Monday, July 16, 2007
Happy Birthday!
Today is my wife's 41st Birthday. I know that some women don't like to have their age revealed, but that is not the case with Tracy. She celebrates her life daily and gives God thanks for it. I celebrate with her today. I love you Tracy, and Happy Birthday!
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
From the world of the Bizarre
Check out this local story from Meadville. Thought it was interesting enough to share if you haven't seen it yet. Enjoy.
Wrinkles and All
Our parsonage is a flurry of activity this week. We are getting new carpet this Thursday on the first floor. That doesn’t sound that complicated, until you hear what you have to do in order to get the carpet. If you’ve been through this – you can relate.
The girls asked initially if we needed to move all the furniture. We were happy to say “no, the carpet installers will do that.” However, there was a “but” at the end of that sentence.
All of the books on the bookshelf need to be taken down. The knickknacks need to be put somewhere safe. The china in the china closet needs to be taken away. The computer needs to be disconnected, and the stereo too.
All of this sounds simple, until I tell you that with the exception of the kitchen and the play-room; the entire first floor, the stairs leading upstairs, and the landing at the top of the stairs are being carpeted. It would be quite easy if we could move the aforementioned stuff into the other room, but it’s just not that simple. We have to find space for all that stuff amongst the space that we won’t have carpeted, and where it will cause the least disruption. “Guess what kids? Your toy room is not just a toy room this week!”
There’s not much of a choice. (Last night however, I found that the dumpster is an excellent alternative.)
We’re getting new carpeting in the parsonage because the present carpeting is just plain worn out. No one has records to know exactly when it was installed, but it is at least 10 years old by some estimations. That may not be that old for some, but this carpeting has seen better days. The main problem is the wrinkles that have developed over the course of the past two years. They have gotten only become worse. It is stained, worn in the high traffic areas, and cleaning the carpet has only made the situation dire.
There have been times when we have tried to limit the amount of eating that happens in the family room, but those efforts have largely failed. Three children under 8 years listen well, until they see dad drinking his coffee in his recliner.
Well – Thursday’s it! The lady of the house has laid down the law! When the carpet is installed, there will be no more eating in the family room!
Wow! Just think of it. No more popcorn while watching a movie. No more fruit loops while watching Hannah Montana. No coffee or oatmeal watching the Today show. Oh the humanity!
We have to change our ways – and now!
This has made me think about how hard it is for us as Christians to truly repent. To repent is to change, truly change – 180 degree change. When we repent, we move away from our former self or a former way of life and we move in a new direction.
In Acts chapter 2, Peter is preaching to a multitude with the message of repentance. In verse 38 he says, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
What a wonderful promise. Like our carpet, we have a chance to start over when we repent. In the end we are washed clean. No more wrinkles (spiritually speaking) and no more stains. But even then we have work to do. We must continue to deny that former self and all that stuff we used to do, so that we can remain clean.
July is not the traditional season of repentance, but what a great time to think about it. What do you need to remove from your life or change in order to be made new?
The girls asked initially if we needed to move all the furniture. We were happy to say “no, the carpet installers will do that.” However, there was a “but” at the end of that sentence.
All of the books on the bookshelf need to be taken down. The knickknacks need to be put somewhere safe. The china in the china closet needs to be taken away. The computer needs to be disconnected, and the stereo too.
All of this sounds simple, until I tell you that with the exception of the kitchen and the play-room; the entire first floor, the stairs leading upstairs, and the landing at the top of the stairs are being carpeted. It would be quite easy if we could move the aforementioned stuff into the other room, but it’s just not that simple. We have to find space for all that stuff amongst the space that we won’t have carpeted, and where it will cause the least disruption. “Guess what kids? Your toy room is not just a toy room this week!”
There’s not much of a choice. (Last night however, I found that the dumpster is an excellent alternative.)
We’re getting new carpeting in the parsonage because the present carpeting is just plain worn out. No one has records to know exactly when it was installed, but it is at least 10 years old by some estimations. That may not be that old for some, but this carpeting has seen better days. The main problem is the wrinkles that have developed over the course of the past two years. They have gotten only become worse. It is stained, worn in the high traffic areas, and cleaning the carpet has only made the situation dire.
There have been times when we have tried to limit the amount of eating that happens in the family room, but those efforts have largely failed. Three children under 8 years listen well, until they see dad drinking his coffee in his recliner.
Well – Thursday’s it! The lady of the house has laid down the law! When the carpet is installed, there will be no more eating in the family room!
Wow! Just think of it. No more popcorn while watching a movie. No more fruit loops while watching Hannah Montana. No coffee or oatmeal watching the Today show. Oh the humanity!
We have to change our ways – and now!
This has made me think about how hard it is for us as Christians to truly repent. To repent is to change, truly change – 180 degree change. When we repent, we move away from our former self or a former way of life and we move in a new direction.
In Acts chapter 2, Peter is preaching to a multitude with the message of repentance. In verse 38 he says, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
What a wonderful promise. Like our carpet, we have a chance to start over when we repent. In the end we are washed clean. No more wrinkles (spiritually speaking) and no more stains. But even then we have work to do. We must continue to deny that former self and all that stuff we used to do, so that we can remain clean.
July is not the traditional season of repentance, but what a great time to think about it. What do you need to remove from your life or change in order to be made new?
Friday, July 6, 2007
My Lunch
As I am sitting here typing, I am eating my lunch. And my lunch is the reason for my post! Actually, it is more than my lunch, but my lunch made me think of something that relates to my sermon this week.
We are beginning a 3 part series on Bearing Fruit. We are looking at the fruit of the Spirit and will be talking about how we can bear that fruit in our lives.
I went to a local farmer's market yesterday and bought some fresh tomatoes. I have some sliced on my sandwich. Wow! How awesome it is to have that fruit. It is making my sandwich out of this world.
It reminded me how much better our lives are with the Fruit that the Spirit offers. Much better than the nasty stuff that Paul urges us to resist in Galatians 5.
I am excited about Sunday . . . and I want to finish this sandwich.
We are beginning a 3 part series on Bearing Fruit. We are looking at the fruit of the Spirit and will be talking about how we can bear that fruit in our lives.
I went to a local farmer's market yesterday and bought some fresh tomatoes. I have some sliced on my sandwich. Wow! How awesome it is to have that fruit. It is making my sandwich out of this world.
It reminded me how much better our lives are with the Fruit that the Spirit offers. Much better than the nasty stuff that Paul urges us to resist in Galatians 5.
I am excited about Sunday . . . and I want to finish this sandwich.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Back in the Saddle
Not to be outdone by Brett, but I too have just returned to the office after being at Jumonville for a week of camp. It was a great week. Although I am totally exhausted, and bruised, I am renewed in Spirit and Love. To see kids really seek God's face is amazing, and to be able to see that develop over a week is even more amazing.
We are fortunate here in Western Pennsylvania to have three absolutely fantastic camps. They are all unique, but they all do one thing very well - they give children and youth an experience with God that is life changing.
Tracy and I were fortunate to have our oldest, Sarah, with us for the first time at Adventure Camp. She was great, and we enjoyed having her there. You should see her climb!
Now it's time to get back to the pile of stuff on my desk.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Staying Connected
Several months ago, I lost the antenna on my cell phone. Honestly, I don't know how it happened. I do know that it was unscrewed, but how it became loose and when I lost it confounds me. I never realized it until that moment that my cell phone is USELESS without it. Absolutely no signal! I ordered a new antenna from the internet after realizing that my phone is no longer made by the company and my cell phone carrier does not carry replacement parts. it came very quickly, and my cell phone signal was restored.
Without that antenna, I couldn't receive or make phone calls. Immediately upon replacing the antenna - my cell phone was back to normal. The signal was true.
About two weeks ago, my antenna broke off and I do not know where it went. This one is a little harder to explain. I noticed before all this happened, that the little rubber nobbie thingie on the antenna was loose. The actual metal part of the antenna was not - it was securely screwed into the phone. Every so often, the little rubber nobbie thingie would come off - and I would simply screw it back on.
However, just before annual conference, I noticed that the little rubber nobbie thingie was GONE!!!! Oh, I was upset! Not in my pocket, not on the floor, not on my dresser, but Gone! Guess what? Turns out that the little rubber nobbie thingie is almost as important as the actual metal part of the antenna. Without it, my signal is weak. It also turns out that Cingular no longer has the fewest dropped calls. I'm going to suggest a new slogan - "Cingular, raising the bar - but make sure you don't lose your antenna!"
Have you ever lost your signal? Now I'm thinking theologically. Sometimes I think we're not as connected to God because we lose our connection and we lose the thing that makes it possible for us to be connected to God. For each of us that may be different things, we forget to pray, we forget to be involved, and sometimes we are not listening to God's Word as God speaks to us in scripture.
One of my favorite scriptures is from Psalm 1.
That scripture reminds me that we need to continually be connected, or planted by the streams of living water that God has provided for us. Without it, we are missing something and we may even be like the chaff that the wind drives away.
I pray that you continue to be connected. Don't lose touch; don't lose that connection that you have with the church and with God during the summer. Without that connection, we are missing so much.
God needs to be in touch with you, and I am sure that you need to be in touch with God.
Without that antenna, I couldn't receive or make phone calls. Immediately upon replacing the antenna - my cell phone was back to normal. The signal was true.
About two weeks ago, my antenna broke off and I do not know where it went. This one is a little harder to explain. I noticed before all this happened, that the little rubber nobbie thingie on the antenna was loose. The actual metal part of the antenna was not - it was securely screwed into the phone. Every so often, the little rubber nobbie thingie would come off - and I would simply screw it back on.
However, just before annual conference, I noticed that the little rubber nobbie thingie was GONE!!!! Oh, I was upset! Not in my pocket, not on the floor, not on my dresser, but Gone! Guess what? Turns out that the little rubber nobbie thingie is almost as important as the actual metal part of the antenna. Without it, my signal is weak. It also turns out that Cingular no longer has the fewest dropped calls. I'm going to suggest a new slogan - "Cingular, raising the bar - but make sure you don't lose your antenna!"
Have you ever lost your signal? Now I'm thinking theologically. Sometimes I think we're not as connected to God because we lose our connection and we lose the thing that makes it possible for us to be connected to God. For each of us that may be different things, we forget to pray, we forget to be involved, and sometimes we are not listening to God's Word as God speaks to us in scripture.
One of my favorite scriptures is from Psalm 1.
That scripture reminds me that we need to continually be connected, or planted by the streams of living water that God has provided for us. Without it, we are missing something and we may even be like the chaff that the wind drives away.
I pray that you continue to be connected. Don't lose touch; don't lose that connection that you have with the church and with God during the summer. Without that connection, we are missing so much.
God needs to be in touch with you, and I am sure that you need to be in touch with God.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
