Change is Not Strange

So, here we are in the New Millennium, living among the massive changes that have come about over the past forty years. The current variety of worship styles, musical preferences and the diversity of worshipers is vastly different from what they were not long ago.

The changes among Protestant Churches has been mirrored or even more pronounced among Roman Catholics who spoke Latin in their services until John XXIII's Second Vatican Council of 1962-65.

The Pope prayed that the Holy Spirit would revitalize the Roman Church and in 68 the Charismatic Renewal hit the Church with a of enthusiasm and lay involvement. The result was almost as dramatic as the First Reformation by Luther and Calvin.

We are used to hearing about the many "Mega-Churches" among Evangelicals. The growth of large churches with TV shows, publishing firms, international missions and famous leaders has certainly happened. However, before the Jesus Movement, mega churches were largely in Mainline Denominations. Riverside Church in New York and The National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. are examples of the old order that is being overthrown much to the dismay of those formerly in power.

Even mainline churches have seen enormous changes in music, style, lay involvement, diversity and community activism. This came about through human networks of friends and fellow travelers rather than organizations that stressed intentional ecumenical cooperation.

My boss for many years at College Hill Church was Jerry Kirk, a dynamic preacher and spiritually anointed leader. His favorite song was, "Lift Your Vision High" and it was prophetic.

Lift your vision high We're in a way we've never been before Lift your vision high, higher And you will see the glory of the Lord

That is certainly true today for God is doing a new thing but it is an old process of renewal, revival and reformation.

Changes in the Spiritual Climate and Expectation

It is difficult to remember how things were in our culture a few years ago. It is not difficult to think about when we consider the massive changes that have occurred in religion. Before the Jesus Movement people tended to attend services only with others of a like mind and similar worship styles. They rarely if ever mingled with people with other kinds of preferences.

I was reared in a Baptist Church and was not comfortable with folks from other streams of Christianity. The rituals of a Roman Catholic Church were very strange and I felt anxious when I attended a funeral or a wedding. I did not know any Catholics personally so I had little opportunity to discuss our beliefs or convictions.

That changed when I moved from a small town in Illinois to the large city of Cincinnati. My home town had few if any Roman Catholics but Cincinnati had a majority of Catholics so I met and shared life with them on a regular basis. My boss was Catholic and he attended church every morning on his way to work. I sat in the last pew and prayed spontaneously as he knelt and said his prayers from memory. The differences still kept us from mutual understanding.

Then everything changed. I was swept up in the movement of the Holy Spirit and began attending a small group in the home of a Presbyterian Minister. Over half the people in attendance were Roman Catholics. We shared deeply and openly and some of the barriers fell between us.

A similar thing happened with racial differences. I had a very few African American friends back in Illinois but that changed in Cincinnati where many of my dearest friends came from different racial/ethic backgrounds than I.

In my view, the major reasons why we have developed a healthier and more diverse society came from the Jesus Movement. We worshipped together, studied the Bible with each other and worked together. There was very little discussion about why mutual respect and honor were important. We just knew that the Bible told us so and we did it.

More later on changing musical styles.

Ps Congratulations to Josh and Ruth Willis on the grand Re-Opening of their Holy Spirit Worship Center in Hamilton. Josh is celebrating 25 years of operating The Good Samaritan Inn, a healing place for addicts. Josh came to faith in Christ at a Randy Matthews concert at the Butler County Fair Grounds in 1973. He is another radical that God brought to Himself in the Jesus Movement.

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P.O. Box 498455

Cincinnati, Ohio 45249

Groups By Name

I recently came across the names the census takers give to the various age groups in society. I 'm not familiar with all so I am posting them for you. If you can't read the small fonts, I'll retype them.

World War I

GI

Pioneer

Baby Boomers

Post Modern

Milennials

Genomic

If we combine the Boomers with Pioneers and GI Generations the numbers of Seasoned Citizens is enormous. Yet, it remains to be seen if our churches have enough wisdom and skills to reach these people and involve them in meaningful activities.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It will be a tragic mistake if Christian thinkers miss the opportunity to unleash the enormous wealth of resources contained here.

Top Ten Spiritual Changes Since the Sixties

There have been many books written about Boomers and their excesses, but, to my knowledge, little has been said about the spiritual revolution the Holy Spirit wrought in them along side the revolutions in sex, drugs and rock music.

A couple of posts ago I wrote about the massive numbers of people who have come to faith in Christ since the Sixties. Actually, that post covers about three of the most dramatic and far reaching aspects of the Top Ten.

1. The Holy Spirit brought revival to people in every nation. In fact, Christian growth has been much greater in regions that were formerly under represented spiritually.

2. When revival came the Word of God was released and relished by the new believers. Bible and their study have preceded and followed the Spirit-led revivals. These were not revivals that came as a result of national revolutions with promises of better lives here on earth but that arose as a result of Bible translations, mass distribution and preaching/teaching. As revival grew so did the knowledge of the converts.

3. When people read the Bible under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit they discovered that God loved them and had decided to give them His gifts. Wherever I travel around the world to teach and train people they all seem to accept the fact that they are gifted. The fact that God has actually called all people to share His glory and gifts is one of the greatest motivators for evangelism in Third World countries where oppression and emotional slavery are normal.

4. The top three paradigm shifts has led directly to the fourth: All of God's people are called and gifted to serve Him. The common distinctions made between rich and poor, male and female, black and white, educated and uneducated are less important than who we are in Christ. I was in Kenya, East Africa in 1983 and heard many stories about the gifts of power and healing as well as teaching and prophesy that were given to illiterate and destitute people.

5. These Spirit-filled Believers began to minister. One illiterate woman whose name I have forgotten, was so powerful and gifted she started an entire movement of millions. God gave her entire sections of the Bible as she preached despite her inability to read.

6. Since Constantine recognized the Christian Church as the official religion of the realm, there has been a theological split between the spiritual and physical world. Religious leaders were designated as "holy men of God with "spiritual callings" while normal lay Christians were considered to be "secular people involved in secular work". This split is generally called, a "Scared/Secular Split" or to be the result of "Greek Dualism".

As a result of the Sixties Revivals, the "wall of separation" has been constantly challenged. Increasingly there are cadres of non clergy man and women with gifts, insights, wisdom and power who are greatly used to evangelize, establish ministries to the poor and build various kinds of ministries. It is thankfully common for engineers, sales personnel, pilots, cooks, fashion designers, entrepreneurs and house wives to be involved in ministry.

Fun for Seasoned Believers

Last year my grand kids received another electronic, video gadget for Christmas. It was called, Wii and it is made by Nintendo. At first I was turned off by the thing. After a few games I quickly learned to love it. Now I strongly recommend that all your grand parents out there get one.

No, not just for the grand kids but also for you. It is a barrel of fun. It has several active games on it but my favorite is bowling. The game allows me to actually simulate a real bowling game and it becomes really competitive after a few minutes of action against my wife or grand kids.

Our five year old grand daughter is the champ at bowling. She does not take the game seriously but has an uncanny ability to throw strikes and beats all the rest of us while twirling, jumping and throwing fom behind her back. It is hilarious. A few times she has even rolled over while throwing the ball and gotten a strike.

I am 69 and Lily is 5 yet we both have a great time. I cannot name very many games where that is possible.

Take a look at this web for more information.

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/NintendosWiiASurpriseHitWithSeniors.aspx

Sons and Daughters Will Speak About God

Since the Jesus Movement, leaders dress differently!



The old paradigm was summarized like this in a former post.
1. The primary focus was on "religion" and "religions" that were tightly organized and controlled by a hierarchy, traditions and cultural agreements. The "Mainline Churches/Denominations" were large, dominant and the epitome of what people expected from God. (They were called "mainline" after the railroad of the same name that ran along Philadelphia's richest and most powerful neighborhoods.) Religion was divided between Jews and Christians and the Christians between Protestant and Catholic, ignoring less prominent groups.

Here is the new paradigm that is emerging

Because of an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the entire world in buckets and barrels the prophesy of Joel has taken place big time. People all around the globe are being touched by God and responding in amazing ways to His Spirit.

Sons and daughters have started speaking forth God's word and acting out His works.

The division between clergy and laity has become blurred and many of the largest Christian movements, including churches, are not in the mainline of wealth but in the suburbs abd cities where the common person lives.

They are led by men and women whose careers did not pass through Bible Schools and Seminaries. Some were more acquainted with the requirements of an MBA (Masters in Business Administration) or Psychology than Divinity.

Even more importantly, the "People in the pew" are not staying in the pews. They have increasingly been empowered by both God and their inner convictions to preach, teach, evangelize, heal and serve. We have seen a Perestroika break out between the professional and the lay classes of Christians. The wall is down.

Over 90% of all religious conversions are the result of ministry by Peers instead of Pros. Believers at work and play, God's house and Golf Courses, have become centers of renewal, revival and reformation. Old men are dreaming dreams and telling about them to their friends. Young men are getting visions about a better planet and sharing their passion with family and friends. Money and power have lost their hold and Believers both young and old are taking the gospel to the ends of the earth.

Thanks for listening to God, Joel.

My How You Have Grown

On a recent post I mentioned ten paradigms that controlled or described the religious situation in America. Some of those paradigms still have a lot of influence but there is a spiritual wave that has overwhelmingly influenced the religious ideas of almost every Christian group in America as well as the rest of the world.

Paradigm Shift #I. The Holy Spirit has been increasingly poured out on all Christians since the great Jesus People Revivals of the Sixties and Seventies. There have been more and great instances of people coming to Jesus Christ as Savior in the last forty years than ever before in history.

Just think about the revivals in Africa and Asia to say nothing about South America, North America and Europe/Russia. Author and missions researcher Patrick Johnstone, known for his 'Operation World' books, has published a new book under the title "The church is larger than you think", dealing with recent missionary developments:

"From the birds-eye view of history, we can see an incredible pattern in God's missionary action over the last 200 years -- in the 18th Century, the focus was on the North Atlantic, in the 19th Century the Pacific, in the 1960s, Africa, in the 1970s it was Latin America, East Asia in the 1980s and Eurasia in the 1990s. The 10/40 Window, particularly Central and Southern Asia and the Middle East are the final great challenges for Christianity, aside from secularized Europe and the Jews."

Johnstone sees evangelicals as the main force behind the growth.

1. Evangelical Christianity has grown slowly but steadily in the West, while the rest of Western Christianity has shrunk significantly;

2. The real growth of Evangelical Christianity in recent years has been in Latin America, Africa and Asia. In 1960, non-Western Evangelicals were around half as numerous as those in the West. In 2000, they were 4 times as many. In 2010, 7 times as numerous.

3. Although Christianity as a whole is growing slightly slower than Islam, Protestant Christianity is expanding faster than Islam at 2.9% per year, almost double the rate of population growth, currently at 1.7%;

4. The Roman Catholic Church is expanding more slowly than the population and means that the percentage of Catholics in the population is decreasing. This is mainly due to the secularization in Europe and the trend to Evangelicalism in Latin America;

5. Protestantism is growing almost twice as fast as the world population, but this is almost entirely due to Evangelicals. Non-Evangelical Protestants are shrinking significantly. Liberal theology is being preached in ever-shrinking churches in increasingly empty church buildings.

6. Evangelical Christianity is expanding more than three times as fast as he world population, and is hence the only religious group in the world with significant growth through conversion, at a rate almost double that of Islam. However, Christians will lose the battle for religious growth unless we produce far more children than we presently do now.

Next time, more on Christian Growth

Sweeten Life Systems Board Meets

This week Jens-Petter Jorgensen came all the way from Norway to be at our International Board meeting. We had a great time and you will hear more about it later.

Rick Kalal drove up from Knoxville and the Cincinnati team members also came to seek the Lord's guidance about the future. Cyndi Wineinger, Steve Griebling, Ron Peake, Jim Donovan and the Sweeten's had a great time of sharing and prayer.

Unfortunately, George W. was tied up with some minor issues in Washington, D.C. and could not make it.

Top Ten Changes Since the Jesus Movement

Stained Glass Religion

Joel 2:28-29 was one of the favorite passages of scripture quoted by preachers and teachers during the Jesus Movement.

Joel 2: 28 "And afterward,

I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

your old men will dream dreams,

your young men will see visions.

29 Even on my servants, both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

Why was this such an important passage to the young men and women of the Sixties and Seventies? I suppose the answer to that question is somewhat obvious to anyone who reads it. In fact, I think this verse by an obscure prophet of whom most of us had never heard was the guiding plan for almost everything that has happened since the Jesus Movement.

So, before I post my ideas about the top ten changes let me post thoughts about the top ten paradigms that controlled religious thought before the Holy Spirit's great Revival in the second half of the 2oth Century.

1. The primary focus was on "religion" and "religions" that were tightly organized and controlled by a hierarchy, traditions and cultural agreements. The "Mainline Churches/Denominations" were large, dominant and the epitome of what people expected from God. (They were called "mainline" after the railroad of the same name that ran along Philadelphia's richest and most powerful neighborhoods.) Religion was divided between Jews and Christians and the Christians between Protestant and Catholic, ignoring less prominent groups.

2. Ecumenical Movements focused on dialogues among and between the various Protestant and Catholic denominations, sometimes inviting Jews. They were led by erudite members of the clergy who ruled the National and World Council of Churches.

3. Social action and the "Social Gospel" was preached and taught and mostly meant that the NCC and WCC urged the Federal and State Governments to pass legislation designed to help the poor. Some groups also had food pantries and supported soup kitchens.

4. There was a strict demarcation between clergy and the laity. Clergy were well trained and well spoken graduates of advanced education who were ordained to preach, pray, baptize and do the spiritual work of God. They were paternalistic and kindly to the unenlightened laity. The laity did secular work and supported the clergy by attendance and financial contributions.

5. The laity were not expected to be knowledgeable of the Bible or implement any spiritual practices at home, work or in the world. Religion was a passive spectator sport mostly designed for women and children.

6. Religious services were done by the professionals and watched by the laity. Clergy wore special garb and used special language and had special music that separated the church from the people and the world. The Holy Spirit was rarely mentioned except at baptism. His gifts were restricted to the clergy if mentioned at all.

7. There was little leisure time and few people went on vacations or understood what was happening overseas or over the mountains in America. People worked hard and after stopping were often physically or emotionally able to be active in community, church of family life.

8. There was a strict separation of races, ethnic groups, classes and cultures in most churches. This separation was strongly reinforced by language, dress, musical styles and traditions. Traditions and practices stayed the same from region to region with similar hymn books, readings, the liturgical year and in some cases nation to nation and language to language.

9. The style of communication emphasized one active speaker to many passive listeners.

10. Few people had ever traveled outside their city and state nor did they know people of a different religion, ethnicity or race.

Wow, did these assumptions ever change as a result of the Jesus Movement. If you have lived through them yourself, you can understand why some people have been overwhelmed by all the trauma.

My next posts will cover the TOP TEN CHANGES since the Jesus Revival.

Live Long and Prosper

Dr. Spock, the Klingon not the Pediatrician, became famous for saying it to Captain Kirk on Star Trek. I saw an interview on television one time with Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played Spock, and he was asked where the famous line "Live long and prosper" came from. "He replied, "I am Jewish and it comes from the Ten Commandments to "Honor your father and mother that you may live long and prosper."

The promises of God are powerful and true. On this blog we are very concerned about getting the word out about living a long and prosperous life. There are many medical reasons why folks are living longer and I am happy to take advantage of those good gifts from the Lord.

I have a stint in my chest and I take several medicines each day to keep healthy. I try to eat well and exercise and I quit smoking 40 years ago when Julie was born. I also try to stay deeply connected with family and friends because both science and scripture tell me that healthy relationships are central to a long and prosperous life. After learning about tracing my family history and the importance of honoring my fathers and mothers of the former generations I began to thank God for my heritage and blessings.

Bu that is not all. The Bible also tells us how to "Live long and prosper". And, there is a great deal of research now on the many benefits of prayer, worship, church attendance and Christian fellowship. These are testimonies to the blessings of knowing Jesus Christ as Savior and healer. All in all, I am very, very thankful that God has given us so many wonderful ways to insure a long and prosperous life.

Just think, we get to have romance and it is good for us.

We get to enjoy deep prayer and worship and they are good for us.

We get to have fun relationships with our family and friends and it is good for us.

We have prayer to guide us, heal us and bring us into the love of God.

We get to live longer with physical, spiritual, emotional and financial prosperity because God chose us to be His own. Now that is good news.

Enter the Seventies and Sixties

Ugly Seventies' Clothing

The Baby Boom began to hit American institutions in the Fifties and the offspring of the returning GI's changed everything they touched along the way. The Boomers were everywhere with their wild hair and wild ways and wilder clothing.

But, God was not asleep at the wheel, He had a plan to bring revival to those young people and a few decades later bring the Fourth Great Awakening. Revivals sprang up allover the US and a little later Europe. Christian colleges were special targets and Asbury College in Kentucky was one of the first schools to experience an extended revival that lasted for days but its influence lasted for years.

There were various streams of revival. Some were charismatic, some were evangelical and some were in mainline churches. Much of the fervor and ferment occurred among young people so it became known as The Jesus Movement and the members as The Jesus People.

Has there been a lasting difference since the Sixties and Seventies? If so what? Over the next week or so I will share what I believe are the top ten positive results of the Jesus Movement. But first, I will tell you the top ten myths that dominated church life before the JM broke out.

A Seasoned Believer

I first met Donna Thomas ten years ago when she was going through a rough patch in her life in her life. She and her husband Chuck had founded several mission organizations but recently faced blockages and issues, including a very bad medical prognosis, that caused her to question whether she should just retire and let the young people do it all.

It seemed to me that Donna had a lot of wisdom to share with the world and I asked if she had ever thought about writing her experiences to inspire others. Before long she had written a book and later penned more, all of which were well received and popular among folks interested in evangelism and missions.

Today I received a not from her with a great example of how God uses her, a Seasoned Saint, to touch people from around the world. First, she really loves folks from other lands. Second, she is bold. Third, she is creative. Fourth, she does not give up. Fifth, she is available to God. Here is her note.

Dear Gary,

Well I just had an unusual experience. I went to see Mukta (Mary) my Indian friend that went forward for prayer last Sunday. Previously I had given her a Bible in Marathi, her language but I didn’t think she was reading it. So I called and went over to ask her to read the book of John. Have you ever tried to find the book of John in a language you cannot read? The letters aren’t the same. The numbers aren’t the same. I was lost. How could I find John? How could I even find the New Testament?

I turned to the book of Revelations. Yes, that I could find. Now if I simply go backward through the New Testament until we get to John, maybe that would work. There was Jude, 3 John, 2 John, 1 John, 2 Peter…..it was a good thing I had my Bible with me because it is harder to go backward.

We moved on cautiously finding Galatians, II Corinthians, I Corinthians, Romans, then Acts and behold…there is John. Now to find the first chapter. I can’t read one word of this nor the numbers. Everything is totally different.

Ahh, John chapter one. I asked her to read it and write down questions to bring to me. I’ll try to have the answers for her. She was most agreeable.

This is certainly one step at a time, but praise the Lord, these are steps in the right direction. Oh yes, since she is now a Christian, I changed her name from Mukta (the name of a Hindu God) to Mary. I never dreamed in a million years I would be doing this. It seems the Lord has his plans and we are supposed to be obedient. Your prayers for Mary will help and bless her.

Blessings

Donna S. Thomas

3560 Towne Drive

Carmel, IN 46032

317-876-9884

www.cvministries.org

Donna is an anointed speaker so invite her to tell your church or group all about how God can use ordinary people to touch others, even after they hit a wall of adversity. (By the way, her medical prognosis was also turned upside down by the Lord and she seems healthier now than she was ten years ago.)

Very Interesting

Who is Our Congregation?

Way back in the Golden Years of Television Rowan and Martin had some very funny skits. One reoccurring character was a small guy dressed in a WWII German Army outfit. He had a cigarette down in his fingers and a quizzical lost look. He uttered the same phrase in every show. "Verrrrry interesting!"

It is very interesting to see our leaders fail to encourage Seasoned Believers to participate in their church

I must admit that I knew our world in general and the USA specifically were riding an Age Wave Tsunami. I vaguely understood that it would affect ever person on the planet. I had heard that it would make our current economic and political practices untenable. The Tsunami has two aspects that make its impact huge and unavoidable. The height of each aspect of the tsunami makes the wave such a giant that it will probably have disastrous effects unless we do better political and economic planning.

One aspect is the huge number of Baby Boomers in the system and aging fast. The second is the dramatic increase in longevity of Builders and Boomers fueling our population like a tsunami.

(See a fellow Seasoned Believer's blog for the numbers in the Age Wave Tsunami at http://theboomerwave.blogspot.com/)

To my knowledge, no one running for the Presidency this year is mentioning the Age Wave Tsunami. In fact, many are acting like it does not exist. They indicate that the government will be able to pay for current Medicare and Medicaid costs AND also add huge chunks not now covered. It is the height of irrational exuberance indicating an almost psychotic avoidance of reality.

But I have no political clout nor do I want any. However, as a leader in the Evangelical wing of the church for thirty years or so I think I have something to say about the need for Christians to be aware of the opportunities and the dangers of The Age Wave Tsunami.

Let me say it this way: "Most current Christian thinkers on evangelism, church growth, church planting, church music, ministry to the poor and needy and fund raising are out of touch with reality. They act like the candidates for political office. With a few exceptions, chat rooms, Christian blogs and magazine articles almost completely ignore the strengths and weaknesses of The Age Wave Tsunami." (Click on video link, http://wms11.streamhoster.com/s70x7/whatif_final.wmv

Almost everyone is focusing on young people. They fail to see this most promising reservoir of Seasoned Believers' mental, emotional and spiritual resources. They fail to recognize that Christianity will be severely crippled unless denominations and congregations take bold action to recruit, equip and release Seasoned Believers into meaningful ministries.

Join the conversation. Write me after you look at our video and read Ron Tate's informative blog http://theboomerwave.blogspot.com/

Unless you want the current leaders to retire you as a geezer, get involved.

Do You want Joy?

Do you want to have a great Thanksgiving? It is easy. Have an attitude of gratitude and give something to somebody else.

The Bible is a great book. It not only write His Story (HisStory) in plain words it offers a lot of practical wisdom about life. A great deal of wisdom is give to us about how to have an abundant and joyous life.

One well known comment that I borrow in counseling a lot is, "If I try to save my life I will lose it." This comment comes in handy when I talk with depressed, angry or anxious people who are allowing the behavior of others to keep them in misery and they try over and over again to make someone stop acting in ways that cause them pain. In other words, they try hard to save their own mental and emotional comfort but it does not work.

Maybe the most important advice is, "Give and it shall be given unto you..." and "It is more blessed to give than receive." Thees two sayings constitute a double blessing of great proportion and are rather simple. Greedy, grasping folks are usually miserable but giving folks are happy.

If you want to see this in action, click the link below and take a look at the video report of folks who have joy from giving. http://www.freewheelchairmission.org/

Some of their critics are unhappy but they have joy.

This ministry has enormous impact on people. It is something that can inspire us to REFIRE not RETIRE and find our own niche of service. Many Seasoned Believers are entrepreneurs and the world is waiting for creative new ideas about ways to make a difference in the lives of hurting people.

Family Life

The Happy Couple

Karen and Butterscotch
A birthday and anniversary gift





Today is our anniversary. Karen and I married after a whirlwind courtship of six months on the Thanksgiving Holiday in 1961. I was 23 and she had just turned 21 when we went down the aisle of the First Baptist Church in Pinckneyville, Illinois.

I was a school teacher at the Ina Grade School where I had the 5Th and 6Th Grades and taught all the subjects while coaching all the sports and driving the school bus. My salary was, as best I remember, about $3,000.00 but I received another $100.00 per month for driving the bus.

We were in love and wanted to marry so Thanksgiving seemed like a good time because I was off for vacation from Thursday through Sunday. We chose November 21 because it gave us a couple of extra days for a honeymoon.

Time flies when you are very busy and involved in life and that has been true for us. Our two children and three grand kids have provided lots of joy and lots of worry. That is life.

Marriage is not easy, that is for sure. Some marriage and family therapists say it is the most daunting of all mergers. Taking two people who are radically different as humans and asking them to live together in a mutually up building manner is a great but invigorating challenge.

After almost half a century, Karen and I usually mirror each other's thoughts and values. But is was always so. It has taken many misunderstandings and many discussions and puzzling conversations, fights and times of forgiveness. And, most importantly, God has been the glue of our relationship.

Take a look at this article in The Wall Street Journal to see how important marriage is to all people. I am very blessed after 46 Thanksgivings as a husband to have a wife of my youth.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/federation/feature/?id=110010888

A Seasoned Saint

J.C. Penney is a name synonymous with department store. He first launched his chain of "The Golden Rule" stores in 1907. In 1910 his first wife died. Three years later, he incorporated as the J.C. Penney company. In 1923 his second wife died giving birth to his son. In 1929 the stock market crashed and he lost $40 million.

By 1932, he had to sell out to satisfy...creditors. This left [Penney] virtually broke. ...Crushed in spirit from his loss and his health suddenly failing, Penney wound up in a Battle Creek, Michigan sanitarium. One morning he heard the distant singing of employees who gathered to start the day with God: Be not dismayed, whate'er betide, God will take care of you.... Penney followed the music to its source and slipped into a back row. He left a short time later a changed man, his health and spirit renewed, and ready to start the long climb back at age fifty-six.

By 1951 there was a J.C. Penney store in every state, and for the first time sales surpassed $1 billion a year. [John Woodbridge, ed., More Than Conquerors (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1992), 340-343.]

Where ar they Now?

When the Little Children Came to Him

I often think about our friends from the Jesus Movement and wonder what happened to them. Then, when Deb Smith, one of the midwives of the Movement, died, dozens of them contacted the blog set up to pray for her and many returned to honor her and Tom at the Celebration of the Resurrection.

It seems to me that a very large percentage of the people who were touched deeply by the Lord back then have remained faithful to Him and have tried to follow His ways. Some have fallen by the wayside but that is a minority.

Quite a few of our friends have been in Helping Ministries of one kind or another. Some chose a pastoral or teaching ministry while others became missionaries and worship leaders. It seems that not a few heard the call into counseling and healing ministries. That was always a focus in the old days and it excited us.

This listing and conversations reveal that almost everyone of the Jesus Community caught a lot of compassion from direct contact with the Spirit or from His word. One man told me, "I blame Tom Smith for my lifelong commitment to love and mercy. He pounded that message into our heads at every service."

No matter what career these folks have chosen, and the variety is almost endless, a streak of interest in helping the poor and downtrodden is usually present in their lives. When I read that a reporter has discovered for the very first time that "Evangelical Christians have just recently started being interested in issues other than abortion," I want to write a letter to the editor.

Ministry to the poor has ALWAYS been central to the lives of the Jesus People. It is not a new thing but a constant factor and a deep one. It is new to the political writers but not to us.

The same can be said for our interest in caring for creation. We have always been interested in what God made. We are also interested in and committed to life because God gives it. These same values continue to resonate with aging Boomers and Builders.

However, we are also skeptical of too much governmental intrusion. We saw what happened at Kent State when the government tried to slap down a student protest. By and large we want to see individuals care for other individuals and we volunteer to help people and donate to help people. Maybe it is our individualism that seems suspicious of big government. We came to Christ individually and personally and we like it that way.

The Jesus People have always been special to me and special to the Lord and His heart for hurting people. Now is the time for these Seasoned Believers to Re fire and not Retire. We need another Movement.

How Did I get So Seasoned?

Whitfield Preaches at the First Great Colonial Awakening

It occurred to me that I am well done and well seasoned. Randy Moody, an old friend from the Jesus Movement at U.C. in the Sixties and Seventies, wrote a long letter telling us he has a bunch of old audio tapes on which many original songs have been recorded. These songs vary in skill and tone but they do help us think about the fun and holy experiences we had so many years go.

There we were in the midst of one of the great revivals of history and we were largely unimpressed. Oh, I dimly remember discussing the amazing things that were happening in us and around the country. Sometimes international speakers came through Cincinnati and spoke about how broad and deep was the Jesus Movement. But for the most part we were not very self conscious about our "place in history".

There was too much going on to be reflective and insightful or terribly academic. Karen and I had two small kids and I was working as Associate Dean of Students while doing a doctorate in counseling. We lived 300 miles from our parents so family demands were great.

And, there were the small things we called, "Campus Disturbances". The Baby Boomers hit campus in 1964 and they shook things up. Viet Nam was a big deal with peace activists threatening to kill folks like me because we were, "Pigs" who needed to be "offed". The Black Panthers were also threatening to protest and the whole world was in an uproar.

The bombing in Cambodia brought violent protests and Kent State exploded into an overwhelming problem when the National Guard lost control and began to shoot students. Sit ins, protests, threats and FBI reports that people had targeted us with bombs and Molotov Cocktails kept us on edge almost every day.

Through all of it The Community of Jesus, a loose association of Christian groups, house churches and hangers on met regularly for prayer and mutual support. All of it brought us closer together in fear, anxiety and excitement about God's love and power.

Many students came to faith in Christ and others re-committed their lives to Christ after having dramatic experiences with the Holy Spirit. It was. as Dickens said, "The best of time and the worst of times." Those youngsters are now grandparents. Wow! Time passed fast.

We saw God work miracles of healing, deliverance and reconciliation. Many of us wanted to stay on the mountain top with Jesus. The people we prayed with and for as well as the things we did together made an indelible impression on us. Thanks be to God who gave us Himself and called us to be His own.

Creativity from a Younger Elder

Creation

Take a look at these photos from Dan Gilliam.

Dan is so creative and full of the Holy spirit that it is hard to contain him. He moved to Colorado and then to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia to walk closer to God and lead others in encountering God through creation and the Spirit.

Watch and thank God for His Creation.

http://www.dangilliam.net/photos.html

Future Planning

The 21st Century Church

For most Americans, long range planning is deciding what to do next week. I just spoke with Gasch, a medical researcher with his own company. He noted that despite the fact that our medical system in America is about to collapse, most politicians refuse to mention the real systemic problems or plan for ways to make real change.

But we in the churches of America are not much different. We are so invested in the "instant coffee" mentality of what is going to happen this week in worship that we do not think about how to position the church for the next three decades. The Reveal research put out by Willow Creek shows what happens when a movement becomes obsessed with one of two aspects of a ministry, such as focusing only or mainly on Seekers, can end in frustration and failure.

It will be interesting to see what they decide to do to correct their old paradigm. When I read some of the criticisms and comments about the Willow Creek research I am struck by the smugness of many writers. Then they tell us what Willow Creek and other Seeker Churches "should have done in the first place." I usually find the advice shallow, reflexive, old hat and predictable. Few are insightful and based on an in depth discernment. They say things like-- Willow Creek should have:

Preached longer sermons
Had better theology
Not changed the music
Stayed smaller
Done more Bible based teaching
Been more Calvinistic
Been more Arminian
Been more Pentecostal
Not been so Pentecostal
Had evening services
Had Sunday school
Used my books

I am hoping that Seasoned Saints with long experience as Christians, educators, business leaders and thinkers will put their brains and hearts to work figuring out what God wants us all to do to prepare for 2040 and 2050.

Here is one suggestion from one. Take a look at the things that God has blessed. Do better in-depth research on what has worked with different groups and different places. Understand what the USA and the world will be like in three decades and plan to actually model Christ in that environment.

If you are ready to laugh at yourself, look this over. However, if you are too serious, skip it.

By the way, do you remember the beautiful clothes we wore in the Sixties? Here they are again.

If we wore these things back then we must have had a sense of humor.


Thanks to Joanie and Alan Gruber who sent me this cartoon.

http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/opinion/walthandelsman/blog/2007/11/animation_baby_boomers.html

Amazing Statistics

Professional writers usually try to stay away from statistics because the assumption is that readers will wince and turn the page as quickly as possible. But in my mind, some statistics are so startling and dramatic that we just cannot ignore them. (The cartoon shows how many folks will get Social Security. Click the pic to see a landslide!)

Take a long look at these data.

1. There are some 90 million Americans who are 50-plus years of age

2. Over the next two decades that number will grow by 74%

3. The percentage under 50 will increase by 1%

Questions:

a. What age group is the largest mission field in America?

b. What age group has the greatest reservoir of wealth, knowledge, experience and wisdom?

c. Why are churches so obsessed with recruiting young people?

d. What is your church doing to equip Seasoned Believers to minister effectively?

e. What is your church doing to evangelize Seasoned Citizens?

Another Country Heard From

I am amazed at how many nations are represented by people who read my blogs. In the past day I have had clicks from Oslo and Bergen Norway. I think the Oslo visitor is Jens-Petter Jorgensen, a member of the Sweeten Life Systems International Board. Jens-Petter is a man of great wisdom and experience among world leaders. He has observed and written many books and articles over the last 30 years dealing with the movements of the Holy Spirit.

We are also being visited by folks in Holland, Brazil, Russia, Singapore, The Philippines, Malaysia, Canada, England, and more. Wow! This little log of my ideas and concerns travels around the earth every day.

I wish more people would comment on the blog. That would make it more interesting and exciting. Maybe I need to create some controversy by writing my own questions like the politicians do. I could write and ask, "Dear Dr. Sweeten, I am just ten years old but I wonder, do you believe in God or are you just faking it?"

Then I could reply, "My, that is a tough question. But many tough questions are being asked by young people these days. Yada, yada, yada."

Oh well, I don't have to fake my questions because this is all my own ideas. Besides, I am not running for any office so nobody really cares. I do wonder, however, why some people get so radicalized about an election. I am interested but not a fanatic. I have some preferences and hope my side wins but God will be sovereign no matter who wins.

The Seasoned Believer Video

Mother Teresa-A Seasoned Believer Who Made a Difference



Some of you may have already noticed that I have put up a link to the "What If Video". Click the link and watch the video. Then write in and let us know what you think.

The video was designed by a team of us and the really hard work was done by Steve Helterbridle, a friend who retired from P&G several years ago to minister more freely.

It was our very first attempt to develop our own Multi Media project and I am very proud of the great job Steve did. It is one more example of what wonderful, creative things we can do if we just believe in ourselves.

The next time you are in a church, golfing group or a club with people like you, take a brief time to assess the wisdom, talents and experiences that could be unleashed into the world if someone took decided to gather them together and launch a new ministry of some kind. Examples:

Joe-30 years at GE, twenty years as an elder and teacher
Joan-Reared three kids, degree in Economics, teaches part time at UC, led task force on relocating the new city hall.
Jasper-35 years as an engineer, ten years in Egypt and five in Malaysia. Sits on Trustees.
Jill-Reared four children and two grand kids, Masters in City Planning, inherited lots of P&G stock and is passionate about helping the poor
John-Retired Ph. D. Psychologist who established a large practice and recently sold it

Almost weekly I hear from friends whose past ministries included some of the most creative ministries and programs imaginable. Now their most dynamic Christian involvement is sitting in a padded pew at Old First Reformed and Armed.

C'mon, friends, church is not for "attending" but acting! You and I are the church!

Support for Your Family

Breaking the Age Barrier



Karen and I met this week with a group of 50+ folks to discuss the best ways to show care and assistance to elderly relatives. The group was well educated, articulate, spiritually experienced and wise in the ways of the business world. However, most of us were novices on the topic at hand. Some of us had already faced getting care for elderly parents and grandparents but it still presents a brand new challenge.

How can we best provide the knowledge and wisdom people need?

Option #1. Get personal professional assistance from doctors, therapists, gerontologists, financial planners, insurance agents, nurses, home care specialists, pastoral care, etc. This route will require hundreds of hours and lots of money to plan, meet and our findings.

Option #2. "Intentional Communities of Wisdom" at church and community groups of lay and professional experts from law, medicine, gerontology, financial planning, insurance, counseling, etc. to provide education, mutual support, wisdom, past experiences and referrals. This approach is more efficient, effective and provides a much broader span of care, counsel and insight.

Only Option #2. will thrive. Professionals cannot meet the need except as those who teach us how to provide Peer Support.

By mobilizing wizened Seasoned Believers a church could develop a top flight Peer Support Group to provide all the services needed by the Sandwich Generations. And, the Peer team would receive many blessings by using their talents, gifts and abilities.

Any church that fails to develop such a program will be missing a sure way to bring enrichment and blessings to their people and will benefit in many ways as an organization.