Wisdom from Randy Pausch

Caroline gave me an excellent book for Christmas... "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch.   In it he shares his wisdom and some of how he lived his life after a pancreatic cancer diagnosis.

"Too many people go through life complaining about their problems.  I've always believed that if you took one-tenth the energy you put into complaining and applied it to solving the problem, you'd be surprised by how well things can work out."

"Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want."

Vacation Reading...

On vacation this week and enjoying a change of pace!  Yesterday, I read a book that Caroline gave me for Christmas.  It was a GREAT read and I HIGHLY recommend it to you.

The book, "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch.   Randy was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University and at a young age was disgnosed with pancreatic cancer.  The book is one way he used to share who he was with his three young children, who likely would not remember him much if at all.  In it he tells about how he acheived many of his childhood dreams.

Early on in his life, Randy developed a mantra that served him well in life right up to the end.  His mantra "Brick walls are there for a reason.  They give us a chance to show how badly we want something."

I have lived my life with this mantra as a guide, even though I never spoke it that way... I am not one to let brick walls stop me from pursuing things I want or feel called to do.   My latest brick wall came in early December.   I had applied for a grant to help fund a sabbatical experience.  In our denomination, pastors are encouraged to take a sabbatical after 7 years of service.  I am now in my 21st year of pastoring and have never had a sabbatical.  But really feel the need for one.  The word came back from The Louisville Institute that over 400 applicants came for 40 awards of $15,000.   I was not one of the receipients.  SMACK... right into the BRICK WALL!

When I shared my disappointment with our District Executive, he was concerned that I not do what lots of pastors in my situation do... get the break they are looking for by changing congregations. 

I have NO desire to do that, however I do want to have a sabbatical... so I am working on an application for another grant that would fund up to $50,000 for me and CoJ to have and cover a sabbatical.  Purchased two books from Alban Institute on Sabbatical planning and will read them shortly and begin the work of prayerfully putting together a plan.

I have also inquired of a pastor in Indiana whose blog I read, who put together a request last year and was granted this funding from Lily Foundation for a sabbatical experience that he just returned from.  Some of the things he did have real appeal to me.  Hope he will share with me some of his plan... not so I can copy it but to give me ideas and to see what a "winning" plan looks like.

"Brick walls are there for a reason.  They give us the chance to show how badly we want something."  And they give us the chance to improve our approach and wait on God's timing...   Not about to give up!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!  May the love of Jesus fill your life and flow out of your life into the world!

Something to think about...

"Compassion is only compassion when you cross the street and go to someone.  Too often, we confuse emotion with compassion."   ~ Christine Caine.

Thinking about 2011...

I've been thinking about a theme for 2011 @ Community of Joy.  This year we will explore the theme, "Taking Jesus Seriously" in our life and worship together.

In thinking about that theme, I saw this quote today in a magazine from a book called The Pursuit of the Holy: A Divine Invitation by Simon Ponsonby.   "No one will listen to our gospel if we aren't living it.  We cannot influence or infect society with something that has not yet infected us... The church must again find and follow Jesus - not as a doctrine to be believed, but as a Lord to be served and a life to be lived.  Only then can we speak with integrity and expect to be heard."

Too many of us have made God into our image, instead of recognizing that we are made in his image.  For many of us, we have defined Jesus in such a way that we miss the mark of who he was and what he was about.  That is why I plan for us to spend a year under the theme "Taking Jesus Seriously."

Couldn't Agree More!

Len Sweet writes in his awesome book, "Jesus Manifesto: Restoring the Supremacy and Sovereignty of Jesus Christ" "the occupation of every local assembly (church) can be summed up in two words, DISCOVERING and DISPLAYING - that is , discovering and displaying Christ!  This is the church's chief calling in this world - to manifest the mystery.  The church is the tangible manifestation of Christ's life in the world today.  Because the church is part of Christ, a revelation of Jesus will eventually lead to a revelation of his church."

Couldn't agree more!

What were we thinking?

I stayed home today from the woods, because I had more to do this week than I had time to butcher a deer or two if I got them... but then after getting lots done today, Sharon and I ventured to the mall for a haircut at 3.  That's when our favorite stylist came in.  We got on her list, but would be several hours until she could take us... started to wait... but then thought better!  After all, neither of us had anymore reason to be at the mall.  But the drive out took more than half an hour!  WOW!  Tis the season... but because it is, I let lots of people get in front of me as we sat to get out.

Now kicking back at home... my list for the day done!

Does It Match?

Had an interesting experience last night.  Went to pick up some photo Christmas cards that I ordered from Walgreens.  Only purchased from them because Sams Club was not able to do my request (learned later that this was a temporary thing as Sams was out of paper- they are MUCH cheaper -  will get it from there next time).  Anyways, on Tuesday night, I ordered the cards online to be done at the Walgreens here in Salisbury... but they were unavailable here, so the site suggested the Delmar Walgreens... thinking that is not too far, I checked okay and placed the order.

Last night I set out to get them as I was told they were done... but - WHERE IS the Walgreens in Delmar?   I thought is would be on Rt. 13 or visible from it.  The store that I thought was Walgreens was Rite Aid and across the street was a Happy Harrys... but no Walgreens.  So, thanks to Stacy who googled it and gave me a number... I called only to find out that Happy Harrys IS Walgreens.  Never would have imagined!

Walked in the store... that very clearly said HAPPY HARRYS on the front and on the sign... to find that everything inside said Walgreens!  Go figure!

Got me to thinking... is what we proclaim about Jesus and the way we live our lives consitent?  Does our belief match our behavior?

Alot of people are turned off to Jesus because of the way we live our lives.    Not a good thing! 

You Never Know...

You never know what a day will bring!  It was supposed to be a simple act of help for a friend.  I was to take him to a doctors visit... which I did... ran some errands while he was there... came back an hour later and he was not in the waiting room, so I assumed he was still in exam room.  Sat for an hour more until the receptionist called me over to ask who I was there with... and then informed me that my friend had suffered a seizure while in the exam room and was taken to the ER.

So, off to the ER I went.  He was there and was about to be released.

While I waited for him to be released, I went up to visit the receptionist from my insurance agent's office... she had fallen off her porch and stepped on a deer antler and it punctured her foot!  Now she is hospitalized and awaiting surgery.  Had prayer with her.

Took my friend from the ER back to his house.

Then got home for lunch at 1:45 p.m.   Got on Facebook while eating my sandwhich... saw that one of my friends who is wheel chair bound and pretty tied to a vent ... was stuck... she had tangled the vent tube in her chair and couldn't move... so, I rushed over to untangle her.

Never know what a day will hold... in the life of a pastor!

Mentoring

I had a very enjoyable deer hunting season this year and I only took 3 does.  You see, I was able to get enough meat for the freezer with my bow so that I didn't have that pressure during gun season.  But the enjoyable part for me of this year's season was the number of times I hunted with my nephew, Ben. 

Ben is 12 and loves to hunt and be outdoors.  He and I shared many days in the field this year and each one was special and fun!  While we sat side by side in a tree or on the ground - waiting and watching to see what would come, Ben would ask questions about various things.  It was fun sharing things I know with him and seeing how he wanted to take in as much about hunting as he could.   When he gets a little older, he will be a really good hunter...

It's fun to mentor someone!  After all, that is how I was introduced to the sport.  First remember going with my dad - to the very woods that I hunted last night.  When I was too young to go in the tree with him, I would sit in the van with my bb gun and watch while dad hunted.   Then over the years as Dad got more interested in Christmas Trees and couldn't hunt, I went hunting with my grandfather.  In fact I learned alot about hunting from him.

And now it is my turn to share what I can with my nephew Ben... the cycle repeats itself.   One day, Ben will get to share what he knows with someone else!

(photo notes - the top pic is Ben on our first hunt of the year in the very spot that I shot my first deer when I was 9 and the same place he got his first 2 years ago.... the second pic is of the white deer I got while hunting with my grandfather!)

Highly Recommend

Just finished reading a book as background for Sunday's message.  It is an awesome book and I highly recommend it to you.

Francis Chan's "Forgotten God" is about the best and most thorough book I have read about the person and role of the Holy Spirit.   His thesis is that we emphasize the Father God and Jesus but forget the Holy Spirit... or at the very most... give the Holy Spirit a cursory treatment.  Thus the title - Forgotten God.

A couple quotes from the book....

"The Holy Spirit will not - cannot - lead you into sin.  If the Holy Spirit is in you, as a believer, then when you sin, you are not listening to the Spirit's leading."

"Living by the Spirit implies a habitual, continual, and active interaction with the Holy Spirit.  While this sounds exhausting, it really isn't because all of this living and action is done in the power of the Spirit.  It is not by your own strength."

Props...

Gotta share a story...

Last year, I spent some Christmas money on a polar fleece body suit from Carol Davis Sportswear and I wore it a couple times hunting in January and was very impressed.  Well, this year, I have been wearing it alot and I find that I stay toasty warm and don't have to wear so many layers over top.  Great suit!

I love it so much that I encouraged my mother to buy my father one for when he is out selling Christmas trees in the cold.  After exchanging several emails with Carol Davis herself...about size for dad, order was placed and two days later it was here.  Talk about fast service! 

But the story gets better as the customer service is "out of this world"!  The size I chose was too small for dad, so Carol said send it back and she would send me the next larger size and all I had to do was pay shipping back to her.  She would pay the second shipping.  I didn't think that was right, so, I emailed her and told her that I would like to pay the second shipping.  But she said no way, this is how she does business!  WOW!!! 

And now for the triple WOW... she even shipped the second suit before she got the first one back.  In fact both packages were put in the mail in separate states on the same day!

That, my friends is "outta this world" customer service!  

I would HIGHLY recommend these suits.  They will keep you warm and are WELL WORTH the money they cost!

Blessed to be a Blessing....

Blessed to be a blessing... has a double ring... I very much believe that I am blessed by God so that I can be a blessing to others.  And I believe that this is the calling of all Christ followers.

Today I was blessed to be a blessing in another way!  I had the opportunity to bless others and was truly blessed by sharing.  You see, our congregation has been seeking ways to bless our community... and one of those ways is we have adopted our neighborhood elementary school - Pinehurst.  We have done things like given them school supplies at the begining of the year, and we have given them socks, underwear, and sweatpants so that students that have an "accident" at school can get a change of clothes quickly and return to class- not needing to wait for a parent to bring in a clean set.  And we have done this for 3 years now.   This fall, we were delighted to be asked to help in other ways.  Today, it was my pleasure to give a couple hours of my time, along with two others from our congregation, to help serve icecream toppings at an awards incentive for 250 or so students.  It was a real blessing to me!

I look forward to coming months and the opportunities afforded me to be a blessing and to be blessed by doing so!

Do I?

Was reading the begining of Mark's Gospel this morning and was touched and challenged by the account Mark gives of Peter's mother-in-law.

Mark tells us that Jesus and his few followers had left the Synagoge and were entering Peter and Andrew's house when they learned that Peter's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever.  Jesus immediately went over to her and grabbed her by the hand and helped her out of bed.  At once she was healed and at once "she began to serve them."

WOW!  What a picture!  Touched by Jesus and immediately serving people!

I've been touched by Jesus, but do I serve like that?

What about you?

The challenge before us is to serve Christ by serving others in gratefulness for what he has doine in our lives!

Ready, Set... SERVE!

Back at it...

Sorry for the long silence!  Been struggling with lots of things and have decided to stay away from the blog for a while. 

But now, I am back!

A few months ago in worship we used what I call the 5 Q method of Bible Study in place of the sermon and the passage that we looked at was the story of Bartimaeus.  God showed me something that I have never seen before in that passage and it is still having an impact in my life.

Basically Jesus is traveling by the place where Bart is stitting.  Bart calls out to Jesus for mercy.  The people following Jesus tell Bart to shut up.  Bart calls louder and gets Jesus' attention.  Then Jesus stops in his tracks and tells the very people who told Bart to shut up, "tell him to come here".

Jesus is telling the very people who pushed Bart to the margins of life that Bart is worthy of Jesus' grace.

The question that stirs in my soul from this passage is this... How am I guilty of pushing people away from the grace of God by the way I live my life?   And how can I work more intentionally toward helping people on the margins experience the wonderful grace of God in their lives?

Thoughts on Generosity

This week, I am working with the theme of Generosity and ran across this quote.   "Death isn't your best opportunity to give; it's the end of your opportunity to give."  Randy Alcorn.

And while he was not suggesting that we shouldn't do estate planning.  He was suggesting that when we wait to do our giving after our death, it really shows that we don't trust God to provide for us.

Being generous is when we give beyond what might be comfortable for us.  And the only way we can do that is to have trust in God to provide for us. 

Jesus was kinda working at this when he caught the widow giving all she had and said that she had given more than all the others.  He was not measuring what she gave, but the spirit by which she gave.

In light of this, re-read the quote above and give some thought to being generous with what God has entrusted to you!

The Beauty of God's World...

Just had to share some of the beauty of God's world that I have been enjoying these past months...

What Is the Mission of Community of Joy?

When Sharon and I came to Community of Joy 12 years ago, we knew that we needed to set forth a new mission for the church and head us in that direction.  You see, 12 years ago, Community of Joy was a struggling toddler of a congregation and we were in a do or die situation.  We had limited time and funds to turn the situation around or the congregation would cease to exist.

I am grateful for the leadership that God assembled and their commitment to establishing Community of Joy as a viable Church of the Brethren Congregation.  I am also thankful for their willingness to try new things and step out of the box regularly to work at establishing the congregation.

But, the question remains... 12 years later, have we succeeded in establishing the congregation?  And IF so, is it time for a new mission?

You see, 12 years ago, while we set forth a mission statement, it has largely remained just that ... words on paper.  Because for these last 12 years our "real" mission - stated and unstated- has been about establishing our congregation... becoming a self-supporting, viable congregation.

I want to suggest that we have done that! 

That Community of Joy is well established and is now ready for a more compelling mission.   For those of us who were around in the early days, the mission of establishing a congregation was compelling, but for those who come into a - what seems like to them - established congregation, there is nothing compelling (read exciting) about that as a mission.

So, perhaps it is time for a new direction.  To give thanks to God for allowing us to establish ourselves.  To recognize the milestones in that journey.   To celebrate that we have accomplished that part of our work.

Now, on to the next phase of our development... the outward focus that joins God in the work he is doing in the world and brings life transformation.

Here is the mission that I have been giving thought to...  "Helping you take your next step toward Jesus."   

We need something to propel us forward.  Something that can include newcommers and longtimers alike.  Something that recognizes that life is a process and growing is part of the journey.  Something that speaks to all of us no matter where we are on the journey.

So, why are we here?  Why does Community of Joy exist?  What am I giving my life to?  What are you giving your life to?

How about... HELPING PEOPLE TAKE THEIR NEXT STEP TOWARD JESUS!?

Why Church? God Connection.

Author Eugene Peterson says… “Worship is the strategy by which we interrupt our preoccupation with ourselves and attend to the presence of God.

Only ONE thing you need to do....

Thinking about the 23rd Psalm and the relationship that David describes that we can have with God.  And all the things that God will do for us. 

God will lead us to places of rest and refreshment and along right paths.  God will be present even in the midst of life's most challenging and darkest times so there is no need to be afraid.  God protects us and feeds us and welcomes us and allows us to live forever in his presence.

And that is all about what God does.  But there is ONE thing we must do.  Only one thing.  And that is to allow God to be our shepherd.  David says all this is possible because the "Lord is MY Shepherd" 

So the question for us... is this... Is God YOUR Shepherd?  Are you allowing him to guide your life.  If you give that role to him... then everything else is up to him... he takes care of all the rest!   No worries... because The Lord is My Shepherd!

Enjoyment at LAST!

Don't know about you, but I sure have enjoyed not having political ads on tv and the radio every few minutes! 

Glad the election is over and life can focus on other things in our world!

A Movie Recommendation

I rarely go to the movies.  But last night Sharon and I saw a movie that is unlike anyother I have ever seen.  And I HIGHLY recommend it to everyone!  It is appropriate for small children to elderly.

Secretariat is based on a true story and is a great movie.  No violence.  No profanity.  No sex or inappropriate sights. 

The director did an EXCELLENT job presenting the movie.

A must read....

Here is a blog that I just found and think that it is something that most people in leadership or business would benefit from reading...

http://www.maximeyer.com/

Not an Excuse!

From Kem Meyer's book, "Less Clutter. Less Noise.  Beyond Bulletins, Brochures, and Bake Sales."

"A small budget is not a hurdle to jum.  It does not prevent you from WOWing your gues and it does not restrict you from adding value.  I read about the budget restraints Steven Speilberg faced when he was shooting Jaws.  He was just getting started in the business and didn't have a dream budget.  He wanted to film an incredibly life-like mechanical great white shark attacking and consuming weak humans en masse.  The problem?  An increibly lifelike mechanical great white sharek was incredibly expensive.  So what did he do?  He didn't make a bad movie and blame a lack of money for it.  He had to think of something else.  Something creative.  Something cheap.  He decided to shoot the unsuspectng swimmers from the shark's point of biew (with scary music) and it resulted in a classic."

What implications does this story have for the church and the way we do ministry?

Here's a thought....

Simplify the problem, don't complicate the solution!

Back in the Saddle...

I am back in the saddle after a nice relaxing vacation at home.  Enjoyed some time hunting myself and guiding hunters for Sika in Dorchester.

Did something I have rarely done on a Sunday... slept in, sat around relaxing with a couple cups of coffee watching Hunting shows on tv then took the family to lunch in Lewes and enjoyed the afternoon shopping with them.   Missed being in church, but enjoyed doing something unusual and rare!

Enjoying my time...

Hunted yesterday morning and went to court in the afternoon.  The court date was to fight an unjust ticket that I got, while NOT speeding.  And as God would bless me, the case was DISMISSED!  Made my week!

Now today, I am enjoying a lazy day around the house... butchered my sika today and am getting ready to guide sika hunters tomorrow and maybe Friday.  Then will probably take the smoke pole (muzzleloader) for a walk on Saturday for myself.

Back to the blog in a regular way on Tuesday!

Anxiously Finishing Up...

Today, I am in the office working hard to get things in order for next week so that I can enjoy my week of vacation to hunt!  Looking forward to getting out in the woods to spend some time hanging from a tree and observing nature up close and personal!

Will hunt whitetails locally on Tuesday and Wednesday and then off to Dorchester to help guide for Sika for the 3 day muzzleloader season... hopefully to fit a hunt for me in there somewhere.  Then Monday I will finish with bow hunting whitetail again. 

Have a great spot that I have been saving for this week... think as the whitetail rut begins it will be a great place to encounter some BIG bucks!

One thing I love about hunting is the quiet time to think, pray, and just chill out!  It does a body and soul good to be in the woods.

A Quest Complete... not really!

I've been on a quest for the past 5 or so years.  That quest has taken me to beautiful places on Maryland's eastern shore that not many people see.  And it has required that I travel through some really thick brambles as well as some waterfilled marshes.   I've driven my truck up and down the beach on this quest.  And I have gotten up at wee hours to fulfill it too... yesterday, I got up at 3:30 a.m. to go on this quest yet again... and by 7:30 I had completed the initial phase of the quest.

I am delighted to have taken a Mature Sika Stag - very elusive, I might add, with my bow.  And to get to share that quest with a really good friend is just icing on the cake!

Sika is the best eating around and I am looking forward to that real soon!

In some ways the quest is accomplished, but in others... it just leads to more adventures... because now I am even more hooked than before!

Thought for the day...

"He who multiplies the doers is worth more than he who does the work."

Still Hearing Good Reports...

Continuing to get good reports from our effort on Sunday at Being the Church. 

Just had a phone call from a friend who was out with us on Sunday and told a friend of his, who is going to try to get his church to do such a thing. 

Imagine this... if every church in our city would take responsibility for it's neighborhood... what a different world we would live in!   Interesting thought isn't it?!

Be the Church Day...

Well... it is finally done... and part of the history of Community of Joy!  And what an AWESOME day it was!

We had 42 people participate in our first ever Be the Church Sunday.  And it was MORE than work projects.  Yes, we accomplished alot and blessed many people in our efforts.  But we can do that anytime... although for many of us the hours we normally go to church are hours we had committed and could make available to such serving efforts.  But MORE than any of the projects there were so many positive things from our Be the Church Sunday...

People whom worship together regularly and may greet one another casually each week, got to spend time together working side by side getting to know each other better.   We accomplished something today in the fellowship area that we haven't been able to accomplish for some time!

All generations worked together side by side... children as young as 4 worked side by side with adults.  And adults in their 80s worked with people much younger and every age in between.

Participants who are very much a part of CoJ but for health reasons can't join us regularly each week, were able to be part of the church's efforts in a big way!

A variety of gifts were used and teams were formed and problems were solved by working together side by side all to accomplish a common task.

No doubt people in the community and wider (thanks to the internet) have taken notice of what Community of Joy did today.  Our Ministry Center neighbor asked me this morning as I got there, if we were ready for our big day of serving... so obviously she had taken note!

Youth and children engaged in a way that they wouldn't normally engage.

All of us have the sense of having accomplished something significant and important.

And to top it all off...  we blessed lots of people here in our community and even in our world by our efforts.

Sunday is the day...

Our Don't Go to Church, BE the church day is Sunday...


Lots of people going out in our community to serve and share love.  Exciting!

One of my friends who can't be there Sunday due to being away, expressed sadness, but when I reminded her that she could be the church wherever she was.... she got excited about that!

Today, when I was at one of the places we are sending a team, the guys who live there were very appreciative and wanted to be prepared to share with us some cold drinks... asked what we like... and said they will have them there!  Even asked about the church!

It will push us out of our normal routine and I hope open our eyes...

By the way, I shared it with our DE and he was excited about our doing it!

Heard today...

While walking... listening to Andy Stanley sermon... he made a point that I never thought of, but is so true!

He said the Church WAS NOT founded for churched people!  And how do we know that... when the original one began, there were NO churched people!  So the church was founded for UNchurched people!

The Church

I have been trying to take advantage of a week not preaching to work on Christmas and Advent series of sermons for this year.  Thought I had an idea... but not feeling it now.  I get so tired of the same passages every year... how do you bring something new and fresh to them?

So, yesterday I found myself at Barnes and Noble perusing books... found a neat one by Len Sweet and Frank Viola called Jesus Manifesto: Restoring the Supremacy and Sovereignity of Jesus Christ.  As I was leafing through it, I found a chapter that caught my attention and had a couple ideas that sparked my thoughts... so, I bought it and promptly read it.  Good read, interesting thoughts.   Still not sure about Christmas 10, but hopefully soon will nail it down.

In the next several blog posts, I want to share some quotes from the book.  

This one is about the church. 

"The occupation of every local assembly can be summed up in two words: discovering and displaying - that is, discovering and displaying Christ.  This is the church's chief calling in this world - to manifest the mystery.  The church is the tangible manifestation of Christ's life in the world today.  Because the church is part of Christ, a revelation of Jesus will eventually lead to a revelation of His church."

Great thought...

Heard a great thought today while walking at the mall... on my ipod... Andy Stanley...  "Marry the Mission, Date the Model."

Businesses and churches should take note!

Speaking of Anniversaries.

I just realized today, that Sharon and I have been in Pastoral Ministry for 20 years!  Oh my!  That's a long time!

Happy Anniversary....

October is a month of anniversaries for me... and not the one to my wife!

To begin with, it is the anniversary of the begining of our pastorate here at Community of Joy!

And this year it is the anniversary of my diagnosis with Diabetes!  I continue to thank God for that diagnosis!  It has forever changed my life!  I am excited to see the doc at the end of the month to see how my numbers are, but they should be great!

About the changes... I am now walking faithfully 6 days a week for an hour at a high rate of speed.  I now look for ways to exercize more.  I am eating better and much less... holding at 51 pounds of weight loss.   Might work on a few more pounds but happy where I am now and that I am able to hold it off easily.  Mostly by diet and exercized and extending grace on desserts once a week.

For me, diabetes was a wake up call. 

Last year it hit me on a week off to hunt... this year, that's not happening... I am gonna enjoy a week off to hunt!   Thanks to getting it under control.

So, Happy Anniversary to the new me!

Hard to Believe!

It is hard to believe that 11 years ago today, Sharon and I became Pastors of Community of Joy Church of the Brethren!  It has been a GREAT journey!  And we look forward to many more great years!

I was recently reading a book by Alban Institute about long term Pastorates, which they consider to be anything over 7 years, and I am pleased that we have all the dynamics they talk about to have a successful long term pastorate here! 

It is also interesting to me that Sunday's date October 3 is the same date we were installed as Pastors on 11 years ago.

Looking forward to what the next 11 years bring!  God has been so good!

Always Interesting...

As a pastor, I don't get many Sunday's away.  Can't just go somewhere for the weekend, because I must be at our church on Sundays.  But when we do go on vacation, we get the opportunity to visit a local church where ever we are.  And it is always interesting...

This past Sunday, we were in a large Church of the Brethren congregation and though people flitted around before and after the service, only one person, (that I didn't already know) greeted me.  Only one!  And had I not been hanging around until nearly everyone else was gone, I would be able to say that no one greeted me!  I was shocked!  Now, I did know some people there and they did greet me, but there was lots of time that I was standing around by myself in the lobby both before and after the worship gathering and NO ONE greeted me until about 20 minutes after the service.

That is sad!

But more than that, it makes me hope that this NEVER happens to anyone who comes to Community of Joy!  I realize that some guests come late and leave fast and it is hard to greet them.  But this was not the case with me on Sunday.  It also makes me realize how intentional we need to be about greeting our guests FIRST.  BEFORE we greet those we know.  It also makes me realize that we have to be intentional about not assuming that "someone else" will greet the guest.

If I had been looking for a church to connect with, I would not have given that church a second look!

It is critical that we do better in the church!

Remember it is just as hard for the guest to be there among strangers and in a new place as it is for you to go greet someone you don't know, so, go anyway and go first!

Reaping the Rewards...

It was not the vacation that I had hoped it would be, but parts of it were awesome!

To start with... the weather turned HOT and hunting was not as much fun in the heat as it could have been and then the rain washed out my last day of hunting... though grateful for the rain.

BUT...

Our visit to Bridgewater College was AWESOME!  And it was great to see our daughter Caroline THRIVING in her new environment!!!   I have loved many of the stages you go through as a parent watching your children grow up, but perhaps none as much as this one we are in now.  As a parent you get 18 or so years to lay a solid foundation in your children and then it gets tested.  Those years are filled with joy, struggle, challenge, and heart ache.... but all part of the journey!  It was wonderful to see Caroline making wise choices about money, living, classes, jobs, friends, free time and it is great to see her making many new connections as well as already serving in various leadership roles at College! 

I have long felt that this time will be an awesome time for her to grow and develop and become the young lady God created her to be and the neat thing is that she is doing it!  No better reward as a parent than to see your children stretch their wings and SOAR HIGH!

Taking a break....

I am off this week, so that I can hunt and visit my daughter.  Enjoying some much needed time in the woods!  Check back next week.

Pork Roast Reflections...

Our 4th Annual Pork Roast is now history!  And I want to take some time to reflect on it!

Going into yesterday, I was feeling that this might be the last year for our Pork Roast.  It is hard to make something into an annual and keep excitment alive.  Attendance was down significantly from other years and at first, I thought it was not going to draw many people at all.  Help was hard to stir up.

But help stepped up and all roles were filled!  Clean up happened well and with many hands.

And people came!  Not as many as other years, but most folks seemed to enjoy some time visiting... connecting with others.  There was only one lady and her child that I didn't get a chance to at least say "Hi" to before they left.    I heard lots of positive comments about how nice it was.  How awesome the food was and how neat to be able to enjoy connecting with others and the wonderful day we had.

As we were cleaning up... two children came over to me with their mothers and excitedly asked when the next one was.  They didn't like my answer when I told them next year! 

All in all, it was a good day and well worth all the time and energy that was spent on creating an environment where neighbors can gather and connect and see that church isn't always about hitting them over the head and forcing beliefs on them. 

Thanks to all who labored so hard to make it a great day!

WWJD

Was at Food Lion last night getting some things for Sharon so she could make dessert for today's Pork Roast at Community of Joy and was part of an interesting exchange between checkers.

It was aparantly time for the checkers to both go to supper break.  So checker A says to checker B, "You are gonna let me go to supper first, right?"  And checker B gives A the evil, "you are out of your mind" look.  So without missing a beat, checker A says to B... "What would Jesus do?"

And I quickly said to Checker A that Jesus would let B go first!  No question about it!

Well she didn't know what to do with that!  It caught her off guard and I hope it made her think!

That's exactly what he would do!  Jesus was about putting others before himself.  He was about humbly serving others.  And he would be sad that someone was using him to seek their self interests!  But that is what Checker A was doing... she was using Jesus to help her get what she wanted - supper first!  Rather than putting the needs of Checker B ahead of her own.

I fear it is a common problem in the church these days... we use Jesus to advance ourselves  not to serve others!   And Jesus will have NONE of that! 

A Day Away is Good Medicine

Yesterday was the first day of Archery season here in Maryland and I was lucky enough to be able to spend it in Sika Country hanging in a tree!  Nothing clears my mind and refreshes my soul more than sitting out in the woods in a tree watching the sun come up and go down.  It was a beautiful day.  No cell phone.  No computer.  No other distractios (other than the airplane that flew tree top high right over my head and then proceeded to fly straight lines about a hundred yards apart for the entire width of the peninsula I was on.)  Saw 13 turkeys and 7 Sika... heard all kinds of birds.  Even had a sharp-shinned hawk come directly at my face.  I moved a bit when he was less than 10 feet away and he shot upward quickly - Thank God for that!

It is good for all of us to take time away from the normal routines of life!  It brings a new perspective on life!

Uplifting for sure!

What a wonderful experience we had last night as we walked around our Ministry Center's western neighborhood to invite our neighbors to our Neighborhood Pork Roast!  The weather was delightfully cool and made the night all the better.  Reports were that our neighbors were generally receptive and appreciative of the invitation!

We had 5 teams out and about, knocking on doors, introducing themselves and making the invitations!  Our purpose in doing the Pork Roast and Fun Fest is to make connections in our neighborhood and create a positive environment in the neighborhood. 

Responses ranged from, "we've seen your sign.", to "I have had it on my calendar for weeks." 

Going into the night, I was a bit discouraged that more people hadn't been able or willing to help pass out invitations, but that discouragement quickly left as I was greeted by many friendly neighbors.  Hopefully the weather will hold and the day will be a blessing in all of our lives!

A NEW Approach to Stewardship

Had some fun with this yesterday! 

Last Sunday, I couldn't find our checkbook and Sharon didn't know where it was either.  So, when the offering time came, and the usher came to me for me to put in my contribution in the early gathering, I looked up at her and whispered, "I couldn't find the checkbook today".  And in fun, she smacked me on the shoulder.   Now, I can't tell you the last time I was smacked in church, but I can tell you it has been years!

Luckily when it came time for the offering in the second gathering, I didn't get hit then too! (You see, I always put in two checks each week - to model for my people that giving regularly is important!  And as a leader, I don't ask them to do anything I don't do!)

Yesterday, when it came time for the collection, I looked up at the usher, smiled, and whispered to her, "this week I have DOUBLE!"  She smiled back.  Then when I got up to preach, I shared the story and said, I had hoped for a kiss on the cheek!  Afterall, giving double, I thought deserved that! 

In the second gathering, I shared the whole story and said, she had had half an hour to give me that kiss and I didn't get it... I did get a hug though!  And then she joked that perhaps we stumbled upon a new stewardship idea... a smack when you don't put something in the plate!   (Just Kidding- would NEVER want that to happen!)

Today, she called to tell me that there was one check in the offering yesterday that had the following written in the memo..."Don't smack me!"

What fun!

Think about this...

Ever stop to think about how EVERYTHING starts off small?  How God uses small things to produce BIG things?

Probably not!

Because in our world, we are fascinated with BIG!  We like to brag about how much we make, how much we own, how big our car is, house... you name it... we are fixated on BIG!

But everything in our world that is Big, started out small!  And God uses small things!  The power of God is in the small thing!

And think about our lives... many of us dont' attempt to do anything great because we are afraid we can't do it big enough.  But the power of God is in the small.  Every journey starts with a step.  Every apple begins as a seed.  Every butterfly is a catepiller.  Every elephant begins as an egg.  

Mother Teresa said, "we can do no great things... only small things with great love!"

Steve Sjogren turned that around a bit and says, "small things done with great love will change the world!"

What small thing can you do that will impact the lives of others?

So many thoughts...

So many thoughts are running through my mind right now!  And I don't have time to write about all of them!

First, I am elated at the turnout and prospects of The 4:18 Initiative that had it's first prayer and exploration gathering last night at Community of Joy.  There were 15 people representing 7 churches and 5 agencies that help homeless folks here in salisbury.  Our desire is to take steps toward begining to address the issue of homelessness in Salisbury by developing transitional housing and life skills coaching.  Next gathering is Sept. 29 @ 7:15 p.m. at CoJ Ministry Center.  All are welcome. 

Second, surely God smiles when churches work together!  I have long said that we need to do more together and now we are taking steps in that direction.  It is all about Jesus' Kingdom, not our kingdoms!

Third,  I am infuriated at the pastor in Florida who plans to burn the Koran... no way in the world Jesus would do such a thing or condone it and neither should we as his followers.  All I keep saying to myself is that this guy says he is going forward with his plans unless God speaks... and I say... how many ways does he need God to speak?  After all what pastor of a church of 30 people gets calls from the Pope, Army Generals, the FBI, or the President.  If only he would listen!

Fourth, thinking about Sunday's sermon... SEEDS!

Fifth, working on getting our Faith In Action Sunday projects together.  So we can Not Go to church on 10/10/10 but BE the church!

Engagement....

Just returned home a short while ago from a gathering of our area Church of the Brethren Pastors.  For the past few months, we were reading and discussing The Tangible Kingdom by Matt Smay and Hugh Halter.  In that book, Matt and Hugh share a kind of  Bible Study method that I have used at Community of Joy and find invigorating!  So, I told the group that I would lead them through this process at this gathering today.

We all walked away from the gathering feeling that we had encountered the Holy Spirit in a powerful way and had engaged with Scripture and Community in a way that just might transform our lives.

The process is to read a passage of Scripture 3-4 times outloud and then ask 5 questions of the passage.  Always the same 5 questions! 

1. What did you like about the passage?
2. What didn't you like about the passage?
3. What don't you understand about the passage?
4. What do we learn about God from the passage?
5. If you applied one thing you learned about God from this passage to your life this week, what does it look like?

I find this process so helpful and engaging that if I were to plant a new church, rather than give a sermon each week, I would use this process to engage the Holy Spirit, Scripture, and Community in a way that would surely transform our lives - perhaps in greater ways than a sermon could ever do!

Forgiveness Defined

Just finished the book, Think No Evil by Jonas Beiler and Shawn Smucker.  Great book!  Highly recommend it to you!

In it they define forgiveness as the "decision to release yourself from anger, resentment, hate, or the urge for revenge despite the injury you suffered."

And Forgiveness is "letting go of hope for a different past." 

Wow... that last one... really is powerful.  Take a moment and think about it!  Let it impact your thoughts.

That's what we are here for!

I say that to lots of people in the church... "that's what we are here for!"  We are called to be community to each other.  To support and encourage one another through all of life.

I've been reading a book a friend suggested that I might value... "Think No Evil: Inside the story of the Amish schoohouse shooting and beyond."  by Jona Beiler and Shawn Smucker.  It is a good book about a TERRIBLE event that happened.  Beiler grew up Amish and left it as a young adult, so the perspective is interesting.  In one of the chapters describing what happened immediately after the shooting, he talks about the way the Amish responded to the tragedy... the same way they respond to all tragedies... they come together quickly to support one another.  And he makes this comment... "If there is one thing you can guarantee about the Amish, it's that they will NOT allow anyone in their community to suffer a tragedy on their own."

That's the way it should be!  That's what we are here for!  The church is called to share the love of Christ with all people and when tragedy strikes, we need to be there for each other!

Unfortunately, I am aware of a couple of friends who are struggling right now, but are not willing to allow me to support them.  I am struggling with that!  It is so much a part of who I believe we should be for each other!   I know when I was diagnosed with Diabetes, I appreciated the support of the church!  Praying for all those who feel they need to face tragedy alone!  It does NOT have to be that way!

What Kind of Neighbor are You?

Read Luke 10:25-37.  In it a lawyer "tests" Jesus.  And Jesus turns the test back on the lawyer... by asking what the law says...and the lawyer responds... Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, strength and love your neighbor as yourself.  Then Jesus turns up the heat... "you have answered correctly, do this and you will live."

Wanting to justify himself, the lawyer asks another trick question...."who is my neighbor?"

And Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan.  After which, Jesus asks the lawyer, "which of the three was a neighbor to the victim?"

The lawyer is asking Jesus to define who his neighbor is so that he knows just who he is supposed to love.  But Jesus flips things a bit and wants to know what kind of neighbor you are.

So, here is the question... "would you want to be your neighbor?"   Think about that for a minute or two.  And if not, what do you need to change to be able to say that you would be a great neighbor to someone?

Blessing Others...

I should have posted this pic earlier in the week, but guess my mind was other places (like Bridgewater College!)  It is of the school supplies Community of Joy gathered to bless Pinehurst Elementary School with.

Free Yard Sale Was a Blessing

We decided again this year to go downtown Salisbury to a neighborhood where we might be able to be a blessing to others and have a FREE yardsale.  We gave away LOTS of good gently used clothing, mostly teens and childrens but some adult clothing as well.

About 98% of the people who came thanked us as they left with such a genuine heartfelt thanks you could tell it was a blessing to them.  And for us to be able to share the love of Christ with them was a blessing as well.

Tis a Season for Everything Under the Sun...

The writer of Ecclesiastes says that there is a season for everything under the sun.   That has been my source of strength in these days of transition! 

As parents we reaise our children with the goal that one day they will be independent and able to manage whatever life throws at them.  To get there, that means that there comes a time that we must let go.  That time comes in gradual stages and little by little independence comes.  A bigger step in that process is when the child leaves home for college, which is the stage we reached this week.  Sure I miss Caroline being arouind, but I have every confidence that she is able to SOAR HIGH in this next phase and that this time is a very helpful time in acheiving our goal of being totally independent.

Lots of friends of ours are going through this time right now and each one is handling it differently.  But for me, my strength comes in trusting her to the Lord and knowing that this is the time we have been working toward.  It is a necessary time and it is the time when we get to see how well we did as parents!

Another Milestone In Our Life....

Caroline is now an official College Student!  She is now moved in and actively participating in the Eagle Productions Team at BC.  This team plans all the evening and weekend events for students.  Quite an honor to be part of it and to be allowed to move in a few days early.  Now the adjustments begin!

Exciting...

Out of our Blessed to Bless Series, we are forming a team of folks to pray and explore ways to develope a transitional living arrangement and life skill coaching for homeless folks in Salisbury.  Seven people have expressed interest in begining the process. 

This is so badly needed in our area and when it happens, it will be all because God stepped in and guided the process.

Also exciting, is the Free Yardsale we are doing on Saturday where we will give away good, gently used clothing.  Have lots of great clothes to share. 

Further excitement is building as we move toward our 10/10/10 Faith In Action Sunday where we will leavet he building and BE the Church!  Praying for positive responses for projects where we can make a difference!

Words of inspiration....

Check out Jarrod McKenna's words about the Church of the Brethren.

Don't Go to Church, BE THE CHURCH!

Earlier this year, I preached such a sermon on stopping the practice of GOING to church and beginning the practice of BEING the church.  I am excited to announce that on 10/10/10... Community of Joy will NOT gather for worship in our ministry center, but we will GO OUT into the community to BE THE CHURCH.  Working out the details on some service projects we can send some teams out to do in our community on that day.  Looks like we will work from 9 a.m. - 12 noon.  Gather at the Ministry Center around 12:30 for a meal and time of sharing.

We are working on options for ALL of us to participate.  Not all options will be work related, some might include visiting folks who don't get out much.  In addition, we will work at options for infants and toddlers to be cared for at the Ministry Center so that everyone can participate.

This is an exciting step into new territory for us at Community of Joy!  My prayer is that it will go well!  10/10/10 is the National Faith In Action Sunday!

Church vs. Kingdom

Howard Snyder writes... "Kingdom people seek first the Kingdom of God and its justice; church people often put church work above concerns of justice, mercy, and truth.  Church people think about how to get people into the church; Kingdom people think aobut how to get the church into the world.  Church people worry that the world might change the church.  Kingdom people work to see the church change the world."

The Bible.

A great quote from Scot McKnight, "God did not give the Bible so we could master him or it, God gave the Bible so we could live it, so we could be mastered by it.  The moment we think we have mastered it, we have failed to be readers of the Bible."

Faith...

Eugene Peterson writes... "No matter how right we are in what we beleive about God, no matter how accurately we phrase our belief or how magnificently and persuasively we preach or write or declare it, if love does not shape the way we speak and act, we falsify the creed, we confess a lie.  Believing without loving is what gives religion a bad name. Believing without loving destroys lives, believing withoutloving turns the best of creeds into a weapon of oppression."

More thoughts on church...

N.T. Wright writes about the church... "The method of the kingdom will match the message of the kingdom.  The kingdom will come as the church, energized by the Spirit, goes itno the world vulnerable, suffering, praising, praying, misunderstood, misjudged, vindicated, celebrating: always as Paul put it in one of his letters - bearing in the body the dying of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed."

Way to Go Youth!

The youth did a GREAT job yesterday sharing their National Youth Conference Experience!  It was awesome to see them lead us in worship!

Portrait of the Church....

N.T. Wright helps us picture what the church ought to look like... "When the church is seen to move straight from worship of the God we see in Jesus to making a difference and effecting much-needed change in the real world; when it becomes clear that the people who feast at Jesus' table are the ones in the forefront of the work to eliminate hunger and famine; when people realize that those who pray for the Spirit to work in and through them are the people who seem to have extra resources of love and patience in caring for those whose lives are damaged, bruised, and shamed, then it is not only natural to speak for Jesus himself and to encourage others to worship him for themselves and find out what belonging to his family is all about, but it is also natural for people, however irreligious they may think of themselves as being to recognize that something is going on that they want to be part of."

Faith Based Partner

Jim and I met with the new principal at Pinehurst Elementary School yesterday and are delighted to be forging ahead with our partnership.  Looks like we will be able to bless the school in lots of ways, in addition to the school supplies and pants, socks, and underwear that we already give to them.

Expect it to be a great year!

Today... It got Bigger!

Today, Tri and I added length to the new play set that is at the Ministry Center.  It now accomodates 2 swings and soon will hold a third. And there is more space to get off the steps without getting hit by a swing!  Thanks to the Townsends for the donation of the play set and to Leadership Team for investing in reaching out to families with Children.  It has been fun to see families discover the set and enjoy it!

Blessing Others Opens Their Eyes and Hearts to God!

I've been on a blessing others kick!  I believe that we are blessed by God to bless others and that our actively blessing others will impact lives for the kingdom of God.

True story... A couple of weeks ago, the Ministry Center neighbor was in the hospital.  She was very sick and is having a hard time bouncing back.  Thankfully now she is doing much better.  I noticed that her grass had not been mowed for two weeks.  So, I decided to mow it.  The first mowing had to cover the yard twice and bagged about 32 bags.  And I ran out of daylight the first night, so I had to go back the next evening to complete the job.  When I did, Lee came out and thanked me for mowing the grass and asked about our service times at the Ministry Center.  He told me he would be there that Sunday... and sure enough he was.  I have mowed the grass 3 more times since then.  The next time I mowed, Lee came out and told me that "surely the Lord is smiling on you."  And yesterday he came out and said, "Pastor Martin, you are going to make a churchgoer out of me yet."  To which I told him, "we'd love to have you whenever you can join us!"

You never know what impact a simple act of blessing will have on someone... so BLESS ON!

More on the Floor Project...

We had another good day, putting the floor back together.  Actually doing what should have been done when it was first built!

Next on the list, new paint, drop ceiling, and carpet!