My Extra Day...

I knew better than to ask the question and not give the answer... right Tracey and Cary!

So, I worked half a day... actually most of the day. But I hadn't planned to work all day... it's just that when you are a pastor, it is hard to separate work from not work.

Belinda had asked me last night if I had time to go by the Library to take one of the guys, Larry, to get his glasses... so, when I finished what I had to do in the office, I went that way. Met Larry, and off we went. It ended up taking a while and then his glasses weren't right, so he has to wait until Wednesday to get them... he was disappointed!

Then I took Larry to meet the bus from the church who is hosting the shelter this week at the transit stop downtown... and many of the guys were there hanging out and we got to talking. Spent half an hour there. It was FUN!

One of the fellas, told me that if they could fill out a survey, we would be TOPS! The food was fabulous and the hospitality genuine... he said the experience at our place made him change his mind about Christians... but then the experience of this week was working the other way... All I could say was I am SORRY!

I am so thankful to be part of a church that doesn't believe in giving out half eaten hamburgers and where we live out our core-values "we believe that every person is valuable to and loved by God" and "that serving others is an expression of our love for God and for God's children."

What a great EXTRA day it was!

Everyday is an EXTRA Day...

But today is a real extra day! It only happens every 4 years... what will you do with your extra day?

I asked my Bible Study group that last night and their answers were BORING... "Work". I'm not sure what I am going to do with mine, but it will only be work half the day! I wanna do something I don't normally do with my extra day!

Extra Day....

Tomorrow you and I will be given an EXTRA day! It only happens once every 4 years! What will you do with your extra 24 hours? How will you spend that time?

God's love for outsiders....

Today's reading was from the book of Ruth in the Old Testament. In it is a story of love and survival. Ruth is a foreigner... an outsider, yet through her redemption by the Kinsman Redeemer, Boaz, she becomes an insider and has a fast track to being part of the lineage of Jesus! She is the great grandmother of King David!

I think it is interesting how God draws outsiders in... how God loves and reaches out to people who are on the margins. The whole story of God's love for the world is about a love that is as strong for those on the margins and perceived to be outsiders as it is for those perceived to be on the inside!

Certainly Jesus picked up that love... when he announced his mission in Luke 4:18, he said.... quoting from Isaiah... "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord's favor has come."

And certainly, Jesus' ministry constantly reached out to those on the margins!

Can we do no less????

Curiousity...

Had a conversation yesterday with someone, who was expressing concern about how to get more people involved in our next round of the shelter (if the Coordinators find another site to do it with us). That conversation got me to thinking... so, I listed those that I knew helped out in some way with the shelter. The list I came up with was 45 strong with the split between people who attend our separate worship gatherings being about equal.

So AWESOME!

Biblical Jeopardy...

Our small group's daily Bible reading this week is from Judges. Today, I read Judges 13 -16. And in 14:14, we see the very first Jeopardy game...

Samson give the following clue... "from the one who eats came something to eat; out of the strong came something sweet."

And after a week, the guys give the answer in true jeopardy form... (at least in the NLT translation!) v. 18... "What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?"

In the midst of all the gore and killing that is present in Judges, I found this funny!

Considering another...

Yep, that's right! We are considering hosting another week of the Homeless Shelter in March. We had such a great experience and there is a need, so we are looking into how we can pull it off again! What we need most right now is another church to step up to be a second host site... we can only accomodate 23 men and there are upwards of 55 that have need. So, join me in praying that God would provide another church to host the week of March 22 through 29. Yes, I know it is Easter week, BUT that should NOT matter!!!!

Ready for a break....

After a busy week with the candle burning at both ends of the day...and two nights all night long... I am ready for a break... really would like to get away for a day or two, but guess I will stay home since the girls have transportation needs.

So Good...

To see two of our guys in worship this morning and a new friend as well!

To share a meal together with two of the three guys and many from CoJ after worship.

To hear the stories of the week and know that this week has impacted many lives -- not least of which are our own!

To begin praying for another church to step up and to consider doing one more week in March.

To live life with Jesus!

So Hard....

It was so hard to see the guys go yesterday! It was a great week and in that time, you get to know them some and now, they had to go on... sad!

It was also tough because the rules change at each place and it just felt to me that some compassion and love was missing at the new place... but then maybe that's the way it was when they first came to us.

Thanks to all who helped make last week one of the best weeks we've had as a congregation! Special thanks to Belinda White for being our Key Volunteer and for taking off the week to do this important ministry!

A visit to the hospital...

Tonight I visited one of our guys who was taken to the Hospital last night with chest pains... turns out he stayed last night and tonight. Today they did a catherization and angioplasty and a stent. He expects to get out tomorrow... he was also so appreciative of the hospitality... was sorry to have missed the last meal! And said that by the first he hoped to have enough money saved up so that he could get himself a room! It was rewarding to visit with him and pray with him... at his request!

Sadness and Happiness all Mixed together...

That's what is going on tonight as we come to the last night of our week long homeless sheter for 22 men. The guys are saying it's been the best yet and they say that they aren't going to leave tomorrow morning. There is some sadness in that for all of us... it has been such a positive experience for the three churches that have worked together to pull it off and for the guys as well.

Tonight after supper, Tim, one of the guys, came in carrying two peices of white cake with white frosting... and proclaimed that his mother had just come back to visit him... he went on to explain that he had not eaten "frosted cake" or apple crisp since his mother died some years ago and tonight he had eaten both... apple crisp and frosted cake! About an hour later, he met me again and told me that he was so happy, for he had eaten both frosted cake and apple crisp and that he hadn't done that since his mother died. Then he went on to say thanks for the hospitality!

What an asweome note to end on...

but it doesn't end there... many of the guys got some new pants tonight.... one of the workers last night told one of the guys that he would get him a pair of jeans in his size and so tonight when two brand new pairs showed up... he was beside himself!

No half-eaten hamburgers here!

Great again....

Yep, you read that right... it was another great night at the shelter last night! The guys were much more restless than before and it seemed to be both the meatloaf and the weather. They spent longer in the bathrooms and the first thing they did as they got up throughout the night was to go to the window to look to see what it was doing. Most of them were up several times throughout the night!

It was HARD to send them out today... especially after one asked if we were keeping it open for them today and when I said, it's only rain, one had a very strong reaction... that made it all the harder!

Now, I am going to bed... to get some much needed sleep... two nights in a row is a bit taxing!

The Shift is taking place...

With our hosting of the Community Emergency Shelter Project this week, we have made a shift from a church building to a ministry center. We have been calling the building a ministry center and up until now, all that we have done there has been the kind of things that you do at a church... but not so any longer... we are now officially a ministry center!

Here is part of the dediction litany we shared on our October 2007 Dedication Sunday...

Leader: To some people this building looks like a church. It is NOT! It is a ministry center. WE are the church. This ministry center is a place where people can find God’s love, hospitality, hope, healing and peace, as they meet Jesus here or elsewhere through the various ministries of which we are apart.

All: We dedicate this ministry center to continuing the work of Jesus in our community and world.

Leader: May this building be a tool for the work of ministry to which God has called us. And may it never be more important or matter more than the people who come through it’s doors or live around it’s border both near and far. May this place truly be a place where relationships matter!

All: We dedicate this ministry center to continuing the work of Jesus in our community and world. Thanks be to God!

This has been one exciting shift! And what an awesome experience for us and the guys!

Another great night...

at the shelter... my first all nighter... got another one tonight. It's 8 a.m. .. going to read the paper, talk to Sharon a bit and go to bed!

No half eaten hamburgers here...

That is a phrase we have been using alot this week as we show Christ's love to these our brothers who live on the street.

A number of years ago, I shared a true story about two guys who were eating their lunch in their car outside a Burger King and as the guy closest to the sidwalk was eating his burger, a homeless man stood there staring at him eating his burger... finally it got to the point that the guy eating the burger couldn't stand it anymore and he rolled down his window and gave the homeless guy his half-eaten hamburger! To which I said, that we at Community of Joy would never give out half-eaten hamburgers! And this week we are really living into that .... everything is first class! No half-eaten hamburgers from us!

A good problem...

but a problem none-the-less... is that so many of our folks from the churches are having such a good time helping out... that folks are showing up whenever they are free and not just when they are signed up. While that is awesome that folks want to help so much... it does present a problem... in that when that happens, then the folks who signed up ahead of time don't feel needed and get discouraged.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, if you just come when you are signed up... that would allow the blessing of serving to be spread widely! THANKS!

The Joy of Working Together

We are so blessed to have several other churches supporting our efforts! Last night the guys from Beacon of Light church came in the early evening hours and it was fun to get to know them and serve with them. One of them stayed with Walt all night! Another blessing!

Once again...

the meal was Awesome! Thanks to the cooks! The beef stew and biscuits was a hit! The guys are really enjoying our hospitality!

Be Careful What You Say...

I knew yesterday when I was crowing so much about how smooth our shelter was going that I might be in dangerous territory....but I AM so pleased!!!!

Last night we had some tests... but we got through them okay...THANKFULLY!

We had a guy from the other shelter, who was majorly intoxicated, come to our shelter in hopes of getting a bed. Just his presence at supper stirred our guests up tremendously and I was fearful that we would suffer a tough night. (The musical entertainment was awesome, but this guy's presence there, chased everyone else out and hardly anyone stayed to hear Steve and Mike!) However, when our guys found out that he was not going to come in to our shelter for the night (there was room at the other shelter for him and he was already on the list there!) they settled down.

When I left @ 11 p.m. all was quiet!

A gift from Larry....

One of our guests this week, Larry, is an airbrush artist in O.C. in the summer and he has been drawing constantly while at our place... last night he presented me with this drawing of Fred Flinstone. What a neat gift!

A real treat tonight!

Just lined up a real treat for our guys tonight at the Shelter... While they are eating dinner at Bethany Lutheran, they will be entertained by Mike Truitt, the one man band, and Steve Rumney, a fabulous bass player. So excited! THANKS Steve and Mike!

Love makes a difference...

This morning, I was talking to one of the guys who is helping us with cooking and overnights, and we both agreed that in our experience with Shelters this week has been the smoothest we've ever seen!

I was reflecting on that conversation and observation later and really beleive it is love that is making the difference! As we meet these guys right where they are and show them Christ's love, provide real good food and great accomodations, they are responding to this love by getting along with each other and doing all they can to make it a good experience.

That's what happens when we share God's love... it multiplies! Yeah God!

May this be ....

the first of many joint ventures between Bethany Lutheran Church and Community of Joy! It's has been a great set up and a great partnership!

Both Pastor Kevin Wackett and myself are elated and very proud of our folks! What a wonderful job they are doing this week!

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's Totally Awesome...

how much help we are getting for the shelter project! The number of helpers just keeps growing and growing...

Again last night the guys are saying the word on the street is that we have the best cooks! Hats off to the cooks!

What a great experience this is for us and seems to be for the guys, in light of the situation they find themselves in!

Never Before...

have I seen a person smile so much when cleaning toilets... BUT, today, Mikalah P. came to the Ministry Center because she had off school and cleaned the toilets! She was smiling from the moment she got out of the car until she got back in to go home! And what is really cool is that she signed up herself to do this very thing! Thanks Mikalah!

Another great night at the shelter....

We had another great night at the shelter... everything was quite and smooth! The guys really appreciate all that we are doing and they are working well with us!

All but two of them left their cots in a very neat fashion. It is so cool to see how well this is going! Many thanks to all who are part of making it so!

God smiles when...

God smiles when different churches work together to fulfill his mission! I am sure of that! And because I am sure of that, I am sure that God is smiling now... our shelter is definitely a joint venture.

Bethany Lutheran has joined us and is allowing us to use their kitchen and fellowship hall for the evening meal prep and serving. Bethany is also providing people to serve, stay over night, and cook. They are also providing lots of food and supplies. It is working really well to use their facility for the meal.

Beacon of Light Seventh Day Church is helping us too! They provided 3 overnight guys last night and have filled in other nights. They will also help serve meals and pack lunches. They meet for worship on Saturdays at Bethany.

We've also had help from members of Christ United Methodist Church, Crosspointe Nazarene, and Wicomico Presbyterian Church.

God is definitely smiling! How awesome... I pray this will be the begining of many things we do together!

The Little things...

make an experience special! One of the things that make Community of Joy such a great bunch of people is that we give great attention to details and specialize in the little things.

For instance, tonight's meal was roast chicken, corn, mashed potatoes and gravy. The potatoes were NOT instant... they were real potatoes and took lots of time to peel.

And probably the BIGGEST LITTLE THING of the day... was our taking a few extra minutes to put the guys bags on their cots. You see, we are using our sanctuary as the sleeping area and we needed to transform it back to a sanctuary this morning, so the guys helped us carry out the 24 cots and the 48 BIG bags of their stuff. And when it was all over and we moved the cots back in... we took a few minutes to put their belongings on their cots. Something so small... yet so BIG to the guys... most all of them walked in tonight and the very first thing they noticed was that we took the time to put their bags on their cots... and the THANKED us for doing it!

Tonight, we had a friend of Belinda's who used to cut hair...come by to give hair cuts to the guys! So awesome!

"Small things done with great love will change the world" -- Mother Teresa

Smoking with the guys....

Told you that this might be a many post a day blog week!

Tonight I was out smoking with the guys, actually, I wasn't smoking... they were... but I was listening and chatting with them while they were... and I learned alot... though I didn't ask a thing!

One thing I learned is that being homeless is hard... one of the guys was saying how doing nothing day in and day out was harder than when he worked 12 hours a day! (I have no idea why he isn't working now...) But I imagine that the monotony of nothing... is HARD!

He also said he slept outside last night... because he fell asleep on the bus and the driver didn't wake him and he couldn't make it back in time....He said when he woke up this morning his feet were so frozen he was afraid to walk.

Another guy told me he really appreciated the way folks have welcomed him...he said they have really been treated as kings! Good to know they feel that way!

TOTALLY AWESOME experience! So glad to be part of a group of people who so freely share Christ's love!

Proud Pastor

My ancestors would struggle with me saying that I am filled with pride! But so be it!

I am the proudest Pastor in Salisbury!!! What a GREAT bunch of Christ followers we have at Community of Joy! Always willing to jump in to serve... willing to be the hands and feet of Jesus!

This opportunity to serve by hosting the emergency shelter is pushing many of us to new territory and we are rising to the occasion! I couldn't ask for a greater group of people to lead!

The word on the street!

The word on the street is....

1. Louise Mahan makes the worlds BEST cole slaw! One of the guys, John, says he has traveled the world and has never had better cole slaw!

2. Community of Joy is the real deal! They guys who are staying at our place this week for the shelter are certainly appreciative of the care and compassion and the little extra's that we are providing!

3. Our reputation proceeds us... folks have been anxiously wanting to be in our shelter!

Hi there...

Cary is a blog reader... but won't comment... so, I thought I'd say Hey!

It's fun hearing that folks read the blog and actually look forward to it!

I have this feeling....

that this week is going to be a many posts a day blog week! I've got so many thoughts running around in my head right now related to our homeless ministry.

First, it is imperative that we do like Jesus did and meet people right where they are! Just as they are...warts and all! That means looking at them with love and remembering that these men are our brothers! That these men are beloved of Christ!

Second, we must constantly remind ourselves that we are representing Jesus to these guys... all day, since setting up, I've been singing this song... "Christ be in my mind, and in my thinking, Christ be in my eyes, in everything I see. Christ be in my ears and in my hearing. Christ be in my mouth and every word I speak. Christ be in my heart and in my loving. Christ be in my life, each moment that I live. " It is a OLD prayer of Teresa of Avilla. And it is a good prayer for us to sing!

Some Stats....

Looked over the list today... the youngest shelter participant in our facility is 33 and the oldest is 67. A mix of races....no hispanics.

We are sure going to learn alot this week and to appreciate some of God's dear children in a new way... I pray that this week will touch all of us in a profound way that propels us to make a greater impact in our community!

The Day has finally arrived!

We are all set for our first night as an emergency coldweather homeless shelter for 24 guys from our community. Community of Joy and Cathederal of Love are the two area churches that are hosting this week's shelter. We open tonight at 5 p.m. Then supper at 6 and all night shelter till 7 a.m. each day through next Saturday.

We had lots of our own help this morning and 12-15 of the guys came to help as well. It will be a great week as we extend the love of Jesus to these guys!

Thanks to ALL who are being part of this effort and especially to our Key Volunteer Belinda White!

Spent some time this afternoon talking to one of the guys... 66 years old... retired vet and iron worker... never been homeless before, this past week... the shelter is quite a shock for him... he had a stroke 2 years ago and has limited use of his left arm and hand. He was unable to walk anywhere today... normally he is in the Go-Getters Friendship Network and goes to the senior center during the day... but they don't operate on the weekend... so he was forced to stay outside (shelter rules) until 5 p.m. We decided to let him back in to go to the restroom and to fix his lunch... then I offered to talke him to the Library and bring him back at 5 but he opted to sit in the sun on a chair that I got for him. Nice guy... so sad... so hard for him to deal with what he is going through... gets $715 a month SS. On Monday, Go-Getters is getting him hooked up with a section 8 housing situation and he is looking forward to being out of the shelter.... I pray it works out for him!

Still in the Finishing Phase....

The finishing phase of our new ministry center is continuing ... the above picture is the newly painted downstairs bathroom...GREAT JOB!

True Religion....

Today in my quiet time, I was reading from the book of James in the Bible... James 1:27 says "Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles and refuse to let the world corrupt us."

And I was thinking... this week as we open our ministry center to the homeless men of salisbury, we are doing exactly what James is saying... we are practicing "pure and lasting religion"!

I am so greatful for a congregation that takes seriously the call to practice pure and lasting religion. That takes seriously the call to do something with our faith besides speak it! This week will be a hard week... with lots of challenges and not much sleep, but it will be a tremendous oppotunity to be part of something that matters to God and that will transform our lives!

Be Strong and Courageous!

Yesterday's Bible reading was from Joshua 1:1-18. In verse 9, God says to Joshua, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged: for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

This was spoken to Joshua as he faced a huge challenge... to fill the shoes of a great leader, Moses and lead his people into an unknown future.

All of us face challenges in life --- challenges of huge proportions where we are called to do great things and to go places where we've not been before. In the midst of the challenges we face, God speaks the same words... "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged: for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

For every challenge before us, there is a promise. While the challenge changes, the promise does not! No matter what the challenge is, the promise is... be strong and courageos... for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go!

And the neat thing is that we can be strong and courageous because of the promise!

I did....

Did YOU????

Don't Forget....

to VOTE today!

The Countdown is on....

At Community of Joy, we are gearing up for our week of hosting the Community Emergency Shelter Project... it begins on Saturday night and runs until the next Saturday morning. We have had awesome response to this project! I am so proud of our folks! We really do want to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the community and world!

Looking forward to a great week... serving our brothers in need in the name of Jesus!

Email now working....

Just got an email from Comcast saying that my outgoing email problem has been fixed! YEAH!!!! It has been a real hassle having to use outlook express! So happy to have it working now!

Great show by Charlie...

Went with a friend tonight to hear Charlie Alshiemer, who is a nationally known outdoor writer and photographer, speak. What a phenominal job he did. He shared some spectacular pictures... walking us through the life of a whitetail through the seasons. Then gave some incredible tips on when best to hunt in Novemeber 2008. (You can bet I will be out between Nov. 9 and 19, 2008!!!

But more than all that... he spoke of his faith in God and challenged us to recognize God's presence in our lives and to follow Jesus. What an incredible testimony he has! And he was very effective in his presentation!

A HOT tip for Valentines Day...

If you are looking for a great gift to give the love of your life for Valentines, I've got just the tip. In fact this tip will not only bless your valentine, but it will bless others as well.

Doug and Sally Ruby have just received a shipment of fair trade coffee and chocolate from Guatemala. All of the proceed will help the people who made the chocolate or grew the coffee and the student we are sending to highschool there. Contact them at 410.548.9122 to place your orders. They are also taking orders and have a small supply of weavings that the ladies of Union Victoria have made. Great gift items!

This week's pain....

Thankfully is not in my foot! But in my computer and is very frustrating! I've just learned that outgoing emails are not going out... or are not being received. After 2 hours on a live chat and the phone.. NO help yet... It's amazing how dependant on email we are!

So, if you are emailing me and don't get a response in a timely manner... call! However, I did figure out a way to bypass the comcast webmail and use outlook express for now! The issue seems to be with Comcast.

Super Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, FAT Tuesday...

All these things rolled up in one day... TODAY! Can't vote today, because the Maryland Primary is next Tuesday! Don't particularly like pancakes, so, Shrove Tuesday is out... it is the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (tomorrow) where you eat pancakes. BUT I love the FAT Tuesday concept that we latched onto when we pastored two churches in Pennsylvania. It is also called Fasnacht Day. Or more affectionately, Fat Tuesday... because on the tuesday before Ash Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Dutch make these delicious homemade donuts (fasnacht). Just got back from keeping the tradition... took Sharon to Donut Connection to have some donuts on Fat Tuesday. Sharon says that Fat Tuesday was just the excuse I was looking for to get some donuts! She may well be right!

They sure were good!

A FUN Night!

Even if the Patriots didn't win... we had a FUN night last night! The crowd was loud and rowdy... espcially the "Fat Lady Choir" that sang at the end to torment Glen and me. The food was fabulous as always... Thanks, Walt, Karen, Tracey, Tri and Daryl! We had wings to go!

The BIG disappointment of the night was the LACK of chocolate desserts! Only one that I saw/ate!

The sign out front even brought a neighbor in to watch the game with us! He said he'd be back on Sunday... great time was had by all!

History in the making...

That's what tonight's game will be! AND it will be a real good time for all! I heard that we have 40 lbs of perdue chicken wings being prepared! Can't wait to taste them! And then there is pulled pork and Louise's coleslaw. And besides all that there are ALL the DESSERTS! Death by chocolate I am sure! What a great time we will be having shortly!

Oh What a Relief it is....

.... to finally have some medication that is working on the gout! Thank God for the new meds! I am finding such relief! It was so good to sleep most of last night and to be able to walk almost normally now! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!