Fall in Indiana

Just a shot taken this morning as I got out to walk in the fall colors.

New Puppy

So my wife talked me into getting a puppy and now we have welcomed Lily to our house.
Lily is a Goldendoodle that my wife found out about from Ohio. So we drove the 60 miles + to pick her up and then headed home. It was a tough choice between the two sisters but my wife picked out the smaller one of the two.
Then we headed home only to find out that Miss Barfzilla gets car sick! So 60 + miles and seven stops later we are home everybody is cleaned up and she has a whole new place to explore.
The picture is of Kacie who came home from college for the night so that she could see the new puppy.

Listen

This week our focus in the services is on listening. It is something that most of us don't do very well I'm afraid. It is so much easier to talk and to anticipate what is going to be said in return than it is to truly listen. So this weekend we will be looking at two scriptures in particular, 1 Kings 19:11-13 and John 10:1-6.
I regularly reflect upon the Kings passage and have to go away in one way or another to a mountain and listen to the stillness for the voice of God speaking into my life. Today I'm going to that mountain even if it is just in my mind as I desperately seek the voice of God.

Weddings, Weddings, and More ...

Tomorrow I have another wedding for a young couple who are living in Indy now. She grew up here in the church and I had the privilage of performing her sisters wedding just a couple of years ago. This has been a year of weddings including my son's as well as two of my daughters best friends. Last time I counted there were 14 weddings on my calendar for 2008 and I must say that I have loved doing each one of them.
There is just something about being a part of such a joyous day and being there when a bride and groom share their vows of love and commitment with one another that is just such a Holy moment. It reminds me of the joy and pleasure that have come in my own marriage and as I look at these couples I pray for them that they will know as much and if possible even more joy than I have experienced.
I can't quite imagine that I'll ever have quite as many weddings in another year but I've enjoyed them now and look forward to those that are yet to be scheduled in the coming years.

Some Old New Pictures

Yesterday on my day off I spent some time reading on a photo forum and working on touching up some of my pictures. I've been looking at other peoples pictures for a while now and trying to learn what I can about lighting and such things. Well I took the plunge and posted a couple of pictures to get some feedback on things that I've taken and what I might learn to become a better photographer. It is actually a bit scary to throw your "stuff" out there and just let people have at it. I'll see what my delicate psyche can take after I hear peoples responses.
Here is one of the pictures that I posted.

Jeremiah

Today's reading was Jeremiah 7 - 8. It is sad for me to read this alongside the morning news. We just haven't learned at all. We chase after all the things that lead to temporary pleasure and not after the things of God. We make our religion look acceptable through doing the right things and yet we no longer know what the voice of God sounds like so we make up our own rules.
Oh, that we might hear the voice of the Lord and follow in God's ways!

Second Five

I won't report each and every day on my reading, but I'll do it to start with at least so that together we develop the habit of reading the Bible for at least five minutes each day. I'm not reading for preparation of anything, just simply to listen for what it is that God might be saying to me personally.
Today I read through Jeremiah 4-6. In it God continues to blast the people for their lack of faith and how far they have gone away from the intent that God had for them. The word of hope in the midst of it is that no matter how bad it is God will not completely destroy them (or allow them to be destroyed). It is a hard word to hear with all the things that are going on in the world around us right now. With the financial issues, war and violence, etc. it seems like we are not far from the people of Jeremiah's day. It doesn't seem like we ever learn.

First 5 Minutes

Today we challenged people to begin reading the Bible for at least 5 minutes each day in the coming weeks. So I'm getting started today and started my reading in Jeremiah and read chapters 1 - 3. It was a reminder of how much God wants people to follow him and stay connected, neither falling away and loosing heart or choosing to look for other options beside God.

Growing Up

This weekend in the services we will be focusing upon the invitation to grow in our spiritual lives. As I'm pondering that I'm faced with the question, "When do we tell people that they have learned enough about God?" I don't ever remember saying anything like that in my preaching or teaching, in fact just the opposite, but it seems like there are many people who have gotten to the point where they think they know enough. So I'm having to ask why the church by and large has allowed people to give up becoming more Christ like?
I don't know as if I will have an answer by Sunday but I at least hope that I'll be able to offer a wake-up call to some folks to begin thinking again about what their role is in growing up into the likeness of Christ. I'll try to come back next week and share anything that we learn together in the midst of this.

Silly Dog

Lucy is staying with us while our son and daughter-in-law are on their honeymoon. She is a good dog, but rather silly in many ways. She has come in and just made herself at home like she never left.
Last night I was sitting next to my wife on the couch and she proceeds to just climb up and make herself right at home between us.
I'm guessing that in another day or two she will have some energy again. Because she went to the wedding and played with all the people she has been a bump on a log for the most part with small bursts of frantic energy through in just to keep us on our toes.

Great Weekend

This isn't a picture from the wedding but it is a picture of the happy couple and their puppy taken several months ago.
Saturday we celebrated the wedding of Kyle and Melissa in the rain in Holland, MI. It was a great weekend and the joy that was evident on my sons face the whole time said that Melissa is the right one for him. (The rest of us have known that for some time.)
In spite of every one's bets I held it together through the whole service and didn't need the pocket full of Kleenex that I had just in case. It really was a privilege to be able to perform the wedding and to be there in the midst of it all.
Now today it is back to work and I have almost no energy! I guess the weekend really took it out of me.

Another Ray of Hope

Hope comes in a variety of ways and today I can see just a bit better. It is tough at times when your days are up and down in such extreme ways, but in the midst of it God does provide a ray of hope when I let myself stop and look. Today I'm focused upon the joy of family coming together for my son's wedding this weekend. It will be a great time as we welcome Melissa into our family in an official way even though she has been such an important part for the last several years.

Hope Pursued

Some days you just need to chase the hope that is out there in the world. Maybe we will never get to the end of the rainbow but we can always keep pursuing it.
I'm on the chase and refuse to give up hope.

Hope

Hope has come up this past week in a number of ways. It hasn't been overwhelming just glimpses of what is yet to come our way. Some of it has actually been hard work to see and accept but it does make a difference when I look for it on a regular basis. I'm not quite close enough to touch it yet, but I can see that there is a chance of getting a lot closer today than I felt there was last week.

Rainbows

In the book of Genesis the rainbow is given as a sign from God of His presence and covenant. It is a sign of hope and one that we need in many ways.
Sometimes the rainbows show up at just the right time and sometimes we have to go looking for them. Right now I'm looking for them and this is one of the pictures that does remind me that there is hope in the midst of even the driest and desolate of times.

Keeping the Head Up

Yesterday I wanted to see more than I could of the future and I was just a bit down as you might have been able to tell.
Today I've got my head up a bit more and I'm trying to focus upon where the sun is shining and where I'm ultimately headed. I was reminded in a number of ways yesterday that I need to remember that God's promise of His kingdom is coming but not yet here. While it might be dark in this moment there is sun on the horizon and that is the direction that I'm headed.

Some Light Would Be Nice

There are times when I feel like I'm just walking through life in the midst of the shadows. It isn't that I can't see things but it just isn't really clear. There are places that I'm just not sure what is there because there isn't enough light to make it all out. Right now is one of those times and I'm praying that God might shine a bit of light upon the surroundings of my life right now so that I can make a bit more sense out of it all.
Even though the 23rd Psalm says, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of evil I fear no evil." It isn't easy to actually live in the midst of the shadows and right now I desperately want to see where God is/is going to be working in my life and the lives of those around me.

Cooling Off

Once the snow actually gets here this coming winter we will have forgotten how warm and dry it is right now. But there are times that we just need to look at something from a different season to remind us that life will go on and the seasons will continue to come and go.
Today I'm in a looking back and looking forward mode because I just need to know that this season will not last forever. I know in my head that it won't but even then there is a need for a gentle reminder that God will bring a new day soon and we will all be refreshed.

Just Enough Light

In the midst of the beauty of a sunset you know that the day is over and the darkness is going to settle upon the earth. There are times though that the shear beauty of the sunset gives me a great desire to be up early the next morning to see the sun rise and to bask in the light of a new day.
Today that morning light came in the form of a brother in Christ who stopped in to share some of the prayers that are upon his heart.
I'm so encouraged by the light that is within him, the way he prays for people and lifts their burdens before God is something that few people will ever see or know. Yet it is my conviction that it is because of people like him that I and others can carry on not having the full weight of our own burdens upon our shoulders. So as the darkness will come upon the world around me once more I will anxiously await the dawning of a new day because I know that there are those who carry the light of Jesus Christ even in the midst of the darkness and I will see it all again.
May there be just enough light for you today to see the possibilities for a new day tomorrow.

Pull Up a Chair

Over the last couple of days I've been reminded in various ways how important it is to stay connected with people. It is so easy for me to get caught in a cycle of doing and being on the go that I don't slow down to simply talk to people about life. Yesterday in a small Bible study I was reminded how wise people can actually be when you stop to talk and listen to one another (thanks ladies for reminding me of that) and then a phone call from a long time friend that really lifted my spirits (thanks Joel!). Follow up all of this with some time to visit with my wife at the end of the day and I will have to say that yesterday was a good day.

Turns in the Road

Yesterday during our Bible study as we began looking at Galatians we got to talking about turns in the road and detours that we take.
When Saul had his conversion experience he didn't go straight into leadership. In fact he says that it took him a long time (years!) before he was in a position to be the person / leader he was to become.
One of the people made the comment that it was in those times when we couldn't see what was between here and our destination that God was doing the most guiding and shaping of who we are and who we are to become. So our assignment for the week is to look back at our lives for the detour that God used for the most good. (We also have to be as specific as possible).
I'll try to reflect and report on this later in the week but I think it is an excellent question.

Going Deeper

Time seems to wear away things. Time and water cut deep canyons into the earth (the Snake River Canyon pictured here). Time and age can create the understanding that not everything is worth worrying about. Time and trials make it possible to see the reality of God's presence in the midst of things as one looks back at the intensity of the moment. Time can wear you out or create something beautiful.
I hope I'm moving past the point of being worn out and pray that what God continues to create in me is something worthy of the trials that I have experienced.

It Just Keeps Coming

Sometimes it seems like life just keeps coming at me and I don't have time to breath. There is never enough of a break to look around and take stock of what needs to be done next. Right now I seem to be in one of those seasons where I am just responding to life rather than living into it.
This isn't to say that I'm upset with my life or anything like that, I'm simply in the midst of it and trying to swim as fast as I can to keep my head above water. I hope that the water will slow down soon and that there aren't any major falls ahead of me that I'll have to get over.

It has been a tough couple of months I have to admit. My wife has been having some health issues that keep her from embracing and enjoying life in the way that we would all want to experience. They aren't life threatening but they are still more than is easily handled. So we have been doing a lot of praying and talking about life and choices etc.
In the midst of all that I've been forcing myself to remember the majesty and glory of God. As a part of that I've been going back to memories of our trip last year to Alaska. I know not everyone is at the same place that I am but the mountains draw me close to the one who I believe has created them. So for you and me here is a picture from Lake Louise last summer.

Thoughts

I haven't posted a lot recently it seems and now I'm reflecting a bit on why that has been. It seems primarily that I have used this space for information and some personal reflection while not trying to spend a lot of time venting or exposing what is happening on a personal level with myself or those around me.
Because of that I haven't felt comfortable in saying a whole lot about things and I'm wondering if maybe I need to rethink what I share here. So I'll be asking some of those closest to me what they are comfortable with in me sharing here in a semi-anonymous way. (Obviously those who know me will be able to figure out who I'm talking about in many cases.) Until that happens I'll not venture down a path that will be uncomfortable for others until I get some of their permission.
If any of you have dealt with this tight rope I would appreciate your wisdom.

In other news, today I'm assisting in a wedding for Candace and Matt and I will thoroughly enjoy it!

Looking Back

This morning I took some time to look back over our pictures and notes from last summers trip to Alaska. It doesn't really seem possible that we were gone for as long as we were and that we saw all of these amazing places. It was a great reminder of God's power and majasty in all things and one that I probably need to remember on a regular basis. So today I want to post another picture from our trip just as my reminder that God is much larger than I give God credit for.

Big News

I can now officially share the good news!
Last week this press release went out from the Lilly Foundation.
The awarding of the Renewal Grant to Saint Joseph means that I will be able to take some significant time off next summer for a Sabbatical/Renewal Leave and that while I'm gone the church will also be spending some significant time focused around the opportunity for spiritual renewal. There will be a lot more information come this way in the weeks and months to come!
I've known for a couple weeks but couldn't make it public knowledge by putting it into print until the press release went out from the Lilly Foundation last week. So know I would invite you to share in my joy and I pray that this will be a blessing to the whole church as well my family and myself.

Some things to think about

I got this link through Monday Morning Insight thanks to Todd Rhodes and I would love to hear your responses. The focus of the article was on what qualifies for success. Here is a lists of things from W. David Phillips:

So today, I want to share with you some of the metaphors we listed (and some I came up with afterwards), of things we can count as a measure of success. But I need to issue a warning. You will have to think about these and you may push back unless you realize the metaphor. So don’t react…Ponder…

1. The number of cigarette butts in the church parking lot.
2. The number of adoptions people in the church have made from local foster care.
3. The number of pictures on the church wall of unwed mothers holding their newborn babies in their arms for the first time.
4. The number of classes for special needs children and adults
5. The number of former convicted felons serving in the church
6. The number of phone calls from community leaders asking the church’s advice
7. The number of meetings that take place somewhere besides the church building
8. The number of organizations using the church building
9. The number of days the pastor doesn’t spend time in the church office but in the community
10. The number of emergency finance meetings that take place to reroute money to community ministry
11. The amount of dollars saved by the local schools because the church has painted the walls
12. The number of people serving in the community during the church’s normal worship hours
13. The number of non-religious-school professors worshiping with you
14. The number of people wearing good, free clothes that used to belong to members of the church
15. The number of times the church band has played family-friendly music in the local coffee shop
16. The number of people who have gotten better because of free health clinic you operate
17. The number of people in new jobs thanks to the free job training center you opened
18. The number of micro-loans given by members in your church
19. The number of churches your church planted in a 10 mile radius of your own church

This is something that I've been thinking about lately as we ponder what it is that we should measure to track the results of our goals and objectives.

So what do you think?

Checking Back In

I'm not sure where all the time went between now and my last post but I haven't completely disappeared. I guess it has just been a tad busy and I've set the blog aside for awhile. This should be changing as I have some exciting news to share soon so I'll try not to hold it in for to long.

Just a quick reflection on stuff.
How can I accumulate so many clothes? It really doesn't seem like I buy clothes on a regular basis. In fact it can be months between the times I actually go into a store and buy anything for myself. But the other day everyone else was getting things ready for a garage sale so I went up and started grabbing some clothes to put into the sale. I came down with several arm loads and filled up a rack of pants and shirts that I haven't worn for awhile or no longer fit. Then I went in on Saturday morning and I couldn't tell that I had taken any clothes out. How did my closet get full again?

Quote to Ponder

Joseph Myers in his book Organic Community says:
"We can have some control over the environments in which community usually emerges, but we have little or no control over community actually emerging. We can intend for the process of community to begin, but we cannot create community intentionally."

I've been pondering this quote for the last day and a half and considering its implications. As Pastor of Community Life here at the local church I've pondered this reality for a number of years. It seems like we can lead some people to community but we can't make them really partake of it. We do everything we can to help people make connections and yet people seem rather content to sit back and come once a week (or even less), sit for an hour in a worship service, and then walk away content that they are a part of the community of faith. It could be that is exactly what some people need in their lives. They could very well be full of other relationships and groups that meet their needs for community and what they want and need in the church is found in the one hour they are here. However some of these same people come to me and say things like, "I've been attending here for ... and I really don't know anyone yet."

The reality is that I continue to look for ways to prepare for the possibilities of community developing but still find myself shaking my head and wondering why we don't get it right more often. Maybe the look of community that I have in my head isn't a real possibility in a large church setting and I need to make a fundamental shift in my understanding.
What do you think?

What to do

One of the things that I do is pastoral duties in a church that I'm on the staff of. But the question that roles around in my head often is, "What is a pastor?" That is followed with questions like:
What does a pastor do?
What is a pastor like?
What is it that people expect from their pastor?
In our Staff Parrish meeting last night we began to talk about these things a bit and the obvious answers is that we are not of one mind. This really didn't surprise me as it is a part of the tension that I have been feeling over the last couple of years. The problem with this is that it sets the pastor up for failure and disappointment.
At the leadership roundtable I attended the keynote speaker was talking about how every culture has both an "ideal" and a "reality" expectation of others. The ideal is the way the culture expects people to act in leadership and the reality is that which they know and see on a regular basis. As long as the reality does not vear to far from the ideal, or if the person is known well by the others then the reality of life is accepted. The problem arises when the leader ventures to far away from the ideal and acts just like everyone else.
Example: A pastor is supposed to serve God (what they really mean is serving the church) without regards to money. The pastor is well loved and appreciated and the church is looking forward to a long relationship. But the pastor comes to a point where the salary that is being paid doesn't cover the costs of raising a family. So the pastor goes to the leadership of the church and says, "I need more money to support my family." It won't matter how it is said or how honest the pastor is being. The church leadership will almost certainly be looking for a new pastor in a fairly short period of time. It might never come up as to the reason why, but the pastor has stepped outside of the bounds as to what is expected.
So what are the ideals that surround the pastor in my location? That is what I'm trying to figure out so that we can have at least an honest conversation as to whether those ideals are what we really want to live. I'm sure that it will be an interesting conversation as we go along.
Any suggestions?

Back Home

Yesterday was the first time in a very long time (before Christmas) that our whole family was together in one place. It was a nice moment and we celebrated with friends yesterday after church that our daughter was home.
The next couple of months will be interesting as we have four adults (and one dog) living in the same house. Our daughter will be home until the middle of August when she will leave for her senior year in college and then in September our son will be getting married and moving on to that next stage of his life (and taking the dog).
How did life get to this point? I really don't feel old enough to be facing this time in our children's lives. While I'm excited that they have grown up and are taking on responsibilities and opportunities for themselves it just seems like a few days ago when they depended upon us for everything they needed.
It can't be that I'm getting older. I refuse to accept that possibility.

She's Coming Home

If you can just sing a few notes of the Trans-Siberian song here you will get a bit of my joy today. I'm headed out to pick up my daughter as she returns from England. She has been gone from just before Christmas and I get to pick her up at the airport in several hours.



I'm praying that the flights all connect well and that she doesn't have any troubles with connections or customs. Assuming that everything works out as planned I'll leave the Purdue area around 4:30 and head toward Indy. If not I'll head the other direction and make the trek into Chicago to pick her up there.
One way or another we should both be home by midnight tonight.

Love Note

Today is our anniversary. My wife and I have been married for 27 years and I can honestly say that I would do it all over again. Sure there have been tough times, there is in everyones life, but that doesn't change the love that has taken root in our relationship.
Thanks for love and the grace that you give to me k.

Headed Out Again

There is always more to do than time to do it this time of year it seems. So on top of it all I'll be headed out tomorrow to the North Indiana United Methodist Annual Conference. I'll spend Thurs. Fri. & Sat. morning in gatherings of worship and business. I know a bit of a strange combination for some and at times the disconnect is rather abrupt, but for the most part it keeps things moving and flowing well.
The big issue this year is the final vote on merging the North and South Indiana Conferences.I know there will be a lot of discussion and debate and there are many people who are adamantly apposed to the concept. I in know way think that the new plan for the conferences together is perfect and will "change the world" in any way shape or form. But I'll support the change for one primary reason. - What we are doing now isn't working for the glory of God and all of our neighbors good! - Sure there are pockets of success and places that are really getting things right for the Kingdom of God. However the denomination in this area continues to lose members, there are far to many churches that haven't figured out that it isn't all about them but rather about God, and the hope that a slight tweak here and there is going to change that is just spitting in the wind.
So when it comes down to it I'll vote yes for the merger and pray that a bit of a shake up and the chance to do some things differently will move just enough people out of their comfort zones to rely upon God's power to change rather than their own skills, abilities, and wisdom to do what just hasn't been getting done.

If I can pick up an internet signal in the hall I'll do some live blogging over the next couple of days. If not I'll post as I can.

West Virginia

Yesterday started out cloudy and rainy and absolutely miserable and the weather report didn't promise much hope for it being a good day for photography. So I packed up and headed toward home rather than going back into the park. I took my time and went cross country through West Virginia and got lucky with some sun here and there to brighten up the day.
It was good to be away, but even better to be home.

Virginia

I finished up at the Leadership Roundtable and thought it went fairly well. It was nice to talk with others who have been and continue to work on the issues of servant leadership.
I got out of Virginia Beach and at the end of the day started through the Shenandoah National Park. The sun was setting but still had some beautiful views. Depending upon the weather I'll head back into the park tomorrow and hope to get some better pictures then.

Charts and Graphs

I'm reviewing my notes and statistics today for the presentation that I'll be doing on Friday at the Leadership Roundtable in Virginia. I've been out of the academic circles for a year now but it is coming back to me as I look over my notes. I'm looking forward to hearing what others are saying and doing in the areas of Servant Leadership and to get the responses from others into the research that I have done.
The reality that spiritual disciplines do make a difference in the formation of leaders is one that I'm trying to put into practice more intentionally and I hope that others will see some benefits in pursuing this area as well.

Looking

After a brief conversation with a friend yesterday I'm going to need to do some self-reflection. We have been talking together about where God is leading us both (he in California and me in Indiana). We have both come to the conclusion that we are not content to simply keep doing the same things in the same way and expecting different results. I'm at the point in my life where I don't want to do it my way any longer but I'm ready to do it God's way, whatever that way might be.
So one of the things that he suggested was that I look back over my life to those points where I've told God that I had enough. Not enough as in "I'm fed up" but rather enough as in I can't handle anything more of a good thing. So now I'm asking myself about those times when I've told God that I couldn't walk down that road because it didn't make sense or I couldn't handle the change that it was inviting me to accept. So if I seem a bit reflective in the coming days that just might be why.

How My Golf Game Feels @ Times

A Great Story

When we get tired of hearing about how bad things are along comes a story out of women's college softball that puts it all in perspective. What happens when a young lady hits a home run and hurts herself before she can make it around all the bases? Why of course the opponents pick her up and carry her around the bases.
If you haven't read the story yet check it out for yourself here.

Lucy!

Just a quick picture of Lucy for Kacie to see.

Kacie your brother's dog misses you and looks forward to you being home to play with her.

Boise Sunset

Sunsets are one of my favorite times. That time of the day when everything is winding down and the colors of the day take on a new look. Why though don't I stop on a regular basis and enjoy those moments of God's peace?

Probably because I get caught in the trap of thinking that while God might want me to be done with my day, I think I have more work to get done. I'm beginning to think that might be a problem.

Blowing in the Wind

So the picture is from last fall but it reflects a bit of what I'm feeling like right now. It feels like I'm being pulled, pushed, blown, in many different directions right now and what I really feel the need for is calm. I would love to have a few moments when I could simply breath and rest and clear my head so that I could listen for the still small voice of God that I know is speaking but is being drowned out by so much else.

Keep Thinking Spring

So we got past the weekend without snow!
It was a good, but very busy weekend. I got to finish off the weekend by preaching at Upendo and that was a great time.
Upendo is the Swahili service that is happening at our church on Sunday afternoons. Just for the record I preached in English not in Swahili. The music and singing was all in Swahili and that was a great time of praise and worship even if I didn't know what was being said. I knew that it was praise to God and that was enough for me. It will probably be a couple of months before I get back there again, but I'll be looking forward to the opportunity as well as taking advantage of any chance that might come up to make connections with the people attending that service.

Spring?

We can at least hope that spring is finally here. The flowers are out and the trees have begun to bud and flower and the last few days have been in the mid to upper 70's. It seems like it has been a long time coming and it looks like there will be some colder weather headed our way again and some rain here and there, but can we finally say that there won't be more snow until at least November?

The Earth Moved!

No it really did. The earthquake in Salem, IL early this morning moved things around a little. Even though I'm about 300 miles away I felt things move. In fact the water bed began to shake and the water moved. Now my wife sleeping next to me woke up this morning and said, "What earthquake?"
My friends in the west would probably say, "That wasn't even worth noticing." But hey in this area it isn't something that we are used to or think is something that should happen on a regular basis.

Couldn't Put it Down

Last week I used a coupon and gift card to pick up The Shack. It was recommended while I was in San Diego by Brian and TL and thought ok I haven't read any fiction for a while and I'll give it a shot.

Well I started reading it around 9:30 and by 10:00 p.m. I was into it when my wife went to bed. Finally I turned the last page at 2:00 a.m. and thought wow I haven't done that in forever.

I'll be talking about this book for a number of reasons in the coming weeks and would encourage you to go out and get a copy, read it and pass it on then talk about what it might be like to really have that kind of a relationship.

The only thing I would suggest is that you start it earlier in the day, I'm just beat this morning.

Pulling up a Chair

I've been blessed lately with several people who have pulled up a chair next to me and entered my life in a very special way. Growing up I never really had friends that lasted a long time as we moved fairly often. The longest we ever lived in one place was 6 years and then we would move again. Those moves meant making new friends while at that same time not knowing how long they would continue to be apart of my life.
I'm now at a different place in my life and enjoying some stability that allows friendships to grow in ways that I've really never known before.
So I just want to say thanks to all those special people that are pulling up a chair beside me and sitting for a spell. I hope that I'm returning the favor to you as well.

Marriage or a Christian Marriage

This weekend we will be focusing upon how faith impacts marriages. With all the statistics that are out there about the divorce rate and how little difference there is between those who attend church and those who don't people might wonder if it really does make a difference. I'm not going to get into the whole statistics question about 1/2 of the people married ending up divorcing because I just know that isn't correct. I've been doing weddings for over 20 years and averaging probably 10 a year and out of those approximately 200 weddings I only know of 2 that have been divorced. Now I haven't kept up with all those whose weddings I have performed but still there is no way that I'm getting even close to a number that is going to be half.
Moving on.
As I ponder this question I think there is an issue that many Jesus followers don't understand when it comes to marriage. To many people enter a marriage without knowing that the scripture that should be guiding their relationship is not 1 Cor. 13 "The greatest of these is love." but rather Matt. 10: 39 "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Until one or the other and eventually both parts of the couple figure this one out there will be tension. Sure love is great, even the selfless love of Jesus. But the love of Jesus was what led him to the cross and that is what we are called to in a marriage relationship as well. To give up our lives, to lose our wants, needs, and priorities for the benefit of a relationship in which Christ becomes visible to others.
If we all get this one figured out then the divorce rate would go down and the satisfaction level will eventually go up.

Prayers for Don and Karen

This weekend Don and Karen will be in the Phoenix area confirming a call to accept a ministry position in a church in that area. Why is that significant you might ask? Well outside of my wife and children Don is the friend who I have had the longest regular contact with on a personal basis. Don and I have met on a fairly consistent basis twice a month for coffee and conversation for the past 20 years. There have been a few breaks along the way during sabbaticals that we have both taken but we have always picked pack up and jumped right back in to our regular gatherings.
We have gone through the ups and downs of ministry together. For me the struggle of changing churches twice and for Don the struggle of making the decision to leave his current church after serving there for 20 years. We have prayed through our children's struggles and joys of growing up and starting out on their own. We have shared the hard times of wives illnesses and the joy of God's presence in the midst of things. I have had the joy of being witness to the healing in Don's life after a divorce and the joy in officiating his and Karen's wedding a few years ago.
Don has challenged me to be not just the minister but the man that God wants me to be and for that I'll always be grateful. He has been a steady influence in my life and one that I will miss greatly.
So today I just say thanks Don! My prayers area with you and Karen this weekend, may the calling be confirmed and may our friendship remain even with the 1882 miles that will be between us.

Living Vicarously

So I know that as parents we aren't supposed to live through our children, that it isn't healthy for them or for us. But reading over Kacie's spring break adventure just brought back a lot of good memories and gladness that she has been able to be in England and see some of Europe on her own this semester. I just can't tell you (or her) enough of how proud I am of her and how excited I am to see who she continues to become.

Only 40

Happy Birthday Eric.
Boy it sure seems like a long time ago when I turned 40.

Boundry Lines

I remember as a kid how important it was before starting a game that everyone knew where the lines were. If it was baseball you had to make sure that everyone knew that if you hit the ball over the fence along the first base/right field area it was a foul ball, but if the ball landed in the irrigation ditch you were automatically out. Then if you were playing basketball the question would be did you step out of bounds and thus turn the ball over or were you just close. Interpreting the boundaries were sometimes clear and other times not, but in almost every game you could count on their being some energy and time spent on arguing over who could call the boundaries in or out.
At the age of 47 now I'm wondering what boundaries are really worth arguing about. Is it possible that the boundaries we set in our lives are not always the best or most logical place to draw the lines? Is it possible that we might find God present in the "out of bounds area" even more than within the set boundaries? I don't know but it doesn't help when I read books like this one by Steve Taylor.

edit: As I'm reading this again it strikes me that I had better clarify just a bit. Yes there are very clear boundaries in life when it comes to relationships, etc.
What I'm thinking over and pondering are the spiritual / church boundaries that we establish of where and how the Holy can be encountered. Do we make artificial boundaries in life and expect God to only show up within those "safe" areas? Would Moses ever have expected God to show up in a burning bush? Maybe the bush had been burning for a long time and no one else had seen it because it was outside of their religious boundaries and so they weren't able to see the living God there.
I don't know, just some random thoughts that have been floating around my head for the last couple of days.

It was worth the time

I got a letter yesterday saying that the article that I wrote last week was accepted to be presented at the Leadership Round Table at Regent University in May. For all those folks who do this on a regular basis I'm sure it isn't a big deal but I don't think of myself as an academic kind of person, more as a want-to-be rather than as a real scholar, so I'm excited about it. I'm really looking forward to sharing what I found in the relationship between fasting and the growth in servant leadership tendencies.
Maybe no one else will be, but it is a small sliver of something that I think I'll be able to add to the discussion of servant leadership which is the whole point of a dissertation I guess.

What a Weekend

Finally the weekend is coming to a close.
Two weddings this weekend (congratulations to Bryan and Jennifer today and Kyle and Becky on Saturday) with rehearsals on Friday night and Saturday night. A worship service in the sanctuary on Saturday night and two this morning in the Worship Center with HEbrews Joe.
To tell you the truth as much fun as all of those things are individually I'm just pooped!
So after a couple of days of getting things ready for next week I'm hoping that Kathy and I can get away for a couple of days and just take it easy somewhere (somewhere warm would be nice).

Why?

Why did I say that I would have an article ready by Friday on my Doctoral research? Yes, I've planned on doing this and I've started it a couple of times, but tomorrow is Friday and I basically need to start from scratch.
The article is for a leadership gathering that I've been interested in attending but was already booked last year and knew that I couldn't attend so was planning on trying to attend this August. Well after Easter I'm catching up on all my e-mail that had been set aside during the midst of it all and I saw the invitation for papers for the MAY conference with papers due the middle of March. So after a couple of e-mails back and forth I'm blocking out most of today and tomorrow to see if I can't get this written and out of the way.
Your prayers are appreciated!

Walking Into the Dark without a Night Light

Today during a consulting group meeting at A Quiet Place we were invited to consider the benefits of darkness. Darkness that is not just physical but spiritual as well. As a part of the exercise we were invited to bring a part of us that we have kept in the dark into God's presence. Immediately I went to that need I have to be in control of myself. One thought led to another and before I knew it I was asking God where He was at in my childhood.
Now obviously I'm leaving out a few steps in how I got there and I'm not sure that I'm wanting to be that open and vulnerable right now in this place. But it leaves me with a lot of processing to do around the reasons why I fear/resist some things and embrace others.
The more I learn about how childhood and family history impact the ways I respond today the more amazed I am at how complex we are as people. What an amazing thing God does in our lives to bring us to a point that we can function semi-coherently and with more grace then we might give if we were only a product of our circumstances.

Bird in Hand

Here is a picture of the wood sculpture at A Quiet Place carved out of a tree trunk that was left after having to take down the rest of the tree.

I just find it very peaceful.

Post Easter

Easter day started out cold but clear for the Sunrise Service and then continued to improve for much of the day. This year I didn't preach/teach in any of the services but rather did a short Object Lesson to help kids (and adults) connect with the theme of the service. I must admit that it was a bit different but not a bad different not to be primarily in charge of one of the services. Russ and Shannon both did a great job in the sanctuary and in HEbrews Joe. It is great to be a part of a team that can really carry the message in powerful ways no matter who is leading.
I went ahead and led the Sunrise Service as I had less duties for the rest of the day. For the service I went through the Gospels and collected all the "Why" questions that Jesus asked. As I read through them and pondered their implications I was struck by how much I needed to really spend some time answering those questions for myself. So in the coming days we just might visit some of those questions for some self-analysis.
But today I'll just take a deep breath and get ready for another week that promises to be as full as last week. (Sermon to prepare, 2 weddings with rehearsals, and all the usual stuff that happens each week.)

View from the other side

I spent the noon Community Good Friday Service in the sound booth running Easy Worship. I thought the service went well from my perspective but I also gained some much needed perspective about what it takes our volunteers each weekend. It really is something that you have to pay attention to what is going on the first time. Our folks do a great job up there on a regular basis and I'm not sure how they do it when they have to listen to the same sermon 4 times on a weekend.
One of the things that I noticed though was how much more I could have helped out during the service if I had things a bit earlier and taken the time to work them through. I tried to include a variety of images that we could use during breaks in the camera shots so that we didn't have to go from one camera directly to another. I think that most of the time I was able to get decent pictures up there in a timely fashion. I was sorry that I wasn't able to get a picture of the painting up that Pastor Phil was describing though. The connection speed is just a bit slow in the sanctuary because of all the bricks and I had to try a couple of different sites before I could find the right picture.
Anyway the experience opened up my eyes to help provide some cues for the folks to be able to use and fill in their expressions of what is being communicated. So now if I can only follow through with a great idea.

Someone's Headed to Rome

My daughter is off travelling in Europe during her spring break from classes in England. She ended up making plans to be in Rome (not realizing that it is Easter weekend). So I wonder what she will experience in the midst of the pilgrimage to Rome this year. While I'm not really into the real traditional mass and liturgy I still think it would be kind of neat to experience. If you want to check out her travels she posts here, though you probably won't see much for a couple of weeks until she gets back from her travels.
It is exciting for me in many ways to hear about what she does and sees as I was at the same University in 1981. So now I get to hear about her impressions and remember my own travels. Though I got out my pictures a couple of weeks ago and they were sure fading. I don't feel like I'm that old, but I guess the days march on and time catches up with you.

Maundy Thursday Services

In a couple of hours we will begin our Maundy Thursday Services. We will include Feet Washing, a symbolic meal with foods from the traditional Passover Meal, a lot of conversation around the dinner tables, communion, and end with prayer. It never ceases to amaze me how this evening of remembering Jesus' last meal with his disciples effects people. When you have your feet washed or break bread together and have the chance to do so in the quiet reflection that comes with a night like this it just seems to get into your soul.
I wonder why there are churches who refuser to consider that possibilities of incorporating a feet washing experience into their Holy Week services? When Jesus says, "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet." Why can people ignore it so easily when they make other thinks so cut and dried and leave no room for debate?
Just wondering. Maybe you would like to share your experience of Maundy Thursday, please feel free to add your comments.

Closing Down the Store

In response to Starbucks recent early closing for retraining Gordon MacDonald thought about what lessons we might learn from this in church. He suggested;

"While the doors are closed, we might ask if the present way of doing church life really works. Does the generally accepted institutional system generate courage, wisdom, and solidarity in such a way that its people really do learn how to carry the servant-spirit of Jesus into schools, businesses, and neighborhoods?" (For the rest of the article check here.)

My initial reaction is that I'm not sure shutting down shop to have a time of retraining will do that much good. Isn't this really what happens on a weekly basis in many churches in North America anyway? The church gathers together with everyone knowing each other and not a stranger/visitor in sight and we continue on as if all is right with the world in God's eyes. Sometimes I wonder if people become more Christ-like in spite of the church rather than because of the church. So do we need retraining or do we need a reminder from the owner that if we aren't going to do business his way there are others who can take our place?

What?

So as far as I know Oral Roberts University sells itself as a Christian University. When this happens does anyone ask the question; "How does this reflect upon the image of Jesus in our culture?"
(thanks to Bradly Wright for the link)

Overloading on the Trinity

So I've posted recently on trying to teach/preach on the concept of the Trinity in the Christian faith. Now I thought I was going to be done with it for awhile and what happens? The next book on my to read pile was, The Path of Celtic Prayer by Calvin Miller, and he starts out by focusing upon the importance of the Trinity in the prayers of the Celtic people.
As Sheri said last night, once you start thinking about God as three in one it becomes difficult to think of them as separate.
Oh well, it must be the season of the Trinity for me.

So So

After preaching three times on the Trinity (maybe that is significant, maybe not) I think I did OK, not great, but OK. It really is a difficult concept to communicate and one that I think is not completely understandable. After all how can God be three and one at the same time? But folks were able to stay with things for the most part. I think I did a bit better this morning than I did last night (if you were at any of those services please feel free to chime in and give it a thumbs up or down). While I think the Athanasian Creed was helpful it wasn't one that people completely got into and said; "Yes, that's what I believe!" (Feel free to check out the full text here if you want to.)
So now it is on to another week and gearing up for Easter (both the best of times and the worst of times).

Trinity

OK, I've been working all afternoon on trying to find ways of teaching/preaching on the reality of the Trinity in the Christian faith and while I understand it in principle I'm having a tough time of figuring out how to engage people with it in a way that they can make it personal and a part of their lives.
The direction that I'm thinking of taking is to focus upon the concepts of the heresies that made the teaching of the Trinity so important. This way we can see that the Trinity even if we can't fully explain it or understand it holds things in tension and keeps us from falling into the extremes of one aspect of God over and against another.
I'll see how it all turns out Sunday afternoon.

Family Dynamics

I've been reflecting upon the the nature of family dynamics over the past couple of weeks after spending some time with my parents and sister and brother and their family's in Idaho. I spent a lot of time asking my parents about their families growing up. I never really new my grandparents and so I was asking about what they were like. It was interesting then to have them get out old pictures so that I could put faces to the personalities that they were telling me about.
As I heard about my grandparents I thought, well that begins to make sense of who my parents are/were while I was growing up. So then I began to wonder about what my children will say about Kathy and I? Will they look back on their growing up and think about their grandparents and say, "Now it all makes sense!" or will they say, "My parents aren't anything like their parents." I'm not sure I know how it will all turn out, but I know that I'm spending more time trying to figure out who I am, why I am the way that I am, and who it is that God wants me to become in the image of Christ.
All of this is coming together as I'm planning on leading a Wednesday night class after Easter on "Family Mapping: Why we are who we are." It should be fun.

Another Picture

Here is another picture from Zion National Park.

Home Again

So I got home last night, having made a fairly quick trip of it on the way home because I was ready to be home and because the weather was changing and going to be fairly nasty behind me.
Now I'm spending the day pondering. I'm trying to make sense of the experiences that I had in California and what they mean for my present and future. It would be nice at times if God would provide an owners manual along with life, but we just have to make do with what we can learn along the way I guess.
I'm guessing that as I make sense of things I will slowly reveal those things that happened in little ways here and there. Sorry to tease you with it all, but it just isn't formed clearly enough yet to make it a big public proclamation. So just hang in there with me please.

Just a Few Pictures

Before going to San Diego I drove down through the dessert and was impressed with the stark beauty of it all. Here are a couple of pictures from the drive.

What does Change Look Like?

Over the last several days God has been doing quite a work on my heart. It has been some hard work and much of it I don't really understand yet. I've been given a new name to ponder and a ministry focus to consider that is outside of what I would choose. So on my journey home I'll be testing these leadings. Testing to see what God might confirm and what might God might mold more clearly. I would appreciate your prayers in the midst of this, as I know that it won't be something that I can or want to do alone.
The door that God is opening seems to have everything to do with being faithful to the way of Christ and not being content to doing church as it has always been done. In this I know two things: 1) God will be faithful in the midst of it all and 2) it will be quite the ride.

When You Don't Expect It

While I won't go into a great deal of details right now I'm struck with the reality that God has this tendency to show up when I don't expect it or even necessarily want it.
I came out to this conference to learn a little, relax a little, and to catch up with some friends to renew my spirit. While these things have been happening I didn't expect God to show up and touch my heart in the ways and places that have been touched. It goes beyond the renewal of the spirit this time but through some very significant conversations it goes to the very context of who I am in God's eyes. I haven't got it all sorted out but there are some fundamental shifts happening in the last few days that are making me look at life and faith and how I function in the midst of that in a completely different way.
I hope some of you will be willing to step into this with me and see where God might lead us all together.

San Diego

I'm in San Diego now getting ready to head out to the National Pastor's Conference. Yesterday was a great trip down through the desert and across the mountains to the coast. It was a very beautiful and relaxing drive. I haven't downloaded my pictures from yesterday but will try to later and post some in another day or two. So until then here is another picture from Zion National Park.

A Sabbath Day

Because of weather I wasn't able to get as far as the Grand Canyon so instead I spent the day in Zion National Park. It was a great way to spend the day. While the weather was a bit overcast and some rain, it was still a trip worth taking.

There were many wonderful waterfalls along the canyon and the rain and melting snow added to their beauty.

Family Time

I left Boise this morning after seeing my niece play basketball. She is playing on an 8th grade team and it was a fun game to watch. Her team won with 16 seconds left as they broke a tie and the other team wasn't able to get a shot off. Unfortunately my niece fouled out with a couple of minutes left. She plays forward/center and is fairly aggressive just like my brother. I have a feeling that she will learn how to control her aggression a bit as she learns more about the game. Though being 5'7" a still growing I think any coach will take the aggression.
The time with family was nice. It was good to catch up with everyone a bit and just see what everyone was up to. I'm in Cedar City, UT tonight and planning on going down the the North Rim of the Grand Canyon tomorrow. I'd planned on going to Yosemite but the weather was not going to cooperate so decided that I'd check out the Grand Canyon instead.
I'll see about posting pictures tomorrow.

Travel Stop

I'm now in Boise for a couple of days of family connecting and that is nice. The trip out here went well even thought there was a lot more iffy weather than I had anticipated. I don't think I've ever seen that much snow in Wyoming and the blowing snow made the roads a bit slippery in places. But I still got into Boise around 4:30 yesterday afternoon and enjoyed catching up with my parents.

Ok this isn't where I stayed in Rawlins but it was nice to know that I could have if I had to.

Another Trip West

I left yesterday after worship for a trip out west to visit with family and friends as well as spend time at the National Pastor's Conference in San Diego. (I know it's a rough gig, but someone has to do it.)
Everything was going well yesterday as I made it through Chicago without even slowing down. It really is nice to have the I-80 work done on the south side of Chicago, at least on a Sunday afternoon it made it nice. I was making good enough time that I canceled my reservation at a motel just at the edge of the Iowa on the Mississippi river. I didn't think much of it when the desk clerk said, "Well if you change your mind we have plenty of rooms and they shouldn't fill up to fast as the roads between here and Iowa City are ice covered."
Well up to that time the roads were clear and just light blowing snow. Well four hours and a half hours later I made it the 180 or so miles to Des Moines. The roads were not bad most of the way, snow packed in some places, but cars in the diches all over. Most of them had been there for awhile, at least they were tagged with ribbons indicating that some emergency personel had checked them out. But there are some tow truck companies that are going to work long hours over the next couple of days and make a lot of money pulling everyone out.
I didn't stop to take any pictures yesterday, but I'll see if I can't get some up and posted tonight.
From here it is on to Wyoming.

Valentine's Day

Feb. 14 is Valentine's Day for those who just might have been living in an electronic vacuum the past 6 weeks. It is a day that I have a lot of mixed feelings about. Please understand that I am not completely unromantic as some people might think. However it is all the expectation that faces me whenever I walk into a store over the last couple of weeks. It has just gotten unbearable with all the red and pink offerings looking me in the face.
But isn't love pricesless? At least that is what the credit card company tells us after it encourages us to max out our credit limits in the process of expressing that love.
So today yes my wife will get a nice card and maybe dinner out (though it won't be really fancy, maybe something more than Taco Bell). But I'll find other ways to express my love than spending a lot of money this year (and probably next year and the year after that).

Just a hint for those guys out there that need one. I've been sending my wife a short e-mail everyday for over two years to an account that only she and I use. With the availability of free e-mail sites it is fairly easy to dedicate accounts that are just for the two of you. So each day, usually the first thing I do on the computer is write a brief note that says "I love you" in a different way each day. It really does help to say it early and often. Probably even more than rembering flowers on Valentine's Day one time a year.
(of course your milage may vary depending upon the year and model that you have)

Communicating

Thanks to a link that Shannon sent to me and the work I have been doing with our MyChurch page I've been doing some thinking about the ways that we communicate with one another now and how that is going to change in the coming days. I know that I'm not unique in pondering these things. In fact I'm sure that there are mnay minds that are considering the impact of technology and social networking on the future of religious communication.
I don't have any answers but as usual more questions than anything fully understood. I wonder how the connections of blogging and social networking on line will supplement the usual ways of doing church? I wonder if we can find ways of communicating more effectively through the use of technology so that it will raise peoples level of interconnectedness and depth of faith in ways that will impact the church in positive ways? Can web 2.0 interaction raise the level of faithful action without face to face interaction or are people just fooling themselves?
I don't have the answers but I'm sure that we will have to face some of these things sooner rather than later.
Do you have any ideas or suggestions? How about people or groups that are dealing with this in creative ways?

If We Have to Look at Snow

While it seems like there is just more snow on the ground than usual this winter in Indiana it would be nice if there was something for the snow to be on that was a bit more interesting.

This picture is from a trip to Alaska last summer.

Ash Wednesday

I grew up in a very non-liturgical church. Well ok, we had liturgy it just wasn't the traditional liturgy that many people associate with church. So when I came to SJ and it came time for the first Easter season I had never participated in the imposition of the ashes or really thought about the nature of the Lenten season as being a time for penitence and reflection. It just wasn't something that was a part of my experience.
Having participated and led this service for 9 years now I still haven't completely got my head and heart around it. Each year it seems there is something new that I learn or that surprises me about the moment. It took several years for me to come to grips with the reality of the ashes reminding me of my own mortality. I think it was two years ago when the whole repentence theme hit home. Now tonight I wonder what will it be? What new understanding will the Holy Spirit empress upon my spirit?
What about you? What does Ash Wednesday mean for you?

If you want to know a bit more about Ash Wednesday or Lent click through and check out these brief discriptions.

Snow Day

While it snowed here in Indiana last night most of this area decided that it should stay inside. The schools are closed and the office is almost empty (but I'm guessing that the mall will be filled and that there will be lines at the Hannah Montana movie).

I guess I would rather enjoy the snow and a little quiet to get some things done than to spend my day with hundreds of screaming pre-teen girls watching the latest craze. Sorry I just don't get the whole Hannah Montana and High School Musical thing. I guess it is just another sign that I'm getting old.

My Church

One of the additions we have made to our church web site is to add a link to MyChurch. It is one of the social network pages that is designed for churches to connect people. In a church of our size and with as many different services as we have it is a great way for people to make connections across the services. If you haven't checked it out follow the link above and sign-up. Then let me know how we might be able to utilize this web based tool.

What's the Competition

In a conversation yesterday I made the comment that other churches weren't the competition that we were facing. As the conversation continued it was decided that this weekend we would lift up several of the churches for prayer in our community. One of them of the same denomonitation and several others that were of differant denominations. As I have been thinking about it now this morning I wonder how people will respond to those prayers. One of those churches is now home to a number of people who once were a part of SJ. I know though that in the process of many people leaving to attend that church it became very necessary for me to pray for that church, their pastor's, and leaders or I would have become very bitter and negative. So I hope that others can embrace that prayer as well.
If the Kingdom of God wins than all who believe win! Why is it so hard for us to get that and truly embrace it?

Listening

Yesterday during the worship services I focused upon the reasons why people outside the church don't like Christians, churches, or organized religion. After listening to a lot of people and reading various things such as Letters from Leavers I was struck by how many people are simply turned off by our own narcissism. The reality that many Christians feel that it is all about them, what they believe, and what they "know" are the answers. In the midst of that narcissism they seem to forget how to listen. They seem to forget how to have an open spirit and to meet people where they are at before trying to get them to go to where they assume they need to be. Maybe it would help if we began to speak less, listen more, and let the Holy Spirit do more of the work than thinking we are the ones who have to do it all.
So will you join me in listening more and allowing Jesus to be presented in ways that are invitational rather than in your face? I know that we have a lot to overcome because there are far to many people who present Jesus in this way rather than as someone most people would want to follow.