Merry Christmas

The Christmas Season and New Year's holiday, for many, signifies new beginnings. For the last several years, I have titled my blog "Preacher without a Pulpit." because I was a wandering minister not regularly preaching from any church. Suddenly, I find myself as an interim Pastor of a Free Methodist church. In this season, I take a step with my family into regular ministry. But I know that it is God who has put together this transition for me.

When things go wrong or things come together, we have to understand that it is God "the author and finisher of our faith" who is truly in control. Romans 8:28 tells us that all things work together for good, for those who love the Lord and are called to be conformed unto His image. In other words, God can use all things for good in the lives of those who keep seeking and keep going. The Bible also tells us that "we shall reap in due season if we do not grow weary in doing well." This time of my life is a moment of reaping, because of God's faithfulness more so than my own. He has been true to me and my family, and has never relented on his call for my life to become a pastor. True, I am not a full-time pastor, but I am on that road.

Christmas is also a season of giving, and I like to remember the greatest gift that was ever given to us: God's only Son. As my two sons grow up, I learn every day how awesome it was that Jesus became flesh for our sake. There are days, when I feel like I have had enough as a father, but I would never give up any one of my children. But God, who so loved this world, gave His one and only son, so that anyone who believed in Him, would not suffer in Hell, but would have eternity with Him (John 3:16 paraphrase). Wow! Nothing in this world will ever match the great love that God has for each and every one of us. Don't let the world tell you that you are not important or that you are worthless, because that is so not true. Even if everybody forsakes you, remember that God loves you and will always be ready to come to you. He is one who never takes a nap, and He is always watching over us. In this time of celebrations, let us remember how important Jesus' birthday and God's love are to us all.

Blessings and Merry Christmas!

Pastor Ryan

5 Minutes of Crazy

So, I haven't been able to blog in almost two months. What's going on? Well, life happens. As Christians we have this mindset that we should be able to juggle a thousand tasks at a time and never let anything fall to the wayside. It is this mindset that leads to burnout and disappointment in the ministry.

Realistically, we should listen more to the what God says than worry about how perfect our lives look. Jesus tells us that there is enough for us to deal with today (Matt 6:34). He was reminding us to not worry so much. It is very difficult for us as Christians to allow for the reality that priorities can and often do shift in our lives. We think that we are somehow making a mistake by setting something we always were responsible for aside and picking up something that seems to be a temporary situation.

That's how Jesus lived. Most of the time, Jesus went with whatever situation sprang up in front of him. When he was on the way to heal Jairus' daughter, he didn't ignore the woman who had the hemorrage for 12 years. Instead, he shifted priorities and blessed her. Then, when he finished that new priority, he continued on to his work.

This is my life... much to my annoyance. Often times, I am faced with shifting priorities and it frustrates me that I cannot keep working on the things that I am passionate about. I love getting on here and blogging about practical Christianity. I hope for the day when one of my readers comes back to me and mentions how something I wrote helped them get through a situation in their own life. But, I have to face facts that as a husband and father of four, part time grad student, therapist, bus driver, fill-in preacher, and person with Asperger's, I cannot keep it all going all the time. My hardest lesson in this time of my life is learning to change gears until I can get back to doing what I feel God wants me to.

For those of you going through trials of craziness, or business, hang on to Him. Remember, it's ok to set something aside to deal with the momentary issue. If God wants you to do something, He will let you get back to it. Don't let distractions worry you, because they are normal, and they are not failures. They are, however, reminders that we live on God's time, and not our own.

Blessings,

Ryan

The Church of Hypocrites

HYPOCRITE!

I'm about to weigh in on a subject that has become pretty controversial to the modern church: how much hypocrisy is in the church. This is a subject of extreme positions and sometimes extremely defensive responses. I have noticed three prevalent responses to the argument that there is too much hypocrisy:

1. Turnabout's fair play:

This response generally occurs like this:

Person 1: I won't go to church, too many hypocrites.
Christian: There's always room for one more.

This is a good psychological tactic. First, there is the ignoring of the statement. Then, the Christian basically turns the tables and says (cue PeeWee Herman voice) "I know you are, but what am I?" Really guys?! What about this response makes us think that we are being loving and genuine? This response is nothing more than a self-righteous attempt to overlook the truth that hypocrisy in the church is a problem. We act like it will go away if we just convert more people, or get more people to come. This is basically ignoring a brush fire hoping that more trees will help it calm down. This is partly why the church has become more hypocritical in the last few decades, rather than more solid. Deal with reality, every one of us Christians is flawed, but we are called to press toward the mark for God's high calling (Phil 3:14).

2. Not Me Syndrome

This happens a lot when you ask a child who broke the (whatever). In the church, this response goes something like this:

Person: I won't go to church, you're all a bunch of hypocrites.
Christian: Not all of us are that bad, get to know us and you'll find out.

My six year old is a bit more blunt with this tactic when she says "it wasn't me." If one of our Senators gets on the TV and is challenged by a reporter as to why a highly unfavorable new law was made, would we be satisfied with "Well, I'm not part of the group that voted for this" ? Again, denying that hypocrisy is a real problem in the church does not solve anything. Some people who use this defense, will even go extreme and start pointing fingers at other religions or blaming poor media relations. That does not seem very Christlike to me. Jesus said that he came to "seek and save" the lost, not to boast of his goodness. Wake up fellow Christians, God is not looking for us to have a goodness club in church. We were meant to be ambassador's of Christ. That means, that like Jesus, we are going to have to learn to start calling it like we see it.

3. The Silent Treatment

This one happens the most often. But it usually starts with option 1 or 2 first.

Person: I can't bring myself to go to church, too many hypocrites, too much judging.
Christian: Well, not everyone is bad. We have a lot of good people at are church.
Person: Are you sure that everyone is good, or are they just good at faking it?
Christian: Well, honestly... I don't know.

In other words, we don't really know how to cope with the reality that hypocrisy has begun to run rampant in the church. We don't have a good response for someone challenging us, because we really don't know how to deal with how bad we are. Basically, the church is out of touch with reality. Some people will stammer through a nonsensical response trying to make sense of the issues. Others will flee the conversation as quickly as possible. Still others, will agree with the non-Christian and slowly begin their own descent into to doubt and discontent.


Here's my suggestion, one that I have tried to use. It's not successful all the time, but it's honest and can be used with a clear conscience. I call it, Sincere Humility and it usually sounded like this.

Person: What's so great about church, you guys are all a bunch of hypocrites.
Christian: You're right. I know that I personally have been so hypocritical in so many areas of my life. I go to church, because God's love and His teachings help me get rid of that hypocrisy. I would like for others to see me as less hypocritical one year from now, which is what I believe God is doing in me.

This is not a sure fire response. It is not perfect in the wording selected above. It is simply meant to show what sincere humility embodies. 1. You admit that the problem that they see is one that exists. Don't deny it, or ignore it. Christians are a bunch of hypocrites. 2. We don't make it seem like we're better than anyone else. The reality of a Christian is this, anything that could be considered worthwhile about us was given to us by God. If you were a criminal, coming to Christ would not cancel out your crimes. Faith in Jesus covers our sins, but it does not remove the stain that they made in the world around us. Furthermore, Jesus does not make us perfect, but gives us regular tests to increase our faith and commitment to Him. Thus, we are just like everyone else on this planet, only we realize that Jesus died for us and rose again and this allows the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. 3. Finally, this response uses one thing that is most important to a Christian witness: personal testimony. People can argue about what God may have done in ancient times. They can dispute who God is and whether or not he is real. But, no matter how hard they try, they can never tell you who God has revealed Himself to be to you, nor what He has done in your life.

This may seem like a bunch of cliches rolled together, but I think of it more as applied wisdom. Stop trying to answer the world in their attacks on Christianity and start trying to show them God's awesomeness. The Bible says that it is folly to try and answer a fool. Timothy was urged to avoid foolish questions. The reality of our situation is simple. Christians are just as bad of people as the rest of the world. But, if we were seeking our God and following Him with a whole heart, we would become conformed to Christ's example. There is the rub of it all... if we were seeking. Hypocrisy in the church happens. But, it becomes rampant and flagrant when Christians stop seeking God. Sincere humility, can only occur by being honest with ourselves and recognizing how it is God that imparts worthwhile attributes to us.

Well, think about it at least.

Blessings,

Rev Ryan.

Where are you?

I am a philosopher, poet, theologian, and scientist. When it comes to my personal faith, I try to look at each tenet from all of the angles so that I might better understand the person of who my God is. I am as flawed as any man can be, and often wonder why God would even have offered his love to me, let alone die on a cross and rise again for my sins. The point I'm making, is that I often get so wrapped up in the natural course of my life that I forget to stop and keep regular tally of who I am in relationship to who He is.

I was a guest preacher for my father-in-law's church this morning, and I made several mistakes in the worship order and process. My message was meant to be an encouragement to the body for the building project that they have undertaken to improve their church. Normally, visitor's are limited to 1 or 2. Today, there were at least 11 young persons from a local camp sitting in on the sermon. My message was not deep or involved. I barely scratched the surface of the material. But what happened after the sermon was nothing short of a God moment.

Normally, when I finish a sermon, I head straight to the exit to shake hands and talk to people as I go. Today, I never made it to the back of the church. I was surrounded by the young visitors almost immediately as I stepped down from the pulpit. Some were discussing how they could relate to my message, others were mentioning how they enjoyed the sermon. One young man, however, touched me. He told me that he had not been attending church lately, but after listening to me, was considering going back.

I was floored! First of all, my message was not intended for this small group of kids. Second, I know that the Holy Spirit has awesome power because I did not speak a single word about challenging sin, getting your life in tune with God, or deepening your relationship with God through Jesus (themes which are usually present when I preach.) To say that I am humbled, would be an understatement. Let me put it to you this way: WE SERVE AN AWESOME GOD!

In Ephesians, we are told that God is able to do above all that we ask or think. Romans tells us that God works all things together for good, to them that love the Lord. But I think the Psalmist says it the best: "The Lord is on my side, I shall not fear, what can man do to me?" I did not expect these young visitors today. Beyond that, I barely put any deep thoughts into what I related to these kids from the pulpit. Still, God brought out a result in them that still tugs at my heart strings. I went to church to preach for a group of people that I know and love, to encourage them. I walked away, having been God's tool to encourage a group of strangers. I can honestly say it: it was all God and very little of me. I was a bumbling idiot today, but somehow that resonated with a larger audience. This is proof that God can use anyone.

The point of this whole rambling: God was much nearer to me than I realized. I have been very distracted by so many things lately (road trips, work, job interviews, household maintenance, etc.) that I did not do my normal deep research for today's message. In fact, I planned to only use the surface encouragement for the people to keep working on the improvements that God has put on their hearts to do. I was hoping it could help focus them on doing things to increase worship of Him. I felt that I was in a pretty secure place for this sermon. But God threw me a curveball. I had to cope with a different than usual church order (I have guest preached here before), and a large group of visitors sitting front and center. My own weaknesses were great, and I should have struck out. But, God stepped up to the plate for me, hit it out of the park, and gave me the honor of running the bases. For those who missed the analogy: God was right there, moving in a deeper manner than I could have expected. That's why I realized that He was so close to me, closer than my own breath. I thought I knew where I was in relationship to God, and He took me further in faith and ministry than I expected. It was wonderful.

Honestly, I don't know why God was so close today. But I am glad that he was. My encouragement to everyone out there who reads this, take a moment to look past the distractions of your life, look for God, and embrace Him... because He is closer to you than your breath. He will NEVER leave  you or forsake you. Don't trust in your worthiness, but rather trust in

What is a Mom?

Tomorrow, I will be preaching at a little country church for Mother's Day. The people of this church have become very dear to us, like our own family. I thought that this would be a good way to organize my thoughts for my sermon, and share them with anyone out there who is still interested.

The Bible is fairly quiet on the topic of motherhood. It speaks of good parenting and family values. But, it does not say very much about what it means to be a mom. So this makes this more a matter of Christian opinion than doctrine. However, I would like to point out that so many in this world know what a mom is, without ever being taught. This post is not to show women how to be a good mom, but to help all Christians see that being a mom is an important calling.

Proverbs 22:6 says to "train up a child in the way he should go." We know that this responsibility is so often settled on the mom's shoulders. She is expected to be the manager of the children's behavior, know what makes them tick, heal their wounds, provide their emotional support, and intervene when they step out of line. So many men in this world think that the "child rearing" is a woman's job, and they stand back and let them handle it. But it is not that simple. Too many times in the last 8 years, I have heard stories of mother's who couldn't take it anymore and did horrible things (even killing) their children. Mother's are being abandoned and the idea of being a "mommy" is not really popular anymore.

Look at the media. Most modern sitcoms portray Mom's as loving but interfering. They are shown to be selfish, strict, and not understanding and only come around when given a "shake up" experience. The reality is quite different. Mom's are loving, but a real mom is also accepting. She is not interfering, but protective and consistent toward family values. Many moms that I know are the most self-sacrificing people, even giving up "careers" for the right to raise their children. Good moms are persistent and consistent on rules, but show mercy to their kids when it is needed. In reality, I have only met two or three "mothers" in the last 10 years who would be equivalent to the modern portrayal of a mom. We have got to stop letting sitcoms and movies, whose only purpose is to evoke your feelings, be the authority on what makes a mom.

When I look beyond the society's parodies, I see that moms are the most underrated creature of our society. A stay-at-home mom is considered to be wasting her life, when in truth she is making a lasting investment. A career mom is criticized for being too "absent" for her children when she is striving to provide for them. The reality is, mom's are not a one-size fits all type of person. Rather, they are unique individuals who all share one thing in common: they care about their kids. It is their investment and concern for their children that makes them "moms" as opposed to those who are just "mothers."

Notice what I didn't say was a mom... biology. Being a mom is more than just giving birth to a new human being. Being a mom is a personal commitment that a woman makes to be there for her child. She is not perfect, but she never gives up. Mother's are unfairly blamed many times for special needs of their children, when they are often the only ones who truly try to understand. My son is autistic, but he would be lost without his mom. SHE committed to learning about Autism. SHE researched treatments and therapies and advocated for him when he was a kid. SHE was the one who navigated his night terrors, major tantrums, and developmental successes. SHE is the one who knows how to make him smile, and she is the one he always insists on showing love to. My son helped me become the dad I am, but I made a huge share of mistakes. My wife, however, has always been an awesome mom in my eyes because she was always committed to helping her children grow up well.


The Bible tells us repeatedly to honor our "fathers and mothers." Do so, but remember to see those "moms" who may not have their own children. They say it takes a village to raise a child, but I think it just takes a good mom and a good dad. Being a mom is a commitment, one not every woman is willing to make. Thank God, however, that there are many who are..... and I was lucky enough to marry one.

Happy Mother's Day Everyone!