I was struck by the Common English Bible’s use of the word “community” in this lectionary passage for this coming Sunday. It makes me think about the community I live in and serve amongst.

Where may God be calling forth a prophet from among my community today? How would I know when there is a prophet in our midst?

Keep reading, and we hear God say, “I’ll put my words in his mouth and he will tell them everything I command him” (vs. 18b). God’s word will be on the lips of the prophet.

I hope I will keep my ears open to whom is speaking the word of God in my community today. I hope you will too.

This post is written as a part of the CEB blog tour. I received a complimentary copy of the Common English Bible for my participation. You may receive a copy as well by commenting below. One person will be selected at random of all those who comment by 7 a.m. CST, Tuesday, January 31. Sorry, but only U.S. addresses are eligible for the complimentary CEB.

How do we welcome into our worshiping community the growing numbers of young people with cultural backgrounds different from our own? (A UMNS photo by Shalom Agtarap)

Last week I suggested having a monthly worship time utilizing the gifts of all the diverse peoples in a community. What would that look like and how would it come about?

First, one needs a team of people to guide this that would include many persons from the various parts of the community one seeks to reach. A good place to start would be the leadership teams of the various existing worshiping congregations in the community. The people on the new team need to be committed to the idea of being God’s community together, utilizing the shared gifts of all.

My vision is not of rotating which cultural group is taking lead. It is not to be worship in the Hispanic tradition one month, an Asian tradition the next, and the Euro-American tradition the third month. Rather, multiple traditions, and even languages, need to be woven together so that all God’s people celebrate the glory of God’s creation.

Sure, there will need to be some variation month to month to engage the different traditions in each part of the service, but care must still be taken that all parts connect to the whole as in any typical worship service. The primary purpose of this time is not to highlight the many cultures, but to worship God. If combining specific items becomes a detriment to worship, then please end that particular combination.

There are reasons worship has remained segregated for many years even as the United States has become more diverse and integrated.  Nevertheless, I believe we can find a way to worship together. We must explore that possibility through attempts at putting it into practice. A monthly service, separate from normal worship times would allow for the building of a multicultural worshiping community without disrupting already existing experiences.

A multicultural choir sings at a United Methodist event in 2008. (A UMNS photo by Kathy Gilbert)

One of my main concerns for the church is building a community of diverse peoples. This has been a concern of mine from childhood when one of my favorite songs said “red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight.” I have wanted to bring all of God’s precious children together, but have struggled to envision how to bring that about.

Recently, I read about “Women’s Worship” and a Children First worship time. One common suggestion was to create a monthly worship service addressed around the needs of the specific community. Could this be a way to begin a worship time intended for an audience of many ethnic and cultural backgrounds?

First off, let me say that I am not trying to segregate the worshiping community. Ethnically and culturally, we are already highly segregated in worship. Even the congregation where I currently worship, which prides itself on its diversity, finds itself segregated from Hispanic and Asian worshiping communities that use its facilities. I am looking for a way to bring people together.

I envision a monthly service at a time separate from any current worship time. It would be a time to highlight the gifts of many in the community in ways that are not regularly done in the weekly worship services of any group. Yes, language barriers will need to be addressed. However, the purpose would be to worship God together with each other as the diverse people God made us to be. While we may not understand every single word spoken, we should be able to understand the love of God flowing through our neighbors.

House Speaker John Boehner (Photo: Andy Wiltrout. Some rights reserved.)

Alright! I have avoided much overtly political conversation on this blog to date, but the Federal government’s inability to work out a debt deal is driving me crazy. It is time for the different factions in Congress to split into their own parties. This is not to say that they cannot form coalitions to elect house-wide leadership or to pass bills. However, we need to free up the leadership and each parties’ membership to state their true alliances.

The main divide we see right now is between the House Speaker John Boehner-led Republican old guard and those most often cited as being backed by the Tea Party. It is time for the Tea Party to formally become a political party with its own members of Congress. This would make the lines between each group much more clear so that the various groups may focus on what is really important to them and their constituents.

Of course the real question here is whether the Tea Party is more powerful working through the Republican Party or separate from it. Boehner and the Republican old guard have the most to lose from a formal split with Tea Party backers. They would either have to give more power to the Tea Party in order to maintain a coalition or switch to working more closely with the Democrats. Even without a formal split, that’s what seems to be happening. Boehner’s trying to figure out whether he and the Republican Party have more to lose by bending more to Tea Party supporters or toward Democratic members. Republicans gained control of the House because of Tea Party support, but at least some Democrats are needed to get a deal into law.

I have been in support of a multi-party system for many years. I would love to see more choices throughout the political spectrum. I am tired of a one-on-one party fight, and now I’m tired of an internal party fight. Let’s break into a multi-party system, coming together where we have agreement and finding other partners when we don’t. The people of the United States deserve to know where their political leadership truly stands.

I joined Toastmasters nearly four years ago, shortly after being laid off from my first full-time paid job, which I had held for five years. The economy was beginning to collapse, and I was anxious about my search for new employment. I was a certified Christian communicator and a clergy member of the United Methodist Church, but I was not confident in my own ability to communicate orally either in a job interview or a future place of employment.

For years my parents, both former Toastmasters, encouraged me to seek out a local Toastmasters club. However, it was the lack of employment and the advice of a career counselor that finally gave the kick that I desperately needed. Fortunately there was a Toastmasters club meeting just around the block from my home.

Upon joining Nashville Toastmasters, I quickly learned to listen carefully to what people where saying and doing when they are speaking or leading a meeting. The evaluation aspect of Toastmasters is one of the most powerful aspects of the program. Evaluation in Toastmasters is very supportive and encouraging while also addressing the areas that need work. We do pick a best speaker of each meeting, but it is more a time for encouragement than it is a time of putting one on a pedestal. Everyone who is a member of Toastmasters knows that we all came with something to learn. Therefore, we know that we were once that new person who struggles to get out a sentence without saying “um” ten times.

I listen now. I pause before speaking. I am much more able to facilitate a meeting without it turning into an argument. I am grateful for Toastmasters and am looking forward to this new year as Area Governor.

There are many parts that make up a full Christian education program.

I just spent this afternoon brainstorming with the minister of discipleship in my local congregation. We are in the process of developing a holistic program for spiritual formation to begin this fall. Already our spiritual formation team has determined six general areas that need to be covered: Scripture, beliefs, worship & sacraments, daily life, living mission and United Methodism. We believe that every member of our United Methodist congregation needs to develop an understanding of these six areas. Therefore, we need to make sure that our congregation regularly teaches each of these areas at some point during the year.

Ideally each Sunday school class will cover each area, as will the preaching, during the course of the year. The task of our discipleship team, minister and team chair (myself) is to determine other programs to supplement the preaching and Sunday school classes. Not every person is in a Sunday school class and not every class is as effective in addressing all six areas.

Today, we began our work by considering the person new to this congregation and perhaps new to faith. People in this context need a program that answers the question of who we are as Christians, as United Methodists and as members of this local congregation. The program will need to prepare persons to make a decision on whether to join the congregation and perhaps even to make a profession of faith.

Yes, there are plenty of resources that provide guidance for this type of program. We will likely tap several of them either for this initial course or at some other point in our calendar. However, our goal is to present the uniqueness of our congregational context while also paying attention to the needs of those who pass through our doors. In this manner, we will fulfill the mission of the United Methodist Church “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”

Are more people having kids before marriage? (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)

The Census Bureau, as reported by the New York Times, shows that for the first time most households in the United States do not contain any married couples. I am disappointed, but not surprised by these numbers. Society has done little to support and advocate for marriage. Indeed, most states deny marriage to a portion of their population. However, that is by no means the only factor we need to address in order to build back up the number of married families in the United States.

The New York Times article says that women with only a high school diploma are less likely to marry the fathers of their children than in the past. The Census does not give us reasons for this; however, the Times suggests economic instability as a factor. If that is the case, one way to increase the number of marriages is to provide stable employment for those without college degrees. I encourage our government to do more to strengthen this segment of the job market.

The Times also says that most people in the United States still will be married at some point in their lives. However, people marry later and many do not stay married. The economic stability issue would certainly help here as well, as would a greater emphasis on understanding marital vows both before and during a marriage.

It is possible that some people marry later so that they have more time to understand what it means to be married. That is a good thing. Even so, I think society should also look at the value of getting married before having children or even before sexual relations. The latter may be the hardest part to argue for in today’s society, but it is such a wonderful thing to keep the sexual relationship solely within the bonds of the holy commitment of marriage.

This report from the Times leaves me with more questions than answers. I would love to see more of the actual data, though data will only get us so far. I am curious which states have seen growth in the number of married households. What are the factors that lead toward growth there? I hope the government, business community, churches and other parts of civil society will step up to strengthen married households and promote the meaning and benefits of marriage. Not everyone should get married, but we can do more to build stronger families and thus stronger communities.

Christ was in pain when he entered Jerusalem on the fateful day. He knew what lay ahead of him. Surely he would have loved it if the march on Jerusalem signified a turning to God, but Christ knew it would not be enough. Similarly, Martin Luther King, Jr., surely would have loved for his march on Washington to signify an end to racism. However, he knew the journey was not over and that he “may not get there” with us.

Martin Luther King is not God as Jesus is, but King gave his life in service to Christ. Both died so that others may live in freedom. However, the story is still not over. Even though the people of Christ are now leaders of many nations, we still see pain and suffering throughout the world and within predominately Christian societies. Even though a black man is now President of the United States, racism continues to be present in this country, even within the government that he leads.

The journey is not over. We must remember the sacrifices that Christ and Martin Luther King made for us. We must continue to strive for holy peace and the end of all prejudice and injustice. The march on Jerusalem was not the end of the story, but neither is Christ’s death and resurrection. I know I need to find a way to bring about truly Christ’s, and King’s, beloved community. How about you?

Do we display only the outward form of Christ or do we fully embody his faith?

The second of John Wesley’s Standard Sermons gets at the question of what it means to be Christian. He looks first at how one may be almost a Christian and then concludes with what it means to be a Christian altogether.

It is important to note that even Wesley lived for many years as “almost a Christian.” He is open to the idea that many who attend worship services and live and think of themselves in many ways as being a Christian are, instead, almost Christian. Wesley does not condemn the almost Christian, but encourages such a person to strive for the faith that makes one “altogether a Christian.”

I don’t know if I am quite altogether a Christian at this point. I certainly desire to be, but at times I feel that I am lacking even in the qualities of an almost Christian. The almost Christian is one whom Wesley says is “having a form of godliness.” The form of godliness is the outward appearance of being in right relationship with God and Christ. One with the form of godliness goes beyond the idea of being honest and committed to justice. There are many people who have no desire to be Christian who are honest, truthful and committed to justice. One needs to actually help other people as long as they are able if one desires to be almost a Christian.

Those in the form of godliness also avoid excesses, seek peace, and honestly seek to help even those who are considered enemies. Though almost Christians help their enemies, they still speak against evil and help those who need assistance in improving their lives. The almost Christian will even encourage others to repent of their sin and turn to God. They continue to have some sincerity of an “inward principle of religion” and a “real design to serve God.”

Wesley calls us to step further in order to be altogether a Christian. Wesley says we need to rejoice only in God our savior. That is, we must do ALL things for the glory of God. We must love God and love our neighbor. We need to love our neighbors, including our enemies, not just when it is convenient. The altogether a Christian is a “servant of all” and “thinketh no evil.” Most importantly, the Christian altogether trusts in God, knows that our sins are forgiven through Christ, and feels the love of God.

John Wesley was very interested in pushing people to turn more closely to Christ and not just play a role. He was not satisfied with being almost a Christian and hoped that all who heard his words would move forward toward being altogether a Christian. I desire this for myself. How are you doing?

The Society of St. Andrews distributes food in Jackson, Miss.

I am becoming more convinced that in order to teach the Gospel, we need to get outside of the church building and interact with God’s people. Without living, acting and interacting in faith we are only “almost Christian.” Christian faith cannot be solely intellectual. You can believe God exists and not follow God. You can believe Christ is the Son of God and not follow Christ. There is so much more to being a disciple.

So, to lead people into discipleship, we must lead people out onto the streets where people are living the faith every day. I know I need to build into our curriculum the time to get out and learn from those who are already living Christ-like lives. I’m not the expert on faithful living. I lack so much in fully putting Christ first in my life. I know I get too caught up in the business of the church that I don’t spend enough time living with those who love and who need love.

I am afraid of what this means. I am afraid to feel the pain of the world. I am afraid I will be hurt in ways greater than I have ever felt before. However, Christ already took the greatest pain onto himself. He suffered way more than anything I could possibly ever be put through. Why can’t I take just a minor step to meet the Children of God right where they are?

This will be a tough journey. I need to share it with others so that we can hold each other accountable for our path to discipleship. I don’t know what form this will take. I have no specific next step in mind, but I know that I must move forward. God is calling me, and I must answer to the one who loves me deeply.