END OF THE YEAR OBSERVATION

There were many ideas on what to write on for the final time in 2010. It has been another year of loss, of gain, of things left behind, and new things acquired.
First, let me play Ann Landers for someone. What do you feel God is telling you about your future? All I see is missionary when I look at photos of you in Kenya. Do you really need a test to tell you what’s in your heart already?
Second, and this may tough for some of you, I am going to talk about the Nazarene District that I am a part of. Pastor recently asked me if I would find another Nazarene church to attend if my wife and I moved to another town. The answer was no. Can I ask all the ‘renes who read this blog a question...When was the last time you passionately cared about something or someone? I don’t see it anymore. Our leadership in the district, they are nice enough, but they are not living the big picture. One pastor uses the line “I am just a poor inerrant preacher”, when we all know he is not poor. He does not know poor. Come over sometime, we will go visit someone who lives on less than $2,000 a year. Another leader claims he is overworked. Doing what? I recently wrote some of the leadership and expressed dissatisfaction with their overpaid positions. One actually moved and is growing a new church. I commend him. The others...there is no change. Do you pay attention to what your church leadership, what your district leadership, is doing? Because they are not doing enough. (If you disagree, there is a comment spot on the blog, please do not e-mail me, let my readers see what you have to say about this) The great commission, given by Jesus, was pretty simple.
18-20Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: "God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age."
But do we do that as leaders? Are we training? I wanted to be trained, and instead I am forgotten by the supposed education committee in the district. Where is the leadership, where is it, I don’t see it, do you? I am not trying to be mean; I am trying to say something about a problem that I see that needs fixing. Can we fix it at Team Day, with the same old seminars telling us what we need to do, and then not going out and doing it? I wanted to be a part of the district, but that fizzled due to a lack of leadership. No one wants to take responsibility; they just seem to want the money and the title. The district wants to point fingers, but they don’t want help. I want to love them as brothers, but I am so disappointed it is hard to do. Who are they accountable to? One of them told me that he reported to this board, that board, etc....But what about the laypeople, what about Christ? Are you accountable on Sunday morning when the lost are not in our churches, when people in Illinois are going to hell while you preach pithy little sermons about how poor you are? I am not buying it anymore.
Matthew West tells us about “His Own Little World” with a population of one. And then his eyes are opened and he sees a starving and homeless widow and his population increases to two. Are we in our little world, or are we seeing the whole world outside our church doors? Are we wearing rose-colored glasses? COME ON DISTRICT LEADERS, CHALLENGE ME. I DARE YOU. Come to the Pana church and face us as a congregation, tell us what you are doing. Tell us it is all good, that souls are being saved, that you are building leaders, that you are baptizing, and instructing, and not just paying people to park in their living rooms, their little church offices, doing nothing, while the world dies outside.
I am looking forward to 2011. I am hoping that people grow, change, and try to make a difference.
There was a lot of personal loss this year, friends and family, and they will all be missed. Goodbye to all of them was hard. I look forward to the someday reunions.