Seasoned Believers

Campus Ministries

2011-11-11T09:02:00.003-05:00

Since I was converted and started being deeply involved in ministry several great things have happened to advance the cause of Christ. Many of these advances arrived as a direct result of campus ministries in high schools and colleges.

I am amazed at how we take these active ministries for granted today but they are relatively young in terms of the history of Christianity.

If you came to Christ or were strongly influenced by Campus Crusade, IV, Young Life, etc write a comment and tell your story.

New Blog

2011-08-29T22:19:00.001-04:00

Go to this link to see my new blog.

Is the Church or Business Better?

2011-05-14T17:10:00.005-04:00

As Seasoned Believers, many of us are pretty hard on the American churches. After living the Christian life for decades we think we understand what the world needs now and it is desperately needing love, sweet love. But how can we teach people to love?

We don't see as much compassion, understanding, mercy or grace as we think the Bible call us to show. We read that the way we can judge a Believer's faith is by their fruit of the Holy Spirit. We are certainly pretty upset with the lack of relational skills most churches teach their people when the last think Jesus said before rising into heaven was, "Go teach people to DO everything that I did".

But, I am feeling better because many companies large and small are doing even worse than the church. It is probably a fleshly thing to be prideful, but, so what. It may be good to pat ourselves on the back occasionally when we are really outdoing the secularists who run America.

An article in the Wall Street Journal suggests that companies are by and large just catching on to the fact that they must train their people to get along. Sure, many companies have talked a lot about customer service and places like Nordstrom's has been given awards because they take clothes back from disgruntled customers, but all in all the workplace resembles The Office on TV rather than following Jesus.

I have trained several thousands of Pastors, Lay Leaders and The Laity all about how to get along better at home and work. Listening without rudely interrupting another person is, for example, widely accepted and the most crucial skill one can learn and develop in management, sales, leadership and customer service. Yet, listening is rarely if ever taught in any college or business school. Even many Counseling Programs fail to teach their students how to listen.

In 1975 I did a Doctoral Dissertation on the Core Skills of Healthy Relationships. Since then we have trained numerous people how to listen and I have written several books on interpersonal skills.

Do you want to be a better husband?
Do you want to be a better wife?
Do you want to be a better parent?
Do you want to be a better child?
Do you want to be a better manager?
Do you want to be a better Sales person?
Do you want to be a better leader?
Do you want to be a better Pastor?
Do you want to be a better _________?

Learn to Listen

The Big Shift

2011-05-13T21:46:00.004-04:00

Malcolm Muggeridge in Ministry at Age Eighty

I have lots of friends who are "legally" and "officially" retired but who are busier than ever. Several years ago our ministry saw what was happening with people who in the past had busied themselves with little more than golf and drinking but now ere energetically involved in numerous worthwhile activities. We said we wanted to recruit, network and facilitate these "Seasoned Believers or Seasoned Citizens" into a lifetime of service for God, families and country.

As I began to look into what is happening demographically and spiritually with many Seniors, it became apparent to me that I was not the first to see a huge shift was occurring right before my eyes. In fact, I was in the center of the shift and nobody even asked if it was OK to be involved.

One of the men who was prescient about the deeper meaning of the age changes was Marc Freedman. Although much younger than most of the people he is focusing upon, Marc began to read articles about the different kinds of people and different implications of Age Waves that were impacting every part of our culture. Marc is the founder and entrepreneurial energy behind several organizations and annual celebrations and prizes for what we used to call, "The Gohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giflden Age".

Marc is best known for founding an organization called Civic Ventures. It is designed to help people over fifty find meaningful ways to contribute to themselves and others. Civic Ventures is having a terrifically positive impact on the way we seniors think and act. His book is The Big Shift It documents with stats, historical information and personal stories how the new ideas are radically changing the face of America and many other nations.

Look around you and see how many people who fifty years ago, would have been considered old, decrepit, useless and over the hill but who are energetically going about their business. I contend that we are living in an era of people who have the greatest aggregate amount of knowledge, talent, skills and wisdom in history. And, with 75 million Baby Boomers graduating into "retirement" over the next few years the abundance of potential will reach heights unimagined by anyone in history.

Mr. Freedman talks a great deal about how these people can be unleashed to give the nation and the world the benefit of their abilities. And, as he notes, at this age, giving is much more important to many people. Think not only of the transfer of wealth but also the transfer of wisdom, skills, gifts, spiritual insights and depth of experience. WOW!!!

What churches, community organizations or government agencies are recruiting these people? Doe you know of any that welcome and mobilize Seasoned Citizens? Let me know who they are and I will list them.

Families Care for a Person with a Disability

2010-10-08T15:56:00.005-04:00

If you have been watching, listening and paying attention to what is happening in the world of medicine, health care, education, counseling and modern stress you probably already know what I am about to say. The Western World of Europe and the USA are in the midst of an epidemic. It is not an epidemic like the Black Plague that killed off some 1/3 of Europe or the Spanish Flu Epidemic that killed as many as 20 to 30 million mostly young men and women. No, the casualties are still living and the health care, interpersonal and family life costs are astronomical.

The current epidemic has to do with such things as Autism, Asthma, Anxiety, Depression, Learning Disabilities, Sensory Confusion, and so forth. It is estimated that Autism affected one in one thousand people at the turn of the 20 the century and now touches one in 100 children. This is an astronomical increase and so are so many other problems and sensitivities that children face, and none has a good diagnosis or treatment.

What can we who follow "The Great Physician" do to help these people? We could ignore the problems and when the families facing these overwhelming problems stop attending our church move on to other potential members. In the research we recently completed as a result of a grant from The Hatton Foundation found, parents who have a child with special needs experience two things when it comes to spiritual support.

1. Their desire for spiritual support, insights and action go way up! These folks desperately want and need Christians to come to their assistance. They want prayer, teaching on how to pray for their child, someone to listen to them, practical help and so much more.

2. The availability of spiritual support falls dramatically. In fact, several of our parents indicated that they had not received a single Pastoral call since the birth of a child with special needs. Many churches may pretend to be interested in outreach, missions, justice and the other fad buzz words but almost none do anything to help their own members who are in a crisis. Why reach out to people who are not interested and neglect those desperately wanting your fellowship?

If you want to understand what parents and their children want and need, go to the web for Sweeten Life and read about our upcoming Fall Family Gathering. Your life can be enriched by getting involved.

Good News

2010-10-07T22:29:00.001-04:00

I am posting some great articles about positive testimonies on my new blog, Spiritual Healing and Growth. Take a look.

We Need Your Help

2010-08-22T20:31:00.002-04:00

With your help, Sweeten Life Systems can win $25,000.00 plus other great prizes. We need your help to win. We have kicked off a new aspect of our ministry that falls squarely within our mission of "Building a lifetime of great relationships"(R)

We received a generous grant to do an in depth research study on the concerns, stresses, insights and conflicts of families with Special Needs kids. The research interviews are completed as is our grant so we need more money to carry out the Action Steps.

We have entered a great contest sponsored by Cincinnati Innovates. One of the ways they judge an entry is by "Fan Voting". Will you be our fan? You can go to their web and vote daily for us. So, please log in and vote for our entry tight now as well as tomorrow and Tuesday, and Wednesday, etc.

After you log into Cincinnati Innovates, look for Special Life Skills and read all about our project. Then, vote YES for Sweeten Life-Special Life Skills!

The Tea Party and The Fourth Great Awakening

2010-05-31T22:07:00.003-04:00

I have mentioned several times on this blog that Nobel Prize winner Robert Fogel predicted in 1993 that the USA was going to experience an Awakening soon. Is it here now> Was he correct in his predictions and we are seeing The Fourth Great Awakening arise now? Is it seen partially, at least, in the Tea Party?

I think he was right and we are seeing an Awakening in American society. Remember, an Awakening does NOT mean that things in society are good or even getting better. In fact, every Awakening in American history has occurred because we were in a social, financial, moral crisis.

The Revival that preceded Awakening #1. came in the 1750's and ended in a war against the largest, most powerful and until then unbeatable army in the world. Great Britain. The Revolutionary War that we celebrate today was initiated by sons and daughters of those touched by the Revivals in New England.

The Awakening today will, I believe, enroll Seasoned Believers in the army of godly men and women who will touch American society. If you are over 45 contact me.

Read Fogel's book The Fourth Great Awakening if you want to learn more.

See my web if you want to know more about our work.

This is a Great Day For Low Taxes

2010-04-15T22:18:00.003-04:00

Almost nobody likes tax day, but people may look back nostalgically on tax day 2010 and those of earlier years because, almost certainly, taxes are going up in the future, and they may go up a lot. With hindsight, tax day 2010 may seem almost dreamy. Why? For starters, almost half of U.S. households aren't paying any income taxes on their 2009 earnings.

PHOTOS

The exact figure is 47 percent!

So that's pressure for higher taxes. But it's peanuts compared to the real threat: an aging America. As almost everyone knows, the huge baby-boom generation is edging—or collapsing—into retirement. Its first members, born in 1946, turn 65 in 2011, when they will qualify for Medicare. Some have already taken Social Security as early as 62 at a reduced rate.

Boomers collecting benefits, combined with uncontrolled health costs, are the underlying engine for rising federal spending and endless budget deficits.

Prevent Alzheimer's

2010-04-15T22:05:00.004-04:00

My dad died after struggling with Alzheimer's disease. It was terrible to see and I have some anxiety that the problem is genetic. Is there anything I can do to keep me safe or at least safer? Well, maybe there is.

A new research study indicates that we can partially, at least, prevent Alzheimer's disease through eating a wise diet.

A team of medical researchers from Columbia University Medical Center has identified a "protective diet" that lowers the risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to research released Monday in the Archives of Neurology, a publication of the American Medical Association.

"We identified a dietary pattern that was strongly protective against the development of Alzheimer's disease," the researchers said.There is a link to this story at the Washington Times.

Take care of yourself. God's work with you is not finished.

See my web page www.Sweetenlife.com for more ideas.

Many Seasoned Believers Attend Seminar

2010-03-16T23:33:00.003-04:00

Steven Hayner, President of Columbia Seminary spoke at the "21st Century Evangelism Event" held at Lebanon Presbyterian Church last Saturday. Some 180 persons, mostly Seasoned believers, attended with great gusto and excitement. I taught two workshops and the enthusiasm was palpable among the folks who came. They asked good questions and were animated in their responses.

I am posting the slides from my presentations plus additional slides that I think you will enjoy on my web at www.sweetenlife.com. You will also be interested in my new blog at
http://spiritualhealingand growth.blogspot.com

Here is my question: Why do so many churches have no graded adult discipleship classes? All churches have graded classes for children. None of us would think of mixing four year old kids with fourth grade or fourteen year old kids but we do that all the time with adults. Not on age but on the age of their spiritual life.

It would be easy to do and most Christians would welcome it.

Missionaries in Haiti

2010-02-01T22:51:00.001-05:00

How many of the 100,000 Christians in Haiti who are there to help the people suffering are ordained Clergy from seminaries? I do not know but almost all the people I know about are ordinary people with an extra ordinary God and an extra ordinary amount of love and compassion.

God is love and those who abide in love abide in Him.

I am thankful that so many brothers and sisters are willing and able to minister in Haiti in my stead and in the name of my Master.

Kurt Warner World Impact

2010-01-30T17:04:00.008-05:00

Kurt Warner just announced his retirement from professional football. He did not, however, retire from life. he is 38 years old and has a lot of years to live for the Lord. But, we might ask, other than a famous name and seven kids, what does Kurt Warner have to offer to the Lord's work?

Kurt, to my knowledge, has not been to seminary or Bible school and he is not a great orator or a skilled teacher, the talents we usually look for in Christian Ministers. Many clergy would look at Kurt and ask what one asked me: "How can you call yourself a minister when you never even went to seminary?"

Yes, this man of the cloth tried to insult me by saying I was not prepared to be useful to the Lord's work because I had not attended graduate school in theology. I was not offended much. Just a little bit. I did not reply that I had a Bachelor's degree in Education and a Master's in Higher Education both critically important to Christian Discipleship, the key to church growth and health. Nor did I let him know that I had a Doctorate in Counseling which is critical to Pastoral Care. Nor did I add that I had served Jesus for thirty years in a variety of ways.

I simply responded that I was similar to a guy named John Calvin, the guy who my clergy friend most admired. He was offended and said, "But he was different." I replied, "And so were Peter, James and John, I suppose." Everyone I mentioned plus millions of other men and women had significant Christian influence as what we now call "Laity" and entered their "ministry stage" after years of what is considered "secular" work or did "Christian work" in "secular" areas.

Kurt Warner's career life has been experienced mostly in "secular" fields but that enhances his credibility with the public whose identification is with non-theological people like themselves. Even Kurt's sports' life, as unique as it is, is closer to the common sports player or sports fan than a clergy person.

Perhaps the greatest thing a man like Kurt Warner has to offer to Christ is his genuineness, care and concern. He and his wife Brenda and their seven kids are genuinely nice, compassionate Christian people. It is exciting to see another Seasoned Believer use his talents, gifts and experiences to touch the world in the name of Christ.

Go to my web page www.sweetenlife.com for ways to get involved.

The Most Talented and Gifted People

2010-01-15T21:39:00.003-05:00

It is usually stated that the hope of a nation's future is found in its youth. That is true on its face because older people will be outlived by the young ones. However, it is not true if those who are coming up lack the education, skills, wisdom and insight to lead the nation into a better future than we had in the past.

One of the motivating factors of past generations was hope that one's children would be better off than the current adult generation. That may no longer be true for financial growth. The Builder and Baby Boomer Generations have done remarkably well financially. However, in some areas the world we leave our offspring may not be in better shape than we found it.

In the areas of morals, spirituality and family values we seem to have fallen behind other generations and are leaving our kids a mess. But God is still in heaven and He has not decided to send another flood to wipe us out. I believe that instead He will send revival after revival and awakening after awakening to keep the number of sold out Christians in the world increasing.

There are easily some 100 million Seasoned Citizens in America. Just think 100 million people with years of experience and insights. It is the best educated and richest group in history. This is a group that desperately needs something to do. When will church leaders stop trying to build their ministries on a bunch of kids and take advantage of these people who have disposable income, disposable time and disposable love and want to share all of them?

Two of my friends have given up on the organized churches and their myopic leaders. Even the churches, like the Vineyard, that at one time were on the cutting edge of recruiting lay men and women have shut Seasoned Believers out. No wonder they are in so much financial trouble.

I know of several bright, articulate teachers who are not allowed to share their gifts

at the churches they have supported for decades. What a tragedy.

Gift Discovery for Seasoned Citizens

2010-01-12T11:02:00.002-05:00

For many years I have coached men and women about finding a career they love. Most of these folks were young and just beginning their careers. Last Sunday I met a young woman who wants to counsel children and families. She asked me about graduate schools and majors. I was happy to give her my experience and advice.

Although I still meet younger people who are wondering how to decide on a career, I am now talking with a lot of men and women in their Fifties who are trying to discern what to do about a second half career or ministry. As a result I have developed a check list process designed to facilitate self understanding of gifts, talents, skills and how they interact with personal experiences.

Over the next few months we will be having some workshops and classes where Seasoned Believers can gather and do some easy self analysis to see what God is saying to them for the next stage of development. Stay tuned for an announcement.

Services to Seniors

2010-01-01T11:36:00.003-05:00

I ate this morning at Chick-fi-a. Their chicken sandwich cannot be beat. I love it. And, it is a company run by Christians with solid Christian values and support of Christian ministries.

I noted that every Monday they will host, "Senior Nights" with special prices and events just for people my age. (I wonder if they will "card" me. I have not been carded for a long time.)

I certainly appreciate the desire of Chick-fil-a and other companies to do some special things for the oldsters. We can use it. However!!! These kinds of activities mirror the churches that sponsor "Hand Holding Activities" for their Seniors. Most of us want places to serve others and to use our time, talents and gifts for God. We are educated in the Bible and know for sure that the following passages of scripture are real and true.

"It is better to give than receive."

"Give and it shall be given unto you; pressed down, shaken together and placed into your lap."

The person who buries his/her talents will lose what they have but those who "invest" their talents will receive many more.

I am greedy! I want to use my talents so I get more. This is why I call this blog, "SEASONED BELIEVERS not Senior Believers". We are seasoned and some of us are marinated and ready to serve. Just give us a chance.

We have time, lots of time.

We have money.

We have experience at work and at church.

We have wisdom.

We have desire to minister.

All we need is an opportunity.

Dems Dislike Health Bill but Hate GOP Worse

2009-12-21T19:58:00.004-05:00

BILL MOYERS:

Welcome to the JOURNAL. Something's not right here. One year after the great collapse of our financial system, Wall Street is back on top while our politicians dither. As for health care reform, you're about to be forced to buy insurance from companies whose stock is soaring, and that's just dandy with the White House.

Truth is, our capitol's being looted, republicans are acting like the town rowdies, the sheriff is firing blanks, and powerful Democrats in Congress are in cahoots with the gang that's pulling the heist. This is not capitalism at work. It's capital. Raw money, mounds of it, buying politicians and policy as if they were futures on the hog market.

Here to talk about all this are two journalists who don't pull their punches. Robert Kuttner is an economist who helped create and now co-edits the progressive magazine THE AMERICAN PROSPECT, and the author of the book OBAMA'S CHALLENGE, among others. Also with me is Matt Taibbi, who covers politics for ROLLING STONE magazine where he is a contributing editor. He's made a name for himself writing in a no-holds-barred, often profane, but always informative and stimulating style that gets under the skin of the powerful. His most recent article is "Obama's Big Sellout," about the President's team of economic advisers and their Wall Street connections. It's been burning up the blogosphere. Welcome to both of you.

BILL MOYERS: Let's start with some news. Some of the big insurance companies, Well Point, Cigna, United Health, all surged to a 52 week high in their share prices this week when it was clear there'd be no public option in the health care bill going through Congress right now. What does that tell you, Matt?

MATT TAIBBI: Well, I think what most people should take away from this is that the massive subsidies for health insurance companies have been preserved while it's also expanded their customer base because there's an individual mandate in the bill that's going to provide all these companies with the, you know, 25 or 30 million new people who are going to be paying for health insurance. So, it's, obviously, a huge boon to that industry. And I think Wall Street correctly read what the health care effort is all about.

ROBERT KUTTNER: Rahm Emanuel, the President's Chief of Staff, was Bill Clinton's Political Director. And Rahm Emanuel's take away from Bill Clinton's failure to get health insurance passed was 'don't get on the wrong side of the insurance companies.' So their strategy was cut a deal with the insurance companies, the drug industry going in. And the deal was, we're not going to attack your customer base, we're going to subsidize a new customer base. And that script was pre-cooked so it's not surprising that this is what comes out the other side.

BILL MOYERS: So are you saying that this, what some call a sweetheart deal between the pharmaceutical industry and the White House, done many months ago before this fight really began, was because the drug company money in the Democratic Party?

ROBERT KUTTNER: Well, it's two things. Part of it was we need to do whatever it takes to get a bill. Never mind whether it's a really good bill, let's get a bill passed so we can claim that we solved health insurance. Secondly, let's get the drug industry and the insurance industry either supporting us or not actively opposing us. So that there was some skirmishing around the details, but the deal going in was that the administration, drug companies, insurance companies are on the same team. Now, that's one way to get legislation, it's not a way to transform the health system. Once the White House made this deal with the insurance companies, the public option was never going to be anything more than a fig leaf. And over the summer and the fall, it got whittled down, whittled down, whittled down to almost nothing and now it's really nothing.

MATT TAIBBI: Yeah, and this was Howard Dean's point this week was that this individual mandate that's going to force people to become customers of private health insurance companies, the Democrats are going to end up owning that policy and it's going to be extremely unpopular and it's going to be theirs for a generation. It's going to be an albatross around the neck of this party.

ROBERT KUTTNER: Think about it, the difference between social insurance and an individual mandate is this. Social insurance everybody pays for it through their taxes, so you don't think of Social Security as a compulsory individual mandate. You think of it as a benefit, as a protection that your government provides. But an individual mandate is an order to you to go out and buy some product from some private profit-making company, that in the case of a lot of moderate income people, you can't afford to buy. And the shell game here is that the affordable policies are either very high deductibles and co-pays, so you can afford the monthly premiums but then when you get sick, you have to pay a small fortune out of pocket before the coverage kicks in. Or if the coverage is decent, the premiums are unaffordable. And so here's the government doing the bidding of the private industry coercing people to buy profit-making products that maybe they can't afford and they call it health reform.

Kuttner: Well, it's so far from what I think is necessary that I don't think it's a it's a good bill. But I think if it goes down, just because of the optics of the situation and the way the Republicans have framed this as a make-or-break moment for President Obama, it will make it easier for the Republicans to take control of Congress in 2010. It will make Obama even more gun-shy about promoting reform. It will create even more political paralysis. It will embolden the Republicans to block what this president is trying to do, some of which is good, at every turn. So I would hold my nose and vote for it. . . .

Moyers: Aren't you saying that in order to save the Democratic president and the Democratic Party in 2010 and 2012 you have to have a really rotten health insurance bill?
Kuttner: Well, when you come down to one pivotal moment where a bill is before Congress and the administration has staked the entire presidency on this bill and you're a progressive Democrat are you going to vote for it or not? Let me put it this way, if I were literally in the position that Joe Lieberman is in and it was up to me to determine whether this bill live or die, I would hold my nose and vote for it even though I have been a fierce critic of the path this administration has taken. . . .

The Democrats are really between a rock and a hard place here, because if it loses, there's one set of ways the Republicans gain. If it wins, there could be another set of ways that the Republicans gain. And this is all because of the deal that our friend, Rahm Emanuel struck back in the spring of passing a bill that's a pro-industry bill that doesn't really get at the structural problems. . . .

But now we're down to a moment of final passage. And maybe my views are very ambivalent. But I would still vote for it because I think the defeat would be absolutely crushing in terms of the way the press played it, in terms of the way it would give encouragement to the far right in this country that we can block this guy if we just fight hard enough, if we just demagogue it.

Taibbi: But couldn't that defeat turn into--that crushing defeat, couldn't that be good for the Democrats? Couldn't it teach them a lesson that, you know, maybe they have to pursue a different course in the future?

Kuttner: Well, you're younger than I am.

Seniors Lead the Way Forward

2009-12-05T21:49:00.002-05:00

Seasoned Believers in Significant Ministries

We live in an exciting time. Although many Believers are frustrated with the ways society and culture are on a terrible downturn, God has a plan. The passage that comes to mind at such times says, “When the enemy comes in like a flood God will raise up a standard against it.”

As western society began to fall apart in the sixties and seventies God poured out His Holy Spirit on millions of people in a massive world wide revival. Young men and old along with women and children had supernatural experiences of redemption and found their hearts burning with a fire that was unquenchable.

Those people, most of whom were called Baby Boomers, went out into various professions and brought dramatic changes to every profession, institution, organization and ministry. Some went to seminary thinking that the best way to pass their burning hearts to the world was professional church work service.

Most did not become professional clerics but chose professions and careers that in times past were considered secular”. Now we know that there is no such thing as secular work for God’s people. These Spirit filled kids attended colleges, got married and reared children, worked all over the world and studied the Bible in small groups to develop a level of practical spiritual maturity rarely ever seen before in history. What now?

It is forty years later and those Baby Boomer Kids are now grand parents, retired executives and wondering what is next. Back in the early days of the Jesus Movement Revival they were all asking, “What challenge is next for me to accomplish in the power of God’s love?” Now they are asking, “What’s next for me; a retirement home?”

We have a population of Seasoned Believers with the best education, the best Christian training, the best professional experiences and the best financial condition in history. Despite these amazing facts there are few places open to the leadership of these gifted, talented and experienced men and women. Why?

The sacred secular split in Christian thinking. Ever since Constantine decided to merge the church and state the western world has seen life split between some activities that were “holy, pure and godly” and others that are “Unholy, impure and ungodly”. This evil lie from the pit of hell has always been a severe block to expanding God’s Kingdom but is presently so pernicious that it must be attacked and defeated.
A lack of leadership who understand how to recruit, mobilize and encourage Seasoned Believers to grab the gusto in any and all areas of life. The men and women who dominate “sacred” organizations are severely biased against mature persons as well as those who have been successful in other careers. Many church leaders do not have the self confidence or ability to recruit and release people who are smarter, wealthier and more experienced than they. They are essentially digging holes and burying their talents.

It takes wisdom, creativity, skills and knowledge to understand how to unleash Seasoned Believers in non traditional ways.

Seasoned Believers are anxious and unsure how they can minister in a secular world. Wise leaders will have to open the doors for these talented, mature and gifted men and women.

Sweeten Life Systems is searching for ways to open doors for Seasoned Believers. In 2008 we held a kick off to cast a vision for a Significance Center, a movement not a place that will gather Seasoned Believers and inspire them about ways they can overcome the blocks to full engagement at this most important time in life. If you are interested in joining up with us leave a cooent.

Does God Answer our Prayers?

2009-12-05T21:44:00.003-05:00

The following story illustrates why it is so hard to serve God in today's world. Those who truly believe in God will suffer from persecution.

In a small Texas town, ( Mt. Vernon ) Drummond's bar began construction on a new building to increase their business. The local Baptist church started a campaign to block the bar from opening with petitions and prayers..

Work progressed right up till the week before opening when lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground.

The church folks were rather smug in their outlook after that, until the bar owner sued the church on the grounds that the church was ultimately responsible for the demise of his building, either through direct or indirect actions or means. The church vehemently denied all responsibility or any connection to the building's demise in its reply to the court.

As the case made its way into court, the judge looked over the paperwork. At the hearing he commented,"I don't know how I'm going to decide this, but as it appears from the paperwork, we have a bar owner who believes in the power of prayer, and an entire church congregation that does not."

G

2009-12-05T21:43:00.000-05:00

Obama is a Great Communicator

2009-11-19T21:52:00.004-05:00

Chancellor Merkle of Germany looks askance at Mr. Obama

Senator Obama became President Obama because he was able to communicate well in speeches. The talks were well written, well delivered and well received. They had almost no content and many people loved the fact that he said so little. He did it in a way that allowed them to fill in the blanks about hope and change with their own projections about hope and change.

Now, however, President Obama must talk about and act on actual events and so far he has not fared well. He loves to talk and he is giving a lecture almost every day to some group or another. It is as though he won the race by talking well so he thinks he can govern the same way. Most people disagree.

His base of Left Wing radicals are not happy because they thought he would disavow everything Bush did and said but he has not. They are ticked off that he promised to close Gitmo and release the prisoners but he discovered to is chagrin that those people are dangerous terrorists. (Gasp!)

Now Obama is expected to take a stand for freedom and democracy. He took a trip to China recently and spoke to college students. Here was his chance to really show his ability to challenge the Chinese leaders to open up the Internet, radio and TV to honest reporting. But he struck out by swinging like a little girl rather than with the power of the leader of the strongest and greatest nation on earth.

His wishy, washy manner came out during the town hall and were directed at China's Internet controls.

"I'm a big supporter of non-censorship. I recognize that different countries have different traditions. I can tell you that in the United States, the fact that we have free Internet--or unrestricted Internet access--is a source of strength, and I think should be encouraged."

Chinese bloggers who saw it were grateful that he addressed censorship, but many zeroed in on what they considered Obama's waffling language. Wang Pei, a writer based in eastern China's Hangzhou, twittered, "Learn English from Obama: Instead of saying 'I want to eat,' say 'I am a big supporter of non-hunger."

Where is the cheese? Obama wants more than anything to be liked and affirmed by Europeans and Europeans hate strong directive Americans. They call us "Cowboys". Ronald Reagan was a cowboy and so was George W. Bush and they could not stand either of them. Europe loves the passive voice and the passive politician and Obama is fitting right in with their preferences. Unfortunately, for him, he is not President of Europe but of the USA and Americans like strong leaders.

What do you think about this kind of mushy mouthed speech?

Growing up in Christ

2009-11-18T16:52:00.005-05:00

As I reviewed this blog I grew to like it a lot. This topic, helping people grow in maturity and use their God given gifts more effectively, has been my focus for decades. I think we did a very good job of it back at College Hill Presbyterian Church in the late Seventies and all the Eighties.

I am biased, of course, but there are many people who were never at CHPC who agree with my assessment because they have seen the fruit of our ministry all over Greater Cincinnati and the the world. In fact, just this morning I heard from another Seasoned Believer that CHPC was unique in training and releasing lay men and women into all kind of ministries. They went on to say that we were still a model for a lot of churches today.

What was it we did that worked? First, we had a balanced ministry of preaching, teaching and practicing the ministry of Jesus. Before the Ascension, Jesus told His followers to "Go into the world and teach everything He taught and do everything He did. Well, we tried.

There are four things that every successful congregation covers if it wants to have balanced ministry.

1. God's truth in scripture and in the world

2. Practice and teach the fruit of the Spirit

3. Facilitate understanding of and the universal practice of the gifts of the Spirit

4. Promote the understanding and release of God's power in every way possible

We clearly attempted to not only practice these four aspects of Christianity but we also told our members what we were attempting to do. We made our intentions clear. We did not skip the "hard teachings" or water down the controversial aspects of our approach. Additionally, we asked people to go to another church if they disagreed with our stands.

Go to my other active blog

Brave Heart

http://garysweetenblogspotcom.blogspot.com for additional information on my ideas.

Taking Every Thought Captive

2009-11-11T11:16:00.002-05:00

I am again teaching the classic course, Rational Christian Thinking, that I first developed and wrote back in the eighties. Pastor Brad Rosenberg asked me to train his staff and Lay leaders how to live in the freedom of Christ and I agreed.

Because his wife Angie had gotten so much out of the training before she asked Brad to let everyone attend so young mothers like her could benefit from the training and rear their children free of fear and anxiety. So, we are teaching over 100 adults each Wednesday evening at Tri County Assembly of God in Fair field, Ohio north of Cincinnati.

It is a thrill to be able to "Equip the saints to DO the work of ministry" and I love training them in ways to "Renew their minds" according to the Bible. The students are eagerly lapping up the information and responding with great interactions in the class.

Over the next few posts I will write some of the basic principles of biblically renewing the mind so the readers can start getting free from cultural, social and devilish ideas. I am amazed at how many Spirit filled Christians are ensnared in old fleshly ways to thinking, feeling and acting yet believe they "Have the mind of Christ."

A mind of Christ is a peaceful mind. It is Free from worry, free from anxiety and free from letting others put them down. They could care less what others think because they know what Jesus thinks.

So, read and reflect on how Gos can set us free from the "Stinking Thinking" that keeps us in bondage.

On Vacation

2008-06-09T21:09:00.002-04:00

I have placed this blog on hold and will be posting to the Brave Heart Blog at http://garysweetenblogspotcom.blogspot.com So, move on over to my oldest blog and post til your heart's content.

I have a new web at www.sweetenlife.com and may put up a blog with the sweetenlife moniker. We shall see what the future holds.

2008-05-30T06:58:00.003-04:00

There is a story about a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) student who spent one entire summer walking 2 miles to the Harvard football stadium and 2 miles back each day. He wore a black and white striped shirt and when he reached the stadium he acted still more strangely. The young man walked up and down the field for about fifteen minutes throwing birdseed all over the place while blowing a whistle.

What was he doing? The answer!

Harvard and MIT are serious rivals. That guy from MIT was setting a booby trap for the Harvard Crimson Football Team. At the first home game at Harvard Field the officials began the game by assembling on the field and blowing a whistle. Can you guess what happened next?

A thousand birds decended upon the field stopping the game.

Our daily habits sow future events. Are you praying for crop failure?

Sow and Reap

2008-05-26T22:02:00.002-04:00

Generation to Generation

2008-05-21T10:35:00.003-04:00

Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Luke 1:16

This is the promise of what the Messiah would accomplish. He will "Turn the hearts of the fathers to their children..." Isn't it a great thing to behold? We desperately need God to accomplish this promise. Our families are in trouble.

Is it true? Have fathers hearts been turned from their children to other things? Are men more interested in money than their offspring? Are men spending more time at the golf course than at home? Are daddy's absent from the lives of their wives and their children?

Promise Keepers as an organization accomplished many great things. One was an emphasis on loving our wives and children. Another has been the need to spend quality and a quantity of time with the kids.

But PK is not enough. Why is every church in the world not teaching and training their males about the call of Messiah? Jesus came to reconcile men with their families!

Take a look at the second part of this passage. Jesus is going to "reconcile the disobedient to the wisdom of righteousness." Wow! More on this promise later.

Win a Book or Two

2008-05-20T21:32:00.001-04:00

I have written several books and done numerous workshops on topics that emphasize developing A lifetime of---GREAT RELATIONSHIPS
Now it is your turn to nominate some person or church or school that is developing great relationships with God, neighbors and self.
Steve Sjogren, for example, developed one of the most original and creative ways to evangelize unchurched folks and it is also a cool but simple way to build GREAT RELATIONSHIPS. Steve calls it, Servant Evangelism and it has taken hold all over the world. (See the blog link)

Who else is innovative and simple in the ways they are training folks to love and care for one another? I am teaching tomorrow night at the Vineyard on building great relationships as parents and grand parents.

The person who offers the best suggestion or makes the best nomination as judged by me, after all I am the king of this blog, will get to choose two of my books as prizes.

Core Values

2008-05-10T21:47:00.006-04:00

It has become apparent to me that the Gorilla Glue of organizations can be boiled down to a common commitment to core values. The several ministries I have founded, and not a few still survive, have always focused on the importance of building A Lifetime of Great Relationships.

As long as my colleagues and I operated on those values things went along smoothly. When we violated any of the core values the Glue lost its Gorilla and things fell apart. It has been my very sad experience to see a few relationships become toxic and destructive and the organization dedicated to good relationships come apart like to kite made from tissues.

There are many reasons relationships fail. First, there must be a balance. Jesus said that the greatest commandment was "Love God with all our heart, soul and mind and secondly our neighbor like ourselves." If an organization worships and serves God but forgets to love the people at work things come to a sad end.

If a group loves the people who serve there but forgets to worship and love God it will be a clanging bell whose sound is off key. Finally, love and care of one's own soul is essential to a healthy ministry.

Sweeten Life Systems has a tag line to remind us of the importance of these things. It is: "A lifetime of great relationships" and by that we mean relating well with God, neighbor and self. I confess that building good relationships does not come naturally to me. It is something I must work on and practice.

I attended a workshop led by Dr. Rich Walters in 1974 that turned my life around. Dr. Walters I was convinced by that I could not be successful in helping my clients grow and change unless I learned and practiced good relational skills. From that time until now I have applied myself to learning, applying and teaching others the essentials of healthy interpersonal relationships.

I turned Seventy last Monday on May 5 and am more convinced than ever that when St. Paul told us to "Speak the truth in love" he was unleashing the secret power of leadership. Unfortunately, well over 90% of all Americans have never, ever had a class that taught the most basic skills of relating to other people.

There are untold billions of dollars spent annually and needlessly because of this lack in our churches and educational systems. It is the secret of successful marriages, successful parenting and successful businesses. Why are we so foolishly throwing our money away and causing so much misery in homes, schools, businesses and churches?

Conflict is inevitable!

Misery is optional!

Donations greatfully accepted

We have no sugar daddy

Retire? Not Me!

2008-05-09T09:56:00.004-04:00

Garrison Keeler, despite being a Left Wing Nut, is a pretty good writer with terrific insights and wisdom. I get a pod cast of his "Prairie Home Companion" radio broadcast each week and I enjoy his funny, acerbic and homey sketches.

I also get a weekly newsletter from Garrison and his team of intrepid organizers. A Prairie Home Companion newsletter@americanpublicmedia.org Garrison had a neat article in today's newsletter about why retiring doesn't sound too good to him.

In my parents' home we sat down to our Cheerios and toast and ate it and conversed in small declarative sentence fragments and jumped up and out the door, and I still do, and that's why I don't intend to retire: What do you do after breakfast? Do you have to hang out for hours with other geezers and geezerettes and reminisce about the days when it was fun to fly from place to place — remember? When you walked through the airport and out the door onto the tarmac and up the stairs to the plane, just like Ingrid Bergman in "Casablanca"? I don't care to.

What do retired people do after breakfast other than reminisce about old movies and watch more at Turner Classics? Actually retiring to do nothing but sit and whittle is passe anyhow. Our generations have far too many talents, gifts and wise experiences to stop living.

So, find something important to do and do it. Dry rot sets in if we sit and rot with no physical, mental or spiritual challenges. Our generations have changed the world and it is too much fun to stop now. (Why not write your life's story?)

Application of Our Faith

2008-05-06T19:05:00.004-04:00

Some recent articles in the Journal of Philanthropy got me to thinking a lot about the need for Believers to plan their tithes and offerings carefully and yes, even, strategically. When we think about the history of our nation it is obvious that the strength of America has often been because of the direct influence of Seasoned Believers.

Ruminate for a bit over the following colleges. Harvard, Yale, Brown, Temple, etc. What comes to your mind? Was it the fact that each was founded to train an educated and committed citizenry? Did you remember that the goal was to preach the gospel, carry our missions to the people and prepare each American to read the Bible?

If these were not your thoughts, think again. Those were exactly the ideas of the men and women who founded the Ivy League Schools. And, each has left its core values behind and we can see the results in all aspects of our nation and its culture.

We need a strategy to educate, train and mobilize smart, tough, capable youth into vital places of leadership. We must carefully prepare people for work in government, the arts, education, business and industry. Take a look at the following article for insight on how others are using their experience and wisdom to take the USA in a different direction.

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The White House Project

Despite Sen. Hillary Clinton’s historic run for the presidency, women are greatly underrepresented in the U.S. political system – -a scenario the White House Project is attempting to change.

Marie Wilson, the group’s president, told a conference session about her group’s efforts to train women across the country to run for political office, calling it an example of nonpartisan political activity that is permitted under the tax code governing charities.

The United States ranks 71st in the world in the percentage of women serving in parliament (here, the House of Representatives). “It is not really a representative democracy,” said Ms. Wilson.

Ms. Wilson, who headed the Ms. Foundation for almost two decades before starting the White House Project in 1998, said many of the women who received grants from the foundation were creating innovative social programs that focused on HIV/AIDS, health care, small loans, and promoting a “living wage.”

“That’s the government in exile,” she thought, and wanted to find a way to give them more power. The White House Project, in New York, has trained 1,700 women over the past three years in the mechanics of running for office, touching on campaigning, communications, and fund raising, Ms. Wilson said.

But it has found the most effective way to persuade them to become candidates is to give them examples of other women who have made that leap — for example, by showing a documentary about Shirley Chisholm, a black congresswoman who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972. Many women are reluctant to step forward because they see so few other politicians who look like them, she said.

In that sense, she said, Senator Clinton has inspired more women to want to try politics, showing “you can get to the highest level.”

These folks are ingenious, committed and strategic. Are Believers doing as well?

How Do You See It?

2008-05-01T19:50:00.005-04:00

Every week I get a podcast from Stanford University that focuses on educating students about "Social Innovation" and developing "Social Entrepreneurs". http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/exed/epse/

The pod casts are very exciting because they offer case studies of people who have decided to "Do good while doing well". In fact, Stanford seems to be ahead of Christian colleges and universities in the respect that they are tirelessly and ceaselessly pursuing charitable goals while operating on sound business principles. I rarely see Christians who are so intentionally and thoughtfully pursuing such a holistic vision. (Let me know if I am wrong!)

However, all is not well in this arena. Some are upset that business entrepreneurs are now getting into charity. Read the story below from "The Journal of Philanthropy". http://philanthropy.com/giveandtake/

The debate about so-called philanthrocapitalism has jumped the Atlantic.
In an opinion article in The Guardian newspaper, in London, Tristram Hunt, a history professor, writes that Google.org, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and other groups that mix philanthropy and business practices will not solve health inequities and global poverty.

Such donors have “little engagement with the kind of structural injustices — racial, economic, social — or broader environmental, demographic or strategic challenges that require political advocacy. Having made their riches from the existing free-market model, venture philanthropists see little need to confront its problematic aspects,” he writes.

In a letter to the editor, Kurt Hoffman, director of the Shell Foundation, disagrees because “Many of these new actors have been motivated precisely because governments and charities have failed for decades to deliver, particularly in the developing world, where the delivery of aid has an atrocious record. Do we want to continue with the status quo or apply some fresh, inherently efficient and potentially very effective thinking to find new solutions to old problems?” he asks.
What do you think?
— Ian Wilhelm

I think we need a lot of new and fresh models. Many of the new and the old models failed and are failing. However, that is one reason we desperately need business practices that experiment and then evaluate what works. I have a simple philosophy:

"If it works-Do more of it."

"If it does not work-Stop it."

"If it ain't broke-Don't fix it."

Boomers and Builders

2008-04-29T23:18:00.003-04:00

It is estimated that over 100 million people over 45 are alive today in the USA. Here is Greater Cincinnati, there are about 860,000 of these folks and they are a low hanging fruit for any church that would like to have them among the parishioners.

Folks over 45 or 50 are thinking differently than we did at 15, 25 or 35. We have hit Mid-Life and either made it into a crazy experience of adolescence or the opposite and starting obsessing about getting old. These issues tend to get us thinking about eternity and meeting our Maker.

It is estimated that some 60 to 70% of this cohort is un-churched, de-churched or church alumni. Despite that fact, many would like to return to church and are waiting to be asked.

Here is the sad fact; nobody is asking them to go to church with them. They want to be invited and they want something that is spiritual and strong and good but no body is saying, "Why not visit with us at church this Sunday?"

People invite me to golf and to lunch but not to church. What's up with that?

A Documentary for Us

2008-04-28T23:28:00.005-04:00

I saw a glimpse of an interesting movie the other night. It is a documentary of some older Americans who are singing Rock and Roll. I was amazed at their abilities and energy.

Here is the home page for Young at Heart. http://www.foxsearchlight.com/youngatheart/

Take a look.

Gary Sweeten
www.sweetenlife.com

WATCH Prayer--Talk to one another and to God

2008-04-28T22:42:00.004-04:00

Be filled with the Spirit and speak to one another with Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, always and for every reason giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father."

Talking is the one aspect that most of us think about when we hear the word "prayer." However, in my experience, silence and listening are much more important than talking.

Singing, praising and readings are important parts of the Talking process. When we attend to others in the group we sometimes talk but not always. Watching and Spirit led discernment are more important than talking as we develop an understanding of others. However, talking can be an important part of a Dialogue Prayer Group. For example, by asking others what they are experiencing we gather information about what God is doing right then.

Dialogue prayer is two-way communication with God at the center of the group as a Counselor and Guide. When we think that the Lord is speaking to us about a situation, a plan or a person, the best thing to do is to stop and discuss what the group is thinking on that specific topic. For example, if I think that the Lord has a "word" for my friend Maury, I could ask him and the others if they are experiencing something similar. In this way we will get confirmation about God's guidance.We ought never move into a specific plan or program without the sense that the group confirms that they believe that it is God's will.

This is a continuation of the socialization process, which requires a group dialogue about their sense of the Lord's "Still small voice" at that particular time. This discussion or dialogue will keep members from "going off the deep end" with an idea or dream that is not from God. It also teaches younger Christians how to discern more accurately the Lord's voice. It provides a safe place for interpersonal discipline to take place. Talking during Dialogue Prayer is not rude or intrusive it we stay on the same topic.

Talk also involves teaching, sharing, scripture discussion or questions about a topic. We recently experienced a powerful time of God's voice when a member shared insights about the return of Christ. After a few minutes, others told of similar insights and words so the group focused on that as a particular theme. Later, I mentioned that a thought continued in my head and I wanted to know if others could confirm it. The thought was, "Don't look back" and I knew what it meant to me.

Immediately a group member said, "The hair is standing on the back of my neck. I got the Scripture Luke 17: 32 but I didn't know what to do with it. You read it Gary, I think it must be for you.

"I opened up the Bible and read "Do not be like Lot's wife." Well, the hair on my neck also stood on end! No biblical character is better known for looking back than Lot's wife. She is the most common metaphor for disobeying God and not trusting His deliverance when she turned around and longed for Gomorrah. She turned to salt as a result.

I took that as confirmation. Then, another member said, "I kept thinking, 'Where do you want to go today?' and I think that means to look ahead."

This is an example of Welcoming, Attending and Talking.

Stages of Growth

2008-04-28T22:36:00.003-04:00

Do you believe that adults can be a widely varying places in their spiritual, mental and relational development? Or, do you think all adult Christians ought to receive the exact same spiritual food?

Hebrews 5:11 Concerning this we have much to say which is hard to explain, since you have become dull in your hearing. 12 For even though by this time you ought to be teaching others, you need someone to teach you over again the first principles of God's Word. You need milk, not solid food. 13 For everyone who continues to feed on milk is obviously inexperienced and unskilled in the doctrine of righteousness, for he is a mere infant!

•14 But solid food is for full-grown Believers for those whose senses and mental faculties have been trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law.

After reading these passages it is relevant to ask:"What did the author of hebrews think about adult development?"

A Friend and Mentor Meets Jesus

2008-04-27T16:38:00.002-04:00

'A mighty warrior for Jesus'
BY REBECCA GOODMAN RGOODMAN@ENQUIRER.COM

MOUNT WASHINGTON - In 1994, the Rev. F. Murray Hastings quit the priesthood to form a new church because he felt the Episcopal denomination was no longer true to its calling. At the time, he was rector of the Church of the Advent in Walnut Hills. Most of the congregation followed him and became members of the nondenominational Fellowship of Jesus Christ. Rev. Hastings served as pastor until 2005.

"He was a mighty warrior for Jesus," said his wife, Alixe.

Rev. Hastings died Monday at Mercy Anderson Hospital of undetermined causes. The Mount Washington resident was 78.

"He always stood for truth, justice and equality for all," said his daughter Joyce Pasley, of College Hill. "He spoke out on many occasions in defense of these principles."

He was a local leader in the ecumenical movement, according to Gary Sweeten of Symmes Township. "He's been one of the most influential ministers in Cincinnati in the area of taking the church out of the four walls of the church and into people's lives," he said.

Back in the 1960s, Rev. Hastings invited African-American pastors and their congregations to the Church of the Advent, which was an upper-middle class, mostly white church.

"He was very much a change agent," Sweeten said. "Anything that went on in Cincinnati from the point of the ecumenical movement, Murray was on the forefront. From Billy Graham's work here to every large movement, he was on the steering committee. He was one of the wise people and networkers that brought people together."

Rev. Hastings was rector of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Bond Hill from 1955 until 1960, when he went to Church of the Advent.

After leaving the Episcopal ministry, he created a ministry at Fellowship of Jesus Christ that was a blend of evangelical preaching; charismatic prayer that included speaking in tongues; and social outreach for the mentally ill, hungry, homeless and pregnant teenagers. He championed holistic health, healing and pastoral care, Sweeten said.

"He made everyone around him feel important and loved," said his daughter.
His wife said, "He was a man before his time - a leader for racial reconciliation. He was resolutely firm in his faith."

The Boston native was a graduate of Phillips Academy and Trinity College. He was ordained at St. Matthew's Church in 1955 after receiving a master's of divinity from Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Mass.

He enjoyed sailing, golf and classical music.

Other survivors include daughters, Cinny Roy of Sycamore Township, Kit Campbell of Broadview Heights, Ohio, and Jennifer Williamson of West Chester Township; and 10 grandchildren.

The funeral was 11 a.m. Friday at Norman Chapel at Spring Grove Cemetery.
Memorials: CityCure, 1947 Auburn Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45219 or Eve Center, P.O. Box 36483, Cincinnati, OH 45236.--

>http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080425/NEWS0104/804250411/1060&template=printpicart-->

Day of Prayer Coming

2008-04-27T09:28:00.003-04:00

My dear friend Donna Thomas, who is using her "extra innings" of longevity and God's wisdom to write, teach and bless thousands, has a word from the Lord for us.

May is such a wonderful month. It is special that it starts with the National Day of Prayer. Hearing all this “stuff” on TV as to who should be our next president, I feel the urgency for all Christians to call on our Lord to help us get a leader that will be on his knees for guidance and wisdom.

The Proclamation written by Abraham Lincoln for the first National Day of Prayer in 1863 is as timely today as it was 145 years ago:

“We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand, which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us! It behooves us, then, to confess our national sins and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.”
Lincoln, you see, knew of God’s promise to King Solomon in II Chronicles 7:14-16 that. “ … If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

What a blessing that the Lord gives us his promise if we will humble ourselves and pray. Then he gives us hope, expectancy, and the ability to look forward. I have my plans but my comfort is in knowing that the Lord has his plans for me as his child and they are better than mine.

Thanks Donna.

Healthy vs Unhealthy Lives

2008-04-26T17:41:00.002-04:00

Most are living longer but in some regions of the country folks are dying sooner. This is an opportunity for ministry.

Study Highlights Regional Declines in Life Expectancy
Apr 22, 2008

A study published Monday in PLoS Medicine indicates that, although overall average life expectancy in the United States increased by more than seven years for men and six years for women between 1960 and 2000, the life expectancy for many underserved Americans has declined or remained static, the New York Times reports.

To analyze long-term mortality trends, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Washington reviewed mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics and population data from the U.S. Census Bureau collected between 1959 and 2001. They found that 4 percent of males and 19 percent of females experienced a decline or stagnation in life expectancy beginning in the 1980s, with the most significant downward trends concentrated in Appalachia, the Southeast, Texas, the southern Midwest and along the Mississippi River.

Specifically, the disparity in life expectancy between men in counties with the longest life expectancies and men in counties with the shortest life expectancies grew from nine years in 1983 to 11 years in 1999. The disparity in life expectancy between women in counties with the highest and lowest life expectancies, meanwhile, increased from 6.7 years to 7.5 years across the same period.

Using disease-specific mortality data, researchers determined that the stagnation or drops in life expectancy stemmed largely from an increase in diabetes, cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as well as a lack of improvement in cardiovascular mortality. Noting that those conditions are closely related to smoking, high blood pressure and obesity, all of which can be controlled "through both personal and population strategies," the study's lead author says that "there is good evidence on relatively low-cost and effective ways of dealing with these issues if one of the health system's imperatives becomes to close this widening life expectancy gap."

Acknowledging, meanwhile, that the "life expectancy decline is something that has traditionally been considered a sign that the health and social systems have failed," the director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, who also co-authored the report, suggests that the findings "should be a sign that the U.S. health system needs serious rethinking."

(Bakalar, New York Times, 4/22/08 [registration required]; Harvard release, 4/21/08; Ezzati et al., PLoS Medicine, 4/22/08)

My comments: These diseases and early deaths are related to overeating, drinking, smoking and other lifestyle choices. They are not related to failure sin the delivery of health care.

Facing Death and Eternity with God

2008-04-24T23:41:00.005-04:00

Steve Judah has been a good friend as well as a professional colleague for many years. Although he and I grew up across the Wabash River from each other, he in Indiana and I in Illinois, we met in Columbus, Ohio. I became involved with Steve Griebling, a Clinical Counselor at Upper Arlington Lutheran Church in Columbus, and that led to a long friendship with Dr. Judah.

Steve Judah is a Clinical Psychologist with a fine practice in Columbus. He has developed some of the most innovative and creative approaches to mental and emotional health in the World. Steve's commitment to Christ with integration of psychology and theology have been liberating and a witness to Christ. It matched perfectly with that which Steve Griebling and I were doing so we worked together to bring the love, truth and mercy of God to people in pain.

Dr. Judah came down with a terrible form of cancer last year and we have been praying for him, his wife Sharon and kids since we got the news. However, unless God does a radical miracle, Steve will not survive. He is in Hospice and is facing eternity with courage and faith. He recently wrote the following statement on his blog.

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Greeting beloved.

This is the most important message I've yet sent to you from my perspective. This morning I had a most surpassing spiritual experience. I want to place it into three parts: (1) the context, (2) the message, (3) and the experience.

(1) The context is that we just decided to pursue hospice care in order to have quality of life for the remainder of my life rather than further treatments or interventions since my diagnosis is terminal. I see this as an opportunity to celebrate the transition between earth and eternity. So with this backdrop I went to sleep at 12:30 am and awakened at 5:30 am with an incredibly crystal clear message.

The message follows: (2) Peace.Life Death. Live a Good Life. Do Good. Accept Salvation through Christ. Die. Live Eternally. Peace.

(3) Lastly let me convey the experience. I had the most overwhelming experience of PEACE that I have ever had in my life. So my wish for you is that you too find Peace as God calls unto you.

Steve, thanks so much for your testimony and thanks be to God for His marvellous grace. May the God of peace keep your heart and soul in His hands.

Gary Sweeten

WATCH PRAYERS

2008-04-23T23:36:00.003-04:00

Over time I am writing a few posts on the concept and Process of Dialogue Prayers. In a previous post I covered W for Welcoming one another and the Lord. Now let us take a look at Attending one another and the Lord.

A-Attend to one another and Attend to the Lord: Paying attention to what is happening to each other is crucial in the Dialogue Prayer process. We focus on what each member is experiencing as we welcome God into our gathering. It is here that the group is built into a community. If one member begins to confess a sin the entire focus of the rest of the group will be on her or him until that facet of ministry is completed. Attending means that we minister fully in the same direction until the Lord nudges us to move in a different direction. Have we not all experienced times when the anxiety of a leader or member moved the focus before God was finished?

By attending to God's work in the group we are beginning to operate in a manner described in I Corn. 12, 13 and 14 when the church functions as the integrated "Body of Christ." If the focus is on individual, isolated and personal prayers this unity will never develop.

In Dialogue Prayer Group the Holy Spirit is at work making all the various "parts" of the "body" moves together in unity. The gifts of the Spirit are not primarily intended to be individual characteristics that a person can carry around to use at her will. One does not transport the "gift of teaching" in his back pocket or in her purse to pull out at random.

Rather these gifts are to operate within the context of the gathered community. I am not always an "ear" in the body but I am an "ear" whenever the body is moving together in the unity of the Spirit and I am led by the Lord to be an "ear." Thus, I may minister at one time with the gift of healing and at another time in the role of confessor.

Maurie may manage the group process one week and facilitate worship through spontaneous singing the next. By attending to the Lord's voice and to the people's voices I can more appropriately judge the exact nature of my call to function at this particular time.

The current emphasis on spiritual gifts is a wholesome addition to the days when Christians failed to recognize gifts other than a clergyman. However, our westernized version has members filling out "gifts tests" that supposedly inform us what God has done once and for all for all time in the same way we can identify whether we are good in mathematics. Additionally, check lists are purported to work for us whether or not we have ever been in a group that operated as an integrated community as described in I Corinthians 12. In fact, many of the churches that use these gift checklists do not even believe that all gifts are possible or permitted. It is similar to selecting someone to be on the baseball team because he checked that, as a child, he really like hitting things with sticks. A gifts-check list might show that he had the gift of batting even though he had never even been to a ball game let alone played in one.

This is what happens when leadership gifts are removed from the life of a real community. What kind of test will reveal that my daughter is ready to baby sit? What kind of checklist tells me that my son was gifted in music presentations? There is no test for relating to others and to God. The only way any of us decides when a child is mature enough to carry out a relational ministry or function is when we have observed them in action and have had an opportunity to disciple them.

And how do they discover those gifts? By reading a book or by watching, trying and being supervised?Attending requires that we focus our attention on what God is doing in the group with particular reference to what He is doing with and to the individuals and the group as a whole. The group has a life in addition to the individuals within the group. Most of the commands in scripture are to the gathered community and not to the individuals who "attend" church. In fact, attending church is not even a biblical notion. Rather, we are the church and when we gather in his name we are His family whose job is to listen to His directions. As a family we must learn how to carry out His instructions.

Attending requires us to take risks and ideas that we think the Lord is raising up for whole group. For example, I was once impressed to suggest that a group go on a "prayer walk and servant evangelism outreach". The group rejected my suggestion because they thought we were too immature. However, they encouraged me to share the thought more in the future.

This is the biblical model for discipleship. We call it "socialization learning" rather than "schoolization learning." Children learn to use chop sticks rather than spoons and by watching, talking, and many trials and errors. Some of my Chinese friends are extremely talented in the use of chopsticks while others do not have that particular gift.

Socialization learning demands that we change the way we think about church and ministry. It will require us to carefully attend to one another.

Boomer Tsunami Requires A Response

2008-04-23T19:40:00.004-04:00

Here is an article in an online training magazine about the possible crisis that faces US organizations and businesses with the retirement of so many Boomers and Builders.

Preparing Your Workforce Today to Meet Tomorrow's Challenges
By Alisa Blum, MSW
Employees will be retiring in record rates in the next 10 years. The baby boomer generation compromises approximately 75 million people or 45% of the workforce. Many are in management positions and are preparing to retire.

The generation right behind the boomers are a much smaller group of about 45 million people Since many of the employees preparing to retire are in senior management positions, we are likely to see a dearth of employees ready to fill these positions. Added to this, a new generation has recently entered the workforce, with its own unique characteristics.

By looking at the needs of the different generations in the workplace, we can develop strategies to better prepare our workforce. The following are tips that can aid in this process:
1. Develop mentoring programs. Older workers tend to be motivated by having opportunities to pass on their knowledge. Younger workers benefit from the career development opportunities they gain as mentees and learn critical skills needed to prepare for advancement.
2. Create flexible work schedules. Many older workers either don't want to retire full time or cannot afford to retire full time. Organizations can reap the benefits of their experience by creating part-time, on-call or consultant opportunities. Younger employees that are balancing work and family needs will be more likely to want to work for your organization if they have the option to work from home or work part-time.
3. Use a strengths-based approach to promotions. Develop a career ladder where employees can be promoted on the basis of their strengths. Younger employees often want to be promoted but tend to reject the traditional career ladder. For example, a superb technician may not have the inclination to be a manager, but would make an excellent “technical advisor”.
4. Focus on your high potential employees. Pay attention to your high performers. Let them know how much they mean to your organization. Determine the qualities typically seen in your high performers, find out why they like to work for you and use this information to develop strategies for recruitment and retention.
5. Provide opportunities for ongoing education. Our technological advancements mean that employee's skills need to continually be updated. Additionally, employees are often more inclined to work for you if they have opportunities for higher education. Organizations that provide in-house educational opportunities or tuition reimbursement programs will be more likely to attract and retain their employees. Younger employees, in particular, are frequently motivated by opportunities for continued learning.
6. Encourage managers to regularly have career development discussions with their employees. Research on employee retention shows that employees are more likely to stay at if they have opportunities for career development. Managers should have periodic discussions about where the employee wants to grow in their career and how the employee's needs fit with the organization's needs.
7. Design a program to preserve the knowledge of your key employees. Evaluate the processes that are in place or need to be in place in order to preserve and pass on essential knowledge. Determine how you will preserve and pass on essential processes, procedures and practices.

In order to avoid the myriad of problems associated with the impending losses that will occur as we lose a large percentage of our experienced workforce, it will be essential for organizations to take action without delay. By working now to create new ways of working with your employees, you can prepare your workforce today to meet tomorrow's challenges.
© 2008, Alisa Blum & Associates
Alisa Blum is President of Alisa Blum & Associates, a training and consulting company specializing in helping organizations develop a motivated & productive workforce. Training programs are offered both live and via webinar. More information can be found at http://www.retentionsolutions.org/. Alisa can be reached at (503) 524-3470 or alisa@retentionsolutions.org.

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Now, instead of thinking just of your company, consider the implications of these demographics on your church. What age group has provided the bulk of volunteers, donors and leadership for you? Where will they go after retirement? Where will they give after retirement? Who will teach Sunday school and be on the trustees?

Are you prepared for a mass exodus?
Sweeten Life Systems has a ministry of consultation to faith based groups. Let us know how we can assist you.

What Do Seasoned Believers Want?

2008-04-21T21:23:00.004-04:00

After our Seasoned Believer Gathering last October we sent out a survey asking attendees what kinds of things would help them as Christians. The following answers are not scientific but they do give us a snapshot of the felt needs of our people.

Zoomerang Survey
1. 26% We are "at the wall and looking for new ways to grow in Christ."
2. 41% "I want to help others who are at the wall."
3. 33% "I have moved beyond the wall and am looking for a new personal ministry."
Topics of key interest - % reporting 'Very Interested + Extremely Interested'
1. 95% - Learning to hear God
2. 90% - Christian coaching and mentoring
3. 90% - Learning to rest in God's love and grace
4. 70% - Learning to 'just be' in Christ, and not always 'doing' for Christ
5. 70% - Learning new ways to be a better influence
6. 68% - Breaking free from your 'leashes'
7. 63% - Health and Wellness
8. 60% - Christian leadership
9. 58% - Improving my own and others marriages and family life
10. 55% - Developing better relationships with my family
11. 53% - Helping my church become healthy and grow
12. 50% - How do I connect with other folks in a common purpose and ministry
13. 50% - Discovering where I am in my spiritual, emotional, and relational growth
14. 45% - Preventing burnout
15. 43% - Getting my financial house in order
16. 40% - Negotiation skills
17. 37% - Christian collaboration skills
18. 25% - Finding a place of worship
19. 20% - Hospitality and hosting
20. 10% - Developing a ministry in my workplace

As you can see, a very high percentage of the respondents want to learn better how to "Grow in Christ". This is a great opportunity for Christian leaders. The three top issues are 1. Learning to hear God's voice; 2. How to be a Christian Coach; and 3. Learning to rest in Christ's love.

In March we acted upon this information and had a half day workshop on "Hearing God in Prayer". About fifty people came and we will repeat it this year.

I have been considering the need to do some Coach Training. Let me know if you are interested.

Demographics are the Future

2008-04-21T20:18:00.003-04:00

Our ministry focuses a great deal of our time and energy on the mature or Seasoned members of our society. Despite the fact that businesses, futurists and government planners are working hard to prepare themselves for the incredible rise in older Americans, Christians are still obsessed with youth. Maybe the following thoughts from a futurist will shock us into action.

The Demographic Hour Glass

The demographic concentration of boomers at the top of the population pyramid, backed by their vast reservoirs of disposable income, represents the next American gold rush. Ten years from now, the cover of this magazine (Fast Company) will be graced with the smiling faces of the entrepreneurs and corporate leaders who unlocked the elder boomers' hearts and minds---.

It's hard to overstate the weight of the numbers: Boomers now represent a U.S. market of some 36 million, or about 12% of the population, and as they move up the pyramid, the number of seniors is going to rise dramatically. By 2011, the 65-and-over population will be growing faster than the population as a whole in each of the 50 states. The Boomer Binge will have begun.

Opportunities

Businesses aren't confused about the opportunity that growth represents: Consumer electronics firms such as Vodafone are investing in mobile phones with designs tweaked to the requirements of older customers; IBM has developed a computer mouse that compensates for the tremors that sometimes affect seniors' hands; and Gap Inc. recently unveiled Forth & Towne, a new clothing line for women who fall into the vast retail void between the navel-pierced teen and the librarian in a twin set.

And those examples are just a foretaste. The real breakthroughs are going to come from companies helping boomers to hold on to their youth---. Boomers have never met a life stage they didn't want to remake in their own image, and their golden years will be no exception. (Fast Company; Futurist Andrew Zolli is the founder of Z + Partners, a strategy consulting firm, and curator of the annual PopTech conference.)

American Christians are not stupid so why are they refusing to plan for the future? Why are they acting against their best interests and the best interest of the church and the Kingdom of God?

I prefer to think it is a lack of awareness. That is one reason we are attempting to educate them the data and alert them to the implications and opportunities that lie ahead.

The churches can easily make the changes necessary to bring Seasoned Citizens back into the church. In fact, that group of people have been in positions of leadership for decades so they can lead themselves on their own. These people have been innovators and entrepreneurs leading the economic surge for a long time.

Why are Christians so slow to adapt?

Write me your comments on this topic.

Answered Prayers

2008-04-20T18:48:00.002-04:00

Not long after Dallas Seminary was founded in 1942, bankruptcy knocked at its doors. By noon on one particular day, every creditor threatened foreclosure. That morning, the founders of the Seminary met to pray in president Lewis Sperry Chafer's office. They asked God to provide the needed funds.

Harry Ironside was part of that prayer meeting. When it was his turn to pray, he prayed in his characteristically pointed manner: "Lord, we know that the cattle on a thousand hills are thine. Please sell some of them and send us the money."

Meanwhile, as these men were praying, into the seminary's business office came a tall Texan. Addressing a secretary, he said, "I just sold two carloads of cattle in Fort Worth. I've been trying to make a business deal go through and it won't work, and I feel that God is compelling me to give this money to the seminary. I don't know if you need it or not, but here's the check."

Well aware of the seriousness of the seminary's financial situation, and knowing that it was for that purpose the founders were gathered in prayer, the secretary took the check to the door of the president's office and timidly knocked. When she finally got a response, Chafer took the check out of her hand and stared at it with amazement. The amount matched the exact size of the seminary's debt. Looking at the signature on the check, he recognized the name of the cattle
rancher.

Turning to Harry Ironside, he said, "Harry, God sold the cattle!"

Source: Howard Hendricks in Stories for the Heart

compiled by Alice Gray

Church Drop Outs

2008-04-20T07:01:00.005-04:00

Life Way Resources, the research and education arm of the Southern Baptists, recently released some research on the very high number of Boomers who are dropping out of church. The numbers are quite high but let me offer a word of encouragement.

Many would be open to returning to church.

Church members and formerly churched people are alike in their deep-seated yearnings, according to respected theologian John Stott. He told Christianity Today ... that even in a secular (perhaps we could say formerly churched) culture, people are still looking for three things:

1) transcendence-something beyond, i.e. worship and the reality of God;

2) significance-identity, perspective; and

3) community-love and fellowship that puts "skin" on an invisible God.

The Apostle Paul told the Corinthians something similar in 1 Corinthians 13:13: "Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." (HCSB)

Comment: Our series on "Dialogue Prayers" is focused on those three items. For too long Evangelicals have offered only morality with little if any transcendence; service without real significance and large group attendance without fellowship. We need to make sure church is more than a rock concert or an impersonal gathering of a mob.

What do you think? Do you agree with Dr. Stott or think he is wrong? Be sure to comment.I want to hear from you.

Gary Sweeten

Sweeten Life Systems

www.sweetenlife.com

WATCH Prayer

2008-04-19T14:15:00.005-04:00

These messages will be posted on http://www.sweetenlife.com/ in the near future. You will be allowed to download them for your study and inspiration.

The Small Group Process follows the acrostic WATCH

W-WELCOME God and each other

A-ATTEND to God and each other
T-TELL God and each other your story
C-CALL upon God for help
H-HEAR God and one another

We will examine Welcome God and One Another Today

W- Welcome one another and Welcome the Lord. Begin each gathering with a time of warm greetings. This sets the stage for trust and openness to God and each other.

Warmth, gentle caring and respect for every person is essential to group dialogue and to the development of a "safe place" to experiment with prayer.

The Welcome may include refreshments, a time of "logging in" or other means of establishing an environment where members of the family feel at home. Faith, hope and love that bring healing.

The Welcoming process includes a time of acknowledging God's presence and inviting Him to lead. God is omnipresent so He is always with us. Jesus made one of the most dramatic statements ever when He said, “I will send you the Counselor to be with you and in you”. John 14. In the act of welcoming we acknowledge the words of Jesus. It establishes our intent to meet in His name and for His purposes.

Welcoming God can be done through scripture, songs, praises, or specific requests and thanksgiving for His immanent presence.

Instead of spending time in Welcoming the Lord some begin by asking for "prayer requests." We suggest that this be delayed until later when the group has had time to develop a sense of God's immanence and His guidance. The group facilitator may wish to read a short overview of the WATCH principles to inform and guide newcomers and remind veterans of the "normal" group processes.

The WATCH acrostic can be used for that purpose.Most groups go through four stages of normal development each time they meet. Whenever new people are present, it is especially important for leaders to be sensitive to the individual member needs during these phases.

Forming occurs as members or guests silently ask: " How do I fit into this group? Will I be accepted? What if I make a mistake or embarrass myself? The key to successfully moving through this stage is to warmly welcome and accept every person. It is also important to explain the roles and goals of the group. St. Paul wrote to Corinth about this issue in chapter 14 of the first letter. He told them to avoid public behavior that could confuse outsiders or non-believers.

In a small group committed to a process of give and take dialogue, we can more easily tune in to these concerns and be able to successfully navigate the anxious waters of fearful people.

Storming occurs when members' anxieties about who is in control come out in the group. They may erupt as theological or biblical debates but are usually more about emotional anxiety than spiritual truth. Stormers are asking, "Who is in charge here and why?"

A gentle, caring, warmly accepting peaceful group will weather the storm and go on to the perform stage.

Performing occurs when the anxieties of belonging and control are settled. All cylinders are firing and the group is able to work together as one unified whole. A gathering becomes a community ready and able to dialogue with each other and the Lord.

Reforming When a group comes to the end, it must reform. No two group meetings are the same so there is a symbolic "death and resurrection" at the completion of each meeting. This calls for acknowledgement and celebration.

However, when a group finishes a cycle of life and comes to an end as a covenant community, it is time for reflection and a "celebration of the resurrection". Properly done these ceremonies are extremely healthy for the individuals and for the group.

The process and attitude of Welcoming is important throughout all four stages of group development. Warmly inviting God and each other is being a good host and promotes trust, communication and bold experimentation with prayer.

Call me if you would like to have training on developing a new and more effective way of doing small groups.

Gary Sweeten

gsweeten@cinci.rr.com

Back to the Prayer Process

2008-04-17T06:46:00.004-04:00

A few days ago I posted some of my thoughts about prayer and learning to hear God. I have been distracted a bit by other matters and will add a few ideas about some of the principles of moving a group to listen to the Holy Spirit.

WATCH Prayer Meetings

The following acrostic sets out a process which can guide us as we practice Seeking Prayer in a group setting. The word, WATCH gives the process a simple outline.

W-WELCOME God and each other
A-ATTEND to God and each other
T-TELL God and each other your story
C-CALL upon God for help
H-HEAR God and one another

When we practice all these principles we will usually discover that the Lord shows up and the group experiences His presence. Remember, however, that this is a dynamic process not one governed by legalistic rules. Sometimes Attend comes before the Welcome. We may hear the Lord speak about His agenda prior to our arrival at the meeting.

When serving on the pastoral staff of a large congregation we oversaw two monthly services of healing and worship that practiced these principles. The elders gathered prior to each service to Seek God’s guidance about the upcoming event. We wanted to get an idea about the direction He would take us. This enabled us to guide the interactions, worship and preaching. Sometimes a person shares a “Word of knowledge or a Prophesy” that contradicted the direction we had received at the Seeking Meeting.

During a dialogue prayer time we need to be flexible and sensitive to the dynamics of the group. This requires that we are humble about who gives guidance and direction. Sometimes a young, inexperienced or immature person will get a word from the Lord and the wiser, mare mature members will have to swallow their pride and follow the younger one. Many are the times when God has tested our humility by giving a word to an “unworthy” person.

In the early days of our ministry to college students and street people we saw God reveal our pride. God works in a mysterious way and the Spirit guided our actions and allowed us to fail many times because we needed to trust in Him not our own wisdom. For example, a group of us met to prepare for a time of prayer for a man who was deeply troubled. He was a recent graduate of the Arizona penitentiary whom we had taken in to live with us.

During the preparation time, the Lord directed us to ask a young believer named Philip to lead the ministry process. So, we were excited about the time with Charles. We expected God to set him free. However, as we ministered to Charles it was obvious that we had no wisdom, no discernment and no power. It was embarrassing and disappointing.

The next day we met with our tail between our legs for an evaluation. I reviewed the experience and asked everyone to share his thoughts about why God did not show up. Jim listened for awhile but looked awfully uncomfortable. We asked him what was wrong. He stuttered and stumbled for awhile but finally confessed that he was angry at the meeting the night before and God had convicted him of his sin. “I was upset that Philip was the leader not me. I was thinking, ‘I am older in the Lord than he is. Philip has never done anything like this and it shows that you love him more than me’. As I prayed this morning I was really convicted about my attitude.”

Jim's confession revealed why we were impotent. Pride and anger interfered with our operating in union with Christ. God allowed us to fail. The failure showed us that we needed healing ourselves. We were not ready to pray for Charles until we prayed for ourselves. We needed to Seek God’s unity and healing before we had anything to say to Charley. We had failed at the most basic part of ministry, hearing God for ourselves.

“Physician heal thyself!”

Evangelical Community Church Group

2008-04-15T06:37:00.003-04:00

Silver Heirs

2008-04-15T06:20:00.006-04:00

On the left is Leigh Fopma Ishmael with an old folder from the Christian Discipleship Ministry at College Hill Presbyterian Church. Leigh was involved with us in prayer, care and how to share the good news of Jesus.

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These are members of the Evangelical Community where I visited last week and spoke about the importance of reaching our friends and neighbors with the good news of Christ.Silver Heirs is a group of Seasoned Believers with a wonderful track record of service to God and people.

They are some of the most gifted, talented and compassionate people I have ever known. Silver Heirs is a unique ministry that is a good model for us as we seek ways to minister to the large number of Christians over 45.

Bush Donates Lots of Money to Charity

2008-04-14T21:39:00.000-04:00

President Bush and Vice President Cheney and their wives have released information about their contributions to charities last year.

The White House said that Mr. Bush and the first lady, Laura Bush, gave $165,660 to churches and charitable organizations, a figure that represents nearly 18 percent of their total income of $936,111.

The organizations that received gifts from President and Mrs. Bush included the Crawford Volunteer Fire Department, in their Texas hometown; the Malaria No More Fund, which works in Africa and has been supported by Mrs. Bush; Martha’s Table, a soup kitchen in Washington; Susan G. Komen for the Cure (formerly known as the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation); and St. John’s Church, an Episcopal parish near the White House.

The White House did not say how much money the Bushes contributed to specific organizations.

Laura Bush, according to the White House, donated all net proceeds from a $150,000 advance she received for a children’s book she has written with her daughter, Jenna Bush. That money went to Teach for America, a nonprofit group that provides recent college graduates with opportunities to teach at schools in poor neighborhoods, and to the New Teacher’s Project.

Vice President Cheney and his wife, Lynne Cheney, said they contributed $166,547 to charity in 2007, which represented 5.5 percent of their total income of $3.05-million. The Cheneys did not identify the organizations that received their gifts.

The Cheneys said that their total contributions to charitable organizations during the years Mr. Cheney has served as vice president totaled $7.96-million.

Muslim and Mormon Evangelism

2008-04-14T14:31:00.004-04:00

Why am I discussing Evangelism and foreign missions on this blog dedicated to Seasoned (Mature) Believers? Well, mature Christians are thought to be the folks most interested in reaching out to non-believers, and, some of the largest unhitched groups in America are immigrants and a home grown cult.

Mormons: 6 million

Jews: 5.75 million

Buddhists: 5.5 million

Muslims: 2.5 million

Hindus: 1.5 million

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These very small groups are growing quickly and that fact disturbs many of us because it gets a lot of press. But I am not upset because I see God at work.

Their percentage growth is great because it begins from a tiny base and any increase looks like a lot. For example, if a group has 100 people and adds another 100 it has a 100% growth rate. But, if a group has 1,000 members and grows by 500 the growth rate is much less.

Some 80% of the American population claims to believe in Christ. This could mean as many as 200 million adults are Believers while all the groups listed above amount to only 20 about million people. And, each of these persons is a focus of our prayer and evangelism.

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Now for some great news!

You might be surprised to learn that the largest unchurched group in America is not Muslim, Mormon or even Mexicans but Seasoned Citizens from a Christian background. Many of these are "Church Alumni" who came to faith and followed Christ for many decades but dropped out of the formal church.

Just think, this is evangelism made easy. We can more easily talk with people we have known or lived next to for years.

Come to our workshop on April 26 and learn how to reach out to the disaffected alumnus and those absent from church since youth. Go to my new web page that is under construction and register. www.sweetenlife.com

Gary Sweeten
Sweeten Life Systems
gsweeten@cinci.rr.com

Thank God for Immigrants

2008-04-14T09:58:00.005-04:00

Many Americans are anxious about immigration. Lou Dobbs of CNN, overseas it stands for The Communist News Network, is a poster boy for hyper anxiety and fear mongering. His anxiety plus that of several right wing radio commentators is causing near panic among Christians. I think that such fear and worry is a serious misunderstanding of God's plan for American Christians.

First, God changes nations and national identities. Nations never stay the same.

Second, immigration makes missions much easier than ever before. I have visited foreign countries over 100 times over the last few years and I have seen the desperate needs among their people. I have been able to teach the pastors, missionaries and lay leaders how to minister the gospel to others.

Overseas missions are still needed but the world has changed. Now we live in the global village because God is bringing so many foreigners to our shores and our doors. Donna Thomas, a veteran missionary with a tremendous track record overseas, is now very active in teaching people how to reach their cross cultural neighbors in the USA. http://www.cvministries.org/CVM%20Brochure.pdf

Do not be afraid, dear Christian friends. God is bringing people here to see and know Christ and our nation will be stronger for it. Boldly ask God to lead you to folks from overseas. They are often very interested in knowing Christians and learning about our faith.

How to Stop Evangelism

2008-04-12T21:10:00.004-04:00

Gary & his students in Asia

This may seen like a strange topic for an Evangelical Minister but I am struck with how few of us do any outreach to the unchurched. The Bible is clear that Cristian's are called to reach out to their neighbors and friends but so very few do so. There must be a reason.

There are almost 900,000 Seasoned Citizens who live around Greater Cincinnati and about 2/3 of them are unchurched. That means that there are 600,000 people our age who are staying away from Christianity on a regular basis. Despite this fact, there is almost no effort by churches or active members to bring them to worship or Bible study. There must be a reason.

Thom Rainier, a Southern Baptist expert in evangelism, says that many of our age wave group are waiting to be asked. His research indicates that many people are thinking about returning to a church but are waiting on an invitation from a friend that never comes.

Several Seasoned Believers have told me of their attempts to start an outreach to invite people to Christ. Most were rebuffed by church officials. I suppose they have a good reason to stop outreach programs, but I cannot imagine what it is.

Maybe new people are too messy. New people, especially those who are not yet trained in "Church Language and Norms" are very messy. They may use bad language or not know the most important factors about Jesus such as the fact that He was a capitalist. And, many are sick, tired, poor and needy. If they all showed up what would the church do?

Maybe the leaders would be uncomfortable if these folks came so they let everyone in the church know that hurting people are not welcome. And, of course, unBelievers in Jesus, will definitely feel out of place and most will never return, so why invite them.

Change the Culture

2008-04-12T15:44:00.003-04:00

What If?

What if the greatest untapped resource in any church is people who have been following Jesus twenty years or more? What if those people could be engaged in a way that moved them beyond feeling left behind and stuck? What if the great gifts and rich experience of these people could be unleashed into a greater level of living and involvement in the purposes of God? What if the people and the church could help make that happen? What if you are in this group?

When: Saturday, April 23 9:30-12:30
Where: River Hills Christian Church, Loveland, Ohio
Who: All Ministers, Church Workers and Seasoned Believers
What: Dynamic and Innovative Ideas about kingdom expansion
Cost: Registration is $15.00 at the door for materials, food and fellowship

How: Register online http://www.sweetenlife.com/sbwregistration.aspx
Event PurposeTo help Seasoned Believers to become fully devoted followers of Jesus through:

A. Living with full potential, experience and joy

B. Unleashing Seasoned Believers to into Kingdom Ministry

C. Engaging in meaningful dialogue, synergistic relationships and collaboration with like-minded people.

D. Expanding awareness of Seasoned Believer & Seasoned Citizen demographics with suggestions for outreach and ministry to the group in Greater Cincinnati.

E. Understanding the incredible opportunities to recruit, mobilize and engage Seasoned Believers in the Great Commission Event Uniqueness (Worth the Price of Admission!)

Learn cutting edge ideas about church growth
Great conversations with Gary Sweeten, Ron Tate, Jeff Metzger and other innovative thought leaders

Event Summary

“People over fifty were expected to retire resign and relapse into a coma in past generations. That is different today. People are not just living longer they are living stronger. They have a legacy to leave future generations. How will they leave a great legacy? Find fellow travelers and become unleashed to enjoy, worship and serve the Lord in their own, unique, chosen manner. You have earned the right to soar in the Spirit with the other Eagles.”

More than any other time in the history the world has an abundance of men and women who have served God and humanity faithfully for decades. Some 807,000 folks over 45 in Greater Cincinnati. As a group, they have been blessed with enormous mental, emotional, spiritual, and financial resources.

Unfortunately, they are largely overlooked and unused. How can we better engage and recruit the 250,000 Believers of that group into the mission of Jesus? Let’s come together and discuss that issue.

When: Saturday, April 23 9:30-12:30
Where: River Hills Christian Church, Loveland, Ohio
Who: All Ministers, Church Workers and Seasoned Believers
What: Dynamic and Innovative Ideas about kingdom expansion
Cost: Registration is $15.00 at the door for materials, food and fellowship

How: Register online http://www.sweetenlife.com/sbwregistration.aspx

Directions: http://www.riverhillscc.com/

An Interesting Ministry

2008-04-12T10:26:00.001-04:00

Silver Heirs
I was excited to be with the Silver Heirs yesterday to speak about the booming growth of Seasoned Believers in society and the fact that many of them are abandoning the organized church. Silver Heirs, a group at the Evangelical Community Church, is dedicated to gathering Seasoned Believers together for fun, fellowship and mutual encouragement.

The group consists mostly of friends from College Hill Presbyterian Church where I was on the staff for sixteen years. I sure loved seeing them again and hearing the stories about what they are doing to bless people. This is one of the most gifted and compassionate people I ever knew and I am excited that they are still so actively ministering. This is one of the few ministries to Seasoned Believers in this region. Keep up the good work.

http://www.eccfellowship.org/
There are some 870,000 Seasoned Citizens in the Greater Cincinnati area. It is estimated that 2/3 of them are unchurched and many are what we are calling, "Church Alumni". They have been active church members in the past but have dropped out after graduating to things more interesting.

But most of these Alumni are looking for a dynamic church that will take their contributions seriously by engaging them in active ministries. These folks want to influence the culture and change society but few churches have any place for this group of people to serve.

In order to penetrate society and bring faith to people we have to get out of our padded pews and engage the culture, including the 870,000 Seasoned believers who are just waiting for someone to invite them to get involved.

Our Brand

2008-04-08T12:08:00.004-04:00

It is hard to communicate in today's world of overwhelming noise. It seems that almost everyone is trying to sell us something and their messages are so many and so frequent that it makes understanding difficult.

We find it difficult to communicate accurately who we are and what we do. One reason is that we have been around so long and done so many things that people get confused. It is not their fault it is ours.

So, here is our latest attempt to communicate who we are and what we do. We teach, train and develop people with the ability to enjoy

"A lifetime of great relationships." TM

Great relationships are central to healthy and growing families, healthy and prosperous businesses, healthy and faithful churches, healthy neighborhoods that lead to dynamic and civil societies.

Ever since I entered college I have been convinced that building peopl and organizations with Great Relationships was key to physical, mental and emotional health. That conviction was strengthened in Graduate School when I studied the power of groups to influence their members. My assent grew even more during doctoral studies when I read volumes of research that confirmed the biblical statement that, "Life and death are in the power of the tongue."

Every one of my books, articles and equipping classes ends up supporting the notion that strong, healthy, uplifting relationships are promoted by the Bible precisely because God created us to love and care for one another.

So, it takes sense that Sweeten Life Systems will focus on developing people, families and organizations that support and build up Great Relationships.

"A Lifetime of great relationships."TM

Sweeten Life Systems is always building

Great relationships with God

Great relationships with family

Great relationships at work

Great relationships with neighbors

Great relationships around the world

Abiding is Hard Work

2008-04-06T00:00:00.003-04:00

One of the most fascinating aspects of faith in Christ is how hard people work to develop faith rather than works. Not long ago a friend wrote to assure our little band that even though he was a Reformed man full of faith, he had not stopped trying to develop more faith so he could heal more people and have more prayers answered.

In response I wrote up my recent research on abiding in the vine and how to abide better. Here is the summary of my research.

I spent a year researching grapes and how they managed to abide in the vine. I interviewed the big, juicy, fat grapes, since they had mastered the abiding techniques well. It was an intense process because grapes rarely want to share their secrets and hard work of abiding and developing faith.

Gary: Hello, Mr. Grape. You are so big, juicy and well developed you must have worked very hard to get so healthy.
Grape: What!! Are you nuts? I did nothing. I simply hung on to the vine.
Gary: But, Mr. Grape, how were you able to abide so well? It must take a lot of work and faith to make yourself so secure in the vine?
Grape: Where did you study agriculture, the USSR? I am telling you that abiding is resting and I can do nothing on my own. In fact, I have no ability to do anything in the realm of sticking or working to abide more. The vine holds on to me not the other way around.
Gary: So, it was your faith in abiding that allowed you to develop so much juice and produce so much? How did you develop into such a giant of faith? Was it hard to do? What about all your failures?
Grape: What do you mean, develop stronger faith so I could be a “Grape of Great Faith”? I have no idea why you are trying to make this so hard? The vine does it all. I do not even know how to ask the vine for more let alone make it produce better. By the way, you are making me so nervous it may interfere with my juice production. Anxiety makes me have acid and that eats away at my juice production. Why don’t you go interview some apples or figs? Go see how hard they work to grow so large and juicy.
Gary: Well, ladies and gentlemen, there you have it from the horses, er, Grapes' own mouth. They refused to share their secret techniques, exercise regimen and faith building program. That is really too bad and I hope the grapes will write a book on "Becoming a Faithful Grape"! However, I am not confident that they will.

History and Understanding

2008-04-05T08:23:00.005-04:00

Thomas Jefferson

One of my favorite subjects in school was history. I still enjoy watching the History Channel and other TV shows about the past even though I do not remember all the facts that well.
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When I watch a drama about great events from the past I always think about how blessed I was to have been born when wealth, medical care and shelter are so common and inexpensive.
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We recently visited Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and saw a replica of the one room home where Dolly Parton and her many siblings grew up. It was very, very small. (See http://hookedonhouses.wordpress.com/ for photos) It reminded me of my childhood home. Neither os us had indoor plumbing or central heat. Her home was much smaller than ours, however.

Neither Dolly or I were kept from achieving great things because of childhood poverty. Dolly is a famous multi millionaire and I have a doctorate and an international ministry. Only in America and other democracies can that happen. God has blessed our nation.
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History proves it is poverty of the mind and spirit more than a lack of money that keep us enslaved. As we remember Dr. King's legacy it is easy to miss that his focus was on building up the inner spirit and mind. Yes, he certainly fought against poverty and a lack of opportunity for African Americans, but he knew that the answer was character not just money.

I get a bit irritated when I hear politicians talk about how bad our economy is right now. The unemployment rate in Ohio is less than 6% and that would be considered a record low historically and internationally, but the media weep because they like to say it is too high. The sky is falling!

A British newspaper wrote recently that the USA was in a Depression. yet, England's unemployment is almost twice that of America.

The media love bad news and they shout it out constantly.

Much of the current housing crisis occurred because people with medium salaries tried to buy mac mansions and they couldn't pay for them. We are trying to live above our means and history shows that it never works.

As a Seasoned Believer I often hear younger Christians lament how awful things are today. But they say there is hope if we old fogies would get out of the way so they could fix it. That is a normal thought process for kids but it still irritates me.

I read this morning a quote by Cicero. It goes something like this. "To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child."

Political Giving

2008-04-03T19:52:00.004-04:00

Senator Obama received 40 million dollars last month from over a million Internet donors to keep his campaign going. Mrs. Clinton received about 20 million.

WOW!! Why is so much money going to politicians?

Maybe people are expecting the Messiah to come as President of the USA. Maybe donors just enjoy shelling out millions to support TV, radio and Newspaper ads. Maybe they just want to have their person in the White House.

Let's face it. Effective ministries rarely receive much from the Internet.
World Vision, a wonderful ministry to folks in crisis around the world, has a budget of about 4 Billion Dollars. (It is Billion not Million.) Christians are generous, especially Conservative Christians. God is moving and it takes finances to operate a mission and ministry. Thanks for your prayers and support.

Sweeten Life Systems is a 501c3 faith based charity and God is blessing us with numerous opportunities to impact leaders and their organizations. We are engaged in directly training missionaries, pastors and laity how to relate with health and love. We also help pastors and leaders who are stressed and looking for someone who they can speak to in confidence and safety. This is how evangelism and healing proceed effectively.

We all know that dysfunctional churches and dysfunctional leaders do harm to the gospel. In the past few years we have read how deeply the good news has been compromised by broken, compulsive and sinful leaders. We cannot tell you about the many times we have counseled leaders and their organizations when they are in crisis. Their stories are confidential.

Without confidential and skilled assistance many will end up in the evening news confessing their compulsive "mistakes". Others will be in the divorce courts facing the glare of a wounded spouse. I wish I could tell you the several hundred stories of triumph and victory but it is not possible. Pray for us.

We can say, however, that many fragile, depressed, anxious and tempted men and women came to us when there was no where else to go. We offer them highly skilled care and counsel regardless of their ability to pay. Your pastors and leaders are lonely, frustrated and poorly supported. They desperately need your compassion.

The Sweeten Life Systems' team is well known for providing a safe place to get healed, refreshed and re fired. We are being compassionate for you.

Sweeten Life Systems
P.O. Box 498455
Cincinnati, Ohio 45249

En-Joying Life

2008-04-03T17:54:00.003-04:00

Taken from From the Wall Street Journal http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB120709012659781613.html

Despite the sharp rise in our standard of living in recent decades, Americans today are little or no happier than earlier generations. Why not?

Americans are no happier today than they were 30 years ago. Why? How would you rate your happiness level right now? There are various reasons we feel sad, mad or glad.
Feeling unpleasant. Think of happiness as having three components. First, there's our basic disposition -- whether we are, by nature, a happy person or not. Clearly, there isn't a whole lot we can do about this.
Second, there are your life's circumstances, such as age, health, marital status and income. Often, this stuff isn't nearly as important as folks imagine. If my income doubled, I would initially be delighted. But research suggests we would quickly get used to all that extra money.
Third, how you spend your time -- something you have a fair amount of control over. This is the subject of a major new study by academics Daniel Kahneman, Alan Krueger, David Schkade, Norbert Schwarz and Arthur Stone. The people were asked to rate three episodes based on feelings such as pain, happiness, stress and sadness. All this was used to calculate what percentage of time people spent in an unpleasant state.

Result?

Women, folks under age 65, those divorced or separated, lower-income earners and the less educated were likely to spend a bigger chunk of their day in an unpleasant state.

The standout cluster of positive feelings were associated with what the authors label as "engaging leisure and spiritual activities." Things like visiting friends, exercising, attending church, listening to music, fishing, reading a book, sitting in a cafe or going to a party. When we spend time on our favorite of these activities, we're typically happy, engrossed and not especially stressed.

Find your passion, calling and gifting and do it. That sounds positively biblical. This is another reason why Seasoned Believers need to find a ministry that will allow them to be actively involved in positive, self chosen activities.

Get out and do something with friends or for someone and you will be blessed. Just as the Bible says: "It is more blessed to give than it is to receive."

The Grace of Aging

2008-04-03T15:21:00.003-04:00

Where are women from????
At the age of eleven or thereabouts women acquire a poise and an ability to handle difficult situations which a man, if he is lucky, manages to achieve somewhere in the later seventies.
PG Wodehouse

On May 5 I will gain poise!!!

Seeking Prayers

2008-04-01T05:59:00.004-04:00

It is helpful to remember that there are at least three main categories of prayers. They are: Seeking, Speaking and Soaking Prayers.

Seeking Prayers in which we focus our attention on building our relationship with the Heavenly Father and hearing from Him. In my view this is the key to developing a successful prayer life in the other two realms. If we do not seem to connect with the Lord then trying to Speak meaningfully or Soak a person is dry and boring.

"And Elisha prayed, 'O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.' Then the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha." - 2 Kings 6:17

Open the eyes of my heart Lord,

Open the eyes of my heart-

I want to see you

Speaking Prayers occur after we have developed a comfortable connection with the Spirit and we hear His still, small voice directing us to focus on a particular person or issue. For example, as I commune with God a certain person or need comes to my mind and I allow myself to follow the Spirit's guidance wherever it takes me. I try to rest in the Lord and not pressure myself to any structure or plan of my making. It is a loose, stream of spiritual consciousness rather than my trying to tell God what to do.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Colossians 1:9

Soaking Prayers are needed when we face a particularly difficult problem such as a chronic illness, an attack of evil, a family dysfunction or persecution. Here we, sometime with a group, focus on the one person or issue that is broken or under attack. Sometimes we add fasting to the regimen.

"So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes." Daniel 9:3

Seeking Prayers can be a part of our daily activities and become like breathing to us. Breathe out our focus on God and breathe in the Spirit's presence. This is the way we can "Pray without ceasing."

Prayer and Listening-Again!

2008-03-30T22:55:00.005-04:00

Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one (Deut. 6:4). Meditate on this for awhile and let it sink in to your heart. It is the core of our faith.

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The servant of the Lord in Isaiah 50:4, with whom Jesus is identified, proclaims the Lord morning by morning as the one who wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught.

The Greek word upakouo that we usually translate as obey possibly can be better said to mean hyper listen or listen intently.

Obey normally means that we have a moral or ethical responsibility to do what we are told. Morals are important of course. However, but they can lead to laws that kill the spirit and soul. On the other hand, if the focus is listening to God, we get a far different idea about how to relate with God. It is much closer to abiding in Christ and allowing the Holy Spirit rise up within us. That changes the emphasis from external rules to internal energy and communion with God.

The prologue of the Rule of St. Benedict begins this way. Listen carefully and incline the ear of your heart.

Since God is holy and awesome, don't talk too much about your external issues and concerns. Take time to be silent and humbly approach God. Seek His inner witness and the Holy Spirit’s energizing force. Find your rest in the Spirit's flow that produces guidance about what to say and how to say it.

ECC 5:3 As a dream comes when there are many cares, so the speech of a fool when there are many words.

We show a lack of peace, wisdom and maturity when we talk too much during prayer. It’s best to settle down, focus and receive His peace before we say anything. Our hyper-talking rather than hyper-listening indicates worrisome self-focus rather than peaceful godly focus.

By listening to the inner witness of the Holy Spirit we will be able to hear that small voice of direction and focus and speak out of hearing not hear out of speaking.

Barbara McClintock is working to develop new and better strains of corn. Highly regarded as a world expert in her field, Dr. McClintock was once asked to reveal the secret that made her so able in her research. She replied: "I lean into the kernel. I lean into the kernel."

This "listening to the kernel" allows her to understand how it lives and reproduces. We need to lean into God to let Him guide our prayers and guide our lives.

Words either kill or heal but caring ears always mend. Gary Sweeten

ECC 5:6 Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, "My vow was a mistake." Why should God be angry with what you say and destroy the work of your hands?”

Our mouths get us into trouble by quickly vowing to God on a matter. It is foolish to promise to act and then fail to carry it out. Hasty words and thoughts are the marks of foolishness leading to the Lord’s discipline.

It also warns preachers not to ask for a hasty commitment from listeners. Some evangelists use psychological manipulation to get a desired response but that is dangerous. They start with simple questions, like “Do you think it is warm tonight” or “How many of you enjoyed that musical presentation?” in order get people in the habit of to raising their hands.

Before long the evangelist will ask if people want to make a vow to follow Christ or never marry and some may raise their hands without counting the cost. Some evangelists gave Bibles to Russian audiences so they would to get used to saying yes. Manipulation is wrong for many reasons. First, it leads people astray from God. Second, it mocks God and teaches listeners to trust manipulation not the Lord. Third, it is an extreme form of works righteousness.

Trust God and do what you want.

Health Care for Seniors

2008-03-30T08:11:00.003-04:00

Garrison Keillor of The Prairie Home Companion radio show is one of my favorite humorists. He sees humor and with it insight in many wacky and wonderful places. For example, getting old and getting the government to pay for it.

http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/features/deskofgk/2008/01/22.shtml

The Old Scout

What is Wrong with Our Country Today

January 22, 2008

Q. As a senior citizen, do you feel that the health care system is doing all it can for your health problem?

A. I am not now, and never have been, a senior citizen. I happen to be 65 years old. Not the same thing. I am lively and quick, don't shamble or shuffle, and don't clutch the banister when I go down stairs. The brown spots on the backs of my hands are from experiments with a chemistry set when I was a boy. I have the urinary tract of a young horse. Doctors continue to be astonished.

What was the question?

DollyWood

2008-03-30T00:37:00.005-04:00

Our good friends Jack and Sheri Herschend are the chief designers and idea people behind Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. They took that idea and planted it in the Smokey Mountains many years ago. Karen and I first took Julie and Tim down to visit Silver Dollar City about 30 years ago and we had a ball.

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Now it is Dollywood in her home town of Pigeon Forge and she has made herself proud. Dollywood has expanded greatly.

We had a great time and I am highlighting two shows that were outstanding in entertainment and inspiration. The First group I saw (Right photo above) consisted of six male singers from Zambia. Their vocalizing was wonderful and their repertoire varied from Country and Western to Gospel to Zambian.

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The second was a terrific group from Ireland that sang, played traditional instruments and danced. It was thoroughly entertaining.

What talent!

Vacation

2008-03-30T00:18:00.004-04:00

Karen and I just returned from a few days in the Smokey Mountains with daughter and her family. We rented an awesome cabin outside Pigeon Forge. It was plenty big enough for all six of us and even more could have slept and played there.

It has been a very long time since our family went to Dollywood and it has grown immensely. The rides and shows were great and the weather terrific.

Listen

2008-03-22T09:07:00.003-04:00

ECCL 5:1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.Guard your steps.

Put a hedge around yourself; make sure you have appropriate boundaries on your thoughts and actions by self-discipline.

As you go to the house of God. This is the dwelling place or a resting place of the most high. It is not a building but the tabernacle of God. The Tebernacle for Christians is within themselves. As we go inside place boundaries around our heart and mind.

The Tabernacle can also be a prayer group that meets in His Name. Have discipline when you meet with God. Draw near to Shama.

One of the most important words in the Old Testament is Shama. It means, "Give attention, understand with an undivided focus; with a clear mind and heart. Attend to God and interact with Him."

Rather than offering a sacrifice of fools who do not know they are wrong.

What a verse! Some foolish people do not even know they are doing evil (unethical, immoral, or injurious) behavior toward God and man when they meet for prayer but do not listen and only talk.

A Way of Prayer

2008-03-22T07:33:00.004-04:00

In order to "abide" in Christ and allow the noise and static of the day slip away from our mind it is necessary to learn how to meditate. The most common barrier to hearing God comes from an inability to rest and focus my mind.

Remember, Jesus promised in John 14 to leave us the Holy Spirit so we would not be lonely or afraid. The Spirit is with us and in us and He wishes to guide us. Can you believe that the Spirit of God has a stronger desire to speak to us than we desire to speak with Him? Why, then, is it so rare that we hear Him?

Too much interference. Perhaps there is so much going on in us and around us that the "still small voice of the Lord" has trouble breaking through. Here is where meditation can help us.

Christians, unlike Buddhists, and Hindus, begin by meditating on something rather than nothing. The Eastern "mantra" is a sound such as, "OOOMMM". For Christians it is different. We focus on a passage of scripture, a prayer or the Name of Jesus. A famous Russian phrase often used to facilitate meditation is:

Lord Jesus Christ

Son of the living God

Have mercy on me, a sinner.

Try this or a prayer and see what happens. Is it helpful to your being calm and ridding yourself of anxious thoughts? Are you more peaceful?

Seasoned Believers

2008-03-21T08:05:00.003-04:00

A few posts ago I challenged you to guess how many people 45 and older live in the nine counties we call Greater Cincinnati. A few took the plunge but I suppose the risk of being off by a few thousand people kept some from guessing.

My buddy Ron Tate has read numerous books, demographic studies and census reports and here is his report. There are some 870,000 people 45 and over around the beltway in Greater Cincinnati. That is a lot of people.

Is your church doing anything to appeal to this huge demographic? This group is the richest, most experienced and best educated cohort of Seasoned Citizens ever. To ignore them is to risk spiritual and economic ruin, yet I know of few churches that have even thought about reaching out to the more mature among us.

The number of Seasoned Believers among the 870,000 total is unknown. Some researchers indicate that about 2/3 are unchurched. Modern church planters and church growth experts do not, to my knowledge discuss reaching this group.

Some Seasoned Believers have told me that Pastors were threatened by their skills and gifts and refused to involve them in significant ministries. I believe it.

Our ministry is looking for men and women who are successful in life and who want to serve God more fervently now that they are reaching midlife. A retired physician volunteered to assist in a local hospital. When he showed up ready to use his forty years of medical experience the administration assigned him to wash and refill water bottles.

A friend was attending a small country church near Cincinnati when the Pastor was called to active duty in Iraq as a Chaplain. There were three retired ministers in the church but the denomination would not allow them to volunteer to fill the empty position. They were, however, allowed to help plant flowers and clean the church.

In fact, I was told by a young Pastor in Cincinnati that I should "step aside" so he and the young city leaders could take over and run the renewal ministries in Greater Cincinnati. The new organization they had formed to "bring renewal to the city" lasted about six months but the one headed by us old geezers is still in operation.

Can this be what the Bible meant for Elders? Does God want the experienced and well off Elders to play golf all week? Does the term Elder mean people in their fifties and sixties should just get out of the way?

What has happened to turn ministry/servanthood into an exclusive club for professionals? Are the 2/3 of the Seasoned Citizens who now fit the description as "Church Alumni" staying away from church because they are not allowed to fully use their talents, gifts and experiences?

In April we are going to look at some of these issues when we gather at River Hills Church in Loveland, Ohio. Write me for more information.

Gary Sweeten
gsweeten@cinci.rr.com

Abiding in Christ

2008-03-20T20:56:00.003-04:00

One of my most important insights on hearing God speak came as I was preparing for our workshop. While reading John 14 it occurred to me that the first part where John says, "Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God believe also in me. In my father's house are many resting rooms and I go to prepare a room for you."

In the hundred times I have heard this passage used as a text for preaching it is in a funeral. Thus, it is famous a s "Funeral Text". But I disagree. That passage is a foundation for living not one for dying.

If we read all of John 14 and 15 it become clear that Jesus is preparing us for the need to "dwell" in one of God's "resting rooms" as Believers in Jesus.

A following text reveals God's plan to enable us to dwell in God. Jesus says, "You will have the Counselor, the Holy Spirit to be with you and in you." This changes everything I do.

As a Pastor, Counselor and Coach I realize that the Counselor has more wisdom, insight and knowledge than I. I was taught in grad school that I was the expert who should be telling others what to do. This statement indicates how badly I was taught.

Now I expect that the Counselor in them and with us can give them guidance and wisdom greater than anything I could think or imagine. What a relief! God has given us both the same Counselor.

We must trust that the Counselor can and will speak. While meeting with a Pastor about training his elders, the term "Legacy" came to my mind. It was somewhat surprising that that term appeared in my thoughts because we were not discussing the future.

About thirty minutes later I said, "We need to remind the Elders that they are influencing the future of their children." He replied, "Legacy is very important to me. I speak on it regularly."

So, God brings things to mind regularly and often if we listen. In the midst of a conversation, while reading or writing the Counselor in me will speak gently, subtly and carefully, so learning to discern is important.

I am still getting notes from our Saturday participants who reveal visions, word's guidance and insights they received during our time together. Thanks for keeping me informed.

Contributions to Sweeten Life Systems are tax deductible and are the only source of income we have to continue our ministry to leaders here and around the world.

Sweeten Life Systems

P.O. Box 498455

Cincinnati, Ohio 45249

Hearing God Stories

2008-03-18T21:47:00.004-04:00

Marie Martin and I were praying together at the monthly healing service when a lady came forward and asked for prayer as she knelt. She explained that her cancer had gotten so bad that there was little medical hope for recovery.

Marie and I developed the habit of seeking God before we petitioned Him for healing. So, we asked for guidance and Marie asked the lady a question. "I have the impression that you and your husband are having conflict. Is that correct?"

"No. We are fine," she replied.

So, we bowed in seeking prayer again and for the second time Marie asked about her husband and her relationship. "No, we are fine," she said.

The third time it happened again and Marie said, "I cannot pray for you to be healed of cancer because I keep getting that there is a root of bitterness and anger." This time the lady screamed, "That no good SOB raped my daughters and I hate him."

Marie calmly said, "Well, we need to get that healed first before we pray for cancer." This is why we seek God before we speak to Him about acting.

Gary Sweeten

gsweeten@cinci.rr.com

Dialogue Prayers

2008-03-17T20:15:00.005-04:00

I taught a very brief workshop Saturday on "Dialogue Prayer". This is a process whereby Believers get together and discuss issues with each other and with God in faith that they can hear His voice. In the process we carry on a dialogue and do not get stuck in a monologue. This is not easy because we are much more used to monologues than dialogues.

It might be helpful to describe some different ways we can be involved in these times of "Dialogue Prayer". During the too brief workshop, we were in small groups of five to ten people. (Ten is a bit large.) We remembered that Jesus promised in John 14 to place the Holy Spirit with and in us. Thus, the Spirit is in our midst and within each person. When we gather it is easy to talk to God while we are talking to each other.

Usually someone shares a need and starts the prayer circle and everyone focuses on that person and need. During the dialogue we may become aware of as new idea, a passage of the Bible or a picture that fits the need. The idea or passage could be shared and the group may stop and analyze the idea. Here is an example.

One of the members needed a new job. We asked for wisdom and guidance from the Spirit. We paused and thanked the Lord for His concern. Then, one person saw a vision of a man and heard the name of a state so he shared it. The man looking for a new job said he was presently discussing a job with a person from that same state.

This gave us all a feeling of God's presence and concern for us. We then went on to other topics.

Send your stories in to:

Gsweeten@cinci.rr.com

Send Donations to:

Sweeten Life Systems

P.O. Box 498455

Cincinnati, Ohio 45249

Hearing God

2008-03-17T07:56:00.003-04:00

At the Day of Prayer Saturday we encouraged folks to think about times they had encountered the Lord personally. We heard a variety of stories, starting, for many, with the encounter of conversion.

One of my most memorable encounters came when I was twenty years old and was in my 1957 Ford Fairlane heading as fast as possible for a dance hall and tavern eleven miles south of my home in West City next door to Benton, Illinois. West City was a notorious village where gambling, dance halls and booze dominated the economy and it had a history of violence and underage drinking.

Just south of my home on Route 37 while driving I experienced an encounter with God. I was just passing the Clabber Girl advertisements and headed into the Burma Shave signs when it happened. Not a very likely place or condition for God to break into my consciousness.

Many people talk about the importance of "Deciding to follow the Lord". I had decided a few years earlier to follow Lord Gary. My plans that night proved it. But God had another plan. He chose to interrupt my misery and false sense of importance and bring me back to following Him. I was drawn to faith in Christ at age ten but circumstances and teenage rebellion tempted me to "fun". Now God was reeling me back in.

The car filled up with a heavy, fog-like presence of the Spirit and I distinctly heard His voice. "Gary, choose this day whom you will serve." I was stunned but I knew it was the Lord. My shock came from hearing it so clearly while driving to a gambling and drinking party. That did not fit my theology.

I had been in churches and prayer meetings all my life. My Maternal Grandmother, Mom Taylor, went to house church meetings and often heard the Lord speak. I was around such people so I knew that God was not silent. So, when He spoke, I answered. "Lord, to whom else can I go? Only You have the words of life."

When God chased me down beside the Burma Shave signs it was the beginning of a great ride. It occurred fifty years ago this summer and I have been radically different ever since. Soon afterward I began hunting for a Christian wife and God supplied her. We have over 46 years of bliss together. God is good.

What is your story? Can you remember times when the Holy Spirit showed up in a dramatic or gentle manner? I will relate other times but I want to hear from you.

Gary Sweeten

Sweeten Life Systems

P.O. Box 498455

Cincinnati, Ohio 45249

A lifetime of great relationships

Gsweeten@cinci.rr.com

Day for Prayer

2008-03-16T21:49:00.004-04:00

Karen Sweeten and Dawn Donovan Serve Us

Great Food, Great People and Great Prayer

Dialogue and Prayer

Day of Seeking God

2008-03-16T21:26:00.004-04:00

Almost fifty of us gathered at the Crestview Presbyterian Church in West Chester, Ohio just north of Cincinnati on March 15 for a time of Seeking God's voice. In light of the statement by Jesus that, "My sheep know my voice..." we decided to work on doing just that.

John 10:1 "I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. 3 The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.

Maybe we are like the Disciples and are confused by this saying. But, we decided to try it out. And we did. Here are a few photos of the church and the day.

In my Father's house are many rooms.

2008-03-16T19:49:00.005-04:00

Are you ready for Easter? I hope to help you prepare for one of the greatest days in the history of the Church and humanity. I am currently studying what it means to be in union with Christ or abide in Christ. This is a central aspect of the Orthodox Church Movement. It is, unfortunately, largely ignored in Roman Catholic and Protestant circles. Perhaps that is because we in the West think like Greek Scientists. Thankfully, Orthodox theology and practice is much more Eastern, as is the Bible.

Yesterday, Saturday, March 15, about fifty of us had a half day of seeking God's presence so we might dwell in Him. It was a great day. Over the following posts I will share my insights and show photos of our time together.

What do you think it means to "Abide in Jesus Christ?" Almost the whole of John 14 and John 15 is focused on describing Jesus' description of the future of Christianity. Yet, many of the conversations and discussions as well as the sermons largely miss the point.

Here is my challenge. Read John 14 and try to imagine what Jesus is talking about. Do not read John 15 yet. Yield not to the temptation to look at the metaphor Jesus used to explain what He meant.

Now, write out what it means to abide. Use other terms and other concepts. In fact, write your own metaphor or word picture as if you had to describe it to another person.

Send your insights and ideas to me and I will print them. The best metaphor will receive one of my books free and get their name and picture on this blog.

Perceptions of Christianity

2008-03-07T09:23:00.007-05:00

A new book entitled unChristian (see it at)http://www.unchristian.com/ is the result of research by the Barna Group on how Christianity is perceived by young people. The ad for unChristian says:

Christians are supposed to represent Christ to the world. But according to the latest report card, something has gone terribly wrong. Using descriptions like “hypocritical,” “insensitive,” and “judgmental,” young Americans share an impression of Christians that’s nothing short of . . . unChristian.

Groundbreaking research into the perceptions of sixteen- to twenty-nine-year-olds reveals that Christians have taken several giant steps backward in one of their most important assignments. The surprising details of the study, commissioned by Fermi Project and conducted by The Barna Group, are presented with uncompromising honesty in unChristian.

Find out why these negative perceptions exist, learn how to reverse them in a Christlike manner, and discover practical examples of how Christians can positively contribute to culture.

So, let's get this straight. The Fermi Project is dedicated to facilitating a wider conversation on the topic of how to change these negative perceptions. May the Lord have mercy on your soul!

I am an educator and cognitive therapist trained in understanding how people perceive reality or mis perceive reality. As scripture says and cognitive psychology confirms, "The heart is deceitful..." Our hearts deceive ourselves and others without even half trying.

This does not mean that we nor unChristian is wrong for trying to shift perceptions. It is probably not a bad thing to market our faith to the world. It is, however, difficult if not impossible to accomplish.

Now read This

A new study about people who use an expensive brand name medicine versus others who use a generic cheap version shows that perception really matters. Those who knew they were using an expensive pill reported those pills were decidedly more powerful in relieving pain than the cheap pills. Both pills were made of sugar and had no chemicals in them to reduce pain.

This is called, "The Placebo Effect" and has a very powerful influence on our experience. The Bible calls it, "The Faith Effect" and says that our faith really does effect our experience.

The authors of unChristian did a "Research Study" about people's experience of Christianity. The faith as well as the past experiences of the people interviewed undoubtedly influenced their answers. The authors do not seem to understand that surveys reveal the top of the head perceptions of the people. They do not revel deep heart beliefs.

The book unChristian seems to take the perceptions, biases and frustrations of the respondents as facts. Now they set out to criticize "Christianity" based on those conclusions. Here is the rub. There are between 300 and 400 thousand churches in America. There are many preachers on TV and radio. All of them are different in style, theology and practice. To criticize Christianity is misleading. They seem to indicate that there is only one voice or one channel of communication in American Christianity.

I often read marketing magazines and management books about these issues. Several years ago I read that there are eight categories of males who drink beer. So Coors and Bud must develop and communicate eight different types of marketing ads to get guys to buy their beers. Eight different messages to market the same beer!

I am listening to the Fermi pod casts and they seem to assume that there is one, consistent, hateful and legalistic, right wing political message emanating for some central location in America. Their solution is for this little group to send a new message approved by the Left Wing of American politics.

They also seem to assume that they are the first generation to care for the poor and who are sensitive to minorities. They now will be able to change the perceptions of young people by going into prisons, doing ministry among the poor and so on. Since no one has ever done that before in America, others will finally see the light of Christian charity. As you can see, I am sceptical of their approach.

Instead of building on the shoulders of giants they must destroy the negative ideas built by former generations. Then a new Phoenix can arise from the ashes.

Such idealism and lack of real knowledge about both the good and bad of past generations is not unusual. However, it is misplaced and unhelpful.

The issues and opportunities facing Christianity are multifaceted, interconnected and massive. Their solution will require new cooperation, dialogue and prayerful interaction of all ages and groups. I am not convinced that the Fermi Project or unChristian is adding much to the progress.

By attacking other Christians the Fermi group can hardly build a new vision of love, grace and cooperation.

God Has A Plan

2008-03-04T22:21:00.003-05:00

Many years ago the Lord indicated that we needed to get ourselves ready to travel and minister overseas. We were very excited and wondered where we would be going. We never doubted that the word was genuine so we began to make plans to be ready when called.

During our second LIFE Seminar, a couple of wonderful ladies came from South Africa to learn. That was quite a shock for us. As we talked, they shared a great deal about church life and the racial crisis. SA certainly needed to learn about healing and peace. It seemed obvious that God was going to send me to the tip of Africa to train Believers in prayer, healing and forgiveness. But I was wrong in my assumptions.

A couple of years later a group of us met for prayer at an international conference board meeting. The Lord spoke to us about His plan for pouring out His Spirit in a New Reformation around the world. We believed that our group was supposed to take a major role in renewing Reformed Churches.

Our President mentioned that there was a big international conference in Kenya that he was invited to attend. “Say,” he said, “I think we need to send Gary.” This was confirmation that international travel was in the offering and Africa was looming large.

I attended that conference and it changed my life. I was launched into an world wide ministry of teaching and training.Many organizations in several nations have taken our materials to establish training centers. However, I still have not been to South Africa.

During the conference I met Jens-Petter Jorgensen, head of OASE, the renewal group of Norway! God sent me to Africa to meet a Norwegian Lutheran! We have been ministering there ever since and it helps keep me from jumping to so many conclusions.

Types of Prayer

2008-02-29T22:33:00.007-05:00

Seeking Prayer-Soaking Prayer

Dr. Francis McNutt has been a wonderful teacher and mentor for the body of Christ for some 30 years. He was the first person to teach us about the concept of soaking prayer. I have benefited from that process ever since. Dr. Maurie Loomans voiced a provocative thought about soaking prayer on January 7, 1997. Maurie said,

"Whereas Soaking Prayer calls us to focus our Calls for God's healing and delivering power to be released on a particular person or for a particular need, Seeking Prayer emphasizes the desire to only Seek God's will and presence. After He shows up we will hear and follow His voice about what to pray about and what other actions to pursue. Dr. McNutt is also a master at Seeking God's direction and teaching on Seeking Prayers.

There is a big difference between having our agenda set in a cognitive fashion and an agenda that comes from the Holy Spirit. Both can be legitimate and both can result in a dynamic prayer life. However, it seems to me that the "Spirit led times" are more effective and efficient. It also follows that those praying are more likely to follow up and act accordingly when they hear God's voice and not just the call of a human to act.

As St Paul said, "I will pray with my spirit and I will pray with my mind also. I shall sing with my spirit and sing with my mind also." ICO 14:15

When do you find yourself most open to the touch of God?

Gary Sweeten

A lifetime of great relationships with God, self and others. (SM)

Hearing God Workshop Coming Soon

2008-02-26T19:25:00.005-05:00

A "Double Your Money Back" Guarantee!

If you don't hear the Lord speak clearly while attending the workshop on March 15 I will give you double your registration fee back!

+++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++
You spoke and we listened. Our surveys said you are hungry to rest in the love of God and hear His voice. In response we are taking a Half Day on March 15 for “Talking and Listening to God”.

Forty years ago I learned how to abide in Christ and listen to the Holy Spirit through “Dialogue Prayer”. It has been one of the greatest blessings of my life and ministry.

Bring your family and friends to an experiential day of learning this simple process in the midst of a worshipping community. (Groups may wish to learn together.)

When Saturday, March 15, 9:00-12:30

WHERE Crestview Presbyterian Church

9463 Cincinnati Columbus Rd

West Chester, OH 45069513.

777.6555 (p)

Sign ups: (Seating is Limited. Register Now.)
No Fee but Registration is required: gsweeten@cinci.rr.com or 513-697-6494
Name, address, email and telephone number
Materials and Details will be sent to registrants
Worship and praise are included
A lifetime of great relationships©

DIRECTIONS
9463 Cincinnati-Columbus Road (Rt. 42),
West Chester, OH,
2 miles north of I-275

Come and touch the hem of His garment

Faith, Hope and Love

2008-02-25T19:22:00.004-05:00

These three remain, Faith, Hope and Love and the greatest is Love. I CO 13

Is there any doubt that Senator Barack Obama is one of the most exciting candidates for office that we have ever seen? He is in my mind and I have seen and heard a lot of candidates.

It is hard for people to understand why he is so inspiring but I think it is clear. He speaks and people have hope. The winner of the election will be the person who inspires not only hope but is also able to connect with the electorate to promote faith and love. Mr. Obama has the hope but can he deliver on faith and love?

St. James said that faith without works is dead. Hope without action is also dead. However, Obama may be able to communicate all of these spiritual intangibles. We desperately need to experience faith, hope and love. The USA needs them and our world needs them. Especially we in the West need all three of St. Paul's trinitarian liturgy of faith, hope and love.

Why do we, the G 8 nations, who are so rich and so extremely successful, need to be inspired with spiritual values? Because we are so incredibly wealthy in material goods we no longer need to work long hours to get more than enough.
Wealth can lead people to a loss of appreciation for what we have.

Wealthy folk tend to develop an "Entitlement Mentality" that sees what we have been blessed with as something we deserve. Just think how many people now speak of things we once only hoped and prayed to achieve as though they were our right to automatically possess.

Perhaps the most powerful book on this topic is The Fourth Great Awakening by the Nobel Prize winning Economist Robert William Fogel. His analysis of the issues and problems we face is unique and incisive. He says we need to share our spiritual values and beliefs with others and especially the poor. And who is best able to do that? The Seasoned Citizens who have excess time, knowledge, wisdom, experience and finances.

Sweeten Life Systems is dedicated to unleashing and mobilizing Seasoned Believers so they can mentor others with spiritual, emotional, relational and family values.

You can support these efforts with prayer, finances and servant hood. Get involved. You have a lot to give.

Gary Sweeten

gsweeten@cinci.rr.com

Paula's Guess

2008-02-25T08:47:00.003-05:00

Paula thinks the percentage of Seasoned Citizens in the Greater Cincinnati are is 67.5%. That comes out to about 1,687,500 people.

That's a lot!

Seasoned Believers All Around Us

2008-02-24T23:54:00.002-05:00

How many people in the Greater Cincinnati Area are 45 and older? There is a total of 2,477, 826 people living in the Ohio/Kentucky/Indiana counties around the 275 Beltway.

How many do you think are Seasoned Citizens?

The person, other than Ron Tate to who compiled these data, will get a free book from Sweeten Life Systems.

Opportunities for Seasoned Citizens

2008-02-24T23:35:00.004-05:00

According the Bureau of Labor Statistics,

16.2 percent of the work force was comprised of employees aged 55 and older in 2005;

by 2050, this number is slated to grow to almost one-fourth (23 percent)

A survey released on Sept. 25 by Monster.com found that organizations weren't adequately prepared for the impending "brain drain" brought on by employees who retire. They knew these shortages were looming, but only 23 percent had plans in place to identify the knowledge that needed to be protected.

Among other pieces of advice, the survey recommended that employers create incentives to keep their older workers around.

The shock and shame of this trend comes from the fact that if we did a survey of churches we would find that almost none of them have planned for ways to keep their Seasoned Believers and Leaders engaged in meaningful ministries. In the headlong rush to replace Elders with Younger, there is an unfortunate lack of planning on how to retain the knowledge and wisdom of those with years of experience and insight.

This is not a hidden way to keep youth from being involved. That is essential for the health of the people and the organization. We must recruit and train younger members. We must allow them to design their own programs and tend to their own needs. However, this does not mean that it is wise to have a wholesale replacement of the Elders with people who have no institutional knowledge. Nor does it make sense to completely displace the people with the most time, energy and disposable income.

It is foolish to ignore Seasoned Believers. No smart organization rejects the insight and support of an important group of "Customers". As the photo above shows, SeeBees can offer all kinds of creative and dynamic gifts and talents to a congregation. Here thaty have planned and implemented a special service at their church.

Sweeten Life Systems works with churches to develop ways all of God's children are able to worship, learn and worship as well as discover their gifts and use them for the Kingdom.

What do you think is the best way to include every age group?

Gary Sweeten

Consultant to Seasoned Believers

Garrison Keeler on Being a Senior Citizen

2008-02-23T17:44:00.002-05:00

Q. As a senior citizen, do you feel that the health care system is doing all it can for your health problem?

A Prairie Home Companion [newsletter@americanpublicmedia.org]

The Time is Now

2008-02-23T14:49:00.002-05:00

Bill Hybels, Founder and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, says:
I’m operating with a theory these days that the greatest untapped resource in the next ten or fifteen years around this church is going to be all of the people who are finishing life 1, who don’t want to just go to dinner at 5:30 and shuffleboard. They love God, and they love our church, but we have to engage them at a whole different level … If we don’t call them to it, the call to golf might win.

Let's unleash the wisdom and talents of the ages that lies largely untapped within the men and women who have served God for several decades while rearing kids, making a career work and being responsible citizens. Many if not most are put on the shelf when it comes to using their experiences in the workplace to do the works of the Lord.

The Boomers and Silents are loaded with all that is needed to change the world. Let's help them find their place to serve, a community to partner with and the way to connect.

Health Care for Seasoned Citizens

2008-02-22T09:07:00.003-05:00

Cost of Benefits to Seniors, Especially Health Care, Skyrocketed in 2007

I receive a daily newsletter from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the largest in America. Above is the headline taken from USA Today.

Feb 14, 2008 "The cost of government benefits for seniors soared to a record $27,289 per senior in 2007," which is an increase of 24 percent above the rate of inflation since 2000, according to an analysis by USA Today.

The paper pointed to medical costs as the main cause of the increase, saying that "health care and nursing homes cost the government more than Social Security payments for seniors age 65 and older" for the first time last year. This rise in costs of senior benefits comes at a time when the senior population has remained constant. However, the first baby boomers will turn 65 and qualify for Medicare starting in 2011, which will cause a spike in the number of seniors.

The USA Today analysis found that "Medicare experienced the most explosive growth from 2000 to 2007," with the Medicare prescription-drug benefit accounting for a quarter of the increase in Medicare costs. It also found that 35 percent of the federal budget goes to senior benefit costs, up from 32 percent in 2004. (Cauchon, USA Today, 2/14/08)

Social Security will go broke in 2011 and Medicare-Medicaid is costing the Federal Government much, much more than it can afford. In that kind of a crisis atmosphere, one would think that candidates for President would be discussing their plans for reducing costs and saving the safety network for our nation. Not so!!!

In the debate last night I did not hear one rational thought about the budget crisis in any of these programs. There was not one question about them from a panel obsessed with words.

Both Obama and Clinton promised huge new free expenditures for "Universal Health Care" but neither said how to pay for it. We are broke today so we promise gigantic new entitlements tomorrow. That sure works for my family.

We must put our most creative thinking on how to resolve these issues.

Ministry Time

2008-02-19T23:30:00.004-05:00

I heard that the Atlantic Foundation gave over 100 million dollars in 2006 to develop programs that support Seasoned Citizens. At the same time churches are changing their focus from Seasoned Believers to Babes in Christ.

It is very important to reach young people and young families. Any church that fails to develop dynamic and effective ministries to the Millennials will soon die. Christianity is like the music business. It has to keep abreast of the most current musical styles because there are always new age groups with an interest in new things.

However, let us learn from the Music Business. They sell millions of recordings of "Golden Oldies" to Seasoned Citizens. Bill Gaither has become rich by focusing on the "Oldies But Goodies". It seems as though church leaders are tone deaf when it comes to serving customers from two or three different age groups. They serve the same "style" in every service regardless of the preference of the customer.

At Starbucks we can order coffee 721 different ways. At most churches we can't get coffee at all and if we do it is THEIR WAY.

The secular foundations are well aware of the Age Wave and are giving millions to help people prepare. Where are the Christians on this issue?

Sweeten Life Systems is dedicated to building churches, small groups and Seasoned Leaders who are qualified and trained to help us prepare for the future. We are showing them how to develop. A Lifetime of great relationships.

Send your donation to

Sweeten Life Systems

P.O. Box 498455

Cincinnati, Ohio 45249

Write me at gsweeten@cinci.rr.com to learn how to can transfer stocks to SLS and make a real difference for Seasoned Leaders

The Fourth Great Awakening

2008-02-17T09:25:00.006-05:00

Michael Lindsay's book, Faith in the Halls of Power is an easy and interesting read. It is available from your favorite bookseller. I strongly recommend it.

Michael Lindsay is a member of the sociology faculty at Rice University where he is also the Faculty Associate of Leadership Rice and Assistant Director of the Center on Race, Religion, and Urban Life. He formerly worked at Gallup and wrote two books with George Gallup.

Here is what Oxford Press, the publisher has to say about it.

Evangelicals, once at the periphery of American life, now wield power in the White House and on Wall Street, at Harvard and in Hollywood. How have they reached the pinnacles of power in such a short time? And what does this mean for evangelicals--and for America?Drawing on personal interviews with an astonishing array of prominent Americans--including two former Presidents, dozens of political and government leaders, more than 100 top business executives, plus Hollywood moguls, intellectuals, athletes, and other powerful figures--D. Michael Lindsay shows first-hand how they are bringing their vision of moral leadership into the public square. This riveting volume tells us who the real evangelical power brokers are, how they rose to prominence, and what they're doing with their clout. Lindsay reveals that evangelicals are now at home in the executive suite and on the studio lot, and from those lofty perches they have used their influence, money, and ideas to build up the evangelical movement and introduce it to the wider American society. They are leaders of powerful institutions and their goals are ambitious--to bring Christian principles to bear on virtually every aspect of American life. Along the way, the book is packed with fascinating stories and striking insights. Lindsay shows how evangelicals became a force in American foreign policy, how Fortune 500 companies are becoming faith-friendly, and how the new generation of the faithful is led by cosmopolitan evangelicals. These are well-educated men and women who read both The New York Times and Christianity Today ... Perhaps most startling is the importance of personal relationships between leaders--a quiet conversation after Bible study can have more impact than thousands of people marching in the streets.

This last sentence is very interesting. For some time I have been involved in developing networks of Seasoned Believers to share and support each other. Over a decade ago Jerry Kirk, Damon Lynch, Michael Dantley and I launched Hope for Cincinnati to bring Seasoned leaders together for mutual support, prayer and care. Ron Peake and I are still sponsoring quarterly gatherings at Kenwood Baptist Church and they are quiet but solid times for growth.

Lindsay's book indicates that the primary force behind the Evangelical Renewal in society comes not from the political or media giants but from leaders in business, industry, education and religion who come together to hear God. Stay tuned for more opportunities for collaboration, networking and mutual support.

According to the Nobel Prize winning economist Robert Fogel we are in the midst of a huge nation changing shift called The Fourth Great Awakening. And, it is being led by Seasoned Leaders from business, media, education and psychology.

Gary Sweeten
Seasoned Leader Coach and Consultant

gsweeten@cinci.rr.com

Out of Death Valley

2008-02-13T22:36:00.005-05:00

Christianity Today has an article by Michael Lindsay that decries the number of Seasoned Believers who refuse to attend a church. Who prefer to gather with friends and family for discussions and study.

http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctliveblog/archives/2008/02/a_gated_communi_1.html

Here are a couple of his USA Today comments quoted by CT.

Michael Lindsay has, through extensive interviewing, tapped into a feature of American evangelicalism that’s both fascinating and frustrating: two distinct social tiers. He identified these as the “populist” and "cosmopolitan” groups, which he wrote about in Faith in the Halls of Power. But there’s another way of looking at evangelicals that divides them — much along the same lines — into elite and non-elite Christians.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The separation is fairly deep, it seems. So deep that they don’t really go to church together. In fact, Lindsay

writes in Monday’s USA Today, many of the evangelical elite (including George W. Bush) hardly go to church at all:
I spent the past five years interviewing some of the country's top leaders — two U.S. presidents (George H.W. Bush and Carter), 100 CEOs and senior business executives, Hollywood icons, celebrated artists and world-class athletes. All were chosen because of their widely known faith. Yet I was shocked to find that more than half — 60% — had low levels of commitment to their denominations and congregations. Some were members in name only; others had actively disengaged from church life.

(Gary says, "This generated about one tenth of the posts an article on church for kids draws, and I know why. Ministry to or of Seasoned Believers is not very interesting or controversial. Here is my comment. ")

About a year ago I was led to launch a new ministry focused on men and women who have served God faithfully for two decades or more but find themselves with no place to gather and minister today. Most churches have a plce for babies, kids, youth, college and career, young couples and old folks but nothing for the very vital, gifted, talented, wise, experienced Boomers and Pioneers.
We have the experience, money and wisdom to lead, volunteer and start new ministries but few ministers who see our value. "Why Men Hate Church" says a lot but Seasoned Believers of any gender are unwelcome in most churches except to take a bus ride to Branson.
Contact me if you want to find a niche with other Seasoned Leaders and we will solve our own ministry issues and sing what we want to sing.

Mr. Lindsay's book, Faith in the Halls of Power is a very informative look at the way Evangelicals have risen from poverty and the margins of society to enormous influence in politics, the arts, education and social justice.

In the coming decades, ministries to and with Seasoned Saints will blossom and bloom into a major spiritual revival around the world. Those ministers and churches who are creative enough to see the future will reap huge dividends for the Kingdom of God.

Now Hear This!

2008-02-08T17:06:00.000-05:00

Announcement!!!

I have been regularly writing on two of my three blogs. That is a bit much so I am going to slow down and post most of my thoughts on Brave Heart.

http://garysweetenblogspotcom.blogspot.com/

Few people are clicking on Seasoned Believers but many on Brave Heart.

I will post occasional ideas here but not as many as in the past. We will have our new web site up before long and I will alert you about its address.

Remember the March 15 half day of training on "Dialogue Prayer" at Crestview Presbyterian Church. Save the date.

WHERE:9463 Cincinnati Columbus RdWest Chester, OH 45069513.777.6555 (p)513.777.5868

DIRECTIONS:

9463 Cincinnati-Columbus Road (Rt. 42)
West Chester, OH

Two (2) miles north of I-275 at Sharonville.

Talking and Listening to God and His People.

Cost $25.00

Details will follow.

A Very, Very Seasoned Citizen

2008-02-07T01:15:00.000-05:00

Some of us are getting very seasoned because we have to put up with service companies that offer only poor services that rip us off and do it in rude and crude ways. I am tired of banks that cannot count, telephone companies that include big fees for no reason and FreeCreditReport.com that charged $75.00 to my credit card for just logging onto their web site.

So here is a "real" letter from an 86 year old Seasoned Citizen who got fed up with her bank. She decided to be a "Thorn in their side".

Dear Sir:

I am writing to thank you for bouncing my check with which I endeavored to pay my plumber last month. By my calculations, three nanoseconds must have elapsed between his presenting the check and the arrival in my account of the funds needed to honor it. I refer, of course, to the automatic monthly deposit of my entire pension, an arrangement which, I admit, has been in place for only eight years.

You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of opportunity, and also for debiting my account $30 by way of penalty for the inconvenience caused to your bank. My thankfulness springs from the manner in which this incident has caused me to rethink my errant financial ways.

I noticed that whereas I personally answer your telephone calls and letters, --- when I try to contact you, I am confronted by the impersonal, overcharging, pre-recorded, faceless entity which your bank has become.

From now on, I, like you, choose only to deal with a flesh-and-blood person. My mortgage and loan repayments will therefore and hereafter no longer be automatic, but will arrive at your bank, by check, addressed personally and confidentially to an employee at your bank whom you must nominate.

Be aware that it is an offense under the Postal Act for any other person to open such an envelope. Please find attached an Application Contact which I require your chosen employee to complete. I am sorry it runs to eight pages, but in order that I know as much about him or her as your bank knows about me, there is no alternative.

Please note that all copies of his or her medical history must be countersigned by a Notary Public, and the mandatory details of his/her financial situation (income, debts, assets and liabilities) must be accompanied by documented proof. In due course, at MY convenience, I will issue your employee with a PIN number which he/she must quote in dealings with me.

I regret that it cannot be shorter than 28 digits but, again, I have modeled it on the number of button presses required of me to access my account balance on your phone bank service. As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Let me level the playing field further. When you call press buttons as follows:

IMMEDIATELY AFTER DIALING, PRESS THE STAR (*) BUTTON FOR ENGLISH

#1. To make an appointment to see me

#2. To query a missing payment.

#3. To transfer the call to my living room in case I am there.

#4. To transfer the call to my bedroom in case I am sleeping

#5. To transfer the call to my toilet in case I am attending to nature.

#6. To transfer the call to my mobile phone if I am not at home

#7. To leave a message on my computer, a password to access my computer is required. Password will be communicated to you at a later date to that Authorized Contact mentioned earlier.

#8. To return to the main menu and to listen to options 1 through 7.

#9. To make a general complaint or inquiry. The contact will then be put on hold, pending the attention of my automated answering service.

#10. This is a second reminder to press* for English. While this may, on occasion, involve a lengthy wait, uplifting music will play for the duration of the call.

Regrettably, but again following your example, I must also levy an establishment fee to cover the setting up of this new arrangement.

May I wish you a happy, if ever so slightly less prosperous New Year?

Your Humble Client

A New Prayer for Children

2008-02-05T20:34:00.000-05:00

What would you say is the worst prayer ever written for kids?

How many kid prayers do you know?

Send me your nominees and I will post them. (Unless they scare me.)

I have a nominee but I will not spoil your fun. The winner will receive a free copy of my book.

Prayer Meeting Coming Soon-Save the Date

2008-02-05T20:00:00.000-05:00

Ever since I was a little boy I have been involved in various kinds of prayer. In fact, my very egalitarian view of the chruch was probably pressed into my heart at a very early age. It was as a child that I accompanied my Grand Mother Taylor, Mom Taylor to us, to very powerful Bible study, prayer and worship services led by lay people.

The name back then was not "Home Groups" or "Cell Groups" but "Cottage Prayer Meetings". I did not quite understand what the term "cottage" meant until later but it was the equilivent of "Home Meetings".

For those of you who have attended rather dull and uninspiring home meetings I wish you could have been with me in the Fifties. Those groups really rocked. We sang, jumped around to the music, clapped, tapped and some even shouted. (Mom Taylor was a Holiness Christian who believed in the fullness of the Holy Spirit and lots of ardor with just a bit of order.

These prayer meetings also had some intensive prayers going on. People dropped to their knees, wept and cried out to God for mercy and healing. At my Southern Baptist Church we practiced more order than ardor. Our prayers were cool and detached. I preferred the Holiness way of praying and singing.

I also learned to pray on a point until we were finished. The group would focus on a specific need and everyone could take his turn until the prayer was heard. Then the group moved on to another topic.

I re-learned that process, I now call it "Dialogue Prayer" in the Jesus Movement. I read a book by Roz Rinker on the topic and the memories of great, intensive and deep prayer filled me with excitement again.

O March 15 we will have a half day experiential workshop in dialogue prayer. I promise it will not be dull. I fully expect God to show Himself strongly in our midst. If God is distant in your life or you want a more active and fulfilling prayer life, this is for you.

Save the date!! March 15, 9:00 AM-12:30

Have A Piece of My Mind

2008-02-03T10:03:00.000-05:00

From RexBarker@Joke-Of-The-Day.com

* There are two kinds of people in the world: those who make excuses and those who get results. An excuse person will find any excuse for why a job was not done, and a results person will find any reason why it can be done. Be a creator, not a reactor.-- Alan Cohen, A Deep Breath Of Life

* What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

* You can't have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time.-- Charles F. Kettering

* The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.-- Alvin Toffler

* The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change and the REALIST adjusts his sails.-unknown

Senior Believers Can Change

2008-02-03T08:43:00.000-05:00

One of the great myths about people like me is the notion that older people are rigid and cannot change. It is my experience that as we age we become more like what we have always been. Flexible people get more flexible and rigid folks grow in brittleness.

Here is why ministers and other reformers find rigid resistance to change in their churches. The Number I. Reason why old people rule churches with an iron hand is because it is rigid young people who have always ruled churches.

Let's fact it. Most churches are not innovative, no matter who is in charge. I often listen to the Stanford and Wharton pod casts on my iPod on innovation. Almost every modern company promotes innovation, creativity and change. If they do not, they will be left behind.

Microsoft is one of the largest and richest as well as one of the the most innovative companies in the world. Why? Because they spend millions of dollars every year to promote more innovation. But even more crucial is the fact that they work to promote innovation as a core value.

Is your church innovative? Does it promote change and new ideas? If it does, the seniors will be the most innovative group in your church. However, shallow, poorly planned and implemented ideas will also be criticized and rejected.

Because of our experience and wisdom we can often tell if something will work or not. If it is a good idea we will support it. If it is a bad idea we will challenge it. Either way we will be open about our ideas.

Seasoned Believers are wise and experienced Believers. Don't allow your mis understanding about rigidity and age fool you into thinking we will not change.

Seniors, what is your experience with innovation in a church?

Do you have a place to share your ideas?

Self Respect

2008-02-01T16:23:00.000-05:00

Martin Luther King, Jr. Knew Himself

A man named Charles Handy of Europe seems to have a great way of talking about the real important things of life. The way Handy put it in his book, The Hungry Spirit , was this:

“I spent the early part of my life trying hard to be someone else. At school I wanted to be a great athlete, at university an admired socialite, afterwards a businessman and, later, the head of a great institution. It did not take me long to discover that I was not destined to be successful in any of these guises, but that did not prevent me from trying, and being perpetually disappointed with myself. The problem was that in trying to be someone else I neglected to concentrate on the person I could be. … I was, in retrospect, hiding from myself, a slave to the system rather than its master.”

I have been teaching a class called, "How to be me in my Family Tree" and it garners a lot of interest. How can we embrace who we are and allow God to bring out of that what we do?

By refusing to acknowledge and embrace ourselves fully we struggle to emulate someone else and end up being nobody. The most important thing we can do as Christian leaders is help people face themselves and find joy rather than depression in the discovery.

Who have you failed to be as you grew toward yourself?

Training Pastors and Leaders

2008-01-31T21:30:00.000-05:00

Have you heard about the failure of churches in the Willow Creek Association to disciple or care for their most committed members? The research was carried out by the Willow Creek Association and contained in their book, REVEAL.

Bill Hybels, the marketing genius of Willow Creek, told the attendees of the failures during the annual Leadership Conference in August. It has caused a lot of blogging and discussion and even some back stepping by some of the Willow leaders.

I thought the research and the book was a courageous attempt to see what kind of results they were getting from all their hard work and talk about leadership. Well, it was pretty disappointing to them.

It seemd to show that members of the Willow Association Churches were dissatisfied at two key points.

1. After coming to Christ and enrolling in a church when they "hit a rough spot or two" and the churches failed to help them.

2. After staying deeply involved in the church as learners and doers for several years the churches failed to disciple them.

The result? 25% said they were ready to switch churches in the coming year.

HOPE for Cincinnati has support for struggling leaders. Pastors cannot do it alone. Help is on the way!

Hope for Cincinnati Training for Leaders 2008

Gary Sweeten and Ron Peake

We have a great lineup of fellowship and equipping coming in 2008 for men and women leaders who face so many ministry challenges. Of all the careers available to humanity the call of God to bring the good news in all its glory to those lost in present, future and eternal pain is the biggest challenge.

From Burn Out to Blazing Bright
How to Be Agents of Change While Retaining our Joy

For the last decade Ron and Gary have focused their main ministry efforts on the training and support of Pastors, Missionaries and Lay Leaders. We have traveled far and wide to Coach, Consult and Counsel godly men and women who have hit the wall, been burned to a crisp by overwork and a loss of first love with little motivation to go on.

In 2008 Hope for Cincinnati will focus on Prevention, Personal Growth and Peer Support for God’s Servants.

Prayer, Worship and Liberating Insights

February 21
May 15
August 21
November 20

Kenwood Baptist Church
Kenwood Road (South of Reagan)
8:30-10:30 Coffee & Mutual Care

Hearing God Speak

2008-01-29T21:18:00.000-05:00

It won't be long before we have a gathering for Seasoned Believers who want to learn to talk to and listen to the Lord. When we followed up the October 13 time at Winton Woods with a small questionnaire, it became clear that a lot of people want to return to their first love and learn better how to "Abide in Christ and hear His still, small voice."

Well, put aside the date of March 15. It will definitely be a day of teaching, sharing, journal writing and listening. Our training sessions follow a DREAMS acrostic to make sure we have a time that is balanced, fun, insightful and experiential.

D=Didactic meaning talks and reading. (But brief)
R=Reflection or thinking and discussing what you are learning.
E=Experiential that practice what we preach and touch and see God at work
A=Accountability that keeps us focused on the most important learning's
M=Modeling that allows us to watch others practice God at work
S=Supernatural, encountering God's Spirit personally

On March 15 we will have a half day of DREAMS!