Make Tax Day Good News for Poor People

Make Tax Day Good News for Poor People

Things I'm Looking Forward To In The Near Future or I Really Do Not Blog Often Enough

Starting classes at Nazarene Theological Seminary in January
- kinda scary. Even though I have been keeping up reading and thinking critically, I have been sloppy in both over the past couple of years. Can I clean up enough to justify paying more student loans in the future? When I start in January, I was hoping to actually be done with seminary in that same 3 1/2 years. It is a little bit frustrating. I like to think of myself as smart and intelligent, but it is easier to feel that way when I am around less educated people. So, in a sense, I'm a snob with less educated people, but feel not so great around those who are more educated. Several have given me genuinely nice praise about my intelligence, and that is one of the reasons why I am going ahead and pushing towards getting graduate education.
- the thing that I am more concerned with is that I don't like who I am when I'm a snob. People should always feel valued and shouldn't feel belittled because they don't know or act like what I think they should. Over the past 2 years specifically, I have been hesitant to pursue any graduate education because I do not want to separate myself even further from the people I am around. That being said... should education really be a barrier between people? Isn't education supposed to help remove barriers and bridge gaps? I would appreciate any prayer from any who read this.

Rapid Reading
Just started a book on rapid reading. I already read fairly quickly, but would like to read at a faster rate and add more comprehension. It is supposed to take six weeks, so we will see how much it helps. I tested myself at 442 words per minute off of a thick theology book, but my comprehension was lower than I hoped. I thought I might have missed one or two items out 9, which is tremendous retention rate. But glancing back over, I was about 8/16... not so good. Now the catch is when we are looking for what we missed, we will find more than we expected. So in reality, I probably was around 8/12 which is 75% retention, which is still very high. I would like to increase that. We'll see how it goes.

Planting a Church
Though I have been scouting the area for the past 11 months, I will take my first official actions as a church planter starting next month. We will be organizing at least 2 small groups with no less than 7 people being involved and have the possibility of as many as 3 or 4 with up to 20 people. Either/or would be tremendous to start with. We'll see how it goes.
- This will also mark the start of breaking up with the Norwin Church that I am an associate pastor. I currently average around 40 hours a week at Norwin and that number could easily drop to around 20 which will truly test how I've done in the first 6 months. I am only required to do 20 hours, but once things start moving, it will eventually be a mostly independant growth from Norwin.
- It becomes sad as I truly love the people that I have worked with over the past half of a year. Some of the best people I have met in my lifetime make up that church. And though I will still get to see them, my overall contact will be less as I am working on the church plant. I feel bad for my teens particularly, because I really care about the things they do and decisions they make. They are all precious, and it will kill me to be in less contact with them.
- On the flip side, it is exciting to do something that I have felt some form of calling to for the past 20 years or so. Ever since I was around 10 I wanted to start my own business from scratch, but I never knew how that would work out with my call to pastor. About 11 years ago, I was introduced to the idea of church planting, and eventually my passions matched my calling. I am so afraid that I will screw it up.

Oh well, too long without blogging... sorry all two or three of you who read this.

Conversation with Carlo

A note from a friend to me on Facebook:

Hi Mike. Long time. Forgive me for barging in, but I was drawn to your status and read your dialogue with Mr. Crutcher above.
Dear sirs, how evil does the church's example have to become before we conclude that God has rejected it/given it over? Could it be that the institutional church is the body of Satan and God's greatest enemy? Is it possible that God has replaced the church with humanitarian organizations (religious and secular) as the limbs and hands through which He now ministers to the world, much like He formerly had replaced Israel with the Church as His people/body? I ask not because of this issue you were talking about Mike, but church history and contemporary "Christianity." I also believe that while the institutional church is no longer Christ's body, He has preserved a (albeit sparse) remnant of authentic Christians.

My response here:
I want to be careful when we speak for God in ways that he has given up on the institutional church. Maybe I am a little naive but I am not convinced that Christ's bride, the church, is God's greatest enemy or the body of Satan. We are not without error, but we also do not walk with an eye towards the future. We are walking with our eyes always in the past trying to figure out how much causality will affect what will be. We are constantly living in the already/not yet world, so we see the glaring mistakes with more bias right now.

Is it possible that God has replaced the church? Yeah, it's possible, but I do not see it. And if it has been replaced, it seems inconsistent that humanitarian organizations would somehow be the carrier. Jesus was definitely a resident of Israel. He did not come from the outside in, but the inside out. Also, he never broke with what God had already been telling Israel for years. Therefore, I am not sure I agree that Israel was formerly replaced with the Church.

Remnant of authentic Christians... I think I feel this way more times than is actually true. Having met up and conversed with several hundred Nazarenes over the past couple of weeks has greatly encouraged me. Yeah, there are still things going on that I don't agree with, and it seems to take forever to change, BUT there are literally thousands of Nazarenes alone who are trying to serve God in all of their known capacities. If that is true about Nazarenes, how can it not be true with other Christians across the world? Granted, I took a logical leap, but I refuse to believe that Nazarenes are the only one who want to follow Christ. Which of these are a part of the sparse remnant? Can we really say?

So that is my response, Carlo. I'm sure we will continue to disagree, but I am okay with that. It is good to hear from you, and please feel free to barge in any time.

Grace & Peace,

Mike

Bringing Scripture to Life

In light of all the conflicts with certain groups of the concerned, I thought this passage of scripture Acts 21:40-23:35 was particularly relevant. Because it might seem that I am looking for scripture to justify myself, you are more than welcome to look through my daily devotion that I write each day you my teens and young adults at http://norwinnazdevotions.blogspot.com/. Today happened to cover this section.

One of the commentaries I consult is the New Interpreter's Bible. Reflecting on today's scripture, Robert W. Wall says:

"What is the reader of Acts to make of the passionate and violent responses within Israel to Paul's declaration that God's Messiah has called him to go to the unclean Gentiles? Why do pious people conspire together to kill God's prophet? In part, the hostile response to Paul is due to the parochialism of his opponents, who define God's salvation in nationalistic terms. Had Paul claimed that the Lord sent him with a word for Israel alone, his Jewish auditors may have continued to listen to him. Had he included the purification requirements of the Sadducees in his message of the resurrected Messiah, the Sanhedrin may have united behind him instead of dividing because of him. The danger of the gospel is that it makes particular and absolute claims of who God is, what God does, and to whom God belongs; and these claims sometimes challenge our current beliefs and traditional sensibilities. Paul's Jewish opponents disagree with his sense of vocation, as they also disagree with his interpretation of Scripture, because these are particular expressions of an absolute truth that imperil their own social requirements and religious beliefs. It is hard for any of us, no matter how spiritual-minded and intent we are, to embrace a version of "the truth" that includes those we exclude and grants access to God's liberating grace via a different route than the one we have taken."

Words to encourage, sharpen, and shape us. Thanks be to God.

Ready to be back in PA

Well, I'm glad we are leaving Florida soon. It was great to get in better walking shape, but I am exhausted and ready for my own bed.

Today (Wed) was very exhausting watching the ballots return for electing a GS. There were so many times that I hoped we would elect someone who would bring more diversity or at least variety to our General Leadership. Instead, we have let one church be the most important one in our denomination.

I am trying to look at this in a positive light, and a friend gave these words of encouragement, "We came in with five white Americans and we will leave with five white Americans. At least we didn't take a step back." We traded a white lady for a black man from another country, so that is good. But we were so close to electing some better choices... or at least I think so right now. Ask me in 8-12 years when we have to elect new GS'.

The best news is that few bad doctrinal changes were made. A few things got filibustered, including the issue I cared most about, but at least there is still room left at the table for people like me and you.

I have so many irons in the fire right now, but I'll do my best to give my overview of what I saw at General Assembly before Sunday.

Blogging through the DVD slowly, Part I (with details this time)

Concerned Nazarenes Presents The Emerging Church

We see several pictures of spiritual practices from various religions going through what looks like a powerpoint presentation.

Beverly Turner, Ordained Elder/Evangelist

Introduction

Beverly and her husband who have joined a group of concerned Nazarenes because of emergent ideology which has divided and destroyed many Nazarene churches and is perverting theology being taught in the Nazarene colleges and seminary.* Among the theology that is perverted is the offering of classes on spiritual formation, which to her is “nothing more than monastic mysticism.” It is the fault of the university presidents for even allowing these classes being taught. She is upset that the professors are taking students to monasteries and partaking of the Catholic Eucharist and “other Catholic heathen practices.”** These are worship to another Jesus and another Spirit of what Paul warned the Corinthian church of.

Rev. Turner concludes, “This is Christ's church. We are his body. This is our watch. This is our day. The information that we will be sharing on this DVD is vital to every Nazarene. The future of the church of the Nazarene is at stake.” 3 minutes 25 seconds.

My Comments

*Which churches have been divided and destroyed by the emergent ideology? In a letter found on this website, she describes “a young man, that was once in the faith, and a graduate of theology in one of our academic institutions, that has been “drawn away” by emergent type theology. He is currently involved in an Emergent Church that is led by a homosexual pastor and promotes a promiscuous lifestyle (as do many emergent thinkers).” Of course, there are so many issues here that I need help understanding. Was this young man ever Nazarene? What was the theology exactly that drew him away? What is her definition of an “Emergent Church”? There is a lot to unpack here.

**I have serious doubts that Roman Catholics would let non-Catholics partake of the Eucharist. My understanding has always been that Catholics have had closed communion and are very particular to serving to outsiders, especially Protestants. I am also offended by the term “Catholic heathen practices”.

Why I have entered the conversation of "Concerned Nazarenes"

http://reformednazarene.wordpress.com/general-assembly-diary/

"I got a call from Tim who gave me a heads up. Apparently, someone on NazNet had implied that we were there at Jon Middendorf’s seminar with possible intentions for committing violence, which is why there were apparently some body guards there.
You know, I believe some NazNet people are very nice, and I have met them, and spoken with some of them. But others are totally irresponsible, and sadly, some of them are pastors. This person was reckless and irresponsible for implying that we are violent people, and he ought to be ashamed and ought to repent for this type of talk.

Anyone who even thinks we may be violent in any way, is sadly misinformed, and these folks are coming close to acting with slanderous intent. Perhaps the leadership had a right to be careful privately, but for someone on NazNet to suggest there could be violence, I believe is an veiled attempt to smear us.

The emergents on NazNet and the opposing Facebook group are besides themselves. However, what really upsets me, is the distortion, and sometimes outright lies that they have been saying on their blogs. It does a great disservice to those on their blogs, who are at least polite and respectful to us who oppose their theology. My answer to them mainly has been, wait a little while, the noise is going to get louder, from the many who are starting to openly voice their disapproval of unbliblical teachings and practices.

Since they will read this eventually, I give them a warning now. We do not fear them at all, but they themselves need to fear the wrath of God. They are playing a game of defiance with the Almighty God, and the consequences will be deadly for them. Please pray for their repentance, brothers and sisters, that they will ask the lord for forgiveness for doubting His Word; for worshipping the idols of man-made prayer techniques; for doubting God’s sovereignty; for believing that God can make mistakes and learn from them; for teaching youth heretical beliefs on our universities, at the peril of their very souls. In the words of Dr. Diehl, “Oh God give us a Holy Ghost revival”…. “so that we can win souls for Jesus.”"

Yep, I'm that someone from NazNet. You can peruse the blog site to know that is not what I said, but I am the one who brought up the violence thing. Why? Because it was real. The security told me it was a real threat. If stating what I was told is smearing and slander (I think he means libel), than is there any real way to move forward in this... whatever it is?

Why did I enter the conversation officially? Because snipers can pick people off one at a time, but when people stand together, a sniper rifle is no longer fully effective. To get their point across, they would have to switch weapons. If they used them, everyone would see the evil and uglines of what they are doing.

The CN's have been sniping leaders of the Church of the Nazarene one at a time... or at least they have been attempting to. They have taken shots at several professors at several universities because, well, what you can read above. They have attacked pastors, who beyond all the pressures of trying to help their congregations, now have to answer for asking people to pray in meditative type ways.

A poem by Martin Niemöller who was taken into a concentration camp by Nazis:

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

Then they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
I did not protest;
I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
I did not speak out;
I was not a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out for me.

This is where my fear is with the CN group. I really believe they are trying to accomplish God's will, but they have a take no captives approach. If I do not agree with them completely, I am a heretic. The same goes for you. Does this really sound like Jesus to you? Whether or not you are friendly with emerging church thought or postmodernity, is it ever right to convert or condemn based purely on what we believe?

On another forum, I have been told:

*that I want to kick anyone that does not agree with me out of the church,

*that I do not believe these guys and gals are trying to serve God, and

*that I am launching vicious attacks. I have had to step back and look at what I have done and said.

I have asked others who are both near and far to the situation their perspective. I have prayed to Jesus.

My answer is:

*that if I wanted to really kick out anyone that does not agree with me, I would not be in the church either. There are times I do not always agree with myself.

*I do believe the CN's are trying to serve God. I don't roll my eyes to their concerns. I was once someone who believed similarly to them. Depending how you read Acts, so was the Apostle Paul. I just disagree that what they are doing accomplishes their goal. Jesus said that our righteousness is to succeed that of even the Pharisees. This implies that the Pharisees were trying to serve God. It's just that we believe they were off a bit. But that bit was too much.

*If this is a vicious attack of merely reporting what I saw and was told... at worst, how is it any different than what they are doing? Taken as mirroring, I would be playing by the same rules they are playing. But I am not. I have heard many positive things about Manny specifically. In the same way he thinks that I am misguided, I believe he is misguided.

The difference is what he wrote above and what I have been writing. I do not wish any ill will towards Manny or the CN group. I am sure they beg to differ, but I don't. At the same time, there are thousands of Nazarenes who have no idea what is going on and here that so-and-so is a heretic and that emerging/postmodern is heresy and so forth.

Several people, about 50, have thanked me for mentioning what happened on Thursday at General Assembly. Several more have asked what is going on. That is why I am compelled to enter in this conversation, and it makes my stomach churn.

Peace.