DanMayes.net

Help me finish this article - Church Medicine

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Mayes) — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:00:00 +0000

A while back I was scanning through blogs and I noticed something I hadn't seen before on Tony Jones' site. He refers to himself as "an ecclesiologist — that’s like a proctologist for the church." While Tony's reference to himself as one who explores the dirty little secrets of the church is intended a bit humorously, it did strike somewhat of a chord with me. Paul referred to the Church as the Body of Christ, having many members that function as different parts. And Tony made the allegorical jump to comparing a field of church-related work to a field of medicine. That got me thinking about what other fields of medicine might be related to other fields of medicine. This week I'll be receiving my Doctor of Ministry degree from the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, and I've also been asking myself, "What sort of doctor might I be for the church?" So I've begun constructing a chart to do some comparative analysis. Once I'm complete I'll be turning it into an article. But for now, I need some help completing this.

As you look at this chart you'll see some things you agree with and you'll probably also see some things you disagree with. The intent here is not to offend, but to start the conversation. So if something strikes a chord with you, either positively or negatively, please leave a comment. You'll also see some blanks. You might think to yourself, "Duh! How could he not get that?" Well, at this particular moment I'm drawing a blank on that and would appreciate some insight. And if something is missing, or you think something should switch categories, please leave a comment. Thanks in advance for your help.

Medical Field / Specialty	Emphasis	Church Related Work
Proctologist	“Dirty” little secrets	Ecclesiologist
Optometrist/Opthamologist	Sight/Interpretation	Theologian
Cardiologist	Heart	Worship Leader
Pulmonologist	Spirit/Breath	Pneumatologist
Podiatrist	Feet/Walking	Missiologist
Psychotherapist/Psychiatrist Neurologist	Mental/Emotional Health
Gastroenterologist Dietician Dentist	Digestive/Dietary Health	Teachers/Bible Study Leaders
Surgeon	Surgical Healing	Conflict Resolution Specialist
General Medicine	Everyday Health	Pastor
Pediatrician	Child/Adolescent Development	Youthworkers/Teachers/Parents/Nursery workers
Cosmetic Surgeon	Outward Appearance	Televangelists
Geriatric Medicine	Aging	Church Historians Chaplains
Pathologist/Diagnostic Medicine Orthopaedist	Health Assessment/Disease Diagnosis Musculoskeletal system/Strength	Consultant
Oncologist	Cancer Treatment	Christ Jesus
Audiologist	Hearing/Understanding	Ecumenist
Obstetrician	Birth	Church Planter
Anesthesiologist	Inducing Sleep	Boring preachers/Nominal Christians
Immunologist	Disease Prevention
Speech Therapist	Message Communication	Evangelist
Hematologist	Life-Blood	Christians

Book Review - When Heaven Stands Open - Year B

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Mayes) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 16:18:00 +0000

Pastors regularly clamor after books intended to help with the formation of liturgy. The weekly grind of writing sermons, calls to worship, invocations, prayers, benedictions, calls to confessions, and words of assurance is never-ending. On a week with a funeral, a wedding, and numerous pastoral crises to deal with the task of composing all these words for worship can be a bit daunting. And so the occasion arises, for some quite often, that outside help is sought. However, it seems that when we pick up those books or go to those websites and scan through the liturgical elements offered for the day they fit within our contexts of worship as well as square pegs fit in round holes.

Slemmons’ latest release is not just another book of pre-written prayers and worship resources. It is much more. For in these pages Slemmons has penned the best of many years of pastoral practice with faithful attention given to the scriptures. What’s more, should you choose to use all of the elements for a particular Sunday, you’ll find that careful consideration has been given to ALL of the lectionary texts for each week, rather than just the one that is most convenient for the writer. Additionally, Slemmons has carefully chosen his words. The prayers are lyrical, yet substantive. The communal resources are easily read aloud by a congregation yet have a certain depth of Christian spiritual reflection.

My only critique of When Heaven Stands Open: Liturgical Elements for Reformed Worship, Year B, is that pesky word in the subtitle - Reformed. Should the title be interpreted so as to mean this text is only intended for, or only of value to, pastors and faith communities within the “Reformed” tradition, then use of the word is a egregious limitation. However, should it be interpreted more broadly to imply that it is intended for pastors and faith communities that are in process of being reformed (as all who faithfully seek to be obedient to Christ will continually be) then the term has been appropriately ascribed. Truly, Slemmons has composed a symphony of liturgical resources that provoke deep, meaningful, scriptural, transformative, soul-reforming worship of God.

It’s too bad that we are not yet at our transition to Year B, because I am looking forward eagerly to incorporating these elements into my own faith community’s worship. Here’s looking forward to the release of other years, too!

10 Things I Learned This Weekend...hiatus edition

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Mayes) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Ok, so I've been away from the blog for a while. Get used to it. I'm going to be away for another while, too, while my wife and I take a trip to Scotland and the Netherlands. Before I go, I thought I'd resurrect my favorite series. Here's 10 things:

10. My latest pair of glasses has a weaker prescription than my prior two. And I can see better. It matches a prescription I got a few years ago. So either my eyes are getting better (doubtful), or someone really wanted to sell me new glasses every year.

9. The only thing shorter than the reign of Pope Benedict XVI (and his official twitter account) is the length of time the newest department store stayed open in Spencer. Peebles closes in March.

8. JC Penney is so desperate to reverse their spiral towards financial oblivion that they're willing to team up with Martha Stewart, (because her stuff sold SO well at Kmart). Stewart, who served a prison sentence for insider trading, now finds herself in the midst of a lawsuit with Macy's. Apparently, when they signed an "exclusive deal" with her, they expected her to honor the agreement.

7. If a Postal worker accidentally delivers your mail to the wrong address or wrong box, and the sender didn't purchase delivery notification or insurance, you have absolutely no recourse. (Unless the person who received your mail actually opens it up and cashes your check...in which case they are in trouble, but not the person who delivered it to them.

6. The best burgers in the world are made at The Burger Stand (at the Casbah) in Lawrence, KS.

5. When a pre-teen girl cries and she says she doesn't know why she's crying, she really may actually have no idea why she's crying.

4. I have a friend who talks in their sleep.

3. Regardless of what their teachers may say, when given a computer and time to "study" a sixth grade boy will inevitably wind up Google-ing something that has to do with farts.

2. Regardless of what they may tell you, when given a computer and free time most middle-aged men will wind up Google-ing something that has to do with farts.

1. And finally, if I have learned anything from being surrounded by so many Iowa State fans it is this: Don't feed the trolls.

The best pep talk...in the history of...history.

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Mayes) — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 03:28:00 +0000

Worst Christian Book Covers of 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Mayes) — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 03:29:00 +0000

It's getting down to the final weeks of the year. And that means most websites, blogs in particular, are going to be spitting out unoriginal year-in-review lists left and right. But the Englewood Review of Books has come up with one worth sharing: The Worst Christian Book Covers of 2012. Number 12 and Number 1 are laugh-out-loud funny, especially if you read the captions.

Note: ERB is known for having a terrible website design. Don't bother with the jump if you're on a mobile. Wait until you can visit on a pc so you'll be able to make some sense of this.

My next Faith Practices resource is available

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Mayes) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 18:10:00 +0000

Nearly two years ago I contracted with Pilgrim Press to be part of a collaborative writing team for the Faith Practices curriculum series. It's a church wide curriculum that centers on participating in different spiritual practices for faith formation. It is a multi-sensory, activity based, non-linear curriculum that incorporates art, music, and technology to enhance the participation experience. I'm pleased to announce that today, the second component I authored Discovering Gifts of Ministry: Living Practices in Daily Life was released today.

Faith Practices curriculum is available to your entire congregation through a one-time non-expiring subscription, available at www.faithpractices.org.

My new favorite anagram

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Mayes) — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 01:45:00 +0000

I never noticed this before until a friend pointed it out....

B r i t n e y S p e a r s

p r e s B y t e r i a n S

No More Showroom

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Mayes) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 03:49:00 +0000

Today I read the unfortunate news that a store I have enjoyed over the years, Cokesbury, will be closing it's doors. No, the company won't be going out of business completely. But they will be closing their retail locations and focusing on their web store. Read all about it here.

Why is all this happening? Because these days retail stores are just a showroom for an internet economy. I can go in the store, touch it and feel it, look at it, smell it, and make a decision.

But then I can go online and buy it for less. And if I buy it through Amazon, not only do I get a cheaper sales price, I don't have to pay sales tax. I don't have to pay for that store building, overhead, or employees.

Amazon.com is the demise of retail...
...and yet, I love Amazon.com.

I guess I'm part of the problem.

Election Day Communion

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Mayes) — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 15:22:00 +0000

November 6 is election day. Finally we will all get to stop digging election mailers out of our mailboxes, stop answering robocalls, and stop being perpetually harassed with attack commercials...for a little while, at least. If you’re like me, this election season has been particularly disconcerting. The level of hateful rhetoric and divisiveness can be a bit overwhelming.

A nationwide movement of Christians has developed an appropriate response to all of this, and I invite you to join me in participating. The movement is called “Election Day Communion.” To read more about it you can visit the website at www.electiondaycommunion.org .

The purpose of Election Day Communion is to gather Christians for communion on election day, so that we might remember a few things. We’ll remember that no matter who is president, Jesus is Lord. We’ll proclaim that no matter what party or candidate we vote for, Jesus is the only perfect hope. We’ll recognize the fact that no matter how we disagree, the Holy Spirit unites all Christians as ONE body. And we’ll confess that our allegiance to Christ Jesus supersedes allegiance to any flag, any nation, any party, or any person.

So I invite you to join me, if you're in the Spencer area, on Nov. 6 for a simple service of communion. At 9:15 pm, 15 minutes after the polls close, we’ll meet to break bread, share the cup, and partake in the Lord’s Supper.

My prize-winning carrots

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Mayes) — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 22:19:00 +0000

Ok, so they're not the biggest carrots in the world. And I technically didn't win any prizes for them. But that's only because the fair doesn't have a "Funkiest Looking Produce" category.

At least my okra is doing ok.

Book Review: The Synaptic Gospel

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Mayes) — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 04:02:00 +0000

There aren’t that many texts available that combine study of the human brain and a theology of worship. That’s what’s so intriguing about Christopher Rodkey’s latest release The Synaptic Gospel: Teaching the Brain to Worship. Rodkey’s first chapters succinctly explain what, for me, is a most interesting subject: how the brain learns.

While the terminology is technical and academic (a testament to Rodkey’s thorough study of neuroscience) the content is not overwhelming to interested readers who will find Rodkey’s key conclusions both enlightening and challenging. While it is suggested in the foreword that readers who are either uninterested in or burdened by the terminology in the foundational chapters skip ahead to read the conclusions first, I recommend not doing so. The payoff is worth it. Deducing that ritual is a process of habituation is not altogether that hard. But greater understanding of the implications of such a deduction is gained when the science behind it is fully understood before it is applied to contextual situations such as parish ministry.

Rodkey’s thesis that liturgical living is a substantive means of religious habituation (that is, religious education or religious learning) is not altogether new. It seems to me to be a variation on Groome’s understanding of shared praxis. However, any similarity to Groome’s text ends at the thesis. This is not a book about religious education in the classroom, per se; it is a book about a way of life and a way of ministry that creates an environment for ontological learning (discipleship). If we take this text seriously, as I think we should, we will strive for greater use of meaningful and creative ritual in the practice of ministry, particularly in our ministries with adolescents. We will begin to see the identity-shaping, meaning-making nature of our congregations in a new light. Hopefully we will be prompted to take the implications of being identity-shaping, meaning-making communities more seriously.

Of Zombies and Lilies, Bunkers and Birds

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Mayes) — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 01:59:00 +0000

(Note: This post was previously published in the Spencer Daily Reporter.)

There seems to be a lot of fear going around these days. One of the primary examples of this fear can now be seen in a reality television series. As I was flipping through channels one day I stumbled across the show Doomsday Preppers. It’s a show about people who are preparing for some sort of cataclysmic world turmoil. Some say they’re prepping for nuclear war. Some say they’re prepping for Armageddon. And some even say they’re prepping for a zombie apocalypse.

These folks have built secret lairs, most of them deep under the ground. They’re reminiscent of cold war era fallout shelters. They stock their bunkers with food rations, supplies, and ammunition. I watched in disbelief as one man showed how his doomsday bunker had a geothermal energy system so he could have electricity, which he needed to power security cameras that monitor his surroundings, as well as flame throwers, automatic weapons, and booby traps that would ensnare trespassers.

Is this what our society has come to? Really?

Now I know there is a lot going on in our world today that can cause us anxiety. There are a lot of things that can cause us to fear for the future. While it is appropriate for us to plan for the future, spending our life savings building a zombie proof bunker may not be the best use of our lives. And before we let the paranoia bother us to the core of our being, let me share with you some important words that Jesus said:

“Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore, do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things: and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (Matthew 6: 25-34, NRSV).

According to Jesus, our focus in life is to be on living each day according to God’s desires. If we’re doing that, he says, we should be able to leave the rest to God. This doesn’t mean we aren’t supposed to save money for our children’s college tuition or that we shouldn’t have a generator around in case the power goes out. Planning for the future is necessary and prudent. But at the same time, when we obsess over our fears or worries to the point of paranoia, it suggests we’ve lost faith in God’s ability to provide and care for us. Whatever the future holds for you, I pray God’s blessings upon you, and that your eyes will always be opening to the ways God is providing and caring for you each and every day.

Noodles at 5, with Mom's glasses

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Mayes) — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 03:41:00 +0000

Every church leader needs to know

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Mayes) — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 20:26:00 +0000

Every church leader needs to know
Every church has a few "mean sheep"
(some have more than a few)
Every church leader, clergy AND laity, needs to know
what Rev. Dr. Frederick W Schmidt, Jr has to say about it.

Here's the article.

At Long Last

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Mayes) — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 05:04:00 +0000

Nearly two years ago I contracted with Pilgrim Press to be part of a collaborative writing team for the Faith Practices curriculum series. It's a church wide curriculum that centers on participating in different spiritual practices for faith formation. It is a multi-sensory, activity based, non-linear curriculum that incorporates art, music, and technology to enhance the participation experience. Unfortunately, there were some big delays in the overall project (working with dozens of writers from all over the world simultaneously must be tremendously difficult), but I'm pleased to announce that today, the first component I authored Praying and Making Ritual: Living Practices in Daily Life was released today.

Faith Practices curriculum is available to your entire congregation through a one-time non-expiring subscription, available at www.faithpractices.org.

My second component, Discovering Gifts of Ministry: Living Practices in Daily Life will be available in the upcoming year.

A True Story of Answered Prayer

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Mayes) — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 23:18:00 +0000

Several months ago a friend of mine from high school was in a horrendous car-vs-semi accident just outside of Kansas City. At the time she was 8 months pregnant. I was delighted to see this news story updating her condition.

Hungry for a Fourth Lection Year?

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Mayes) — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:39:00 +0000

Timothy Matthew Slemmons is one of my doctoral advisors at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, where he serves as Assistant Professor of Homiletics and Worship has just released a new book, Year D: A Quadrennial Supplement to the Revised Common Lectionary. Slemmons has done something that has needed to be done for quite some time, namely, to take most of the texts left out of the Revised Common Lectionary and arrange them into a cannonical year. While it doesn't encompass the entirety of those texts which cause us to wonder, "Why did the lectionary skip this chapter?" it does begin the work of helping us include as many of them as could reasonably be included in a cycle. For more about Year D, click here. Or to purchase the book directly from Cascade books, click the cover below.

Click here to purchase Year D from Cascade Books.

Microreview - Redeeming Leadership: Shoulder Pads

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Mayes) — Thu, 03 May 2012 23:03:00 +0000

Have you ever felt like people at your church gripe a lot? And has it ever seemed like the ones doing the griping take no ownership for solving the problems? If so, you should check out Mark Riddle's new ebook Redeeming Leadership: Shoulder Pads. It's free on Amazon today only! Through the metaphor of shoulder pads, Mark explains the problem of misplaced responsibility in congregations and the dynamics of leadership. It's a short, self-published book that won't take you more than an evening to read. Once again, Mark has proven himself a wise soul with gifts for the wider church.

Tomb

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Mayes) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 17:12:00 +0000

This is a poem I composed and delivered as the homily at our Easter Vigil service this year:

Tomb

There is so much we fear in this life

but nothing we fear so much

as death

the end of brain activity

the collapse of the lungs

never again to be filled with life’s sweet air

Death

the end of our persona

a new day

the world will never be the same

for one soul has gone out of our presence

a face we shall never see in the same way again

But there is one thing we fear even more than death

the grave

the tomb

our body’s final resting place

as children we dared each other to walk through cemeteries

wary of what ghosts and foul spirits might beset us

as adolescents we talked to our fathers and mothers

asking questions like

What happens when we die?

receiving proper Sunday School answers

which served as thin veils,

hiding an uncertainty about that which is not known

…but we don’t need to talk about that…

they tried to reassure us

not understanding that their hesitation only strengthened our anxiety

As newly discovered adults we consoled our closest friends

especially in those days when their parents began to fade

It’s better not to think about it…

we tried to tell ourselves

not understanding we could not ignore death itself

No one

not our parents or our friends

not Ghandi or Jesus, not God Himself

could escape the inevitable occurrence of death

and the grave’s dark corners

its unsettlingly long night.

That is precisely the point

Confront the strange, seedy establishments of Night!

for there is no corner,

no shadow, or fear

no doubt

that has not been inhabited by the Author of Light

No empty rocking chair where she used to sit

no closet full of her clothes we cannot bear to see or touch

or smell

no hospital bed or emergency room

full of grief

no casket or urn or sanctuary pew

no tear-inducing eulogy

escapes his point of view

Now our own children

full of wonder and curiosity

ask us those same burdensome questions

What happens when we die?

We understand our parents’ hesitation

now it is our own.

The questions get us thinking

uncertainty lies ahead

as does certainty

Each of us will die

our fathers and mothers

our brothers, our friends,

our lovers

our selves

Even our precious young ones

ah, there is the thought we cannot bear

Yet deaths even as unthinkable as these

have already been inhabited

known and understood

by the one who let his own son love us

to death

and watched and mourned and angrily lashed

as we carried him and laid him in a borrowed tomb

This is not the last word! he shouted to the cosmos

The pangs of death will be overcome!

The grave will not hold him for long

so I will not…his friends will not

be overcome

They will know his death was not a statistic

not a pointless, vain thing

No, death shall be overcome!

Its timing will always be worse than wrong

its certainty will never be avoided

its pain will never fully recede

but they will know

from now until forever

there is no need to wilt or tremble

Death will be overcome!

Shout out

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Mayes) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 03:24:00 +0000

It's time to officially announce the professional art career of my friend Ryan Kemp-Pappan. He did me a solid and designed this great new header for me. And if you check out his site you'll see that he's got a lot of other really creative visions. Get in touch with him and you might just be able to hire him to spruce up your own site.

Mean ol' Martin Luther

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Mayes) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 04:58:00 +0000

While reading Tony Jones' blog I discovered this site, which is a collection of insults written by Martin Luther, adapted from his writings. If you're even the least bit self-deprecating, it's a hoot.

It is presumptuous for people who are as ignorant as you are not to take up the work of a herdsman.

From Explanations of the Ninety-Five Theses, pg. 183 of Luther's Works, Vol. 31

Don't Kick Her While She's Down

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Mayes) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:42:00 +0000

Go read my newest post on [D]mergent.
http://ow.ly/8VhWS

Give me your expert opinion so I can ignore it.

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Mayes) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:58:00 +0000

First, three stories…

A close friend of mine once told me a story about someone they knew who had been an alcoholic for over 30 years. After a number of precipitating events this person finally sought out treatment. But a week later the alcoholic’s spouse cancelled all of the treatment appointments because the treatment facility “didn’t know what they were doing.” Apparently, the spouse knew much more than the treatment providers, and the fact that it hadn’t worked for the past 30 years was irrelevant.

One of my college roommates was struggling in a literature class. He took his paper over to one of the academic counselors (we used to call them tutors) to get help with the paper. The academic counselor gave him some advice on making his thesis a little more clear and cleaning up the grammar a bit. My roommate came back from the meeting frustrated. He refused to make any changes to his paper thinking that the academic counselor was just being nitpicky. Several days later he got a disappointing surprise when his paper came back with a low grade. The professor had marked him down for grammatical errors and an unsupported thesis.

I once visited someone who was in the hospital after having a heart episode (not quite a heart attack, but close). The funny thing is, when I arrived at the hospital I couldn’t find him. He wasn’t in his room, anywhere in the unit, and the nurse didn’t have any record of him going in for a procedure. After a few minutes he came walking down the hall in his hospital gown. He had visited the patient courtyard for a smoke. During our time together that morning I couldn’t help but point out the recommendation form the doctor had given him the day before, which recommended that he change his diet, start exercising, and quit smoking. He was also given a prescription for medication. “You gonna listen to any of this?” I asked. “Probably not,” he said. He didn’t even attempt to quit smoking, change his diet or begin exercising. He never even had the prescription filled. It wasn’t even a year before he had a full blown heart attack. But at least he was honest.

What do all three of these stories have in common? First, they all actually happened. Second, they’re pretty universal. Most of you can relate to having experienced a situation similar to at least one of these, if not all of them. And third, they are all metaphors for churches.

Many churches have internal issues that hold them back. Although occasionally the internal issues stem from the clergy leadership in place, that’s not usually the issue. Usually the internal issues have very little to do with who the pastor is. Evidence of this is readily available in congregations that have had numerous pastors in the last few decades and the same problems have perpetuated throughout their duration.

So congregations in this situation do what they do best: fire the pastor or get the pastor to leave. “Then,” they say, “we can get a GOOD pastor in here who can fix all this.” In an obvious avoidance of responsibility they look for a new pastor. And get one…another one.

The intensity of their situation demands someone highly skilled, so they set out with exacting requirements.

They need someone who is experienced in overcoming conflict. They need someone who can bring in young families and kids. They need someone who is an outstanding preacher and teacher. They need someone who is experienced in counseling. They need someone who is a strong administrator. They need someone who is skilled in grief and crisis care.

So they set out, looking for someone who has the right education, the right skills, the right qualifications. And then they hire that person.

And they promptly ignore everything their new “good” pastor has to say.

Years of decline and pastoral turnover take their toll and the leadership of the church begin to get desperate. “There must be someone out there who can help us fix all this!” they say. And someone in the denominational leadership who has great intentions of helping them understand and take ownership of their internal problems recommends that they hire a consultant.

They are reluctant at first. But they are also desperate. So they finally pony up tens of thousands of dollars to bring in a consultant. And they do their research. They hire a consultant who is an “expert” in their particular areas of struggle.

The consultant comes in with a host of surveys, a schedule of meetings and interviews, and lots of other tools to analyze the situation. The time finally comes and the consultant gives them a list of recommendations. The consultant, being faithful to do the job thoroughly, has noticed the internal issues and makes recommendations geared towards substantive institutional change.

And sometimes the congregation totally ignores the recommendations they’ve just paid tens of thousands of dollars for. Other times the congregation gets the list of recommendations and follows through with some of the smaller, easier issues, but ignores the ones that might be hard, expensive, or time-consuming.

It seems many congregations go to their pastors or consultants and say, “Give me your expert opinion…so I can ignore it.”

The question this brings to mind is, “Why?”

Why bother hiring a pastor with the right education and training if everything they say is going to just be ignored? Why bother paying tons of money to hire a consultant if everything they recommend is just going to be ignored?

That makes about as much sense as smoking during your hospital stay, going to the doctor and refusing to take the medication you’re prescribed, going to a tutor and refusing to make corrections on your paper, or going in for treatment and refusing to listen because your decades of addiction have made you an expert on sobriety.

Why bother?

We bother because we want things to be different, but we don’t want to do anything different.

We want to experience the benefits of things being fixed, but we don’t want to fix anything substantive about ourselves.

We want a scapegoat, someone to blame our failures on rather than take responsibility for them and learn from them.

We want to see change, but not be changed.

The Long-Awaited Response

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Mayes) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 01:59:00 +0000

This fall I was honored to participate in Spencer Community Theatre's production of Jesus Christ Superstar. I was even more honored to be cast in the role of Judas, which was very challenging vocally, theatrically, artistically, emotionally, and spiritually. I found the production to be very profound and engaging. Despite the controversy the rock opera has generated throughout the years, it continues to draw crowds wherever it is performed, and for good reason. Every night we performed this show people walked out deeply touched, many crying. Even the actors would shed tears (real ones, not stage tears) as Jesus' body was carried down from the cross.

Most importantly, the show engaged our theological thinking. Playing the different characters forced us to consider their motivations, their hearts, and their minds. Both Christians and non-Christians alike were openly discussing deep theological questions about Jesus. Some began thinking about Jesus for the first time years, others for the first time ever. I don't think a single cast or crew member would take exception if I said every single one walked away from the production much closer to Jesus.

This past Friday (Dec. 2) a Baptist pastor in our community published an article of condemnation upon all who participated in or even watched the production. I was granted the opportunity to publish a letter to the editor in the issue coming out on Dec. 6. It wasn't easy to keep my response to 250 words as they requested. In fact, it was impossible. Unfortunately, the online version of the article is not available without a subscription, but if you have a subscription you can find it here. But since I own the letter to the editor, I can publish it here.

Corrections for Josh Davenport

Last Friday Josh Davenport wrote an article harshly criticizing Jesus Christ Superstar. There were several falsehoods in his article. Davenport most blatantly erred attributing to Jesus the words, “I’ll never ever know why you chose me for your crime, your foul, bloody crime. You have murdered me! You have murdered me!” These words were actually sung by Judas. Davenport also criticized the opera for depicting Jesus as unwilling to go to the cross, which also is not true. In the opera Jesus sends a reluctant Judas to betray him, showing his willingness to go to the cross. Jesus’ only hesitation is in the Gethsemane scene, and is scripturally correct. Mark 14:36 is evidence that Jesus did not wish to undergo his human suffering but surrendered himself to God’s plan anyway. Davenport further misled readers by saying the opera depicts Jesus as “just a man.” Certain characters do doubt Jesus’ divinity: Judas, Herod, the Priests, and Pilate. This actually aligns with the biblical accounts.

Superstar was never intended as a historical depiction. It has always been billed as an artwork intended to provoke our thoughts about the deep theological issues surrounding Jesus. During the production Christians and non-Christians alike discussed questions about Jesus they may never have had the opportunity to ask otherwise. I personally witnessed several people draw closer to Jesus through their involvement in this production. For that there is no condemnation.

I must say that there are parts of Davenport’s article about which we agree, most importantly: Jesus is the Savior, the Risen Lord! However, I believe thoughtful consideration of other views is not anti-Christ-ian or blasphemous as Davenport asserts. Consideration of other views actually leads most to a stronger, deeper faith. A faith that cannot risk asking questions is a truly insecure faith.

Richard Mouw on Romney and Mormonism

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Mayes) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 04:38:00 +0000

Last week a prominent SBC pastor in Texas demanded his congregation cast their votes for Rick Perry rather than Mitt Romney (apparently Obama wasn't on the list of possibilities) because Romney is a Mormon.

Today, Richard Mouw, President of Fuller Theological Seminary, gives a very good response. It's good to see a prominent Evangelical speaking highly of ecumenical relationships. As expected, Mouw stops short of completely validating Mormonism, but he does bring a bit of sense to the discussion, citing the genuine devotion to Christ he has seen in Mormon leaders he has worked with. Read about it here.