that was the week that was...

Is this how you remember Christmas?

Let's see--special worship services, kid's rehearsals, banquets, parties, gift-shopping, gift exchanges, gift returns, travel, cooking, wrapping, relatives...???

None of those things in and of themselves are bad, but the cumulative effect can be overwhelming. A purposeful and intentional management of time and a careful refocusing of attnenion on what truly matters helps...but the incessant expectations of the season are hard to ignore.

We traveled to San Luis Obispo to visit Bev's two sons and eight of our eleven grandchildren. Unfortunately, three of the four adults were sick and several of the children were fighting bad colds. I think a little viral breeze was in the air as well.

We managed to work between the two households, loved the grandchildren, carried the baby around (I think that's where I caught my cold),and generally enjoyed our quick trip. Bev's son who is a pastor is just coming out of a busy season and Bev's other son who is a small business owner is trying to manage the challenges of a diminishing economy. All in all, it was fast and fun time to be with family. We went to bed the final night both nursing sore throats and several days later Bev is still sick in bed with whatever she caught for Christmas.

We sandwiched in a long day at Stockton with my family--dinner, gift exchange, movie and a meaningful tiem of sharing together. Both my sister (broken arm) and brother (diabetes) are nursing fairly serious injuries so there was a shadow of concern that enevloped our time together.

So it is two days after Christmas. I resisted the temptation to take down the tree and box up the decorations (I did pack away the Christmas cd's which we have recyclced too many times). I want to savor the seaosn for a few more days and not get lost in "the week that was".

After all, this season represents more than a day, more than a week--it points to a pivotal day in history that potentially affects every other day and week we live.

I think I'll return to my easy chair and look at the Christmas lights one more time.

family dysfunction

I saw a holiday movie yesterday that mirrored a family's dysfunction. Elongaged sibling rivalry, marital infidelity, parental favortism, racial slurring, gang violence, intercity economics, broken relationships, war's scarring--all of these themes, and more, were molded into a ghraphic of a family out of sync. In the end, the underlying commitment of family members to one another, and a father's love for all of his family, resonate loudly in extolling the virtues of family love triumphing over family dysfunction.

I suppose all of our families have their own nuances of what others might perceive to be veiled neuroticism. There are family favorites ("She's the one who got the most attention!"), family secrets ("My parents always yelled at each other...and later made up...it was disgusting!"), family phrases ("If I have told you once, I have told you a thousand times...", family traits ("We like our fried food salted") and even family fashions ("All the men like to go without socks"), etc.

The holidays tend to bring us all together, and if these special occasions are left unguarded, tend to expose all of our family dysfunctions in living color. So what can we do about that before Uncle Ted and his six "wild" children arirve for Christmas Eve dinner?

1. Be purposely thankful for family; though imperfect, they are the only family we have.


2. Be passively forgetful about past unresolved family issues; allow kindness and forgiveness to rule the day.

3. Be positively hopeful that the holidays will provide new opportunities for trulyenjoying your...dysfunctional family.

After all, you are part of that family.

The light of the world...?

2008 may have left many of us speechless. Faced with a hugely divisive national election, the virtual “collapse” of the stock market, the plundering of individual savings and retirement accounts, the burgeoning unemployment rates, the financial bailout of banks and automobile companies…is it any wonder we are out of breath? And what can we say that accurately reflects our sense of justifiable concern and even outrage?

In the midst of such turbulence and turmoil stands the church. That may sound a bit dramatic but I see it as significant. I think of the words of Jesus to His disciples when He informed them, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand and gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 NIV

People around us our floundering. Having placed their confidence in the stuff of this world, the foundation has literally been ripped away from under their fragile feet. The church, I believe, has an accelerated opportunity to be a voice for hope and a vehicle of help in these almost desperate times. It is a time to speak up—not a time to be speechless.

In the month of January we will be challenging you with this verse, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” Matthew 16:26 NIV
Our topic, “Christianity: Finding a Faith that Works-Living a Life that Matters”, will be covered with four specific challenging messages—“Radical Faith”, “Revolutionary Mindset”, “Resurgent Living” and “Reckless Abandon”. Coupled with these will be our annual Gifts Fair on January 21st and our annual Day of Celebration on Sunday, January 25th, concluding with a potluck fellowship following our morning worship together. You won’t want to miss any of these special services…mark your calendars today!

How will we respond to the opportunities of 2009? What do we as believers have to say? What light do we have to shed in a world darkened by unmet needs and failed expectations? We can turn inward and concentrate on the immediate needs of “keeping the lights on”—not an unimportant task—or, we can “turn the lights on” and carry that light into our community, our places of work, our families, our sphere of influence. And we do that, I believe, in part when we do “good deeds” or, things that lift up Christ-- pointing men to Him—and they are led to give praise to our “Father in heaven”.

These are days to look up and reach out. These are days to speak up and shout out the message of hope in Christ. The gospel is “good news”, something not found in the front pages of our newspapers nor heard from our television pundits who share the tragic stories each week of human failure. The “good news” helps us lift our eyes away from the deceitful promises and the disappointing products of our dependence upon ourselves. It forces us to turn to the light of the truth of God’s word and a life of fulfillment we can experience in Christ, even when our world is diminished and darkened by evil.

2009 is here. What shall we say? What shall we do? Let’s stand together, like a city on a hill that cannot be hidden or ignored. Let’s carry the light of His Word and the message of transformed lives into a world that is watching…and waiting for the church to speak up and live out its faith consistently.

The grid and grit of human relatrionships

"Why can't we just all get along?"

That thought has more than once echoed in the corridors of my heart as I have sought to mediate relational problems. In my own life, I have had to take a close look at the part of me that exacerbates conflict and I have had to ask myself, "What value is there in insisting on being right in this situation?" More often than not, therein lies the fertile ground of division--my need to be right, or my "rights"!

It seems in recent weeks I have observed a proliferation of relationship issues; perhaps it is the season. Families come together and long-term issues, often ignored, are reignited. It is also a time when people are inordinately stressed--shopping, spending, special events, etc. The combination of all of these factors--and the predictable unpredictability of human emotions coupled with pride--creates a distasteful recipe for conflict.

How do we move through the grid of difficult human relationships? How do we deal with the grit of hurt feelings and unresolved conflict? There are, obviously, no magical formulas that can catapult us to the instant euphoria of peace, but there are some things we can individually determine for ourselves to "as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone", Romans 12:19.

Here is a list of questions I have formulated for myself in assessing difficult relationships, or, as Joyce Landorf identifies them in her book, relationships with "irregular people".

What can I own that belongs to me that has contributed to the the tension? What have I done to deal with the part of my responsibility I have owned?

If I have not done that, am I willing to take the first step to acknowledge my part and to ask forgiveness of the one I may have offended?

If I have dealt with my responsibility appropriately, what part of what is unresolved can I relinquish? Can I release my feelings regarding this without ownership of responsibility on the other person's part?

If I am stuck here, can I set boundaries for myself that will redefine the relationship on terms that allow for my willingness to forgive and "move on" while at the same time protect me from further hurt from someone who "just doesn't get it"?

God's grace is the defining enabler in situations where resolution seems impossible. "Be kind and compassionate one to another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32). This scriptural admonition includes the "each other", and implies reciprocity or mutual participation. Take the first step by obeying God, and, then, relinquish the rest of it to God. Do not make your healing dependent upon the "adversarial" party's response, and be held hostage there.

Rid of the grit of your own anger and hostility you are now free to move through the grid of relational difficulty and to find a place of personal peace--even if that "irregular person" has not responded as you hoped.

The Christmas season can be a time when you extend a gift that may not be returned, but you will be blessed, and others potentially as well, "because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" II Coriunthians 9:14.

glasses

I recently had my annual eye check--thirty months actually--and was relieved to find I had no glaucoma or signs of diabetes-related eye disease.

Close inspection revealed a cataract forming on my right eye, but my left eye was almost 20/20. Between the two eyes and the resultant correction--one sees better at a far distance and another up close..what's with that?)--I can merge the two and see pretty well. I have about 2-3 years before the cataract has to be dealt with, and I am more than willing to wait.

I have trouble in the morning focusing. Either the sleep in my eyes has sealed them, when I have slept well, or, the morning light is almost blinding, when I have tossed and turned all night. The eyes, I am discovering, are a sensitive commodity, and they deserve my care and attention.

The new glasses are bifocals and require a downward look when I read and an upward posture when I am looking ahead. Sometimes I get confused and the resultant fogginess and stumbling make me feel like I am in the advanced stages of "senioritis". When I steady my focus--as prescribed by my vision correction--I get around fine.

I think I need new glasses for the new year. All too often my perception of things up close gets "fogged" because I look through the lens of long distance and think, "It's never going to change". On the other hand, occasionally I take a look at the long-term through my up-close lens and I mutter to myself, "This process will be too painful".

Once in awhile I get it right. I take a look at the short-term through the right lens and I can see the value in the process in which I am engaged. Occasionally, as well, I peer anxiously at the long term and realize that meaningful change does not happen overnight, and I draw a deep breath and thinking about ebjoying the ride.

Christmas is coming; I'll take a new pair of glasses!

thanks-living

It's a big holiday celebrated with lots of good food, family and friends. It's a great time to reconnect with loved ones and to reminisce about past times. It's a sports fan's delight--this year there are three NFL games on Thursday! It is a time when we stop for a moment, hopefully, and express our thanks to God for His goodness and faithfulness.

It is Thanksgiving! And I can't wait to join our church family in serving the needy of our community and then rush home to eat a delicious home-cooked meal (Bev is a super cook!) with my wife, four of our children and eight grandchildren!

But then--all too soon--it will be over. That food that took hours to prepare will disappear in a matter of moments! yes, there may be some leftovers to munch on the next few days, but it will be gone with alarming quickness.

And we will wait another year to celebrate..and to be thankful...?

I hope not!

The easy transition from a day to a lifestyle is to think of "Thanks-living", not "Thanks-giving". That requires the dsicipline of reminding myself that every day truly is a day to be thankful and then determining to live my life as an expression of that thanks each day.

How can I do that?

1. Begin each week with an expression of thanks for something specific in your life, i.e. family, food, clothing, work, health, etc.

2. Think of someone who is needy in any or all of those areas.

3. Do something for them that week. Pray for them, call them, visit them, give to them.

As we live out our thanks by giving to others, "Thanks-giving" and "Thanks-living" are merged together.

And this holiday becomes more than a quickly-passing day.

It becomes a way of life. Thanks-living!

Deference

In the realm of human relationships deference is an unpracticed virtue. In the church--an arena in which I reside--the scriptural mandate is to "in honor prefer one another", a difficult assignment for any and all of us...especially when we know we are right!

The early church addressed this when Paul urged a local congregation to find a place of agreement "in the Lord" as theyw orked together, assigning them the responsibility of helping one another as an urgent task to be fulfilled as a high priority (see Philippians 4:2,3).

I shared recently with my staff a simple acrostic taht I will identify below, as a part of the actual process of derring to one another.

D-etermine to listen

E-xpect difference.

F-lex where possible.

E-nact a plan of action.

R-econcile without delay.

Listening is critical---without preparing a response in advance which is counter-productive to hearing what the other person is saying.

Expect differences--even diagreements. Our perspective are different--and even helpful--in dissecting a decision or formulating a plan.

Be flexible in a position you take, unelss it violates a principle of conscience. Sometimes we leave little "wiggle room" for matters of taste and preference.

Be prepared to act on what you share, resisting the temptation to simply leave things unaddressed while anger and bitterness accrue.

And, finally, do it quickly. Be reconciled to one another and don't allow your differences to be divisive.

We may have to defer to one another, not at the risk of coerced compromise, but through the investment of building and presevering our relationships.

good-bye

People move on...when they leave the church I serve--often for a variety of reasons--I always have to process how I feel about that.. Whatever the case, I always feel bad...and sad.

A close friend is joining a parachurch organization and will spend most of his time in Alabama. It is a good thing he is doing, but I will miss him.

A family in our church who have served well will be moving to Southern California and relocating for work. It is difficult to see them leave because they are such a viable part of our church family.

That's the whole thing in a nutshell, I guess. We are family. And we hate to lose those we have come to love.

They will be missed, but they will, hopefully, make a similar impact in another part of the family of God. Though we will be for the moment sad here...we will be glad for their new home.

Good-bye and God bless!

Election reflection

It has been two days since I went to bed realizing that what I suspected was, in fact, coming true. Our country is facing new direction. How do I feel about that? My first line of response Wednesday morning to my wife as we prepared for devotions was that we should take hope in the seed of truth that Obama testifies too when he identifies himself as a "born again Christian". These are his words, not mine. When I pray for him, as we are instructed to do for all of our leaders (Romans 13). I will specifically pray that those seeds will flourish to a place of discernible and demonstrable fruitfulness as He guides our country.

I have read several "dooms day" prognostications regarding Obama's presidency that I want to counter with some hopeful, yet realistic, expectations, based on Obama's promises as a candidate for change.

1. Let's see young people who came out to vote in record numbers continue to be involved on the front lines of social action, volunteering to feed the hungry, build homes for the disabled and clean up the streets of their neighborhoods, with a new interpretation of caring for the earth.

2. Let's pray the now-enabled and energized middle class will be able to keep their houses, pay off their credit cards and demonstrate fiscal responsibility--even if it means contentment with less--in a changing economy.

3. Let's hope the now more highly-taxed upper class won't lose their desire to excel and compete,as a response to being "penalized" for making too much money, and that they will keep their businesses open for profit that employ a huge sector of the American work force.

4. Let's challenge colleges to hold the line on their expenses and costs so that our taxes aren't accelerated to fulfill the pledge to make college more affordable. Let's connect college students with work programs provided by small business men who are mutually benefited. (I worked when I went to college...)

5. Let's agree that every life lost in war is a tragedy and let's pursue the best way to bring our soldiers home without undermining the bloody cost of what already has been done. Let's pursue an orderly withdrawal and an appropriate commitment to the task that remains.

6. Let's see what can be done to control the escalating costs of health care and reduce the fraud and red tape that has paralyzed the system. Rid of the potential for bureaucratic snafus and overpaid middle men, maybe more people can manage affordable health care. Let's be careful not to remove from the health care ranks those already scraping to pay for their care because now they must now underwrite those who pay nothing.

7. Let's make sure we recognize state's rights and not ask the Supreme Court to micro-manage what individual states have sought to manage at home. For example, Californians don't need someone to rule again on whether the will of the people has legal certifiable precedence in affirming traditional marriage.

8. Let's don't be lured into a false sense of security because our preoccupation with a plunging stock market and haunting recession turned our attention for a moment away from the capricious governments of Afghanistan, North Korea and Iran (and there are more), who by their own admission would terrorize this country (and the world, as needed) with the construction of nuclear weapons (like those "not" found in Iraq).

9. Let's don't allow slumping oil prices to cause us to forget the enormous profits of companies like Exon-Mobil that continue to outrage the average vehicle operator. The oil crisis is, unfortunately, what it is manipulated to be by the fickle hand of the suppliers who control its production, and the billionaires who profit from their machinations.

10. Let's dare to dream that Obama can be more than just another presidential candidate with magnetic ideas, an enormous pocketbook, and convenient campaign rhetoric. He has set the agenda. Let's see how he does, and pray that it does not cost too much.

We have been here before.

why pray?

I have been asked that question several times and the rationale for asking is based on several familiar points of conjecture...

"...if God is sovereign and has already decided what He is going to do, why should we pray?"

"...if God already knows the end from the beginning how can we possible alter His divine plan?"

"...if God is going to do "His will"--as well He can--what is the purpose of prayer?"

The context for such questions generally revolves around issues like the necessity of voting, the concern for unsaved loved one and the inevitability of suffering and death. Why pray if God has already "cast His vote?"

Several very simple reasons come to mind.

1. God commands us to pray.

2. God invites us to come to Him boldly in time of trouble to find "grace and help".

3. Jesus prayed, and set an example for us. Why would He have prayed knowing full well the Father's plan?

4. The Word of God promises results if we pray, i.e. "the fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (KJV).

5. Prayer acknowledges my confidence in God and affirms my dependence upon Him.

As the election nears, I will cast my vote with he confidence that I have prayerfully done what I should have done and then, I will rest in the results with the certainty that God is in control.

As I pray for unsaved loved ones, I am reminded that God loves them more than I do, and I can know He will exhaust His resources in calling them back to Himself.

And, as I counsel those going through suffering, and some facing death, I am grounded on the promises off God's word and His assurance He will stand by us, strengthen us and, in the end, save us for eternity.

That's why I begin every day with prayer and my default system in any situation is "Pray!"

how much stock do we take in the stock market?

I met with a financial advisor today. Ouch.

The monies we have placed in the stock market for retirement are about 50% of what they were three months ago. Retirement is merely a dream for me today.

As we try to salvage our remaining funds I am struck for the moment with a sense of panic. I feel sick to my stomach.

I am remembering that there are literally millions of people in our country who have lost their homes, their savings--some have lost their pensions with failing companies. Where will they turn? What will they do?

Psalm 31 closes with these words, "Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord". I am asking myself...

1. Is my hope in the Lord?

2. If it is--and I insist it is--why should I feel weak and sick?

3. Will I, then, "take heart"?

I'll let you know how well I do; at this moment I am praying that God will help me refocus my faith in Him...and not take so much stock in the stock market.

what makes me want to vote...

These are two of my eleven grandchildren, and this picture is as fresh as this morning's e-mail.

These are two of the reasons I will vote November 4th. Actually, I am going to mail my absentee ballot in tonight.

My vote will reflect my values and my commitment to the Word of God as the final authority in matters as critical as these which face our country.

1. My vote will reflect my commitment to the sanctity of life.
2. My vote will resonate with my affirmation of traditional marriage.
3. My vote will recognize the importance of a Supreme Court that honors the Constitution.
4. My vote will reaffirm my rejection of socialism and the coerced redistribution of wealth.
5. My vote will rally the hopes of our troops who are sacrificing their lives for our country overseas.
6. My vote will reassess the perils of increased taxation on people like us.
7. My vote will render support for caring for the needs of the less fortunate by encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit of our nation's people.

I am voting because I want my grandchildren to enjoy the blessings of this country that have been preserved for me to enjoy...and I want them to keep smiling...

the importance of my vote

As a believer I am overwhelmed with the importance of the coming election and all that it portends for our country. My concerns about issues that are rooted in the truth of God’s Word motivate me as we faithfully pray for our country. Issues of economics and national defense are the front page news items but the political debauchery and moral decay of our country are hugely responsible for the mess we are in. Political solutions and military strategy will not change what is wrong with our country.

The abandonment of our commitment to the sanctity of life impacts the issues of abortion and euthanasia so that at each end of the life cycle there are repercussions. Our treatment of individuals whether as prisoners of war, aging citizens of society, illegal aliens working in our country, or unprotected babies in the womb reflects our value of life and the choices we make to secure it.

Where I am most frightened as a pastor, father and grandfather is in our state court’s decision to overturn the voter initiative approved by 61% of Californians in 2000 that simply said, “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California”. Four activist judges in San Francisco disregarded the people’s vote so now a constitutional amendment is in place to restore the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman in State Proposition 8.

A “no” vote on this proposition bas been characterized by ProtectMarriage.com this way. “…the sanctity of marriage will be destroyed and its powerful influence on the betterment of society will be lost. (it)…would result in the very meaning of marriage being transformed into nothing more than a contractual relationship between adults. No longer will interests of children and families even be a consideration…The marriage of a man and a woman has been at the heart of society since the beginning of time. It promotes the ideal opportunity for children to be raised by a mother and father in a family held together by the legal, communal and spiritual bonds of marriage. “

Porposition 8 protects the people’s will about preserving marriage. It is not an attack on the gay lifestyle nor does it take away any rights or benefits for domestic partners. It protects our children from being taught in public schools that same-sex marriage is the same as traditional marriage. It also protects churches from being prosecuted for teaching that homosexuality is sin, a basic biblical doctrine.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome has said, “If we lose, our movement will be dealt a blow that will set us back on a whole range of issues.” He is right. The attempt to redefine marriage will have succumbed to the will of the people once again. And traditional marriage as we know it—as God’s Word defines it—will be preserved.

You may feel ambivalent about the national election. Frankly, though the issues are of infinite importance, I have had difficulty being excited about either candidate. Moral issues, however, and the future composition of the Supreme Court in addressing the content of these, is a deep concern of mine and is a determination in how I will ultimately decide my vote.

For Christians, there should be no confusion about Proposition 8—Democrat, Republican or Independent. The Bible is clear about marriage. Ephesians 5 reminds us of the unique relationship between a husband and a wife and Ephesians 6 about their relationship as parents to their children. To alter that is an assault on everything for which the Word of God stands.

And it is reason enough for everyone of us to vote on November 4th. Do it prayerfully.

FIREPROOF

Mondays Beverly and I usually go to the movies; at least we try to. More often than not, we give it up because we cannot find anything that meets our criteria as worth watching.

But yesterday we agreed to see "Fireproof", a move about marriage. We knew the people who produced it as also produced "Facing the Giants", which we loved even though the acting was mediocre. We were not disappointed; in fact, I spent most of the time wiping tears from my eyes (I cry more the older I get) as I relived some of the pain of divorce and thought about couples I know that are in the throes of walking away from their marriages.

Actually, I was so impressed by the movie that I drove to the place where a young man works who is in the process of divorce to encourage him to see the movie.

The movie is unapologetically "Christian" and has as its basic premise that reconciliaiton is only possible through God's divine help and discovering what it means to truly love Him, so we can love our mates as we should.

It is not corny, it is not poorly-acted or produced. It has a high degree of proefessionalism and a moving message about what can happen when two people--bent on divorce--decide to "dare to love" each other.

Sadly, this movie will die a quick death. It will not be shown in many theaters and, unless the word gets out, will die for lack of support.

I am telling you "Go see the movie!", and if you know someone struggling in their marriage, take them along!

walking

My friend, John, and I just completed a 45 minute brisk walk along the Mokelumne River, which winds its way through Amador County. I can access a walking road about one mile from our church. It always amazes me that no one is ever walking along its beautiful paths...and then I remember I only walked there a couple of times this summer myself.

Last night I returned home after a long twelve hour day and following dinner, I took an hour walk through the meandering hills of my beautiful neighborhood.. I did not encounter one other person walking and enjoying the cool evening air of a late summer evening.

I love my walks, whether with a friend like John who listens to me mumble and grumble about politics, movies we have seen and wish we hadn't and the occasional adventures of our children.

I love my walks by myself, as well, sometimes with music blaring in my ears to drown out my thoughts, and other times, quietly mulling over issues that in the frenetic pace of a much too busy life often get ignored.

Francis Chan suggests that "on the average day we live caught up in ourselves. On the average day we don't consider God very much. On the average day we forget that our life is a vapor."

A walk helps me separate the mundane and trivial from the things that really matter. Sometimes politics, movies and adventurous stories of our children are never rehearsed in an arena where they can be processed and evaluated with a caring friend. They are simply swallowed up by time and space and subconsciously comparmentalized as worth rememebering or not.

A wlak helps me focus on things I might otherwise skip over, and when alone I am forced to listen to my own breath (if I leave the MP3 player behind),a nd I am reminded then that life is but a vapor.

Here today, gone tomorrow.

I think I'll take another walk.

seized by the moment

At dinner this week my nephew had a seizure. He was not aware of what was happening, could not remember it when it was over, Glazed eyes and drastically-reduced awareness punctuated his brush with a small seizure but this was followed by a dramatic event at his home the next day, resulting in him being rushed to the emergency room at the local hospital. At 33 he probably has epilepsy. There have been five confirming events in the last week.

I have reflected on that "dead" face, with no emotion and reaction, and the effective verdict that during those thirty seconds my nephew essentially was not there. Though physically present, he was mentally and socially absent. He was totally untouched by everything happening around him. Seized by the moment--and whatever was happening to him physiologically--he was "absent though present".

I have wondered how many moments of life I am "absent thought present". I get so cuaght up in what i am doing that I am impervious to the world around me. Though not physically impacted, I am "seized" by the self-indulgent pursuit of what I think needs to get done in the moment.

And in those moments I miss things. More importantly, I miss people. I miss my famiy. I miss what really matters.

Thankfully, my nephew is on a regimen of medication to control his seizures to insure he has no more of those "absent though present" moments.

For me, I am determined to not be "seized by the moment" and blinded to the things that really matter around me. Seeing my nephew staring with glazed eyes into space is medicine enough for me take stock of my sometimes frenetic activity.

sadness

I have been overwhelmed by a deep sadness this week. A friend of mine who had been ill for awhile died, another acquaintance tragically drownded, a personal firend in ministry is struggling with a huge loss, a young couple with young children is separating, a young lady left for jail though a victim of heinous abuse, and the list goes on.

It is not as if weeks are ever without dealing with other's pain and sorrow and suffering. But this week just seemed especially hard.

What do we do when we are sad? Where do we turn? I turned to Psalm 27 and I
have reflected upon these words to replace my sadness with the confident hope I have in the Lord.

"The Lord is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear.
The lord us the stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid?
When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh,
When my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.
Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear;
Though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.

One thing I ask of the Lord, this what I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
To gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.
Fopr in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling;
He will hide me in the shelter of the tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.
Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me;
At His tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the Lord.

Hear my voice when I call, O Lord; be merciful to me and answer me.
My heart says of you, 'Seek His face!' Your face will I seek.
Do not hide your face from me; so not turn your servant away in anger;
You have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Savior.

Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.
Teach me your way, O Lord, lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.
Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes. for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.

I am still confident of this:
I will see the land of the good enss of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."

death of a vision

Tragedy can snatch a vision from one's grasp without warning. An acquaintance of mine birthed an inner-city work that was ravaged by a horrible flood and he is just now resurfacing in a new ministry. Another personal friend who works with young people recently experienced the untimely death of a young person under his care struck by lightening. He is processing his grief and grappling with God's purpose in continuing his ministry there.

How the enemy wants to gut our vision of something grand and beautiful for God! He will do everything he can to discredit us, discourage us, divide us, destroy us. He knows that if he can get us looking at the wrong things, he can kill the vision that we have.

Staying focused on God's call and not being deterred by the concerted efforts of the enemy to change our view of things by causing us to look away from what God has called us to do is a matter of disicpline. I am reminded of Hebrews 12:2 where we are challenged "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame..."
The death of a vision comes when we cease to look at God and allow our eyes to only see what is around us, not unlike Peter, who walked on water until he took his eyes off of Jesus. He sank and would have drownded, if not for Jesus' hearing his cry, "Lord, save me!", Matthew 12:22ff.

Don't let your view of things be shaped by circumstances; instead, look at Jesus, and keep your vision clear and focused. Don't let the enemy steal what God has shown and revealed to you by obscuring it with obstacles. Hold on to it tightly and see God's plan and purpose in the middle of the storm.

Appropriate pride

"Proud" was how I felt at our most recent worship service at Grace Fellowship! I know pride is a bad thing but in this case it was, I think, appropriate.

Our youth led the service on Sunday--greeting, ushering, leading worship, acting in a skit--and our youth minister preached his first sermon. For all of us at Grace it was a day to thank God for how He has blessed our youth ministry, even though we have never had a numerically large group. We have operated with a ministry philosophy of building a core group of teens who loved the Lord and lived out their faith.

The results "on display" Sunday...

*Our worship leader began as a thirteen year old just learning to play the guitar, taught by our then youth minister (now our associate pastor). Kyle is a student at Biola University.

*Our pianist, Tessa, has grown up in our church and recently graduated from high school.

*Our man who led in prayer, Brian, is a product of our associate pastor's youth ministry and now works as a volunteer with our teens.

*Our skit team was composed of five teenagers, including our associate pastor's daughter, Morgan, who was five when she arrived at Grace.

*Our missionary spotlight was given by Beka, recently returned from four weeks in the Ukraine as a completion of a class project from Simpson Bible College.

*Our "offerng leader", Richard, found Christ a couple of years ago out of a life of drugs, and now works with our teens and is headed for Moody Bible Institute in January.

*Our speaker, Christian, is now our youth pastor, though his roots go back to earlier days when we supported him as a young missionary doctor in Guatelmala while he was in the service.

It is no wonder I am smiling...and "proud" in an appropriate way...of our kids at Grace and our ministry team who serves them faithfully!

Getting ready for the fall...

FROM THE PASTOR
“Getting Ready for the Fall”…that was going to be how I entitled this short piece for the church newsletter and then I noticed there was a possible double meaning hidden in those words. I want to be sure that I cover all bases so no one is left wondering, “What did he mean by that title?”

I just returned from a week away at the ocean, a favorite of mine for deep thinking and meditation. It was restful there, and unburdened by the cares of everyday life, I was able to find time to think about things that really matter—my ministry, my marriage and family, and my future—all things that are of critical importance. I am excited about ministry, I am committed to my wife and family, and I am trusting God with our future. That is how I would summarize all the ponderous issues that can be examined in these areas with an unavoidable measure of angst and worry. Ministry is always characterized by balancing need concerns with areas of growth; marriage and family issues always revolve around whose hurting or what can I do to help? And my future at age sixty…? Am I making the best investment of the resources I have?

“Getting ready for the fall” involves for me an inventory of what we are doing that is good and what are we doing that needs to be improved. It also begs the question, “What are we not doing that needs to get done?” Our staff will have met by the time you read this and have spent a day discussing all of these valid concerns as we seek to be good stewards of the responsibilities of leadership. We will be seeking God’s direction as we try to “fine-tune” the calendar and schedule for the balance of the year. I will be preaching from the book of I Peter beginning in September, and will be joined by Pastor Mark, in teaching the truths of this letter written to people who were going through really hard times. Some of our church families are experiencing the same so this book seems appropriate for us at this time—and for our ministry to other hurting people.

“Getting ready for the fall” for me means as well increased discipline and accountability as the weather cools and I move inside for more exercise…and, potentially, more “holiday-inspired” eating. It is also a time to guard myself against the unrealistic demands of heavy programming and heightened expectations that I tend to place on myself. What is critical here is for me to seek to please the Lord as I minister for Him.

“Getting ready for the fall” could mean something much more ominous. There is an election on the horizon that frightens me and some measures on our state ballot that are of huge importance as we seek to affirm the importance if the family and what a marriage relationship ought to look like. There are many religious political pundits who are forecasting a “fall” for our country if we make certain choices that signal an acceleration towards our own demise. “Getting ready for the fall” means for me that I will exercise my votes carefully and prayerfully and not fatalistically sit back and watch what I fear may happen, actually happen, because I chose not to vote. “Swing Vote”, an average movie, has a singularly important message in its hypothetical story—one man’s vote can make a difference. So get ready for the fall by being totally engaged in the political process. There are lots of ways to make your vote seem bigger than one.

“Getting ready for the fall” is a challenge I have already begun to embrace. I have re-examined my schedule, sorted through my priorities and am in the process of making some choices that may signal a fresh direction for my life. Why not join in the adventure?