Mega-Church Pastors, A Brood of Vipers

If you want to read something that will turn your stomach, take a look at this article in Forbes Magazine. It’s about the five richest Mega-Church ministers in Nigeria. These guys are financially raping their poor parishioners and flying around the world in private jets. It is absolutely disgraceful. These words that Jesus said two thousand years ago are just as applicable today; “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” (Matt 23:25-26).

Rich Nigerian ministers are not the only ones who are greedy and self-indulgent. Many Mega-Church pastors in the USA are living lavish lifestyles on the backs of their parishioners and ignoring basic codes of conduct and ethics. The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) is an accreditation group that sets standards for responsible nonprofit organization stewardship; board governance, financial transparency, integrity in fundraising, and proper use of charity resources. Thank the Lord many large churches belong to this organization and follow its mandates. However, you might or might not be surprised to find out who isn’t.

Transparent finances are a must for any non-profit organization. At the bare minimum, all of the church’s financial records should be available to the membership. Apparently not for the following fabulously successful missions (link); Creflo Dollar Ministries; New Birth Missionary Baptist Church (Eddie Long), Kenneth Copeland Ministries, Without Walls International Church (Randy and Paula White). Not only can’t a parishioner and/or contributor get financial records from these organizations but the Senate Finance Committee was blown off as well. They’re not the only ones of course, they are just the most noticeable. As their ministers fly around the world in private jets, drive amazing cars and live in fabulous mansions, is it any surprise that they don’t want their people to know their compensation packages?

Ministers should not ask for donations to pay their salaries, and sell books to their contributors at the same time. This is in the covenant of standards that I signed when I because a minister. It is not ethical to make money off of the people who pay my salary. Take a look at Creflo Dollar’s bookstore website. While selling lot’s of books, there is also a request for donations. Now if either the book sales or the donations are going to a specific cause, then that is not an ethical violation. However, since the website doesn’t say where the money is going, and we don’t know the finances of this ministry, it is possible that a lot of the money is going into the man’s pockets. Big church or little, if a pastor is selling something to his/her parishioners and pocketing the money, then he/she is a total sleaze.

Many of these ministries do not release the names of the governing boards. Many of them have their employee’s sign confidentiality agreements. The Senate Finance Committee found instances of fear and intimidation when requesting information from the ministries. All of these issues raise a red flag for these churches. But the law gives non-profits a great amount of latitude. None of these ministries have broken the law, unless congress changes it.

However, you can do something about it. You can demand fiscal and ethical accountability at your church. You can demand transparency of spending and decision making. You can demand that your church acts within the guidelines of the ECFA. And if the leadership tells you to get lost, you should leave and go to a church that is run by basic ethical standards. Don’t get ripped off by wealthy ‘teachers of the law’ who are just a bunch of hypocrites.

Peace,

Pastor Bill Whitehead

Personal Ministry Versus Crystal Cathedral and Sarah Palin

The Crystal Cathedral in California, the first so-called Mega-Church, is in bankruptcy court. Too much mega-debt and not enough mega-giving. As they haggle with their creditors, Sarah Palin is traveling the northeast visiting sites associated with the founding of our country. She was at the Liberty Bell the other day, an object that is a total fraud, but makes for a nice photo-op. I’m going to use these two examples as a way to contrast what many of us think ministry is, with what ministry actually is.

The Crystal Cathedral offers so much more than our little First Baptist does. They have programs and services for everyone. They take polls and surveys and find out the needs of their constituents and address those needs with the best that money can buy. If they find out a large number of their people want special worship services for their pet Chihuahua’s, then by golly on Tuesday evenings, there will be a special worship service focused on cute little short haired dogs. However, if the people in the pews need personal ministry, that is more difficult. The professional staff is few in number, and the membership is large. The ministers can only provide personal ministry to a small percentage of the church. Volunteer ministers are called upon to reach out to the rest of the folk through small group missions. The system does work, but a lot of people just show up on Sunday and sit in the pews, and a chance to minister and be ministered to passes them by.

Famous people, like Sarah Palin, are even more distant. At the very least, a person who makes an effort can speak personally with the Senior Pastor, or one of the staff. The closest any of us can get to someone famous is a handshake on a receiving line, or ‘personal’ messages on Twitter. The cult of celebrity is creating the illusion of personal contact, without all of the messy bother of actual personal contact. Without saying whether I like her or not, I can say that she is great at establishing a bond with people without meeting them. This is not ministry, of course. But for many, like those who follow the infamous Harold Camping, the illusion of personal ministry is powerful.

But mega-celebrity is just a mega-sham. Ministry is personal. In the story of the Woman with Uncontrollable Bleeding (Luke 8:40-56), Jesus stopped his mission of mercy to a sick girl and asked the famous question – who touched me? A woman, who was healed by just touching his cloak, was sinking back into the crowd without further contact with him. Jesus insisted on speaking with her. He wanted to look her in the eye and minister to her personally. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus’ ministry is personal. He makes lots of speeches, but his most powerful ministry is doing good as he passed by.
Jesus’ handling of crowds is a different matter. The story of the miracle of the loaves and fish in the sixth chapter of John has Jesus walking away from a crowd of 5,000. He retreats to the other side of the lake for some quiet time. Some of the crowd follows him and what does he do? He scolds them by saying they are motivated by the desire for more food! Can you imagine a celebrity like Sarah Palin scolding her audience? It won’t happen, because today, numbers are everything. To Jesus, individuals mattered, numbers didn’t.

I was friends with a man for a brief time who was a big fan of a radio preacher. He thought the world of this man on the airwaves, even though he only met him once. He didn’t think so highly of me or my church family, and said so on numerous occasions. I tried my best to minister to him, but he cursed me out and disappeared. I hope he finds what he is looking for, but he was looking in the wrong place. He was looking for personal ministry, without the bother of getting along with people. Celebrities and Mega-Churches offer a lot. But ministry will always be one on one.

God bless you,

Pastor Bill

One Million Missing Girls in India

 


(From The Media Project, an article about the abortion of female babies in India)

WITH ONLY 914 FEMALES PER 1,000 MALES, according to a recent report, India has recorded the lowest child sex ratio since the country’s independence in 1947.

Worse yet, the skewed ratio is being linked to illegal abortion of female fetuses, prevalent among educated and urban Indians.

Read More…

Pray for India!

Reaching Out to the Doomsday Cult

From IBTimes.com

(From IBTimes San Francisco)

Members of churches near Oakland, Calif. based Family Radio, are pouring out in droves, offering comfort and spiritual support to the dejected followers of false Doomsday prophet Harold Camping, who has predicted that the World will end on May 21, 2011.

Read More…

Rapture - The Correct Interpretation

Since today is the day the Rapture is supposed to arrive, I felt the need to help you all understand the correct way to interpret the passage that has caused so much trouble over the years.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Paul is writing to his friends in the city of Thessalonica, located in present day Greece. He starts the passage talking about friends and family who have died; those who sleep in death. Someone must have mentioned to him that they were concerned about their loved ones who had passed away. What kind of concerns? And so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. They are worried that their deceased loved ones will miss out when Jesus returns to the earth in glory. Paul has been preaching that the day of Jesus’ returning will happen soon (2 Timothy 4:8), and he has been preaching that when Jesus returns we will receive new bodies (Romans 8:23). What about our loved ones who have passed away before the blessed event?

Paul says, don’t worry all will be well. He says that when Jesus returns; the dead in Christ will rise first. In other words, our loved ones who had faith in Jesus will rise from the dust of the earth with new bodies. Then we will meet them in the sky; we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And then we will be with Jesus and our loved ones forever.

Where people go wrong with the interpretation of this passage is they assume Paul is making a prophecy. If he was he would say so. Instead he is encouraging his people to have faith that they will see their loved ones again, therefore encourage one another with these words. Think of this passage as a funeral message. Paul is preaching encouraging words to people who are deeply upset that their loved ones won’t be around when Jesus returns in his glory. Paul is saying to them, don’t worry God will make everything well.

Understanding the context of a passage is crucial to discerning the meaning. A careful reading of this text shows that Paul is writing supportive and uplifting words to people who have expressed a concern to him. He is not writing about an event that will happen 2,000 years into the future. If he was, he would have said so.

Peace,

Pastor Bill Whitehead

The End of the World

Don't worry about the End of the World this weekend. God has plans for you.

Life As A Minion

I know someone who is on the Family Radio End of the World Caravan. Right now, there is a group of people traveling the country and handing out tracts that tell all of us to repent because the end of the world is happening on Saturday, May 21st at 6PM local time. Yes my friends, the end is going to happen by time zone, so if you want to exist a few hours longer, get on a plane to Hawaii right now. This acquaintance of mine is not a deep thinker, and so he has fallen for the end of the world sales pitch hook, line and sinker. If it doesn’t happen I hope he’s not too disappointed. I know that if I’m still breathing after 6PM this Saturday, I won’t be too upset. But it did get me thinking about being one of the minions of a famous person. Just what is it like and why do we do it?

I have been a devoted follower at various times in my life. Every time the Billy Graham Crusade has come to my area, I have volunteered and worked faithfully to save as many lost souls as possible. I am also proud to say that I am a minion of Jesus Christ and will be forever, regardless of whether the world ends this week or not.

There is a lot of personal satisfaction being a minion, joining a crusade that is bigger than you. There is camaraderie, friendship and shared sacrifice that provides for a lot of emotional uplift. But there is a downside to it as well. Devoted followers by definition do not make personal decisions. They do what the leader tells them to do. The Billy Graham Crusade trains its counselors and gives us a book that brings consistency to the message we deliver to people who come forward to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. This approach makes sure we stick to correct Christian doctrine when counseling someone. It also takes away any unique approach we may have developed in delivering our message of salvation. Minions need to follow the rules, but minions may lose themselves along the way.

Jesus said; “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Therefore we believers are devoted followers of God’s laws. However, Jesus also said this; “You are the salt of the earth…”, “You are the light of the world…”. In other words, we are important. We are made in God’s image, so we are unique personalities and our uniqueness is an important part of God’s work in the world. We are commanded to do God’s will, but in our own individual ways. Otherwise God would have made us all robots, and we would be unquestioning minions marching to the eternal drums of heaven. Instead, we are to be devoted followers, making decisions to use the gifts God has given us to the best of our abilities. Being a minion can be fun, but being an individual is why God made us in the first place.

I wonder what will happen if 6PM Saturday comes and goes without incident. I suppose some of the minions of Family Radio will wander away, searching for some other event to add meaning to their lives. Others will stay loyal and rationalize the whole episode away. I do know this; I will continue to be a faithful follower of my Heavenly Father. And I will continue to listen to His voice speaking to me through his Holy Spirit. However, I already know what the message will be; Do Your Best with the Tools I have Given to You and Know that I will Always be With You.

Now that’s a bandwagon I can get on board with.

God Bless You,

Pastor Bill

The Woman Who Wasn’t There

I like to hike and backpack into the wilderness. I especially like to go places where I know that there will be no people around. Disappear for a while if you will. I find it to be a peaceful experience. No people, no worries, no problems. But I also like to return to my family and friends. I don’t like to disappear for too long.

I like to be anonymous when I go places like the mall. I don’t like to be stopped by people and asked questions. Just get in, do my shopping and get out. However, I do make eye contact with people and nod or smile. I believe that it is important to acknowledge people. It’s like saying, hi, I don’t know you but I know you are there. Being alone and anonymous can be a good thing, but it can be too much of a good thing. Most people need to receive some kind of acknowledgement by others.

Some people like to be invisible all of the time. They are around but don’t want to be noticed. There are people in churches who are like that. They come for the service, then bolt out the door at the end and avoid talking to anybody. Since I like to be invisible sometimes I can understand why they do this. But I think that even people who like to be invisible really want to be noticed every so often. They just don’t know how to go about achieving it.

Take for example the story of the woman who was healed when she touched Jesus’ robe – found in Luke 8: 43 – 48. This poor woman was an outcast because of her condition. The law was very clear that she was ‘unclean’ because of her bleeding and therefore to be avoided. I picture her moving through the crowd hoping that no one would recognize her. She also probably wanted to avoid talking with Jesus for fear of being rejected by him. She wanted to be invisible, but she also wanted to be healed. She sneaks up to him and touches his robe. She is miraculously healed right then and there. Then, quietly, she tries to fade back into the crowd. But Jesus doesn’t let her. He calls out to everyone, “who touched me”. He doesn’t want her to be invisible. He wants to speak with her, to look her in the eye, to acknowledge her. And when he does this she walks away whole again.

I believe this story speaks to us of how important we are in God’s eyes. God loves us so much that He doesn’t want us to be invisible. Each and every one of us is important to Him. Some of us feel God’s love strongly, but others are not so sure. Some of us like to be noticed, and others like to be invisible. But in God’s eyes we are all equally important. And even though we feel like escaping once in a while from the world, we can never run from His loving presence.

God bless you,

Pastor Bill

No Dead Man Here

A Video Easter Message from Pastor Bill

What Easter Is All About

 

Ask the above question to ten people, and you will probably receive ten different answers.

Easter can be about pageantry and spectacle. I know several churches that produce lavish productions of the trial and death of Jesus. One church even rents a donkey for Jesus to ride in on Palm Sunday, complete with diaper (just in case you were wondering).

Other churches dress their sanctuaries in black during the week, covering all of their beautiful art and decorations. Then on Easter Sunday morning they unveil it all and dress their pulpits and vestments in white to celebrate the risen savior.

And then there are groups of believers who carry crosses in a dramatic reenactment of Jesus’ walk of pain to Golgotha. I took part in a cross walk when I lived in Pennsylvania. At the end of a five mile walk in which we shared the burden of carrying a cross, we had a prayer service at a local church. I found it to be very moving.

Beyond the ceremony and celebration, the meaning of Easter can have a life changing impact upon believers. There are two important ideas we can take from the story. First is receiving new life through faith in Jesus Christ. And second is the love of God shown to us through Jesus’ willingness to sacrifice himself for us. The first concept is easy to talk about. The second one, sacrifice, is a lot harder. But I think that it is the idea of giving of oneself that needs to be emphasized and promoted more often during the Easter season.

So much of our lives are devoted to the attainment of what we want or need. And yet if we think about the most important moments in our lives, the attainment of things rarely makes the list. Meeting and marrying my wife was an event that filled a gaping hole in me and made me a better person. Throughout our 25 year life together we have had to compromise and sacrifice in order to have a wonderful relationship. Selfishness just doesn’t work. The same goes for my children. I have given up so many dreams and desires in order to provide for them. I have sacrificed so much for my family, and they have sacrificed for me. This is what it’s supposed to look like. And it is the love expressed through the act of sacrifice that makes these precious moments so powerful.

On Easter Sunday Jesus rises out of the tomb and proclaims a new life. And we all cheer. But with that new life, comes a demand to sacrifice for the ones we love. Because sacrifice and love go hand in hand.

Happy Easter!

Pastor Bill

Being Sensitive to the Needs of Others

(This was written about ten years ago. My son Edward is now a college graduate. We still have cats, unfortunately)

We ran into money problems again. After all of the times my family and I have been short of cash, you would think that I would know not to get too upset. We have always solved our cash problems before. Money comes and money goes. I usually figure out what bills to pay and what to hold off on paying. Then after a while the money shows up and everything goes back to normal. But every time this happens, I just can’t help getting upset. And the emotional turmoil is clearly stamped on my face. I usually develop a grim look and start barking at my family. It’s as if I broke out in measles, the little red spots telling everyone around me that something is wrong.

What normally happens is I look at the check register and see something strange in it. As the checkbook balance goes down I get more and more agitated. And then, checks to companies I don’t recognize. Checks for things that are way outside of the budget. For example, there was a check written to Pet Smart the local pet supply store. This normally wouldn’t get me aggravated except for the fact that the check is a lot higher than I would think kitty treats should cost. A lot higher. Like the difference between the cost of a used Yugo and a new Porsche.

So the conversation with my wife usually goes like this.
“What did you buy at Pet Smart?”
My wife answers, “The cats needed food, kitty litter and I got them a couple of treats.”
“Are the cats going to pay the bill for all of this stuff?”
“You know I have to buy these things for the cats.”
“Maybe we should look into replacing them with pet rocks. The maintenance would be less, and they wouldn’t wake us up at night.”

Not appreciating my sarcasm, Betsy leaves in a huff. And I am left stewing about expenses above and beyond the budget. The expression on my face now changes into something more like Frankenstein with a toothache. Not a pretty sight.

And so it should be of no surprise to me when my son picks up on my problem. He takes one look at my face and can tell something is wrong. Eddie is a good kid. He looks after his parents. He looks into my face and without hesitating asks me what is the matter. I appreciate his asking, though I usually say that nothing is wrong and try to change the subject. My oldest son is very sensitive to the feelings and emotions of his parents. He reads us very well, not just by looking at our faces, but also by checking out our body language and listening to the tone of our voices. Eddie and his brother and sister are sensitive enough to pick up the signals their mom and dad send.

The question I ask is, can I do the same thing? Can I be as sensitive to the needs of the people around me as my children are to my emotional ups and downs? I ask this question because I think it is extremely important for me to know and understand the people around me. I want to be able to read the signs that someone is in trouble. I want to be able to spot the cry for help without a word being exchanged. Jesus said that God knows what we need even before we have asked. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to know the needs of my wife or my kids without their having to ask? I know that I am asking for a lot here. But how much more supportive a relationship we all would have if we could only be able to read the silent communication of the people around us.

Now I don’t really want my son to know that there are bills that we are having trouble paying. I don’t want him to be concerned about this. He is too young to be worrying about money. And I just don’t want to deal with the embarrassment of talking about this subject. But, strangely enough, I am glad he noticed. I feel good when my son comes up to me and asks me if there is anything that he can do. It feels good when people see that something is bothering me and take some time to respond to it. Showing concern for others is an important part of life. And I hope that I will show that I care for the people around me each and every day.

God Bless You,
Pastor Bill Whitehead

Growing Old Gracefully

Nature and Boy Scout Camp go together. I spent a few days with the trees and the bugs, the beautiful lake and the golden sunsets, songs in the dining hall and skunks under the tent platforms. It was like going back in time to younger days when I could be filthy dirty from head to toe and no one would care. I volunteer when I can as a chaperone with our local scout troop. And I enjoy living under the trees with the boys – relaxing this 40 year old body – getting in touch with nature and experiencing the peace of the natural world.

Nature is beautiful but nature can also be cruel. We have been blessed with these wonderful bodies, given great natural abilities, allowed to develop and hone our skills. Then we slowly age. At one time I could run and jump like Michael Jordan – sort of. Now, I’m closer to Porky Pig. I don’t know why it works this way. If it were my choice I should be able to do the things I used to do when I was younger. I would want everything to stay the same – always. But unfortunately, this is not to be. For me, getting in touch with nature at Boy Scout Camp also meant getting in touch with aging.

My scouts entered an Ultimate Frisbee tournament. It is kind of a cross between football and soccer. I played this game a lot when I was younger, so I volunteered to help the boys. I was their coach – I organized the teams and gave them basic strategy. Then at one point I entered the game, just to see if I could still play.

Now I had just turned 40 and I am in excellent condition. I exercise and I haven’t gained any weight since college. So I figured I could still run with these boys and teach them a thing or two about this sport. So I entered the game and everything was going well. I felt good, I felt strong, and I was looking sharp. I felt as if nothing had changed. I felt young again, and I was stomping on those little pip squeaks. Then, as we were nearing the goal we lost possession and the boys turned and ran in the other direction. Something happened to me that had never happened before. The game passed me by. These young people stopped on a dime, turned, and left me eating dust. It was at that moment that I realized I’ve lost my former speed and quickness. I no longer have the explosive first step that I formerly used to get open and keep up with the action. I now know how Michael Jordan feels – I used to be able to play this game.

These young people may have an advantage over me in the physical arena, but I still have a lot going for me. I have something that only time and experience can give, I have wisdom. I have learned a great many things over the years, things that only come through the difficult process of trial and error. And as the experiences have accumulated I have learned many hard and valuable lessons. I have become a stronger and wiser person as a result of this. There is a wonderful story in the Bible that I believe captures this concept of people growing wiser with age. It is the book of Ruth and it is only four chapters long, and it can be read in one relaxing evening.

In the book of Ruth Naomi uses the wisdom that came with age to fulfill God’s plans for her, Ruth and all of the people of Israel. The wisdom that Naomi uses does not only come from experience, it also comes from God. The Bible frequently points to God as the source of wisdom. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline (Prov 1:7). The book of Proverbs talks about wisdom being a gift from God to those who seek after it. In fact it says that true wisdom comes only from God. And what I mean by true wisdom is that important ability to know which decision is right in God’s eyes. So we could say that Naomi’s wise choices came from God. And that everyone who seeks after righteousness – everyone who wants to do what is right in God’s eyes – will receive the wisdom to do God’s will.

I may be slower but I’m wiser, and my wife tells me I’m more handsome (HA!). I may be older but I have grown spiritually. I may be slowly declining physically but I am also slowly becoming closer to God. I have been given so much by the years, none of which I would ever give back. So let the aches and pains come, let the game pass me and Michael Jordan by. I look forward to growing with God in wisdom and in age. I am ready for everything that God has to give.

(I wrote this ten years ago, and I feel that it has aged well over time.)

Peace,

Pastor Bill Whitehead

Of Mosquitoes and Men

 


I wrote this essay a while ago, after a crazy summer vacation. With all of the snow building up around me I figured I would break it out and dream of warmer weather. It is about how small we really are when compared to God’s amazing creation.

Being a minister means low budget vacations. No all expense paid cruises for me and my family. We load up the truck, hitch up our camper and head for the hills. A couple of years ago we traveled to the wilds of Northeast Pennsylvania. Beautiful, peaceful, with nice quiet people, it’s the perfect place to relax and read a good book by an open fire. The beautiful blue sky stretches out above us as we ponder the wonders of God’s creation.

A couple of weeks before we packed up and headed out, that beautiful blue sky filled with clouds and dropped more rain on NEPA than has been seen in thirty years. The rain came down and the floods came up and the Susquehanna River overflowed its banks and deluged towns and villages. After the sky turned blue again and the floodwaters subsided, there were thousands of pools of water left behind evaporating in the summer sun. These thousands of puddles soon contained millions of mosquito larvae, which soon hatched into millions of flying insects whose sole purpose was to make my week in the woods a living hell.

They attacked us as soon as we got out of the truck. Within minutes my wife and I were covered with bites. Being veteran campers, we were prepared with various anti-mosquito strategies. We tried Skin So Soft and the mosquitos bit us while they enjoyed the silky smoothness of our skin. We heard that Bounce fabric softener works and is less harsh then other defenses. When the mosquitos landed on us they didn’t suffer from static cling. We applied concoctions featuring the dreaded Deet. Deet is the best anti-mosquito chemical around but it’s like smearing toxic waste all over your body. The mosquitoes paused a while to ponder this new development. Then they donned environmental suits and bit us anyway. We sat close to a smoky fire hoping that would help but I saw the bugs sitting on the edge of the fire pit toasting marshmallows.

Even Jack the camp host wasn’t immune. Most state parks employ a camp host for the summer to act as a liaison between the campers and the rangers. Jack answers questions and calls the rangers if there is any trouble. He told me that he lives year round in his RV and travels the country. He loves traveling because he meets all kinds of people. A family he met in New Mexico maintained an old fort that was a national historical landmark. He found out that the family lived alone at the fort and traveled once a month a hundred miles to the nearest store to buy food and supplies. He asked them if they were bothered by the absence of other people, but they said they wouldn’t live anywhere else. At the campsite, Jack sat in his chair and shared stories with anyone willing to stop and chat. Mosquitoes bit him every so often, but he didn’t seem to be bothered at all. I guess they are part of the memories he collects as he travels the country.

We played games like dominos and a card game called Zap with our friends Pat and John. Everyone who knows Pat is amazed she is willing to sleep in a tent and cook outdoors. Pat is very meticulous with her appearance – putting on makeup and fixing her hair as soon as she rises in the morning. She works hard to keep her world organized. At camp everything is kept in its proper place. Food, supplies, towels, are carefully arranged in milk crates and stacked in the van. Nothing is allowed to sit on the picnic table that doesn’t belong there. Pat’s mission in life is to bring order to her world, even if that world consists of dirt, grass, and gravel. As the mosquitoes swarmed around her waiting for their chance to pounce, they were required to get in line and take a number.

Around the bend from us were several families with lots of little kids. The kids were having a blast running around the playground, riding their bikes, rolling down the hill on a Big Wheel. Their parents valiantly slathered anti-bug stuff on them, but to no avail. They were covered with bites. Every time I saw one I would cringe. But the kids just kept doing what they wanted to do. About mid-week a local news channel car rolled into camp. They were looking for a story about the mosquitoes and they came to the right place. They interviewed the families and filmed the kids and gleefully rushed back to the studio because there is nothing that says suffering better than a ten year old covered from head to toe with red welts. But as usual, this was only part of the story. The other part was that this kid was still having a ball, along with the rest of his little pals. Children are much more resilient than we give them credit for. They may cry and complain loudly when a parent is in view, but when no one is looking they’re back to having a good time.

I did not have the pleasure of meeting the person or persons who propped open the men’s room door. Every day there were a gazillion bugs in the men’s room. There were spiders making webs in the corners, Daddy Long Legs hiding in the toilet, moths perched on the walls and, of course, swarms of the dreaded you-know-what’s. I moved the rock that was the doorstop and closed it. The next time nature called, the door was propped open again. This went on all week long. As I sat on the throne I kept a careful eye open for the flying villains. If I saw one, I swatted it with my hat and celebrated with a notch in the toilet paper roll. But in the end my adversary was victorious and the door was open as I drove out of the campground.

As I sat in that beautiful campground pondering the beauties of God’s creation, I couldn’t help but wonder why He had created these little monsters. It really is 21^st century remake of the David and Goliath story, with a perverted 21^st century twist: David is the bad guy. He’s a tiny insect who takes advantage of the summertime bounties of warmth, and rain, feeds off of our blood, gives us diseases that kill and maim millions. We Goliaths spray him, swat him, and bug zap him. We spend billions trying to come up with the most sophisticated weapons with which to annihilate him. But he cannot be vanquished. The greatest technological achievements of the modern world have come up with only one sure fire way of escaping him – jumping in a space ship and leaving the planet.

Perhaps the message here is that God created mosquitoes to remind us of our ultimate frailty and keep us humble. We think we’re so great because we’re lots bigger than the mosquitoes. But there’s one place where size doesn’t matter, and that’s in the eyes of God. All creatures were created equal, and each and every species has its particular job to do. The mosquitoes’ job is to keep alive at our expense. Our job is to keep alive at theirs. Even though they are one-trillionth our size, they are a formidable enemy, and should be admired as such. Like little David aiming his slingshot at his giant adversary, or third world terrorists bringing down a superpower, they serve as a warning to us lest we get too smug. Arrogance goes before the fall.

So, I returned from my vacation with a new respect for mosquitoes. Not that I’m sending them apologies, or inviting them to dinner or anything. But now, as I swat them and spray them, I try to appreciate them, for keeping me in my humble place and making me a wiser, and maybe better, human being.

Peace,

Pastor Bill Whitehead

Jesus is Still With Us

Just Because Christmas is over, doesn't mean Jesus has left.

Confessions of a Forumite

(I wrote this in 2006, and it seems pretty up to date to me. The numbers have changed, but Internet Forums are still going strong and people are still going crazy. I have since given up on Christian Forums, because there were too many angry people making life difficult. However, I participate in an Amatuer Astronomy Forum that is wonderful. Go Figure)

I clearly remember the first time I posted a message to an internet forum. I told whoever was out there in cyberspace that I thought believers really weren’t free in the way Americans understand freedom. We don’t do whatever we feel like doing. I argued that we choose to be held to a higher standard that limited our actions to those that our Heavenly Father would want us to do. I typed it into my word processor; spell checked it and sent it off where it was posted onto the forum for all to see. Well, those who bothered looking. Not too long afterwards I received a private message in my email box from a forum participant. In the message he ranted and raved about how wrong I was. In fact he cursed me and said that he valued freedom above everything else and that I couldn’t take it away from him. He rounded it off with several more curses and a hearty drop dead.

Welcome to the world of Christian Internet Forums. That’s right, I said Christian.

I love logging onto Internet Forums. I admit it, I love them. But they drive me crazy. They are filled with writings that aggravate me, confuse me, and bemuse me. They are populated by people who are at times loving and caring and at other times hateful and malicious. They are full of intelligent commentary but more often than not overwhelmed by inane drivel. If you have never logged onto a forum, if it has never crossed your mind to jump into the bizarre world of Internet communication just be aware that this is a world far removed from our own and yet hardly different.

Internet Forums are places that people post messages to be read by anyone who wants to take the time to read them. They are categorized by a common interest, religion being a popular one. I was not able to find out how many people currently use forums. But I did find these numbers; MSN has 11,344 different Christian forums, Yahoo has 53,591. A Google search on the words Christian Forums comes up with 6,200,000 responses in only .23 seconds. The largest site I found was the rather obviously named Christianforum.com. A hefty 113,972 members have posted over 16 million messages in 225 sub-forums. The site has a volunteer staff of 93 people who daily take the time to monitor what is being said on the site in an effort to keep the peace with this rather large and diverse community. This limited research makes it clear that forums are a very popular form of communication. More and more people are finding community in these places on the Internet.

But what kind of community is this? A wild and wacky one to say the least. All sorts of people sign on to the service get a password and jump into the fray. When a participant signs up he/she can choose a name that will appear on the screen. Some people use their real names but many don’t. I guess we are all a little nervous about privacy on the Internet. Once one is signed up posting messages can begin. Some people ask questions which are meant to start up a conversation on a particular topic. How can we reduce global poverty for instance? Some people have particular issues that they must tell others about. I know of a gentleman who cannot let an opportunity go by without talking about the global disaster about to befall the earth. Some people tell jokes, write poetry, make snide remarks, and generally act like normal people having a conversation. And just like normal people, forum participants get mad at each other. When most people join for the first time they are shocked by the anger. But we shouldn’t be, after all people are people. And even Christians don’t act like Christians all of the time. Christian Internet Forums become big extended families – just like churches. And just like churches they run into problems.

Problems? Did someone say there are problems? Yes my friends, and with them come rules. Internet Forums better have rules, or else they won’t have any members left. In an effort to keep the peace Christianforum.com has a large list of rules which include the following; no personal attacks, no attacks against Christianity, no posting private correspondence, no selling/marketing anything, no obscenities, or anything sexually explicit. Anyone who breaks the rules can have their password suspended temporarily or even permanently. Most of these rules are the same common sense principles that guide us in everyday life. But it is shocking how often people indulge in inappropriate behavior on Internet Forums. Take the ban on personal attacks for instance. I belong to a forum where personal attacks are almost a daily occurrence. The man who monitors it must spend enormous amounts of time writing emails warning participants to keep themselves under control. When confronted do you know how most people respond? They say “he started it”. This is the same excuse that didn’t work when I was in Kindergarten. God bless Forum monitors – they need all of the help they can get.

During my time as a member of religious forums I have seen certain types of posts that come up over and over again. We all tend to fall into certain patterns. First, there is the great pronouncement. A message that informs us that God has spoken with the messenger personally and that: 1) Jesus is coming soon; or 2) the messenger is to start a mission; or 3) Jesus is coming soon. I’ve always liked reading these posts because we never know when a truly mighty prophet is going to show up and it’s good to be paying attention when he/she does. Next on the list are the political posts. The fact that these web sites are specifically focused on religion does not keep politics out of the fray. Political battles can go on for days and days. After the first couple of months I stopped looking at these kinds of posts. I’m just not interested in the same political arguments that caused me to swear off cable news. And after the fighting stops comes the tearful goodbye. Quite frequently someone gets mad and quits the forum. But before he/she goes a message is posted saying why as well as goodbye. People usually respond with supportive posts but the injured party leaves anyway. The funny thing is, many of these hurting souls end up coming back to the forum after a few months. I’ve never been able to figure that out.

Another common part of Internet Forums is the Chat Room. I’ve not been able to figure these out either. Chat Rooms are ‘real time’ – that is they are a running conversation, like a phone call. Except that anyone with a password to the Forum can join in. The people who frequent these seem to have made up their own short hand. Let me give you an example I recorded one night.

Person a) I was taking my girlfriend to a movie, and she got sick, and we had to pull over where she threw up…

Person b) yo - - - ba da boom!

Person c) how are you?

Person a) Too funny; how about a courting couple.

Person d) heeeey fly

Yes my friends, this is considered communication on some parts of this planet. But I haven’t a clue. I guess this over the hill 44 year old is just too long in the tooth to understand this new fangled style of chat-er-ate‘n.

So why do people log onto Christian Internet Forums anyway? I think I can answer that question by telling you why I log on. I have something to say that I think is important and there are people who are willing to listen. I believe that I have some thoughts and insights that can help a few of the people who are out there searching for answers life’s basic questions. This idea has been reinforced by people responding on the Forum and privately through email. Most of these have been positive, unlike the guy who cursed me out. Another important reason for belonging is the sense of shared values and beliefs that people on the Forum have. We all believe Jesus is Lord and we all want to see His Kingdom come. This gives me a sense of belonging, a sense that these people know me and accept me even though we haven’t formally met. I didn’t just join some strange electronic club, I am part of a faith community, and it feels pretty good. And finally, I must admit that I love these people. I log on day in and day out because I have grown to care for all of my fellow forumites. I love the ones who write beautiful words of faith in God, as well as the ones who don’t. I even care about the people who get angry and rant and rave. These are God’s people and I do love them very much.

Well, another day and another series of crazy posts. I don’t know what to make of some of these people and some of them don’t know what to make of me. But I just can’t resist going back again and again. Isn’t it funny – here I am sitting alone at my desk and yet, I’ve found community?

Peace, Pastor Bill

The World is Becoming a Better Place

I believe that our world is searching for the right way to live. And I believe that we are slowly getting closer to the right way of treating each other. It is just taking some time.

Back in fourteenth century France, things were pretty bad compared to today. English armies were invading every few years. After the battle ended, the English King would leave behind large numbers of soldiers, not wanting to pay for their return to England. These men became roving bands of outlaws, attacking villages and travelers. Between the wars and the outlaws, there was also the black plague, which was devastating the people of Europe. In those days, when a village needed help neighboring villages did not respond to their pleas. If they were attacked, their neighbors armed themselves and hoped they too would not be attacked. If the plague struck, doors were shut and locked. If hunger assailed people, there was no help coming from nearby towns or villages. There were plenty of instances of individual compassion and help. Many individuals put their lives on the line to help others. But no general organized effort existed to help neighbors in trouble. And the thought of helping strangers who lived far away, would not have even occurred to most people at this time.

Move to the nineteenth century. The historians call it the age of volunteerism, when most of the organizations that help victims were born. In 1863 a Swiss citizen, Jean Henri Dunant spoke out for the need of an international organization to help wounded prisoners of war with improved medical care. The Red Cross, Red Crescent, and articles of the Geneva Convention came out of his efforts. Before Jean Dunant people didn’t care about prisoners of war, wounded or otherwise. Armies also attacked hospitals as if they were active fighting units. The conditions in prisoner of war camps were horrendous. The average person of the day would not care about the deaths of enemy soldiers. And yet Jean Dunant did care. And not only that, he convinced other people to care, so many that even the governments took notice and supported his efforts.

The creation of the Red Cross and the many other organizations created in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries are an amazing part of world history. No where else in our history can I find large numbers of people organizing to help others from around the world. Individual acts of mercy are common throughout history. But organizations that help strangers from other countries, which speak other languages, who have strange customs and who worship gods with different names, that is a new and marvelous thing! In the last several hundred years, the number of these groups has expanded a great deal. Many of the organizations are religious and many are not. Many of the groups help people, and some are out to help animals and the environment. Even countries are joining into this wonderful development. Not only does the United States’ defense department prepare to fight a war, they also prepare to launch peace missions. In light of our war ravaged history this has been truly amazing!

The world is evolving ideas of truth and justice that are being recognized as universal. Treating all humans with love and respect was a concept that only a few held a thousand years ago. But today, many more people hold to these principles. I believe that some day, all humans will hold the same basic principles of treating each other as we would our family. And so I believe that universal principles of behavior will continue to develop over time to guide future generations.

God Bless You,

Pastor Bill

Let Me Cook Your Thanksgiving Dinner

You don't want me to cook for you, unless you have good Health Insurance. However, I can do God's Work on this planet and so can everyone else. A Pastor Bill Video Message.

We Learned to Open Our Home and Our Hearts

How do we learn the difference between right and wrong? When I was a child, I learned right and wrong from my parents. Today my children learn the same from me. They watch how I behave and they imitate me. If I handle trouble by getting angry, they will do the same. If I settle arguments by being a peacemaker, they too will learn to become peacemakers. We learn from our parents the basics of right and wrong. We learn from each other what it means to be moral and ethical.

I have several friends named Ken and Bonnie, who have shown me what it means to live a good moral life. Over the years they have taken people into their home that had nowhere to go. This had happened so often that their kids didn’t even ask who was coming. They just started moving their stuff into another bedroom. Then my wife and I invited a family into our house to stay. And we looked at each other and said; we’re becoming like Ken and Bonnie! These two people taught my wife and I selfless living just by being themselves.

Not only have I seen a truth filled life in other people, but I have lived it myself. I have had many opportunities to help people in trouble. Recently several people asked me for used furniture. They were too poor to buy furniture on their own. Unfortunately I don’t have any furniture stored anywhere, but I started asked around. Soon several people were donating furniture, and a friend with a truck was transporting it. It felt so good to help out people in need. Surely I experienced truth when I helped these people.

I believe that many simple truths of how to live a good life are all around us. We learn these truths from our families. We learn these truths from our neighbors and friends. We learn these truths through everyday life. Developing caring relationships is the best teacher of right and wrong. Because we know how we want to be treated, we know how other people want to be treated. Because we wish to be loved and respected, we instinctively know that everyone else wishes the same thing.

* By the way. This article was written a while ago. Recently, Betsy and I have opened our home up again to an 18 year old boy who had some problems at home. I guess the lessons we learned from Ken and Bonnie are still alive and well in the Whitehead household. I am thankful I had the opportunity to learn from two wonderful people.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

I Hate Halloween

I hate Halloween. I hate buying candy. I hate dressing up in stupid costumes. I hate ghouls and goblins. I am the ultimate Halloween party pooper. Every party must have one, and I am it. I am also, not alone in hating this fall celebration.

The Christian world has several responses to Halloween. First, the people who hate it like me, just ignore the holiday and hope that someday it will just go away. Second, are the Christians who try to incorporate the holiday in their ministry. They have events at church with candy and costumes, but they ban scary costumes and have Christian programming as part of the party. I know of one church that has a haunted house that shows kids that if they are not Christians, they are going to hell. Now that is scary.

In the great scheme of things, Halloween doesn’t matter. It’s a chance to have fun, and there’s nothing wrong with that. What really matters is this, Loving God and Loving People. That is the essence of Jesus’ message. God wants to have a loving, supportive relationship with us. And God wants us to have the same relationship with each other. If we make this simple truth the core of our lives, the rest will be easy. Even putting up with candy and costumes will be a piece of cake.

God bless you,

Pastor Bill

Partying on the Sidelines

Everyone was partying this week in Chile. The trapped miners were released and the rescuers proclaimed as heros. Do you want to be a hero? Then you can't sit on the sidelines. A Video Message from Pastor Bill.