Barbeque and Minsitry

A Little Closer to Home

I have been thinking about writing a book about how ministry is like cooking good barbeque.  Before you laugh me out of the county, read a little further and see if you might just agree.  As a disciple of Jesus Christ we have this thing we call ministry which is the orientation of our lives to make more disciples of Jesus.  When I refer to our ministry I mean we may be professionals in ministry on a church staff, unpaid volunteers, or simply committed folks who believe and then act on those beliefs.  I think each of us are called and uniquely equipped for the ministry of making disciples.  

Having said this I have identified five barbeque ideas which seem to hold true regardless of our ministry position or place.  They are in no particular order of importance: preparation is essential, learn to take advice, someone has to do the dishes, if your looking then your not cooking, and the final product will speak for itself.

Preparation is essential in good ministry and barbeque.  Start with fresh ingredients, not something left over from last year.  One of the worst things we do in ministry is to use outdated ideas and programs with no “spice” left in them.  The meat of the ministry may be one of any number of possibilities, but it must be fresh, handled carefully, trimmed of the fat, and always focused towards the purpose.  I have found it is easy to get sidetracked during the preparation time, to the place where something unrelated can throw off my whole days schedule.

Learn to take advice.  How many times must we hear this before it begins to sink in?  If we just start to barbeque and never read a recipe or inquire of a friend how this best works, we will have set our selves up for failure and disappointment.  Yes, if we are stranded on a desert island with nothing to eat and find a rack of ribs, bag of charcoal, and a nice grill we could probably make something tasty happen.  However, with all the information or history freely offered, it just makes sense to ask and receive assistance.  We must respect ourselves, those around us, and the ministry itself enough to read, ask, and then listen.  Good barbeque is always kind of personal thing as is ministry.  Feel free to take what you learn and tweak it to match your situation and personality.

Someone has to do the dishes.  Oh, crud.  I never knew barbeque was so messy until I actually got to cooking myself.  When I make the rib rub, I have to clean everything again; the counter tops and then the measuring spoons, and containers.  I find it is the same for the mop sauce and finishing sauce; let alone actually applying the rubs and sauces to the meat.  I wash a lot of dishes while I am in the process of cooking.  Many times I wash the same dishes several times in the same day.  Someone has to do the not-so-fun work part of ministry also.  I have found that if I am in charge of a ministry, I should also be prepared to do the most unpleasant work.  My experience is that as I engage positively in, “dish washing,” others come along side and we end up having fun.  But make no mistake, the dishes will need to be washed.

If you are looking; your not cooking.  In good barbeque temperature is critical.  I try to cook along at 215 degrees for several hours without high peaks or low valleys.  Once you have developed a little history and have a basic idea of what you are doing, you will be able to keep the fire burning with discipline and planning.  The biggest problem with all of us is that we want to see what is cooking.  We open the lid and in doing so we release the temperature and then have to start over again.  It is hard to trust the process and not keep checking and looking, looking and checking.  Barbeque takes time, but requires us to trust the process.  Ministry also needs to be able to do its thing without a herd of folks picking and poking at the meat of the ministry all along.  Perhaps it is a God thing to learn to simply sit back, enjoy a nice diet Pepsi, and just let the meat cook.  

The final product always speaks for itself.  We might want to make excuses or put our product on a silver platter, but the truth is that the final product will speak for itself.  Barbeque, like ministry is unique to the time and place, but the people who come into contact with our work will make the decision whether to engage further or back away slowly.  I am always wary of those who claim to know all the best barbeque recipes but have never actually personally attempted to cook a brisket for 10 hours.  It is always nice to get feedback and then use that information to tweak the process a little one way or another with the goal of becoming more effective.

As you can tell I am having some fun with using barbeque as a metaphor for ministry.  There are several more chapters I am considering and I hope to link a Biblical example along  with a recipe to each thought.  So, lets get cooking and I hope I gave you some “food for thought.”

See You Sunday,   Pastor Dave Weesenr

Thoughts for October 01, 2006

Scripture Readings Leading to
Sunday October 01, 2006
Luke 9:10-17                       God’s Hospitality
Luke 14:15-24                     Jesus, Banquet             

Have you ever been really, really hungry and somebody offered you some food?  Have you ever been really, really lonely and someone offered you conversation or a place to belong, even if just for a little while?  Have you ever been frustrated and confused by the events of the day and needed a new vision of grace to move you back onto the correct path?  I have been there.  My guess is that as you are honest and take a moment to consider your experience, you have encountered each of these situations as well.  This is life being lived out.  Life is not always sanitary or pretty or happy, but life does offer possibilities at every bend and eternal opportunities to rethink and be renewed.  Life is a gift from God and contains the gunk, but also the glory.  And daily we get to choose our path.

This wonderful story of Jesus feeding the five thousand is a little vision of heaven on earth.  We might see the hospitality of God in the small groups gathered on the grass.  We can be sure there are groups that have invited the widow or lonely individual to join their fellowship.  We can be sure of the laughter and conversation taking place.  There is sharing and caring moving among the circles.  The invitation is clear, powerful, and instructional.  It is also addictive.  As we gather in the circles we find we yearn for more of this friendship.

We may also see the hospitality of God offered though the simple meal of loaves and fish.  We may see a hungry world feeding upon God’s grace, much like a baby feeds upon the mother’s breast.  That which is needed is offered and received with humility and thanksgiving.  The action of the giver is greater than the gift received but is not offered so as to be placed above the other.  The gift is offered simply because the gift exists and the action of hospitality is possible.  

There is no motive or hidden agenda other than to offer grace.  There is only hospitality and a needy world.  I do not think it can become more simple.  The kingdom of God is a place where what is available is offered without reservation.  And when I begin to act in this way, with this hospitality leading my decisions, I know I am just a little closer to home.     Blessings,  Dave Weesner
  
Sunday Worship
Scripture: Luke 9:10-17
Sermon Title: “A Dinner Party”

Thoughts for September 24, 2006

Scripture Readings Leading to
Sunday September 24, 2006
Ezekiel 37:1-14                  The Valley of Dry Bones
Luke 8:4-15, 22-56                Teaching and Healing             

One of the most amazing events in our lives is to experience a re-birth of something or someone left for dead.  Crushed, but not defeated were the words of Apostle Paul from our reading just two weeks ago.  It is one thing to be in the presence of one who is riding high, on top of the world, and has it all going their way.  It is entirely another thing to feel the power of one who was lost, but now is found; was blind, but now can see.  God’s grace  which leads to the new life of re-birth is always amazing.  I believe real worship happens when we yearn to feel God’s healing presence and witness to this Spirit in our midst.  I want that worship for me, and for you.

I am blessed to pass on a little piece I received this week on Jorge Acevedo, Pastor of Grace Church in Cape Coral and Olga Fort Myers Shores, Florida (www.egracechurch.com)  While we were experiencing a huge Sunday here at Salem last week with 479 people gathering for worship Pastor Acevedo was in the midst of an old fashioned two hour tent revival at his church in Florida with about 1700 folks.  Read on as he describes how the Spirit moved in new lives.

“After I preached, Matthew West sang "History" while 50 people transformed by Jesus walked to the center of the stage and held up a placard with a few words describing their life before Christ and then flipping it over with a few words describing their new life in Christ.  The most memorable one for me was Eugene's.  His old life sign said "Guilty, D65379."  This was his prisoner number.  Eugene spent 11 years in prison.  Then he flipped it and it read "Not Guilty.  Romans 3:24"  Our people went crazy.  Then Matthew West transitioned into his song "Only Grace."  The 50 people holding the placards stood in front of the congregation holding up their signs.  Tears flowed all over the tent.  Our people got it.  They saw what is at stake….”

We may want to think that this passage from Ezekiel is just a long ago story about some bones in a forgotten place.  We may try to even deny the power that the Gospel offers.  But the truth is that this is our story about our lives.  What does your placard say?  Are you willing to hold it high for others to see?  It is good for us to know that God is at work all over the kingdom as well as right here in our hearts.  As we move forward into that closer walk with our Savior, we find that our dead lives are being put right and healed.  And that my friends moves us all just a little closer to home.     Blessings,  Dave Weesner
  
Sunday Worship
Scripture: Ezekiel 37:1-14
Sermon Title: “Thus Says the Lord”

Thoughts for September 03, 2006

Scripture Readings Leading to
Sunday September 10, 2006

Exodus 1,2,3                        The Call of Moses
Luke 5:27-32, 6:12-16, 8:1-3, 19-21      Call of the Apostles             

Except for Abraham, Moses is probably the most important figure of the Old Testament.  God used Moses’ leadership to bring the people of God into the promised land.  No one else can claim that distinction.  He was prophet, priest, a person of justice, he acted with malice and grace.  He did it all.  
The story of Moses birth and call to service is by it’s self amazing and I plan to preach particularly about the women who’s disobedience made Moses life possible.  Sometimes a little civil disobedience can be a heavenly thing, but we must be careful to count the costs and ready to take responsibility for our actions.  The mid-wives were not willing to let the Hebrew children die as they were instructed.  They then lied to cover their actions.  Have you had an experience when this was your story as well?

The story takes the baby Moses into pharaoh’s house as a ward of pharaoh’s daughter.  He is given the Egyptian name Moses (say Mo-ses, like Ram-ses.)  He grew and was educated but felt the pain of the Hebrews who suffered in slavery.  He killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew slave.  Worried that he would be caught, he fled the country to the wilderness where he found a nomadic family who needed someone to watch the sheep.  It was here Moses encounter God in the burning bush.  Notice that Moses has narrowly escaped at every turn of his life.  In addition he has killed a man, lied to cover the death, and then fled as a fugitive.  If God was ever going to choose someone to use to save the people, this guy would have to be at the bottom of the list.  And yet, God works in mysterious ways, even in our lives.

You know the rest of the story.  Moses went back to Egypt and led the people out into the wilderness where they wandered for 40 years before finally entering the promised land of Israel.  We note that Moses did not enter, he died across the Jordan River.  Moses did not enter the land but through his faithfulness, he did move himself and all the people of God just a little closer to home.     Blessings,  Dave Weesner

Sunday Worship
Scripture: Exodus 1:15-21
Sermon Title: “When Being Bad, Isn’t”
    

Thoughts for August 27, 2006

Scripture Readings Leading to
Sunday September 03, 2006
2 Corinthians 4 & 5                   God’s Treasure
Luke 18:18-30               The Rich Young Man             

Non-Breakable; now there is a concept.  How many times over the years have we encountered something with the side tag of being non-breakable.  Too often I would guess.  My experience is that everything breaks eventually.  Perhaps the product could be promoted with the phrase almost non-breakable or pretty much non-breakable.  I get a good laugh out of stuff that is supposed to be rough and tough, the best thing on the market place, and then we find out it comes with almost no guarantee or warrantee.  A 30 day limited warrantee and non-breakable status do not go together.  

When I was a young man I believed I was unbreakable.  Most of us feel this way as a youth.  But as we grow and mature we have some hard knocks, make a few dumb mistakes and learn that we too are breakable.  It happens to all of us, none are immune from the tumbles of life.  And yet here is the funny thing; our culture seems to hold to the idea of unbreakable and even promotes it as a goal of a life lived to its fullest.  The other night I had the opportunity to see some of the X-games motorcycle stunt competition.  There were guys flying motorcycles 60 feet in the air, upside down, with out hanging on to the bike.  Most landed safely, a few bite the dirt and were out cold.  Nuts, these folks are nuts.  And yet I know that if some of the stunts I have done in my youth were on national TV you would be saying the same thing.  We all move to the edge of unbreakable at times in our lives; some lose their balance and go on over the edge.  None of us are non-breakable, no matter what we may think.

The Apostle Paul offers to the church in Corinth that we are like clay jars, highly breakable.  And inside these jars is a valuable treasure.  All this is so that the power of God may show through in everything we accomplish.  No matter what happens, even if our jar becomes broken in the course of its useful life, the treasure will remain and be established.  What we believe is this: God’s promise of grace for our sin will not be broken.  We believe life has the last word, not  death.  We believe God offers this extraordinary power to even ones like us.  And when we realize our physical lives are breakable, but that our Spiritual lives are unbreakable, non-breakable, and even come with a guarantee, we are moved just a little closer to home.     Blessings,  Dave Weesner
  
Sunday Worship
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:7-10
Sermon Title: “Not What I Wanted to Hear”