January 25, 2012

86 years ago today my mother was born in Los Angeles. She died at the age of 82 of COPD, and her remains are in a mausoleum next to my father’s remains. Before realizing today’s date, I was picturing her in her final weeks as she attended my father’s funeral, and then suffered through her last days of nursing home care, being transported from St. Louis to Springfield, and then the end. I am reading Billy Graham’s Nearing Home and am gaining much from his insights.

This “Large Church Initiative” conference is going well. Yesterday we heard Michael Slaughter from Ginghamsburg and Clayton Oliphint from the host church describe their ministries. I had a brief word with Slaughter afterwards about our use of his resources for “Change the World.” In the morning I drove to the SMU campus and attended Morning Prayers with Communion led by Steve Rankin. There I met Mark Stamm, who was a classmate in Seminary at Asbury in 1980. He teaches worship at Perkins Seminary, and has published on the sacraments. Steve and I went to breakfast where we discussed his recently published book Aiming at Maturity. We also caught up on our families and ministries.

I ate lunch with three Canadian pastors, and had great conversation about the impact of the union in 1925 which eliminated the Methodist church and created the United Church of Canada. We talked about its structure, governance, deployment of pastors, etc. I had dinner with the pastor of Mt. Pisgah UMC in Atlanta, with whom I have also served on the Asbury Alumni Council.

Matthew 18

This chapter of the Gospel includes teaching about true greatness, using a child as an example. Jesus says that whoever becomes humble like a child will be great in the kingdom of heaven. He continues to warn against causing anyone to stumble, which leads him into discussing God’s attention to lost sheep (which should also be our attention!)

In verses 15-20 Jesus teaches what to do if someone in the church sins against you. I often apply this formula, and I think it is the healthiest way to deal with conflict and wrongdoing. Jesus tells us that if someone sins against us, we should go directly and privately to that person and “point out the fault.” If the person listens to you, you have “regained that one.” If the person will not listen to you, take two or three with you, and if they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church, and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, excommunicate that one. There is much wisdom and practical application in this paragraph.

This chapter concludes with Jesus responding to Peter’s question about forgiveness. He tells Peter to forgive seven times seven (or in other versions 77 times.) Repeated forgiveness is the pattern, and Jesus illustrates this with the parable of the unforgiving servant.

Guide me today Lord as I attend the conference, listen to good speakers, worship you, fellowship with other church leaders and pursue the pathway to fruitfulness through humble service.