Last week, one of my heroes, Dr. Eugene Peterson, said some fairly harsh words about the megachurch. Those words hit me hard as I find myself the pastor of a megachurch. I never intended to build or pastor a megachurch, and it was certainly never my goal to be a megachurch. The whole concept of anything “mega” is usually not something to enjoy or value.

Dr. Peterson said, “megachurches are not churches.  I don’t think you can be a pastor with just a bunch of anonymous people out there. In the megachurch, well--there’s not relationship with anybody.”  Before I share my thoughts on this subject, allow me to walk in the shoes of this hero, this brilliant mind, that God has used to bring great clarity to millions of bible readers.  

Kim and I live just over a mile from Oklahoma Christian University.  We have several staff members who graduated from this fine university.  We are eager to provide internships to their ministry-minded students. We enjoy the friendship and leadership of many of their graduates who serve in various capacities within our church.  You may be surprised to know this university is affiliated with the Church of Christ.  

I’ve been part of a church all of my life.  

When you hear a phrase like that, you may expect the next sentence to begin describing the pain, heartache, and disappointment experienced within the walls of a church. That’s not the case with me. It is my privilege to look back on a lifetime of church with only good memories.

Last week, I mentioned that my friend Ann Smith shared with me a list of 87 questions starting with the words “what if.”  I borrowed the idea from Ann this past Sunday and asked a series of my own “what if” questions related to how we are to be both good citizens of our country and bold Christ followers.  

First, a few reminders.  As followers of Christ we have a dual citizenship.  We are citizens of the United States of America and also fully devoted citizens of the Jesus Kingdom way of life.  

Last Sunday, I talked about the Serenity Prayer.  Actually, the first sentence of the Serenity Prayer:

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

It is a very simple prayer at first glance.  But, a closer look at the key words of that first sentence quickly reveals the complexities of this prayer.  

My brother Joey and I were blessed to have a wonderful father.  He was a great pastor of two congregations during our childhood and another after we were grown and out of the house.  Dad always excelled; his congregations grew much larger than they were before he found them.  His influence in the community was widely known and valued. He was a true lover of people. The further someone was from God, the more attention they received from Dad.

One of his more memorable sermons was titled, “Put A Lamb On Your Shoulder.”  The message is based on Luke 15, the story of a shepherd who has 100 sheep and loses one.  The shepherd leaves the 99 and finds the one lost lamb, puts it on his shoulders, and carries it back to safety.