A Gospel for Human Life
Posted on January 26th, 2011
Pastor’s Column published in The Informer (FBC’s Newsletter for February, 2011)
Several months back, I was rereading Dallas Willard’s classic The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God. In the second chapter of the book, Willard was exploring the reasons why there is a disconnect between the gospel and every day life, why the Christian faith almost seems irrelevant or powerless in the face of the realities of life. As I read, I came across this passage that was particularly convicting to me as a pastor and preacher.
Willard writes: “The situation we have just described—the disconnection of life from faith, the absence from our churches of Jesus the teacher—is not caused by the wicked world, by social oppression, or by the stubborn meanness of the people who come to our church services and carry on the work of our congregations. It is largely caused and sustained by the basic message that we constantly hear from Christian pulpits. We are flooded with what I have called ‘gospels of sin management,’ in one form or another, while Jesus’ invitation to eternal life now—right in the midst of work, business, and profession—remains for the most part ignored and unspoken. . . . The resources of God’s kingdom remain detached from human life. There is no gospel for human life and Christian discipleship, just one for death or one for social action.” (pp. 57-58). Willard then prescribes a solution: “To counteract this we must develop a straightforward presentation, in word and life, of the reality of life now under God’s rule, through reliance upon the word and person of Jesus. In this way we can naturally become his students or apprentices” (p. 58).
Reading this passage has challenged me to explore how I might be able to preach, teach and model a Gospel for Human Life here at Farmville Baptist, a Gospel that may lead all of us into a deeper life of discipleship to Jesus. On a personal level, I will begin leading a discipleship group of about six people so that we can learn to live life together as disciples of Christ. In my preaching, I will be focusing on discipleship as I begin a series on the Sermon on the Mount. Finally, I will be teaching a three-week Sunday School class session starting February 13 on how a Gospel of Human Life might impact our church as well as our lives. The class will be held in the Fellowship Hall, 9:45 to 10:30 a.m., and I invite all adults to attend. I’m excited about what I’m learning, and thank you for giving me a chance to share it with you!
Yours in Christ, Michael
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A Look Back and a Look Forward
Posted on December 20th, 2010
Well, another year is almost behind us and as I look back, there are many things for which I’m thankful. First of all, I’m thankful for a wonderful, dedicated staff. Dr. Mc Amoss has provided beautiful music as our organist and pianist for over 18 years! Al Schmidt has served as our custodian for over 6 years. Kathy Dunnavant will be celebrating her 4th anniversary as our office manager this January. And since October, Sandy Yeatts began her “second tour of duty” as our interim choir director. I am so blessed to serve with these individuals, and I feel that our staff, including Julie Gaines and Sara Thompson our ministry interns, have worked really well together as a team.
I am also thankful for our Deacons as they have taken the lead in implementing our church-wide ministry teams in the areas of “Small Tasks,” “Visitation,” “Bereavement” and “Caring Cuisine.” My prayer is that many more members will join these ministry teams, and even start new ones! This is a wonderful way for us to be the hands and feet of Christ. I also want to thank the Deacons for their Christmas gift to me and my family. We will certainly enjoy a night out using the gift certificate at a restaurant!
As 2010 comes to a close, I also look forward in anticipation to what God has in store for us in the new year. As part of our on-going spiritual transformation journey, I sense that God is calling us to focus on discipleship in 2011. Let us spend the new year exploring and living out what it means to follow Jesus as His disciples, and in turn, to learn what it means to make disciples as Jesus commanded us to do in His Great Commission. As a result, I will be offering a three-week Bible study series during the Sunday School hour in February. I invite all adults to attend this series. Then during Lent, I will be preaching a sermon series called “Covenant and Kingdom,” which will provide a biblical and theological basis for our focus on discipleship and prepare us for Easter.
Every Christmas, we celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ. But let us remember that Jesus is not only a gift of salvation for us to receive, Jesus is also the Lord of all for us to follow. So as we prepare to receive the Christ-child this Christmas, I pray that we will also prepare to follow this Christ-child into new areas of spiritual growth, both for us as individuals and for us as a church.
Merry Christmas!
Journeying on, Michael
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Preparing for Christmas
Posted on November 23rd, 2010
Pastor’s Column published in The Informer (FBC’s Newsletter for December, 2010)
Once again, Advent is upon us, the season in the church calendar consisting of four Sundays before Christmas. We often think of Advent as a time of preparation for Christmas. There are Christmas trees and decorations to put up. Shopping lists and shopping trips to be made. Parties and church gatherings to attend. Presents to buy and wrap. Cards to write and mail. Families to visit. Guests to host. Meals to prepare. Whew! I’m getting exhausted just listing all these “preparations!” Advent has become such a hectic time for so many of us. We get so busy “preparing for Christmas” and laboring under the expectations of family and friends regarding how Christmas ought to be observed, that when December 25 finally arrives, we are physically and emotionally drained.
But what if Advent is not so much a time when we prepare for Christmas than it is a time in which God prepares us for Christmas? Let me suggest three ways in which God can prepare us for Christmas this year.
First, repent! Advent is a time of repentance, but I’m not necessarily talking about sack cloth and ashes. “Repentance” literally means “to change one’s mind,” to change the way we think, believe and behave about things. Specifically, Advent may be God’s way to prepare us to change the way we think about the holidays so that we are freed from having to do what we’ve always done. If the hecticness of this season is not working out for you, perhaps it is time to rethink how you want to spend the days leading up to Christmas.
Second, wait! In our culture of instant gratification, patience and waiting are long-forgotten virtues. But Advent is a time of waiting, as our spiritual ancestors waited thousands of years for Jesus to arrive, and as we still wait for the second coming of Christ. When we’re stuck standing in a long check-out line, or driving behind a slow car in the passing lane, let us ask God to quiet our hearts and to live into the rhythm of God’s time and not ours.
Third, look! Instead of just looking for Santa or the amazing bargains to be had on Black Friday, let us have eyes to see Jesus in the ordinariness of every-day life. Where is Christ at work in your family, your work place, your neighborhood, and your community? When our eyes are focused on Jesus, many of the other things vying for our attention may not seem so important any more.
“Prepare the way of the Lord,” proclaimed John the Baptist as he announced the coming of Christ. May we do the same in our lives this Advent.
Preparing and waiting, Michael
Tags: advent, look, preparation, repent, wait
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Total Transformation
Posted on November 1st, 2010
Pastor’s Column published in The Informer (FBC’s Newsletter for November, 2010)
Last Sunday (October 24) at our called business meeting, the members of Farmville Baptist in attendance voted unanimously to approve the Stewardship Committee’s recommendation in the financing of our roof repair. As I said in my sermon last Sunday, one of the blessings that we have is a beautiful sanctuary, but we also know that our roof needs fixing and restoring. A couple of Sundays ago, several people came up to me after the Southside Baptist Association meeting expressing their admiration for the beauty of this space. I was almost tempted to reply, “Why thank you! Would you like to contribute to keep it that way?” With this vote, it is now the responsibility of every member of Farmville Baptist to contribute to this cause. As Chuck Daniel said in worship yesterday, our roof is a challenge that has the potential of bringing the church together and making us stronger as we address this important issue in our church. I have no doubt that God will see us through this physical transformation.
I also have no doubt that God wants to see us through a spiritual transformation of this congregation. I believe that the physical restoration of the building of Farmville Baptist can be a reflection of a deeper spiritual restoration and revival of the people of Farmville Baptist. During this time of physical restoration, God invites every member of Farmville Baptist to also be spiritually renewed. A beautiful building is nothing without a Spirit-empowered people to animate it.
For over a year now, our church has been on a spiritual transformation journey, which calls for nothing less than the transformation of our lifestyles so that we become more faithful disciples of Jesus. In the coming weeks, I will be approaching several of you to join with me in a ten-week discipleship course called a “Discipleship Huddle Group.” I have been involved in a huddle group with seven other Virginia Baptist pastors over the last two months, and this group is making a difference in my spiritual walk. The huddle group that I’ll be leading will not replace our spiritual journey prayer groups, but I hope it will be a logical next step as we involve more people in the total transformation of Farmville Baptist Church for the glory of God!
Journeying on, Michael
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Reasons to be Thankful
Posted on October 1st, 2010
Pastor’s Column published in The Informer (FBC’s Newsletter for October, 2010)
I have so many reasons to give thanks to God and to Farmville Baptist Church!
First of all, I want to thank the congregation for recognizing my fifth anniversary as your Pastor. I was quite surprised at the church picnic when Gene Watson and Jim Davis asked me to come up front for a presentation. With Gene and Jim, you never know what’s going to happen! But seriously, I was humbled by your thoughtfulness and generosity. The white Communion stole is one that I will treasure, and I look forward to wearing it every time I celebrate the Lord’s Supper with you. I also want to thank you for the generous love offering. Beth and I look forward to using it for a nice get-a-way in the near future. But apart from these gifts, our whole family has been blessed by your love, care, friendship and support over these past five years. It has been a joy-filled journey for me, and I thank God for Farmville Baptist Church and what you all have meant to me!
Another reason for me to give thanks is Anita Lynn, who served so capably as our Choir Director, but is now stepping down so that she can devote more time to her new full-time position as an elementary school music teacher. What a step of faith she took almost five years ago to follow God’s call to step into this position! What a gracious choir we have for allowing Anita to grow in her directing and singing skills! I thank God for Anita’s willingness to offer her gifts to the life of this church, and I wish her the best in her new position. I’m also thankful that Sandy Yeatts and Mary Jo Chassey will be filling in as interim directors for the sanctuary choir and bell choir respectively, until we hire a permanent choir director. We are blessed to have such talented folks!
Finally, I am thankful for the congregation’s response on Consecration Sunday! We had wonderful attendance in worship, and I am grateful for the offering of your financial resources to support the ministry and mission of Farmville Baptist. As Ken Copeland announced after worship, from the estimate-of-giving cards turned in last Sunday, and from projected giving based on historical giving patterns, we can expect an increase of 9.4% over last year’s grand total of receipts! This is great news in light of our economic times!
I truly believe that we are on the cusp of something exciting here at Farmville Baptist as we continue to seek God’s direction for our vision and mission. I know that God will continue to bless and equip us to be the presence of Christ in our community and our world. And for that, I am thankful most of all!
Journeying on, Michael
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Gifts for the Journey
Posted on August 30th, 2010
Pastor’s Column published in The Informer (FBC’s Newsletter for September, 2010)
In recent days, I’ve heard stories from church members who are wondering: “So what’s up with our Spiritual Transformation Journey? Are we done?” I know that for some of you, it feels like our spiritual journey has stalled. While it is true that I have not talked or preached much about our spiritual journey this summer, it isn’t because we’ve ended this journey with a whimper. Far from it! My relative silence on this topic is due to the fact that I myself needed to go through a period of discernment and “incubation” so that I might be clear about what God is asking of me in this new phase of our journey. I spent parts of this summer reading, learning, praying, going on personal retreats—all for the sake of allowing God to reveal to me a clearer vision of our future.
As the summer draws to a close, so too ends my time of personal discernment. And today, I’m happy to announce that I’m more excited about our church’s spiritual journey than ever before! Read the rest of this entry »
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Come with Me and Get Some Rest
Posted on July 1st, 2010
Pastor’s Column published in The Informer (FBC’s Newsletter for July, 2010)
The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:30-31).
Well, summer is finally here, and this is a time when many of us go on vacations or try to live life at a slightly slower pace. As I read and meditated on the above passage from Mark 6, it dawned on me that many times, we’re so busy doing things for Jesus that we don’t have time to spend with Jesus! Yet, our Lord desires for us to go with Him to a quiet place and get some rest.
As I look back on this year so far, we’ve done a lot here at Farmville Baptist. By the time you read this, our VBS will just have finished, and I am thankful for Cindy Cave and Sarah Thompson, who co-directed our VBS and for all our volunteers! We could not have done it without them! But this passage in Mark reminds me that while there is a time to work hard, and there is also a time to rest in the presence of Jesus. William C. Martin wrote the following meditation for pastors, but I think his wise words can apply to everyone.
If you fill your calendar with important appointments
you will have no time for God.
If you fill your spare time with essential reading
you will starve your soul.
If you fill your mind with worry
about budgets and offerings,
the pains in your chest and the ache in your shoulders
will betray you.
If you try to conform to the expectations of those around you
you will be forever their slave.
Work a modest day
then step back and rest.
This will keep you close to God.
(William C. Martin, The Art of Pastoring: Contemplative Reflections, p. 9.)
Martin encourages us to take a long, prayerful, meditative look at our calendars and ask ourselves: Who are we trying to impress? God? Our boss? Ourselves? What would it look like if we cut some big chunks of each week for family, rest, meditation, prayer and flower sniffing?
This summer, I’m going to try to explore Martin’s questions and follow his advice, and you are welcome to hold me accountable! This summer, may you also find time to go with Jesus by yourself to a quiet place and get some rest!
Resting in Christ, Michael
Tags: rest, summer
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“Community: The Church = People”
Posted on June 2nd, 2010
Column published in The Informer (FBC’s Newsletter for June, 2010)
Pastor’s note: The following column was written by Julie Gaines, our youth ministry intern. Even though it was originally written for our youth, I thought it was very applicable to our church as a whole. And so, it is with pleasure that I publish Julie’s column here.
A few weeks ago, Pastor Cheuk showed a video in service about how people tend to think of the church as a place to go on Sunday and not as the group of people that attend said place. I know that I’ve been guilty of this in the past, and I’m sure most of you would agree that you have as well. It’s what we’re taught as children, as evidenced in the nursery rhyme “Here is the church-here is the steeple-open it up and see all the people.” However, this “model” or idea of what church is isn’t working for most of America. I personally find it easier to isolate church and my faith as a separate part of my life when I think of church as the building we have on Main Street or the activities that I am part of on Sundays.
This past Sunday at my home church, University Baptist in Charlottesville, my pastor talked about how we sometimes talk about “my church” or “our church” doing things a certain way. He suggested that we need to be mindful of the fact that every follower of Christ is a member of the church at large, regardless of location, denomination, or any other factor; we’re all working towards the same goal—being a community of broken people who share life’s struggles and triumphs, who continually strive to become more Christ-like, and to share God’s unfathomably grand love with the world. When we begin to remove labels and anything that divides us, we learn quickly that we have much more in common with the guy next to us than not.
A friend of mine who is a youth minister in Richmond gave me a t-shirt a while back that said “Love God. Love others. Worry about the rest later.” So many times, I clutter my life with various activities and work, and it becomes all too easy to lose sight of what Christ wants for my life. I complicate things very easily-I’m quite the multi-tasker (guess it comes with the teaching territory…). This is one of the reasons I need church…to provide a sense of being a part of something much bigger than myself. To remind me that there are others who are hurting in this world and need to know God the way that I know Him. To realign my priorities for the next week. I hope as we head into the summer that we as a youth group can build on the sense of community that we already have, sharing our daily lives with each other, and moving outside of the “Sunday habit.” I look forward to spending the summer with you all.
Love in Christ, Julie
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The Church Is the People
Posted on May 2nd, 2010
Pastor’s Column published in The Informer (FBC’s Newsletter for May, 2010)
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to go on an Emmaus Walk. It was a wonderful experience, and I came away with a greater love for our gracious God who specializes in rescuing people out of dire situations in order to bless them with abundant life. I also came away with a deeper love for the people of Farmville Baptist Church. I want to thank the members of the Emmaus Community at Farmville Baptist for sponsoring me on the walk. I want to thank those who took time the time and special effort to lovingly encourage me during that weekend. I also want to thank all of you who are part of the Farmville Baptist family. For almost five years now, you have blessed me and my family with your love, encouragement, support and prayers. The joy in my ministry is not found in the “success” of our programs, but in the life-giving relationships with you the people as we journey with God together.
At our Spiritual Transformation Journey cluster retreat last weekend, I was once again reminded that the church is the people who make up the “body of Christ” under the Lordship of Jesus. As Reggie McNeal so clearly said in the video that we showed last Sunday in our worship service, the church is a “who” and not a “what.” I am the church; you are the church. Granted, neither I nor you are the whole church, but we definitely are the church. Therefore, the church is not the building, the budget, or the programs. The church is not a “What”; it is not an “It.” No, the church is the people, a “Who” that is alive and active in the world because the Spirit of our risen Lord is alive and active in the world. The church is greater than just the members of Farmville Baptist; it consists of all the saints in the past, present and future who have responded to God’s saving call to go on mission to be the presence of Christ in the world.
That is why I’m so grateful for our Missions Committee and their work in organizing a Missions Fair last Sunday. It was wonderful to have organizations like Habitat for Humanity, FACES, Meals of Wheels, Pregnancy Support Center, School Mentoring, Reclaiming Our Lives Ministry and CBF Global Missions as well as our newly formed church ministry teams represented at the fair. It was so gratifying to see folks signing up for various ministry and service opportunities. There was such energy and excitement in the room that I can hardly wait to see how God’s Spirit will unleash us to be a channel of God’s blessing to our community!
As we continue our spiritual transformation journey, it is a joy and an inspiration to see more and more people at Farmville Baptist prayerfully seeking God’s will and call for their life mission. I sense that we are on the verge of a spiritual revival, and I truly believe that God has amazing things in store for Farmville Baptist! So let’s stay the course that we’re on, and let’s be the church by rediscovering what it means to be the people of God sent on a mission to proclaim and live out God’s grace and love to the world!
Blessed to be journeying with you, Michael
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God is Doing a New Thing!
Posted on April 2nd, 2010
Pastor’s Column, published in The Informer (FBC’s Newsletter for April, 2010)
Signs of spring are everywhere—the days are warming, the flowers are blooming, and the grass is greening. Everywhere I look, I see signs that God is doing a new thing in the natural world around us. That is exciting for me because after the winter that we’ve had, I’m ready for something new!
Even more exciting are the new things I see that God is doing in the life of Farmville Baptist Church. From what I’m gathering from our spiritual journey prayer groups, our deacons and our missions and outreach committee, I’m sensing that God is leading us more to be the body of Christ outside the walls of Farmville Baptist. I’m sensing that we’re living into this new thing of being the church and witnessing the gospel, not in a building, but in the lives of people right where they live, work, and play. People don’t just go to church; they are the church. They don’t just bring people to church; they bring church to the people! Church is wherever followers of Jesus are.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that we should never bring people to church. What I’m saying is that while we certainly should invite and bring people to Farmville Baptist Church at 132 N. Main Street, our focus should be on obeying Jesus’ commission in Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” Christ calls us to be on mission with Him in our community! How are we on mission, how are we missionaries for Christ, here in Farmville, in our neighborhoods, in our dorms, in our places of work? When I hear our prayer participants say that they want to do a better job ministering to people outside the walls of the church, this is what I think of – how can we be on mission for Christ?
One of the ways we’re living into this new thing is what we’re doing this Saturday, April 3, 7:30 a.m. at FACES, our local food pantry. That morning, we will distribute muffins and coffee to those waiting in line to receive their weekly allotment of food. As we do that, we hope to get to know our neighbors better, and to share the love of Christ through our words and in our deeds. Our prayer is that this will be an act of worship as we acknowledge that Christ is at work loving our community and our world. I invite you to join us to share in the blessing and good news of Christ at FACES this Saturday!
As we prepare to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, let us also celebrate the new things that God is doing today, in our lives and at FBC!
Happy Easter! Michael
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