Things to think about… mind download

I have been swamped with seminary classwork/homework lately along with my work schedule.  I am hoping to get back on a regular posting schedule soon.

In the meantime, here are some things to think about.  These are things that I have either read or heard.  Forgive me in advance for not including the source, some of these are things I wrote down in my moleskine.

If we truly believe in congregational polity, then why are matters brought to the congregation last?

The Christian life is not to be lived out in isolation, but rather in the community of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ – R. Albert Mohler, Jr. – 8/5/2009

Where has God placed you where you can be an influence for the gospel?

If local church membership is not central to your spiritual life, then you are slowly shriveling and becoming loveless without even knowing it – Thabiti Anyabwile

Do I really know what I believe in light of 1 Peter 3:15?

In referring to the early church in comparison today, “They really knew each other, so they knew who had needs.  Community is meaningful, not just casual conversation in the back of the church.”

Whatever I love preeminently will become my one true god – Dr. Dale Burke

Do people who excel at foreign languages do so because they have a great command of the English language?  I am asking this rhetorically of those who speak English as their native language

 

Again, nothing heavy here, just some things to think about…

Another writing project for me

I enjoy the opportunity that I have not only to write here, but now I am contributing some content to another site, Devotional Christian.  You can read my first post here.

I will be contributing weekly, not exactly sure of the rotation schedule, so this is a good excuse to read this site daily!

Thanks to Tony Kummer for the opportunity to expand my writing and to learn more in the process!

Sharpening your skills and learning

I enjoy the fact that at my job depending on what task I am working on, that I am able to listen to numerous podcasts while working.  I enjoy this because I am able to learn more about what I am passionate about (Bible, God, theology, etc) while I am working.

One of the podcasts that I enjoy listening to is that of the Albert Mohler Radio Program.  As you may or may not know, Dr. Mohler is the President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary located in Louisville, KY.  He also hosts a daily radio program as well.  I particularly enjoy the “Ask Anything Wednesday” shows for two reasons:  1)  There is a variety of questions and really good thought provoking ones!  2)  It allows me to attempt to think fast on my feet.  I will never match the abilities and skills of Dr. Mohler, but while I am listening, I try to think about how I would answer the question that is being asked.  A good way to sharpen your thinking and reasoning skills and learning in the process.

Can we really limit speech – Political Correctness gone too far!

Recently, I was made aware of a situation where I work regarding a person in authority told a subordinate that they were not allowed to use a certain word.  That word was “huddle” .  When I first heard this, I laughed and thought that it was a bit over the top.  I then inquired as to why the prohibition against the word usage.  I was told that the word “huddle” reminded this individual of sweaty football players and the violent nature of football itself.  I was still in shock because the context in which it was being used was a meeting to go over some strategy.  I felt like the usage was creative and no meaning of violence was created.

After I had time to think and process this, it made me angry for several reasons:

1) Outside of using speech that is either unprofessional or rude in nature.  This individual should have not been rebuked.

2) I was reminded of an incident I had with this individual some time back and I used the word “rant” to describe a caustic email that I had received.  I was told that “we do not use words like this”

3) The person who objects to words like “rant” and “huddle” is a staunch liberal and has no shame  in dropping not-so-subtle hints regarding their liberal ideologies.

4) What is worse is that this action will go unchecked.  The person directly involved will not discuss it further with senior mgmt because they fear for their job and the doctrine of political correctness in speech will continue to be propagated unless someone says something

If I were involved, believe me, I would speak up and go as far up the chain of command that I could!  This is not about just controlling someone’s words, it is about freedom of speech in general!  What is worse is that this person has managed to make it into a substantial leadership position in the company that I work for.

What would you do?  Comments are welcome and encouraged!

Traditions – MN State Fair 2009

A tradition is defined as the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., especially by word of mouth  or by practice.  Another definition is a continuing pattern of culture beliefs or practices.

When I came to Minnesota back in 2002, I had heard a lot of chatter about the MN State Fair.  I honestly did not know what to think.  Growing up in California, the fair was not a part of our culture.  Sure we had the LA County Fair out in Pomona, which I went to once but was not really impressed with it.

So this tradition started in 2002, to go to the Minnesota State Fair.  Some people have no use for the Fair because of the crowds and they see no purpose in the Fair.  I beg to differ with them.  I find the Fair to be a celebration of what Minnesota represents in many areas (although I do not agree with some of the performers at the Grandstand).  It is a way for families to enjoy extended time together, trying some unusual and exotic foods, seeing some of the exhibits, etc.  When I came to Minnesota, I was single when I started this tradition and it has carried over into our family’s life.  I have been to the Fair every year except for 2006 when my mother was dying of cancer.

This year was especially enjoyable because we were there as a family for an extended period of time without any other encumberances on our time and because Joseph was old enough to enjoy some of the rides on the Kidway this year as well.

Joseph on the boats at the Fair

As you can see, he was really enjoying himself!

Here is another shot of him

Joseph on the race cars

He had a great time on the various rides, especially the ferris wheel!  I think I had more fun watching him enjoy himself and some of these rides for the first time.

Here is another shot of him:

Joseph all worn out!

He was all worn out and decided to take a snooze in the wagon that we wisely brought!  He slept while we traversed the fair.  Many people commented on him sleeping or riding in the wagon.

Some of the things that we learned from the fair this year:

• Use the park and ride buses – we went to Bandana Square and rode to the Fair via the Park and Ride bus.  Cost is free and it saved us a tremendous amount of time and hassle.
• Get a coupon book.  We used one from a friend who had already gone to the Fair, it is well worth the price and there are a lot of good deals.
• Go early – there were over 200,000 people at the fair on Saturday… the earlier the better!
• Purchase advance tickets – we did not do this and it cost us on one ticket.  The other ticket we bought for $9 from a fellow bus rider who had an extra ticket, so we saved $2 but could have saved $4.

We enjoy going to the Fair each year and even if we move away, we plan to return as we able to to enjoy the Minnesota State Fair, which by the way is one of the most popular State Fairs in the country!

Is there anything wrong with being big(numbers wise… that is)?

I might catch some flack for what I am about to write but that is why you write in the first place, to expose the world to ideas and then see what the response will be.  Sometimes people are encouraged and helped by what you write.  Other times, people are offended and angered by what you write.  Either way, not everyone will be happy!  Now that I have that out of the way, time to commence with some thoughts I have been having lately.

I pose the question in context to ministry.  Not that I am looking to build the next Metropolitan Tabernacle or run over 1000 in Sunday School when I finally land in vocational ministry, but I am noticing some things lately that concern me.

I have been a Christian for 22 years now and have seen a lot from my perspective.  I have seen the good, the bad and the downright ugly.  I have been a member of three churches in these last 22 years.  One church consistently had attendance over 1000 and is a vibrant ministry (although I may disagree with them on some issues, we have a good relationship).  One church was consistently running between 3000-4000 and when I left they were in the 2000-3000 range.  I saw a lot of pragmatism and politics at work here, but at the same time I learned a great deal as well.  The church that I am currently a member of runs about 600 in attendance.  For me, it is the smallest church that I have ever been a member of.  That does not bother me, in fact I find it to be the perfect size church.  It is not too big that you are just another number or member, but yet it is not too small where you know everyone.  It takes effort to get to know people and enjoy fellowship with them (another post for another day).

I repeatedly have heard this statement in different contexts from different people and ask myself why?  ” You will never pastor more than 60-80 people”  Okay, that might be true, but can we apply that with a broad brush to everyone looking to go out into ministry?  Several years ago, while employed with a independent Baptist mission agency, I had the wonderful opportunity of traveling here in the United States and overseas.  I also have had the opportunity to visit many churches of varying sizes, yes, some of them were less than 100 people, but some were large churches as well.   Being a part of what I term the “conservative” wing of fundamentalism, I find that most people in this wing are very fearful against pragmatism and certain types of methodology; that is a good thing, but on the same side, by being so fearful, are we setting ourselves up for failure?  Yes, it is good to be on guard against pragmatism and against 1-2-3 easybelievism, and the overarching emphasis on Bible versions, dress standards and the like, or in some cases the lack of any standards which results in a theological free-for-all.  I think the key here is balance.   I have been on both sides of this issue.  I have been in the large church where it can take the form of a “numbers racket” and where the emphasis is on “getting someone down the aisle” etc.   I have also been on the other side where the concern is not as intense and could almost be mistaken for apathy in some cases.  Others would say that some churches are large because they will let just about anyone in and there is no “guarding of the flock”.  They would also say that some churches are filled with unsaved, unregenerate people.   I appreciate churches that check people out, meaning, they have to give some kind of verbal testimony, etc before they are admitted to membership.

It is true that too many times people associate large numbers with the following:

1. Cults
2. Extreme pragmatism
3. Mega-churches

Somehow people get the notion that you have to compromise something to get a crowd and that is not necessarily true.  Look at Spurgeon and you will see that he by no means pastored a small church and I do not think that anyone has the guts to call Spurgeon a compromiser?

What is wrong with a church that has a large attendance, or multiple services, or multiple campuses?  I recently spoke with a Pastor back in June and talked with him about their recent switch to two-services.  He told me that it was going well and that they could not go back to one service because their building would not hold all of the people that are attending.  This church is in a unique situation because they are landlocked in their current situation, so two services made sense and the Lord has allowed this church to grow exponentially.

When I think about the latest rage or craze in Christendom is the multi-site or multiple campus phenomenon.  A lot of churches are looking at this from a distance and wondering about it.  Personally, I like the way that Highview Baptist Church in Louisville, KY approaches this.  Their website clearly states “One church… seven locations”.  Each location has a lead pastor and a preaching pastor and they all are under the leadership of Kevin Ezell, the senior pastor.   I think this is the way to handle a multiple campus option.  Highview is also unique that all campuses worship together once a quarter in a combined worship service (If I got this wrong, someone from Highview, please let me know so I can get it right).  What I think is flawed in the multiple campus format is where you have a pastor and multiple campuses and the pastor is preaching at one campus live and in the flesh, but the other campuses have a video feed to watch the pastor’s sermon.  I think that this serves the pastor’s ego more than the needs of the people.  Call me old-fashioned or sentimental, but I do not get a whole lot of coming to church and watching a video-feed.  There is something about being able to interact with people.  We deal with enough impersonal stuff in our lives, our interaction with people grows narrower (we can pay for gas at the pump without talking to anyone, some banks charge a fee if you want to talk to a live teller, etc)  We have to be intentional about our interaction and watching a video feed seems to be very impractical in an institution such as a church that prides itself on things like ministry, worship, fellowship, etc.   Paige Patterson once gave some advice on How to Judge a Sermon, he said that it consists of three elements:  Ethos – Is the person speaking credible?, Logos – Is he saying anything?  Is there substance?, Pathos – Is there any passion?  Does he believe it?  Well, if I attend one of these tv or video feed churches, how can I or anyone else know the answers to those questions if we have no interaction with the pastor?  Someone once said, that is the difference between a shepherd and a rancher!

Are we setting people up for the status quo, underachievement, failure and ultimately mediocrity by telling them “you will never pastor more than 60-80 people”?

What is wrong with going to where God has called you, wherever that may be and dedicate yourself to the following tasks:  Preaching/Teaching – the ministry of the Word,  Shepherding/Caring – ministering to people (this involves evangelism) Observing/Learning – learning the who, what, where, when of your particular ministry.  Asking God to give you a heart for the people in your community and doing your best to reach as many people as possible with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The Southern Baptist Convention is experiencing a transformation of sorts in recent years, they are seeing the move from staunch liberalism, back to a conservative leadership and base.  Recently, the chatter has been about a “Great Commission Resurgence“.  Even though I am not a Southern Baptist, I applaud what the SBC is doing in this regard.  They are recognizing that many of their churches are either declining or have plateaued and are committed to seeing those churches reawakened and revitalized to the glory of  God.   I think maybe a few Independent Fundamental Baptist Churches could use a Great Commission Resurgence!

I feel like I have been “all over the map” so to speak, but I have been thinking about these things for several weeks now and felt that it was time for them to come off of the pages of my moleskine notebook where I have written them to the world of the blogosphere.  I expect to be attacked and criticized and mischaracterized.  Lest I am misunderstood, I am NOT in favor of pragmatic means of church growth, I am NOT against small churches, I am NOT against large churches.  I am for people being obedient to Scripture both individually and corporately.

There is nothing wrong with being big just as long as it is done in a Scriptural manner and avoiding the common cliche of  ”the end justifys the means.”  Remember the words of the Lord Jesus Christ when he said in Matthew 16:18, “… and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”(NKJV)

Do not look to build another Metropolitan Tabernacle, but if God allows it to happen in your midst, do not run away from the task either!

As always I welcome your comments!

Acapulco Restaurant – New Brighton, MN

Last Friday evening we decided to try a new place that we saw while stuck in traffic on the way back from Duluth a few weeks ago.  We went to the Acapulco Restaurant which has several locations throughout the Twin Cities.  We tried the location in New Brighton which was the closest to where we live.

This location is at the end of a strip mall and across from an LA Fitness location.  I figured that parking would be an issue but we were able to find a place to park with a short walk to the restaurant.  Once inside we were seated right away.  The resturant was moderately full on a Friday evening and the Vikings were playing so I knew it would be a good time to go eat.

They have an extensive menu with many different items to choose from, along with a selection of offerings on the kids menu.  My son had the chicken rings and he enjoyed them!  We enjoyed the complimentary chips and salsa and found it very unique that they serve the salsa in a mini decanter.  The salsa was good, not hot and spicy.  It was better than most, but not my favorite.  They had several different soups on the menu and my wife and I tried the sopa pollo (chicken soup).  We each had a cup and found out that this was probably some of the best chicken soup around.  I would not hesitate to order a bowl the next time we are there.  I had the Santa Fe Salad which I enjoyed.  My wife had a grilled chicken wrap which was served with sweet-potato fries.   I also enjoyed their homemade avocado dressing.  I would not want to know the fat content of that dressing, but it was very good.  They should consider bottling that dressing.

I apologize for not taking pictures.  Some bloggers take pictures of the food and the locations that they write about.  I prefer the opportunity of improving my writing skills by attempting to paint word pictures and give descriptions that would give the reader the opportunity to try a place or a dish rather than judge it by a less than stellar photograph.

If you want authentic Mexican food and are tired of the chain offerings for such cuisine here in the Twin Cities, then Acapulco is a place for you to try and enjoy.  Give it a try and leave a comment.  If you have been here before leave a comment on your experience as well!

Duluth – July 24-26

Cotton Mansion - Duluth, MN

We had the opportunity to go to Duluth, MN for our 5th Anniversary.  We had never been to Duluth before and looked forward to this trip.  Our trip to Duluth was supposd to take 2 1/2 hours but due to road construction it took us 4 hours.   We stayed at the Cotton Mansion.  This was our first experience at a Bed & Breakfast and it far surpassed our expectations.   We enjoyed dinner at Black Woods restaurant just a short distance away from the Cotton Mansion.  The food was excellent and I would recommend if you are in the Duluth area to try Black Woods, the food was wonderful and the service was excellent!

On Saturday we enjoyed breakfast at the Cotton Mansion with the other 5 couples that were staying there.  We met people from all over.  There was even a couple there who were originally from Bulgaria, they have lived in the Twin Cities for 15 years and they both speak excellent English.  After breakfast, we ventured out into Duluth, to see and experience as much as we could in between rain showers.  We went to Canal Park and watched the boats and ships pass beneath the lift bridge.  We also walked across the bridge and out on the causeway.  We had lunch at Little Angies Cantina – a Tex Mex place near  Canal Park.  We also went to the Fitgers complex and walked around and ventured in and our of the shops there.  We went to Enger Park and climbed to the top of Enger Tower, great views of the city of Duluth and surrounding areas.  We also drove the Skyline Ridge scenic route above Duluth.  Later that day, we ventured up to Two Harbors, just a bit north of Duluth and found that there is not much there except for cheaper gas!  We went back at had dinner that evening at Sara’s Table and enjoyed a blueberry malt at the Portland Malt Company.

On Sunday, we enjoyed our final breakfast at Cotton Mansion and then ventured out to look for some pottery.  We had originally planned to attend church but did not make it because of breakfast.  We then met up with our friend Charlene who lives in the area and we were treated to lunch at her home and there were other friends there also from the Twin Cities.  Charlene prepared a wonderful lunch and we enjoyed great conversation and good fellowship.  We left Charlene’s and wanted to catch a couple of other things, one included a visit to Leif Erickson Park and the Rose Garden. We also were able to visit the Glensheen Mansion before heading home.   We headed home about 6 pm and hit road construction again, and made it home by 9:30 pm.  We enjoyed our trip and look forward to taking Joseph with us next time (before winter).

Duluth is a very nice city, relatively smaller than the Twin Cities (90,000 pop).  It is a nice place to visit, but I would not want to live there because of the extreme weather conditions in the winter.  The hills would make me nervous driving them in the ice and snow.  Duluth reminded me of several different places:  New Ulm – because the city is up against a mountain and seems to roll-away from the mountain towards the water; San Francisco – because of the many hills.  If you want to get your car airborne here, you will be able to do it with ease (not recommended);  Santa Barbara – because of the number of tourists and the proximity to a body of water.

Thanks again to the staff at the Cotton Mansion for making our stay very pleasant and providing two outstanding breakfasts.  We look forward to returning again soon!

Thanks to our friend Charlene for helping us with places to go, eat, and for hosting for us lunch on Sunday afternoon!

Future Posts

I will post on our trip to Duluth last week. I am also working on a post regarding pragmatism within fundamentalism. Stay tuned and thanks for reading

On Being a Pastor and a Professor – Part I in a series

Recently, I have been trading emails with Dr. Jim Hamilton who is an Associate Professor of Biblical Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY.  During the course of our email exchange, he has been an encouragement to me in many areas:  my ongoing Hebrew studies, discipleship of children, and the topic we are about to discuss in this post.  I have never met him personally(yet) but I am thankful for his encouragement via email and his blog.

In addition to his responsibilities as a professor at Southern Seminary, he is also the senior pastor at Kenwood Baptist Church in Louisville.   With Dr. Hamilton and others serving as professors and pastors, I was intrigued and approached him with a host of questions and he was kind and gracious enough to answer my questions.  I am hoping to interview others on this topic, so stay tuned for more posts!

TL: How do you maintain balance in both roles?

JH: I listen to my wife, and my full time responsibilities are at the Seminary. I am a bi-vocational pastor, so that sets the agenda.

TL: How would you answer the issue that some would say that you are “double-dipping” (taking a salary from both entities)?

JH:I am a full time professor and bi-vocational pastor. My full time pay comes from the Seminary, and the church pays me a part time salary. I don’t see it as double dipping. It’s like I have 1 and 1/2 jobs. It seems to me that anyone with time, opportunity, and the willingness to shoulder the load could do the same.

TL: Does dual responsibility help/compliment or hinder?

JH: I think there is a nice complement between teaching the Bible to future pastors and then serving with other pastors/elders to shepherd a flock.

TL: Do you maintain one office or two?

JH: I have an office at the school, but I mainly work from my basement-study. I don’t keep an office at the church.

TL: How do you manage schedule conflicts?

JH: I am privileged to be part of the Seminary faculty, so that schedule takes precedent. I think of myself as doing the amount of ministry that a lay elder might do who had a secular job, but I also carry the majority of the preaching load. It just happens that my job overlaps nicely with pastoring.

TL: Which came first for you – Pastoring or Professor?

JH:Professor. I didn’t expect to pastor, but the Lord opened doors.

TL: How does the church feel about your seminary responsibilities?

JH: They knew the situation when they hired me, and they hired me as a bi-vocational pastor.

TL: How does the seminary feel about your church responsibilities?

JH: The school wants to see churches thrive, and so my superiors are happy for me to serve as long as the church doesn’t hinder my work at the school.

TL: How did you come to the church that you currently serve?

JH: The church was looking for a pastor, and I was looking for a place to serve.

TL: How did you come to the seminary?

JH: By God’s great mercy!

TL: Is preparation for either responsibility decidedly different or complementary in nature?

JH: I think they’re complementary in that that Bible is central to both. I see my task as understanding the Bible, living out the Bible, and teaching the Bible (cf. Ezra 7:10).

TL: Do you ever receive criticism from either constituency (church or seminary) about spending more time at one and not the other?  Is there a perception of neglect on either the seminary or the church’s part?

JH: Not so far.

Someone once asked me what my dream job would look like and I responded that I would love to pastor but also teach in a seminary if the Lord would allow it.  Thanks again to Dr. Jim Hamilton for taking time to answer these questions!

As always, comments are welcome

Picture credit:  SBTS