Church | williamlehman.net

Category Archives: Church

The Exit Interview.

Written on August 8, 2010 by William Lehman in Christianity, Church, Community, Family, Life

Right now I am sitting in my favorite local coffeeshop for what may be one of the last times. I used to work at this coffeeshop and open up on Monday mornings at 5am. Granted, at the time I needed the extra money to provide for my family, but I still enjoyed the people, all the free coffee I could drink (when you open the store by baking pastries at 5am you need that coffee) and the employee discount. I even ended up building the website for them (for which I apparently got a lifetime employee discount which I only employ occasionally).

Today, I am just enjoying the quiet while I write and think a little bit. The next few weeks are going to be a radical shift for my family and I. I’ve never done a long-distance move before. I’ve contemplated it when I interviewed at churches in Lake Havasu, AZ and Kalispell, MT & sent a resume out to Juneau, AK. As you can tell probably, Becca & I are really excited about the move.

There is a bittersweet part of moving in all of it too. We had gotten pretty close to our church family at Narrow Road Community Church. I mean, they knew we were looking for where God would take us since we first started attending there. I had mentioned it in prayer enough while I was frustrated with the job search (which was often). They knew also that it was wearing on us considering Becca being pregnant and also the primary provider for our family financially. But we love these people. We had gotten involved in numerous ways (not as much as we wanted even) and really felt loved. They have in many ways become family to us.

I know there are problems in every church, but being at Narrow Road Community Church has been one of the best experiences I’ve ever had with a church… warts and all. We have been blessed beyond measure, prayed for, lifted up emotionally & spiritually and invested into while being a part of the family there. There’s been way more opportunity to get connected with the church family that I’ve never been able to take advantage of. More ways to serve than you could shake a stick at. I can honestly say that no one in that church feels like they are left out feeling that they don’t know how they can get involved. If they do, it’s their own fault. Now I know not every church is destined to be a mega-church. I had never understood that till I came to Narrow Road. Some churches are meant to be small. Small is what they do best. A congregation can be cared for adequately. People can grow together in ways they just can’t in a big church. The pastors (both of them) excite in me a passion for preaching the Word, really caring about people, and just being around them you know you are loved and cared for yourself. I don’t know if Narrow Road is destined to be a large church, but I can say they do small really well and I think they would do large well too.

I am not belittling the lessons I’ve learned elsewhere before coming to Narrow Road as a burned out (probably mostly my own fault) recent Associate Pastor from another local church, but here is where I’ve been re-ignited, reforged, and set aflame with passion again. Narrow Road has been a refuge for me and a place of renewing for both Becca & I. I hope in the future I can maintain the relationships I’ve found at Narrow Road and bridges can be built in the Kingdom of God for God’s Word to be spread all the more because of it.

1 Comment - Leave a comment!

Franklin, KY – Here we Come!

Written on August 7, 2010 by William Lehman in Christianity, Church, Faith, Journal, Life, work

I am feeling awesome today. Even healthwise as the gallstone finally passed (I know, TMI but it’s relevant for those who were wondering about my most recent health status). I think some of the stress of the prolonged job hunt is starting to fall off too. Oh, I guess I didn’t announce that here yet. In fact I don’t think I announced a few things. Like where we are expecting a new baby by December (of which we are about 80% sure is a girl, but waiting on a second ultrasound to confirm). But in other news in the Lehman household….

I got a job!

But job sounds like something you do for money as in “selling out”. I prefer the term “position” because it sounds more like the way I view it. Doing something you love while getting paid and being able to provide for your family doing it. So what does this mean for the immediate future. Well, we are moving for one. Right now the moving is scrounging around for moving boxes and trying to pack while looking for a place to live.

So now for the details. The church is Franklin First United Methodist Church in Franklin, KY. This means we are moving in the next few weeks. Becca is really excited as it means going back south. Kentucky is her home state and as she’s lived pretty much all over western Kentucky, she counts the whole state as “hometown” for the most part. We will be about an hour away from Mammoth Caves, 45 minutes away from Nashville, 30 minutes or less from Bowling Green. I will be the Youth & Young Adults Pastor at the church Full-time & Becca will get to be a stay-at-home mom (which is what she wants to do). She is also probably going to start writing on her site a lot more, www.motherhoodfordummies.com.

Now, the only thing I’ll be worried about is the fact that I’m going to be working with this guy below as he is the pastor at the church I’m going to. He’s the one on the right.

See I didn’t realize the underlying Jewish Rabbi Cult that has permeated the United Methodist Church. The fact that he has Henna Art on his hand along with painted fingernails. I will assume that this image is of some strange new age Jewish wedding or “The Night of the Henna”. Looking at Wikipedia I find: (via this link under the section for “Traditions of Henna as body Art”)

The Night of the Henna was celebrated by most groups in the areas where henna grew naturally: Jews,^[11] Muslims,^[12] Hindus, Christians and Zoroastrians, among others, all celebrated marriages by adorning the bride, and often the groom, with henna.

8 Comments - Leave a comment!

A Great Faith in a Great God who does Great Things

Written on April 27, 2010 by William Lehman in Church, Community, Design

Above is the graphic I put together for this coming Sunday at Narrow Road Community Church. It’s mainly what I’ve been working on this afternoon. This morning I had the site down for a little bit as I did some database work finalizing the changes from the old domain name to the new domain name. Old images with the old url were not showing up because the urls were embedded in the content. I finally figured it out and got the site running again, but it was a bit of a frustrating process to figure out.

But if you aren’t doing anything on Sunday and you live in the area, we’d love to have you join us. Check out the post on the church website for more info.

0 Comments - Leave a comment!

Can “struggle” be separate from “sin”?

Written on April 15, 2010 by William Lehman in Christianity, Church, Faith

I’ve been dealing with this a lot lately. More so because it’s come up in media with different individuals who have declared they are gay or lesbian and still call themselves Christians.

Over the years I’ve struggled with the sin of anger in my life. I’ve never came out to say that I am an “Angry Person” and just expected people to embrace my anger as a part of who I am. It would be ludicrous to think that just because I struggle with an issue that I need to define myself by that particular sin and label myself accordingly. God’s word says anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires (James 1:19-21). Sure I can try to justify it and say that “God made me this way” but the truth of it is that it’s my own selfish desires that cause me to be angry.

God’s word is pretty clear on God’s stance on homosexuality. It is clear that homosexuality is sin according to God’s word.

But, I am not here to argue that point. Can someone legitimately struggle with homosexuality just as much as one struggles with pornography or a gambling addiction? I think the answer is yes. But just as you wouldn’t hold a person up who is an excessive unrepentant alcoholic and present them as a leader, you also can’t in good faith say that a homosexual is fit to be placed in authority in the Church. The two things don’t mix. Light and dark cannot coexist.

Now that probably sounds harsh. I know. You don’t say those things today in our culture.

So what is the place of person who refuses to acknowledge sin as being sin?

To be welcome as a participant, but not a leader. (Worship)
To be loved and built up in the knowledge of Christ as a brother or sister. (Fellowship)
To be spoken to forthrightly about the sin in their lives in love. (Accountability)
To have an understanding that they are choosing to be in the midst of those who believe that God’s word is authoritative and that sin will be confronted wherever it is found. (Teaching)
If they chose to assert their will over that of God’s word openly for the purpose of inciting others, they will be asked to leave because God has called us to live in peace. (Discipleship)

What is the place of the person who struggles against the sin in their lives and fights against it?

To be welcome as a participant, and depending on the influence and nature of the particular sin, serve as a leader. (Worship)
To be loved and built up in the knowledge of Christ as a brother or sister. (Fellowship)
To be spoken to forthrightly about the sin in their lives in love.
To have an understanding that they are choosing to be in the midst of those who believe that God’s word is authoritative and that sin will be confronted wherever it is found.
If they chose to assert their will over that of God’s word openly for the purpose of inciting others, they will be asked to leave because God has called us to live in peace.

Did you notice anything? Only the first of the points was any different. Let me throw one more category in here.

What is the place of the person who says they have no sin in their lives?

To be welcome as a participant, but not a leader. (Worship)

Yes, it’s the same as the first category. The other four areas are the same too…

To be loved and built up in the knowledge of Christ as a brother or sister. (Fellowship)
To be spoken to forthrightly about the sin in their lives in love. (Accountability)
To have an understanding that they are choosing to be in the midst of those who believe that God’s word is authoritative and that sin will be confronted wherever it is found. (Teaching)
If they chose to assert their will over that of God’s word openly for the purpose of inciting others, they will be asked to leave because God has called us to live in peace. (Discipleship)

So what is the difference?

Pride and Humility. The unrepentant sinner refuses God’s will and so their pride keeps them from being in relationship with God. To them, they have set themselves up as a God in their own eyes. They are not fit to be a leader. The ones who say they have no sin in their lives are fooling themselves and living in the delusion that they determine what is right or wrong. The one who struggles against sin is the only one who acknowledges that they are indeed in need of the forgiveness and grace offered by Jesus Christ. This is the only person who is capable of repentance. Both of the other categories much first reach the place where they have acknowledged sin in their lives before they can come to this place.

Sin is defined by God. We all do sin. If you are struggling against sin in your life you have come to the place where you know you are fallible and are in need of God in your life. In short, you are where God wants you to be so He can change you from the inside out.

If you have labeled yourself by your sin, you are in need of healing that God can provide.

If you say you have no sin, then you are delusional and in need of healing as well.

0 Comments - Leave a comment!

The New Atheism & Christianity

Written on April 9, 2010 by William Lehman in Christianity, Church, Faith

First off, it’s not really new. It’s a new way of saying the same old thing. It’s a new way of excusing pride & selfishness for rational thought. The very term “atheism” asserts that not only do they already believe that there is no God, but that by labeling themselves as such they also do not want evidence to the contrary of their belief system. It’s the finality of the term “atheist” that concerns me. No other label denotes such hopelessness, closed mindedness and pride than “atheist”. One who has determined in their heart that there is no God and defines themselves as such. But, many atheists are closer to knowing God than many so-called Christians.

Many so-called Christians want to fight it out with the atheists about if there is a God, historical data, and silly philosophical questions. The best way to fight atheism isn’t knowledge. It isn’t knowing more historical data. It isn’t even having the answers to the fossil record that neither Christian nor Atheist can explain in full. It’s in how we love.

If we truly love, the fighting won’t matter. It will be seen. If we love the atheists that try so hard to convince us that there is no God, we nullify the very argument through genuine compassion, real prayer and a life lived in the Spirit.

Today, there are Christians who are fed up “with the institution of the church”. Sure they phrase it all sorts of ways. Really, it’s a cop out. They are fed up with people who play at being the church and excluding the very people they need to be showing love to. Don’t get me wrong. A life that is actively being lived in sin has no place within church leadership. But we all fall short of God’s perfect will. We all sin. Yes, Christians sin. It’s the belief in Christ forgiveness of our sins that we find grace.

So my encouragement is yes, steep yourself in the knowledge. Study science. Study biology. Study philosophy. The church has long neglected the sciences and arts because of those who use it for evil. But inquiry is made not just for knowledge. It is made for the affirmation of faith. But don’t use the weapons of knowledge against the ones who have made up their mind already. Knowledge without faith is merely looking at the creation and refusing to aknowledge a creator. Only half of the puzzle makes any sense at all. If you turn it around and look at science, history, sociology, philosophy from the perspective of realizing that God is, that He exists and is active within His creation, all of creation will speak… nay, sing of His wonder

2 Comments - Leave a comment!

We are one body after all.

Written on April 6, 2010 by William Lehman in Christianity, Church, Faith

What we will become of this generation? Will we slip into the dark shrouds of history as the generation of silence like many before us?

We have watched unborn infants sanctioned to death by a government that does not value life.
We have become fearful of stepping up and speaking of our faith because it may offend someone.
We have a history of fakers, slanderers, liars, cheats and scoundrels in our midst.
We have more voice than ever before to show Jesus Christ at work in our lives.

While all around us our liberties and freedoms are not being ripped from our grasp. They are being given away. Easily deceived by hopes of a grander future, we have handed over the inheritance of gold to be made into golden calves that we all bow down to. We will taste the bitter cup of that drink in good time.

But there is still time today. We have today, this moment to make a difference.

We need to stand together across denominational lines, across racial, economic and personal ambitions and be the church we were called to be.

I don’t care if you speak in tongues. I was not blessed with that gift of the Spirit. But, one of the fruits of the Spirit is patience. Another is self-control.

We are one body after all. The fruits of the Spirit need to be evident now more than ever so that we can enact the message of Christ that we need to be presenting and quit dividing ourselves along lines that do not matter more than the fact that Jesus Christ came and died for our sins, to set us free from sin and give us the gift of life. Abundant life in Him.

We cannot hold to both life and sin which causes death at the same time.

It is not up to what I think, or your professor thinks, or the blogger who you read…. or how we twist the word of God to say what we want it to say. It says what it says because God said what He meant for all generations and He used men from all walks of life to convey that message.

2 Comments - Leave a comment!

It’s not you, it’s me…

Written on March 26, 2010 by William Lehman in Christianity, Church, Faith

…I mean it could be you, but I’m gonna let God sort it out because He’s the only one who knows for sure.

I was given a book the other day. I’m not going to share what it was just yet. But it made me think a little more about some things that I’ve thought over the years. A lot about the way I have thought about things in relation to the churches I’ve been a part of in a leadership capacity and as a fellow lay minister at times.

Let me first say publicly, I am sorry. Now, I know that on it’s own doesn’t really seem to make much sense, but let me share a little about why I am sorry. I’ve often been critical of leadership in churches. I’ve never been public about these criticisms. It’s been more of an internal struggle about how I should submit to the authority of someone who in my opinion wasn’t submitting to God themselves. I may have outwardly done all the right things, but often internally I’ve struggled when I have seen churches do things at the bidding of their pastors or ministers that has been contrary to what I believe God wanted. Often, I believe that feeling may have been folly. Not because the ministers or pastors were right, but because in my mind I tried to judge how God was leading them to lead.

Granted, I didn’t act on it in an outward fashion. I’ve thought about it. I’ve laid schemes in my head hundreds of times about how I would do things differently. How I would change things if “I were in charge”.

I think one of the greatest gifts God has given me is a short attention span. I entertain ideas and move onto things very fast. I don’t hold grudges because I often forget why I am holding grudges in the first place. So I think that has been beneficial to me in the past for avoiding the types of conflict I otherwise would have found myself in.

But here is the point.

I have been blessed by God in the sense that He has kept me from personal ruin thus far because of the way that He created me. I don’t think God has shielded me for my own sake though. I think He has protected ministries from me more often than He has given me authority because He knew that it was beyond me to be the leader that He wanted me to be. I won’t dare claim brokenness. I also won’t claim that I have been chastened to the point that I am the ultimate embodiment of who God wants me to be. I will claim instead, Christ.

I don’t understand Jesus. I don’t get Him at times. I sin. I fall short at times. If someone were looking to me for guidance and an example, I hope they don’t check their brains at the door and forget that I am fallible.

I claim Christ because of grace. This is the thing that separates Christianity from all other faiths. The fact that a perfect God could love an imperfect people and give Himself up for them. I guess this is why I don’t feel that I “belong” to a particular denomination. I belong to Christ. No General Superintendent of whatever conference took my sin. Jesus took it. Often we could fight all day about open communion or closed communion, but ultimately it doesn’t come down to a ritual practice. It comes down to a relationship between us & God, and our relationship with people who though fallen, were created in His image. How I treat those people in my thoughts regardless of whether they are right or not, reveals how I am also treating God.

0 Comments - Leave a comment!

Barbershop Jesus

Written on March 6, 2010 by William Lehman in Christianity, Church, Faith, comic

I feel like there is a Jesus image that we lift up for each generation. It’s rather strange to think that this timeless Gospel must be re-branded every few years to “relate” to our culture. Our culture is going downhill rather fast. Shouldn’t we be lifting up the timeless truth of the Gospel rather than the latest rendition?

0 Comments - Leave a comment!

Marketing not required.

Written on March 5, 2010 by William Lehman in Church

I’ve been giving a lot of though to the idea of how we typically do outreach. I think I have often misunderstood that marketing and outreach were the same thing. A talk the other day with one of the pastors at the church I’ve been involved in lately has really opened up my eyes to how marketing can also become a trap that we fall into. We are supposed to “market” God with our lives, not just some catchy slogan on a billboard somewhere. The catchy slogans are good for building awareness that someone indeed wants to reach out (outreach) to them and may serve as a connecting point, but we will never touch a life through a fancy billboard. It’s what happens when people do respond to our marketing efforts that changes lives. But here’s the catch, marketing isn’t required if lives are indeed changed. Marketing will only be to let outside people know of the exciting things already going on.

0 Comments - Leave a comment!

Validation

Written on March 2, 2010 by William Lehman in Church, Community, Faith, Family

I saw this video the other day and I thought it was wonderful. You may also recognize the guy who plays in the tv show “Bones”. But what I liked about the video was the message. We have an opportunity to “validate” and encourage others. So often we miss out on the chance to do so.

found via shallowfrozenwater (awesome find by the way)

1 Comment - Leave a comment!