Reviewing the North American Convention

After spending a few days in Anderson at our annual NAC, I thought I would offer a few thoughts. This could be dangerous - even foolhardy, but here goes.

It is sad to see the attendance figures still dropping each year. Gas prices, travel options, and questions about the new auditorium probably affect the numbers. I hope and anticipate that things will rise over the next few years, but I think some changes need to be made. After all, the pioneers of this Movement were innovators not status quo thinkers. I have a few suggestions:

1. On several of the evenings, have multiple services. Why is one service the only choice in the evening? If the speaker doesn't interest you or the venue doesn't appeal to you, what can you do? Sit home and watch it on cable? Watch it on the Internet? How about offering at least three different services - one in Reardon, one in Byrum and one in the Wellness Center.

2. Multiple venues will increase the number of speakers. In a world where we are competing with options, why fight the trend? Every Sunday, our folks have their choice of speakers at our multiple service options at home - why not at Camp Meeting? That way, if one speaker flops (and they do) then you can hear about the other one(s) that didn't. It would increase your sales of tapes and videos.

3. On at least 3 nights, combine into just one service. Keep the Wednesday night celebration together and Friday night AU opening. You might add the one where we invite and outside guest to speak as the third night. On that night, you could still have 3 venues and even 3 worship services. You could then send the picture and video of the sermon into the other venues. This is not necessary, but could be interesting.

4. Theme the different venues. Have one service be a contemporary service with a guest worship leader (Chris Tomlin or David Crowder come to mind). You would surely attract more young people with a service like that. Have one be a southern gospel theme. Use quartets and trios for your base and have a good old time with a hymn sing. They do this on one night after the service. Why after? Why not have a service with that as the theme? Bill Gaither sure has made a lot of money by doing this on a grand scale. Why not do it for a service or two during Camp Meeting. You could do this at Reardon or in the Wellness Center. You could even do this at Park Place. Logistics are not the problem. How about a bi-lingual service? Hispanic, Korean, German, Russian, etc. You could feature some missionaries sharing testimonies during the service instead of trying to have one of them preach on Wednesday night like they did this year (with less than sterling results). How about a multiple preaching night where you have several preachers preach at one service. This happens at venues such as a Preaching Clinic - why not at Camp Meeting? For those who are more interested in preaching than anything else, this would seem ideal. Surely we have the worship leading talents and the preaching talents to make such a thing work. The themes can go on and on (Women only, Men only, Youth driven, Children's Service, etc.).

5. Use pre-recorded video announcements and promotions to use prior to the services. That way, it all gets done well and it can be used a multiple locations.

6. Pre and Post-service gathering events. Something should be done to capitalize on the "Camp Meeting Shuffle". There were vendors selling all kinds of things outside the Wellness Center (food - even beer battered onion rings!). With all the room in the back of the Wellness Center, why not set up some kind of reception areas for different groups? Give away stuff that you want people to have; Introduce people that you want the church to meet (like the missionaries before or after the Wednesday service); give water out to those who need it; put up an area for Healing or for Prayer or for Counseling. Have an ice cream social after one of the services. Do something that allows you to take advantage of the crowd already gathered. You could do these at any or all of the three or four venues.

7. Please, find people who can preach and let them speak at Camp Meeting. Only a few of those who spoke were either theologically sound (wow! for a group that prides itself on its doctrine, there were some amazing statements made that had no theological base at all) or biblically accurate (at least one preacher never even had a text). There are some great preachers in this Movement (I hope). Let's find them and those who have a great reputation for preaching and give them a chance to share with others.

Oh well, just a few thoughts. What do you think?

Replacements and Repairs

It has been a long time since I have posted anything (several weeks). Once you hear what is going on, it will become obvious as to why the delay. It has to do with replacements and repairs.
I am actually sitting in a hospital room on the 7th floor of Kaiser's L.A. Hospital center (where, amazingly, I have found an wireless connection!). It is the day after Joanie's hip replacement surgery and she is talking on her cell phone to the folks at her school. Isn't modern technology amazing? Yesterday, after a 2-3 hour surgical process, Joanie received a new metal hip and metal joint. The surgeon, Dr. Merek, is a great surgeon both by reputation and by manner, and he considers Joan to be his star patient. He is very pleased with the placement of the new hip (he said, after looking at the x-rays, "Why can't all my patients x-rays look that good!") and expects her to go home on Friday (the operation was Tuesday). She has already been out of bed and walked (albeit only halfway across the room and back) and will increase her length each time they get her up (about 2-3 times per day). We have rearranged the apartment so that there is a bed on the ground floor. She will not be able to use steps for several weeks. And, yes, we do have a bathroom on the ground floor!
Over the course of the last several months, the deterioration of Joanie's hip was significant. Walking with the aid of a cane, unable to get in and out of the car without significant struggle (the last week or so she has been using a rope to aid her in picking up her foot and putting it in or out of the car - she could not do that on her own), sitting or laying down were both painful, and the agony of moving your foot the wrong way and receiving a shot of pain - all these and more made it obvious to anyone that she had to do something to repair her damaged, arthritic hip. Through it all she has been an incredible trooper - never missing a day of school or church or any of her small group meetings. It has been amazing to watch her go through the pain and never complain. I have loved this woman for more than three decades and continue to fall in love with her over and over again. She never ceases to amaze me with her strength and determination.
To all of you who have sent flowers, shared prayers, visited us, called to check up, or just loved my wife and me during this situation - thanks. And God Bless you all.

The Real World

Most of my students in preaching are graduating. Their excitement is palpable. They take note of it in their sermons and mention it in their conversations and discussions. Most of the time they use the phrase, "As we go out into a new world" or "Now we enter the real world." How different my perspective is.
For 31 years I have been living and working in the real world. Life, death, families, marriages, problems, prejudices, change, birth, finances, budgets, etc. For the past year I have been a student. Have I moved from the real world to ... what? A false world? A sheltered world? An ivory tower? I beg to disagree. I am sitting here writing this in a suit and tie as I make plans to go to the funeral service for both the mother and father of one of the professors for whom I am a Teaching Assistant. Sounds pretty real to me. I spoke today to a young woman who is changing jobs, moving from California to Georgia, taking on a job in a mega-church setting, and uprooting her whole family. Doesn't sound very ivory tower-esque to me. When I go back to the apartment in a few hours I still have to wash the dishes, fix dinner for Joanie, and pick up the kitchen (the floor needs to be mopped). That's about as "real world" as it gets.
Life is what happens when you are living it. This life is no less real than the one a soldier in Baghdad faces today. Different? Absolutely. Less real? Not at all. Whatever is going on around you is life and it is real. It may not stack up to others in crisis but so what? Life is not a comparative venture. I don't determine the value of my life by comparing my issues to yours. My issues are, well, my life - and yours are yours.
So, stop comparing your problems or blessings to others. Live. Life is meant to be embraced and enjoyed. It is meant to be a challenge that changes all the time. It is what it is. Whatever is going on in your world is the real world. When you are going through it, that's about as real as it gets.

Tired

What do you do when your juices are running low? You know, when your gitty-up got up and went? What do you do when your energy levels are low and your work schedule is high? In case you haven't figured it out, I'm tired. So, what do you do?

1. Stop complaining. You're not the only one. Look around you. My wife is barely able to walk; my daughter-in-law is struggling with physical issues; my son is getting ready to drive 17 hours straight through to Colorado; the list goes on and on. No matter how tired I am, take a nap; go to bed early; take a day off; do something but stop complaining.


2. Find something interesting to do. Even if it's a diversion, find something that really interests you to do. Break your routine. Find something new that catches your fancy. Go somewhere you haven't been. Meet someone you don't know. Get a pedicure or a massage. Just do something that breaks the monotony that adds to your tiredness.


3. Ask for some help. This is usually divided into two areas. First, if you are overwhelmed, find someone to help with the load. Two heads are better than one and many hands make light work. Delegation is often the key to success. Not everything has to be done by you. Take a load off of yourself by sharing it with someone who is in a better position to do things than you are to do everything. Secondly, share your feelings. It is amazing how telling someone else about the load you are carrying helps to lighten the load itself. Loads get heavier the longer you carry them alone. Find a confidant, a friend, a counselor, your pastor, hairdresser, or the bartender - but find someone and get it off your chest. Hey, I've got a novel idea. If you are really tired and need someone to share you story, get a blog and write it down. Hmmm. I don't feel so tired now. Thanks.

The Circle of Life

This week has been one of those weeks when issues of life and death, health and wholeness have filled our thoughts and emotions. Where to begin is almost as difficult a choice as knowing how to react to all of this news.
First the good news, Joel and Shafali are having a boy. Our first grandchild, to be named Malachi David Frymire, will be appearing somewhere around the middle of September. Both mother and developing child are doing well. The expectant father is, well, oblivious to the changes about to made in his life and happy as a clam that they are coming his way. The grandparents are equally delirious with joy and have only a small understanding of the changes about to take place in our lives as we adjust to having a new addition to the family.
The second bit of news is more of a relief than something to rejoice over. Joanie is having hip replacement surgery this summer and we have been awaiting news of when the surgery will be scheduled. Yesterday we found out that she has the opportunity to have it done in June. After checking with her school and looking at the options, we have chosen to move up her surgery from an expectation of mid-July to June 12. The major factor for me (and for Joanie, too) was the fact that her pain level is increasing exponentially. She has already applied for a handicapped parking permit because she is having difficulty walking. Those of you who know her would be quite astonished at how she limps and lunges as she walks. While major surgery is never a joy, it is a relief to know her pain should be on a short countdown. I don't know if she could have lasted until July, the expected date. The only real downside to this is that, for only the second time in her life, she will miss Anderson Campmeeting. While that may not seem like much, it has become a major part of our lives together. She will miss the friends she gets to see once a year. More importantly, she will miss seeing both her boys and their wives. For that she is sad.
The final bit of news is truly sad. Joel told us tonight that his mother in law found out that she is not pregnant. While the tests came back positive, an ultra-sound showed that there was no fetus in her womb. She will be having a DNC tomorrow and will be adjusting to the news. I'm sure it will not be easy and having your daughter living with you who is in the midst of growing a life in her will prove a challenge for all of them. I have no question that she is strong enough in her faith to handle it all, but it will take some adjusting.
All in all, I guess it just shows the circle of life. Every joy is tempered by sorrow. Every sadness is countered by celebration. In everything there remains the constant of hope - hope for a future that will deliver what it has promised or for a future that will change what has been.

Worship Trends

One of the joys about being in an academic setting is that you spend a lot of time looking at trends. For instance, at the moment I am doing research into events that took place in the nineteenth century. Why? Because I am looking for historical antecedents to predict current and future trends. Why is that important? Because it is not always wise to try and predict current and future trends based on the current situation. Let me give you a very powerful current example - Worship.
Lester Ruth is a professor of liturgics (worship) at Asbury Seminary in Kentucky. In the book, "The Convictions of Things Not Seen" Ruth writes a chapter about the current state of worship. It is a devastating indictment on the classifications and "styles" that dot the worship scene of today's contemporary Christian culture. He critiques the popular notion that contemporary worship should be the norm for the church in today's society. Now, Ruth is not a proponent of returning to a traditional style. But he is not an apologist for contemporary worship, either. So, what is he? Ruth is a realist.

Ruth's opening questions is how do you describe the type of worship service your church shares. Is it one of the following:

• Contemporary or traditional


• Linear or organic


• Multi-sensory worship; indigenous worship; innovative worship; transformative worship; blended worship; praise services; spirited traditional; creative; classical


• African-American; Hispanic; Euro-American


• Multimedia worship; authentic worship; liturgical worship; believer-oriented worship made friendly to believers; visitor-oriented worship


• Boomer worship; Buster worship; Gen-X worship; Millennial worship


• Mass; Worship Hour; Gathering; Eucharist; Liturgy; Celebration; "One hour of boredom"


• Loud; listless; contemplative; dry; lifeless; engaging; the most segregated hour in American society

Whatever you call it, worship is too complex and too important to be given a slogan or defined in a word. In an earlier chapter of the same book, Constance Cherry writes these profound words, "I suggest there is a better question to ask (than style): What kind of worship helps people encounter God?"

Worship is not now nor should it ever be a matter of style. It must be about how we encounter the presence of the living God. That may fit neatly into the style debate, but it must be the central question we long to answer.

Decisions on Women in Ministry Issues

After much contemplation, I have decided (with my wife's input) to remain at Santa Ana. The gentleman who has a problem with Women in Ministry also remains there, however, he is very humbled.

On Easter Sunday I confronted both he and his wife concerning his actions concerning the woman who preached on the Sunday I was gone. He was mortified. He had no idea I knew why or even that he was gone on that Sunday. When I told him his wife had communicated his reasons, he looked at her and searched for an answer why she would tell. Her reply? "They asked. I wasn't going to lie for you!" He was stunned. At that point his apologies began. When I told how insulted both my wife and the guest speaker was, the color left his face. Following our conversation, wherein he apologized to me and could not even find the verses he believed gave him Biblical evidence for his position, he made a bee-line to Joanie and apologized to her. That week he contacted the woman who spoke and wrote her a letter of apology.

I am still working to get him to understand things from a different direction than his Calvary Chapel theological leanings, but it is a process. He has assured me that the attitude is his and does not reflect the attitude of either the church or his family members.

I have a book about Women in Ministry and a tape put out by the Church of God to give him. We will see if he remains open to understanding the Word or whether he remains stuck in an old paradigm. Time will tell.

For those curious about this issue, here are a few Internet resources you might find interesting or helpful. The first link is from the Church of God. The other two are just ones I ran across on the web:

http://www.chog.org/MinistriesandPrograms/WomeninMinistry/BiblicalRationale/tabid/446/Default.aspx

http://watkins.gospelcom.net/women.htm

http://www.gracecentered.com/women_in_ministry.htm

It's Nice to Be Wanted, Barnabas

Everybody needs to be needed - it's a basic human, well, need. All of us know about rejection. Some of us have lived lives full of rejection:

• A parent who rejected you by abandoning you and your family early in life
• A mate who walked out and said they didn't love you any more and rejected you and your love
• A boss who rejected your work and fired you from a job
• A teacher who rejected your creativity or unique way of doing things and said you would never amount to much or who rejected you by not giving you an opportunity you deserved
• A Christian who disagreed with your theology and rejected not only your position but you as well
• The dog who ran away rather than be your pet!

Most of us have degrees in rejection. Some people seem to specialize in rejecting others (I know someone named Carla who does this all the time - did it to Joanie and me) and get a perverse joy out creating havoc in other's lives and spirits. Others are so sick themselves that they can only feel well by making others sick - kind of like "Munchausen by proxy" for the sick soul. So, when you have those moments where you are accepted rather than rejected; when you are appreciated rather than denounced; when you are built up rather than torn down - these are the times you should celebrate and these are the days you should remember.
Today I went to a luncheon for some of the Adjunct Faculty at Fuller. Since I am teaching two classes this quarter, I am considered an visiting member of the Fuller faculty. It was a nice luncheon and a good time. After it was over, the director who works with the Adjunct Faculty in the hiring of them for these positions approached me to ask if I would be able to teach again this summer. I told her I would. She then asked if she could put me on the schedule for the Fall and keep me going in this direction. Man, its nice to be wanted!
When the Apostle Paul was rejected by the early church because of their fear of his persecution tactics, Paul left Jerusalem and nearly was lost to the church. But someone remembered him. His name was Barnabas. Barnabas found Paul, put him back on the ministry track, and took him with his group on their first Missionary Journey. Ah, if it hadn't been for Barnabas there would have been no Paul.
Someone once told me everyone should have a "Timothy" - someone in whom you are investing your life and pouring out yourself. They also said everyone should be a Barnabas - someone who believes in someone else and helps them in their mission and ministry. Linda Peacore, the director who works with Adjuncts, is being my Barnabas. Everyone needs a Barnabas. Who's yours? And, if you have that person or not, in whom are you investing yourself? Even a pat on the back can make a difference. Who are you encouraging?

We Are Virginia Tech

I watched Virginia Tech English Professor Nikki Giovanni give a powerful and emotional conclusion to the memorial gathering on the Virginia Tech campus last week. It was a well crafted and well delivered conclusion to a sad day, a day of mourning. In it she made mention of the fact that "we did nothing to deserve this tragedy". It is a powerful statement and one that each of us should ponder.

As I have counseled people over the years who have been hit with tragedies and as I have faced tragedies (albeit considerably less powerful than the Virginia Tech shootings) I have noticed that one of the reactions common to all is that of blame. We often wonder what we could have done to prevent the problem. One of my brothers felt great guilt at the sudden death of my father from a heart attack because he felt we should have "forced" my Dad to have more drastic procedures that might have saved his life. He expressed that basic human fantasy we all share - a fantasy that says we should divine the future because we have hindsight. We can no more predict and understand the implications of natural disasters or man made tragedies than we can predict which case holds the million dollars on "Deal or No Deal" before the numbers are revealed.

One of the old hymns we have sung in the Church of God says, "The future lies unseen ahead, it holds I know not what. But still I know I need not dread, for Jesus faileth not." The Apostle Paul in talking about eternity says, "We see through a glass darkly". Both of these sentiments agree that we are no good at soothsaying. We are terrible at predicting the future, especially future tragedies that we could prevent.

Rather than live in a sea of guilt maybe we should learn to live each day with greater joy. I got up and my back hurt today. So what? Should that ruin my day? Life if too precious to waste it on either foolish guilt or bad moods. Live today as though you have no promise of tomorrow. Come to think of it, you don't have a promise of tomorrow. Makes how you live today seem more important, huh? Good. Live life. Remember, we are Virginia Tech.

One Down, One to Go

They posted grades last week. My final grade for Hebrew was...(drum roll, please) - well, I'll get to that in a minute. After spending 20 weeks studying this ancient language, I know two things.
First, I know that it takes a lot more than 20 weeks to become familiar with another language that you only read and study with your eyes. Unless you are immersed in a language and forced to speak it on a daily basis, it all seems academic to you. So, after 20 weeks, I can't speak the language nor can I sit and read it with understanding.
Second, I know that Hebrew is a more complicated language than we were led to believe when we started. Letters are dropped from words on a regular basis; words are joined together at both the front and back of root words - words that easily get lost in the mix. Our instructor didn't ask us to really memorize the vowel pointings but just have an idea which sounded like a, e, i, o, or u. Then we had so many words that were changed in meaning and context by having one point (or dot) that changed or didn't change. In order to handle Hebrew, it would require a much deeper introduction to the whole language than what we received.
Having said that, I am now prepared to take the same class over again. At least, that's what most of the members of my class did. Almost everyone in the class had as much knowledge of Hebrew that I have now when they started the class back in September. Considering the disadvantage that I faced going into the class, I am quite proud of my grade - and really glad to be done with the language requirement. Since I passed the class, I am no longer a "probationary admit" to the Seminary. I have fulfilled all the requirements for my entrance to the Ph.D. program. I am a full, regular student!
By the way, first quarter I received an A- for the class. Second quarter, though, I received... and A-! Yea!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One language down, and one more to go. This summer - Latin for 10 weeks. Hmmm. I can hardly wait.

Choices

A friend sent me an email (thanks Patty) about chioces. So, for all you folks out there who have yet to begin a family or who are considering changing your circumstances of the empty nest syndrome, here are your choices:

Should you get a dog?

Or should you invite the grandchildren over for a few days?

Speaking of Women

Here we go again! Speaking of women, I had a most disturbing event take place last Sunday. I was out of the state at a meeting in Indiana, so I asked a friend and fellow Church of God minister to fill the pulpit for me in Santa Ana. I never, in my wildest dreams, thought that this would create a problem either for her of for anyone in this small, 15-20 member congregation. Oh, how wrong I was. One guy, a prominent and key leader in this small band of folks, didn't show up for service and his wife, who did, promptly told my wife and the guest pastor that he didn't show up because he didn't believe in sitting under a woman in the pulpit!

You should also know that my wife is an ordained minister in the Church of God. In two congregations of the Church of God, my wife has been devalued because she is a woman who is called to ministry. In the church we pastored in Indiana, the decided to pick on her as a way to get to me. They tried to tell her that she was not a "real" minister and that she was not doing a good job (neither of which were true then or now). In our last pastorate in Fresno, the congregation actually voted on hiring her part-time and voted not to - not because she was not qualified or talented, but because she was a woman and married to the pastor. All this in a church that has a 127 year tradition of having women in ministry.

As I teach and assist in classes here at Fuller, I am astounded by the number of women who have horror stories from just about every denominational group you can imagine. Here they are preparing to follow the call of God on their lives for ministry only to be devalued and repressed by their own narrow minded denominational authorities. I hope to be able to find a job following my PhD studies teaching preaching in a seminary. Wherever I teach, there will be women in the classroom preparing for pastoral ministry. How do I justify continuing to preach in a place where such an attitude exists? I am tempted to resign and not go back. And, that may be my course of action. I will talk to this man face to face and share with him both my frustration at his "biblical interpretation" and my disappointment in how he has treated my wife and someone who is called of God. If he responds with some sense of understanding and contrition, I may stay. If he is adamant, I will leave rather than compromise the principles I teach and live with.

Oh, did I mention that after the service was over, the church was having a fellowship time (coffee and cookies) and, lo and behold, this guy showed up! He wouldn't sit under her ministry, but he came to break bread with her and join her in fellowship. How pathetic is that? Ah, well, the church has a long way to go. But there are times, like tonight, that I grow impatient and weary of the little progress that seems to be made. Maranatha, Lord Jesus, Maranatha.