Enjoying ...

We are enjoying a time of relaxation and vacation! No alarm in the morning and no schedule to keep. Even got out tonight to do a little hunting... mostly sitting in a tree enjoying the silence, watching some squirrels, deer, turkeys and praying. Got some organizing done in my hunting section of the garage.

It is always hard taking vacation at home when there are people from the congregation hospitalized and having proceedures... the tug to be supportive and yet the need for a break create a struggle. It is eased however, knowing that the body... the church, especially folks at CoJ, are reaching out and supporting these folks! So glad to be part of a great group of people like CoJ!

Merry Christmas to all!

I am signing off the blogsphere for a few days... but before I do... Merry Christmas! AND Peace on earth!

Christmas Miracles....

The birth of Jesus was indeed a Christmas Miracle! But they don't stop there... miracles still happen....

Two that I have seen in my life this week...

1. My friend Chris' wife Tracy came home from Johns Hopkins on Monday night! Less than a week after surgery... in fact today is one week. They expected the surgery to last up to 12 hours and recovery to be 12 weeks or more. But the miracle in it all is that surgery lasted only 5 hours and she is home and recovery will only be a few weeks and the survival rate of this surgery was 50%. She is doing amazingly well and enjoying the opportunity to be at home with her family at Christmas!

2. God worked through the hands of the docs and pharmaceutical companies this week as my back is so much better!

I am sure you can find a miracle or two in your life to give thanks to God for this Christmas!

Another one gone...

The mail lady just picked up the check! It is such a great feeling! Paying off debt is a good thing! Sharon and I have never had much debt... we believe in paying bills as they come and buying things only when we have the money to do so.

Since we paid the last payment on Emma's orthodontia work a year or so ago, we have been paying that amount as extra toward my truck debt... one day this week, I called to see what the payoff was and it was low enough we could pay it off now... so, I wrote the check today and mailed it. That then leaves us only with a mortgage and a van payment. We need a new roof soon on our house, so we will put the money we would have paid for my truck each month in savings in the hopes that we can save a significant amount of what we will need for the roof by the time we need it! And once we pay for that, we will roll that amount into savings for a while and then throw that monthly amount toward the van payment. Once the van is paid off, we will have a size able amount of dollars to throw at our house mortgage and can pay that down quickly. Then we will put all that money we would have paid toward the house in a savings and get it ready for college expenses.

Debt is mortgaging one's future! Not good to carry too much debt! In these uncertain times, I encourage folks to make wise choices about purchases and accruing debt. Debt also keeps us from going places and doing things God calls us to, because we are encumbered!

Shortest Night of the Year....

That's right.... I said shortest night of the year... I know, I know... Dec. 21 is the shortest DAY of the year, but yesterday was Dec 22 and it was the shortest NIGHT of the year... maybe not for anyone but Sharon and I.

It was about 12:30 when I tried to turn over in bed and the dreaded back pain I felt 11 years ago while camping (that pain was the beginning of my journey with back pain and a herniated disk)... well it returned and was so intense that I spent the next three hours trying to get out of bed so that I could go to the ER. Finally about 3 a.m. I was able to get out of bed and walk some of the pain away. We decided to go to the ER to see what they could do... Arrived there at 3:45, got checked in almost immediately and seen almost immediately and sent home almost immediately. We were home by 4:50 a.m.! WOW... the shortest time I have ever spent as a patient in the ER! And the amazing thing is that when I came home, I had little back pain... thanks to two new pains - in my arms- due to shots of a high-powered pain med and muscle relaxant!

It was almost comical as we crawled into bet at 5:11 and realized that my alarm was about to go off and the coffee pot was about to start brewing and we were just COMING to bed!

Another funny thing is that the doc gave me a note saying I could go back to work on the 24th! But surely I will be working today in between naps and foggy periods due to the meds he sent me home with!

I feel so bad for Sharon... not getting much sleep because of tending to me and taking me to the ER! But she reminded me that a good wife would do whatever it took and besides, I would do the same for her! What a blessing!

It's COLD out!

This cold weather makes me think about our brothers and sisters who are homeless... toughing it out on the streets. The good news is that a shleter for women and children is open and the men's shelter is opening soon. Community of Joy will take a turn hosting the men from February 14 - 28. Various others churches will host them from January 3 through April 1. I am delighted to be part of an effort that is seeking to show the love of Christ to these our brothers.

To support this effort, Hill Street Blues Band and guests are doing a benefit concert on January 30 @ 7 p.m. @ Christ U.M Church. The tickets only cost $10... (I have ten and can get more). The total proceeds will be given toward purchasing more cots for this shelter effort.

Sharon and I attended the concert last year and were awed by the quality music. It was well worth $20 for the two of us! Save the date and get your tickets now.... last year it raised $1700.

What a Difference a Day Makes...

Wow! Re-learned a lesson yesterday!

This time of the year is so BUSY! So FULL! So HARRIED! We have been going full tilt for several weeks now and the condition of the house showed it! It was starting to drive me crazy! So, in spite the fact that yesterday was the first day of deer muzzleloader season, I committed myself to staying home and jumping in to the mess! Sharon and I spent the day together ticking things off our list (getting ready for Christmas) and cleaning, straightening the house. And wow! what a difference it made to the condition of things...and thus made to my spirits every time I walk through our dining room, kitchen, and family room! (that is until this morning when I walked through the family room at 5:30 and the girls were the last ones to bed last night... but that's a different story!)

It got me thinking... about Sabbath. You will remember that one of the ten commandments God established was to "Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work..." (Deuteronomy 5:12) One of the things that happens when we observe sabbath, is we re-orient our lives... shifting the focus from the busyness and harriedness to God! Just as the re-ordered house lifts my spirits... a day of rest and worship renews our spirits as well! Observing Sabbath is a healthy way to ground our lives... to reconnect with God, to refuel and ready ourselves for whatever is ahead. It's not so much a law as it is a reality, a necessity in our lives! When we have sabbath in our lives... so much seems right and good and the fullness of the Lord can be our strength!

Fun at Christmas...

I always enjoy getting the family letters and pictures from people at Christmas! It is especially fun to get them from folks I don't see regularly or haven't seen in a long while.

Just got one of those today... some friends from our last church who came to visit us after we moved here 9 years ago and we haven't seen them since, but stay connected through email. Well, in their letter, they included a picture of their 6th grade daughter. I remember the day she was born prematurely and I held her at Hershey Medical Center and now she is in Middle School and growing up! WOW!

So cool to connect at Christmas time!

The gift of quest...

A quest is a journey of discovery! A journey towards a goal... Thinking about that journey of faith that each of us is on and offering that back as a gift to God.

The Gift of Quest is the topic for Sunday's worship experience! It's the gift God most wants from us!

It's What We DO...

Yesterday a friend and I spent the day supporting another friend as his wife had VERY RISKY surgery! We traveled to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore early in the a.m. and sat with our friend all day while he waited. His wife's surgery was very serious and they told them going in that it could take 12 hours and they had done 4 of these surgeries ever and 2 of the four people died! I am happy to report that the surgery was HUGELY SUCCESSFUL and only lasted 5 hours and she will be coming home sooner than expected if all goes well!

But back to what you do! I feel that as part of the body of christ, we are called to BE his hands and feet... and that means that we rearrange our schedules to share the journey with people we know and don't know. Yes, I am a pastor and as a pastor, I have spent lots of time doing this very thing... but yesterday, I was not a pastor... I was a friend sharing the journey with a friend! Sure I was still a pastor yesterday, but that was NOT why I was there... I was there to uphold my friend as he went through what was a very turbulent time. On the way home, my other friend was remarking on what a great idea it was to do what we did and how good it was that we did it! It meant a lot to all of us... and it is what Jesus calls us to do... to represent him to each other.

There is a hymn in our hymnal that sums it up best for me... by Richard Gillard @ 1977.

"Will you let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you? Pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant too. We are pilgrims on a journey, we are travelers on the road. We are here to help each other walk the mile and bear the load. I will hold the Christ light for you, in the night-time of your fear. I will hold my hand out to you, speak the peace you long to hear. I will weep when you are weeping, when you laugh, I'll laugh with you. I will share your joy and sorrow, till we've seen this journey through."

Being the hands and feet of Jesus... it's what we are called to DO!

It's Hard to Believe....

That 20 years ago today, Sharon and I walked the isle together at the Manassas Church of the Brethren and pledged our love to each other before some 400 family members and friends... WOW!

Our wedding was very creative... being seminary students, we had lots of ideas we wanted to test out... we had 7 ministers who were officially part of the service, with Becky and Jerry Baile Crouse and Fred Swartz officiating for us.

We wrote our own vows and here is what we promised to each other... "God has granted you to me as a friend, and out of that friendship, my love for you has grown. As that love has deepened, so to has my desire to be united with you in life and service. As we unite our lives, I promise to share in your laughter and tears, your dreams and despair. I will join with you in your love for your family, celebrating with them as they rejoice and mourning wiht them as they experience sorrow. I will join you faithfully in prayer as we continue constantly to seek God's will for our lives together so long as we live. Let this be our destiny to share our lives together so that we may with one voice glorify God!"

We had that done in calligraphy by a friend for our first anniversary and it hangs in our living room to this day!

It's been a great 20 years and I look forward to the next 20!

Coming in 09....

An increased emphasis on deepening our relational connection with God and each other! Our sign says, "where relationships matter" and we want to be such a place where relationships with God and each other are primary!

We will start the year with deepening our connections with people we don't know... Pastor Sharon and I will lead a number of dessert socials that will be hosted at various homes of people in the congregation... still needing some more hosts.

Fusion....

the process of integrating, connecting, joining together of two different things.... The Fusion Team will help newcomers connect ever more deeply with the ministry, mission and people of Community of Joy! AND the Fusion Team will help newcomers connect ever more deeply with the Lord Jesus Christ!

I like the word Fusion... it promotes an energy... and that is important!

Got 10 books yesterday... still looking for those who God has tapped to be part of the Fusion Team. I have some ideas... but will wait to see who steps forward before doing any inviting.

A new word for....

Trying to get together an Assimilation Team to work at incorporating newcomers into the life of our congregation...

On Sunday, I had several people say that the word "assimilation" had negative connotations, so I asked them to give me some suggestions...

Haven't heard any yet.. but thought of one myself... actually it is the title of the book I just read on the process... What about... Fusion Team?

Did something today that is RARE!

It is RARE that you can mow grass on the 15th of December in 60 plus degree weather.... but that's exactly what I did today. It was weird... but the neighbor who's grass I mow, wanted hers mowed one more time.

Everyone NEEDS a Laugh...

Because laughter is good for you.... and it's Monday morning... watch this.... (the link only is good until January 15.) Thanks to Tri Townsend for this laugh!

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/RTQixmva48hix6IaGGno

Kicking and Screaming....

Yep, that's how I went into the texting craze! I have resisted adding texting to my cell phone plan for a long time now... but when we realized that for $5 more ---all of us could have unlimited texting... I knew the time was now to add it! I didn't think I would use it hardly at all... but I was wrong!

At first it seemed like a major interruption and a very slow way to communicate with someone. I can remember many times telling my daughters to pick up the phone and call someone when they were texting back and forth.... especially when we were needing a fast answer. I still hold think texting is not necessary and a distraction and interruption... however, it is a fun way to pass time, especially when bored. I used it a lot on the deer stand these past two weeks... when I couldn't talk, but needed to communicate or pass time. I also find that it has strengthened my connection with my girls! That alone is worth the cost!

What I have discovered, is that it is the way they communicate most and by doing it, I am entering their world!

Some more thoughts on the stopping the slippery slide...

Here are some quotes from Nelson Searcy's book regarding Assimilation...

"everything speaks to first-time guests -- EVERYTHING!"

"Creating an environment that makes your first-time guest feel welcomed and respected is key to a successful Assimilation System. When God entrusts you with first-time guests, you face an incredible responsibility. Those newcomers will likely make a decision about their return visit before they make it to their seats..."

"the three F's of Follow-up" It should be Fast, Friendly, and Functional."

"If you want second-timers to stick, ... you must understand that relationships are the glue. So, you must create Three Sticky Situations...1. Small Groups, 2. Fun Events, and 3. Service Teams."

Finally, the three R's of retention are Return, Relationships, and Responsibility.

Stopping the slippery slide....

At Monday's leadership team gathering... I noticed that again we are doing the slippery slide in terms of attendance, in spite of the fact that we continue to see new faces on a weekly basis! This reality troubles me greatly!

Yesterday, as I was riding up Rt. 13, I noticed the new Family Christian Bookstore was open for business, so I stopped in. I was perusing the stocked shelves and found a book by Nelson Searcy called "Fusion: Turing first time guests into fully-engaged members of your church." So, I bought it and read it yesterday late afternoon while on the deer stand (didn't see any deer -- maybe because I was so into reading!) I couldn't put the book down today until I finished it. It is an excellent read and has a process and system that I think will help us stop the slippery slide! The process is simple... it has three steps... 1. Turn first-time guests into second-time guests. 2. Turn second-time guest into regular attenders. 3. Turn regular attenders into fully developing members.

It's a process that is all about my favorite thing... RELATIONSHIPS!

I told the leadership team on Monday night that 2009 would be a year of deepening our relationships with each other in addition to deepening our relationship with Jesus! This process seems like it will help us do that AND stop the slippery slide...

I am interested in forming a study group that would read, discuss, and implement the process at CoJ!

We Never Know...

That's right, we never know what the next minute will bring in our lives! One minute everything is going well and you are thinking about retirement in 20 years and the next minute you receive some news that makes you wonder if you will see the end of this year!

I have a friend whose wife recently learned that an aneurysm is growing in her abdomen... and that news alone sent them for a tail spin... now, just yesterday, they went to the ER because she was experiencing some pain... after the scans.. they discovered that it is growing and needs to be dealt with soon! The surgery is risky to say the least but the alternative is just as risky.

Her situation is not really any different than ours, except she knows something that most of us don't. That news makes it hard to think clearly and make decisions. None of us knows what we would do if faced with the situation! I know what I think I would do, but can't fully know until I face it.

But what I do know and what I am praying that my friend will experience is that God is with them in this journey... however it turns out!

Mondays...

I've never really liked Mondays... and the older I get and the more active our kids get and having two worship gatherings on Sunday... I find that I hate Mondays!

Mostly because I want to let down and recover from the weekend, but I feel the tension of all the stuff that is yet ahead. If I can kick back on Sunday afternoon and rest a bit, then Mondays are more tolerable... but if I can't, like yesterday, then Mondays are at the bottom of my list! Yesterday, I got up like usual at 5:15... showered, spent time in studio - praying and preparing for the services, got to the Ministry Center at 8 and left at noon. Rushed to get Caroline fed and to the high school for the parade then ate at Arby's with the rest of us, then home for 45 minutes (tried to put up the tree, but got a phone call) then to the parade then to the Ministry Center to help Sharon set up for evening...then home long enough to eat supper and run to Atria to meet the other carolers and then to the ministry center to carol in the neighborhood and back for tree lighting and then off to Fruitland to carol at two homes then 9 p.m. arrived home ... tried to watch the Skins game, but fell asleep ... in bed at 11 up and 5:15 and it starts all over...

You see why I need Mondays as a down day, but then I have lots pressing me and want to work on, so I can play later in the week!

God was right on when he established a Sabbath idea! It is a necessary thing for all of us!... and I would take one on Sundays, but as some would say... it's the only day a preacher works! Now that is an antiquated idea if ever there was one!

Off to get at my to do list now... will rest later tonight after my leadership team meeting... which will mean 11 or so!

Dreams...

In looking through my files of illustrations and stories in preparation for next week's sermon on the Returned Gift of Risk... I found this quote...

"For broken dreams, the cure is 'dream again.'" C.S. Lewis

If we stop dreaming when one dream doesn't happen... we miss out on so much!

Returned Gifts...

This year for our Advent and Christmas season... I am using the theme of Returned Gifts to guide us. This week... the gift of availability!

The response of availability is 'Here I am, use me/send me!"

Relationships are where it is at!

Relationships are so important! And as important as they are, they take work! We must work at keeping our relationships strong and vital.

Imagine what it would be like without friends to help and help you. Imagine what it would be like not to have anyone to talk to. Imagine what it would be like to go through life alone!

We were created for relationship! Not to go at life alone! I thank God for my friends, family, brothers and sisters in Christ and all those with whom I have a relationship! Because of the relationships I have, life is so much fuller and enjoyable!

An Honor...

It was an honor to be asked to share some thoughts today at my friend Jack Pierroni's funeral. He was such a great guy and a dear friend, who I will miss terribly!

He was Catholic, so the service was at St. Frances and very catholic! (enough said!) At the end, after communion, Jack's longtime school friend and also brother in law, Joe, shared some thoughts as did I.

I always try to tell stories... either from first hand experience or from ones I have heard the family and friends share. I learned a long time ago that stories open windows and doors for us into a new world and stories can be very healing! Today, I could share first hand stories as I knew Jack well! It was affirming to have LOTS of people seek me out afterward and at the meal to tell me how on the mark I was and then to tell me a story or two of their own about Jack. You see stories provoke stories. One of the neatest ones, was from Jack's brother Mike... I had shared about the joy that Jack found in teaching children about nature and hunting.... Mike says that every Saturday, from October 1 through the end of February when they were growing up their father would get the three brothers together and any friends that they wanted to bring along and teach them about hunting. Mike said as I was sharing that... he was reminiscing about how Jack learned that from his dad! So cool!

What an honor to share in Jack's service. My prayers are for the family as they move through these days!

Forgiveness of Sins...

I attended a friends viewing last night. He was Catholic and the viewing was listed in his obituary as a "viewing with prayers." I wasn't sure what that meant, so, when I took a ham to his wife and children yesterday, I asked. And I was told that near the end of the viewing time, a priest would come and lead the group in a short prayer service.

I arrived at the halfway point last night and it happened to be in the midst of the prayer service, so, I stood in the lobby and waited for it to be over. It was fascinating, though, for me a non-catholic to listen in. Near the end of the service, the reader (not a priest, no priest was there!) read a prayer out of the liturgy asking God to forgive my friend's sins. Now that got me thinking... can we ask for forgiveness for someone else? Or do each of us need to ask for forgiveness for ourselves?

I believe that the Bible speaks of the need to seek and extend forgiveness... but I can't recall a place where it encourages us to seek forgiveness of sins for another person. The only way we can experience forgiveness of sins is to confess our sins and ask for God's forgiveness ourselves.

Imitators

I've been spending some time this hunting season with my nephew, Benjamin. On the 15th of Nov. he got his first deer. And Saturday, we spent time together in the a.m. and p.m. hunting... but no luck. I've been intentional about the way I do things because I know that he is watching me and imitating what he sees. Over and over, I go through the same steps as we climb into the stand and get out... that way he knows to unload his gun, use a tow rope, and always wear a safety belt. When I gave him the new safety belt I bought for him, his first response to me was are you going to wear one too? I said, "OF COURSE!" And the case was closed!

I learned Saturday night that I had slipped up a bit and he noticed. Apparently when he shot his first deer and we thought it was dead and walked up to it only to have it jump up and run... I uttered a word I shouldn't have said... he promptly went home telling my parents and his mother (my sister) that Uncle Martin said..."@@@@ and he's a pastor!" Wow! I am sorry I uttered that shocked response! I will have to do better! We DO learn from others!

Paul writes in Ephesians 5:1 "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

The Rest of the Story...

I teased this one last week. Shared it yesterday at the end of my sermon. Was called by a friend who reads the blog and couldn't wait to hear the story.

So, here it is... I got lost AGAIN on Monday night while hunting. I was hunting a piece of woods that is about 500 acres and very thick. I was in a climber stand and went deeper in the woods than I normally do. Had 12 does under me in the evening and couldn't shoot any of them, since I have taken the limit imposed by the farm (3). When it got dark, I climbed down, packed the stand up and started out. I was confident that I was headed in the right direction, but suddenly, the forest was getting thicker and thicker... didn't recognize the location at all. Started to panic. Got out my GPS and turned it on... thought I had allowed it time to lock in on the satellites and put in my "goto" location (the field edge) but when the gps told me which way to go, then it would flip to another screen and I would switch it back and it would switch back... thought I shouldn't trust it... so, I got my deer call that has a SMALL compass on it out and couldn't see it too well since I didn't have my glasses. I needed to head North West... walked in that direction but didn't feel right... my bright flashlight died (had a little one)... really panicking now... called my friend Jack, but he wasn't home... so called my hunting buddy and friend Wil who was willing to jump in the truck and come 25 minutes to rescue me. While I was waiting, it started raining... couldn't figure which way to go, so, in fear of going deeper in the wrong way, I stood still... called my friend Bryan in PA to pass the time. (I had also called Sharon to tell her I was going to be late) Thought better about talking to Bryan for fear of using all my cell phone battery, so, I hung up and waited in the dark (didn't want to use up my flashlight either). When Wil got to the farm, he called me and we were talking on the phone as he drove through the woods road into the field that I wanted to get to... I told him that I saw his lights immediately and he said where are you... I turned the flash light on... and he said... you are 50 yards from the corner of the field! Headed in the right direction and almost right where I wanted to be. Turns out, I didn't let my gps lock in ... was too impatient... should have trusted it, because as I walked out into the field, it told me that I was "arriving at destination".

Lessons learned... 1. Be thankful for good friends. 2. be prepared. 3. be patient. 4. Don't panic. 5. When lost, it's okay to call out to God! 6. leave a little sooner. 7. Always carry a gps and a compass and back up batteries.

My impatient friend gave me a gift today... he and his family were at Colonial Williamsburg over the weekend and he saw they had a compass... so he bought it and gave it to me in the hopes that it would help me someday! Thanks Steve!