“Live Hard, Love Fast, and Never Leave Home Without Jesus.”

I Just returned from WV Annual Conference; business meetings, worship services, catching up with old friends, and trying to make new ones. The conference went as usual; good worship, some boring reports, and business to discuss, along with special breakfast and dinners to attend. Something I greatly missed at conference was the camaraderie that always taken place at the Cokesbury bookstore set up each year for conference.

Usually there were 5, 10, or 15 guys and gals talking and catching up on things with their families, ministry, or health issues, with a few good jokes or stories to throw in the malaise of conversation. The past 3 or 4 years has been much different. The usual faces I saw at conference were mostly absent, and the few I did see something had changed. So I started taking an inventory of what could possibly be the big change in the usual and customary protocol of Annual Conference.

1. I’m 61 years old now and many of my old acquaintances have retired or not as active as once upon a time.

2. As I meandered about on campus, in restaurants, at the bookstore etc. I realized that everyone had their phone in their hand texting, tweeting, or surfing.  

3. What does a 61 year old have in common with a 20 or 30 something year old lay person or clergy? Not much socially!

4. Let’s face it! I have been in ministry since 1985, or almost 30 years, so I am a dinosaur!

Is this why we are losing so many of this generation in America? Too many dinosaurs! Too much social media! I like social media as well as the next chap, but I also covet personal, one on one conversations with folks. I try to be well balanced in my approach to 21st century ministry, so what’s lacking? Is it trust? 

When I came home today from conference I jumped on my trusty dl1000 V-Strom Suzuki and took about a 60 mile or so ride around Greenbrier, and Monroe Counties, and I saw a lot of other riders along the way out doing the same; taking a Sunday afternoon cruise through the country side. As I passed each rider I pondered whether they knew Jesus or not? If they didn’t I sure would like to have shared Jesus with them, and if they did I sure would like to have had time to fellowship with them–shoot the bull.

In my thoughts about this matter of motorcyclist, and Jesus I really haven’t taken into account their vices, sexuality,likes, dislikes and the such, just about their humanness, and need of God! When I thought a little deeper I realized there are over 4,000,000 motorcycle riders in America and more than likely many of them have never met Jesus. Then I went a little deeper and realized that I participate in many community functions in many ways, but when it comes to church we are a closed communion kind of place. It’s kind of like me, my wife, my two kids, us four and no more.

This is kind of sad being that churches try all kinds of things for church growth, dynamic worship (whatever that means), and contemporary worship. What ever happened to just being part of a community as your 61 year old self in your network of acquaintances’? When I look around my living area, Alderson, WV I realize there are so many people I have to share with in my network, and have done so little to share Jesus and love them.

Here’s the deal: ” If I invite them, If I love them, if I do not condemn them, and accept them just the way they are, God will do the work of conversion in their lives.”  So in retrospect of the past, I have this to say to me in regard to ministry: “Rick, are you and your church an inclusive community of believers? Rick, do you and your church have the patience to invite them in and let God do the work of justification, and sanctification, and redemption in their lives? Rick, you too were once outside of the saving, sanctifying and redeeming grace of God in Jesus Christ, so what brought you in off of the streets?” Answer: “A little fellow named Richard Gibson invited me in, and he did not condemn me, he loved me, he trusted me, taught me with patience, and helped me to grow in God’s loving grace.” Now that’s what I am talking about folks!!!!

My friends; lets take Jesus’ loving invitation to our communities: “Come unto me all who are labored and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” Let’s take it to the hedges, highways, and byways in order to bring the world into our church communities. In final retrospect: “Live hard, love fast, and never leave home without Jesus.” We’ve got a lot of inviting to do!     

 

“The Joy of Discipleship”

Looking back to nostalgic days gone by I see windows through which I saw and felt joy. These were not joy itself, but the window into someone who is called joy. Looking back I dream of those moments through memories stored in my mind. Moments of memories gone by bring either pain, sorrow, sadness, indifference, happiness, or peacefulness. The latter two more desirable, but Life would not be fruitful without the full range of emotions. No one can get caught up in my emotions, as well neither can I in theirs!

When I look back over 61 years of my life, I have to determine what brought me joy and what did not! To do so I must go into my treasure trove of memories and segregate the joy from the not so much joyful moments. Sometimes those moments that seem so not joyous, while looking back, can become extremely joyous.

I had seven years of marital blisters from 1974 -1971. A rough stretch in my life as well as my wife’s to say the least, yet we persevered and stuck it out for reasons unknown, and until after the seven years were up did I understand the purpose of this part of my life. Looking back I see it was a critical part of my life, so I wouldn’t exchange anything for that window into Joy. Since that time, I have had 33 years of bliss with a few blisters here and there, but it’s all been part of the growing in love experience with Joy, my wife, and my family, and it’s all been a window for seeing and experiencing the person Joy.

As my life progresses through time I am quite sure I will experience  pain, sorrow, sadness, indifference, happiness, and peacefulness many more times, and as I look back then, I hope to see a reflection of the one named Joy! I will know if Joy was involved in my memories by the spiritual fruits of the future which only Joy can produce. You might say I’m a dreamer and a bit eccentric, but aren’t we all! My Joy filled windows and your Joy filled windows are our own property stored as memories, buried in the deep corner’s of our minds. I believe my greatest Joy filled window when it’s all said and done, will be suffering for Joy! What’s yours? I hope one day in the future Joy will say to me: ” You Loved me, and I know this by the scars you suffered for my sake! Only then I will experience the fullness of the peace, and happiness of being a child of Joy.

Something Funny Happened On My Way to Church….

From my earliest days of conversion I have been intrigued by scripture, but somewhere on my way to church it seemed to take back seat to cultural Christianity. How did we get here? Did we make a wrong turn at a stop light, or did the sexual revolution lull us all into a deep sleep, only to wake up to find Christendom demolished into a heap of wrecked scrap metal? Did God change during our sleeping hiatus? Either He changed or we put Him on a bus out of town. It seems we try to invite Him back into our lives when we need to hear the word love in order to self justify our sinful behavior. Something funny happened on my way to church. Did the world change, or did God change?

When a kid growing up in southern West Virginia in the 1950’s and 60’s, (bible belt) every kid in the neighborhood had one female mom, one male dad, and not one of my friends had a single parent home, or divorced parents with a step parent in their home. Something funny happened while I was away from the church from 1965 until 1981. The world had changed as had I, because I had joined the sexual revolution hook, line, and sinker. Free sex, the pill, and everybody doing it! Manhood was measured by the number of ladies laid. (had sex with) One night stands had few repercussions because of birth control pills and penicillin. No pregnancy, and no fear of STD’s.. All bases covered! No fear!

I thought all of this was really cool until I came to know Jesus on a personal level in 1981, and then it was like going into a half way house for alcoholism and sexual addiction. I almost lost my marriage, and family which were the only things that made sense to me in the whole world. Jesus redeemed my life, marriage, and family and gave me purpose in living, but the world had changed. I remembered my life growing up, sisters, brother, mom, dad, and grandma prior to 1965. Prayer at meals, meals were eat as a family together, prayer at bedtime, the family worked in the garden together, dad worked in the coal mines, Sunday was a day of worship at morning and evening, as well as on Wednesday night. Jesus was at the center of our lives, and our daily guide for moral conduct. Back then immoral behavior was sinful, shameful, and a reason for shame, and repentance. When Jesus showed me who I was I was ashamed, I repented, I prayed and worshipped regularly with my family. For the first time since a young age I felt like I was living the way God’s presupposition for me to live was suppose to be. It just felt right!

I didn’t want my kid’s to go down the same road I had travelled, for I knew it was a futile way to live with little to no rewards worth having. I knew that I wanted them to know Jesus and His word above all else in life for He alone could redeem them from the sinfulness of a world gone wild with tolerance for evil. When I see them today, I am so proud and sad at the same time, for I see the world I helped perpetuate in my wild fling of sin and shame. if I could reverse my life of drugs, alcohol, sexual promiscuity, filthy language, and disrespect for my folks, I would do it in a second, but their are no second acts in this thing called life. I’ve got only one chance to get it right! Thank you Jesus that I saw the light of your love and grace and you saved me, and are now sanctifying me, and one day will redeem me into the fullness of Your kingdom.

What will my grandchildren face in the days and years to come? We have sexual addiction gone wild in our world today. Same sex relations, same sex marriages, bisexual relationships, as well as transgender (sex change) relations. Much of this I do not understand other than the fact that I helped perpetuate the culture in which I now live, by freely doing whatever my heart desired, because I was the master of my own domain. I thought! Our culture in America is crumbling and ready to burn because of cultural Christianity. What I mean by this is that culture is setting the trends for Christianity. Cultural norms are growing more sinful and as they do the church (so called) is jumping on board with sinful cultural trends as legitimate Christian behavior. Ethically the bible (God’s word) has been redacted into an oblivion of nothingness, other than mere feelings of addictive behavior.

As a pastor I search for ways to minister to a world gone wild with an anything goes kind of ego! I realize the world cannot change until it’s members meet the person Jesus Christ, the second person in the Holy Trinity! He alone can start a reverse of the culture in which we live. He alone can bring the world to its knees and to repentance, salvation, and sanctification, through His word, and the Holy Spirit; Third  person in the Holy Trinity. I realize that I cannot fix this dilemma in the church, but I do understand we are putting far too much identity upon sexuality. Doing this cheapens God’s human creations. Even so I must stand upon His word for He has spoke in my ear the truth of sexuality. Since my conversion I have changed the way I look at sexuality, one man, one woman, in a monogamous marital relationship. Once upon a time I chose to spread my seed through out the land, but now to my wife and only her. God showed me this was the way I should behave, and that through His  living Word that is sharper than any two edged sword cutting to the bone and marrow.

I know the devil, and have had many transactions with him. He is a cunning manipulator, and he has manipulated almost a whole generation of Americans. He is rejoicing, of this I am quite sure, for he loves to devour humans and win them to his kingdom. As I speak the United Methodist Church is in his clutches as he continues to deceive them with his choice word love (tolerance), not as God loves, but as the world loves. Your alright! I’m alright! The world is Alright! Live like hell, there are no repercussions for unrepentant sin! If the bind lead the blind they will both fall into a ditch! I believe we as a church are in the ditch and it saddens me immensely.

Once upon a time I was on my way to church and something funny happened! God’s children changed! They chose to worship the golden calf of infidelity, sex! Sometime I feel like Elijah on Carmel. I feel like everyone has chosen to worship Baal instead of God the father of my Lord Jesus Christ. Elijah on Carmel built an altar, as did the worshippers of Baal. Both summonsed their God to consume their sacrifice, only Elijah filled a ditch around his altar with water, soaked the sacrifice with water, as well as the rocks below it, and both called upon their God to consume their sacrifice. To make a long story short Baal was on the toilet and didn’t show up, but Elijah’s God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, consumed Elijah’s sacrifice, and the water in the ditch around the sacrifice. The people’s response: “The Lord He is God!” There is only one thing I can say about the schism in the UM Church: “The Lord, He alone is God.”  

As I said: “Something funny happened on my way to church.” I grieve, I pray, I hope! The only thing I know for sure is this: “I will stick with the lord, for He alone is God!” 

           

 

“Pride and Arrogance”

What is humility other than the absence of pride. Humility is not passive, but rather seeks to make a point humbly and gracefully about all things. Even at that I can be prideful about my proclaimed humility!  Bragging about my humility, is like saying I’m a good loser while socking my opponent in the nose. Pride is arrogant because it always wants to overstep the boundaries of God’s proclaimed commands in Jesus Christ. I believe adultery, practicing homosexuals, thieves, murderers, liars, perjurers, and the whole gamut of sinful behavior that transgresses God’s word is caused by human pride. Self Justification is pride at its best! (Being a God unto myself) Am I a prideful person? Who me? Yes you! Truthfully? Yes! I have sinned and fall short of Your glory! There, I got it out! Pride is my greatest down fall, and I’m quite sure God is appalled at my arrogance, so I must repent daily of my appetite to please me. Lord, humble me to pick up my cross and follow you daily. Not my will, but thy will be done O’ Lord.  I love you Lord and I need you; so please don’t give up on me? Your son; Rick.