Do Baby Boomer Pastors Have Anything to Say About the Future of the American Church?
September 30, 2011
So much has been written and chronicled concerning the baby boomer generation that few people get excited about any mention of this much heralded and often maligned group of Americans. Perhaps no other generation has been put under the microscope, analyzed, and dissected more than the baby boomer generation. This inordinate amount of attention has yielded countless books, articles, and research papers. I suspect many people have grown so weary of this subject that they avoid the subject altogether.
I might have been one of those until it occurred to me in recent years that baby boomers make up the largest percentage of senior pastors in the evangelical church. After all, the hallmark of this generation is its sheer numerical size. That being the case, it is not surprising that boomers are so prevalent among the senior pastor crowd. I am a part of that crowd, and I’m interested in the role we have been given by God to play in the future of the American church.
With so many of us still in positions of leadership and influence, and with the American church in a state of crisis, there is a lot we can do and a lot we must do. One thing we most surely cannot do is surrender in defeat or despair. Not now! Not ever!
What do you think? Do boomer pastors have anything to say about the future of the American church? Can we play a role in the renewal of the church and the restoration of the church’s influence in our current culture? What could, what should that role be? I’d love to explore this with you.
To be continued…
Lessons Learned in Transition (So Far!) – Church
September 26, 2011
About ten years ago, I joined a friend of mine on a mission trip to Cuba. My friend had built a very close relationship with a group of pastors and churches in the western part of this island nation. I was assigned to one of those churches in a small town and was immediately received by the young pastor and his wife who welcomed me with open arms into their home for a week, and what a week it was! I was overwhelmed by the warmth and generosity of the people.
The main church building was right next door to where the pastor lived. It was a small, beautiful structure, typical of the island architecture, but in need of repair and badly in need of paint. This was true of homes and buildings all over Cuba. Outside of Havana, practically everything needed painting! Another thing that strikes a first time visitor to Cuba is the feeling that you are in a time warp. Everywhere you look, you see old Fords and Chevrolets. I felt like I had stepped back into the my childhood days in the 1950’s. Cubans who were fortunate to have a vehicle usually drove one of these pre-revolution cars. It was amazing to see. I was told that they kept these relics running by finding parts wherever they could from other old cars. It took a lot of “wheeling and dealing” and no little amount of ingenuity to keep these rolling museum pieces going. Occasionally, you would see an abandoned car on the side of the rode, stripped of everything, its empty frame rusting away.
In Cuba my eyes were opened to so many things about the church. The believers in Cuba, like other believers in so many areas of the world, worried little about material things. The government there didn’t make things easy either. For example, new construction for church buildings was almost unheard of. But new churches were springing up everywhere in the form of house churches. While I was there, I preached at four different house churches in the area in addition to the main church. There was an excitement and a sense of true joy among the believers that was so refreshing to witness. As I talked to my host pastor, I learned that their focus was on reaching people and discipleship. He told me of plans for more house churches starting soon. The movement of God and the work of the Holy Spirit was evident. It was so close to what we see in the book of Acts, and so far from what we see in the American church.
In this period of transition for me, I’ve taken a step back from my thirty plus years in the thick of the American church to do some soul searching, reflection, and study, and what I see in the American church is a lot like the Cubans and their cars. We spend a lot of time and effort just tweaking an old system to keep it running. In American, we live in a time warp. To a large degree, we’re still doing church like we did in the 1950’s and 60’s. The world and culture has changed so much, but here we are in 2011 looking like an old Ford or Chevy. We’re still running somehow because we’re pretty good at finding replacement parts when something breaks.We just keep overhauling the old system when what we need is a new system altogether.
No doubt the revolution of 1959 has devastated Cuban society in many ways, but, in time, the church has emerged with new life and vigor. This is a testimony to the promise of God and the prevailing mission of the church. The church is man’s connection to God’s redemptive mission by his grace and call to join him. I believe in the church, but I believe the church as many of us have known it is broken down. After a while, despite our “wheeling and dealing” and despite our cleverness and ingenuity, the church of the 20th century will be no more than an abandoned car on the side of the rode.
There are hopeful signs that a new church movement is underway in America – a movement in which believers are Kingdom-focused and churches are more concerned about mission than maintenance.
Lessons Learned in Transition (So Far!) – Gratitude
September 15, 2011
The only thing more distasteful than a braggart is an ingrate. A braggart is more or less obnoxious. You learn to ignore him. An ingrate, on the other hand, is a huge disappointment. Ingratitude is more difficult to overlook. When a braggart boasts, he’s bragging about something he’s done or accomplished, justified or not. When a person receives a gift of some kind and doesn’t even acknowledge the gift, it becomes personal when you’re the giver. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth. It’s distasteful!
In a period of life transition, it’s important to spend time in reflection and remember the gifts and blessings of the past and present. As a Christ follower, it’s always imperative to acknowledge the grace of God every day, and to give thanks to the Lord for his gift of salvation through the atoning work of Jesus on the cross. The Sun should never set that we haven’t expressed our humble gratitude to the heavenly Father for his gift of life and the gift of life everlasting. The forgiveness of sins and the blessings of heaven should never be forgotten or taken for granted.
We are told in Scripture that the heavenly Father is the source of “every good and perfect gift.” From our vantage point, it is often hard to see every gift of God as “good and perfect.” Every day is a gift, but what about those “bad days?” It seems sometimes that the bad days out number the good days. Our marriage partners are God’s gifts to us, but nobody has a “perfect” marriage. Our children are beautiful blessings of God and the source of great joy, but our children are not always “good” little girls and boys, and because we love them so deeply, we often endure great heartache over them. To add to the enjoyment and pleasure of life, God brings us into meaningful relationships with special friends. He joins us to others in the Christian fellowship of the family of God – the church. But we find that even meaningful relationships can become complicated and stressful. Sometimes we think we’d be better off living alone on a forgotten island or in a mountain cabin high up in the Rockies. But God made us for relationships and relationships are his “good and perfect” gifts to us, even though the people in those relationships aren’t perfect, beginning with us!
Not every life circumstance seems good or perfect either. Periods of transition are often filled with uncertainty, hardship, and pain. Not everything we experience in life is from God, but God is with us in and through every experience. Even those circumstances which are not God’s doing, he can use to accomplish his good in us or his good for us. Hard times is no excuse to be an ingrate. In fact, you may be right where God wants you to be. The Scripture says, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (I Thessalonians 5:18)
During this time of transition, there is some uncertainty, but this isn’t hard! I’ve been blessed. God’s grace is amazing. Life is good, and life in Christ is incomparable! The last thing I want to be is an ingrate – even for a day! I want the Lord to know today how grateful I am. Thank you, Lord! I want those who have blessed my life -those who have shared their life and love with me to know how grateful I am. Thank you! Being a pastor is a great gift. I want the churches I served to know how grateful I am and will always be that I had the privilege to be their pastor. Thank you!
I don’t want to take anything for grated. I’m grateful to be right where I am because I believe I’m right where God wants me to be today, and, by the grace of God, I’ll be where he wants me to be tomorrow.
True gratitude is bragging on Jesus.”May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 6:14)
Lessons Learned in Transition (So Far!) – Love
September 13, 2011
In transition a lot of things are left behind, and things that were once nailed down, seem to be floating in the air, unsecured. You’re not sure where they will land. One of the things that is often left behind is one’s professional identity. I’ve been a pastor for thirty-three years. I’ve identified myself as a pastor. People have called me “Pastor West.” (They’ve called me other things as well, but that’s another story!) Although I’m no longer a pastor of a local church, I still think of myself as a pastor. It’s that ingrained, but I know that I’m not a pastor in the way that I was before. This period of transition has given me pause to consider the difference between one’s professional and one’s personal identity.
In transition relationships that were once well-defined and secure, become unglued, particularly if those relationships were more professional in nature than personal. We see this in Jesus’ public (professional) ministry. Over time, his popularity grew. Crowds followed him and adored him, though only a few truly believed in him. At one point he withdrew from the crowd because he perceived that they wanted to make him king. He had become that popular. The next day, they caught up with him on the other side of the lake. This is what he said to them: “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.” (John 6:26) These were people who saw Jesus in terms of what he could do for them. They saw him professionally. They didn’t know him personally. We see this when Jesus entered Jerusalem. The adoring crowds lined the street as he came into the city riding on a donkey. They waved palm branches and shouted out praise. But his popularity plummeted when he was arrested, put on trial, and crucified. They concluded that a crucified Jesus could no longer do anything for them. How wrong was that?
It was a fearful time for those few who knew Jesus on a personal level. Their love for him was put to the test during Jesus’ transition from public ministry to dying Savior. His resurrection, however, affirmed their fragile faith and rewarded their sincere personal love him.
In public life, not everyone who says they love you, really love you. That’s a hard lesson to learn. But the flip side is very sweet – very sweet indeed! I have been reminded during this transition that there are at least a few people in my life who love me no matter what. They don’t love me because I have a public position or title. Their love has never been about that. They love me at a deeply personal level, which has nothing to do with my professional life. When I left the pastorate, these relationships stayed nailed down. They didn’t budge. My wife, Elliott, has never based her love for me on my public identity. My children, my extended family, and my true friends have never based their love for me on my professional status. Their love is a true love.
Transition means change, but it doesn’t mean everything changes. I am so grateful for those special people God put in my life who continue to love me no matter what. I am blessed!
“Love never fails.” (I Corinthians 13:8)
Lessons Learned in Transition (So Far!) – Obedience
September 10, 2011
In the new parlance of today’s church, Christians are referred to as “Christ followers.” It has become a part of the language of the church of the 21st century. You see it in the profiles of people on Facebook and Twitter. I’m not aware of how or when this term took hold, but I like it. I can only speculate as to why this new term is so widely used today. I suspect it is being used as an alternative to “Christian” because some believe it is less offensive to unbelievers. To call oneself “Christian” is to identify oneself with the idea of church that is negative in the minds of those who are outside the church and see the church as religious hype and hypocrisy.
I still like the term “Christian”, and remember that it was first used by unbelievers in the 1st century as a label of derision for those who believed and followed Christ. The Book of Acts tells us that these believers first called themselves Christians in Antioch. It’s a term we ought not discard in the church just because the world has its own idea of what it means. Nevertheless, I like the term “Christ follower” because it accurately describes who a Christian is. A Christ follower is one who follows Christ. Simple. Or maybe not. To follow Christ is to be obedient to Christ. A Christ follower is not only obedient to the Gospel for personal salvation, but also obedient to the personal leadership and Lordship of Christ. To be a Christ follower is to obediently follow Christ as a disciple in a lifelong learning relationship.
Life transitions offer some of the best opportunities for learning and spiritual growth. I have learned that obedience inevitably leads us to times of transition and new challenges in our relationship with Christ and in our obedience to him. I’m in this period of transition now because of obedience. There’s a reason I’m here, and a part of that reason, I’m convinced, is to learn new lessons in faith and obedience and new depths in my relationship with Jesus.
One thing I’m learning is that obedience doesn’t always make sense at the time – not from our finite understanding and limited perspective of things. But that’s nothing new. What God commanded Abraham to do didn’t make sense, but he obeyed. What he called Moses to do didn’t make sense, but he obeyed. What he sent Jesus to do didn’t make sense, but he obeyed – all the way to the cross! I confess that this period of transition doesn’t make sense to me completely, but in obedience I have to believe that there’s a greater purpose of God that will be revealed.
Jesus used another term for those who believed in him. He called them “sheep.” He said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27) I am learning in a deeper way during this time of transition to listen more carefully for the voice of the Good Shepherd so I can obediently follow him whether or not it makes sense to me or anyone else. Obedience to Christ is profoundly connected to the first two lessons I talk about: trust and humility. Obedience is also connected in a powerful way to the very heart of our relationship with Jesus, which is love. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” (John 14:15) To be a Christ follower is to be a Christ lover!
Lessons Learned in Transition (So Far!) – Humility
September 5, 2011
One of the things I struggled with as I prayed through the idea of leaving the pastorate to enter a new ministry was the reality that I was going to be very dependent on the generosity of so many people. At the heart of my struggle was the reality that I was going to have to actually ask people for their financial support. I knew in my heart that necessity was going to take me to a new place – a very uncomfortable, unfamiliar place.
As a pastor, I never had a problem preaching on Christian giving and generosity because the Scripture is so clear about this spiritual discipline and just as clear in its teaching on generosity in giving. The work of the church, missions, evangelism, benevolence, and so many other Kingdom causes demand the sacrificial giving of God’s people through the church. I was also ready to get the church behind individuals who were in ministries and mission work not directly funded by large church or mission organizations. But when I found myself on the other end – the asking and receiving end – it was a whole new experience. It took some coaching and encouragement from others to convince me that this was a perfectly legitimate biblical method of funding ministry. I believed that totally, but struggled to embrace it personally.
For so long I had felt fairly self-reliant and self-sufficient. My financial needs and benefits were always taken care of in the church budget. I never had to ask for anything. It was always provided. What I came to realize is that I was struggling with pride and a false sense of self-reliance. This was a lesson in humility that complimented my lesson on trust. I can tell you that it’s humbling to ask your friends and family for financial support, especially at my age! It’s not only humbling to ask and receive, it’s also humbling to ask and not receive. It’s humbling when a supporter you know has very little to spare gives what you know is a sacrifice. It’s a lesson in humility when others, perhaps with greater resources, do not feel led to give anything.
It is more clear to me than ever before that we are never really self-reliant. We deceive ourselves if we think we are self-sufficient. The truth is I’ve never been self-reliant at all. I’ve always been dependent on the Lord for everything, even when I thought I was taking care of myself. This period of transition has taught me this much needed lesson in humility: Work ethic, ability, calling, and obedience notwithstanding, I’m still dependent on the Heavenly Father for everything I need in life and ministry, and he is far more able to provide what I need than I am. So I’ve come to realize that one form of humility is recognizing his total sufficiency and my total dependency.
Humility is essentially connected to grace. “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)
Lessons Learned in Transition (so Far!) – Trust
September 1, 2011
Transitions in life always involve change. It’s a part of the definition. You can’t have transition without change. A life-transition is moving from a known position or place to an unknown position or place in life. There is a level of security and safety in the known. Transition is a phase or a process involving an uprooting, an upheaval of the status quo. Many of the things that give us a sense of safety and security are stripped away. So we enter this period of transition as a phase of our journey without the things, and sometimes without the people, we used to cling to. Living by faith takes on a new meaning for us. Trusting God with all our heart becomes a deeper truth and more profound need.
As Christ followers, we like to think we spend all our days walking by faith, trusting the Lord in all things and for all things. In transition, we learn that’s not quite true. We discover that we had put your trust in other things more often than we realized. We found security and a sense of well being in a steady job, a reliable income, and a circle of close relationships. We put our trust in others to always be there and to have our back. In transition, false securities are removed and faith becomes the essential thing, and trust becomes the essence of security because we learn that walking by faith is walking in fellowship with the One who is faithful. He is faithful to his people, and he is faithful to his promises. He will provide what we need, and he will protect what is necessary.
Abraham was uprooted by a call of God to go to an unknown place, but with a gift of promise and a sense of purpose. God promised him that he would bless him and that he would be a blessing, but this involved much upheaval and uncertainty in his life. Nevertheless, he went. He left all his human securities behind by faith. He trusted God. Abraham’s story is amazing, and we’re encouraged by his courageous and commendable faith. What an example! But the more amazing thing in Abraham’s story is something we often miss. We focus on Abraham’s faith and overlook God’s faithfulness.
Three months ago, in a similar way, God uprooted me and sent me on a journey to an unknown destination, but with a promise and a purpose. I am learning a new level of trust as I go, believing that he will bless me and make me a blessing, and, maybe, that’s all I need to know. God is faithful!