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By Allen McGraw, on October 12th, 2011
 What would it look like if a person were to forsake their pursuit of the American Dream and instead live their lives as a radical disciple of Jesus? The question assumes that the two are mutually exclusive. In his book Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream, David Platt suggests just that. The American Dream has become for many a pursuit of bigger and better stuff. Platt challenges us to re-examine our faith and ask the serious questions that, while uncomfortable, force us to take seriously the radical call of Jesus to forsake all in order to follow him. This is a must read book for anyone looking to move from a superficial feel-good faith to one that is life altering. If you are looking for some light reading to pass the time, look elsewhere, but if you want something that will press you to move outside your comfort zone and stir you to action, then look no further.
Note: I received this book from the publisher as part of a blogger review program. The opinions expressed are my own.
By Allen McGraw, on June 15th, 2011
 “Pastor, I need to find God,” is a statement that is made often in one form or another. It is often stated after a person experiences a crisis and finds they are unable to cope with the situation they are in. The weight of the world seems to be pressing in on them threatening to smother their very life from their bodies. Sometimes it is stated after a person experiences disappointment or rejection, especially in a religious setting. When people we trust fail to live up to our expectations, it sometimes leaves us questioning God’s ability to work in our lives. Other times it is the result of a spiritual valley we are going through. It is a common occurrence for us to think God is far from us when things just don’t seem to be going right. And in those moments when we recognize that something in our life is out of place, whether we can identify it or not, our response as people of faith is often, “where is God?”
In Luke 19:10, Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.” If that is true, why would anyone ever feel “lost”? Did Jesus fail his mission? Is this simply about a one-time salvific event in the life of the believer? Or does “being lost” say more about our willingness to be found, than it does about God’s ability to find us.
The truly lost, those who have not had a conversion experience, but who genuinely seek God, seem to have no trouble “finding God.” In the moment when they reach that crisis of faith and they experience an overwhelming need for God, God is there. The stories told as a result of these experiences are often amazing. So, it is the believer, who after months or even years of living the faith and now find themselves seemingly far from God, that often require our best effort as pastoral-care-givers.
One of the most beneficial things I have done for my congregation is to work intently with them in the area of spiritual growth. My idea of spiritual growth has always been to grow in knowledge about God, to challenge my own presuppositions, and to discover God’s grace in new and exciting ways that leads to an active faith and ultimately a more intimate relationship with God. Spiritual growth allows us to explore those areas of theology with which we may be struggling, helps us to rediscover ways in which to express and live out our faith in a way that is relative to our society, and helps us to gain new perspectives on our lives as Christians. The opportunity to study, struggle, and grow with fellow seekers who share a commitment to the quest for an intimate relationship with God that makes a difference in our lives each moment is invaluable.
So, maybe one of the best things we as pastoral-care-givers can do is to help people to evaluate not only the places they are looking for God, but what they expect to find there. Is their image of God one that is faithful to the Biblical witness? Do the historical teachings of the church have something to offer a person seeking God? If a person doesn’t know who it is they are looking for, then it becomes increasingly unlikely that they will find who or what they seek. In his book, Taking on the Gods: The Task of the Pastoral Counselor , Merle R. Jordan says…
Confronting those psychic structures, forces, and images which masquerade as God; bringing love, faith, and hope into the lives of persons; and being an extension ministry of Jesus Christ walking in the hells of human existence are all ways of expressing the true evangelistic purposes of pastoral counseling.
First we listen to their stories and help to unearth the hidden theology that shapes their understanding of who’s they are. Then we carefully help them to find the one true God who will fill the God shaped hole in their lives. Not an easy task at all…but worth every effort.
By Allen McGraw, on April 6th, 2011
 Where does a pastor’s voice come from? Not just the voice you hear on Sunday mornings, but the voice necessary to speak healing into our broken world. In his book, The Pastor As Minor Poet: Texts and Subtexts in the Ministerial Life, M. Craig Barnes delves into the complexities of the pastoral vocation and offers an assessment that goes beyond the practical tools that you often find in popular books today. Instead he offers us the image of “pastor as minor poet” as a way to re-imagine the role of pastor. Are we seeking to find the next best marketing technique to “grow” our churches, or are we more interested in something that will make a lasting difference in people’s lives – namely “pointing to the true image of God ‘in whom we live and move and have our being’”? As poets we “knock on the door of the ordinary” and find amazing miracles. Barnes says that “the poet stands in the midst of a world that has grown jaded with reality and speaks in such a way as to open the doors into the Kingdom of Truth.” If you are looking for a step-by-step guide on how to be a pastor, look somewhere else. If, however, you are seeking a book that will help you to probe the deeper meaning of your pastoral call, then this book is for you.
By Allen McGraw, on April 4th, 2011
16. Explain the role and significance of the sacraments in the ministry to which you have been called.
Article VI of The Confession of Faith states, “We believe the Sacraments, ordained by Christ, are symbols and pledges of the Christian’s profession and of God’s love toward us. They are means of grace by which God works invisibly in us, quickening, strengthening, and confirming our faith in him.” The sacraments are more than just ways we express our faith and remember God’s grace, they are “means of grace”; they are ways in which we live our faith and experience God’s grace. God takes simple, very earthy elements of bread, wine, and water, and creates for us a way in which we can experience God’s grace in real and memorable ways. These physical reminders, symbols of God’s creative power, become for us vehicles of the divine presence.
I have a high view of the sacraments and they are integral to my work as a pastor. We humans need something that we can experience – see, touch, taste, smell, hear – to draw us into the presence of God. The smell of the bread, taste of the wine, and sound of the pouring water are experiences that connect us to our Creator. However, the sacraments go beyond that, to the level of mystery, where God mysteriously becomes entirely present with us, in us, and through us. As I recognize the sacraments as the mediated presence of God’s divine grace, they become for me a means to draw together the diverse community that gathers around the font and table. In no other experience are we truly “one” the way we are when we observe the sacraments.
When we meet another person at the font or at the table, gone are the barriers that would separate us. At this sacred moment we live the vision of the Christian community that takes seriously the affirmation by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatians. “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28). The sacraments open to us a world without barriers, a world without divisions, a world united by the living Christ; and draws us beyond any barrier that would separate us from God.
As a United Methodist, I affirm and support the understanding of the sacraments as explained in the documents “By Water and the Spirit” and “This Holy Mystery.” As one who is called to the ministry of ordained elder, I take very seriously the administration of the sacraments. I consider it a sacred trust and privilege that God would allow me to be an instrument of God’s divine service in and to the body of Christ through sacramental authority. But it is also humbling as I reflect on how God uses an imperfect vessel like me to share the bounty of God’s grace. It is the mystery of the sacraments – God comes to us imperfect creatures through simple physical means and offers the gift of perfect union with God in a mysterious and miraculous way.
By Allen McGraw, on March 26th, 2011
15.You have agreed as a candidate for the sake of the mission of Jesus Christ in the world and the most effective witness of the gospel, and in consideration of their influence as ministers, to make a complete dedication of yourself to the highest ideals of the Christian life, and to this end agree to exercise responsible self-control by personal habits conducive to bodily health, mental and emotional maturity, integrity in all personal relationships, fidelity in marriage and celibacy in singleness, social responsibility, and growth in grace and the knowledge and love of God. What is your understanding of the agreement?
My mind turns immediately to Wesley’s concept of “Holiness of Heart and Life.” When Wesley spoke of holiness there were two dimensions that naturally followed – “heart and life.” By “heart,” Wesley meant our character – intent, attitude; by “life,” he meant what we do that is observable – behaviour, conduct. He insisted that an inner intent that was not outwardly observable was useless, while an attempt at an outward show of holiness, that was not the result of an inner transformation, was nothing more than self-righteousness. It is the basis of Christian ethics – “doing right and being good.” It is what should follow justification – a transformed life. Of course we recognize this as a process. Wesley called it “going on to perfection” and recognized that it can be a lifetime in the making.
As someone who has been recognized by the church as being called to ordained ministry, I bear a particular responsibility to exemplify the highest ideals to which we have all been called. The very first way in which I proclaim the gospel is in the way I live my life. If I do not live the Gospel in my day to day life, then no amount of pastoral ability on my part will convince others that the Gospel is worth hearing. If I cannot be faithful to my wife or truthful in my personal relationships, then it really does not matter how well I preach or what my bedside manner is like, I have shown the Gospel to be a lie in my life. This cannot be the basis for any type of long-term effective ministry.
Because I recognize “holiness of heart and life” to be integral to who we are called to be as Christians, United Methodists, and myself personally as a pastor, I dedicate myself to the “highest ideals of the Christian life, and to this end agree to exercise responsible self-control by personal habits conducive to bodily health, mental and emotional maturity, integrity in all personal relationships, fidelity in marriage, social responsibility, and growth in grace and the knowledge and love of God.”
By Allen McGraw, on March 24th, 2011
I had a conversation this morning with a good friend of mine about a range of topics, but mostly theological. Some of the things we discussed would be considered pretty divisive. As I got in the car and pulled away, I realized that much of the conversation was me taking the opposite side of whatever issue we were discussing. This made for lively debate, but did little to further my particular views on the issues. Is this a good thing?
I’ve come to see my role as someone that illicits thoughtful discussion. However, in a culture that places significant value on “winning”, it is difficult to find people that want to converse, most want to convince. And while that may sometimes be beneficial, it rarely leads to the mutual growth that comes from thoughtful, grace-filled discussion.
What’s the old saying? – “A person convinced against their will, holds the same opinion still.”
By Allen McGraw, on March 20th, 2011
I have a friend who has a blog post where he shares a couple of quotes by young people on religion. The thoughts expressed are disturbing if they are in any way indicative of the way others think about religion. From my experience the quotes encapsulate the problem that many have with the church today. Have we really missed the message of Jesus so completely? And if we have, what are we going to do about it?
Head over to
http://thetimothyblog.wordpress.com/2011/03/20/what-is-religion to read the quotes and join the discussion
By Allen McGraw, on March 15th, 2011
Well, as you might have noticed, it’s been awhile since I posted a new article on my blog. I’m not really sure why I keep it. It’s hard to write something and then put it out there for everybody to read. I feel a certain responsibility to write something meaningful. I don’t get that many visitors, but I still feel an obligation to post content that adds something meaningful to the discussions rather than just add to the already deafening noise created by the nonsense that passes as dialogue these days. I am a Christian, but I am becoming weary of the incessant bickering that other “Christians” engage in. Jesus made it pretty clear in Matt 25 that if we aren’t feeding the hungry, drawing water for the thirsty, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, and visiting the imprisoned, then we are going to hell! I think it’s time for more doing and less talking. Sometimes “talking” is doing, if it motivates us to act. So let’s talk about it and then get busy doing something that makes God smile.
By Allen McGraw, on November 16th, 2010
If you take seriously the study of the Bible, then you will probably benefit from these “10 Commandments of Scripture Interpretation“…
http://www.outofur.com/archives/2010/11/10_commandments.html
Learning to read the Bible well is one of the most important things we as Christians can do. Not simply for knowledge alone, but to become the person God calls us to be.
By Allen McGraw, on November 2nd, 2010
 “Providence” seems to be a recurring theme in The Skin Map. There are several places in the story where you will hear statements like “Providence is on our side” or something very similar. And it is often that events play out in a way that makes it difficult to point to mere coincidence as the culprit. The characters are often found to be in the right place at the right time and this usually leads to a significant movement in the plot-line. So in a way that is true to “Christian fiction” form, The Skin Map does make you think about one of the most significant themes in Christian theology – the tension between human free-will and God’s sovereignty. Of course you aren’t given any answers to this ages old dilemma, but then again, that isn’t the point.
A theme that I have yet to see emerge in The Skin Map is “redemption.” And for me, this is a “must-have” for a work to be regarded as “Christian” fiction. In some way, God’s providence must lead to the redemption/restoration of something and/or someone. For the time being, I’ll give Lawhead the benefit of the doubt and wait to see if this emerges in a more prominent way later in the series. This is after all only the first book and he does create several opportunities for this to be developed later. The Skin Map is so well written and compelling that it will not bother me one little bit to read the next book in the series to find out.
Tomorrow, I’ll try to spend some time talking about my favorite character from the book. And funny thing is, it’s not the main character. Stay tuned…
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