Grip Hands

No one attains success or satisfaction in life totally free of the contributions of others. No one can truly contribute to the benefit and well-being of society as an independent player. Throughout the years, I have been reminded over and over again of the blessings I have received from the input and contributions of others in my life and been continually humbled by how those who have helped me continue to stand by me in prayer, encouragement and love. One such individual with whom I’ve been able to reestablish contact through online social network is COL (ret.) Barry Willey. Barry came into my life when I started attending a Bible Study he taught at my then home church, the 82nd Airborne Division Memorial Chapel. He was teaching a study on Job, a study that had my undivided attention as my plans for a career as an Army Officer seemed improbable at best, and I was at a critical time of soul-searching and contemplation. Then Captain Barry Willey, came alongside me and joined a dedicated cadre of other godly men to encourage me, uphold me and challenge me not to wallow in self-pity, but to search out just what God might have in store for my life. Through Barry’s encouragement and with the blessing of the other brothers in our Chapel, I began to take on more leadership in our congregation and took steps that would eventually confirm God’s gifting in my life and lead me to vocational Christian Service as a Missionary and Pastor.

I caught glimpses of Barry over the years as he continued to serve the nation, overjoyed to see him on television as the US Military Spokesman for U.S. rescue and security operations in Haiti in 1994. We exchanged a few e-mails over the years, but intense involvement in our nation’s security on his part, and deep involvement in starting new ministries on mine, limited our interactions to short greetings and “attaboys”. Nevertheless, Barry was never far from my thoughts and remained in my prayers consistently. A while back, I took a chance to look him up on a social networking service. After a few false starts, we were finally able to get back into the groove of communicating. We began to recount what the Lord had been doing in each of our lives, and Barry shared that he had written a book about a friend and leader who had impacted him and countless others in a way that continued to make a difference even now. He encouraged me to read the book, and I was moved deeply by the story of Jon Shine. Here’s the review I wrote for the book much as it appears on Amazon.com:

“Powerful and compelling, Barry Willey’s tribute to his friend and mentor Lieutenant Jon Shine, the book Out of the Valley stands tall as a monumental literary salute to the life of a good and godly man who in the brief span of 23 years left a spiritual legacy that continues to bear fruit more than 40 years after his death. Willey’s prose is crisp and forthright, chronicling the cadet, soldier and man of faith that was Jon Shine in an engrossing and easy to read manner. Shine’s story is both as comforting as an evening with a dear friend, and as jarring as a one’s arrival as a new recruit to the first day of military training. It is above all, inspiring – as a story of the eternal and unquenchable hope that exists between men sharing faith in the risen Christ and as a story of men bound together by love, duty and honor. It is also a practical work, complete with questions for reflection at the end of each chapter, allowing the reader to consider the spiritual truths and leadership principles that overflow in abundance from each chapter of Jon Shine’s life that is shared. If you’re searching for a compact, applicable and uplifting book that will leave you forever changed, you’ll find no finer work than Barry Willey’s Out of the Valley.”

As I’ve been reconnected to Barry and after reading his book, a phrase from the West Point song “The Corps” keeps coming to mind. This phrase symbolizes the active connection West Pointers maintain with each other as the “Long Gray Line” continues to grow as the years go by. It is the phase “Grip Hands”. It’s the phrase a friend and classmate used to call each of us to comfort one another as we heard reports of other classmates who had died in defense of the nation. It is a phrase that invokes images of care, encouragement and support through all the circumstances and situations of life. It is a phrase calls us beyond selfish living and calls us to an awareness that we have not become who we are by ourselves, and we cannot continue throughout our lives with only our own well-being in view. It is a phrase that clearly characterized Jon Shine’s life, and represents the truths Jon passed on to Barry Willey and others who in turn passed on those truths to me. With whom are you connecting for support, encouragement and care? To whom are you passing on the legacy of the lessons you have learned in your life? I challenge you today to reach out beyond yourself and commit yourself to be connected to others that you may reach higher heights in your own day and so that you can pass on a legacy of faith, truth, and love that will have an impact on generations yet to come. Grip hands!

Until Next time,

Sam.

Fortunate Son

I am sure that some of you 60's music buffs recognize the title of this posting as the title of a rocking Credence Clearwater Revival Tune that laments the societal perks often afforded those born into privileged situations. All too frequently, these privileges are not accompanied by an appropriate sense of responsibility. The Biblical expectation of such privilege is clear - "To whom much is given, much is required."

The Mayor of Detroit's seemingly never-ending spectacle of misbehavior bring the Biblical admonition and the convicting message of the Credence Song to mind in an especially relevant way. It is relevant for me, because I feel as if I and many of those with whom I was raised are fortunate sons as well. This recognition causes me not to spend so much time looking at the mayor, though his misdeeds and the city's resultant suffering merit the most intense scrutiny and whatever consequences, moral and legal, are applicable, but it rather causes me to reflect on how my generation and I have used our gifts. Furthermore, it causes me to ponder how our action or inaction affects those a wee bit younger, such as the Mayor and those quickly ascending the ranks of responsibility and leadership for the years ahead. I don not have the luxury to view the Mayor's issues in isolation as if they said nothing about me.

Like the Mayor, I am African American. Unlike the Mayor, I am not a native Detroiter. I was born during the dying days of the segregated south to a career Army Paratrooper father and a devoted educator mother. I was fortunate to have my mother's heavy duty personal investments of time and effort in my education process, teaching me to read and write well before my preschool age and exposing me to the foundational message of the Scriptures at a time when such teaching was beginning to be viewed as "unsophisticated" or "old-fashioned." I was an only child. This designation is usually seen as a license of sorts, giving the child in question unlimited freedom to be self-centered, spoiled, and oblivious to the needs of others. My parents would have none of that! Among the nuggets of wisdom my mother passed on, and she was a virtual reservoir of wisdom, was this little axiom that she repeated as a determined mantra and drilled into reality in my brain for life: "You may be the only child, but that doesn't doom you to be only a fool!" I won't go into detail regarding how my parents guided me away form folly, but I will sum it up by saying I didn't get everything I wanted and they often told me "No".

As Americans, we haven't been told "No" often enough. Our lives of luxury and convenience have increased our feelings of entitlement and privilege. Many of our failings as a society are the result selfish pleasure seeking in the face of urgent community responsibilities. We are too eager for the ease which our standard of living affords us and not eager enough to exemplify the work and ethics that made that standard available to us in the first place. Those of us who are leaders are especially culpable. We are often too absorbed with the perks of power rather than focused on the opportunities that positions of leadership afford. We are too eager to "make our mark" for our fame's sake, rather than making a difference with hard work and less credit. Detroit's current Mayor is merely a reflection of societal trends on the whole. Too many of us look forward to a perpetual party and an early retirement, while not enough of us are anxious for dedication to a meaningful cause and a lifetime of work on the behalf of something greater than ourselves even at the possible cost of personal obscurity. Great people and great societies can only be produced by people who are committed to lifting up others, even at the cost of their own enjoyment or opportunity for self-promotion. Martin Luther King's ascent to the pinnacle of the Civil Rights Movement would have never happened had it not been for the consortium of Elder Statesmen Pastors in his city who were not looking for a platform to lift themselves up to greatness, but who were selflessly committed to laying the foundation for a true transforming movement in the fog of anonymity.

The refrain of the Credence song mentioned at the onset has this refrain:

It ain't me,
it ain't me.
I ain't no senator's son.
It ain't me,
it ain't me.
I ain't no fortunate one.

I may not be a senator's son, but I am undeniably a fortunate one! No doubt more than a few of you have been fortunate too! The present mayoral crisis in Detroit and other signs of deficient leadership across the nation provide us with a crucial imperative for reflection and adjustment - in ourselves and in the ones to whom we will hand the batons of leadership. In Psalm 139, King David ends his beautiful tribute to God's Omniscience with a blistering critique of those who are hostile to the ways of God. Just as David reaches the apex of his observations, his focus takes a dramatic turn. He ends his thoughts with an humble appeal to the Lord to see if there are any defective ways in his own life! We would do well to emulate King David's self-inspection.

The warning bells are sounding even now as each new scandal is discovered. What do these sorry tales of failure in personal integrity and societal values say to us and the way you and I live our lives? If you are a favored and fortunate one, as I am, are you part of a possible solution or part of a growing problem that seems almost unsolvable? As the long departed writer John Donne's meditation demands, "Never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee..." Let's hope our diversions, entertainment and misguided priorities aren't drowning out the sound. Until next time.


Sam

A Joke That Should Lead Us to Tears and to Change

In the 60's, the Bee Gees recorded one of their early breakthrough hits entitled, "I Started a Joke." The song told the sad story of a man who had "joked" his way through life to the point that he had become a parody of himself, ultimately finding that the joke was on him. I'm afraid that this song could apply to many individuals who share the profession to which I have been called - The profession of vocational Christian Service and Christian Ministry.

The stories abound of pastors who have been caught behaving in unbelievably shameful ways. Just last week, a shocking account came to light of a high profile ministry couple who had gotten into a physical fight that was of such intensity that the minister husband's violence against his well-known minister wife resulted in her hospitalization for several days! After making a press release regarding the incident, the wife filed for divorce a few days later and the husband has made know his plans not to contest it.

If this were not disturbing enough, the husband actually returned to his pulpit the following Sunday, and his congregation gave him a thunderous and sustained ovation before he commenced to deliver his message!! There are other high-profile cases involving Pastoral families exposing heart-breaking troubles out there in Pastor-land. Something is terribly wrong.

Of course, such troubles from "People of the Cloth" make for fertile ground for the cynical and for late night comedians. Ministers are seen less as trustworthy servants, dedicated to help, nurture, protect and comfort and more as under trained crooks who are out to benefit themselves and "stick it" to anyone naive enough to fall for their sleazy tricks. I get a real sense of this disdain for preachers as I rub elbows with folks who aren't "buying" what we as Christians are "selling". They are particularly turned off by the lack of accountability that it seems characterizes many preachers and the lack of adequate professional preparation that accompanies it. I was having lunch with a group of secular employed friends who shared story upon story of self-appointed "ministers" who received their ministry "credentials" in a matter of days, if not minutes, simply by sending money to a less than reputable credential factory over the Internet! There was howling laughter all around. Obviously, i didn't find the matter at all humorous. Nevertheless, we Christians have no one but ourselves to blame.

How can we expect people to respect us and our leaders when we don't take steps to scrutinize our leaders according to instructions laid out by the very Book we say we follow? Biblical standards for spiritual leaders are extremely clear. James warns anyone who desires to pursue the pastorate that they will be judged by harsher standards. In any profession one can name, there is an expectation more is required of leaders. This should be especially true of those who serve as Spiritual leaders. Here are the Biblical requirements for a pastor:

Pastors must possess the desire to serve (1 Tim. 3:1).
Pastors must be sober and temperate (1Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:8)
Pastors must be of good behavior (1 Tim. 3:2).
Pastors must not be given to wine (1 Tim. 3:3; Titus 1:7).
Pastors are not to be strikers or brawlers, but are to be patient with others (1 Tim. 3:3; Titus 1:7).
Pastors should not be investing time in ministry for monetary gain and must not be greedy or covetous (1 Tim. 3:3; Titus 1:7).
Pastors must not be new converts (1 Tim. 3:6).
Pastors must be given to hospitality, receptive and open to help others (1 Tm. 3:2; Titus 1:8).
Pastors must be monogamous, not married to more than one woman or trivial in marital commitment (1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:6).
Pastors are to have orderly households that are not prone to chaos and disorder (1 Tim. 3:4).
Pastors must be able to teach and instruct with sound doctrine (1 Tim. 3:2)

It is important for me to note right here and now, lest I open myself up to failure brought on by pride and self-righteousness, that I do not claim perfection nor do I claim I am above the ability to fail in my calling. As a good friend who is also in the pastorate shared with a group of pastors after the fall of a colleague, " I am a man of like passions. Nevertheless, because of the Grace of God, the close fellowship of friends who hold me accountable and the restraining power of the Holy Spirit, I have not acted on them."

His statement provides some important keys to helping those called to ministry succeed in excelling their calling. First, we who are called must realize our vulnerability to failure. Left to ourselves, each of us has within us the ability to fall in such a way that we could bring disgrace on ourselves, our families, our congregations and our faith. Secondly, none of us should serve without accountability. We need close friends with whom we can share our personal hurts, issues and struggles and we need parameters within which we can be held to task for the ministry that we carry out. None of us is above scrutiny and we should be able to give an accounting for what we do and how we do it. Most importantly, we need a genuine faith, and a walk with God. If we don't believe and we're not walking, we shouldn't be serving.

Some final notes to you my friends who are in the "laity". You have responsibilities as well. You should not be following someone who clearly falls short of the pastoral qualifications outlined in Scripture. Note, the word "must" that begins the sentences outlining pastoral leadership. The spiritual growth and health of many people rides on the fulfilment of these qualifications. Also, be certain that individuals who are voicing the conviction that they have a "call" and desire to pursue vocational ministry show evidence of the qualifications in their lives and that others see this evidence as well. I was not comfortable in pursuing my own calling until a virtual chorus of others confirmed my inner convictions and informed me that a failure to pursue using the gifts that were evident in my life would be tantamount to disobeying the Lord. They then exposed and led me to the path of preparation for ministry that took almost five years for me to complete - remember, even Jesus' disciples walked with Him for more than 3 years before being launched into ministry. There is no substitute for preparation.

Moral failure in ministry is no laughing matter. Let's do our best to police our own ranks and to make sure that if someone rejects the Gospel, they reject it as a matter of their own hearts, not because we've reduced the Good News to nothing more than a good joke. Until next time,


Sam.