In the church, we like ot say that our primary job is “making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” That language was suggested by our United Methodist bishops as the best, simplest expression of the church’s mission. I think they did a good job – I really can’t think of a better way to capture the church’s mission in English.

That being said, one thing always bothers me. What, exactly, is a disciple? If our purpose is to make these things, we better know what they are! More importantly, we better be them ourselves first – all the better to know how to produce them. I think a disciple of Jesus Christ is a person who has been radically transformed by the grace of God. But I also think, for the purposes of the church, it would help to think a little more concretely about what a disciple is. Our membership vows are a good place to start.

When a person joins a United Methodist Church, they vow to “faithfully participate in [the church’s] ministries by your prayers, your presence, your gifts, and your service.”

What if we said that a disciple is someone who fulfills that vow? Not that we would want to toss people out who fail – because we all fail in one way or another. But just to say clearly that these are the kind of people we are trying to produce – people who pray, who attend, who share their gifts, who serve. I think that captures it pretty well. Granted, there is much more to discipleship – but I would still think that almost all areas of discipleship that we might want to define fall into those four areas:

Prayers: We expect disciples to have an active spiritual life. We expect disciples to hold the church and the church’s members up before God in prayer. We expect disciples to take steps to deepen their spirituality, through the study of scripture and the dutiful observance of sacraments. We expect disciples to pursue personal holiness in all of their life.

Presence: We expect disciples to regularly attend worship services. We expect disciples to utilize the facilities and offerings of the church. We expect disciples to respond to the needs of the congregation when called upon to do so, in whatever way God has graced them to respond.

Gifts: We expect disciples to share from their financial resources, proportionally to what they have. We expect disciples to share their skills and talents, relationships and other resources as they are called to do so for the sake of the church.

Service: We expect disciples to reach out to the community in Christian service. We expect disciples to always have a special concern for the poor, for ministries of peace and justice, and for the care of the earth. We expect disciples to pursue social holiness in all of their life.

Those points might serve as a good starting point to a rich conversation with potential (and current) members.

Mark 4: 35-41
Rev. Bryan Travis Hooper
They got in a boat to head to the other side.  I wonder where they thought they were going?  Experienced fishermen, they probably were not concerned about the trip itself.  They were focused on their destination.  But as experienced fishermen know, the weather can change everything on the sea. (more…)

Being a pastor is a very odd thing. From time to time, I reflect on what it means “to be pastor.” And I always end up concluding that the best word to describe this job is “weird.”

Why do I choose that word? I don’t mean to imply any kind of negative connotation. In fact, to me the word weird has largely positive meanings. What I’m trying to get at is the fact that to be pastor means that chaos is just part of the plan. Weirdness is the unexpected. And each day for a pastor is full of weirdness. But there are other ways that the job is weird:

• - You never know how people will respond to you. In social contexts, almost invariable people want to talk about religion when they discover you are a pastor. Even if you are in the middle of an intense discussion about baseball. Even if you are in Boston, and the Red Sox are tied and it’s the 9th inning. Trust me. It’s weird.
• - Sometimes you get treated really well. I am so impressed with how the hospitals in Hartford treat clergy. They respect us and welcome us as part of the healing team. That kind of professional courtesy goes a long way in my book. Funeral homes and civic associations also treat clergy with respect.
• - Sometimes you get treated really poorly. I’ve had people try to pick fights with me. I’ve had people tell me I’m going to hell. I’ve had people lie about me to my face. I won’t give specifics, but sometimes we clergy get a bum rap.
• - The world is expected of us, but we don’t have much to work with. This is really weird to me. The recent spate of violence in Hartford generated a letter or two nin the paper that wondered: where are the clergy!? Now, I admit, the clergy in Hartford need to be better organized and more responsive as a group. But on the other hand, I know exactly where the clergy where: we were struggling with our congregations, wondering how to pay for leaky roofs, running to the hospitals, attending unending meetings, trying to connect with the community, filling in for our skinny staffs. On Sunday mornings, I wonder where the people of Hartford are….

Well, those are just some of the ways that this job is weird. But there is nothing like it. If you can avoid burnout, accept the salary you are given, deal with the occasional difficult person, and navigate conflict and criticism, it’s a great job. Really! Where else can I speak to a room full of people every week – and the only one who complains is my dog, barking just outside the sanctuary? Where else can I journey with people to the end of their lives? Where else can I see the best (and the worst) in people? Where else can I impact the community in such amazing ways?

It’s not for everyone. But being pastor is a great weird job.

On June 25th after worship, you are invited to come to an informal reception to explore membership at United Methodist Church of Hartford. We extend this invitation to all who have joined the church in the last two years to come and share with potential new members. This will be a chance to get acquainted, learn about membership, have your questions answered, and, if you are ready, commit to join the church in an upcoming worship service. Joining a church is an important, personal decision. We want to help you understand what membership means so that you can make an informed, exciting decision about where to live out your faith. Membership is open to all who take our membership vows. You can transfer from another church or confess your faith in Jesus Christ if you are not currently a member of a church. Membership in a local church is an important part of discipleship and spiritual growth. We believe our church provides a friendly, warm, diverse home that nurtures our spiritual life and journey with Christ. Please join us on the 25th to learn more.

Mark 4: 26-34
Rev. Bryan Travis Hooper
My grandfather, who’s name I bear as my middle name, was a rancher and farmer most of his life.  Retirement was not part of his plan, and so as long as he was able he would go out in the hot Oklahoma sun and work his cattle or run the plow.  It was hard work – he would be covered in sweat and dirt when he came home.  His house was designed so that he could walk in the back door and immediately go to the bathroom and take a shower – no dirt in the house.  He worked like that his whole life.  We used to like to go to the farm with him – he’d drive us around in his pick-up truck and honk the horn at cows, all named Bessie or Buster depending on their gender.  And we’d ride the tractor with him, pretending to drive, as he hauled the plow behind digging up the dirt.  For us it was a novelty – an amusing way to spend a few days of the summer.  But for my grandfather it was the only life he had ever known. (more…)

Acts 2: 1-21
Rev. Bryan Travis Hooper
I wrestled this week with two contrasting images.  The first is the image emerging of Hartford fueled by the fact that since May 24, 16 people have been shot on our streets.  Three were shot early Sunday morning before we gathered here to worship the Prince of Peace.  One victim, 15 years old, has died.  Many of the other victims are children as well.  There are 14 tactical street unit police officers – which represents a doubling of the force in response to the violence – but which still equals less than one police officer per shooting in the span of about a week.    From what little I’ve been able to gather, the police believe the shootings are being conducted by young people caught up in some version of gangster life. (more…)

I couldn’t resist writing a little something this morning…

Today is 6/6/6 – and a lot of people are making a fuss about it. Afterall, 666 is the “Number of the Beast” as recorded in the 13th chapter of the Book of Revelation. Even the remake of “The Omen,” with Satan’s spawn Damien, is opening today in honor of the surprising date.

It’s worth pointing out a few things:

1. Today’s date is actually 6/6/2006. The actual 6/6/6 happened 2000 years ago.

2. Most scholars agree that the number 666 in the 13th chapter of Revelation is probably not 666 at all. It appears to many that the number intended was 616. The 666 was a mistake in later copies of the book.

3. The “Number of the Beast” is probably intended to represent a person. In Biblical times, it was popular to assign numbers to names by adding up values that were assigned to letters. So, for instance, my name, Bryan, would be 2+18+25+1+14 = 60 (this assumes that you assign the value 1 to A, 2 to B, etc). So, if the number of the beast was 60, I would be suspect. The Roman Emperor, Nero, who was famous for persucting Christians, just so happens to add up to either 616 or 666 using the traditional Hebrew numbering system and depending on which of two popular spellings of his name you use.

So, being that the entire book of Revelation appears to be an effort to understand Christian life under severe Roman persecution, I happen to believe that the Beast in quesetion was Nero. Still, the Omen got a good review in the paper this morning, so have fun…..