Perspective

Perspective is an interesting thing. I don't think about perspective much unless of course my perspective changes.

Each week in worship, I stand in the pulpit, sit near the choir and behind a piano. So to sit out in the sanctuary changes my perspective. I am able to see things differently than I do when I am in the pulpit. I don't get to do that very often, but when I do I am often struck by what I see. Hopefully, when that happens, I can gain some valuable in site to what I do each and every Sunday.

I have a partial season ticket plan with friends at PNC Park. We sit in the same seats when we go to our games. I like that. I know my usher, I know the vendors and the food stands that are in close proximity to our section, and I know that if I take one of the girls, there is a family bathroom very near our section. This is a God-send for a man who has three girls who are not old enough to go into the girls room alone, and too old to come with me. There are times when we go to games and we don't sit in those seats. I like those moments, because it gives me a different frame of reference to the game, you see things differently. I can watch different players and hopefully gain some in site into the way that players play.

To date, I have officiated 109 funerals. Yes I count! When I was in my first appointment, I only officiated about 12 funerals. Within the last year, I have only done about 8 or so. So the great majority of the funerals came from my four years at Baldwin. I didn't know every one of the people or the families. I would get quite a few calls from the local funeral homes asking if I would conduct a funeral for someone without a church - I never denied. Many of those funerals seemed fabricated, not because I didn't do my best, but because I often felt like I was just there to run through the motions for them. The 12 from Bethel were all very special people in my life, they were like family. If there is one thing to be said about a funeral - there is not one that is the same as the other.

My perspective changed on Sunday when we got a phone call from Tracy's mother that something was just not right. She was watching our children at our house and Tracy's father was supposed to call her at 8:00 a.m. He didn't. This was not all that unusual for him - he often forgot to do things like that. But after Sunday School and church when he did not contact her - she knew something was just not right. As we were driving home from Grove City, there was a part of me and a huge part of Tracy that knew something was wrong.

We arrived at their house to find out that indeed, Tracy's father had died. My perspective was drastically different as I was dealing with this from the inside. Certainly, my connection, and the emotion was not as raw as my wife's or my mother-in-law's, but I was not dealing with this as a pastor this time. My perspective has changed.

One of the things that Tracy and I have been saying in the past two days surrounds Annual Conference. "Sort of puts things into perspective. All the controversy over Conservative/Liberal and General Conference really doesn't mean that much, does it?" Once again, perspective changed.

This is all too fresh to really gain total clarity, but to say the least I know how important the church is, how important people are, and just how important the ministry of the church is. We have had people praying for us, reaching out to us, and really reassuring us that the Church of Jesus Christ is present, and that God's presence is with us.

Please remind me about perspective every once in a while. Don't ever let me get to the point that people become a number or a game, or just the run of the mill situation. When you come right down to it - the ministry that we have is about people. I think I knew that - no - I know that . . . but my vantage point as one of those people makes me realize it more today.

Surrounded

As you can tell, I am really excited about this weekend and all that God is doing at College Hill United Methodist Church. There is a buzz in the air about everything that will be happening this weekend. My attention has been on Worship. I can't wait to be worshipping together and offering thanks for 100 years of ministry.

On Friday night, our Pastor Emeritus, Hengust Robinson will be preaching in our service that I am calling the "Throwback Service." We are using old liturgical language, old hymns, no technology (with the exception of our new sound system), and we are inviting people to dress in "period" clothing.

Hengust's sermon is entitled "Surrounded" based upon the text from Hebrews 12. We are using the old King James language for the service to add to the old style. I have some idea about what he may be doing - but will not give away any surprises!

I invite you to come and worship with us at 7:00 p.m. Friday evening and stay for an ice cream social following.

Anniversary Buzz

College Hill has been preparing for its 100th Anniversary. While our building won't be 100 until next year, the congregation was started in June 1907 in the school that used to stand behind our present building. Next week we have a wonderful weekend of celebration. If you have the opportunity, stop by 33rd and Fifth Avenue in the College Hill Area.

Friday Night, June 1 - 7:00 p.m. - Old Style "Throwback" Service. We will try to put our sanctuary in much of the same configuration from the early 1900's. Ice Cream Social to follow. Our Pastor Emeritus will be preaching.

Saturday afternoon, June 2 - from 2-4, we are holding a street fair next to the church. Catch the "Wild World Of Animals at 2:30. But don't miss our contemporary Worship at 4:30 in the sanctuary. The message is entitled, "Now more than ever." We will be looking at what it means to love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength.

Sunday, June 3, we are going to be worshipping together at 11:00 a.m. with a covenant for ministry and a reconsecration of our church for the next century of ministry. Several pastors from the past will be participating. Our theme for the day is "Have Thine Own Way, Lord" and the message will be, "Without God, we are nothing." Do we allow God to mold and form us, like a potter would clay?

We are so excited at CHUM. We are blessed by all that God is doing in our lives and we hope that you will join us.

How things have changed

Last night, I did some grillin'. I found an idea for Kabobs in a magazine article and bought everything necessary for them. Two of the ingredients were mango and pineapple.

I have purchased odd fruits before and often times you will see a sheet published on how to cut or section the fruit. I bought a pomegranate once and had to read the instructions on how to get to the fruit. By the way - the Food Network calls it "nature's most labor intensive fruit." A pineapple often has the instructions for cutting it strapped right to it.

So last night as I was preparing for our Caribbean Jerk Kabobs, I had to cut the mango. No instruction manual came with the fruit, nor did the trusty 1950's version of the cook book provide any help. I asked the lovely wife if she knew, and she had no idea.

Then I went to the only other place that I know - the internet! It was there that I found great instructions.

As I was sectioning this fruit for dinner, I was thinking a lot about our upcoming 100th Anniversary at the church. I have been thinking a lot about it in recent days, but last night I was thinking about it in other ways.

I have been in ministry in the local church for 9 years now. Things have changed and I certainly have adjusted . The internet is probably the single most expansive change that I can think of, but I know that there are others.

But those 9 years of change pale in comparison to the changes that have come and gone in the local church in 100 years. Bulletins have changed, the sanctuary has changed, pastors have come and gone, Beaver Falls has changed dramatically - and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Yet, in preparing for this anniversary next week, the one thing that that I know remains unchanged is God's faithfulness to his church, and his covenant that he has made with his people. The instructions for that covenant have not changed, and you can find the promise in the same place that it has always been found.

Oh, sure you can find the Word on the internet, but its sometimes better to read the hardcopy.

Thank you God for your Covenant and for its everlasting mark on our lives.

Ramblings

Each week, I write an email to my Sunday School Class. Since I have been out of the loop for a while, I thought I'd share it with you here.

Grace to you and peace from Christ our Savior and in the Spirit of the one who comes.

In the fourth chapter of "Rich in the Things that Count the Most," Moore notes that he has read some interesting bulletin bloopers. I have made my share of bloopers, but nothing that would amount to an entire book.

I have a book entitled, "Did you Read That? Bulletin Bloopers & Church Funnies." It has some good ones, especially my favorite:

Tonight's Sermon: What is Hell?
Come early and listen to our choir practice.

I'm not making any judgements or statements about our choir - I just thought it was funny!

This week is Pentecost. Pentecost is sometimes known as the birthday of the church. It's too bad that we missed our anniversary/birthday of College Hill by only one week, but they are both significant.

When I think of Pentecost and what happened on that day in the upper room, I am often amazed and filled with wonder. What an experience it must have been in those early moments to experience the sense of the Spirit's presence. How I long to recapture that not only on Pentecost Sunday, but every Sunday in the church. Next to Resurrection Sunday, it must have been a spectacular moment!

Next week, we will be celebrating our 100th Anniversary. That same presence of the Spirit surely was present 100 years ago, as a group of people gathered to call themselves "church" and to witness to the saving Grace of Christ and to proclaim that Word. How awesome that must have been.

This week, we will be sharing in the fourth chapter of Moore's Book, Rich in the Power of Life Changing Words. I have always believed that words carry such power, and we ought to be careful about what we say and how we say it - because every word is powerful.

I hope that we feel that same way about the Word that we share. We should be taking seriously the Word that became flesh and dwelt among us, and take seriously the breath that fell on those disciples on that first Pentecost Sunday. I pray that we can be rich in that Spirit.

As I said earlier - continue to pray for those beautiful children that God has given. Continue to pray for those who are hospitalized, and especially for our 100th Anniversary Celebration that is coming up next week.

Wouldn't it be great if we had to set up chairs next week????? Someone's life might be changed and enriched by the Word of God!

I am praying for you, please be in prayer for me.

Peace
Greg

Intelligibility

Our congregation at College Hill has been engaged in a conversation in recent months about Intelligibility. Specifically, we have been talking about our current sound system and the need to update and upgrade our system in the sanctuary to improve intelligibility.

Intelligibility is important to the spoken Word. Intelligibility impacts our worship and impacts how lives can be reached. You may say that a sound system may or may not make that much of an impact, but think about what is lost if you can't hear or understand.

So often, the Word talks about how people came to faith by hearing. Hearing that Jesus was performing signs, people came. Scriptures are fulfilled in hearing. A centurion was saved because he heard of Jesus. All those things inspire me to want to provide the best atmosphere in which the Word is spoken and proclaimed.

On Wednesday, our Church Council will be acting upon a recommendation of our task force. We have been working with a local company that works predominantly with churches. Please pray for us. Please pray that College Hill be an instrument of God's Word.

Paul said, "So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the Word of Christ." Romans 10:17.

After that - the pressure will be on. I won't be able to blame the quality of the sermon on the sound system. But then again, it all goes back to intelligibility.

I am Iron Man!

On the way to the hospital and work this morning, I was listening to WDVE. (I actually thought I'd link the post here, but then realized that there may be some objectionable material on their homepage - if you dare you may go.) On their morning show, they were doing a segment on the recent Comicon that was held in Monroeville. Comicon is a comic book convention.

During the morning show bit, they were talking about the convention and who attends, what can be found there, and who the latest and greatest comic book heroes are today. They actually interviewed someone who loves the Incredible Hulk and believes that there is "a little Hulk in all of us."

There is a fellow WPA Blogger who mentioned this convention recently, noting that Peter Mayhew, aka Chewbacca, was present at the convention. The radio show was saying that in this case, Mayhew and his character from Star Wars is an example of Art imitating Life. They argued that Lucas looked at Mayhew and must have said, "I want him, but more hair!" If you've seen Mayhew, you know that's just funny!

So - I also remembered my trip to Russia when I was electrocuted with 220 volts of electricity and I was called "Sparky." The aforementioned blogger was called "Blademan" for his new found penchant for cutting floor tile.

But I realized today that I have an alter ego. I am Iron Man. Today, I went for the second week in a row for a blood test to see if my Iron level is where it should be. I have Hemochromatosis, which in my case is caused by a genetic mutation. Last week, my FE level was 88 and so I had phlebotomy on Thursday. If it is above 50 again today, I will go for more blood letting tomorrow. Considering I haven't had phlebotomy for about a year, that's not too bad.

Count me in for the next Xmen movie. I am a mutant. I am Iron Man.