New Calendar

Previously to see the church calendar on the internet, you had to go to our website and then follow a link to another site. It's now been set up so that the calendar is embedded in the website. Check it out at www.coffeyvillefirstumc.org.

Leah Was Just There for Dramatic Effect

"Leah Was Just There for Dramatic Effect," is the title of my sermon for this coming Sunday. I'll be preaching on Genesis 29.15-30.

More on "Who Stole My Church"

Apparently, I'm not the only one in the conference reading Who Stole My Church? Today's email update from the Annual Conference included the following:

In Gordon MacDonald's most recent book, "Who Stole My Church?: What to Do When the Church You Love Tries to Enter the 21st Century," he uses a semi-fictional approach to show that many older folks don’t feel comfortable when their congregations start adding praise bands and PowerPoint presentations. He also illustrates how positive change can happen in a church.

Read a question-and-answer session with McDonald at www.umportal.org/article.asp?id=3761.

Mental Health Break

The video below has nothing to do with Christianity or the church except for the fact that it features the tune Ode to Joy (Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee), but I'm posting it anyway.

Parish Visitor Article: Who Stole My Church?

Note: There were a couple of typos and grammatical errors in the column that went to print, but this being a blog, those errors are easily corrected.

It is a dangerous thing for a pastor to recommend a book. But I’m going to do this dangerous thing and recommend Who Stole My Church? by Gordon MacDonald. Who Stole My Church? is subtitled "What to Do When the Church You Love Tries to Enter the Twenty-First Century." The subtitle is a fairly accurate indicator of the book’s intent. The title comes from the statement, “All I know is that someone stole my church and I’d like to get it back.”

This book was brought to my attention by Dr. Becky Dobbins who reports that she found mention of it on a website with an article that I had recommended on the pastors’ blog. I also saw mention of it, but failed to pursue it, thankfully Becky did.

Gordon MacDonald doesn’t reveal his age, but he does mention that he writes from the perspective of a pastor with 47 years of experience in five different churches. I found myself wishing I had half of his wisdom and experience. He has done a great deal to help me appreciate how hard change is for anyone who has devoted a lifetime to their church. I hope the book has made me more understanding and sympathetic to the difficulties of change. At the same time he is emphatic that changes must be made, indeed he seems intent on more radical change than I, myself, am willing to even contemplate.

MacDonald’s rationale for the necessity for change in the local church is encapsulated in a sentiment attributed to Jack Welch, the former CEO of GE: “When the rate of change inside an organization is slower than the rate of change outside an organization, the end [of that organization] is in sight.” But part of the allure of MacDonald’s book is his point that many of the practices and denominations we now consider stalwart (including the United Methodist Church) started out as radical departures from past practices.

Throughout Who Stole My Church?, McDonald never loses site of the inherent, intrinsic value of the church which he roots not in its effectiveness, but rather in the simple observation that Christ gave his life for the church (Acts 20.28). I commend this book to you. I’ve ordered two copies for the church library. If you think it worthy of group discussion I would be happy to lead a study.

VBS Decorations

Thanks again to everyone who brought items to decorate for our VBS beach party. If you have not already picked up the items you brought you may find them on a table in the fellowship hall downstairs.

Building Locked

We just received a head's up for security concerns and I'm getting ready to leave the church so the front door has been locked for Linda's safety. You'll want to call ahead or have a cell phone ready if your planning on coming into the church today.

Flood Relief Work

Our first morning of flood relief work went well this morning. We are working on Betty Battaglear's basement. I got practice working with drywall mud and Dave Larimore taught we how to do inside corners. We'll need more volunteers next Saturday. We may be able to begin painting. Let Dave or I know if you are interested. The work is good for your soul and Betty is truly thankful and appreciative.

The Church as Social Strategy

"The church doesn't have a social strategy, the church is a social strategy."

–Stanley Hauerwas and William H. Willimon, Resident Aliens, 43.

To see this fulfilled has been my goal for every church I have served.

Mission Workday this Saturday

We'll be having a work day for flood relief this coming Saturday, July 26, from 8:00 am to 11:00 am (we're trying to avoid the excessive heat). Call Dave Larimore or John Collins for more information.

William H. Willimon On Being Nice

"I don't know about you, but I think one of my problems is that I thought you could be a preacher and be nice."

–Bishop William H. Willimon, speaking of the way Jesus challenges the church as a body and Christians as individuals, and of the duty of preachers to truthfully pass those challenges onto the congregation in a podcast titled
"Jesus is Tough on the Church."

I think this is a real issue for the church in our day. We have substituted "niceness" for the challenging, sometimes difficult, sometimes harsh, but always liberating and life giving gospel of Jesus Christ.

If you want to listen to the whole thing, it can be found on this page.

Link: http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/5824/

On Vacation

As announced last Sunday, Jenny, Elizabeth, and I are taking some time off this week. I'll be back in the office a little on Thursday and Friday in order to make preparations for Sunday.

"The Dog Days of Pentecost"

The weeks after Pentecost are a difficult time for the church. Bishop William H. Willimon has a short (9 minutes) meditation on perseverence entitiled "The Dog Days of Pentecost" it is about a third of the way down this page.

Link: http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/5824/

VBS Raised $110.31 for Flood Buckets

This week $110.31 was collected for flood buckets at Vacation Bible School. We'll do our best to stretch that into three buckets.

Quote of the Week

Via Sojourners:

"It is a powerful way to be a witness for Christ, by demonstrating your capacity to not judge the way everybody else is judging and to serve unconditionally."

–Lt. Cmdr. William C. Kuebler, a military lawyer for a Guantánamo detainee, who has persistently challenged Bush Administration policy as "designed to get criminal convictions" with "no real evidence," and asserted that Pentagon prosecutors "launder evidence derived from torture." (Source: The New York Times)

Given the continuing revelations concerning torture in recent days the above seems particularly relevant. We need to pray for Kuebler and others who follow their faith even when, especially when, doing so makes life more difficult.

Link: www.nytimes.com/2008/06/19/us/19gitmo.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

The Case For Christianity

From the United Methodist Portal:

Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion. Christopher Hitchens’ God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything. This recent rash of books argues that religion is pernicious—and atheism is morally superior. And it has Dinesh D’Souza firing back in his book, What’s So Great About Christianity? (Regnery Publishing)

If your interested in reading more you can find the whole article at: www.umportal.org/article.asp?id=3710.

VBS Off to a Good Start

VBS got off to a good start today. As always, snacks are part of it. In the picture above: Janie Foreman relaxes at the "Snack Shack." Below: Alex Brandenburg, having finished today's craft eagerly awaits the next activity.

God is Love

"Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love."

–1 John 4.8

"God is often styled holy, righteous, wise; but not holiness, righteousness, or wisdom in the abstract, as he is said to be love; intimating that this is his darling, his reigning attribute, the attribute that sheds an amiable glory on all his other perfections."

–John Wesley, Notes on the New Testament, commenting on 1 John 4.8.

The belief that love, not sovereignty, not power, not holiness, not justice, etc. lies at the very heart of Wesley's theology.

New Children's Ministries Logo

What do you think?

Prayer Concerns Moved

When you open up this coming Sunday's bulletin to the "Announcement Insert" you will find that the list of prayer concerns has been moved from the front to the back page. This is not a demotion. The move has nothing to do with importance and everything to do with the fact that there is more space available for prayer concerns on the back page (because the front page has the masthead.)

Voice of the Day: Sin and Evil

Via Sojourners:

"Sin and evil are concretely expressed not only in individuals, but also in structures."

–Tito Paredes, director of Centro Evangelico Missiologico Andino Amazonico

Online Calendar Downtime

Our online calendar is hosted with Apple's .Mac service. Apple is transitioning .Mac to MobileMe. I've already experienced a few service outages as I've gone to check the online calendar, there are probably some more to come. Please be patient.

"What Kind of Soil are You?

This Sunday's sermon will be: "What Kind of Soil are You?" on Matthew 13.1-9, 18-23.
(Painting above: "Wheat Field with Cypresses," by Vincent van Gogh, 1889.)

A Word About Taizé

I'm writing this entry to encourage you to consider attending our next Taizé on Wednesday, August 3, 2008. Our last Taizé worship service was last Wednesday. I've been humming and singing the songs ever since and whenever I do, I find myself experiencing (or at least closer to experiencing) God's peace, the peace that surpasses all understanding. The most recent time was this morning as I was biking into work. I am not a meditative or contemplative person and yet the Taizé service does wonders in bringing me into the presence of God.

The service takes it's name from the Christian Community in Taizé, France. Their website is: www.taize.fr.

No Yoga Until Next Tuesday

There will be no yoga classes until next Tuesday. Our instructors will be out of town.

Vision Team Meeting Reminder

We'll be having a Vision Team meeting this Wednesday at 5:15.

Voice of the Day

Via Sojourners:

"The good news is that God loves me long before I could have done anything to deserve it."

–Desmond Tutu

Marilyn Gregory Preaching this Sunday

We're in Kansas City, actually Olathe, right now. My brother made it back safely from two years in Morocco with the Peace Corps late last night. We'll be spending the 4th of July weekend with family. The Rev. Marilyn Gregory from Independence First will be preaching this Sunday. Since Marilyn is an elder, she'll be presiding over the table and communion will be celebrated.

Flood Recovery Work

Coffeyville First will be helping with flood recovery by refurbishing a flooded basement in the north part of town. Possible work days are July 19, July 26, and August 2. Dave Larimore has graciously agreed to serve as foreman this job, let him know if you are interested in helping.

Taizé Service Wednesday

This evening we will be having a Taizé service for our Wednesday night Gathering. A Taizé service is one of prayer, meditative singing and silence that includes candles and dimmed lights to add to the meditative mood. I invite you to come and experience this different style of worship. The service begins at 7:15 p.m. in the chapel. Childcare will be provided.