Pastor’s Report, October 2008

[Friends, here is the report of the pastor, submitted on October 15, 2008]

PASTOR’S REPORT TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL

It’s a time of transformations. Summer becomes autumn. The leaves go from green to gold. The nights go from cool to crisp. It’s wonderful. Should we expect less for ourselves? As Christians, we worship a God of transformation. Our own lives are transformed when we encounter the Living Christ. We go from old to new in a heartbeat. In the same way, we are called to create disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

What does this transformation look like? When Jesus addresses the synagogue in Nazareth he opens the Isaiah scroll and reads:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19 NRSV)

This is transformation! This is nothing less than the Kingdom of God, on earth as it is in heaven.

How are we to do this? First we must remember that we can’t do this! Only God can do this. We must get back to fundamentals. We must keep our eyes on Christ and not get distracted. We must ground ourselves in prayer, every day, as our bishop has asked us. We must seek to know God’s will, and do it, rather than our own will.

It’s hard work, but we’re not called to it alone. Rather, we are called into community, to encourage one another. We can’t do it any other way. This is a busy time of year for us all. So busy that it’s easy lay aside things like spiritual disciplines. I suggest that the busier we are, the more reason we have to hang onto those God Moments we have in our life. I’m taking this time to rededicate myself to God (Father, Son, Spirit) as the center of my life. I’m trying, in my ministry, to get others to do the same. I need your prayers and your help to make it happen.

In Christ’s Service…

Michael A. Smith, Pastor

Pastor’s Report, September 2008

[Someone suggested that I post some of the reports I submit to the church's Administrative Council. This is the report form September.]

Pastor’s Report to the Administrative Council
September 17th, 2008

Friends,

This is the day of new beginnings. The world’s calendar begins on the first day of January. The Church calendar begins on the first Sunday of Advent. Our United Methodist appointment calendar begins on the first Sunday of July. So many calendars! In the lived life of the church, however, these are the days of new beginnings.

When the kids go back to school and the weather starts to turn, our churches come alive again. New programs start up, old friends return from extended summer holidays. It is a time of New Life, which is what the Church is really all about!

But as new life stirs, we are also reminded that we remain, in part, our old broken selves. Resentments and animosities remain. We are consumed with anger and fear. As new things happen, old things threaten to drag us all down. Brothers and sisters, we must not let them.

We need to learn to address our issues without being discouraged by them. We are a people of hope, and we need to hold onto that hope even when we face troubling issues, like the loss of members or financial woes. We must put our hope in the promises of God, that we might find new life, every day of our lives.

I believe our church, like many churches, suffers from amnesia. We don’t know who we are. Each church is called by God to ministry in the world, but each church lives out that calling in its own way. We need to discover the way we are meant to serve. Every church is called to make disciples of Jesus Christ, for the transformation of the world. That does NOT mean that every church will live out that calling in the same way. How are we to serve the world? Where is God leading us?

Churches that thrive are churches that are able to ask and answer these questions and use those answers to energize their ministries around their calling. If we want our church to thrive, we need to discover our calling and live into it. This is no easy task. Being the Church is not easy. It requires prayer, discernment, faithfulness and sacrifice. Even worse, it’s a task that is never really “done.” We must always be asking “Who are we?” and “Where is God leading us?” Most of all, we must ask the questions that Jesus asked his disciples: “Who do you say that I am?” We must begin to ask, and answer, these questions if we are to find our true path.

Blessings…

Pastor Michael

The Question

Author and church consultant Tom Bandy has an important question to ask each of us: “What it it about your experience of Jesus Christ that the world cannot live without?” As Christians, each of us should be seeking the answer to this question. Wrapped up in it are deeper questions about who Jesus is, how he is working in our hearts, and how we are called to witness to the world. In seeking the answer, we embark on an important journey.

We must begin this journey with prayer. This is the firm foundation we need. We must open ourselves to the movement of God within us. We need to learn to “read” ourselves. As we encounter different situations, we need to be conscious of our own bodies. How are we affected by the world? What makes us angry? What makes us happy? What speaks the language of our deepest selves?

As we become more aware of ourselves and the effects the world have on us, we must return to prayer to seek understanding. What is it about the situations we’ve encountered and the effects they produced? How is God using the world to speak to our souls? In developing this awareness, we are knitting our everyday lives into the life of God. It is a spiritual discipline.

So I ask you, what it it about your experience of Jesus Christ that the world cannot live without? In my next post, I’ll give you my own answer, and tell you how it has changed the way I see the world. But it’s important to remember that each of us must seek his or her own answer. My answer will not be your answer, because God works through each of us in different ways.

Blessings…

Pastor Michael

Busy Time of Year

This seems to be the busiest time of year in my church life, especially this year. Things heat up in the local church when the kids go back to school, but it’s also the time when other commitments pile up. I think I have to go out of town at least once a week from now until mid-November. Many of these things are worthwhile, but with so much going on I’m forced to make choices. With some things, I have no choice. I MUST attend. With others, I get to decide and, unfortunately, my decision is often “No.”

So, in the midst of craziness, I’m trying to carve out some time to be still and listen for God. While it may seem like this is the worst time to step back (when things are at their busiest), it’s actually the best time. I’m being pulled in many directions, but I’m good to no one if I’m not grounded in the Living Word.

So, I’m trying to re-connect to some of my favorite spiritual disciples. I’m trying to read the Rule of Saint Benedict every day. It’s a tradition that helped me through seminary and beyond, and I’ve been pretty good at keeping it over the past few weeks.

I’ve also been inspired to try fasting. This is one of the oldest spiritual disciplines in the Christian tradition (even older in the Jewish tradition), extending back to Jesus and the disciples. Within our own Wesleyan tradition, John Wesley fasted two days a week (Wednesday and Friday) and required his preachers to do the same. This past Friday I decided to skip lunch. I’ll confess that I didn’t quite make it; I ended up grabbing a hamburger at 3:00. Still, I’m trying it again this week and I’ll let you know how it goes.

There are several reasons to fast, but the most compelling to me is the discipline of denial. We deny ourselves of things we need (and enjoy), like food. When we feel the pangs of hunger, we are to reflect on the sacrifices Jesus (and others) made on our behalf. In denying ourselves the good things, we gain control over our desires and are better able to resist the temptations of the bad things in our lives.

What are some spiritual disciplines you’ve tried in your own life? How did they affect you? Do you still do them? If not, why did you stop?

Blessings…

This is a Day of New Beginnings

Grace and Peace to all…

I’m starting a new blog (you’re reading it right now) for Arkport United Methodist Church. My name is Michael Smith and I’m the pastor of this country church in Western New York. I have a personal blog, but felt strange blogging about the church there. This blog will give me a venue to write about what’s going on in our church and community. I’m going to try to post regularly, as a spiritual discipline. We’ll see how that works out.

Blessings…