Pure Religion

One fault of mine is the tendency to want to complicate things. I see a problem and immediately seek to solve it with some grandiose plan of action when often the solution is simple and not so glamorous. We see this in government a lot, some issue comes before our consciousness, and our leaders immediately want to add new cabinet position or appoint a czar to oversee the issue. We have this tendency in the church as well, each problem demands a committee with deacon involvement and elder oversight with the preacher extolling its virtues from the pulpit. James’ view of the work of the church was much different. “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”(James 1:27) According to James, if we are serious about our commitment to God then when we see a need we take measures to fill that need. A widow who is in need of food doesn’t have time to wait for the committee to be formed, she needs food now! A homeless child shouldn’t have to spend one more night on the street if a Christian man or woman becomes aware of their plight.

Religion that God accepts is faith in action. Paul puts it this way, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” (Galatians 5:6b) Our love for God and our faith in Christ is shown by how we care for those around us. It matters how we treat one another and it matters how we treat those in our community. “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such a faith save him?” (James 2:14)

Programs and committees are necessary for the church to function and carry out the mission of God.However, we must never be lulled into a state of personal inaction because of their presence. Christians are called to act! “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.” (James 2:18)

Mitchell

“Reaching Down in the Gut”

    Through the modern innovation of podcasting, I was able to hear the Sunday morning sermon at Waynesboro in spite of the fact that I was over 300 miles away. Bob Haggard, one of our elders, did a fantastic job presenting a very relevant, much needed lesson. Bob encouraged everyone to "reach down in the gut" and do the things in their lives that will bring them closer to God. I was really inspired by this lesson. We can all stand to be closer to God, some of us may need to pray more, and others need to study more, many need to make a commitment to be at services each time the church meets. As Bob said, we have to just reach down in the gut and do it!

    We have many people in the church at Waynesboro and Wayne County who have been "reaching down in the gut" lately and as a result not only are these people closer to God themselves but his church has been glorified as a result. Bobby Pinckley, our Visitation Minister, has been quietly carrying out the work of the Lord since he was hired in this position. Bobby keeps in constant contact with those who are sick through calls and visits in the home, hospital, nursing homes, and assisted living facility and provides these people with much needed support and prayer. One more "silent" work Bobby has been involved in is home bible study, people have been brought to Christ because of these studies and others continue to benefit from a greater knowledge of scripture as a result of studying with Bobby. Bobby Pinckley is "reaching down in the gut!"

    Wayne County Christian Camp took place this past weekend and was a HUGE success. This ministry would never have got off the ground if not for some people reaching into their guts. Jeff Skelton poured his heart into this camp and as a result almost half of the campers in attendance were those who were associated with Waynesboro church of Christ. Jeff "reached down in the gut" for this ministry and God has been glorified. Tracy Love from Clifton and Gregg Lee from Collinwood deserve "gut reacher" awards for this effort as well, we are blessed to have these two men working for the Lord in Wayne County.

    Coming up soon, three men from Waynesboro will be reaching deep into their gut as they travel to Honduras on a mission to spread the gospel and help build up Christians in that part of the world. Jerry Hollis, Greg Griggs, and Jonathan Shular will be traveling to Honduras with the group from Clifton as part of this ongoing mission effort. These men exhibit the very definition of reaching down in the gut.

    I love the Waynesboro Church of Christ and the spirit of her people! What can you do to bring yourself and your family closer to God? It is time to reach down in the gut!

Mitchell

GraceConversation.com

A new blog that should interest everyone, especially those of you who are members of the Churches of Christ, is GraceConversation.com.  This blog is self-described as "A conversation regarding the disagreements that separate the conservative and progressive branches of the churches of Christ." 



It's participants are Jay Guin, an elder at the University Church of Christ in Tuscaloosa, AL and author of the blog One in Jesus; Todd Deaver, (son of Mac Deaver and grandson of Roy Deaver) minister for the Oliver Springs Church of Christ, author of the blog Bridging the Grace Divide and the book Facing our Failure: The Fellowship Dilemma in Conservative Churches of Christ; Phil Sanders, author of the blog Phil Answers and evangelist with In Search of the Lord's Way; and Gregory Tidwell a columnist for the Gospel Advocate and the minister for the Fishinger and Kenny Church of Christ in Columbus, Ohio.



The conversation has already started so check it out.  You can even get in on the conversation yourself by commenting on each of the posts.

Technorati Tags: blog,debate,unity,fellowship

Perspective

We have all been there, you pass someone in the hallway on the way to bible class, you flash them your best “have a great day” smile and nothing, they act as if they didn’t even see you! My favorite is when you have been up all night with a sick child yet somehow find the strength to go to worship only to have someone snidely remark, “Man, you look awful!” THANK YOU!

It would make a huge difference in how we relate to each other if we all had an electronic sign on our forehead that flashed a status report of how we were feeling and why. This way as I approach you in the hallway I would know that you were preoccupied because you just learned a friend had been diagnosed with cancer. Instead of flashing a smile and expecting one in return, I could offer a reassuring hug and promise of prayer. Instead of telling someone how bad he or she looks after pulling an “all nighter,” we could encourage them by commenting on their dedication for even making the effort to show up.

Very rarely does a person set as their goal to hurt another’s feelings, especially in the church family. Yet it happens all too often. The reason is perspective. We cannot see things from another person’s perspective unless we actually know what is on their mind and even then, it is extremely difficult.

Stephen Covey, author of “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” uses this story about himself to illustrate how getting to know someone changes your perspective of their behavior. As he was traveling home on a commuter train, he noticed a father and three small children enter the train at one of its frequent stops. The father sat down across the aisle from him, leaned his head back against the window, and closed his eyes. The children, however, never took a seat and commenced running up and down the aisle and generally terrorizing the entire train car. Having been “bothered” by their behavior for too long and the father seemingly ignoring their antics, Covey spoke to the man saying, “Sir, don’t you think you should control your children? Some people have had hard work days and would like some quiet time before facing their own children.” The man woke from his daze and immediately apologized saying, “I’m sorry. We just came from the hospital and I guess I am a little distracted. Their mother just died. I don’t think they quite know how to act.” Everyone on the train who, moments before, were bothered by the children were now actively trying to help this man in his time of need.

What a difference it makes when we know the “why” behind the way someone is acting. The next time someone passes you by, makes a snide comment, or just makes you mad, ask yourself, “What could possibly be going on in their life that I could do to encourage them?” Instead of burning with anger or feeling slighted, make it a point to pray for them.

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

CSI: Easter

Easter is huge! Next to Christmas, Easter is the most celebrated holiday in the world. There is a good reason why so many people celebrate Easter. Historians and theologians have never come to a satisfactory conclusion for the reason the early church began celebrating Easter. Some evidence seems to suggest that Christians held the first Easter celebrations to differentiate their celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Jewish celebration of Passover. Other evidence suggests that Emperor Constantine, desiring to promote Christianity and marginalize pagan activity, Christianized a pagan festival celebrating the earth's transition into spring.

As I said at the beginning, there is a good reason why so many people celebrate Easter the answer is Jesus Christ. While the origin of Easter may be in doubt, the reason for Easter is apparent, Christians desired to proclaim from highest height and in the loudest possible way the good news that Jesus Christ had risen from the dead! Scripture does not command us to celebrate Easter as a religious obligation however; scripture does allow us to celebrate such holidays. Paul writes to the Roman Christians,

"Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone." (Romans 14:4-7)

From now until Easter Sunday, we have a unique evangelistic opportunity that will not be available again until Christmas. Your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, anyone with a background in Christianity will be thinking about Christ and most likely desire to go to church somewhere. I encourage you to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to help bring someone you love closer to and possibly into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

This Sunday we will begin a new sermon series at Waynesboro that will culminate on Easter, April 12^th. This series, CSI: Easter will take us on a Crime Scene Investigation of the cross. Did Jesus really die on the cross? Did he really rise from the dead or was his body simply stolen to create the illusion? We will look at these question plus many more with a critical eye. We will weigh the evidence from history, from critics, and from the bible; we will place them side by side and see which ones stand and which ones fall. If you invite your friends and family, they will be engaged by this honest look into Jesus Christ and they will be moved by the conclusion. Pick up the phone right now and invite someone this Sunday!

Mitchell

Every Vote Counts

Matthew Morine, minister for the Castle Rock Church of Christ in Denver, former minister at Waynesboro and one of my dear friends, has received some exciting news!  Matthew's blog, Musings on Spiritual Matters, has been nominated for an award at this year's Christian Bloggers Luncheon at the Tulsa Workshop in the category, Best New Blogger. 

I am so excited for Matthew.  Matthew has always been an encourager to my ministry, a modern day Barnabas, he deserves this award.  If you haven't read Matthew's blog then follow the link above and prepare be entertained and challenged.  I also encourage everyone to vote!  Visit http://vote.theobloggers.org/ and vote today.

"New" Ministers at Waynesboro

During the past few months we have had several men interview for the position of minister at Waynesboro. I have no doubt that most of these men will go on to other congregations and make great ministers in God's kingdom. However, God seemed to have different plans for the Waynesboro church of Christ. Our community has already been hit hard by the current recession and the members of our congregation are no exception. The elders are acutely aware of the current situation and desired to come to a solution that would continue the forward progress we have experienced in our congregation as well as address the realities of current economic conditions. The overriding theme in all the elders discussions was how do we fill our needs for a new minister while continuing to minister to our community at our present commitment level in the face of ever increasing need. Sunday the elders at Waynesboro officially made a decision concerning the future of the church and who will lead its ministry. Instead of hiring one person the elders hired two men who will each serve in their own niche of ministry.

Three weeks ago the elders hired Bobby Pinckley to serve as our Visitation Minister while we searched for a new minister, this ministry was made a permanent position on Sunday. As many of you know, Bobby served as the Pulpit Minister at Waynesboro for many years before retiring; after a period of retirement Bobby became restless and began preaching again at the Beacon congregation. A few months ago Bobby retired again and returned to Waynesboro only to be offered his present position. We are blessed to have Bobby Pinckley serving in Waynesboro again and I look forward to working with him into the future.

Also on Sunday, the elders made the announcement that I would become the Pulpit Minister. The elders desire that I continue the Family Life Ministry that originally brought me back to Waynesboro while assuming the responsibilities of the pulpit. I grew up in Waynesboro and this congregation is my home. I am so excited about this new opportunity as well as for the future of the Waynesboro Church of Christ.

Bobby and I are excited about the future of the Waynesboro Church of Christ. Working together for the past three weeks, we have seen the possibilities that this type of ministry arrangement can produce. Together we ask for your help and your prayers.

Mitchell

Technorati Tags: evangelism,Family Life Ministry,Waynesboro,visitation,church of Christ

CYC '09 - Fellowship, Friends, and Fun

Christian Youth Conference is an annual event that takes place in Gatlinburg, TN put on by members of the churches of Christ.  This year was my first year attending CYC and the first year that the church at Waynesboro has ever sent a group, it will not be our last.  CYC was a positive and motivating experience for everyone who attended, not just the young people.  I highly recommend that you make plans now to attend next year.

Our trip afforded us with many opportunities I never imagined at first.  My first surprise was running into so many of you who are regular readers of this blog.  It was great to finally meet you all!  Blogging has added a new dimension to my ministry and has expanded my circle of friends (more about blogging in a few days).

We left Waynesboro on Thursday afternoon immediately following school, with the time change encountered as we hit east Tennessee is was past midnight when we finally got to our cabin.  This was the first "bonus" of the weekend, our cabin was awesome!  This thing was nice, it was big, and it had a pool table, air hockey, and foosball table; the kids (and some of the adults) kept those things hot all weekend!  Friday morning we all got ready and went to eat breakfast at the Log Cabin Restaurant (I recommend the Caribbean pancakes).  Following breakfast we went up the mountain to Ober Gatlinburg for some ice skating, we had a blast.  The rest of the day the kids and ladies all walked the streets of downtown Gatlinburg for the all important shopping session.  My friend, Sam Haines, and I hung out in lieu of shopping and just talked; we learned a lot about each other and became closer friends as a result.  Friday night was the first session of CYC and it started with a bang!  My favorite part was the singing, very moving!

Saturday was an early morning as we were in session by 8:00 AM for more motivational speakers and awesome singing until the lunch break at 11:30 AM.  We were so wore out from the day of travel on Thursday and our all day fun fest on Friday that we went back to the cabin, ordered pizza for lunch and basically "vegged out" the entire afternoon.  Saturday nights session of CYC was the best, more great singing capped off by a sermon by Lonnie Jones.  Lonnie is always great and this night he was exceptional.  I don't think I'll ever forget his story about the snake and the .45 pistol!  Hilarious! (Ask me or one of the others and we will be more than glad to share it with you.)  After the session we were invited to one of our Wayne County sister congregation's cabin for a devotional. (Collinwood's group was also invited.)  This was a great way to cap off the night, Clifton was a great host and this was a spectacular way of promoting unity within neighboring congregations.  I love all the brethren at Clifton and Collinwood, both congregations have been good to me and I always love speaking for them.  Hopefully, our efforts toward unity will continue and God will be glorified as a result.  Jake Wilbanks, one of Collinwood's teenagers and my cousin, spoke at the devotional.  I was taken aback by Jake's speaking ability!  He did an outstanding job and I pray that he continues to use his talents for the Lord.

Sunday Morning we again woke up early as we were hosting a worship service at our cabin.  Clifton's group came over to join us in worship as well as Will Tidwell and three students from Heritage Christian University.  Wes, one of the HCU students led singing for us, Jeff, another HCU student, led us in prayer, as well as Chad Love from Clifton.  I enjoyed speaking for the group in such a loving atmosphere.  We shared a meal and laughter before worship and the family feeling just seemed to carry over into the service.  It was great!

CYC provided an awesome opportunity for everyone involved to grow spiritually.  The structure of the conference provided the main spiritual food, however, the part I enjoyed the most was the fellowship with friends and learning more about my brothers and sisters in Christ.  If your congregation doesn't attend CYC then take it upon yourself to organize the trip next year, I guarantee it will be a huge success.  If you had the opportunity but didn't take it this year be sure not to miss it next year.  Just some "sage" advice from a one year CYC "veteran!"

Technorati Tags: blog,faith,Family Life Ministry,unity,youth,worship