2010

           I am writing this as we all prepare for a new year, 2010.  I am hoping Navy beats Missouri though at this point the jury is still out.  We hear a great deal about new year’s resolutions;  some believe in them, some don’t.   But believing in positive change is a core belief for followers of  Jesus Christ.  In my life as a believer in Christ, and many years as a Pastor, I have discovered, personally, 4 things that keep my life in place, on track, and open a door to a positive future, even in those days I might find myself in a difficult season.  What are these 4 things; Prayer, Bible study and reflection, giving, and worshiping with a Church family.  There are many other things as well, but everything else rises from these four corners of how I live out my faith.  My marraige, family, ministry, hobbies, service, everything is balanced in a healthy way when I balance these 4 corners of my basic commitment as a Christian.

I have discovered, typically, that when people get in trouble, ususally one or more of these basic disciplines of following Christ has been neglected and opened the door for that trouble.  We don’t pray and therefore let our relationship with God slip,  we don’t study the Bible and find we are more shaped by a selfcentered culture than a Christ centered Bible, we don’t give and our priorities all get out of whack, we let Church attendance slip and no longer find ourselves accountable to the loving voice of pastors, Christian friends, and Church family.

In the new year, pray every day (try the psalms and the Lord’s prayer), study and reflect on the Bible (Join us in the new GPS at the beginning of lent),  give (Tithe or begin to step up to the tithe) join me in Church this weekend and every weekend and see  (Our new message series  “IT”  what is IT?).

Navy just scored!

a God blessed and Happy new year

Christmas Eve Family

This is my family, complete with our son in law just home for Iraq, a rare occurrence when all 13 of us are together.  We are excited about their surprising us for our Sunday 35th anniversary and are equally happy they will be with us at one of our Christmas Eve Candlelight services.  I hope you will join us as well as we mark the Birth of Jesus Christ with Carols, candlelight, the reading of the Christmas story, and the sharing of an important Christmas message, “Simple Christmas”.  We know the  December season is what is should be when January is better because of it.  I sometimes worry we box up the great Christmas news in the attic on January 1st like we box up our Christmas decorations.  Few things end as quickly and completely as a secular Christmas; and few things create a more wonderful new beginning than the Sacred Christmas.  “Born for you this day in the city of  David is a Savior, Christ the Lord!”.

35 years

This photo was taken of Rhonda and I while in Israel in February, right on the Sea of Galilee.  This Sunday, December 20th, we will have been married for 35 years.  I would like to give you a special invitation(This is a secret, please don’t tell Rhonda).  After the 11:00 service there will be a reception on the 20th celebrating our Anniversary that everyone is invited to, (again, Rhonda, so far is unaware). I would love to have you come and share this with us.  Almost 32 years of our life have been shared while I have been a pastor and I will say she has made the most sacrifices.  We were married at Glad Tidings Tabernacle when I was 21 and she was 18 and on her Christmas break from her senior year in High School (I don’t recommend it for your kids).  We met in Church, have shared faith, love, and family, have 3 great children and 6 beautiful grandchildren.   Celebration will be the theme.

A Simple Christmas

The little sad Christmas tree from A Charlie Brown Christmas is an image many of us love.  Some years ago we did this as a drama in worship.  This little tree has an amazing punch line;  after the disaster of charlie brown and his friends trying to create a Christmas program and most walking off in a huff.  Little Linius stands by this tree with a spotlight on him and just reads the Christmas Story.  “born for you in the city of David is a Savior, who is Christ the lord….you will find him wrapped in swaddling cloths and lieing in a manger!?  The simple reading of the story is guaranteed to bring tears to the eyes of the most hardened listener.  Why?  Because this simple story is one we desperately want to know and be a part of.  We want to kneel with the shepherds.  I hope we all get to do that this year;  whether we are surprised like the shepherds when the moment comes, or we have anticipated it for years and can’t believe it finally happened like the experience of the Wise Men.  I hope you have a Simple Christmas this year.

When we think of thanksgiving often Turkey  and dressing comes to mind, unless one is from new England when the word is stuffing, or in the Hispanic community when Tamales might take the place of turkey.  But the real root of Thanksgiving is more than what we have for dinner on Thursday (and I am very grateful that most of our family will be here Thursday and we have a 24 LB turkey in the freezer on hold).  When the pilgrims celebrated that first thanksgiving it was serious business.  More than half those early settlers in New England did not survive the Atlantic crossing on The Mayflower.  Then at that first winter another half, give or take, died of disease, cold, and starvation.  In their attempt to build the city of God in the new world the sacrifices were immeasurable.  It was a miracle than this handful of men and women and children could gather around a full table, enjoy a great meal, and mark (despite the hardships)  their thanksgiving to almighty God;  give thanks for what God had set before them, instead of as human nature often demands, list their sacrifices and hardship of the previous year.  They did not see the founding of this new colony as being built upon their own sacrifices or fortitude, but upon the providence of a faithful God,  they took no credit for their nerve and steadfastness, instead they gave the credit to a merciful God. Thanksgiving is about a providential, merciful God who loves us and we follow.  When we remember God’s faithfulness, trust God fully, and then respond with absolute thanksgiving, we have a more clear picture of the relationship between humankind and the creator.    Thanksgiving is about that relationship!  (I hope we all have great family and friendship times this next week, and in those times find moments to give thanks to a providential and merciful God)

Fort Hood

Like all of us I was shocked by the tragedy at Fort Hood recently.  I was on my way back from Dallas as I was hearing it on the news.  As the information unfolded before us many thoughts came to mind.  Why, is almost always the first.  I am not sure we can ever identify why when a senseless slaughter happens like this.  I have a tendency to just think that evil seems to have won for a moment.  Acts like this have a source in evil as far as I’m concerned.  But there are other thoughts as well.  Two Police officers, one a female who was on traffic duty, running into flying bullets, risking their own lives when they don’t have to, facing that evil, and taking it down.  How many lives had to have been saved.  And then soldiers all around risking their lives for their friends, pulling them away form the gunmen, bandaging, encouraging, and many surely praying.  And then a base, a city, a state, and a nation coming together in support, prayer, and help.  Evil can make its vain attempt to win, but good, especially good based in faith and our blessed American Way, will always win.  Our prayers are with the many who lose loved ones, family, spouses, parents, children, and friends.  At our Veteran’s Day service this Wednesday, we will find a moment to mark this tragedy facing it with resilient faith.

Carry the Light

Sunday evening Rhonda and I had a chance to attend the “Carry the Light” celebration c0ncert and CD release party at our Church in the Sanctuary.  Our music and worship arts folks, directors, singers, orchestra, choir,  Bands, all joined together to offer a time of celebration and inspiration that impacted everyone present and I am sure honored God.  Not only was the music amazing, but the Spirit of God was tangibly in present in the participation of the congregation, both in awe and in singing.  There was a 1,00o CDs available of the music that had been previously recorded, almost 700 went out immediately, folks wanting to take the Church home with them in this special way.  I am continually amazed and inspired by the folks in our Church who lead us in worship week in and week out.

Rethink Generosity

This weekend and for the next four weeks there will be an emphasis, Rethink Generosity, Jesus was the most generous person who ever lived.  Knowing God, loving God, serving God, walking with Jesus in Generosity is one of the most important teachings of Biblical faith and one of the hardest to embrace;  often the last step, and a step some never take in their Christian life, is the jump off into sacrificial generosity.  We pray, go to church, try to help others, and do our best to be good, but generosity of self, money, and time can seem like a way of life for others;  people like Mother Teresa, the rich who seem to have money to spare,  those with more talent and time, someone else, the hope of living as Jesus did seems unreachable,  somehow we can leave one of the greatest gifts of Jesus, generosity, on the table.  A generous life is a full, happy life that connects to God, others, and life itself in a way that engages the very soul God has given us.  1.  knowing, loving, and serving God, as simple as these ideas sound are rooted as deep in God’s plan as the very cross that is the most generous act of all time.

Knowing God

When we think about who God is we are thinking the most important things in all of life.  Who is God?  How does Jesus reveal God to us?  Can we know God?  Some of the things the Bible tells us about God might help us flesh out this person we must get to know;  a God who desperately wants us to know Him:

Holy, sovereign, Almighty, creator, redeemer

Loving, gracious, merciful, faithful, Good

Omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent

Transcendent, immanent

Alpha and omega, the beginning and the end

King of Kings, Lord of Lords

God who was, is, and is to come

The Holy Spirit, comforter, advocate, counselor

The door, gate, the good shepherd

The bread of life, the Living Water

The way, the truth, the life

Savior, Lord, friend, author and perfecter of our faith

The soon and coming King

The lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world

(From Patrick Morley;  Pastoring Men)

I believe the first and last step in having Faith in God is Knowing God.  If we don’t know fully who He is, it is difficult to trust Him in the full ways we are asked to.  The more I know who God is, the more I know God personally, the more I am willing to place my life in His hands.

What’s a Nail Worth?

This is a photo of a nail that was once in a sailing ship from the 17th century.  They were pretty valuable.  Back in the day when these ships would dock at south sea islands, sailors would occasionally pull them out of the boat to use to purchase items and favors  from the islanders who would use them for fish hooks and other things, a very valuable commodity in a society that had no iron.  The problem was that the sailors had to decide “How many nails can I pull out before the ship becomes unsafe!”, one, two, one hundred;  and even then it might be safe in the harbor, but would it be able to sail back home, especially if a storm came up.  I think people sometimes today do this with sin,  thinking “Can I  do this one time, two, or one hundred before bad things begin to happen in my life, in my friendship with God, my family, Etc”.  In other words, how many times can I do “This” before I began to break apart;  how many drinks, how many flirting moments, how many abusive words,  how many angry acts, how many white lies, unethical financial choices, unhealthy time on the Internet,  underhanded acts that may benefit me personally and hurt another, taking amazing grace for granted. (you can name these as well as I can for we each know what we might be tempted to exchange a nail for, the very nail that is holding the ship together).  There are too many of us facing a storm we are unprepared for because we have exchanged too many nails that are of great value for things that are not of value at all.  What does the devil want to get us to believe?   That something is nothing, and something is nothing.  Hammer the nails back where they belong.

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