Everyone Needs Still Waters and Green Meadows...

My week is OVER FULL!   And that is an understatement!  Besides the typical duties in the week of a pastor, I am officiating a wedding on Saturday night with a rehearsal on Friday night and rehearsal dinner after and we are gearing up for our Pork Roast on Sunday.  In addition to all of that, I had my own grass to mow and had promised a friend I would mow his because he really shouldn't be doing so.

I am sure that I am not alone in this reality!  Most of us find that life is FULL!

One of the temptations we face when life gets FULL is to run head first into it!  But that doesn't help us deal with the stresses that come when life is FULL.  

Everyone NEEDS still waters and green meadows...

Long ago, the psalmist wrote about this need...

"The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
     He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
       He renews my strength.

Before running into this very FULL day... I took some time to sit out on my porch with a cup of coffee and my bible to enjoy the cool fall morning.  It was a great stress releiver and focus time.  In addition to cool mornings on my porch, I find that time spent in a tree is helpful too.

Earlier in the week, I knew it would be a full week and I needed to get away to spend some time praying in earnest for a friend who was really struggling with life, so, I decided to knock off a bit early and head to the woods...what a refreshing time.

Where is your still waters and green meadow?

Here is a flock of turkeys I saw... one of three flocks.... total of 34.

 

Another View....

Last week the men's bible study group that I lead in the community came to a passage in Luke 14 which I would call one of the hard sayings of Jesus.

This was the part that we struggled with...“If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple."  Luke 14:26.   In our conversation about it, one of the guys admitted that he didn't understand it and because he didn't understand it, he discounted it and acted like it wasn't there.

That is not a great way to deal with the teachings of Jesus, so we pushed a bit.  The difficult saying is in the midst of a larger teaching on the importance of discipleship... following Jesus.  I think that perhaps Jesus was employing some hyperbole to make the point that following him comes at a cost and is more important than anything else in our lives!   I am sure he wasn't teaching us to hate our parents... when one of the big 10 is to "honor your father and mother."

Later that day, I wittnessed a powerful scene at the bedside of one who was dying.   The patient looked at his daughter and told her he loved her, then looked at his son and told him that he loved him, then he looked at his wife and said you know I love you.   And she said,  "yes, I know you have loved me for over 49 years!"  And then he looked at all of us and said, "now I have to love my Lord more."

That, I think is more in keeping with what Jesus meant.   It's okay to love our family!  And as much as we love them... he is asking us to love him even more!

Delighted to Serve

The other night, I got a facebook message from the wife of WiHi Football Coach, Pat Mcglinchy asking if they could use our Ministry Center for a football team breakfast.   Ofcourse I wanted to say yes, but I had one question first... "Do you need access to a kitchen?"   

Because you see if they did, we wouldn't be able to host them as we don't have a kitchen.  But since they didn't need a kitchen, I was able to say yes, provided I was willing to be there (our policy is that someone from the church needs to be present or part of the group).  I was more than willing, so this morning at 7:30 a.m. I opened the doors to an already set up facility (Sharon and I had done that the other day) and welcomed about 37 players and their coaches and a few parents.

They were the most appreciative and polite of any football team I have been around!  Quite impressed!

As they left, each player shook my hand and thanked me for the use of the facility and I was able to give them a personal invite card to our Pork Roast on September 30.  

Not only were they polite and appreciative, they also were eager to help clean up and put things away.  The place was returned to the way we need it for tomorrow in record time!  Good luck this afternoon guys and thanks for being our guests!

 

Update on the game... Wi Hi won 70 to 0!   

Not that message...

I drive by a yard every day that has one of these silohouettes in their yard.   While the message they are trying to communicate is that they are submitting to Jesus... that Jesus is Lord.  I get that from this image but that is NOT the message that Jesus communicates.

Jesus taught us to LOVE our enemies, not kill them.  So, if we are submitting to him, then we will have to lay down our arms.   If we are submitting to Jesus' Lordship in our lives, the thought of killing people (whom Jesus loves) must not be entertained.       


If this image were to communicate the truth of Jesus' teachings, it would have gun laying on the ground beyond the cross and out of reach of the soldier.

Interrruptions Are Opportunities From God....

Most of us experience interruptions in our lives on a regular if not daily basis.   There are two ways we can see thise interrruptions.   We can see these interruptions as problems or we can see them as opportunities to see God at work.

I choose to see them as opportunities to see God at work, if in no other way, than to help me calm down and not get upset by the interruptions.      Interruptions can be God's way of getting our attention and reminding us that we need him and his presence in our lives.

How will you see the interruptions that come into your life today?

Coming Sept 22... You are invited.

When asked by a reporter wether God was on the side of the North, Lincoln is said to have responded, "My concern is not whether God is on our side, but whether we are on God's side!"

The Bible makes it clear that God loves THE WORLD.   God loves ALL people.  We are commanded to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, strength and to love our neighbor.  Jesus even goes so far as to command us to love our enemies.  Jesus teaches forgiveness and reconciliation as well as to refrain from judging one another.    Yet so many of us who claim to be Christ followers turn our head to these commands and live in a world view that feels it is right to kill our enemies and participate in war.

On September 22 - people around the world will be gathering in public places to remind one another and the world that peace is a better way.  As followers of Christ, who is named by scripture - the Prince of Peace, and who wept over Jerusalem because it didn't know the "things that make for peace" it is time we begin to examine our beliefs on this topic and adjust our actions according to what we find in the Bible - especially in the teachings of Jesus, who when he said "love your enemies", probably didn't mean to kill them!

Community of Joy will be part of the day in the Salisbury City Park on Sept. 22 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.   You are welcome to join us for this event.   And even more importantly, I invite you to begin a study of the scriptures in regard to becoming a people of peace.   Recall that one of the beattitudes is "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called Children of God."

Seek Peace and Pursue it!

One of the heros of faith in the Church of the Brethren is M.R. Zigler who made a modest proposal for peace, "Let the Christians of this world, agree that they will not kill each other."   That would take us in the direction of being on God's side!

Forgiveness and Consequences

I had an experience recently that has made me think alot about forgiveness.  What it is and what it isn't.

Six or so months ago, I had an interaction with a brother in Christ that didn't go well... we butted heads and ended up hurting one another.   When I realized that something I said caused hurt, I immediately said I was sorry and asked for forgiveness from my brother.  At the time he said he forgave me.    And our relationship has been normal ever since.  That is until just the other day.

My brother did something to me that was a shock and when I asked about it, I was told that when he forgave me he told me that there would be consequences and what happened was my consequence.

Now I am writing this not because I want sympathy or am wanting to heap coals on this brother.   Rather I am writing this because I am concerned that this understanding of forgiveness is too prevelant in our society and it is NOT a biblical model of forgiveness at all! 

Once you extend forgiveness to a person... gone is the desire to get even, or issue consequences.   You see if you still look for ways to put the person, you say you forgave, in their place, then you really haven't forgiven them.   Because forgiveness wipes the slate clean!

Think of it this way... If God handled forgiveness like this... none of us would spend eternity with him!  

Great Reunion

Last night's reunion of our Bible Study was GREAT!  

It was well attended and obvious that the regulars have missed it and were delighted to be back together.

The Holy Spirit's presence made it a super rich night with powerfully helpful insights for all of us and applications for keeping company with Jesus.   We also very much enjoyed a time of sharing and praying for each other and the church's growth.

If you want to experience the Power of God in your life... join us on Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. at the Community of Joy Ministry Center... 302 South Blvd,  Salisbury, MD.

It's Tuesday... YAY!

A little while ago, I got a text message that said... "Yay!!! It's Tuesday!  Yay!! It's Tuesday!" 

That was exciting to read!

It is indeed Tuesday and it is the night that our regular Tuesday Interactive Bible Study resumes after taking the month of August off.   We meet tonight at 7 p.m. at Community of Joy's ministry Center on 302 South Blvd in Salisbury.  All are welcome!

We use the 5 Q Method of exploration.  You don't have to have any Bible knowledge to be part of the group.

The night begins with prayer, then we read a bible passage outloud 3 times and then ask 5 Questions of the passage.  Always the same 5 Q's.   And we conclude with a sharing and prayer time.   It usually lasts about an hour.

The 5 Q's are ... 1.  What do you like about what we just heard?  2.  What don't you like about what we just heard?  3. What don't you understand about what we just heard?  4. What do we learn about God from what we just heard?  5. What will you do with what you learn about God? (How does this learning impact your day to day life?)

It is a great process and works well with all ages.  

Tonight we will begin working our way through the Gospel of Luke.  Last year we did John.