James W. Lane
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Arkansas Area - The United Methodist You Might Be United Methodist If... North Little Rock 1st United Methodist Church Laity Address--1996 General Conference Resume--U.S. Army Service Career |
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"Believe it or not, but almost all of my inspiration for these commentaries comes while I am in the shower with my head wet." |
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In Quest of the Holy Grail
The church has established all kinds of rules and regulations and then declared them sacred and infallible. The church has kidnaped and perverted the meal of grace and restoration - - in the name of God. "The God Box" “God Box” people can be found in every faith group. There are mega and mini churches taking in big bucks by telling their congregations that they have God in a box and here is what God looks like, says and does, and that is that and there is nothing further you need to know! “A Calling from God” Once you have been called out and set aside by the church and assumed the pedestal of leadership - - Hold tight to the pebble and do not drop it! Can we trust you to do that? The Judicial Council Turns Right It its current ruling the Council said: "In our considered opinion, it is time for the issues addressed in Decision 1032 to now be debated by The United Methodist Church as is occurring" The wagons are beginning to circle, yet again, as we hunker down and prepare for the 2008 General Conference. The fabric and fibre, of the movement of a people called Methodist, have survived the ravages of conflict before - - and, by the Grace of God, will again! Will the Fires Burn - - Again? This big old ship we call The United Methodist Church will be hard to turn around. But turn it around we must. The need for younger clergy and younger members will be met or we will run ashore - - looking for a lifeline! Yes we are a graying church. And we are a dying church. And we will be until the gospel fires burn again in our heart and in our places of worship I Saw You Coming - - And Shut the Door The one thing that we do not want to hear at heaven’s gate is old St. Pete saying - - “I Saw You Coming - - And Shut the Door” The Face of God - - In the midst of the Storm A hurricane with the innocent name of Katrina has wrought destruction and havoc, before unseen in these United States. Because of the instantancy of television we, who were safely snug in our homes got to watch every aspect of it. We are still riveted to our television sets as we watch the continuing suffering and disparity among our brothers and sisters of the southern gulf coast. The Final War of Good and Evil I am not an alarmist and never have been. I have not been one to put much stock in "end times" theology or predictions. However if you want to imagine a final battle of good and evil, this could well be it. The Cross in the Pocket Somehow we should feel compelled to share our faith - - tell our faith story - - sing our songs of faith. We simply cannot put our faith in our pocket and hide it away. Is it Intelligent Design or Something Else? Are we just a by-product of an evolution of genes and DNA's that brought us from creatures in the sea to two legged creatures that stand upright and breath through lungs? Is life just an accident or happenstance? Are we just wisps of smoke that will disappear when our last breath is drawn? Is this all there is? What is the church called to say to all of this? This is What I believe - - How We Got Where We Are None of us will ever forget where we were or what we were doing on 9-11-01. We were brutally and mercilessly attacked by a radical extremist group that has the sole purpose of destroying the United States and our freedoms to replace them with theirs. Time completely stopped with us for awhile. We were numbed beyond belief. How could it happen? How could it be? The most powerful nation in the world brought to its knees by a terrorist attack. Just Whose Cup Is It? In recent months we have seen headlines about how some have used the Eucharist to promote their own political and social agendas, by denying access if you believed this way or that way. We have seen one faith group deny a young girl access to her first Communion, because she had life threatening allergies that meant should not eat "their" bread. "Passion of the Christ" We Christians often want to fast forward through this part of the story of the life and times of Jesus - - because we know that Sunday's coming! It is important to our faith journey, to stop and see just how humankind can attempt to destroy the Divine Love that God sent down to us. The Apostle Paul Instructs Young Timothy (and the church today!) Sometimes when we get so busily employed in doing ministry we tend to forget our basic training and just go through the motions. Paul knew the temptation there was to forget in the busyness of life. We must continually go back and re-dig the wells from which we first received the life giving water. They tend to fill in with the garbage of life and we grow weary and thirsty... Thank God for Mississippi Whenever one of our legislative bodies gathers, is the hallway discussion about “making disciples of Jesus Christ”? I think not! It is always about the way the wind is blowing us that particular day “(blown about by every wind of doctrine”. Here are the essentials - -
Read Jim Lane's United Methodist Reporter article Hook on a Lifeline How many of us have found ourselves at some point in our journey in a foreign land, knee deep in mud, feeding pigs? Where do we turn? How do we find our way back home again? Is there something or someone to show us the way?... "Kingdom People - The Spiritual Transformation from Casual to Complete Christian" The Reverend John Wesley insisted that those who took up the mantle of leadership within the Methodist movement were "going on to perfection." To this day those being ordained elders in The United Methodist Church are asked the historical question, "Are you going on to perfection?"... Drink from this Cup--All of You The cup was broken on the altar in a fit of anger over not getting one’s way. But isn't that what this battle is all about? Everyone having “their” way... Circle Up the Wagons It has been quoted that a good definition of stupidity “is to keep doing the same things the same way and expecting different results.” Circling the wagons just won’t get at the results we yearn and pray for. When we circle the wagons - - we grow inward and become just survivalist. We cannot “reach out” because we are to busy “checking names and kicking butt”. On Your Mark, Get Set, Ready Go-- And just what is our mission - - The mission of The United Methodist Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ!!! The dusk from Pittsburgh is about to settle. On Your Mark, Get Set, Ready Go - - - Schizophrenic--Is What We Are! Who among us would cast the first stone at a homosexual brother or sister (He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone. - - Jesus Christ). The whole ministry of Jesus Christ has taught that it would be like stoning Him... Why Do We Play With Words? Let those who insist on disobeying our covenant loose. Loose them from our covenant agreement and let them organize a church that has a polity and discipline that meets their standards, passions and desires. These are essentials where we absolutely cannot find unity! Our umbrella is big - - but it does have its drip edge!... How Do You Do Bible Study? There is probably no "wrong" way to approach Bible study! The good news is that there seems to be an almost non-quenchable thirst for Bible knowledge and truth. Mel Gibson's new movie - - "The Passion of The Christ" will draw millions to theaters - - many of them seekers. Many will take that new experience to exploring the Bible for more Good News!... The Controversy of "The Passion of Christ" The Controversy of “The Passion of The Christ” So what is all “the controversy” about ? - - Jesus Christ has been a controversy from the beginning of his ministry. He proclaimed and modeled a new covenant that brought him to a cross at Golgotha. Mel Gibson is a very devout practicing Catholic Christian. This is a highly talented true believer attempting to portray that scene using the Gospels as his text... Playing God! Can you imagine a cure for cancer and heart and artery diseases in our time! That is what this new science has the potential to gift us with. It is up to us to not let the politicians and pontificators take it away from us. God has no other hands but ours. God uses our hands to do the work of miracles yes, even now! Praise be to God for this marvelous gift!... Do No Move the Furniture! Have you ever watched, in horror, as some new clergy person comes into a local church and begins to “mark” their territory? In their ego driven psyche that feel that they must show everyone that a new pastor is in the pulpit - - and this who I am! Usually the first thing they will do is begin to “move the furniture around” or worse yet insists on “new furniture”... Something Is Wrong with the Argument If the conclusion of an argument cancels either the premises or the consequences of the gospel, something is wrong with the argument... Is it Okay to be Patriotic in Church--Again? The churches are again proudly displaying the Stars and Stripes along the Christian and United Methodist flags. We are having bazaars, pie sales, yard sales to support our troops. We have never as a nation or church supported our armed forces personnel like this since World War II. Some churches have even erected outside flag poles on which to display our national colors. We seem to have gotten our national backbone back again!... God's Perfect Plan For too long our Western culture has said - - "if it feels good, do it and God will surely bless it". We bemoan the disintegration of the family unit, morals and manners. We have put bars on our doors to keep thieves out. We have cocooned our selves into less than what God’s perfect plan intends for us. We think that “prayer in public schools” and posting edifices of the Ten Commandments will somehow restore our civilization... Stretching the Tie that Binds How far can we stretch this “tie that binds” – before it breaks? How many times can we weld the links back together again? We are beginning to put spot welds on the spot welds - - kinda like my Momma used to put patches on the patches of my worn out blue jeans... The Ten Commandments You know Jesus was right (Isn’t he always right!). Until we can transfigure these tablets in stone into tablets within our hearts we will continue to behave much like the wilderness people did. While Moses was up on the mountain with God - - they got impatient and built them an idol and began to worship it. When Moses challenged Aaron about it - - Aaron’s reply was “well it just appeared!” Isn't that the way sin always happens - - it just appears. Putting God laws upon walls and in tablets of stone will not change that!... Brother Harry, Pray for Us--Again Some of you will chastise me to dare to even compare the issue of integration with that of human sexuality. While the elements of each issue are not the same at all, our church is going through the same trauma! We are a bleeding and hurting church over an issue that deeply divides us. These are tough issues. We are again walking with our heads down and our hearts heavy. In their advertising Buick brought car designer Harley Earl back from the dead to design a new line of Buicks for the 21st Century. Do we need to resurrect Brother Harry to come back and “pray over us”?... What Would Jesus Drive? There is a gospel pop song that begs the question - - “What would Jesus drive?”. “What Would Jesus Do?” has become “What Would Jesus Drive?”... Credentials I am a United Methodist by intent and choice. I know that some of you claim our heritage from your birth, but I cannot. My Baptist mother did not tell me about my Circuit Riding Methodist Great-Grandfather until after I joined the Methodist Church... Worthy of The Gospel Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side... What I Believe About--Open Minds, Open Hearts, Open Doors An Open Heart is a loving heart, a caring heart, a healing heart, a welcoming heart, a listening heart, a hugging heart - - a heart that is always open! Our mission as a church is to produce Disciples who love and serve Jesus Christ. We can tell all those who stand outside our doors - - come on in! You do not have to leave your brain at the door as you enter! We are a church of an Open Mind! We must thrust open the doors of our Churches, as we go out in ministry and service. We need to quit sitting around in meetings talking about what we ought to do - - and get out and about and be in ministry. What I Believe About--Freedom Every time a law is passed that denies us another freedom of choice without fear of retribution or arrest - - then we are a lesser nation. We become a nation of neighbor against neighbor, ideology against ideology, class against class, citizen against citizen... A Response to "This Holy Mystery: A United Methodist Understanding of Holy Communion" "One of the hallmarks of United Methodism is that our founder, John Wesley, had a deep and abiding passion for “lost souls” - - of that there is no denial. I am convinced that Wesley was convicted that Holy Communion “was” an “occasion for the reception of converting, justifying and sanctifying grace”. Why else would he have communed so often himself if he did not believe this to the core of his being..." Walk to Emmaus On the first Easter Sunday, as the sun was setting, two men were journeying back home - - wondering - - watching. Could it be? How could all of what we have heard be true? Could it really be? The road to Emmaus that night was trudging and wearisome. They wanted to hope and believe what they had heard...but!... |
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