Goin' Deeper

noreply@blogger.com (Marty) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:25:00 +0000

New Blog Site

My new blog is located at HERE!

Sorry if I lost some of you because it didn't automatically forward.

Consumed by the Call,
Marty Cauley

noreply@blogger.com (Marty) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:25:00 +0000

New Blog Site

My new blog is located at www.martycauley.org

Sorry if I lost some of you because it didn't automatically forward.

Consumed by the Call,
Marty Cauley

noreply@blogger.com (Marty) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:09:00 +0000

When Will the UMC Get It?

I believe one of my life callings is to help the UMC get it! That is, get how to leverage our amazing influence, locations, passion for social change, and evangelical roots to make a significant difference in our communities. One of the ways we COULD be doing that is through open source media and idea sharing facilitated by our denomination.

LifeChurch.TV was founded by a former UMC pastor, Craig Groeschel who left the denomination to plant a church. It is now, arguably, one of the most influential churches in America, rivaling Northpoint Community Church and Andy Stanley.

Below is their idea to help make Easter more visible online to the billions on the internet and engaged in social media. I think its time we took a lesson from churches like this and started reaching the next generation, one YOUTUBE video, on Twit, one Facebook message at a time! What would happen if UMCOM took a page from this book and asked every UMC blogger, Facebooker, and Twitter to share an extremely well done Igniting Ministry invitation to Easter worship? That is why I remain:

Consumed by the Call,

Marty Cauley

noreply@blogger.com (Marty) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:17:00 +0000

Cauley Impact Triangle

How do you increase the impact of every ministry event, class, or worship service? Here is a quick tool that I use in the design of curriculum and events that help me maintain balance. The goal is to engage each learner, worshipper, or participant at multiple levels of learning. I call it the Cauley Impact Triangle.

The first side is the learning side. This is where the ideas are conveyed and the information that is required to meet the pedagogical objectives are laid out. In determining the ideas it is important that communication methods be decided upon that engage the learners, worshippers, or learners at their level of understanding. It is worthless to convey information that cannot be understood.

The second side is the doing side, this is where ideas are combined with experience. The experience involves creating the proper communication environment, determining the actions that reinforce the ideas and then debriefing the experience to clarify the ideas communicated.

The final side is the being side, this is where information and experience come together and a challenge is offered that will allow for the ideas to be fully integrated for the learner, worshipper, or participant. With every idea that is incorporated into one’s life, their area choices that have to be made from that point forward. Those ideas can be integrated, ignored, or rejected. The being side of the impact triangle provides the opportunity for that decision to be actively, rather than passively, made.

Lastly, if all sides of the Cauley Impact Triangle are held in tension, the best outcome is a new way of living, or transformation, the center of the triangle. This is where all sides combine to form a holistic change in living. In this space the idea is understood, the experience clarifies, the challenge is accepted and the learner, worshipper, or participant can improve their personal outcomes.

noreply@blogger.com (Marty) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:22:00 +0000

First Love…A Modest Proposal

After hearing Jim Collins speak recently about the Hedgehog Principle, I have been reflecting almost constantly upon this simple concept and its value to faith based organizations. The Hedgehog Principle, to review, is:

The essential strategic difference between the good-to-great and comparison companies lay in two fundamental distinctions. First, the good-to-great companies founded their strategies on deep understanding along three key dimensions—what we came to call the three circles. Second, the good-to-great companies translated that understanding into a simple, crystalline concept that guided all their efforts—hence the term Hedgehog Concept.

More precisely, a Hedgehog Concept is a simple, crystalline concept that flows from deep understanding about the intersection of the following three circles:

1. What you can be the best in the world at (and, equally important, what you cannot be the best in the world at)? This discerning standard goes far beyond core competence. Just because you possess a core competence doesn’t necessarily mean you can be the best in the world at it. Conversely, what you can be the best at might not even be something in which you are currently engaged.

2. What drives your economic engine? All the good-to-great companies attained piercing insight into how to most effectively generate sustained and robust cash flow and profitability. In particular, they discovered the single denominator—profit per x—that had the greatest impact on their economics. (It would be cash flow per x in the social sector.)

3. What you are deeply passionate about?. The good-to-great companies focused on those activities that ignited their passion. The idea here is not to stimulate passion but to discover what makes you passionate.

(from Jim Collins' website)

How does this relate to work that is faith based? I believe that the reason so many faith based organizations, including the one I serve, are struggling is because they have lost their “hedgehog.” They have forgotten the one thing that can truly drive them, the central and most important reason for their existence. They have fallen victim to Revelation 2:4 means of operation and lost “their first love.”

In the case of the organization I serve, in 1913 the Methodist Church built an assembly center. Essentially it was just a large, round, outdoor arena to hold missionary and revival type services. While there was the sale of small lots for summer cottages to help finance the building and land purchase, the center of all activity was the ministry done at what would become Stuart Auditorium. The driving force behind the creation of the organization was ministry, everything else, including the construction of inns, lodges, and hotels were designed to support the ministry events and activities. As a matter of fact, most people stayed in hotels and homes in Waynesville and made the daily commute on the train that ran between Lake Junaluska and the small mountain town. Somewhere along the way, the focus changed.

Today ministry is not the driving force but a secondary support venue to increase lodging business. The motels, inns, and lodges have become the primary focus and driving engine of the organization. Ministry events have been reduced to a means to put “heads in beds,” to quote a commonly used term on the campus. The problem is that this is in direct violation of the “hedgehog principle.” Unless there is a significant financial investment our motels and lodging will never be the thing that this organization can be “the best in the world” at. Within just a few moments there are quaint Bed and Breakfasts, cozy mountain inns and cabins, and hotels with high thread count sheets and multiple amenities at significantly less costs per night for the average family. While lodging is the driving revenue engine, it does not seem to be the activity that can generate passion and fuel to drive the overall organization.

If I were to offer my modest proposal upon the future direction, they would be three-fold. First we should continue with the events that are making the most impact upon The United Methodist Church. Secondly we would put a renewed focus and investment upon creating high quality, impactful events that encourage discipleship decisions, train leaders, and transform congregations, primarily United Methodist ones. Lastly we would concentrate our focus upon meeting the needs of our parent organization, The United Methodist Church. I believe with this strategy we could re-capture the hearts and minds of those within The United Methodist Church who have abandoned Lake Junaluska as an obsolete and irrelevant ministry organization.

First and foremost we must continue with the vital ministries and events that have made Lake Junaluska a place of spiritual renewal and faith commitment for thousands of people each year. Last summer alone during times of testimonies at summer youth events several youth workers commented on how those events had saved their marriages, renewed their call, and encouraged their hearts. Youth stood up and spoke of their decision to invite Christ in, to renew their faith, and more than 150 decided to investigate pursuing ministry as their primary profession. This does not mean that some events will not be eliminated. Each event must be evaluated to determine if it has lived out its effectiveness, and if so, discontinued so that from this death new life can spring forth. Some events need a complete overhaul with a focus upon building relationships with attendees, creating networking opportunities, and taking greater care to create the appropriate environment to facilitate its pedagogical and spiritual objectives. Continuing these events will prove to be the foundation upon which the future is built.

Secondly, there must be the intentional creation of high quality, impactful events particularly aimed at the issues and struggles facing The United Methodist Church. Each week The United Methodist Church loses 1,500 members across the United States. Churches are faced with an emerging culture beyond their ability to understand, an aging membership, and a loss of an entire generation. Lake Junaluska is uniquely positioned to pull together prophetic voices to speak to each of these issues. We have the ability to draw upon the historical resources of The World Methodist Museum, as well as the evangelistic resources provided by having The Foundation for Evangelism situated upon the grounds of Lake Junaluska. These events must include voices from nationally known leaders and speakers, include worship that renews the heart, and music that stirs the soul. No longer are “talking head” events what connect with the learners and leaders in today’s congregations. The event must also be an experience. All the senses need to be utilized, the participants must be “surprised and delighted,” to use Starbucks’ phrase, with all that they encounter. Details must be attended to, transitions must be smooth, hosts must be engaging, and information must be cutting edge and state of the art. Only then can the impact of these events reach a tipping point where they are able to be the “hedgehog” that drives the ministry.

Lastly, Lake Junaluska must concentrate its efforts on the people it was created and designed to serve, the people of The United Methodist Church. Does this mean that we will be exclusive and turn those away from other faith traditions? Of course not. But, as Yogi Berra once said, “If you aim at nothing, you’ll probably miss.” By concentrating our event design, marketing strategy and ministry focus upon those who we are best able to serve; we will build bridges to local congregations and renew a once loyal following of the faithful, or as Seth Godin calls them, create a tribe. A tribe is a group of engaged individuals, focused upon a single idea, organization or product, lead by a leader, and radically committed to that idea, organization or product to the point where they become “customer evangelists.” Once the tribe is created, every marketing dollar multiplies. Every encounter energizes the base of the committed.

I am a theologian, not a business person. I do not know all of the answers, but I do know what Einstein said, “"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." What I have proposed is currently only an intellectual exercise that allows me to process what I think, observe, and feel about the future of Lake Junaluska, and faith based organizations as a whole. I do know that we must return to our “first love,” that we must renew our hearts for ministry that is theologically grounded in United Methodist doctrine, that is culturally relevant, that is practical for application is struggling local churches , that is empowered by the Spirit and the sacrament, and that is biblically centered. These should be the values by which we measure all that we endeavor to undertake. This is my modest proposal. I remain:

Consumed by the Call,

Reverend Marty Cauley

noreply@blogger.com (Marty) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 13:03:00 +0000

Great Events Give Back

One of the goals of my recent study leave (which after the work related travel and having to completely re-do the budget that I finished in September amounted to about three actual days for reflection) was to evaluate and determine transferable principles regarding what makes a great ministry event. During the month of October I attended the annual Catalyst Conference in Georgia, coordinated and led the Lay Academy of Christian Witness for the North Carolina Conference and participated in Ginghamsburg United Methodist Churches Change the World Conference. From these three experience, combined with notes from other conferences I have either attended or worked during the past three years there are seven factors evident in events that give back that continue to emerge, they are: excellence in everything; engaging environments; exceeding expectations; engage participants; encourage community; embrace challenges; equip for mission.

Across the board the conferences that seem to be making the biggest impact do everything with excellence. They remember the details like fair trade coffee and bottled water, their staff see every problem as an opportunity to excel. The pre-event material is crisp and clear, the directions to lodging, restaurants and local attractions are precise and support materials provided are professional. There is a seeming unwillingness to settle for “good” when “great” is within reach. How many conferences have I attended where the details were left hanging? Where the handouts were poorly copied, the coffee was stale, or the transitions were poorly planned and awkward? The message should never be sacrificed on the altar of mediocrity. Events that give back pursue excellence.

Additionally the leaders of the excellent events understand that engaging environments are absolutely essential. Environment teaches as much as content. In each case the leaders of these events took an ordinary space and created an environment that reinforced and assisted in transferring the information and experience. Whether it was the ability to make 12,000 people feel like they were in an intimate space talking to the speakers at Catalyst, to the fresh baked bread served every morning at Ginghamsburg, the environment welcomed you in and allowed you to relax and receive the teaching and instruction being offered. Additionally, despite the fact that the events were held in rather boring spaces, they were re-made to support the central theme of the conference. Visual elements were added, color was present and music was presented that helped determine the mood and direction of the sessions. So often we attend events in sterile conference rooms or boring lecture halls that presume that environment doesn’t matter, this is far from the truth, everything informs, from the lighting to the choice of graphic image chosen for the PowerPoint slide, it comes together to create an environment. Events that give back create engaging environments.

Not only do powerful events have engaging environments and practice excellence, they consistently exceed expectations. In the book The Starbucks Experience the author talks about Starbucks commitment to “surprise and delight.” Events that give back provide a “wow” factor. Every participant comes to an event with a set of preconceived expectations. Consistently, events that give back keep raising the bar and providing far more than the attendees expect. Whether it was the gourmet box lunches provided at Ginghamsburg that included a vegetarian option, the “experience packs” at Catalyst or simply providing all the materials needed to do a complete church evangelism audit back home at the Lay Academy, the participants indicated that their expectations were exceeded. At the Lay Academy one participant remarked, “this event is so good, I can’t believe it’s sponsored by the Annual Conference.” Providing a few “wow” moments in an event takes careful and intentional planning and execution, but these moments when expectations are completely blown out of the water are what define an event that gives back.

Engaging participants at a higher level is another element of events that give back. So often events and conferences are simply about conveying a large amount of data in a short period of time. The participant is expected to come as a kind of intellectual sponge to soak up the information and, hopefully, go away with something useful. In every one of the events that give back that I have attended, the attendees were engaged in the learning process, often through the use of multiple intelligences, to learn at many different levels. There was active participation, interaction with the presenters and a chance to engage those around you in vital debriefing and processing. Often there was even an interactive website where participants to prepare for their conference learning experience or comment on it when they returned home. These websites become places where they can share their learning and how they applied the information that they received. Engaging participants in their own learning is central for events that give back.

In addition to facilitating participants’ engagement in their own learning, events that give back also encourage community. They establish online communities, maintain relationships and encourage interaction between those who have shared the experience. The most amazing example of this desire to create community was last years “Catalyst Roadtrip.” Two of the young staffers jumped in an ‘80’s era video equipped Volkswagon Vanagon and trekked thousands of miles to connect and build relationships with group leaders across the United States. They called ahead, usually a week or so, scheduled an appointment and showed up with a bag of stuff (pens, t-shirts, etc.), pulled you in the back of the van, showed you the Catalyst promotional video and encouraged you to come back to Catalyst next year. As they were finishing up, they took a digital picture that they printed and stuck some where in the Vanagon and posted online with a quote or insight that you gave them about your Catalyst experience. This kind of community building was sheer genius. Now, the people on the other end of the phone weren’t just telemarketers trying to get you to come to some conference, they were LV and Chad, your friends who you had dinner with and had your picture with on the web. No wonder their attendance jumped by more than 2,000 participants this year…they understood that events that give back encourage community!

Events that give back embrace challenge. They look boldly into the future and realistically at the present and embrace the cultural and functional challenges that the participants face. Most people go to conferences for two reasons, one is to get away and experience fresh ideas, the other is to discover possible solutions to pressing problems. They are seeking answers. Events that give back research and discover the pressing problems of the people they serve and attack them. They provide multiple options for answers, realizing that there is no “one size fits all” solution, even when problems seem similar. They encourage creativity and the community that is formed allows for interactions that may provide the sought after solutions. Being solution focused and embracing challenge is central to every event that gives back.

Lastly, events that give back equip participants for mission. They expose attendees to ideas and opportunities that call them to live and reach beyond themselves. At the Change the World Conference, Mike Slaughter kept reminding us that “Christmas is not your birthday.” His challenge was that we should match our gift giving dollars with dollars for mission. At Ginghamsburg they meet that challenge and in four years have given more than $3 million dollars to create sustainable agriculture and schools in Darfur. Events that give back realize that they live beyond themselves and can equip and empower the participants to become leaders in their own organizations to make the world a better place. This stands in direct opposition to the consumerist nature of our culture and allows participants to envision a better world because of their attendance at an event that gives back.

Colossians 3:23 reminds us that, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” So often those of us who spend time designing and implementing events see them as tasks to be done and not as ministry. Events that give back practice excellence in everything, create engaging environments, exceed expectations, engage participants in their own learning, encourage community, embrace challenges and equip participants for mission because they realize that it is for God that they do this work. They put their heart into their work realizing that the greatest return for their effort is not in the event, but in the eternal difference that will be made because those who attend will leave changed, challenged and ready to do amazing things for God. That is why I remain:

Consumed by the Call,
Marty Cauley
Gracious God help me to never lose sight of the Kingdom reason for desiring to do events that give back. In the name of the one who gave all that all might live, Jesus, I pray. Amen.

We strive to make all of our summer youth events at Lake Junaluska, great events! We focus upon solid United Methodist theology, powerfully mission focused and fun youth retreats.

noreply@blogger.com (Marty) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 17:26:00 +0000

Why I Believe in the Next Generation…
Marty Cauley

I work with young adults. That is to say, that when I employ them to be on my staff my goal is to work with them, not have them work for me. I have learned over the years that people rise to the level of the expectations placed upon them, so I raise the bar as high as possible and challenge the young people I encounter to rise…and they do! I believe in the next generation for five reasons: ingenuity empowers them; injustice enrages them; challenges enthrall them; culture equips them; and hope inspires them. The future they face is not as bright as the one they should have inherited but I know that they will rise to the challenge!

Ingenuity empowers the young adults I encounter. A simple example is the I-Phone. It was supposed to be a closed system; applications would have to be approved. Young adults took this as a challenge and “hacked” their I-phones and created a myriad of specialize applications for it. They are not bound by pre-conceived ideas or limitations. One author contends that those of us who are older (that hurt since I’m “only 43”) think linearly, but Mosaics (my preferred name for this generation) think in webs. Every line interacts with, informs and influences every other line. This allows for a level of creativity and ingenuity previously unheard of. Young adults are ingenious; if you don’t believe me, just ask one.

Secondly, injustice enrages them. There is a seemingly inherent moral compass inside of this generation that is completely intolerant of social injustice. Whether it is it the crisis in Darfar, the AIDS pandemic in Africa, or local poverty, they attack injustice. Whereas Boomers found injustice a minor bother and were willing to send $10 to the cause of the day, Mosaics pack their bags and head to Bolivia to dig wells and to India to distribute mosquito nets.

Additionally, challenges enthrall them. Mosaics love to be told what they cannot do and what is “impossible.” Challenges give them the opportunity to utilize all of their resources to attack and discover new ways of beating the system. Mosaics think fast and act fast. They love a fast-paced, challenge-laden environment.

Part of their ability to adapt to any challenge so quickly is that culture has equipped them to be flexible, fast and focused. The speed of change in our culture is moving faster than at any time in history, and Mosaics swim in the waters of change almost effortlessly. Cutlure has taught them to be flexible and keep their options open, to think and act fast because the opportunity will pass you by and to be completely focused on the emergent problem at hand so that, once it is solved, you can move along to the next one.

Lastly, an perhaps most importantly, hope inspires them. Amdist the rapid pace of change, the challenges of our world and the injustice that surrounds them, Mosaics continue to manifest hope. They are not blind optimist, but deliberate realist who still believe they can change the world. They are unwilling to accept the status quo and are ready to make their mark upon the world.

I believe in the next generation because they are persons of ingenuity, compassion, and hope. It is now our job to help them mold that energy into a synergistic force for good and then get out of their way. If I were to offer faith-based leaders three words of advice they would be to expose Mosaics to big ideas; equip Mosaics to lead; and encourage Mosaics to follow their dreams.

Never underestimate the power of a Mosaic to be willing to study, research and grapple with big ideas. Expose them to a myriad of speakers, teachers and ideas, even some with vastly competing views, and let them weigh out the options. This is a generation built upon the idea that intellectual capital is the greatest force on earth, expose them to as much of it as possible.

Allowing Mosaics to lead is risky but rewarding. They will not follow the path of those who have gone before them but that does not mean they will go astray. Mosaics will try new things, come up with vastly different ideas and be willing to take risks. So what if they fail as long as they learn and are able to take their experiences and move forward. Let them lead.

Lastly, be a dream enhancer rather than a dream squashier. Help them grasp the scope of their dream and map out a way to accomplish it. Help them understand the cost of following the dream and the benefit if it is accomplished. One ridiculous dream may be what it takes to save the planet!

I believe in the next generation, in their abilities, their ideas and their values. The future rests in their hands, lets help them by investing in them with all that we have.

I remain:

Consumed by the Call,
Marty Cauley, Believer

Gracious God, who gives dreams and inspires hearts, help we who are older equip, inspire and enable the Mosaics to take their place in Your history and make this world, Your world. In the name of the young adult who has made a way for our salvation, Jesus, I pray. Amen.

noreply@blogger.com (Marty) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:35:00 +0000

3 C's of Youth Ministry

I have been in quite a few conversations about the emerging generation of young people, their needs and concerns and the challenges that they face. Most of the conversation has been how do adult workers relate and assist the youth and young adults at meeting those challenges. No matter what the challenge, a vital interpersonal relationship with each young person is essential. There are three key elements to forming such a relationship, they are caring, consistency and credibility.

The first element to a faithful and productive ministry relationship is caring. This may seem obvious, but you have to actually care about each individual not just how many you can get to show up on Sunday or Wednesday evening. The difficulty with caring is that it takes time, and to be quite honest, it is easier to care about some youth than others. Caring is lived out by have an attitude of unconditional positive regard for each young person despite their present behavior, attitudes or activities. More than once I have heard well meaning youth workers remark that as soon as a certain young person got it together they would be able to be in relationship with them. This type of attitude actually alienates rather than draws young people in. They have a very sensitive BS (“baloney sandwich” for those who are sensitive of language issues) meter and they do not like baloney. That also means they can tell when you pretend to care but really do not. Caring is a necessary and difficult first step.

The most effective way I have found to really begin caring for each young person individually is to spend time in prayer for them. When I was in a local church I used to have each youth write their name and contact information on an index card. I would have those cards at each youth meeting so that they could add prayer requests and concerns to the back of the card that they wanted me to pray over. This allowed a place for the shyer young people to be able to interact with me and let me know about issues in their life. I used these cards as prayer reminders, working my way through the box weekly. Additionally, I would write a short note letting the youth know that they had been prayed for and to let me know if I could do something more. This type of personal response goes well beyond the FACEBOOK message approach to youth ministry and makes it about caring relationships.

The second element is consistency. Our world is full of false promises, products and people who don’t keep their word and inconsistency. As a youth worker you must continue to show up. Again, this seems obvious, but event the obvious cannot be overemphasized enough. A mentor of mine who has gone on to become a United Methodist Bishop once told me that 90% of success and survival in ministry was just showing up. You keep coming back, day after day, week after week, month after month. You build a reputation of reliability. Being consistent will overcome lack of “coolness,” little experience, and the occasional misstep. Think of how many young people have parents who are absent and friends who trade up at the first opportunity, to have somebody in their life that is consistently in their life’s corner, cheering for them, is an amazing asset. Research reveals over and over again that adolescents crave real, accountable and functional adult relationships. Be that person by being consistently present for them.

The final element of a real relationship with young people is credibility. Youth and young adults want a relationship with somebody they can believe in. It is not that you won’t ever “let them down” but when you do, you own up to it and live authentically with them. This requires a commitment to community and authenticity, to being real 24/7. It means that if you say that family time is important, you model it by setting aside time to spend with your family. If you say that worship is vital, you model it by being a full participant in worship, even when it is not the worship style you would have chosen. The key thing to remember about credibility is that it can take years to build and moments to lose. As leaders with young people we must be ever vigilant to maintain our credibility rather than take short cuts. Having a level of credibility will allow them to share their hurts and victories with you and trust you with the important decisions and challenges they face.

Certainly caring, consistency, and credibility are not all that is required of an affirming youth/youth worker relationship, but these three elements are the foundation upon which the relationship rests. These are not “three simple steps to amazing youth ministry,” they are hard work, demanding relationally and costly personally. They require us who value youth and young adults to live lives that are authentic and vulnerable. It also means we may not be the hippest youth worker on the block, but at the end of the day, I would rather be the most trusted than the coolest, trust lasts longer than trends.

I remain:

Consumed by the Call,
Marty Cauley

Gracious God, who is the same yesterday, today and forever, help me to live a life of caring, consistency, and credibility in the name of the Savior who was and is always true, Jesus, I pray. Amen.

noreply@blogger.com (Marty) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 23:59:00 +0000

Rediscovering Sabbath

From 6:00 pm Saturday until 6:00 pm Sunday Danelle and I have determined that whenever possible we will practice a time of Sabbath. We begin on Saturday evening with a huge meal of gathered friends in our dining room that overlooks the Pisgah National Forest. For the past two weeks friends have gathered, eaten well, shared life stories, played silly games and for a few short moments released the ties that this world has upon us. On Sunday we rise, often late (after 8 am which is really late for us! LOL), eat breakfast, talk and slowly enter the day. We attend worship, spend a quiet afternoon reading, listening to the sound of the mountains or just being together. I believe that if we can keep this practice it will have a profound effect upon our souls.

Our world is fueled by adrenaline. The heartbeat of our culture is faster, louder, longer, better! We fill our ears with music from personalized players, keep our lights burning late into the night so that we can fill every moment with work and activity. Rather than relax we run from activity to activity, accelerating our heartbeat and living on an addictive adrenaline rush. This is now what God has in mind for our lives.

Exodus contains the story of the children of Israel, under than hand of the Pharaoh, forced to work day and night without ceasing. Their yoke was heavy and they cried out to God, God sent Moses (Charleton Heston if you grew up watching the 10 Commandments) to lead them out of bondage and into a Promised Land. Once they were beyond the reach of their captor, God set out guidelines for them to rule their communal lives with. Of those rules was one unique to pre-modern culture, the command to “remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.” This command called upon God’s people to stop, to reflect, to listen for God’s voice, hear from the Torah and to force themselves to remember that they were creation serving Creator. They were not to build, construct or make anything during that twenty-four hour period. They were called to just be.

Sabbath is all but lost in our 24/7/365 world. Cell phones enable us to be reached in every corner of our lives. Laptop computers and wireless internet means that we can work from almost any coffee shop or public space. Our employers expect constant availability and think nothing of calling us late into the evening or on our rare time away from the office. What is this doing to us? I think it is killing our souls.

You can’t hear God when you are in constant motion. If your ears are always filled with sound, your mind is always cluttered with noise and you are always riding the adrenaline surge that occurs when you are constantly stimulated, you do not allow enough space for God to speak. Carving out margin is hard. I am addicted to that adrenaline rush. I like to have a multi-page “to-do list,” it makes me feel important. But I am not called to be important; I am called to be a servant. Right not it feels as though I’m called to wander around in the wilderness and see where God will lead me to go next. If I am going to hear God I have to stop and listen, I have to get off the adrenaline train and stop for a while. It has not been easy, and it is not going to be easy. Our culture pushes against Sabbath taking, but my soul cries for it. It is good to be rediscovering Sabbath.

I remain:

Consumed by the Call,
Marty

Gracious God, who created us to work and to rest, allow me to spend time remembering you by remembering the Sabbath and keeping it holy. Amen

noreply@blogger.com (Marty) — Sun, 25 May 2008 02:11:00 +0000

Fighting an Organizational Culture

Organizational culture is composed of the underlying thoughts, assumptions, attitudes and values that really guide an organization. These are not the clever words placed on the wall or filling the personnel manuals, but rather the way the life of the organization is lived out day to day. Whether or not you acknowledge it or not, organizational culture is the true measure of an organization. Having served in several churches, businesses and religious organizations, I have seen that organizational cultures that are contaminated with distrust, uncertainty and self-interest will not only cause the organization to struggle it will torment and burn out the best people in those organizations as they often feel unsupported and ill-equipped to deal with the unacknowledged and subversive nature of bad organizational culture.

I have a friend who is struggling in such a situation now. We share a similar story of coming into an organization and having those who surround us intentionally and irrationally working against us. I see her struggle, as I have struggled, to side-step landmines and work around obstacles that are placed in her way by an organizational culture that allows them to continue. I see her struggle as I have struggled with a culture that supports mediocrity and accepts as the norm the practice if insubordinate innuendo and the propagation of unsubstantiated rumor.

So, what are my words to my friend in her time of trial? How have I survived thus far?
1. I discovered a purpose beyond my daily vocational objectives that allows me to focus upon the bigger picture.
2. I found friends, there are others in any organization that understand the struggle and desire to help you survive despite the obstacles.
3. I had to personally realize that my entire self-worth was not determined by my vocational accomplishments. My work has always been important to me but I have moved it from the center of my life by remembering that God should be my center and not my work.
4. Practice the biblical precept of loving those who hate you. This is by far the hardest and most difficult, but I have truly tried to love and pray for those who have intentionally sought my failure and worked against me.

For a while I pushed against the organizational culture. I complained about its injustice. I internalized the struggle. I then began to realize that I may not be able to change the entire culture but I could continue to practice a different way of life within the culture. I could rise above the distrust, uncertainty and self-interest by living out my faith in everything I did. I could stand against mediocrity by working to bring excellence to my work, I could stand against innuendo by speaking the truth in love and squash rumor by remaining silent. Do I continue to struggle? Yes, everyday I struggle, but I am surviving, and despite it I remain:

Consumed by the Call,
Marty Cauley
Gracious God who walks with us during the valley in the shadow of death, grant that we who serve you would live our lives in such a way as to reflect your love and life amidst those who need to embrace you love the most. In the name of the one we desire to reflect, Jesus, amen.

noreply@blogger.com (Marty) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:35:00 +0000

The Forgotten Ways

What am I reading? I am posting short synopsis of what I am reading. I will not be critiquing, for that is for you to do after you engage the material for yourself.

The Forgotten Ways: reactivating the missional church
www.theforgottenways.org

Bibliographic Citation
Hirsh, Alan. The Forgotten Ways: reactivating the missional church. Grand Rapids, Michigan:
Brazos Press, 2006.

In Alan Hirsch’s follow-up to The Shaping of Thing to Come he systemically lays out a paradigm shifting pattern for a new way to understand church, or has he contends, an ancient way to understand church. Using a model he defines as Apostolic Genius, combined with a truncated study of both systems theory and chaos theory, he proposes are return to a more fluid organization and missional focus of the church. The six components, each defined in a chapter with both practical application steps and real life illustrations, are:
1. Radical commitment to a Christocentric theology.
2. Focus up intentional and ongoing disciple making.
3. Allowing for organic systems to develop instead of institutional structure.
4. Creating an apostolic environment that allows for gift based leadership to emerge.
5. Commitment to a missional-incarnational impulse where the church and the world intersect and interact
6. Communitas not just community as a gathering but rather community that practices a radical, accountable and dangerous journey of Christian life.
Hirsch contends that church that forms itself by this model becomes “profoundly ‘sneezalbe,’” easy to export and adaptive to the culture where it exists. This form of viral Christianity is the kind that has survived, even spread, in areas like Communist China, where normal practices of faith had to give away to a more organic model.

noreply@blogger.com (Marty) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:32:00 +0000

The Missional Leader

What am I reading? I am posting short synopsis of what I am reading. I will not be critiquing, for that is for you to do after you engage the material for yourself.

The Missional Leader: Equipping Your Church to Reach a Changing World

Bibliographic Citation
Roxburgh, Alan J. and Fred Romanuk. The Missional Leader: Equipping Your Church to Reach a Changing World. San Francisco: Josey-Bass, 2006.

“Missional leadership is the key—but how do we do it?” Roxburgh and Romanuk begin by identifying six critical issues for helping churches transition into a missional mindset. The other five are: most models repackage old paradigms, discontinuous change is the new norm, congregations still matter, leaders need new capacities and frameworks, and that a congregation is a unique organization. They go on to address organizational behavior and characteristics, helping the leader/pastor embrace the instability of change and the uncertainty that comes with a cultural shift. With the explanation of “The Missional Change Model” the authors explore the “how tos” of the transition. The steps are: awareness, understanding, evaluate, experiment, commitment. Each step builds upon the previous to systematically and skillfully effect change within a congregation. Not only focusing upon the congregation, Roxburgh and Romanuk are careful to also focus upon the internal fortitude and characteristics of the leader who will implement missional change. They discuss personal maturity which includes “being present to oneself and others,” “being authentic,” and “being self-aware.” Additionally they take on the issue of “personal courage” as a determining factor since change always involves stress, conflict and difficulty. Lastly they answer the question that began the conversation, “how do we do it?” With a careful exposition of how to embrace and become a missional leader they provide tools and methodology for personal growth and development.

noreply@blogger.com (Marty) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:51:00 +0000

Emerging Churches

What am I reading? I am posting short synopsis of what I am reading. I will not be critiquing, for that is for you to do after you engage the material for yourself.

Emerging Churches: creating Christian community in postmodern cultures

Bibliographic Citation
Gibbs, Eddie and Ryan K. Bolger. Emerging Churches: creating Christian community in postmodern cultures. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2005.

The culture is changing. According to authors Eddie Gibbs and Ryan K. Bolger, there are six essential cultural changes that are causing the marginalization of the church:
1. Shift from modernity to post-modernity.
2. Shift from westernization to globalization.
3. Communication revoloution featuring a shift from print media to electronic media/cyber communication.
4. Economic revolution with a shift from industrialization to an information based economy.
5. Breakthroughs in health and biology creating a myriad of ethical dilemmas.
6. The convergence of science and religion.
With the onset of Generation X & Y’s “emancipation of self” they are coming of age and realize that the like Jesus, “Jesus is not the problem. It is the church they dislike, because they do not readily see the church living out his [Jesus] teachings.” They go on to observe that, “In postmodern cultures of the twenty-first century, a linear or text-based ecclesiology perpetuates secularity in the church and denies the church’s call to live incarnationally.” The ecclesial shifts that will facilitate the church living incarnationally include a shift from systematic to non-linear methodology, from elitist cultural disconnect to engagement with visual culture, an embracing of both transcendence and immanence of God, and an intentional incarnational engagement with the wider culture. Lastly, the creation of Christian community in postmodern cultures requires six practices (each with a featured chapter): welcoming the stranger, serving with generosity, participating as producers, creating as created beings, leading as a body and taking part in spiritual activities.

noreply@blogger.com (Marty) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 22:58:00 +0000

Unanticipated Consequences

I received word today that another annual conference is divesting from conference level youth ministry. They insist that the congregations will pick up the slack and that if it is a priority for local churches they will do what needs to be done. I have three primary concerns with such a divestiture. First, we are essentially “cashing in” our long term investments for short term savings. Secondly, we are living out one of the primary complaints I hear from young adults, a contradiction of spoken and lived values. Finally, we are saying to the next generation, you are not nearly as important as we were when we were your age. These are dangerous, and I believe eventually disastrous precedents to set that are sowing the seeds of an eventual demise of my beloved United Methodist Church.

When I was younger I began investing in my retirement plan. There are times when I could have really used those extra resources to help feed my family, pay tuition or just make ends meet but I still had it withdrawn from my income and place securely in long-term investments. It has been tempting to move my retirement to shorter term, potentially higher yielding investments but since I am for the long hall (another 25+ years I hope) it is wiser to ride out the trends and fluctuations in the markets.

In the United Methodist Church I am consistently seeing staff person after staff person in every level of the Church get the word that their position in youth and young adult ministry is being merged, refocused or simply eliminated. I have just seen an interesting graph by Craig Miller that shows that in the age group 40-69 we are approximately even with the US population but with those 18-39 we are well behind the population trends. I grew up with well staffed, well funded youth ministry (I’m 43) that will soon be a thing of the past. We have yielded to the “day trading” nature of our culture wanting microwave results. We are abandoning the long-term investment that is youth and young adult ministry and using the funds to prop up ailing programs, support special initiatives and finance the “flavor of the month” programs that we hope will fill our churches and our offering plates. What will this divestment yield? In twenty years, if trends continue, our churches will be coffee shops and pubs like they are in England and Australia. Perhaps those institutions will invest for the long-term.

Secondly, we are living out a contradiction of spoken and lived values. Every decision is a theological decision. Our words are filled with admonitions about the importance of youth and young adults. Our actions are saying that what is really important is the maintenance of the institution. We clamor to establish an Division of Ministry with Young People but do not fund it adequately to make a significant impact. We support vocal resolutions and cut positions. We turn youth ministry into a revenue stream rather than a place for investment in the future.

If there is one thing that young adults abhor, it is inconsistency between spoke and lived values. I have written about this before, but this blatant disregard is almost unfathomable. If we want to insure that the youth of today will not be United Methodist, then lets eliminate United Methodist centered youth ministry.

Now to respond to the argument that the “churches will fill in the gap if it is valuable to them.” This is absurd. Churches tend to follow the leadership of the Conference. If the bishop says its important, then it is important. The old adage still stands, “what gets measured, gets done.” The opposite is also true, what gets ignored gets eliminated. While it is true that some churches, especially those that are large and well-funded will continue to do significant ministry with you and young adults, most of our United Methodist Churches are not large or well-funded. Most struggle to pay their pastor, keep the lights on and do vital ministry in their community. Their youth leaders are part-time or volunteers who have a heart for ministry but maybe not the training and resources needed. Conference level youth and young adult ministry provides events that encourage young people and shows them that there are other faithful followers of Christ in the UMC connections. Conference ministry provides training that is affordable and accessible to those with heart that need help. Let us not fall victim to claiming that ministry with young people is important to us in one breath and eliminating it in another.

Lastly, and perhaps hardest for me understand, is why the Boomers who are making these decisions can do so when they grew up in the age of explosive youth ministry? They are essentially saying to they youth and young adults of today that they are unimportant and that other “missional priorities take precedent” to them. These men and women who grew up around camp fires de-fund camp ministry. Those who answered their call to ministry in a Wesley Foundation gathering or college chapel are advocating eliminating the line items that fund campus ministry and telling the directors to find “alternative revenue streams.” Those who gathered crossed arms with their friends and prayed the prayer of dismissal are now performing the benediction on youth and young adult ministry by draining its funding and eliminating those who would speak boldly and work tirelessly to reach the next generation.

What shall we do? I have a few suggestions (for those of you who read me often you not be surprised)…
1) Challenged your annual conference to expand your youth and young adult ministry, especially those events and training that will benefit small and mid-sized churches.
2) Support your staff person who works in these areas with your prayers, your presences as a volunteer, even if its just to stuff envelopes and make nametags, and your gifts. Provide funds directly to sponsor youth who may not be able to afford to attend events.
3) Send your United Methodist youth to United Methodist camps, youth events and activities. Help them begin to realized the power of the connections and buy into to being a part of our Church for the long-term.
4) Advocate with General Conference, Jurisdictional Conference and Annual Conference members and delegates to support youth and young adult ministry with connectional funding. After working in the connection for several years I have come to realize that there is money for whatever is deemed “vital and urgent.” If this need, that goes to the very existence of our denomination, is not “vital and urgent” then I do not know what is!

I am employed at the offices of the Southeastern Jurisdiction and am not even sure that at the end of July when our Jurisdictional Conference meets if I will have a job, but that is not why I advocate for youth and young adults. I advocate because I was a youth from a broken home that was sent by my church to camp and there, beside the popping of a roaring fire, got on my knees and bowed my head and received Christ as my Savior. I was the kid in who discovered my identity in Christ at my weekly youth group lead by good-hearted volunteers and made life changing decisions and youth events. I am the adult worker who has seen my children mature because they spend a week with other United Methodist youth getting to know Christ and each other building relationships that will last for eternity. I will, with my last breath, call for our church to reach the emerging generation no matter where they are or who they are because another generation did the same for me. I remain:

Consumed by the Call,
Marty
Gracious God, who seeks the least, the last and the lost to lead the Kingdom of God, let the voice of Your Church cry out in unison to change the world, one young person at a time. Amen

noreply@blogger.com (Marty) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 19:25:00 +0000

Indigenous Jesus:
What An Emerging Community
Looks Like

What would a truly indigenous community look like? If I were to list a few essential components they would be:

1. The Arts! This is a generation of expression. Art speaks to the heart of who they are. One of this generation’s artistic heroes is Banksy, a mysterious graffiti artist from London. http://www.banksy.co.uk/. His art is more than images; it is filled with meaning, metaphor and messages that connect with the people that encounter it. Our modernist culture has reduced art to entertainment when it is so much more. Art is a prophetic expression of life. It is commentary and criticism with a paintbrush or on stage. Art is a spiritual encounter with reality.
When I do this type of worship I invite local artists, Christian and pre-Christian, to express the theme in visual arts (painting, sculpture, etc) or dramatic arts as part of the worship service. Rather than trying to copy the culture, real art creates culture. So much of “Christian art” is simply a sanctified copy of what secular artists are doing. We do not need to be afraid of letting the art speak for itself rather than trying to interpret it. An emerging community of Christ followers would be filled with art that caused people to pause and struggle with life, purpose and passion and invite them to see Christ in the struggle.

2. Mystery! So do you want the red pill or the blue pill (if you don't get that, watch The Matrix). This generation believes that the real world is hidden from them and they are willing to embrace the divine mystery far beyond their pragmatic Boomer parents. They know that everything can't be explained by the scientific method and they crave the sacramental embrace of the Savior. They do not shrink from the unexplainable. They know that the four simple rules of life do not come anywhere close to explaining the complexities of existing in the twenty-first century.
Worship that embraces mystery includes both powerful, sensory filled music and times of silence. It values the proclamation of the scripture, but allows times for lectio divina, the simple reading and hearing of the text without anything added or taken away. The emerging community will gather around the table of God to receive the sacrament, knowing that what happens in them and to them is beyond simplistic explanation. An emerging community of Christ followers would embrace and live with mystery.

3. Conversation! Conversation (blogs, discussion boards, coffee houses) are the heartbeat of spiritual discovery for this generation. Venues allowing them to receive solid teaching and then interact with it as to how they embody the gospel are essential. This is a generation unafraid of the deep teachings of scripture. They want to wrestle with the difficult texts and discover the deeper truths. They crave to live in a community where life can be lived together. They want to discuss their discoveries, hear the stories that mold other Christ followers, and find their points of intersection and points of contradiction. An emerging community of Christ would be open to engage in conversations of life, love and the difficulties of life.

4 Ritual! This generation craves to tap into something ancient with roots. Their lives are filled with disposable philosophies and short-term realities. They seek a deeper life and desire the experience of something that has lasted through the ages. There is even a kind of resurgence of postmodern monasticism (ie. Shane Claiborne) that has sprung up and become very popular. This is a generation that is ready to fully embrace ancient rituals if it they are well explained and clearly taught. An emerging community of Christ followers would embrace ritual as part of their ongoing spiritual journey.

5. Mission! This generation would rather make a difference than make a dollar. They throw themselves into their commitments with abandon. They want to change the world, they want to feed children with AIDS in Africa, find racial reconciliation in their communities and solve the problem of poverty. They are moving into marginal neighborhoods and staking a claim for justice. An emerging community of Christ followers would find ways to change their community and the world with their resources, time and talents.

In my dream world, were I to be given another chance to plant another church (my last one was cool, hip, emerging and not financially viable...lol) I would consider a private/public partnership by starting a fair trade (social justice) coffee house that hosts artists and Christian conversation and also hosted worship every Saturday evening and Sunday morning. The coffee shop could cover operating expenses and the congregation would be free to pour their resources, time and talents into mission. See http://www.cravestl.org/ as an example.

noreply@blogger.com (Marty) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 19:28:00 +0000

Emerging Worship: A Meandering Email

So, I have gotten lots of response from my article, "Why We Are Losing Ground..." One of the emails I received was from a pastor who is committed to reaching this generation and asked for my thoughts. Below you will find the email I sent him. I hope it helps you think about things in a whole new way as well. If nothing else, there is a great reading list at the bottom!

Jim,

The good news that you realize you don't know everything. The biggest obstacle I run into is the "it worked before" syndrome of successful pastors. The willingness to engage in a completely new visioning process is a healthy place to be.

Secondly, if you have "googled" me you realize my strong evangelical commitments. I hope you don't think I was advocating abandoning Scripture an any form. I am a strong Wesleyan believing in the primacy of Scripture. But I also am committed to social action, for as Wesley observed, you can't hear gospel if your stomach is growling (that the Marty version of course).

I might suggest you gather those committed young adults and spend 6 weeks working through the Catalyst Groupzine on Culture (http://www.catalystspace.com/resources/groupzines.aspx). It has some serious discussion and reflection questions. You might also visit Mars Hill Church (Rob Bell) or Imageo Dei Church in Seattle to see how some pastors are connecting with their indigenous young adults.

In my dream world, were I to be given another chance to plant another church (my last one was cool, hip, emerging and not financially viable...lol) I would consider a private/public partnership by starting a fair trade (social justice) coffee house that hosts artists and Christian conversation and also hosted worship every Saturday evening and Sunday morning. The coffee shop could cover operating expenses and the congregation would be free to pour their time and talents into mission.

These are the meanderings of a would be post-modern prophet with a heart for evangelism and mission. I hope I answered some of your questions. I included a reading list below that will be far more helpful that my above comments. I'd be happy to come and help you engage a visioning process if you like. Until we meet, I remain:

Consumed by the Call,

Reverend Marty J. Cauley, Director

Some suggested reading:

Kimbrall, Dan. Emerging Worship

Kimbrall, Dan. They Love Jesus but Don't Like the Church

Cunningham, Sarah. Dear Church: Letters from a Disillusioned Generation

Kinnaman, David and Gabe Lyons. UnChristian.

Frost, Michael and Alan Hirsch. The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21st Century.
Hendrickson, 2003.

Gruder, Darell L. The Continuing Conversion of the Church. Eerdmans, 2000.

Hirsch, Alan. The ForgottenWays: Reactivating the Missional Church. Brazos Press, 2006.

Roxburgh, Alan J. and Fred Romanuk. The Missional Leader: Equipping Your Church to Reach a Changing World.
Jossey-Bass, 2004.

Setzer, Ed. Planting Missional Churches. B&H Publishing Group, 2006.

noreply@blogger.com (Marty) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:39:00 +0000

Nobody Really Has It Together...

Nobody really has it together. There are a lot of us who kind of pretend we have it together. Who have a nice façade of “togetherness” but some where there is a soft spot, a problem or a life difficulty that isn’t really all together.

I have often taught what I call the storm principle. The storm principle states that everyone is in one of three places in their life. They are either in the middle of a storm, just finally coming out of a storm or in that brief calm before the storm. A lot of our storms are not even of our own making, they are the result of other’s actions that impact our life. The storm is always nearby, so if you are in the calm place, enjoy it while you can.

This brings us back to the statement above about nobody really having it together. I guess a truer statement is that at any giving time everything that you have together can fall apart. The law of entropy takes over and things really do tend to move to a state of disorder. I know of not less than three competent, capable and respected professionals that in the past couple of weeks have been told, for no apparent reason, that they were being laid off. These are not the people that that kind of thing happens to. These are the “go to” people who come early, stay late, and go above and beyond. These are the people that their coworkers turn to in times of difficulty and trouble, but decisions above their pay grade were made to eliminate them from their respective organizations. They thought they had it all together and it fell apart. The storm came, seemingly out of the blue, and it hit hard.

Others of us have been asked to endure the storm a little longer, or indefinitely. We discussed opportunities and options that never occurred. Our ability to trust has been diminished and we feel like we are forgotten or at least taken for granted. Our storm is not one of crashing waves and lightening, but one of being stranded in the middle of an endless ocean with no breeze in our sails and no pull upon our lives. It is a storm of deafening calm, of waveless waiting and of mirages on the horizon that turn out to be nothing more than hopeful figments of our imagination. So you sit and pray for a breeze, a direction, a destination.

I used to think I knew people who had it together. Who never faltered, who never doubted or who never struggled. But, eventually, even they had a storm that, at least for awhile, overtook them. They to were caught unaware and unready for the unexpected blow from the storms of life. Nobody really has it all together.

We travelers in the storm, what do we do? How do we continue when the skies are dark and the rain is cold? Today I do not have words of encouragement, I only have words of the one who promised to be a light into a dark world. Today I am looking for the light and hoping that the light I see is not a train at the other end of the tunnel. I remain…

In the Storm,
Marty Cauley

Gracious God who comes to us in the storm, bring light into the darkness and peace into the midst of the storm. In the name of the One who endured a storm beyond compare, Jesus, I pray. Amen

noreply@blogger.com (Marty) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:08:00 +0000

The Problem with Theodicy

There is evil in the world. That much is true. I seriously doubts that anyone with any sense of reality would deny the presence, even the seeming omni-presence of evil in the world. Whether we call it original sin or the condition of the human heart yearning to please self over the common good, evil is present.

I have been struggling, however, with theodicy. Theodicy is the vindication of divine goodness and providence in view of evil in the world. Rather, the idea that eventually, God and good will win despite the incredible cruelty that this world dishes out. This is particularly true in light of the past several days. In the last ten days I have been utterly confused and jaded by the church vocationally, Danelle has failed to have her teaching contract renewed after three years of stellar reviews and evaluations, it seems that evil has won at every turn and today one of the back windows just fell off of the van. Its like its not enough that we have both experienced the equivalent of vocational rejection, we had to have some just plain old personal aggravation as a side dish. Yep, there is evil in the world and sometimes it is present in a window falling off.

So I have spent hours trying to figure this out. Trying to understand if there is some lesson that I should be getting or some profound message that is being sent. I have struggled with whether I have done something recently that has unleashed a torrent of evil in my families direction, though I know that is the perception of a flawed theology. None the less, you know you think it too when a bunch of stuff happens to you. I have asked, what have I done to deserve this? I have given my life over to helping others get closer to God, Danelle has given herself over to helping young people discover their passion and embrace their future. These are vocations that would seemingly be replete with opportunities for selfless giving and long hours but would provide abundant blessings, yet evil seems to beset us on every side.

I understand Lamentations and the lament Psalms when the writers spoke of the enemy surrounding them and prospering while all they had to eat were tears. I also know that the best lessons are the hardest learned, yet that does not diminish the pain of the present. I will just have to endure a little longer. I remain:

In the Desert,
Marty Cauley

Gracious God, I know that you are a Savior in the desert who leads His people through. Give us the strength to learn without becoming hardened and to grow without becoming jaded. In the name of the suffereing Saviour, Jesus. Amen.

noreply@blogger.com (Marty) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:25:00 +0000

Reformation is an Inside Job

The Church is at a crossroads. Maybe its time, every 500 years there is usually a major shift. There is a seismic change in understanding; an overturning of power and a restructuring of the world. Mainline denominations, whose foundations were laid during the fifteenth and sixteenth century, are starting to crack and crumble. They are all losing members to other churches, schisms and to the vast depths of unbelief. Maybe this will be the generation that sees another Reformation.
Reformation is an inside job. It begins from within. Luther, Zwingli, Calvin and Wesley knew the Church. It was part of their lives. They all had theological training. All but Calvin were ordained. They all sought to call the church back into vitality. Luther’s theses were a call to change. Wesley remained an Anglican priest until the day he died. They all sought to stimulate the church to action, to realize what was going on inside the church and around them in the culture and to do something about it.
There are several key points about those Reformations and the ones that are starting to form on the horizon of today’s church that need to be considered. First, they all broke with the past and innovated. Secondly, they were all solidly anchored in the text. Next, they sought to communicate to the culture using the vernacular. Additionally they believed that practical application of belief was essential. Also, they did not seek to abandon tradition and they had a thorough understanding of historical theology. Lastly, they embraced the sacrament as transformative mystery.
The past is comforting. We understand the patterns and expectations. Breaking with the past requires loosing the ties that bind us and drifting into the unknown. That is not nearly so comfortable. We must break with what is comfortable and expected and begin stretching and innovating. This is already happening with churches, some of them quite large, that refuse to tie themselves down with real estate and indebtedness. They devote their resources to mission, not maintenance. This kind of innovation makes the establishment uncomfortable. It seems unstable and irresponsible. To those who practice this radical faith, it is a call to fiscal freedom and mission availability.
The reformers went to the scripture for insight, courage and inspiration. They looked again at the ancient stories and read them with new passion. The emergent church is seeing scripture with fresh eyes as well. They are digging deep into the text and uncovering meanings usually hidden by commentaries and interpretation. The stories are coming alive all over again with fresh meaning that calls them to a deeper level of discipleship.
Translating the Bible into the vernacular was a radical idea for the reformers. Reading it in the vernacular during public worship was even more radical. They could not envision a day when most people have a couple of dust covered Bibles laying around unopened because the text was such a precious gift. What will it look like to communicate to a culture that virtually ignores the Church? I have often stood within sight of a downtown church and asked passersby where it was and they had no idea we were standing in its shadow. Emerging churches are struggling with how to communicate to the culture in ways they understand. They are re-discovering art and icons as means to communicate. The lines between sacred and secular are blurring with the realization that the segmented lives of modernity are hollow and empty. Communication is moving beyond words to become embodied into the entire life of the believer.
This brings to mind practical, life application. The reformers had clear expectations of how the believer should live. Calvin had fines for missing church. Wesley had class meetings to monitor lives of the faithful. Today’s churches on the edge also call their fellow travelers into lives of accountability and sacrifice. Some move into low-income neighborhoods to provide a Christian haven amidst the struggles and trials faced by underprivileged children. Others live lives of radical generosity, living on half of their income so that they can give the other half away, they dedicate their lives to AIDS orphans in Africa or volunteering at underperforming schools. Living out their faith becomes their life, it moves beyond a segmented hour on Sunday to being a lifestyle of obedience.
The touchstone for the last reformation that must not be forgotten was their grounding in tradition and historical theology. They did not forget the shoulders they stood upon. They had read Augustine, Benedict and Tertullian. They were familiar with the desert fathers and the mothers of the faith who had faced persecution and martyrdom. In pursuit of innovation and change, it is vital that the reformation occurring today does not neglect to learn from those who have gone before us, those who gave their lives for their beliefs. Today, beliefs are cheap. You can embrace any idea without worry of trial or tribulation. The coming reformation, like the ones before it, must dig its roots deep into the soil of tradition and historical theology so that it is not blown over by the wind of challenge.
For decades one of the major controversies of the Church was what happens during Eucharist. The controversies of the holy meal segmented and divided the Church, but no matter which side of the argument they stood, they did agree that something powerful happens through the Lord’s Supper. I have been amazed at the passion and faithfulness and the serious study and attention that is being give to the Eucharist by emerging churches. Many of them practice the sacrament weekly and include it as part of the functional lives of their congregations. Sacramental renewal is bedrock of the coming Reformations.
Will we benefit and thrive from these reformers calls to the church or will we enter into another era of divisiveness and division? Can we as the Church united around a common table, hear the Word proclaimed in the vernacular, change our lives to live out our faithful sacrifice while keeping our faith firmly rooted in the text and historical orthodoxy? I pray that God will use me to be part of these reformations so that the Church can, once again, reach a culture that it has abandoned.

Gracious God, who calls us to be all things to all people whereby some might be saved, use me to be your voice and vessel through the one who came that we might have life, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen

noreply@blogger.com (Marty) — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 02:50:00 +0000

Jenga and Church Change

I am not a Reformation minded theologian. As I am taking a class in Reformation era history, culture and theology, it occurs to me that change comes in the church world much like kids play Jenga. I used to think that Martin Luther came up with his 95 thesis in a vacuum or by some source of divine revelation. Then, when he nailed them to the door, they caused a tidal wave of change to sweep across the theological landscape. The more I read about the era, the more authors and sources I discover from the years before Luther and Calvin, the more I realize that they were just the linchpins to a change that began hundreds of years before they came on the scene.

When kids play Jenga, the pull wooden blocks from the bottom of a stack and place them carefully on top. As they continue to pull from the bottom, of course, the structure becomes unstable. Eventually, the instability of the structure becomes irreversible and it tumbles over in a loud crash. To the outsider it seems like the person who pulled the last piece was the one at fault for then collapse of the entire structure. However, everyone playing the game and removing pieces is really, equally at fault. So it is with change in the Church.

Just like Luther may have been the one who visibly pulled out the last block causing radical change in the pre-existing understanding of the Church, he was not the cause of the overall change. He was simply the one holding the last block. His ideas were informed by many others before him. Change in the church may often seem revolutionary when it has been, in actuality, evolutionary. The evolutionary nature of the change is not at a steady pace, rather it moves slowly forward and occasionally takes a lurch forward.

In local churches, like yours and mine, a similar truth prevails. It seems like change may not be coming. Change can be good or bad. Change can meet ecstatic growth or slow decline. From the outside it may seem that the change experienced by the Church is sudden, but a careful study unveils the previous groundwork that was laid prior to the radical outcomes. The blocks were being pulled out long before you or I arrived. We just get to be the one holding the last block.

What has this taught me? First, to be slow to take credit for the great things that are happening in the church I may be serving. Those great things had a history that probably pre-dates me and may even pre-date my predecessor. Secondly, not to escape accountability in anyway, but be careful not to accept all of the blame for everything that goes wrong. This is even harder for me. While I don’t have a problem not taking the credit, I tend to take all the blame. The troubles also have deep roots. Roots that, unless somebody takes the time to pull them out, will crop up again and again.

So, change is like Jenga, and like Jenga you have to play. So, go ahead and pull out another block, it could be the one that releases amazing, God-directed change! I remain:

Consumed by the Call,
Marty Cauley

Gracious God, who is the cause of all change and whose very word called forth creation, the greatest change that has ever existed, help me to be bold in following your call to lead and love as Jesus lived and loved. Amen

noreply@blogger.com (Marty) — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:03:00 +0000

The Certainty of Uncertainty

I hate uncertainty. I don’t mean to say it makes me a bit uncomfortable, I mean that I hate uncertainty. Having been raised in aura of uncertainty by a single wage earning mother and absentee father bred in me the desire, actually the need, to find some place of certainty. When I was called into ministry God saw fit to use the United Methodist Church as my place of spiritual grounding. It is, essentially, the only denomination that guarantees every ordained pastor a place to serve. I thought I had finally found my place of certainty.

Now, again, I am living in uncertainty. I want to know what is next but I do not. My wife and I are standing in this place of being in the between times. We did not anticipate the level of uncertainty at this point in our lives. We had thought that I would serve where I serve, she would teach where she is teaching, but now all we have is uncertainty. She is having to reapply for her current position as it transitions to becoming “tenure track.” I am struggling with whether what I am doing fulfills my ordination vows to make disciples and serve the church through “service, Word, order and sacrament.” We have both been praying for God to give us clear direction about our life’s directions. I have been waiting on the burning bush, but so far all I have is uncertainty.

I know the spiritual lesson here is to trust God. I am personally eating my words for every time I have told that to somebody else. It is a lot easier to give that advice than it is to take it. It is a lot easier to sit in a place of certainty and security and encourage others to step out in faith and to live in the spiritual certainty that God has it all under control. Now I’m on the other side of the equation, putting all of my faith into trusting God and pushing aside the demons of uncertainty that keep whispering in my ear, I understand how tough it is to hang on and push through. How difficult it is to wait, watch and listen for God to speak in a still small voice the direction and call of the future. Yet still I wait, in uncertainty.

There are a few things of which I am certain, however. I am certain that God wants me to do a work that fulfills my call to lead in some part of the United Methodist Church through “service, Word, order and sacrament.” As I have finished another DMin class, studying American cultural issues and how they relate to the Church I am more convinced that the Church is the hope of the world. It is the place where there is a chance for the world to find redemption, both personally and corporately. It is uniquely positioned at the crossroads of the economic, political, cultural and spiritual spheres of influence an can marshal the people and resources to make an impact on problems like poverty, at least on some microcosmic scale.

I am certain that Danelle is called to continue working with young adults. The impact she makes through her classes, counsel and concern for their well-being grounds them during their difficult college years. She is a source for unconditional love and guidance in a sea of ambiguity and indifference. Her passion truly lies in giving herself to help others discover their life’s path.

Lastly, I am certain that these two callings were meant to compliment each other to further the Gospel. Not that we may be called to work together (which would be awesome) as much as we are called to assist each other in our own individual endeavors. Our work has often created a sort of synergy when we combine our talents. I know that God has brought us together for a reason and a purpose, and now we wait to figure out what that is.

I still hate uncertainty. Thanks be to God for the few things in life for which you can be certain. I remain:

Consumed by the Call,
Marty Cauley

Gracious God who walks with us through the valley and the shadow of death, be a lamp unto my path through this time of uncertainty. In the name of the one who is the Light of the world, Jesus, I pray. Amen.

noreply@blogger.com (Marty) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 16:28:00 +0000

Deserts and Burning Bushes

I went to a conference with some friends in early November and told them I was looking for a “burning bush.” That is to say I was seeking clarity about the future of ministry for me and a clear path to what God wanted me to do and be about. This, of course, comes from the story of Moses coming across a burning bush that was not consumed in the wilderness and God giving the reluctant prophet clear instructions about his ultimate task in life. Four different speakers during those two days mentioned burning bushes. It become such a recurrent theme that one of my friends looked and me and said, “you know I paid for this conference too.” The problem is that I’m still not sure how to get out of the desert.

I pulled out my Bible and backed up a bit, before the burning bush narrative and had a profound, if not disappointing realization or two. First, Moses spent a lot of years in the desert before his path was clearly laid before him. This was not very encouraging actually. Forty years is a long time to spend with sheep. When Moses left Egypt it wasn’t under the best of terms. Then he spent years of his life, having gone from a prince to an employee of his father in law, essentially doing what he needed to do to survive. I am pretty sure that during his time herding sheep and chasing off bears, he may not have been living ‘his best life now.’ He was doing what he needed to do to survive. He was, however, learning essential lessons about desert survival that he would not have known if he had stayed in Egypt. He was learning how to live as a nomad, rather than as a settler. Surely this lesson would prove invaluable when we would spend another forty years wondering around the desert.

Another thing I realized is that Moses wasn’t really looking for the bush when it found him. He was not praying to understand God’s will or to figure out how to invest his life to make a the biggest difference for the Kingdom, he was just going to work every day and doing his job. I have spent a lot of time trying to hear God, and all Moses, the preeminent leader of God’s people did, was “tend the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro.” We live in a culture that tells us to create opportunity. To “make things happen.” I like that idea, that I have the ability to make things happen. That I can make my plans and work out a strategic path in order to obtain a goal. I like seven habits of effective people and master planning my way to success, but so far it hasn’t worked for me. Every time I make a plan, it falls apart. Like the biblical author wrote, “there is a way that seems right to a man but that is foolishness.” Here is the amazing thing, the bush found him. Surely he had been by that area before, he had passed the Mount of Horeb many times and there was nothing extraordinary about it, but this time the bush was ablaze and not consumed. It seems to have been a confluence of timing, training and Moses ability to hear the call. The timing was right for God to lead the people out of Egypt, Moses had learned what he needed to learn from his desert experience and now had the ability to hear the call of God. Waiting on divine confluence is extremely frustrating. God does not work in accordance with our Daytimers, rather God’s time is perfect and call is sure.

Thirdly, when God gave Moses the instructions, he wasn’t all that excited about them. How many times have I benignly prayed, “God, if you will show me what to do, I will do it”? Really? If you spend any time at all in the Scriptures, there are a lot more reluctant prophets and leaders than there are people who are pursuing leadership. Actually, those who pursue and cling to leadership (ie. Saul, Herod, etc.) are usually those who should least have it. When God told Moses of the destiny before him, he repeatedly told God why he was NOT the right guy for the job. Maybe that is how you know when it is God, when the calling is so big and overwhelming everybody knows that you can’t do it alone.

God asked Moses what was in his hand. Rick Warren did a great job with this. He explained that in Moses’ hand was a shepherd’s staff. What we are is most often defined by what we “carry around.” In this case the staff defined identity, income and influence. It was essentially the three gifts God gives each of us that allow for some degree of self-understanding. Identity, the staff told of Moses position in the community. Income, lets face it, when we are identified in the community, everybody had a general idea of how much we are worth, at least in the world’s eyes. Influence, position carries with it the ability to influence. The words that keep ringing in my ears are “what is in your hand?” I do not know how to answer that? What unique skills, abilities and talents do I have “in my hands” and how is God calling me to use them? What is it I need to put down to allow God to use?

Lastly, God’s instructions were going to be darned inconvenient and costly. I have some understanding of this. I have never taken a significant raise to change ministry positions. A couple of times I have even moved backwards financially. Where I am now I am moving backwards with astounding consistency. I have not even received enough of a raise in the three years I’ve been here to make up for the rise in fuel costs to get to work. Moses was about to sacrifice stability for insecurity. Sure he had a tough job, but working for Jethro had its advantages. There was food, shelter, a warm bed and a wife to come home to. I can’t even imagine the conversation with his wife when he told her a bush told him to go back to Egypt and get a few hundred thousand people and walk across the desert to a “promised land.” This isn’t the life of the prosperity gospel proponents. This is a life of costly discipleship.

So, where does that leave me? In the desert I’m afraid, trying to figure out what is in my hand and waiting on God’s sense of timing. Every time I think that God is giving me a sign, it turns into a disappointment. We are humans are ‘meaning makers.’ We create meaning even when there is nothing there. Perhaps that is what I have been doing, trying to make meaning and get direction. I guess I’ll just keep wandering.

I must say, I’m a little sheepish about the prospects. I remain:

Consumed by the Call,
Marty Cauley

Gracious God, give me the strength to live in the desert with the sheep and to see the burning bush when you put it in my path. In the name of the One who calls us to follow, Jesus, I pray. Amen.

noreply@blogger.com (Marty) — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 15:05:00 +0000

Profit or Prophet: Measuring Ministry by the Bottom Line

Beginning Dec. 1 where I currently serve we will begin measuring ministry by the bottom line. Everything we do will be weighed on a profit or loss spreadsheet. How often is ministry profitable? How often do people generate profit by raising money for missions or serving youth? Are we simply feeding the consumerist nature of our culture by making ministry another commodity to be bought and sold?

I live to make a difference in people’s life. I know where my heart is, and it is in helping people realize and go after their God-shaped destiny. I love to see the light go on and the passion ignited when somebody realizes the amazing impact each of us can have upon the world. My call is realized when dozens of youth kneel at an altar of worship to declare themselves fully devoted followers of Christ. My call is affirmed when I consult with a congregation and a church awakens to the fact that they exist for something beyond their walls. They exist to serve and save the world. The world around the globe and the world right outside their doors.

In 1992 I left the “for profit” world. I left to follow my heart’s call and serve God in vocational ministry. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are amazingly effective “ministers” in every vocation. There are those who serve God best in auto body shops, in sales, in executive positions and in political office. My calling, however, was to equip those saints to serve. To spend the capital investment of my life pouring into others so that they could do ministry wherever God called them. Essentially I traded “for profit” to be a prophet.

Now I am at the place again. Maybe I had been in denial up until today. Maybe I had not fully realized the direction of the organization, but today as I read a briefing on “rebranding” and saw that my email address would change from a “.org” to a “.com” it struck me that I would be working for a company and not a ministry. That is rather disturbing because what companies do is serve their customers for the primary purpose of making a profit. The profit becomes the goal, the reason they exist, the central factor in all decisions. Microsoft doesn’t measure changed lives and Target doesn’t count professions of faith, they count dollars. These companies even make a selling point out of their contributions back to the community. Most recently Target has been saying, essentially, shop here and by doing so help your community. Another example of commodifying consumerism.

Awareness always generates the need for a decision. Can I sacrifice being prophetic for profit? Can I measure my ministry by the bottom line? I hear the words of Jesus ringing in my ears, “"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” Matthew 6:23-25

Gracious God, who calls us to be in the world but not of the world, guide me in discerning what is profitable and what is prophetic. In the name of the one who gave the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus, I pray. Amen

noreply@blogger.com (Marty) — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 14:17:00 +0000

Painful Worship

I have discovered why the mainline church is in decline. I have made a revolutionary discovery! I have uncovered the problem that, if solved, could reverse the drain upon local church attendance and return them to vitality and effective ministry. The problem is painful worship.

There was a time, even before I was a minister, that I had the philosophy that I didn’t “have to go to church,” I “got to go to church.” That worship was the most exciting and empowering part of my week. To gather with a body of believers who were radically devoted to following Jesus, who sang songs of praise with passion and intensity, who listened intently as the Word was preached with integrity and interest caused my heart to leap. I knew that my life would be challenged, my soul stirred and my eternal perspective restored allowing me to face another week as a disciple. I am afraid that those days are gone.

I have visited literally dozens of churches, mostly United Methodist and almost all mainline. In nearly every one of them worship is simply painful. Either the music is so bad that earplugs should be issued upon entrance or the people so distant and internally focused that it felt as though I was invisible or the preaching so disjointed and disconnected it could not possibly be called a sermon. My most recent experience was to hear a twenty minute (which felt like an eternity) lecture on being prepared for a disaster. That I should have six months of income in my savings account, gallons of water in my basement and lots of canned food on hand in case of emergency. I spent the entire message waiting for it to come back to the scriptural text or relate to living life as a faithful disciple but it didn’t. Richard Lischer of Duke Divinity School always said make sure you know how you are going to end your message, then you will always know where you are going. This preacher (dare I say he was preaching?) just abruptly stopped, no conclusion or challenge, just lurched to a homiletically disconnected ending about like slamming on brakes in the middle of the highway. It is a good thing too because I was just about to fall asleep.

So how do we overcome painful worship. I have a few suggestions that you can take with a grain of salt.

1) Do what you do well. This sounds obvious but at church we insist on doing things we do badly, over and over again. If your music isn’t strong, limit it. If you can’t do children’s messages, then don’t. We all have strengths and weaknesses. We spend way too much time trying to become average at our weaknesses when we should focus on becoming excellent at our strengths.

2) If you preach poorly, preach briefly. How do you know if you don’t preach well? Have somebody you trust will tell you the truth to evaluate you (not your spouse or your mom, they will lie!). We are not all great preachers and that is okay, we all have different pastoral gifts. If preaching is not your primary gift, find ways to make it bearable for your parishioners. Focus on the text, preach the Word clearly and succinctly. The Word will not return void!

3) Do not embarrass guests. I could not believe that the pastoral team wanted my wife and I to raise our hands so everybody would know who the first time guests were, as if they didn’t already. In this small church we had already been visited by both pastors, the president of the United Methodist Men, a representative from United Methodist women and four other random people. It was clear that we were outsiders. Then, from the pulpit during announcements, they wanted us to raise our hands. I am a church person and I don’t like being pointed out, can you imagine what it would feel like for somebody just test driving their faith to be singled out in a group and pointed to? Most people want to blend into a crowd the first time, not be given special attention. Acknowledge the with personal contact not impersonal pointing!

4) Watch the “Metho-speak.” My wife was raised Roman Catholic and still has trouble translating into Methodist language or “Metho-speak.” The bulletins at the churches we have visited were full of it. Women’s groups called “circles,” charge conferences and interior names for committee meetings. If you are going to print it, explain it. If you don’t need to print it, then don’t. Please do not fill up fifteen minutes with self-serving, internal announcements. Nothing turns an outsider off more than the feeling of being an outsider.

We are killing ourselves by unawareness. We are dying the death of oblivion. I do not think fixing these obvious problems will suddenly cause massive United Methodist revival, but I do think they will keep us from scaring away the people who want to learn more about us. Worship should not be painful! Worship is the time when we set aside time to gather with God’s people and enter into God’s presence. It should be a time of awe and inspiration, not aggravation and napping. God forgive me for all of the painful worship services that I may have planned without taking time to consider the eternal consequences that the service might have upon those in attendance. I remain:

Consumed by the Call,

Gracious God, who calls us to gather, give our praise, bring our sacrifice and worship you fully, grant that we who are given charge of your precious children may take seriously their care and devote ourselves to helping them encounter you faithfully and frequently in worship. In the name of the one we worship and adore, Jesus, I pray. Amen.

noreply@blogger.com (Marty) — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 13:51:00 +0000

The Sin of Acceptable Segregation

Acceptance of diversity is a myth. I am coming to believe that when the church says it is “accepting of diversity” what it is really saying is that it is practicing acceptable segregation. As I have been reading Jonathon Kozol I have become increasingly aware of our willingness to practice acceptable segregation. To segregate and silence the voices of those who we do not want to hear. To set aside the lives of the poor, the abused and the addicted and to discount any concern they may present.

I was raised poor. Working poor. Free lunch poor. Turn in bottles for dimes poor. Diversity in my neighborhood wasn’t an option it was a fact of life. You didn’t embrace it, you lived it. People who were different than you, who saw life through different eyes than you lived next door, down the street and around the block. Even though we lived in close proximity, worked in the same places and attended the same schools we parted ways in our relationships. We lived together but we didn’t play together. We worked together but we did not worship together. We practiced acceptable segregation.

Tolerance is un-Christian. Tolerance is the root of acceptable segregation. No where did Jesus instruct us to tolerate one another. Jesus told us to love one another. Love is a conscious, directed act of the will that involves decision and sacrifice. It is wrapped in empathy and centered in respect. Tolerance, on the other hand, is usually wrapped in disdain and centered in mistrust. Tolerance is what leads to acceptable segregation. It allows us to exist together without ever letting our lives touch, much less intersect. Tolerance allows for keeping people in their place, which usually means out of the way and in the background. As a matter of fact the church should be the most intolerant place on earth. It should be intolerant of racism. It should be intolerant of sexism. It should be intolerant of classism. It should be intolerant of injustice, prejudice and paternalism. Tolerance is what allows these things to continue, even to thrive.

So what are we to do? We who strive to be faithful followers of Jesus, what is our response to acceptable segregation? I believe we need to follow the example that Jesus set. First of all we elevate people as creations made in the very image of God. Jesus constantly and consistently elevated people above their social status based upon gender, class or race. Women became heralds, servants became masters and Samaritans became heroes. Secondly we must embrace people as equals. We must realize that their eternal value is exactly the same as our own, regardless of their status, skin color or standing. Jesus died for them just like Jesus died for us. Lastly we must encounter people who are different than us. We have to see them. We are selectively blind. There is somebody in your life, and in my life, who is invisible because they make us uncomfortable. It is time to open our eyes to our acceptable segregation.

I have a few heroes in my life and one of them is Laura Early. Laura refuses to practice acceptable segregation. She elevates people most of us don’t even see, she embraces them with complete, unconditional love and encounters them every day of her life. She weaves her story, the story of a middle class, well educated white women, in with their stories. Stories of impoverished children, invisible minorities and battered persons struggling with addiction. She sees Jesus in everyone she meets, even people like me who sometimes think they have risen above their circumstances.

Gracious God help me to see others like Jesus sees all of us. As divine creations of an ever-loving Creator. Forgive me for the practice of acceptable segregation in my life and guide me to practice a life of love. In the name of the One who made heroes out of Samaritans, Jesus, I pray. Amen.