First Baptist Church of Beaverton, Oregon

Let’s talk a little business.

Have you ever had this happen?  You went to a store to make a purchase, but you had difficulty locating the item.  You tried to get someone to assist you, but they were too occupied.  I vividly remember this happening years ago.  When I asked a clerk for assistance, he curtly retorted: “Can’t you see that I’m busy?!” I still recall my feelings — I felt demeaned, and it was a long time before I went back to that store.

That clerk and I had conflicting expectations.  I felt the clerk should stop and assist me.  He felt he had more important priorities, perhaps stocking the shelves or taking care of something his boss had instructed him to do.  How does a business–much less an employee–know how to prioritize its activities?

One way a business can determine this is by analyzing its “critical transaction.”  This term refers to the one single event that a business needs to happen, the event that justifies everything else it does.  For example, in the airline business, the critical transaction is not when the plane takes off or when the mechanic fixes the plane.  These are important, of course, but they’re not the critical transaction.  No, for an airline the critical transaction takes place when someone purchases a ticket.  If people don’t buy tickets, pretty soon nothing else can happen.  The critical transaction takes place at the counter.

So, what would a critical transaction look like for a church?  I’ve come to the conclusion that it takes place when someone says, “I want or need to change.”  Our church exists to help people come to that point in their thinking and then to assist them in making the needed changes.  This is one of the things I like about our NSTEP model and the phrase, “taking steps toward Jesus.” Every person is capable of taking another step closer to Jesus.  This is as true for an agnostic as for a mature believer.  After all, the Apostle Paul said he hadn’t arrived yet; instead, “I press on toward the goal…” (Phil. 3:14).  He was still taking new steps toward Jesus.

In terms of our focus on “The Unexpected Kingdom,” the first words that Jesus says in the Gospel of Mark were:  “The time has come.  The Kingdom of God is near.  Repent and believe the good news.“  In Luke 5:32 Jesus said that he came to “call sinners to repentance,” but Jesus promises us a joyful, abundant life, not a life a misery.  Unfortunately, the word “repent” has come to have a negative connotation.  For many Christians, repentance primarily means being sorry for all the bad things they have done, and–perhaps–being determined to do better.

However, the Greek word which we translate as repentance is metanoias.  Perhaps our closest English equivalent is “metamorphosis.”  Just as a caterpillar goes through a remarkable process of change on its way to becoming a butterfly, people go through an extensive “change process” as they move from No awareness of Christ to Some awareness to Thoughtful observers before they “cross the bridge” of belief and trust and begin to Experience Christ and even to Pursue Christ and His Kingdom.  But this metamorphosis–this change–is not a cause for sorrow; it is a reason to celebrate.  Indeed, one thing we need to learn to do better is how to celebrate those times when people take significant steps toward Jesus.

We’re going to talk a lot more about this and many, many other things during our “nhome gatherings” in April and May.  You either have been or will be invited to a meeting in your neighborhood.  If the meeting to which you’re invited doesn’t fit your schedule, try to attend one of the others.  We already have ten meetings scheduled and expect to schedule several more.  If you don’t get an invitation for any reason, e-mail or call Kelly Nelson (kellynnelson@gmail.com) or Josh Pounders (josh.pounders@fbcbeaverton.org), and they will connect you to an appropriate group.

In the meantime, let’s continue pursuing Christ and His Kingdom!

by Norm Langston

I am excited about 2011!  For me, beginning a new year is like hiking a trail for the first time, a trail you’ve heard leads to a wonderful waterfall.  You don’t know exactly how long the hike will take; you only know that the destination will be worth the effort.  That’s the way I felt this morning as I played with and sang to my granddaughter, Grace.  I don’t know exactly what this next year will look like for Grace, but the prospect of walking with her fills my heart with delight!

I have the same anticipation about my journey with the Lord and about our journey together as a church.  There are new horizons to be crossed and vistas to be seen, and the journey—although at times arduous—will be an adventure of discovery that leads to a delightful destination (“a land full of milk and honey”).  However, like the Israelites of old, we must overcome some obstacles.  The Promised Land is full of  walled cities and fearsome giants.  To move forward and claim our rightful inheritance, we must overcome them – and our own fears of them.  They loom so large that we are but “grasshoppers” in their eyes (Numbers 13:26-33).  The journey is exciting partly because it is dangerous, because there are challenges to overcome along the way.

So, let those who are fearful, let those who would seek a less-challenging adventure, hear God’s Word, for it reveals that we have a secret weapon!  “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous,  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9, NIV).

Why should we be daunted or discouraged when the Lord will be with us wherever we go?  Immanuel – God is with us!

We’re going to begin talking more specifically about all of this at The Event, our January 23 joint worship service.  On that Sunday morning we are combining our two morning services for an extended time of fellowship, challenge, worship, and prayer.  Our children will have their Sunday School classes, but adults and teens will meet together in the Worship Center.  Afterwards, we will enjoy an all-church Fellowship Meal.

The Event also will kick-off a five-week worship emphasis, “Taking Steps Toward Jesus.”  It will include several special features that we will introduce at The Event.  So, mark January 23 – February 27 on your calendar.  Try not to miss any of our services during that time, but—if you have an unchangeable conflict—we have devised some aids that can help you stay engaged in what we’re doing.

I sang to Grace this morning from an old hymn:

I am bound for the promised land,

I am bound for the promised land;

O who will come and go with me?

I am bound for the promised land.

Will you make the journey with me?  We’re going to have a great time!

By Norm Langston

Advent — the four weeks before Christmas — historically has been a period for personal reflection.  Lighting a new candle on the Advent wreath is a way of saying we are coming out of darkness into light, that we are being “redeemed,” or, to use the old holiness word, “sanctified.”  We are trying to get our lives off the shifting sands of this world and onto the rock of practicing Jesus’ teaching (Mt. 7:24-27).

Like Lent — the forty days prior to Easter — Advent is a time for examining our hearts and our lives to see if we are truly devoted to Christ and His Kingdom or whether our passion has grown dull and our commitment to the Lord has weakened.  If the latter, then Advent is a time for repentance and recommitment.

Typically, though, we seek shortcuts to spiritual growth.  A student once asked A. H. Strong, the President of Rochester Seminary, whether he couldn’t take a shorter course than the one prescribed.  “Oh yes,” Dr. Strong replied, “but it depends on what you want to be.  When God wants to make an oak, He takes a hundred years, but when He wants to make a squash, He takes six months.”

Do you want to be an oak . . . or a squash?

Spend time this month asking yourself some tough questions:  “Who am I really trying to please?”  “What guilt or shame am I covering up?”  “What hurts need healing–both hurts I have received and hurts I have given?”  And, especially, consider the question Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me more than these?”  Ponder these questions and what your answers to them reveal.  Pray about your answers and what you need to do about them.  God wants us to become conformed to the “likeness of his Son” (Rom. 8:29).

Advent is a time for “oak-making.”

By Norm Langston

Do you sense that an epidemic of anxiety is rapidly spreading through our country?  We are worried about our health, our health insurance (or lack thereof), and our health insurance premiums.  We are worried about our nation’s slow recovery from the Great Recession and about what that portends.  And all of us have unique, individual concerns — our families, our jobs, or our finances.

Ironically, though, our incessant worry isn’t helpful.  Jesus rhetorically asks :  “Can all of your worries add a single moment to your life?” (Matt. 6:27).  In other words, does your worry really change anything?

However, even though worry cannot produce anything positive in our lives, it is clear that it can have extremely negative effects — hypertension, panic attacks, or heart disease, just to name a few.  And, if nothing else, chronic anxiety makes us grumpy and ungenerous:  “I worked hard for what I’ve got, so keep your hands off.  Don’t even suggest that I share it with the less fortunate!”

So, what’s to be done?  How can we stop worrying when there obviously are so many things to be worried about?

I have a modest two-part proposal. . .

First, let’s make November a month for giving thanks. Of course, we have a holiday for “thanks-giving,” but I’m suggesting that instead of counting our blessings for a day, we spend the entire month cultivating an “attitude of gratitude.”  I am convinced that gratitude is an antidote for anxiety.  So why don’t we give thanks every day during the month of November?

I can hear some people objecting, “That’s easy for you to say.  You have a lot to be grateful for, but you don’t know about my situation.”

My response is simple.  You are correct that I have a lot to be grateful for, but gratitude does not directly correlate with our circumstances.  In other words, I do not find that people whose lives are “easy” or “successful” are more grateful than those who endure great agonies.

The second part of my proposal is for us to make November a month for generosity. We can be generous with our time, our talents, or our financial resources.  For instance, this is the month when we will participate in our Lottie Moon Offering for World Missions.  Our church always is in need of funds to share with those who are struggling.  This is a great time to volunteer to work with ETC or our Christmas musical.  There are lots of opportunities for generosity.  Mainly, though, we need to understand that generosity–like gratitude–can counteract anxiety.

One of my all-time favorite church members was David Brown.  He was an old hippie who sported a ponytail into his seventies.  He had been an alcoholic most of his life, and this had damaged his relationship with various family members.  However, late in his life David got sober and reconciled.  At church he helped us with our lawn and plants, and he taught me a lot about gratitude and generosity.

David lived in a second story efficiency apartment at the corner of Farmington and Watson for several years.  I went to visit him, and, after he warmly welcomed me, he said:  “I love this little apartment, Pastor.  Look, I’ve got a nice bed to sleep in.  Many’s a night I’ve slept on the cold ground.  And, look Pastor.  Here’s my electric blanket.  I can get as warm as I want.  Isn’t that great.  And on this little stove I can fix hot water for my tea.  I’m so blessed, Pastor.  I have so much more than I deserve.”

I left David’s apartment feeling blessed and humbled . . . blessed that I have so much and humbled that I forget to give thanks to God every day for His amazing gifts to me.  Being around David always caused me to want to share more generously my resources . . . and my Lord.

Let’s be grateful and generous and put anxiety in the rear-view mirror!

by Norm Langston

I enjoy our church’s children.  I love seeing–and celebrating–their growth and development.  I like Facebook posts–”my big 5-year old got all her shots today without shedding any tears” or “my son is in the baseball playoff”–that illustrate who they are becoming.  And, as you would imagine, the birth of our granddaughter, Grace, has caused me to newly focus on the development of newborns.  Her week-by-week progress reminds me that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps. 139:14).

I especially like watching preschoolers as they’re learning to walk.  More than ever, we try to document their “first steps.”  Parents and other relatives do everything they can to help children learn how to stand, to balance themselves, and, eventually, to walk on their own.  We know they will stumble and even have some hard falls, and, although we try to minimize those occasions, we realize that simply is part of the process.  So we kiss the boo-boos when they happen, and we walk hand-in-hand with them until they learn to toddle on their own. 

If children bless us as they learn to walk, don’t you think our Heavenly Father is delighted as His children take their first steps of faith?  And–like any parent or grandparent–doesn’t He love it when we learn how to walk with Him?  David prayed:  “Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth” (Ps. 86:11a).  Jesus promised, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (Jn. 8:12).  John declared, “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (I John 1:7).

Learning to walk involves a process, whether we’re it’s physical or “spiritual” walking.  As a church it is critical for us to do everything we can to encourage and assist those who have not yet begun to “walk with God.”  With regard to that, here are some questions we should be asking ourselves. . .

• How do we help them learn to balance? 
• How do we cushion and comfort them when they fall? 
• How do we celebrate their “first steps”?

 But the questions continue beyond the first steps.  Once they’ve publicly declared that “Jesus is Lord” and once they’ve been baptized, what then?  Are we effectively helping them learn how to “walk worthily of the calling to which they’ve been called” (Eph. 4:1)?  And have we comprehended that this process never ends, that no matter how long any of us has been on the journey with Christ, there are still new steps to be taken, new vistas to be seen, and new depths of devotion to be explored?

 I pray that we will joyfully make whatever sacrifices are necessary in order to see more “spiritual toddlers” in our church.  And I pray that all of us will pray the old prayer:  “Just a closer walk with Thee, grant it, Jesus, is my plea.”

Pastor Norm

P.S.  Some of you have asked how you can know more about my personal journey.  There isn’t enough time for me to visit individually with each person at church, however, at least twice a month I write a new entry for my blog in which I share pictures and musings about what I’m reading and experiencing.  These are easy to access to the church’s website, http://fbcbeaverton.org  (just scroll to the lower righthand side of the page and click on “Latest from Pastor Norm”).  Or you can go directly to the blog @ http://normlangston.blogspot.com.