My Thoughts on Penn State Moving Forward

After reading through the Freeh's report regarding the sex abuse cover-up over the past several years at Penn State University, here are some of my thoughts in moving forward:

First, the positives out of this very tragic story:

• This independent report clearly identifies where the university got it wrong.  The people who should have acted in responsible ways didn't, including a legendary football coach.  A lot of blame goes to a lot of people including the Trustees but the focus is on how the president, business administrator, athletic director and head football coach failed the university.  While this is very tragic and sad, at least the cover up has been exposed according to this independent investigation report's point of view.  It's a lot more difficult to make corrections when you don't know or refuse to know all the facts. 
• The report indicates that the university has been proactive in making significant policy and procedural changes to help prevent something like this ever happening again.  It's interesting that it's often the institutions that have experienced something tragic like this and have learned from their mistakes that become positive examples for others.  I have no doubt that over time, Penn State will become a much stronger university for the lessons that have been learned from all of this.
• Even though so much harm has been done and the victims will carry scars for life, this tragic situation at least has shined a spotlight on the terrible problem of child sex abuse.  While child abuse is in the news everyday, the shock of this happening at Penn State has reminded all of us that people in power need to always be accountable.

Now for the negatives:

• The defensive blog posts by biased Penn State supporters needs to stop.  I bleed blue and white, have idolized Joepa since I was a toddler, but there is no longer any room for defensiveness.  The report speaks for itself.  Deal with it.  Move on.  You do the university much more harm by ignoring the facts and not living in reality.  Yes, celebrate the good things that Coach Paterno has done like the high graduation rates and emphasis on academics, but also come to grips that the man failed the university in a big and tragic way when they needed him the most.
• I agree with my brother.  Take down the Joe Paterno statue in front of the stadium a.s.a.p. and replace it with a plaque that contains the words of the Penn State school song, "May no act of ours bring shame to one heart that loves thy name, May our lives but swell thy fame, dear old State, dear old state."  Have the plaque be dedicated to all victims of child sex abuse.  Right now, the statue of Coach Paterno is a detriment to future healing.
• Even with all of the important changes Penn State has made, I still worry that something like this cover-up can happen again.  Appropriate policies and procedures cannot replace human beings making the right decisions in representing the institutions they are serving.  The janitor still needed to tell authorities that he saw a high profile assistant football coach abusing a child.  Coach Paterno should not have encouraged the athletic director to not report Sandusky to the police.  The athletic director, business administrator, and president should have alerted authorities when they first heard about Sandusky's abuse of children.  By not acting, they knew they were doing the wrong thing, but they did it anyway.  Hopefully, the additional policies will help prevent something like this happening again, but it still comes down to people doing the right thing.

Thank You from The McDowell Family

[Mom and my family surprising me in 2003 at my 40th birthday party at Xenia: First United Methodist, Xenia, OH. I love this picture.]

Dear Friends,

    The McDowell family thank you for all of your cards, kind words of sympathy and prayers at the death of my mother on June 9.  It meant so much to us to know that we weren’t alone during that very difficult time.

     All four of her children were able to be by her side the week she passed away in Stewartstown, PA overlooking her family farm.  At one point, we gathered around mom to each thank her for being a great mom and to offer our good-byes to her.

     When it was my turn, I told mom that she was the reason I was a pastor.  When I was in High School, mom encouraged me to serve with her on a visitation ministry in the church.  Together, we visited shut-in members in their homes.  We would have some conversation, read scripture, and pray with the person we were visiting.  Eventually, mom encouraged me to make these visits on my own which I enjoyed doing.

     Thanks to that visitation ministry, mom taught me how important ministry is in the church.  She planted a seed that led me to accept God’s calling to pursue ordained ministry.

    As I reflect on this memory, I am reminded of what a privilege it is to serve in ministry together.  When we reach out to others in the name of Christ, God's blessings are multiplied and lives are changed, including mine.

Sermon (July 8) "The Life of David: One Nation Under God"

     This past winter, I finally got around to reading the book, “1776” by David McCullough.  It’s a book that focuses on that very important year when our colonies were fighting for independence from Britain.

     This book reminded me of just how divided we were in our cause for freedom.  Sure, there were many who were tired and angry over British rule, but there were also many people who remained loyal to the British cause. Even beyond this major division, there was a lot diversity among the different colonies.  Each colony had its own identity, its own history, and its own needs and perspectives. It was quite a challenge for our founding fathers to bring us together as one united people.

     When it was time for our new nation to select a permanent location for our capitol, they didn’t choose Boston, Philadelphia, Richmond, or New York. Choosing any one of those cities would have been showing favoritism to one colony or region.  So they ended up creating a new city that would be a symbol of our new nation.  Washington D.C. became the wise political solution for promoting unity among so much diversity.

      Like our country’s founders, the leaders of Israel faced the same challenge in trying to unify a people of so many diversities and backgrounds.  In our summer focus on the life of David, today’s scripture from II Samuel is the story of David becoming King of both the southern and the northern tribes of Israel. 

     David had been serving as king of the southern part of Israel but the northern part was being ruled by a different king.  And these two regions of Israel were at constant war with each other.  This was not the unified Israel that God had intended for his people. 

     And this was the Prophet Samuel’s greatest fear when the people of Israel had first approached him about wanting to be like the other nations and have their own king.  This is one of those, “I told you so” moments. Thankfully, there are a couple of heroes in our passage of scripture today who were brave enough to step out in faith for the sake of bringing unity to a divided nation.

     The first hero was actually some of the leaders who belonged to the northern tribes of Israel.  They were somehow able to put aside their animosity with the southern tribes and make the journey into their territory to meet with David. 

     This was a very risky political move on the part of these northern leaders.  Their political approval ratings probably took a nose dive when this trip was first announced.  But they were more concerned with unity than they were with any political fall-out for doing such a thing.

     When they arrived to Hebron, they gave David credit for leading the people following Saul’s death.  And for the sake of unity, these northern leaders anointed David to be the king for both the northern as well as the southern tribes. 

     So, the first hero was this group of leaders who risked everything to acknowledge David as King.

     And the second hero in this story is David himself.  David could have continued his rule right there in the city of Hebron in the southern territory which would have been the easy thing for him to do.  But instead of alienating the northern territory, he strategically chose a neutral city, a Washington D.C. type of city to be the new capitol for a unified people, a city that had neither southern or northern connections.  And that city was Jerusalem.

     But there was only one problem.  The city of Jerusalem was controlled by the Jebusites, which were a people that Israel had never been able to defeat.  Defeating the Jebusites and claiming Jerusalem as the new capitol of all of Israel would be a symbol of this new unity of Israel.  This is one of the reasons why David was such a great leader.  Not only was he a man after God’s own heart, he also had a heart for the unity of God’s people.

     But David’s brave decision to conquer Jerusalem would not be easy.  The Jebusites were a very confident people and they boasted that the walls of the city were so strong that the city could even be defended by the blind and the lame.

     David’s plan was to not enter by the walls but to out-smart them by entering through the water shaft which he and his privately paid soldiers ended up doing and they were successful.  And this is why the city of Jerusalem is also known as the City of David.

     David, along with the leaders of the northern territory who put unity ahead of politics are the heroes of this story from II Samuel.  It was because of their heroic actions, that God’s people became a united people again.  They were now one nation under God.

     Some of you might have watched the HBO movie “Game Change” which gives one perspective on the selection of Sarah Palin for the GOP vice-presidential slot in the 2008 McCain campaign. Those on the political right seem to be convinced the movie was too hard on Palin.  Those on the political left are certain it was too easy on her. 

     While that debate might be the focus for some, I am more interested in a scene from that movie that I believe connects with our story about David and the importance of unity.  The scene comes toward the end of the movie which corresponds to real events from early October in 2008.

     In a town hall meeting in Lakeville, Minnesota, presidential candidate John McCain took the microphone from a supporter who had referenced then Senator Barak Obama as an Arab.  After taking it, he responded, “No, ma’am.  No, ma’am.  He’s a decent family man, a citizen whom I just happen to have serious differences with on fundamental questions.

     Rather than attempting further to exploit divisive and inaccurate partisan bickering, McCain sought to refocus the discussion.  John McCain helped to remind us that the question was not who was a real American, but it was instead about ideas and policies and that’s where the discussion belonged.

     That scene in the movie was a highlight of what makes our country so great.  Even though we are a nation of many differences, opinions, and ideological views on the direction our country should go, we are to remember that we are still one nation under God.  We just don’t need to tear each other down to get there.

     Several years ago, I served a church that faced a very difficult decision.  We were trying to discern if we should consider merging with another United Methodist congregation that was not that far from us.

     Our two churches were about the same size and we thought that if we would bring our resources together and become one congregation that we would be more effective in our ministry and outreach.  Leaders from both churches served on a joint task force and after several meetings, research, and a lot of prayer, the recommendation was to merge.

     So we had a joint congregational meeting to vote in which both churches were present.  Our District Superintendent presided at this meeting which was held in the sanctuary of the church I was serving. 

     After our joint task force made their presentation and their recommendation for our two churches to merge, we voted.  We decided that for the motion to pass, we should have both congregations vote separately.  Instead of a simple majority, we recommended approval to be 2/3 for each congregation.

     I remember this like it was yesterday.  We distributed the ballots and the people voted with a simple, yes or no.  Since it would take a while to count the ballots, the District Superintendent led us in a time of singing.  I felt God’s presence as our two congregations sang together.  There was a spirit of unity.  The sanctuary was filled.  I remember thinking that this was why the task force was recommending the merger.  This was a taste of what our two congregations could do together as one united church.

     When the counting of the ballots was completed, the District Superintendent invited the joint task force to face the congregation.  He thanked them for all their hard work, their long hours, and their many prayers.  Everyone applauded.  I was so excited.  God was about to do a new thing among our churches.

     Finally, the District Superintendent was ready to announce the results of the vote.  He began with the other church and said that they voted 78% in approval of the merger, well above the 2/3 required.  There was some light applause but everyone knew that there was still one more church.

     Everyone was on the edge of their pew waiting with anticipation.  The eyes of the task force members were turned toward where the District Superintendent was standing.  I think I saw a few crossed fingers in the group.  Finally he announced the results that my church had voted only 54% in favor, short of the needed 2/3 approval.

     My heart sank.  And I’ll never forget the look of disappointment on the faces of those faithful task force members who had given so much of their time, energy, and hard work over the past several months.  These faithful church members who didn’t know each other very well before our meetings had started, were now close friends in the Lord.

     Tears streamed down their faces as they sought to maintain their composure.  After the District Superintendent closed our time with prayer, the spirit of excitement that had filled the sanctuary just moments before had all of the sudden evaporated.  And many of us were left in heart ache.

     That week, I remember feeling so bitter and angry toward my own congregation since we were the ones who voted it down.  I was thinking not so pleasant thoughts.  If there was any time that I would become a hell, fire, and brimstone preacher, that upcoming Sunday would have been it!  I remember feeling like I didn’t want to even be a pastor anymore and I’ve always loved being a pastor.  Politics got the best of me, I guess you could say.

     And then this evil thought came to me during that week.  As pastor, I have a lot of power.  I get to stand up in front of people and say things.  I could shame them and tell them how we had just missed out on a golden opportunity to be a stronger church.  At the least, I could drop subtle hints in my sermon to let them know of my displeasure. 

     But here’s what really happened.  God softened my heart that week.  Slowly, but surely, God allowed me to be angry, but then reminded me to use my authority as a pastor for good.   In my prayer time that week, God was telling me that something really good was going to come out of this disappointment in my ministry.

     And so, that Sunday morning during the welcome and announcement time of worship, I named the elephant in the room and I said how many of us had participated in the vote earlier that week and that the merger proposal had been defeated.  And I said how easy it will be to look at each other as a “yes” vote or as a “no” vote.  But I said, that’s not who we are.  We are one body in our one Lord.  We are not a “no” or a “yes” people.  We are so much more than that.  We are brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ.

     Do you know that it was only a couple of months later that things began to really happen in our church?  They let me put a video screen in the sanctuary.  They voted yes for a new contemporary worship service.  It was like they gave me a blank check and said, “Let’s do whatever it takes to grow the church right here, pastor.”  And we did.  We experienced significant growth from that point on.  But we did it together, not as a divided body of Christ but as a united body of Christ.  God was right.  Something good was going to come out of thee most disappointing time in all of my pastoral ministry.

     And this is why David is a great man to follow in these summer months.  He’s my hero.  He, along with those leaders from the northern territory of Israel knew that unity was essential if they were to move forward as the people of God.

     And isn’t it interesting that because of David’s desire for unity among God’s people, that the last verse from our scripture reading today says, “And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.” When you and I seek unity among God’s people, great things can happen.

      One of my favorite quotes comes from St. Augustine which John Wesley, the founder of Methodism took to heart in his work and ministry.  It goes like this.  “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”

      May it be so.

Sunday Worship Preview - July 15

Sunday, July 15 - (9:00 & 10:30 Services) & Wednesday, July 18  (6:30 P.M. Casual Service @ Crossroads, 2095 Fair Avenue)

Sermon - "The Life of David: Dance, David, Dance!"

Features - Season After Pentecost & Vacation Bible School Children Special Dance Music

Scripture - II Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19

Theme - When David danced as the ark of God was brought into Jerusalem, he was unashamed to do this because of the deep joy and gratitude he felt toward God. Are you willing to express your gratitude to God even if others might consider you foolish for doing so?

Independence Day Prayer

Lord God Almighty, in whose Name the founders of The United States of America won liberty for themselves and for us, and lit the torch of freedom for nations then unborn: Grant that we and all the people of this land may have grace to maintain our liberties in righteousness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Sunday Worship Preview - July 8

Sunday, July 8 - (9:00 & 10:30 Services) & NO WEDNESDAY SERVICE ON JULY 11 DUE TO VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL  (6:30 P.M. Casual Service @ Crossroads, 2095 Fair Avenue)

Sermon - "The Life of David: One Nation Under God"

Features - Season After Pentecost

Scripture - II Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10

Theme - There are two heroes in our story of David for this day.  These heroes helped Israel to experience unity as God’s people.  In what ways is God calling us to bring unity where there is division?

Sermon (July 1) "The Life of David: Good Grief"

     On a late Saturday afternoon this past February, I was scrolling through my twitter page, and read the breaking news that award winning singer Whitney Houston had died at a Beverly Hills hotel.  When I read this news, I remember feeling great sadness that someone who had touched so many lives with her music had died in the prime of her life.

     I thought about her battle with drug addiction and her troubled marriage with singer, Bobby Brown.  And even though I wasn’t the biggest Whitney Houston fan, I did appreciate her music and watching her and Kevin Costner in the movie, “The Bodyguard.”  On one hand, I felt grief and sadness for her but on the other hand, I felt a lot of disappointment that she didn’t take care of herself due to poor choices in her life.

    There’s a phrase that is used to describe people who on one hand, have done a lot of good but who also have caused a lot of pain.  And to varying degrees, this phrase describes every single person.  The phrase is, “The ambiguity of the human condition.”  The word, “ambiguity” means doubtfulness and uncertainty.  This phrase reminds us that there are times in our lives when we don’t live up to who we are meant to be. 

    A friend of mine who is a retired United Methodist pastor told me about a time when he officiated at the funeral of a man who died in the prime of his life.  During the funeral service, he told me how he shared several good things this person did during his life, like how he was a loving husband and father to his family.

     When they were at the cemetery for the committal service, a family member interrupted the service and said, “He was no saint.  He was mean and hurt a lot of people.”  That was a very awkward moment for my pastor friend.  He allowed this man to share his feelings and did his best to acknowledge him so that a bad situation didn’t get even worse.

     This pastor didn’t lie about this man because he really did a lot of good things.  But of course, at a funeral, you don’t focus on the negatives, mainly the positives.

     We could share many examples of people who have died and who have left us with a sense of grief and mixed emotions. 

     But let me offer two more examples.  The deaths of Saul and Jonathan from our Old Testament reading this morning.

     When David received the breaking news that Saul and Jonathan had tragically died in battle with the Philistines, his heart was broken and in his deep grief he shared these now famous words, “How the mighty have fallen.”

     During these Summer Sundays, the Old Testament lectionary readings focus on the life of David, one of the most fascinating figures in the entire bible.  David was known as a man after God’s own heart.  He did amazing things for God and for the people of God but he also experienced many challenges and valleys along the way.  We can learn a lot from the life of David.

     Today, David teaches us how to grieve.

     Here’s a little context to set the stage of where we are so far in following the life of David.  Saul, who in our scripture reading this morning was killed in battle has been serving as Israel’s first king. 

     Saul got off to a good start in his reign as king.  He is introduced to us as someone who was very king-like.  He was tall, strong, and not someone who was looking for personal power.  Saul was out searching for one of his father’s donkeys one day when God chose him to be the first King of Israel.  Saul had a natural ability to lead, was a mighty warrior leading the Israelites to victory over the Ammonites, and the spirit of the Lord was with him. 

     So far so good, right?  Well, things begin to unravel for Saul.  His demise begins when he disobeys clear instructions from the Lord and those instructions were to not go to battle against the Philistines until the prophet, Samuel arrived to offer a sacrifice to God. Saul was impatient.

     Even though Saul continues to lead the Israelites in battle, he again disregards the Lord’s clear instructions to not spare the life of the enemy king.  Because of his disobedience, an evil spirit is set loose to torment Saul and unknown to him, God chooses a new king whose name is David.

     Just when you think things can’t get any worse for Saul, he begins to sink into insanity and paranoia.  He seeks to kill David and chases him all over Judah.

     While Saul is leading the Israelites in battle with the Philistines on Mt. Gilboa, they overtook Saul and his sons, one of whom is Jonathan, David’s best friend.  And there on the battle field, they were both killed.  Knowing that he was surrounded, Saul actually fell on his own sword.  Israel’s first king is now dead.

     When David receives the news of Saul’s death, the man who had tried to kill him, you’d think that he would have rejoiced or felt relieved.  But it’s the opposite.  David grieves, not just for his best friend Jonathan who had been killed, but for his enemy, Saul as well.

     Today’s scripture is the grief or the lament that David expressed in light of this tragic news.  It’s actually a poem or a funeral dirge if you will, to help David express his deepest anguish over what had just happened.

     Grieving over Jonathan, we can understand, but why on earth would David have been heartbroken over the news of Saul’s death, the man who had tried to kill him numerous times?

     Maybe my friend’s words come into play here.  “The ambiguity of the human condition.”  For all of Saul’s bad qualities, poor decisions, and paranoia, he was still the King of Israel which in and of itself, commanded respect.

     And even though Saul had a tragic ending on the battle field, he was a mighty warrior whose bravery at least saved Israel from total defeat.  And because of Saul, Israel was able to move a little closer to freedom from foreign enemies and have a more stable empire.

     These stories that we find in the bible remind us of how complicated and messy life can be sometimes.  This is one of the reasons why people are drawn to the bible because our lives like these biblical characters can be complicated and messy as well.  Even David, who we put on a pedestal and revere, will have his moral failings which will lead to negative consequences for himself as well as the people he was leading.  But we’ll save that for another Sunday this summer.

     For now, we learn how important it is to grieve.  Grieving is what helps us to express our feelings so that we can receive God’s healing love as we move into the future.  When we don’t give ourselves time to grieve, we end up separating ourselves from the One who can make all things new, the Lord.

     What grief is the Lord calling you to express?  What recent grief or loss have you been experiencing?  Grief isn’t always about the loss of a loved one.  It can be over the loss of a way of life that is no longer available like the loss of a job or the loss of a relationship.  Whatever your loss might be, know that the God of Israel, the God of David is here for you to comfort and console you and to give you a future with hope.

     Many of you are aware that my mom died three weeks ago.  She had dementia for the past twelve years, but I was still surprised when I received a call from my brother to come home as soon as possible because it was now just a matter of days. 

     I got that call just before I was about to lead a worship service at one of our nursing homes that afternoon.  My brother and I cried over the phone, as we were still in shock over the news.  After we hung up the phone, I was trying to wipe away the tears from my eyes.  I remember saying a little prayer, “God, help me to get through this worship service.  Help me.”

     When I was walking into the nursing home, my hands were shaking and I remember feeling such an emptiness in my heart in that moment.  I continued to pray, “Lord, help me.  I need you.” 

     One of the nurses met me at the door and said, “Oh, I hope you don’t mind but these youth are here from another church visiting with the residents so your worship service will be a little delayed.  Is that OK?”  My prayers were already being answered.  I would have a little more time to compose myself before starting the service.

     I watched off to the side as these youth were bringing great joy to the residents.  That brought an unexpected smile to my face. 

     And then God answered my prayer again.  Before the service, I ran into a couple from our church, Bob and Marilyn Jepsen.  Bob was there for some rehabilitation following his surgery.  I shared with them about the news of my mom and together, we offered a prayer for God to surround my family with comfort and peace.  I knew I wasn’t alone.  A sense of God’s presence surrounded me.  From there, I was able to lead the worship service. God really does help us to grieve.

     The funeral service for mom was a true celebration.  We laughed.  We cried.  And we offered mom back to the Lord.

     You know, I don’t know if I would have made it through these past three weeks without you.  You were there the day I got the call to come home and you prayed with me.   You were there the day of her funeral through those beautiful flowers you sent to my home church.  You were there through the hundreds of sympathy cards, facebook messages, e-mails, and phone calls.  You helped me to grieve with hope.

     There is such a thing as good grief when we offer to God our deepest longings and anguish, and in return, we receive God’s comforting love.

     David didn’t face his grief alone.  He knew that God was with him and that the deaths of Saul and Jonathan were not in vain.  Hope and new life are possible even in the midst of the ambiguity of the human condition.

     I watched about half of Whitney Houston’s four hour funeral service on CNN this past February.  It was a service that included deep expressions of grief and heartache reminding us of David’s poem.  “How the mighty have fallen.”

     But…But in the great tradition of African American worship, it was also a service of incredible joy and hope.  The music was phenomenal and the good news of Jesus Christ was passionately proclaimed.

     Even though one of the mighty had fallen, and the ambiguity of the human condition was so much part of Whitney’s life, New Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey taught the world how to grieve with hope.