I am somewhat of a non-traditionalist in most areas of my life and ministry. One of my desires as a pastor is to allow God to shape Calvary from His Word and not the traditions of men. I sincerely don’t want to wake up ten years from now and ask, “What have I done?!” However, I do enjoy rich tradition in the church when it’s rooted in the biblical text. This is where I found myself last week when praying and studying for Calvary’s deacon ordination service. I was driven to Acts 6 because that is the first occurrence of deacons in the Bible (even though the word “deacon” can’t be found in the text).

One of the main focuses of the passage is the transference of ownership from the apostles to the deacons. You see, the apostles were finding themselves dealing with problems and putting out fires in the church. This in and of itself is not beyond the scope of any pastor, but they were doing this to the detriment of what God had called them to do—prayer and the ministry of the Word. They not only feared neglecting their God-given ministry, but they also feared a fracturing of the church if something wasn’t done immediately. The plan they came up with is to give the ministry of administering the finances for the ministry of mercy over to a well-qualified group of men whom the church trusted.

Once the church body chose seven men, one thing was left undone…the first deacons had to be given the authority and feel the responsibility of caring for the widows. This authority and responsibility was felt when the apostles laid their hands on the first deacons as a sign that they were transferring the ownership of this part of the ministry over to them.

This is what I wanted our deacons to feel Sunday. This is the heartbeat I desire when it comes to the deacons at Calvary Church. I don’t want us to have a group of men who are the CEO’s or the CFO’s or the CIO’s or any other CO’s who dictate the direction of the church. That is beyond the scope of New Testament deacons. I also don’t want a group of men who are the pastor’s assistants. God’s design and desire for deacons is that they be the Ministers of Mercy in the church.

Grace & Peace,
Scott

Comebacks are hard to make. Just look at the world of sports and you’ll see how difficult it is…but it’s not impossible. I’ve seen all of our kids make comebacks in the sports they’ve played. What about the Boiling Springs High School baseball team last spring? They had so many “comeback” wins the parents didn’t have any hair left. It makes for an exciting, albeit nail-biting evening! Also, look at what the Chicago White Sox did this week, something no other major league baseball team has done…won three must-win games, three days in a row, against three different teams. I could go on and on, but sports are not the point, something else is.

How about relationships? One of the greatest illustrations of a “comeback” relationship is that of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). When read in light of a comeback it thrills my soul; I find myself mourning that this son made so many bad choices and then cheering when he decides he has had enough and wants to return home. As they say in Hawaii, “It gives me chicken skin just thinking about it!” (i.e., goose bumps)

One lesson here is that we shouldn’t give up on any relationship. As Yogi Berra said, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” God does have a plan, and I believe if we’re patient enough we will experience a comeback in our fractured relationships beyond imagination. You know, sometimes all people are looking for is somebody who won’t give up on them. This is the way our Heavenly Father treats us. He truly is patient with me because He loves me.

We love these comebacks. There is just something about them that stirs our emotions and leaves us thinking anything is possible! So, what relationship do you have in your life that needs a comeback? Or, maybe you need to make a comeback yourself. Study Luke 15 and discover what role you play, and then follow the Lord’s teaching.

I Love You,
Scott

Do you ever get preoccupied with yourself? Glad to hear I’m not the only one! It’s tough because we have a culture that pushes us to be self-focused people who are so busy with our noses stuck in our BlackBerrys and iphones that we have no time for other people. We have become electronically proficient and relationally challenged.

I really think one of the chronic problems on this little ball of dirt we call “earth” is self-focus! I’m not against “me time”, but come on, seriously, just how much “me time” do we really need? Now I understand that we all need to take a break every once in a while and rest. (Jesus did…He broke away from the heard just to spend quality time with the Father while recharging His batteries.) But I suspect some need to take a break from “me time.” Selfishness abounds in our society, and we shouldn’t contribute to this epidemic of narcissism. Over and over in the gospels I read about a Jesus who was fully human and yet fully giving His time and energy to others, and we must follow His lead.

This same “me” focus must have been going on in the church when the great Apostle Paul was around because he wrote in a letter to the Christ-followers in Philippi,

Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. (2:4)

Do you see the balance presented in this verse? Yes, we do have personal interests that need attention, but our attention also needs to be given over to the interests of others. Time is probably the key ingredient in this formula for balance. People need our time; people need to know we genuinely care. One sure way of showing people we care is our willingness to give them some of our time. Indeed, it is a difficult balance to strike, but let’s not be guilty of stealing time away from others when they really need it.

I believe the world is filled with everyday, struggling, working, fearful human beings, who, on any given morning are even afraid to get out of bed because of what might happen. Your time could make all the difference in the world to somebody. Open yourself up for opportunities to look out for the interests of others this week.

Grace & Peace,
Scott