Christian Conversations

This is something I have been thinking about for a while now and I think I’m ready to put it out there. I’d like to practice active listening skills, and I also like to talk about Jesus. Even though I’m not seeking a full-time ministry position, I still want to be active in the church and still want to minister to those who are in need. The way I’d like to go about that is by having Christian Conversations with anyone who needs to talk out a struggle they may be having in their life, or who needs to talk through a Biblical concept they are having trouble understanding.

This idea may sound a bit abstract, because it is! I’ll use the “Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How” method to try and explain it a little better.

Who

Really, this is for anyone. Having a struggle you want to talk about in a non-judgmental setting? Is there a passage you want to explore but don’t have a place to discuss it or a person to discuss it with? Maybe you’re having a faith crisis and just need to talk about it? Want to talk about a praise you want to share? Or maybe you just want to talk about Jesus, the Father, the Holy Spirit, or anything else related. You’re who I want to have a conversation with.

What

First, I think I need to define what it is not. This idea is not clinical in any way. If you’re having a mental health struggle or crisis, I suggest you seek a professional counselor or therapist. I will be happy to help you find a professional in your area, but I am not licensed or equipped to help with any clinical mental health issues.

Ok, so what is it then? Basically you talk, and I listen. I’d like to help you as you dive in and talk through whatever spiritual problem that is on your mind. This is not a bid to convert anyone to a different way of belief, but to help you get to the heart of what is causing your spiritual pain or frustration. I’m cautious and don’t really want to call this Christian counseling, I think of it more like Christian coaching.

When

In the evenings, for 50 minutes to an hour. Similar to a counseling or coaching appointment.

Where

Zoom or a similar video platform. We could have a phone conversation, but I’d rather have a face to face conversation if at all possible. If you’re in my local area I’m sure we could meet for coffee and have a chat.

Why

I want to help people! I’m not in full-time ministry anymore, but I still want to answer the call that we as Christians are called to do, that is to minister to each other. While this concept isn’t “full-time ministry”, I do hope that I will have some great conversations. I’d love to become so busy that it turns into a full-time, “pay the bills” ministry work. But for now, this is just something I want to do in some spare evenings to help people and help the church.

I also want to practice skills such as active listening and goal setting. These skills aren’t necessarily clinical in nature, but are a big part of what a counselor would be using in session. But we won’t be applying them to mental health issues, but spiritual health issues.

How

You talk to me, tell me what is on your mind and maybe what you want to accomplish or how I can help you. I’ll urge you to keep digging and help you to better understand the nature of your spiritual struggle. I’ll ask you questions to help you think from a different perspective. We can have the scriptures open as we talk, or we can just talk about concepts and principles. Unlike clinical counseling where the counselor is a listener only, if you’d like I can offer my knowledge and can suggest scriptures that may help clarify things. But only if you ask, I’ll be keeping my mouth shut – for the most part.

One more thing to note. I’ll not be keeping any session notes on file. Since this isn’t clinical, nothing is protected by HIPAA or any other type of legal protections, so I won’t keep anything in writing. However, I will have to report to authorities if I hear of any harm done or serious threat of harm to oneself, or to any other person.

Having said all that, I think these scriptures sum up all that I want to accomplish. “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:2. “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” – Romans 12:15. And, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” – Proverbs 27:17.

Let me know if you’d like to have a Christian Conversation or if you have any questions.

An Election Eve Prayer

Today is November 2nd, 2020. Tomorrow the leader of our country will be elected. It will be an eventful day. As we say goodnight to this day, here are where my thoughts are. This is my prayer for tomorrow and the coming days.

Father in Heaven, I pray and ask that you be with our country and all the wonderful people who make it what it is. Your strength will be very needed by so many of us.

I pray…

That the right person is elected. Your will may not always be done by whoever is in leadership, but you are in control. I don’t know why you do the things that you do, but please let us all accept your guidance, Father. Let us all accept the outcome and support who you have allowed to lead on this earth.

That whoever our President elect is tomorrow, that his administration is blessed. That he is able to accomplish much for our country and her people. I pray that our President succeeds in his endeavors, because his failures will ultimately also be my failures.

That love rules the day. We may not all see eye to eye, we may not agree with each other… Father, we may not even like each other. But let us all love each other as Jesus showed us how to do. His apostles didn’t all get along, and were on separate ends of the political spectrum – but they turned the world upside down for you. Let us love like they did, and make this world a better place for it.

That there is peace. I pray there will be no riots, no violence, and no hatred. If some individuals incite rioting and violence, I pray that the innocent escape harm, and that fair justice is served on those who are not innocent.

Father, I know that my words cannot change the world, but Jesus can. Let the Spirit guide us, and show us all how to live like true children of the King. Let us also remember that this world is not our home! We may hold citizenship as Americans on this planet, but our focus, our greater calling, our ultimate and first allegiance is in Heaven.

Its through your son, Jesus, name I pray all these things. Let the church together say…

Just Show Up!

If you haven’t noticed, there is a lot happening in our world today. This year (2020) has been a doozie so far, hasn’t it?! Corona Virus has had us shut up in our houses for weeks, a man named George Floyd was murdered by a police officer, rioting and looting have been going on all across the country…

I promise, this blog isn’t trying to depress you or be political. One thing I know for a fact is that YOU have a friend – whether or not they live next door, across town, across the country, or they’re virtual friends on social media – who has been affected in some way by 2020’s disasters. Maybe they or one of their family members has had COVID-19, and maybe they have been hospitalized or their family members have died. Maybe your friend is a person of color and they feel deeply impacted by the incident in Minneapolis and the resulting violent and destructive actions of a few people. Maybe you aren’t affected by these events, but you don’t to look far to find someone who has been.

Now, I’m not asking you to agree with me or with your friends. But I am asking you to have some empathy, compassion, and love toward them. Just show up for them! You don’t need to fix them, or say profound words or make a profound Facebook post. Just let them know you’re there.

Job went through a terrible loss. He lost all of his children and all of his possessions. He was known to be a very, very good man. In Job 2:11-13. his friends hear about his loss and they go to him. They see his suffering and cry for and with him. Then in verse 13, “… they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.” They didn’t say anything! They just sat in silence with Job for a week!

They did eventually open their mouths and talk. That is where they messed up.

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” Romans 12:15

Just show up, and shut up.

 

 

Richie Reads: “You Are Special”, by Max Lucado

Since our congregation hasn’t been able to meet because of the social distancing suggestions, we have been recording and posting our worship services on YouTube. I also started recording videos for our kiddos who aren’t able to go to their Bible classes. We’ll sing a song or two, read a story, make a very light application, and close with a prayer. Each video has gotten better as I learn more about videography, I may have taken a step backwards once or twice, but forward mostly.

I hope these are useful for you and your families in these strange times of social distancing, and I pray you all stay healthy.

Perfectly Imperfect: Get Out?

I came across this while reading for a class this week:

“I do not require my clients to be virtuous in order to continue in therapy. There would be few clients and few therapists if the standard of full moral integrity was imposed on all of us.” (Doherty, 1995)

That’s comforting, right? I mean, the reason most people seek counseling is because they are having trouble with their values, feeling, emotions, etc. So it makes sense that a counselor wouldn’t kick a client out because they’re not perfect! But the author also says there wouldn’t be many counselors either, if they were expected to be perfect. Hmm…

The church is like that… right? It should be. Could you imagine what it would be like if we had to be perfect in order to be a part of God’s family? I think sometimes we expect perfection, and we should most definitely try our best, but we’re just not. We need to stop expecting perfection out of imperfect people who just want to come worship God and have a church family to be a part of. This also goes for ministers, teachers, elders, and deacons… no person in the church, no one on this planet is perfect.

One big difference in the church and a counseling practice, is our Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6) is perfect! But the same as an earthly counselor, he doesn’t expect us to be perfect, he understands us (Hebrews 2:17, 4:15). This isn’t an excuse to not strive to be perfect, to be like Jesus, what it is though is love. He loves us even though we’re not perfect. We need to love each other, even though we’re not perfect.

 

Doherty, W. J. (1995). Soul searching: why psychotherapy must promote moral responsibility.

Jonah, a Rusty Gate, and Me

The Biblical account of Jonah has some crazy action! Jonah ran from God, got tossed overboard in a storm, swallowed by a giant fish, vomited out onto land, then finally preached God’s message in a very dangerous city, in a very dangerous country. The people living the city were so vile, that God had planned to destroy them if they didn’t change their ways! Jonah delivered the message to them and God’s transforming word did its work and they repented! God decided not to destroy them, and this made Jonah happy that he finally performed his God given duties. Right? No!

In fact, “it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.” (Jonah 4:1) Jonah had a lot of things going into the mission field of Nineveh. He had God on his side, he had a life saving, soul preserving message from God. Through Jonah, God saved many souls on that day! But Jonah was also missing a few things. Things like: compassion, grace, empathy, and love!

In 1 Corinthians 13:1 Paul wrote, “If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.”  Jonah spoke with more than human eloquence and angelic ecstasy, he spoke with the authority and might of God! But he did not love. Paul would go on to write, “So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.” Jonah did end up doing what he was told, he preached God’s life saving message and saved many souls, but he gained nothing. He was spiritually bankrupt! Because he did not love.

Are we any different? I can also go the ends of the earth, or the end of my street, and spread to gospel because it’s what I’m “supposed to do”. But just like a smile that never reaches my eyes, if the gospel never reaches my heart, I don’t benefit at all from the work I do! That’s called going through the motions. The people I teach may end up obeying the gospel and become saved, but if I don’t love them as I teach and preach, I will be lost!

So today, as I labor in God’s Kingdom, I need to evaluate myself. Every word I say, every action I take, every decision that I make, every thought I think… are they done with love?

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Don’t be a clanging cymbal, noisy gong, or a creaking rusty gate! Speak the truth and love (Ephesians 4:15)! 

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.  Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:7-8)

Have a great week!

Who are “They”?

Misters Merriam and Webster categorize “they” as a pronoun. A pronoun can refer to a specific person, or it can refer to many people.

But who are “they”? Let me introduce to you, “they”.

They are the innocent people in Iraq who are being murdered for their beliefs and their ethnicity.

They are radical Muslims who are murdering innocents throughout the world.

They are Christians, who unlike Christ, are full of hatred.

They are South Americans who are illegally entering the United States of America.

They are the people who make decisions based upon facts that you or I do not have access to.

They are politicians, both decent and corrupt, who make our laws.

They are families grieving the too early deaths of their children.

They are communities who are scared and confused.

They are law enforcement professionals who are trying their best to protect our society.

They are military members fighting to preserve our way of life.

They are guilty.

They are innocent.

They are you

They are me.

We all need the same things: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

Today I pray for “them”. From the radical militant Muslims to the American suburbanites. From the homeless veteran heroes to the DC politicians. I will pray for them all because as a Christian, I should love them all, and we all need Jesus (Matthew 5:43-48, Matthew 22:39, Romans 3:23).

In the immortal words of Tiny Tim: God bless us, every one!