The Blog that Binds

I quit

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 10:28:45 -0500

One study said that “we” are loosing 300 preachers a year in the churches of Christ...ever wonder why?
Why I stopped preaching...
I got tired of spending 10 of my allotted 20 minutes every Sunday giving disclaimers to cover myself with people who ought to already know what I believe and don’t believe .... “I’m not saying this, and I’m not saying this and I am saying this....etc.”
I got tired of worship wars. People who want their personal preference in worship over that of everyone else. I actually had a brother say “the elders have no authority over me”- uh, duh, Hebrew 13:17. Worship should never be about us and what pleases us and everyone is fine with that statement until something they don’t like or something outside their comfort zone happens - then they scurry to prove it is “wrong” or (apparently) worse “liberal” or “narrow”. I got tired of administering the war by trying to hold the two extremes that exist together. I often wonder what God thinks of our “likes” and pushing for our agenda in this area. (Funny, I bet there will be more comments on this one than any other thing I say in this post)...and I’m not saying...Oh, sorry, read number one :)!
I wanted to go to church and worship without having to make sure I spoke to everyone not too much and not too little. Is there actually someone with a stop watch checking to see if I speak to “my friends” more than to “others”? The worst thing you can do is become a friend of the preacher - he can never talk to you then! I once said, “Don’t try to talk to me long on Sunday morning, I’m trying to talk to everyone and trying to welcome our guests. If you need to talk wait around about 10-15 minutes and I’ll give you as much time as you need.” Then someone said: “You think you are too good to speak to the members and told us not to talk to you...” “I didn’t say...” - arrggg...that’s number one again!
I got tired of hearing - “a lot of people are upset and threatening to leave” when I knew it was them and two other people who they gossip with and constantly tear down the church in front of (one of the two was probably their wife). The threat also gets old after about the 21st time it comes. These are the people who kill preachers!
I got tired of spending all day Monday and Tuesday putting out fires that other people started. “No, I didn’t know ____ happened...Of course I think that shouldn’t have happened...Are you sure of your facts...Have you talked to them...Yes, I’m sure we need a sermon on (take your pick: respect, modesty, how we treat each other, “any” first principle subject)...”
I wanted to not have to worry about what the contribution was, the numbers were more than if I/we worshipped God that day! “We had under 2 million present today - that must mean something bad.”
I got tired of my work being judged by how many people were present even when elders, negative members, backward thinking people were the ones who were continually running people off, creating disunity or making stupid decisions that resulted in the same.
I got tired of people leaving and lying about why. The classic happened 13 years ago. A young family left the congregation and said it was because of the “direction” of the church. I found out three years later it was because the husband was having an affair and thought the elders had found out and were going to tell his wife. She eventually found out but not from them - they didn’t know about it. You can about put money on it that when someone leaves a congregation the reason they give is not the reason they left.
I got tired of a sermon being judged by people who were totally unspiritual. I got cursed at by a member one time when I used the word “condom” in the pulpit. That language was totally inappropriate I was told. Only the language used to tell me had actual sinful words used to communicate that! Or there was the time that I preached that Sunday night services were not “ordained” by God but still should be attended because the elders had set that time aside for the spiritual growth of the church. After the service I was told by a brother who DIDN’T even attend on Sunday nights that I was leading the church down the road to apostasy.
I got sick of being served for lunch by people who didn’t have the common decency to come talk to me face to face but made sure I heard how mad they were.
I got tired of people judging a sermon based on if it was critical of others, parroted their pet hobby or scratched their itch. Want to cause a mini riot. Preach on what people NEED rather than on what they want to hear. As long as you extol the evils of drunkenness, denominationalism and the demoralization of America you are fine. But talk about sins that people in the congregation are guilty of and you’ll start a fire!
I got tired of sermons and services being sabotaged by others.
I got tired of being misquoted.
I got tired of hurting people without meaning to. And worse, not knowing it because the sweet person is too nice to come and talk to you about how they were hurt.
I got tired of being held to a standard higher than God holds me to and without grace.
I got tired of having to constantly “take it to the next level” when no one else was expected to. “And, we think it is time to take it to the next level...so YOU have to do ______.” Yeah, and what are you guys gonna actually do other than tell me to take it to the next level?
I got tired of people saying I only worked one day a week when I was working 80+ hours on a light week and 90 to 100 on most.
I got tired of people thinking that I was getting rich when I went to be a guest speaker somewhere else. I rarely get even fair milage!
I got tired of being reviewed...and reviewed and reviewed.
I got tired of preaching brothers judging me without knowing me...what was that about love believing the best?
I got tired of having to constantly encourage but rarely being reciprocated.
I got tired of being taken for granted incrementally more with each passing month. Do you know that is why most preachers eventually leave?
I just got tired...
No, I’m not quitting it’s in my blood and I don’t intend on quitting today or ever. It is the greatest work in the world and I love it. It is so very rewarding BUT I wanted you to see some of why guys do quit and maybe help you to help encourage your preaching brothers. I assure you they need it.

The Little Folks Class

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 08:03:50 -0500

Memories are wonderful things. The ripest of them come to term at the most wonderful of times. One hit me last week. It was of being in the old Woodlawn building on the front row sitting on those old “uncushioned” white oak church pews for “the class”. It was always a good “kid kind of cold” in that building. Let me tell you more.
There are just certain things that are such a part of your life you begin to think they just ARE. That is how my dad’s “Little Folks Class” was when I was growing up. I can’t remember the first time I got to go to it, I imagine it was when I turned 3 but I can remember even before that wanting to be a part of it. Watching the “big kids” and thinking how much I wanted to be in it. Dad would begin the class by leading Jesus Loves Me or The B-I-B-L-E and then he would ask questions that the class would shout out the answers in unison. The harder questions we’d sort of “follow a leader” who knew the answer and then dad would ask it again and we’d all get it. To this day I can answer those questions I learned at age 3 or 4. It was simple repetition and it worked wonderfully for all of us.
We’d all be on the front pew or two in the old Woodlawn building 15 minutes before the worship service began on Sunday evenings. Sometimes there would be 4 or 5 kids but most of the time there would be 10 or more if memory serves me right. It was big stuff. For a few years we’d all get dressed up and head up to channel 6 in Birmingham and sit on little risers and dad would ask the Bible questions right there, live as channel 6 advertised “in living color”.
I asked dad about some of the specifics of the class. He couldn’t quite remember if the idea came from a brother Estes or Jack Rollings over in Athens, AL. But he started conducting the “Little Folks Class” in 1954 when he was still in college but already preaching at the Union church over near Decatur, AL. The class was for kids ages 3-10. He conducted it in the auditorium so the adults could learn the Bible facts as well! And the time would always end with one of the little boys leading the prayer.
When I first started preaching I thought part of “being a preacher” was conducting a “Little Folks Class.” I had one at Eva and then at Hamilton. I wasn’t too hot at conducting the class so they both died out but I think it may be time to “break one out at Spring Meadows”! Preacher friends, you might look in to it too. Dad was even gracious enough to send along some questions. He didn’t include the answers, but I know those, learned them before I could read thanks to the Little Folks Class!
Example of Questions:
1. Who made everything?
2. Where do we read about God?
3. Spell B-I-B-L-E
4. Two major divisions of the Bible.
5. How many books in Bible?
6. How many books in O.T.?
7. How many books in N.T.?
8. About how many men wrote the Bible?
9. Over a period of how many years?
10. What did God make on the first day?
11. What did God make on the second day?
12. Third day?
13. Fourth day?
14. Fifth day?
15. Sixth day?
16. What did God do on the seventh day?
17. Who was the first man?
18. Who was the first woman?
19. Where did they live?
20. Name 2 trees in the Garden.
21. Of all the trees in the garden, which were they not to eat?
22. What was the punishment for eating the forbidden fruit?
23. What kept them from reentering the garden?
24. Name three sons of Adam and Eve.
25. Who killed Abel?
26. What question did Cain ask?
27. Who built the ark?
28. Wood used in building the ark?
29. Number of doors, widows?
30. How many of each unclean animal?
31. How many pairs of the clean animals?
32. What is a clean animal?

DRILL AS TIME PERMITS. . .
Thanks dad, not just for the list, but for teaching me.

Who

Tue, 1 Jun 2010 02:19:16 -0500

I’ve not been able to get my old friend Ron off my mind. Ron died a few months ago and he has lurked in the corners of my mind ever since for a couple of grand quotes that seem to grow more meaningful as the years go by.
I don’t even know when I first met Ron Davis. He served on the board of Maywood Christian Camp so I met him before I got to know him, if you know what I mean. But I do know when I got to know him. It was in 1988 nearly a quarter of a century ago. I was the too young preacher at the Hamilton church. I was 25. Incidentally, they had hired me not because of me, but because they loved and revered my dad and hoped I could bring some of “his magic” to that great church. But that gets a little away from the story. I suppose what is most germane is that they were incredibly patient with me and that is part of why I love them to this day.
Ron Davis: One of the older elders at Hamilton told me within a week of my moving there “The name Ron Davis will open any door in this town.” Ron was not a man rich by most standards but by sheer power of good influence the Davis name had become synonymous with all that was right and good in that town.
So Ron and I were out driving one day when Ron made one of two statements that I’ll never forget. He said: “You know Dale that the people who loved and supported W.T. (the previous preacher) are the same ones who will love and support your work.” He was right and that really makes sense to me now. I suppose that shouldn’t be a shock - if he preached the Gospel and loved the People and I preach the Gospel and love the People we are on the same page regardless on how different we might be in other ways. I amazed at the number of preachers who seem to be jealous an/or suspicious of their fellow “earthen vessels”.
Just as meaningful was a question he asked me. Just out of the blue he asked once when we were together - “Who counsels the counselor?” Truthfully I was too young to fully get the impact of the question. I carry so many secrets from people who have shared with me stuff I can never tell that I times I feel like the national vault (I’m not sure what that sentence means but I figure you get it). So much of it I don’t know what to do with. How many times a week have I heard: “I just need to talk to someone...” or “Don’t tell anybody about this but...” There’s stuff that if the elders knew it it would explain much, there’s stuff that everyone believes to be trust that is not. I’m blessed and blessed but I still often think when the pressure is on strong or when I learn yet again something I wish I’d never learned - who counsels the counselor.
Ron was a blessing for many reasons, just thought I’d share these two with you.

Three big things

Mon, 24 May 2010 09:43:34 -0500

Big news you can use, one through three...
I’ve got three big things to share with you today that I’m happy about - hope you will be too:
1. This shout out goes to my brother, Jeff: Nearly a year ago I started looking for someone to produce an iPhone/iPod application for Spring Meadows. Then when the iPad came out I intensified my look. I envisioned an app that would launch our directory, that could be used for guests to register on, for people to fill out new member forms “on the spot” or involvement forms. That would take people to our webpage or a sermon site. I even looked into trying to figure it out myself (wow, I just “thought” I was a geek). Then a week ago my brother told me about a fellow who was developing one for the Lewisville church. I contacted him immediately to see if he would make one for Spring Meadows. Within hours he had already started and within two days he had the app built and submitted. I anticipate it taking about two weeks before our app goes live. The app is very “clean” and useable and flexible. The builder is a brother and he is very reasonable on the cost for the app. He’s also easy to work with. Tyler Brassfield has been the campus minister for the congregation in Wilburton, Oklahoma. If you are interested in learning more about his work you can find it on this website at: www.316apps.com. You can email Tyler at tbrass84@yahoo.com. Now, makes sure you tell him Dale, not Jeff, told you to contact him :)!!!

1. You know those big blow-up balloons? Back “in the day” there was only the “moonwalk” - but you’ve seen them today, right? Now they’re called “inflatables”. There are all sorts of games and climbing stuff. You know you’ve wanted one for your big event. Well we have a brother and fellow minister who is part owner of a company in our region (Middle Tennessee, Southern Kentucky, North Alabama)! I was shocked at how reasonable he was with his prices. I’d suggest you put his name on file or just go ahead and schedule him for your next event. It is Chris Webb at Centerville, TN - chris@centervillechurchofchrist.org. See them at inflataworld.com

1. Now this one I’m pretty stoked about! October 11-12 the first ever “MinistryGeek Powwow” will convene in Spring Hill! This will be helpful to a lot of guys - AND we are giving away an iPad! http://www.TheMinistryGeek.Net/powwow Michael Hite, Caleb O’Hara and I will work together to share as much good, practical, usable, understandable tools for ministers as you will find anywhere in two days. Go ahead, check it out, register. You’ll be glad you did!

The Sad Life of A Preacher

Thu, 13 May 2010 23:38:10 -0500

The sad life of a preacher -
• 600 people are present and you are making a list of the 30 who aren’t and are so concerned about them you find it hard to rejoice.
• 100 people tell you the event that just happened was one of the most meaningful, interconnecting, uniting helpful things they have ever experience and your heart breaks because one sister who wasn’t a part of the powerful event says things aren’t going well.
• 200 people place membership, are baptized or restored in a year and you are counting the 10 who left.
• One or two people who love to complain, gripe and only raise their hand to gossip, belittle or criticize affect the mood and emotions of the whole Body.
• The church praises a lesson and you feel the stab of one brother/sister who misinterpreted it.
• You feel a heartbeat of satisfaction that your study and dedication helped in bringing a lesson that blessed some people’s like and then you remember Sunday comes in 7 days.
• You struggle with the darkness in your own heart and the besetting sins of your own life.

That is the life...a mixture of blessings a burdens. Change the numbers, it doesn’t matter if it’s 100 or 1000 the story is the same. I have lived it for 30+ years.
Anyone who stays in this life does not do it for glory, recognition, riches or a peaceful, easy life - but because of a love for the Lord. I am blessed to preach - it is all I know and all I want to do BUT someone has to let people know the emotions and to let younger guys know they are not alone in what they face.

The joyful life of a preacher - you get to be a part of peoples’ life. You get to partner with God in salvation. You get to proclaim “Good News”! There is nothing like it! All the other is “small potatoes” in comparison!

Rejoice with me

Mon, 10 May 2010 13:26:45 -0500

I hope you will...

The last few days would be difficult to describe. So much good has happened and some of it I can’t even tell yet. But my heart is full.

Let’s start with Saturday. There were two events you need to hear about:

First, our youngest son, Andrew and Kadee were united in marriage. It was a unique and beautiful outdoor ceremony. The table is set for this young couple. Her granddad (Calvin Barber) is a preacher and her dad is an elder. Both of his granddad’s are preachers and his dad is as well. She is beautiful and full of life. But the commitment is now their’s to live out. I am thankful and proud of both my sons and my daughter-in-laws.

While I was busy with the wedding an event was going on at Spring Meadows beyond anything I can fully describe - but I’ll give it a stab! About six weeks ago we got a call from former mayor and assistant postmaster Danny Leverette asking if we thought we could get the help to be the local group to take the food from the local Stamp Out Hunger effort here. It’d take a massive number of volunteers but we could end up getting as much as 1-5 tons of food. Two angels, Kelly and Teri, led the work. Roughly 125 people came yesterday to drive, be runners, get the food, weight the food, sort the food and organize the food for distribution. EVERY detail was handled to perfection. The amount of help and the spirit of the helpers was classic SM!!! How smooth and how joyfully the Family here worked was a work of God. From our preschool children all the way up people worked hard and worked together and worked with joy! When it was all said and done over 13,000 pounds of food or 6 1/2 tons of food (more than we imagined) was collected.

And then there was today. A great day of worship. Huge crowds (577 this morning), outstanding singing and the day ended with a baptism of a junior in high school. She and her mom just decided to start coming to church here! But some of our great kids and Andy have been an influence on here. We are blessed by that choice.
 Rejoice with me...we are blessed.

singing

Tue, 4 May 2010 22:28:09 -0500

So, I preach (hence the name of the podcast) and I am blessed to preach a lot. I have elders who want me to preach, brethren who ask me to preach and a God who allows me to preach. Preaching a lot means that I preach in a lot of different places (I’m allowed 4 Sundays a year but several additional Wednesdays and any other time I can preach on a day or night other than those I take.

Last year I was asked to come preach for a church in West Virginia by a guy who listens to the podcast and follows the blog. I was looking forward to it, for one thing I had never preached in WV before and for another from his descriptions they had worked hard and were excited about the meeting. This was not to be “just a meeting to have a meeting because we think we ought to have a meeting every year.”

I didn’t know till shortly before arriving that it was a “smaller” (a relative term) church. On a normal Sunday they’ll have 60-70 present. All of this is prelude to a point.

I’ve preached at hundreds of places over the last 30 years but I have NEVER preached at a place regardless of size that had better singing than this little West Virginia church!!! They filled the building there with massive and beautiful praise. After the second night I decided to try to figure out what made their singing so extraordinary.

This is where it gets interesting. They didn’t really see it as that special. To them it was just singing praises to God. I guess I expected to hear them say they practiced a lot, emphasized singing, had great leaders, or something like that. But most everyone said - “we just sing.” And they do. Tuesday night I looked around, every man, woman and child - except one was singing. Their song leader is good, but (and no criticism is intended here), he’s not the best by any measure. They sang old hymns and new devotional songs. Didn’t seem to matter which they were singing - everyone just sang. They used three different song leaders over the five day meeting. But it didn’t matter who was leading, they all just sang.

On Friday night before the service began they had these great folks sing a few songs (they are known variously as: Harmony Four and Father and Son).

It was refreshing. I would wish every church, every Christian would learn from these kind Christians. Just sing cause you want to sing. Why wouldn’t a Christian do that? And that is the secret to great congregational singing! Sing, be pleasing to God. Sing, because you want to praise Him. Sing!