, its always bad and boring, but this weekend was even worse than usual. Interestingly the church, which was constructed not so many years ago to double its seating capacity in summertime, with large adjacent wings, was definitely not full. I easily remember when this place was full on Sunday mornings in July. Not any more. In fact, the wings were not even in use, just like off season. The congregation was old, I didn't see many families, few young people or teens. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Where I sat I could not see the sanctuary very well and the sound system distorted the speakers so it was difficult to listen.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There was no opening hymn, because the organist hadn't arrived. Sometime during the homily she apparently showed up because when it was time for the offertory hymn she lit into it, with volume, if not precision. The music was old school stuff which everyone knows (and no one likes). But no one, and I mean NO ONE, sang. There was a lector I've seen before; he read the readings in a way that convinced me he didn't understand a word of what he was reading. It was simply impossible to follow the readings, if you wanted to. It didn't look like many of the people around me wanted to.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">More than any congregation I have ever experienced there is a huge "us - them" culture at this church, which is funny being in a resort community. A hundred little details underscore for us visitors that we don't belong, that we're not parishioners. And this intentional distancing comes as a huge relief.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Of course, the lion's share of my comments are reserved for the celebrant. It was not the pastor, but a priest who did not bother to introduce himself. He sort of assumed we knew who he was, but it didn't matter. Who he was or what he had to say seemed deeply irrelevant to the assembly. As became clear, he was a visiting missionary, there to raise funds for his mission. We never got a clear view of what his mission is or what he does, but we did get a great big dose of guilt.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">He started out talking fast and just talked faster and faster. He said, "Your pastor loves you, so he told me not to talk for more than 5 minutes." The fellow in front of me turned to his companion and whispered "If he really loved us, he'd tell you to shut up." The preacher then proceeded to quote a different gospel than the one just read (always a clear indication of a canned talk), tell a few stale jokes and then turn on the guilt about hungry children. Meanwhile ushers were handing out pledge cards to be filled out as soon as possible, preferably immediately, for gifts preferably in the $50-2500 range. The instructions took up the largest part of the homily. Here's the thing: virtually no one, NO ONE, paid any attention. They stared at the ceiling, they stared at the floor, they texted, they talked to one another, they gave a glance to the brochure then dropped it to the floor, but they paid no attention to the presentation.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Then we powered through the rest of the Mass and the congregation was definitely on fast forward too: following communion almost the entire section I was seated in was gone. Finally we listened to a string of announcements which were actually, unbelievably, more fundraising appeals (50/50 Raffle, donations for the bishop's appeal, two new statues the pastor wants out front).</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">To be sure, the giving opportunities are vast, but why would I want any of my dechurched family members to have set aside their various Sunday morning activities to witness this gathering (such as it was) of the Body of Christ? I was relieved they weren't in this half empty church for a half hearted exercise in fund raising and a full miss when it comes to what the Christian community is suppose to be about.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Meanwhile, just down the street at Uncle Bill's Pancake House, the waiting line snaked around the block.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>Michael Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00204699917474462449noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334925118624134213.post-72797015966109365842011-07-01T14:29:00.000-04:002011-07-01T14:29:01.941-04:00Church Change<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As noted in the previous post, the number one project this summer is getting "the book" done, a project my associate Tom Corcoran and I have been working on for the last year. It will be only a little book (about 60,000 words) but one that tells our story and what happened to us and what we've learned about doing church in a very changing landscape. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Through the course of this project I have been surprised to learn how many books you have to <i>read</i> in order to <i>write.</i> We were advised early on that we should be diligent in making sure we read as much as we can of what has been written on the topics we're discussing. And we've tried to do that. One author who I have come across recently who deals in a general way with our topic is Seth Godin, a best selling author and business blogger. I have not read all his books, but his recent book "Tribes" brings a lot of terrific insight. Godin makes the point that r</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">eligion, of any kind, at its best, is a support system for our faith. But at its worst it is a bulwark and defense of the status quo, often at the expense of faith.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We can serve the status quo of our religion, even as we see its demise all around us. Or we serve and build our faith, by challenging and changing the culture of our religion. In fact, as Godin argues, in order to survive and move forward in the world of rapid change we now live in, in order to lead through this change we have got to challenge the status quo of our religion.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Godin writes that the status quo is persistent and resistant. It exists because everyone wants it to. Everyone believes that what they've got is probably better than the risk and fear that comes with change. When it comes to churchworld, the status quo gets wrapped up with the will of God, challenging or changing anything is equated with challenging or changing God! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">That's why from time to time we come across visitors who walk into Nativity and angrily ask, "Is this a Catholic Church?" They're not being mean, they just think they're defending their faith...when in fact they're defending the culture of their religion.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Every single industry and business and religious culture eventually fades and changes. The lesson we are learning currently is that this process has accelerated everywhere, for everything...the music industry, journalism, mid-Eastern dictatorships, fast food, TV programming, communication, everything. Everything including churchworld. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Churchworld is changing, like it or not: one in three Americans have walked away from the religion of their birth. The third largest religious identification in America is "former" Catholic. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Obviously something extremely positive is happening at Nativity, amidst a climate of demise and failure in much of the Catholic Church and organized religion.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We can help lead change in this situation; its not about changing the faith, its changing the culture of our religion. </span><br />
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</span>Michael Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00204699917474462449noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334925118624134213.post-14787050252270531262011-06-24T14:58:00.000-04:002011-06-24T14:58:58.717-04:00Vision Stuff<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Earlier this year we had an independent team of pastoral leaders visit our parish and give us a frank assessment of what they experienced. Largely we got good grades. But we were shocked, I mean really shocked to read their assessment that beyond the pastor and his associate, there was no ability to articulate vision...even among the staff.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">As Pastor Bill Hybels puts it, "vision leaks." We could deliver an awesome, God-honoring vision on Sunday that would convince everyone we were going to change the world, and many people will largely forget it by Tuesday or Wednesday. People are busy and the daily routine is going to get all the attention. It is difficult to remain focused on what's not there, which is what vision is trying to do. Even when we successfully pour vision into our members and ministers, it will drain out of them sooner than we think. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">One of our projects this summer is about re crafting some of the statements we use to talk about ourselves and describe what we do, with the view of more consistently using these statements in the coming year.</div><div><br />
</div></span></div></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Of course, our faith is given expression in the Creed, which we recite each week at Mass and does not change. Neither does our mission, which is given by the Lord and hopefully everyone knows it, even if they can't express it in precisely the same way. Basically it comes down to: Love God, love others, make disciples (Matthew 22.37, 39 & Matthew 28.19-20).</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When it comes to our vision we want to be all about reaching out to our community with the life changing message of Jesus Christ, and we want to do it creatively and faithfully in our Roman Catholic tradition. We want to focus this effort on our own part of the world here in the greater Timonium-Lutherville community, with an emphasis particularly on that mythic figure "Timonium Tim" who is culturally Catholic but actually far from God. At the same time, once Tim is inside the door we don't want him to just be a consumer of religion, we want him to become a real disciple of the Lord Jesus, by walking the path of discipleship and undertaking some form of ministry and service in the church. Eventually we want Tim to be part of that "reaching out to the community" process, which is called evangelization. Finally, we would like to be of assistance to other churches elsewhere, to help them understand the things we've learned and what works for us when it comes to doing church...not with any sense of paternalism or pride, but rather a sincere hope to help others who are struggling (as so many are these days). To try and sum that up in a vision statement we can actually use, we're currently working with this formulation:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Growing disciples, growing future disciples among former Catholics in north Baltimore, and influencing churches to do the same elsewhere.</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A creative reduction of this phrase even further came up with the the memorable mantra</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Make church matter.</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">At a staff planning day we tried to come up with words that describe who we are and what we do: welcoming, relevant, excellent, dynamic, orthodox, life-changing, engaging, creative (and many more). We then tried to apply these to a kind of strategy statement. It goes like this:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> <!--StartFragment--> <div class="MsoNormal"><u>Our Strategy<o:p></o:p></u></div><div class="MsoNormal">Currently one in three Catholics have left the Catholic Church. Our strategy is to creatively reach out to former Catholics in our North Baltimore community with a fresh and relevant presentation of the life-changing message of the Gospel to make fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Our weekend experience is central to our strategy and the weekend message is central to the weekend experience. Music, message and ministers work together to create an irresistible environment of energy and excellence in which newcomers feel welcome and want to come back. Equally important strategically are excellent weekend programs for kids and students where the messages usually parallel the adult message.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Newcomers are encouraged to come back. Regular weekend attendees are encouraged to take the next step and become a member. Members are encouraged to take their next steps: serve in a ministry, join a Small Group, support the Church through their worship offering/tithe, support our service and outreach, spend daily quiet time with God, and increasingly honor God in all areas of their daily lives. Finally, members are encouraged to invest in and invite de-churched friends to our weekend experience.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Our strategy is to try and meet each person exactly where they are in order to challenge them to take their next step.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><!--EndFragment--> </span></div>Michael Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00204699917474462449noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334925118624134213.post-30275542550226171712011-06-17T15:55:00.000-04:002011-06-17T15:55:48.635-04:00Summertime<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Father's Day is the unofficial start of summer around here. This weekend we will be introducing our summer schedule (which might just become our regular schedule too, so let us know what you think). This weekend Chris Wesley will be joining me again as we look at fatherhood from his perspective as a new dad. Be sure and bring your dad. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One of the things I love to do at the start of a new season is set goals for myself. Some people don't like to do that or even find it unhelpful, but I am a big fan. It gets me focused and gives me markers to measure my efforts. Here are my goals for summer, 2011.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1) Complete the "book."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Perhaps you didn't know about this project, but Tom Corcoran and I have been working on a book. It's not a big book, it won't be a New York Times best seller, but it is a book and we've worked hard on it. The basic premise is, we discovered that church wasn't working so well for us and we set out to find a better way of doing church. The book is about what happened to us and what we've found that does works. The book is now largely written but still needs some editing and additional research...not sure how much. So, I am going to Avalon in July and, with no phones, e-mail or meetings, I am going to work on the book until it's done. I'm not coming back until it's done.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">2) Plan our message series.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Before we dive into the fall, my goal is to have a complete schedule and detailed plan for all our message series for 2011-2012. This project is already in process, thanks to Tom, so I feel confident we can get it done.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">3) More work on my house.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The house where I live (aka, the "Rectory") was in poor condition for years, and, as of last year, in desperate need of certain repairs. So, last summer I finally bit the bullet and undertook some renovations in a portion of the house; this summer we're undertaking a "Phase Two" to tackle another section. The goal is simple, clean and functional. Since the original work, it has been amazing to me how much the physical conditions of my residence has improved my lifestyle and even my daily attitude.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">4) Complete our office reorganization.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Our staff has grown recently, and we are definitely bursting at the seams in our office space. We'll be addressing this situation this summer with some reorganization that will hopefully make everyone's life easier.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">5) Launch the new web site & blog.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you're around here on the weekends you know Kristin Costanza, but you probably didn't know that she recently switched jobs and is the creative director for our web site (not sure that is technically her title). She will be coordinating the launch of an amazing new web site in July, though it will probably take the rest of the summer to finish the job. As part of that project I want to also renovate this blog and rethink how I'm using it.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">6) Develop a new schedule.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Before getting on the September-to-Christmas roller coster ride I want to spend some time taking a hard look at my personal schedule, how I manage my time and what I do with it. In the coming year I want to get further away from the management and daily details of the parish and spend more time investing in our staff and talking to and listening to our ministers. I want to experience some of the mission activity Brian Crook is developing with his mission team, I want to have some presence in our youth program, get to know more of our members and invest time in representing our parish to the larger Church community to which we belong. And through a larger investment in our blog and web site, I want to reach out to others elsewhere who might be interested in what we're doing at Nativity.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">7) Move our strategic planning process forward.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Over the past year we have initiated a strategic planning process to address the challenges we face on our campus. One of my goals for the summer is to see this process move forward to the next stage of development so that we have a clear plan for the plan going into the fall.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">8) Spend more time with Scripture/pray more.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">9) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Spend more time with family and friends. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">10) Get more exercise/eat better/rest.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">What are you doing with your summer? Think about it.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The success of your fall depends on it. </span><br />
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</span>Michael Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00204699917474462449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334925118624134213.post-18775388187870625592011-06-10T18:31:00.000-04:002011-06-10T18:31:18.176-04:00Young Adult Church<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">When the day of Pentecost came, the apostles were all together...</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">suddenly a sound like the blowing of a mighty wind came from heaven...</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit...Peter stood up and addressed the crowd...</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">"Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you, and you with the help of wicked men put him to death.</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">But God raised him from the dead...exalted at the right hand of God, </span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, and has poured out what you now see and hear."</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Acts 2</span></i></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This weekend is really the end: the end of our current series and the end of our 2010-2011 message season. Fittingly, we end on the Feast of Pentecost, which celebrates the beginning or the birthday of the Church. In our endings are our beginnings. Next weekend, Father's Day, we kick off our new summer schedule, and the weekend after that we begin the first of our two summer series, "In the Beginning."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Our topic for this final series has been an interesting and challenging one to present. Youth and their relationship to God, as well as their place in the Church is a tough topic, and by no means have we cracked the code. As we have worked through this series so many people have approached Chris Wesley and I sharing with us their particular concerns regarding young adults. If our young people begin to drift away from churchworld in their early teens, in their later teens and early twenties they disappear from the radar screen entirely. It use to be the case that we automatically assumed once they got married and settled down they would be back, but recent data is beginning to suggest that is no longer true. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Unfortunately, in this case, what is true elsewhere in churchworld is also true here, at least currently. We are not really tracking on the young adult population, they're mobile, they're elusive. Nearly all college age students go away to school (though that could be changing), which means we see them Christmastime and summertime. After that they might very well move away or live downtown. Of course, there are certainly plenty of post-college, pre-marriage young adults showing up on the weekends (actually quite a lot for a suburban church) but </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">we're not entirely sure how we want to reach them or what we want them to do. Sometimes they look isolated, we fear they might feel out of place in our "family friendly" environment. And we don't usually remember to address them in our messages. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This became the topic of discussion this week among our staff as we realized that even in the course of our message series about students and youth, young adults haven't even been mentioned. We will right that oversight, but the point was made. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This coming weekend we will be inviting them to consider joining a small group. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I was interested to learn from our new Small Group Director, Jack Boivard, that there are a couple of such groups already meeting. He would be very happy to have more, and so would I. Of course, there are other young adults in groups of mixed ages, and that can be valuable too, as older members pour their experience and wisdom into younger ones, and in turn, younger members share some of their special attributes (optimism, enthusiasm, openness) with the others. I would like to see many more young adults in small groups and ministry, especially kids and student ministry, where their presence can be a powerful attraction to youth.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Interestingly, I should note in fairness to our church, at this point most of our staff is under 35, with the majority of them under 30...so we definitely have young adult leadership. Maybe that's the best place to start. With young leaders leading our ministers and ministry efforts we can perhaps more vigorously revive some of the enthusiasm and dynamic growth the Bible tells us characterized that first Pentecost Sunday, when the young apostles burst into the streets of Jerusalem with the life changing message of Jesus Christ...and, not incidently, the church began to grow exponentially. </span><br />
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</span>Michael Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00204699917474462449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334925118624134213.post-10306593755455867452011-06-03T14:22:00.000-04:002011-06-03T14:22:45.776-04:00Young Church<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We are all set for the third week of our series all about the next generation, "Generation iY" as author Tim Elmore calls them: basically, people born in the last twenty years. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This Sunday we also celebrate the Ascension; the Bible tells us that 40 days after his resurrection Jesus was taken up to heaven in his resurrected body. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In his account of the story Matthew tells us about the very last instruction he gives his disciples before his departure, literally his parting words. He’s telling them what they are to do next. We read that they’re nervous, in fact the Bible says that some of them doubted. It doesn’t tell us what they doubted, perhaps they doubted the whole deal, that he really was alive, that he really is God, that they could actually give their lives to serving him, that they would be able to do that.</span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">So, in the context of his departure and their doubt he gives them a last instruction, which has been called the "Great Commission." It goes like this:<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. <o:p></o:p></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.</i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Baptize them in the name of the Father <o:p></o:p></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit<o:p></o:p></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you." </i></b></div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Matthew 28.18-19</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When you boil it down, Jesus’ commission is pretty clear: reach out to other people where they are and invest in them in order to bring them into a relationship with God. That’s their mission. Jesus made his commission clear, its just not that easy and he knew it. He knew that his disciples would be criticized, and persecuted and arrested and some of them were even murdered. And he knew they had their own issues too, because it wasn’t so long ago that nearly all of them had betrayed him…they were by no means perfect people. Besides, as we've already noted in this series, they were a very young group, most probably in their late teens. It would be understandable that they would be frightened and full of doubt and therefore unsteady in their commitment.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And yet here he is giving them this work to do, which is the mission and purpose of the church. That was their mission...and its our mission too. Its why we're here as a church community and also as individuals. Its clear as can be, its just not that easy. That's why a lot of Christians don't do it, its why church communities don't even try, never mention it, it just never comes up. How did it ever work to begin with? How is it suppose to work today? Well, its all hinges on a little promise he makes, literally his last words:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."</i></b><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Matthew 28.19</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Despite their fears and failures they stood in a relationship with Jesus Christ, and he promises to them his pervasive presence, through the gift and the power of God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit. He promises his presence when they’re doing what he wants them to do.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">What they do they not only do for God, they do it with him. And as we read on in the story (in Acts of the Apostles) literally within days thousands of people were coming to Christ and his Church, based on the efforts of these young men.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Nativity should be a community of growing disciples whose number one priority is growing more disciples. I am also going to say (and some people won't agree with me, but that's OK...I'm going to say it anyway) we should be growing young disciples as our highest priority. Why? Because making disciples is an investment and making young disciples is the best investment, it has the ability to bring the greatest return long term. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We have a great Youth Pastor, Chris Wesley, who is one of my closest associates and collaborators in leading this parish, I meet with him every week. He in turn has built a great group of volunteer ministry leaders and workers who, together form a very impressive team. Currently we are actually looking to add another (part-time) position to our staff, to assist Chris and his team. Over the past few years they have given our program a complete overhaul and a whole new emphasis. As Chris has been eager to emphasize throughout this series, our youth ministry is not religious education, CCD or Sunday school. It is not what kids who don't go to Catholic school should do, it is not redundant to Catholic school kids. It is not any kind of school whatsoever. Youth Ministry at Nativity is about including our young people in a fellowship of their peers along with adult leaders, who are interested in growing as disciples. In other words, reaching young people where they are and investing in them to bring them into and help them grow in a relationship with God.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Besides my own preaching and celebration of Mass, what happens in our youth ministry program is of direct interest and concern to me, above all the other ministries and programs. Growing young disciples is job number one when it comes to our mission to grow disciples. Disagree with that priority if you like (and plenty of people have), but that is what God has put on my heart. The Church is a Church for "all nations" and of every age, but if we really want to be the kind of dynamic growing church we read about in the New Testament, I believe we must deliberately determine to first of all be a young church. By the way, the faith and fellowship of young disciples keeps us all young.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><!--EndFragment--> </span>Michael Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00204699917474462449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334925118624134213.post-74276419769765292992011-05-28T14:51:00.000-04:002011-05-28T14:51:16.738-04:00Youth Group Leadership<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We're currently in the second week of our series about the next generation, called "Lost Investment" (Frankly, I have absolutely no idea why we're calling it that, since the whole point is to make an investment in the next generation; nobody else seems to remember the thinking behind that decision either. Anyway, if you don't like the title, I hear you.)</span><br />
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</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One of the things we've noted about the generation called Millennials (usually defined as people born after the year 1984),they live in paradox. Sheltered, yet pressured, self-absorbed but generous, social and isolated, high achieving and definitely high maintenance. One particular paradox we're looking at this weekend is how this generation is compassionate and visionary, and, at the same time, impatient. Probably young people of every generation are impatient, but it seems a pronounced characteristic of this generation because they are use to getting things quickly.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">These reflections have been taking shape this past week as our Pastoral Staff gathered for our annual staff planning retreat. Each year, we try to meet together before Memorial Day to look ahead to the coming year and share our goals and plans. Since our staff has grown in the past few years, we now organize ourselves in departments (we call them "ovals"): strategic, administrative, message, adult, family and creative (it sounds bigger than it is, some people serve in more than one oval). This year each oval met before the retreat for their own planning process and then reported on their meetings at our general retreat. We looked at their particular goals for the coming year as well as the process and procedures they'll be taking to make their goals happen. By the way, 2011-2012 looks like its going to be an amazing year.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Anyway, I was reflecting during our retreat on the obvious fact that most of our staff, besides me and Tom and a few others, are Millennials or nearly so. Our parish is led by a youth group. This did not happen by accident. Why did it happen? Well, it eventually became clear to me that the transition to a different kind of church culture would be easier to make with younger people who didn't have any investment in the status quo and don't have big assumptions about how church "should" be done. Besides this indispensable asset for what we are trying to do here, young people are going to bring others too, like flexibility and creativity and a willing sense of adventure and ambition (that life sometimes eventually knocks out of older folks).</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Young people will bring challenges too: they're not always sure what exactly they want to do in life, they're still discovering things about themselves; a lack of previous work experience can bring unrealistic expectations to the workplace, or a sense of entitlement about the value of what they do have. These are not terribly consequential points though and are eventually overcome and outgrown. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you think about it, "Youth Group Leadership" is the whole pattern for the life of the Church. Its was Jesus' approach when he called the apostles (who were most probably in their late teens or early twenties) and, in turn, it is exactly what the apostles themselves did. Peter, Paul and others, gathered young men to follow them and become leaders in their own time. Later, Francis of Assisi and Ignatius of Loyola did the same thing, like so many other founders of religious communities. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The way I look at our very gifted and generous parish staff, they are all young leaders, who are honing their leadership skills among us as well as for us. They have caught a vision of what God is doing here, and they very much are impatient to see it happen. Perhaps that's not a paradox after all. </span><br />
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</span></div>Michael Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00204699917474462449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334925118624134213.post-49111395472214567952011-05-20T16:19:00.000-04:002011-05-20T16:19:23.276-04:00Young Church<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After spending so much time in Rome, immersed in history, this weekend we are definitely going in another direction. Our new series, the last of the 2010-2011 year, is a very different kind of series for us...its all about youth. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">For a number of years now we have enjoyed the reputation as a church with a great "youth program" or a parish that does a lot for youth. Friends and fans as well as critics seemed to have all bought into this perception. It is true and its not true at the same time. A number of years ago we added a Sunday afternoon Mass. It was very popular mostly because it was the only one available in the region (today all the parishes on York Road have them). A few years into that exercise (we're slow learners) we realized that many of the people who attended that Mass were young people, and so we began focusing on them in an intentional way. Our fame as a "youth parish" began to grow and spread. But if truth be told, we stumbled into the whole thing and in hindsight, it really wasn't an exercise in youth ministry anyway, it was an exercise in doing church differently. Our Sunday afternoon Mass just became our laboratory for doing church differently, and the young people were very accommodating. Today, much of what characterizes our weekend "experience" got started on Sunday afternoons.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">That said, we really do want to be a parish that is focused on youth and young adults, not exclusively, but deliberately and intensely. T</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">he Church started as a youth movement, the disciples that Jesus called were all teens and young adults. Jesus invested most of his ministry to these young people, discipling and teaching them to be the leaders of the Church after him. Later we know that is exactly what Peter and Paul and the others did too, they raised up a next generation of leaders. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">At Nativity we want to be making disciples of everyone in our community. But our preferential disposition is toward the youth of our community, because we believe they are the best long term investment. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And we do have a great youth program, but through this series we want to explain and promote it because a lot of people, a lot of our own people do not understand what we are trying to do. A lot of people think that if their young people "get confirmation" their faith formation is complete, confirmation means graduation from faith and church. Others are of the opinion that if their teen is in a Catholic school, that takes care of the religion stuff. Still others fail to think of it at all.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">All of this is sadly missing the point of what we are trying to do. Youth ministry is not a class, it is not religious education, it is not CCD (which was a Catholic instructional program that ceased to exist about 40 years ago). Youth ministry doesn't have grades or classes or teachers or classrooms. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Youth ministry at Nativity is all about helping students develop a life long relationship with Jesus Christ and cultivating the habits that make that happen. Its about supporting our students as they grow in faith, while they're growing through some of the most difficult and challenging years of their life. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We have separate programs for 5th and 6th graders, 7th and 8th graders and high school students. They consist of worship, fellowship and small group discipleship experiences. I have attended these programs and I can tell you they're well done and they're fun. They are run by volunteer youth minsters under the direction of our Student "Pastor" (as I like to call him) Chris Wesley. This weekend Chris will be joining me in presenting the message which will be challenging the whole church to get focused on the upcoming generation. You can do that in several different ways:</span><br />
<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Join us for this series and start thinking in the direction of the young people of our church, start praying for them too.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Invite the young people in your life to join our programs; doesn't matter if they've been before or ever. There is no sign up, all they do is show up. They can even bring their friends.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you don't currently have a ministry and you think God might be calling you to youth ministry, use this opportunity to give it a try. You can learn more at a special information center we will have in the lobby the weekend after next.</span></li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Imagine how strong our church family could grow to be, imagine how different our community of Timonium would look, imagine the impact we could have if we really were a parish of growing disciples growing young disciples. </span></div><br />
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</span>Michael Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00204699917474462449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334925118624134213.post-38013747466636790112011-05-07T09:04:00.001-04:002011-05-08T10:14:55.002-04:00Roman Journal: Part Five, A View From the Palace<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDXgGCztqMn8aeBd7rRm7HpyOXY6cWFP4UuRJl86HZoGOlM_cvPMekjAnH9u3r2g5hkqIVzyR3tu7ZUHfW3goUT8XmcZY9TBw7oJVQChZBlqDOuLdwcPTuH-1OUSthi8nCkMvBygHagwc/s1600/St.Peter2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDXgGCztqMn8aeBd7rRm7HpyOXY6cWFP4UuRJl86HZoGOlM_cvPMekjAnH9u3r2g5hkqIVzyR3tu7ZUHfW3goUT8XmcZY9TBw7oJVQChZBlqDOuLdwcPTuH-1OUSthi8nCkMvBygHagwc/s320/St.Peter2.png" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One more post on my last day here in Rome. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I had the interesting experience yesterday of visiting the Papal Palace, as it is called, also called the Apostolic Palace or the Palace of Sixtus V. Really, it is a vast series of buildings from which much of the administration of the Roman Catholic Church is handled, and only a small portion of which is actually the residence of the Pope. These buildings form a maze of various styles completed over the centuries: medieval, renaissance, baroque, neo-classical, there are even elements of ancient Roman architecture.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Along with several dozen other people I had the privilege of an audience with the Pope. He spoke to us briefly and then greeted each of us. And in turn I extended to him the best wishes and prayers of the people of Nativity. He is obviously a very kind man, and also I think very shy. Of course everyone knows he's brilliant too, so that is a nice combination. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Despite the problems in the Church and the challenges she is facing, it is hard to be in this setting, splendid as it is, listening to this man, and not be impressed. In fact, I would say I walked away with renewed enthusiasm and excitement to be a part of the Roman Catholic Church. We belong to a world wide Church with a two thousand year tradition solidly based on the foundation of the apostolic teaching and Scripture; we are the stewards of the Eucharist and the other Sacraments, we enjoy the "fulness of faith." And here, with the Pope, is a reminder of the Magisterium of the Church, the authentic teaching office of the successors of the apostles, through which we believe the Spirit can work, authentically guiding the Christian community in the way of truth. We have a pretty nice art collection too.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Historically, we are a deeply flawed group of people (beginning with Peter himself) who the Lord has promised to work through, when we are turned to him and humble and obedient to his direction. Currently, we are a community in need of a renewed sense of direction, enthusiasm and fresh purpose. And there is no reason why we can't rise to the challenge. We can make our ancient and venerable faith relevant in our community. Once again, as the apostles did in their day, we too can change people's lives with the life changing message of the gospel. In our generation we can make famous the name of the Lord Jesus. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As Catholics we know that is given direction from the palace, but it doesn't happen in the palace, it happens in the pew, it's up to you.</span><br />
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</span></div>Michael Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00204699917474462449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334925118624134213.post-26787218516292103412011-05-04T06:35:00.001-04:002011-05-05T10:25:36.962-04:00Roman Journal: Part Four, A View From the City<div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-aadlA925TePUqcTl4Xh6k2r7ZgRl0pZ180clBYFFXTsmuTHG0EnUoIk8qay09B9T8_NZs38YzOpOdcrMB_COK_qdZzX4-gQ_9Sz1TuaZBPGXc8HiHzWfJvpsm5lMx2_pImehY80BNao/s1600/Rome2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-aadlA925TePUqcTl4Xh6k2r7ZgRl0pZ180clBYFFXTsmuTHG0EnUoIk8qay09B9T8_NZs38YzOpOdcrMB_COK_qdZzX4-gQ_9Sz1TuaZBPGXc8HiHzWfJvpsm5lMx2_pImehY80BNao/s320/Rome2.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When Italians say "La Citta" they always mean Rome. It is <i>the </i>city. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Of course for Roman Catholics Rome is also the center of our Church community, our chief pastor is the bishop of Rome. And there is two thousand years worth of Christian history here to prove Rome's pride of place: art and architecture tell an amazing story of faith through the centuries. From this city, and the faith it nourished, missionaries went out to every part of the world to share the faith. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Yesterday,a characteristically beautiful spring day in Rome, I spent the afternoon visiting some of the storied churches of Rome, each with a rich history of its own: San Ignazio, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, San Andrea della Valle, Dodici Apostoli, and others. All amazing buildings and tremendous monuments to the faithfulness and dedication, as well as the artistry and skill of so many. No doubt about it. But here's the thing: there wasn't any worship going on in these houses of worship. They're museums. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In fact, there are very few parishes in the city of Rome, in the sense of communities of fellowship, discipleship, ministry and worship. There are mostly just museums with Mass on Sunday (usually at a small "side" chapel). The Pastor of one of the most famous churches in Rome, St. Peter in Chains (its the church with Michelangelo's "Moses"), said "I don't have much of a parish." </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Well, respectfully, whose fault is that? You have a huge, beautiful church building, in the middle of a densely populated nominally christian community and you don't have anybody in church on Sunday? Whose fault is that? I felt like saying, "Father, you have a parish, its all around you. Your problem isn't that you don't have a parish, your problem is that your parish doesn't come to your church. Your problem is that, for whatever reasons, you have become irrelevant to the community around you. Your problem is that you need to spend less time polishing statues and more time preaching to your people."</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I didn't say any of that. My Italian isn't that good anyway.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My frustration is properly directed at myself as well. There are thousands of people in my parish who do not go to church or know God. But that doesn't mean we give up. The city around us, Rome or Timonium (or where ever you are) is the mission field on which we serve. The immediate challenge isn't about going out to the ends of the earth, its connecting with the people who are driving by our churches every day and have never even considered joining us. Whose fault is that? </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">[to be continued...]</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div>Michael Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00204699917474462449noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334925118624134213.post-25597170445517016862011-05-03T05:33:00.001-04:002011-05-03T11:11:17.739-04:00Roman Journal: Part Three, A View From the Piazza<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqKXJqa6G4dTDtcXjFvaMZjF04IpeqOOM93E4DTJqJ0biYQm1PMOwl7Q_xttToBZGLTJ1QJm2KjHACGbu2BZs4bYFjvXPY8_nEPmbJBqhOaUPcx8qX7lg8gjajPKBHAjJAlzxIeI5xj1U/s1600/St.Peter%2527sSquare.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqKXJqa6G4dTDtcXjFvaMZjF04IpeqOOM93E4DTJqJ0biYQm1PMOwl7Q_xttToBZGLTJ1QJm2KjHACGbu2BZs4bYFjvXPY8_nEPmbJBqhOaUPcx8qX7lg8gjajPKBHAjJAlzxIeI5xj1U/s320/St.Peter%2527sSquare.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sunday afternoon, following the beatification ceremony, I decided to wander back to St. Peter's and into the square, to get a look at things from the opposite perspective I had in the morning (from the altar). To my surprise, but I suppose not surprisingly, the square and all the streets leading up to it were still filled with crowds of people, most waiting to get into the Basilica to visit the exhumed coffin of Pope John Paul. It turns out this went on all night long. The largest crowd ever assembled in the city of Rome gathered for Pope John Paul's funeral. This was probably the second biggest, but with this many people, its hard to really know. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It is also striking, in a gathering such as this, in this place, to come face to face with the truly "catholic" aspect of the Church. There were Italians, of course, and Poles, Germans, a massive Spanish delegation led by the Spanish Royal family,English Catholics and those from Scotland and Ireland; Africans of every nation, Asians; I stood near a large Brazilian delegation singing songs and waving their national flag, a group of nuns from France were quietly praying next to them. And there were plenty of Americans, too (usually easy to pick out in the crowd). The commission that Christ gave his apostles, to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, has been served. His church can be found everywhere, as was so evident in St. Peter's Piazza on Sunday. Nobody would have relished the spectacle more than Pope John Paul himself.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The great commission has been served, but it is hardly complete. In fact, standing in this crowd, with so much enthusiasm for the faith in evidence, it reminded me of the work there is still to do. If Catholic-Christians took their faith into the public square everyday, as all these people were doing on this day, how transformative of our society would we be, how different would our culture look. If instead of conforming to the culture around us, or insulating ourselves from it, we sought to engage it and renew it with the message of the gospel, how powerful a force could it be?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Besides the lack of impact the Church has in the culture, there is another problem, a growing problem: we are hemorrhaging members. The number of people who have left the Catholic Church is huge. The Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion and Public Life has recently put hard numbers to what was already a confirmed conviction for many of us: one in ten Americans is an ex-Catholic. If they were a denomination, they would be the third largest (after Catholics and Baptists). Put another way, one third of our members have just walked away from the Church. There is something seriously wrong with an organization that is losing members at that rate. If it continues, within a decade we will be a small, mostly hispanic denomination, with little relevance to the country or culture.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">That's the real view from the piazza. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">[to be continued...]</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div>Michael Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00204699917474462449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334925118624134213.post-45225923783433391222011-05-02T06:20:00.001-04:002011-05-02T09:48:33.302-04:00Roman Journal: Part Two, A View From Inside the Church<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpqmnrBqcvg1ZrIFXAnhhl-j-i9XpVJGQvV5gquSgSDQ25F16_tvZkLyhpUBCYvgCxvRgZqnOhcTDGdZC9LTjXfG4us0E4qB6pH97Fj-pg2Rh5uNEzxkj6iXxFliwCc5T9gWRb63cTNx1/s1600/Rome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpqmnrBqcvg1ZrIFXAnhhl-j-i9XpVJGQvV5gquSgSDQ25F16_tvZkLyhpUBCYvgCxvRgZqnOhcTDGdZC9LTjXfG4us0E4qB6pH97Fj-pg2Rh5uNEzxkj6iXxFliwCc5T9gWRb63cTNx1/s320/Rome.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Mass for the Beatification of Pope John Paul was held in front of St. Peter's Basilica, in the square. Not only the square, but also the streets leading up to it were closed and filled with people. So, for this reason, many of those involved in the Mass approached the altar from the opposite direction. We came in the back door, as it were, and made our way through the Basilica, exiting the front door, onto the altar. Got it?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Anyway, since everyone was out front, the Basilica was largely empty. I realized immediately that this was not an experience I had ever had before, often as I've been in St. Peter's. It is always filled with people. But on Sunday, before the Mass, it was empty. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The immense splendors of the place are overwhelming under any conditions, but in vast silence that sensation is magnified. The breath of history, the weight of glory, its dizzying. This unique moment was made rarer still by the muffled roar of the crowd, just outside, over a million strong. All those people out there. All this splendor in here.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Pope John Paul will be remembered for many things, not least of which his unprecedented travels to every part of the world, including Baltimore. He understood, and modeled for all of us that the work <i>of</i> the Church isn't just <i>in </i>the Church. It's also, and indeed first of all (and urgently) waiting for us outside the Church. The work of the Church is to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to all those people out there. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So many churches operate like country clubs for the converted. This takes different shape and emphasis in different parishes or congregations, but the instinct and the emphasis are all the same, its all about insiders, what we do, what we like, what we know, what we have.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I will go further and say that I think this is a special problem, an acute problem in the Catholic Church. There is a triumphalism, a kind of pride among us that is sin, blinding us to our real problems, and keeping us from serving our mission. Because of our history and apostolic roots, because of the vast body of our theological wisdom and most of all because of the Eucharist for which we are stewards, we should rightly esteem our Catholic faith and Church. But we should not try and horde it or hide it, or just make sure the "Samaritans" stay out. It is not ours to keep, it is ours to share. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Standing in empty St. Peter's, I couldn't help but think of all those people out there.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div>Michael Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00204699917474462449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334925118624134213.post-89342348769409506222011-04-30T15:41:00.001-04:002011-05-01T12:03:04.610-04:00Roman Journal: Part One, A View From the Hill<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As I write to you, this is just about my view from the desk where I am working. The major difference is that at the moment it is rainy and dark. But otherwise, pretty amazing view, huh?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This week I am in Rome for the Beatification of Pope John Paul, the final stage on his route to Canonization. Since it rarely happens that the process works this quickly and so many of the candidates contemporaries are alive to witness it, this is a most historic event. In a city that defines history, this is history. It is also an historic event in my own history. Pope John Paul was the leader of the Catholic Church through most of my life, all of my adult life, and during the whole period of my ordained service. I meet him many many times and helped plan his visit to Baltimore. He is obviously an important part of the history of lots of other people too. Today, walking the teeming streets around the Vatican, people were already camped out, waiting for tomorrow's ceremony...camped out in the rain.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The North American College, which is my alma mater and residence for the week, is just up the hill from St. Peter's. It's technically part of Vatican City State, but enough removed from the center that there are no crowds congregated here. Its a great vantage point to see what's happening. The view from the hill is different than the one I had in the crowd.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In the crowd its easy to espouse the simplistic views that a crowd holds, and there are basically two out there: the Church is too liberal and needs to return to her roots, we need to circle the wagons around the "sacred deposit" of our faith and defend it; outside the wagon train the Indians are griping that the Church is too conservative, and needs to loosen up or continue to lose members. This view holds that we need to get with the times, especially on the hot button issues. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Those are views from the crowd. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">From the hill, the view is different. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It is no secret that I have been alarmed and heartbroken by developments in the Catholic Church in recent years, I am of the growing conviction that business as usual will not do and that fooling ourselves into thinking everything is alright or just getting better is foolish and perilous. I gladly go further and avow that if we will not embrace the humility that God demands of his servants, and begin to serve his will with broken hearts, instead of our will for broken systems, God will remove his blessing, just as he did with the Pharisees in Jerusalem. He will remove his blessing and bless those who are serving him. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">At the same time, I do not for a minute compromise my Roman Catholic faith, in all its fulness. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In the phrase of another, it is all about a "dynamic orthodoxy." I believe that one of Blessed John Paul's greatest and historic contributions, was to help us understand this middle path forward...for the whole Church starting with our local parish church. Pope John Paul didn't have a view from the crowd, he had a view from the hill. That's the view I want too.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">[ to be continued ]</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>Michael Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00204699917474462449noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334925118624134213.post-79512897439303136992011-04-24T08:35:00.002-04:002011-04-27T15:22:30.412-04:00Life Wins<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><b>After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning,</b></i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b>for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and, going to the tomb,</b></i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b>Then the angel said to the women in reply,</b></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b>"Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified.</b></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b>He is not here, for he has been raised, just as he said.</b></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b>Come and see the place where he lay.</b></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b>Then go and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead."</b></i></span><br />
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</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The first Easter Sunday began with the remarkable experience of two women, who were disciples of Jesus. Unlike his apostles and male disciples, they had stayed with him through his passion, perhaps for this reason they are given the privilege of this encounter. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Anyway, it was not the experience they expected. They had come to Jesus' tomb to honor his death. They thought death had won and the hope they had for their lives, the hope they had placed in this man was dead. Instead they receive a remarkable message given in an extraordinary manner. A dazzling messenger tells them the tomb is empty and death does not have the final say. Jesus is the death of death...life wins. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">That's the basic message of Easter, life wins. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Christians believe that no matter what, life wins, life always wins.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Here at Nativity we have had a really exciting Lenten season filled with all kinds of signs of new life as people have stepped forward to take their next steps into membership, ministry and small group life. Our Lenten reflection in our weekend messages and weekly small group discussions, "Catholic Atheism", challenged all of us to look at ways we are not really living like believers and many people have told me they have taken that challenge very seriously. Other signs of life have been obvious throughout an amazing Holy Week: staggering attendance on Palm Sunday, an awesome worship service conducted by our high school students on Thursday, 12 hours worth of lines for confessions on Good Friday, a dozen new Catholic Christians baptized and confirmed at the Easter Vigil. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">God is blessing our church community in many and mighty ways and it is exciting to be a part of it.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">The instruction of the angel to the women that first Easter was two-fold..."come and see" then "go and tell." "Come and see" is all about changing your mind, most basically and fundamentally changing your mind about life and how you're living. Catching a glimpse of the life God has in mind for you. "Go and tell" is about changing your plans, going with his plan instead of your own. That's what happened that first Easter: those women changed their minds about death and then they changed their plans about their lives. They went with God's plan instead.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">That's what our whole celebration of Lent and Easter is all about, changing our minds, changing our plans and going with God's plan instead...because in God's plan life wins.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Happy Easter, and blessing to all my wonderful blog readers and visitors.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Michael White</span><br />
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</span></span></div></span>Michael Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00204699917474462449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334925118624134213.post-34284038508618043412011-04-17T08:09:00.000-04:002011-04-17T08:09:36.163-04:00Working This Holy Week<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.</b></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, </b></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>to send out workers </b></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>into his harvest field.</b></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Luke 10.2</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
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</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you've been around Catholic world for any amount of time you've probably heard that verse quoted regarding prayer for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Maybe. But maybe there is another way of reading it too. His harvest field is actually the vast number of people right here in our own community of north Baltimore who do not know the Lord Jesus in a personal way. We're the workers. And Holy Week, the days between now and Easter, is the harvest. It can be plentiful, if we do the work.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Most people in church (well, at least our church) would admit that they want to see people come to church and get to know their Savior right here in our faith community. But the frustration is that many times we fail to understand that people who don't know Christ simply do not believe that he is the answer to their issues or problems.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We need to live our lives and preach the Gospel in such a way that people far from God don't have a hard time believing in God because of the hypocrisy they see in our lives, or because we let church become boring and bad, or just all about us. The Gospel isn't unbelievable, but sometimes we make it unbelievable. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We are called to work for the harvest, preaching the Gospel every single day. How we treat the waiter or waitress, talk about others when they're not around, respond to others in traffic, everything we do preaches a message. Our lifestyle openly declares whether or not we're workers in the harvest. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And this week is the harvest. Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday are the days when hundreds of people in our community who are far from God and never go to church will actually give it a try, or try it again. Thousands more will be actively considering it. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And if its boring and bad, if its all about insiders and ignores visitors, they will only be confirmed in their decision not to come the rest of the year. That should grab our attention and motivate us to get involved and actually start acting like the harvest workers he asks us to be.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Here are some ways you can practically work for the harvest master this week:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1. Pray for the people in our community who do not go to church, that they will be moved to join us (or some other christian community) and that their experience will make the gospel more believable for them.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">2. Invite a friend or unchurched neighbor to church or invite them to join our on-line congregation this week. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">3. Park off campus on Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. Walk to church, its good for you. On Easter Sunday you can just go directly to the main lot at Mars and park there (Mars will be closed). There will be two shuttles on continuous loop, should you prefer not to walk. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">4. Once inside, greet people you do not know, especially if they have that "deer in the headlights" new to Nativity look. Be friendly and helpful.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">5. Give up your seat on Easter Sunday morning, the time our unchurched friends will most likely visit us. Give them your seat and attend one of our video venues instead. There will be plenty of seats in the children's wing and the cafe pavilion, and you can save seats so your whole family can sit together (which will not be allowed in the main sanctuary). There will be great audio and video in these venues and you will have a great experience. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Its Easter, so celebrate and sing.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The harvest is plentiful, lets have plenty of workers this Holy Week.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div>Michael Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00204699917474462449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334925118624134213.post-65753162873329694312011-04-11T18:22:00.000-04:002011-04-11T18:22:42.554-04:00We Say We Believe in God...but Don't Think We Can Change<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Change can be difficult, but life change can seem impossible. Often we don't think we can do it. Maybe that because we have such a poor track record in making substantive changes in our lives. We have long lists of New Year resolutions that remain unfulfilled. We've tried to kick bad habits, lose weight or get out of debt and it didn't work.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Another reason we don't change is that people have told us we can't change. There have been people in your life like that. Believe me there have been people in my life like that, a kind of Greek chorus chanting "you can't do that" "it'll never work" "you'll never go there." I remember vividly a woman (of a certain age) more or less assaulting me after Mass a number of years ago waving her finger at me and scolding, "This parish will never go where you're trying to take it."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On the other hand, another reason we say we can't change is based on facts, there are some things about us that won't change. Personality traits, personal preferences, what we're good at, what we like to avoid, are usually stable parts of who we are. But here's what we get wrong: we lump in with our personality traits and preferences our sins and failures and weaknesses and defects of character, and then we create the narrative that says, "That's just who I am." I remember one time we confronted a member-minister here who was acting in an inappropriate way and his excuse was, "that's just who I am."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">No, it's not.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It's how you're acting but it's not who you are. It's sin living in you, but it's not you. My true identity does not rest in my sins or weaknesses. When I sin or fall or fail, I've chosen to yield myself to sin and weakness, but that is not who I am. When we define ourselves by our sin and failures we are not living in agreement with God and who God says we are. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Christian life, a life authentically connected to Jesus Christ is all about life change. To say we believe in God is also to say we believe God can change us. And we all need that, we all need life change, because we are not now everything he wants us to be. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The basics of life change are always the same and simple as can be: recognition of the ways we need to change, belief that God can do that work in our life, and obedience to his word.</span><br />
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</span>Michael Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00204699917474462449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334925118624134213.post-84738583650875131422011-04-03T18:25:00.000-04:002011-04-03T18:25:11.586-04:00Knowing God<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"What I know is that I once was blind, now I see."</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">John 9.25</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
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</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you grew up Catholic, you probably know about the Catholic religion, because you went to Catholic school and you had God as a class, you got a grade on God. Maybe you were a straight A student when it came to God. Or you went to religious ed, or CCD or whatever they called Sunday school at your church, and you learned your lessons there.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you grew up Catholic, maybe what you knew about church was that it was boring and bad. And you began to equate your experience of church with God, so when you finally stopped going to church you gave up on God too. If you grew up Catholic maybe you thought, or were taught, that its all about rules and laws. And whenever it was you decided you weren't interested in the rules and you had no intention of following the laws, you quit God too.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">You knew <i>about</i> God (right or wrong), you just didn't know him in a personal way, anymore than you know Abraham Lincoln or the Wizard of Oz in a personal way.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In the 9th chapter of John's gospel we meet two very different kinds of people, who neatly illustrate this very point. One day Jesus runs across a man born blind and heals him of his blindness. This introduces a controversy in the community between the man himself and the religious leaders, the Pharisees, who immediately have a problem with the healing. Reaching out and helping this poor man, in the way Jesus did, actually violated the Pharisees' religious rules. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Pharisees are operating in a closed system of religious rules, which do not allow for change. In the process, they miss out on God. The man born blind, on the other hand, is working in a dynamic system of interpersonal relationships, which is all about change, growth, knowledge, development. In the process, he gets to know God. Relationships are always about change, we change as we grow in knowledge of the other.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">God doesn't want you to understand him, he wants you to know him.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div>Michael Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00204699917474462449noreply@blogger.com0