Wednesday, April 25, 2012

What is a Preacher

Tonight on the way back from seeing a movie I wondered to myself what does it mean to be a preacher. As I pondered this idea the first answer that leap to my mind was this; a preacher is a story teller.
Now before you think that this is an over simplification of a complex task I want you to consider the fact that we all have a story, every one of us. Not just an individual narrative, all our stories intersect with multiple other stories. The story of our spouse, our kids, our friends, our co-workers, even the stories of those we do not know impact ours. Further more, our stories have been impacted by the stories of those who have come before us: Ramses II, Alexander the Great, Gregory the Great, Luther, Alexander Hamilton, they all have impacted how we see the world, perceive truth, and measure orthodoxy.
We are, to put it simply, a part of a grand and exponentially complex web of humanities narrative. But not just humanities narrative, we are a part of the divine narrative as revealed and being revealed by God to his creation.
Our job as preachers then is to tell others how there story matters to God and intersects with his story.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

I should have listened

Are there certain truths you know twice? Are there things that you were told but you still had to find out for yourself whether or not they were really true or not?
It might be pride. It might be curiosity. Or it might be that I’m just not that smart sometimes but I have had to learn way too many things the hard way. Why am I like that? It is true that listening and believing the testimony of other would have saved me a fair amount of pain but sometimes it not all bad to know things twice.
For most of my life I have known that God loves me. I sang about it in Sunday school and kid’s church. I heard it from my parents and grandparents. When I was seven I even committed it to memory, “For God so loved the world (Dennis) that he gave His one and only Son that whosoever (Dennis) believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
While I knew this – that God loves me – I never really understood the extent of this love, or better stated, the limits of my understanding of His love for all of us, until June 28, 1998.
At 10:17 p.m. on June 27, 1998 Amy gave birth to our first child (Drew) and all was right with the world. At 4:30 a.m. on June 28, 1998 I was standing in the neonatal ICU looking down at my tiny baby boy not knowing whether he would live or if he would die.
How could life change in such a short amount of time? Sleep deprived, exhausted, and gripped by fear I tried to pray but couldn’t. Unable to form words into a coherent request I resorted to repeatedly crying out to the Lord in a simple but frantic one-word prayer: “please”. I said it over and over again in my mind. “Please…Please…Please”
It was into this desperate and painfilled moment that God taught me something about His love. I'll tell you about it next time.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Power and Beauty

Many of the kids had never been on any kind of outdoor adventure. They may have tramped through the wooded lot behind Grandma and Grandpa’s house but for many of them it was the first time they had been in a setting like this.
Most of my suburban raised youth group kids had never been on white water when we arrived in southern WV to ride the New River. With a mix of fear and excitement we loaded up the bus to head down to the launch point and setout on a fun filled day of discovery and exertion.
I have to admit that there are many things about being a youth pastor that I don’t miss, but being on the water with those kids is one of all-time favorite memories. There is something about being in God’s good creation that moves us. But there is something extra special when we embark on an adventure that demands reliance and inspires wonder.
I will never forget the look in Nathan’s eyes as we approached the New River to begin our day of rafting. He could hear the river before he could see it. Puzzlement gave way to nervous excitement as it slowly dawned on him that the powerful roar filling his ears was the first of many rapids we would ride that day.
That day the kids learned many things about their God and they encountered his creation. In our boat we talked about God’s care and concern for us as a mother deer and her fawn came to the edge of the river to drink as we floated through one of the pools between rapids. We discussed God’s majesty as we gazed up at the cliffs that stretched roughly 500ft. above the power. We laughed and played at “jump rock”. And we wondered after the power and might of our God whose strength exponentially exceeded that of the mighty rapids we were negotiating.
A great deal of ministry happened on the river that day and a great deal of worship. On that river we have been in the sanctuary of the Most High. We had enjoyed the presence of God as we encountered the power of white water.

Monday, April 2, 2012

White Water and Wonder

Nature is powerful. Strong winds, driving rain, and swift currents all possess the power to humble the strongest of men and women. Growing up in the hills and hollows of West Virginia gave me first hand experience with nature’s power. Specifically, it taught be the power of rushing water.

Several years ago I attended a denominational event in Morgantown, WV and found myself in the most peculiar conversation. My brother and I, both West Virginia natives were standing outside of the conference center with a ministry colleague from a neighboring state. After a moment of silence this colleague turned to me and asserted, “These people will build houses anywhere! Look! They just stick them on the side of a mountain.”
At first I was taken back by the comment since I am not used to being referred to as one of “those people”. But having gathered my composure I, rather snidely I must admit, asked, “Where should ‘us people’ build our houses? On one of West Virginia’s expansive plains?”
Thankfully my brother was there to save the day. Gently he explained to our friend that mountain people build their dwelling on the hills for safety not convenience. We build above the flood line. Because when a person, house, or car takes on the waters of a flash flood the water wins that battle every time.
In the same way that houses, car, and people are powerless to resist the rushing torrent of white water we as creatures are powerless to control, manipulate, or confound God. When I am confronted with the power of rushing water I am reminded of how mighty God is and needy I am.

Ezekiel 43:2
and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory (NIV).