Light of the World
"Mayday, mayday, mayday. This is the Alaska Ranger. 5, 3, 5, 3 North, 1, 6, 9, 5, 8 West... We are flooding, taking on water in our rudder room."
It was 2:52 am on March 23, Easter morning, when Coast Guard Station Kodiak picked up the distress call from a point almost 800 miles west, in Alaska's frigid Bering Sea.
"Roger. Good copy on position... Request to know number onboard, over."
After a static-filled pause, the answer came through loud and clear: "Number of persons: 47."
Capt. Peter Jacobsen was in the crowded wheelhouse of the 189-ft. fishing vessel. When the trawler's emergency alarm had first sounded about an hour before, crew members descended below decks to see water rising fast in the ship's stern compartments. They had pulled out a pump, but the effort soon looked futile. Now Jacobsen, 65, a veteran captain who had been fishing in the Bering Sea for 23 years, was making calls to his ship's sister vessels, repeating the coordinates of the Ranger's position 120 miles west of the Aleutian Island port of Dutch Harbor.
Two hundred and thirty miles to the north, pilot Steve Bonn was in the middle of a late-night Xbox duel when the phone rang in the Coast Guard's tiny outpost on St. Paul Island. Bonn, 39, had served as an Army Blackhawk pilot before joining the Coast Guard eight years ago. He was now four days into a two-week shift at the isolated base, where squads of rescuers stand by for emergencies involving the nation's largest—and most danger-plagued—fishing fleet. Bonn rushed to the barracks to wake his crew. Within minutes, they had loaded into SUVs, sped through 3-ft. snow drifts to the hangar and were fueling up a 14,500-pound HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter.
Craig Lloyd, 46, captain of the Coast Guard cutter Munro, was on patrol near the ice edge south of the barren Pribilof Islands when the mayday call came through. He ordered engineers to switch the 378-ft. cutter from its standard diesel engines to Pratt & Whitney FT4A engines, similar to the ones that power Boeing 707s. Several of the 160 crew members onboard were jarred awake in their bunks as the 18,000-hp turbines kicked in, and the Munro began to sprint toward the sinking ship at a speed of nearly 30 knots, or 35 mph.
David Hull struggled to pull a bright-red survival suit over the sweats he had been sleeping in minutes before. The thick, neoprene "Gumby" suit, which looks a little like a child's footed pajamas, has a zipper up the front that is supposed to form a tight seal at the neck to keep the body dry. But as Hull stepped into the flopping legs of the oversize suit, he felt his thermal socks soak through. Inside, there was already standing water.
Hull had been asleep on his "rack" in the bunk room that he shared with three fellow fishermen when another crew member opened the door: "Get your suits on. We're flooding." Like the rest of the crew, Hull had reported to a muster station near his designated life raft on the ship's deck. Now the anxious men were cycling through 5-minute warmup shifts in the wheelhouse, where they could barely recognize each other in the bulky, hooded suits.
Outside, the deck was slick with ice, and waves were beginning to crest over the stern. The temperature was only 12 F. As Hull leaned against the front window of the wheelhouse, awaiting his turn, the Alaska Ranger went dark. Oddly, it seemed to shift into reverse. Then the trawler took a sudden, violent list to starboard. Hull lunged for an icy rail and held tight as crew members clinging to the rail below him gazed up in horror. "Don't let go, don't let go," he heard someone yell. If he lost his grip, Hull would hurtle down the deck like a bowling ball, knocking the men into the sea.
Amid the chaos, the captain issued the order: Abandon ship. The men struggled to launch the ice-crusted life rafts. They had been told that they would lower ladders to board the rafts in an emergency. But because the Ranger was moving astern, the rafts shot toward the bow instead of floating in place near the side of the vessel. Hull watched them drift away. Then he jumped. He swam for the closest raft, hauled himself in, then peered out of the tented shelter. All around, the lights attached to his friends' survival suits were spreading out in the 32 F water, blinking in and out of view as the men bobbed up and down in the 20-ft. swells.
One of those lights belonged to Ryan Shuck, a soft-spoken 31-year-old from Spokane, Wash., who had joined the crew of the Alaska Ranger 10 months earlier. Shuck had been one of the first to jump. He'd leaped from the middle of the ship—and was quickly sucked under and beyond his raft. Now he was farther downwind than anyone else. Gazing back in the trawler's direction, he could see the tiny, solitary beacons flickering among the waves and, by the light of the moon, the outline of the vessel bulging out from the ocean. Shuck watched as the bow of the Alaska Ranger turned up toward the sky. Eerily, the lights in the wheelhouse flickered on for a brief moment. And then, in a matter of seconds, the ship disappeared, sinking swiftly below the waves.
Not a movie, not just a story. Before dawn on March 23, 2008, the Alaska Ranger sank in America's deadliest waters. As 47 souls fought for survival, the US Coast Guard launched one of the most daring and dramatic rescues in history, saving all but five of them. If you want to read the whole story, pick up a copy of Kalee Thompson's book, Deadliest Sea: The Untold Story Behind the Greatest Rescue in Coast Guard History. The excerpt above is from an article she published in Popular Mechanics Magazine, June 30th, 2008.
I am a huge fan of the US Coast Guard. I served in the US Air Force for 12 years, and I am not ashamed to say the Coast Guard is my favorite of the US armed services. In my previous career, I held several contracts with the Coast Guard and became very familiar with the work they do both here at home and around the world. I know at least one of our church members, Rick Koch, is a Coastie and, if you know him, you know he represents very well the characteristic selflessness and bravery that flows freely in the veins of all his service brethren.
Because of my business relationship with the Coast Guard, I believe I have been made more acutely aware than the average American of stories like these. I have watched press conferences where rescued survivors described through tears the trials of despair they endured in the darkest of nights, the fears that welled over them like the waves that held them hostage; and the unspeakable joy of spotting that first tiny flicker of light on the horizon. The stories I heard may all have varied in detail, but one constant ran through them all. The grateful survivors always thanked the Coast Guard, but it was the Seamen who pulled them from the deep they all hugged and kissed. How could they not? When you think even for a moment of the risks these heroes take, the safety and security they gladly lay down, and all they sacrifice to save just one of us, all that’s left to feel is utter gratitude – for the rescuers and for the ones who sent them.
I think if the Apostle Paul had been called to start a service-related branch of government, he would have founded the US Coast Guard. I say that because of what I read in 1 Corinthians chapter 9 where Paul describes his determination to set aside his own rights, his own comforts, and his own glory for the benefit of others and reveals his strategy for making disciples for Christ in verse 22, “…I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.”
You may have noticed the banners hanging on the eastern outside wall of our sanctuary. There are three of them and they read, “Light,” Life,” and “Love.” What you may not know is that those banners describe the three elements of the NUMC church vision –
“To be the Light, Life, and Love of Jesus Christ.’
A vision is simply a statement of WHAT we are working to BE. It offers a view of what we wish to become and what we hope to be known for in the community. It is a leadership responsibility to articulate and cast a vision for the church, and it is our individual responsibility as members to interpret that vision in the light of what God is calling us to do to make it a reality. That can be a little challenging. It takes a lot prayer, a lot of preaching, a lot of Bible study, a lot of service, and a lot of good discipleship to help us understand what the vision means to each of us and our work here – and once complete, all that must be done again, and again, and again, as we grow in our knowledge of and our service to the Lord.
It is a routine part of my walk to measure my calling with respect to our church vision, and I thought it might make that challenge less daunting for some if I shared my current approach and interpretation. I will do this in three installments of this blog from today through October, covering all three elements of our Vision statement. Today, I will start with the first element, Light.
For me, the church that is Light will bring Illumination. Where the Coast Guard mission depends on bringing physical light, the church’s light must illuminate much more than just our physical surroundings. It must shine into places we cannot see with our eyes. There is an effort in keeping that light as bright and as focused as possible, and I think my experience with the Coast Guard can offer some ideas that will make that effort more effective. Maybe I can follow their example and:
Do my homework. Whether I like to look at the world in its present condition or not, I must make the effort to understand the real problems and needs of my community. I need to understand more about the people that need God’s help and the environments into which He is calling me. I should know my neighbors, read the paper, stop avoiding social media, and get to work with others in my small groups to regularly engage with the community in some way. It is important to learn about my world and get to know the people in it.
Be prepared. A committed disciple will never stop growing and learning in Christ. I can keep my spiritual and physical muscles strong. Read that Bible, listen to that sermon, and be in church when the doors are open. Join a small group and combine all of the spiritual gifts in that group to build unstoppable teams. Train for those rescues that will occur and stay sober of mind and spirit.
Be in constant search for the hurt and lost. Stay tuned-in to hear the cries for help and to recognize the signs of danger. Use technology as a force multiplier and ask daily for discernment from the Holy Spirit to lead me to people and their needs. Remove those concerns in my own life that serve only to block my reception of the faintest of distress signals.
Run toward the suffering and unchurched offering help, encouragement, and the peace of the Gospel. Don’t just try to draw people to the church. The first action verb of our mission in Matthew 28:18-20 is “go” – so go out and get them. Yes, I abhor what social media has become, but that’s where the people are. So suck it up and get back out there. Find places on line and in town to get involved with unchurched people and take the love and grace of Christ with me. Be ready to drop what I am doing, anytime day or night, to answer the bell.
Remember the light I carry is to be shone on others, not on myself. Like Paul, set aside interest in my own comfort, safety, security – even be prepared to give my life – so others can be rescued, and as he demonstrated, “be all things to all people, so I might save some.”
Two verses later, in verse 24, Paul inspires us to press on with these words:
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
I do not claim to know what that prize will be, but for me, I hope it will be walking through the gates of Heaven to find a long line of rescued souls waiting anxiously to throw their arms around my neck and to say “Thank you! – to me and to the One who sent me.
One of my very favorite songs is Lauren Daigle’s, “Rescue.” Perhaps, we can get Jamel to let Hailey Neely sing this song one Sunday. This is the last chorus of that song:
I will send out an army;
To find you in the middle of the darkest night, it’s true;
I will rescue you.
I will never stop marching;
To reach you in the middle of the hardest fight, It’s true;
I will rescue you.
Below is a link to this song for those who have not heard it.
That army she sings about…that’s us. As we carry out our mission to make disciples, we can never forget that every act of discipleship always begins with a rescue mission. As the Light of Jesus Christ, our church will be the spiritual first responder for our community, and – as we know from our own experience - that light we bring with us is the only one that can pierce those darks nights of the soul.
Grace and Peace, my friends.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6xJxeaHODo
My Tribute to the Leader of the Band
Reflecting over the years, I can look back and see where the Lord blessed me by placing individuals in my path who greatly impacted my life. These individuals came into my life at pivotal times and helped instill traits like a strong work ethic and the importance of integrity and accountability. They provided me opportunities where I was blessed to form life-long friendships and bonds that made me a better person than I could ever have been alone. God used these individuals to help mold and shape me into who I am. One of these was my high school band director, Ernest O. Hebson, Jr.
This past week, I learned Mr. Hebson, age 84, joined the Lord's Heavenly ensemble. He was the founding director of the Fort Walton Beach High School "Pride of the Miracle Strip" Viking Band. He invested 30 years (1969-1999) and touched thousands of young lives, building a program rooted in tradition through the motto, "Excellence Without Exception." I was blessed to be one of those lives touched and changed when my family moved to Fort Walton for the final two years of my high school education in the summer of 1977.
Mr. Hebson's legendary leadership taught by example several life principles that went well beyond music and impacted many lives, mine included. One principle was the importance of being a part of something bigger than self. Only someone of Mr. Hebson's caliber could consistently take a group of teenagers with a wide range of abilities, motivations, and talents and mold them into a high-performing machine. His ability to do this gave us opportunities to perform in prominent events like the Rose and Orange Bowl Parades, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and Ronald Reagan's Inaugural Parade, to name a few - events that only a very few high school bands would ever have the privilege of participating in.
The last thing any Viking Band member wanted to do was to let their section or our band leader down, which led to another lifelong Hebson principle: the power of high expectations combined with support and the push for continuous improvement. It didn't matter if you were a naturally gifted musician or an average player, Mr. Hebson fostered a desire to take what was already "good" and make it even better. How often did we hear him say, "One more time"? More times than any of us could count!!!
I can't help but think of some of the lyrics of Dan Fogelberg's beautiful song, Leader of the Band:
"But his blood runs through my instrument
And his song is in my soul
My life has been a poor attempt
To imitate the man
I'm just a living legacy
To the leader of the band
I am a living legacy to the leader of the band."
I join many in offering my heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Hebson, Trey, Reed, and their families. I hope you will feel a sense of the admiration, love, and gratitude so many of us have for this remarkable soul - Our Leader of the Band.
Robert Trigg
Class of 1979
Regrets
I tend to look back at my actions a lot since I have given myself to God. Things I've said and things I've done. "Why did I say that? Why did I do that?" The two most asked questions when you are dealing with regret. So, if I have never given myself to God, would I still think that way? Only he can answer that. I do know this, if I had to do it all over again is there anything I would change? Absolutely not. It was a life challenge that was given to me and I made some wrong and bad decisions. Look where it got me. I'm not in jail, I'm not a drug addict or an alcoholic. I work for the Lord. I have a beautiful family who are very healthy and happy for what the great Lord has blessed them with. Some would ask, now how does that happen? Well, I gave myself to the Lord. I confessed all my sins to him and now all is forgiven. Yes, God does forgive you, but if you think he's gonna snap his fingers and everything is gonna be awesome again, then you are wrong. I can say this though, confess to the Lord and you will feel better about yourself. That weight you've been carrying will finally hit the ground and break. That is a good way to start.
Remember that it is a new beginning for you and it's time to rebuild your foundation in life.
I've been in construction for over 30 years and you know what? I STILL MAKE MISTAKES!
It happens to everyone. Learn to address them and correct them. The Holy Spirit has got your back and he/she will help you. Just remember, you have to believe. Know that there are demons you will need to battle and you will prevail if you believe and ask for help.
So, back to my regrets. Those are my demons. I've been knocking them down one by one. When I think of my past doings, I often think of the negative. What's even crazier is I think that that's all God looks at. No he doesn't. I have a huge heart. He knows I've done more good than I have bad. He knows that right now I am thinking of something negative I've done , but yet I am thinking of all the good too.
So when you start thinking about your regrets, give yourself the strength to focus on the positive things you've done. Remember that we all deal with demons and the last thing they ever want is for you to be positive. By being positive towards yourself and other people is a huge blow to them demons. That little saying, treat others how you want to be treated. Well, treat yourself how you want to be treated. Think positive, love others, show compassion and stop dwelling on the past. God has got something big for you! That should be exciting! Note to self.
God bless you all!
Better Together
As I sit down to write this blog, Idalia made landfall at Keaton Beach, Florida at 7:01 a.m. (Central Time) as a Category 3 Hurricane. I’m sure many of you like me have been glued to the weather reports the last few days. We know what it is like to prepare, evacuate, ride it out and anticipate the landfall of a hurricane here in the Panhandle. Over the next few hours and days crews will assess power outages and work towards restoration, damage to homes, businesses and property will occur through insurance adjusters. Many relief agencies will descend upon hard hit areas providing food, water and shelter and comfort. It will be a while before some sense of normalcy returns to these areas.
It is during these times of disaster relief and recovery that I am proud to say that I am a United Methodist Christian. You may think that strange but one of the areas we as United Methodists are known for is our long-term disaster assistance and recovery. The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is active around the world demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ in disaster situations as are other agencies. UMCOR is in it for the long haul. Long after other relief agencies have moved on, we still have boots on the ground as we help communities rebuild. UMCOR assisting with the wildfires in Maui, tornado relief in Oklahoma, landslides in California and Hurricane Idalia. UMCOR is actively working in our Alabama-West Florida Conference assisting with Case Management and the rebuilding of homes in Selma, Alabama from the November tornados.
Many organizations are asking for monetary assistance for disasters. Our UMC bishops will issue an appeal soon for monetary relief for Hurricane Idalia. The structure of UMCOR is set up so that 100% of funds for appeals is channeled to that disaster (no overhead comes out of donations to specific appeals). The unique nature of the connectional system of the United Methodist Church allows us, Navarre UMC, to do more together with other United Methodist Churches than we can do as a single church. Through funds and disaster relief teams we, Navarre UMC and the UMC at large become the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. We embrace our calling to share the love of Christ with all. We are BETTER TOGETHER.
Why Am I Here?
Please forgive me as I begin this blog with a rundown of my credentials on the subject at hand. It is not intended to be self-serving, but merely a means of demonstrating some expertise in the arguments I will make here. I admit, there was a time in my recent past where that would not have been the case – a time when I was hard at work building a kingdom for myself. Today, the Lord has given me work that is worthy of His calling and the grace to live it out the words of Jeremiah 9:24.
“But let the one who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me [and acknowledges Me and honors Me as God and recognizes without any doubt], that I am the Lord who practices lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on the earth, for in these things I delight,” says the Lord.” AMP
So, I offer - as background only - the gifts and experiences He has given me to do His work, both in the church and in the culture. Whatever I have contributed to the world, I assure you it was only made possible by his grace and it is merely a fraction of the many failures His grace has overcome.
That being said, I will say I am an educated and experienced expert in organizational leadership. That is a factual, though not-so-humble-sounding, way of saying I know a lot about how organizations tick, how to turn them around when they are failing and how to help them grow when they are not. I started in this line of work as a business troubleshooter for a large corporation when I was thirty, helping revive struggling divisions across the company. That work evolved into a long and rewarding career as an organizational turn-around specialist.
This field in which I have practiced for more than 35 years, is where we get organizational concepts like mission, vision, core values, and strategy – words you may have recently heard around here at NUMC. Like most every organization in the world, we are implementing a formal approach to planning and growth, and I am very grateful for and proud of the work of our brother, Brad Williams, and the Strategic Planning Team he has been leading for about a year. In case you didn’t know, it was this team working with our amazing staff that codified the need for the renovation of Hildreth Hall as the new home of our children and youth ministries. If you haven’t been over there to see it, please stop by for a tour. It is quite spectacular.
As we venture into this process, however, I am given to pause and reflect on the question at the top of this blog – why am I here? I have done this work across the spectrum of organization types – mom and pop companies, small non-profits, Fortune 500 companies, state and federal government, private sector, and churches. Most of the projects were successful, but not all of them. I do not have any empirical data to prove my claim, but – in my experience – the group that has benefited the least from rigorous strategic planning is churches and the sharp decline in the church’s influence on our culture has been the result. It’s not because churches don’t try it. They do. Try to find a church in this area without a published mission and vision statement. So, why does it often not help?
I’ve heard many arguments, most of which attempt to draw sharp distinctions between spiritual and secular experiences and attack the folly of trying to use natural processes to effect supernatural change (which is NOT what strategic planning attempts to do). I don’t buy these arguments. I believe the answer is much simpler than all that. My theory is this – the success of any strategic plan is dependent upon the way leaders and working level members of any organization answer the critical question before us today – why am I here?
When I assess an organization, I ask participants to answer the question, “Why are you here?” I grade the answers in a range from Level 1 to Level 5 (a concept of leadership I learned in Jim Collins’ book, Good to Great.) Level 1 leaders and workers will always give answers like, “great pay and benefits,” “good working hours,” “nice people,” “close to home”, etc. As good as they might be at their jobs, these people are not truly “all-in” and will quickly change their viewpoints when the execution of strategic plans inconvenience them.
Level 5 leaders and workers will answer more like this - “I believe in the mission,” “I have found a sense of purpose here,” “I can contribute something good to the world,” “I make a difference,” and “I am called to this work in this place.” These folks are all-in.
Ask the average church member on any given Sunday why they come to any particular church and you are bound to get answers like, “I feel loved here,” “The people are so friendly and welcoming,” “The music is amazing,” “My kids love it,” or “My family feels safe and supported here.” All great answers and exactly what we want to hear from newer people - who Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians are here to be fed - but not from longer-term members who should not only be self-feeding, but feeding others, as well.
From them, we should expect to hear “This is where I have grown close to the Lord,” or “I found a place here where God can use my gifts, talents, and passions to bring the love and grace of Jesus Christ to a lost and hurting world.” If you ever hear anyone say something like that, get that person on a leadership track right away!
My theory postulates that the success of any church plan is based on the ratio of Level 5 to Level 1 participants who have been regular attenders for more than one year. That is why I have such great hope for the future of NUMC. I believe our ratio is very good! This is partially shown to me by our general response to the changes we have seen just in the past two months – and a lot has changed in that short time. Yet, with few exceptions, we have been able to set aside our individual parochial interests to accommodate the redemptive work we do - and wish to do - all across our community.
God has blessed us with people who are here for the mission. If you aren’t convinced, pay a visit to our Thrift Store, or sit down with our children and youth leaders. These people are all-in, Level 5 leaders and workers.
Thank you for being a church that is willing to take risks and break new ground for the sake of the Gospel. As we go forward, we will need everyone on the team. More changes are around the corner, I’m sure. I’m also sure our commitment to Christ’s ongoing mission here in Navarre and everywhere else will be tested again and again.
Why am I here? The short answer is to glorify God. God created us for His glory; our purpose is to glorify Him and, in this fallen world, to make Him known to others (Isaiah 43:7; Matthew 28:18–19). Of course, this is the answer that should always be in the hearts of Level 5 believers. So, our question today is one each of us should ask and pray about regularly. If you don’t want to do that, you can just wait for the inevitable day when our ever-evolving church plan brings some change that will affect you. Your response will tell you – and maybe others – exactly where you stand.
Grace and Peace!