Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Denomnational News- Good News!
Dear American Baptist:
The following call is being issued as a continuing part of our implementation of policies adopted by the General Board. I call it to your prayerful attention.
A Call for American Baptists to Live Lives of High Moral and Ethical Responsibility
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called… (Ephesians 4:1)
A life centered in Christ makes Christ the model and is worthy of replication (Philippians
While not the most important discipleship issue in the New Testament, nor our highest priority of ministry lest we focus on one set of sins above others that afflict us such as racism, greed, sexism and gluttony, nonetheless, sexual concerns increasingly dominate our attention (Romans 1:28). We live in a culture obsessed with sex. We see evidence of sexual abuse every day. We are stunned at the reports of sexual impropriety by persons in caring professions (1Corinthians
The official position of American Baptist Churches USA is that “the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching” and that marriage is intended to be “between a woman and a man” (Ephesians 5:31). This is my personal belief, as the General Secretary of ABCUSA, but more so, it is my responsibility to uphold this as the official position of the General Board of ABCUSA. This has been implemented in the admission of official exhibitors at the ABCUSA Biennial, chaplain endorsements, and in the staffing practices of the staff accountable to me.
Not only do I strive to live a life centered in Christ with moral integrity, I expect the same from my staff, and I call upon all American Baptists to live exemplary lives of the highest ethical responsibility in all matters, including matters of sexuality.
Further, I call upon all American Baptists to practice Christ-like compassion (Colossians
Finally, I call upon all American Baptists to practice a life of prayer, purpose (Philippians
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Dr. A. Roy Medley
General Secretary
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Vacation II
I also learned about molting from Elephant Seals. They spend 4-6 weeks every year lying on the beach. They don't hunt or swim, they just lay on the beach shedding their winter coat getting ready for the next season. I'm thinking of asking for a re-name on my vacation to molting.
Went to Napa FBC today. They were doing one service this Sunday and it was a full sanctuary. It was a good place to worship God. They are now doing "emergent" worship, which is very different. Basically (and this will be a gross oversimplification) they have taken the traditional elements of church worship (like 3rd century, not 1950's) and reinterpretted them. There is a credo they recite, there recited the Lord's prayer, they played pretty oldish hymns (stuff that I didn't know) and rearranged them with electric guitar, drums, etc. Their pastor, Pete, is multi-talented and lead the music, preached, sang a solo and lead the whole worship expereince. His confidence I think put people at ease and allowed us to worship. There were visual elements as well as the spoken word when he preached. As I said, it was a very positive place to worship Jesus.
I suspect this next week will be a great deal slower. You are in my prayers. God is speaking, but I'm not quite sure I understand yet where He is moving. Keep us in prayer
Monday, July 10, 2006
Vacation
You can pray for me for two things this month that I will be seeking after God about. One, what are God's priorities for how I spend my time. I need God to re-focus my energies on the things of eternal importance. Two, pray that God will reveal his will for our our church in whom and how he wants us to work this fall and into next year.
In a sense, for me, this is the end of the year. It has been a very, very good year. I think I may post to this blog on vacation, but it will be unstructured and just what I am thinking about. May God bless you and the church as we are apart for a few weeks.
Matt
Monday, July 03, 2006
July 4th Philippians 4
Go ahead and look first at Philippians 4 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.
Key Verse(s): Philippians 4:4-5
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Title: Rejoice
Observation: In all things rejoice in the Lord. The command of Paul, and because it is scripture, we must also see it as the command of God.
Tomorrow I leave for a funeral. On a logistical note, I will not blog for a few days as I travel. His name was Darrell. Darrell was a success in the first half of his life. He was one of the first 30 nurseryman ever licensed by the state of
Then his marriage imploded. He was lost and lonely. In the midst of his searching and trying to repair his life, he found two things. The first was his wonderful second wife, Jackie, and two, he found Jesus as his savior. Not that he was a bad man before, or an unethical one, but he had a radical conversion to Christ, where Christ became alive and real in his life. He was passionate about Jesus.
He was so passionate about Jesus, that he volunteered to teach the High School Sunday school class at his church. New to the faith, he knew that he loved teenagers and wanted them to know the love of Jesus. And who was the first student to come into his class? A 14 year old Matt Real. And I was not the spiritual giant you see before you today. I was a prickly, angry, difficult teenager who was very much out for himself.
But Darrell loved me. He loved me through the times I was angry, difficult, and distant. He consistently shared the love of Jesus when I was over my head in things I had no business in. He consistently showed the love of Christ to me when I was consciously not taking the teaching of Christ and walking a very different path. He loved me through all of that.
And later, he encouraged me as an even more prickly and difficult late adolescent to join a small group of men who got together very early for prayer. And then as I moved closer to Christ, I became a radical who attacked the established church at most every opportunity. He was patient and loved me through that too. He helped me grow from a boy into a man. When I got called into ministry, he was a huge supporter. And when I felt picked on and abused he told me, in mostly kind words, to get over it and get on with the work that God called me to do. I can’t remember a time when he was not encouraging and love.
I will miss him greatly. Only a third of his life was one where he followed Jesus. Yet he had an enormous impact on my life and the lives of hundreds and hundreds of others. And the truth is that I can rejoice in his life, because he is now with God, and has laid down the burden of life to enter paradise with Christ. I can rejoice because of him and his life and all that he did here.
Application: I want to be a model to people like Darrell was. I want to love and encourage other, to rejoice like he did in the life he was given.
Prayer: Lord, help me to love, encourage, and become a mentor to others. Allow me to enjoy life and rejoice in my young wife and my little boy. Thank you for all that you have given to me.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Sunday, July 02, 2006
July 3 Philippians 3
Go ahead and look first at Philippians 3 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.
Key Verse(s): Philippians 3
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
Title: Brokenness Is OK, Sitting Down and Giving Up is Not
Observation: There was a 7-11 commercial a number of years ago. An adult man in a jogging suit is sitting on the curb eating ice cream and drinking a soda in front of the store. Up pulls a station wagon and a window rolls down. Its his wife. She says, “I thought You were out running?” heavily dripping with accusation.
His responds defensively, “I got hot.”
She responds, “We only live two blocks away.”
I’m sure I’m remembering this story wrong, but I do understand the temptation to do something good and to give up and eat ice cream. Some days I realize how broken I am more than others. There’s a lot about me, my mindset, and my heart that need to become crucified so that I might become more like Christ. My failures are many, but they really don’t discourage me all that much, usually. What really discourages me are the habits and mindsets that I have that are wrong that I am not particularly interested in changing. I can accept Jesus forgiveness for physical errors and mental blanks. But the wayward part of my soul that wants to be fed and nurtured in rebellion to God and what God wants from me can make me want to give up.
And yet, Christ calls us onward. There are days I think I should lay my leadership burden down, work at a 9-5 job, and believe that I was never called or gifted for leadership. Yet this scripture encourages me. It reminds me that even Paul did not have it all together and that ‘he does the things he does not want to do’ like the rest of us. What he doesn’t do, and what I can be guilty of, is self-pity. He never cries, poor me, and huddles on the ground somewhere, or retires to a make the best tents in all of
Application: I need to fully embrace that I am where I am because of Christ’s calling, not because I’m holy enough or smart enough for the tasks I have been given. I need to not be anxious. Nor believe the fallacy that I will get better by sitting down and licking my wounds. I will become more transformed into the person Christ wants to be the more I fully give myself to the tasks to which he has called me.
Prayer: Lord, help me to see that I am not worthy of the honor that you have given me, to lead a family and a church, but that you are. And that your Holy Spirit is what will enable me to faithfully discharge my duty, until I lay it all down when you call me to my eternal home. May your love propel me forward and encourage me with your great love as I go forward.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
