Can God Use Your "B" Game?

This morning marks the first official day in my new call setting in Camarillo, California.  In the nomenclature of the wonderful military culture that I just moved from in Colorado Springs, this is my first day in Camarillo of - "boots on the ground".  The game clock of the first minute of the first quarter of my ministry has just started.  The gates have opened on the horse race track.  The marathon runners have taken their marks and the starting gun has gone off.  And... I have a small confession to make.

I don't know if I am totally ready for all of this.  I don't really feel like I am exactly starting my first day in my best pastoral form.  I don't feel like I am starting on day one with full energy, full focus, full strength, full ability.  I wonder of I am like "California Chrome" who got kicked in the shins at the start of the Bellmont Classic horse race, and is about to come in fourth place (like this image above).  In short, I feel like I am starting the game here not with my "A" game, but with my "B" game.  Let me explain a bit further...

The past three months of our family's life has been a completely fatiguing experience.  Since we left Colorado Springs at the beginning of April, we have moved no less than 20 times (hotels, friends homes, family homes, retirement homes, even a monastery).  When joking about it, Star and have thought of calling this summer; "Our Gypsie Family Adventure of Fun."  In the midst of our moves we have put our house on the market, driven two cars across the country, moved most of our family possessions to Camarillo, enrolled our daughter Haley in several "Art Camps", Star has interviewed for several jobs, I have taken a Doctoral class at Fuller, and I have spoken in several churches.  And at the end of it all, I don't feel like I am running on "fresh legs" (to carry the sports metaphor further) on the first day of the race.      

To illustrate the point further, I was recently speaking at a Presbyterian pastor's retirement home in Pasadena.  I was offering a message on pastoral leadership.  To illustrate a particular point, I began to talk about Fidel Castro (for whatever reason), and I was explaining his relationship to several pastors in America.  Somewhere in the middle of the talk, my mind went blank.  I said, "Fidel Castro comes from the country of……" and my mind was blank.  Several unsettling and uncomfortable seconds passed.  "Fidel Castro comes from the country of…"  "Fidel Castro comes from the country of…."  Finally, a 94 year old woman in the front row raised her hand and said, "CUBA, Fidel comes from Cuba!"  "Yes, I said, thank you, Cuba."  Now, when a 94 year old woman finishes your sentence in the middle of a talk in a retirement home, you have to come to terms with a basic fact; You may not be playing your "A" game.

And so my question for the morning is…

Can God Use My "B" Game?

Can God Use Your "B" Game?

Does God need us to be functioning at 100% of our ability level in order to use me/us effectively in ministry?  Can God take what we have, what we are able to offer, at any given moment in our lives, and make something good, something beautiful, something useful, something transformative out of it.

Can God Use Your "B" Game?

This is a very important question for all humans, since none of us is perfect.  None of us can really be fully "all there" at any given moment.  We must come to terms with the fact that we won't always be able to play our "A" game.  I recently spoke with a retired pastor who told me, "Graham, I don't preach any more because I am just not as sharp as I used to be, and I'd rather not preach at all, than to preach less than perfectly."  A triathlete I know told me, "When I was just ten years younger, I was able to run much faster, I'm thinking of quitting races."  A friend I know has recently been through a major stroke.  He said to me, "It sometimes takes me hours to come up with thoughts that I was able to cultivate in minutes.  Sometimes I feel like quitting."  And so, I ask the question again;

Can God Use Your "B" Game?

One of my favorite texts in the Bible is the letter that Paul writes to the church in Corinth.  In the midst of Paul's ministry, he must have been dealing with similar struggles to the ones I have described above. Paul must have felt that he was playing with his "B" game.  Maybe he wasn't as able to access memorized Biblical texts as in the days of his youth.  Maybe it was his "thorn in his side".  Maybe he was just completely exhausted from his many years of ministry (being beaten, stoned, jailed, put in military stockades, having multiple ship-wrecks).

Into this miasma of deficiency, Paul wrote; "To keep from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly good revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.  Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  But he said to me, My Grace Is Sufficient For You, For my Power is Made Perfect in Weakness.  Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." (1 Cor. 12:7-10).

What God is saying through Paul, I believe, is that God CAN USE OUR "B" GAME.  More than this, God prefers it when we recognize our humanness, our shortcomings, our failings, our inabilities, our "B" game.  God loves it when we recognize these "weaknesses" and we give them to God.  It is only when we do this, then that God can fully use us.  God makes our "B" game into an "A" game by the power of the cross.

So, to answer the question for the morning….

Can God Use Our "B" Game?

YES!  And it would seem, that He prefers our "B" game.

So, stay tuned for my blogpost next week which will be written about President Barak Obama who is the President of….the President of…the President of…

Oh, it will come to me:-)

All For Now,
GB

The Impact of Focus

This coming Thursday (June 26, 2014), I will be in Colorado Springs to speak at Focus on the Family's weekly staff chapel gathering.  Anyone and everybody is welcome to attend.  Chapel is from 1:30-2:30.    I will speak for about 20 minutes in the middle of that worship experience.

One of the real highlights of my ministry in Colorado Springs was connecting with and learning about the depth and the breadth of the impact of Focus on the Family.  I have always been struck by is the varying opinions that people have of Focus on the Family, throughout the country.  When I ask random people about their impressions of Focus they often will say something like, "Oh that's the group that did family development videos in the 1990's".  Or, "Oh, aren't they the religious group that gets involved in political issues?"  Or, "They are the conservative Christian organization that are against anyone having any fun." Or, "Oh they are the group that advocate spanking children."  As I said, the opinions are varied and diverse.

While in Colorado Springs, I had the privilege of meeting Focus on the Family's founder James Dobson.  While James (or "Jim" as he likes to be called by his friends) is no longer officially connected to Focus on the Family, his name will always have some association with the organization he founded.  In my experiences, Jim can best be described as a gentleman.  Contrary to the image that many have of Jim outside of CS, as being "hard-nosed" and "aggressive" - he really is quite, "gentle".  When I asked Jim his best advice about ministry, and how he does interviews for talk shows (like Hannity or Huckabee), he said; "I always prepare every word that I am going to say, and I prepare much more information than I need.  If I am interviewed for 5 minutes, I prepare one hour of interview material.  And I always have a 'zinger' for them.  Interviewers are always looking for a 'zinger' in every interview."

I also had the privilege of becoming a personal friend to Focus on the Family's new president Jim Daly.  One of my favorite qualities of Jim Daly is that he is deeply rooted in his own convictions about life and God and the role of the church, and at the same time he is entirely engaging with the world around him.  Unlike many Christian conservatives, Jim bends over backward to engage people that he has fundamental disagreements with.  Jim frequently tells me that he called this "progressive leader" or that "liberal leaning politician" on the phone and then just listens.  Jim told me, "I am just amazed at how many people there are in the world that totally reject God or totally reject the church, but that is only because the church had rejected them a long, long time before."

Jim told me about one man who is in a life-long same sex relationship with his partner.  Jim asked this man, "When did you feel the most hurt or injured by the church?"  The man thought for a moment and then said; "that's an easy one."  "When I was just 12, I decided that I was gay.  I told my father, knowing that my father would not be happy about it.  My father told me that I needed to come before the church elder board and confess.  I agreed to do so.  My father was on the church elder board at the time.  After hearing about my own personal sexual identity story, my father said, 'On behalf of the church elder board, we are kicking you out of the church.  You are no longer welcome here.  Please never come back.  You are banned from this church.'  After that traumatizing experience I realized that I would never again have anything to do with any Christian church."  Jim told me how he just listened to the man and said, "I am so sorry that that happened to you.  That is not ok.  That is not what Christ would do.  I ask your forgiveness."  The man said to Jim, "You are the only person who has ever said that to me before.  Thank you."  Jim Daly acts as a kind of soft-hearted, loving, ombudsman and bridge-builder between people of the faith and people who have been hurt by the church.

This Thursday, I will be speaking on the two year anniversary of the Waldo Canyon Fire disaster in Colorado Springs.  Two years ago, to the day this Thursday, fires swept through Colorado Springs and consumed and destroyed over 300 homes.   The title of my message will be, "How God Provides After The Storms Have Passed."

Please pray for me as I give this important talk.  And pray for Focus on the Family

All For Now,
GB

Infinity + 1

Just the other day my daughter Haley turned six.  About a day before her sixth birthday party she asked me a profound question.  "Daddy…what's the biggest number in world?"  Did I mention that Haley got a top grade in math this year?  Being more of a theologian than a math student I did my best to answer.  I said, "Well, honey, there are a lot of big numbers.  There is one million, that's big.  There is one billion, that's bigger.  And there is one trillion, that's really the biggest number."  I thought to myself that one trillion might be the biggest number she was able to conceive of as a 6 year old.  Then she asked, "But daddy, how can those numbers be the biggest?  Why can't you just add 1 to that number and it will be bigger."  "That's true," I said.  Felling that I needed to assert my supremacy in numbers as someone who is 36 years old than Haley, and who is now working on my fourth degree, I said, "Actually, infinity is probably the largest number out there.  There is nothing larger than infinity."  To this, Haley had a stunning riposte; "Well what about….

Infinity + 1

I was stumped.  Stumped at the age of 42 by a 6 year old.  And the question has boggled my mind ever since.  Would it be possible for there to be an Infinity + 1?  Infinity is a number that goes on indefinitely, it is perpetual, it never ends, it goes on for…infinity (ad infinitum).  But what is Infinity + 1?  Naturally my mind goes to theological more theological angles than mathematical ones.

Infinity + 1

As I have contemplated this question for the last week or so, Infinity + 1, might be the best definition of heaven I have heard in a long time.  Let's try to break it down a little more:

Time:
We have a pretty good idea from almost everything the Bible writes, that time in and of itself means nothing to God.  God is the God of CHRONOS (the Greek word for time in general) and CHAIROS (the Greek word for "moment").  God owns time.  Time is an inconsequential medium for our creator.  King David said; "For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night" (Psalm 90:4).  One thousand years equals one day.  One million years equals two days.  One billion years equals three days.  The apostle Paul also talks about God's eternal nature.  In Romans Paul says, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made so that men are without excuse."  God has bought all the universe's real-estate in the market of time.

(By the way, this is why it is sometimes the best policy to wait for some time after a particularly difficult life situation, or someone says something mean to us, or we face a challenge.  Since God owns time, and God is with us…time is on our side.  God gives us time to think and pray and respond in…due time.  The Bible says we are all allotted "three-score and ten" years - 70), time is our best ally in processing hard things.)

Eternal Life:
One of the hallmark tenants of our faith is that those who believe in Jesus Christ are promised eternal life.  Of course, eternal life means a whole lot more than just infinity.  A better translation of eternal life is; "full life, overflowing life, life in plentitude, whole life, complete life".  However, God also offers us a the key to infinity.  God offers us a number of years to live, that never ends.  God offers those who believe in Him life without end.  John Zebedee puts it best in 1 John 5:11, "And this is the testimony; God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son does not have life."  Being a Christ follower means that our souls have eternal access to infinity.

And yet, infinity, in and of itself, is quite a scary idea when it boils down to it.  I will never forget when I was about Haley's age (like daughter, like father), and I was visiting my Scottish grandparents in Edinburgh.  I was trimming the hedge out front one morning, and the thought occurred to me that since I was a Christ follower, that I would live forever.  The thought terrified me!  Forever was too long.  Forever lasts…forever.  "Daddy," I said, "I don't want to live forever, it never ends, I will never rest, it will go on for infinity…."  My Dad assured me of one very important thing.  "Heaven, eternity, is not like this life.  God will be with you, you will be with God.  I will be with you.  We will all be with one another with God, in a very different form."

And that, my friends, is my best current definition of heaven

Heaven = Infinity + 1

Heaven = Infinity + God

We live forever with God.    

Way to go Haley!

That's all the TIME I have for this week's blog post…

All For Now,
GB

mission street church

www.missionstreetchurch.com

"Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?" (Is. 43:19)

After months of prayer, discernment, reflection, contemplation, deliberation, Bible study, long chats deep into the night with friends, fellowship with family, laying awake at night and listening for the Spirit's voice, and definitely feeling the solid nudge of God, Star and I have a very exciting announcement to make.  Starting on July 1, 2014, we will be beginning the process of building a brand new church in Camarillo, California called "Mission Street Church".  We really believe that this New Church Development is a work of God's leading, and we pray that it will always be full of the power of the Holy Spirit.  Here are a few specific details:

Where is Camarillo?

Camarillo is about 1 hour's drive north of downtown Los Angeles, and 20 minutes from the Pacific Coast.  Camarillo is not far from Thousand Oaks where the famed "Calvary Chapel" is located, and Simi Valley where "Crossroads" (Francis Chan's former church) is located.  There are around 80,000 residents in Camarillo and at least 200,000 residents within a 10 minute radius of Camarillo.  The area is largely "de-churched" with approximately 5% of the population who attend any church.  The Camarillo region is basically unchurched.

What Denomination Will the Church Be?

"Mission Street" will be a member church of The Fellowship of Presbyterians, and a part of the Presbyterian Church (USA).  The church will be a plant of the Santa Barbara Presbytery (a Presbytery which I was previously a part of).  Star and I will continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in the ECO denomination and the EPC denomination.  We recognize that there are continuing struggles and challenges associated with being a member of the PC (USA).  And yet, we feel called to hold onto core qualities of good within the PC (USA), and to work toward a ministry of hope and good news.  We know that the Holy Spirit will continue to use all three denominations, when they are filled with humility and Christ's sacrifice, for good to the glory of God.  We also feel strongly that the next epoch in Christian development in America will be largely post-denominational.  This means that denomination, whichever one we are a part of, will become less and less important.

Why "Mission Street" As a Name?

The central most artery of California, and the place of the most historic road is the "El Camino Real" (The King's Highway).  In the 1600's this road (today known as Freeway 101) was dotted with Mission Church after Mission Church.  The "El Camino Royale" was even sometimes referred to, back in the day, as "The Mission Road".  Mission Street will attempt to be a completely mission focussed church.  In fact, more than that, Mission Street will be a mission itself.  

What Will the Mission of "Mission Street" Be? 

Our primary mission and focus will be to help, "dechurched people become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ."  We realize that because the United States is very much now in a post-Christian period, this will require extra amounts of creativity, prayer, humility, and lots of hard work.  More and more people look for truth and meaning outside of church, doctrine and the Bible.  I believe in the future that effective churches will be extremely careful about being perceived as judgmental, and will attempt to "meet people where they are".  Healthy churches will strive to lovingly live out the gospel and individuals who attend them will "taste and see that the Lord is good."  

What Are We in Need Of?

We are in strong need two very important things.  First, we need your prayer.  No movement of God, and certainly no church, can be brought into being without consistent and persevering prayer.  Specific things we need prayer for are a worship space, an office space, a worship leader, an executive director, and a children's ministries director.  Please pray for us!

Secondly, we are in need of additional financial support.  Starting new churches is not an inexpensive endeavor.  In almost every one of Paul's epistles he talks about the need to raise money for the churches that he began.  Mission Street Church is no different.  If you, who have been faithful blog-readers of mine for many years now, feel called to help with the finances of Mission Street (even a very small amount can help), please send checks to The Presbytery of Santa Barbara (6067 Shirrell Way, Goleta, CA. 93117).  Simply earmark the money for "Mission Street Church".

This new church will obviously be a herculean undertaking for the entire Baird family.  Please continue to lift up our two daughters (Haley and Sheena) and Star and I in pray and support.

Look forward to future blogs with more info and details.

And now, we begin…"a new thing!"

All For Now,
GB

The Right Stuff

My faithful weekly blogpost readers may notice that I am writing this week's post on Saturday rather than Monday.  The reason for this is because tomorrow morning, Star and I and our two daughters will be traveling to our new place of residence and the location of our new pastoral call.  Watch for more details on this in next week's blogpost….

For some reason, over the past year or so I have had many pastors, church leaders, seminarians and even business leaders ask me what the key ingredients in the makeup of a New Church Development Pastor are.  More simply put, people have asked me; "How do you know if you have…

The Right Stuff

to start a new church?"  Interestingly, the assessment process for determining the proper makeup and personality for a New Church Development Pastor has become quite formalized in recent years.  Christianity Today recently had a major article on the key ingredients necessary in the personality makeup of a New Church Development Pastor.  My friend Tod Bolsinger recently wrote a Facebook entry on the topic.  Numerous denominations have intricate procedures, exam processes, psychological intake tools and specially designated agencies to determine if a person is right to start a new church.  I know of one friend who was sure she wanted to be a New Church Development Pastor.  She underwent a very intense five-week training and exam course on the topic.  After the class was over, the "assessors" told her she was "unsuitable" for being a New Church Development Pastor.  Crestfallen, my friend found another pastoral calling.

(As a side note: I have always found it amusing that many of the so-called "professional assessors" for the proper makeup of New Church Development Pastor have never actually started a new church or ever been apart of a New Church Development themselves.  As one of my favorite cinema characters, Sean Connery in the movie "Finding Forester" once said; "Be careful of teachers of writing, they are sometimes the victims of never having made it as writers.")

In my humble opinion and experience of having started two new churches, and as a person who sits on the precipice of contemplating the start of a third new church (gulp…again, more about this in next week's blogpost), I have found that it basically boils down to 5 important factors:

1.  An Unquenchable Optimism
In his book, "Learned Optimism" writer Martin Seligman observed that all people have one of two words written on their hearts.  They either have the word "No" or the word "Yes".  Optimists have the word "Yes" written on their hearts.  Every single day in a New Church there is reason to become discouraged about something.  In fact, on a given morning, while worshipping in a movie theater, there are usually 50 reasons to become discouraged.  New Church Development Pastors always need to be able to look squarely in the eye of a problem and say, "Yes, we will get through this", "Yes we will prevail", "Yes we can!"

2.  A Deep Heart For People Outside the Church
I have often said that I sometimes enjoy hanging out with non-Christ followers more than I enjoy hanging out with Christ followers.  This is not to say that I do not have many incredible Christ following friends.  But I just love hanging around people with "rough edges".  A New Church Developer needs to have a heart that literally aches for those who don't know Christ, for people who have "rough edges".  I have found that this intrinsic personality make-up of loving outsiders cannot be manufactured.  You either have it or you don't.

3.  An Entrepreneurial Spirit
Entrepreneurs are basically problem solvers.  They love to look at a problem and come up with a technical solution.  I could spend hours listening to inventors like Dyson, the vacuum cleaner engineer who put his name on his new vacuum invention - The Dyson.  I love how entrepreneurs think.  A New Church Developer is basically a problem-solver.  The first problem to be faced is; "How do we get those people out there, to come into this church in here."  The answer to that question requires "out of the box thinking" - entrepreneurialism.

4.  The Ability To Raise Money
I will never forget the Presbytery meeting I attended a few years ago where a pastor stood up and said, "Why are we spending all of this money on New Churches?  Why don't we just do it the Biblical way, and trust the Holy Spirit to grow churches?"  My speech-givng friend was clearly not familiar with the apostle Paul and his ministry.  Paul was basically a good preacher, a strong leader, a wise pastoral sage, and perhaps most of all…a cracker-jack fundraiser.  In almost every one of Paul's letters he begins by thanking a certain church for their contributions and offerings.  Here's just one example; "When I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you." (Philippians 4:15).  New Churches Cost Money.  That's just the way it is.

5.  The Desire to Work Hard
New Church Development is the hardest work I have ever undertaken.  It is literally exhausting work.  Every morning at Highlands, my brother Jamie and I would wake up at 4:00AM to haul the trailer down to the movie theater.  There we would set up.  Then we would lead music, preach, meet people, and teach.  Then we would tear down the equipment and head home.  And that was just on Sundays.  Again, every time I read an epistle from the Bible, I have newfound respect for the apostle Paul who started many many new churches.  Paul must have been quite an athlete!  Starting New Churches is hard work!

So, that's basically it.  If God has called you to start and new church, and you feel you have these five aforementioned gifts, don't allow any professional church "assessor" tell you otherwise.  As a New Church Development Pastor, you just might have…

The Right Stuff!

All For Now,
GB

2 G's for Tough D's

Not too long ago, I had a conversation with a young wife, and mother, who lost her husband, and the father of her children at a tragically young age.  This young wife's husband died way too soon to causes that mystified the imagination and that boggled all rational thought.  Incredibly, only a year after her husband's death, I found this young wife and mom to be remarkably up-beat and to be dealing with her personal crisis in the most compelling way.  I asked this young widow what her secret was.  She said this.  "Every day that is really tough, I try to make a concerted effort to experience to things":

Gratitude and Generosity

When I asked my friend to be more specific, she said; "Every day that you live, there is something you can be grateful for.  Even the worst days have things you can be thankful for.  Every day has a sunset, a sunrise, a beautiful mountain, a gorgeous ocean, a person who comes into your life at exactly the right moment, a meal that is simply delicious, a card that arrives in the mail at precisely the right juncture.  Gratitude!  And every day you can find some way in which to be generous.  Every day you have the ability and the chance to give something away, to be kind to someone who doesn't deserve it, to help out another person who is hurting, to offer support to someone who is in crisis, to offer a few dollars to an individual by the side of the road.  Gratitude and Generosity.  It's what has gotten me through the toughest days of the loss of my husband."

I have thought long and hard about my friend's recipe for coping with difficult situations.  2 G's (gratitude and generosity) for tough D's (days).  Could it really be as easy as that?  Is it possible that all of us, no matter what our difficulties are, can get through them with...

Gratitude and Generosity?

For the past three months or so, my family and I have been in a bit of a transition of our own.  I would never compare our challenges to the tragedy of losing a soul mate or a life partner.  However, we have been transitioning from our lives in Colorado Springs to our new life in California.  This transition has involved selling a house in Colorado Springs, my wife searching for new work in California, moving my daughter who is in kindergarten to a new school in California, saying goodbye to old friends, packing up boxes, and the list goes on.  Early on in my transition, I remembered the advice of the young mother who spoke to me many months before.  Remember…

Gratitude and Generosity.

I must say that I have found this advice to be invaluable.  Early on in our move from Colorado Springs, Star and I made a concerted effort to try to be - Grateful.  It wasn't hard.  We have so much to be grateful for.  Some days it was small things; a gorgeous mountain-scape, a fresh snow-pack at a ski-resort, a helpful real-estate agent, a delicious meal, a precious moment with our daughters.  Each time that I felt grateful I simply let out a quiet phrase under my breath, "Thank you God, Thank you!"  And then, we have tried to be - Generous.  We gave money away.  We gave away an old spinet piano we had had for years.  We gave away a couple of end tables.  We gave lots of baby clothes away.  We gave dining room tables away.  I have given away my favorite books.  We gave away a painting or two.  We gave all our garden tools away.   Actually, now that I think of it, we have given half of our life possessions away, in this transition.  We feel wonderful!

Gratitude and Generosity.

It really works.  I have actually come up with a helpful pneumonic for this little life axiom.  I say, "2 G's for Tough D's".  Two G's (Gratitude and Generosity) when you are having tough D's (days).  King David said, "I will praise the name of God with song, and I shall magnify Him with thanksgiving (gratitude)" (Psalm 69:30).  QOHELET, the mysterious "caller" and writer of Proverbs said, "Whoever is generous to the poor, lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed" (generosity) (Proverbs 19:17).

Try it the next time you are having a tough day…

2 G's For Tough D's!

All For Now,
GB

 

One Of The President's Men

This past week marked the death of one of the most interesting figures to intersect both the political and the theological arenas in the history of the United States.  He was a man of soaring intellectual giftedness (earning degrees from Williams College, and the University of Chicago), while at the same time seeming at times to lack the most basic modicum of common sense.  He was an individual of deeply rooted spiritual depth, while also having the capability for extreme graft and corruption.  He was a person who rose to the heights of political power in this country, and who would also sink to the deepest depths lostness.  He would be incarcerated in a federal prison, and will always occupy a place in the footnote of the worst moments in our country's history.  And yet, today as I write about him, he is with God forever in heaven.  He was the;

Rev. Jeb Magruder

In March of the year 1972 (two months before I was born), Jeb was working as a White House communications advisor and deputy director for President Richard Nixon's re-election campaign.  Depending on which account you believe (there were three different accounts that Jeb himself offered during his own lifetime), Jeb was either asked indirectly by one of Nixon's other campaign aides (G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt), or directly by Nixon himself to burglarize the Democratic offices located in the Watergate apartment complex in Washington, DC.  He was then asked to furtively bug the phone of Lawrence F. O' Brien, the Democratic party chairman.  According to last week's obituary in the New York Times; "In later testimony, Mr. Magruder denied giving the burglars any assignment concerning the Democratic headquarters.  When that was shown to be a lie, he was convicted of perjury and given a 10-month to four year prison term.  Hugh Sloan Jr. later testified in federal court that Mr. Magruder had told I'm to disburse $199,000 to Mr. Liddy for 'intelligence gathering'".  Magruder's roll in Watergate hotel break-in would eventually lead to President Nixon's resignation, the first ever of it's ilk in the history of the American Republic.  Jeb was responsible for one of our country's most nefarious moments.

It is what Jeb did after he left prison in 1975 that is so interesting.  Jeb went to seminary and became a Presbyterian minister.  He served as a pastor in San Mateo, California (not far from where my family have served as ministers for four generations), in Columbus, Ohio, and in Lexington, Kentucky.  When I asked my father, who is an ordained Presbyterian minister in Sacramento, what he remembered about Jeb's ministry, he said; "Jeb was just a good pastor.  He wasn't a razzle dazzle 'stem-winder' of a preacher, or a particularly memorable leader, but a just a good churchman, a good person, a man committed to his calling."  Jeb would later go on to serve on ethics boards and panels of pastors who considered deeply the influence of corruption in religion and politics.

The intersection between politics and religion is of course not a new thing.  For years politicians have become pastors (Mike Huckabee is probably the most popular recent example).  And for years pastors have have entered the political arena (John Danforth, Al Sharpton, and Jesse Jackson are some popular examples).  This is nothing new.  And corruption is nothing new.  One finds both large and small examples of corruption and dishonesty - all the way from "K street" in Washington to, sadly, the elder board rooms of many, many churches in America.  As the apostle Paul said in the book of Romans, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

What is deeply interesting to me about the life-story of Jeb Magruder, 41 years after the fact, are two aspects: (1) the means by which Jeb engaged in evil in the Watergate scandal, and (2) the way in which he became "saved" from that evil activity.  Jeb's exact roll in the Watergate cove-up was the disbursement of money.  Jeb is accused of the oversight of $199,000 to be dispersed to the burglars.  It was the apostle Paul again who said, "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil" (1 Timothy 6:10).  Money and power and control are always at the heart of the worst evils to befall humankind.  It was the desire for control that caused Adam and Eve to stray from God's perfect life for them in the garden, and it was the love of money that propelled Jesus' death on the cross (Judas' handful of silver coins).

Years later, Jeb would write a book about his roll in the Watergate scandal entitled, "An American Life:  One Man's Road to Watergate".  In it he would admit to the sins of his early political life.  In Christian terms we would say that he "repented".  Here's how the repentance came about.  A small group of Christians, called the Yokefellows just cared-for and loved Jeb.  Jeb wrote that; "The Yokefellows, unlike most people, accepted the prisoner as brother, in fact a wounded brother in need of special care.  None of them made any speeches or wore any labels, but each time they came, their presence was telling me that I was a person, someone worthy of Christ's love and forgiveness.  They didn't have to tell anyone they were Christians; in the simple giving of their love and care, they said it all."

Through repentance, and forgiveness in Christ, Jeb was saved, and now, as we speak, lives eternally with God.  This same means of salvation is a free gift for all people, no matter what they have done in their lives.

This is good news for all of us!

All For Now,
GB