Toolbox For Faith

“Thanks for the advice,” the person said as she left my office shortly before the start of our Vacation Bible School. “That was really helpful.” The remark caught me off guard because I thought that we were having a good discussion looking at possible options. I had not thought that I was distributing advice.

The next day I read an interview with David Freedman who wrote Wrong: Why Experts Keep Failing Us - and How to Know When Not to Trust Them when I came across his definition of good and bad advice which brought me back to the evening before. He said that bad advice tends to be simplistic, definite, universal and certain. Good advice, he feels, tends to be less certain.

I really appreciated what he said. Many people want a black and white world which explains why bad advice resonates with so many people who want simple, certain answers. Others see the world as a rainbow of colors which explains why good advice tends to be less certain. Good advice acknowledges that there are many roads to reach a destination, not just one way.

After reading all of Freedman’s comments, I started thinking that looking at possible options might be the best advice we can give or receive. And then I realized that sounded very simplistic, definite, universal and certain which made it bad advice. Oops! All I am certain about now is that I would appreciate it if you didn’t ask me for advice.

At the end of second Corinthians, Paul writes

“And that’s about it, friends. Be cheerful. Keep things in good repair. Keep your spirits up. Think in harmony. Be agreeable. Do all that, and the God of love and peace will be with you for sure.”
2 Corinthians 13:11 from The Message

Paul’s words echoed in my mind as I read a copy of an email sent to dozens of members in another congregation complaining that their church is growing smaller and less friendly due to the pastor. The email bothered me greatly because the writer blasted everything and then pushed a button on a computer spreading their discontent to everyone in their address book, making sure that those people knew the writer was unhappy. What made it even more unfair was that the writer had not bothered to talk this over with the pastor and did not know what was happening in the congregation.

The writer did entirely the opposite of what Paul says, “Keep things in good repair… Think in harmony. Be agreeable.” Instead of creating harmony, many Christians act as un-Christians creating dysfunction, hurt, anger, and stress within the church. They want their own way and refuse to look at other options. To be faithful, we must align our lives with Christ’s teachings and Paul’s advice. We need to work together to solve problems within congregations, not fire off angry, destructive emails.

We in the church are called to be examples of Christ in words and actions. We are to act in love and even email in love. More of us need to read and reread Paul’s words.

I had been traveling for over an hour when I decided to stop and have a Sausage McMuffin at McDonalds. As I stood in line waiting to order, the three people behind me started talking and I could not help but overhear their comments. One man and woman were each wearing an NFL jersey from a team several states away which started the conversation. The other man was from an adjoining state and they talked.

The line was long but the woman behind the counter was almost running to make sure each person received their order as quickly as possible. The store must not have counted on having this many people stop at the same time.

The woman behind me then commented that the line was taking a long time. One of the men then answered, “What do you expect? This is South Carolina.”

That started me thinking about prejudice. For some reason, this man was blaming the slowness on being in South Carolina which showed a definite prejudice.

I learned many important lessons about prejudice as I lived through the civil rights days. My debate partner for several months was one of the first three Afro-American students at the university we attended. I heard his story and saw the hateful reaction of so many people just to having him on campus. The encounter changed forever my feelings about prejudice which can attack in many different ways, even in a McDonalds.

Over the years, I have come to believe that the opposite of prejudice is grace, God’s free gift to all of us. By God’s grace, we are all children of God. Prejudice denies grace because it assumes that some people are better than other people. By living in grace, we realize that all God’s children are important which counters any prejudices that can sneak into our lives.

Seven Words of Grace

God blesses us with grace. - Psalm 23:6
Strong, healthy congregation live in the grace of God. - 1 Cor 1:1-4
Grace is grassroots. - Luke 2:7
Grace is generous. - Mark 16:6-8
Grace is gentle. - Eph 4:2
Grace is mutual. - 1 Cor 13:3
Grace finds us, and we find grace. - John 1:14

- Kennon Callahan

Basic Qualities of Strong, Healthy Congregation

Strong Healthy Congregations deliver three out of the five qualities on the list and God will bless you as a strong, healthy congregation

Strong, Healthy Congregations

1. Live in the grace of God
2. Build on their strengths; then tackle any weakness
3. Compassion, Community and Hope; then, Challenge, Reasonability, Commitment
4. Excellent Sprinter Possibilities; some Solid Marathon Runner Possibilities
5. Act Swiftly

- Dr. Kennon Callahan

Of all the lists of favorites that people have, I am probably the only person who has a favorite intersection—Whiskey Road at Grace Avenue in Aiken, South Carolina. A close up of the sign is on an 8 by 10 picture on my wall. I passed the crossroads this week while visiting in Aiken and was reminded again what a fantastic parable it is.

Whiskey Road was the path that moonshiners took and the name stuck. Building on the theme, several of the other roads intersecting Whiskey have intriguing names including Gin and Sherry. At one time, the Methodist parsonage was on one of these alcoholic beverage named side streets. I was told that Grace Avenue was named for the Grace family that was involved with Bethlehem Steel but I think of it in terms of God’s grace. On one side, Grace Avenue is not paved because it is used by horses. On the light pole on both sides of Grace Avenue is a button located the correct height so that riders on horseback can reach it and the stop light will change, the only horse light east of the Mississippi River.

The great reminder to me is that God’s grace intersects our lives at every turn and bend. God walks with us for no other reason except his grace. Paul was right on target when he said that we are saved by grace through faith. We often think that we have done something that God should appreciate but it is never enough. Whiskey Road and Grace Avenue reminds me that God intersects my life even though I do not deserve it and I respond by thanking God for his amazing grace. Isn’t it wonderful how God can still use the ordinary to remind us of the profound!

My only consolation about being the only person I know who has a favorite intersection is that I am convinced if Martin Luther were alive, he would join me in having that same favorite intersection.