The Church...Why Bother???

Good morning friends. This coming Sunday I will be sharing a message entitled “The Church…Why Bother?” I have wrestled with this question quite often. There are several things that cause me to ask about the church, “why bother?” But somehow I keep coming back because, despite all of the flaws, failures and foibles of life together in Christian community, I have discovered that I need the church. In other words, when it comes to the church, I feel as though I can’t live with her and I can’t live without her. Maybe you feel the same.

I’ll save my reasons for why I sometimes can’t live with the church and why I can’t live without her until this coming Sunday. But I would like to hear from you. Tell me why you have sometimes felt “I can’t live with the church” and/or why you may feel “I can’t live without the church.”

Looking forward to getting some sermon fodder from you,

Pastor Lenny

And Heaven Rejoices!

Hello, I’m Brad Hockman, Men’s Ministry Director at Stroudsburg Wesleyan Church. Pastor Lenny asked me to write the Monday Morning Devotional for the week while he is at Spruce Lake speaking at the Family Camp all week long.

The three parables in Luke 15 show extreme joy in Heaven when the lost are found! My life is very similar to the younger son in the Parable of the Lost Son. I left home when I was 15 and it was not on the best of terms. I separated from my parents for several years. Before reconciling with my parents, it was all about sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll. I lived my life my own way, which was far from God’s way.

I reconciled with my earthly father long before my Heavenly Father. It’s awesome that you can take 20 steps away from God, but it takes only one step to return to Him. Now that’s amazing grace! I turned onto “God’s Way” three years ago and my life has improved dramatically. I’m sure there was joy in heaven when I met Pastor Lenny on the front steps of SWC for the first time!

The older brother, who thought himself far more worthy, refused to join the party. His attitude is like that of the Pharisees, who took great pride in proving their superiority.

Of the two brothers, which one reminds you of your own story?

How can you relate to the younger son?

I’ve been to a distant land.
I’ve struggled with wild living.
I’ve been flat broke.
I’ve struggled with deciding to return home
I’ve received my father’s forgiveness

Spiritually, which road are you on?

Yesterday I preached a message called Viewer Discretion Advised which highlighted the problem, response and solution to the monster of internet pornography. The goal of the message was to authentically offer grace, hope and help to those stuck like a fly to the fly-strip of this struggle. I closed the service with a quote from James 5:11b which says “God is full of compassion and mercy.” We concluded the service with a Question and Answer time regarding the issue of internet porn.

Here is what I want us to discuss: Beyond the resources I shared yesterday to help those who struggle (God, confession, accountability and removal of temptation), what other resources are available to assist those who struggle with internet porn? Also, what do you believe is at the root of this? Is it lust only, or are pride, discontent, depression, control, etc., factors in the development of this addiction?

Looking forward to your thoughts,

Lenny

Are You a Chronic Complainer?

Today I begin the ministry of my Monday Morning Blog. Every Monday I will share some insights from Scripture as they relate to what God is teaching me. You are invited, and encouraged, to respond with your own reflections and questions. In order to follow the thread of discussion or post a reply you will need to click on the word "comment" below this post. Beware that your comments will be accessible to all- good accountability, don't you think?

As you hopefully know by now, at least if you attend Stroudsburg Wesleyan Church (SWC) where I serve as lead pastor, we are experiencing a 30 Day Bible Living Adventure. We read a chapter each day and prayerfully apply something from that reading that God spoke specifically to our hearts and into our lives.

This morning as I read James 5 I was surprised by what struck me most. It was James 5:9 "do not complain against one another." I was surprised by this because I view myself as someone who tries to be positive about the potential of others. I try to show grace toward those who may rub me the wrong way. But, in essence, God was showing me that I am not as far along as I think I am.

My wife tends to be the safest place for me to vent my compliants about others, but God is challenging me to bring my complaints and concerns about others to Him. So, today when I am tempted to complain about people or problems, I will simply keep quiet and pray to God. I will also, in prayer, reflect upon the source of my complaint (i.e., anger, jealousy, fear, the past) as well as the good qualities of that person.

Here is the discussion question: How have you or how do you overcome the human tendency to complain against others? I'm looking forward to your comments!

Pastor Lenny

Coming Home To Stroudsburg Wesleyan Church On June 1

It's hard to believe that we will be returning to our church family in less than two weeks. I will be preaching on June 1 as I return from the one year study sabbatical at Asbury Theological Seminary. Throughout the year, the church has been so supportive of me, Amy and our kids, Zach, Lia and Sam. Pastor Jason Argo and the rest of the leadership team at Stroudsburg Wesleyan Church have done an exceptional job of lovingly leading us.

As I prepare for return to full-time ministry, I realize how much my priorities have shifted. I'm coming back to the local church with an even greater sense of urgency about proclaiming the Gospel in the world, along with a heightened conviction that the local church is the tool for answering this urgency. There have been several key emphases that have risen to the surface of my heart this year in relation to ministry. They are the power of prayer, the necessity of a global ministry perspective, serving the poor in our community, and preaching the meta-narrative of Scripture in a way that compellingly invites the people of God to experience and embody the reality of God's kingdom on "earth as it is in heaven."

God has reminded me throughout the year that ministry is really not about me at all; it's all about Him. At various points in the year I felt as if God was whispering in my ear, "Len, do you have the commitment, courage and confidence in Me to be who I want you to be, to do what I want you to do, and to go where I want you to go, no matter how much it will cost you?" This sobering question sort of haunts me, really. I am truly humbled that God has invested so many resources in me throughout this Beeson Doctor of Ministry Program. And He didn't do this to enhance my resume or marketability as a pastor; He did it so that He might use my life as a force to advance the kingdom of the Son of His love-Jesus Christ.

While God's love for me is not contingent upon my ministry, Jesus did say that "to whom much is given, much is required." Much has been given to me through the Beeson Program and now the ministry bar has been set way higher for me. This does not cause me to feel the unhealthy pressure of acquiring worldly success, but it does challenge me to rely fully upon the power of God's Spirit to do what I could never accomplish without Him. And this is the reliance upon God that makes a minister of the Gospel dangerously good!

Dissertation Proposal Hearing Results

Thank you for praying for me as I went before my Disseertation Committee at 1:30 today. I really did sense the peace and power of God's Spirit with me throughout the two hour meeting. The committee was very encouraging and approved my proposal with a few recommendations to further enhance my study. So, at this point, my project is approved. If all goes well, I will complete the project described in the post below and write the final two chapters of my five chapter dissertation in time to graduate in May of 2010! I'm not officially a Doctor until then.

Again, thanks for praying and celebrating with me. It is a joy to feel like I'm making this journey with my Stroudsburg Wesleyan Church possie, my friends, and my family. This year would not have been quite as spectacular without people like you "in my corner" (yes, a Rocky Balboa allusion).

Love you guys,

Lenny

Please Pray For My Dissertation Proposal Hearing

This Tuesday, May 6 at 1:30 I will go before my dissertation committee of three (mentor, second reader, and doctor of ministry rep) to propose my dissertation project. They will either accept my proposal with some modification or totally reject my proposal. I am, of course, hoping it will be the former and not the latter since I have already written 90 pages for this proposal.

My dissertation topic is on preaching as a spiritual discipline. It is so easy for preaching to become a technical rhetorical task somewhat divorced from spiritual intimacy with the God who guides the preaching process. Preaching today has too often subtly drifted into a matter of mere rhetorical cleverness, entertainment or relevance. While communication technique is most certainly important, the main question that must drive the homiletic process is: what is God saying through a particular text of Scripture? The goal of preaching, then, is not neccessarily to find something clever or relevant to say, but to listen for God's voice through a Scripture text and then to communicate it in "grace and truth." While this may sound somewhat like a "given" or a "no-brainer," contemporary literature on and practice of preaching reveals the need to reinstate spirituality (one's relationship with Christ) as the lead in the homiletic dance with rhetorical technique. This is necessary since spirituality redeems and baptizes rhetorical technique.

So, I will be developing a new model for the development and delivery of sermons that invites Christian spiritual disciplines to guide the entire process. Over the next year, I will test this model by inviting ten pastors in the Penn-Jersey District of the Wesleyan Church to incorporate this spiritual homiletic in their preaching for six months. My hope is that when preaching is more intimately intertwined with the God who calls us to preach, pastors will have increased ethos and joy through preaching.

Please pray that I would be able to communicate the rationale for and benefits of this dissertation proposal without getting too tongue-tied or sweaty in the palms! I am convinced that this project will have a profoundly positive impact upon those of us who preach the gospel. Please pray that my dissertation committee would be equally convinced.