Transforming the World

Transforming the World, One Step at a Time –

Most of our friends know our story.  Joe and I met when I was approaching high school in Cookeville, and we’ve been together ever since – then.  Then and now – and what a difference.  At the time, I was not going to church, because shortly before I met Joe, I became disgusted with church.  I think it was a culmination of the sermon on the age of the Earth and why music does not belong in church.  So I left.  Joe didn’t go to church, but his mother had instilled in him deep faith.  Joe and I both believed in and loved Jesus Christ, but we just didn’t like the church – at all.  So we continued merrily on our way, doing the right things, or at least trying.  I think we stepped foot into churches a total of 4-5 times in the next 22 years, pretty much for weddings and funerals. 

Through the years, we periodically talked about attending church.  Think about that, just attending church.  But we never did anything about it.  Then, we met Matthew.  If you know us, you likely also know Matthew.  He is our first child, apart from my nieces, Stephanie and Suzanna.  We met him on a cold January morning, preparing for Eskimo Escapades.  Joe helped get him ready to water ski (remember this is January), and then, it occurred to me – this kid, he was 21 at the time, was paralyzed from the chest down in October of 1998, and now, in 2001, he’s water skiing – in January.  Matthew and his family became a part of our family.  We’ve watched him graduate, get married, and miraculously, have a baby, not him, but Jeannette, and I got the honor of witnessing her birth. Ms. Kelsee, I love you.

But from the time we met Matthew, we realized how important his faith was to him.  We realized how important it was to his recovery from a devastating injury for an 18 year old young man.  So we began to look harder at church and ask questions.  Matthew was so encouraging, because he’s a good Baptist. I got a mission so I went to the little country Baptist church close to our house, and when the preacher was loosening his collar and wiping his brow at 2 minutes til 12, I bolted out the back door.  I hope he didn’t preach about me after that.  We went to church with Matthew, and I was amazed at the message that the Jews suffered the Holocaust because they rejected Jesus and demanded that the Romans crucify him.   Wow, what love of Christ is that?  I’m not criticizing Matthew’s church at all, believe me.  I’m just stating my perspective.

So the next Sunday I went to the Covenant Life Church in Lake City which is the rock n roll church, and I heard a special guest pastor tell every one that God had told her (she was trying to start a church) that there would be 5 people there that day who could give $1000 to start her ministry.  I think I might have been one of those 5, but I didn’t give.  Then, I went over to the little Methodist church because Joe had been raised as a Methodist.  I had been adamant that no church would learn my name, where I lived or any thing else about me, lest they show up on my door step a few days later.  Before I left Lake City UMC, Margaret Marion had learned my name, where I lived and invited me to sing in the choir.

You have got to love her.   I look at the state of our church now, and I wonder where we would be or where the hatred and division would not be, if Blanche Duncan, Margaret Marion and Harold Wormsley were still alive. They were a big part of the base of our church.  They shared love, compassion and hope.  They encouraged the younger people who started coming to church and who wanted to grow the church.  These were the people who wanted to transform the world.

The funny thing is (actually, it isn’t funny – it is disgusting), is some in the church now resist change.  They loved it when we first started coming to church, and then, joined the church.  But for some reason in the last year and half, that has changed.  Some people think we are aligned with our pastor, when nothing could be further from the truth.  I’ve told him exactly how I feel about messages, talking way too much, and explaining way too much.  I’ve told him preachers are like lawyers, because they think what they have to say is so profound, they say it four different ways.  Just get to the point, please. 

My biggest criticism of our pastor has to do with the holification (is that a word?) of a table into something that reminds me of what they Pharises did with the ark of the covenant.  It’s not an altar, it’s a communion table.  We can all touch it, and we don’t have to be afraid to put anything up on the table or near it.  But things from the beginning were not just so cool with him and the choir.  Why?  In my opinion, some people in the choir had always directed the worship service, and allotted time for the preacher to speak.  When he changed things around, they didn’t like it.  Not that what he was doing was wrong because I really think if it had been their idea, all would have been well. Then, slowly, he tried to play some contemporary songs along with the Hymns. 

But oh no, they didn’t like “that music” or the fact that the flags were removed from the sanctuary.  I was always amazed at the flags in our sanctuary because I never understood why they were there.  Then, when they were removed, the person who bought them demanded that they be returned.  She also kept returning the lovely little cherub angel column thing to the sanctuary, because our pastor moving it out was insulting to Margaret Marion.  It was left there after her funeral, admittedly because her daughter really had no place for it at her home.  I’m serious folks.  The same person demanded that “that music” had no place in worship.  My favorite is how she prudishly criticized those that did not attend Wednesday evening worship, yet now she has not been for almost or over a year.  Why?  Because she is MAD!!!  Mad that the church is changing, mad that things are not being done as they were done “up North” – Oh my!

We had a free yard sale at church to give people school supplies and clothes.  That same woman didn’t like it – at all.  Why?  Because they could have made money for the UMW fund.  Never mind what have they really done with the UMW money over the years – in terms of spreading Jesus LOVE.  Selling pecans only goes so far.

How are we changing lives at our church?  How can we learn from the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas? The most amazing thing to me is accountability.  Once you join COR, you park way away from the front door.  I’m not suggesting any one not park next to the back door, believe me.  But think about a vast church, and letting guests park up close.  You join the church, and you go to the back of the line.  You have to learn some accountability.  Because you have to learn what your gift is – and USE it! 

So how does the Church of the Resurrection impact little Lake City United Methodist Church?  Joe first heard Adam Hamilton last year at the Annual Conference of the UMC, Holston Conference.  He came home blown away.  Joe and our Pastor went to the Leadership Institute at the COR last Fall.  And they came home with so many ideas.  One of them was music in the sanctuary as people come into church.  Another one was food outside the sanctuary – that would be downstairs for us, which we have done since January – never mind the mean woman hasn’t contributed a dog gone thing – although she does so much for the church – and she has a heart of Gold. 

So a few weeks ago, Joe and I took a spiritual journey to Kansas – one of those states I said I would never visit unless I had to go there for work.  But this wasn’t work so much.  COR had an auction in the spring and one of the auction items was dinner with Adam and LaVon Hamilton.  I can only imagine the inner turmoil of the disgruntled types like our bitter old lady – do you really have to pay to have dinner with your pastor?  But the restaurant donated the meal, and all of the money went to ministries.  What is wrong with that?  How many of us crazy VOL fans would pay to have dinner with Derek Dooley or Bruce Pearl?  It's the same concept.  So Joe and I ventured from East Tennessee to Kansas.  And it was an incredible spiritual journey. 

We went to the COR 5 p.m. service on Sunday, and I was awestruck.  First, they passed out “accountability” journals, where you signed in that you attended service.  Then, you looked through the list and were invited to reach out to some one new!  How wonderful!  The music was absolutely incredible.  They had practiced for 30 minutes, fine tuning their music before the worship service, although I’m sure they had practiced a good bit during the week.  So the doors to the sanctuary were closed until about 5-10 minutes before the service was to begin.  And we came into music.  I think I heard Dave Matthews and some BB King.  Wow.

Then, the band played, and they played some great music, “that music.”  I think every one in the sanctuary was signing right along as loud as they could.  It was so uplifting.  Then, Adam Hamilton spoke, and it was just amazing.  I thought in some respects I would be brought to tears.  I was not.  I kept sitting there looking at the “big screen” then back to the stage where right there was Adam Hamilton, who we had watched countless times and read many of his books.  I don’t suggest it was any type of “idol worship” but he is amazingly gifted at putting the Word into easy to understand, touch your heart, messages – although that mid-Western accent does get a little fast for me sometimes.

I didn’t come to tears or faint so that debunks the “celebrity” status.  Although this week at church when Harold spoke in lieu of Charles, I had tears.  Way to go, Harold!  Too bad the flag lady wasn’t there because she needed to hear it. But the thing about COR is what is missing in churches today. It is missing in our church.  That is accountability.  Okay, you want to join?  Now, what are you going to DO?  Church of the Resurrection expects their church members to do, not just join.  It is not a social club.  They are there to show Jesus love all over.  How?  By doing things, not by standing on a street corner, going to a prison or handing out tracks, to get people right with God, before they get hit by a car and go to Hell.  Fear Factor Church is just NOT effective.  COR has so many small group ministries, groups for people out of work, groups that help renovate schools, groups that build Habitat houses, groups that foster children -- I could go on - and on.

Joe and our pastor returned again to the Leadership Institute at COR last week.  For the Leadership Institute, the most amazing thing was COR church people went, laid hands on and prayed on every seat in that sanctuary.  They prayed for every single person attending, and the attendees were told at this time, people will be praying for you, by name, in the chapel – join them if you can.  How amazing!  Volunteers took vacation time from work to do this.  They prayed to give vision and guidance to help these small churches, big churches, all churches to grow and spread Jesus love.  I love Church of the Resurrection’s mission – to spread Christ’s love to the un-churched and the nominally churched.  That is US!

Through the last two weeks or so, I’ve learned Adam and LaVon Hamilton are just ordinary people, but extraordinary people.  They are a gift, such a wonderful gift.  They put their vision to work.  I’m sure they’ve made mistakes, and they move on, learn from them and grow.  They have instilled that on the people who are touched by and become a part of COR and its mission.  The thing that bothers me about our church is when people make mistakes or do something some one else doesn’t like, it is brought up over, and over, and over again.  Where is the Jesus love in that?  It is not there. I hope our church grows and learns.  If we don’t, we are going to die.

 Mark my word, because it will happen.  I don’t want that.  I want us to grow.  We have to change our mentality about our church.  We have to be willing to work hard to enhance our worship experience, and make a difference in our community.  Show Jesus love through your actions, spread Jesus love the same way rather than scare tactics or looking down on other people.  We don’t need scripture, prayer and the Ten Commandments in school or the courthouse, although it’s not a bad thing.  What we do need are actions, actions of Christians, reaching out to non-Christians and the un-churched, showing Jesus love, not being the post card for the hypocrisy of the church.  Do you join us? Or are you against change? 

One thing I can say is I can be critical of the church, because I’m part of it.  It ain’t perfect because the people in it are not.  But some of them are trying their best to make a difference in the world.  Those that just complain, cause strife and are the picture of the hypocrisy of the church, I pray you can change.  Otherwise, fulfill your threats -- and go some where else.  Because you aren't showing Jesus love in our church, at Cracker Barrel, or in your constant criticism of others.