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Sinful

June 10, 2009

Reading in Romans to prepare for a new series has been reinforcing some of my meditations lately. It is so exceedingly easy to see the sin in others. I’ve had a lifetime (long one) to see the bigger picture, yet I still sometimes find it easy to see the sin in someone else and become critical.

When you meditate deeply in God, you are given the experience (or opportunity) sometimes to see all the sins that you have done in life and those that you are capable of doing. When you experience intimately the evil that lies within you, next comes the experience of complete grace. This is the grace where God says, “It’s OK. I know what you’re capable of, but you still can have everlasting rest in me.”

If I have such grace, why do I want to rush to judge others? That’s just another sin. Lord, help me remember my grace–the grace that you offer to all.

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Pointing back at you

June 8, 2009

Recently there was a small group discussion. I should agree with the participants–at least most of the time. But sometimes I am uncomfortable. It’s a rush to judgement thing. And there are a couple of “bogeymen” that just raise their ire. Reading in the first chapter of Romans where Paul lists the many ways that people sin, they immediately jumped on the homosexual issue.  They stopped reading at the end of the first chapter. Too bad. The second chapter begins (by the way, Paul didn’t write in chapters, so he would have expected the discussion to proceed through this next thought):

Therefore, you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things.

Have you ever taken the time to be quiet for periods of time every day and let God talk to you? Have you ever used this time to look into your heart and see all the hatred and evil things in there that you are capable of? Have you realized the grace of God that you have either overcome those impulses and desires or the grace that says, “you are forgiven, go and sin no more”?

When I was a kid, there was a saying “When you point a finger at another, three fingers are pointing back at you.” It is so easy to sit in judgment of others. Remember, someone is judging you. And it isn’t pretty. It is a better attitude in life to realize how thankful each of us should be for the grace of God–and to extend that grace in His name to everyone we meet. And how hard it is to live that thought.

Peace, Gary Mintchell

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Your Mission

May 26, 2009

What are you supposed to do with your life? I’m studying in Acts lately. Toward the end of Paul’s ministry, he was assaulted by “the Jews” at the Temple and hauled off on mistaken charges to be tried. Paul bounced around a little from one governmental authority to another and would up on the Mediterranean coast at the palace of the Roman chief administrator of the area. He could have been set free first if he would have slipped some coins to the one consul or just let the next one decide. But God told Paul that his next ministry was in Rome. Paul evidently figured the easiest way to Rome was to get a trip on the Roman government where he could appeal his case to the Caesar.

The meditation guide I’m using now has a series of meditations on figuring out what you (I) am to do with our lives. What’s your talent? Do you listen to the urgings of God who will guide you?

Mostly what I do both as a vocation and ministry is write and teach. So the proddings I get from the Spirit are to continually look for outlets for those things I do. Jesus was alway perceptive into the people he met. He picked people with strengths that sometimes they didn’t know they had and encouraged them to go and do those things. Some couldn’t make the commitment and went away sad.

Let’s not go away sad. What is it that you can do? What is it that God is calling you to do–or where is He calling you to go? Go and Do.

Gary Mintchell

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Servant Leadership

May 16, 2009

Last weekend I was involved with a youth soccer tournament. It’s the 14th. The last two weeks are always stressful for me, since I recruit and assign referees. Then during the weekend I have to make sure all the games are covered  when refs have to leave or get injured or something. But when things are going well and I don’t have to calm coaches or soothe irate parents, I have time for observation.

One thing I’ve noticed over the years of this and other summer projects is how normally nice people seem to get on little ego trips during these events. If they are on the committee or sometimes even just peripherally involved, some just need a status symbol. In these events, it’s a golf cart for riding around the site. I want exercise, so normally I’ll walk even though I have a cart at my disposal for getting to the scene of controversy quickly or ferrying referees from place to place. Some who have no responsibilities just seem to want to have one to ride around in.

This is not extreme, but it does remind me that Jesus’ example was washing feet. If you want to be a leader, then be a servant. When I watch others, I’m challenged to look at myself and ask whether I’m still fulfilling my roles as a servant leader or as a lord ruler. How about you?

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Maintain Focus

May 8, 2009

Last weekend, the word of the day seemed to be distraction. I noticed in church so many people were distracted from the worship and teaching. Later at a concert, the same thing. So many thoughts and concerns running through their heads. So much need to talk.

But I know focus is a hard thing. I’ve been pondering how to maintain focus, study and prayer while living a hectic life. Last week I was in California (from Ohio) all week. Five days, four hotels. Up at 3:30 am Monday to catch the 6:15 flight eventually to San Diego. Off the plane, meet my colleague, drive up to Temecula, check in hotel, drive to company we’re visiting, discuss technology and business, leave for dinner and back to hotel 10 pm PDT (1 am EDT).

Next day up early, videotape interviews, lunch and back to airport for flight to San Francisco. Once again in hotel about 10. Same thing Wednesday and Thursday. Friday up early to head to airport, home 1 am.

This week just two days that bad, but the problem is–how do you maintain discipline and focus in the midst of life? It’s easy for me to sit in observation mode and watch others in a state of distraction. Harder to step back and watch myself in distraction. Let he who is without sin cast the first rock, as Jesus once said.

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Ache Search Rejoice

April 20, 2009

— Gary Mintchell

Now that we are celebrating after Easter, this passage from Luke seems even more meaningful. I’ve been contemplating on Luke 15 for months now, and finally decided to write about it. During my study of Luke, I visited Willow Creek Community Church in suburban Chicago. Founder/Pastor Bill Hybels was concerned that his church had lost a little edge and brought out one of his original “Contagious Christians” talks. The outline is his, other thoughts mine.

It seems that well into his ministry, Jesus heard the grumbling of the church people–those who observed all the laws (so they thought anyway), attended services, hung out with the right people and all that. These are things we can recognize today from “church people.” So he told three stories to answer their question about why he hung out with “sinners and tax collectors.” The first story is about a shepherd who has a flock of a hundred sheep. Upon discovering that he has lost one, he leaves everything to find it. The second story is about a woman who has lost a coin and searches diligently until she finds it. The third story is about a man who loses one of his sons and looks longingly every day until that sons returns.

These stories have three things in common: aching, searching, rejoicing. And they all describe God. And as we live in remembrance of the Easter events and celebrate the risen Jesus, remember this context.

God aches for every lost person who cannot find the way to salvation and wholeness. Just as we should ache for those same people. Ache is deeper than shallow emotion. It is as if something in us is missing and we won’t be complete without it. Do we care about those who are lost? Or are we comfortable with those around us? Do we always sit an empty chair in our small groups in remembrance that we need to fill that chair with someone who needs to be brought into relationship?

The aching leads to action–searching. The shepherd diligently searches though all the rocks and crevaces until he finds the lost. The woman sweeps the floor, moving furniture, looking under things until she finds the coin. The man goes out to the hill and looks everyday for the return of his son. Do we ache so much for the lost that we search for them? Are we trying to bring wholeness through Jesus to people in need?

Finding leads to rejoicing. In each case the finder is so overjoyed that they invite all their friends over for a big celebration. Just as Jesus was telling the Pharisees and other “church people” (including us) that God rejoices for every person who was lost and then was found, so we should rejoice when a person finds the way and comes to God. As we live in this after Easter celebration along with facing a chenge in pastoral leadership, it’s important to remember we can have Easter celebrations every week that we find lost people and help them find wholeness. That’s what has grown our congregation, and what we need to continue to focus on.

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Easter 2009

April 11, 2009

-Gary Mintchell

Reflecting on being in Jerusalem last month and thinking of the Easter story gives an entirely new perspective. The people close to Jesus had a week of remarkable high highs and remarkably low lows all in the space of eight days or so. And the geographical area covered is so small. I took a picture of the “Palm Sunday” road from the Temple Mount. It is a road that comes down a mountain (hill?) to a valley and immediately rises toward Jerusalem and the Temple. The religious leaders would have easily seen the procession and commotion across the valley. From the peaceful setting of the Garden of Gethsemenee to the prison cell where Jesus was likely kept for the balance of the night (probably in a harness that kept him suspended from a hole in the floor down into a cave-like room) was not far in physical distance but light-years in terms of experience. Then a day of going back and forth between judges to the walk through crowded market streets to the cross. But hope comes from the empty tomb. Earlier in the trip we visited Tabga where the risen Jesus came to Peter and asked him three times “Do you love me?” Then “feed my sheep.”

I suppose that’s our challenge after Easter, too. Feed Jesus’ sheep.

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Pilgrammage

March 24, 2009

Sorry I’ve slacked off from this blog. Starting last August I have been traveling almost every week, and I simply ran out of time to do my job and also all my “hobbies.” Acutally I’m writing this post on an airplane on the way to Florida on a business trip. But I hope I’ve worked out a process to write occasionally. I’m just back from a second trip to Israel, this time extended with a side trip to Egypt.

Pictures are on Flickr . You can make the trip as a sight-seeing trip, or for history/architecture or for a cultural experience. It is best done as a spiritual journey–to the land where monotheism began and grew. Where Abraham established his legacy and where Jesus walked, taught, died and reappeared. People who view religion as a formula, where you repeat things you were taught to believe can miss an entire panorama of emotions and spiritual insight. And the experience is different every time. It depends on where you are in your journey and where God needs to meet you–or lead you.

Egypt adds an entirely new meaning to the experience. It is the land from which the Hebrews “escaped,” of course. Celebrated in the Passover rituals followed to this day after some 3,000 years. The Pyramids predate Abraham. Age so great that Americans with their paltry 300 years of history cannot comprehend–only to stand in awe of the genius of such ancient people. Maybe we don’t know everything after all. Part of the trip is a hike to the summit of Mt. Sinai. We stood where the Hebrews lost faith in Moses and induced Aaron to lead them in the molding of a god they had left behind in Egypt. This is now the site of one of the oldest monastaries of the Christian faith. The hike is about three miles in a winding path upwards about 2,000 feet in elevation. It is strenuous, but can be taken reasonably slowly with breaks. The final ascent tests your endurance, but then you are standing on the small level summit where Moses communed with God and came down after 40 days with the beginnings of God’s Law. The point of this pilgrammage is to ascend before dawn and witness the sunrise over the distant mountain peaks. The experience is awe inspiring. No wonder Moses could talk to God there. You felt as if you had ascended directly to Him. We are reminded that individually we are not as great as the American self-help gurus would have you believe.

God is Great. And He speaks to you in the stillness of the shores of the Sea of Galilee; in the chaos of the marketplace in Old Jerusalem where Jesus walked his final mile; in the caves of the Judean wilderness where David launched his campaigns; and in the height of Mt. Sinai. To the attentive listener, a message awaits. On my first trip I didn’t feel peace but the hate of distrustful religious followers who cannot break the barrier into understanding and living together. But I also felt challenged to pray for others–not myself–and to consider more deeply what I can do to bring peace to the world. In this second trip, God’s peace was pervasive. I returned at peace and rested.

It’s a trip everyone should make.

Gary Mintchell

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Grace under pressure

September 14, 2008

I have been traveling this week, first to Dallas then Chicago. My flights included a connection through Houston on Thursday. Needless to say I was tracking Ike all week. By Wednesday it was pretty certain that Thursday would be a good day in Houston, but by Friday things would be deteriorating. I had three hours to layover in Houston, and I have to say that all the people working there were courteous and professional even in the face of the impending direct hit by the hurricane. You could sense some uncertainty and dread, but in no way did it affect they way any of them interacted with customers. I have a lot of respect for those people. Makes you wonder about how you (I) would react under that pressure. We all have read about how our model for Christian life–Jesus–acted with grace under pressure. Can we do the same?

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Inspired to act

September 3, 2008

I guess I’ll continue the theme of actions today, because I just read this blog post by Steve Leveen, founder and CEO of Levenger–a retailer of fine pens and productivity tools for thinkers. On a suggestion from a friend, he read “Mountains Beyond Mountains” by Tracy Kidder about Dr. Paul Farmer (MD) who established a medical mission to Haiti even though he is a Harvard physician. The book inspired him (Leveen) to become a tutor at a local school. Interesting how ideas come together. I began my study of Luke this year with thoughts about John the Baptist’s teaching that following spiritual renewal you should go out and help other people. Jesus then began his ministry essentially the same way. Reading, listening to the Spirit, doing. Those three go together. Makes me wonder what I’m doing…

-Gary Mintchell

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