Thursday, July 30, 2020


Leadership Thought: Death Begins When Growth Ends.

Dear Friends,

We have a cottage on Lake Ontario in northern New York, where Jean and I are presently enjoying a time of vacation. This morning as I walked from our bedroom to our living room. I passed by 4 names on the wall. One of our most significant annual family traditions was to measure the annual growth of our children. One of the first actions they would take after our five-and-a-half-hour pilgrimage to the lake would be to run into our bedroom, where Jean and I would measure them to see how many inches they had grown over the previous year. I remember how excited they were to be measured. They seem to take competitive pride in noting who had grown the most. Those growth marks are still penciled on the wall of our bedroom. They are visual growth testimonies. As I passed by them this morning, I thought to myself how grateful Jean and I are that all of our children are healthy and still growing-albeit not in the physical sense as measured by some old pencil marks on a wall, but in the spiritual sense of maturing in their understanding of who they are as children of the King. There is no stunted growth in any of their lives. 

The Apostle Peter reminds us that we are to "grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ". (2 Peter 3:18). "Like newborn babies, crave spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good" (1 Peter 2:2-3).   Growth like children is not automatic for as Tennessee Ernie Ford used to say (I know this reference really dates me) "Too many people start out at the bottom and sort of like it there."  How sad that many of our lives are spiritually stunted, maybe we stopped growing many years ago, and sadly we are now learning that death begins where growth ends. 

I don't remember who said it, but many years ago I copied a quote that I have never forgotten, the writer said, "When someone misses the opportunity for growth and improvement, he may feel regret. If he goes long enough without growing, he begins to feel he has had an unused life. And that is not unlike an early death". 

How unlike the words of William Barclay, the author of one of the best New Testament commentaries ever written who said, "We should count it a wasted day when we do not learn something new and when we have not penetrated more deeply into the wisdom and the grace of God."  

It is easy to be like the child who decided he would quit school. He said "I hate school; it is an awful place. All they do is ask a lot of questions. I can't write. I don't know how to read, and they won't let me talk. There is nothing to it, so I quit."  "But son," the dad said, "you are only in kindergarten."  And there are some who still may be at the kindergarten stage of their spiritual development. They haven't gone far enough for the fun. They are spirituality stunted, stagnant saints who have never learned that death begins where growth ends. 

Only toadstools pop up overnight. Growth takes time, it takes effort, and it takes a steadfast commitment to daily self-improvement. One of my favorite writers was the legendary basketball coach John Wooden who once said, "It is what you learn after you know it all that counts." 

So, my encouragement to all of us, myself included, is to find that spiritual wall in your home and see how you measure up. Are you growing and if not, why not? Today can be the start of a new commitment to spiritual growth, and a good place to begin is at Genesis 1:1 and a wonderful place to end is Revelation 22:21. I promise if you read everything in between you will be a different person, maybe becoming a spiritual giant in comparison with what you were a few years ago. Let me encourage you to join a Bible study or a small group or a Sunday school class. Look for a place to serve, commit to worshipping weekly, giving generously, and serving passionately.  Make a difference in someone else's life, and you will make a difference in yours as well. 

I end with the words of a senior saint who ends his correspondence, with these closing words: "Yours at 83 and still growing." 

May each of us capture his spirit.

Yours in faith and friendship,
Pastor Tom

Wednesday, July 29, 2020


Leadership Thought: Start Now in the "Write" Direction.

Dear Friends,

Another letter in my church mail slot, but this one was different. Not some generic information about some new book I must read to revolutionize my ministry, or some information about a conference every pastor must attend. No, this letter was different. It came from a student I had taught several years ago at Calvary Christian School in Old Bridge. Mike was one of those who sat in the middle right of my Spiritual Leadership Class, and to my surprise he had taken the time to share his appreciation for the lessons he had learned in class.

In a handwritten note,  he writes "The class was very foundational for me and I still find myself thinking about those lessons from time to time. In fact, I have since re read the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (by John Maxwell) and shared it with my friends along the way at college who also found it very helpful. Whether the lesson of the Messiah is among you, or always trying to be an attentive listener, or that great adage  people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care, I continually find myself reflecting on how I can implement those lessons into my daily life....So I just wanted to thank you for those lessons and for the encouragement you provided me and encourage you in whatever life is bringing your way these days. I hope all is well with you and your family. God bless, Mike Giammarino."

Wow, you don't think a letter like that adds value to your life! Handwritten notes of encouragement are in short supply these days, but when they arrive, we ought to frame them and hang them in some place special where they serve as a daily reminder that our life has made a difference.

One of my favorite pastors is David Jeremiah and in  The Joy of Encouragement  he titles one of his chapters "The Write Way to Encourage" and he concludes the chapter with this exhortation, "Start now on the write direction." Good advice for all of us who are interested in making a positive difference in people's lives.

I often carry a well-worn, well-marked bible with me wherever I go. The bible was given to me over 20 years ago by a Scott Harrigan, a college student who sat in the pews of a church I once pastored. That bible means a lot to me, and I would be devastated to lose it. However, the reason the loss would be so profound is not because I couldn't find another one, for I probably have 20 other bibles lying around my house or office. What makes my bible so special is what's packed inside the front cover. It is here that I access  large supplies of encouragement found in a valued collection of handwritten letters that scream "I love you and you are  making a difference in my life." This treasure trove of encouragement" comes from the  notes of friends and family alike, and they are a continual reminder that when things are tough and I may be discouraged, I still have a multitude of friends that walk with me wherever I go.

Thanks Mike. I wanted you to know that you just became another one of my friends I carry with me.

Is there someone you need to write today, a person who would appreciate knowing that you were thinking of them? Why not drop them a note and let them know how much they have meant to you. I am going to do it, and I hope you will too.

Yours in faith and friendship,
Pastor Tom

P.S. And if you are not sure how to begin that love letter to a friend, just flip open your bible to Romans 1:8-9 and you will read a perfect model. I bet anyone who received a letter like that would carry it with him/her  wherever he/she might go.

(The above Leadership Thought was previously shared in another format)

Monday, July 27, 2020


Leadership Thought: Something We All Need to Give and Receive.

Dear Friends,

What do we all need to give and receive? It is called encouragement, which as someone has well expressed, is oxygen to the soul. It is something that none of us can live very long without. 

The following quotes contain only 64 words, -no need to e-mail me if I have counted incorrectly.

“Kind words are short and easy to speak, but their echoes are endless.” Mother Teresa

“Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me and I will never forget you." William Arthur Ward

"Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be." Ralph Waldo Emerson

May the above thoughts guide you in every conversation. Make it your mission today, and every day,  to find someone whom you can "inspire" with words  whose "echoes will be endless." Be a Tychicus, a faithful servant of the Lord, sent to the Ephesians by the apostle Paul with one mission. Paul says,  "I am sending him to you for this very purpose,  "that you may know how we are and that he may encourage you." Ephesians 6:21-22

Make today a great day.

Yours in faith and friendship,
Tom



Leadership Thought: Do You Know that Jesus Is Praying for You?

Dear Friends,

Did you know that your name is on Jesus’ prayer list? Isn’t that something exciting to think about?

Not only am I eternally saved. Not only am I eternally forgiven. Not only has He clothed a sinful scoundrel like me in His robes or righteousness, but He keeps on loving me. As Pastor Steve Brown is fond of saying,  If God were a grandmother, He would have your picture in His wallet or on His refrigerator.

Jesus not only prays for me, but He keeps praying for me. “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:25). He is at the right hand of God making intercession for all of us.
Not only is our future secure because of what He has done for us on the cross, but even in the present He is always making intercession for us. This should be an encouragement to every believer. That is amazing love.

Charles Wesley best captures this kind of love in the following words of a hymn he wrote:

Depth of mercy, Can there be mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God His wrath forbear,
Me, the chief of sinners spare?
There for me the Savior stands,
Holding forth His wounded hands; God is love! I know, I feel,
Jesus weeps and loves me still.”

Have a great weekend.

Yours in faith and friendship,
Tom


Thursday, July 23, 2020


Leadership Thought So You Are Ordinary, So What?

Dear Friends

Did you ever feel ordinary? You are not exceptional in any area. You don’t have unusual gifts or talents or abilities, and mediocrity seems to be the measure of your existence. If so,  you are in good company. Most all of us have felt like this, or still do, and yet it was through ordinary people that God had done extraordinary things.

John the Baptist never performed a miracle, but Jesus said of him, “Among those born of women there is no one greater (Luke 7:28). His ,mission was to be a witness to the light” (John 1:8), and that may be your mission and mine. All John wanted people to do was be a voice and a light that would cause others to think about Jesus. What greater mission could anyone have than that?

Epaphroditus was a giant of a man, but few outside of the ranks of bible teachers could immediately identify his significance. He brought a gift from the Philippians to Paul while in prison, and he stayed to assist him and to meet his needs. He nearly died in carrying out his mission (Philippians 2:30). How many of us know the name of the person who was used to convert Billy Graham or the one who entered a shoe store one day and led Dwight L. Moody to Christ? Do you know who taught Martin Luther theology, or who discipled George Mueller and snatched him from a sinful life, or who helped the great hymn writer Charles Wesley get under way as a composer of hymns? For the most part they remain anonymous, but you better believe that God know their names.

Think of the ordinary people that God has used throughout history. He used as slave named Joseph to save his family, a shepherd named Moses to lead Israel out or bondage into the Promise Land, a farmer named Gideon to deliver Israel from the
Midianites, a shepherd to be Israel’s greatest king.  I think you get the point. God can use anyone, no matter how ordinary they may appear to be. God is not primarily concerned about bigness, status, or  all-time records. His giants are ordinary people who do their best at whatever God calls them to do because they love Christ.

God is looking for ordinary people to do extraordinary work. You and I are ordinary, so we qualify. Now let’s get busy and allow God to use our ordinary gifts and talents to do extraordinary things for the Kingdom.

Yours in faith and friendship,
Tom


Leadership Thought: The Day I Tried to Outsmart God and Lost and My Life and Ministry Changed

Dear Friends,

It all started when I tried to manipulate the will of God. Did you ever do that? You wanted something so badly that rather than just sitting back and trusting God for the decision, you went ahead and tried to manufacture the answer yourself.

We often quote Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.” I knew the verse, could even quote it from memory, but had it fully impacted my life? The answer was no.

Let me share my story. It was in 1968 when I was teaching and coaching at a military prep school in Syracuse NY two years following my seminary graduation. The school was experiencing financial pressure and was about to be taken over by another private boarding school. Since we had little leverage regarding the retention of faculty, the new school was sending over their administrators to sit in our classrooms to observe our teaching  and then to decide whether we were to be retained following the merger. Those of us on the Manlius faculty resented what we perceived to be an elitist attitude of the teachers evaluating us and ultimately determining our future. Several of my friends had already been informed that they would need to look elsewhere for work. 

It was time for my interview with the headmaster of the new school, and this meeting would inform me  of my fate. I thought to myself, “If I am not going to be retained, I wanted to have the satisfaction of resigning before I was let go. So, before I walked into his office, I wrote a note of resignation, and I stuck it in his secretary’s mail slot. His secretary was not in the office at the time. I figured if I was informed during the meeting that I had been retained, I would pick up my letter from the mailbox on the way out from the meeting and no one would ever know of my written resignation. However, halfway through my conversation with the headmaster, and before I learned my fate, his secretary walked in with my resignation letter and handed it to him to read. “Well, Mr. Crenshaw,” as he read my letter, “it looks like you have already decided what you are going to do, and I want to wish you the best of luck as you leave our school.” I was speechless, as you might imagine. I was caught red handed in my deceptive behavior. To this day, I never knew what the outcome might have been had that letter had never been written.

We have probably all done some stupid things that we have regretted. We wanted something so badly that we took things into our own hands and tried to manipulate the answer we desired. It just doesn’t work, however, and I am sorry that in my young, naĂŻve spiritual faith, I had not learned that lesson. I hope that some 50 years later, I am a little wiser in the way I address such experiences. Selfishly, I wanted to have the last word, and so to try and do that, I sought to manipulate the process.

In every situation, God always has the last word, and it is foolish for us to think that in our own strength and wisdom we can outsmart God or change the outcome through our own attempts at engineering.

We have probably all heard the expression, “Don’t get mad, just get even.” That way of thinking is not God’s way. You and I need to learn to trust God with every decision in our lives. The Bible says, “God is a just God, and He will settle and solve the cases of his people.”(Hebrews 10:30)

I felt justified playing games with the headmaster. He was impacting the lives of many of my colleagues, and I was determined that I was going to outsmart him. In reality,  I outsmarted only myself and that is the lesson that many of us have had to learn the hard way.

We need to stop playing games; trying to manipulate God’s will.  needed to pray for the headmaster’s decision, trust that God would work through him  and then whatever the outcome, gladly accept it as being a part of God’s will.

I am glad to say that things worked out the way they did. I really didn’t want to teach  in that new school, and besides, I was now able to pursue a full-time position at the church where I was also pastoring part time. God knew what He was doing, even if I didn’t. Aren’t you glad He does?

Yours in faith and friendship,
Tom

Leadership Thought: Are You a Dreamer Too?

Dear Friends,

A couple years ago I had the opportunity to read the Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson. It is a wonderful little book about a man called Ordinary who dares to pursue his dream, and in the process discovers that there are a lot of obstacles involved in reaching that dream. It is a wonderful read (you can read it in a couple of hours), and I would enthusiastically recommend it to all of you.

All of this made me think of the story of the little 10-year-old boy who was selling pencils door to door in his neighborhood. When an interested adult at one house asked him the reason, he was selling the pencils, he replied, “I want to raise six million dollars to build a new hospital for the city.” Amazed, the inquiring adult exclaimed, “That’s a mighty big job for just one little boy, isn’t it?” “No,” the little boy with big dreams responded, “I have a friend who is helping me.”

I love  hanging around positive people like that little boy,  people with big dreams. I believe the world needs more of these kind of people. It needs the kind of people who are not afraid to risk, dream, and dare to tackle great challenges. That is how progress is made and history has been changed.
It was just 300 who were left from Gideon’s original army, that defeated the Midianites, and it was just 120 faithful prayer warriors in that Upper Room who after having received the promised Holy Spirit, ventured out boldly to win their world for Christ. And it was just Jonathan, with one or his armor bearers, who routed the whole Philistine army, because he knew that “Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or few” (1 Samuel 12:14).

God has never been concerned with great numbers to accomplish His will and purpose. The world needs dreamers who desire to do great things for God, and who are unconcerned about the odds because they know that one with God is a majority.

The late famous pastor, Robert Schuller, built the magnificent Crystal Cathedral on a dream. Whatever you might think of Schuller and his theology, one can not dispute the fact that most of what he accomplished for Christ was the result of his willingness to dream big dreams.

He writes, “My dreams had all come true and when the dream comes true it dies. It no longer sustains and feeds you. I have since written this prayer. ‘O God, let me die with my best dream left unfulfilled.’ It’s a profound prayer, for if I live to see all my dreams come true, I will have died before I died “ (Renew Your Life! Catch a New Dream, Robert Schuller, p. 6).

Whether at home or work, in the church, on the mission field or on the athletic field, dare to dream and dream big, for dreamers are the stuff from which success is made, and the foundation on which progress is achieved. And you know it ain’t half bad when people call you a “dreamer” for I know another dreamer. His name was Joseph, and his brothers called him a dreamer, and he didn’t do too bad for himself and his God.

Dream big dreams and make it a great weekend.

Yours in faith and friendship,
Tom
Leadership Thought: Are You a People Person or a Pencil Pusher?

Dear Friends

Each morning I try and take a few minutes of time to listen to Minute with Maxwell, a daily e-mail thought on some aspect of leadership by leadership expert John Maxwell. This morning I thought his message was especially timely. He talked about openness, and in this day of polarizing viewpoints, I thought his comments were very timely.

He talked about the importance of openness. Good leaders have an ‘open door policy.’ They are approachable. You know they are available when you need them. Good leaders are open, inviting, and accessible. Good leaders are more than just pencil pushers, they are people persons. They see interruptions as opportunities, and they don’t hesitate to put others’ needs before their own.

But John Maxwell not only talked about the importance of having an open-door policy, but of having an open ear and open-heart policy.
Leadership expert Ken Blanchard has coined a phrase that I have always tried to emulate. It is called “Management by Walking Around.” It means wherever you are, be intentional in using your ears in seeking to discover others’ needs. Always look for opportunities as “you walk through the crowd slowly,”  seeking to discern those whom you can encourage, affirm and lift up.  
Besides having an open door and open ear and heart, it is also important to have an open mind. Let’s be willing to listen and learn from others, no matter how much you may know, there is always an opportunity to learn something new, even from those with whom you may not agree.  

During this time when it is tempting to pursue a bunker mentality, where we choose to hide out with  people that look, and think and live like us, let’s use this time to be open and approachable to others who are different from us.
 It has been said that when the student is ready, the teacher will come, and each of us can learn something new and valuable if we listen and learn with a “student’s ear.” When we are ready to do this, there is no telling how much we might learn.

And in learning, let us keep in mind the wise old words of former President Lyndon Johnson  who said, “You aren’t learning anything when you’re talking."

Yours in faith and friendship,
Tom
Leadership Thought: For Those Who Have Heard the Words, “I Hate to Be Critical, but…

Dear Friends,

“I hate to be critical, but…… Don’t you ever wonder how odd it is for a person to do something that he/she hates so much?

There is a fabled story about the famous 20th century preacher, Phillips Brooks. On day Brooks received a letter in the mail. Opening it, he found a clean sheet of paper with only one word written on it. “Fool”!

The next Sunday, Brooks carried he letter into the pulpit in Boston. Holding it up, he announced, “I have received many letters from people who wrote the letter but forgot to sign their name. However, this is the first time I’ve received a letter from someone who signed his name but forgot to write the letter. Now that is one way of dealing with criticism, but I don’t recommend it, not unless you are very secure in your position, or you are already looking for a new job.

One of the signs that a person is living a high quality of Christian life is the criticism he/she receives. The more dedicated he or she is, the more intense the criticism. Remember, there has never been a monument erected to critics. Like the poor, they will always be with us, so we had best learn how to deal with them.

When I think of dealing with criticism, I am reminded of the words of Jesus who said not, “if” men revile you, but “when” men revile you. “Blessed are you when men revile you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of me. Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matt 5:10-11)

Former television journalist David Brinkley remarked that “a successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others  have thrown at him.” I like that. Build on the criticism. Use the bricks of criticism to make you a better person, not a bitter person. If there is some truth in the criticism, take that bit of truth, but throw the rest away, and don’t swell on it, for it will eat at you and destroy you.

Sometimes it is just best to remain silent when criticized. Jesus remained silent in the face of the accusations made against him by the chief priests and other Jewish leaders who were demanding answers to their charges (Matthew 27:12-14) There are times when the wisest thing  we can do is to remain silent in the face of criticism and false accusations. Just keep your mouth closed and listen. Don’t speak or try to be defensive. Don’t point the finger of blame in some other direction. Just remain quiet in the face of the one who would criticize you, and in so doing you may become that bright and shining star that this dark world so desperately needs to see.

Yes, I know all of what I write is much easier said than done, but keep in mind that you have a force and power within you that enables you to say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Give it to Him in prayer and let Him deal with it. He is much better equipped to fight those kinds of battles than you are.

Yours in faith and friendship, 
Tom

P.S. It was Henry Ironside, a well-known preacher of this last century, who said when facing criticism, “If what they are saying about you is true, mend your ways. If it isn’t true, forget it and go on serve the Lord.”

Leadership Thought It Takes Guts to Get Out of the Ruts.

Dear Friends

I am told that there is a sign along an Alaskan highway that has brought a smile to many a traveler. It reads: “Choose your rut carefully. You’ll be in it for the next 150 miles.”

It is easy to get into the rut of routine. We do things because that is the way we have always done them, like the church that refused to put a handle on the door, because the elders said the church had been like that for 200 years, and they were not about to change now. No one knew why the handle was left off the door, but since it had been that way for  200 years, it would remain that way-probably until someone comes along to close it down, for a church  that like that that is so rutted in ritual and routine probably won’t survive very long, nor should it.

During the 1940’s the Swiss watch was the most prestigious and best quality watch in the world. Consequently, 80 percent of the watches were made in Switzerland. In the late 50’s the digital watch was presented to the leaders of the Swiss watch company, and they rejected this  idea because they knew they already had the best watch and the best watchmakers in the world. The man who had developed the digital watch subsequently sold the idea to Seiko

In 1940 Swiss watch-making companies employed 80,000 workers. Today they employ eighteen thousand. In 1940, 80 percent of the watches sold in the world were made in Switzerland. Today 80 percent of the best watches are digital. (Developing the Leader Within You, John Maxwell, p. 58).

And not only are there businesses that refuse to change, there are people who possess the same mentality. They would rather die than change. Many people will choose to die before they choose to change. It takes guts to get out of the resistance to change. It takes courage to be different. In spite of the fact that we have been warned about the need for social distancing, there have been groups of young people holding Covid parties, intentionally gathering in large groups, and even contributing money to  a pot that would go to the first one contracting the virus. In one of those cases, a young college student died. Shortly before his death, he acknowledged he had made a mistake. He told a nurse shortly before he died, “I didn’t think Covid was a big deal.”

Some of Jesus’ harshest words were directed to those who refused to examine their routines, rituals, and traditions. He said to the Pharisees who were upset that the disciples were breaking the tradition of the elders by not washing their hands before they ate, “You nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men” Matthew 15:2, 6-9).

Rules, rituals, regulations can become routine if we are not mindful to examine their ultimate purpose. The church or the Christian must not get hung up on tradition but always  be willing to boldly move  into the future. We need to be people who possess the pioneering spirit not the settler spirit. We need to look at the things we do, while always asking ourselves are these things ‘weights’ or ‘wings’ in our life.

By the way, do you know how  many people it takes to change a light bulb? Four! One to change the bulb and three to reminisce about how good the old light bulb was.”

Yours in faith and friendship,
Tom

P.S. Cornfield’s Law says that  nothing is ever done until everyone is convinced that it ought to be done and has been convinced for so long that it is now time to do something else.

Leadership Thought: A Bit of Advice I Gave to One of My Children.

Dear Friends,

I am writing this Leadership thought as  I am overlooking the crystal-clear waters of Lake Ontario as I sit on the  porch of our summer place in upstate New York. Yesterday I went fishing with my friends, and we had a great day catching smallmouths while casting Little Cleo's, Mepps' spinners,  and plastic yellow tipped worms (only small mouth’ bassers’ can appreciate these lure references) into the refreshing waters of Lake Ontario. This morning at 5:00 a.m. I was again on the lake with another friend, my next-door neighbor, watching the sun come up  while doing the fishing 'thing' all over again. Yes, life is good on the lake, No Leadership Thought yesterday-too busy enjoying the company of my friends on the water, and late today because once again fishing took precedent. I sure wish you all could be with Jean and I as we enjoy family and friends in beautiful White's Bay here in northern New York. Even if you hate fishing,  I know you would love the area. 

I have received a number of responses to my Leadership Thoughts the past couple of weeks, and if you haven’t received an immediate answer, it is only because all the above summer activities have limited my time at the computer keyboard.
A few years ago, I was asked by one of my children "if I could give a young person any bit of advice, what would it be." I e-mailed back my one-word answer-“integrity.” The one best bit of advice I could offer anyone (other than to know Jesus personally) would be to always be a person of integrity.

The world is looking for people who will say what they mean and meant what they say, whose yes is a yes, and whose no is a no.
Ted Engstrom wrote a wonderful book I read many years ago, simply called- Integrity. In it he defines integrity as follows. “It is keeping our promises….doing what we said we would do….choosing to be accountable, and taking the motto, ‘semper fidelis’, the promise to always be faithful” (Forward to the book, Integrity)

The late Lloyd George Patterson, who was the historian at Episcopal Divinity School, was once asked how he accounted for the endurance of the early church, when so many of the tools of communication we associate with growth either did not exist or could not be used in a hostile environment-they couldn’t even have church buildings, let alone clever PR programs. He responded by saying that,  “The early Christian communities were characterized by unusual integrity, and some people were attracted to that.” (Taken from HomileticsOnline.com).Simply put this historian was saying “they walked what they talked.” There was a consistency between their belief and behavior, their creed and their conduct, their life and their lips.

Jesus was like that. His life was marked by consistency. If he told his disciples to do something, you could be sure He did it Himself. He taught His disciples to take up their cross and follow Him and He did that, even at the cost of His own death. And of Him, the scriptures tell us, “Christ pleased not himself" (Romans 15:3), ande taught that whoever would be grewat must become az servant, and he said, “I am among you asw He that serves (Luke 22”7 He taught that "whoever would be great must become a servant," and He said, “I am among you as he that serves (Luke 22:7). He encouraged His disciples to pray in secret, and we see Him retreating to the mountains to be alone with His Father. In short, Jesus practiced what he preached, and so did the early church. That is why they were so attractive to the unbelieving world.

If you want to be a leader today,  one who is followed and respected, you must have integrity. Former president Dwight Eisenhower called it “the supreme quality for a leader. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office. If a man’s associates find him guilty of phoniness; if they find that he lacks forthright integrity, he will fail. His teachings and actions must square with each other. The first great need, therefore, is integrity and high purpose." ( p. 106, The Right to Lead, John Maxwell.

If you want a great lesson on this subject, let me encourage you to google “poem, The Guy in the Glass” (sorry ladies as it could just as easily have been “Girl in the Glass.” I hope each one of you will take a moment to read this poem, and if you do, let me know what you think.

Yours in faith and friendship,
Tom

Leadership Thought: Are You a Caring or Contentious Christian?

Dear Friends,
Are you a contentious Christian?  In today’s political world it is easy to become one. For the past months I have witnessed  contention exhibited by both sides of the political spectrum.  Each one of us may possess strong feelings about our political positions and persuasions, and I confess it is easy to draw our line in the sand, to become overly emotional about our views, and yes, to even become angry and belligerent over the causes we espouse.  

Many of us have sadly witnessed relationships severed because of unkind words that were spoken or positions that were defended because of strong feelings that were held.  It is not wrong to feel strongly about the positions we espouse, but let’s be careful in doing so to remember our witness for Christ is more important than the candidate we support or the cause we champion.

Yes, I watch Fox News, but I also will often turn to CNN because I want to know what is being reported from another perspective. It is always amazing to me to discover how the same incident can provoke such different responses. It is a challenge to be totally objective, and not to allow our biases impact how we view things.

One reason it is important for us to talk with those who hold differing viewpoints, is that it enables us to learn from another. If the conversation is done in a civil fashion, we  can gain a clearer understanding of why the person believes as she or he does. The open discussion may not result in the changing of our perspective, but at least we will better understand our foundational differences.  The bottom line is that such  open and  positive discourse will transpire, and we will  help helped bridge the polarizing divide that separates us.

Whatever our reaction and response to the issue being addressed, our ultimate concern must always be my witness for Christ.  All of us need to remember that “the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome, but kind to everyone” (2 Timothy 2:24).  Yes, there is a time to fight for our faith, but let’s be sure the underlying cause is our love for Jesus and our desire to see others come to know Him as we do.

Philip Yancey in his book “The Jesus I Never Knew” offers thoughts that provide a much-needed boundary for our conversations and relationships with others.  Yancy writes “I feel convicted by this quality of Jesus every time I get involved in a cause I strongly believe in.  How easy it is to join the politics of polarization, to find myself shouting across the picket lines at the “enemy” on the other side.  How hard it is to remember that the kingdom of God calls me to love the woman who has just emerged from the abortion clinic (and yes, even her doctor), the promiscuous person who is dying of AIDS, the wealthy landowner who is exploiting God’s creation.  If I cannot show love to such people, then I must question whether I have truly understood Jesus’ gospel.”  Quoted from “I Can”, Art Lindsay, p 251.

So maybe the best thing we can do is to turn off our television sets for a while and ask God to show us if our contention is “godly, loving and kind.”

Yours in faith and friendship,
Pastor Tom

Wednesday, July 8, 2020


Leadership Thought: A Question We Must All Answer.

Dear Friends

This is a powerful message on the racial divide written by a contributor to a daily devotional I receive from former player and major league manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates Clint Hurdle. I hope you will take the time to read it.

Yours in faith and friendship
Tom

See article below


A Question We MUST Answer

June 17


This has been an emotional and difficult week for most Americans. I am old enough to remember a similar period of turmoil in the late ’60’s. It is truly heartbreaking that fifty years later we are still plowing the same fields of prejudice and racism. 
President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law, with Martin Luther King, Jr., looking on. Johnson had a quote that we hoped would be prophetic. “At times history and fate meet at a single time in a single place to shape a turning point in man’s unending search for freedom.”

Maybe there is still a chance for history and fate to join with the faith of millions of followers of Jesus to shape a turning point in our culture. Maybe the unnecessary deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd will galvanize our collective hearts in a way that can be transformative. Hear out pleas Lord that you will redeem these horrible deaths to bring you Glory and your people together. 

In my lifetime I have never seen such such intense introspection among the white community about racism. It feels like God has shown us in this time of isolation, fear, and tragic news how desperately we need to unify in the power of the Spirit. I see more of my white brothers and sisters having substantive conversations without the customary push back and defensiveness. I believe we have a window where God can move in the hearts of millions of His children to make this a moment of change. 

But you can rest assured the enemy will do everything in his power to thwart the moving of God’s Spirit. Satan will distract us with issues that keep us from healing. He will point out the bad behavior of a few so we won’t explore the pain of millions. It is time to move past rationalizations and excuses. It is time to hear the stories of black brothers and sisters without trying to offer our “take”. It is time to listen. It is time to try and feel the pain of rejection our black friends have experienced for no reason other than skin color. It is time to understand why the #black lives matter movement does not mean that only black lives matter. That was never the point. This explanation from Doug Williford puts a helpful context on the phrase.
“If my spouse comes to me in obvious pain and asks “Do you love me?”, an answer of “I love everyone” would be truthful, but also hurtful and cruel in the moment. If a co-worker comes to me upset and says “My father just died,” a response of “Everyone’s parents die,” would be truthful, but hurtful and cruel in the moment. So when a friend speaks up in a time of obvious pain and hurt and says “Black lives matter,” a response of “All lives matter,” is truthful. But it’s hurtful and cruel in the moment.”


I have also had to wrestle with what white privilege means. As a child of Appalachia it was hard for me to comprehend what “privilege” I had. I was the first Burchett male to graduate from high school for heavens sake. But the phrase doesn’t mean that a white hillbilly like me won’t have challenges. It simply means I start out with an inherent advantage. It is not a statement of condemnation toward whites. It is just a societal fact.

So let’s affirm to our black brothers and sisters that black lives definitely matter. Let’s acknowledge there is a cultural advantage to being white. Let’s call racism what it is and by 

it’s name. Sin. Let’s stop being silent out of fear that we might offend someone. Let’s stand boldly with our black brothers and sisters.

The Apostle John has a hard truth for followers of Jesus.

If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers. 1 John 4:20-21

I don’t see a single qualifier about what that believer looks like or acts like. 

We are commanded by Jesus to love one another.

This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. John 15:12

Maybe it is time we understood that is not a helpful suggestion or really cool goal. That is a commandment. And yes, that command is impossible apart from focusing on Jesus. It means jumping headfirst into the fountain of grace. Grace that forgave me and you when we deserved anything but that free gift. 

My fear is that the white community will determine to make a difference and then simply let that conviction slip away when life returns to some semblance of normalcy. I see it all the time. Someone dies and we determine to live more fully. That lasts a few days. Our black brothers and sisters need us to dig in for the long haul. We need to produce action and not hot air. Again John hits with a hard truth. Truth is revealed by our actions.

Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. 1 John 3:18-19

The question will not be were you challenged? The question will be were you changed? We are the hands and feet of Jesus and we have a cultural moment to make a difference. Paul has the game plan.

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21
So how will you answer the question? Merely challenged or changed in the power of His grace? 
Make a difference today,
Love Clint

2 Corinthians 4:17-18



Tuesday, July 7, 2020


Leadership Thought: It Is Not How You Start but How You Finish That Counts,  or a Book That I Think Everyone Should Read.

Dear Family,

We have all probably heard an adaptation of the phrase “Life is not sprint but a marathon.  On our refrigerator I have another phrase which expresses essentially the same thought – “slow and steady wins the race.”   It’s a reminder sent to me by a family member that the race is not always won by the swiftest.  These statements have significance whether athletically, vocationally, or spiritually.   I am sure that you can name several friends and associates who started strong.  They sprinted out of the blocks, and it seemed that they were around the first turn before you even pushed off.  But those quick starters never paced themselves, and somewhere during the race they wiped out.  They started fast, but they didn’t finish strong, or even worse they didn’t finish at all.

One of the most influential books I have ever read was  Finishing Strong by Steve Farrar.  I can’t  recommend this book strongly enough.   I would encourage you to pick up a copy.  I think it will be of value to those of you who wish to finish strong.

Let me quote a passage from the book that really shocked me, and which got me to thinking about the way I want to finish my life.

“In the Christian life, it is not how you start that matters.  It’s how you finish.  John Bisagno had been pastoring First Baptist Church of Houston for several years.  When John was just about to finish college, he was having dinner at his fiancĂ©e’s house one night. After supper, he was talking with his future father-in-law, Dr. Paul Beck, out on the porch.  Dr Beck had been in ministry for many years, and that was inevitably the subject toward  which the conversation turned.”

“John, as you get ready to enter the ministry, I want to give you some advice,’ Dr Beck told the  younger man- Stay true to Jesus:  Make sure that you keep your heart close to Jesus every day.  It’s a long way from here to where you’re going to go, and Satan’s in no hurry to get you.”

“The older man continued, “It has been my observation that just one out of ten who start out in full-time service for the Lord at twenty-one are still on track at the age of 65.  They’re shot down morally, they’re shot down with discouragement, they’re shot down with liberal theology, they get obsessed with making money…but for a one reason or another nine out of ten fall out.”

The twenty-year-old Bisagno was shocked.  “I just can’t believe that.’ He said.  “That’s impossible? That just can’t be true.”

“Bisagno told how he went home, took some of those blank pages in the back of his Schofield Reference Bible and wrote down the names of twenty-four young men who were his peers and contemporaries.  These were young men in their twenties who were sold out for Jesus Christ.  They were trained for ministry and burning in their desire to be used by the Lord.  These were the committed young preachers who would make an impact for the Lord in their generation.”

“Bisagno relates the following with a sign: ‘I am now fifty-three years old.  From time to time as the ears have gone by, I’ve had to turn back to that page in my Bible and cross out a name.  I wrote down those twenty-four names when I was twenty years of age.   Thirty-three years later, there are only three names remaining of the original twenty-four. (p. 16-17 Finishing Strong by Steve Farrar.

That story saddened me because I know it’s true.  Some of the best athletes, some of the best potential teachers, some of the best prospects for ministry  - they all started strong but dropped out somewhere between the start and the finish line.

Success is never attained overnight.  It takes time.  Victory is won as you make your turn around that last curve and head for the finish line, not by sprinting those first hundred yards and trying to leave everyone behind at the start of the race.

The growth and development of our spiritual life largely depends on consistency.  For example, length is not always strength when it comes to our prayer life.  More important is consistency.  Length will increase as we spend time with God.  It is only natural that as you grow in your love for someone, you will want to spend more  time with that person.  The same is true in our spiritual life.  Don’t be made to feel guilty when you read of those great saints of yesteryear who spent hours in prayer.  It took each of them time to develop their spiritual discipline, and I bet that every one of them started slow—maybe a few minutes at first—but day after day they consistently spent more time with their Lord, and day by day they found they longed to spend more time,

Yes, if you want to finish strong spiritually, you must remember that “slow and steady wins the race:”  Cultivate consistency.  Pace yourself spiritually.

Moses, I am sure, knew something about consistency.  In Hebrews 11:27 we read two words¨ “He endured.” Moses had staying power.  He was durable.   He was in it for the long haul, and when at eighty when others had dropped out along the way, Moses was still going strong and still being steady, and still blessing the lives of others.  That’s what I want for my life, and that’s what I hope you want for yours as well.

Yours in faith and friendship,
Tom

Leadership Thought: The Difficulty of Waiting for Change.

Dear Friends,

"The hardest part of faith is often waiting. And the trouble is, if we don't, then we start to fix the problem ourselves-and that makes it worse. We complicate the situation to the point where it takes God much longer to fix it then if we had quietly waited for His working in the first place," so writes Jim Cymbala in his book Fresh Faith, p 111.

Anyone who has worked with alcoholics  knows that all of your efforts are for naught, if the alcoholic is not ready to change. This is true in relationships as well. One cannot change the other person by an exercise of the will if the person is not willing to change. Change-generally cannot be forced if it is to be permanent in nature. A person may be pressured to change for a season, but most often that person will revert back to the same familiar pattern of behavior, if the change does not come from within. As someone once said, “Consider how hard it is to change yourself, and you’ll understand what little chance you have of trying to change others."

So, what is the solution to that marriage partner that so desperately wants to see change in the life of his or her spouse? What about those parents with an alcoholic son or daughter who wants to rescue them or try and change them? The answer is simply wait and pray.

Waiting is hard. Most of us want to fix things, but if you are like me, anything I fix doesn’t say fixed very long. Just ask my wife,  the solution is to do as David did”-wait. Things were not going very well for him. We are not sure what the circumstances were, but he was in the pits. But it was while he was stuck in the mire, that he learned a very valuable lesson in patient waiting, for he testifies, “I waited patiently for the Lord”(Psalm 40:1).

Instead of taking matters into his own hands and despairing of anyone, including God, to help him, David learned the lesson of patient waiting. He was willing to let God work out His plan in His time according to His purpose. So instead of trying to arrange his own solution, which so many of us are tempted to do, David just waited and trusted the Lord to provide. And you know what? God did.

Chuck Swindoll talks about ‘compassion in slow motion,” when he describes how hard it is to avoid trying to rescue someone  from sinful, destructive behavior. He writes, “There are times (not always, but often) when the better part of wisdom restrains us from barging in and trying to make someone accept our help. The time isn’t right, so  we wait….The Lord would love to piece together the shattered fragments of (that) life. But He is waiting….graciously, waiting until the time is right. Until (one) is tired of the life (he,she) is living,  until (they see) it for what it really is….until (they recognize) their need for Him” (The Finishing Touch), p. 214

In Psalm 40 David received a number of benefits from his waiting, and so can you and I. God lifted him out of his despair, set his feet on firm ground, steadied his walk, and gave him a new purpose.” That was good news for David, and that will be good news for you and me when we go through our struggles in that war of waiting. His promise to us is that He will “put a new song in our mouth, a hymn of praise to our God (Psalm 40:3).



Jeremy Collier expressed it best when he wrote, “Patient waiting is often the highest way of doing God’s will.” Jeremy Collier, Quotations for the Christian World, Edythe Draper, p. 463

Have a wonderful 4th of July weekend.

Yours in faith and friendship.
Tom