Lived through another one

Another Christmas Eve is under the belt and as usual it was a high point of the year for me. The services were all well attended and the spirit of people participating, leading, and responding was absolutely great. Over the last several years we have transitioned the Christmas Eve services from a production to more of a worship service done in creative ways. It has been a good shift. The numbers are down some over the years but I do believe that people are getting the intent and meaning of Christmas in the midst of it as well. It has become a little less stressful as well for those of us leading the service.
The music last night was absolutely wonderful. The song "The Unaccepted Gift " while probably never heard by most if at all any of the people was for me the lynch pin in bringing the meaning of the service together.
There was just a bit of drama to finish out the evening as Shannon had the shock of seeing her oldest son faint while she was reading the Gospel lesson. She recovered fairly well and he seems to be ok now, but not one that I think she will forget soon. (I'm guessing that there will be others of us who won't let her forget either :-) ).
Today though will be a day of quiet recovery as everyone in this house rests from a busy day and enjoys the quiet and the food that my son and his fiance are preparing.

In other news my daughter is safely on the ground in Germany now and is reporting a good start to her European adventure.

Christmas Eve

Today will be a long day but a day that I look forward to all year long. We will do 4 Christmas Eve services at church tonight (one less than some years). The first one will be at 3:00 and then we get started again at 7:00 and do it again at 9:00 while we wrap up things at 11:00 with a traditional Christmas Eve service.
It is in the midst of these services that I'm able to remember what Christmas is all about and to lose the bah humbug feeling. I'm not sure that I can tell you exactly why this doesn't just become another thing to get through, but it doesn't. It is a joyous time when we get to tell the Christmas story and greet people that are old friends as well as new friends and those we haven't met before. Now tomorrow I'll be dead tired, but it will all be worth it and I'll look forward to doing it all over again the next year.

Communication

In the past 9 years I can't count the number of times that our staff has talked about how to increase our level of communication. This would be among staff as well as to and in the congregation. It just seems like a never ending problem and one that we just can't get on top of. So I wonder if we are missing avenues that are available for communicating or are we sending conflicting messages?
We have updated our web site and worked very hard at keeping the information up to date and accurate. We send out a large newsletter every month and fill our worship folder each week with information about what is happening in the church. Still people say things like, "I didn't know we were doing that!"
Could it be that we are telling people to many things so they aren't hearing any of it? But if we start cutting things out what will it be? How are we going to let people get the details out in adequate ways?
I'm sure there will be more on this one later as I just don't know what the answer is to this one.

My Little Girl is Growing Up

Yesterday I spent the afternoon with my daughter getting her dorm room cleaned up and moved out. This coming weekend she will get on a plane for Germany to spend Christmas with our German daughter. Then it will be 5 months in England studying and travelling. While she is doing all the things that I would want her to do in discovering the world and who she is there is just a part of me that steps back and wonders about how she grew up so fast?
I love who she is and celebrate the wonderful heart that she has that she gives to others so easily and freely. I love the way she embraces life and can laugh at the littlest things and still be a little girl in some ways.
As she grows up I know some things will change but she will always be my daughter who I love completely.

Bah Humbug

Most years when the Christmas season comes around it might take a bit of time for me to get into the Christmas mood but for some reason this year it just isn't happening. Is it wrong for a pastor not to be in the mood for Christmas? It's not that I'm not looking forward to celebrating Christmas Eve and being apart of the Christmas Plugged In program it's just that all the other things of Christmas just aren't doing it for me. I have no interest in shopping for presents and decorations are for others to enjoy. I'm trying not to be a wet blanket for others but the truth is that I'm just not in the mood for Christmas.
10 days to go, so we'll see if I come around or just wait until next year.

Closing Down

After many conversations among the pastoral team and other staff members the decision was made yesterday to stop doing a ministry that has been happening for many years. After making many appeals and talking to a variety of people there hasn't been anyone who has come forward to oversee and coordinate the ministry. The decision is being made based upon what we understand to be our ministry priorities and the understanding that this is not something that we will designate paid staff time toward.
The hard part now is how will this be communicated? How do you honor all those who have in the past and present continued this ministry while at the same time saying it isn't going to continue in the same way?
I pray that given some time we might meet the intent of this ministry in a new and different way with a team of volunteers who will embrace the opportunity. I also pray for understanding among those who have come to count on this ministry that they will receive the word with kindness and grace.
I'll write more on this process and the response I receive later.

The next big thing I'm missing out on

Ok I didn't realize that this was the next rubics cube but far be it for me to be the last one on the band wagon. Check out the possibilities of playing Cornhole from this song.

Christmas Plugged In

We are getting ready for our third annual Christmas Plugged In program at Saint Joseph. It is a night of high energy music and stories that brings the Christmas spirit into my life. The music is primarily from Trans Siberian Orchestra but done with our own take and flair. The musicians are all excellent and they pull the music off extremely well. If you are in the Fort Wayne area stop in and join us at 6:00 p.m. this Sunday night.

Patience

In a post over on Swerve Craig Groeschel listed 40 things he has learned in 40 years. Number 21 he lists as making decisions quickly when you know what is right. Up until I was 45 I would have agreed with his comment but now I would say not so much. It isn't that I don't believe that you should act upon the leadings of God and do what one is supposed to do, but my assurance of what is "God's will" in a particular situation is becoming less sure. I am finding that what I think God wants done is often just what I want. So I'm trying to expand the discipline of patience in my life. Waiting is not easy for me, I would much rather pull the band aid off quickly and move on, but in so much of life it seems like God has bigger plans than I can imagine.
So I'm learning to wait, not always patiently, but wait anyway for what God might do beyond what I can do. Patience is not a skill that comes naturally to me, but it is a discipline that I can tell is reaping far greater rewards than anything I can do myself.
Is this something you only learn with age or am I just becoming lazy?
I don't know, but I guess I'll wait and find out.

Hope

I've been trying to live with the first word of Advent this week. When the candle of Hope was lit it was an invitation to hold on to that which is not yet. To know that the world that is right now is not the world that God desires. This kind of hope isn't the hope of a child hoping for a train set under the Christmas tree, but rather a longing for that which will return the world to God's original design.
This hope is what I am trying to hold on to right now. It isn't easy to have this kind of hope because there isn't a lot of affirmation that the hope will be fulfilled. It is hope that doesn't see the dawn coming and has no idea how long the night will last. It is a hope that things will change even when things seem to be getting worse. It is the hope to live for that makes it possible to get up and put your feet on the floor for another day. It is the hope of those who have nothing else to hold on to in life. It is the hope of Jesus Christ. It is the hope I need. It is the hope I want. It is the hope I hold on to and that carries me through.
Thanks for the word and thanks for the Hope, Jesus.

Being Healthy

I've been thinking alot the last several months about what it means to be healthy, really healthy. I'm reading Emotionally Healthy Spirituality right now and would highly recommend it to any and all who are asking this same question about being healthy. I've been reflecting upon health and realizing that there are some people who are physically healthy but are completely unhealthy emotionally. Then there are people who are emotionally healthy and physically unhealthy so what are they, healthy or sick?
I wish I had the answer to this one right now!