I’m a day behind, so I’m going to do two shorter reflections today. I went camping with a group of guys…that was anything but perfect.

Do you expect to be made perfect in love in this life?

This question, at first brush, seems just as strange as the previous was to me at my first annual conference when I was 15. Do you expect to be made perfect in this life? At first glance, it just seems rather presumptuous of John Wesley to make this inquiry. But, as Bishop Lyght points out, it is doubtful that Wesley would ask this question if he didn’t truly believe that it was possible.

The question makes sense to me on a cerebral level in light of the previous question. If I am going on to perfection, if I’m striving for it, then the expectation should be that God can work that holiness in me while on terra firma. John Wesley wrote of this expectancy. In his journal he defended the charge to expect perfection in love in this life, “I say an hourly expectation; for to expect it at death, or some other time hence, is much the same as not expecting it at all.”[1]

As I reflect on this question, that really makes sense to me. It is really easy to say “Oh yeah, God is going to make me perfect—but not in this life.” To expect to be perfected in love in this life—now that’s a God-sized expectation! I expect that God can make me the type of human being who loves God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength, who loves my neighbor as myself, who does justice and loves mercy and walks humbly before God. I want that holiness of heart and life that deepens a dynamic, mature relationship with God and neighbor. I want to be all that God has called me to be. I expect to be made perfect in love in this life—not by anything that I can do, but by the grace of God.

Do you expect to be made perfect in this life? God willing, I do.

 

[1] John Wesley, “May 6, 1760 to October 28, 1762,” Journal and Diaries IV (1755-65), ed. W. Reginald Ward and Richard P. Heitzenrater, vol. 21 of The Bicentennial Edition of the Works of John Wesley. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1992, p. 389.

I was 15 years old—attending my first ever session of Annual Conference when I first heard this question. The question struck me as odd at first. I was a new Christian and to that point everything had been about my conversion experience. All I knew is that I was a sinner saved by grace—the idea of “going on to perfection” seemed out of place.

The more I learned about God, and the more I learned about the Wesleyan movement, however, the more I fell in love with the doctrine of perfection in love. Perfection is central to the DNA of the Wesleyan tradition.

John Wesley, in his sermon Christian Perfection, said it this way “By perfection I mean the humble, gentle, patient love of God, and our neighbors, ruling our tempers, words, and actions.” For Wesley, perfection was synonymous with holiness or total sanctification.

Wesley made this emphasis that was really a re-emphasis on the Holy Spirit. In the reformation there was so much emphasis on conversion and justification through faith in Christ alone, and rightly so as Christology needed to be brought back to the center, that the work of the Holy Spirit in the human heart was completely de-emphasized. Wesley was bringing into focus the fullness of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit works in our lives to bring us to perfection.

Going on to perfection is the post-conversion process of the Holy Spirit re-orienting our lives away from sin and toward holiness. Dr. Timothy Tennent, president of Asbury Theological Seminary, wrote that perfection “doesn’t mean your life is free from sin. But it does mean that sin becomes your mortal enemy, not your secret lover.”[1]

I can look back over my own life and see where God’s sanctifying grace has been at work through the dynamic power of the Holy Spirit moving me on to perfection. By the grace and mercy of God, I am not the person I was when Christ found me, I’m not the person I was five years ago, I’m not the person I was last week. I have come to celebrate the process of going on to perfection by rejoicing in all the small victories where I can see that my heart has been re-oriented away from sin, where I can say that I am more loving, more Christ-like, more even-tempered. I am far from perfection (just ask my wife), but the Holy Spirit continues to work in my heart and life and move me toward it.

Are you going on to perfection? I am, by the grace of God.

[1] Tennent, Timothy C. Awakening Holiness. Wilmore, KY: Seedbed, 2011. E-Book. P.36

Have you faith in Christ? This seems like such an obvious and simple question for one seeking ordination in the Church. Indeed it’s one of the foundational–nay, THE foundational question of the Christian faith.

The faith to confess that “Jesus Christ is Lord” is the bedrock upon which Christianity is built. Jesus as Lord is not just a piece of Christianity, it is Christianity. Upon Peter’s confession of Him as “the Christ, the son of the Living God” Jesus pledged to build His Church. For me, the Christological hymn preserved in Philippians 2:6-11 says it all:

⁶ who, though he was in the form of God,
    did not regard equality with God
    as something to be exploited,
⁷ but emptied himself,
    taking the form of a slave,
    being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
⁸     he humbled himself
    and became obedient to the point of death—
    even death on a cross.

⁹ Therefore God also highly exalted him
 and gave him the name
    that is above every name,
¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus
    every knee should bend,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue should confess
    that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

In reflecting on this question, retired Bishop Ernest Lyght imagines that there are really two layers to this question: “Do you know Jesus?” and “How well do you know Jesus?”[1]

I came to know Jesus as “the way, the truth, and the life” when I was 14 years old during a week of church camp. I came to realize that Jesus had been pursuing me with His grace before I was even willing to admit the existence of God. I accepted the invitation to confess my sin, put my trust in Jesus, and submit my life to his Lordship. The words of Charles Wesley’s great hymn became my reality:

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night:
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

This was a dramatic experience in my life. During that same week of camp I felt God’s call to ordained ministry. I really began my Christian journey with the peculiar certainty that Jesus wanted to use me. But even though I felt that call, the height of it all was knowing that Jesus loved me and had rescued me.

How well do I know Jesus? To me, this is a question of Christian growth. My life changed the instant I professed faith in Jesus Christ, but the story of faith would be incomplete if it ended there. Faith must always strive to be maturing. Fresh in my mind right now is the sermon that my friend and co-laborer Bruce preached yesterday on John 16:12-15. In my journey, there have continually been new facets to faith in Christ. There have been times where I could “not bear” to know any more, but I’ve learned more about Christ and His grace as the journey continues. As individual believers, we are called to lives of personal and social holiness. This is only possible by submitting our entire selves to the Lordship of Christ in vocation, relationships, time, passion, and will. In so doing, we know him more, and reclaim more of our authentic humanity.

Christ continues to be my only hope. He’s my hope for my own life, for the life of my family, my hope for the human race, my hope for the Church. Everything I have and everything I am is because of Jesus.

Have you faith in Christ? I have.

[1] Lyght, Ernest S. Have You Faith in Christ?: A Bishop’s Insight into the Historic Questions. Nashville: Abingdon, 2015. Kindle Edition. Loc. 284

Almost two years ago, on June 6, 2014, I was commissioned by Bishop Jonathan Keaton as a Provisional Elder in The United Methodist Church. After 4 years of undergraduate school, 4 years of seminary, and an interview with the Board of Ordained Ministry, this commissioning began two years of preparation for ordination.

This past February, I appeared before the Board of Ordained Ministry again for four, one-hour long interviews (Doctrinal, Sermon, Bible Study, Fruitfulness) to evaluate my growth and effectiveness in ministry and endless pages of written work I had prepared. Later that evening I received a phone call indicated that I had been approved by the Board for Ordination as an Elder. In that moment all the hard work, all the meetings, all the late nights, all the money invested, all the hoops…they were worth it. The call and giftedness from God that I knew in my heart was affirmed by my Church. I was ready for the celebration to begin.

Then, at the end of April, those of us being ordained (as well as those being commissioned) met with our Bishop in Springfield to prepare for the service. We worshiped, ate together and went over details of the service. In the midst of it, Bishop Keaton presented us with nineteen questions. As part of our general examination at Annual Conference, we would be expected to answer these nineteen historic questions:

You have indicated that you are convinced that you should enter the ministry of Christ’s holy Church. You have declared that you are willing to face any sacrifice that may be involved in the consecration of life. You have indicated that you are so situated in life that you can accept the obligations of the itinerant ministry. You have affirmed that you will respect the purity of life in body, mind, and spirit, and that you will keep before you as the one objective of your life the advancement of the reign of God. Remember the words of Christ, who said, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” In accordance with the usage and Discipline of The United Methodist Church and the historic usages of our communion, and in the presence of this conference, I ask you:

1. Have you faith in Christ? I have.
2. Are you going on to perfection? I am, by the grace of God.
3. Do you expect to be made perfect in love in this life? God willing, I do.
4. Are you earnestly striving after it? With God’s help, I am.
5. Are you resolved to devote yourself wholly to God and to God’s work? I am so resolved.
6. Do you know the General Rules of our Church? I do.
7. Will you keep them? I will so endeavor.
8. Have you studied the doctrines of The United Methodist Church? I have studied them.
9. After full examination do you believe our doctrines are in harmony with the Holy Scriptures? I believe that they are.
10. Will you preach and maintain them? I will.
11. Have you studied our form of Church discipline and polity? I have.
12. Do you approve of our Church government and polity? I do so approve.
13. Will you support and maintain them? I will, with God’s help.
14. Will you diligently instruct the children in every place? I will.
15. Will you visit from house to house? This is my commitment.
16. Will you recommend fasting or abstinence, both by precept and example? I will so recommend.
17. Are you determined to employ all your time in the work of God? That is my intention.
18. Are you in debt so as to embarrass you in your work? I am not.
19. Will you observe the following directions? (a) Be diligent. Never be unemployed. Never be triflingly employed. Never trifle away time; neither spend any more time at any one place than is strictly necessary. (b) Be punctual. Do everything exactly at the time. And do not mend our rules, but keep them; not for wrath, but for conscience’ sake. The Lord being my helper, I will.

I’ve been reflecting a lot on these nineteen questions. I think of so many who have come before me who have answered these questions. I think of those who earnestly strove to keep these commitments. I think of those who were unable to keep them. In my reflection, it has become very clear to me that I do not want ordination to just be a “business transaction”. It’s about more than conference membership and the completion of formal study. It really is the beginning of a lifelong commitment to service to Christ’s Holy Church through The United Methodist Church.

I have nineteen days before ordination. Nineteen days to prepare myself spiritually to answer these nineteen questions. I can’t be the only one who has wrestled or is wrestling with the spiritual weight of preparation for ordination. So, one of the things that I’m doing to prepare myself for the day of ordination is to reflect deeply on each of these questions and I’ve decided to share those reflections here. Perhaps it may aid someone else in their own grappling with these important questions.

Later today, I’ll post about question one.

You’ve been warned.

I am not a delegate to General Conference in Portland, nor was I eligible to be (ordination in less than a month….BOOM!). However, I am a huge Methonerd. What I mean by that is that I have watched the live stream of General Conference since it began last week, have followed along with legislation being considered and worshiped right alongside the delegates via the stream. No, I’m not a delegate, so what I say here matters very little in the grand scheme of things. But I do love Jesus and The United Methodist Church. The UMC welcomed me with open arms when I first began to follow Jesus. I have served as a Pastor in the UMC for the last nine years and…as I gleefully pointed out earlier…I am to be ordained as an Elder in Full Connection at our Annual Conference in less than a month. Because of my deep love for The United Methodist Church, and uneasiness about some of the action taken by the General Conference today, I decided I would rant. 🙂

If you are a Methonerd, you will find some of what I post to be redundant to what you already know. But I also know that there are those who will read this who aren’t up on all the metho-lingo, so let me give some background.

First, General Conference is the only body that can speak for the entire United Methodist Church. It is a decision-making body that gathers every four years to make decisions that will advance our mission of “making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” Pastors and laypeople from every annual conference around the world are elected and sent as delegates.

For several decades, there has been growing division in our denomination around the issue of human sexuality. The United Methodist Church officially holds that “homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.” This has caused division and hurt in our denomination between those who affirm this language and those who wish for a more inclusive Church.

The issue came before this General Conference as well. Yesterday, a request was made for our Bishops to bring forward a plan for a suggested way forward that the delegates could either accept or reject. Bishop Bruce Ough, President of the Council brought the plan this morning. You can find the full text of the Bishops’ proposal here, some of the highlights are as follows. The Bishops suggested that:

-General Conference 2016 defer all discussion on human sexuality.

-The discussion of human sexuality be referred to a special commission selected by the Council of Bishops. This commission would study, examine and make recommendations for a way forward from the current deadlock.

-If the commission finishes their work before the 2020 General Conference, there could be a specially called session of the General Conference to vote on the recommendations of the commission. 

After the Council of Bishops presented their plan, a motion was made by Rev. Adam Hamilton to accept their recommendation. His motion was debated and was defeated by a vote of 438-393.

A short time after this was defeated, another delegated moved to accept the Bishops’ plan. It was ruled that his motion was somehow different from the one offered by Rev. Hamilton (I’m still not sure how that’s possible). This time, the plan offered by our Bishops was approved 428-405. Barring any parliamentary challenge or ruling by the Judicial Council, it would appear that this is the plan that will be used.

So basically, the can gets kicked down the road for another 2-3 years so we can talk more about the issue. I seriously feel like the Titanic is sinking and we’re busy rearranging the deck chairs. I believe the time for talking has passed. This was the moment for the General Conference to act, and it slipped by. I have dear friends on both sides of the human sexuality debate…my newsfeed contained posts from conservatives, moderates, and progressives. Frankly, I didn’t see very many who were happy with the action taken by the General Conference. We wanted action. Either action that affirmed the orthodox position that has been held by the Church since 1972 or action that made a way for full inclusion in our Church. Folks…we didn’t get any of that!

We’ve tried study commissions in the past (1976, 1980, 1988) and we’re still terribly divided over this issue. I fear that we cannot endure 2-3 more years of business as usual. Our witness to the world hangs in the balance. Our Church hangs in the balance. I’m sitting here wondering if the Church I am about to be ordained in will even exist by the time the commission is done with their work. I desperately want us to stay together, so let’s find a way to make it happen NOW. The time for talking is over. No matter what happens, I believe that there can still be a vital expression of Wesleyan Christianity with or without The United Methodist Church….but my heart yearns for us to stay united. I put my trust in Jesus Christ who is Lord of the Church to lead and guide us into the future, no matter what it may hold.

That’s my hope.  I still sit here tonight, hoping and praying that the action taken by General Conference today will be reconsidered before Friday. Come what may, the time for action is NOW.

 

It’s been quite awhile since I’ve written a post or reviewed a book. My life has been consumed with….well, becoming a Dad, preparing for a second child, finishing the requirements for full membership in the Illinois Great Rivers Conference of The United Methodist Church….so yeah, I’ve been busy. I’m hoping to get caught up on the reviews.

Scott Sauls currently serves as the Sr. Pastor at Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville. The premise of the book had me very excited. Sauls has witnessed, as have I, the divisive rhetoric around political and social issues in American/Western Christianity. He sets out to provide a better way forward, following Jesus over and against the rhetoric. I found the book to be a decent introduction to some of the topics, but in the end felt that it failed in the development of depth.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale Publishing as a part of its book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

“You’ll never be together this way again.” Those words hit me in a really strange way. I was standing at the front of the church with 8 high school students and 3 adult leaders to be sent by our congregation on a short term mission trip to Bayou La Batre, Alabama. Pastor Bruce shared some words with the group before he prayed and told us that we had never been this exact group before and that when the trip was over we never would be again. Those words struck me as being somehow out of place. But tonight, the last night of our trip…..I realized how right he was (it’s never easy for an associate pastor to admit that his directing pastor was right). Let’s back up.

We left Canton at midnight last Saturday. It was a long trip through the night. Around 4:30 in the afternoon we made it to the Bayou La Batre Community Center. Let’s be clear…..they said the building was fully air conditioned but I’m calling bull right here. Our sleeping areas were at least 80 degrees at all times. Yuck.

I was in awe of our team all week. They worked so hard. They painted houses, ran a kids club, and ministered to shut ins in some of the hottest weather the bayou had experienced all summer.

More than the hard work, I loved watching them bond with each other. We are most certainly not the same group that left canton last week…..we’re a family now. We have memories that will last forever….we had several “journey moments” and countless inside jokes that will never make sense to anyone else.

Tonight, I had the opportunity to wash the feet of these amazing servant leaders……those who know me at all understand that this was out of my comfort zone. But in the quietness of those germ filled moments….we shared grace together. I wanted to let them know how much God loves them and has great plans for each one of them.

But I also realized something. Not only are these awesome students my family……I’m so proud to be their pastor. I came to Wesley just over a year ago and I dont think it was any big secret that I was nervous to be doing youth ministry again. Bruce just kept telling me to see the youth as my congregation…..and dang it he was right again. This is my flock. I feel responsible for them. As much as I want to see my wife and daughter, I’m grieving the ending of this experience. I wish we could stay together in this way doing life together and building the kingdom……but we’ll never be together in this way again. Life happens. We’ll be back to our jobs and routines and some of the bond we’ve built will wane.

Others will join us next year. Some of us won’t be back. I’m losing one of my flock. She was the first student I met on moving day and has been a great leader. She’s going off to college and I now fully understand that we’ll never be together in this way again.

So now im sitting up in and empty lobby and I’ll admit I’m grieving the end of this experience. There’s driving to do tomorrow and we’re going to spend a few days on the beach before returning home. I’ll be fine in the morning……but for just a little while longer im going to sit with these feelings knowing that my heart is full of gratitude and love for all that has been.

It can be frustrating to do ministry in a small town setting since we know the numbers. We know that, despite what Gallup (and others) has previously reported, that the vast majority of US-Americans do not attend Church. The Halo-Effect (the tendency of people to exaggerate socially desirable behaviors such as church attendance and understate socially undesirable behaviors such as tobacco and alcohol consumption) has probably led more people to state that they regularly attend church. For those of us in small towns, it may be fairly simple to determine the percentage of people in our community who are attending worship.

I serve two small towns and a quick, non-scientific, calculation reveals anorexic numbers. In one town, my guestimate calculation leads me to believe that about 25% of our population attends one of the churches in our village limits. In the other, the same guestimate registers around 23%. If you’re in a small town, what is your educated-guestimate? What do these numbers suggest to us? To me, it shows what a vast mission-field there is even in small towns and rural communities. These numbers make me passionate about spreading the Gospel message all over again. So what is stopping those of us in small towns from growing? Simply put, change is hard.

It’s hard when one serves an established congregation that in many ways, operates the same way that it did 50 years ago. Why does it look the same? Often, despite our best efforts to do good ministry, change or anything “new” is not accepted easily. It’s hard when one is attempting to start a new ministry from scratch in a small town. Why? Despite the passion and good intentions, change or anything “new” is met with relative suspicion.

Yep, it’s hard. It’s frustrating. But I’ve been being challenged lately to think of this opposition as a great opportunity. In Luke 4, the people of Nazareth (a small, of no-account town) rejected Jesus’ teaching in the temple. I wonder if his teaching challenged their assumptions about God, about their lives, if their sense of normalcy was being shaken?

And what about in Jerusalem? Jesus comes in to town doing something completely new! (Check out Matthew’s Account) He comes riding in to Jerusalem to his own little parade, with some of the people exclaiming him as “Son of David” and “Blessed”. This can’t possibly look good to the institution. Then he goes in to the temple where the religious authority have created a smooth-running flow of income for the temple. Jesus takes exception to this and turns over the tables and reminds them of what the temple was to be used for in the first place. I’m sure this didn’t go over well with the established order, either. Matthew says that after they saw the parade and the scene he caused in the temple that “they were indignant”. The rest of Matthew 21-25 is devoted to this sort of back and forth between Jesus and the establishment. What was he modeling? What was he teaching? CHANGE! A change that would really bring people in to the Kingdom of God. It was a hard pill for them to swallow…they didn’t feel they needed anything new or a change.

Matthew 26 begins this way, “When Jesus had finished saying all these things…the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest…and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him.” They, quite literally, were deathly opposed to this new change Jesus was bringing about. Opposed to the point that their plan was to kill him so that he would be forgotten. We know that this did not happen, however. Their opposition, their resistance….his death and resurrection brought about the greatest movement the world has ever known. It’s the movement that changed my life and yours. It’s the movement of God in the world that we have decided to be engaged with in ministry. The Church was spawned because of this.

So here’s my encouragement to my fellow small-town pastors and church leaders. I know it’s rough out there and change is hard and not received well all the time. While I’m certainly not saying that any of us are on par with Jesus, I want to suggest that we follow his lead. He led from his passion, his relationship with his Father and brought about change. Not change simply for the sake of change, but change that could transform the world (and it has and will continue to do so). Lead from your own relationship with God, from your passion in ministry and keep following after Jesus. When change is necessary (and there are some practicalities for leading change or starting something new; but that’s a different blog), work at it lovingly. Who knows, God may take your passion and leadership and do something magnificent! I know it can be terribly hard, I know it can be frustrating….but I’m counting on God to make something beautiful out of it all!

 

Mr. Wayne Brock, Chief Scout Executive

Dear Mr. Brock,

My name is Larry Frank, and I am a United Methodist Pastor in Illinois. People in my circles talk about being a “cradle” Methodist/Catholic/Lutheran, etc. when referring to their religious rearing. I can say with confidence that I am a “cradle” Scout. I don’t recall there ever being a conversation with my parents where they asked if I wanted to join scouts, it just happened. I was engrained in Pack 52, Mount Olive, Illinois.

I remember the bright orange shirt that my mother had to iron paw prints on as I completed the tasks of a Tiger Cub. I remember graduating from the orange t-shirt to a blue uniform as I became a Bobcat in the Cub Scouts. With this came some great times. I remember the care my Dad and I put in to my pinewood derby box car, making several trips to the post office down the street to have them weigh the car to make sure it was just right. In the beginning, the pinewood derbies, the rain-rutter regattas were all about the look of the car or boat. We all wanted to win “best in show”. As I grew older and became a wolf scout, a bear, a Webelos; it became about proper aerodynamics for maximum speed. Best in show was for the “little kids”….I wanted to WIN!

I remember the fun campouts we had as cub scouts. Once a year we went to the Lincoln Pilgrimage in Springfield, IL. We camped in New Salem State Park. As a part of the weekend there was a 21 mile hike. Each weekend concluded with a Sunday morning memorial service at Lincoln’s tomb and a grand march of Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts from all over the state parading from Lincoln’s Tomb to the State Capitol building (as if we needed to walk any more than we had the day before).

Our leaders (my Dad was the scout master of the pack) tried to make our private pack campouts fun. I will never forget the sheer excitement we all experienced when we saw a lit canoe coming across the Old Lake in Mount Olive with 3 men dressed as Native American’s in tow. My excitement turned to a bit of embarrassment when I saw that my Dad was the “Chief”; but they were doing their best to make the camping experience fun for us boys.

I remember the ceremony at my final “blue and gold” banquet when I received my arrow of light and was granted permission to join Troop 52 as a tenderfoot Boy Scout. I traded in my blue uniform, for the tan “class-A”. I was elected the first patrol leader of our group and we named our patrol “the screaming monkeys.” We did everything we could to make sure we went to summer camp and other exciting opportunities. I sold popcorn like a bandit, like every good scout. Our big fundraiser, though, was selling fresh lemonade shake-ups at our town’s summer carnival. Being the Scoutmaster’s Son, I learned how to cut lemons in advance (which taught me to waste NOTHING because I did NOT want to cut any more). I can still smell Dad’s truck when we’d both climb in after shaking lemonade all night (there’s nothing like that sticky, lemony, sugary feeling to drive even the most unhygienic pre-teen to beg for a shower). We used our funds to participate in the Klondike Derby at Camp Warren Levis, to attend summer camp at Camp Bunn, Rhodes France Scout Reservation, and perhaps one other place. It was on these trips that I learned the basic tools of leadership that I use every day as a Pastor. It was at Camp Bunn that I was given the first opportunity to preach a sermon outside of my home Church. It was on those trips that I made memories to last a lifetime; like when one guy said he’d stay up and watch the fire but fell asleep before the rest of us….needless to say we had some fun that included Peanut Butter on his boots. It was on one camping trip where the combination of a poorly cooked breakfast casserole and a lack of modern facilities taught us all the proper method of digging and utilizing a latrine. It was in Scouts that I learned the Scout Oath and Law, which I’m STILL doing my best to live up to.

It was around many campfires and troop meetings that I learned that being an Eagle Scout would help my future and it was a scouting rank that would last me a lifetime. I carried out my Eagle Project at my Church Camp; we painted the large outdoor chapel that was in terrible need of a fresh coat of paint. I remember how nervous I was sitting before my Eagle Board of Review. I remember the deep sigh of relief when they stood to shake my hand because I had been granted the rank of Eagle Scout just like my Father before me. I remember my excitement at my Eagle Court of Honor…and the distinct privilege it was to receive that award with two guys that I had journeyed through Scouting with from almost the beginning. I remember how elated I was to receive a commendation from Robert Mueller, the Director of the FBI.

These are memories that I carry with me every single day. I have always been proud to be an Eagle Scout and hope to one day have a Son with which I may share Scouting.

I say all this to note that I have been watching the developing story regarding the vote to lift the BSA ban on openly gay leaders and scouts with keen interest. I have seen the reports of parents threatening to withdraw their boys if the ban is lifted….their religious beliefs and other convictions lead them to believe this is the only response they can have. If the ban is lifted, I also fear that many Charter Organizations with withdraw their necessary support of thousands of troops and packs.

I have seen gay Eagle Scouts and Eagle Scout Allies returning their Eagle Awards as a protest against the ban. This hurts me as well, as these Eagles are my brothers bound together with me in a sacred brotherhood that so few scouts ever experience. I read, hear, and in many ways feel their hurt over the ban.

I am a conflicted Eagle Scout.

I understand that a vote is currently underway and an announcement regarding whether the ban will stay intact or not will be revealed tomorrow. I fear that no matter what the decision is, there will be backlash that will ultimately hurt Scouting. I am not writing this to plead for a decision one way or the other, I’m sure the decision has already been made and who am I to influence the executive committee? I write to remind you that no matter what the decision, no matter what the backlash….I still stand by the principles of the Scout Oath and Law; as do many others. I still support the work of scouting in this country that in so many ways taught me how to be a better man who loves God and country. No matter what happens and no matter who abandons scouting because of the decision…..I AM STILL PROUD TO BE AN EAGLE SCOUT!

I am praying for you and the Executive Scouting Committee. I do not envy the position you are in and pray God’s peace over you no matter what you decide. Somehow, in the midst of all this turmoil, I pray that there will be a rebirth of Scouting in this country.

Yours in Scouting,

Rev. Larry D. Frank
Eagle Scout, Troop 52

Dear Ones in Christ:

I greet you in the strong name of Jesus Christ as we begin this Advent Season. I love this time of year. I love the energy of Advent as we celebrate again the birth of Christ and look forward expectingly toward his return. I love the lights, the carols, the parties….the cookies. I love the ability to put a smile on someone else’s face by giving them a heartfelt gift, and who doesn’t love receiving gifts? I absolutely love our candlelight Christmas Eve service every year. It’s always interesting to see the look on all of your faces as you drag in at 11pm, stuffed from your Christmas dinners and barely awake. But my finest memories as your pastor have been the change in those faces as they are lit by candles as we sing Silent Night. My absolute favorite part about the Christmas season is being able to say to all of you as we prepare to close the service, “before you leave wish each other a Merry Christmas. After all, it’s Christmas morning.”

I could go on and on about the things I love about Christmas, but I’ll just mention one more. I’m always impressed with your faithfulness in giving this time of year. You always step it up a notch as a Church. First, on behalf of 24 children throughout the world, I want to thank you for the shoeboxes that we came up with between both churches. Next, our general Church offerings always see an increase during Advent as you allow the generosity of your heart to overflow to the offering plates that support your congregation in living out its mission of Connecting the Unconnected and Maturing the Connected. Your generosity shows again in our special march to the manger each year as we present our advent love offerings that go above and beyond our regular tithe and offerings. These gifts go to World Service Fund through the United Methodist Church and equips the Church at large to better fulfill its mission of Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World.

I want to take this opportunity to appeal to your generosity once more. I want to challenge you to give the gift of life this Christmas season. For the past several years, the United Methodist Church has been engaged in a program known as Imagine No Malaria. IMN is dedicated to the elimination of Malaria in Africa. Malaria is a completely preventable disease, but it is a killer. Malaria was eliminated in the United States in the 50’s but Africa was left behind. A disease that is completely preventable is killing someone in Africa every 60 seconds. Because of the efforts of the UMC, though, this number has improved from 30 seconds. But since our goal is the complete elimination of Malaria in Africa, we press on. Imagine No Malaria prevents Malaria through the distribution of repellant treated bed nets. But it goes a step further. IMN is invested in the treatment of Malaria and the development of a vaccine. You can find more information on Imagine No Malaria at http://www.imaginenomalaria.org

So here’s my challenge. There are two tiers. I’m challenging both churches to raise money for Imagine No Malaria. If the total is $500 or greater (roughly$10/person) I will dye my hair hot pink on December 30. If the total is $750 or greater (roughly $15/person), I’ll dye my hair hot pink and take a pie to the face from the layperson of YOUR choosing during worship on December 30. If the total is $1,000 or greater (roughly $20/person), I will take the pie to the face AND have my head shaved bald for worship on December 30.  So there’s my challenge. Would you go above and beyond your regular giving to support Imagine No Malaria and have a bit of fun at your pastor’s expense? You can give my putting a check in the offering plate any Sunday before December 30. Make the check out to either church and write IMAGINE NO MALARIA on the memo line.

Let’s see what we can do with this and make a lasting and positive difference in the world this Christmas!

 

Merry Christmas,

Pastor Larry