I Want To Be Like Robert

From July 4 through September 3rd I'll be taking what's called a sabbatical leave.  Officially, it's for rest and renewal as well as learning and retooling.  Most of July will be downtime: relaxed time with God, Elaine (my wife) and family, as well as lots of fishing.  In August I'll visit 4-5 churches that effective in making disciples for Jesus the Christ and which are somewhat larger than ours.  Our church is blessed with being at another growing-point, and I need to learn what leadership and ministry looks like at the next level.  I'm grateful to the leadership of our congregation for allowing me this opportunity!   I'm blessed to serve an awesome, dynamic congregation, and I will miss them.

In fact, though, there's simpler, deeper reason for this time apart. It can best be explained in a story.  A couple of Sundays ago, prior to worship, I spent some walking around the south part of our property in a little time of prayer, thought, and preparation.  This is my normal routine when the weather is good.  That morning, though, a storm was moving in fast from the west.  Just as I thought it might be better for me to head indoors, I noticed someone walking northbound toward our church facility.  Though he was about a quarter of a mile off, I knew who it was by his distinctive walk.  It was my friend Robert.

Robert came to our church a couple of years ago thanks to the ministry of another friend - Danny.   I'm not sure what the currently "acceptable" term is that describes someone like Robert.  At one time it was "special needs persons," but that's probably old school now.  Robert has some challenges with speech and cognition.  His thinking process is careful, but slow.  His gait is a little different.  Some might see Robert as socially awkward, but he's always genuine and accepting.

As Robert came on to the church property and walked over to me, he was beaming; carrying most of what is his in a Walmart sack, as he usually does.  "I got here before the rain!" he proudly announced.   I commended him on walking the distance to church on such a threatening morning.  He said, "It's church.  They told me not to come because it was going to rain.  I told them, 'It's church.  I'm going to go!'"

That's Robert.  He doesn't drive, but he finds a way to get to worship.  He's there all morning, arriving with the musicians and hospitality folks for the first service, and there until everything is put up from the second service.  He's always looking for ways he can help.  He joins in our prayer circles before worship; he's actually led them a couple of times.  He stacks chairs, makes coffee, greets people, prays; whatever he can do to contribute to lifting up Jesus and drawing people to them.  He takes my sermon notes home after the last service to study them more.  On the Sunday on which he beat the rain he asked me if I could get him a book on prayer.  During our last service he usually sits up front with me.  To watch him worship during a song of praise or prayer is to watch the simple, unbridled joy of being in the arms of Jesus - unhindered by any baggage.

I think about how I approach worship sometimes.  I think about how fickle my motivation to worship can be, depending on the state of my attitude or the circumstances of my life.  I note how easily I can be distracted by something I'm happy or by something I'm unhappy about.  I realize how my mind can swirl with my self-imposed complexities of life and ministry - what program needs to start or stop, what's working in worship and what isn't, who's pleased and who isn't, how much money do we have or not have, or should the thermostat in the worship center be at 68 or 72 degrees.  Then I look at Robert, who just loves Jesus and looks for every opportunity to serve, with minimal distraction. The world might look at me and then look at Robert and say that I am surely the one more "blessed" or "successful."  I look at Robert and say that he is the one who is rich beyond measure, and I have much to learn from him.  I'm grateful that God has graced me with knowing him.

So my spiritual hope for these two months is to be more like Robert; to let all the scaffolding collapse, and to just stand before Jesus in wonder, awe, and praise.

I'll see you around the next bend in the river.  Have a blessed remainder of the summer.

 , "It's church

The REAL "Common Core"

It seems to me that we live in very divided times.   In many ways, people are as polarized as I've ever seen them.  Divisions happen over everything conceivable: politics, faith, economics, morality, sexual orientation, ethnicity...You name it, human beings can fight over it.  And this goes way beyond difference of opinion.  It spills too easily over into personal assault.  We often think nothing of degrading an opponent's value, staining his/her character, and judging his/her worth.

I live in a great community that is currently experiencing a high level of division, unfortunately.  We are one of many American communities torn apart over what is known as "Common Core."  Common Core refers to federally mandated educational standards for primary and secondary students in public schools.  (Google it...I don't have time or space to describe it in detail here.)   Some defend Common Core as a good and necessary measure of a student's learning and capabilities.  Others benignly accept Common Core simply as the latest in a long line of standardized expectations that accompany federal funding.  There are those who don't see Common Core as the end of the world, but do have significant questions, concerns,or even worries about it.  And still others are gravely frightened by it, and sincerely believe that everything possible must be done to dismantle, at least in our community, and preferably throughout our state.

As an aside, I am in the third group listed above.  Common Core is the latest standardized measure handed down from Washington, joining the other such standards that essentially date back to the "No Child Left Behind" effort years ago.  On the one hand, much of what people might perceive to be a change in content of learning is actually a change in method.  (For example, when I was an elementary school student back in the Jurassic Era, I was taught to memorize multiplication tables.  I was drilled that 8 x 8 = 64 until I could recall that like I can recall the Pledge of Allegiance.  Our seven year old granddaughter is being taught not only THAT 8 x 8 = 64 but WHY 8 x 8 = 64.  It's a different method than rote memorization.  Both ways, 8 x 8 = 64.)   And I'm told that all along our particular school district has been ahead on prepping for standardized testing.  On the other hand, I've always thought it shady that compliance to federal standards is tied to federal standard compliance.  I don't like the fact that teacher evaluations are tied so heavily to test scores; testing only measures so much, and teachers are under enough impossible pressure as it is.  Data retrieval via Common Core does leave open the possibility of "data mining," it seems to me.  And, while I understand basically where the Common Core standards are headed in math and science, the social studies arena seems strangely vague to me, and I could see where questions could possibly be formulated that promote particular ideologies or political views.  Finally, it bothers me that Common Core was basically developed by a political and business group, and not specifically by educators.  So, I have some concerns about Common Core, but probably don't think of the situation as being as dire as some do.

Frankly, I'm concerned less by Common Core than I am concerned by the painful divisions it is creating in communities.  So I want to offer some thoughts to all of us, regardless of where we stand on this or any issues that divide people:

1. My late father once told me that the quickest way to distract people and to galvanize them to follow ill-advised leadership is to give them something or someone to hate.  And that, my father said, is universally wrong, no matter what the cause is.  The Roman Empire citizens of the first century were given the Christians to hate.  The Germans of the mid-twentieth century were given Jews to hate.  From North American lynchings to African and Eastern European ethnic genocide, this dynamic is a toxin that poisons even the most positive political position.  All of this may seem a far cry from our local situation, but I get fearful when I see and hear people skirting the borders of this dangerous territory.  This warning applies to EVERYONE on ANY side of any fence, beginning with the one typing.
2. With this specific local issue, regardless of what happens or does not happen with Common Core, I trust our teachers.  Our public schools are loaded with Jesus-following teachers who have willingly accepted the call to one of the most challenging and important mission fields of our era - public schools.  Regardless of the standards, they will find a way to build thinking, caring, value-driven students.  These teachers did not have anything to do with bringing Common Core to our state, no matter how each individual teacher feels about Common Core.  And no matter where I stand on it, I refuse to make their already hard job that much harder by holding them accountable for its existence.
3. I am a person of faith in Jesus, the crucified and risen.  Following Him, I know that division between people that is fueled by enmity is not of God; it is of the Devil.  Anyone in any of the four Common Core-related groups I identified above can fall victim to this.  I can be on the side of a disagreement that is absolutely right in the eyes of God.  But if in so doing my heart is governed by enmity toward the one with whom I disagree, and if I vilify and demean my opponent, then I am a servant of Satan, even if the stand I have taken is right.  The Enemy loves to have us distracted by fighting among ourselves.  It keeps us from pouring energy into the central task of loving each other and leading each other into the arms of Jesus.
4. For followers of Jesus, we are still under the governance of love above all.  We are to love each other as Jesus loved us, even when we disagree.  He did not demonize or attack those who opposed Him; He died for them.  I Corinthians 13 has not been repealed.  Love is our REAL "Common Core."

That's it.  Just had to get this off my chest.  Thanks for reading, regardless of where you stand on this or any issue that divides us.  We're all still worth the life, death, resurrection, and promised return of the one who has loved us with a greater love than we could ever know.

I'll see you around the next bend in the river...