June 3, 2006:

Are we a Pentacostalist church?

Well, it depends on your definitions, doesn't it? These days, "Pentacostalist" is code for a church where people are not only allowed to speak in unknown tongues, but expected to, and where people frequently pass out to the magic touch of the pastor. If that's Pentacostalist, then no, I guess not.

But is that what the early church meant by Pentacost? No. When the day of Pentacost came, the disciples spilled out into streets teaming with people of various dialects and languages, and they all heard the Gospel being preached in their own languages! Some people did say, "They are drunk with new wine," but nobody heard an unknown tongue that day! And, if I read the accounts correctly, no one passed out in the streets, either.

Or, does Pentacostalist mean the Holy Spirit is in control? Does it mean that we pray expecting a miracle, and get it, in a way that gives God alone the credit? Does it mean that the Holy Spirit actually lives within us, and that the church enjoys miraculous growth as people discover the supernatural love we have for one another?

If that's what we mean by Pentacostalist, then yes, we are a Pentacostalist church!

But we don't play those games. We are not an "X" church; we are not hyphenated. We happen to be Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), but that's a technicality, because the denomination was formed with the expressed intent of being one with the Church Universal, not a sect on the side.

We are a CHRISTIAN church, unhyphenated and unbranded. Jesus is the head of our church; his Spirit drives our every breath; and, since God is not the author of confusion, we find the workings of that Spirit in complete compliance with, and never in conflict with, the Gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. If the spirit ever departs from the teachings of Christ, then we immediately question and challenge that spirit!

Come, Holy Spirit! We are incapable of doing the will of God without you! We claim no special talent, no unique revelation, no significant training. Our hope is built on Jesus Christ, and nothing else.

A member shuddered to hear someone ask whether we were Pentacostalist, because commercial pop-culture Pentacostalist says a lot about the look of a church and very little about its accomplishments. Friends asked whether we were driven by the Spirit, and I said show up and see, but don't commit until you are satisfied that Christ rules the church. They are now members!

And tonight, a lady called looking for a Pentacostalist church. Are we a Pentacostalist church? We are Spirit-filled and Spirit-driven, and we are no respector of persons. People would not call us Pentacostalist, but I pray that God calls us children. That's enough, and nothing less will suffice.

May 30, 2006:

All the letters and emails have been sent. I've tried my best to make sure that every local and Disciples pastor feels invited and welcomed to the Installation Service this Sunday. I've shuffled Grampa into preaching the sermon here at the last minute -- which means I have to shuffle someone else into the opening prayer slot. (Any suggestions?)

I've been working hard to please other people, because I do believe that serving others is the best way to serve God. I'm still amazed that God has given me a ministry -- but it's time to get over that amazement and step out in the power that God must provide to make any ministry work.

I do hope the community and the church heirarchy will be pleased with the Installation Service. But, in the final analysis, this is a celebration of, by and for the Church. We rejoice to be continuing the ministry of Tropical Sands Christian Church, and we gladly invite everyone to join in on the celebration. Forgive us if we run out of food, seating or ushers; we're a small church doing our best to serve God. Now, please don't let that stop you from joining us this Sunday at 3. It will be a celebration to remember!

May 16, 2006:

I just sent a note to about 30 high school classmates. In high school, I was intentionally, publicly, and sarcastically unChristian. Spiritual, yes; a Christ admirer, absolutely; but decidedly anti-Church.

It was simple rebellion, nonconformity for its own sake. I thought Church was so far from the teachings of Christ as to be Christian in name only. But as they say, some facts are too convenient to check.

The truth is, most of my classmates, Christian and pagan alike, were just kids trying to get by in this world, distinguish themselves from the crowd and find peace within their souls.

At our 30-year class reunion, I discovered that superChristians had not lived charmed lives, and heathens didn't have any better view of hell than the rest of us. What I did find was a quiet faith in Christ that had found its way into every heart. For some, it was the air they had breathed since birth; for others, it was an ocean they ran to in a desperate search for meaning. But for all of us, it has matured into a simple matter of finding ourselves imperfect and ill-equipped to face life's challenges; reaching out to the only spiritual force we dare to trust; and finding there the peace and mercy we need to carry on in this grown-up world.

So to all of my superChristian friends from the LHS Class of '75, let me say it loud and proud: You were right! This Jesus stuff ain't half bad!

I don't want to force my opinion on anyone. But I do wish that everyone could feel the confidence, the sense of relief and freedom, and the peace of mind that I've found through faith in Jesus Christ.

If your spiritual path is on some other road, I say God bless; be happy and share the joy, if that's what you find. But if you find your faith system lacking, then let me recommend the simple, abbreviated teachings of a carpenter-rabbi, the story of His life, and the testimony of His early followers. When it permeates your life and colors every fiber of your being, then you'll cease to be amazed that His life restarted the calendar, redrew the globe and changed the course of history.

April 25, 2006:

I can't do better today than to get my newsletter message out as soon as possible. Here it is:

Too Blessed to be Stressed?

We gained nine new members during the month of April. Overall attendance is good as well. We received $5,000 donation for the new sound system and more than $8,000 for youth ministry. The Governing Board approved a new way to separate funds to better track donations like these. It is all the LORD’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes!

The unexpected blessings just keep pouring in. But are we too blessed to be stressed? Any change, good or bad, has a tendency to increase stress levels. With increased blessing comes increasing responsibility to be good stewards of those blessings.

Our general operating account is not enjoying the same success, but our operating expenses just keep going up. Sustaining existing programs and services while taking on new ministries is now the challenge.

And most of us are still going through the normal struggles of life. Sickness, childcare, eldercare, housing costs, transportation inflation, and the maddening pace of modern life just won’t let up.

We want to do everything just right. But whether we succeed or fail, we need to remember that God created us, Christ died for us and the Holy Spirit lives in us. That means that we are equal to the task, for God knows we are living in times like these. It also means that we are fully capable of blessing one another.

Our worth is measured in God’s love for us, not in our wealth, health or skill level. We must not base our love for others on their usefulness to us, or to this church. Usually, those who can do less actually need more love, and it is our service to Christ to provide that love.

When the job isn’t quite done, the schedule not quite met, or the quality not quite up to our standards, please remember that the job was done or coordinated by volunteers who sacrifice their time and energy to help. They need encouragement because they, like you, are volunteers.

Holding the church together, and keeping volunteers motivated, is everyone’s job. Yes, damage control is my department, but I’ll have plenty to do even if I spend less time smoothing ruffled feathers.

Without love, our best efforts are just pride and busy-ness. So let’s work together and celebrate our successes -- but above all, let us love one another.

And I’m still way more blessed than stressed with the best job on the planet!

--- Joel Tucker, Pastor

April 24, 2006:

God has big plans for Tropical Sands Christian Church!

What's in store? God only knows! But consider the evidence: In April alone, nine people have joined the church, and we've received more than $13,000 in designated donations to our sound system and youth ministry. Coincidence? Maybe, but I think God's trying to tell us something!

Here's where the guesswork comes in. I think God is telling us that He isn't through with Tropical Sands. We aren't here simply to serve the current generation of Christians -- although that is certainly a part of our mission. We're here to help that current generation pass along the kind of faith that heals without hurting, a faith that draws people in, where the Word of God can reach their souls and change their lives!

Yes, I'm convinced! Spring is in the air, and where it usually signals the flight of the snowbird, I think this Spring signals a new beginning at TSCC! I don't know what God's hatching, but I can't wait to find out!

In other news, I forgot to press the "record" button again, and I was so swamped with pre-service details that I never managed to write it out, either. That makes two Sundays I've missed out on sound files and scripts. Please forgive me.

April 19, 2006:

Sorry, no sound file for the Easter sermon -- forgot to turn on the recorder. Fortunately, Brother Tommy shot a video. No text version, either -- there never was one. I guess you had to be there. We've added seven members to the rolls this month, done a baptism and had a rededication.

April 10, 2006:

Ah, spring planting! Don't mind me, I'm just sprucing up the view from my office window. This will be a great spot to hide Easter eggs. Trample away, kiddies; mulch is cheap, and so are these flowers ...

April 6, 2006:

The best laid plans of mice and men do oft go astray. I'm not pouring over the Gospels this week; instead, I'm reading "Traveling Mercies" by Anne Lamott. It's a great book, but don't read it if you're easily offended. Lamott was raised in a counter-culture household, did lots of drinking and drugs, and finally found Christ. Just an ordinary person, you might say, but a great writer and a compassionate Christian.

The quandry: We're blessed with an amazing scholar in literature who's willing to do a study group on the book. It contains words I wouldn't speak in church -- not one obscenity is missing.

Personally, I think a word, by itself, is sinful to say only when it is spoken to offend, or without regard to its potential to offend. But, of course, such words are normally used with the expressed intent to offend. In the book, they're used to accurately report actual conversations and genuine feelings.

Last Sunday, I had occasion to use the word "Hell" in a sermon -- and I just couldn't do it! I wrote it into a play about Huck Finn, the line where he decides to help the slave escape and says, "Well, I'll just go to Hell." -- as in rather than turn Jim over to slavemasters. One audience was full of kids, so I said, "Well, I'll just go to Heck." It didn't sound right.

I'm not above speaking obscenities. Sometimes, emphasis is needed to shock an aggressor away from the defenseless, or clear a burning building. And, maybe I should be more assertive in trying to remind my congregation about the fires of Heck. But church is not the place for coarse language, particularly if you love the listeners and aren't certain of their sensitivities.

I do think Lamott is a sincere Christian, with a testimony that rings true to so many of us. Right now, I'm leaning toward doing the study group -- with one huge parental notice sticker!

April 2, 2006:

I had a long talk yesterday with an experienced minister who reminded me that our entire point it to bring people to salvation. Today, my sermon included a call to read the scriptures, especially the Gospels, and closed with a hammering reminder of the sinner's plea for salvation. It seemed to work well. That pastor was right; our entire purpose is to bring people to Jesus by reminding them to invite Jesus into their hearts.

The sound file never even resembles the written sermon plan. Here's a link to today's sound file.

Coffee house tonight, guest speaker next Sunday (Sherry Hunier) and Grampa speaks next Sunday night; so I don't have another sermon until Easter. I think I'll read those Gospels again for myself this week.

April 1, 2006:

I gave opening remarks at the TSCC Christian Women's Fellowship Conference today. No foolin'! These women are monsters of coordination and inspiration, and most of them don't even know it. Congratulations to the women of TSCC for a great gathering -- and to all the men who helped with set-up, tear-down, clean-up and parking.

MARCH 27, 2006:

Exclusive to blog readers: The March 26 sermon audio file!

OK, so not exactly exclusive; I just don't feel like updating the other pages now. Enjoy.

MARCH 25, 2006:

Wow! I took a day off, and the world did not end! And of course, it wouldn't. This world is huge, with way too much inertia going to wobble even slightly just because I stop moving. The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath -- but the Sabbath was made as a gift from God. It's only right that we should accept this gift of a day's rest.

A friend of mine sees the injustice in this world and cries, "Where's the outrage?" I've tried living in a state of outrage, and it just doesn't work. But my friend does make me wonder whether the blessings have blinded me to the curses of this life. All I know is that Jesus Himself is said in the Gospels to have called the disciples aside for rest. It's kind of like the woman washing His feet, when He responded to Judas' outrage for the poor with, "You will have poor always, and you can always do for them what you will. But you will not have me always. Leave her alone; she has done a good thing for me."

The Sabbath was made for man, because God knew the man would need a break now and then. It's a day, if only one, when we should set aside the work, worry and anger to consider how God provides, and cares enough to declare the Sabbath.

MARCH 22, 2006:

This is how the judgment works: the light has come into the world, but people love the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil. Anyone who does evil things hates the light and will not come to the light, because he does not want his evil deeds to be shown up.

If we all understood John 3:19-20(TEV), Sunday's sermon could be very short. My wife (God, please bless her!) put a "clergy" sticker on my car, so now we pay closer attention to where we park! What do we say or do in secret? Is our public face our best face? Maybe I'll call Sunday's sermon "How Judgment Works", or "Live in the Light."

MARCH 21, 2006 (part III):

Hey, what a coincidence! Now I get email from Mrs. Janet Hamson, also of Kuwait, another childless widow! Another Kuwaiti widow, Mrs. Williams, wrote me just yesterday! She says the Bible says she shouldn't remarry ... guess she never read it! (see Romans 7:3) Both she and Mrs. Williams quote Exodus 14:14, and both have unsaved relatives who shouldn't get the money! What are the odds? Mrs. Hamson wants to give us $5.6 million -- add that to Mrs. Williams $9.5 million, and we'll build one luxurious homeless shelter!

OK, I'm through making fun of the poor spammer scammers. Beware, Christian, and protect one another.

MARCH 21, 2006 (part II):

I am the proud caretaker of a collection of little books that my grandfather read in his ministerial training. I often wondered how a man so learned in scripture and so experienced in ministry (still going strong at 96) could have ended up with such a soft, rational approach to the faith -- contrasted, of course, with those you're more likely to see and hear in the Christian media. On reading these little volumes, I think I know. "That ole time religion" is actually far gentler than you might have been led to believe.

I'm reading "Fulfill Thy Ministry" by Stephen C. Neill (Harper & Brothers, 1952, Library of Congress card number 51-11944). All I know about the author is from his brief preface, that the book was edited from a series of lectures on wire recordings given at an Inter-Seminary Movement conference in Rock Island, Ill., in January 1950.

Barely into the first chapter, "The Minister and His God", I find the same sentiment I tried to convey in last week's sermon:

Look out, with the eyes of imagination and faith, on this good world that God has made, and see him in it. It is true that "the heavens declare the glory of God." But see him not only in the tender colors of the spring and the glowing colors of the sunset. See him active also in the wonderful work of the scientist, as slowly and patiently he brings to light mysteries that God had hidden from the time of the creation of the world. Unhappily, the attitude of many scientists has made us think of science almost as an enemy to religion. That ought not so to be. Every scientist worthy of the name, whether he knows it or not, is really our colleague in the service of God.

Sadly, in our day, many ministers seem to have the same attitude that Neill attributes to many scientists back in 1950.

MARCH 21, 2006:

As promised, here's the text draft of the March 19 sermon, "The Wisdom of God", and here's the audio file. This is the March 12 text file of "Make Room for God". And, at the risk of using too much disk space on the server The March 12 audio file is still available as well.

A lot of people want more info on the children's programs. The great thing about a blog is that I can jot a quick note now, and dress up the website later. Briefly, we now have children's church for all age groups -- infants in the nursery, preschoolers and elementary in various classrooms, and middle-to-high schoolers in the log cabin. We also have a young adult class Sunday afternoons at 3 in the cabin. We'll try to get the website organized, one of these days.

And, even though I see cameras everywhere, no one seems to have a recent photo of me for the website. Just imagine that photo with a clean shave and a crew cut, and you'll know what I look like.

MARCH 20, 2006:

I never understood pastoral burnout until last night, when I completely ran out of steam at the Sunday night service. I guess nine days without a break is a bit much. On the one hand, it is such a luxury to spend your time doing what you want to do -- praying, reading, writing, thinking, speaking, visiting, teaching ... For five years, I worked a 9-to-5 job and did ministry on the side. In effect, ministry was my leisure activity. When co-workers asked, "Did you have a good weekend?", I could always answer YES. I'm still learning to shift gears, and I don't know where that low gear is!

It amazes me how God answers prayer, in ways that are so private no one would believe me. I had one work-related problem, and God solved it ten times over! More on that later; stay tuned.

Decisions, decisions ... what to do for a Sunday sermon? I use the lectionary, just because it makes as much sense as anything, and I'm leaning toward John 3:14-21, which includes the infamous John 3:16. It seems appropriate for the build-up to Easter.

Well, the Sea Monkeys have been fed for another week, the plants are OK, and I still have a few working typewriters. Last Sunday's sermon is on CD; I'll get it on the web later this week.

I got another email from someone trying to give away money. This time, Mrs. Mary Williams, widow of a converted Kuwaiti doctor, wants to give away $9.5 million. They have no children, and her husband's family members are not Christian, so she's motivated to steer it our way. There's a twist; tug my heart strings, honor my Lord AND throw in a little racial/religious prejudice for good measure! Wouldn't want those non-Christians getting all that money, now would we?

I do hope we're all hip to the hipocracy here. See the last entry, below, for last week's skinny.

Got a note today from someone who actually reads this stuff! Thanks, pal; keep whistling! See you in church.

MARCH 16, 2006:

I've lost count; how many people are there who hire foreign lawyers to give millions of dollars to random Christians? My guess: none. If someone emails you a sob story begging for you to accept millions of dollars for Christian causes, just delete it.

I've heard from lawyer/pastors in Nigeria, widows in Bahrain, doctors in London, you name it -- all saying they want to swap a million dollars for my drivers' license number, Social Security number, bank account number, credit card number, etc. -- "just for id purposes." No matter how your heart desires to get that money for your church, don't believe them.

How did they get your name, you wonder? Was it that missionary who visited your church? Did a Christian brother recommend you to a rich stranger? No. Check the last Christian email you received; how many email addresses was it sent to? People collect those lists of email addresses and use them to scam you and all of your friends into giving them personal information.

Please DO NOT MASS EMAIL your favorite jokes or Christian stories to all your Christian friends using the "TO" or "CC" line to include a list of email addresses. Everyone on the list sees every name; somebody somewhere is willing to sell that list to someone who has no problem targeting Christians by pretending to be one. Instead, use the "BCC" (blind copy) input in Microsoft Express or Outlook, or just send it to each person, one at a time. That way, I get your email, but you don't send my email address to a hundred friends that I don't know. We have to protect each other, and do our fundraising the old fashioned way -- through the tithes and offerings of people we know, giving to churches they personally know and trust.

MARCH 15, 2006:

I am working with three concepts often affiliated with faith. Those concepts are: Belief, Trust, Knowledge. I'm tempted to throw in a fourth concept: Hope. The subtle differences among these concepts shape our opinions of faith, and ultimately, our approach to life.

BELIEF: "I believe it is going to rain." It is essentially an opinion. In advance, no one can literally "know" it is going to rain -- nor anything else regarding future changes. But we can pile up facts based on past experience and cross a threshold between "think it might" rain and "believe it will" rain. The clouds are heavy; it's raining east, and the wind is blowing west; the rainy season begins soon. We can know the past, but not the future. And while we may "know" that it rained yesterday, or is raining in the next town, or is raining now, we cannot "know" that it "will" rain. Claims to know the future are in fact strongly-held beliefs. We cannot literally "know" the future.

TRUST: This one's simple. If we "trust" that it is going to rain, we not only "believe" it will, but we also carry an umbrella. Actually, "trust" is needed here only because we fudge the meaning of "believe". If we actually "believe" it's going to rain, then we will carry an unbrella. We are willing to treat a belief as if it is knowledge. Those of us who "believe" that the Bible is the Word of God also "trust" that God will keep those promises recorded there for those who follow Jesus. The evidence is, or should be, that we live our lives accordingly. If we literally "believe" that Jesus is Lord and "trust" that the Gospels faithfully record his commandments, then we will follow those commandments, "trusting" that this "belief" is actually "knowledge".

KNOWLEDGE: Forgive this throwback to Logic class. We can "know" the past or present; we cannot "know" the future in the same sense. Any claim to "know" the future is actually a strongly-held belief, regardless of how heavily the evidence piles up. We "believe" everything we "know", else we would not claim to know it. But in the human mind, "knowledge" is simply a strongly-held belief. In the real world, a thought qualifies as "knowledge" if it is true -- but what if one is mistaken? The thought doesn't change, but its status as "knowledge" goes out the window.

The scientific community has been burned by claims to "know" that the earth was flat, that it was the center of the universe, that flies grew spontaneously from rotting meat, etc. That's why scientists stopped talking about "knowledge" and started working with "theories." Use a theory as long as it successfully explains why things happen and leads to practical results -- starting the fire, hitting the target, growing the crop, etc. When the theory falls short, abandon it for something better -- no loved lost, such is science.

I fear that today, religious passions about "knowledge" have led the scientific community to go back to "knowing" -- and risk losing the flexibility of working theories. For example, evolution may be a useful theory, and as such it requires no adamant insistence that it is actually "knowledge". Here's hoping the religious community backs off, accepts the difference between science and faith, and lets the scientific community return to the honesty of working theories and practical results. Odd how when religion pushes to call itself science, science pushes back by replacing the scientific method with religious fervor. These separate disciplines CAN co-exist!

And, both should learn to adhere to the Theory of Universal Ignorance. The Theory of Universal Ignorance, simply stated, says that of all the "facts" any given human being professes to "know", one or more is a misunderstanding, an honest mistake. This theory, when accepted, has the practical result of reminding us that nobody is perfect.

To see where the 3/19 sermon is going, blend these rambling thoughts with 1 Corinthians 1:18-25. And if you've ever heard me preach, you can "trust" that the sermon will be more interesting, and perhaps even shorter.

In other news, I heard from a recruiter today about a Dot NET developer's position in West Palm Beach, and received a scattershot call for resumes to pastor a church in Kentucky. Friends know that I've just abandoned a Dot NET developer's job to pastor this church full-time. Fear not, little flock; I'm not going anywhere!

I think it's just God's way of telling me to appreciate what I have and enjoy the ride. Of course, that's just a theory...