The BEST-Laid Plans

Original plans for sabbatical included spending about two weeks in London, seeing the sights and experiencing worship in the cathedral sense, and in the evangelical sense, in a couple of Anglican churches. When Peter and Joan Smith left UBC about 8 years ago to return to their home in England, I told them it was a life-long dream of mine to visit. So I contacted their daughter and son-in-law, Lee and Kerry Gatiss (Lee is a curator (he's like an associate minister in UBC) in St. Helens Bishopsgate in London). I also applied for a grant to help with the expense of travel and stay in London. When I found out last fall that I would not receive the grant, I put my dream on the back burner, and began to make other plans.

Rob and Tina Torbert are dear friends of ours from our time at Judson Baptist Church in Nashville. They’ve served as IMB missionaries for the last 10 years, first in Honduras, and now in Mexico City. We’ve been wanting to visit them, so a trip to Mexico City was inserted into sabbatical plans.

In late spring, we learned that Carson, the youngest of the 4 Torbs, was in need of surgery to correct a condition of the spine called scoliosis. And Rob and Tina were making plans to bring Carson to Nashville for the surgery. (Also, Cole their older, is a rising senior, and was planning to come to the states to visit prospective colleges.)

Kay and I could have gone on to Mexico City earlier this month, but the Torberts wouldn’t be home, so we cancelled that little jaunt. (Carson’s surgery went as scheduled in Nashville, and he’s doing well, recovering with grandparents and aunts and uncles while Mom and Dad are back in Mexico.)

Looking for something to fill the gap, I began to look again at London, this time a scaled-down version of travel to the UK. And in a week's time, between Virginia and Washington-NY, with a little (make that a lotta) help from my friends, I put together a trip to London. And as the wheels turned, I began to think, wait-a-minute, isn’t there a little golf tournament in Scotland around that time. Oh yeah, the Open, or the British Open, as we know it, happening sometime this month. And sure enough, it fit right in the schedule. So again, with help from my friends, we booked travel to Edinburgh in Scotland, and I got my tickets for the practice day (Wednesday) and the opening round (Thursday) at Carnoustie.

I also called Peter and Joan Smith, and emailed Lee Gatiss, and let them know that I was headed for jolly old England. And then on Wednesday, July 11, just 4 days after returning from New York, Kay drove me to Bush Intercontinental for the non-stop to London’s Gatwick airport.

Here I was, 57 years old, making my first trip across the pond, or even out of the country, except for a medical mission trip to the colonias just across the US-Mexico border, and a short drive many years ago across the Canadian border from Detroit, just to say that I had.

I was very excited that it was working out, and so grateful to friends and to UBC for helping the dream to become reality. I'll say lots about the trip in future blogs, but I wanted you to know how it all came about.

Care-full-y,

rick

Solid As A Rock

For those of us who don’t have apostolic gifts, planting a church is a scary experience, to say the least. But for Sterling and Jenna Edwards, it’s the way that leads to fulfillment and fruitful ministry. They are planting on solid ground called Long Island, and they are standing (and running) firmly, solid as a rock, as they serve and lead in the life and ministry of Crossroads Church of Long Island.



Kay and I left Washington, and arrived at JFK in New York on Saturday, June 30, where we met Sterling and Sterlette (aka Emma Grace, who was covered in chocolate, and who had finger-painted the interior of the car door in shades of cocoa, too). Sterling provided a quick tour of the Island, as we drove on fast-moving, but not-too-crowded freeways for a Saturday afternoon. Jenna and Madison were waiting at the house—Jenna going about her preparations for Sunday, and Madison, hanging close by.



We found the Edwards family firmly planted in the community of faith formerly known as Farmingdale Baptist Church. It's home for them now. We had read the stories, and heard Sterling tell them too, of how God had led them to the folks at Farmingdale, and how he had blessed them with such wonderful buildings for living and for ministry, and it was fun seeing them firsthand.



Later that evening we met up with Jimmy and Chris Haynes, UBC’ers who were also visiting—not only the Edwards, but maybe more importantly—their summer intern/daughter Julie Haynes. (Melanie Hoo, the other intern, would return from Houston on Tuesday, following her visit to Houston for her mom’s surgery.) Jimmy Haynes did some “real” work, unlike some of us, helping with lighting and flooring in the Crossroads buildings. It was fun to see the Haynes family.





Back in February, when I talked with Sterling about our hopes to visit with them during Sabbatical, I explained that we wanted to do some fun things with them, to give them a break from the hectic summer schedule, and the fast-pace life of church planting. We wanted to do some things with them that it’s difficult for them to do on their own. (I know what you’re thinking—what a noble goal, Rick—playing golf, catching a broadway musical, and going to a baseball game. Okay, there were some residual benefits for us, but that’s our story, and we’re sticking to it.)



Sunday, we got to meet the Crossroads fellowship. The folks were warm and welcoming, and we had a nice time worshipping with them. Monday evening, one of the small groups that meet weekly at the Edwards home, were present, and we joined several of them for pizza afterwards. On Tuesday, the Haynes joined us for a visit to Fire Island, where we climbed the tall lighthouse for great views of the island that runs parallel to the big Island. That afternoon, Sterling and I played a little golf course where a sign on the first tee box read, “Bethpage Black is an extremely difficult golf course. Only highly skilled golfers should play this course.” We played it anyway.



On Wednesday, Sterling and I took the Long Island Express into the Bronx for a game in Yankee Stadium. (Neither one of us are true Yankees fans, but as a kid, I watched my hero Mickey Mantle, and it was a thrill to see the “house that Ruth built,”, and the place where the Mick and Roger Maris set records and won baseball games. The Yankees got beat that day, but we didn’t mind. It was a fun day at the old ball park.)

On Thursday, the Edwards and Kay and I boarded the Long Island train and made our way to Manhattan—this time to see the broadway musical “Mary Poppins” at the New Amsterdam theater. I have to say, of all the thrills that I had that week, none was bigger than seeing the excitement in the girls’ eyes, and hearing Madison and Emma talk of the flying nanny.



I mentioned earlier that Jenna and Sterling are solid as a rock in the Farmingdale community. But there’s another rock that had to be dealt with at the end of our week at Crossroads. At intermission, Jenna went out and didn’t make it back in before the start of the show. She’d been dealing all week with a kidney stone, and by the end of the week, it was really flaring up. When the show was over, Sterling and Jenna and Emma went back to the hotel (we had all planned to stay in the city), and early the next morning, the four of them made their way back to the Island, and Jenna went straight to the hospital. She spent a day or two there, went home for a day, and then went back in on Tuesday for a procedure to break it up. We’re thankful that Jenna is okay.

Kay and I walked around in the city, then made our way to a hotel at JFK, where we stayed Friday evening, before flying home on Saturday. We are so thankful that the rock has been removed from Jenna. And, we are grateful to God for Sterling and Jenna’s steadfast, solid rock, ministry to the people of Long Island.

Care-full-y,

rick

Baptists Cooperating? What's Up With That?

Following the commissioning of 18 new missionaries at the Thursday evening session of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship meeting in Washington, D.C., David Coffey of England, president of the Baptist World Alliance, told of someone whom he met that day as he arrived in Washington. As the man who was helping him carried on conversation, he asked the inevitable, “What brings you to Washington?” And Mr. Coffey said, “Oh I’m here to speak to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.” And immediately, the man replied, “I didn’t know Baptists did that—cooperate.”

And if all he knew of Baptists came from the newspaper accounts of the Southern Baptist meetings over the last 25 years, it’s understandable why he would think that Baptists don’t cooperate. And Mr. Coffey himself has known too well that Baptists don’t cooperate, because he was recipient of the bitter anger that Southern Baptists publicly demonstrated toward the Baptist World Alliance, as they voted to end all relationship with the BWA a few years ago.

One of the reasons that Kay and I try to attend the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship meeting every year, and why I included this in my sabbatical plans for 2007, is because I believe that the CBF demonstrates a heart for joining others in the cause of spreading the good news of Christ to all people. There is always a spirit of openness and unity, an awareness of the global aspect of Christianity, and intentional moves toward diversity, involving women and people from all cultural backgrounds in the fellowship. This year’s meeting in DC was planned to coincide with the annual meeting of the American Baptist Association, and on Friday evening, Kay and I were part of the huge assembly of both groups, as we worshipped, celebrated, affirmed each other, and commissioned a missionary couple jointly.

Some of you UBC’ers may remember Daniel Vestal. He spoke at our weekend services during the prayer focus weekend of January, 2006. He’s the executive coordinator of CBF. And Rick Bennett who spoke this year at our “Be the Body” weekend, is congregation life specialist at CBF in Atlanta. Our own Steve and Elizabeth Johnson served as CBF missionaries, and later served in other capacities with the group.

We also spent a day and a half seeing the sights of Washington. On Tuesday, we visited the Library of Congress. Someone had recommended to Kay that we see it, and we found that we could spend hours there.

The Library is not only impressive as the largest collection of books and other items of interest in the world, but its architecture and beauty are breathtaking. If you saw the movie, “National Treasure,” you may remember a scene that took place in the Library. What you saw is the largest of twenty-plus reading rooms, a massive display of functionality and refined décor. Kay and I stood on the visitors balcony and looked down into that reading room, and were awed by its majesty.

The paintings and marble sculptures, the mosaic tile creations, the art and beauty that filled the entire building, were amazing. To think that it was created back in the 19th century, only adds to its magnificence.

As we left the Library and made our way to the Supreme Court building, we heard a voice from the other side of the sidewalk, calling our names. We were pleasantly surprised to see Michael Murff, who is part of the UBC family, and is in Washington seeking opportunities to work in the political or international business world.


On Wednesday, as part of the beginnings of the CBF meeting, Kay and I took the metro out to the National Cathedral where we met others and took part in a tour of this Episcopal church that has been the site of funerals, weddings, and prayers involving many of the great leaders of our nation. Again, the architecture and décor were inspiring.

Beautiful stained glass filled the sanctuary. One window that was of particular interest to us was the one they call "the space window." It is filled with images of the "heavens", and imbedded in the window is a piece of moon rock.


Worship at the meeting in DC was, as it usually is, inspiring and moving, with great music and powerful preaching. The missionary commissioning services were reminders that God is still calling us to the whole world, and we admired those who are leaving family and home to go into the world to reach the unreached. And visiting with friends from the past whom we now see only at these meetings, and seeing some of the great structures that have played a great role in our country’s history, made for a great week in our nation’s capital.

Care-full-y,

rick

Let the Show Begin . . . and End!

June 25, 2007

While in Houston for the past two Sundays, I visited local churches that worship through contrasting styles. One, in the Clear Lake area, has a very contemporary feel to it, and the other, on the western side of Houston, a very traditional bent. My intention in writing about my two worship experiences is not to critique either’s style or content, because I believe there were many people, in each of these, who experienced the presence of God through the elements of worship, or perhaps in spite of them.

I write today more about my own struggle with the performance element that is inherently present in all styles of worship, and, in my opinion, competes with any and all attempts to focus one’s attention on the nature and presence of the Lord God.

I did not speak with those who planned or led in either of these services, but I do believe that both would say they work very hard at NOT being performance-oriented. The contemporary worshipping church would, I think, say that they do not focus lighting on the back-up singers, that they do not rehearse their prayers or their sermons, that they are conversational rather than presentational, and that everything they do, say, and sing, is about God, not about themselves.

The traditional church, on the other hand, would, I think, say that the individual is de-emphasized (there were no solos, only choral and congregational singing), that the prayers offered are well-thought and relative, that the hymns used are time-tested, and that the message was very pointed and narrative, but relational, and even folksy. Though robes were worn by the choir, and suits or dresses by the greeters, pray-ers, and readers, every attempt was made to be warm and personal.

My problem is that, in both cases, it felt like I was attending a performance. I know what you’re thinking—that it’s the heart of the person sitting in the pew that determines whether or not worship happens. Surely there is an element of truth in that. But as I sat in these two services, I kept asking the question, “What makes it feel like performance? Is there something inherent in the physical set-up that contributes to this feel of performance? And perhaps, most importantly, are there things we can do to diminish the feel of “show”.

Please keep in mind that, when I’m not attending a performance, I am performing.) There is always, by the very nature of corporate worship, an element of performance in worship leadership. And the presenter (performer), by his very performance, can and often does help worshippers into the presence of God.

Perhaps the liturgical tradition best counters the performance aspect of worship in its physical lay-out and design. The split chancel, in which the choir, in two sections, faces inward rather than the toward the congregation, diminishes the performance aspect. And worship leaders who speak from one side of the platform or the other, rather than from “center-stage”, does the same. A central focal point (altar, cross, stained glass, etc) replaces the performer.

Of course, the content presented and the heart of the worship leader is a major factor in diminishing the performance aspect, but as I “watched” the soloists and singers in the contemporary service, and I “watched” the choir members and speakers in the traditional service, I couldn’t help but wonder how worship might be enhanced if I could focus my eyes on something that reminded me of who God is, while I listened to music that pointed me to God and reminded me of my need to know Him.

After all, it’s not a show, is it?

Care-full-y,
Rick Carpenter