Brian Johnson

My desktop fish enjoying their afternoon snack.

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:03:45 -0400

My desktop fish enjoying their afternoon snack.

Book of Resolutions

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 13:15:24 -0400

I am taking a summer term class on UM Polity. Today, over lunch, I was reading the introductory and preface material of the Book of Resolutions. I actually purchased a copy of the book last year at the advice of my professor, Steve Harper, as I prepare my paperwork for ordination. The B.O.R provides “all current and official social policies and other resolutions” for the United Methodist Church (BOR 2008, 25). Whether the issue is collective bargaining, rights of minorities, energy utilization, foreign workers, or nuclear saftey, each resolution contains a paragraph about the topic, biblical and/or theological references, and actions suitable for response. The B.O.R is a resource any UM Christian should have on reference. You would not read through 1084 page volume, but keep it as a handy reference. I especially resonate with a statement below, holding together the Grace of God and our response to that grace through our life and work.

“Grateful for God’s forgiving love, in which we live and by which we are judges, and affirming out belief in the inestimable worth of each individual, we renew our commitment to become faithful witnesses to the gospel, not alone to the ends of the earth, but also to the depths of our common life and work.” (BOR 2008, 44).

"Community is “a deep form of togetherness and love found when we embark on a common mission of..."

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:47:02 -0500

“Community is “a deep form of togetherness and love found when we embark on a common mission of discovery, when we encounter danger together and have to find each other in the process in order to survive””

- Alan Hirsh, The Forgotten Ways, 240. I used this quote in a blog I wrote for the seminary about community life on a commuter campus.

Define: Love - Define: Ethics

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:49:50 -0500

I was working on some assigned reading last week and I turned to google to define a word I was not familiar with. Now two google features are involved in the above picture. First, you can type “define:” and a word to search for definitions. Second, google will suggest the top results people searched for. Therefore, the picture above are the top word results people are looking up. These can say some interesting things about our culture and world today. Each of these are revealing, but the one that captured me was “love” and “ethics.” With the broad use of both these words today it is no wonder people need stock definitions of these words. Ethics have become more situational, meaning that you determine what is right based on what seems best to you in that time and place. And love, wow! Just look at a Lady GaGa song set to see how she defines love. It is no wonder we are confused.

If anything, this list points to a reality in which people are searching for definitions. This is a postmodern world, where many things are always in flux. But, people still want a base to work from. We need solid definitions of love and ethics which we can operate from in different situations. I hope as a pastor I can help to define the words of our day in light of the Bible, so the congregation (and I) can live into these words in our life and work. Maybe we can make an impact on the culture!

Books for Spring 10 Classes Looking forward to the lineup for...

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:51:00 -0500

Books for Spring 10 Classes

Looking forward to the lineup for Spring semester at Asbury Seminary Florida. First five books from the left are for Public Theology: Engaging the World (online). The next two are the major texts for Exegesis of Psalms. The next book is a reference for Theology and Practice of Preaching. The last book on the right…essential for each class!

"Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 08:20:00 -0500

“Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence”

- from biologist John Logsdon in an interview on NPR this mornign talking about the bdelloid rotifer. Very interesting story about the mating habits, or lack there of, in this worm. However, the quote reminded me that just because I do not see God working in me, the world, or others at times does not mean that He is absent. Just because I am at work and I do not see anyone else here, does not mean no one else exists. The truth is, the rest of the of the staff is busy working…unseen. Encouraging reminder that we worship a God who is always at work, despite our perspective.

Book Review: The Liturgical Year by Joan Chittister

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 18:55:22 -0500

Chittister’s work is written from her years of living life through the liturgical calendar. Her perspective is distinctly catholic, but presented in a manner that welcomes a protestant, like myself, to join in. She writes for the everyday person. After all, liturgy is “the work of the people,” and The Liturgical Year aims to engage the everyday follower of Jesus to follow His everyday life. Chittister presents a summary view of the calendar, dedicating a few pages to each movement. Though the approach is broad, one cannot help but linger over the depth of experience in her words. Here is a glimpse into the life of one who has found an ever closer walk with Jesus through the disciple. Even the most non-liturgical reader cannot help but walk away with a desire to “taste and see” how the Lord might work through acts of remembrance. In a world that runs from one thing to the next, with little time for serious reflection, Chittister’s work provides another way. The Liturgical Year is a call to probe the depths of God and not settle for quick, surface level answers. The offer is to find our ever changing life rooted in the unchanging example of Jesus’ life.

Love Breaking In

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:33:28 -0500

I had the opportunity this past weekend to preach at Aloma UMC in Winter Park. I was following a Christmas/Advent theme, and my topic was the “Gift of Love.” I worked from Matthew 1:18-25. Below is a blog form of the message.

Background

This passage fits nicely with Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus from Mary’s point of view. There is no contradiction in Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth, instead, we are looking at the same event through a different window. In Luke 1:56 we find that Mary spent the first 3 months of her pregnancy with Elizabeth. In the 4th month she returned to Bethlehem, and Joseph. According to Google, women will begin to show the “baby bump” somewhere between month 3 and 5. Whether Joseph noticed Mary or if she told him of the baby, we do not know. We are told that somehow, Joseph found out.

Matthew tells us that Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but they had not yet come together in a physical way (v.18). Then, in v.19 we find out Joseph is called Mary’s husband. Our modern understanding of marriage does not do justice to the story. In Jewish culture a woman and man would be married but still live separate for the first year. At the end of the year, the groom and his entourage would walk to the bride’s house, where the whole wedding party would travel back to the groom’s house, or his parent’s house, for the wedding feast. After the meal, the marriage would be consummated. Therefore, it is safe to say they were married, but had not yet consummated. The response of Joseph even confirms he is not the father.

The fact that Mary was found to be pregnant before coming together with her husband would have cast serious social and religious stigma on her. Joseph understood the predicament, but wanted to be faithful to the law of God. His decision to divorce her quietly is a last ditch attempt to give Mary some shred of dignity and hope of a decent life. Mary was facing a life of begging and prostitution had Joseph revealed her pregnancy.

BUT, after making his decision, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream. The angel tells him not to be afraid, the child is from the Holy Spirit, and he should take Mary as his wife. Joseph would have a lot to fear in staying with Mary. Fear of social outcast, remarks and glares at the market, loss of business, and religious separation from the community. But the name to be given to the baby would have given him great hope, “give him the name Jesus, God with us.” The angel was assuring Joseph they had the blessing of God with them.

This baby would in fact save the people of Israel, and the world. Not from Roman rulership, high taxes or injustices. The primary mission of Jesus would be to save us from our sin, that ultimate issue at core of every person. God with thinking big picture.

This story is about the Gift of Love, Jesus Christ, who brakes into everyday and ordinary lives in miraculous ways.

A Look at the Newspaper.

Last week, Pastor Andy talked about Joy, and wrapped a present with the top headlines of the day; financial disaster, health care reform, celebrity scandal, job loss, etc. These things rob our joy. But these headlines are everywhere and become everyday and ordinary parts of our lives. So I conducted an experiment. I bought a copy of the Orlando Sentinel because I believe that God actually does break into ordinary life in miraculous ways, so I wanted to see how God was at work. Out of about 100-150 articles, I found 4 stories of God at work, here are 3:

A church in Clermont, FL hosts an annual Christmas dinner each year for family’s in their neighborhood. At the dinner, they provide toys to underprivileged children. Last week, vandals broke in and stole many of the gifts, as well as $2000 in audio equipment from the church. After seeing the story on the news, a mom in the area gathered her three kids and asked if they would want to donate some of their toys. They were excited to share and gave 10 gifts to the church. God’s love is working through this family to break into ordinary life (poverty, theft) in a miraculous way that blesses others.
A woman shares her story of how the Harbor House, a place of healing and support for abused women, changed her life. She details the horrors of living with a man who abused, and would have probably eventually killed her. Instead, the Harbor House enabled her to get a scholarship to any Florida college. She now has plans to become a physical therapist. God’s love broke into this woman’s everyday life (abuse) in a miraculous way to give here a fresh start, and a new outlook!
Finally, a husband serving in Iraq was set to come home in December for the birth of his second baby. However, the baby was excited to come into the world, and would arrive in November. This left the wife alone, and the father unable to make it. The mom-to-be asked if the hospital could set up a Skype video call to her husband. This had not been done before, and the hospital was not sure if they could pull it off. Put they tried, and did. The wife found comfort through the labor in seeing the face of her husband (in Iraq still) on the computer screen. As a result, the hospital is working to offer this service to families in the future. God’s love worked through the hospital staff and administrators to break into this ordinary family’s life in an amazing way.

Headlines

These stories were not on the front page. They were small stories, stuck in the back of the newspaper. None of these will make a list of “top stories of 2009.” However, I guarantee these are leading headlines in the lives of the people involved! The birth event of Jesus was not a big story to most of Israel, the city of Bethlehem was not a leading place. But, the ordinary event of Jesus’ birth was the gift of love breaking into a world which needed it. Jesus came to share the love of God to everyday people living in ordinary lives. Newspapers will not catch many of these stories, but a careful eye can see how God is working in the lives of individuals and communities to transform them. First, to deal with our sin, and then to bring abundant life.

Question: How has the love of God broken into your ordinary life this Advent/Christmas season?

Be on the lookout, and Merry Christmas!

I am selling my prized snowboard. Here are the...

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:06:56 -0500

Boots Size 11

Option Free Plus 159

Dragon Goggles w/ 5 lenses

Sims Bindings

I am selling my prized snowboard. Here are the details:

Snowboard: Option Free Plus 159 (Like new condition, used 3 times, stored indoors, original owner)
Sims Bindings: M/L Men sizes 8-13 or Women size 9+ (already attached to board, still includes original box)
Boots: Size 11, very comfortable and warm!

ALSO INCLUDES IN THIS SALE:

Dragon Brand Snowboard Goggles: Includes 5 changeable lenses for varying conditions and a cloth carrying case
Protective Carrying case for Snowboard.
8 packages of board wax

All you need to do now is hit the slopes for $300.00. Must be in the Hampton Roads, Virginia area to purchase.

Here is the Craigslist Link: http://norfolk.craigslist.org/spo/1504300667.html

"Unmanaged time flows toward my weaknesses"

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:44:33 -0500

“Unmanaged time flows toward my weaknesses”

- Gordon MacDonald, Ordering Your Private World

"The Spirit is like seeing a friend at a party and saying to him, “Oh, I didn’t even know..."

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:50:18 -0500

“The Spirit is like seeing a friend at a party and saying to him, “Oh, I didn’t even know you were here.” and He responds with a smile, “Yea, I’m hosting the party.””

- Dr. Thomas Buchan

"The Methodist movement started on a college campus."

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:24:35 -0500

“The Methodist movement started on a college campus.”

- Will Willimon. Studying the Bible as Wesleyans. Podcast.
Willimon was not directly talking about campus ministry, he was preaching on the success which started the Methodist movement and carries it to today. It was at the University of Oxford, where John Wesley was preparing for the priesthood, where the Methodist movement started. Wesley noticed the common people were not welcome in the Anglican Church. His work grew out of his great love for his fellow country men and women. It is interesting to note that Wesley was not interested in starting a new denomination. He died as a Anglican priest, Methodism sprang up later. Wesley aimed to build up the established church, not tear it down.

The college campus needs to be (re)realized as a key place of revitalization of our denominations. College students have a keen sense of idealism, motivation, and enthusiasm to reform the church. They want to see their denominations be God’s agent in the world. Unfortunately, many denominations are reporting a staggering downturn in the number of young people entering ordained ministry. One of several reasons is the lack of voice young adults are allowed. Think about it, do you continue to share your ideas with someone who brushes you off/shoots you down every time? Yea, me neither. I am encouraged by the work of denominations, especially my state conference who is making efforts to create space for youth and young adults to voice their thoughts. Allowing open dialogue between churches and college campuses will foster a powerful combination of idealism and life experience. The combination will prompt change, with the knowledge of how to carry it out. The acceptance of the voices of college students as critics of the church will dissuade them from jumping the denomination ship. This is one way we provide our denominations a steady source of strong leaders for generations to come.

"Pulled Up Green"

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:38:00 -0500

“Pulled Up Green”

- Dr. Steve Harper, Professor of Spiritual Formation at Asbury Seminary Florida Campus

Steve preached a sermon last year which he prefaced by saying he “Pulled it up Green.” What he meant was the idea had not yet fully formed. It was not 100% worked out. In spite of its “greenness” the message was quite powerful. I share this for two reasons. First, I enjoy pulling one up green every now and again. Sure, I like most ideas to be fully formed before presenting them others, especially when working with scripture. However, there are occasions for putting a thought out there when it is still developing for others to collaborate on. Secondly, my “green thoughts” hope one day to be as transformational as Dr. Harper’s. :)

I'm a Certified Candidate!!

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:10:05 -0400

It’s official, I just left the District Committee Board of Ordained Ministry (United Methodist) and I am officially a certified candidate. You cannot even begin to imagine how exciting this if for me! For those of you familiar with the UM process you understand how much blood, sweat, and tears have brought me this far! Literally, I have experienced all three in the process. The blood was given in a health physical. For those not as familiar with “the process”, allow me to share.

The process to ordination as a UM pastor is quite long and tedious. The UM church takes seriously those whom will be placed as pastors in their congregations. I am thankful for the process and its many hurdles because it has reaffirmed my calling to ministry, and connected me with a group who really cares about God’s work in my life. Over the past year I have spent a good deal of time working with a mentor, reading and reflecting on ordained ministry, taking psychological tests, and more. All this is on top of my work in seminary. By reaching this level, the board recognized my call and gifts (from God) while setting me on a track to continue to grow. The next steps are to begin working on my paperwork for the state level ordination, which will come after graduation. This will basically be a thesis, as the total page count should be in the 90s.

I still have a ways to go, but feel very affirmed in the journey. I was worried the committee would be a bunch of grouchy old preachers who were looking to trip me up on theology and question my intentions. But I knew the people of the Florida Conference would not be this way. I found a group of warm individuals who wanted to see me succeed. They were grace-filled, encouraging, and loved me enough to share some perceived areas for continued growth over the next year.

The Methodist church may not be perfect, but they are solid in the process of ordaining their ministers and pastors. I have some many people to thank for their help and work in my life to walk with me to this point. However, I have to mention my wife, Melanie. She has been a constant support when it would have been easier to walk away from the frustrations of the process. God has, and is still, using her in many ways to speak His truth, encouragement, and guidance into my life. God sure made a good match here. :)

I recently finished building my first workshop in the...

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:10:00 -0400

Built this workbench a few weekends back

1st Project: Frames for fabric wall art.

I recently finished building my first workshop in the laundry/storage space of our new house. This has been a dream of mine for quite some time. We finally have a) a house of our own, and b) a space where I can carve out a corner for my tools and workbench. My dream would be something like my dad’s garage. A full two car space, closed in, insulated, and filled with every tool and machine you would need to fix or build anything. I have many fond memories of us working late into the night in the garage. Changing a clutch, building bookshelves, removing mufflers on more than one occasion. Followed of course by a late night, loud drive through the neighborhood. I still love to see flames shooting out the exhaust pipe! I plan for my little workshop to grow through the years into a full, Ron Johnson garage. In the mean time, I am perfectly content in my 5’x5’ space. I even plan to do some seminary work out there on nice nights. Theology just seems right when studied on a workbench.

"You have to have your imagination engaged when doing theolgy. It’s the only way to see the..."

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:54:00 -0400

“You have to have your imagination engaged when doing theolgy. It’s the only way to see the world as scripture discloses it.”

- Thomas Buchan

"If God is really the God revealed in scripture, it is more likely we are a thought in His mind than..."

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:17:00 -0400

““If God is really the God revealed in scripture, it is more likely we are a thought in His mind than He is a thought in our mind.””

- Dr. Thomas Buchan, Basic Christian Doctrine Course at Asbury Seminary

Missio Dei

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:48:00 -0400

Our pastor is doing a series around the mission of the church. In light of necessary budget cuts, the church is reevaluating our mission statement. Unfortunately, when the economy recesses, giving levels decrease, and thus, churches can’t spend as much. It’s the negative side of “trickle down” economics.

While I am fully behind our church’s mission, I got to thinking about missions statements. Every church has a unique and individualized statement. You will see them plastered on signs, bulletins, website, walls, etc. However, couldn’t every Christian church simply say, “We are about the Missio Dei.”

“Missio Dei” is Latin for “Mission of God,” and speaks about the work God is already doing in the world. The individual believer, local church, and denomination need not worry about what ministry they can do. Instead, the prayer becomes, “What is God already doing in me, my neighbor, this city, and the world.” Secondly, we ask, “Where can I join into your work in progress?”

A shift to a Missio Dei model for ministry could help struggling churches to reconnect with their community and local neighborhoods. The model would help large churches with budget issues to really focus their work. The inherent success of the Missio Dei lies in Christians leaving behind their desires for ministry and taking up what God is interested in doing. The model also brings balance. God does not work frantically. He is paced, focused, and takes breaks (see the Creation narrative in Genesis).

“It is not the church that has a mission of salvation to fulfill in the world; it is the mission of the Son and the Spirit through the Father that includes the church.” -Jurgen Moltmann, The Church in the Power of the Spirit

"God has no trace of decay or death at work in Himself"

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:22:30 -0400

““God has no trace of decay or death at work in Himself””

- Thomas Oden, Systematic Theology Vol 1: The Living God