Friday, August 31, 2007
Sexy Scandals From a Sexy Church
What a week and a half it's been. Within the past 10 days, Randy and Paula White, pastors of Without Walls International Church in Tampa, Fla., announced their divorce amid personal and church-wide financial scrutiny. Evangelist Juanita Bynum allegedly was beaten by her husband, co-pastor Thomas Weeks III outside an Atlanta hotel. And while New Life Church of Colorado Springs, Colo., voted in its new pastor, Brady Boyd, the megachurch's former pastor, Ted Haggard, solicited donations in an email without his overseers' knowledge and was publicly reprimanded—which was then followed up by a report in the Colorado Springs Gazette that Haggard directed potential donors to an organization run by a twice-convicted sex offender.
Each of these stories has a trail of unclarified details and mangled truths on its own. What I find fascinating, however, is the amount of coverage each continues to garner from the mainstream press. Ten years ago, would any of these have made the front page, much less the ticker? We're in a new day where any God-angled story is attractive not because of content so much as the audience it gathers. Without sounding sacriliegious, the church has become sexy.
God is not suprised, I am sure. I'm also sure He grieves over both the situations mentioned above—Jesus' name has been tainted, after all—and our tendencies to quickly judge those involved. As leaders, it's a crucial time that we remind those who we influence of the right response. We must lead those who are suddenly in the limelight (believers) back into the closet—to pray. We pray that God's peace, truth and presence would bring healing and restoration to these leaders. We pray that He would be glorified in the midst of scandal. We pray that the church would be strengthened like never before.
And while we pray, I hope we're reminded of God's constant, global overriding work that will roll on when all the scandals of this earth have fizzled out and all the spotlights have dimmed. It's a work that quietly shows itself powerful even now. Because for every pastor whose name hits the headlines amid a sexy scandal, 10,000 others are being anonymously used by the Holy Spirit to transform the lives of those in even worse situations. That's worthy of our attention.
YOUR TURN: How have you responded to any of news items mentioned above? Do you think they would have garnered such media attention 10 years ago? Why or why not?
Each of these stories has a trail of unclarified details and mangled truths on its own. What I find fascinating, however, is the amount of coverage each continues to garner from the mainstream press. Ten years ago, would any of these have made the front page, much less the ticker? We're in a new day where any God-angled story is attractive not because of content so much as the audience it gathers. Without sounding sacriliegious, the church has become sexy.
God is not suprised, I am sure. I'm also sure He grieves over both the situations mentioned above—Jesus' name has been tainted, after all—and our tendencies to quickly judge those involved. As leaders, it's a crucial time that we remind those who we influence of the right response. We must lead those who are suddenly in the limelight (believers) back into the closet—to pray. We pray that God's peace, truth and presence would bring healing and restoration to these leaders. We pray that He would be glorified in the midst of scandal. We pray that the church would be strengthened like never before.
And while we pray, I hope we're reminded of God's constant, global overriding work that will roll on when all the scandals of this earth have fizzled out and all the spotlights have dimmed. It's a work that quietly shows itself powerful even now. Because for every pastor whose name hits the headlines amid a sexy scandal, 10,000 others are being anonymously used by the Holy Spirit to transform the lives of those in even worse situations. That's worthy of our attention.
YOUR TURN: How have you responded to any of news items mentioned above? Do you think they would have garnered such media attention 10 years ago? Why or why not?
Friday, August 24, 2007
Incongruity at Its Finest
Talk about a double standard. At its recent biennial meeting, the Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America reminded everyone that it officially opposes homosexuality and doesn't allow gays or lesbians to be ministers. Then it turned around and passed a resolution telling its bishops not to discipline or dismiss clergy if they're gay or lesbian.
According to the New York Times, the assembly—the American Lutheran church's largest—agreed to postpone any action on this issue until 2009, when it will discuss "a social statement" on human sexuality that's currently in the works. Yet bishops within the denomination who oppose homosexuality in the ministry have already indicated they don't intend to adhere to the recent direction. And while the resolution displays the assembly's current bent, it certainly doesn't prevent them from taking such action.
I don't think I'm alone when I say this is beyond disturbing. It's also a tiring issue. I'm frustrated that certain segments of the church have cracked the door open and allowed both the gay agenda and political correctness to gnaw away at its doctrinal foundation. At the same time, I'm reminded of a point I heard last night while watching the third part of CNN's "God's Warriors." Though argued for centuries by a wide array of believers, it was reiterated this time by pastor Greg Boyd of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minn. Homosexuality in the church—or anywhere, for that matter—is sin. So are gluttony, envy and strife, just to name a few (see Gal. 5:19-21). In fact, the latter receive much more attention in the Bible than homosexuality does.
A non-believer with no knowledge of the Bible would never know this, though. That's because we as the church spend so much time debating what to do with the "majors." As Boyd said, we've created a sin gradient by which certain ones are greater than others. Is it any wonder the secular media picks us apart for such hot-button debates? I imagine if we stuck closer to Jesus' words in Matthew 7:1-3, we may not convey such a sense of polarity (or foolishness, for that matter). That's not a cover-up for gay clergy—the Bible is explicit on what it has to say about homosexuality. It is, however, a truth directly from the mouth of our Savior that we would do well not to forget as we rank our sins and sinners.
YOUR TURN: In your opinion, what should the church's approach be toward clergy who have recently come out of the closet yet are still in ministry? Have you encountered this at your own church or in your hometown? Why do you think the American church focuses so much on the sin of homosexuality but ignores others?
According to the New York Times, the assembly—the American Lutheran church's largest—agreed to postpone any action on this issue until 2009, when it will discuss "a social statement" on human sexuality that's currently in the works. Yet bishops within the denomination who oppose homosexuality in the ministry have already indicated they don't intend to adhere to the recent direction. And while the resolution displays the assembly's current bent, it certainly doesn't prevent them from taking such action.
I don't think I'm alone when I say this is beyond disturbing. It's also a tiring issue. I'm frustrated that certain segments of the church have cracked the door open and allowed both the gay agenda and political correctness to gnaw away at its doctrinal foundation. At the same time, I'm reminded of a point I heard last night while watching the third part of CNN's "God's Warriors." Though argued for centuries by a wide array of believers, it was reiterated this time by pastor Greg Boyd of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minn. Homosexuality in the church—or anywhere, for that matter—is sin. So are gluttony, envy and strife, just to name a few (see Gal. 5:19-21). In fact, the latter receive much more attention in the Bible than homosexuality does.
A non-believer with no knowledge of the Bible would never know this, though. That's because we as the church spend so much time debating what to do with the "majors." As Boyd said, we've created a sin gradient by which certain ones are greater than others. Is it any wonder the secular media picks us apart for such hot-button debates? I imagine if we stuck closer to Jesus' words in Matthew 7:1-3, we may not convey such a sense of polarity (or foolishness, for that matter). That's not a cover-up for gay clergy—the Bible is explicit on what it has to say about homosexuality. It is, however, a truth directly from the mouth of our Savior that we would do well not to forget as we rank our sins and sinners.
YOUR TURN: In your opinion, what should the church's approach be toward clergy who have recently come out of the closet yet are still in ministry? Have you encountered this at your own church or in your hometown? Why do you think the American church focuses so much on the sin of homosexuality but ignores others?
Friday, August 17, 2007
Can We Do Nothing Right Anymore?
Don't jump to conclusions. Read the full story. Withhold judgment until there's certainty. Innocent until proven guilty.
All good standards to live by, right? Yet I wonder in the backlash against High Point Church's reneging on hosting a gay man's funeral how many of us are really basing our opinions on the truth. Here's the original story, as reported by the Dallas Morning News on Aug. 9. And here's just a sampling of the slight and not-so-slight variations of the same story from ...
Houston Chronicle
The Advocate
Pegasus News
Townhall.com
Christian Today (an Australian site, just to add a global perspective)
Most of us recognize that the lines between news and opinion are blurring these days. Blogs like this one certainly complicate the matter. There's a slant, a bias, a take on virtually every piece of relayed information. (That's an entirely different can of worms I won't open here.) And in this case, it just seems a little more obvious.
But what fascinates me—even more than my gut reaction to this story or others' opinions of it—is how this reveals the church's everpresent dilemma in this world. High Point's stance isn't just another case of a church caught between a rock and a hard place. Nor is this simply about a modern-day church denouncing homosexuality.
The church will always be in opposition to the world. And yet, as a house full of redeemed sinners, we are to extend the same love shown to us in Christ—while remaining true to the foundational, biblical beliefs that define our faith. The two can coexist (much to the surprise of secular media and those who cry for separation of church and state). We can love sinners just like us, and we can walk in the holiness and redemption God calls us to—all the while ushering those in sin to join us in our journey toward Christlikeness. This, I believe, is the core of pastoring. Sadly, in today's world, those who assume that calling—pastors—are increasingly in the wrong.
YOUR TURN: Given all the details (the church's final decision, the way leadership informed the family, etc.), did High Point Church do the right thing? What would you have done differently in handling the situation? Why do you think it's becoming increasingly more difficult for churches to stand on the foundations of their faith?
All good standards to live by, right? Yet I wonder in the backlash against High Point Church's reneging on hosting a gay man's funeral how many of us are really basing our opinions on the truth. Here's the original story, as reported by the Dallas Morning News on Aug. 9. And here's just a sampling of the slight and not-so-slight variations of the same story from ...
Houston Chronicle
The Advocate
Pegasus News
Townhall.com
Christian Today (an Australian site, just to add a global perspective)
Most of us recognize that the lines between news and opinion are blurring these days. Blogs like this one certainly complicate the matter. There's a slant, a bias, a take on virtually every piece of relayed information. (That's an entirely different can of worms I won't open here.) And in this case, it just seems a little more obvious.
But what fascinates me—even more than my gut reaction to this story or others' opinions of it—is how this reveals the church's everpresent dilemma in this world. High Point's stance isn't just another case of a church caught between a rock and a hard place. Nor is this simply about a modern-day church denouncing homosexuality.
The church will always be in opposition to the world. And yet, as a house full of redeemed sinners, we are to extend the same love shown to us in Christ—while remaining true to the foundational, biblical beliefs that define our faith. The two can coexist (much to the surprise of secular media and those who cry for separation of church and state). We can love sinners just like us, and we can walk in the holiness and redemption God calls us to—all the while ushering those in sin to join us in our journey toward Christlikeness. This, I believe, is the core of pastoring. Sadly, in today's world, those who assume that calling—pastors—are increasingly in the wrong.
YOUR TURN: Given all the details (the church's final decision, the way leadership informed the family, etc.), did High Point Church do the right thing? What would you have done differently in handling the situation? Why do you think it's becoming increasingly more difficult for churches to stand on the foundations of their faith?
Friday, August 10, 2007
Driving Down Easy Street in America
George Barna continues to find a rapidly declining spiritual condition in the United States. His company's latest national survey discovered that four out of 10 Christian parents with children under the age of 18 admit to not having any spiritual development struggles. That may sound good, but when it comes to spiritual growth, experiencing the occasional conflict is a must.
"Many of the same people who claim that their faith is very important to them and that they are absolutely committed to Christianity also say that they face no spiritual challenges in life,” Barna says. "Americans focus on what they consider to be the most important matters; faith maturity is not one of them.”
Of the Christian parents who reported facing challenges in their spiritual development, the majority said their two major struggles were developing their children spiritually and personally investing more time in praying and reading their Bible. Other spiritual struggles included the need for more church involvement, exhibiting faith-driven behaviors, coping with sickness, having a deeper faith and dealing with the decline of moral values in media content.
So how do we avoid fostering a faith that only knows how to drive one way down Easy Street? It's beginning to sound like a broken record (check out our previous blog), but it's as simple as relationship. Person-to-person ministry that challenges an individual and, at times, even gets in his or her face with biblical truth. "Ministry is most effective when it addresses the specific needs of each person on a one-to-one or few-to-one basis," Barna says, echoing the point. "The data underscore the importance of people knowing and ministering to each other in a very direct and personal way, recognizing the uniqueness of every person and their journey."
As you face another weekend of ministry, keep this in mind. Once again, you have an opportunity to challenge people along their spiritual journey. And that, when combined with real relationship, can bring nothing but growth.
YOUR TURN: What are some of the most effective ways you challenge those you minister to? Do you believe it's a pastor's role to present healthy conflicts regarding faith? If not, who should be challenging individuals?
"Many of the same people who claim that their faith is very important to them and that they are absolutely committed to Christianity also say that they face no spiritual challenges in life,” Barna says. "Americans focus on what they consider to be the most important matters; faith maturity is not one of them.”
Of the Christian parents who reported facing challenges in their spiritual development, the majority said their two major struggles were developing their children spiritually and personally investing more time in praying and reading their Bible. Other spiritual struggles included the need for more church involvement, exhibiting faith-driven behaviors, coping with sickness, having a deeper faith and dealing with the decline of moral values in media content.
So how do we avoid fostering a faith that only knows how to drive one way down Easy Street? It's beginning to sound like a broken record (check out our previous blog), but it's as simple as relationship. Person-to-person ministry that challenges an individual and, at times, even gets in his or her face with biblical truth. "Ministry is most effective when it addresses the specific needs of each person on a one-to-one or few-to-one basis," Barna says, echoing the point. "The data underscore the importance of people knowing and ministering to each other in a very direct and personal way, recognizing the uniqueness of every person and their journey."
As you face another weekend of ministry, keep this in mind. Once again, you have an opportunity to challenge people along their spiritual journey. And that, when combined with real relationship, can bring nothing but growth.
YOUR TURN: What are some of the most effective ways you challenge those you minister to? Do you believe it's a pastor's role to present healthy conflicts regarding faith? If not, who should be challenging individuals?
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Why Young Churchgoers Ditch Church
A whopping 70 percent of 18- to 22-year-olds who attended a protestant church for at least a year during high school stopped attending church during the crucial decision-making years following high school. That's according to a study just released by LifeWay Christian Resources of more than 1,000 young adults. Researchers found two major contributing factors behind this common church departure:
"Relationships are often the glue that keep people in church or serve as the attraction to begin attending again following a period of absenteeism," says Brad Waggoner, vice president of research and ministry development at LifeWay. "Many people are deeply influenced by friends and loved ones."
That last statement may sound like a no-brainer, but, given these results, it's also a hopeful reminder for pastors discouraged with their college ministry's low attendance. Young adults desire the same thing as any other demographic group: relationship. Establish that crucial foundation while they're in high school and you're likelier to keep them in church. Scott McConnell, associate director of LifeWay Research, lays it out plainly: "To remain in church, a person must have experienced the value of the teaching and relationships at church and see the relevance for the next phase of life."
YOUR TURN: How is the "rate of return" among your church's post-high school young adults? Are you finding success within the 18- to 22-year-old age group—and if so, why do you think that is? What ways can pastors and church leaders help guide those who are entering this new stage of adulthood?
- life changes
- a lack of personal relationships in the church
While 30 percent of those who left the church said they made a conscious decision to leave after high school, the majority surveyed attributed their disassociation to either work responsibilities, moving away from their home church or moving on a college campus.
On the positive side, the survey found that the majority of young adults who remained in church between age 18 and 22 felt attending church was a vital part of their lives, as well as a helpful factor in their decision-making. And—no surprise here—these same young adults had strong relational ties to the church."Relationships are often the glue that keep people in church or serve as the attraction to begin attending again following a period of absenteeism," says Brad Waggoner, vice president of research and ministry development at LifeWay. "Many people are deeply influenced by friends and loved ones."
That last statement may sound like a no-brainer, but, given these results, it's also a hopeful reminder for pastors discouraged with their college ministry's low attendance. Young adults desire the same thing as any other demographic group: relationship. Establish that crucial foundation while they're in high school and you're likelier to keep them in church. Scott McConnell, associate director of LifeWay Research, lays it out plainly: "To remain in church, a person must have experienced the value of the teaching and relationships at church and see the relevance for the next phase of life."
YOUR TURN: How is the "rate of return" among your church's post-high school young adults? Are you finding success within the 18- to 22-year-old age group—and if so, why do you think that is? What ways can pastors and church leaders help guide those who are entering this new stage of adulthood?
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Everything Irie, Man ... Or Is It?
In Jamaica, as always, everyt'ing irie. It's all good. Especially in the country's Anglican church, where leaders are revamping hymnals to include reggae tunes made famous by the late Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. Although both local legends voiced their opposition to Christianity during their lifetimes (and were devout Rastafarians), leaders from the Anglican Church of Jamaica feel that Marley's "One Love" and Tosh's "Psalm 27" are worshipful enough to sit alongside the denomination's traditional hymns. "They may have been anti-church, but they were not anti-God or anti-religion," said one church spokesman, who added that including the songs would help modernize Jamaica's hymnals.
I agree. For churches that continue to use hymnals as the foundational aid for musical worship, periodical revamping is a good thing. I'm all for a mix of the timeless classics and the contemporary classics. But the notion of revamping a church songbook to include some greatest hits from a couple of outspoken Rastafarians presents a bigger issue.
The church must always be relevant—otherwise we lose our voice within culture. But often out of our fear of staying in touch we lose sight of why hymnals—or similar tools of worship—were formed in the first place. We lean toward the same mentality I've seen embraced by countless modern worship leaders: "Hey, Martin Luther wrote hymns based on drinking songs. John and Charles Wesley wrote their lyrics to tavern songs as well. Isn't God the creator of all music? What's wrong with redeeming the popular music of the day for the church?!"
Nothing's wrong with the motive. And, yes, it sounds really cool to have the weight of faith giants such as Luther and Wesley behind your argument. But neither Luther or Wesley (either one) used drinking songs. (Don't believe me? Google it). More importantly, aren't we forgetting the real point?
We so badly want to make our worship appealing to the times. God so badly desires holiness. The idea of a hymnal, of selecting a specific group of songs exclusively for corporate worship, is an attempt to adhere more to the latter than the former. While certainly not sacred in and of themselves, hymns represent a leaning toward sacrament. They are time-honored "classics" that declare God's glory through the generations. Given that, is it appropriate to use material written by someone who believed Jesus Christ was just one of many ways to God? Or that the Emperor of Ethiopia is actually God incarnate?
Scripture proves that God uses donkeys, rocks and even hard-headed, rebellious humans to declare His glory. But it also shows that in the context of worship, He's pretty particular ... because He's very holy. That makes me wonder if tossing a Bob Marley tune—or for that matter any "pop" tune—is such a good idea after all.
YOUR TURN: Should we be including "pop"-turned-worship songs as part of corporate worship services? Should these reggae tunes become part of the Jamaican Anglican hymnal? Am I off my rocker for even questioning this in a time when contemporary worship songs are the new hymn of the day?
I agree. For churches that continue to use hymnals as the foundational aid for musical worship, periodical revamping is a good thing. I'm all for a mix of the timeless classics and the contemporary classics. But the notion of revamping a church songbook to include some greatest hits from a couple of outspoken Rastafarians presents a bigger issue.
The church must always be relevant—otherwise we lose our voice within culture. But often out of our fear of staying in touch we lose sight of why hymnals—or similar tools of worship—were formed in the first place. We lean toward the same mentality I've seen embraced by countless modern worship leaders: "Hey, Martin Luther wrote hymns based on drinking songs. John and Charles Wesley wrote their lyrics to tavern songs as well. Isn't God the creator of all music? What's wrong with redeeming the popular music of the day for the church?!"
Nothing's wrong with the motive. And, yes, it sounds really cool to have the weight of faith giants such as Luther and Wesley behind your argument. But neither Luther or Wesley (either one) used drinking songs. (Don't believe me? Google it). More importantly, aren't we forgetting the real point?
We so badly want to make our worship appealing to the times. God so badly desires holiness. The idea of a hymnal, of selecting a specific group of songs exclusively for corporate worship, is an attempt to adhere more to the latter than the former. While certainly not sacred in and of themselves, hymns represent a leaning toward sacrament. They are time-honored "classics" that declare God's glory through the generations. Given that, is it appropriate to use material written by someone who believed Jesus Christ was just one of many ways to God? Or that the Emperor of Ethiopia is actually God incarnate?
Scripture proves that God uses donkeys, rocks and even hard-headed, rebellious humans to declare His glory. But it also shows that in the context of worship, He's pretty particular ... because He's very holy. That makes me wonder if tossing a Bob Marley tune—or for that matter any "pop" tune—is such a good idea after all.
YOUR TURN: Should we be including "pop"-turned-worship songs as part of corporate worship services? Should these reggae tunes become part of the Jamaican Anglican hymnal? Am I off my rocker for even questioning this in a time when contemporary worship songs are the new hymn of the day?
Friday, August 03, 2007
Too Busy for God
Another study. More discouraging findings. This time, though, it's not just about the people we serve as pastors and ministers—it includes us.
Michael Zigarelli, an associate professor at Charleston Southern's School of Business, polled more than 20,000 Christians of all ages from 139 countries about the busyness of their lives and how it affects their relationship with God. His report, which concludes almost six years of collecting data, echoes the obvious: yes, we're busy people; and yes, our hectic lives prevent us from spending more time with God. Turns out almost six out of every 10 Christians around the world agree to the latter. But there are a few elements to Zigarelli's study I find particularly fascinating.
Michael Zigarelli, an associate professor at Charleston Southern's School of Business, polled more than 20,000 Christians of all ages from 139 countries about the busyness of their lives and how it affects their relationship with God. His report, which concludes almost six years of collecting data, echoes the obvious: yes, we're busy people; and yes, our hectic lives prevent us from spending more time with God. Turns out almost six out of every 10 Christians around the world agree to the latter. But there are a few elements to Zigarelli's study I find particularly fascinating.
- American Christians aren't necessarily the busiest. Japan, the Philippines, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Mexico and Indonesia all had a higher percentage of believers who stated they often or always rushed "from task to task."
- African Christians are most likely to claim their busyness gets in the way of developing their relationship with God. (Two out of three South African and Nigerian believers stated this.)
- The Unites States is the only country where women topped men in saying they were 1) almost always busy and 2) that busyness affected their spiritual walk.
And the whammy for most of you reading this ...
- Based on profession alone, pastors are the most likely to say they often or always rush from task to task. Yep, we beat out business owners, lawyers, teachers, salespeople ... you name it. And while a whopping 72 percent of Christian lawyers said their overloaded pace of life interfered with growing in the Lord, almost two out of every three pastors made the same claim.
We are busy. Too busy. And we don't need statistics to tell us that. But maybe a study like this will wake some of us up to this reality: We, of all people, must find a way to place the Lord above every urgent need, every pressing appointment, every desperate cry. The Bible is explicit in stating that as pastors and spiritual leaders, our standards are higher. Yes, the truth is, virtually everything we do stems from a God-given desire to minister. That's good. But the greater truth is, how can we truly minister without first being ministered to by God and receiving His empowerment? We must place Him above all.
YOUR TURN: Are you too busy? If so, how does that affect your relationship with God? What have you done to make that relationship top priority? What advice would you have for those—particularly pastors—who struggle to find time for God?
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Pulpit Payroll: A Battle of the Sexes
A recent survey from the folks over at Your Church revealed that women pastors earn more than their male counterparts. Exactly 10.4 percent more, in fact. In addition to looking at salaries, the study, which polled more than 5,700 full-time pastors, factored in housing allowance, health and life insurance, retirement and continuing education. Among the findings, the average female pastor is paid more than a man in regard to:
- Salary (8.6 percent)
- Housing (20.4 percent)
- Retirement (24.8 percent)
There's one not-so-minor—OK, glaring— "detail" that we should keep in mind in interpreting the data, however: Men accounted for more than 93 percent of those surveyed. I don't point that out to refute the study but to caution against taking the executive summary of the Your Church report and running with it. We've all been guilty of making sweeping generalizations based on surveys, studies and reports without ever reading the fine print.
Obviously, male pastors are more common in this country than female ones. That seems to be true not only at the senior pastor level, but others as well. Yet think about this poll from a purely statistical view: If the aggregate data reflects a 90/10 ratio between the two groups, won't the results inherently be skewed? In this case, the women's responses—simply because there were less of them—carried more weight in defining their demographic. Had there been a more balanced poll, we likely would see a different result. How different—I don't know.
That little personal objection aside, the survey still presents some interesting questions that I'd love to hear responses to.
YOUR TURN: If women in virtually every other field and across the globe earn (on average) less than men, why do you think the tables are turned when it comes to ministry? What are your views of how women pastors should be paid in comparison to men? Have you encountered this issue at your own church?
