Leaving Legacies

I did not know until recently that the founder of the "Reading is Fundamental" (RIF) program was Margaret McNamara. She had a passion for promoting reading among children. She knew the value that comes to children when they read a book that they personally own. The RIF program had a modest start in 1966. Today it is helping Children read, all over the country. In its quiet way, the legacy ofMargaret McNamara dwarfs the more visible contributions to the world of her husband Robert S. McNamara, who was secretary of defense in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. There are prominent leaders across our nation who told the story of owning their first RIF book and that changes it made in their outlook and in their lives.

The legacy of Andrew Carnegie it is more well known. The prominent steel industry tycoon also had a passion for books and libraries and the communities of America. Any observant trip across our country will discover Carnegie libraries in small towns and larger communities. Adjusted for inflation, Carnegie's fortune was every bit as large as the Bill Gates fortune. His legacy of community interest and improving the world is far more valuable than the number of dollars involved. Carnegie had a passion for helping people be the very best that they could be. His ideas and management concepts have truly shaped the modern world.

Nicholas, Bishop of Mira, has left an even bigger legacy. Nicholas lived in the fourth century of the common era. He was known for his generosity. When he was recognized as a saint of the church, it was his generosity that was to become the stuff of legends. Nicholas, saint of hopeless causes, is recognized on December 6th every year, but his legend has become linked with the giving of the Christmas season. Perhaps you think more of St. Nicholas under the modern twists of his name as Santa n'Klaus, or Santa Claus. His is a legend that inspires generosity beyond our greatest imaginations.

Again and again throughout life, I have heard it said that it is very important that we leave the world a better place that we found it. I guess that's what it means to leave a legacy.

I have come to appreciate the legacies, both big and small, that had meaning to the lives of the nations of our planet. The legacies that you and I leave behind a not last the nearly 1700 years of Nicholas of Mira. They may not last the century that has passed since Carnegie built his libraries. They may not last the decades since Margaret McNamara began making books available to children. It is however important that you and I share the gifts God has given us in ways that leave legacy's behind.

May we ponder our gifts and resolve in our hearts that the world will be a better place because we were here.

Jesus Connection - December 2, 2006

On Saturday, December 2 our building will be the site for a Seminar on the “Jesus Connection.”

The Long Range Planning Committee is very excited to have the meeting here in our facility. We would like to have anyone from our church who are interested in thinking “outside the Box” about our future to attend.

If you are in the Sunday School Class is studying the book, “The Jesus Connection,” you have a rare chance to actually hear and visit with the author of the book, in our building!

Led by Jan Linn and David Digby, the workshop will introduce participants to an understanding of the church in the 21st Century that does not “settle” for Business-as-usual, but points to a deeper understanding of what it means to be Jesus’ Disciples in our time.

Both Jan and David are applying the concepts in their congregations, so it is not untested theory. You and the leaders you bring will come away with at least one solid perspective that will be worth the registration fee.

For more than 30 years, Jan Linn has been involved in building bridges between faith and action. A native of Virginia, early in his ministry he saw the disconnect between faith and racial and economic justice, faith and peace making, faith and respect for diversity in all its many forms. As both a college and seminary teacher, as well as a congregational pastor and activist, he has taught and preached a commitment to Christian discipleship that stands against judgmentalism, exclusivism, and moral superiority.

Since 1998 Jan has been serving as co-pastor of Spirit of Joy Christian Church, Lakeville, Minnesota, with his wife, Joy. This is a new church start that is seeking to be innovative and creative in its approach to high commitment membership in the tradition of the Church of The Savior in Washington, D.C.

To register and see more information, check out the website.

http://www.thejesusconnection.com/

Who are your heroes?

When Chapman University presented its annual Albert Schweitzer award during the orientation for parents and new students this fall, I had to wonder how Chapman University felt so connected with Dr. Schweitzer. I found out. The leadership of the University has simply chosen to honor the life and witness of this extraordinary man in order to encourage its students to look to Dr. Schweitzer as a role model for a sincere Christian life.

I remembered comments from the home meetings and Ankeny Christian Church.

"We are called to be role models for one another and for the world," we said.

For Christian people, the real role model must always be Jesus. Yet, one of the realities of our world is that most people discover Jesus through seeing people around them who live for Him. Often it is not the Bible, or sermons from the pulpit, or lessons in the Sunday School class, which lead people to see Jesus' face to face. It is instead the parent, the friend, or the neighbor who puts into practice a true Discipleship of Jesus who becomes the memorable role model.

You and I may be the only Bible that is read by some of the people around us. We may be, for good or ill, the example of some people see as what it means to be a follower of Jesus. How we live our lives may be the factor that leads to our friends and neighbors to Christ.

It is not accident that many motivational writers suggest that if you want to succeed in a project of some kind, the first place to start is to find someone who has already succeeded with a similar project, and copy what they did. It removes a lot of trial and error, mistakes and false starts.

I think the Chapman University has a wonderful idea to encourage its students to look at to a person like Albert Schweitzer as a role model for how life should be lived. Can you think of a more powerful message to students?

Do you think Ankeny Christian Church would benefit from such a focus of pointing our members and friends to a worthy role model? I think so. Who should we pick, in addition to Jesus Christ? Perhaps we should pick one of the great saints of the past century. Perhaps we should seek to focus upon some of the Saints within the life of our own congregation.

Certainly, every one of us is called to live in such a way that that role model could be us. What things in our lives would you and I need to change in order to be worthy of such an honor?

We can be proactive!

I want to share a Minister's message written by John Park Winkler Sr., May 1986, when he was Interim Minister for Christian Church Macomb Illinois. Some messages are just timeless.

"Our church was making a special appeal for funds to meet the needs of World Missions. Each congregation was given a suggested goal and the congregation I was serving was making plans to secure pledges to underwrite our share.

"However, before the solicitation of pledges began one of the women in the congregation presented me with a check for $500 in support of the program. She commented, 'I didn't want to wait to be asked.'

"We have grown so accustomed to being promoted that we often assume if we're not asked we have no obligation to respond. The church is constantly promoting attendance, giving, membership, and all variety of programs, which are part of the church's ministry. Every retail establishment has special promotions. Automakers and dealers promote their cars. Sports, movies, and restaurants all thriwith a microphone oning. I suppose we need to continue this because promoting has become a part of our way of life.

"Yet I find it refreshing when some Christian says 'I didn't need to be asked.' 'I didn't need a minister or a evangelism committee to urge me to transfer my membership.' 'The song leader doesn't have to prompt me,--I sing because of the joy in my heart.' ' Giving of my money as a Christian privilege and not dependent upon the needs of the church budget.'

"Why should I have to be promoted to be what I am--a Christian?"

Being a Disciple

Definition: disciple - a student, the follower of a teacher; (from Latin: discipulus meaning pupil or student.)

When Jesus calls us to be his disciples he calls us to learn. What an exciting adventure! What fun it is going to be, as I discover new things. What fun it is to share the new and interesting insights into God's realm!

I am excited about all of the new ideas and resources I have discovered for leading church life in positive directions. Frankly, I'm overwhelmed by all of the possibilities. Within the last month I have become aware of techniques and strategies for helping individuals and congregations identify the obstacles that hold them back. Such techniques and strategies, based on biblical principles and a solid understanding of human relationships, have of my mind reeling with more possibilities than I can possibly experience in my lifetime.

Some of the new phrases in my life right now include: Public conversations project, Appreciative inquiry, Transformational ministries, Needs based Planning vs. asset based planning.

My next task is to create a personal development plan. Actually I will revise my much outdated one. It will allow me to learn in a systematic way.

Where are the growing edges of your faith? What are the areas of focus you need to grow and become the person you yearn to be?

Opportunities abound.
1. Education for Ministry (Ruth Winkler would gladly tell you about it);
2. School for congregational leaders;
3. Men's fraternity;
4. Financial Peace University;
5. Chrissillo/Camino/Walk-to-Emaus;
6. Lay ministry reading program; and
7. Many more personal growth and leadership development opportunities.

We at Ankeny Christian Church call ourselves Disciples. But are we really students of the way of life taught and shown to us by our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ?

Do you have a personal development plan for the spiritual side of your life?

Getting Un-stuck

Some men see things as they are and say "Why?" He dreamed things that never were and said "Why not?"
George Bernard Shaw, John Bull's Other Island

“Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock it shall be opened unto you.”
-Jesus - Luke 11:9

My mental picture of Hell is that moment when we realize that we have been given the precious gift of life, only to painfully know that we have wasted most, if not all, of it. And we realize that there is nothing that can be done to salvage any of it. Hell is the pain of discovering too late what “might have been.”

Life is far too short to waste on looking back with resentment, regret, or blame. Life is too short to waste even a single moment being negative, when we can change the world and make it a better place.

When God created us in His image, He invited us to participate in the Holy Realm. God wants us to be all that we can be.

Sometimes seeking God’s realm seems so simple to me. Decide what you want. Focus on it. Take action. Learn from our mistakes. Celebrate the achievements.

What is it that keeps people and organizations from doing their best? How do we get so stuck?

The more important question is how do we get unstuck? Consider the possibilities built into these actions.
Repent.
Forgive.
Let love be our aim.
Ask and receive.
Seek and find.
Knock and watch the doors open.
Live in the present moment, appreciating the people and gifts around us.

Because of God’s love we can be redeemed from our false starts at any point in our lives and begin all over again.

Looking for four leaf clovers

I like to look for four leaf clovers. I remember as a young child playing on the church yard that really needed mowing badly. It was full of clover. I didn't understand it at the time, but Sarah Graham, my babysitter was looking for leaf clovers. With her help, I made a nice necklace for my mother from the clover blossoms.

It seems to me that I have always liked finding for leaf clovers. I think my personal record is 89 for one afternoon. It is little known secret that four leaf clovers can be found in groups. If you find one, there are likely to be several more nearby.

Finding four leaf clovers is really what life is all about. It is fun and satisfying to look for and to find with the rare and the unusual. The mutation that is occurring in the clover plants and that creates the four leaf clover when is a reminder of God's patient power of creation. It is a joyous experience. It is relaxing. It amazes your friends. And it requires some of the best life-skills.

Here are my special hints

for finding four leaf clovers:
1. Enjoy the hunt.
2. Relax.
3. Believe that you will find one.
4. Beginning with a search in a large patch of clover, look to see if there is a four leaf clover, which stands above all of the rest.
5. When you find one big four leaf clover, before you pull it, look at the plant and see how many more you can find. Often you will find five or six hidden below the canopy.
6. Always share the four leaf clovers that you find with other people.

Do you realize that finding God takes exactly the same steps as finding a four leaf clover? When we relax and enjoy looking for his presence in the world, we become open to finding his blessings. Unless you believe that you will find a four leaf clover, you never will. Unless you believe that you can see God, you seldom will.

Our search for God is best begun through a broad overview of life itself. That's where the creator is easiest to see. Once we have realized that he is there, finding more of his work is only a matter of looking carefully. Sometimes his work is hidden under the canopy of busy activities and our world, and requires us to look carefully before it can be seen.

Most of the joy in finding God comes from sharing our discoveries with others in my humble way.

I have never believed that four leaf clovers are a sign of good luck. They are so easy to find, especially if you know how to look.

God's blessings are not a matter of luck or fate, either. His love for us reaches out even when we are not looking. But the joys that come from the search are truly beyond measure.

Go out today and find some four leaf clovers.

Are we really open to God's leading?

There is a movement within Christianity to market the church and Christianity like the mass retailers Wal-Mart and Best Buy market their products. It seems to be a wave of the future.

Many of us, who are part of smaller congregations, want to see our churches grow. Occasionally, I think there is a twinge of jealousy at the marketing success of the so-called “Mega Churches.” At other times, we seem to critique those churches and dismiss their success as less than faithful to the gospel. Intuitively, we realize that church size is not, in itself, proof of God’s leading and presence.

We have much to learn from the “Mega church” movement, even if God is not calling us to become another mega church. If we are honest, we need to recognize that God works through faithful people, regardless of the size of the church in which they worship. Observing His leading is always instructive. We should not be afraid to learn from the “mega church” experience, nor should we feel that we need to copy all its style and methods.

There are plenty of people who need to experience the approach to the God that is unique to a congregation the size of Ankeny Christian Church. There are plenty of people who will discover God through that experience. They are people who have much to teach us about how God speaks and leads. If we invite them and are faithful to our calling, they will come and our church will grow.

Sometimes I think we lose sight of these very simple tasks: 1. Introduce people to Jesus. 2. Share with people in the process of being Jesus’ disciples, learning to know the Father he came to reveal. 3. Join hands in serving the world until the realm of God is totally established.

Isn’t being the church more than coming to be entertained, or even inspired? Isn’t it far more than coming to “get something out of it?” Isn’t it also about deepening our relationship with God, acknowledging our faults and sins, and moving our faith to the next level? Of course, it is!

Here is the challenge: to live and work in such a way that we allow God to work through us. So, what is it that we are attempting right now that is so big that it will only happen with the intervention of the Holy Spirit?

Give God your Sunday mornings

Would you like to know a simple way to move your faith to a new and deeper level? Then, give God your Sunday mornings.

A huge measure of how important our faith is to us can be seen in whether or not we put God first in our calendar. What does it say about our faith, if we put Him last, after everything else is done?

I invite you to think and pray about how important your church is to you. I invite you to think and pray about how important you would like it to become. Is it a source of energy and inspiration in your life, or does it drain your energy?

How each of us answers that question tells a lot about our commitment and our expectations. For most of us, what we get from worship grows out of how we invest our time and energy in other church activities. If you and I are involved in a group or a Sunday School Class, spend time regularly with 6 or 7 church friends, and have a meaningful task in the life of the church, then our worship means so much more.

Can you imagine what would happen if every member of our congregation began to make Sunday mornings their priority time at Church?

Worship attendance would jump to 150. Our Sunday school would have to have 5 or 6 adult classes. Children’s Sunday School would double. We’d have to rethink how we organize Sunday School. Our friendships would become even deeper than they already are.

As individuals you and I cannot decide for “everybody” what their level of participation should be. We can, however, control our own decisions.

If you want to deepen your faith, give God your Sunday mornings at Ankeny Christian Church. Come early and greet others. If you don’t have a class in Sunday School, come have a cup of coffee and visit with others. There is probably a job around that you could do in that time, if you look for one.

Stay after Church and visit. Come to share and to give, not to be entertained. Listen to the joys and concerns of those around you.

Make it a conscious decision to invest the time. You will be glad you did.

Celebrating Lent

My wife and daughter are “Celebrations People.” God has truly blessed me through both of them.
Ruth and Joy plan for holidays, birthdays and other life events. They plan decorations. They think about special meals and parties and all kinds of things that make special times even more special.
The rituals of life are extremely important. They remind us the values that give our lives meaning and purpose. They build an unconscious link of habit that connects us with our families, our nation and all humanity. The links connect us even when we are not consciously aware of the role they play in our lives.
The seasons of the Christian Year serve exactly that same function in our faith journeys. Whether we actually study them or not, when the church celebrates them we get reconnected to the heritage of the faith community.
We are approaching that season of the Christian year called Lent. It is the 40 days prior to Easter, except for the Sundays. (No, I do not know why the Sundays are not counted.) In the “free church” tradition of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), celebrating Lent is a fairly recent practice. We have discovered Lent in the rich experiences of other Christian traditions. Seeing its value, we have made it part of our own tradition.
Lent is supposed to be a season of Fasting. It focuses the Christian community of the church upon our need for God and upon those things within ourselves that block us from the relationship with God we so strongly yearn to have. It prepares us for Easter and the glorious gift of love God sent us in Jesus Christ. Lent invites us to examine our own lives in the light of Jesus teachings, and consider better ways to follow Him.
Through doing without, fasting reminds us that God should be our center. Fasting helps put things in a new perspective, helps us abandon bad habits, and helps us appreciate the value of good ones.
The celebration of Lent at Ankeny Christian Church will involve a number of special things: The Ash Wednesday Service, Wednesday Evening Bible Studies, Dramatic presentations in Worship, Palm Sunday Celebrations, Maundy Thursday worship, and more.
You are welcome to participate in each event.

Training vs. Trying

Jesus said it Himself, “Go into all the world and make Disciples.” Being “a Christian” really means being a Follower of Jesus. That means becoming a Disciple.

In his book, “The Life You Always Wanted,” John Ortberg describes two different ways of approaching our faith: 1) “Trying to follow Jesus” and 2. “Training to follow Jesus.” There is a vast difference between the approaches. I invite you to think about your approach to your faith in light of Ortberg’s distinction.

Both approaches recognize the difficulty of perfectly following Jesus in all that we say or do. In fact, even with our very best efforts, we can never reach the goal of perfection. When we blow it, God’s forgiving love allows us to start over.

When someone says, “I’ll try to follow Jesus,” they set up a rather static process. If what they decide to do works, fine. But if it doesn’t work, they can easily say, “Well, I tried.” They met their commitment, they tried. So what do they need to do next?

Training to follow Jesus is a much more dynamic process. It requires that we look at our faith development in the same way an Olympic Athlete looks at training for the Olympics. It involves recognizing areas of our lives where our God given strengths shine, and then building on those strengths. It requires practice, practice and more practice, until we get better and better and the basics skills become our habit and our lifestyle. And, it also includes asking a coach about better ways to do those basic skills, and following the coach’s advice.

Training to follow Jesus recognizes a life-long process of learning. When we fail Him, we ask what we are going to learn from the failure, and make adjustments in our life. We are free to seek and accept forgiveness from Him and the other people in our lives.

In training to follow Jesus, we can recognize that there are some areas where we still need to grow. We can attempt those expecting that we will have some adjustments to make in our approach. We become learners. The Biblical word for learners is Disciples.

A pianist friend once explained that his best piano teacher distinguished a good pianist from a master pianist by saying, “A good pianist will practice until he can play the piece correctly. A Master Pianist will practice until he cannot play it incorrectly.”

Isn’t the Christian life the same way? We can be good, or we can become masters of the life Jesus calls us to live.

There is a satisfaction and a peace that comes with mastery. Wouldn’t you love to find that peace? Are you training to find it, or just trying?

Simplicity

I discovered this quote recently.

"I would not give a fig for the simplicity this side of complexity, but I would give my life for the simplicity on the other side of complexity."

--Oliver Wendell Holmes

In our world, where there is a seductive call to over-simplify and categorize too much, I find it important to realize that our world is a complex one. Perhaps genious is the ability to discover that elegant simplicity that dwells beyond the complexities.

What do you think?