Re-Vision News and Notes

A Heart for the Future

2009-06-23T12:55:00.001-07:00

In the final chapter of You Only Have to Die: Leading Your Congregation to New Life, Jim Harnish puts the finishing touches on his thoughts about congregational cardiology. He highlights the prayer of Dag Hammarskjold from his book Markings:

For all that has been--Thanks!
For all that shall be--Yes!

These two lines, Harnish contends, describe "the essence of living a healthy, faithful life"(p. 179).

When Jim Harnish faced the very real possibility of his own death, he was not overwhelmed with a sense of fear but rather one of gratitude for the life he had been given to live and the people with whom he had been privileged to share it. He found himself singing with the psalmist, "The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage" (Psalm 16:6).

I must admit that I do not do as good a job of giving thanks for all that has been or looking forward to what will be. It is all too common for me to remember--and dwell on--my failures, faults, and foibles. I tend to downplay or dismiss whatever has gone well and to highlight whatever has gone poorly--or disastrously!

Jim Harnish reminds us that no individual or congregation has an unblemished record of success, effectiveness, or accomplishment. "In each generation," he writes, "there have been high moments of great vision and growth and there have been moments of disappointment and near despair"(p. 181).

One of the challenges in today's settings is that there are people and congregations "with tin hearts, rusted shut. They live as if they have more yesterdays than tomorrows"(p. 182). They live, in a word, as if they had never heard the good news of the risen Christ.

But the church is called "to bear witness to hope that is grounded in our faith in God." At the heart of the church's life "is the word of life that is found only when we are willing to die for the right things"(p. 183).

And then Harnish points to Abraham, who is essentially the patron saint for all who think that they are too old, too feeble, or too worn out! The "visionary faith" of Abraham (and Sarah, as it turned out) "holds onto the promise of God even when every human reality seems to be stacked against it, confident that God will accomplish what God has promised"(p. 184).

Harnish summarizes the work of Hyde Park Church--and every congregation--with these words:

"Our work is to do everything in our power to use the resources of the past to energize the congregation in the present and to build into the ongoing life of this congregation those processes of healthy, spiritual growth that will prepare it for ministry in the future"(p. 184).

Here at First United Methodist Church, we have a ways to go for that to become a reality. I believe that we clearly have resources of (and from) the past that are of continuing value. We are working--though not yet systematically--to energize the congregation right now. We need to develop and build into the life of the congregation processes that will lead to "healthy, spiritual growth."

Harnish brings his book to a close with a "word of joy." It is the kind of experience that comes not with an easy road but a hard one. It is the kind of joy that has in it the reality of the cross. It may call us to take a different direction than others prefer to take. It may require us to speak words, even in love, that call people to accountability rather than simply to confirm their existing point of view.

On the way to joy, paradoxically enough, we experience pain. "Just because we're trying to do the right thing," Harnish notes, "doesn't mean that we won't experience pain"(p. 187). Growth and change, however well intended and needed, will bring with it a measure of discomfort and even pain. Most of us, myself included, prefer to take a path that avoids pain, but "pain is an inevitable part of growth"(p. 188). The cross teaches us "that the only place of healing is the place of pain"(p. 188). We have to experience Good Friday, in other words, before we can truly experience Easter.

In the last paragraph of the closing chapter, Harnish writes:

"Looking back across the journey we've taken, I can say that the new life that continues to emerge from the process is more than worth the price that was paid. The pain of the difficult years has already been totally overbalanced by the joy of seeing the new life that God is bringing forth among us. The path of obedience always leads to joy! For God's sake, for your congregation's sake, for your own sake, don't settle for anything less!"(p. 190)

May we at First United Methodist Church do no less in our continuing journey! And may we experience the joy that comes from what God has done, is doing, and will yet do among us!

Habits for a Healthy Heart

2009-05-19T08:20:00.000-07:00

"Habits for a Healthy Heart" is the focus for the twelfth chapter in You Only Have to Die: Leading Your Congregation to New Life, written by Jim Harnish. Cardiac intervention--whether for an individual or a congregation--is not simply a one-time event. It is "an ongoing process of heart transformation that never ends"(p. 167).

In our spiritual lives, it is the "ongoing work of the Spirit of God in the deepest part of our being"(pp. 168-69). It is our participation in the process "dying and rising" with Christ by which we are shaped more and more into the likeness of Jesus Christ himself. It is the process of what John Wesley called "sanctification."

At Hyde Park United Methodist Church, the work of transformation continues. This initially obligated them to focus on who they were and what they were called to be. Once clarity was reached in this area, the question became how they can best fulfill their mission "in the constantly changing realities of the community and world" and how they "grow in obedience to the way and will of Christ"(p. 170).

In response to the question of how a congregation maintains "a healthy heart for the long haul," Harnish invites us "to go back to the model of vibrant, healthy, Spirit-energized congregational life recorded in the book of Acts"(p. 170). Passages of particularly importance are Acts 2:43-47 and Acts 4:32-33.

Common Mission. The early church had a clear sense of purpose and direction. To be sure, there were disagreements, misunderstandings, and differences of opinion along the way. At the center of their life, however, was a common mission, "a clear sense of why the church was there: to give testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus"(p. 171).

At Hyde Park, their common mission is summarized in the phrase, "Making God's Love Real." For us at First United Methodist Church, it might well be a line from our Litany of Hospitality, "You are welcome here." However the mission may be stated, there needs to be "clarity of conviction and respect for differences"(p. 172).

Common Discipline. The early church's life together was a "day by day" experience, taking shape through shared disciplines. As Harnish reminds us, "there is simply no way for new life in Christ to take tangible form in our experience without shared common discipline"(p. 173). These include:

The discipline of worship. They discovered at Hyde Park that this discipline has two interwoven dimensions. One is "corporate discipline for gathered worship," and the other is "the personal discipline of spiritual formation and prayer"(p. 173). Each is vital and necessary.

The discipline of education. The biblical core of shared life at Hyde Park Church is the intensive study of scripture, primarily through DISCIPLE Bible study but also in a variety of other ways. Their discovery was that "when people are united around the Scripture, God transforms their lives"(p. 174).

The discipline of caring. Caring for other people in "tangible and practical ways" is critical for a church that wants to be healthy. And this is more than pastoral visitation. It is also the ministry of the laity expressing the love of God for one another.

The discipline of witness and service. Faith isn't really faith until we give it away, or "until it takes form in giving ourselves to others through practical forms of witness and service"(pp. 174-175).

These four elements define, for Hyde Park Church, the "common discipline" that sustains them in a "healthy spiritual life." It would be hard to argue otherwise!

Common Generosity. The final dimension of the life of the early church is their remarkable generosity. It is common only in the sense that it is shared among all members of the community. Otherwise, it is entirely an "uncommon" generosity.

There was in the early church a form of "communal economics" that did not last very long and which has never been realized on a large scale. However, as Harnish points out, there was underneath this economy "a common level of generosity, a profound awareness that nothing we own belongs to us"(p. 175).

A congregation that is sustained in ministry for the long term is one that is committed to disciplined giving, including the biblical discipline of tithing, and to "warmhearted generosity that is something like the extravagant generosity of God"(p. 176).

Uncommon Power of God. Harnish concludes his chapter on "Habits for a Healthy Heart" by pointing beyond common mission, discipline, and generosity to the "uncommon power of the Spirit of God." There should be in every congregation, he points out, something that "cannot be explained by anything other than the power of the Spirit of God"(p. 176). It is that spirit which takes "all of our human efforts and does something with them that goes beyond our human ability to predict, plan, or control"(p. 176).

At First United Methodist Church, we are still discovering, discerning, and deciding God's purpose and direction for us. I believe that we have begun to settle on "You Are Welcome Here" as a bedrock principle. We have not yet begun to explore all that this means, but it is certainly an excellent starting point.

As we begin to explore and understand what "welcome" truly means, the disciplines outlined in this chapter will serve us well. Whatever decision we make about our "core purpose," we need to be engaged in worship, education, caring, witness and service. Each of these disciplines needs to be oriented to the "core purpose" of our life together, and each needs to be coordinated with and supportive of others. Along with this, we need to move toward shared leadership in each of these areas rather than letting things fall primarily if not exclusively on the staff.

We are blessed, I believe, with a generous congregation--not a wealthy one but a generous one. One of our challenges is to extend, increase, and expand that circle of generosity so that more and more people come to experience the genuine joy of giving and the work we do together is sustained more dependably.

Worship That Goes to the Heart

2009-05-11T13:16:00.000-07:00

"Worship that goes to the heart" is the eleventh chapter in Jim Harnish's book, You Only Have to Die: Leading Your Congregation to New Life. Harnish begins the chapter with a statement of truth about every one of us, namely that "we have an innate and inescapable need to worship." The question, as he clearly points out, "is not whether we will worship, but what, whom, and how we will worship"(p. 143).

We are sometimes tempted to put our ultimate trust in something other than God, perhaps "economic power" or "military might." On a personal level, we may choose to give highest priority to our careers, our families, our possessions, or our desires. However, there is a "soul-hunger" that can be met only by "a living, loving, growing relationship with God"(p. 145).

That is--or at least should be--the focus of worship, regardless of our viewpoints about methods or styles. What really matters is "not whether our services are traditional or contemporary but why we do what we do and what we hope God will do in the lives of people through our worship"(p. 146).

Harnish uses the experience of Moses with God at the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-15) as the focus for "the kind of worship that goes to the heart"(p. 146). There are four key challenges:

Open Your Eyes: Worship Cultivates Awareness. The beginning point in the story was when Moses "turn[ed] aside" to look at the sight of a bush that was burning yet not burned up. In worship, we are called to "turn aside from the distractions of our lives and open our eyes to see what God is doing around us"(p. 147).
Take Off Your Shoes: Worship Ignites Awe. Moses was instructed to "take off his shoes," since he was standing on holy ground. There needs to be something about how we do worship that "ought to warm our hearts and make us tingle in our bones"(p. 149).
Listen for the Cry: Worship Energizes Compassion. The voice out of the burning bush recounted God's compassion toward his people in Egypt, God's knowledge of their suffering and God's desire to deliver them. Worship centered in the love of God in Christ "will break our hearts with the things that break the heart of God"(pp. 149-50).
Get Up and Go: Worship Motivates Ministry. Moses' experience at the burning bush ended with God's direction for him to "get up and go," something he was initially unwilling to do for reasons that made perfect sense to him. As we share in authentic worship, we are also called to "get up and go" in order to engage in genuine ministry.

Having identified these four challenges, Harnish goes on to share some of the ways they are fulfilling their mission of "Making God's Love Real" at Hyde Park United Methodist Church.

First, we make God's love real through worship that glorifies God. "Glory," as exemplified in the transfiguration of Jesus, is critical. Worship needs to embody, express, and exemplify a measure of mystery and wonder and not rely just on the rational and intellectual.
Second, we make God's love real through worship that celebrates our faith. Here the critical concepts are "celebrate" and "faith." In worship, we are called genuinely to celebrate the gift of God in Jesus Christ, which is expressed in "the note of celebration, the shout of praise, the thrill of laughter, the rhythm of joy"(p. 157). We celebrate the faith, not as something amorphous, vague, or indistinct but as "the faith that has been handed down to across the generations, the faith that is expressed in the historic creeds of the church"(. 157).
Third, we make God's love real through worship that invites others to faith in Christ. Worship needs to "invite and involve" persons into a relationship with Jesus Christ--either for the first time or more deeply. These needs to be purposeful rather than accidental, intentional rather than inadvertent, regular rather than sporadic.

The remainder of the chapter presents the "new worship planning model" in place at Hyde Park United Methodist Church. The chapter closes with the statement that,

"It's not really about us; it's about God's great love made real among us in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and about finding the most effective way to draw people into an experience of that love. It's about getting ourselves out of the way so that God can do something in and through us that will transform and heal our hearts"(p. 166).

There is much in this particular chapter that resonates with me in our setting here at First United Methodist Church. I like to think that worship is something that we do reasonably well, perhaps even approaching excellent now and again. But we do not have a clear sense of what we seek to accomplish in worship, and we currently do not have a coherent process for planning, implementing, or assessing our worship.

Our Worship and Music Ministry Team has not met for nearly a year because there is no lay person willing to provide leadership. Those who have been part of this team continue to carry on their particular functions, but we do not have a coherent sense of where we are going or what we are doing. Perhaps ironically, our average worship attendance for the current year is up from where it was a year ago! However, it is undoubtedly misleading to read too much into that statistical comparison.

There have been some significant transitions in how we do worship in the last year, including a greater use of praise choruses and songs and the singing of praise music at the beginning of our second service. However, we have not (yet) moved to what some have called a "full blown" praise service. I am encouraged by the energy associated with the "Third Service" that is planned to begin on May 31, the Day of Pentecost, as a primarily lay led worship experience every Sunday evening.

I continue to wrestle privately with the number of persons, including elected church leaders, who do not routinely or regularly participate in the worship of the congregation. It continues to be my conviction that public, corporate worship is an essential factor in our growth in faith.

I particularly like Harnish's description of worship as grounded in Moses' experience with God at the burning bush. I pray that our worship experience here at First United Methodist Church may help all of us

Open our eyes, as worship cultivates awareness of God's presence;
Take off our shoes (figuratively speaking!), as worship ignites awe;
Listen for the cry of those in need, as worship energizes compassion; and
Get up and go--in the name of Jesus, as worship motivates ministry.

Doing a New Thing

2009-04-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

"Doing a New Thing" is the focus for the tenth chapter of You Only Have to Die: Leading Your Congregation to New Life, written by Jim Harnish. To his credit, he doesn't start with the old adage that the "Seven Last Words of the Church" are "We Never Did It That Way Before." Instead, he begins with a story of the inveterate opposition toward changing the color of the "red trousers" worn by the French military in World War I.

Despite all that commended such a change, time and tradition were against it, and so French soldiers continued to wear clothing that led to their destruction and death. It was, Harnish writes, "an historic example of the tension between tradition and change, taste and function, mission and method; between something old and something new"(p. 128).

Jesus himself, of course, faced the same tension. There was "the old way of Hebrew tradition," and there was the new reality of "the coming of God's reign in Jesus"(p. 128). That tension was experienced in different ways in Jesus' ministry.

One time, sitting at table with "tax collectors and sinners," Jesus was challenged--albeit indirectly--by the Pharisees about such conduct. Rather than give in to the conventional practice of avoiding such people, Jesus claimed the witness of Hosea that God desired mercy rather than sacrifice(Matthew 9:10-13) And thus Harnish asks of us, pointedly enough,

"How much of your congregation's tradition are you willing to change in order to welcome new people into the kingdom of God?
Does your congregation have a passion for welcoming spiritually hungry people to the table of God's mercy the way Matthew invited that crowd to his dinner party?"(p. 129)

Right now, I think that the jury is out on both questions. There are times when I am encouraged about our willingness to welcome new people. At other times, discouragement is the order of the day, as we seem unable or unwilling to welcome others unless they meet our expectations and standards.

Harnish goes on to highlight the story of John Wesley, who was originally "a prim, proper little Anglican priest who was convinced that the gospel could only be preached in a consecrated pulpit in the Church of England"(p. 130). But, Wesley's heart--and life--were transformed, first by his Aldersgate experience on May 24, 1738, and then by accepting the invitation to preach outdoors--where the people were--"to poor people and coal miners"(p. 130).

Harnish goes on from there to lift up the "critical question" for those of us in mainline denominations--like The United Methodist Church. That is, are we willing "to change our methods in order to fulfill our mission--specifically, the mission of sharing the love of God in Christ with people who have not yet experienced it?"(p. 130).

Harnish's concern is that we seem to have "lost a passion for sharing the love of God in Christ with spiritually searching people in their communities and . . . finding ways to engage those persons in a process of discipleship that will equip them to become the agents of God's love in the world"(p. 131).

Those are strong words, but not inaccurate ones. At First United Methodist Church, we are generally willing to receive--and more or less accept--those who make their way to us and insist on finding a place among us. But we do not have a process of discipleship in place, either for them or for those already here. Nor do have methods in place to equip them--or those already here--to fulfill their particular ministry in the world.

Harnish spends the rest of this chapter outlining how the process of how change happened at Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa, Florida. Told that the leadership of the congregation "wanted the church to grow," he responded that the real question was "whether we are willing to make the kind of changes that might make growth possible"(p. 131). That was threatening--but accurate--thing to ask.

It took eighteen months at Hyde Park for them to answer the key questions, "Who are we? and Why are we here?" Then they focused on the questions, "What are we to do? What kind of ministries and programs would best accomplish that mission?"(p. 135). The goals that they established were in the areas of:

Worship, with a commitment both to "the liturgical tradition of the Methodist-Anglican branch of the Protestant Reformation" and to "new, creative, and exciting alternatives in music and worship . . ."(p. 135);
Education, with "a strong program of Christian education for all ages and for a wide variety of people"(p. 136);
Caring Ministries, with the expression of "the Spirit of Christ in caring and compassionate ministries within and through our congregation"(p. 137); and
Witness and Service, implemented by "drawing uncommitted persons to Jesus Christ and by being in ministry to the needs of our city and our world"(p. 138).

Harnish wraps up this chapter by sharing several lessons that he has learned:

Living the Mission Means Talking the Mission. The people of Hyde Park United Methodist Church were determined, Harnish writes, "to live the mission of the church and to align everything we did with it"(p. 139).
Remember That the Best Surprise Is No Surprise. One of the ways they helped this to happen at Hyde Park United Methodist Church was to include a "What It Will Take" section for each of their major goals.
Create Opportunities for Buy-In. There was a continuing--and continual--effort to share with the congregation the process as it unfolded, with time allowed "for people to think, talk, and engage in the process"(p. 140).
Watch for "Critical Mass." That is what happens, Harnish observes, "when a vision begins to take hold in the heart of the congregation"(p. 140).
Stick With Jesus. Harnish closes by citing the insights of Bill Easum and Tom Bandy, two of the "leading spokespersons for change in the church in America today." They point out that any change in the life of the church "must be anchored in the experience of the congregation with Jesus.'(p. 141). There will be no genuine, lasting change--or growth--in the life of the any congregation that is not grounded in our own "continuing spiritual growth" in our relationship with Jesus(p. 141).

"Doing a new thing" at Hyde Park United Methodist Church undoubtedly took more time, effort, and energy than anybody outside the congregation ever realized. It will be no less of an investment here at First United Methodist Church. I want to believe that we are not only capable of "doing a new thing" but that we will actually do so. As we do so, whatever "new thing" is actually should not be done simply because it is new or different but so that we might truly make a difference, that we might reach out to others, and that we might ourselves be drawn closer to the person and the presence of Jesus Christ.

The Heart of Transformation

2009-04-02T17:16:00.001-07:00

In chapter nine of You've Only Got to Die: Leading Your Congregation to New Life, Jim Harnish goes from "preachin' to meddlin'!" The chapter is entitled "The Heart of Transformation," and this is the chapter in which Harnish moves from talking about mission to what it actually means to live out (or into) our mission.

The challenge is right there in the opening paragraph of the chapter:

"It's one thing to have a mission; it's another thing to actually live it. Living it means aligning all of the congregation's resources to accomplish that mission. It means saying yes to everything that contributes to it. Even harder, it means saying no to a multitude of good things that do not contribute directly to the mission"(p. 111).

Ouch, that hurts! Like many churches, we have a pattern at First United Methodist Church of promoting, encouraging, or at least allowing "a multitude of good things." And, in my experience, saying" no," "not yet," or "not now" is seldom well received. We do not currently have clarity about our vision or mission, so we are likely to try whatever seems good or right at the time. And we wind up frittering away both time and energy.

We need to wrestle with the deeper questions that Jim Harnish identifies at the outset of this chapter:

"How does this mission become a transforming reality in the lives of real people?
"What is the definable process by which the Spirit is at work to accomplish the mission of this church through the lives of our people?"(p. 111)

At Hyde Park United Methodist Church, they were able to go to their mission statement to describe "the key elements in the heart transformation process" in their congregation(p. 112). It turns out that the process had these elements:

Community. Recognizing that "transformation happens in community with other Christian disciples," they set out to establish a process "for people to build loving, Christlike relationships with other people." Small groups thus became the norm. Their goal was to become "a church of small groups" rather than "a church with small groups"(p. 112). That is far from where we are, but I believe it is where we need to go. And it needs to be more than just calling what we already do by a new name. It means to develop specific ways in which people are enabled "to develop personal loving, caring relationships"(p. 113).
Commitment. A critical component of the process of transformation at Hyde Park United Methodist Church "begins with a personal commitment to become a disciple of Jesus Christ"(p. 113). They are not concerned so much with 'how' it happens but 'that' it happens. At the present time, we at First Church are willing to talk to people about becoming members of the church but it is difficult for us to use language about faith in Jesus Christ in a way that begins to approach personal.
Spiritual Empowerment. Using traditional Wesleyan terminology, Harnish reminds us of the reality that being transformed into the likeness of Christ is "not something we do, but something the Spirit of God does within us." The church's task (or privilege or obligation or opportunity) is "to offer spiritual disciplines, the means of grace, and opportunities for ministry that can become settings in which the Spirit is given the freedom and opportunity to do this work in and through our lives"(p. 113). We are better in this area in the sense that we do provide a variety of ways for the Spirit of God to be at work among us. However, we tend to "pick and choose" what we think best in any given situation. There is not (yet) a sense of discipline about how we engage our members and friends in opportunities to be shaped by grace.
Unity not Uniformity. Again hearkening back to Wesley, Harnish emphasizes "learning to allow space for different convictions while being centered in the love of God in Christ." Being truly transformed into the image of Christ "is not a process of making everyone agree on all of the same information, but a process by which the love of God in Christ unites different people in a common experience of grace and a common sense of mission and purpose in sharing the love of God with others"(p. 114). Our issue is perhaps the opposite of the situation at Hyde Park; we do not overtly or covertly seek uniformity, but we are not clear about what truly constitutes our unity in Christ.
Mission-Directed. The purpose for all the programs, activities, and projects in the local church are "for the larger purpose of making the love of God in Christ a tangible reality in our world"(p. 114). In our setting, I am concerned that our programs, activities, and projects may exist largely for their own sake or because they are things we've always done. We do not have a clear process for measuring how well any of our programs, activities, or projects help to fulfill our disciplinary mission of "making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world."

Harnish acknowledges helpfully that they didn't always get things right at Hyde Park Church--or at least not the first time they tried. They "live in the continuing tension between what we currently are and what we believe God would have us become"(pp. 115-116). That is a tension, of course, that we all know!

The remainder of this chapter is devoted to the story of how Hyde Park Church experienced "the heart of transformation." The principal means by which this was accomplished was through a vision of what Jim Harnish calls "Wesley Groups," modeled after the "class meetings" of early Methodism. It was a vision "for 'small communities of Christians who are making God's love real through worship, education, caring, and ministries of witness and service'"(p. 117).

It became, as Harnish recalls, "the first priority" for Hyde Park church to fulfill its mission. And so the tasks were:

Call leaders.
Train leaders.
Invite people to participate.
Just do it! (p. 118).

There are clear expectations for the Wesley Group Leaders to be "praying leaders," "learning leaders," "caring leaders," and "witnesses for Christ"(pp. 119-120). Wesley Group Members are expected to "become praying people," "become learning disciples," "care for one another," and "be in ministry together"(pp. 121-122).

Those seem like they ought to be expectations of any leader or member of any church--including First United Methodist Church in downtown Hutchinson. Perhaps, with the urging and insistence of the Holy Spirit, this is just the direction we will move--together! It may turn out that Jim Harnish wasn't "meddlin'" after all, but he was helping us get to "the heart of transformation."

Prayer That Makes a Difference

2009-03-24T08:06:00.001-07:00

In chapter eight of You Only Have to Die: Leading Your Congregation to New Life, Jim Harnish focuses on "Prayer That Makes a Difference." It is, from his perspective, "the means by which we feel the pulse of the Spirit of God at work within and through our life together"(p. 91).

It is easy, at least for me, to say that we believe in prayer. It is hard, at least for me, to truly engage in prayer that goes beyond the superficial and routine to "disciplined listening, obedient prayer"(p. 91), and yet that is precisely what is needed.

Harnish reminds us of the truth of Psalm 127:1 that, "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain." That is true not only in the building of the house [of God], but also of the re-building of the house [of God] or the re-visioning the life and work of a congregation. Unless and until we engage in prayer that goes to the heart of the things, we will only engage in an exchange of opinions and be tempted to revert to "the way things have always been."

Harnish lifts up two models of prayer, each coming from the eighteenth chapter of the Gospel of Luke. One is the kind of prayer modeled in "the parable of the importunate widow" (Luke 18:1-8). This kind of prayer is "annoyingly persistent." This kind of prayer does not ever give up!

The other kind of prayer is found in the story of the Pharisee and Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14). In an unexpected reversal of conventional expectations, Jesus praises the tax collector, "who went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted"(Luke 18:14). This kind of prayer"lives with a humble awareness of our need of God's mercy"(p. 103).

Utilizing these perspectives on prayer, Harnish outlines these principles about "living and leading in prayer." They are:

Prayer that makes a difference is prayer that is aligned with the redemptive purpose of God. Harnish uses the insights of the New Testament theologian, Walter Wink, who reminds us that people pray, not because of their intellectual understanding of prayer, "but because the struggle in which they are engaged demands it"(p. 98). In other words, "the stress, conflict, and pain of change force [transformational leaders] to move into a deeper place of prayer than they had known before" (p. 98). And then, the very act of praying "draws them into a larger vision of God's redemptive purpose"(p. 98).
Prayer that makes a difference is prayer that is persistent in seeking. The widow in Jesus' parable had neither time nor the inclination to be politely pious or piously polite. "She was absolutely determined to get what she so desperately needed"(p. 100). I am not sure how persistently we engaged in prayer to see God's guidance in our re-visioning process. We may not have reached a level of such desperation for us truly to engage in this kind of prayer.
Prayer that makes a difference is prayer that is centered in the love and mercy of God. Drawing on the story of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, Harnish highlights the need for prayer that is based on "a humble awareness of our need of God's mercy"(p. 103). One of the things that has come to characterize the atmosphere at Hyde Park Church is "a gracious acceptance of people the way they are, a nonjudgmental spirit, a sense that people are loved and accepted as they are, that they don't need to put on some sort of artificial religious facade"(p. 103). One of the facets of life at First United Methodist Church appreciated by newcomers is our Litany of Hospitality, which affirms that: "Wherever you are on the journey of faith, wherever you are on your spiritual journey, you are welcome here! In this church, in the presence of God: you can be who you are; you can be any way you are; and you can be loved."

These principles about "living and leading in prayer" have found expression in various ways at Hyde Park Church, including:

Reducing elected committees "to the bare minimum," and making most decisions "by concensus [sic.] through prayer" rather than taking formal votes.
Learning to depend more fully on God, even though it sometimes feels "like sloshing through a miry bog, with every step slipping and sliding on wet clay"(p. 104).
Learning to "sing a new song," as they provide worship that truly invites others to Christ, including those who are "spiritually hungry, biblically illiterate, [and] unchurched"(p. 105).

In notes for this chapter, Harnish asks several pointed questions:

How has God been giving you new songs to sing? How is your life of prayer making you more sensitive to the language and rhythm of the people you are called to reach?
Are you willing for God to send you the people no one else wants? Do you genuinely want God to draw new people into discipleship through your church?
Is your congregation discovering the joy that comes in obedience? What's the laughter quotient in your church?
How would you count the ways in which God has multiplied the growth, life, and ministry of your congregation? How has that exponential growth been connected to your congregation's life of prayer?

These are not yet questions that I believe we are ready to answer. They are questions that we need to learn to ask, and to ask God's guidance in answering them in ways that are faithful with our calling and commitment to be the church.

Finding Your Future in Your Past

2009-03-22T13:57:00.000-07:00

In chapter seven of You Only Have to Die: Leading Your Congregation to New Life, Jim Harnish invites us to "find our future in our past." He cites the Biblical story of the wise and foolish builder in Matthew 7:24-29 and reminds us of the secular version of the parable of the three little pigs.

The foundation on which we choose to build, simply and obviously, makes a different in the future life of the congregation. Harnish highlights the importance of the lesson he learned in beginning a new church. "The early values, beliefs, convictions, and attitudes become so deeply ingrained in the heart of a congregation that they never really go away"(p. 78).

When Jim Harnish was appointed to Hyde Park United Methodist Church, it was a much different setting. The congregation had been on the same corner for ninety three years, and the church building had been around since 1907. Harnish immediately understood the "stability of the sanctuary" as "as an outward and visible sign of the inward and spiritual strength of the congregation." Any transformation for the church's future needed "to be rooted in our past"(p. 78).

Harnish's comments seem perfectly obvious, but, as he writes, "the terrain of church life in America today is littered with the remains of of well-intended, Spirit-energized visions that crashed and burned because they failed to seriously consider the history and traditions of the congregation"(p. 79).

So what does that mean for us at First United Methodist Church in downtown Hutchinson, KS? How do we take into account the "inward and spiritual strength" of this congregation? For me, it means remembering several of the stories about our founding and history through the years.

There is the story of Rev. Frederick J. Griffith, a Civil War veteran known for his "obstinate faithfulness." He preached the first sermon in Hutchinson on March 10, 1872, and he was responsible for organizing the congregation on July 11, 1872. He was a self-appointed emissary for Rice County, of all places, who valued a commitment to Christ and a call to preach higher than any personal comfort or convenience.

There is the story of the Rev. John Fox, who was the pastor appointed to the church in 18784. He came with the understanding that he was to guide the congregation in building the first structure. The groundbreaking took place on August 17, 1874, but that was during the great grasshopper plague, and Rev. Fox was soon instructed by his Presiding Elder to give up the work. "Undaunted and resolute," he returned to the task the next day, turning his back on both the grasshoppers and his Presiding Elder. Determined to see the work through, Rev. Fox later recounted that thousands of grasshoppers were mixed in with the concrete and became part of the foundation of the new church building.

There is the story of Ralph Murray, who attended worship in the second decade of the twentieth century with his mother and other members of his family. This was after the 1907 building was constructed and in use. Ralph remembers sitting toward the front, with his mother on one side, and his siblings in the row behind. His favorite song was "Brighten the Corner Where You Are." He always wondered who "bright" was and what corner he was in. He sent the church a gift in the amount of $50,000 "in honor and memory" of his mother.

"Finding Our Future in Our Past," however, is something that moves beyond our particular history as a congregation. It means, as Jim Harnish reminds us, "digging farther back into the deep wells of our spiritual and theological traditions"(p. 84). At Hyde Park Church, it meant identifying themselves with "the central core of the Wesleyan tradition while also communicating that we are clear that the family tree of the Christian church is a lot larger than our particular branch of it"(pp. 84-85).

Harnish points out one of the "divine ironies" of the Hyde Park story, i.e., "that the members who have been around the longest are the ones who are the most excited about the future"(p. 86). That happened, Harnish notes, because people were able to give positive answers to four critical questions:

Are people's hearts right?
Do they believe in the mission?
Do they feel secure?
Do they still have their place?

Right now, I am not sure how many of these questions we can answer with a positive response. That is part of our challenge and opportunity in "finding our future in our past."

Vision Matters

2009-03-17T12:58:00.000-07:00

"Vision Matters" is chapter six in Jim Harnish's book, You Only Have to Die: Leading Your Congregation to New Life. The theme verse is "Where there is no vision, the people perish"(Proverbs 29:18 KJV).

I have long known the verse, and I have long felt the need. But the "vision thing" is really hard for me! I never see things as clearly as I believe that I should. But perhaps, I need to act on what I do see rather than wait for a fully realized vision.

Hyde Park United Methodist Church, according to Jim Harnish, "needed to catch a fresh vision of its mission for the future"(p. 62). At First United Methodist Church, we are no different. Like the Hyde Park congregation, we need to wrestle with questions that go to the heart of our life together:

Who are we?
Why are we here?
What do we believe?
Who are the people in our community who are not currently committed to Jesus Christ, and what would it take for us to reach them?
What is God calling us to be and do in this community in the second century of ministry? (p. 62)

Each of these is a challenging question. The one that I suspect will be hardest for us to answer is the one about "people in our community who are not currently committed to Jesus Christ, and what [it] would... take to reach them."

We do not often use language about commitment to Jesus Christ. We might talk about people's commitment to one congregation or another, but we are much less likely to talk about basic matters of faith commitment. Sometimes it is hard enough for us just to move ten feet from our usual place on Sunday mornings and greet someone whose name we either don't know--or at least don't remember!

After acknowledging the danger of anyone trying to do an "end run" around a congregation, Harnish recounts the process by which the Hyde Park United Methodist Church engaged in "a process of study, dialogue, and prayer by which we could define God's mission and vision for our second century of ministry"(p. 63). Their process is different from what we have begun, but there are several similarities.

The process at Hyde Park, as Harnish lines it out, involved several "Vision Steps."

Study. This began with a study of the book of Acts and Paul's letter to the Ephesians, and it continued through statements on doctrine and mission in the United Methodist Book of Discipline as well as current studies of church life and ministry.
Research. This focused on the demographics of their neighborhood or ministry area where they were called to be in ministry. We are currently involved in a similar process with our Re-Vision Team.
Observation. This was a series of "best practice" visits to growing congregations that had something in common with Hyde Park Church. There are several such churches within a reasonable driving distance of Hutchinson, and I hope that at least some members of our Re-Vision Team can visit one or two of them.
Listening. One of the goals of the task force at Hyde Park church was "to listen for the authentic voice of the congregation and to enable our people to listen to each other" (p. 67). This is something that we need to do more effectively. We do not always listen well to one another, and we need to figure out how to do so.
Dialogue. The task force at Hyde Park Church was deliberately slow-paced in their deliberations, not rushing to judgment. We have a much briefer timeline here, having set ourselves a goal of six months. In an ideal setting, that timeline is too short, but we need to capture and build on the momentum that we have.
Prayer. This was a growth area for the task force at Hyde Park Church, and it is a growth area for us as well. The good news is that, the longer the task force there worked together, "the deeper the sense of spiritual community became"(p. 69). I trust it will be so for our Re-Vision Team as well.
Shared Information. This is a critical area of concern for us at First United Methodist Church, just as it was for the people of Hyde Park United Methodist Church. We need to do a better job of assuring the free flow of information in the congregation and giving everybody a chance to be part of the conversation about what we believe to be God's purpose and direction for this church.

As they made their way through this process, unsettling and challenging as it sometimes was, the task force at Hyde Park Church eventually began to be able "to put into words the mission and vision that the Spirit was shaping with us"(p. 70). The mission statement that finally emerged was:

Hyde Park United Methodist Church is a community of people committed to Jesus Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, united in the love of God, and called to make that love real to others..."(p. 71)

There was considerably more to be elaborated, and there was a vision statement to go along with it. The key phrase that emerged, from an unlikely member of the team, was that the church was "called to make [Jesus'] love real to others"(p. 74)

And so a simple phrase--"Making God's Love Real"--became the heart of their life together and has guided the church since. It was a glorious moment, one that I hope to experience in my ministry here at First United Methodist Church!

Harnish concludes this chapter with both modesty and audacity, affirming on the one hand that he has "no idea how the fresh vision of the Spirit might be born in your congregation," but insisting on the other hand that "the same Spirit who brooded over chaos and brought forth creation in Genesis, will bring new creation in ways that are uniquely designed for each congregation. The critical factor is not how it happens, but that it happens and that it happens for your congregation!"(pp. 4-75)

Cardiology Is Not for the Fainthearted

2009-03-03T17:19:00.000-08:00

Jim Harnish gets down to the hard work of renewal in "Cardiology Is Not for the Fainthearted," which is chapter five of You Only Have to Die: Leading Your Congregation to New Life. The theme verse for this chapter is essentially "The road is hard that leads to life"(Matthew 7:14).

He has a hunch that "many long-established churches fail to experience the vitality that the New Testament envisions for them simply because they are not willing to face the struggle, feel the pain, or pay the price for new life"(p. 45). He goes on to cite Leighton Ford's observation that "any long-established congregation that gets serious about finding God's mission and vision for its future is headed for . . . 'a collision course with conflict'"(p. 46).

That is not news that any of us are prepared to receive gladly. Nor are we likely to be thrilled with how Jim Harnish describes Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa, Florida, upon his arrival there. It was, he writes, "a warmhearted congregation that had deep appreciation for its past, was foggy about its mission in the present, and lacked a guiding vision for its future"(p. 47).

I am not sure that you could describe First United Methodist Church in Hutchinson with much greater precision. To be sure, we have a sense that we are to be involved with our community, we are thoroughly United Methodist, and we have taken to heart our litany of hospitality that

"Wherever you are on the journey of faith, wherever you are on your spiritual journey, you are welcome here. In this church, in the presence of God, you can be who you are; you can be any way you are; and you can be loved."

Beyond that, our primary goal seems not to do anything that might upset anybody or rock somebody's boat. We place a high value on at least superficial harmony. We may well exemplify Harnish's contention that "as long as a congregation's mission is vague or undefined, people can get along pretty well by pretending that the church is what they believe it to be"(p. 47).

The issue at Hyde Park Church was around two issues--theology and denominational identity. Harnish relates in some detail how he dealt, for better or for worse, with these issues. He includes a summary of the ways in which he really blew it. He tended to take things too personally. He let the critics get to him. He didn't always go to the source of conflict. He shared too much of himself with the staff before he could fully trust them.

On the other hand, there were some places where, by God's grace, he "got it right"(p. 54) He felt the pain when people chose to leave the congregation. He gave up trying to play the critics' game. He turned to his friends. He asked forgiveness. He listened to the "mature saints" with which the church was blessed. He paid attention to the church's history. He tried to keep a sense of humor. He increased the consistency and depth of his personal spiritual disciplines. And, perhaps most importantly, he held on.

Our issues are more nebulous at First United Methodist Church. The primary one seems to be a pattern of longterm decline that seems to resist any and all efforts thus far to turn around the situation. For years, I thought that working harder or speeding things up would inevitably lead us to turn the corner. But that has not been the case.

Along the way, I have made my share of mistakes. They include:

Assuming when I first arrived that people knew what they were doing.
Trusting people who said they had the best interests of the church at heart.
Believing that things would get better, if I just waited long enough or worked hard enough.
Not identifying my own expectations or assumptions clearly--either to myself or to others (especially to staff).
Hoping for the best without doing anything differently.
Wanting to avoid--or at least to postpone--conflict.

On the other hand, there are some things that, by God's grace, I think that I am getting things right.

Learning to say what I think and believe.
Feeling the pain of others' actions and attitudes, including painful departures.
Using a sense of humor in helpful and healthy ways.
Being active in colleague groups--both for learning and support.
Letting people experience failure and disappointment without accepting it for them.
Discovering that I have value in who I am--regardless of others' expectations of me.
Asking forgiveness.
Hanging in and hanging on.

With God's grace, there may yet be other ways in which I am getting it right!

Congregational cardiology, Harnish concludes at the close of this chapter "is not for fainthearted pastors or lay leaders who are only interested in maintenance ministry"(p. 59). If God is truly calling a congregation to transformation, Harnish contends, you can count on four things:

There will be conflict.
You will make mistakes.
God's grace will be sufficient for you, and God's strength can be at work through your weakness.
When the transformation happens, it will be more than worth the price you paid! (p. 59)

As we re-vision the purpose and direction of First United Methodist Church, we need to be clear about what the process will involve.

Diagnosis: Congregational Cardiomyopathy

2009-02-16T15:51:00.000-08:00

With chapter four of You Only Have to Die, Jim Harnish gets down to a frank assessment of the situation that awaited him at Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa, Florida. The theme verse for this chapter is "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life"(Proverbs 13:12).

In this chapter, Harnish emphasizes "clarity of mission and purpose," which includes the need to align the church's actions and resources around mission. And that, he contends, is what "declining or dying churches generally are missing." It may be what we are missing at First United Methodist Church.

Harnish described Hyde Park Church upon his arrival as a congregation "that had a very clear sense of its past, was somewhat foggy about its present, and didn't have a clue about its future" (p. 40). This once-prestigious church had fallen victim to "congregational cardiomyopathy," which Harnish defines as "the lack of heart-level clarity and warmhearted passion about God's mission and vision for the congregation." The lack of mission and vision, Harnish contends, "always leads to a gradual hardening of the heart in the present and inevitable death in the future" (p. 40).

Those are scarcely words designed to warm the heart! They are more likely to cause an inward shudder! And yet these words were true for Hyde Park United Methodist Church. They may be more true than we wish at First United Methodist Church.

One of the symptoms at Hyde Park Church was the neglect of the congregation's buildings. The condition of the physical facility, Harnish observes, "was symptomatic of mediocrity or benign neglect in other areas of the church's ministry"(p. 41). That needed to be addressed almost immediately at Hyde Park Church, along with everything else!

I believe that we have done some significant work at First United Methodist Church in the last eight years in dealing with our building's deficiencies. Does anybody remember the condition of the sidewalks eight years ago? There were so hazardous that a complaint was filed about them with the City of Hutchinson.

And what about Fellowship Hall? There was the gold shag carpet on the walls. There were no sound boards hanging from the ceiling or on the walls. You couldn't hold a meeting there and expect the leader to be heard, and we just recently held a prayer retreat for more than 120 women!

The windows throughout the building were all single pane glass, and some of them had cracks that could not be patched. Not all of the windows could be closed. One window had duct tape on it for the better part of a year.

And then there is the first level of the Education Building. Eight years ago, the Sew 'n' Sews were lodged in a tiny room, and now they have a spacious room in which to work. The room at the north end of the hall was not used by anyone, although it was still set up for the Sunday School class that used to meet there. Now, thanks to the efforts of the Chancel Choir, it has been transformed into an inviting, gracious and well kept space. The 50-50 Class has migrated from one room to another and then to their current location. The Health and Wellness Room has been transformed from a space barely usable to one that is welcoming and inviting.

But it is not all a matter of physical property improvements. In reality, we have postponed dealing with the more important issue of defining (or re-defining) our mission and vision. In some ways, the same description can be used of us that was used for Hyde Park United Methodist Church, i.e., "It had many great attributes, but it lacked a commonly shared sense of mission and had no compelling vision for its future"(p. 42).

Jim Harnish did in his first few months of ministry at Hyde Park Church what I have not done (at least not effectively) in my first several years of ministry at First Church. Harnish decided to "start with . . . mission." Once the congregation had defined God's calling for them as a congregation, they had "a common criterion for making decisions on what to do and how to do it"(p. 43).

I believe that I thought I was doing--or at least encouraging--this kind of venture, but it did not happen. And now we are making up--or attempting to make up---for lost time.

That is one of the reasons that I am so pleased with the Re-Vision Team that we now have in place. It is not their job to figure out how to "change the church!" It is their job "to lead the entire congregation in a process by which we would all listen for God's Spirit to speak to us"(p. 43). And that includes definining a mission that wil actually "guide us in making decisions about our future"(pp. 43-44).

The process at Hyde Park Church turned out to be, in Harnish's words, "exhausting and exhilarating," but they committed themselves "to a process that would go all the way to the heart." I am encouraged that renewal was able to happen at Hyde Park United Methodist Church, and I believe that it can still happen here at First United Methodist Church. I am convinced that it needs to happen, and I trust that, by God's grace and guidance, it will happen! I invite your persistent prayers of strength, hope, and courage!

For the Sake of the Call

2009-02-16T09:52:00.000-08:00

In the third chapter of You Only Have to Die, Jim Harnish recounts how he came to Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa, Florida in the first place. It came about as a result of the appointive process, which has been the way that United Methodists (and our various denominational predecessors) have deployed clergy over the years. We are called as clergy to ordained (or licensed) ministry and then sent to where the bishop and cabinet believe that we can serve the most effectively in making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Jim Harnish had been at St. Luke's United Methodist Church at Windermere, Florida, for thirteen years. For United Methodist clergy, that is a long appointment. He had been the church's founding pastor, and he looked forward to continuing ministry there.

But a call came from the bishop, as it sometimes does, and Jim found himself involved in a conversation about what it would mean for him to be appointed elsewhere--more specifically, to Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa, which was significantly smaller than his current appointment, located in the "inner core" of a city rather than the suburbs, and blessed with only half the budget.

It was not an appointment that Jim would have chosen. It did not seem like the right time to move. There were more questions than answers. And yet he chose to make the move. It was, as he writes, "for the sake of the call."

That sentiment came through powerfully in the refrain of the song, "For the Sake of the Call," by Stephen Curtis Chapman. The words are:

"We will abandon it all for the sake of the call
No other reason at all but for the sake of the call."

When I was appointed as the pastor of First United Methodist Church in 2001, it was not where I had expected to go. But things change, as they sometimes do on the cabinet, and this is where I was appointed. I shall always be grateful to Jeanne Devine, who was the Hutchinson District Superintendent at the time, for being a strong advocate for me and my ministry and for doing all in her power for a smooth and effective transition.

The song that I carried with me into this appointment was not anything theologically significant. It was Lee Ann Womack's song, "I Hope You Dance." I haven't lived up to the ideals of the song, but it continues to resonate in my heart, particularly the second verse and refrain:

"I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances, but they're worth taking
Lovin' might be a mistake, but it's worth making
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out, reconsider.
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance.
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance,
I hope you dance.

The truth is that sometimes I have sometimes felt like sitting it out. I have felt like taking the path of least resistance. I have wondered on more than one occasion if I am the right pastor for this appointment at this time in First Church's history. I have feared the mountains in the distance and the mistakes that I have not always been willing to make.

At times, I have thought about asking for a less challenging opportunity. And yet there is something that keeps me going, something that draws me forward, something that still invites me--figuratively if not literally--to dance.

I appreciate Jim Harnish's citation of a sermon by a longtime friend of his, O. Dean Martin. The title was "Why Windshields Are Larger Than Rearview Mirrors." Both are important, of course, but we need to have a windshield sense of the future, as we look clearly, hopefully, and even joyfully at all that God is yet to bring into our lives. True, we need to glance back every now and then to see from whence we have come, but it is more important for us to look ahead and see as clearly as possible God's vision of the future.

We are invited, encouraged, and challenged to live by the words of the apostle Paul:

"Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; bgut this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:12-14).

May we find ourselves called to God's purpose and direction, as we move into the future with hope that God has in store for us! And, when the choice comes to sit it out or dance, I hope we dance!

You Only Have to Die

2009-02-15T08:21:00.000-08:00

The second chapter in Jim Harnish's book--You Only Have to Die--has the same title as the book itself. Its scripture verse is "He was indeed so ill that he nearly died. But God had mercy on him" (Philippians 2:27).

This chapter begins with two blunt sentences:
"The key to becoming a Spirit-energized, people-loving, life-giving, community-transforming congregation is really very simple. All you have to do is be willing to die." (p. 21)

That is really much more than most of us are willing to consider. We might now and then consider inconvenience or perhaps even disappointment. But Jim Harnish puts it much more starkly.

He bases his comments out of his own cardiac difficulties, which nearly led to his death. His experience with heart disease and subsequent recovery--which his doctor judged to be miraculous--became a metaphor for understanding what God was doing in the life of the dying congregation to which he had been appointed. They were suffering, as he writes, from "congregational cardiopathy" and what was most needed was "congregational cardiology"--which goes right to the heart.

Harnish advises the following steps, not only for dealing with personal cardiac problems but also in terms of "congregational cardiology."

Listen to Your Heart. Cardiac crises--personally or congregationally--do not necessarily begin in a spectacular fashion. There may simply be a sense that something "isn't quite right" and that we are "out of harmony with ourselves, with others, or with God"(p. 25). Such signs need not to be ignored but taken as possible symptoms that something needs to be done.
Find Out What's Going On. Whether we like it or not, we need to find out what's actually going on rather than just rely on our own experience. The fact that we have so many long time members is a good thing, and yet "familiarity often creates blind spots . . . The longer we attend a church, the less aware we become . . . "(p. 26). We need to take steps needed to find out what visitors or newcomers experience when coming to this church and encountering our congregation.
Call in the Specialists. Most of us put off going to the doctor as long as possible. Even when we do, we dislike referrals to specialists. But sometimes specialists are just what we need. There are those with training and experience who have guided churches through the kind of transformation that we need, and it is important to take advantage of their knowledge and experience.
Use Your Oxygen. We need to continue to breathe--not only physically but also spiritually! We cannot just stop doing everything else while we focus on cardiac issues, whether personal or congregational. We need to inbreathe the "wind" or "breath" of God that can bring freshness to anyone or anything!
Take Your [Medicine]. In a congregational setting, this means "a massive infusion of the power and presence of the Spirit of God, appropriated through consistent, patient listening in prayer" (p. 29).
Change Your Lifestyle. To deal constructively with cardiac issues, we are often called to do things differently. Right now, we are sorting out here at First United Methodist Church what we think that might be.

These are the steps to which we are called--not only as members of our congregation's Re-Vision Team but as members and friends of this congregation called First United Methodist Church. May God give us the strength and the courage needed to go "all the way to the heart!"

All the Way to the Heart

2009-02-14T10:42:00.000-08:00

Jim Harnish begins his book, You Only Have to Die, with a powerful and provocative sentence that he hopes we will remember if we forget everything else that we read:
"Hope is born when we are willing to die for the right things."

That kind of sentence certainly should grab our attention. Most of us (myself included) do not like to think about death--especially our own or that of anyone close to us. We also do not like to think about a congregation or community dying. And yet that is a reality.

Every year at Annual Conference, we discontinue one or more congregations that can no longer sustain life. Every so often, we discontinue a congregation that was among the "once great" in terms of membership and prestige in the conference. Such action, of course, comes only as a last resort, usually after years in which dwindling congregations seek to survive in one form or another.

I do not think that we are anywhere near death at First United Methodist Church. However, we have not been holding our own over the last several years--or decades. Our membership numbers and worship attendance are trending downward, and we have trouble making sure that there is enough revenue to meet the expenses that we incur. There are, to be sure, glimmers of hope and pockets of possibility, but they need to be carefully nurtured and encouraged.

Yet, according to Jim Harnish, death--for the right things--can be the way to life, can be the birth of new hope. That is the challenge that we have set for ourselves in the process of re-visioning our life and work as a congregation.

Harnish reminds us of the powerful words of Jesus, when he said "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit"(John 12:24). It is "costly obedience" that leads to joy.

So what does that mean for us at First United Methodist Church? Do we have the kind of "long-time, locked-in leadership . . . that really would rather see their churches die than change?"(p. 12). I believe not, but sometimes I wonder if we are not so captive to the way things have been that we are unwilling--or unable--to see things differently.

In the first chapter of You Only Have to Die, Harnish lays out for us three key "motivating convictions for ministry" that come out of his experience.

The Hope for the Transformation of the World Is in the Local Church. With bold and audacious words, Jim Harnish claims that "the hope for spiritual and social transformation resides in local congregations where people experience new life in Christ and become a part of the fulfillment of God's mission in the world"(P. 16). I think that he is right, and this leads me to contend that the hope for transformation of the community of Hutchinson lies in this local church--and others!
There is New Hope for Old Congregations. Harnish's claim is an encouraging affirmation for those who may feel--at least now and then--that "our time is past" and that "our best years are behind us." Instead, Harnish writes, "there is ample evidence that when pastors and laypersons allow the Spirit for God to do a work of divine cardiology in their life together, it is possible for congregations of all kinds of sizes in all kinds of places to become the agents of all kinds of new life"(p. 18).
Now Is the Time! Finally, Harnish claims the words of Isaiah that God is a doing a "new thing" in the world (Isaiah 43:19) and reminds us that the critical question is "whether or not the covenant people could perceive it." This is the context in which he cites the words of his friend, Dick Wills, pastor of Christ Church United Methodist in Fort Lauderdale, who said "that one of the decisive moments in the [transformation] process was when he stopped asking God to bless what they were already doing and started asking God to allow them to become a part of what God was already blessing" (p. 19).

May we find ways to become part of what God is blessing! May we go "all the way to the heart," seeking new life by God's power!

Our Re-Visioning Resources

2009-02-06T13:31:00.000-08:00

As we share in the process of "re-visioning" the life and work of the church, we do so with a keen awareness of the need for humility and to make the best use of all possible resources. That includes the history, creativity, energy, and ingenuity of the people of First United Methodist Church. It also includes--in good United Methodist fashion--scripture, tradition, experience, and reason.

The 2008 Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church is actually quite helpful in defining a variety of subjects for our consideration, including

The Mission and Ministry of the Church,
The Definition and Function of a Local Church,
The Meaning of Church Membership,
The Primary Tasks and Basic Organization of a Local Church,and
The Purpose, Membership, Meetings, and Responsibilities of the Church Council.

In addition to these (and other) resources, we will be reading together a book entitled You Only Have to Die: Leading Your Congregation to New Life by James A. Harnish. Now, I will admit that this is a stark title, and it may make some of us uncomfortable, but there are several reasons why I decided on its use.

I happen to know the author of the book. I first met Jim Harnish "at a distance" in 1996 at General Conference. I found him at that time to be a bit of a gadfly in the legislative committee where I served. He brought up uncomfortable questions and made what I thought were sometimes outlandish suggestions. However, subsequent events proved him to be right on target in his understanding to the needs of the local United Methodist church in the late twentieth and early twenty first centuries.

I met Jim again this past General Conference in Fort Worth. This time, he and I were actually on the same legislative sub-committee. I found him no less willing and able to bring up uncomfortable questions, but I experienced a depth of compassion and care that I had not seen before.

Another reason in the choice of the book is his effective use of the imagery of "congregational cardiology," based on a situation that grew out of his personal experience of cardiac difficulties as well as the transformation of the church where he served.

I have been through my own cardiac issues in recent months, as many persons already know. My situation was much different than Jim's. Mine was a gradual slowing of an already erratic heart rate, sometimes dropping into the mid to low 30s. The implantation of a pacemaker on August 25, 2008 was a significant personal milestone for me. It is amazing what a regular, consistent heartbeat can enable you to do!

The fact of the matter is that we have "slowed down" at First United Methodist Church over the last several years and, indeed, the last few decades. It is usually not apparent from one year to the next. The decline has been gradual and sometimes imperceptible, but it seems to be unrelenting.

In preparation for my pacemaker procedure, my cardiologist reviewed the potential side effects which included, among other things, death! That got my attention, and I asked what were my options if I did nothing. His response was that I would begin to have "syncopal episodes," that is, fainting or passing out at random and unexpected moments--perhaps while driving or possibly while playing with my granddaughter. That made the decision to go ahead with the procedure an easy one to make.

So, we are reading You Only Have to Die: Leading Your Congregation to New Life! It may not be the best choice. It is certainly not the only choice. But it is the choice that we have made, and I believe we will benefit from reading it together.

Here are the chapters in the book:

All the Way to the Heart
You Only Have to Die
For the Sake of the Call
Diagnosis: Congregational Cardiomyopathy
Cardiology Is Not for the Fainthearted
Vision Matters
Finding Your Future in the Past
Prayer That Makes a Difference
The Heart of Transformation
Doing a New Thing
Worship That Goes to the Heart
Habits for a Healthy Heart
A Heart for the Future

I invite others besides the Re-Vision Team to read this book. We already have two or three extra copies in the church office, and we would be glad to order more. Perhaps your Sunday School class wants to work it through together. Perhaps you just want to read it for yourself. Let us know in the church office, and we will figure out what we need to do!

Our Re-Visioning Process

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A process for "re-visioning" the "purpose and direction" of First United Methodist Church in Hutchinson, Kansas has been through the official channels and is now in the process of being implemented. It was formally approved at by Church Council in October and then at Church Conference in November.

The basic elements of this process are:

• Take six months (January to June 2009) to discern, discover, and decide what we believe to be God’s purpose and direction for First United Methodist Church.

• Authorize a “Re-Vision Team,” consisting of no more than twelve persons (not counting the pastor and staff) to lead the congregation in an intentional and intensive process to “re-vision” the life and work of the congregation, including how we are governed and guided. The pastor and staff are involved in this process, but without the privilege of voting. The “Re-Vision Team” was to include no more than six members of the current Church Council. [It actually has turned out to be a "baker's dozen," including a good mix of more established church members and newer members or constituents of the church. There is no one above the age of sixty five, which has reportedly caused some concern.]

• During its existence, the “Re-Vision Team” will fulfill the disciplinary responsibilities of the Church Council and the Committee on Nominations and Leadership Development (the onetime Committee on Nominations). This means that the Re-Vision Team can act on behalf of the congregation, and they can nominate and elect persons as needed for various ministries and responsibilities.

• Any restructuring recommendations for how the church is governed and guided will be in accord with the Book of Discipline and will need to be approved by a called Church Conference before being implemented.

Our Re-Visioning Prayer

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This is the Re-Visioning Prayer for First United Methodist Church in Hutchinson, KS. Please pray it with us.

God of grace and God of glory, you have called us to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

We ask your blessing and guidance as we discern, discover, and decide in the coming months your purpose and direction for us as a congregation.

Bless those who have accepted the invitation to help lead us in the process of re-visioning.

Bless each of us, as we faithfully participate in the ministries of this congregation by our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness.

Bless all of us, that we might find the power and the passion that comes from your goodness and grace.

Empower us to find our way forward into the future with hope that you promise to those who seek you with all their heart. Amen.