"What's in a name (Parts 1/2/3)?"...from Senior Pastor Kekel's CEO Blog

Aug 2, 2010

What's in a name?

 "MIke, Why do you not want to be called Mike? that is your God given name....are you too holy for a first name? are you better than others?  My Pastor prefers that people refer to him by his first name and he is a REAL Pastor"...t

Reply;

When people ask this question, it stems from different motives.  Well, here is a quote from a forum about first-name basis in relationships.  This was not written by religious people, or anyone in NTCC but was written by a person who was simply brought up well.

"My eighth-grade English teacher was the first to call me “Miss X—.” He said it was his practice to address students as young ladies and gentlemen because he wanted them to think of themselves that way. He called all his students “Miss” or “Mr.” with last name, and I do think it made us sit up straighter. People should not be afraid to be addressed with dignity.  In a personal relationship, an invitation to first-name address used to follow initial formality. Now we often have no such initial formality. It no longer has the same meaning. I still prefer a younger person (for example, my sons’ friends) to address me respectfully as “Mrs. X—” even though in the workplace I am used to having people the same age use my first name routinely.  A classroom environment is not a social setting or a workplace. The teacher has the right to set the tone and establish certain conventions. I believe that it is up to the teacher to get each student’s name right, but if a teacher wants to preserve a more formal instructional setting by using a proper title for each student (treating all alike), I think the teacher has that right."

She followed that by saying the "context makes a lot of difference."

Notice the highlighted part in the paragraph above:

"In a personal relationship, an invitation to first-name address used to follow initial formality. Now we often have no such initial formality."

That means, that a polite person never treads there, until they are invited to do so.  In a situation where a person is one's teacher or leader, this invitation to call him by his first name would never occur, because they are not peers.  In the case of NTCC, respect is shown even among peers, against which there is no law.  If one transgresses this almost universal etiquette, they are thought to be uneducated, spiteful or rude.  You used to hear people say "just call me Mike" or "may I call you Mike?"  It's rare these days however. But there is no reason for courtesy to be a thing of the past, and America shouldn't allow it to be.

A Bible Story (Acts 28:7-10)

" In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius; who received us, and lodged us three days courteously. ⁸ And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him. ⁹ So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed: ¹⁰ Who also honoured us with many honours; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary." 

People often consider the centuries past as coarse, barbaric times, and so they were.  But there were also many who regarded their fellow man to be important, and observed *proprieties.  These were usually the refined and educated.

*propriety |p(r)əˈprīətē|noun ( pl. -ties)the state or quality of conforming to conventionally accepted standards of behavior or morals :he always behaved with the utmost propriety.

This practice is encouraged in the scriptures (I Peter 3: 8-9)

^8" Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: ⁹ Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. "

courtesy |ˈkərtəsē|noun ( pl. -sies)- the showing of politeness in one's attitude and behavior toward others

That is clearly not what the writer of the aforementioned comment or the notorious X-Men mean to display, when they call me by my first name or imply that I am not REAL.  It is nothing less than a deliberate attempt to defrock and insult, but that is their problem, isn't it? Alas,  I am but a figment of the imagination!


People may no longer observe the age old practice of respect, but it doesn't change the way they are thought of when they despise it.


Thanks,
M C Kekel

P.S...please don't call me Mike

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Posted by mck at 4:25 PM 25 comments

Sep 1, 2010

What's in a name? (The Sequel)

Woo, this article has really kicked up the dust!  I put part one of this article on this blog on purpose, knowing what would be said; it was partly an experiment, I admit.  I have lots of people with whom I’m on a first-name basis, and I introduce myself regularly by my first name. Michael is a very good and popular name, meaning "who is like unto God?" My middle name is Craig, which means "crag of the Rock."  I like that one too.  God only knows what the Kekel is, it was a step-dad's name; one I never met.  My first name has even been on the top of this blog all this time.  One church member called me “pasture mike” for years, and I never said a word. I was amused at her sincerity.  Soon she learned the word Pastor, but I was still" Pastor Mike" for a long time.  I never corrected her about it because I am quite comfortable in my skin in regard to this.  If people introduce themselves by first names, I usually use mine, no big deal.

What follows is a few comments that we simply must take a closer look at.  The first quote below is one person's response to another commentator who told him to grow up, (because he had  posted my first name repeatedly in the comments to article one). 

"To the Anon who said to grow up....what about Roger Davis singing "nobody loves me, everybody hates me I think I'll eat some woorrmmss" while taunting the people he claims to love. I'll grow up when old man Roger grows up, and your arrogant leader MIKE kekel comes down off his high horse and humbles himself so people can address him by his first name. And yes I do have better things to do, but choose to chime in here now and then to get a good laugh!” By Anonymous on What's in a name? on 8/16/10

What underlies the way a name is used?

I must say that I doubled over with laughter when I first saw this post repeating my first name many times and, joining the fun, I replied "what?" many times.  But let's look deeper.  An analysis of this commentator's violent response shows that he wasn't joking at all, nor was he getting a good laugh. 

Pastor has sung that song indeed, in the same way that the person who wrote the actual parody, (yes there really is a song about worms,)  was poking fun at whiners.  Whiners typically "poke" but don't like being poked. They do regularly enjoy worms however.  If my memory serves me right, the bible teaches that people who love, are not easily provoked (I Cor. 13). I’d say he became angry at the pastor he claimed to love, and couldn't take the taunt.  In fact, it seems his problem is that he mistakenly thought Pastor didn't love him. So, "the song's for you." 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8f81B6ZEuNs&feature=related

Hmm, you have to watch those people who never laugh in church.

Whiners hate any kind of authority or accountability.  They see themselves as “victims, and entitled" but everyone else is, in their opinion, "arrogant" or "abusive."   They are spiritual "union laborers and government worker" types, who deserve to be paid whether they work or not. This is the type that must pull you down and criticize your God-given calling.  Jesus faced them; as it is said in John 1 (10-11), He came unto His own, and they didn't receive Him or know Him.  Thus, the "worm eaters" resorted to calling Him a devil. 

(to be continued)

It's already prepared to publish

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Posted by mck at 3:22 PM 4 comments

Labels:m c kekel Arrogance, authority, respect, subjection

Sep 3, 2010

What's in a Name? (The Sequel continued)

Why are people this way?

I've been preaching a message from Gen. 25 about Esau and Jacob called "Birthright."  It deals with selling out the riches of God’s blessings for the beggarly "bean soup" of the world, because of appetite; it happens all the time.  All spiritual blessings are located in Christ Jesus (Eph. 1) and nowhere else.  These rights to God's blessings are ours by the new birth (i.e. birthrights).  II Cor. 5:17 and John 3 teach that ”ye must be born again.”  We have then, what we could call “birthrights” in Christ.  We are BORN into the family of God (John 1) The right to healing, joy, salvation, the Holy Ghost, heaven, etc.  So much to trade away!  All else is bean soup by comparison.

After Esau the firstborn to Isaac despised, (disdained and spit upon,) his birthright, and sold it to Jacob for a bowl of boiled beans, he hated Jacob, and oppressed him. The name Esau means oppressor, and Jacob means supplanter or deceiver.  Later God changed Jacob's name to Israel; Prince with God!  Then, like you and me, he quit deceiving and stealing and supplanting.  Esau hated and tried to kill his own brother because of his own bad decisions.  Because of their own bad decisions, people also hate NTCC, or anyone that enjoys what they threw away for a moment's appetite.

You see, no one "tricks" people out of their birthrights in God, nor tricks them into or out of their church but, once they have despised and traded off what they had, (the love of the brethren, the fellowship and the joy of Christianity) for "Jacob's Java" they hate.  Just like Esau.

I John 3 (11-13)
¹¹ "For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. ¹² Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? (WHY did he do it?)...Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. ¹³ Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you." That's why people are that way.  

Another comment for your consideration;
"I do believe that respect is laking among many people. I do not however believe it's cure or fix comes from using last name vs first name. It seems what happens when at least in 'the church' is that there becomes a separation between the clergy and the laity. There is no separation...at least not since Jesus did what he did. There is no longer a separation, the clergy have no special pathway to God that the laity don't have. It is all the same. We all come to God the same way...through His grace. So if we keep this separation by elevating people higher than ourselves in terms of their relationship with the Father, we will always struggle with self identity, comparison, and lack. Lets get it in order...he who has ears let him hear!" by Anonymous on What's in a name? on 8/24/10


I appreciate your comment, but you must realize that no one is suggesting that the first name issue fixes anything, or that they have "a special pathway" to God, Jesus is the way to God.  However, you are wrong, because there is always a biblical distinction between clergy and laity, (preachers and church members).  If you don't think that the call to preach is a "higher calling" and you think that all (clergy and laity) are equal, then Paul saying he was "called to be an Apostle" (one sent in full authority of the sender) meant nothing at all.  Carefully study the bible here.


I Tim. 1 (1) ^"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope"

2 (7)  "Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity"


Rom. 11 (13)

 "For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office"

Authority is biblical and real, but should be neither misused nor despised.  If you are not a leader, then you are a follower.  Oh wait, you can't be a follower without a leader can you?  "But I am a follower of God and not man" you say.  Then God put leaders in the church in vain (this was God's first time building a church after all)  and there are no Pastors, there's no church government, no leadership.  There are no offices, no callings, just disorganization and loose cannons rolling all over the ship's deck shootin' the rails off!  


Notice I Peter 5 (1-4)
"The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: ² Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; ³ Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. ⁴ And when the chief Shepherd" (a leader of Shepherds who oversee and feed the sheep / laity)" shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away."

You are right, all men come to God exactly the same way and on the same level, but they do NOT have the same callings or positions of authority in the church. I Cor. 12 teaches that! Paul teaches that, though each of us are members of the body of Christ, we all need each other and are members of the same body, never saying "I have no need of thee." If you will study the epistles of Titus and Timothy, you will also see that clergy is held to a higher standard than laity. This is so that they can LEAD THEM, by example.  Don't be quick to criticize clergy, if you are not an example yourself.  If a man thinks that clergy and laity are the same, he does not know the scriptures.  Notice the highlights in the following passage;

Heb. 5 (1-5)

"For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: ² Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. ³ And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. ⁴ And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. ⁵ So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee."

So? A minister is from among men, for men, honored of God and has infirmities (weaknesses).  Looks like, since great pains have been taken to point out the infirmities of NTCC's ministers, they must have some pretty good ones.  They are able to have compassion on the ignorant and wandering people who keep attacking us, and pray for them instead of hating and being like them.  It is not the will of God to hate them.  You might have to correct them, or expose them for the protection of others, but not hate them.




In addition, it appears you feel that clergy is somehow wrong by assuming its God-given position; they are "arrogant people" because they raise an eyebrow at disrespectful behavior. They are high-horse riders. "Give us Pastors like those teachers who tell Johnny that 2 + 2 is 5, lest they wound his tender conscience!"  If there are no leaders, there are no followers. If God meant for there to be no leaders, the bible wouldn't speak of placing them in the church, neither would the bible instruct them how to lead. Jesus is our ultimate example, so let's see how He handled things;

Phil. 2 (6-11)
"Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: ⁷ But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: ⁸ And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. ⁹ Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: ¹⁰ That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; ¹¹ And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." 

Jesus has a position, and thinks it NOT ROBBERY, but rightful, that he is God, and He is neither disdainful nor proud in His treatment of others.  He served and died for others, yet  He has never refused worship; He didn't demand that people in Jerusalem bow; neither did He refuse the throne and absolute power given Him after His resurrection. Of course, if He used His power the way some preachers do, we would all be dead I suppose.  Paul was teaching ALL of us to have the same attitude, whether leaders of a flock of God, or members of the flock.  His preachers in the book of Acts DID refuse worship, even angels refused worship! And no preacher should desire to be worshipped.  

Look back at (2-5) now;

^2" Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. ³ Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. ⁴ Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. ⁵  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus"

And again in I Peter 5 (2-4)^2" Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight (that's leadership) thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; ³ Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. ⁴ And when the chief Shepherd (He's the Shepherd over His Shepherds who feed His flocks) shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away."

When a man has been called of God, it is not robbery for him to assume the sacred responsibility of serving in that capacity.  If indeed he is arrogant, he's wrong. He shouldn't DEMAND that people bow, but he should obey God. Now if there is honor and respect due, God will give it.  Having an office in the church and being placed in the the body (I Cor. 12) in leadership, does not constitute  pride or arrogance, but this is the true meaning of arrogance;

ORIGIN late Middle English : via Old French from Latin arrogant- ‘claiming for oneself,’ from the verb arrogare (see arrogate ) 

If people wish to "claim for themselves" that preachers are equal to them, and therefore you "don't have to  respect" the clergy" then you are arrogant indeed. Therefore, let the arrogant man who said "Mike, Mike, Mike, etc"  get off my horse and get his own saddle. Let him not seek to pull down the called of God, but let him ask of God, and serve God, and find his own place of blessing, then he shall be accepted also.

James 4 (5-10)

⁵  "Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? ⁶ But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. ⁷ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. ⁹ Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." 

I Timothy 5 (17-21)

^17" Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. ¹⁸ For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward. ¹⁹ Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses. ²⁰ Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear. ²¹ I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality."

Thank God for His word that pierces even to the dividing asunder of our thoughts and the intents of our hearts.  Study the Word friends, that ye may "rightly divide the word of truth." (II Tim.)


God bless you all,
Michael Craig Kekel
A servant

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Posted by mck at 10:33 PM 7 comments

Labels:m c kekel Arrogance, authority, Clergy, respect, subjection