Pastor's Ponderings

My Final Blog at This Site

2007-03-06T19:10:00.000-05:00

Friends,

This is the final blog that I will post at this site. I have had some technical difficulties and switched to a new site. I have totally transferred everything from this site to the new one. You will be able to continue your Lenten Reflection readings at the new site.

Please visit The Pastor's Ponderings at its new location:

http://revtdg.wordpress.com

Visit me at the new blog and bookmark the new address.

Terry Goodman

God's Love for Your Enemies

2007-03-03T13:02:00.000-05:00

Daily Lectionary Reading

Psalm 55
Deuteronomy 11:18-28
Hebrews 5:1-10
John 4:1-26

John 4:1-26 New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

John 4
Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman
1The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, 2although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.

4Now he had to go through Samaria. 5So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

7When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" 8(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
9The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.[a])

10Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

11"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"

13Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

15The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."

16He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back."

17"I have no husband," she replied.

Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. 18The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true."

19"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. 20Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."

21Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

25The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."

26Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."

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As Jesus is moving from one region to another, he passes through Samaria. Let's just say, there was no love lost between the Jews and the Samaritans. Yet on his journey he stops about noon at Jacob's well. He was tired, thirsty and hungry. The disciples had gone to get food, but the thirst could be quenched at the well. The only problem was that he had no way of getting the water. In addition, it was customary for water to be drawn from the well during the early morning hours when things were cooler. Thus, he really shouldn't expect anyone to be there at this time of day. Yet, a Samaritan woman did approach. Some suggest that she may have been an outcast of sorts within the village since she didn't come early in the morning when the other women of the town came. Whatever her situation, we can only guess.

What we can be sure of, though, is that she was no different than Nicodemus. Her spiritual sight was just as blind as his. Jesus begins talking with her about "living water". She talks with him about physical water. He talks about a water that can quench an eternal thirst. She talks about water to satisfy her physical thirst. She makes reference to a coming Messiah, he proclaims that "I who speak to you am he."

To a Samaritan woman Jesus reveals that he is Messiah. She was from an outcast race and she was a woman. Men just didn't talk to strange women and yet here was Jesus not only talking but teaching and revealing who he was to her.

That suggests that there is hope for everyone. If he would reveal God's plan to her, then it is also available to me.

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Prayer: Lord, though I don't deserve to hear your Good News, thank you for revealing it to me.

A Graceful Exit

2007-03-02T13:02:00.000-05:00

Daily Lectionary Reading
Psalm 40
Deuteronomy 10:12-22
Hebrews 4:11-16
John 3:22-36

John 3:22-36 New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

John the Baptist's Testimony About Jesus
22After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized. 24(This was before John was put in prison.) 25An argument developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew[a] over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him."

27To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. 28You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ[b] but am sent ahead of him.' 29The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30He must become greater; I must become less.

31"The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God[c] gives the Spirit without limit. 35The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."[d]

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John the Baptist comes back into the picture long enough to be pushed out of the picture. Jesus and his followers are now baptising and some folks come to John basically saying, "It look's like that guy you baptized. The special one. Is stealing some of your thunder."

John responds in a Godly manner. He does not become indignant. He does not put down Jesus' ministry. Rather he reflects on how God's plan is unveiling itself. He sees himself as a helper in God's plan and not as the central figure. He refers to the joy he had in helping get things ready for Jesus' coming and now he states, "He must become greater; I must become less."

I wish that some of us could have that same humble attitude toward serving God. We've all know of persons that have for years served in a particular role in the church. Everyone around can see that the time has come for the person to step down. Yet he or she doesn't. They want to remain in center stage rather than let the person with the true gifts and graces take over. Perhaps, we can all learn from John the Baptist.

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Prayer: Lord, help me to understand my role in your plan and help me to step aside and let others lead when my role is completed.

You Can't Have it Both Ways

2007-03-01T13:02:00.000-05:00

Daily Lectionary Reading
Psalm 50
Deuteronomy 9:23-10:5
Hebrews 4:1-10
John 3:16-21

John 3:16-21
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.[b] 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."[c]

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The story of Nicodemus and his encounter with Jesus continues with today's reading. It begins with, perhaps the best know verse in the Bible--John 3:16. Jesus is trying to explain eternal life to a man that cannot see what he is talking about. I find it interesting that Jesus refers to himself at Light. "Light that has come to the world." He knows that Nicodemus, as brilliant as he might be, is still literally in the dark when it comes to understanding God's plan for humanity. Jesus proclaims, "men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil." He then goes on to equate a right relationship with God with living in truth. Those that live in truth have come into the light.

This light and dark theme will appear at other places in John's Gospel. I especially like the fact that there is no gray area. Jesus paints it rather plainly, you are either in the light or you are in the dark. There is no in between. You can't have one foot in the light and the other in the dark. You are either on board with God's plan or you are firmly in the world's grasp. Too many Christians like to think that they can have it both ways. It's okay to be lax in one area of my life as long as I am strong in another. I don't think that this is what Jesus is saying. Either we believe or we don't. There's no middle ground.

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Prayer: Lord, help us to believe and stand firmly in the Light.

Never too Late to Learn

2007-02-28T13:02:00.000-05:00

Daily Lectionary Readings
Psalm 119: 49-72
Deuteronomy 9:13-21
Hebrews 3:12-19
John 2:23-3:15

John 2:23-3:15
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

23Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. 24But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. 25He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.

John 3
Jesus Teaches Nicodemus
1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."

3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"

5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

9"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.

10"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? 11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

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I have always found this text to be interesting. To me it points out the divide that often exists between what we think we know about God and what we truly know about God. In this story we are introduced to Nicodemus. We learn that he is a Pharisee and a member of the ruling council. Thus, he was just not an ordinary man on the street. He was versed in the Law of Moses and knew the Scriptures. We also learn that he is a man that has an open mind. He comes to Jesus, albeit, under the cover of darkness and begins a conversation with him on matters of the Spirit. We quickly learn, however, that there is a world of difference between what he knew and what he thought he knew.

Ultimately, Jesus says to him, "You are Israel's teacher and you do not understand these things?" No--he did not understand. His spiritual eyes were still closed to God's plan through Jesus.

I sometimes think that many of us are like Nicodemus. We think we understand the Bible. We think we have a good prayer life. We think we do the things that God expects us to do. We think that we know God' s plan for our lives. Yet, if we could have a talk with Jesus the way that Nicodemus did, most of us would see how much we really don't know or don't understand.

What about you? Do you truly know Jesus Christ, or do you simply put on a good show? Think about it.

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Prayer: Lord, help open our spiritual eyes and let us truly see Jesus for who he is and what he is for us.

Abuse of Power

2007-02-27T12:01:00.000-05:00

Daily Lectionary Readings
Psalm 45
Deuteronomy 9:4-12
Hebrews 3:1-11
John 2:13-22

John 2:13-22 New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

13When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!"
17His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."
18Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?"
19Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days."
20The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" 21But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

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Jesus doesn't waste any time establishing his motives with the public. He goes to the Temple area and there discovers that the people had turned it into a get rich quick scheme. You see, when travelers, came to the Temple to make their sacrifice, it was too hard to bring with them a dove, or cattle or sheep for the sacrifice. It was also unlikely that an animal brought in would have the necessary purity characteristics to make it usable in the Temple. However, those animals purchased at the Temple had already been certified as clean, pure, and usable.

Thus, you bought your animal at the Temple at the Temple prices. You also had to pay in the Temple coin. Not just any old coin would do. You had to first exchange your coinage into an acceptable Temple coin. There was usually a premium for this service as well.

As you can see there was quite a racket going on and somebody was making a lot of money. It is this usage of the Temple that so angers Jesus. He goes berserk and upends the tables and drives out the buyers and the sellers.

Such an action would not have gone unnoticed. The Jews demanded that he give them some sign that he had the authority to act as he acted. His response to their request laid another stone in the foundation of his ministry. "Destroy this temple and in three days I'll raise it." The Jews of course were not seeing through spiritual eyes. Their response was an earthly one, "It has taken us forty six years…." we don't need to read the rest. We know it will show their lack of spiritual discernment.

From our perspective we know that Jesus was already looking toward his death and his resurrection from the response to their questions.

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Prayer: Lord, help us to have spiritual discernment so that we can understand what Jesus is trying to do when he cleans out our lives during this season of Lent.

You Think Things are Good Now--Just Wait!

2007-02-26T12:01:00.000-05:00

Daily Lectionary Readings
Psalm 41
Deuteronomy 8:1-18
Hebrews 2:11-18
John 2:1-12

John 2:1-12 New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

John 2
Jesus Changes Water to Wine
1On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."
4"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come."
5His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
6Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.[a]
7Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim.
8Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."
They did so, 9and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."
11This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

Jesus Clears the Temple
12After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.

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Jesus begins his public ministry with a miracle that makes a lot of folks scratch their head. He goes to a wedding and is apparently enjoying the festivities, when his mom comes up and says that the family has run out of wine. His retort is, "What business is that of mine?" Nevertheless, she told the servants to obey him and he decides to inaugurate his ministry with the miracle of the water turned into wine.

What’s so special about this passage is not the miracle. We know he is the son of God and that miracles are part and parcel of who he is and what he is all about. As I ponder this passage, I think the key comes from the mouth of master of the banquet as he says to the bridegroom, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."

I think this could be viewed as a precursor to Jesus ministry. I believe that those that were following him were already giddy with excitement and anticipation. They were already calling him Messiah. They thought that they had started on the ride of their life.

At the Jewish wedding, you would like wise have started on a high--you served the best tasting wine first. After everyone had had their fill of the good stuff, then the cheaper stuff didn't taste so bad. I believe Jesus was trying to tell his followers, you may think that we are starting with the good stuff, but what I have in store at the end is even better than what you can imagine right now.

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Prayer: Lord, don't let us simply get involved with you because of the excitement of the moment. Let us also be in it for the long haul to see the even greater things that you have in store for us.

Lord, I am Tempted

2007-02-25T12:01:00.000-05:00

Daily Lectionary Readings
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Psalm 91:1-2,9-16
Romans 10:8-31
Luke 4:1-13

Luke 4:1-13 New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

Luke 4
The Temptation of Jesus
1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, 2where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
3The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."
4Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.'[a]"
5The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7So if you worship me, it will all be yours."
8Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'[b]"
9The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. 10For it is written:
" 'He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you carefully;
11they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'[c]"
12Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'[d]"
13When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

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Luke's Gospel has Jesus going through a period of trial and temptation immediately after his baptism in the Jordan. He is taken away into the wilderness for 40 days (40 days of Lent). During that time he was tempted. I don't know about you, but I think temptation is difficult to resist at times. During his temptation, the devil attacked him on three specific points.

First of all, the devil offers him food--sustenance. I guess the devil forgot that in the Old Testament, God provided food for his people as they wandered in the desert. Manna was available for them in the morning to satisfy their needs for the day. Jesus didn't need food at this point. God was nurturing him as he prepared himself for what was yet to come.

Secondly, the devil seeks to divert Jesus' attention from who he was supposed to be worshipping. Again, this brings to mind the Old Testament. As Moses was on the mountain getting the Ten Commandments from God, the people were down below forgetting whose they were. Instead of worshipping God, they created their own idol out of gold. Looks, like Satan was trying to get Jesus to fall for the same trap the Israelites had already fallen for once before. This time, however, Jesus resisted and insisted on worshipping only God.

Finally, Satan tries to get Jesus to test God. Seems this trick didn't work either.

His ministry was off to a good start and Satan then left him for a more opportune time.

I sometimes wonder what the opportune time is that makes most of us give in to temptation. I came across an acronym called HALT to help battle temptation.

H- Hunger
A - Anger
L - Loneliness
T - Tired

If any one or more than one of these elements is present in your life at a given time, then you are more open to temptation. Think about your own life. The next time you feel tempted, see if the HALT acronym is true at that moment of your temptation. If it is, then do something to relieve your hunger, anger, loneliness, or tiredness.

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PRAYER: Lord, as temptation comes our way, please give us the power to resist.

Philip Tells Nathaniel and Another Follower is Born

2007-02-24T12:06:00.000-05:00

Daily Lectionary Readings Psalm 30 Deuteronomy 7:17-26 Titus 3:1-15 John 1:43-51 John 1:43-51 New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael 43The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me." 44Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wroteJesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 46"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip. 47When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false." 48"How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you." 49Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." 50Jesus said, "You believe[a] because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." 51He then added, "I tell you[b] the truth, you[c] shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." A day later, Jesus leaves the region with Andrew and Peter in tow. On the way he comes across Philip and simply says, "Follow me." Philip was from the same town as Andrew and Peter. Perhaps they quickly told him about Jesus. Something happened. Philip goes to Nathanael and tells him about Jesus. Nathanael, though, must not have heard yet of this man that people were proclaiming as Messiah. He was skeptical doubting that anything worthwhile could come from Nazareth. Philip, though insisted that he come and see for himself. As he approached, Jesus called him by name and was able to say that he had seen him as he sat under the fig tree before Philip arrived. This got his attention. Jesus could see things beyond his own range of sight--could he do more. Jesus says, "You shall see greater things than that" Just a few days into his public ministry, Jesus was drawing to him the men that would travel with him and learn from him. He was drawing the men that would be the foundation of the church. From their witness, others would come to know Jesus and God's plan for him--and for us. Prayer: Lord, help us to be more like Philip and tell others about Jesus.

___________________________
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Andrew Becomes a Follower of Jesus

2007-02-23T00:01:00.000-05:00

Daily Lectionary Readings:
Psalm 95
Deuteronomy 7:12-16
Titus 2:1-15
John 1:35-42

John 1:35-42 New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

Jesus' First Disciples

35The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"
37When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?"
They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"
39"Come," he replied, "and you will see."
So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.
40Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). 42And he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter[a]).

There must have been some excitement when Jesus began his ministry. John the Baptist had been preaching in the desert. The crowds had been flocking to hear him. Although his message was not a feel good kind of message, it must has struck a chord, because people listened to what he said.

One of those persons that listened was Andrew. He heard John say, "Look, the Lamb of God." He saw Jesus and followed after him. John's message had prepared his heart and now he was off to hear what the Lamb of God had to say. Andrew spent the day with Jesus and something happened. The Scriptures say that "the first thing he did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, 'We have found the Messiah'"

Andrew took his brother Simon to Jesus, and immediately Jesus gave him and new name and called him Cephas or Peter.

The word was already beginning to spread and Jesus was calling disciples. They were beginning a journey that would lead them to more fully understand what Messiah truly meant. It would be a rough and rocky journey. Peter would ultimately deny he even knew Jesus. However, God's plan had begun.

Prayer: Lord, help me to become a true follower of Jesus.

The Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world!

2007-02-22T00:01:00.000-05:00

Daily Lectionary:
Psalm 37:1-18
Deuteronomy 7:6-11
Titus 1:1-16
John 1:29-34

John 1:29-34 New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

Jesus the Lamb of God
29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' 31I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel."

32Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' 34I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."

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It is fitting, that the Gospel reading for the first day following Ash Wednesday would go back to the river Jordan and Jesus' baptism. John the Baptizer knew the reason that Jesus had come to earth. He boldly proclaimed:

"Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

Lent can be thought of as an unveiling of God's ultimate plan for the world. God did not just take on human flesh when Jesus was born to see what it felt like to be human. God took on human flesh because he had a plan for Jesus. As we journey through Lent together, that plan will hopefully become more and more clear to us.

For John, though, the plan was already evident. Jesus came to take away our sins!

Prayer: Lord, unveil your plan to us as we journey towards the cross this season of Lent.

Ash Wednesday Reflection

2007-02-21T00:01:00.000-05:00

Lectionary Readings for the Day:
Joel 2:1-2,12-17
Psalm 51:1-17
2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Today we begin the season of Lent. The day is called Ash Wednesday. In the Old Testament ashes were seen as a sign of grief or penitence. As the season of Lent begins, we start with a service that reminds us clearly of our need for penitence. Ash Wednesday is a somber day, second only to Good Friday in the solemnity of the celebration.

If you come to church today for the Ash Wednesday service, you can expect to engage in personal and corporate confession of sin. You can expect to hear the scriptures talk about fasting, almsgiving, prayer. You can expect to have the pastor make the sign of the cross on your forehead using ashes from palm branches that were used in previous years on Palm Sunday.

Don't come expecting to be lifted up and to rejoice. Come to worship expecting to be reminded of your own humanity and sinfulness. Come to worship expecting to hear the pastor say, as he imposes the cross of your forehead, "From dust you came and to dust you shall return."

If that doesn't remind you of the fleeting nature of this life, then you need to sit back and examine your spiritual life. Our life is but a short breath when compared to eternity. Ash Wednesday reminds us of that short span and invites us to come to terms with what our place in God's eternity is all about.

Prayer: Lord, help me to begin the season of Lent with an introspective spirit. Let your Spirit shine the light of the Gospel on all the recesses of my heart and make me aware of my relationship with you. Amen.

Join With Me as I Reflect on Daily Readings During Lent

2007-02-20T10:54:00.000-05:00

As the season of Lent is about to begin, I feel led to begin a project that I have thought about for many years, but never acted upon. I have always wanted to have a series of daily devotionals for the season of Lent. This year, I believe that I am going to make it happen.

My goal is to post a short devotional for each day during the Season of Lent. I'll use the Revised Common Lectionary for the major dates: Ash Wednesday, Sundays, Holy Thursday, and Good Friday. I'll use a daily lectionary for the other days of Lent.

I could use your prayerful undergirding as I begin this project. The dates on the blog pages will reflect the date that the readings should be read. I am going to attempt to write a week ahead.

I hope that you find these reflections thought provoking. Please feel free to share your response to any of them with a post.

Commanding Love

2007-01-24T12:29:00.000-05:00

John 15, 9-17

As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.

Pasted from <http://www.sacredspace.ie/dailyprayer.jsp?lang=en&date=24&month=1&year=2007&version=full>

Somehow or another it just doesn't seem right to talk about commandments and love in the same sentence. We've all heard the expression, "If you love something set it free and if it truly loves you it will come back to you." This passage seems to be counterintuitive to that kind of love. Let's look more closely at the connections between love and commandments found in the passage.

Father has loved me (Jesus)
I (Jesus) have loved you
Abide in my love…(How do we abide?)
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love
Just as I (Jesus) have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.

What does abide mean?

Definition of abide (verb)
forms: abided; abided; abiding
to comply; to obey; to submit; to conform; to stay; to live; to tolerate; to continue; to tolerate; to wait

Pasted from <http://www.english-test.net/toeic/vocabulary/words/209/toeic-definitions.php>

It seems to suggest that abiding is an active thing to do--it's not a complacent thing. It involves obedience, submission, conformity. It involves remaining and continuing to experience the thing in which we abide.

I am beginning to think that there is a much stronger connection between love and commandments. To abide in the love of God implies a giving up of self and a turning towards God's will for our lives. When this happens, then God's love will be with us and we will be in God's love. At least that's what it seems to be saying to me. What do you think about the passage and its meaning for your life?

Living with Tension

2007-01-19T09:51:00.000-05:00

At the Council on Ministries meeting the other night I noticed that we began discussing the topic of children in the church setting. We talked about them in Sunday School and in worship services. In the conversation, I noticed that several different persons kept making a statement like this one, "Kid's today are not the same as when I was growing up." Several persons reflected on what it was like for them when they were growing up in the church. They described the Sunday School and the teachers. They also described the worship service and what was expected of them as children.
As the discussion continued, I noted another refrain in the conversation that went something like this, "We need to get back to worship or Sunday School like it was when we were growing up." It finally dawned upon me that we had a tension in the room that night that we probably would not be able to resolve.
I said to the group, let me tell you what I have heard us saying tonight. I then stated the two statements that I had been hearing. I then suggested that we would not be able to resolve the tension that we felt if we continued to try and do things the way that we had always done things. On the one had they acknowledge the difference in generations, but on the other hand they were still trying to minister in ways similar to their childhood experiences. I suggested that a new age of children might just call for a new way of thinking about how we do ministry with those children.
My revelation was pretty much met with silence. I suggested that we think and pray about this issue. The issue is one that rears its head in many different ways in the church. Too many churches still think in terms of a 1950's model of ministry. A lot has happened in our world and society since that time. Perhaps it is time to begin rethinking how we do a lot of the ministry that we do in the church.

Strange Noises from the Pastor's Office

2007-01-07T08:24:00.000-05:00

If you have been to the church in the morning hours recently, then there is the chance that you may have heard some strange sounds coming from my office. I have been using the book The Divine Hours by Phyllis Tickle as my devotional book. Ms. Tickle is the religious editor for Publishers Weekly. She has created a trilogy of books that cover the entire year. Each book contains three daily prayer offices for use by the church. The material is based mainly on The Book of Common Prayer and it attempts to integrate the monastic prayer offices into a daily format that can be used by laity and clergy.

The readings from the Psalms are pointed for chanting. So, I have been chanting the offices. Currently, I am only using the morning office, but hope to include the midday and evening office into my prayer/devotional life as the year progresses. If there is anyone that is interested in learning more about the prayer offices or about chanting the Psalms, I would be more than glad to talk with them about it.

Beginning 2007

2007-01-05T08:11:00.000-05:00

As I began 2006, I shared some thoughts with you about the year ahead. So let me also share some thoughts for the new year of 2007 that still lies ahead.

To begin with, the year began at Myrtle Beach. Normally, each new year begins in Michigan with Debbie's family. This year, however, I went to the Congress on Evangelism and took along the family for a mini-vacation. It was a good way to begin a year. The speakers at the event were very challenging and I look forward to integrating some of the things that they taught into my ministry.

As to what's ahead in 2007 let me briefly list some goals:

The Natural Church Development Process: I am looking forward to beginning thisporcess and seeing the area of our church life that needs the most attention. I hope and pray that 2007 becomes a turn around year for the church as we buckle down and tackle some major growth issues.
I see a rough road in trying to find Sunday School teachers. We have been unable to find the persons that we need to keep the Sunday School program moving ahead.
We will undertake a stewardship initiative and ask everyone to make a pledge to the church in 2008.
We are beginning the self directed Bible studies. I hope to begin hearing feed back from persons regarding how these are received and being used by the members of the congregation.
I hope that we will continue to work on the area of communication within the congregation. The use of the One Call Now system might just be the link that helps to bring us closer together in 2007.
I hope that we can have some classes that focus on strengthening marriage and the family.

What Cured the Other Nine?

2006-11-15T12:13:00.000-05:00

Luke 17:11-19
On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" When he saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well."

   As I read this passage, the last words seemed to really jump out at me:  "Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well." Jesus was talking to the Samaritan—the foreigner—his faith had just made him well.

   As I read these words I wondered, “What made the other nine well?” Was it their faith? Was it simply the power of God? Did they think the priests did it? What was going through their minds?

   I don’t really have an answer for these questions, but I am going to do some study and see what I come up with. I’ll share future insights in a post addendum at a later time.

Are We There Yet?

2006-11-05T08:12:00.000-05:00

Mark 12:28-34
One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, "Which commandment is the first of all?" Jesus answered, "The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." Then the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that 'he is one, and besides him there is no other'; and 'to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,' and 'to love one's neighbor as oneself,' --this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." After that no one dared to ask him any question.

When I was growing up vacations were a real thrill. This was before the days of mini-vans. When we went on vacation, it was generally four adults and two children in the car. Granted cars seemed bigger back then, but still a five hundred mile trip in such cramped quarters was no piece of cake. Usually, my cousin Jeff went with us. I remember one trip where I lay on the back floor with adult legs over the top of me just to get some room. I also remember that between Jeff and me, there was always the brewing question: “Are we there yet?” or its cousin, “How far do is it?”
   Being a parent, I now have those words come back to haunt me. Although my family does travel in a mini-van with more room than what I remember having, the questions of “Are we there yet?” and “How far is it?” still are heard.
   As I read the passage above, I was struck by Jesus’ final response to the Scribe with whom he was conversing. He said, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” I sort of wondered, what the Scribe might be thinking.
    One thought might have been, “What do you mean I’m not far. I thought I was already there?’ After all he was a learned man and seemed to have all the right responses to Jesus’ queries. Or, then again, perhaps he was thinking, “How far then do I have to go?” Maybe he realized that he wasn’t quite where God wanted him, and Jesus’ words may have reminded him of the little distance he still had to cover spiritually. Possibly he thought, “This man Jesus is wise. He’s given me something I need to think about?”
   Regardless of the thoughts of the Scribe, Jesus’ question and answer session had made the crowd realize that they were not dealing with some half witted carpenter from Nazareth. This man Jesus had a wealth of wisdom about him that could not be ignored! The text concludes, “After that no one dared to ask him any question.” They realized that they had met their spiritual and, perhaps even, intellectual match. The words from his mouth made them stop and think.
   Do they still make us stop and think? Do they still challenge us intellectually and spiritually? How far are we from the Kingdom of God?

A Sense of Urgency

2006-10-24T10:41:00.000-04:00

Luke 12:35-38
Jesus said to his disciples, "Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves."

The opening sentence of this passage catches my attention: "Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit;” This sentence along with another: “Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert…” Convey a sense of urgency. I think that urgency has become something that is lost in our day and age. For most people, urgency no longer has any meaning because everything is now urgent. We have to answer the cell phone. We have to check email and respond. We have to answer the phone at dinner time. We have to…We have to… We have to.

I a world in which we feel we have to respond to each and everything, then nothing truly takes on a sense of urgency. When we are going 24/7/365 and there is no down time, then we might just miss the sense of urgency that comes from the call of the Spirit within our lives. In the Old Testament, there are several times that the voice of the Spirit is referred to as “a still small voice.” In most of our lives, we don’t hear still, small voices because there are so many busy and loud voices seeking our time and attention.

How busy is your life? Are you vigilant and ready for action or are you always acting at full throttle. There is a balance that we need to achieve in our relationship with God. Some of us need to get more alert and some of us need to slow down and listen. Which one are you?

Someone at My Side

2006-10-18T10:42:00.000-04:00

Luke 10:1-7a
After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house!' And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the labourer deserves to be paid."

This passage offers a lot to discuss. However, what strikes me most is the concept of the Lord appointing persons to go ahead of him in pairs. Ministry is often seen as a Lone Ranger type of profession. The vast majority of pastors tend to be solo pastors. Some might have part time staff, but in most churches, the pastor is the chief cook and bottle washer.

What caught my attention in this passage was the choosing of 70 to help him in spreading the word and the fact that when he did send them forth he sent them in pairs—not as solo ministers. Perhaps this is something that we should take a closer look at in the church. This scene is reminiscent of the Old Testament story of Moses. He, too, was acting as a solo pastor. One day, his father in law, suggested that he was taking too much of the burden upon himself. He needed to find other men to help him settle the disputes that were continually coming up among the Israelites. Moses listened to the wise counsel of his father in law and got men to help him.

I think that pastors need men and women that are willing to come along side them and help them with the tasks involved in ministry. If anyone wants to help, just give me a call. I’ll find some way to integrate you into the ministry of the church so that you can do effective ministry and so that the church might prosper in it’s ministry.

Judgment Awaits

2006-10-16T15:27:00.000-04:00

Luke 11:29-32
When the crowds were increasing, Jesus began to say, "This generation is an evil generation; it asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be to this generation. The queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and see, something greater than Solomon is here! The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and see, something greater than Jonah is here!"

As I read this passage, I cannot help but notice the word judgment. In our day and age of political correctness, it is a word that is not often heard. When it is heard, it bears negative or pejorative connotations. None of us like to be judged. None of us like the feeling of being put under the microscopy and closely examined and in the end found wanting or lacking. Yet, judgment is a part of the process. God must act as a righteous judge and hold us accountable for our actions.

The last time I looked, my actions were not all that good. I try to be a godly and upright man, but still I lose my temper or do something that is less than Christ like. I look at myself and think of judgment and shudder.

Then, I remind myself that the judgment for my sins has already been accounted for. My Lord, Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins and removed the weight of judgment from me. I stand now not as a quaking sinner before an angry God, but as a follower of Jesus Christ before and loving heavenly Father.

The Good News for you, is that you to can replace judgment with forgiveness. It starts with accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. If you want more information on how to do that, then start a thread to the blog and I will be glad to converse with you about the subject.

Stranded on a Desert Island

2006-09-01T09:10:00.000-04:00

13Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?"
14I answered, "Sir, you know."
And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. 16Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. 17For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Revelation 7:13-17

Every now and then I like to watch the TV reality show Survivor. I’m not a die hard fan that won’t miss an episode, but I do enjoy the episodes that I get a chance to watch. I often wonder whether or not I am survivor material. Then I think about the lack of food and the lack of water. Growing up as I have, firmly entrenched in the middle class, I don’t think I have a clear idea of what hunger or thirst is all about. The most that I have ever endured is a few hours without food so that I could take some medical test. As for water or some form of liquid, I can’t recall and extended period when these items were not available. Thus, I have never really had a thirst because of my physical condition.

The fourth stanza of the hymn “I Love to Tell the Story”, says this:

I love to tell the story, for those who know it best
seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.
And when in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song,
‘twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.

This stanza reminds me that while I may not have experienced a physical hunger or thirst, I have experienced the spiritual equivalent. My soul longs to hear the “old, old story” that has shaped who I am and that has shown me God’s plan and purpose for my life. As it says in the Scripture:

16Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. 17For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water.

Jesus has promised us that our deepest spiritual hungers and thirsts will be met by an ever flowing spring of living water that comes from him. Spiritually, I recognize that many times I have been thirsty. I have been in desperate need of the nourishment that comes from God’s word and the grace that comes from the sacrament of Holy Communion. Praise God that this hunger and thirst can be satisfied in ways that I do not fully understand.

Who are the Lost Sheep

2006-08-09T11:35:00.000-04:00

Matthew 15:21-28

Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon." But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, "Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us." He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly.

It never ceases to amaze me how the Lord opens our eyes when we read the Scripture. I have read the passage above numerous times over the years. For me, it was always somewhat perplexing. I never quite understood the interaction that was going on between Jesus and the woman. This morning, though, I gained an insight.

In the passage, Jesus says that he “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Here we have a woman that was a Canaanite. Clearly she was not of the house of Israel. She was not one of the lost sheep. She was an outsider. Yet, something inside of her knew that Jesus was a man of power that could deliver her daughter from her torment. She kept calling out and following along behind.

Finally, Jesus answers her with these words: "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." These were the words that had always perplexed me. I suppose, if I had given them enough thought or took the time to really study the passage they would have made more sense. Jesus is basically saying, “I have come for the children of Israel, it wouldn’t be fair for me to expend time and energy on you, a Canaanite woman, that is not a part of Israel.”

Her response though shows Jesus that she has a comprehension of God beyond the normal level-- "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." She knew that as an outsider, she was considered to be like a dog. Yet, she also knew that there was a master—a God—that was supreme. At his table all that believed would receive blessing.

Jesus response, makes it clear that her faith and belief made here prayer come true. "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." Much like the woman with an issue of blood, who knew that if she could but touch the hem of his robe she would be healed, this Canaanite woman, knew that coming to Jesus—her Lord and Master—she would receive answers to her prayer.

As I think about the implications of this passage, I wonder who the children of Israel are today? As a Christian, we would equate the church as being the ones to whom Jesus came. If this is so, who are the Canaanites today in our society? Who are the people that are clearly outside the chosen ones. If we take seriously John 3:16 in which Jesus makes it clear that God so love the world that he gave...then we have to begin to realize that those outside of God’s love are going to be pretty hard to find. Because God’s love is for everyone.

If God’s love is for everyone, then who are we to exclude anyone from the ministry and love of the church? These are the kinds of questions this passage has raised in my mind. What are your thoughts on the matter.

Back from Vacation

2006-07-16T08:53:00.000-04:00

The family has just returned from a week at the Massanutten Resort near Harrisonburg, Virginia. It was a great week. The kids had plenty of time to get in the pool and exhaust themselves. The definig moment of the trip, however, was a day at the Massanutten Resort Water Park. From 11:00 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. the boys--as well as mom and dad-- were wet. There were slides, pools, lazy rivers, lily pad rope crossings, more slides, more pools--it was great. Daivd's remark was, "This is the most fun I have ever had."

It was indeed a good time for the family to unwind. In addition to the water park, there was a magic show, and a down hill slide on a rubber tube at the snow tubing park. There was also putt-putt golf. Of course, we also saw plenty of deer. The boys got up late. Played hard all day. Went to be late and had fun. I highly recommend such a time away for any family.

How to Pray Daily

2006-06-14T09:05:00.000-04:00

One of the hardest things for most people to do is to establish a daily time for prayer and meditation. Throughout my ministry, this has been a struggle for me as a pastor. I tend to go through times of feast--and times of famine.

If you are reading this blog, that indicates that you are more than likely computer literate. You probably spend more than a few minutes at your computer each day. I would like to suggest that you check out a site called SacredSpace.org. This site is run the the Jesuits in Ireland. Lest you get confused, I am United Methodist. However, when it comes to spirituality and prayer, you can't beat the Jesuits, so I heartily recommend this site.

Sitting in front of your computer, you can, in about 10-15 minutes, work through a time of prayer that will help you examine your thoughts and actions and encourage you to ponder a passage of Scripture to see what God is saying to you.

More than likely, some of those reading this have an i-pod or mp3 player. If you are an on the go type of person, the Irish Jesuits have just started a daily prayer guide in audio format that you can listen to anywhere you might have your i-pod or mp3 player. The site is called Pray-As-You-Go.org at this site you can download and listen to these audio prayer guides. Five new guides are published each week. Best of all, it is FREE! You can support the site with a donation if you so desire, but it's not required.

Check out these prayer aids. I believe your prayer life will get stronger.

A Fulfilled Life

2006-06-14T08:59:00.000-04:00

Matthew 5:17-19
Jesus said to the crowds, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

One of the things that people look for in life is fulfillment. That is an interesting word that has at its root the word fulfill. According to Dictonary.net, fulfill means--. To fill up; to make full or complete. As humans, we want completeness. We want wholeness. We want to know that we have accomplished something with our lives that will make a difference in the long term. We want to be fulfilled and to experience fulfillment.

In the passage from Matthew, Jesus talks about the fact that he has come “…not to abolish, but to fulfil. (the Law)” The Law given to Moses in the Ten Commandments and further expanded by God through Moses, was the basis for the Jewish relationship with God. The Covenant was the deal that God struck with the people that said, basically, “If you obey my laws, I will be your God and bless and protect you.”

The only problem with this scenario is that the people were a stiff necked people that continually broke the Law. They were unable to follow it and so God had to resort to plan B. He had to send his Son, Jesus, the Christ, into the world. His job was not to do away with the Law. Rather, he came to fulfill—to make complete the Law. The Law provided a good basis for relationship with God, the only problem was our ability to keep the Law.

Jesus gave us a completion of the Law. He was able to keep it. He was able to make it complete and full in his life. Through his fulfillment of it, we were offered a new covenant. Through his death, he made the ultimate sacrifice that fulfilled the Law and ushered in a new relationship, not based upon the keeping of commandments, but centered, instead, on the grace of a God that so loved the world, that he was willing and able to give his own son to the world as a sacrifice for the sins of the entire world. This was the fulfillment. God made everything right between us—through Jesus Christ.

If you are not a Christian, I am sure the following paragraphs have many words, terms, and phrases that make no sense to you. If you want to respond to this blog with your questions, I will be more than glad to try and answer them.

Deaths in the Church-A Time for Ministry

2006-06-11T08:32:00.000-04:00

The last few weeks have been a difficult time for our church family. We have experienced the death of four of our elderly members. Two were aged 97, one aged 92, and the other, I believe was 86. Our church family will miss: Wilda Witt, Evelyn Canterbury, Lotus Reed, and Mary Helen Puckett. At one time each of these women left their mark upon the life of the church. All left their mark upon their families.

Their deaths, however, have shown me the strength and compassion of the church. Three of the deaths were within a week of each other and two of the deceased were buried on the same day. The women of the church, however, made sure that the families were fed a hearty meal. Preparing food on one day for a combined 70 or so people--they showed their love and comapssion by ministering to the families at the time of their loss. That is what a church is about--ministering at the time of need.

I thank the Lord for women's groups that take on such a ministry and for the comfort they provide for the deceased families.

Dealing with Sickness in the Family

2006-06-11T08:27:00.000-04:00

As you can see, it has been a while since my last blog. Several factors have contributed to the delay in my blogging activity. Among them has been the, now past, Lenten/Easter season. This is a busy time for a pastor. Also, personally, this has been a dreadful winter and spring for my family. Our over all health has been awful. As I write this I am being treated for strep throat. If my calculations are correct, this is the 13th episode within my family since January. My son Jacob had so many infections he eventually had to have his tonsils removed. Please keep my family in your prayers. We are surviving, but this continued on slaught of sickness gets to be tiring after a while.

Walking the Labyrinth

2006-02-26T17:53:00.000-05:00

Wednesday February 22, 2006
I walked my first labyrinth today. It won’t be the last. I am at Minister’s Convocation at Lake Junaluska and they have a turf labyrinth outside the chapel.

I have heard of labyrinths and, while at the lake, I purchased a book on labyrinths. I also did some online study.

You enter the labyrinth on a set of stepping stones. I paused and entered into an experience that was unknown to me. I began by saying the Jesus Prayer as I walked. I had to keep my eyes on the path. They first few turns came quickly, but then I entered into the first of several long arcs. My mind was trying to equate this journey of a few steps with a spiritual journey of a lifetime.

I quickly realized that a labyrinth is much longer than it seems. What is only a few feet in diameter unravels into yards of waking the path. With each step, though, I knew the center was drawing closer. After about 4-5 minutes, I arrived.

The center was in the shape of a three leaf clover. I stood on the stem of the clover and looked at the three leavers. Immediately, my mind said—TRINITY—and I equated one leaf with God, one with Jesus, and one with the Holy Spirit.

What I won’t forget is what I saw in the Jesus leaf—I saw a picture of Christ’s agonized face on the cross—there in the grass. I looked harder and I could still see it. I gazed at it for a while.—thankful for his agony on my behalf. I then looked at each of the other leaves and thought of the attributes I associated with each one: God—Father, creator, law giver: Jesus—savior, companion, friend: Holy Spirit—sustainer, truth giver.

After about a minute, I decided it was time to move from this sacred space and go back to the secular world that was just steps away. As I journeyed outward—my spirit was lifted. I found myself smiling—almost laughing—with each successive step.

I came to the end of the labyrinth. I paused. I made the sign of the cross and I stepped across the stones and back into the world.

My first journey was over and the desire for another was kindled.

Different Kinds of Vacations

2006-02-12T10:23:00.000-05:00

i was reading an article this morning written by a pastor giving advice to pastors about time management. In the article he talked about taking time off. For him, a few days here and there was what he needed for his own renewal, but he also realized that his family needed a longer time away, so he viewed vacations as being for them--not him.

I have struggled with the idea of family vacations. With four boys, a family vacation often leaves me tired and hoping for a quick end to the trip. Most of our family vacations involve water. We either go to the beach or to a place with plenty of swimming pools. We usually try to get in at least two visits to the water feature each day. By the time I've helped to wrangle and watch four kids at the waterside, I am tired and ready to call it a day. For me this is not a vacation. For the boys, though, it is just short of heaven.

I suppose the article got me to thinking. What I really want is a little time by myself and some time with my wife everyo now and then. I think that I will begin looking at my vacation time differently in the years ahead. There will be that large block of time for family vacation, but I now think there must also be those smaller times for me personally to refresh myself and another time for Debbie and I to renew our relationship.

I wonder what your philosophy about vacations is? Share some thoughts on the issue. Make a reply to this blog.

The Sounds of Silence

2006-02-02T09:03:00.000-05:00

The other night at our Ancient Prayer Practices study, we were studying the role of solitude and silence in our prayer life. As a group, we set aside five minutes to go and be silent. I went into the sanctuary. I immediately noticed that it was going to be hard to have silence. We have a heating system that circulates hot water through pipes in our floor. In the "silence" of the sanctuary, you could hear the gurgling of the water in the pipes. To me it reminded me of the sound that your stomach makes when you get hungry. At that point, I knew that God was speaking to me in the silence.

My mind began to fill with images of hunger and promises of God's fulfillment of that hunger. I knew that God was giving me a mini-course in letting him satisfy the hungers of my soul. It also was a neat way for me to share with the class when we got back together.

Anothe person heard the same gurgling sound and was reminded of the fact that when she goes on a retreat, she likes to find a place near a stream so that she can sit and listen to the water and let God refresh her.

That night, God used the sounds that intruded upon our silence to teach all of us some very important lessons.

We Have Found Him...

2006-01-05T09:35:00.000-05:00

John 1:43-51
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!" Nathanael asked him, "Where did you get to know me?" Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you." Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these." And he said to him, "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

As a parent, one of my worst fears is losing one of my children in a crowded store. I don’t know how I would respond in the ensuing search, should one of my boys become lost, but I do know that I would shout at the top of my lungs, “We have found him!” when my child was found.

In today’s Gospel lesson, Philip encounters Jesus and becomes a follower. He goes to Nathanael and says the words, “We have found him about whom Moses…and the prophets wrote!” I don’t know the level of enthusiasm in his voice, but I can imagine that Philip was quite excited with the news that he had to share with Nathanael. Philip was asserting that this man Jesus was the one for which the Jews had been waiting. The Messiah was in their midst and he was the man Jesus. Philip couldn’t wait to share what he had learned.

I wonder, how many of us have that same kind of enthusiasm. When was the last time that any of us boldly went to a relative or friend and said, “I have found him—the one who is the savior of the world. Come and meet him!” It’s sad to say, but for most of us, such statements are few and far between. We simply don’t have the enthusiasm for our faith that we need to have. We let moments slip by rather than stepping up and speaking out. It’s time for that to change.

This year, I hope that all of us can find at least one person that we can step up to and share the Good News with. Begin praying today for that person to come your way and for the boldness to speak up when the time comes.

What Do You Say About Yourself?

2006-01-02T11:59:00.000-05:00

John 1:19-28
This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, "I am not the Messiah." And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the prophet?" He answered, "No." Then they said to him, "Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" He said, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,'" as the prophet Isaiah said. Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, "Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?" John answered them, "I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal." This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

A few years ago, when I lived in Chilhowie, Virginia, I was out driving one night in Marion, Virginia. I pulled into the parking lot of a store and a police car pulled in behind me. Before I could get out of my car the officer got out of his car and came to my window. He informed me that my license tag sticker was two years out of date. He then said, “Who are you?” My response was, “I am a United Methodist minister.” I don’t know why he asked who I was rather than what my name was. I don’t know why I answered with the label of who I am rather than my name, but I did. My answer was like letting the air out of his balloon. I had the feeling that he was about to read me the riot act. However, when he learned I was a minister, he said, “You guys have a hard job. Tell you what I’m going to do. You get a new sticker first thing Monday morning and we’ll let it go at that.” I avoided a ticket that night and I’m not sure why, other than I was a minister. I don’t know what was going through the officers mind, but something was and my being a minister made him react in a different sort of way.

This was the problem that John the Baptizer faced as he was questioned by the representatives from the Temple. “Who are you?” They then went through a list of who they thought that he might be. He denied being the Messiah, Elijah, or the prophet. Well, that left them perplexed. They had run out of options, they then asked, “What do you say about yourself?” He then went on to explain who he was in his own terms rather than in their terms. This meant that he knew his mission. It meant that he knew his reason for being. He knew specifically what God had called him to do and he was doing it.

I wonder how you would answer that question, “What do you say about yourself?” How would you explain yourself and God’s activity in your life? Think about it and share some of your thoughts with me.

Go Now and See

2006-01-01T07:14:00.000-05:00

Luke 2:15-21
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

“Let us go now…and see…” There is something about the immediacy and intimacy of these words that we cannot overlook. Our faith has to be a go now and see kind of faith. We don’t get closer to God by sitting back and listening to what someone else tells us about God. To get close to God, we have to be willing to go and see what God is all about. We have to be willing to enter into a relationship with God through his son Jesus. That means we’ve got to get to know Jesus.

We can do this through the Bible. We can also do this through prayer. Likewise, we can do this through the faces of those we serve. After all, Jesus said, “What you have done for the least of these, you have done for me.”

As we begin this new year, it is time for all of us to take a go now and see attitude. If our church is going to reach its full potential for God, then all of us need to step up and step out in faith looking for the places to which God is calling us and then boldly going there to do the ministry to which we have been called.

Are you ready to go now and see what God has in store for you?

Looking Ahead at 2006

2006-01-01T07:13:00.000-05:00

As I begin the year of 2006, there are some goals in my ministry that I hope to achieve. The following, in no order of importance, are some of the things I hope to achieve this year:

Bible Studies—I want to offer a study of the United Methodist view of Holy Communion and Baptism. I also want to offer a study on Healing and Wholeness.

Prayer Studies/Practices –I want to teach a series of sessions on various forms of prayer so that you might be exposed to different ways of praying. I then want to begin a Sunday night Vesper service where we will use the various forms of prayer that we have learned. Once a month, I want the Vesper service to have a time for laying on of hands in prayer and anointing with oil for healing.

Worship—Following the communion study, I want to celebrate weekly communion during the season of Lent. Yes, I said weekly. I know this is unusual, but I think it could be beneficial. I also want to form teams that will take communion to our homebound members on a regular basis.

Evangelism – I want to offer a class on evangelism. I want to continue to pursue servant evangelism projects.

Visitation – I hope to visit each homebound member on an every other month basis.

Fellowship – I hope that we can find some way to make regular Wednesday night meals happen at the church.

Communication – I want to continue the monthly newsletter. I want to establish and internet presence with a church web site. I want to continue to send out the Pastor’s Connexion to everyone that has an email that will receive it. I want to continue the Pastor’s Ponderings blog and hope that many of you will become regular readers of it. I also hope to produce a series of DVD’s that will explain some of the ministry opportunities available at the church and one that can be given to visitors to introduce them to the church.

Finances – I want to begin to help us see a more realistic view about our church finances and help you see where it is that the money you give goes and what good it does in Jesus’ name. There is also some talk of a financial stewardship campaign for the fall months.

Personal Devotions – I have begun a regular devotional time using www.sacredspace.com I intend to keep this practice up. I also desire to set some time away 2-3 times this year for personal prayer retreats.

Well, these are some of the things I have been thinking about as 2006 begins. Give me your feedback on some of them or let me know what you are planning for 2006.

Endings...Beginnings

2005-12-31T16:13:00.000-05:00

As I sit here, the end of 2005 is about 8 hours away. Tonight, I will not be up and watching the year end and welcoming in the New Year. Tomorrow is a Sunday and it will be the first Sunday of the new year, in about 13or 14 years, that I have actually been in town to lead a service. I have chosen John Wesley’s Covenant Service as the format for our first service in the New Year. If you have never attended one of these services, then you should be in for a spiritual challenge. It is a challenge because it asks you to move from you ho hum way of thinking and get down to business and take seriously your relationship with God.

I hope that you will be able to be present for this service.

You Can't Please Everyone

2005-12-09T08:59:00.000-05:00

Matthew 11:16-19 Jesus spoke to the crowds, "But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.' For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon'; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds."

As I read this passage, its message became clear to me. You can't please all the people all of the time. What matters is that you know what you are supposed to be doing and to go about doing it. As a minister, one of the things that I quickly learned was that I could not please all the people even part of the time. In some churches and over some matters, it is just impossible to make everyone happy.

Once I realized this. I stopped trying to make everyone happy. I decided that my goal as pastor was to lead and that sometimes meant that people will not understand or be angry at me. However, as long as I know I am leading in the direction that God wants us to go, I will not get twisted into a corner trying to please everyone. (I know this sounds good in writing, but it is much harder to put into action!)

Jesus made the point in this passage that John, who refused to celebrate with the people was disliked and that Jesus who ate and drank was also disliked. Its the last verse that ties it all together: "Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds." It didn't matter what they did as long as they were true to what God had called them to do.

Perhaps its time for Christians to do likewise. Stop worrying about what people will think when you reach out in mission and ministry--just do it. The act of doing a kind deed will far outweigh the words of discontent that might come about because some folks may not like the way that you did it!

Holding Baby Jesus

2005-12-09T08:36:00.000-05:00

One of the best parts about being a parent is the opportunities you get to simply sit in a big comfortable chair with a sleeping infant in your arms. I know that when Daivd was born, Debbie had to work on Saturdays. Every Saturday, I would get a big comfy pillow and place it on my lap and then sit for most of the day with David on my lap. He’s too big for those kinds of cozy times now, but I still remember the moments.

Just yesterday, I was holding Daniel. He had fallen asleep and he was snoring with his head snuggled into the crook of my neck. No amount of money in the world. No amount of prestige could replace such a precious moment. I savor them all the more now that I realize that even Daniel is growing up—just like David, Jacob and Andrew.

As I thought about these precious moments with my children, I realized something about God. He never really got to hold Jesus the way that mothers and fathers hold their precious children. He never got to snuggle with Jesus on a cold winter morning in a warm bed. He never got to carry him and put him in bed when he fell asleep in his arms. He never got to do any of the things that we take for granted as parents. He never got to do any of those things.

Yet, he did get to watch him die in humiliation and pain on a cross. He watched in agony as his only Son died for the sins of the entire world. He watched, and I think that he wept.

Have you wrapped your arms around Jesus and accepted what he did on your behalf?

Commentary on the times....

2005-12-06T10:12:00.000-05:00

As this holiday season has been revving up to full swing I have noticed, heard, and read some things that I think we need to think about.

First of all, you can’t even get through Halloween until you begin to see the holiday aisles going up in Wal-Mart. There’s just something about the juxtaposition of Santa Claus and Freddy Kruger that makes my skin crawl. Do we as a society have to begin the head long rush to Christmas with a daily countdown. This first countdown sign that I remember this year said we had only 64 shopping days until Christmas. 64 SHOPPING DAYS. It wouldn’t be so bad, if our culture had any remnant of what Christmas was all about.

The other thing that concerns me is the multicultural approach that our society seems to be taking. There is no denying that we live in a society with varied ethnic groups: Asian, African-American, Native American, White Europeans, Hispanics and many other smaller groups. There is denying that we live in a culture with many different religious beliefs. I am Christian. Others are Muslim. Others are Jewish. Others are (fill in the blank). Each of these ethnic and religious groups have their own traditions and their own holidays. I have no problem with this diversity of ideas and cultures. I do have a problem, however, when one or more of these sub-cultures decides that Christian references are not permissible in our society because they offend that particular sub-cultures sensitivities.

For instance, there is a movement across the country to no longer call the town Christmas tree a “Christmas tree” Christmas, after all, refers to the holiday that only Christians celebrate. Therefore, the most popular title seems now to be the Holiday Tree. The last time I checked, there is a holiday on December 25th called Christmas! Which brings to mind what is happening in Australia.

The Australian government has decided that it offensive to refer to the season as Christmas and is beginning a campaign to eradicate the term from secular use. They now want to refer to this time of the year as Winter Holiday (or for them Summer Holiday).

The cry goes up from near and far, “LET’S GET RID OF CHRISTMAS!” Our culture would love nothing more than to rid itself of the last vestiges of religion. Unless we do something, there’s a good chance that one day our children will look at us and ask, “What’s Christmas?” I don’t know about you, but I pray that day will never come, but the way things are going, I fear that it will.

Well, I’ve had my rant, now it’s your turn.

The Desert is Blooming

2005-12-05T16:07:00.000-05:00

Isaiah 35:1-4
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, "Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come and save you." Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;

I have never been to a desert. However, I have been to hot places with lots of sand. I have stood on top of the highest sand dune on the east coast. I have stood atop a sand dune that rose 400+ feet above Lake Michigan. I guess you could say I have seen my fair share of sand. However, to imagine miles and miles of sand with rocks rising out of it. To imagine no greenery. To imagine that there was no water. To imagine the heat and feel the thirst of a desert. That is all I can do—IMAGINE.

The writer of Isaiah wants us to imagine what will one day happen when the dry land of the desert will be transformed. He says, “…the desert shall rejoice and blossom.” He paints a picture that takes a lot of imagination. He then goes on to talk about God coming to save us. He wants us to understand that this is Messiah’s role. To be our savior. He will come and transform the world and transform our lives. The desert of our soul. The parched and weary feeling within will one day shout for joy and we shall rejoice.

Can you imagine?

True Freedom

2005-12-05T16:00:00.000-05:00

I used the online prayer space found at Sacred Space. It is run by the Jesuits in Ireland. It provides a series of guided thoughts and mediations. One section of the prayer site is called Freedom. This morning, something clicked. In this section there is often suggestions that we need to let God shape us. Today, it said “I ask for the grace to let myself be shaped by my loving Creator.”

The serendipity occurred when I connected freedom with shaping. One wouldn’t normally think of being free if someone else was in control of shaping. This morning, I began to wonder. How can I be free and be shaped by God’s hand?

One way that I can be shaped and still be free is that if I give myself to God and let God begin His work, then there is a lot I will not have to decide. If I am firmly in God’s grasp then I can be free to know that wherever God wants me to be, that is where I should be. Whatever God wants me to do—that is what I should do. There is freedom in such a way of thinking.

In order for this to occur, however, there also needs to be Faith. I don’t just blindly trust God. I must have faith to believe that God loves and cares for me. That God wants the best for me. That God sent his Son to die for me. If I can believe these things, then I can let the Creator continue to shape me. This is freedom.

In the Process of Becoming

2005-12-01T10:23:00.000-05:00

Luke 1, 57-66:
Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. Her neighbours and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father. But his mother said, "No; he is to be called John." They said to her, "None of your relatives has this name." Then they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him. He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And all of them were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God. Fear came over all their neighbours, and all these things were talked about throughout the entire hill country of Judea. All who heard them pondered them and said, "What then will this child become?" For, indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him.

     As a parent, I find great joy in hearing my sons tell me what they will be when they finally grow up. Among the things I have heard: fireman, policeman, doctor, garbage truck driver, astronaut, teacher, singer, chef, dancer, artist.  At their age, only their imagination limits what they can become. I tell them when the come to me with a new life career: “That’s fine. If that is what God wants you to be, then you will be the best (fill in the profession) ever.”

     When I read this passage today from Luke,  I was struck by the last sentence: "What then will this child become?" For, indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him. Here we find the baby John already with the Lord’s hand upon him. Even at eight days old, God was preparing and guiding him so that he would do precisely what the Lord intended for him to do. He would be the voice of one crying in the wilderness telling the world that Messiah was near.

     The Good News that I find from this text is that if God can work such a plan in the life of an 8 day old baby, I think God can also work such a plan in the life of 44 year old pastor. I am continually amazed by the fact that God isn’t done with me yet. Like John, I am still trying to discern what this child of God is to become. I know that I haven’t arrived yet, but I know that, if I am patient and allow God access to my life, then I will make it exactly to where God wants me to be.

    Pray for me, as I seek that path. I’ll be praying the same for you.

    What do you think about this?

Quick Response Christians

2005-11-30T08:37:00.000-05:00

Matthew 4:18-22
As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea--for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

Being the father of four young boys, I have just about forgot what the word “immediately” means. In my house nothing is immediate anymore. To simply get everyone ready to go out to town might take 30 minutes. To get everyone ready to go to a trip to grandma’s house could take a couple of hours. At my house, the immediate rarely happens.

When I think about Simon and Andrew I realize that they were fishermen. For them, immediate wasn’t an often experienced thing either. They had to prepare nets. They had to row the boats. They had to cast the nets. They had to haul the nets in. They had to prepare the catch. They had to repair the nets and so the cycle continues. Their lives were not lived at a fast “immediate” pace. They worked with the rhythm of the day and the season. They moved in a steady gradual pace. That is, until they met Jesus.

Jesus, saw them doing what they had done day in and day out all of their lives. He said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” The text then says “Immediately they left their nets and followed him. Immediately? What got into these two brothers that they would change their whole lifestyle at the request of a stranger? Immediately? What did Jesus offer to them that could possibly make them follow him? IMMEDIATELY—wow!

I don’t know about you, but there was obviously something about this Jesus that made a difference—right then and there! Most of us, are not immediate people. We like to think. We like to plan. We like to ponder. This is especially so when it comes to the church. One of the common statements about the church is that we are continually behind the curve when it comes to adopting new ways of thinking and doing ministry. While it is good to think, plan and ponder, I sometimes feel that God wants us to just react—IMMEDIATELY to the opportunities that lie in front of us.

What do you think?

Conjunction Junction

2005-11-29T08:57:00.000-05:00

Luke 10, 22
At that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, " All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

Growing up, like most kids, Saturday morning was a time for cartoons. I especially liked what ABC did between the cartoons. I still remember their tunes to help me learn parts of speech, and the constitution. For instance, “…Conjunction Junction, what’s your function. Hooking up words and phrases and clauses…” The tune still comes to my mind. As I was reading the days Scripture, the conjunction AND near the end of the verse is what came to my mind.

In the words that precede it, we are told the following:

No one knows who the Son is, except the Father.

No one knows who the Father is, except the Son.

Taken by themselves, these two statements are rather exclusionary. Unless you are the Son or the Father—you are left out of the loop! But, then, the little conjunction –AND—comes into play. “who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” If we want to know the Father, we must first know the Son. When we know the Son, He—the Son will reveal to us the Father. It is the Son that chooses the “anyone” to which he will reveal the Father.

Somehow, folks seem to miss this little tidbit. They think they can know God and learn about God without first knowing the Son. I don’t think that this is so. If we want to truly understand God, we must first understand Jesus and what he has done and is doing for us.

Think about it.

Under Whose Authority

2005-11-28T14:09:00.000-05:00

Matthew 8:5-11
When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, appealing to him and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible distress." And he said to him, "I will come and cure him." The centurion answered, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this,' and the slave does it." When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, "Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven."

As I read this passage, I began to wonder, “Why did this centurion have such faith?” So I began to read the passage again and again. Then it struck me. The centurion had such faith because he was “…a man under authority.” In our society, there are only some people that know what that means. Persons serving in the military or the police forces would know what it means to be under authority. Most of us as everyday citizens don’t understand what it means for someone to say to us, “Do this” or “Do that” and for that person to expect us to DO IT. We don’t have such a structured life.

Then again, as Christians, maybe we do.

We say that at the name of Jesus every knee shall one day bow. We call him King of Kings. We talk in hierarchical and authoritarian language all the time. However, few of us have ever really put him or herself completely under the authority of Jesus. Sure we play at it every now and then, but, when push comes to shove, most of us still like to do things our way.

Could this be the reason that we see so few miracles? Could our lack of trust in the one that made us, be the reason that our faith is so weak? Think about it.

Keep Awake

2005-11-27T08:23:00.000-05:00

Mark 13, 33-37
Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake--for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake."

Being the father of four young children, I am discovering that sleep is precious. I am also discovering that it is very hard to come by. Over Thanksgiving, I had some of the best sleep I have had in a long time. I slept until about 8:00 a.m. each morning, that’s at least 2 hours more sleep than I normally get. I have determined that I am just about continually sleep deprived. If I get too calm and rested during the day, I am likely to doze off for a few seconds. This wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t have to do things like drive a car!

I know the causes of my sleep deprivation. I know what could make it better. It’s just finding the time to make it happen. It’s deciding that sleep gets a primary focus in my life.

As for the admonition in today’s text to Keep Awake, well, I have to understand that it’s not talking about physical sleep. It’s talking about a spiritual form of awareness that too often gets clouded in our day to day lives. Too often we forget, the promised return. We forget that we don’t know the day or the time and that God could return at any moment. We forget—we’ve been waiting now for 2000 years—what’s another hour going to matter? What difference can a day make? Will a year really matter? What will we be doing when Jesus comes again at the sound of the archangel’s trumpet? What will happen to us when we see the dead in Christ rise from their graves? Will we also rise to meet him in the air, or will we be caught unaware?

Advent is the time to start thinking again about these kinds of questions. Even as we begin the story cycle over with His promised first coming and birth, we must never forget that we have his second coming still to occur. Will we be ready, or will we be asleep?

"Lord, when was it..."

2005-11-20T08:15:00.000-05:00

Matthew 25:31-46
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.' Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?' Then he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

As I read this passage I am struck by the fact that there was no real difference between those that helped and those that didn’t help. Both groups, after Jesus has told them what happened, say the same thing: “Lord, when was it…” The group that had clothed the naked, fed the hungry, ministered to the sick, visited those in prison, and given homes to the homeless, were just as much in the dark about what they did as was the group that had not done these things. Neither group knew what it was doing, yet one did the right thing—and one did not.

Sometimes I think that we get too bound up in our decision making processes. As a church, an opportunity comes before us and we will committee and study it to death trying to discern every possible outcome and seeing if it will truly be of benefit to us. Perhaps, we need to sometimes take a less structured approach to things. Perhaps at times we just need to go with the flow of the moment and do what we instinctively know is the right thing to do –not the measured and thought out thing to do. I am sure that the group that failed to minister as Jesus had hoped they would could have thought it our and realized that they might be doing a service to him, they would have done it in a heartbeat.

Therein lies the difference between the two groups. The group that did things correctly also didn’t have the chance to analyze the situation and say—“Yep, that’s what God would want us to do.” They didn’t know God was testing them either. However, they were different in that they instinctively saw a need and responded to that need. No board meetings to discuss it. No surveys to see the mood of the congregation. No trial balloons to see if it was feasible. They saw someone in need and they acted.

How can we do likewise?

Spellbinding Seromns

2005-11-18T09:29:00.000-05:00

Luke 19:45-48
Then Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling things there; and he said, "It is written, 'My house shall be a house of prayer'; but you have made it a den of robbers." Every day he was teaching in the temple. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people kept looking for a way to kill him; but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were spellbound by what they heard.

Have you ever watched a magician perform his illusions? You sit there staring intently as he manipulates his hands to reveal a multitude of objects. You wonder how does he do it? You stare some more. You try to find out. You are spellbound.

As a preacher, I think I do an okay job with my sermons. There are, however, a lot better preachers out there than me. No one would really say that I keep the congregation “spellbound” as I preach. Jesus, though, well that’s another story. There was something about him that captured the attention of the hearer. This man was a simple carpenter from Galilee. This was a man who could give sight to the blind. This man was able to drive out demons. This was a man that could raise the dead to life. Like the old E.F. Hutton commercials, When Jesus talked, people listened.

Since I will never be Jesus, I have to rely on something else to keep people spellbound during my sermons. I have to rely on the Word of God found in the Scriptures and the power of the Holy Spirit found inside each one of us. God’s Word can hold us spellbound when we allow the Holy Spirit to move freely in our lives as we hear the word proclaimed. I suppose that what I am saying is, that I believe that if you want to be spellbound by my, or any other preacher’s sermon, then perhaps you need to come to worship prepared to let the Holy Spirit move freely inside of you as you hear God’s word.

God, Are You Listening?

2005-11-16T09:19:00.000-05:00

Psalm 16(17):1, 6, 8, 15
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me, hear my words. Guard me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness.

Being the father of four younger children, I am constantly being bombarded by questions. Why is the sky blue? Are raindrops really God’s tears? How does this work? At times, though, it becomes easy to tune out the one thousandth question of the day. Sometimes it is hard to hear the voice that says over and over Daddy, Daddy, Dad—a voice just trying to get my attention. That’s all they want, yet sometimes I just don’t hear the still small voice of one of my children calling out because I am in overload mode.

I suppose that if anyone could claim to be in overload mode, it would be God. Not only does God have me calling out to him, but also everyone else in the world as well. The good news for us is that God does not overload and tune out our incessant cries. When we say, Abba, Father, Daddy—He is listening.

Have you called out to God today. If you have, then He has heard and He will answer you.

A Visit from Jesus

2005-11-15T09:48:00.000-05:00

Luke 19:1-6
Jesus was passing through Jericho, and a man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today." So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him.

What would it be like if Jesus came to”…stay at our hose today…”? I don’t know about you, but when company is coming over there is a mad rush at my house to pick up toys, clean counter tops, put away clothes. We want to get the place spruced up and ready for visitors. I wonder, though, what would we do differently if we knew that Jesus was going to be visiting our home today?

Would we dress in our finest clothes?
Would we make sure the kids had a bath and in their best outfits?
Would we make sure that the garbage had been taken out?
Would we get the Bible out and put it on the coffee table?
Would we change the way we acted with one another and put on our best behaviors?

What would you do if Jesus was coming to visit your home—today?

Well, according to Scripture, our bodies are the temple of God and God’s Holy Spirit dwells within us. That means that Jesus is already in our homes. He is already aware of how we act in our worst moments. He knows our anger. He knows our frustrations. He knows our joys. He knows everything about us and our families.

The Good News is—HE STILL LOVES US. The Scriptures say that “…while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” I don’t know about you, but that kind of love is hard to ignore.

What would you do if Jesus came to your home for a visit? Welcome him. Thank him. Serve him.

What would you do?

Blind Beggars

2005-11-14T10:10:00.000-05:00

Luke 18:35-43
As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard a crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." Then he shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Those who were in front sternly ordered him to be quiet; but he shouted even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stood still and ordered the man to be brought to him; and when he came near, he asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" He said, "Lord, let me see again." Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has saved you." Immediately he regained his sight and followed him, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, praised God.

The blind man in this passage sets a marvelous example for situation. “…a blind man was sitting beside the road begging.” This suggests to me our situation in regards to God. If we do not know God, we are blind. We cannot see the things of God. We cannot know God’s glory. We do not recognize God’s love. Yet, we are begging. We are wanting more out of life because within each of us is a spiritual vacuum that is waiting to be filled by God. We sit day by day in our darkness—begging—yearning wanting to fill the void within us.

At some point, there is a commotion inside of our spirit. We hear a song. We read a poem. We hear a preacher. We witness God working in someone else’s life. We are disturbed enough to ask the question, “What’s happening? What’s going on?” We learn that there is a man named Jesus. That he loves us. That he gave his life for us while we were yet sinners. Something within us comes alive. We realize that the void can be filled.

We shout “JESUS. SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME!” He comes into our lives. We are reborn. The spiritual vacuum is filled with a love we never before imagined and life begins anew for us.

Like the blind man we are given new sight. We see a new world—one in which God’s Kingdom is now visible to us. We glorify God. We praise God. We begin to follow his Son—our Savior—Jesus Christ.

We have taken the first step of a journey that will last for eternity.

Have you taken that step or are you still sitting beside the road begging that the spiritual void be filled in your life?

Opening Our Spiritual Eyes

2005-11-13T17:48:00.000-05:00

Open My Eyes That I May See….

These words to an old hymn recently began to make new sense to me. I have been the pastor at the Virginia Avenue & Macedonia Churches since the end of June 2005. I arrived in the height of summer. The leaves were green and the forests lush with vegetation. As I traveled back and forth to Macedonia, it was almost like driving through a green tunnel at times.

Now, however, it is fall. The leaves are falling away and I am beginning to see things that were there all the time, but that have been hidden from my sight. I have discovered houses I had been driving by but could not see. I now see foundations from former homes that have long since rotted away. I see refrigerators dumped at the side of the road. All of these things were there when I arrived in June, its only after the leaves have fallen, though, that I can see them.

I sometimes wonder, “What is blocking my spiritual vision? What is all around me that I cannot see until some veil or blockage is removed from my sight?”

Have you ever thought about your spiritual vision? What do you now see and what could you be seeing in relation to God’s Kingdom if only your eyes could be opened?

Are You Able

2005-11-13T07:22:00.000-05:00

Matthew 25:14-22
"For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, 'Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' And the one with the two talents also came forward..."

I’ve always been provoked to thought about this passage of Scripture. As I was reading it this morning, the phrase near the beginning “to each according to his ability” jumped out at me. I am so glad that God is a God of even handedness. I would hate to think that God is going to ask of me more than I am capable of doing. I sometimes wonder, though, what God knows about me that I don’t know about myself.

You see, every now and then, God asks me to do something that seems way beyond my ability. When that time comes, I am faced with a choice. I will either step out in faith and believe that if God is calling me, God will provide a way, or else I will simply say, “I can’t do it.” More often than not, I have stepped out in faith. There have been a few times, that I have not stepped out and later have come to regret my lack of faith.

What about you? Are their times when you felt that God’s request was beyond your “ability”?

Foolish or Wise? You Decide.

2005-11-06T08:11:00.000-05:00

Matthew 25:1-13
"Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, 'Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise replied, 'No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.' And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.' But he replied, 'Truly I tell you, I do not know you.' Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour."

     I like to think that I am smart. I remember a time in about the seventh grade when my teacher gave the class a “common sense test”. It consisted of a series of one line instructions. The first instruction was to read the entire test. Following this line of instruction were about 20 other lines of instruction that had you calling out words, figuring problems, etc. So you can imagine the uproar in the room. It was also a timed test. So everyone wanted to complete it within the allotted time frame. It was a mad dash to the finish. You knew where everyone was on the test as they called out words. When you got to the last instruction, it said “Now that you have read the test, simply sign your name and turn it in.”

     I thought that I was wise—I was the first one to finish--but it turned out I was foolish. The first instruction said read the test. I did--One instruction at a time. However, I was supposed to read all the instructions first, which meant all I needed to do was sign my name to the paper and I would have been done.

     In the Proverbs, you find proverb upon proverb about the fool. I think God is trying to tell us something. I would like to suggest that we all need to re-examine our relationship with God and make sure that we know who is the fool and who is the wise one in that relationship. Too often, we think that we are wise in the ways of God. From and earthly standpoint, in comparison with other Christians, we might indeed have more godly wisdom. However, our problem becomes that we fall into the trap of thinking that we are on the same plane of wisdom as God. That is when we fall. That is when we sin.

So, think for a minute or two about God and all the wisdom that God possesses. Think then for a moment about all your earthly knowledge and wisdom. Which is greater? Don’t forget what you have learned.

Laying it on Jesus' Shoulders

2005-11-03T09:55:00.000-05:00

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them." So he told them this parable: "Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance."
Luke 15:1-7

As I read this passage of scripture, the phrase: “…he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices.” would not leave my mind. I began to reflect upon the image. When we think of shoulders, we often think of broad strong shoulders that are supportive. We use the phrase, “a shoulder to cry on” indicating that the person is able and willing to hear our heartfelt burdens and pains. We talk about putting our “shoulder to the plow” meaning that we get behind something and push or work hard. We refer to the sides of the road as shoulders. These shoulders help us to stay on the path, if we stray onto them; we know we are not going in the correct direction.

When we think of shoulders, we also must not forget the shoulders of Jesus Christ. I have seen the Mel Gibson film, The Passion of the Christ several times. I am always struck by the scenes in which Jesus is forced to put his cross upon his shoulders and drag it through the streets. I know that that burden was done not on his behalf, but for me. He carried the cross and he died on the cross for my sins and the sins of the entire world.

So, when I read this passage and the words “…he lays it on his shoulders…” jump out at me, they do so, because I envision Jesus picking my sins up and putting them on his shoulders as he walked the Via Dolorosa on the way to Calvary. Yet, my thoughts don’t stop with just that phrase. Look at the next two words, “…and rejoices.” He didn’t do it out of drudgery, he did it rejoicing knowing that his death would bring about forgiveness for me.

Have you put your burdens on the shoulders of Jesus? Have you let him carry away your sins?

Mingling With the World

2005-10-30T08:03:00.000-05:00

“…but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs.”
Psalm 106:33

Psalm 106 is one of those Psalms that recounts the story of what God did for the people and how the people of Israel were quick to forget the mighty deeds of God. As I was reading this Psalm, verse 33 jumped out at me and got me to thinking.

One of the great sins the nation Israel committed was their failure to utterly destroy the peoples that inhabited the Promised Land to which God led them. Instead of destroying them, they “mingled” with them. One definition of the word is “to get involved or mixed up with.” That’s just what the Israelites did. They began to worship the idols of the people around them. They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons. The Promised Land was desecrated by the innocent blood shed to these false Gods. It was not a pretty sight, the things done by these followers of God.

I know that we are not under the Law of the Old Testament. We are a people of Grace. I wonder though, is the statement of the Old Testament still not true for us today—“Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.” Are we still not supposed to worship God and God alone? I sometimes wonder, if the church has “…mingled with the nations and adopted their customs.”

For example:

We sit back and allow thousands of unborn children to be killed each year through abortion.

We continue to let our rights be eroded in the public sector through legislation and rulings that say that our voice, our views, our ideas are not acceptable in our pluralistic society—and yet any other idea seems to have free reign.

We bow down to the Gods of consumerism and we seek to keep up with the Jones’ and we enslave ourselves to our job and neglect our families.

What would you add to my list? What would you disagree with on my list?

The Way We Do Things

2005-10-11T10:18:00.000-04:00

The Way We Do Things Around Here

Have you ever been a stranger in a new place. It’s hard to get a feel for the culture. Moving from town to town in our Annual Conference, I have noticed that each town has it’s own feel. It’s hard to put into words what I am talking about, but I bet those of you that travel a lot know what I mean. One word that I use to describe this different feel is to say that each town I have lived in has its own culture. Each town has its own way of doing things. Some of those things are traditions that go back for decades. In Jasper, I always knew I could count on going to the town hall/fire department on Halloween night. Members of the fire department, the mayor and his wife, and other town dignitaries would be there and they would pass out candy and gifts and even run a metal detector over a child’s bag of candy (That is a sign of the times that I really don’t like.) I knew what it felt like to be in Jasper on Halloween.

Churches are a lot like towns. They are made up of groups of people with differing ideas, values, and goals. I believe that each church I serve has its own unique culture. In my first church, the Walland United Methodist Church, I knew that after the Wednesday night Bible Study, everyone would be heading into town to eat the buffet at Pizza Inn. In several of my churches, I knew that when fall came, it was time to get out the copper kettles to make apple butter. In other churches, there was a certain way in which worship was conducted and a certain way that you conducted yourself in worship. All of these kinds of things help to make up the culture of any local church.

Culture, tradition, and heritage are all important things for a church to have. However, we have to make sure that these things do not impair the growth of the church. Imagine what it is like for a first time visitor to our church. We say, “Hello” to them at the door. We put a bulletin in their hand. We help them find a seat. Then they are off on their own. There’s a good chance, they won’t know when to stand. They might not know the songs we sing. They might not be familiar with the order and flow of worship. The tings that we take for granted as common and everyday occurrences—the things that define our culture of worship—are totally foreign to the visitor.

One of the things that we are going to attempt to do in the months ahead is define our culture and design an aid—probably a DVD—that we can give to visitors to help them begin to understand who we are and how we do things and invite them to come and join with us as we all seek to get used to yet another culture—the culture of the Kingdom of God—we are all strangers in that culture, but we are seeking to learn more about it with each passing day.

Standing at the Door

2005-10-03T13:10:00.000-04:00

Standing at the Door

I just finished reading the poem, I Stand at the Door written by Samuel Moor Shoemaker. The poem recounts the thoughts of a character that is standing by a door. The door is a gateway to God. On the one side is heaven with all of its attractions. On the other side is a dark lost world. The door is the only way to God. The character in the poem debates with himself the side of the door on which he should stand on. He knows the way in. He knows where the door knob can be found. He realizes, however, that in the darkness on the side of door away from God, there are men and women groping along the wall trying to find the doorknob—trying to get it. The dilemma of the character in the poem is—if I go all the way in, I am afraid I might get so lost in God that I will forget the people on the other side that are seeking God. So, the main character feels that he must stay close to the door. Perhaps he can guide the hand of someone onto the knob so that she might come in. Perhaps he might convince those that do make it in and then get overwhelmed that they should stay. How far from the door will he go?

I think that sometimes, we are much like the character in this poem. We have found the door and ventured in and we get so caught up in the things of God that we forget that there are others outside of the door. We get so far away from the door that we can’t be of help to those that want in. Likewise, we can’t give advice to those that do make it in, but aren’t sure they want to stay. Perhaps, we need to stand closer to the door. Perhaps we need to remember that our goal is to bring others into the house—God’s house—and we can only do that if we are close enough to help when they try to get in.

Daily Answers to Prayer

2005-09-23T09:04:00.000-04:00

Read: John 2:1-11

In the book Prayer written by Simon Tugwell, the following is said:

“St. Augustine makes an identical point about miracles in his discussion of the miracle at Cana. ‘Our Lord’s miracle in turning water into wine comes as no surprise to those who know that it is God who did it. At the wedding that day he made wine in the six waterpots he had had filled with water; but he does the same thing every year in the vines. The servants put the water in the jugs, and he turned it into wine. In just the same way the Lord turns into wine the water that the clouds drop. Only that does not amaze us, because it happens every year…So the Lord kept back certain unusual things for himself to do, to wake us up with miracles to worship him.’”

As I read this passage I was struck by the comparison of something that occurs regularly vs. something that occurs only every now and then. We take for granted that, year in and year out, God regularly sends water from the skies to nourish the grapes on the vine. These grapes then become, under the hand of the wine maker, the wine which we then drink. This process has gone on for thousands of years. We accept it as the norm. Yet, Jesus took the same water—this time in jugs—and instantly turned it into wine. Presto!! A miracle has happened.

I wonder about our prayer life. Is it regular or occasional? By that, I mean, do we regularly come into God’s presence and establish our relationship with him, or do we only do it when it is convenient.

I suspect, that those people that regularly commune with God, know about the regular answers to prayer that occur on a daily basis. It is those that only occasionally come before God that wonder why he never answers prayer. They come seeking a miracle, and most often go away disappointed because God didn’t perform as they had expected. I wonder what would have happened had they been in constant prayer and communion with God? Might the seemingly impossible situation that they faced have been daily broken down into smaller segments—and perhaps—those smaller segments have been answered?

Perhaps, we need to understand that God does answer prayer. However, I suspect that he would prefer to answer smaller prayers on a daily basis rather than provide miraculous answers on an occasional basis. He desires the fellowship that comes from daily walking and talking with him. I don’t mean to say that God does not do miracles. I believe that he does. These miracles, though, are few and far between—especially compared to the smaller answers to prayer that He can give on a daily basis.

The Remnants of our Time

2005-09-18T08:26:00.000-04:00

In my quiet time this week, I came across a prayer from the late Henri Nouwen’s book, A Cry for Mercy. The prayer is too long to include in this writing, but it talks about Nouwen’s struggle with the gulf that he felt existed between the ideal of his walk with God and the reality of his walk with God. He mentions the books he has written, the classes he has taught, the books he has read about the spiritual life—he then says, “Still, as impressed as I am, I am more impressed by the enormous abyss between my insights and my life.”

Those words have resonated within me this week. As a new Christian, I regularly listened to Dr. J. Vernon McGhee on the radio. One of his signature phrases was, “Where the rubber meets the road.” He used this phrase to mostly describe the Christian life and what the Bible had to say concerning our application of the principles found within it. I believe that one of the struggle points in everyone’s Christian walk occurs “Where the rubber meets the road.” It’s one thing for us to read the Bible and other great books that discuss the spiritual life, but it is another thing for us to actively put into practice those things that the Bible teaches as well as those taught by other great men and women of the faith.

Sometimes, it is just plain hard to make time to read the Bible. Sometimes it is difficult to get a time for prayer and meditation squeezed into our 24 hour day. It becomes even harder, to cut out time to get involved with servant evangelism. The day only has so many hours and there are so many claims upon each of the precious minutes within any of those hours. We must sleep. We must eat. Most of us must work. We must take time for family. We must take time for ourselves. We must…. We Must… WE MUST…make time for God. Sometimes, God gets the time that is left over. We all know, he deserves the first fruits of our time—not the remnants.

Breakfast for the Teachers

2005-09-11T08:12:00.000-04:00

On Friday September 9th, the church began its official campaign to shower acts of kindness and love upon the teachers and staff of the Dudley Primary School. I met with the principal and told her that we wanted to adopt her school and provide breakfast items for the teachers and staff on a regular basis. To put it mildly, she was amazed and deeply appreciative. We decided that Friday mornings would be the best time for such a gift.

Our first act of service was warmly received. Cindy Workman took ham biscuits, pastries, tea and soft drinks to the school. Some of the teachers asked her what she was doing and she explained the items were from the church. One teacher wanted to know which church. Cindy said, “The one on the corner below the school.”

When I picked up my children that day, Jacob’s teacher came up and thanked me for the items.

This is servant evangelism at work. Doing something for someone else as a sign of God’s love towards them and expecting nothing in return. We are letting the teachers and staff know that we appreciate their hard work and, more importantly, that God loves them—and so do we.

If you would like to get involved in a breakfast outreach every other Friday to the Dudley Primary School, then sign up and take part. You will be a blessing to others and, I think you will receive a blessing in return.

Woud You Like a Free Bottle of Water?

2005-09-11T08:03:00.000-04:00

As they used to say on the television show, The A-Team, “I Love it when a plan comes together!” I also love it when a plan comes together like it did yesterday at the Fall Jamboree. Our servant evangelism goal was to give away 900 bottles of water to the people that came to the event. 900 bottles of water filled the back of Joe Johnson’s truck two tiers of water deep. Looking at all that water it was easy to think, “That’s a lot of water to give away.” The good news is that we did it. By about 7:00 p.m. the last of the water bottles was gone and we were packing up the site and heading back to our homes.

The day was an exercise in going into the public arena and sharing something—a simple bottle of water—with a thirsty individual. Each person that took a bottle of water was also given a postcard sized piece of paper that had a weekly schedule of church events and church contact information on one side. On the reverse side, it had the following message:

“There’s a Place for You at Virginia Avenue. In one of the Gospels, Jesus offered a woman at a well a drink of living water to quench her spiritual thirst. We offer you this water today to quench a physical thirst and as a symbol of God’ love for you. We invite you to come and worship with us so that you might experience the ‘living water’ that Jesus offered to all that would follow him.”

We then included the following verse from John’s Gospel:

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4: 13,14 NIV
The final outcome of our efforts yesterday may not be readily know or easily calculated. However, we have touched the lives of several hundred people in an unexpected way. We offered them cold water, perhaps our gift was enough to make one or two of them want to come and look for the living water promised by Jesus. If they do, then all our efforts will have been worth it.

That’s what Servant Evangelism is all about. Offering God’s love in unexpected and, sometimes, unimagined ways, to the people of our community. If you are interested, then be sure to check out the other Servant Evangelism opportunities that we have available in the weeks ahead.

The Spirit is Moving Among Us--Have You Felt His Presence?

2005-09-02T10:08:00.000-04:00

I have been on a fact gathering tour since arriving at the church this past June. I have met with 24 church leaders, and sometimes their spouses, and asked them all the same six questions:

Tell me about yourself and/or your family?

How long have you been a member of this church? ___ What brought you to this church?

What is the most meaningful ministry of this church?

What are the high points that you have experienced in the life of this congregation?

What are the pressing issues currently facing this congregation?

If you could make one wish for the church, what would it be?

My heart is gladdened to see that in the vast majority of the interviews, the answers have been quite similar. To me, this is an indication that God’s Spirit is alive and well and moving in our midst. To hear from these leaders many of the same answers suggests that they are in tune to the Spirit’s presence among us. That means that we should be able to establish a firm foundation on which to build our ministry to the church, the community and the world.

I was also glad to see, that when I met with small groups of people, there was also a corresponding movement of the Holy Spirit.

In the small groups, my goal was not to ask questions, but to rank statements that described the church’s ministry. Each person in attendance had to rank 11 statements from the most important to the least important. In the groups that have met so far to date, there has been general agreement on the top 5 items of importance. Some groups may have ranked these items higher or lower. However, overall, the groups feel that the church is a place where we:

Proclaim the Gospel in Preaching and Worship

Provides Opportunities for Personal and Spiritual Growth

Minister to Individuals and Families in times of Crisis

Help the Poor and the Oppressed

Be a Prophetic Witness for Gospel Concerns

As your newly appointed pastor, I did not feel that it was my role to come in and tell you what to do in terms of ministry. Instead, I felt that I needed to understand what God was already doing in your midst. I am pleased with the results so far and am looking forward to meeting with as many of you as possible on Sunday October 9th at 3:00 p.m. to further discuss ways in which we might move forward in ministry and mission for the Kingdom.

Please join with me on that day and please be in prayer for me and the church as we get ready to see what God is doing in our midst!

What are your thoughts on this issue.

On Being Part of the Body of Christ

2005-08-31T09:40:00.000-04:00

On Being Part of the Body of Christ….

Read Romans 12:1-8

I’m still thinking about my sermon from a couple of weeks ago. (August 21, 2005) I only hope my parishioners are also thinking about it!

I have read this passage over and over for years. I can quote it. I know the words. Nevertheless, the Lord helped me to see the words in a different way as I prepared for this sermon.

“…present your bodies as a living sacrifice.” Romans 12:1

Are words that I was quite familiar with, yet, this time around, I learned something about the words. Our Christian culture in America tends to stress the individual and his or her relationship with God. As I have read this passage time and time again, I have read it through the eyes of the individual. Most probably because of the words “present YOUR bodies”. This has always struck me as a rather individualistic kind of thing to do. You can’t present my body for me—I must present it myself. The insight comes just a few words past this “as a living sacrifice.” Did you catch it? I didn’t for so many years. Our bodies are not presented as sacrifices. That is each of our bodies is not offered individually as thousands and thousands of sacrifices made to God. Rather our collective bodies—are offered as one sacrifice.

When this revelation came, it made sense. After all, that’s what the rest of the passage really is talking about. This passage is about how, we, the many, and made into one body—the Body of Christ. It further explores the giftedness that God has made to the individuals to be used, not for their own benefit, but for the benefit of God.

How do you view your relationship with God? Is it as an individual or is it as a member of the body? Let me know what you think.

Lessons on Fishing

2005-08-29T18:31:00.000-04:00

Passage: Luke 5:1-11

As I was reading today, I came across a commentary on the passage where Peter is fishing. He's been fishing all night long. It has not been a good night. As the morning dawns, he realizes that it is time to pull in the nets and head to shore for a long awaited rest. He sits down and begins to repair his nets. In the distance, he notices a crowd that appears to be approaching him and his brother as they mend their nets. At the front of the crowd was a man. The man got into his boat and asked him to push out a little from the land so that he could peak to the crowd. Tired and weary--with nets still needing tending, Simon, nevertheless did as the man asked.

When he had completed his teaching, he leaned over to Simon and said, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch," Well, Simon, being the fisherman that he was knew the he wasn't going to catch any fish in the middle of the day. However, he had heard this teacher and he just couldn't be rude to such an obvious man of God. So, tempering his words he politely said, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything." The look on this man's face though changed his words from, "We're going back to shore to rest." Instead, he said, "But because you say so, I will let the nets down."

As he rowed out further and let the nets down--deep into the water--he knew in his mind that he was wasting his time heeding the request of an itinerant Jewish prophet. But, something in his heart told him to do it. As the nets sunk deep into the water he waited and then gave the command to begin pulling them back up. There was resistance. He probably thought, we've let them go so deep they've become snarled. He soon realized though that it wasn't resistance--it was weight. The weight of fish! Not just one or two or three, but dozens of fish--hundreds of fish. Their nets were beginning to break from the load. He quickly called out to his partners in other boats, "Come and help us. NOW!" They came they filled the boats, fish after fish after fish. The boats were beginning to sink.

Simon's head knowledge gave way to heart knowledge and he realized tha he was indeed in the midst of a man of God he fell to his knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord! I am a sinner!" His companions including James and John the Son's of Zebedee were amazed at the catch that had come from the deep.

Jesus, said to Simon, "There's no need to be afraid. Today you have caught fish . Follow me and you will catch men." They looked at each other. They pulled their boats up on the shore. They left their boats. They left their nets. They left the catch of fish.

AND THEY FOLLOWED HIM.

What struck me so much about this story was the phrase, " Put out into the deep water..." I was captivated by the image that came to mind. I would like to think that my church is a church that is active and alive. I would like to think that its members were followers of Jesus Christ that knew how to fish for men. Yet, in this story, it appears as if Simon, soon to be Peter, the expert fisherman--was only skimming the surface. He was not plumbing the depths that were available to him. I wonder how many of us also simply skim the surface of what God has available for us and never experience the depths of what is truly available to us? When was the last time you were truly awed by what God had done in your life or that you had seen God do in someone else's life? It's time to put our nets down deep into God's word.