Relationships

Tomorrow morning I get to speak at Horizon Community Church about the importance of relationships. I am going to focus on Jesus' teaching in MT 18:15-21. I only have about 30 minutes and it is hard to diagnose and treat this topic in such a short amount of time.

MT 18:15 If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.

It is very difficult to go to a person that has wounded us and be reconciled. Going may not be the problem but doing it in a loving way certainly can be. I am usually hurt, emotional and wanting revenge.

But Jesus, that most brilliant of all ministers to the soul, gives wise and healing counsel. Go alone and win your brother back.

The tendency for a lot of us is to go to someone else and tell them all about it. It seems so powerful if we can just go and destroy the person's reputation that attacked me. But Jesus says, "No revenge. Go and win your brother back.

Relationships are important to Jesus. He created us to relate with one another in love. In fact, He said, "Everything in the entire Bible comes down to loving God and your neighbor."

The older we get the more people we know and have in our families. This gives us more people to love and enjoy. It also gives us more time to be reconciled. Isn't that great?

Faith, Hope and Love, but the Greatest is Love

Jesus Washes the Feet of His Disciples
Recently I heard from a rather famous researcher on the powerful affects of agape or biblical love. Dr. Stephen Post heads The Institute for Research on Unlimited Love. Dr. Post had evidently heard of my writing and work in the area of healing love and sent me some of his research.

Over the next few months I intend to report on some of his findings, especially as it relates to Seasoned Citizens and health. They define Agape Love as altruism or Gift Love. It is observed in people who give to others with no demand of anything in return. And, just as scripture promises, when we give in love we also receive.

More on this later. See the web of Dr. Post

http://www.unlimitedloveinstitute.com/

Effective Groups-Stop Global Time Wasting

We humans spend an awful lot of time in groups. Sometimes it is called a committee, sometimes a task force, sometimes a leadership team and sometimes a Bible or book study. All of these are groups and all groups have a tendency to wobble off the tracks and become dysfunctional.

A few years ago some consulting group or another estimated that the time lost in inefficient and ineffective groups costs businesses and industries many billions of dollars. Their suggested answer was, "Train people how to organize and run effective groups."

I have been very fortunate that some of the best mentors and coaches in the world taught me how to effectively lead groups. Not that I always accomplish my goals because I may get lazy or rushed, but I have been well trained.

Ken Shull, an Elder at College Hill Church, was on key my mentor/coach on how to keep groups on track. He was low key, gentle but very effective and I was amazed at how much he could accomplish in half the time that we usually spent wrestling over inane and useless ideas in other groups.

The most important things in life are time and people. Wasting time and people in bad meetings is a terrible waste to churches, businesses and community groups. Especially when people could learn in a few hours how to stop Global Time Wasting!

I wish Al Gore would do a movie about it.

Boredom and Love: Are they Compatible?

In Ron Tate's latest blog, the Boomer Blogger, he writes tellingly about why people leave or drop out of church. He read a book about "Exit Interviews" and quotes why so many people are fed up with their churches.

Is it too much love? Too much respect? Too much support and caring? Too much action and excitement?

Read Ron's stuff. You may be surprised.

What is Important?

Starting the new year I am trying to keep the main thing the main thing. That probably needs to be on a big sign hanging over my desk so I don't forget it.

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It seems as though it is easy to get distracted from the "Main Thing" and go off on various "Rabbit Trails" that waste time, energy and lots of money.

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Ever since I started studying psychology and counseling in Grad School I have been amazed by how consistently the research reveals the same or very similar things about what is important to healing, growth and change. It is not how much education we have nor is it what theories we follow and the advice we give.

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The same is true of evangelism and church growth. Almost everyone who comes to faith in Christ does so though a caring friend. Rarely does an agnostic decide to follow Christ after meeting an angry fundamentalist.
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Nope, most of it comes down to the same stuff I read about in Sunday school. Loving and caring for one another is the core of being helpful to people. Love covers a multitude of problems and sins.

As the old saying goes, "People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care."

Insights in 2007?

Many groups publish "The Top Ten Stories of 2007" but I would like to know your top ten, or top five or top two, insights or events or 07.

1. We launched a new name and new board for our ministry. We changed the name and focus from Life Way Inc to Sweeten Life Systems.

2. I heard the Lord call us to launch a new ministry to Seasoned Believers under the umbrella of Sweeten Life Systems.

3. I visited the Czech Republic to support Craig and Sarah Springer as they launched a new church in Prague.

4. A new slogan Soul Seasonings-A life time of great relationships(SM)

5. I got to watch the Lord bring healing and growth to several believers.

Great Bosses Over Age 80

If you think you are over the hill at 50, 60 or even 70 just read this article. It has a list of active, alert, wise and dynamic men and women who are still head and shoulders above their organizations.

If you like what you do, why stop it? I love golf but I would be bored to tears if I did not get to help people through coaching and consulting with them.

I was born to be a helper and an educator. I love what I do and have no plans to stop. If I won the lottery I would still work because the work keeps me going.

I hope you Seasoned Believers find this article interesting. I hope it inspires you to discover your passion and follow that star to joy. Joy is allowing yourself to do what God created you to do.

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/CoolestBossesOver80.aspx

The Start of Something Big

Above is a modern revival.

On the left is George Whitfield, perhaps the greatest revivalist and preacher who ever spoke in English .

Christianity Today reports that a huge revival is occurring on many college campuses today. The last great revival of the Sixties and Seventies that broke out in America also began on college campuses and spread quickly to churches and home around the world.

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The article is located at: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/december/32.46.html

I hope you will be encouraged by this turn of events and join in the activities of the Holy Spirit at any event you can attend. There is a one day gathering on January 12 in Cincinnati that many thousands are expected to attend. See you there.

Maybe this is the start of something big.

Many of us Seasoned Believers received our big bang start in revival meetings thirty or forty years ago and could use another burst of Holy Spirit energy to keep us fired up.

Go to http://www.thecall.com/Group/Group.aspx?id=1000019217

for more information on this day of fasting and prayer at the US Bank Arena in Cincinnati. The event is free but registration is necessary.

The First Christmas

Now, we shall look at another famous Christmas story

Luke 2:1-20
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.

And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child.

From the very beginning people rushed to see the baby Jesus. Later, after 30 years, the adult Jesus. Hard nosed, blue collar shepherds who worked the third shift were drawn to see the babe. Later, three astrologers from Persia came to see Him cdarrying with them gifts of gold, frankincense and murr. This is but an inkling of the great crowds that would seek Him out.

Unlike Scrooge, people longed to be near Jesus and threw themselves at His feet, touched the hem of His garment and followed Him around Palestine to watch Him and fellowship with Him. Throughout scripture, we are taught that our outer body communicates an inner reality of the heart. Jesus spoke of the eye as a metaphor for the things we love and place our attention upon.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! Matt 6:21-23 (NIV)

Scrooge's visage was so evil that even the dogs of blind men turned away as if to say, "No eye at all is better than an evil eye." Jesus, however, looked upon people with compassion, mercy and warm love.

Albert Mehrabian found that the tone of our voice and the position of our bodies are more powerful in messages than the words we use. Tone of voice is a factor five times more powerful than our best language with some 38% of the message. Try this experiment. The next time you see a dog, make a very mean comment in a warm, loving tone of voice. You may try something like this. "You ugly old dog I am going to beat you with a stick." There is no doubt that the dog will respond by wagging his tail and will come over for a pat on the head.

Despite the words you use, he senses your kindness. You may also try the opposite tack and say nice things in a harsh tone. Then the dog will scurry away in fear.

Dr. Mehrabian discovered that body language speaks even more powerfully than tone of voice. Body language has 7 times more influence, 55%, than the words. Scrooge's demeanor said, "Stay away from me. I dislike you. Come to me and I will give you the boot!"

Jesus communicated a different message. He said verbally and non verbally, "Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest."

Jesus lived in the fruit of the Spirit so people wanted to be with Him and draw strength, rest and peace from the Spirit. Pray that we might grow in the Spirit and draw people to the Lord by our words and deeds.

This is one reason why a simple "Thank you" or a "Merry Christmas" can bless another person's body and soul. Ask the Lord to produce more spiritual fruit in us in the New Year of 2008.

News From Russia

Life in Russia

Life is very hard for ordinary people in Russia. They often turn to alcohol to deaden their pain but it makes things worse. Galina and her friends do a lot with very little, so they need our prayer and support.

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The web master recently posted several photos from training sessions around the former USSR. One set even comes from the Russian public high schools. Our friends are able to do in Russia what we cannot do here in America.

Go to http://www.liferoute.ru/ and check it out.

Unless you read Russian click the Union Jack, or English flag.

They have also added updates to the online Recovery Bible but it is all in Russian. The Christian 12 Steps are also in Russian.

Support them by your prayer. Write me gsweeten@cinci.rr.com for more information.

The Electronic Church

A friend of mine attended the recent Seasoned Believers' Gathering and became so excited that he started writing a blog. "The Boomer Wave" http://theboomerwave.blogspot.com/

Ron Tate has read or is reading about everything there is about the current Age Wave of people getting "Older and Wiser" as the Pioneers and Boomers hit age 60 and above. If you are interested in what the experts are saying, click on Ron's site and you will find plenty to stimulate your thinking.

Brain Health

I have been involved in Pastoral Care and Clinical counseling for a long time. As you may know, the Mood Disorders of Anxiety and Depression are the most frequent emotional struggles humans face. Billions of dollars are spent on medications each year and billions more spent on lost time from work and home duties.

One of the myths about dealing with mood disorders says, "You must rest more. Stress is getting you down." That is not true. Facing and overcoming a mood disorder requires us to get out of bed and take a walk. It means we need to face our issues and work through them. But, we don't feel like it.

One of the myths about reaching the "age of retirement" is similar. It says, "You have worked hard all your life now slow down, stop entirely and retire. Don't do anything but fish, golf and rest."

If you have been a compulsive worker all your adult life that may sound real good. However, "Life without purpose is not worth living." Life without purpose is boring and dull and depressive.

Yesterday a friend told me about a relative who sued her husband for divorce after 53 years. That is shocking to me. The only thing I could think of was they both retired and stayed home all day in each other's space.

There are two major lakes in Israel. The Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. The name of the second lake is a give away about the situation. The Sea of Galilee is lush, green and full of fish. Nothing grows in the Dead Sea. Why? Because water flows into and out of the Sea of Galilee but it only flows into the Dead Sea.

Narcissism is a Dead Sea of salts and selfishness. Jesus was psychologically and emotionally correct when He said, "It is more blessed to give than receive." I don't mean compulsive, driven co-dependence but fun, energetic caring relationships that mutually build up all parties. Not works based on having to do but being based on a deep knowledge of God's grace and love.

The danger is withdrawal into self instead of abiding in Christ and relating in love to others.

Don't Retire-Refire!

Ps. During good weather, a group of us plays golf together each week at Sharon Woods. GOLF is God's Outdoor Loving Fellowship! We play, pray and pay for each other.

gsweeten@cinci.rr.com

I Apologise

Forgive Me Lord

As I looked over the Seasoned Believers' blog I found that it actually conveys a feeling that is the opposite of what I believe. Visitors seem to come away with the feeling that I want people to work harder and longer to earn God's favor or at least my favor. Nothing can be farther from the truth. I am so sorry I led you astray.

The key to freedom as a Seasoned Believer is not DOING but BEING.

Another way of saying this is: Performance does not produce Person hood. Person hood results in joyful Performances with God.

Second, BEING/Person hood is not earned, deserved or produced. It is offered freely by a gracious God as a result of our faith in Him.

Third, our BEING/Person hood is caught or recognized and apprehended or appreciated as a result of learning how to abide in the finished work of Christ.

Fourth, we tend to "hit the wall" through a crisis after serving God for several decades. It is not restricted to Baby Boomers but most Boomers have at some time, "Hit the wall".

Fifth, the crisis often slows us down enough for us to seek God in a spiritually transforming manner. We finally begin to understand the passage, "Count it all joy when you encounter various trials..." James 1:2-3

Sixth, Seasoned Believers are at the wall, through the wall or frustrated with the wall and the lack of resources in the church to help them understand the wall in God's plan. DOING more or Performing better will not help us move through the wall.

Seventh, it is our goal to support people as they seek God's guidance and voice through the wall and afterwards.

See you at the wall...

Seasoned Believers is a ministry of Sweeten Life systems, a 501c3 not-for profit faith based charity. (Formerly Life Way Incorporated) P.O. Box 498455, Cincinnati, Ohio 45249

The Life Way Counseling Centers is a separate Clinical Counseling Group organized as a C Corporation. It supports Sweeten Life Systems but the two organizations have no official corporate connections although Dr. Sweeten is the founder of both.

News from the Real World

Kids

I read the electronic Wall Street Journal opininionjournal@wsj.com almost daily and in it I find good writing and articles about life and business and the business of life. Sometimes the articles amaze me. Take a look at this one on the Juggle Blog.

http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/2007/12/19/balancing-career-and-family-and-disillusion/#comment-26191

There was an opinion piece in yesterday’s Journal that looks at the possible sociological consequences if many women are able to freeze their unfertilized eggs. The author argues that given the choice, many will pursue careers until their 50s, then opt to have children.
One passage, about the disillusionment some women face when trying to balance a career and a family, caught my eye:

Many young men and women go through high school, college and professional school often mistakenly assuming no differences in their respective trajectories . . . When I suggested to a 22-year-old female medical student that she consider a career in anesthesiology because the hours were flexible enough to raise a family, she shot back: “I went to Harvard! Now I’m going to Johns Hopkins! I’m going to be a department chairman someday! And you want to put me on the mommy track?”

Seven years later, when this woman applied for a job as an anesthesiologist, the first question she asked me was: “I’m trying to have a baby. Can I go part time?

The author concludes that egg freezing will allow women “the freedom to leisurely follow the male career trajectory . . . no more lurching from Harvard to the mommy track.”

As "Seasoned Citizens" how do you respond to this article? How would you like to start your family at age 50, frozen eggs and all? I am sure a lot of our readers are 50 and older. I am happy to have grand kids now but I only have enough energy and resilience to care for them a day or two before I run out of steam. As Lily, the five year old said, "Papa sleeps a lot."

One of the things we do is try to offer wisdom and support to our kids and grand kids. I was driven to succeed; to be somebody when I was a young dad. Because of my driven lifestyle in the ministry I missed a lot of things with my kids. But, we traveled together and I made sure I coached all of Tim's teams, even soccer.

We lived several hundred miles from our parents. I wish we had been closer. Now I see how important grand parents can be.

Karen and I try to be with our kids and grand kids whenever we can. Last night we had a wonderful time at a Christmas program at Lily's church school. It was great to see her. Jacob sat next to us singing with his sister and going through the liturgy like a pro. Nothing can be better than that.

Last week we drove to Pittsburgh to be with Jack as Tim and Shelley had places to go. In a year or so we will drive up there to see him sing at a Christmas program. We would gladly fly to California if necessary. We love it because we love our kids and grand kids. I am thankful they did not wait until age 50 to start having kids. We could not see them or be with them if they did.

Any comments? Write me at gsweeten@cinci.rr.com

Is The Customer Always Right?

Over the past few years I have focused most of my time and energy on the group I have come to call, Seasoned Believers, folks whose lives have been spent following God as best they know how. This group has had a lot of experience with God, Churches, Para-Church Groups and assorted trials and tribulations. They have lost their idealism without losing their faith.

It is our goal to develop materials, products, experiences and events that will minister deeply to the hearts and souls of these well experienced Christians, whether in the church or out. One way we are attempting to do that is by asking Seasoned Believers what would be helpful to them. However, I find it is difficult to get an answer.

Most choose not to answer our surveys and others just complain about past failures.

When Seasoned Believers hear me describe our ministry, they sometimes get defensive. I taught a class last year about "Hearing God's Call" and interviewed several members before teaching. I asked them, "What would you like me to cover in this class?"

I was not shocked but I was surprised by most of the responses. Many came out like this:

"Why is the Pastor doing this? Have we not done enough already?"

"I am already giving, leading a group and attending every service. Isn't that enough?"

"Gary, why are you pressuring us to do more? I have served the Lord for years and I am tired."

You get the point. But, it was not the point I was trying to make. I had something quite the opposite in mind. Can you guess what my goal was?

What would be helpful to your group of friends?

Hit the comment button or write me at gsweeten@cinci.rr.com

Now is the Time

Two Baby Boomers Trying to Serve

I made many bad decisions in my youth but one of the best decisions I made was to take a class in typing. Typing was not a popular class among boys. Everybody knows that it is a job for secretaries and all secretaries are girls.

I really do not remember why I decided to take typing. Maybe it was because Clinton Noren did and I admired him. Clinton was smart and he seemed to be ahead of the rest of us in making good decisions. Well, anyway, I did take a typing class.

The typing teacher had us type one phrase over and over. Do any of you remember what it was? As best that I recall, it went like this: Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their party. (Or was it "...aid of their country"?)

Well, "Now is the time for all good believers to come to the aid of their kingdom." God has brought you to Himself and prepared you for this time in life. You are healthy, wealthy and wise, just as old Ben Franklin suggested. So what is holding you back?

I am showing photos of President Bush and Senator Clinton, two Believers who have taken their call so seriously they are serving in the highest offices of the land. If many of my friends have their way, Senator Clinton will be the first female President. I strongly affirm Christian politicians of all persuasions to get involved in public service. Hooray for them.

Maybe you are already performing at the full abilities of your combined talents, wisdom, knowledge and gifts. That must keep you very fulfilled. The only way to be "In the Zone" of perfection is to be actively involved in things that stretch you emotionally, spiritually and in using your talent/gift mix fully.

Number 10 of the top ten changes is, Ready for an Awakening. When millions of Seasoned Believers are empowered and unleashed to be fully alive and fully engaged in service, the Fourth Great Awakening will be upon us. Are you ready? I am.

Shift Number 9

The Christian and church world has shifted radically over the last forty years. This has great implications for us Seasoned Believers. People like me must take care lest these shifts cause a series of angry conflicts between and among various generations and groups.

For example, the research from Willow Creek about how well or badly their churches were performing was cause for some to attack the church, the association of churches and the ways Willow had been approaching outreach, preaching and discipleship. Many others saw it as an opportunity to learn from the research and ask God for guidance about their own approach to evangelism and growth.

One thing is for sure, there are many opportunities for tension, attacks and misunderstandings between various schools of Christian thought. The research by Barna [barnagroup@barna.org] and others is refreshingly frank about our strengths, weaknesses and areas of needed growth. I agree with Barna and Willow that we have been less than successful in training Christians how to face and overcome personal problems and how to thrive in an anti-Christian culture.

If there are over forth million born again Christians in America one would have to wonder why we are not more successful at positively affecting our culture. However, defensive attacks on each other or on the "world" will not improve our influence. We need to analyze our successes and failures and make the changes necessary to improve in the future.

I hope Seasoned Believers with experience in business, industry, scientific research, education and counseling as well as all other fields will come together to improve our churches and para-church organizations. We who have been seasoned by life and training have so many resources that can improve God's agents of ministry that we cannot pass up the opportunities God is providing.

Start thinking about the ways you can use your gifts, experiences and talents to enhance and strengthen future generations.

Number 8 of Ten Major Changes

The last major shift I mentioned was a combination of large numbers of people born and reborn into the world since the Jesus Movement. These facts, along with the radical changes in Christian life and understanding, form a foundation that has never been seen before. Just think, huge numbers of born again Christians, living for a very long time and eager to unleash their knowledge, experience, spiritual gifts and talents into the world. It boggles the mind.

At this time, there are some 125,000,000 persons in America who are over 50 years of age. If only 30% of the group, some 40,000,000 people, was filled with the Holy Spirit and eager to share God's love, truth and power with others, the impact would be phenomenal. I am thrilled to imagine forty million Spirit filled Christians serving Christ and their fellow citizens with joy and fervor.

The next shift is in education, transportation and mobility. It is one that allows us to think creatively about the kinds of services that such people could offer. If the First Reformation was unable to consider all the members as ministers it was because so few of the members could read, write or travel outside the village. However, the fact that churches are still organized as though the people in the pews are ignorant and stuck in a country village is to cripple our creativity and keep God's love from reaching most of the world.

We now live in the era of short term missions when tens of thousands of ordinary men and women have spent time over seas in ministry. As Seasoned Believers her God's call to minister many of them will find their dream fulfilled in an expanded or full time ministry.

How many of you readers have been on a short term ministry:

National:_____ Where?

International: _________ Where?

More People Living Longer

Not only are we seeing an ageing Boomer population that is used to having life adjust to them, this group is living longer and better than any generation in history. At the turn of the 19Th to 20Th Century people lived on average about 60 years. Now that has stretched to almost 80 years.

The baby boom generation is a demographic term for the population born between 1946 and 1964. Data from the 2000 U.S. Census estimates that the group that holds the “boomer” moniker is made up of at least 82,826,479 individuals. The members of this group range from 41 to 59 years old, which means this demographic behemoth, has started leaving the workforce. What will this exit mean to your organization or group or church? To answer this question, you need to look at major age shifts that alter the demographic landscape of the U.S. labor force.

The aging of the baby boom generation makes pre-seniors this decade’s fastest-growing age group, expanding nearly 50 percent in size from 2000 to 2010.

The 45-to-54 year-old group will continue to grow as well, as the larger, later end of the baby boom cohort (born between 1956 and 1965) replaces the emerging pre-seniors. The inflated sizes for the 65-and-older population over the next two decades is enormous and we can expect these two groups continue to age.

Are you ready? Is your organization ready? Will you want to retire? Can your afford to retire? Who will take the place of all the retiring Boomers? Illegal immigrants? There will be a crisis in the workforce.

Who Are the Seasoned Citizens?

A couple of posts ago I listed the names and numbers of the various population groups. For the most part, Seasoned Citizens are in the five oldest groups.

WWI Generation has 430,000 people
WWII-GI Gener has 17,000,000
Pioneer Gen has 34,000,000
Boomer Gen has 73,000,000

Total People in all generational cohorts 125,000,000 people

These folks are not all the same, but many have similar characteristics. They have experienced many things in life and have learned great lessons. It seems to me that we need to learn from them individually and corporately.

Second, it is a group that are quite open to hearing and responding to the good news of Jesus Christ. Why would we not develop innovative ways to witness to them and care for them.

Third, This group has enormous wealth and resources that can be used to help others around the world.

Top Ten Changes

The changes just still keep on happening as a result of the Great Revival of the Sixties and Seventies. The drama continues and we shall never be the same, in the church or out.

The six changes we mention before are at the heart of what God has wrought. However, the list of changes would not be complete without mentioning some of what God was doing in society. From the year after WWII ended 1946 to the beginning of the Sixties, 64, the world saw the greatest population explosion in history.

All those GI's came home after being away from their wives and girl friends for years and the natural thing happened. "Love and marriage, love and marriage, go together like a horse and carriage". And, along came Michael, Melissa and Margo, children who filled the schools and churches of America and brought changes to every organization they touched.

They are still touching and changing insitutions. These Baby Boomers are living longer and better than any other group that has ever lived. Historically, people worked until they could work no more. Now, people work as long as they want and then quit to work or retire as they want. Retirement will never be the same as a result.

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

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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.
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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.