FROM TIME TO TIME- 'Perspectives'

Every once in a while it's good to hold perspective.  Every once in a while we realize the compass gets dropped or we've turned the corner to a path unfamiliar and undesired or we've listened to the voice of one who does not have a our best interest at heart!  "From time to time"... the old saying goes... and it's biblical... part of the work and rest... the rhythm of being fruitful and experiencing 'sabbath/rest' ... from time to time to stop and change the oil... from time to time... to stop and smell the roses...and bring some to the one we love the most!  From time to time to review the highs and lows of life... from time to time to tend to the grace that is gift to us in order to continue on after that time of self-assessment... from time to time to consider the brevity of life and  the desire to be a partner in the community being built for us and around us and within us... from time to time... make a short list of the important matters of the mission and ministry of the men in the Gulf Coast synod... so, let me tend to some BIG rocks and let you know this...

 

 

 

1. All the men in all of our congregations are involved in this work!  How is your congregation's men's ministry keeping track of how this is going and who is tending to what? 

    2. The Vision: "that every man have a growing relationship with Jesus Christ through an effective men's ministry in every congregation."

 

    3. National ELCA LMM web-link: http://www.lutheranmeninmission.org/.  This is a great place to begin when looking for ideas and opportunities for men's ministry in your corner of the kingdom.

 

    4.  The Gulf Coast connection: http://gulfcoastmen.blogspot.com/ to find information, inspiration, a place to connect and event calendar.  YOUR ON IT RIGHT NOW!

    5.  LMM Synod FACEBOOK page:
                         https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/322608116647/

    6. Synod Leaders:

• President: Mark Dentler (Advent/Houston) markdentler@sbcglobal.net
• 1st VP: EJ Hanhart (St. Paul's/ Baton Rouge) ejhanhart@gmail.com
• 2nd VP: Velon Burnett (Messiah/Cypress) mvburnett@sbcglobal.net
• Secretary: Doug Eaton (St. Martin's/Sugarland) doug_eaton@att.net
• Treasurer: Ps. Sam Brannon (St. Paul's / Columbus) sambrannon@gmail.com
• Synod Men's Ministry Coordinator: Rev. Dr. Brian Gigee (New Life/Pearland) brian@newlifelutheran.com

Please keep this information available as these men stand ready to help...

        7.  EVENTS:

• 2013 Synod Assembly Men's "Breakfast Break-Out" Saturday May 18 @ Camp Allen. Speaker: Mr. Rich White, LMM National President
• "Disciple Project" @ TLU June 24 - 28 "MEN @ WORK" (Leadership Training for Year-Round Men's Ministry)

• you can get started here:  http://gulfcoastsynod.org/events/the-disciple-project/

• Fall Men's Leadership Gathering @ Camp Lutherhill "One Year to Live" Retreat September 19-20-21, 2013
• Tri-Synod Men's Huddle: March 21,22 & 23, 2014 @ Briarwood Retreat Center (NTNL Synod hosts)  This is the PRE-Gathering to the National LMM event (see below!)

     8.  NEXT National LMM Gathering:

• The National LMM Gathering/Assembly will be held in Nashville, TN July18-19-20, 2014. The Pre-Assembly gathering is July 17 - 18, Assembly (Business Meeting).
• The theme is : "GUYS, GUTS AND GOD'S GLORY." This promises to be an exciting gathering in a fun city to visit. If you have not already done so at your synod LMM gatherings this year, please elect or chose delegates (voting members) to represent your synod to vote on issues and elections at the assembly.
• Hopefully, the 3 synods from TX and LA will have a significant contingent attend and return to our respective synods with renewed faith and energy to keep tending to this important work.

      9. SYNOD PROJECT:

• At this year's annual gathering in February our men voted to help complete a project at Principe' de Paz in Houston.  Doug McNaughton of Holy Comforter will take the point!
• Principe' de Paz's pastor, the Rev. Adriana Johnson-Rivas has a growing outreach to families via a 'soccer' ministry to families.  They have 1 good field but room for 3 fields including upgrading Field # 1 to a tournament a field and building some bleachers and a stand for refreshments.  This will take some planning and 'hands on' plus some financial support to complete.  Ps. Pedro Suarez, our synod's Director for Evangelical Mission will also assist us in this plan.  Pray.  Stand by.  Step up.  It's on !

    10.  GENERAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT:

• Over the years, all congregations have been asked "from time to time" to share a financial gift to the ELCA's LMM national campaign but to also share a gift to support the 4 "LOVE PROJECTS" of our Gulf Coast Synod LMM  1) Camp Lutherhill; 2) TLU; 3) Synod LYO; and 4) the mission of LMM's support staff.  If your congregation has sent a gift this year...thank you... and if you have not will you please send a gift to Ps. Sam Brannon (mark "Gulf Coast LMM") at St. Paul's LC  PO Box 267  Columbus, Texas 78934.

From time to time it is good for us to stop and check our oil, check our compass and see that we are on a path that leads to life and listen to the voice of the one who calls us from darkness into his marvelous light!  It was no coincedence that Luther picked a 'rose' for his crest of faith!

 

One man @ a time; no man left behind,

 

     Brian

 

            Gulf Coast Men's Ministry Coordinator

"HANDLING THE TRUTH---When Jesus Calls Us Out!"

To All the King's Men,
 
Here's something every preacher hates to admit...
 

There's never just one sermon on Sunday.  It's more like 3 or 4 and maybe even 5.  At the end of any given Sunday, there's the sermon that got written... the sermon that got preached... the sermon that should have been preached (this one shows up about 4:30-5:00 Sunday afternoon)... the one that got heard... and are you ready?... the one parishoners wished they'd heard.  Maybe you have even another one ...

 

But, which ever one won out this past week, this is my reflection on the message I thought I preached on Sunday, SEP 9... as I flipped back and forth from the 2nd lesson and the appointed Gospel text for the day....

 

A rendering from last Sunday's texts in St. Mark and the Letter of James...

First from St. Mark...chapter 7... Jesus is confronted by the religious leaders about ignoring rather than tending to and respecting Hebrew ritual and especially the part about eating with 'defiled' hands... which Jesus' disciples apparently became experts at... and ...in response this is what happened...

"When he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18He said to them, “Then do you also fail to understand? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile, 19since it enters, not the heart but the stomach, and goes out into the sewer?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20And he said, “It is what comes out of a person that defiles. 21For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, 22adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. 23All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Did I catch that?  It is that which is IN me and comes OUT of me that is defiling to the world... I had some surgery this past Summer... The doc said I had a bad case of diverticulitis.  So they cut me open and did a bit of selective tissue reduction and he said, "it'll be OK now," but I forgot to ask him if he saw any of the stuff Jesus mentioned... that stuff inside me which defiles....I should have asked...because you really don't want to know what I said about the barber who cut my hair last weekend shorter than it's been since the opening of HS basketball practice in October of 1971.  Really.  My regular hair cutter was ill.  So, I took chair # 2 and was clear about how I wanted my hair cut. But, I guess I should have not closed my eyes while sitting in the chair and by the time I got home after multiple glances in the car's rear view mirror and a more detailed look in the mirror on the bathroom wall...well a sailor would have had a tough time keeping up with the things I said about barber # 2 and her parents and dog... So, Jesus was right... and it was only a bad haircut that got my heart to unload...for any of us...it doesn't take much...

 

And from the Letter of James, the brother of Jesus...

 

"But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. 23For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; 24for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. 25But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing. 26If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. 27Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the polluted world."  -James 1:22-27

 
Is this a truth we can handle?  Is this a truth we dare not ignore?  Here's the short lesson and cause for why "church" is such a critical and urgent concern in our 21st century culture...or in this case...why I'm convinced that the efforts we make in our ministry with men carry far more weight than just a suggestion...

 

1. James sets the tone ...asking: what is 'pure' and 'undefiled' religion before God? Exchange the word, "religion" here for the word, "worship." It fits better and reflects the original intent;
2. Two things, James writes, point to our 'worship' life... a) our personal and collective care for widows and orphans; AND b) keeping ourselves unstained by the polluted world. This is difficult, essential and eternal work!
3. Note that James said, "be doers of the WORD"... not doer of words... Jesus his brother is the WORD of God, to be worshipped and followed and emulated in the world;
4. If Jesus is on target...and I think he is... then I need to be more concerned about my own sin and less concerned about the sin of others as mission priority;
5. But, if I am just 1 of almost 7 billion people who are full of 'defilement' then I don't stand a chance to be pure and holy... as everyday I'm bombarded with the 'defilement' of others. That's the truth and I still have to handle it...but man, oh man... it seems to be a daunting task;
6. Thus, our good works, can never save us and only God's grace is deep enough and high enough and wide enough to cover all the defilement of the world. Simply put, the "cross of Jesus" does it and it is enough. It is and will always be enough!  His resurrection from the dead announces that we have power to walk away from sin, evil and death to pursue and live a new life.
7. The Mark passage, then catches the world off guard.  We sense we have the whole of life in the balance... but honestly.... we seem to have a difficult time handling this truth!

 But, what powerful texts for our lives.... the Word of God comes right at us... and we think there's so much more to tend to...  School's back in session.... Another hurricane.... or two on the way... The national election rolling down the tracks like a train out of control ... it's a long list.... AND to top this off ... I just returned from attending our monthly SeniorS luncheon where the guest speakers were from the Brazoria Child Advocacy office. They assist CPS in the cases of child abuse, both physical and sexual. Their work is hard as well as heart-wrenching! Defilement comes from inside of us... and the world suffers... woman, men and children... and over 650 cases were reported in Brazoria County alone last year. Tens of thousands in Texas.  Reported. The ones we know. There are others; trust that. We all know someone who knows someone...

In over 30 years of parish ministry I have known of only an hand full of child abuse cases. In one case...in another state... in another church...the dad was "under investigation". No one knew but me. But, as churches go... someone suggested this guy be the chaperone and go to camp with the children. I said no. Some asked why. I wouldn't answer. Some were mad at me. I didn't care. Jesus' brother, James, was right...I wanted to be the pastor of a church that watched over widows and orphans and help myself and others remain unstained in a polluted world. For me to agree with this suggestion would put children at risk and basically invite a potential perpetrator a venue to wreak havoc with young hearts and lives.

Nine out of 10 sex offenders are male.  But, it's not just about child abuse. The list Jesus provides leaves none of us innocent. Male or female... young or old... high or low on the socio-economic or education specturm.  It's what the author Scott Peck says in his book, The People of the Lie...

   

"I understand I have the capacity for great evil."

 

He starts with himself. Jesus suggests we should, too. Do we go looking for ways to defile? Not normally, but when the opportunity arises...it's just so easy to fall prey to our own sinfulness... or as we say from time to time... "If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us..." and even when God knows...I'm hoping barber # 2 never finds out!

So, what's the answer...? Well, that's the life-long journey of faith. It's what we call "practicing" our faith so that when the moment confronts us... we will have a faith to put to use.  My goodness won't save me and your goodness wont save you because all the men and women who do despicable things are talked about by their family, friends and neighbors like this..."They were such a good person. We're so surprised!" And we deceive ourselves again...

But, in 30 years of ministry... only a handful of child abuse cases... and what does that say about the people in our churches...? Well, maybe what James and Jesus suggested... for if we recognize that we have great potential to defile (ourselves and others!) then spending my time tending to widows and orphans (literally, people who are broken and at risk) and keeping ourselves unstained by the polluted world, the less likely we are to find ourselves in situations where the worst in us comes rushing out into the world... because it must be said also... we all have the great capacity for goodness..., patience, diligence,  kindness, gentleness, peace-making, etc... and as much as we are simul justus et peccator... saint and sinner...always... our celebrating and nurturing the saint in us speaks to the lasting value and purpose and place "church" is for the world.

 

So, be "doers of the WORD"... pray...worship... study... invite... encourage... give & serve... these things are not against the law and do only one thing and that is to "build up God's kingdom..." and to God in Christ be the glory... always. Amen.

 "Be doers of the word, and not merely hearers ..."  the words of Jesus and James is a truth we can handle... and when Jesus call us out... he does not do so to bring shame upon us...he calls us out to make a difference.

One man at a time; no man left behind,

     Brian

 

Men's Ministry Coordinator

TX-LA Gulf Coast Synod

In Memory of L.F. Cardenas

IN MEMORY OF L.F. CARDENAS---ONE OF THE KING'S MEN...

To all the other KING'S Men,

This past week I was in San Antonio, TX at the annual Tri-Synod Theological Conference. It's the annual gathering of clergy and AiMs to learn, connect and as our bishop Mike Rinehart said, "tend to our self-care." It was a good three days filled with both joy and a couple of heartaches.

On Tuesday, I was told by Pastor Steve Cauley (Advent, Houston) that "Mr. Cardenas was in the hospital and not expected to live." He told me this because even as I was never L.F. Cardenas' pastor, I considered him a brother and friend on this journey of faith we all share together. This news was echoed by Pastor Larry Beck the next morning and Saturday I learned that a celebration of Mr. Cardenas' life would be held today. So, I'm writing this note in his honor and to the glory of God during the time of the funeral of which I wanted to but could not attend.

It is a great thing that we do as Lutheran Christians. We do not worship our dead, but we take time to celebrate the lives of our family and friends and remind ourselves that "our day will come, too!" I did not know L.F. Cardenas well. But, what I do know of him will never be forgotten. I did not know where or when he was born. I did not know his wife or his family. I've never been to his home and I don't know what kind of work he did when he was younger. But, I did know that he was a quiet leader at Advent Lutheran Church in Houston and I did know that he had a bad heart and had surgery in years past. This "bad heart," though, was also a "great heart" and that is what I want to relay to you...

In the Fall of 2003 I shared an idea with the Lutheran men of this synod at a gathering at Redeemer Lutheran Church on Lawndale. About 3-4 congregations were represented. Mr. Cardenas was present. We had chicken and I recall the green beans were excellent! I met many of the leaders of men's ministry in our synod over the past 25 years. I and one other member of my congregation were the "youngest" ones there and the idea I shared was about having an old fashioned "father-son-grandfather" kind of gathering to raise money to purchase LMM Master Builder Bibles to give to younger men in our synod.

The idea was simple. Throw a party. Sing. Men can sing well when they are together! Eat a good meal. Have a great keynote address. Make it lasting as we DO something for others. It would take a lot of men to make happen and that night as I shared the idea, I said, "I'll do this; I'll try to make it happen, but as of right now...we have no speaker, no date, no place and no money." All agreed the idea was worth pursuing and over the next few months, it happened!

And here is where L.F. Cardenas comes in. As the Lutheran men left the gathering that night many of them shook my hand and encouraged me to 'get 'er done'... but one man came to me, did not even introduce himself but placed a tattered $10 bill in my hand and said, "here's some seed money for your project. Good luck." I thanked him and asked who he was and then went home with a spirit of great joy and hope. And I took the $10 bill and placed it in an envelope and tucked in my office desk drawer.

And so, with the help of many leaders in our congregations, the support of Bishop Paul Blom, and many other pastors in our synod along with some additional seed money in the form of a grant from Thrivent for Lutherans, we had an event...one that men still talk about and one that has yet to be rivaled...with almost 300 men in attendance represented by 3 generations and honoring our Jr. Hi and HS male athletes, then head coach Dom Capers of the Houston Texans gave a wonderful keynote address along with words of inspiration from LMM National Director Mr. Doug Haugen and with music from the Harbor Light Choir made up of recovering alcoholics and those with other chemical addictions. See the story on http://www.elca.org/ and click Lutheran Men in Mission to open the pdf file for "Foundations" Spring 2004 issue... We raised over $5000 via a silent auction of sports memorabilia and as they say, "a good time was had by all."

At that gathering I found Mr. Cardenas among the men from Advent church. I walked up to him with a big smile, reached in my pocket and pulled out a tattered $10 bill. "do you remember this?" I asked him. He smiled and didn't say a word. I went on, "See what your $10 got us? Thank you L.F., your 'seed' has blessed the lives of many!" He told me that he was glad to be able to do this and I was satisfied that his good deed was recognized and I thought that would be the end of it...not so...there's more...

As the evening was winding down and as people were leaving the Clarion Hotel on Hwy. 290, Mr. Cardenas approached me and was carrying a big smile as well. He grabbed my hand, and place what I perceived as another $10 bill with the words, "here, this is for your next banquet!" Then he walked away and as he did I turned my hand over to discover that the $10 bill was actually a $100 bill which led me to tears to think that there are those still in this church who have such a spirit of generosity. And then the miracle occurred...one that only God could have provided...

Now, the banquet hall was even less crowded, the hotel crew was cleaning tables and I told some of the men from my congregation of L.F.'s gift...Coach Capers was standing in that circle and heard the story and then reached in his wallet and said, "here, I'll match that $100! I had a great time tonight." And now you need to also know that Coach Capers came almost an hour before the event was to begin. He signed autographs, took pictures with fathers and sons and grandfathers and refused any kind of honorarium for speaking. "I only do this kind of thing 2-3 times a year, " he told me. While we were blessed by his words, obviously Mr. Cardenas' 'seed' had blessed Coach Capers too.

And that's my story. That's my encounter with a quiet yet generous man of God. And I suppose if you ask the men (and pastors) at Advent Lutheran Church on Pinemont in NW Houston they will tell you other stories of the quiet generosity of one L.F. Cardenas. And I know they will! That was not my last conversation with L.F. We have spoken several times since then and I will miss him at our annual synod men's gathering at Grace, Conroe this weekend. And I hope as many men in our synod as well as our pastors can come and give thanks to God for the life of L.F. Cardenas and all those who have helped shape the future of men's ministry in this synod.

One man at a time; no man left behind.

Brian

P.S. I have two $100 bills in an envelope. Anyone ready for another party?