So, today... I try to take Fridays off because it sure isn't a Sabbath on Sunday for a preacher.
And today Jessie is visiting a friend and it is Nadia and I. daddy-baby days I have been calling them for years now. I look forward to the days when I have a big chunk of time with one of the kids.
Nadia and I have played, snuggled, napped, walked around, had lunch... You can kiss a baby to sleep, and that is a wonderful thing.
When you say it's time to pray, Nadia says, "amen" and will continue saying it throughout the prayer.
Today she has been a love bug, constantly throwing up her arms for a hug.
I was reminded when I was holding her right after she woke up that we really need to cultivate that kind of place of rest. A place where there is perfect peace, perfect trust.
Tomorrow it's back to grinding hard, but today, God willing, will be an important time just re-creating with my family... Any wait for the boys to get home... That has always been my number one commitment, to carve out the real time to be with family. I don't want to be that pastor who loses his kids because they don't know him, or whose kids hate the church for taking their dad. Or wake up one day and realize how long it's been since we just hung out.
Have you had that experience with God? You know, you go to pray and realize it has been months since you prayed? Don't let it happen!
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Friday, August 26, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Prayer Meeting
I just got back from the men's Wed morning prayer meeting and I want to get some things down that are fresh on my heart.
This is a group of older men-- they won't mind me saying that, they say it all the time!
What strikes me first is that they know each other. To know and to be known is a blessing, especially within the bounds of the Church, within Christian love.
But this morning I realized that it has been a while since I have had a group of godly older men around me. Maybe 10 years, I guess. They have 50, 60, 70 years of Christian experience. It was great to hear their testimonies-- things like learning to pray as an adult; learning that your name is an important thing to guard; to hear from a doctor that color vision is a miracle he enjoys every day with the sunrise...
And a devotion from Philippians 3:12-17...
________
Yesterday after school, we all headed to Eagle Lake, at the back end of Morehead State. The previous pastor, Bruce Nettleton told me about it, showed it to me and said what a great place it is to walk. So we all went and walked around the lake. The boys loved it, I loved it, Jessie loved it, Nadia rode on my shoulders and loved it. Very serene, reminded me of Germany, get around a bend and forget how small the lake is and I was remembering the Bodensee...
_________
We have been having some "get acquainted" meetings with the church in different parishioners homes. It has been a greta chance to meet people and hear a bit more of their stories. I know I keep saying it, but Morehead is a special place. So many people say they came here in 56 or 77 to stay two years... what can you do? The lake, the hills, the small town with a university... an awesome Methodist Church...
This is a group of older men-- they won't mind me saying that, they say it all the time!
What strikes me first is that they know each other. To know and to be known is a blessing, especially within the bounds of the Church, within Christian love.
But this morning I realized that it has been a while since I have had a group of godly older men around me. Maybe 10 years, I guess. They have 50, 60, 70 years of Christian experience. It was great to hear their testimonies-- things like learning to pray as an adult; learning that your name is an important thing to guard; to hear from a doctor that color vision is a miracle he enjoys every day with the sunrise...
And a devotion from Philippians 3:12-17...
________
Yesterday after school, we all headed to Eagle Lake, at the back end of Morehead State. The previous pastor, Bruce Nettleton told me about it, showed it to me and said what a great place it is to walk. So we all went and walked around the lake. The boys loved it, I loved it, Jessie loved it, Nadia rode on my shoulders and loved it. Very serene, reminded me of Germany, get around a bend and forget how small the lake is and I was remembering the Bodensee...
_________
We have been having some "get acquainted" meetings with the church in different parishioners homes. It has been a greta chance to meet people and hear a bit more of their stories. I know I keep saying it, but Morehead is a special place. So many people say they came here in 56 or 77 to stay two years... what can you do? The lake, the hills, the small town with a university... an awesome Methodist Church...
Friday, August 19, 2011
Rejoice With Me!
Back at my first church in Winchester, the Mynhier kids were part of the youth group. John and his twin sisters, Mary and Martha. We had some epic adventures. A staple of life together was for me to say to them, "Now, when we get close to your house, I'm just gonna slow down, and y'all jump out. Remember to tuck and roll!"
This phrase, "tuck and roll," became a greeting and a good bye or just something we'd say at random moments.
I think I blogged a few days ago about getting back in touch with John. So imagine my surprise and joy when, walking down Main Street today I hear someone yell, "Tuck and roll!" I look and there is Mary! With her mom Arvilla!
I ran out into the street, almost got killed. But it was so good to see them, and to meet Mary's 4 yr old daughter, Destiny.
Arvilla is the reason we had such a huge garden at the Rock, a big part of the explosion of gardening in Lexington. Arvilla had a huge garden and kept me in beans, peppers, maters, corn, you name it. She wanted it to go to the hungry, so we began a program to make sure that we could get extra produce to the people who needed it. When I got to Lexington, I knew I'd want to do some gardening-- to feed the hungry, do some evangelism, but especially to beautify the neighborhood.
So while very few people may know Arvilla Mynhier, she was huge in getting some great stuff going.
You know, there are some people I have always known I would see again, would find again, no matter how often we lost touch or for how long. The Mynhier kids are in that category. It's another reason I was happy to come to Morehead, because they are from Rowan County, and I knew I could at least start on the trail of finding them.
But Mary found me first. Something as silly as "tuck and roll" brought a tear to my eye today. Rejoice with me!
This phrase, "tuck and roll," became a greeting and a good bye or just something we'd say at random moments.
I think I blogged a few days ago about getting back in touch with John. So imagine my surprise and joy when, walking down Main Street today I hear someone yell, "Tuck and roll!" I look and there is Mary! With her mom Arvilla!
I ran out into the street, almost got killed. But it was so good to see them, and to meet Mary's 4 yr old daughter, Destiny.
Arvilla is the reason we had such a huge garden at the Rock, a big part of the explosion of gardening in Lexington. Arvilla had a huge garden and kept me in beans, peppers, maters, corn, you name it. She wanted it to go to the hungry, so we began a program to make sure that we could get extra produce to the people who needed it. When I got to Lexington, I knew I'd want to do some gardening-- to feed the hungry, do some evangelism, but especially to beautify the neighborhood.
So while very few people may know Arvilla Mynhier, she was huge in getting some great stuff going.
You know, there are some people I have always known I would see again, would find again, no matter how often we lost touch or for how long. The Mynhier kids are in that category. It's another reason I was happy to come to Morehead, because they are from Rowan County, and I knew I could at least start on the trail of finding them.
But Mary found me first. Something as silly as "tuck and roll" brought a tear to my eye today. Rejoice with me!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Stoked
I hope all y'all preachers are stoked to preach this Sunday and every Sunday!
Have you stopped to think how good we have it?
We get to preach the Word!
Salvation in Jesus' Name!
Or what about this: we get to study the Word throughout the week!
I'm so pumped right now-- I get to sit down with about 30 pages from that great North African Bishop, Athanasius, to prepare for this Sunday's sermon!
I almost feel bad; I mean, they are paying me to go deeper in the Word! What?!?!
I only pray I can go deeper and point others to The Way!
Have you stopped to think how good we have it?
We get to preach the Word!
Salvation in Jesus' Name!
Or what about this: we get to study the Word throughout the week!
I'm so pumped right now-- I get to sit down with about 30 pages from that great North African Bishop, Athanasius, to prepare for this Sunday's sermon!
I almost feel bad; I mean, they are paying me to go deeper in the Word! What?!?!
I only pray I can go deeper and point others to The Way!
Monday, August 15, 2011
Faith
What is Faith?
It's not what I thought when I did not believe in God. In those days, I thought it was a crutch for weak-minded people who could not handle life on life's terms.
At best I may have said it was a kind of giving yourself over to a Fate you could not comprehend or predict, and so faith was a kind of spiritual wisdom, a kind of "let's see what happens.". But thats still just coping. It may lead to bold and extravagant living, but it is simply coping.
Faith, biblically speaking, is a sure and settled conviction that God is trustworthy because He has proven Himself trustworthy forever. There is very little leap of faith, it seems to me.
But what does it mean? What does it do?
Faith, before and after it's theological definition, makes the Word of God active in our lives. We not only find our trust miraculously placed in Jesus Christ, the promises of God become truer and truer with each new experience.
How else to describe the Christian experience of the Beatitudes, to take one example?
Blessed are those who mourn? How? If you have ever grieved and known the comfort of the Lord, then you know. In fact, you will take all the mourning you can get because God is close to the brokenhearted, and the blessings of His presence in the time of mourning is better than being free of mourning!
We are surrounded by a great could of witnesses who can testify to such phenomena in every aspect of their lives... The promises of God came to life, were made flesh in Jesus of Nazareth.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
It's not what I thought when I did not believe in God. In those days, I thought it was a crutch for weak-minded people who could not handle life on life's terms.
At best I may have said it was a kind of giving yourself over to a Fate you could not comprehend or predict, and so faith was a kind of spiritual wisdom, a kind of "let's see what happens.". But thats still just coping. It may lead to bold and extravagant living, but it is simply coping.
Faith, biblically speaking, is a sure and settled conviction that God is trustworthy because He has proven Himself trustworthy forever. There is very little leap of faith, it seems to me.
But what does it mean? What does it do?
Faith, before and after it's theological definition, makes the Word of God active in our lives. We not only find our trust miraculously placed in Jesus Christ, the promises of God become truer and truer with each new experience.
How else to describe the Christian experience of the Beatitudes, to take one example?
Blessed are those who mourn? How? If you have ever grieved and known the comfort of the Lord, then you know. In fact, you will take all the mourning you can get because God is close to the brokenhearted, and the blessings of His presence in the time of mourning is better than being free of mourning!
We are surrounded by a great could of witnesses who can testify to such phenomena in every aspect of their lives... The promises of God came to life, were made flesh in Jesus of Nazareth.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Preview of Coming Attractions
We had a great day of worship at Morehead United Methodist today. Good crowd, great music, freedom in preaching.
Sunday August 28 starts a new experiment! We have known for a while that we need a contemporary service. But... when? The single best time is Sunday at 11 a.m. But we already have a sublime service going on then. We decided that we would run them at the same time. In the new Wesley Hall I will preach right out of the starting gate, and then the service will enter the time of praise and worship, while I head to the sanctuary to preach in that service.
I am looking forward to it, because I will preach as often as anyone will let me! It's going to be different, a little strange, but I think it will bear fruit in the long run for us. We don't have any room in the sanctuary for new people... a GREAT problem to have!
This coming Sunday, I will be preaching on "What I Learned About Jesus in Las Vegas." I was in Vegas with John, who was 4 then. One afternoon while he napped, I went all Jim Wallis on the Gospels. That is, I started to read them closely, looking--not as Wallis did, for verses about the poor--but for verses where Jesus indicates that He is the only way to salvation.
This is a very offensive idea in our times. We are supposed to pretend that all religions are valid, that "we're all going to the same place, just by different paths." I don't buy it. But I wanted to look closely.
What I found shocked me: you'll be left with very little in the Gospels if you take out the parts that assume the exclusivity of Christ. At almost every turn, Jesus demands that we understand His uniqueness. Along the way, we'll unpack the meanest thing Jesus ever said...
Sunday August 28 starts a new experiment! We have known for a while that we need a contemporary service. But... when? The single best time is Sunday at 11 a.m. But we already have a sublime service going on then. We decided that we would run them at the same time. In the new Wesley Hall I will preach right out of the starting gate, and then the service will enter the time of praise and worship, while I head to the sanctuary to preach in that service.
I am looking forward to it, because I will preach as often as anyone will let me! It's going to be different, a little strange, but I think it will bear fruit in the long run for us. We don't have any room in the sanctuary for new people... a GREAT problem to have!
This coming Sunday, I will be preaching on "What I Learned About Jesus in Las Vegas." I was in Vegas with John, who was 4 then. One afternoon while he napped, I went all Jim Wallis on the Gospels. That is, I started to read them closely, looking--not as Wallis did, for verses about the poor--but for verses where Jesus indicates that He is the only way to salvation.
This is a very offensive idea in our times. We are supposed to pretend that all religions are valid, that "we're all going to the same place, just by different paths." I don't buy it. But I wanted to look closely.
What I found shocked me: you'll be left with very little in the Gospels if you take out the parts that assume the exclusivity of Christ. At almost every turn, Jesus demands that we understand His uniqueness. Along the way, we'll unpack the meanest thing Jesus ever said...
Friday, August 12, 2011
Can't believe I forgot...
I had a great lunch yesterday w Jay and Sue Barrett talking about missions.
There is so much going on, so much supported from Morehead: Peru, Kazakhstan, Mexico, local missions... Looking forward to Estonia
Morehead Methodist is a wild place-- so much ministry going on, so much happening... The mantra is keep doing what we're doing and add to it
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
There is so much going on, so much supported from Morehead: Peru, Kazakhstan, Mexico, local missions... Looking forward to Estonia
Morehead Methodist is a wild place-- so much ministry going on, so much happening... The mantra is keep doing what we're doing and add to it
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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