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.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
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/
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?
"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?
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
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!
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!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
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!
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!
Monday, October 18, 2010
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.
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.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
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!
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!
Friday, October 15, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
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?!
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?!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
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.
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.
Friday, October 8, 2010
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!
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!
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!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
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.
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."
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
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!
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!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
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!
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!
Friday, October 1, 2010
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!
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!
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