Bishop Matthew Thomas

Blessed Mess

Things were probably neat and tidy in the creation before the fall.  Since then, almost everything neat has two impacts upon us- orderly and boring.  Trust me; I'm a neat person and appreciate things being in the right place and in good order.  There is nothing wrong with orderly.  But, after years and years of living, I have found that the most memorable, impactful, shaping, faith-building and challenging experiences have had a measure of mess about them.  The reason they have shaped me is because they have had some chaos that needed to be somehow understood or lived through.  They involve awkward embarrassment that has put my pride into place, arriving at the wrong place only to find a fortuitous meeting with a long lost friend or uncontrollable and crowded meetings with too many people that have served as unforgettable illustrations of the impact of friends and friendship. 

We have children and grandchildren.  Every significant memory has something a little messy in them.  My most blessed times highlight God's control in the midst of my lack of control.  My greatest blessings have come when I'm cleaning up and thinking about the precious activities that produced the mess I am cleaning. 

I aim for neat and orderly and gladly accept the blessed mess. 

Be Thankful

Some treat thankfulness as a passive thing.  It is, however, truly active.  Consciously, we set our minds and hearts together to think of the ways in which we have been blessed, look at the bigger picture and set our minds on seeing the small and imperceptible blessings.  The end result is a thankful life- bubbling with reasons to be grateful.  Don't wait for something to hit you in the face.  Look for it.  Think deeply about it.  Think of how things could have gone.  Take a look at what you possess and how it came about.  Be thankful in an active way. 

Are You Perspicuous?

Perspicuity is when you can be clearly understood due to precise or accurate presentation.  It is not simply about clarity or understanding.  It contains the notion that what might be otherwise unclear becomes clear due distinctly to the accuracy of the ones argument or explanation.  Perspicuous people are people who have that innate or learned ability to make complicated things very simple.  They take complex truth and make them easy to understand.  I have had perspicuous language teachers- taking the hard-to-understand elements of linguistics and making them like a fun and easily decipherable word puzzle. 

I think we have often heard people who were the opposite of that.  They make complex truths even more complicated.  They are able to take something simple and make it muddy.  A friend of mine told me of his relative who said about a convoluted message from a long-winded preacher, “The only way that preacher could have said less would have been to talk more.”  That makes me smile.  I think I heard the same guy.  Perhaps from time to time, I’m that guy.  I hope not. 

However, I have heard people do that.  In fact, one time I heard a pastor preaching a message about the relationship between God’s grace and our faith.  The deeper he delved into the subject, the less grace and faith sounding his description became.  He was forging into deep theological jungle without a verbal machete.  His audience’s confusion became more and more obvious as the furrows in their brow became deeper.  It was so exhaustingly confusing that I was praying for him to quit while there was still some sense that grace and faith were good things.  I did not realize that my prayer that was intended to be a private one was verbalized (a problem I have from time to time- praying aloud when intending to be quiet).  I muttered, “Lord, help him land the plane now before it crashes.”  A weary woman in front of me said, “Yes, Lord!  Please!” 

The reason I mention this is that most people I know pray for wisdom and clarity in proclaiming the life giving message of salvation in Christ.  I think anyone who possesses the truth would like to share it meaningfully with others.  However, many of those people who pray for clarity spend very little time working at being clear, convincing, helpful and informative.  They just kick the mouth into gear, step on the gas, hope the brakes don’t give out and eventually arrive at a good destination.  Sometimes it works.  Sometimes it doesn’t.  Those folks often quote a Scripture that Jesus reserved for uniquely critical times of intense and unpredictable persecution (Luke 24:14-15), “Don’t worry in advance what you should say.  I will give you the right words and wisdom. . . .”  That should not be used by a teacher who didn’t take time to prepare the lesson plan.  It should not be the strategy of a paid counselor who gave no thought to the critical session of a frail counselee.  It should not be the rationale of one who is going to have coffee with a friend who is desperately looking for answers.  In those cases, Colossians 4:3-4 is more pertinent to our approach. 

So, work to become perspicuous.  Look for ways to clear things up in your own mind.  Then, figure out ways of making it understandable for others.  Listen to people who say important things in ways that make it easy to understand.  Take the time to practice your own explanations with others.  Then, let the Holy Spirit take your words and have his way.  Your words, of themselves, will never convict or convince.  That is ultimately the Holy Spirit’s job (John 14:26; 16:8-11).  However, work with Him rather than against Him.  Don’t make Him work overtime to patch up a job poorly done. 

A Tribute to Japan

I was in Asia two weeks ago when the tsunami hit.  Though I was in the region, I was in a place not immediately impacted by the disaster. 

I know several people in Japan.  After making or trying to make contact with several of them, I discovered that they were very measured in their response.  Their compassion for those affected was high.  Their eagerness to help was moving.  Their resolve to make it through was clear. 

What I didn't hear was panic or despair or assigning blame or any form of over-reaction or caustic criticism.  As a result, they had the ability to focus upon remedy, rebuilding and reaching people in a tangible way.  That is how to make something good out of something bad.  That is how to keep the eyes open enough to see potential out of the wreckage. 

I wish that people around the world could see how much hope comes from those who channel their love and will toward blessing, restoring and planning for good.  There would be no disaster big enough to rock our world if a God-sized faith and love was securely in place. 

Freedom Sunday

There is no greater tragedy than the trafficking of humans.  It is the consummate devaluation of human beings.  We are committed as a church to freeing captives, bringing perpetrators to justice and creating education, training and job opportunities for the captives in order to keep them from being repeat victims. 

On Freedom Sunday (March 13), Free Methodist Churches around the globe have been engaged in doing their part to raise awareness, raise funds for the cause and increase a serious plan for future action.  I want to thank those who worked hard to make the day a success and also to make future action an ongoing part of our vital ministry.  Thank-you very much for your participation. 

Eyes to See

There is much talk these days about loving neighbors and being missional communities and doing good to others.  I am not very much interested in the talk.  I am, however, very interested in the action.  I can’t think of anything more inspiring than to see someone truly caring about another.  Anytime anyone has deeply cared for me, I have been moved.  I guess that is why I am moved when I see one human caring deeply for another- helping them when they can’t or don’t know how to help themselves. 

Caring for another- truly loving our neighbor- begins and ends with love for sure.  What I mean is that we aren’t interested in loving people if we aren’t loving people in the first place.  And, we can’t follow through to the ruddy end unless we have the perseverance and passion that only love can sustain when things get discouraging, messy and impose upon our freedoms. 

But, there is something in the middle between being loving people and actually loving others.  I believe that there are a lot of loving people walking around who would very much like to deeply love someone who needs it desperately.  The middle part, however, is our ability to see the need.  There are many people who need to be loved.  But, they don’t wear it on their sleeves or tip their hat to that need.  They simply go about their day, suffering as Thoreau noted, “living lives of quiet desperation.”  They are so unnoticeable that only a trained and watching eye will see them.  I am confident that there are scores of loving people who miss opportunities to demonstrate their love to others. 

To that middle, I would like to note something that Jesus spoke about (Matthew 13:15-16) when he quoted Isaiah (6:10).  He spoke about people who possess functional eyes and ears.  But, for some unusual reason, they neither see nor hear.  They have working minds.  But, they cannot understand.  They have all of the functional parts to discern what is happening around them.  But, they are apparently so determined to get where they are going or set in their rigid ways or calloused by life’s struggles or dulled by their own selfishness that they cannot see, hear or understand clearly.  Now, of course, Jesus was speaking about hard hearted folks who couldn’t see the truth if it kicked them in the face and likely wouldn’t care or change if it did. 

But, if I may, I would suggest that there are also good natured, loving people who also struggle with seeing and hearing because they too can be overly concerned about where they are going, their own concerns for life, or romanced by the texting, tweeting, driving, reading, writing or thinking that they walk right past one of those folks very close to drowning in their own depression or hurt. 

I would hope that I would be the kind of person who is loving in the first and last place and also has the ability to see the hurts and hear the cries of others, giving me the ability to respond.  I was walking by the sea last week on a vigorous exercise walk in Tampa.  I like to pray during my walks.  The sun was setting and there were bikers and runners on the same path.  I walked past a woman who was sitting alone by the water’s edge about 20 feet from the path.  Without really thinking at all, I walked past.  It wasn’t until, on my return walk back to my car, that I thought, “I wonder if she is in some kind of trouble and has no one to talk to.”  So, I stopped and simply asked, “Is everything O.K.?”  She responded that it was.  She was only there to enjoy the sunset.  I asked her if I could pray a quick prayer for her.  She smiled and said, “Please.”  I did and then went on my way.  She had no particular need.  That was not the point.  The point was that I walked past someone without giving the slightest thought to their possible distress.  It was not a matter of the capacity to care or having functional eyes or being a sensitive person.  It was being oblivious to a possibility.  I simply want eyes to see and ears to hear; not only the truth that Jesus wants me to know, but the people he wants me to serve.  Just as I need to be a loving person, I need to be a discerning one. 

The Big Small Stuff

While in India for some time, working with church leadership, I was once again reminded that most of the significant work that goes on in this world, does not come from the efforts of the rich and influential, multi-talented or high profile leadership.  It comes from faithful folks who have a vision from God as to what their world could look like if they were obedient and simply did what God was calling them to do.  I saw small daycare operations servicing more than 50 children that run on a shoe string in borrowed facilities that are smaller than my bedroom.  I greeted street children, many of them homeless, who were given the otherwise impossible privilege of gaining a brief education and a simple meal, learning how to read, in a few hours per day as they were able to take a break from their street begging.  There were only 18 children in the room that day.  But, their smiles were equal to the smiles of more than 50 children from well-cared-for homes.  I witnessed a church that gives some and help to families of the aids tragedy that are otherwise discarded by families and society- prayer, fellowship, an occasional common meal and opportunities for simply jobs.  I prayed for many of them, for God's comfort, peace and joy.  I saw a tiny bookstore crammed mostly with used books from America and other places in the western world- the kind we take to Goodwill or put on a yardsale table for 5 cents.  But, the sales support vital ministry.

None of these efforts were significant on a scale that measures global impact.  None of them have a website where you can inspect their efforts.  None of them have donation channels through which we can easily channel funds to assist.  However, all of these efforts were signficant in the eyes of Jesus and the lives of those touched by the faithful initiators.  It is a shame when some people think that their efforts will amount to nothing, so they do nothing to live out an obedient life response.  I'm confident that the millions of efforts like these in the world bring the presence of Christ more impactfully in the lives of more people than all of the mega-ministries put together.  It is micro-faithfulness that makes a macro change. 

Commitment and Calling

I'm currently in India where I have been doing conferences and training for leadership.  I chatted with one of our extraordinary leaders who is instrumental in a dynamic and holistic ministry involving church planting, community agricultural development, leadership development, pastoral training, evangelism, building of education centers, etc.  I asked him how he came to Christ from Hinduism and how he was called to ministry.  He said that both were on the same day.  He said that a friend invited him to church where he heard the gospel of what Jesus Christ had done.  He tearfully received Christ into his life and wanted to know what to do.  When the offering was taken, everyone in the church went forward to put their rupees in the offering box, he had nothing.  He was very poor.  Instead, when everyone else had put their offering in, he simply walked to the front of the church and sat by the offering box and told the pastor, "I have no money.  But, I offer myself to serve Jesus Christ the rest of my life."  And, he has.  And God has blessed the world through him.  That was commitment and calling in one fell swoop. 

Responding to Jesus

It’s all in the Reply Jesus carried on countless dialogues. Some were with the arrogant elite. Some were with the desperate and hopeless. Some were with the apostles at their best and worst. Some were with kings and governors and leaders in general. Some were interestingly, with demons and even Satan himself. Some were contrastingly with the Father and a glorified Moses and Elijah. I can’t think of anyone in the world who has carried on a wider array of dialogues with a wider array of people than Jesus himself. All of Jesus’ exchanges are interesting. One that has often grabbed my attention is between Jesus and a Greek woman from Syria who had a troubled daughter (Mark 7:25-30). It is a brief encounter. Most of Jesus’ dialogues are. This one, however, has an unexpected and rare turn- actually two of them. For the sake of brevity, I will paraphrase it in summary form. The woman made a conventional request and Jesus responded with what seems to be an initial reluctance to meet the need. The first interesting turn occurs when the woman responded with a witty but what could be perceived as a cheeky reply, “Yes, but . . . .” People, particular among the common class, generally don’t talk back or argue with Jesus. However, the second turn occurs when Jesus surprisingly grants her request and is seemingly impressed with her reply that to most of us appears to be rather tart. Many who read this encounter are puzzled by the outcome. “Jesus must have been tired.” Or, “She must have convinced him in some way with new or more compelling information.” Or, “It was her love for her daughter and compelling emotion that moved Jesus to grant the request.” Any of these may have played a factor, though I suspect not a major role. The first is least likely. We do not have a situation where Jesus’ exhaustion dominates his compassion. He never gives the impression that he will hastily do anything for anyone simply to get them off his back, or because he is too tired to think through the implications of answering a request. The second is not very likely either. It is not as though anyone prior to or after this event successfully stumped Jesus. More brilliant minds (religious rulers, Pilate, Herod and even Satan) tried. The third is more likely since Jesus was often moved with compassion to do something- the paralytic, the leper, the adulterous woman and the widow from Nain who lost her son. However, this case is a little different. We get no hint from the text that Jesus was moved by compassion at all. In fact, his reply to her seems abbreviated at best and dismissive at worst. Mark is not shy about narrating Jesus compassion in other circumstances as the motivating influence in the healing. But, not here. In fact, it is something in the reply that prompts the healing. I would suggest a fourth option. It is not really the words of the reply, the heart of the respondent that catches Jesus attention. Of course, one could say “touché” to her continued use of Jesus own metaphor as turnabout to him. But, I don’t believe that Jesus was ever delightfully surprised by the wit of anyone. In fact, he could outwit the sharp wit. But, something stands out in the nature of her continuation of the metaphor. Jesus used the terms bread and dogs. She responded with “little dogs” (most likely pups) and “crumbs.” The metaphor is the same, but the approach demonstrates that she is not trying to go “toe to toe” with Jesus and somehow correct him or outsmart him. She is simply agreeing with him- not at all trying to reroute his priorities or question his generosity or turn his own logic on its head. She agrees with the metaphor. She simply pushes it to a hopeful conclusion for her and her daughter. There is something about referring to inconspicuous dogs and meaningless bread fragments that catches Jesus attention. The smaller dogs are unable to wrestle the bread from the stronger. The crumbs are unfit for a meal and require too much effort to stoop and pick them up. Her response was something of an agreement with Jesus accompanied by pleading for mercy. It is not too distant from blind Bartimaeus. I think there were likely scores of wounded and needy calling Jesus’ name outside of Jericho on that day. Bartimaeus, however, was pleading for mercy. Though he faithfully acknowledged Jesus’ stature as a son of David (Mark 10:46-50) who was qualified to grant a request, it is the cry for mercy that always seems to catch Jesus’ attention. In the Greek woman’s reply, there is clearly humility though the request seemed bold. She concedes Jesus’ priorities. There is an understanding that it is Jesus’ right to grant or deny the request. But, this unique mix of boldness and humility is powerful and attractive to God. Her tenacity is certain, as is her submission to Jesus. This is unfortunately a rare way of responding to Jesus. Many today seem to feel that they have a right to remind God of his promises and follow the reminder with a demand that he fulfill them. There is an uneasy air about prayers that turn the “confidence we have in approaching the throne” into pressuring or cajoling God into doing what he is supposed to do. There is a difference between being bold and being demanding. There is a difference between commanding God and pleading with him. There is a clear difference between coming to God, stating his promises, yet realizing that those promises are sometimes beyond our immediate ability to see how they are best shaped in our lives. Let me use other relationships to get my point across. Abusive husbands often demand and rarely plead with their wives. Tyrannical employers often demand and almost never appeal emotionally to their employees. Spoiled children are notorious for their demanding and inconsolable cries for whatever it is that they want. They never make heartfelt requests. On the flipside, loving husbands often plead with their spouse and rarely or never demand. Benevolent employers will often appeal to their employees and eschew the habit of forcefully demanding certain behaviors. Well mannered children often plead with their parents for favor and will never stomp as though they deserve it all. Miles separate the demand from the plea. There is deep passion in both responses. But, they are contrary passions. One is red-faced with frustration. The other is tear-soaked face with love, hope and reverence. When Jesus said to this woman, “Because of your word (reply), you can go home, for the demon has left your daughter,” it was because of the word and what that word said about the woman herself. Her word leaves us no doubt that she loved her daughter deeply. Her word gives us a clear impression of her boldness that will not easily let go. Her word also imprints upon our minds that she was not about to try to argue with Jesus, defy his logic, try to outsmart him, or try to shame him into changing his priorities. She was pleading for mercy. She was calling upon Jesus to do something that he had the ability to do and she was helpless to do without his voluntary willingness to do it. I pray that we will have the tenacity to ask, the passion to plead and the boldness to approach God with that kind of confidence. However, let us do it in a manner that bleeds of humility and willingness to receive whatever favorable reply we might receive from the Lord.

Something to Say

Fear is something that grips people every day and renders many immobile or limited in their activity.  In fact, if I were afraid of the conventional top ten in my present position as bishop, I would be in a world of hurt.  Among the top 10 phobias are fear of heights, crowds, public speaking, closed in spaces, being around sick people/or getting sick and being in places with no escape.  I spend much of my time over 35,000 feet in the air; speak to crowds regularly; find myself in subways, airplanes and tiny elevators; get often caught in suffocating traffic jams in some of the most crowded cities in the world; and, lay hands on sick people with any number of illnesses- contagious and non-contagious- as well as spend much time in countries notorious for waterborne and mosquito-carried illness.  Come to think of it, I do not fear any of that stuff.  I know that I must have a fear or two in life somewhere.  I can’t think of any at the moment, aside from my fear that I might sometime discover a latent fear. 

One fear that is conspicuous everywhere I go is the fear of public speaking.  It is not something limited to a single culture or unique to class, race, ethnicity or gender.  One site notes it is the 4^th most prevalent fear in the world- higher than it rates in attention-starved America.  In fact, I recently asked a wonderful, mature, Christian woman who speaks Mandarin fluently to translate for our Taiwan Superintendent at an upcoming event.  She gladly agreed, saying that she was thrilled to be able to serve in that way and enjoyed translating, using her mother tongue.  Then, I apparently dropped a hammer that I didn’t realize was a hammer.  I said, “he will be sharing a devotional with about 20 church leaders and spouses.”  She instantly declined, saying, “I can’t translate to a group of people.  I thought this was a casual, one-on-one request.”  It didn’t matter how much I tried to soften the blow.  She was not buying. 

Whether or not a person has a fear of public speaking, there is something that is at least awkward for millions more who may not even have the fear of public speaking.  It is the feeling of “having nothing to say.”  I talk to people all of the time about sharing their story.  A common reply is “I really don’t have anything to say.”  Or, “my story is not interesting.”  There are people who will chat your ear off in one-to-one conversation who chafe at going to a party or public gathering out of concern that they will have to chitchat, finding it somewhere between awkward and very uncomfortable, grasping for things to say. 

One of the best antidotes for having nothing to say is to have something to say.  Or better put, when we live in such a way that good things are in our hearts and minds- when our lives are full- much of that will spill out quite naturally.  The end result is diminished angst and awkwardness.  I find that vibrant prayer, reading, observing, helping others in need, deep and intentional thinking, active engagement in matters of importance and relational investment work well toward removing the “I have nothing to say” frustration.  This will help the person who feels that they have nothing to say.  It will also help the person who thinks they have much to say, but no one is interested in listening. 

Live a full life and just let the Spirit of God move you to share what you are learning and what you see and what others are experiencing.  You will find the awkwardness is greatly diminished and you will be the life of the dreaded party.