At the Coffee Shop this Morning...

Went to the Coffee Shop this morning and while there, they had the royal wedding on.  Of course it was the talk of the shop!

Found it interesting... a police officer whom I knew and the barista and I were talking about the wedding... the police officer said his favorite quote from the minister's homily was this "Do not be haughty but associate with the lowly."  He went on to say... that means they are to associate with me.  He felt included in that comment.

I find this totally interesting... context is everything!

This officer is a churched person and the quote was from Romans 12:16.   He was stunned when I told him that it was right out of the Bible!  Then I showed him the place in my kindle version which is the NLT and doesn't translate it quite that way.  The NLT says... "Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!"

All of this got me to thinking...

What if, we who are Christian... took that verse to heart?

Been Thinking....

I have been thinking about the future of Community of Joy! 

Not really satisfied with the status quo. 

Wondering how much our small building is limiting us.

The greatest times in our history as a congregation were the times we took risks that were BIGGER than us.  So BIG that we had to trust God to act and provide.  And GOD DID!   Two of those times in our tenure here were our coming here to a place that was on the brink of not being any more.   And the day we signed the papers to purchase the building we currently have... May 2007.  Actually the biggest move of God was on Easter Sunday that year when our little group with one week's notice gave over $125,000.

I said when we bought the place and still firmly believe that we need to treat our building like a snake... when it gets too small, we shed it like a skin.

And perhaps it's not the building... perhaps there are other things ... though the building's size does limit our ability to do some core things.

Been reading a book called, Dangerous Church: Risking Everything to Reach Everyone   By John Bishop. 

Here are some provocative quotes from the book...

"It's not our strength that moves the church forward but God's power, manifested through our dependence."

"Our willingness to fail, to take the risk that we will fall flat on our face, opens the door for God to do something that only he can do."

"For those of us in Christ, the greatest danger in life- our eternal risk - has been removed: our enternity is secured.  The only real question that remains is , what are we willing to risk so that others can know the hope and blessing we now have?  What do we really have to lose?"

Those questions are worth pondering!

And this situation is worth seeking God on!

Only God knows what is ahead!  And I am confident that it is so much more than we are currently experiencing!

Details...

Had an interesting insight today as I was reading my bible while waiting for the Nuerologist to call me back... took 40 minutes.  Was reading the Resurrection accounts in the 4 gospels... in Matthew's is where I had my insight.

The women went to the tomb on the first day of the week to properly prepare Jesus' body for burial...not just the rushed job that had happened the day he was burried.  But on their way, they worried about a detail.  They wondered about a detail.   They were concerned about a detail.  So much so that they asked it several times.  The detail they worried about was who will move the stone away?

Details... we worry about details.  Often we worry about details that God will and does take care of!  That was the case in this situation and it is the case in most of our lives and in our congregational lives as well.   We spend way too much time worrying about details and that keeps us from trusting God to do what only he can!

God rolled that stone away!  And God will roll the stones of our lives away if we get out of his way and stop worrying about the details.  Simply TRUST GOD!

Resurrection!

What does a preacher do on the Monday after Easter?

The Apprentices of Jesus went back to fishing...  

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A Day on the Bay is the kind of Resurrection a weary preacher needed after 6 weeks of suffering from Ramsay-Hunt Syndrome and three Easter Services with two DIFFERENT sermons... it was good to get up at 2 a.m. and head to Chesapeake, MD to fish with some internet aquaintences and now friends!  Even got in a Leadership Team meeting that evening and it lasted till 10 p.m.!

When you play...

When you play during the week as much as I did, you can't expect to take your day off... event though I had a couple evening commitments this week.   So, I am at Common Grounds since 7 a.m. working hard to get things in order for Easter Sunday!

Contemplating the question...Does Easter Change More Than Just Your Day?

Season Over!

And what a season it was... didn't know if I was going to be able to hunt at all this season due to having Ramsay-Hunt Syndrome for the past 6 weeks. That is shingles in the facial nerve - mostly IN the ear...SEVERE pain... and then bells palsy on my right side of face. Still can't close my right eye (shooting eye) Vision is blurry but still able to get it done twice!


Today, they were gobbling hot... heard 5 or 6 birds. Played with two toms and a few hens for a couple of hours... finally the hens left and the toms came in silent... he beat up my strutter then took a dirt nap. The other tom took off and while I was packing things up and tagging the bird, 7 jakes came out on the lane at 150 yards. 5 of them strutted and they watched me for the longest time while I sat on the ground very low and talked on the phone. They even came to about 75 yards before I decided to stand up and send them on their way.

This bird was 21 pounds... 10.5 inch beard and 1.25 inch spurs...

Add to all that 2 pairs of nesting bald eagles that flew around all morning and it was an awesome day to be in the woods...

Now to spend as much time as I can getting my nephew Ben his first bird!

One, Two, Three....

Working on Three Worship gatherings... actually 4 but two of the 4 will be the same!

First is our Table experience on Thursday night at 6:30 p.m.  We are trying out a new seating format... you know when Jesus invited his disciples to the upper room, they had no idea what they were in for... so, neither should we!   Theme for the night is Two Turns are Necessary!  Unfortunately we only want to make one!

Second, is our Sunrise gathering @ 6 a.m. on Sunday outside our Ministry Center... Theme for that gathering is "Do NOT Be Afraid!"   It is the most spoken prohibition of God!

Third, is our two worship gatherings on Easter @ 9 and 10:30 a.m.... Theme for these is... For You, Is Easter about a Day, or a life?   Does Easter change your day or your life?

Greatest Office Ever!

Just got back from the greatest office space ever!  In fact it is so AWESOME that I spent the entire morning there!  Got there at 5 a.m. and settled in by 5:30... left at 11:45 a.m.   After the last few weeks and all the pain I have struggled with, it is wonderful to be somewhere besides the confines of my house!

Got some good work done toward the two Easter Sermons I must prepare for Sunday as I sat there at the base of a BIG pine tree... enjoying the beauty of two bald eagles flying in and out of their nest and eagerly listening for the sound of a turkey gobble!  But from 5:30 till 11 a.m. I didn't hear even one bird sound off.  So, I got lots done... even got caught up on some relational things via texting.

But at 11ish... I made a call and the work got shelved and the turkey hunting began... a gobbler answered my call back!  And then again... and then he gobbled before I called.  I really thought he was going to come in but two delmarval fox squirrels (almost white ones) started barking furiously and the tom didn't come my way... though we played cat and mouse for 45 minutes.  Until I decided I must get out of the woods before he came and I was hunting after hours (must finish by 12 noon).  So I gathered my stuff and headed out as fast as I could go, hoping not to spook that bird so that we could play another day when I find myself in this fabulous office space.

After the last few weeks, it is so soul refreshing to be able to spend time in such a spot!  I truly cherish each moment I can be there!

Spring Turkey Season is Here!

I look forward to this day every year!  It is my favorited time of the spring and I so enjoy going out into the woods at this time. 

Got up today at 3:30 a.m. and headed out to my spot... was all situated by 5:30 and first gobbler sounded off at 6.  Then I heard 8 or 9 birds gobble... all around me but most were far off.  One was about 100 yards away.  He only gobbled one time.  I called a bit and then waited.  Then it got silent for a long time... finally the bird gobbled and it sounded like he was coming my way.  I called some more but not too much and then just waited... he gobbled some more... I called... then waited.  After a good while, I saw him coming in to my decoys in full strutt.  He walked past my hen and up to my strutting tom and beat him with his wing and feet.  Then when he turned to do it again... I let him have it. 

When I walked out to the field, there were two hens out there a ways off...

Beautiful morning!

My bird weighed 22 pounds, had a 9.75 inch beard and 1 inch spurs.   Aren't the feathers beautiful!

My shooting glasses worked well to protect my eye!  I was so happy!

Come on 3:30 a.m.!

Can't wait for 3:30 a.m. to get here tomorrow so that I can go chase a turkey!  Man I just love spring gobbler season!  Love that dawn chorus and seeing the beauty of the spring woods!  Besides after the weeks I have had lately, I am ready to experience some fun!

Hope to post some pics and a story tomorrow.  Also hoping that my solution to protecting my eye works!

Holy Ground....

Last week, the medicine that I am taking gave me the strongest urge to lay down and sleep all the time.  The urge was kinda like when your bladder is full and you MUST get to the bathroom pronto, but it was an urge to sleep.  So, I thought on Monday, "go to the coffee shop where there is no way you will lay down and that way you will get some work done!"  So that is what I did.  I also knew that I had a pastors gathering that I lead on Wednesday and that shoots 2/3 of a day.  So, I had to make time count...and Easter was coming as is turkey season!

In the matter of a few hours I felt the Lord give me a framework for today's sermon, love feast and Easter's sermon.    All I could do was say THANKS!

Interesting thing happened last night (Saturday) about 3 a.m. I was dreaming and in the dream I was preaching... and it wasn't just any old sermon... it was TODAY'S!  WOW!

Holy ground for sure!

Don't want to...

Don't want to let this go a week without posting something again!  Though not much has changed in my health situation... still TIRED ALL the time!  

Yesterday was a good day as I forced myself to drive to Cordova to meet with our Area One Church of the Brethren Pastors.  We have 8 ministers from 6 of the 7 churches in our area represented and began our conversations on Scot McKnight's new book, One.Life:  Jesus Calls, We Follow.  Excellent and invigorating conversation!  It was invigorating enough that it reved me past my medicinally induced constant tiredness... but boy when it was over, the tiredness rolled in like a bad thunderstorm!

Wanted to watch american idol last night and slept through most of it.  Went to bed at 10 after picking Emma up from work and slept like a baby all night... got up at 5:30 and was immediately exhausted.

Planning to go turkey hunting on Monday as it is the first day and I haven't missed a first day since I started hunting them!  Good thing about hunting turkeys (where I hunt them) is it mostly involves walking accross a field and sitting next to a tree and calling and waiting... so it is not strenuous and if I want to, I can nap!   And if a turkey comes, usually it gobbles so, if I am sleeping it would wake me!

This illness has sure been taxing on me!  I would have taken some sick time off if it weren't the Easter Season.... but couldn't stay down this time of year!

You Know It's Time....

You know it's time to update your blog, when your father says, "Hey, you haven't updated your blog in a week."

So, here is an update!

First, the reason it hasn't been updated in a week is ... last week was spent mostly on the couch and when not on the couch I was focussed on getting the things done I needed to get done for Sunday.  That's about it!  When the doc increased the nerve pain med, he said, "It will kick your *** to the curb!"   Well, it kicked me straight to the couch!  

It's hard to do much when you are taking heavy meds!

The thought I am working on for this week... Staying True to Jesus.   Like Peter we all make our vows of commitment to follow Jesus.  But like Peter, we all find times when we struggle to keep that commitment.  So, what does it take to stay true to Jesus?

Would love to hear your responses. 

Stewarding Energy

This is a big day today!  Besides the two worship gatherings I will preach in this morning, I also have a wedding to officiate.

Yesterday, I didn't have any energy or desire to do a thing.  But I still had a few details to get nailed down for today and had a wedding rehearsal to conduct.  I was about 10 minutes into my regular morning hour long walk at the mall, when I knew I couldn't do the full hour, so I stopped after half.

It was very clear to me that if I was going to survive this weekend and all that I had to do, that I would have to steward my energy. 

I like that concept... stewarding energy.  It means that I decided what was most important to do in the weekend and I only did that and when I wasn't doing what was absolutely necessary, I rested.   Now, after a good week on the couch last week, I was about tired of the couch.  It would have been easy to have forced myself to get lots done but I knew if I took that approach, by the time I came to the things I had to do, I would not have any energy.  And not bringing my best to the roles and tasks that I had to do, was not bringing my best to God.  So that is why I decided to steward my energy.

It is really what Sabbath is all about... Stewarding our energy... finding renewed enregy... connecting with God... so that we can bring our very best to the tasks God calls us to!

Faith...

Still pondering the story in Mark 3 regarding Jesus healing the man with the withered hand.  It paints a beautiful picture of faith!

Jesus is in the synagogue and notices that a man with a withered hand is there.  So Jesus calls the man forward in front of the crowd and then asks the Pharisees a question about what the law permits on the sabbath.  When no one answers his question, he says to the man with the withered hand, who is now standing up in front of everyone, to stretch out his hand.

Now several things strike me here... first the man and everyone around knew that his hand was withered.  And that meant that he probably could't stretch it out.  Second, note that Jesus does not speaks words of healing, just instruction.  Third note that when the main acts in faith - knowing full well that on his own he couldn't stretch out his hand- he is healed.

The man didn't need to stretch his hand out.  But his faith in Jesus made him do it.  Think of the huge step this was... here he was standing in front of everyone being told to do something he and they knew he could not do.  Wouldn't it have been easier to have sat down or walked away?  But no, he does what Jesus asks of him and is able to do it... he stretches out his hadn.  Had he not taken that first move to stretch out his hand, that first step of faith - nothing would have happened!

Taking that first step of faith can be the hardest, but once we take our first step... God does the rest!