"Women in Ministry"

Boy is that a "loaded" statement. However, it is the subject matter of my next seminary class that will begin promptly at 9am this next Monday morning. I am heading to Orlando Sunday right after church. If it weren't for the issue of homosexual individuals being ordained, the issue of women being ordained would be the "hot topic" in the arena of "church conversation."

My assignment before class is to type a 2-3 page paper (I have typed so many now, I can do a 2-3 page paper in my sleep) dealing with my stance on women being in ministry.

So, do I believe that women should be ordained into ministry? I can say without hesitation that I do believe that God calls women into ordained ministry. And I am not ashamed to tell others why I believe what I believe.

People get hung up with only allowing women to have certain roles in ministry. People get hung up with women not teaching men. People get hung up with women just keeping their thoughts and feelings to themselves. People get hung up with Paul saying that "women should be silent" as a license to be oppressive towards women in the church.

And the list goes on and on...

As with many other problems that we have inside the Church of 2010 and beyond, a lot of why we struggle with women being in ministry deals with the power and control that is needed from the dominant group. In this case it is the men. Sometimes it is the "white male," but in the case of the women, it goes across color of skin barriers.

All through Scripture, God gives numerous examples of women in ministry. If we recall, it was 2 women that were the first ones to see the empty tomb on Easter morning; If we recall, it was God that raised Deborah as a Judge in the OT; If we recall, Paul names many women as his "Partners in the Gospel."

And the list goes on and on...

I am looking forward to this class. It is cool how much I have learned in this educational journey. I will report back here as the week transpires...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this "Cultural Hot Topic." Don't be scared to throw your belief out there. I learn from everyone :)

Love God...Love People...Love my next class...

"Two Days In A Row"

So I'm 2 for 2 in 2010 on blog posts...

I am going to preach from a very unfamiliar passage of scripture tomorrow, 1 Chronicles 28. Yeah, that's not one that shouts at me either. Has Tim Tebow ever put 1 Chronicles 28 on his eye stuff? Didn't think so. This is one of those familiar stories in an unfamiliar place in the bible.

The story line is about David announcing to everyone that he would not be the one to build the Temple, but it would be his son Solomon. Now at first glance you may say, "What's the big deal?" Fair question.

I am continuing my thoughts from last week dealing with the concept of "Today." God gives us "Today" for the purposes of the life He has given us to live. Now even though we need to be responsible and prepare for "Tomorrow" we must not live in the "Future," thus missing the opportunities of "Today."

I believe it is very cool that even though David had it "in his heart" that he would be the one who would build the Temple, God only used David to prepare Solomon to do the task at hand.

Bottom line is the importance that we have in preparing for the future as we plant the seeds of today. David's role was important even though he wasn't the one that finished the deal.

If you can make it in the morning, come and worship with us...11 am, Chapel Hill UMC, Rome, GA. If you can't, holler at me if you would like the audio. I am going to record my messages again this year...

Love God...Love People...Love 2 Days in a row.

"New Year; New Decade; New Opportunities"

As I signed on to blogger.com, I wasn't sure if I would remember my password. It has been that long since I sat down and flushed out any thoughts that have been bouncing around my pea sized head. However, one of the goals that I have for myself in 2010, (that is hard to type) is to be more consistent at blogging. This is hopefully my last full calendar year in seminary, and I want to get this last part of the journey on paper; or in a web file :)

New Year; New Decade; New Opportunities. That is my motto as I type this on 1/1/10. I learned a lot, grew a lot, and changed a lot in the first decade of the 21st century. I can't even imagine where I will be 10 years from now, but today is the first day in shaping that moment in time.

As I get older (NOT OLD) I have become a more reflective person. I am feeling a sense of urgency as I LIVE every precious day that God grants me, and I want to touch as many lives as possible in each day as well.

As I get older (NOT OLD) I am learning to take the blinders off. There are many "God moments" that sometimes passes me by because I get too focused on what is right in front of my face. My radar screen is getting wider and broader and that is a good thing for me :)

As I get older (NOT OLD) I am learning more about what it means to Love God and Love People. That has been my catch phrase ever since I started this blog. But I feel that God is teaching me more and more everyday about how to do that at a deeper level.

Bottom line is: 1. I am not OLD. 2. God is nowhere near finished with me yet. 3. God is wanting me to live each day with purpose and passion for Him.

Happy 2010 to you all...

Love God...Love People...Love the new year, the new decade and the new opportunities!

"Dinner With Jesus"

Have you ever played the game, "If you could have dinner with anyone from the past, present or future, who would it be and why?" Think carefully as you answer that question. Did you choose the person based on fame, fortune or compatibility? Did you choose the person because you expected something in return? What would the scene look like as you conversed with your famous person? What would you talk about? What would you wear? What would you order off the menu?

What if you had dinner with Jesus? What would that scene look like?

I am preaching a Communion message in the morning. I am using the John 13-16 passage as my background. As Jesus and the 12 have dinner together, they are doing more than having just "casual dinner conversation." They are communing with God! Let that last statement soak in before you read any further.

I am guilty of "casual dinner conversation" when I spend time with God. I am a pastor and a seminary student, so a lot of my time is dealing with things about God. I am tearing the book of Mark apart in one of my classes; my bible is open constantly. However, I sometimes wonder if I am really communing with God as I live each day He gives me.

My challenge in my message is getting us all to re-focus our lives with how we commune with God. It is an honor and a privilege to spend my day with the creator of EVERYTHING. We all should live our lives differently if we are truly "communing" and not just having "casual dinner conversation."

Go read the John passage...Listen to the words of this awesome Third Day song. Come to church with me in the morning if you can make it!

Love God...Love People...Love Third Day

"Going Home"

Well, I'm not preaching this weekend. I am going to Trinity UMC for their Homecoming celebration. My buddy/mentor David Campbell invited me to come this year. Now, this is my "home church" and I am looking forward to being there. David has asked me to help serve Communion, so that makes it even more special. Bad news is he told me that he needs me to wear a robe. I have worn a robe only two other times, and they were at weddings. Have I mentioned that I am not a "robe dude."

I am now working on 5 years being removed from Trinity. I have very good memories; I still have some very close friends; I can attribute a big part of why I am a pastor with the training I got there. However, as I reflect for just a minute, I can say that I am glad that I am not at my "home church" any longer. Please don't read into my last statement, I am glad because not only have I grown since leaving, others have grown because they were given opportunities to serve due to me departing my roles. I can think of two individuals very quickly that are now Sunday school teachers due to my absence. The thing that I was most worried about, God had planned all along for these guys to step up when the time was right.

No matter where God sends me on this pastoral journey, Trinity UMC, Rome, GA will always be home. But like my brother Abraham, God told me to pick up my tent and my family and go to the place that He planned for me. He didn't tell me to forget where I had been, but He told me to grow wherever He plants me.

However, this week I am coming home for a visit. A much needed visit. And just like my pal Jon Bon Jovi says, "Who says you can't go home?"

Love God...Love People...Love Bon Jovi, and Jennifer Nettles

This Season...

One day; not today; I am going to read through my 500+ blog posts. I started this blog for the intentional purpose of writing my thoughts of this thing called seminary. And what I am finding is how God and I are growing this thing called a relationship. Don't get me wrong, I am still very convicted that seminary is the route that God has called me towards, (my name should be Issac, because I still laugh at me being as academic as I am) but, this blog and my life right now is really not about my seminary journey.

It is about my continuing relationship with God.

In a lot of ways, I believe that I am entering a new season with God. I am looking at going in front of the Board of Ordained Ministry early next year, with the goal of being assigned as a Provisional Elder within the United Methodist Church. If that happens, I would not be bi-vocational for the first time in this journey. It is not a better place, just a different one.

Regardless of when or if all that happens, I really feel like God is moving me into a new season of defining my ministry within the body of Christ. I want to be a part of a community of people that come from different cultures. Let me be very clear; I love diversity within people. I love the different colors, languages, expressions, you name it. I love them all.

However in 2009, that mentality is not the norm. We still have many walls that keep us from getting to really know all the people that God has surrounded us with. It is really cool to see how God spread everyone out in Genesis 11, but it now bringing us all back together. What did Jesus really mean when He prayed for unity in John 17?

I want some of those answers....

I am very excited about this new season with God...

More tomorrow. I Hope again. But, before I go, here is my favorite song that deals with the word seasons. Enjoy. This dude has really cool 70's hair.

Love God...Love People...Love Terry Jacks

"I'm Not Sure What To Say"

This is my longest drought between posts. I made zero, yes the big doughnut in the month of July. With that being said, July 2009 was the fastest 31 days in my very colorful and sometimes very boring life.

So, why am I writing today? I don't know?

Does anyone care? Can't answer that one either

I am preparing myself for the toughest semester of seminary. I am not sure what to make of Hebrew. I am taking an inductive bible study of the book of Mark. I have a cool multi-cultural class in Orlando. And last but not least, I have a mentored ministry class with my mentor, Dr. David Campbell.

However, if there is one thing that continues to haunt me in a good way is the whole role that I am supposed to play as it deals with mulit-cultural issues. I am feeling lead to take Spanish as a first step, but it is going to take more than that. I'm not sure what the future holds, but it deals with multi-cultures.

More tomorrow. I hope.