Of Braying Mules and Blessed Bluebirds

REFLECTIONS
October 25, 2009

Scholars believe that Psalm 34 and Job 42 are related in some manner. The words from Job follow a pattern of his consultants and family, harping after him like a herd or braying jackasses, that the evil which has befallen him has to be of his own doing, while Job insists his heart is pure, and a fair hearing by God will resolve the situation. Conversely, the Psalmist writes openly of God’s protective ways. In verse eight the Psalmist states, “O taste and see the Lord is good, happy are those who take refuge in him.” Then to underscore this gift in verse nineteen, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord rescues them from them all. He keeps all their bones; not one of them will be broken.” The author takes a spiritual dilemma, and evokes an incantation of birdsong.

Have you ever been in a tight spot, feeling the pounding of your blood in your temples, the tightness in your throat at the thought of speech, the emergence of pain at the thought of movement? Then stepping outside because the air inside would not move through your lungs, you hear it. A chirp, two tweets, a trill, and then a full blown symphony coming directly to you from the sidewalk, between the stale cigarette butts and the old residue of squashed gum. The source is a little bird with a lung capacity smaller than a dime, and a beak so tiny a cracker crumb would fill it. Yet her voice is so powerful and pure that it drowns out traffic on one of the busiest streets in the city. All you had been burdened by a few moments ago has evaporated, the only interest now is to sit and absorb the musical gift at hand.

So it is each day in life. Do we succumb to the nagging negativity? To those who drone on about what is wrong with the world? Might we instead tilt our heads and tune our ears to the dissonant voice of hope in the midst of our fears, calling us to leave our seats and join in the dance of grace in the name of the One we know as love. When given the choice each day of being either a jackass or a bluebird, the choice seems most obvious. Yet for some of us the distance between Eeyore and middle E is a bit too close for comfort.

Dr. Joey K. McDonald
First United Methodist Church
4832 Tujunga Avenue, North Hollywood, CA 91601

Know Weaknesses But Live Strenghts

REFLECTIONS

October 18, 2009

Years ago in a psychology class, as an assignment, each student had to take a personal inventory exam. There was a variety of such exams by various authors, but the general purpose was to sort out personality tendencies and learning styles, and then seek for ways to improve one’s effectiveness professionally. The pattern to the exam was to ask questions about perceived strengths, then weaknesses, finally moving to hopes, dreams, or aspirations. Most people struggle with the notion of exploring weakness. After all, who among us is unaware of our most minuscule personal weakness?

Everyone has some strengths to draw from. The difficulty is how to keep latent fears from surfacing thereby causing strengths to be undermined by perceived weakness. Too great a focus on weakness would seem to perpetuate weakness rather than nurture strength. At worst it can undermine the fibre of who and what we are about. It is essential to keep perspective in life especially with regard to self and abilities. A few months ago I read a story about personal success in which the game of Baseball was used as an illustration. The phrase as I recall it was, “What do you call a hitter who gets a hit in one of three attempts? A multimillionaire.” This is true because a ballplayer who gets a hit just one third of the time is batting over three-hundred which translates into a very lucrative contract.

What might this have to do with you and me and the price of peanuts? Just about everything. More recently I was watching a baseball game and the commentators mentioned the player next to bat had no success against the pitcher. They spoke a great deal about the fact that he had not gotten a hit in fifteen previous at bats. They continued this when he entered the batter’s box, but before they could go on he hit the second pitch for a single allowing the winning run to score. When asked after the game if he was aware of this statistic, he answered, “Of course, but I am paid to hit the ball not lament my previous efforts, so that is what I did.” While we are not paid to believe, part of our strength is the wealth we find in a spiritual existence and the knowledge that if we allow, God brings out the best in us. Life is not about winning in the sporting sense, and we may never be able to hit a curve ball. However, a desire to strive to be engaged in life in the name of love each day does sound like a winning proposition.

Dr. Joey K. McDonald
First United Methodist Church
4832 Tujunga Avenue, North Hollywood, CA 91601

Laity Sunday

REFLECTIONS
October 11, 2009

Most lay persons do not spend a great deal of time thinking about their ministry. They leave what they consider ministry to clergy. After all clergy are set aside for Ordination by local congregations. Clergy are educated at fine graduate theological schools, examined and credentialed by Boards of Ordained Ministry and ordained by Bishops at Annual Conferences. However, it would be a huge mistake to underestimate the Ministry of the Laity. In the sixteenth century Martin Luther turned the religious world on its ear when, while leading the Protestant Reformation, he announced the order of “The Priesthood of All Believers.” By this he meant that all who believed by virtue of their faith had a holy obligation to act in ministry. What he declared in fairly clear terms was the future of the Church, in terms of community and institution, belonged not to the sanctified in the pulpits, but to the saints in the pews.

In the past twenty years or so, experts in congregational development looking over statistical data regarding church growth have begun to notice Pastors do not necessarily make churches grow. While it would be too simple to say pastoral leadership has nothing to do with church growth, there is a more powerful singular element. This would be the congregation. The numbers show that more than eighty percent of the time people come to a house of worship because they have been invited. Of course, some come because they see something in terms of advertisement or outreach in the newspaper or on television. More importantly, people stay with a congregation and get involved because they feel a sense of invitation, to be involved and find a way to express their gifts in ministry.

You will notice that brilliant preaching, programs, or outstanding music were not the primary draws. A theology of hospitality, along with a caring and nurturing atmosphere are the most powerful elements necessary for a dynamic congregation. My mentor in early ministry had a favorite saying regarding the primary relationship between lay persons and clergy. “The primary task between a pastor and a congregation is to be partners in the gospel.” This simple phrase has served me well and blessed me enormously.

Dr. Joey K. McDonald
First United Methodist Church
4832 Tujunga Avenue, North Hollywood, CA 91601

Do You Have A God Tattoo?

REFLECTIONS
October 4, 2009

Some behavior theorists believe we are the sum total of our life experiences. For example, I am a child of the sixties. This is the decade where I came to full maturity. This was a time of rebellion against authority and cultural norms. Rebellion against my parents seemed silly to me because I liked them. The long hair and different clothes, I rather liked. I still do. However, I admit a certain gratitude that no pictures of me in a silk paisley shirt, or cranberry cords with pink patch pockets has survived.

We have a myriad of ways to mark events in our lives. Birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, all are tied to dates on a calendar. We make note of these events year after year. Of course, the dates are not always positive. Yet they leave their mark on our hearts just the same. Those of us who have been around long enough can name dates such as November 22, 1963, April 4, 1968, June 4, 1968, September 11, 2001. These months and years book mark sad times in the collective heart and mind of this country. If you were around for any of the dates, you remember exactly where you were.

Events whether personal or global mark us. They leave something of the time and we carry it forward with us as we journey. The author of Hebrews writing to new converts to Christianity speaks mostly about the superiority of the Christian to other religious traditions. The writer shares the concept of a “spiritual imprint,” opening the letter with these words: “Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days God has spoken to us by a Son, whom God appointed heir of all things, through who God also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being and he sustains all things by his powerful word.” The words were meant as formative training for the emerging first century churches. They were to pattern themselves after the life of Jesus, and in so doing their lives would be imprinted.

This pattern exists yet today. For when we gather to worship both individually and corporately, our hope is to experience holiness. We seek the touch of God in the hymns and prayers. This is especially true in the sacrament of Communion. In the breaking of the bread and sharing of the cup, we claim the real presence of Christ with us at table. If we take this seriously, how can we not be imprinted by love, marked by grace, or touched by a holy hope?

Dr. Joey K. McDonald
First United Methodist Church
4832 Tujunga Avenue, North Hollywood, CA 91601