Following Monday, I haven’t been in the office this week. It’s not a vacation or a busy schedule. In fact, it’s just the opposite. I’ve been having a “Selah.” Selah is a term that Bible scholars don’t always know how to translate—in fact, some have called it the most difficult word in Hebrew to translate. (I’m not a Hebrew expert… but I dare say there are a lot of difficult Hebrew words to translate. So for “Selah” to be in the conversation as the “most difficult word” then probably this little e-mail is not going to do justice to the hours of scholarship needed to adequately discuss the word). Whew…. having given that disclaimer, the most basic and simple translation of the difficult word, “selah” is based on the possibility that it is a musical term (it’s found a lot in the Psalms) and means something along the lines of “Stop and Listen.” So with that perspective as my guide, my goal this week has been to “Stop and Listen” to the Lord—selah, in other words.
What exactly does that mean? What does it mean “to stop and listen” to the Lord? It means that I am trying to put aside all distractions so that my entire focus can be on God.
How do you do that? I’ve gotten away (not far, just away.) I’ve unplugged the TV. (No Democratic National Convention, no ESPN, and no Seinfeld reruns for me this week). I originally wanted to have internet access in my room where I am staying and originally they said I would have internet, but when I got here—I don’t. I now think that’s a good thing. (Didn’t someone preach on godly “detours” recently?) I think God wanted me to be more on my knees than on-line.
I have determined to focus on prayer and fasting. So to that end, I am praying a lot and listening a lot and skipping at least one meal a day. I am using the Psalms as a guide. In these three days, I will read all 150 psalms. Not in one sitting. It’s not a race. It’s more like a three day journey. So I will read them (no more than 10 at any one time, and then pray.) Sometimes, I will put some praise music on my MP3 player and sing along. (I hope these walls are thick! The manager hasn’t called to complain… yet). Sometimes, I have gone on a prayer walk. Determining to pray for the sights and sound and things and reminders that God has put in my way. Sometimes I have been journaling. Sometimes I’ve read other Christian’s words on their spiritual journey. (I’ve liked Henri Nouwen’s stuff the best).
Here’s a good quote from Nouwen: “If we really believe that God not only exists but also is actively present in our lives—healing, teaching and guiding—we need to set aside a time and space to give God our undivided attention.” Not to be outdone, here’s a good quote from Jesus on the subject: “Here’s what I want you to do: find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.” (Matthew 6:6, The Message). That’s I want this “selah” to be about!
Throughout this time, I have been seeking the Lord in regard to the church and to my own journey with God. Quite frankly, I have felt like the “batteries were a little low lately” and needed a fresh charge. I think the Master is providing that. As I write these words, I am about half way through the journey and already sense a keen closeness to the Shepherd. God and I have had some heart to heart chats so far. I’ve been honest, and He’s been faithful. “Sweetness” is one way to describe what’s going on.
God is giving me rest too (another thing I desperately needed.) For those of you who know me well, you know that sleep and I are sometimes strangers. I wake up early no matter what time I go to bed—frequently getting by on just a few hours of sleep each night. Moreover, when I am away at a hotel or someplace not called “home”—it is usually worse. But guess what? Last night I went to sleep at 10 PM and I didn’t wake up until 7 AM (for me that is majorly sleeping in! Nine full ours of sleep? Are your serious? Wow! God knows what I need this week—and he is providing.
And the last part of this Selah week is to map out some directions for Central and goals and do a little sermon series planning too (through the end of 2009). As I prepare for the months ahead, I really have needed to take time to seek the Lord for his purpose for the next 18 months or so at Central. He is providing that too—I think we will have some great sermon series and great days in the coming months!!
So that’s where I’ve been this week. I am thankful to you and the church board for allowing this time of solitude and rest. I think I will be a better pastor, husband, dad, and person because of this time with the Lord.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
I can't wait for the Weekend!
This weekend is going to be great!
Saturday is the youth BURGER BASH. It is one of their yearly outreach events. Be praying for a great night!
Following that, I am going to sneak into our Saturday Night Arabic service-- I've been hearing great reports about what God is doing.
On Sunday, it will be the first time since the beginning of Summer that I will be preaching both AM services and the Night service too. In the Morning, I am really excited about this week's message "iServe with Joy." And in the Sunday @ Six, I'll be wrapping up the Summer series: Being a Person of Integrity from James 5. We will be meeting in the Student Center in the PM Service--
And keep praying for our Spanish Service. Last week, two young men who had never been in our church before, were here and accepted Christ! How about that!!!!
God is working!
Saturday is the youth BURGER BASH. It is one of their yearly outreach events. Be praying for a great night!
Following that, I am going to sneak into our Saturday Night Arabic service-- I've been hearing great reports about what God is doing.
On Sunday, it will be the first time since the beginning of Summer that I will be preaching both AM services and the Night service too. In the Morning, I am really excited about this week's message "iServe with Joy." And in the Sunday @ Six, I'll be wrapping up the Summer series: Being a Person of Integrity from James 5. We will be meeting in the Student Center in the PM Service--
And keep praying for our Spanish Service. Last week, two young men who had never been in our church before, were here and accepted Christ! How about that!!!!
God is working!
Olympics and More Olympics
This week, like most of you, I have continued my nightly ritual of watching the Olympics before bed time. Last week I watched a lot of swimming. This week’s it’s been gymnastics. In both weeks, I’ve gotten a little less sleep than normal.
In the swimming competition, it was easy to determine the winner. There’s a pool. There are swimmers. The first swimmer to touch the wall after swimming one or two or four laps wins. Pretty simple. And as we saw, Michael Phelps (from the University of Michigan, by the way) was the first to touch the wall in all of his races—once by merely .01 of a second. Wow!
But gymnastics is not like that. Gymnastics is much more complicated-- judges decide the winner. Judges that can be subjective and political and down right dumb. (I have had some conversations where I have made the case that if a judge decides the winner then it’s not really a sport. It’s a competition maybe. It’s an athletic endeavor, no doubt. But does that make it a sport? )
Of course, in the Gymnastics competitions we’ve all complained about the Chinese girls who “look like they are twelve but their government issued passport says they are sixteen so they must be sixteen” snafu. Not so in swimming. There’s a pool. There’s a swimmer. Who’s fastest? Period. (Well, actually “question mark”… but you know what I mean).
Not only that, when I was a kid a perfect 10 was the best score a gymnast could get. Remember Mary Lou Retton? She got a ten. She was the winner. Simple. But now, a “10” won’t get the pint sized, whirling dervish on a four inch beam even into the final round. A "perfect 10" in gymnastics is not so perfect any more. I remember that a pretty girl used to be called a “10.” It meant that she was incredibly gorgeous. Now when I see a pretty girl (read: Karla, of course!) do I have to say she's a 16.725? That just doesn’t have the same romantic zip.
All this is to say, I am ready for track and field or basketball or some of the other sports that are not going to be decided upon by a judge.
Of course, the Bible says that one Day, we will all stand before the Judge. On that Day, He will not be concerned on whether we could do a perfect jump or flip or pirouette. (And thankfully, He will not care if we can spell “pirouette” either, which-- just to let you know--took me a couple of tries before I was successful.) On that Day, Jesus said: But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.
34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.'
37 "Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?' 40 "And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'( Matt 25:31-40)
On that final Day, no “10’s” will be given out. No “16.725s” either. Unlike at the Olympics, when all is said and done, I won’t need a gold medal or a bouquet of roses. There need not be a podium and the National Anthem doesn’t need to play. On that Day, all I will want to hear is one thing: “Well done my good and faithful servant.” That’s it. If I hear those words from the Master, then I won’t care one bit if a gold medal is dangling around my neck. Besides, for those who hear the Master’s “well done,” in the place where they are going, gold is used like we use asphalt-- to pave the roads!
The Judge is paying attention. Are you living your life in a manner that will result in a “Well done!” from the King? Are you running to win the prize? In the end, it’s better to have gold under your feet than around your neck.
In the swimming competition, it was easy to determine the winner. There’s a pool. There are swimmers. The first swimmer to touch the wall after swimming one or two or four laps wins. Pretty simple. And as we saw, Michael Phelps (from the University of Michigan, by the way) was the first to touch the wall in all of his races—once by merely .01 of a second. Wow!
But gymnastics is not like that. Gymnastics is much more complicated-- judges decide the winner. Judges that can be subjective and political and down right dumb. (I have had some conversations where I have made the case that if a judge decides the winner then it’s not really a sport. It’s a competition maybe. It’s an athletic endeavor, no doubt. But does that make it a sport? )
Of course, in the Gymnastics competitions we’ve all complained about the Chinese girls who “look like they are twelve but their government issued passport says they are sixteen so they must be sixteen” snafu. Not so in swimming. There’s a pool. There’s a swimmer. Who’s fastest? Period. (Well, actually “question mark”… but you know what I mean).
Not only that, when I was a kid a perfect 10 was the best score a gymnast could get. Remember Mary Lou Retton? She got a ten. She was the winner. Simple. But now, a “10” won’t get the pint sized, whirling dervish on a four inch beam even into the final round. A "perfect 10" in gymnastics is not so perfect any more. I remember that a pretty girl used to be called a “10.” It meant that she was incredibly gorgeous. Now when I see a pretty girl (read: Karla, of course!) do I have to say she's a 16.725? That just doesn’t have the same romantic zip.
All this is to say, I am ready for track and field or basketball or some of the other sports that are not going to be decided upon by a judge.
Of course, the Bible says that one Day, we will all stand before the Judge. On that Day, He will not be concerned on whether we could do a perfect jump or flip or pirouette. (And thankfully, He will not care if we can spell “pirouette” either, which-- just to let you know--took me a couple of tries before I was successful.) On that Day, Jesus said: But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.
34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.'
37 "Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?' 40 "And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'( Matt 25:31-40)
On that final Day, no “10’s” will be given out. No “16.725s” either. Unlike at the Olympics, when all is said and done, I won’t need a gold medal or a bouquet of roses. There need not be a podium and the National Anthem doesn’t need to play. On that Day, all I will want to hear is one thing: “Well done my good and faithful servant.” That’s it. If I hear those words from the Master, then I won’t care one bit if a gold medal is dangling around my neck. Besides, for those who hear the Master’s “well done,” in the place where they are going, gold is used like we use asphalt-- to pave the roads!
The Judge is paying attention. Are you living your life in a manner that will result in a “Well done!” from the King? Are you running to win the prize? In the end, it’s better to have gold under your feet than around your neck.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Wild Goose Chase (Book Review)
Mark Batterson, author of a book that I have recommended in the past (In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day), has a new book coming out tomorrow. Guess what the title is? Central folks you should love it, the title is: Wild Goose Chase.
And like our Wild Goose Chase Sunday Nights—when we pursued the Holy Spirit—this books is all about pursuing the Holy Spirit. It’s about getting free from the cages that so frequently bind us (things like guilt, failure and fear), and chasing after God sized dreams.
Here’s an excerpt to which I would give a “Preach it!” and a hearty “Amen” to:
If you would describe your relationship with God as anything less than adventurous, then maybe you think you're following the Spirit, but you have settled for something less--something I call inverted Christianity. Instead of following the Spirit, we invite the Spirit to follow us. Instead of serving God's purposes, we want Him to serve ours. And while this may seem like a subtle distinction, it makes an ocean of difference. The result of this inverted relationship with God is not just a self-absorbed spirituality that leaves us feeling empty; it's also the difference between spiritual boredom and spiritual adventure.
Listen, if you have been trapped into some spiritual boredom… read this book. In fact, I have a free copy of it to the first person that sends me an e-mail asking for it.
And like our Wild Goose Chase Sunday Nights—when we pursued the Holy Spirit—this books is all about pursuing the Holy Spirit. It’s about getting free from the cages that so frequently bind us (things like guilt, failure and fear), and chasing after God sized dreams.
Here’s an excerpt to which I would give a “Preach it!” and a hearty “Amen” to:
If you would describe your relationship with God as anything less than adventurous, then maybe you think you're following the Spirit, but you have settled for something less--something I call inverted Christianity. Instead of following the Spirit, we invite the Spirit to follow us. Instead of serving God's purposes, we want Him to serve ours. And while this may seem like a subtle distinction, it makes an ocean of difference. The result of this inverted relationship with God is not just a self-absorbed spirituality that leaves us feeling empty; it's also the difference between spiritual boredom and spiritual adventure.
Listen, if you have been trapped into some spiritual boredom… read this book. In fact, I have a free copy of it to the first person that sends me an e-mail asking for it.
(If you want to know more about Mark Batterson or the book check out: www.chasethegoose.com. Mark’s 10 Steps to Setting Life Goals.)
And if you aren't the first e-mailer to me--and you want to spend your own hard earned money-- you can pick up Wild Goose Chase at a Christian Bookstore around town or at any of these places:
www.amazon.com
www.barnesandnoble.com
www.borders.com
www.cbd.com
www.familychristian.com
www.parable.com
Speaking of A Wild Goose Chase, we are wrapping up our Sunday Night Series from James this Sunday Night… It will be a Wild Goose Chase night… plan on a great night in pursuing the Spirit!
Weekend Recap
The Weekend services were great!
- Our Mission team from Iowa returned and told how it was a good trip-- but much more work needs to be done to help the flood victims!
- Saturday Night's Arabic service was very good from all reports.
- Both AM English services were great as we looked at "iServe using my gifts,"
- In the Spanish service-- two men gave their hearts to the Lord! Awesome-- it was the first time they were in our church, too!!!
- And in the Sunday @ Six, Pastor Cory did a great job in continuing our study from the book James.
This week-- we will continue iServe in the morning-- "iServe with Joy" and in the Sunday @ Six, I will wrap up the James series. Of course, both the Arabic and Spanish Services will be worshipping too!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
The Olympics and Central
If you are like most Americans, you have been tuning into the Olympic Games. You’ve been seeing the American quest for Gold and Silver and Bronze. You’ve been watching “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.” Me too. And as I’ve watched, I’ve come across a few questions and lesser known facts from the Beijing Olympic Games that in some cases pertain to Central Church in Lenexa. For instance:
1) Michael Phelps, the Gold Medal Machine, eats between 10 and 12,000 calories a day! A day?!? Wow! That is closing in on the caloric intake possibilities of all who will be at Central for our annual Labor Day Sunday Picnic on August 31!
2) With the news coming out of China that during the Olympic Opening Ceremonies some of the fireworks were fake and a little girl singer was deemed to not be cute enough to be seen worldwide (the so-called homely kid was replaced with a more cute, lip syncing replacement), I want to assure the good people of Central, that we have never used phony fireworks in any of our services and according to his wife, Julie, and his mother, Diane, our resident singer Pastor Kevin is more than cute enough.
3) How come the guy beach volleyball players are wearing shorts and t-shirts and the girl beach volleyball players are wearing not much more than dental floss? Is modesty only a male event? (Don’t ask the male synchronized divers that question—they have their own modesty issues.)
4) We have been kicking around the idea of having a Synchronized Baptism Event at Central, but have decided that since we have no underwater cameras, a small baptistery, and questions whether the baptismal robes would be a help or a hindrance for a Synchronized Baptism Event—we have decide to “tank” the idea (pun intended).
5) If “Central Super-Counter” Ruth Vail were in China—we would not only know the exact ages of those “aren’t even close to 16 year old” Chinese Gymnasts, but we would also know why those little 12 year olds weren’t in Sunday School last week.
6) Gossima, Whiff-Whaff, Flim-Flam and Ping-Pong are alternative names for the Olympic event known as “Table Tennis,” but in my basement that same game is referred to as “The game that no one can beat dad in.”
7) Speaking of “The game that nobody can beat dad in” (Ping Pong), should it even be an Olympic sport? And if ping pong makes the Olympic cut, why not have other basement games like pool, darts, air hockey, foosball and, of course, video games? If video games were an Olympic sport, I know some basement dwelling, Nintendo 360 playing Centralite teenagers who could quite possibly qualify for the 2012 London Games.
8) And while we are adding Olympic events, since Badminton is an Olympic event, why not have other back yard activities like croquet, lawn darts, and, better yet, outdoor grilling as Olympic Competition? I have tasted some of the barbequing of some Centralites and I would say it is “world class” and gold medal worthy. Yum! Who knows -- with a Hibachi, a little practice and just the right marinade maybe I could be an Olympic class Barbequer too!
9) I have other burning questions about some Olympic events that I wish Bob Costas or someone at the NBC studios would answer for me, such as:
a) Isn’t “Women’s Yngling” missing a vowel? Can’t we buy yngling a “U,” “O” or an “A” from Pat Sajak? In case you don’t know, yngling is a sailing event. There is also a sailing event in the Olympics called “49er.” I think a San Francisco football fan had something to do with that name.
b) Why do the synchronized swimmers wear a nose plug? The weird kid in my swimming class growing up wore a nose plug? Don’t you think those swimmers should know how to swim without a nose plug? You don’t see Michael Phelps wearing a nose plug.
c) Apparently “Men’s Trap” has nothing to do with a gold digging woman looking for a “Sugar Daddy.” Men’s trap is a shooting event. Strange but true.
d) And “Women’s Sculls” has nothing to do with anatomy or pirates or poison. Sculls is a rowing event. Who knew?
I might not get answers to my Olympic questions in the sport pages of the newspaper, but there are some life answers in the sport pages of the Bible (You didn’t know that there is a Sports Section in the Bible? There is. Check this out:) Paul writes: Don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. (1 Corinthians 9:24-26 NLT)
How is your race coming along? Are you running to win an eternal prize? Paul says to “run with purpose in every step!” In other words, make each step of your life meaningful, thoughtful and faithful!
1) Michael Phelps, the Gold Medal Machine, eats between 10 and 12,000 calories a day! A day?!? Wow! That is closing in on the caloric intake possibilities of all who will be at Central for our annual Labor Day Sunday Picnic on August 31!
2) With the news coming out of China that during the Olympic Opening Ceremonies some of the fireworks were fake and a little girl singer was deemed to not be cute enough to be seen worldwide (the so-called homely kid was replaced with a more cute, lip syncing replacement), I want to assure the good people of Central, that we have never used phony fireworks in any of our services and according to his wife, Julie, and his mother, Diane, our resident singer Pastor Kevin is more than cute enough.
3) How come the guy beach volleyball players are wearing shorts and t-shirts and the girl beach volleyball players are wearing not much more than dental floss? Is modesty only a male event? (Don’t ask the male synchronized divers that question—they have their own modesty issues.)
4) We have been kicking around the idea of having a Synchronized Baptism Event at Central, but have decided that since we have no underwater cameras, a small baptistery, and questions whether the baptismal robes would be a help or a hindrance for a Synchronized Baptism Event—we have decide to “tank” the idea (pun intended).
5) If “Central Super-Counter” Ruth Vail were in China—we would not only know the exact ages of those “aren’t even close to 16 year old” Chinese Gymnasts, but we would also know why those little 12 year olds weren’t in Sunday School last week.
6) Gossima, Whiff-Whaff, Flim-Flam and Ping-Pong are alternative names for the Olympic event known as “Table Tennis,” but in my basement that same game is referred to as “The game that no one can beat dad in.”
7) Speaking of “The game that nobody can beat dad in” (Ping Pong), should it even be an Olympic sport? And if ping pong makes the Olympic cut, why not have other basement games like pool, darts, air hockey, foosball and, of course, video games? If video games were an Olympic sport, I know some basement dwelling, Nintendo 360 playing Centralite teenagers who could quite possibly qualify for the 2012 London Games.
8) And while we are adding Olympic events, since Badminton is an Olympic event, why not have other back yard activities like croquet, lawn darts, and, better yet, outdoor grilling as Olympic Competition? I have tasted some of the barbequing of some Centralites and I would say it is “world class” and gold medal worthy. Yum! Who knows -- with a Hibachi, a little practice and just the right marinade maybe I could be an Olympic class Barbequer too!
9) I have other burning questions about some Olympic events that I wish Bob Costas or someone at the NBC studios would answer for me, such as:
a) Isn’t “Women’s Yngling” missing a vowel? Can’t we buy yngling a “U,” “O” or an “A” from Pat Sajak? In case you don’t know, yngling is a sailing event. There is also a sailing event in the Olympics called “49er.” I think a San Francisco football fan had something to do with that name.
b) Why do the synchronized swimmers wear a nose plug? The weird kid in my swimming class growing up wore a nose plug? Don’t you think those swimmers should know how to swim without a nose plug? You don’t see Michael Phelps wearing a nose plug.
c) Apparently “Men’s Trap” has nothing to do with a gold digging woman looking for a “Sugar Daddy.” Men’s trap is a shooting event. Strange but true.
d) And “Women’s Sculls” has nothing to do with anatomy or pirates or poison. Sculls is a rowing event. Who knew?
I might not get answers to my Olympic questions in the sport pages of the newspaper, but there are some life answers in the sport pages of the Bible (You didn’t know that there is a Sports Section in the Bible? There is. Check this out:) Paul writes: Don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. (1 Corinthians 9:24-26 NLT)
How is your race coming along? Are you running to win an eternal prize? Paul says to “run with purpose in every step!” In other words, make each step of your life meaningful, thoughtful and faithful!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Ten Things I didn't learn in seminary
A friend asked me to put together a list of ten things that I didn’t learn in seminary about ministry but would be good to know if I were just starting out. (Wow… I must be getting old. No one asked me those types of questions a few years back when I was the new preacher kid on the block. Now I’m viewed as the wily seasoned veteran. UGH! I feel like I should say, “Come here, grasshopper, and I will share with you great wisdom.”)
Knowing I write this little letter on Thursdays, I thought, “Hey, maybe I can kill two birds with one stone” (sorry PETA). I could make the list for my friend and send that same list to my Thursday e-mail friends (besides I think there are some principles at work here that are good for everyone, whether in full-time ministry or not). So, from the wily veteran pastor to all you whipper-snappers out there in cyber land, here’s my list...
1) Grow spiritually. Sermon preparation and Bible study preparation are no substitute for personal private time with God. It is so easy for those of us in full-time ministry to seek God for others instead of seeking God for ourselves. The best ministry happens out of the overflow of what God is doing in our lives!
2) Be positive. Attitude really is everything. Let me just say it like it is: negativity stinks. Make Zig Ziglar look like a sad sack. Be the most up-beat, positive pastor your folks have ever had.
3) Have fun. We all have bad days. We all have long days. We all have days that we wish we would have stayed in bed with the covers over our head. But if ministry isn't enjoyable you need to try a new gig.
4) Make mistakes. What? That’s right… don’t be afraid of mistakes. If you aren’t making mistakes you aren’t experimenting enough. Everything should be an experiment. Part of the deal in experimenting is tripping up and falling down and learning how you got there. (Isn’t it weird that tripping up and falling down leads to the same place… face down in the mud?) Mistakes aren’t the problem, making the same mistake over and over again— staying in the mud--that’s a problem!
5) Always strive for excellence! A healthy dose of divine discontent is good! Strive to keep getting better and better at whatever you do.
6) Be not afraid of tough and loving conversations. Life is too short to hold a grudge. Use John 1:14 as your conversational model. Jesus was full of grace and full of truth. Truth means I'm going to be honest no matter what. Grace means I'm going to love you no matter what.
7) Most stuff is small stuff. Most stuff that happens in a church isn’t HUGE and earth shattering. Most stuff is rather manageable especially if you keep in mind that the garbage still needs to be taken out on Wednesdays and the dog needs a bath. In other words, life goes on. Don’t be consumed by the small stuff. And (remember this) even if the “whatever-it-is” you are dealing with is a Big Stuff kind of thing, guess what? God can handle the Big Stuff.
8) You are not Superman (or Superwoman). Even if you own blue tights and a red cape (ok that would be a little creepy if you owned such apparel and you are over 9 years old), you are not called to be the fix all, be all, answer all to the needs of your church. The church doesn’t need a Super Pastor (or Dear Abby or Dr. Phil or anyone else) they simply need a real person, being led by the Living Lord!
9) You are a Servant! Be prepared to work as for the Lord-- even when no one notices or when the job that needs done is yucky or when you think someone else instead of the “high and lofty pastor” ought to be doing it or when the task is not on your gift inventory list or when the matter at hand leads you to a place of thinking “I’m too good for this.” In such a moment repeat three times: I am a servant. I am a servant. I am a servant of the King!
10) Don’t worry about lists that people want you to make up. If you can only think of nine items, and they want ten… just give them nine. Or make up something dumb for the tenth item, like “why you shouldn’t worry about lists that people ask you to write.” Our way might not be exactly the way someone thinks it should be done… and that’s OK if in your way of doing it, you are doing what Jesus called us all to do: Love God. Love people. Turn our world upside down for Him!
Knowing I write this little letter on Thursdays, I thought, “Hey, maybe I can kill two birds with one stone” (sorry PETA). I could make the list for my friend and send that same list to my Thursday e-mail friends (besides I think there are some principles at work here that are good for everyone, whether in full-time ministry or not). So, from the wily veteran pastor to all you whipper-snappers out there in cyber land, here’s my list...
1) Grow spiritually. Sermon preparation and Bible study preparation are no substitute for personal private time with God. It is so easy for those of us in full-time ministry to seek God for others instead of seeking God for ourselves. The best ministry happens out of the overflow of what God is doing in our lives!
2) Be positive. Attitude really is everything. Let me just say it like it is: negativity stinks. Make Zig Ziglar look like a sad sack. Be the most up-beat, positive pastor your folks have ever had.
3) Have fun. We all have bad days. We all have long days. We all have days that we wish we would have stayed in bed with the covers over our head. But if ministry isn't enjoyable you need to try a new gig.
4) Make mistakes. What? That’s right… don’t be afraid of mistakes. If you aren’t making mistakes you aren’t experimenting enough. Everything should be an experiment. Part of the deal in experimenting is tripping up and falling down and learning how you got there. (Isn’t it weird that tripping up and falling down leads to the same place… face down in the mud?) Mistakes aren’t the problem, making the same mistake over and over again— staying in the mud--that’s a problem!
5) Always strive for excellence! A healthy dose of divine discontent is good! Strive to keep getting better and better at whatever you do.
6) Be not afraid of tough and loving conversations. Life is too short to hold a grudge. Use John 1:14 as your conversational model. Jesus was full of grace and full of truth. Truth means I'm going to be honest no matter what. Grace means I'm going to love you no matter what.
7) Most stuff is small stuff. Most stuff that happens in a church isn’t HUGE and earth shattering. Most stuff is rather manageable especially if you keep in mind that the garbage still needs to be taken out on Wednesdays and the dog needs a bath. In other words, life goes on. Don’t be consumed by the small stuff. And (remember this) even if the “whatever-it-is” you are dealing with is a Big Stuff kind of thing, guess what? God can handle the Big Stuff.
8) You are not Superman (or Superwoman). Even if you own blue tights and a red cape (ok that would be a little creepy if you owned such apparel and you are over 9 years old), you are not called to be the fix all, be all, answer all to the needs of your church. The church doesn’t need a Super Pastor (or Dear Abby or Dr. Phil or anyone else) they simply need a real person, being led by the Living Lord!
9) You are a Servant! Be prepared to work as for the Lord-- even when no one notices or when the job that needs done is yucky or when you think someone else instead of the “high and lofty pastor” ought to be doing it or when the task is not on your gift inventory list or when the matter at hand leads you to a place of thinking “I’m too good for this.” In such a moment repeat three times: I am a servant. I am a servant. I am a servant of the King!
10) Don’t worry about lists that people want you to make up. If you can only think of nine items, and they want ten… just give them nine. Or make up something dumb for the tenth item, like “why you shouldn’t worry about lists that people ask you to write.” Our way might not be exactly the way someone thinks it should be done… and that’s OK if in your way of doing it, you are doing what Jesus called us all to do: Love God. Love people. Turn our world upside down for Him!
Monday, July 28, 2008
The Weekend...mostly Good (some bad)
It was a mixed review for the weekend. Good and Bad.
Bad... the rain almost washed out the Sr. High Pool party at our house.
Good... it stopped raining and we all had fun!
Good... two Arabic services (Saturday and Sunday Nights... wow! A mini-revival!)
Good... Rodney Kilgore and Eric Kesselring filled in great for vacationing Pastor Kevin Yesterday.
Good... the video in the first service
Bad... the technological problems that caused the video to be lost in the second service
Good... The teen service last night.
Bad... my teen's car breaking down after the teen service
Good...our friends Jim and Lori visiting from Michigan
Bad... the news that Lori's cancer has returned.
Good... the news that they believe to have caught the cancer early
Better... the doctors will be investigating...
Best... God is still the "Great Physician."
Add it all up... still a pretty good weekend!
Bad... the rain almost washed out the Sr. High Pool party at our house.
Good... it stopped raining and we all had fun!
Good... two Arabic services (Saturday and Sunday Nights... wow! A mini-revival!)
Good... Rodney Kilgore and Eric Kesselring filled in great for vacationing Pastor Kevin Yesterday.
Good... the video in the first service
Bad... the technological problems that caused the video to be lost in the second service
Good... The teen service last night.
Bad... my teen's car breaking down after the teen service
Good...our friends Jim and Lori visiting from Michigan
Bad... the news that Lori's cancer has returned.
Good... the news that they believe to have caught the cancer early
Better... the doctors will be investigating...
Best... God is still the "Great Physician."
Add it all up... still a pretty good weekend!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Me and the Tigers
I am ashamed to admit this… but I went to all three of the Tiger games.
The first game I went to with Ben, Pastor Jeremy and Justin Eller. We stayed to the very end—even though the J-Men are Royals fans and their team lost 19-4. Justin is in the Army reserves and the Royals give all military men and women four free tickets on Mondays. So the game was free.
The second game I went to with a couple of different guys from church-- Denny Wadsworth and Kelly Patrick. Denny's son, Scott works for the Royal (is the director of Ticket sales) so again the tickets were free. We had pretty good seats. That was the rain delayed game—but again we stayed until the very end. There were only about 500 or so fans there at the end. It was fun… although I didn’t get home until abut 1:45 AM.
Game three was yesterday and once again I had free tickets. The Nazarene Publishing House has tickets—and David Nash got me their seats. So Alex and I went to the game.
It was a busy baseball week! But the Tigers won all three so that makes me happy!
The first game I went to with Ben, Pastor Jeremy and Justin Eller. We stayed to the very end—even though the J-Men are Royals fans and their team lost 19-4. Justin is in the Army reserves and the Royals give all military men and women four free tickets on Mondays. So the game was free.
The second game I went to with a couple of different guys from church-- Denny Wadsworth and Kelly Patrick. Denny's son, Scott works for the Royal (is the director of Ticket sales) so again the tickets were free. We had pretty good seats. That was the rain delayed game—but again we stayed until the very end. There were only about 500 or so fans there at the end. It was fun… although I didn’t get home until abut 1:45 AM.
Game three was yesterday and once again I had free tickets. The Nazarene Publishing House has tickets—and David Nash got me their seats. So Alex and I went to the game.
It was a busy baseball week! But the Tigers won all three so that makes me happy!
Hanging out in some hospitals
I’m hanging out at some hospitals today. Two people with Central connections are having surgery—in two different hospitals, in two different parts of the city. I don’t know when I’ll get back to the church— but that’s OK.
I like praying with people in hospitals. I like getting to know their loved ones who also gather at the hospital. I know some pastors these days don’t have the time or don’t feel the need or whatever—but I really like being there. When people are going through a difficult time (and I think being in the hospital preparing to “go under the knife” automatically qualifies one for having a “difficult time”), I love being able to go before the Lord with them—and remind them that the Great Physician is always “on call.”
I have had some different experiences in hospitals. People are not generally at their best in the hospital (again I think being in the hospital automatically exempts one from having to be “at their best”). I always try to knock on the door before entering a room—yet I have still managed to walk into some strange situations for which my seminary education did not prepare me. Seeing parishioners without wigs, teeth and necessary articles of clothing can be more than a little awkward (to say the least). I’ve been mistaken for a doctor, the husband or son or dad of the infirmed. I’ve been mistaken for the grandfather (ouch!) of a new born baby. Not known for having a particularly strong stomach, I have been in rooms when all sorts of bodily functions have been taking place—which has nearly caused my own unwanted bodily function.
Once a lady was about to have her foot amputated. It was the grossest thing in the world. Gangrene had set in. It looked bad. It smelled bad. It was bad. Even the medical team of foot specialists had never seen such a nasty foot—they were taking pictures. Knowing the grossness factor was off the charts, the doctors tried to shoo me from the room (to which I was more than happy to oblige) but the dear, sweet saintly lady just wanted her pastor to be by her side. “It’ll be alright, my pastor doesn’t mind staying.”
Ummm… my eyes, nose and stomach thank you very much for the confidence you have shown in me.
I’ve been with people when they have received wonderful news:
“The surgery went great!”
“The cancer is gone.”
“Your heart is better than ever.”
“He’s a boy!”
I’ve been with folks when they have received the worst possible news:
“I’m sorry, we couldn’t fix the problem.”
“It was far worse than we anticipated.”
“You should call in the family.”
“Your husband didn’t survive.”
Besides in churches, I’ve been able to pray with more people in hospitals than anyplace else. I’ve prayed for healing, salvation, peace and comfort in hospitals, and God has answered those prayers. In all my years of ministry, in various hospitals and seeing literally thousands of people—I only remember one time when someone refused prayer for their situation (I always ask permission to pray with the person). It’s been a privilege and honor and blessing to be in these circumstances, its one of the reasons I love being a pastor.
I write all of this to say— God works in hospitals. God still hears our prayers. God still heals. God still brings peace in the most trying, chaotic, awful times. So today, I’m hanging out at some hospitals anticipating God doing awesome things, and knowing that He will be with us.
Here are two things to take with you…
1) Pray always. If you know of someone or if you are going through a physical trial, keep on praying. Don’t quit. God hears! God heals! Praise the Lord!!
2) Visit or call or send a note or make a meal. In some way, make a connection with the one going through the trial. That’s a job not just for pastors. You too can be a blessing and know the joys of being blessed for your efforts!
Whether in a hospital or not… have a terrific day!
I like praying with people in hospitals. I like getting to know their loved ones who also gather at the hospital. I know some pastors these days don’t have the time or don’t feel the need or whatever—but I really like being there. When people are going through a difficult time (and I think being in the hospital preparing to “go under the knife” automatically qualifies one for having a “difficult time”), I love being able to go before the Lord with them—and remind them that the Great Physician is always “on call.”
I have had some different experiences in hospitals. People are not generally at their best in the hospital (again I think being in the hospital automatically exempts one from having to be “at their best”). I always try to knock on the door before entering a room—yet I have still managed to walk into some strange situations for which my seminary education did not prepare me. Seeing parishioners without wigs, teeth and necessary articles of clothing can be more than a little awkward (to say the least). I’ve been mistaken for a doctor, the husband or son or dad of the infirmed. I’ve been mistaken for the grandfather (ouch!) of a new born baby. Not known for having a particularly strong stomach, I have been in rooms when all sorts of bodily functions have been taking place—which has nearly caused my own unwanted bodily function.
Once a lady was about to have her foot amputated. It was the grossest thing in the world. Gangrene had set in. It looked bad. It smelled bad. It was bad. Even the medical team of foot specialists had never seen such a nasty foot—they were taking pictures. Knowing the grossness factor was off the charts, the doctors tried to shoo me from the room (to which I was more than happy to oblige) but the dear, sweet saintly lady just wanted her pastor to be by her side. “It’ll be alright, my pastor doesn’t mind staying.”
Ummm… my eyes, nose and stomach thank you very much for the confidence you have shown in me.
I’ve been with people when they have received wonderful news:
“The surgery went great!”
“The cancer is gone.”
“Your heart is better than ever.”
“He’s a boy!”
I’ve been with folks when they have received the worst possible news:
“I’m sorry, we couldn’t fix the problem.”
“It was far worse than we anticipated.”
“You should call in the family.”
“Your husband didn’t survive.”
Besides in churches, I’ve been able to pray with more people in hospitals than anyplace else. I’ve prayed for healing, salvation, peace and comfort in hospitals, and God has answered those prayers. In all my years of ministry, in various hospitals and seeing literally thousands of people—I only remember one time when someone refused prayer for their situation (I always ask permission to pray with the person). It’s been a privilege and honor and blessing to be in these circumstances, its one of the reasons I love being a pastor.
I write all of this to say— God works in hospitals. God still hears our prayers. God still heals. God still brings peace in the most trying, chaotic, awful times. So today, I’m hanging out at some hospitals anticipating God doing awesome things, and knowing that He will be with us.
Here are two things to take with you…
1) Pray always. If you know of someone or if you are going through a physical trial, keep on praying. Don’t quit. God hears! God heals! Praise the Lord!!
2) Visit or call or send a note or make a meal. In some way, make a connection with the one going through the trial. That’s a job not just for pastors. You too can be a blessing and know the joys of being blessed for your efforts!
Whether in a hospital or not… have a terrific day!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
My visit to the Dentist
The dentist this morning upon seeing the inside of my mouth, burst into song: "Crown him with Many Crowns!"
When I shared with Karla this news, she and my wallet were equally singing: "Let your Heart be broken" (Hymn #543 if you are singing along!)
When I shared with Karla this news, she and my wallet were equally singing: "Let your Heart be broken" (Hymn #543 if you are singing along!)
Some random thoughts….
Did you hear Josh Hamilton testify during the Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby on Monday Night? Repeatedly when asked about his accomplishments on the field, the outfielder gave the glory to God. After several of these exchanges on the air, one of the commentators for the event, Rick Reilly, responded, “It’s a bad night for atheists at Yankee Stadium tonight!” Josh Hamilton, you are my new favorite player!
We had our New Board cook out on Tuesday. What a great church board Central is blessed to have serving us! As we began to organize for the coming year, Dan Rexroth was re-elected as the Secretary of the Board and Tim Dykman was re-elected to serve as the church treasurer. The executive committee for the following year will be Dan and Tim and Missionary President David Cooper, Buildings Chairman Glenn Harding, Kent Kirby and Dr. Linda Alexander.
My son, Alex, is a new and proud employee of Chik-fil-a. But as I understand it there is no “family and friends discount.” Hmmm … that’s a bummer.
Can you believe that our kids will be back in school in less than a month? WOW! Where is the summer going?
We have extended an invitation to Rev. Carol Rittenhouse to be our new Connecting Pastor. Rev. Rittenhouse is a graduate of Olivet Nazarene (1987) and Nazarene Theological Seminary (2006). She has been on staff at Shawnee Nazarene and currently works with Mike Stipp in Clergy Services at Nazarene Headquarters. Carol will begin at Central on August 3.
I go to the dentist later this morning; I know what he is going to say: “This Prince needs a crown.” I know what my wallet is going to say: “NOOOOOOO!”
In my three years in Kansas City, I have not been to Oceans of Fun. Am I missing something?
Last night, I sat in on a little bit of a meeting (long enough to get some rice and chicken… yummy!) with our Arabic service leaders. They are a wonderful group of people that love the Lord. Keep praying for this group and for Pastor Jaime as he gives leadership to this ministry.
If I could add one thing to Kansas City… it would be a professional hockey team, so I could see the World Champion Red Wings play every once in a while. (If Karla could add anything to Kansas City, she would add a Great Lake… which is kind of hard, unless we have another Ice Age, and according to Al Gore that might not happen anytime soon. Even if Al is wrong, I think adding a hockey team might be a little easier.). Next week the Detroit Tigers will be in town… so if you have an emergency that requires a pastor, I might be a little late in getting there because there is a good chance I will be travelling to the hospital (or wherever your emergency is) from Kauffman Stadium.
Speaking of emergencies, Karla thought that I croaked the other night. Fortunately, she was mistaken. I was sleeping. Very soundly. I was not moving, appeared to not be breathing (no snoring from me, thank you very much), did not respond when she said my name (did I mention I was sleeping?), so Karla smacked me. “HEY!” was my groggy response. “I was worried you were dead,” was her answer. “Umm… I guess I’m not.”
Hey, we have a missionary coming on Sunday Night: the Taylors from the Philippines. Speaking of missions….
Did you know that over 120 Centralites have gone on a mission trip this year? It’s true. Not only that, we have several from Central going on the district mission trip to Mexico this week, and there is still time for you to go to Iowa for our next mission effort as we help the victims of the recent floods. Contact David Cooper for more info on Iowa. We are Mission Trip Crazy! I love it!!!
Of these events from the last year, what should I be more excited about?
Summer Fest (we had more people attend than ever), or
Biker Sunday (our first annual …. which got off to a great start), or
Vacation Bible School (after a two year hiatus it was back… better than ever!) or
Collide (remember last winter’s intergenerational, revival, gathering time?) or
The new Spanish Service that started in March, or
The new Arabic service that also started in March?
You’re right… I should be excited about all of these outreach ministries! And I AM excited!!!!
Have I mentioned lately that I am glad I am your pastor? I am that too!
We had our New Board cook out on Tuesday. What a great church board Central is blessed to have serving us! As we began to organize for the coming year, Dan Rexroth was re-elected as the Secretary of the Board and Tim Dykman was re-elected to serve as the church treasurer. The executive committee for the following year will be Dan and Tim and Missionary President David Cooper, Buildings Chairman Glenn Harding, Kent Kirby and Dr. Linda Alexander.
My son, Alex, is a new and proud employee of Chik-fil-a. But as I understand it there is no “family and friends discount.” Hmmm … that’s a bummer.
Can you believe that our kids will be back in school in less than a month? WOW! Where is the summer going?
We have extended an invitation to Rev. Carol Rittenhouse to be our new Connecting Pastor. Rev. Rittenhouse is a graduate of Olivet Nazarene (1987) and Nazarene Theological Seminary (2006). She has been on staff at Shawnee Nazarene and currently works with Mike Stipp in Clergy Services at Nazarene Headquarters. Carol will begin at Central on August 3.
I go to the dentist later this morning; I know what he is going to say: “This Prince needs a crown.” I know what my wallet is going to say: “NOOOOOOO!”
In my three years in Kansas City, I have not been to Oceans of Fun. Am I missing something?
Last night, I sat in on a little bit of a meeting (long enough to get some rice and chicken… yummy!) with our Arabic service leaders. They are a wonderful group of people that love the Lord. Keep praying for this group and for Pastor Jaime as he gives leadership to this ministry.
If I could add one thing to Kansas City… it would be a professional hockey team, so I could see the World Champion Red Wings play every once in a while. (If Karla could add anything to Kansas City, she would add a Great Lake… which is kind of hard, unless we have another Ice Age, and according to Al Gore that might not happen anytime soon. Even if Al is wrong, I think adding a hockey team might be a little easier.). Next week the Detroit Tigers will be in town… so if you have an emergency that requires a pastor, I might be a little late in getting there because there is a good chance I will be travelling to the hospital (or wherever your emergency is) from Kauffman Stadium.
Speaking of emergencies, Karla thought that I croaked the other night. Fortunately, she was mistaken. I was sleeping. Very soundly. I was not moving, appeared to not be breathing (no snoring from me, thank you very much), did not respond when she said my name (did I mention I was sleeping?), so Karla smacked me. “HEY!” was my groggy response. “I was worried you were dead,” was her answer. “Umm… I guess I’m not.”
Hey, we have a missionary coming on Sunday Night: the Taylors from the Philippines. Speaking of missions….
Did you know that over 120 Centralites have gone on a mission trip this year? It’s true. Not only that, we have several from Central going on the district mission trip to Mexico this week, and there is still time for you to go to Iowa for our next mission effort as we help the victims of the recent floods. Contact David Cooper for more info on Iowa. We are Mission Trip Crazy! I love it!!!
Of these events from the last year, what should I be more excited about?
Summer Fest (we had more people attend than ever), or
Biker Sunday (our first annual …. which got off to a great start), or
Vacation Bible School (after a two year hiatus it was back… better than ever!) or
Collide (remember last winter’s intergenerational, revival, gathering time?) or
The new Spanish Service that started in March, or
The new Arabic service that also started in March?
You’re right… I should be excited about all of these outreach ministries! And I AM excited!!!!
Have I mentioned lately that I am glad I am your pastor? I am that too!
Monday, July 14, 2008
Missions Matter
Our students returned on Saturday night from their mission trip to Nashville. Except for some bus troubles and not enough showers in the church where they were staying, it was a good trip.
Just in case you are keeping score at home that makes the third mission trip of the year by Central. So far this year, we've had 52 people in El Salvador, 60 in Nashville and (I think) 9 in Oklahoma City. At the end of the month we are sending a team to Iowa to help the flood victims. (Contact the Church office or David Cooper if you are interested in going to Iowa). Next year, plans are in the works for a mission trip to Africa-- and I am sure some other domestic locations.
I am glad that missions matter at Central!
This Sunday in the Sunday @ Six Service, we have missionaries to the Philippines Greg and Terry Taylor with us. I am looking forward to hearing how God is working in that part of the world!
Just in case you are keeping score at home that makes the third mission trip of the year by Central. So far this year, we've had 52 people in El Salvador, 60 in Nashville and (I think) 9 in Oklahoma City. At the end of the month we are sending a team to Iowa to help the flood victims. (Contact the Church office or David Cooper if you are interested in going to Iowa). Next year, plans are in the works for a mission trip to Africa-- and I am sure some other domestic locations.
I am glad that missions matter at Central!
This Sunday in the Sunday @ Six Service, we have missionaries to the Philippines Greg and Terry Taylor with us. I am looking forward to hearing how God is working in that part of the world!
Friday, July 11, 2008
Quote of the Week
"If you are wise, you will show yourself rather as a reservoir than as a canal. For a canal spreads abroad water as it receives it, but a reservoir waits until it is filled before overflowing, and thus communicates, without loss to itself, its superabundant water . . . in the church at the present day, we have many canals, few reservoirs.” - Bernard of Clairvaux
Facebook and Me
I have a Facebook account. For those who may not be aware of Facebook allow me to explain. Facebook is a social networking website launched in February of 2004 by a Harvard sophomore named Mark Zuckerberg. Today over 80 million people are on Facebook, and some have estimated that the company is now worth 8 billion dollars (that’s billion… with a “B”!) Suffice it to say young Mark Zuckerman probably isn’t eating Raman Noodles for dinner anymore. Facebook originally was limited to Harvard students, it then expanded to other colleges and high schools and the day before my 43rd birthday (September 26, 2006) was expanded so that anyone over the age of 13 could join.
My question became: Is it hip or creepy that someone my age has a Facebook account? My sons are both on Facebook. Several of our high school and college students are on Facebook. But should someone born before JFK’s assignation be on Facebook (I was not quite two months old on that fateful, November day in 1963, still I was alive and well and presumably sucking my thumb.)? So, to Facebook or not to Facebook that became the question. On Sunday, I decided to jump in.
Here’s what I’ve learned in the first four days of being on Facebook.
1) It was sad when I first signed up and read, “Rob Prince has 0 friends.” I quickly realized I had to invite others to be my “friend” or they had to discover my profile on other friend’s lists. I was so happy when I got my first “friend.” It was Jim Knight. Jim was a childhood chum, whose family moved to Colorado Springs when we were pre-teens so Jim’s dad could attend Bible College. I hadn’t see Jim in years.
2) Not wanting to look like a stalker or something, I decided to not ask anyone under college age to be my “friend.” If a student asks me to be his or her friend, and I know this person, I will happily comply, but it seems a little creepy for me to be asking students if “I can be their friend.” (Of course, I’ve asked Alex and Ben to be my “friend.” Ben said “yes.” I’m still waiting on Alex’s reply.)
3) I’m not the oldest person on Facebook. I have discovered that there are lots of us old guys on it. Both of my sisters (who technically are not “old guys” but do happen to be older than me) are on Facebook. My District Superintendant has a Facebook account. My goodness, Derl Keefer, who is the PrimeTime Director (read: Old Folks Director) for the Church of the Nazarene is a Facebook guy. (Although maybe Derl doesn’t count because besides having a really cool first name, Derl is a pretty hip fella with or without Facebook!)
4) All of the Central Staff has a Facebook account except for Jeremy Bond. Hmmm… maybe Jeremy needs a “Knuckleheadbook” account. (If you do not attend Central… this means nothing to you… sorry for the “insider” humor. To get these and other quirky bits of humor that often sprinkle these little pages…. attend Central church on a regular basis!)
5) After four days I now have 73 friends (I wish Central was growing at this same rate!).
6) It has been fun reconnecting with old college friends and folks from Michigan and fellow Centralites. My furthest away “friend” is Rod Green—he lives in Jordan. My closest “friend” is Ben Prince he lives down the hall.
7) The Facebook phenomenon is a tremendous example of the fact that we all have a desire to be connected. God has placed the need in us to be a part of a community, a group that is welcoming, inviting and loving. And the best news is that Jesus himself has said he wants to be connected to us. (Read all about it in John 15… that’s the Bible passage about Jesus being the Vine and we are the branches. There you can read such wonderful words from Jesus such as: “Remain in me, and I will remain in you.” John 15:4). I don’t think Jesus is one of the 80 million Facebook members, but I know this: He invites all of us to be his friend. Jesus said: “You didn’t choose me, I chose you.” (John 15:16). His desire is that we are connected not just to a group of people, but to Himself and to His Kingdom.
It’s been a fun few days on Facebook. If you are on Facebook and need another friend… send me an invite. If you could care less about Facebook, we can still be friends… just the “old fashioned way” of phone calls, lunches, letters, e-mails, etc. (which in my old fashioned, born pre-man-on-the-moon ways… still seems better than Facebook). But in all things, whether we are “Facebook friends” or regular friends or even if you view me like your strange cousin Harold (and want to avoid me at all costs) -- make Jesus your friend and always stay connected to Him.
My question became: Is it hip or creepy that someone my age has a Facebook account? My sons are both on Facebook. Several of our high school and college students are on Facebook. But should someone born before JFK’s assignation be on Facebook (I was not quite two months old on that fateful, November day in 1963, still I was alive and well and presumably sucking my thumb.)? So, to Facebook or not to Facebook that became the question. On Sunday, I decided to jump in.
Here’s what I’ve learned in the first four days of being on Facebook.
1) It was sad when I first signed up and read, “Rob Prince has 0 friends.” I quickly realized I had to invite others to be my “friend” or they had to discover my profile on other friend’s lists. I was so happy when I got my first “friend.” It was Jim Knight. Jim was a childhood chum, whose family moved to Colorado Springs when we were pre-teens so Jim’s dad could attend Bible College. I hadn’t see Jim in years.
2) Not wanting to look like a stalker or something, I decided to not ask anyone under college age to be my “friend.” If a student asks me to be his or her friend, and I know this person, I will happily comply, but it seems a little creepy for me to be asking students if “I can be their friend.” (Of course, I’ve asked Alex and Ben to be my “friend.” Ben said “yes.” I’m still waiting on Alex’s reply.)
3) I’m not the oldest person on Facebook. I have discovered that there are lots of us old guys on it. Both of my sisters (who technically are not “old guys” but do happen to be older than me) are on Facebook. My District Superintendant has a Facebook account. My goodness, Derl Keefer, who is the PrimeTime Director (read: Old Folks Director) for the Church of the Nazarene is a Facebook guy. (Although maybe Derl doesn’t count because besides having a really cool first name, Derl is a pretty hip fella with or without Facebook!)
4) All of the Central Staff has a Facebook account except for Jeremy Bond. Hmmm… maybe Jeremy needs a “Knuckleheadbook” account. (If you do not attend Central… this means nothing to you… sorry for the “insider” humor. To get these and other quirky bits of humor that often sprinkle these little pages…. attend Central church on a regular basis!)
5) After four days I now have 73 friends (I wish Central was growing at this same rate!).
6) It has been fun reconnecting with old college friends and folks from Michigan and fellow Centralites. My furthest away “friend” is Rod Green—he lives in Jordan. My closest “friend” is Ben Prince he lives down the hall.
7) The Facebook phenomenon is a tremendous example of the fact that we all have a desire to be connected. God has placed the need in us to be a part of a community, a group that is welcoming, inviting and loving. And the best news is that Jesus himself has said he wants to be connected to us. (Read all about it in John 15… that’s the Bible passage about Jesus being the Vine and we are the branches. There you can read such wonderful words from Jesus such as: “Remain in me, and I will remain in you.” John 15:4). I don’t think Jesus is one of the 80 million Facebook members, but I know this: He invites all of us to be his friend. Jesus said: “You didn’t choose me, I chose you.” (John 15:16). His desire is that we are connected not just to a group of people, but to Himself and to His Kingdom.
It’s been a fun few days on Facebook. If you are on Facebook and need another friend… send me an invite. If you could care less about Facebook, we can still be friends… just the “old fashioned way” of phone calls, lunches, letters, e-mails, etc. (which in my old fashioned, born pre-man-on-the-moon ways… still seems better than Facebook). But in all things, whether we are “Facebook friends” or regular friends or even if you view me like your strange cousin Harold (and want to avoid me at all costs) -- make Jesus your friend and always stay connected to Him.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Our Economic Stimulus Check
On Monday it arrived directly from the US Department of the Treasury. The Prince’s economic stimulus check-- one thousand eight hundred smackeroos-- arrived in my mailbox. Yippee! Thank you, Mr. Mailman, Mr. President and all the members of Congress.
Now I understand that $1800 is not like winning the lottery or playing professional baseball. Karla and I can’t take the money and catch the first flight to Tahiti or some exotic place. You won’t see me rolling into the church parking lot with a new Ferrari on Sunday. Still 1800 beans is nothing to sneeze at.
Ben thought that he should receive his $300 portion. He thought that since each kid ups the amount received by $300 that he should have it. (Of course, this is after we have spent far more than his “share” of the $300 for his summer camp, baseball team, clothes, shoes, food etc…). I said I would be happy to give him his 300 greenbacks the next time (which will be the first time) he helps pay his share of the mortgage, the grocery bill, the light bill, the tax bill, the… well, you get the idea.
Since Ben’s not getting it… the question becomes what should we do with our Economic Stimulus check?
Hmmm…. according to Walmart.com, $1800 will purchase…
· 936 pair of Spiderman underwear (that’s a six pack for $11.48)
· 1260 baseballs (you can get 5 dozen balls for $82.98)
· Three Briel Multi-Pro Prestige Espresso Machines (at $512.95 each)
· Nearly one Sony Bravia 46” HDTV and Home Audio System (it’s $1898)
· A one carat diamond solitaire 14kt white gold split bale pendant-- IGI certified for $1,699.00 (Did you know that Wal-Mart sells diamond necklaces for 1700 bucks? I didn’t know that either. You can also buy a signed baseball from the 1986 New York Mets for $1050. Who would buy a baseball with the 1986 New York Mets signatures from Wal-Mart? Now if it were a signed baseball from the 1984 Tigers, I could understand. I knew Wal-Mart sold drain cleaner and socks and motor oil and toothpaste, but diamond necklaces and sports memorabilia? I had no idea.).
While I am sure my baby would look nice wearing a Wal-Mart diamond necklace, and I sure could use a double espresso about now, and my family room would sure look nice with a big ol’ flat screen TV hanging on the wall, I’m not convinced that any of those options are good choices for us (besides I really don’t think I could ever wear 936 pair of Spiderman underwear.).
With just a little “googling,” I discovered that most of the world lives on less than $2000 a year. So for a little more than what the government sent our family to stimulate the economy there are plenty of families in the world trying to make ends meet for the whole year. Wow! With the money that we will spend to kick start our economy—there are families that will budget their entire year. Double wow!
I write this not to make you feel guilty or to tell you to need to send all the money into the church or Nazarene Compassion ministries or some other worthy cause—but rather to simply remind you once again how blessed we are in America. As we celebrate our Independence tomorrow, take time to be thankful. I know it stinks that gas costs four bucks a gallon and a gallon of milk costs three. I know it’s bad that babies are still being aborted, and crime still happens and the coming presidential election will have more mud flying than a Monster Truck Competition. Still we live in a blessed place. We don’t need to pray for “God to Bless America,” He already has.
And because we are so blessed, doesn’t it make sense that we should complain less and be thankful more. Maybe we should waste less and give more. Maybe instead of praying for God to bless us, since He already has blessed us-- we should pray how we can be a blessing to others. Somewhere I read “that to whom much has been given, much will be required.”
What will you do with your economic stimulus check? That’s up to you and your family and God. I just pray that we are faithful—in how we spend our money, in how we spend our time, and in how we spend our lives!
Now I understand that $1800 is not like winning the lottery or playing professional baseball. Karla and I can’t take the money and catch the first flight to Tahiti or some exotic place. You won’t see me rolling into the church parking lot with a new Ferrari on Sunday. Still 1800 beans is nothing to sneeze at.
Ben thought that he should receive his $300 portion. He thought that since each kid ups the amount received by $300 that he should have it. (Of course, this is after we have spent far more than his “share” of the $300 for his summer camp, baseball team, clothes, shoes, food etc…). I said I would be happy to give him his 300 greenbacks the next time (which will be the first time) he helps pay his share of the mortgage, the grocery bill, the light bill, the tax bill, the… well, you get the idea.
Since Ben’s not getting it… the question becomes what should we do with our Economic Stimulus check?
Hmmm…. according to Walmart.com, $1800 will purchase…
· 936 pair of Spiderman underwear (that’s a six pack for $11.48)
· 1260 baseballs (you can get 5 dozen balls for $82.98)
· Three Briel Multi-Pro Prestige Espresso Machines (at $512.95 each)
· Nearly one Sony Bravia 46” HDTV and Home Audio System (it’s $1898)
· A one carat diamond solitaire 14kt white gold split bale pendant-- IGI certified for $1,699.00 (Did you know that Wal-Mart sells diamond necklaces for 1700 bucks? I didn’t know that either. You can also buy a signed baseball from the 1986 New York Mets for $1050. Who would buy a baseball with the 1986 New York Mets signatures from Wal-Mart? Now if it were a signed baseball from the 1984 Tigers, I could understand. I knew Wal-Mart sold drain cleaner and socks and motor oil and toothpaste, but diamond necklaces and sports memorabilia? I had no idea.).
While I am sure my baby would look nice wearing a Wal-Mart diamond necklace, and I sure could use a double espresso about now, and my family room would sure look nice with a big ol’ flat screen TV hanging on the wall, I’m not convinced that any of those options are good choices for us (besides I really don’t think I could ever wear 936 pair of Spiderman underwear.).
With just a little “googling,” I discovered that most of the world lives on less than $2000 a year. So for a little more than what the government sent our family to stimulate the economy there are plenty of families in the world trying to make ends meet for the whole year. Wow! With the money that we will spend to kick start our economy—there are families that will budget their entire year. Double wow!
I write this not to make you feel guilty or to tell you to need to send all the money into the church or Nazarene Compassion ministries or some other worthy cause—but rather to simply remind you once again how blessed we are in America. As we celebrate our Independence tomorrow, take time to be thankful. I know it stinks that gas costs four bucks a gallon and a gallon of milk costs three. I know it’s bad that babies are still being aborted, and crime still happens and the coming presidential election will have more mud flying than a Monster Truck Competition. Still we live in a blessed place. We don’t need to pray for “God to Bless America,” He already has.
And because we are so blessed, doesn’t it make sense that we should complain less and be thankful more. Maybe we should waste less and give more. Maybe instead of praying for God to bless us, since He already has blessed us-- we should pray how we can be a blessing to others. Somewhere I read “that to whom much has been given, much will be required.”
What will you do with your economic stimulus check? That’s up to you and your family and God. I just pray that we are faithful—in how we spend our money, in how we spend our time, and in how we spend our lives!
Monday, June 30, 2008
A Great Day at Central
Wow what a day around Central. Following two great morning services, we had a very beautiful Memorial Service for Diane Garrison and following that our Summer Fest began.
The weather was perfect. The crowd was great. The music and games and food were terrific. There were a lot of guests. It was a good, good day to call Central home!
The weather was perfect. The crowd was great. The music and games and food were terrific. There were a lot of guests. It was a good, good day to call Central home!
Back Home
Our stay in Michigan has concluded while there we: visited family, camped on Lake Michigan, cut up two 80 foot trees, visited old neighbors, stopped by our old church, viewed Get Smart, saw two of our old houses, played in the sand dunes of Silver Lake, went to a Tiger's game, ate Duncan Donuts, drank Vernors, went to my old favorite restaurant in Detroit, visited the people that used to watch our dogs, went to Mars Hill church in Grand Rapids, played miniature golf, and drove a about 2000 miles.
It was a good trip. It's good to be home.
It was a good trip. It's good to be home.
Monday, June 23, 2008
No Camping, no problem.
We are enjoying family in Michigan these days. We were suppose to be camping, but some truck troubles to my father-in-laws chevy caused us to spend an extra night at Karla's sisters house. I'll be honest... spending an extra night in a bed instead of camping was not the worst thing in the world.
We went to Rob Bell's Mars Hill church in Grand Rapids yesterday. Rob Bell wasn't preaching, but it was a good service nonetheless.
Today, we should be camping. Tomorrow it's off to my folks.
We went to Rob Bell's Mars Hill church in Grand Rapids yesterday. Rob Bell wasn't preaching, but it was a good service nonetheless.
Today, we should be camping. Tomorrow it's off to my folks.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Go Celtics!
I am beginning to write this article on my way back to Kansas City. If you hadn’t heard, I made a quick get away from the Sunflower State because my friend Larry gave me a ticket to see his favorite team (the Boston Celtics) play a basketball game. Well, not just any basketball game, the NBA Finals basketball game. All I had to do was get to Boston. Here’s where the story gets even better… my father-in-law heard about the offer from Larry and said he would pay for my airline ticket. So except for some meals, I went to the NBA Finals for free. One word: SWEEEEEET!!! And now, I am writing about the whole experience from 30,000 feet in the air somewhere between Boston and Minneapolis.
There are a lot of great things that happened in the game—especially if you are a Celtics’ fan. Boston won something like 496 to 27 (and it wasn’t that close!). Larry bought me a “Beat L.A.” t-shirt to wear to the game so I would look like I was a real Celtics fan. (I think he was worried I’d be wearing a Pistons shirt, and he didn’t want to be responsible for me getting beat up). I am not really a Celtics fan (I usually root for those Detroit ballers), still one couldn’t help but get caught up in the excitement of the evening.
The fans in Boston know how to cheer their team to victory. Besides the expected chants throughout the game of “Beat L.A. Beat L.A.,” “Defense. Defense.” and “Seventeen! Seventeen!” (a reference to the number of championships that the Celtics have won), the fans were quite creative in their chants and songs (many of which I can’t write about in this family friendly little prose). For instance, whenever a referee whistled a foul against the home team the fans always (I mean ALWAYS) took exception to the “bad” call and shouted a reference to a male bovine’s bodily function. And when one of the opposing players stepped to the free throw line to attempt the shot, the crowd would chant something about a past indiscretion in the opposing player’s life. One player apparently had a problem with an illegal weed that some people have been known to smoke and the crowd chanted “Reefer! Reefer!” (Only in their New England accent it sounded like: “Reefah. Reefah.”). One player‘s only “sin” was that he was born in Spain, and when he stepped up to shoot the crowd chanted “USA. USA. USA.” Some of their other chants were not as nice and definitely not as “G” rated. Still, all in all, it was a fun, once-in-a-lifetime type of event that I was very glad I could attend.
As the game was winding down, I even joined in the singing of “Na, Na, Na, Na. Hey, Hey, Hey, Good Bye,” and when it was all over I sang “We are the Champions.” Maybe the leprechaun on my T-shirt was having some kind of effect on me or maybe it was my Irish heritage coming out or maybe it was the thrill of seeing so many people so happy. After the game was over with confetti flying and music blaring, the crowd was ecstatic. They were jumping and shouting and hugging complete strangers-- you would have thought a war had ended or a cure for cancer had been found. I can’t imagine euphoria any greater.
Maybe I’m goofy (OK I know I am goofy), but I kept thinking about the referees and the opposing players and their life’s indiscretions and sins and mistakes open for all to mock and question. I know taunting and teasing are a part of the game. I’ve done it myself. (I think I yelled to an umpire following what I believed was a blatant missed call: “Hey Ump! If you had one more eye we could call you Cyclops!”) It’s all in good (although as the Boston fans demonstrated, not always clean) fun. Still, I would not want my every sin shouted from the top of 20,000, beer saturated sets of lungs. I wouldn’t want my every decision scrutinized and jeered.
Well get a load of this-- the One whose opinion matters most, the Lord, has promised to throw our sins into the “sea of forgetfulness” and not hold them against us any longer. Once we seek his forgiveness, the Bible tells us “that he is faithful and just to forgive anyone who calls on His name.” In other words, you’ll never hear the Lord rehashing your past forgiven sins. The angels aren’t pointing at you and taunting about a bad decision. I am glad that when I step up to the line—he doesn’t view me as the guy with all the problems or the guy born in the wrong place or the guy who stumbled and fell—but rather He views me as the one that He loves. The one He has forgiven. The one for whom Jesus went to the cross (you are that one too, by the way!). He views us as His children!
There are a lot of great things that happened in the game—especially if you are a Celtics’ fan. Boston won something like 496 to 27 (and it wasn’t that close!). Larry bought me a “Beat L.A.” t-shirt to wear to the game so I would look like I was a real Celtics fan. (I think he was worried I’d be wearing a Pistons shirt, and he didn’t want to be responsible for me getting beat up). I am not really a Celtics fan (I usually root for those Detroit ballers), still one couldn’t help but get caught up in the excitement of the evening.
The fans in Boston know how to cheer their team to victory. Besides the expected chants throughout the game of “Beat L.A. Beat L.A.,” “Defense. Defense.” and “Seventeen! Seventeen!” (a reference to the number of championships that the Celtics have won), the fans were quite creative in their chants and songs (many of which I can’t write about in this family friendly little prose). For instance, whenever a referee whistled a foul against the home team the fans always (I mean ALWAYS) took exception to the “bad” call and shouted a reference to a male bovine’s bodily function. And when one of the opposing players stepped to the free throw line to attempt the shot, the crowd would chant something about a past indiscretion in the opposing player’s life. One player apparently had a problem with an illegal weed that some people have been known to smoke and the crowd chanted “Reefer! Reefer!” (Only in their New England accent it sounded like: “Reefah. Reefah.”). One player‘s only “sin” was that he was born in Spain, and when he stepped up to shoot the crowd chanted “USA. USA. USA.” Some of their other chants were not as nice and definitely not as “G” rated. Still, all in all, it was a fun, once-in-a-lifetime type of event that I was very glad I could attend.
As the game was winding down, I even joined in the singing of “Na, Na, Na, Na. Hey, Hey, Hey, Good Bye,” and when it was all over I sang “We are the Champions.” Maybe the leprechaun on my T-shirt was having some kind of effect on me or maybe it was my Irish heritage coming out or maybe it was the thrill of seeing so many people so happy. After the game was over with confetti flying and music blaring, the crowd was ecstatic. They were jumping and shouting and hugging complete strangers-- you would have thought a war had ended or a cure for cancer had been found. I can’t imagine euphoria any greater.
Maybe I’m goofy (OK I know I am goofy), but I kept thinking about the referees and the opposing players and their life’s indiscretions and sins and mistakes open for all to mock and question. I know taunting and teasing are a part of the game. I’ve done it myself. (I think I yelled to an umpire following what I believed was a blatant missed call: “Hey Ump! If you had one more eye we could call you Cyclops!”) It’s all in good (although as the Boston fans demonstrated, not always clean) fun. Still, I would not want my every sin shouted from the top of 20,000, beer saturated sets of lungs. I wouldn’t want my every decision scrutinized and jeered.
Well get a load of this-- the One whose opinion matters most, the Lord, has promised to throw our sins into the “sea of forgetfulness” and not hold them against us any longer. Once we seek his forgiveness, the Bible tells us “that he is faithful and just to forgive anyone who calls on His name.” In other words, you’ll never hear the Lord rehashing your past forgiven sins. The angels aren’t pointing at you and taunting about a bad decision. I am glad that when I step up to the line—he doesn’t view me as the guy with all the problems or the guy born in the wrong place or the guy who stumbled and fell—but rather He views me as the one that He loves. The one He has forgiven. The one for whom Jesus went to the cross (you are that one too, by the way!). He views us as His children!
Let the confetti spray and the music blare….that’s worth shouting from the top of our non-beer saturated lungs, “We are the children of the King!”
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
A Chance of a Lifetime
I have several life goals that I put together when I was still in seminary. These goals deal with family, my walk with God, ministry and enrichment. Some of them are just for fun. Next week, I hopefully will be able to mark one of my fun goals off my list.
I have been offered tickets to the Celtics and Lakers NBA Finals game-- so next Tuesday (if the Celtics don't win the next two games), I will meet up with my old seminary roommate and current missionary to Jordan, Rod Green, and fellow Centralites Larry and Lynne Bollinger in Boston and go to the game. Wow... I am really excited about the chance to do this.
(Some of my other "fun goals" include going to a World Series Game, Stanley Cup Final and the Super Bowl.)
I have been offered tickets to the Celtics and Lakers NBA Finals game-- so next Tuesday (if the Celtics don't win the next two games), I will meet up with my old seminary roommate and current missionary to Jordan, Rod Green, and fellow Centralites Larry and Lynne Bollinger in Boston and go to the game. Wow... I am really excited about the chance to do this.
(Some of my other "fun goals" include going to a World Series Game, Stanley Cup Final and the Super Bowl.)
Monday, June 09, 2008
Heading to camp
In a couple of hours our Junior and Senior Highers are heading off to camp. I don't know the exact numbers-- but around 50 students will be there. Imagine the impact on our church and youth group-- if 50 students all grew closer to the Lord this week! Wow! Powerful! So pray. Pray that God will work in a great way this week.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Pepsi... Super Dog
Last week Riley, this week Pepsi.
“Don’t let the Princes watch your dog,” I think that’s the lesson learned over the last two weeks. Last week I told you how “Riley” (Pastor Rubio’s Chihuahua/Jack Russell mix dog) upon entering our back yard, took a flying leap into our pool in spite of the fact that swimming is not one of Riley’s stronger attributes. This week “Pepsi” (Amy Story-Hall’s “I-don’t-know-what-kind-of-mix” breed) took a flying leap out a second floor window, (you read that right—Pepsi jumped out of our house… from the second floor) and presumably flying is not one of Pepsi’s stronger attributes or maybe it is…!
Here’s what happened:
Our neighbor and fellow Centralite, Amy asked Karla if we could watch their very cute and nice dog, Pepsi, during her son’s Zach’s wedding rehearsal and dinner. “No problem,” was the reply. But then we discovered there was a slight problem, Ben had a baseball game during part of the time that Pepsi was to be our house guest. “No problem,” again was the reply—just put Pepsi behind a gate in the mud room. Easy solution.
So the Princes went to Ben’s game. Zach and his family went to his wedding rehearsal. Pepsi went to the mud room. All was right with the world.
Well, not so fast. Alex beat us home and quickly called saying that Pepsi was not in the mud room, Pepsi was no where to be seen, and in fact Pepsi was not in the house. About that time, the Story kids showed up on our porch with Pepsi saying that he had run home. That’s strange. How did Pepsi get out of the mud room? Alex said the gate was still up. OK, I’ve heard of the other dogs jumping over or scaling over or in some way getting around those little kiddie gate things. But how did he get out of the house? Alex said the doors were still closed and locked. Does Pepsi know how to unlock and open doors and relock them? This would be quite an accomplishment for a dog that can barely reach the doorknob while standing on his hind legs. Did someone break into our home and let Pepsi out (Maggie, our dog, was still inside the house)? This had all the makings of a great mystery: “The Case of the Missing Dog” or how about this: “The Case of Missing Pepsi” (not to be confused with “the missing case of Pepsi”). Where was Sherlock Holmes when we needed him?
Alex began to snoop around and before long discovered that all the doors were locked and shut, and only one window was open in the entire house. My bedroom window (on the second floor, by the way) was open and the screen was ripped. Hmm… very interesting, Mr. Watson. While we have no security cameras to prove our theory on Pepsi’s great escape, we believe that Pepsi scaled the mud room gate, ran upstairs to our bed room and took a flying leap, through the screen, onto the bushes below and ran all the way home.
Pepsi obviously isn’t named 7-Up—he came down in the bushes. Thankfully, we didn’t have to call Dr. Pepper and Mr. Pibb wasn’t talking about what happened. (OK, that’s all the soda references I can make). Pepsi didn’t seem to be bothered by his second story leap. No broken bones. No nervous twitches. He has just a few scratches on his tummy.
The bottom line: Pepsi wanted to go home. Nothing would deter him from getting home. Not a gate in the mud room doorway and not a screen in my bedroom window. Not the fact that the bedroom window was on the second floor and that exiting from that window and onto the bushes below could really, really hurt. Nothing would stop Pepsi—he was a dog on a mission.
I wonder how intense we are about making sure we make it to our ultimate home, our heavenly home. Are we on a mission? Are we as resolute that we are going to get to our heavenly home as Pepsi was to get to his earthly one? Do we have the same (pun intended) “dogged determination” to make sure that our loved ones join us in our heavenly home, as Pepsi was to see his loved ones? The Bible says that we are just passing through here—that this is not our home, that we are aliens (1 Peter 2:11). Paul tells us not to get so comfortable in our surroundings that we lose sight of the goal. I’m afraid sometimes we forget those facts. We act like this old earth is the end all, be all. It’s not. Our four bedroom, split level is not all that matters—God has something more. Much more. Like Pepsi wanting to get home-- I can’t wait to get there, but unlike Pepsi I don’t recommend jumping out any windows to hurry the process!
“Don’t let the Princes watch your dog,” I think that’s the lesson learned over the last two weeks. Last week I told you how “Riley” (Pastor Rubio’s Chihuahua/Jack Russell mix dog) upon entering our back yard, took a flying leap into our pool in spite of the fact that swimming is not one of Riley’s stronger attributes. This week “Pepsi” (Amy Story-Hall’s “I-don’t-know-what-kind-of-mix” breed) took a flying leap out a second floor window, (you read that right—Pepsi jumped out of our house… from the second floor) and presumably flying is not one of Pepsi’s stronger attributes or maybe it is…!
Here’s what happened:
Our neighbor and fellow Centralite, Amy asked Karla if we could watch their very cute and nice dog, Pepsi, during her son’s Zach’s wedding rehearsal and dinner. “No problem,” was the reply. But then we discovered there was a slight problem, Ben had a baseball game during part of the time that Pepsi was to be our house guest. “No problem,” again was the reply—just put Pepsi behind a gate in the mud room. Easy solution.
So the Princes went to Ben’s game. Zach and his family went to his wedding rehearsal. Pepsi went to the mud room. All was right with the world.
Well, not so fast. Alex beat us home and quickly called saying that Pepsi was not in the mud room, Pepsi was no where to be seen, and in fact Pepsi was not in the house. About that time, the Story kids showed up on our porch with Pepsi saying that he had run home. That’s strange. How did Pepsi get out of the mud room? Alex said the gate was still up. OK, I’ve heard of the other dogs jumping over or scaling over or in some way getting around those little kiddie gate things. But how did he get out of the house? Alex said the doors were still closed and locked. Does Pepsi know how to unlock and open doors and relock them? This would be quite an accomplishment for a dog that can barely reach the doorknob while standing on his hind legs. Did someone break into our home and let Pepsi out (Maggie, our dog, was still inside the house)? This had all the makings of a great mystery: “The Case of the Missing Dog” or how about this: “The Case of Missing Pepsi” (not to be confused with “the missing case of Pepsi”). Where was Sherlock Holmes when we needed him?
Alex began to snoop around and before long discovered that all the doors were locked and shut, and only one window was open in the entire house. My bedroom window (on the second floor, by the way) was open and the screen was ripped. Hmm… very interesting, Mr. Watson. While we have no security cameras to prove our theory on Pepsi’s great escape, we believe that Pepsi scaled the mud room gate, ran upstairs to our bed room and took a flying leap, through the screen, onto the bushes below and ran all the way home.
Pepsi obviously isn’t named 7-Up—he came down in the bushes. Thankfully, we didn’t have to call Dr. Pepper and Mr. Pibb wasn’t talking about what happened. (OK, that’s all the soda references I can make). Pepsi didn’t seem to be bothered by his second story leap. No broken bones. No nervous twitches. He has just a few scratches on his tummy.
The bottom line: Pepsi wanted to go home. Nothing would deter him from getting home. Not a gate in the mud room doorway and not a screen in my bedroom window. Not the fact that the bedroom window was on the second floor and that exiting from that window and onto the bushes below could really, really hurt. Nothing would stop Pepsi—he was a dog on a mission.
I wonder how intense we are about making sure we make it to our ultimate home, our heavenly home. Are we on a mission? Are we as resolute that we are going to get to our heavenly home as Pepsi was to get to his earthly one? Do we have the same (pun intended) “dogged determination” to make sure that our loved ones join us in our heavenly home, as Pepsi was to see his loved ones? The Bible says that we are just passing through here—that this is not our home, that we are aliens (1 Peter 2:11). Paul tells us not to get so comfortable in our surroundings that we lose sight of the goal. I’m afraid sometimes we forget those facts. We act like this old earth is the end all, be all. It’s not. Our four bedroom, split level is not all that matters—God has something more. Much more. Like Pepsi wanting to get home-- I can’t wait to get there, but unlike Pepsi I don’t recommend jumping out any windows to hurry the process!
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
The Red Wings Win
Here's me and friend Kevin with the Cup (from 10 years ago) that the Red Wings are carrying around the ice tonight!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
A Regular Sunday
No graduations, no holidays, no special emphasis.... this week will be a normal, regular, wonderful Sunday at Central-- and I can't wait. I'll be preaching in both the morning and evening services. In the AM, we are continuing our Home Cooking Series-- this week we will look at our relationships-- especially those with children. And in the PM, we will being a new series on Being a Person of Integrity. It will be a study from the Book of James.
Ben the Hero!
On Sunday Night we invited the pastoral staff over for a pre-Memorial Day Barbeque. (Well, it wasn’t really a barbeque, because my grill is broken and I can’t find the replacement parts. But that’s another story. UGH!) Anyway, the staff came over for a little food, fun and swimming in the icy waters of the Prince Pool.
At Karla’s request, Pastor Jamie brought his dog, Riley. Karla thought that Riley and Maggie (the Prince Pooch) would have great fun playing together. She believed that Maggie needed a new friend. While Maggie has never indicated to me that she lacked fellow canine companionship, I certainly did not object to the idea of Maggie playing with a new puppy friend instead of “hounding” the rest of us for food and attention.
You need to know a few things about Riley. Pastor Jamie and Heather think he is a mix between Chihuahua and Jack Russell terrier. He is the size of a Chihuahua, but looks like a Jack Russell. About six months old, Riley is still very much a puppy and very cute. If you know much about the various dog breeds then you know that both Chihuahua’s and Jack Russell’s tend to be a little active. Anyone who has been around puppies of any kind knows that they tend to be a little active too. So with that combo of Chihuahua/Jack Russell mix and being a puppy-- think of Riley as a doggy version of an A.D.H.D., whirling dervish. Einstein was wrong, it’s not E = MC2, its E = Riley!
Well, Jamie brought Riley and this is what happened:
No sooner had Riley set his paws in our back yard, he started chasing Maggie. Maggie, not quite sure she liked this barking ball of energy, retreated to the far side of the pool. Riley was in hot pursuit, when he reached the pool. It’s my assumption that Riley had never seen a swimming pool in his six months of life, but apparently he is a believer in the fact that the closest route between two points is a straight line. Or maybe because of the fine theological influence of our own Pastor Jamie, Riley asked himself, “What would Jesus do?” and determined that Jesus would have walked on the water to get to Maggie. Whatever his thought process, in a split second Riley was making like Greg Louganis and dove into our pool.
Riley didn’t respond as Jesus would. And he’s no doggy version of Ian Thorpe either—maybe more like a doggy brick or a doggy anchor. Riley quickly found himself in the middle of the deep end of the pool (I think he got there on pure momentum from the swan dive), trying to dog paddle but not proving to be very successful in his efforts.
Karla, meanwhile fearful that we might have the first swimming pool casualty, was trying to say to anyone within listening distance to get the long handled, pool skimming tool to pull Riley out of the water, but she only managed to stutter, “Get…get….get… get…” All the while, Riley was swallowing more and more of our over-chlorinated pool water. Ben (my thirteen year old dog lover) had seen and heard enough. Ben can’t leap tall buildings in a single bound and he’s not faster than a speeding bullet, but in a move that would have made both Aqua-man and David Hasselhoff (the Baywatch dude) proud, Ben dove into the frigid water, grabbed Riley and saved the day! FYI-- no mouth to mouth was needed.
All the participants seemed to survive the ordeal. Riley was wet and cold, but did not seem any worse for the wear and it didn’t take him long to go regain his non-stop running, yapping, whirling dervish self. Ben, quite proud of his heroic efforts, is waiting for some kind of special commendation from PETA and has new friends in Riley and Heather. And the rest of us are happy that it was Ben that jumped in the cold waters, that Riley is OK, and that no one had to give a dog mouth to mouth resuscitation.
I tell you all of that because I know some people who are a lot like Riley. Not the A.D.H.D., whirling dervish part and not the non-stop yapping and running part—but finding themselves in deep water and not knowing how to get out part. It seems every week I talk to someone who is in over their head with problems, debt, trials, sickness, sin, you name it. Barely treading water, they don’t know what to do or where to turn.
Isaiah quotes God saying:
"Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God.” (Isaiah 43:1-3. New Living Translation)
It’s a great quote and some of my favorite verses in the entire Bible. Next time you find yourself in deep waters, know that God is with you. Do not be afraid. You are not alone. You don’t need “Super Ben” to rescue you—the Lord has said, “You are mine.” You can always count on Him to help you to overcome the deep waters, the burning flames, the troubling times!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
A Detroit Sports Fan's Dream (almost)
One of the great sport nights in Detroit history was tonight. I had the remote working, and my lap top buzzing. At the same time... the Tigers were crushing the Twins at Comerica Park (19-3), the Red Wings were winning game one of the Stanley Cup Finals over the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Joe Louis Arena (4-0), while the Pistons lost to the Celtics at the Palace of Auburn Hills in the third game of the Eastern Conference Finals. If the Pistons had won the only thing better would have been the return of Jesus.
A good quote
Do you like good quotes? Try this one on for size:
Vince Antonucci said this recently, "If you aren't close to someone who is far from God you may not be as close to God as you think."
How many non-Christ following friends do you have? Who are you trying to impact for Christ? Jesus hung out with sinners-- when was the last time you did?
Vince Antonucci said this recently, "If you aren't close to someone who is far from God you may not be as close to God as you think."
How many non-Christ following friends do you have? Who are you trying to impact for Christ? Jesus hung out with sinners-- when was the last time you did?
Our Home on the Range and Encouraging Words
Do you know what the official state song of Kansas is? It’s Home on the Range. Since, I did not grow up in the Sunflower State, this was news to me. (I don’t know what the official state song of my home state (Michigan) is—given the fact the auto industry is having really bad times these days, it might be “Turn out the lights the party’s over.”) But in Kansas our song is Home on the Range. Good thing you are reading this little prose and not listening, because right now if you were sitting in the hallowed offices of Central Church you would hear a wretched noise emanating from my office. It’s far from David Cook and his American Idol fame and fashion, as I bellowed out for no one in particular to hear:
Home, home on the range.
Where the deer and the antelope play,
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
And the skies are not cloudy all day.
I suppose my home is technically on the range, (Is Olathe on the range?), but I have yet to see a single deer or antelope play. A few bunnies and squirrels may be around, but there are definitely no deer or antelope in my neighborhood. On occasion, I have heard a few discouraging words (especially as it relates to gas prices) and the skies today are more than a little cloudy. In fact, it’s pouring down liquid sunshine as I type out these words.
Home, home on the range.
Where the deer and the antelope play,
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
And the skies are not cloudy all day.
I suppose my home is technically on the range, (Is Olathe on the range?), but I have yet to see a single deer or antelope play. A few bunnies and squirrels may be around, but there are definitely no deer or antelope in my neighborhood. On occasion, I have heard a few discouraging words (especially as it relates to gas prices) and the skies today are more than a little cloudy. In fact, it’s pouring down liquid sunshine as I type out these words.
I guess the song is a little inaccurate. There’s no deer and antelope; plenty of discouraging words; and the weather man says the skies will be cloudy all day. I can’t do anything about the non-playing and non-existent deer and the antelope. And controlling the weather is a little out of my pay grade too, but I can do something about “discouraging words.”
I remember seeing a Far Side cartoon years ago where a deer and antelope were discussing the ugliness of a certain buffalo to which another dear (or maybe it was an antelope) overheard them and said, “I think I just heard a discouraging word.”
If you listen in on many of the conversations at your work place and home and sometimes even church, like that eavesdropping antelope (or was it a deer?) you might also conclude: “I think I just heard a discouraging word.” It’s easy to fall prey to saying discouraging words. It’s easy to complain. It’s easy to find something to complain about, but why? What good does it accomplish? Rather than being a person that finds and focuses on the negative, I want to be a user of encouraging words and attempt to be positive in all I say. Solomon once said:
The words of the godly are like sterling silver;
The heart of a fool is worthless.
The words of the godly encourage many,
But fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense.
(Proverbs 10:20-21)
Why not have encouraging and sterling silver words, whether your home is on the range or not? Who knows—maybe your use of positive encouraging words might even chase the grey clouds away and deer and the antelope might start playing again. Positive encouraging words make a big difference!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Hooray for the Red WIngs!
Who cares about the Tigers... the Red Wings are in the Stanley Cup Finals!
Biker Sunday Recap
Thanks to all who helped make our first annual Biker Day a good success! We had beautiful weather, wonderful music, great preaching (by Bob Humphrey), fantastic food, neat door prizes, fancy shirts, and alittle over 50 motorcycles and lots of volunteers to make sure everything went great! Besides have a doozy of a headache, it was a good, good day.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Biker Sunday
I am really looking forward to Biker Sunday this week. Lots of food and events are planned for the afternoon at Central. The Morning schedule will be the same as always: 8:30 and 11:00 Worship-- with Sunday School sandwiched in between. Biker Events start at 1 PM. Food, Music and a special message. Whether you are a Biker or not... join us this week!
Bird Brain
I am a “the root beer glass is half full” kind of guy. In fact, I’m a “the root beer glass is half full and I think I even see a scoop of ice cream in the cup” kind of guy. I usually see the most optimistic, most positive, most hopeful side to things. If Robert Schuler called for people to take the lemons they’ve been handed in life and make lemonade—then I would add, “And open a lemonade stand, make some cash and use a portion of the profits to sponsor a child in Zimbabwe.” I don’t have a cool name like Zig Zigler, but I’m generally a pretty positive guy.
Having said all of that, even the most “Johnny Blue Skies” among us might be getting a little nervous as the world events seem to be getting more and more uncertain. A quick look at the newspapers reminds us that:
· The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan rage on.
· Is it just me, or does it seem like there has been more than our share of natural disasters lately? A cyclone in Myanmar, an earthquake in China, and tornadoes in the Midwest to name the tragedies from this week alone.
· Gas prices are high.
· The economy is low. (At the present rate, I think that by the time my economic stimulus check arrives, all I’ll be able to afford is one tank of gas and a Snickers Bar.)
· There are food crises in Haiti and Egypt. People can’t afford the most basic of staples like rice and bread.
· The Presidential politics and the obligatory mud slinging that follows will be a dominant theme for the next few months. Whether you are “O Baby” for Obama or McKooky for McCain—I think by November, most of us will be glad the campaign is over. (And if you are a “Silly for Hillary”… well… better luck next time).
· Even the weather has been pretty stinky this spring (although the last couple of days have been better).
So what is the Christ follower to do? I suppose we have several options and quite frankly all are for the birds…
The Ostrich Approach: Step One: Locate Sand. Step two: Stick head in it. Step Three: Stay there until 2024. Generally, ignoring problems is not the best way to overcome them and besides having all that sand in your hair is not recommended by Vidal Sassoon as proper hair care.
The Chicken Approach: Look at all the above facts and say, “I want out of this chicken coop! With all of this bad stuff going on, Jesus must be coming back tonight so I am emptying my bank account, giving away my flat screen TV to my sinner friends (‘cause I’ll be in heaven and I hear they have 200 inch Plasma TV’s in every mansion), and heading to the mountains to watch for Jesus’ return.” The problem with the Chicken Approach is that there have been those “chickens” that are more concerned about getting out of the coop than carrying about the other “chickens.” So they plan and strategize and act like Jesus’ return is coming before the evening news. But Jesus said, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven…” (Matthew 24:36) Do you remember Peter’s instructions? He wrote: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promises, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) In other words, Jesus’ return keeps getting delayed because God so loves the world. Hey, I’m glad he has waited—because I know some folks that aren’t quite ready to meet Him. If it means a few more days in the coop for some of my friends to find Jesus, I can wait.
The Sparrow Approach: Look at all the above facts and say, “Wow… that’s a lot of bad stuff, but I know this… God is in control.” Jesus said, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Matthew 6:26-27) So it doesn’t matter what is happening in the world; it doesn’t matter who is living in the White House; it doesn’t matter how high the price of ethanol rises; and it doesn’t matter who wins the World Series. Jesus is in control. He calls us to love Him and love people and let him worry about the rest.
The Eagle Approach: Looks at the above facts and like the sparrow says, “I’ve got no worries” in fact, I’m going to move beyond the circumstances of the day and soar. Isaiah said, “God gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:29-31. Italics mine). An eagle looks at the news and says “God has given me this excellent opportunity to make a difference. With Him, I can soar above the situation. With Him, I will have the strength. With Him, I can be victorious. With Him, there is not a situation that I can not overcome! God is bigger than wars and earthquakes and hunger and presidential politics. God is bigger than the temporary problems and my hope is in Him! Not only will I not worry, but I will be victorious!
So if you must be a bird brain and get your feathers in the ruffle over the events of the day, then pick the right bird to follow. As for me, I want to soar with the Eagles!
Having said all of that, even the most “Johnny Blue Skies” among us might be getting a little nervous as the world events seem to be getting more and more uncertain. A quick look at the newspapers reminds us that:
· The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan rage on.
· Is it just me, or does it seem like there has been more than our share of natural disasters lately? A cyclone in Myanmar, an earthquake in China, and tornadoes in the Midwest to name the tragedies from this week alone.
· Gas prices are high.
· The economy is low. (At the present rate, I think that by the time my economic stimulus check arrives, all I’ll be able to afford is one tank of gas and a Snickers Bar.)
· There are food crises in Haiti and Egypt. People can’t afford the most basic of staples like rice and bread.
· The Presidential politics and the obligatory mud slinging that follows will be a dominant theme for the next few months. Whether you are “O Baby” for Obama or McKooky for McCain—I think by November, most of us will be glad the campaign is over. (And if you are a “Silly for Hillary”… well… better luck next time).
· Even the weather has been pretty stinky this spring (although the last couple of days have been better).
So what is the Christ follower to do? I suppose we have several options and quite frankly all are for the birds…
The Ostrich Approach: Step One: Locate Sand. Step two: Stick head in it. Step Three: Stay there until 2024. Generally, ignoring problems is not the best way to overcome them and besides having all that sand in your hair is not recommended by Vidal Sassoon as proper hair care.
The Chicken Approach: Look at all the above facts and say, “I want out of this chicken coop! With all of this bad stuff going on, Jesus must be coming back tonight so I am emptying my bank account, giving away my flat screen TV to my sinner friends (‘cause I’ll be in heaven and I hear they have 200 inch Plasma TV’s in every mansion), and heading to the mountains to watch for Jesus’ return.” The problem with the Chicken Approach is that there have been those “chickens” that are more concerned about getting out of the coop than carrying about the other “chickens.” So they plan and strategize and act like Jesus’ return is coming before the evening news. But Jesus said, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven…” (Matthew 24:36) Do you remember Peter’s instructions? He wrote: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promises, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) In other words, Jesus’ return keeps getting delayed because God so loves the world. Hey, I’m glad he has waited—because I know some folks that aren’t quite ready to meet Him. If it means a few more days in the coop for some of my friends to find Jesus, I can wait.
The Sparrow Approach: Look at all the above facts and say, “Wow… that’s a lot of bad stuff, but I know this… God is in control.” Jesus said, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Matthew 6:26-27) So it doesn’t matter what is happening in the world; it doesn’t matter who is living in the White House; it doesn’t matter how high the price of ethanol rises; and it doesn’t matter who wins the World Series. Jesus is in control. He calls us to love Him and love people and let him worry about the rest.
The Eagle Approach: Looks at the above facts and like the sparrow says, “I’ve got no worries” in fact, I’m going to move beyond the circumstances of the day and soar. Isaiah said, “God gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:29-31. Italics mine). An eagle looks at the news and says “God has given me this excellent opportunity to make a difference. With Him, I can soar above the situation. With Him, I will have the strength. With Him, I can be victorious. With Him, there is not a situation that I can not overcome! God is bigger than wars and earthquakes and hunger and presidential politics. God is bigger than the temporary problems and my hope is in Him! Not only will I not worry, but I will be victorious!
So if you must be a bird brain and get your feathers in the ruffle over the events of the day, then pick the right bird to follow. As for me, I want to soar with the Eagles!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Tomato Canning Day and Moms
Tomato Canning Day at the Prince’s was like no other day. Besides the obvious of “putting up the maters” for the following year, Tomato Canning Day was easily the messiest day of the year.
On Tomato Canning Day my mom was immersed in making tomato juice, tomato sauce, and canning stewed tomatoes. For those of you unfamiliar with the necessary tools of Tomato
Canning Day allow me to explain: Mom used a “Juicer” for the project. A “Juicer” was a stainless steel contraption that had a hopper at the top that held the cut “maters and a handle on the side. There was no electricity needed for the Juicer. All the necessary power was in the arm of the person turning the handle. As the handle was cranked with one hand and the tomatoes were mashed into the machine with the other hand, the freshly squeezed “mater” juice would go one way and the yucky “tomato guts” would go another.
This all sounds nice and neat, but it was anything but nice and neat. Sometimes the juice would miss the bucket, and sometimes the goop would miss whatever the goop was suppose to go in to and sometimes a kid (read: Rob) would coming running in from outside and not see the bucket of juice or pan of goop and purely accidentally send one or both pans (and all of their contents) flying in all directions. In other words, “cleanliness is next to godliness” is a fine saying for most things, except for Tomato Canning Day. By the end of the day, everything was covered in tomatoes. My mom’s spic and span kitchen was splattered with tomato seeds, spilled juice, and tomato goop. It looked as if some overly zealous vegetable terrorist had let off a tomato bomb in our house. Tomato residue was everywhere. Even my usually neat and tidy mama by the end of the day looked more like Bob the Tomato than my dear sweet mama.
To make matters worse— Tomato Canning Day in Michigan always came at the end of August— when the tomatoes were good and ripe and the days were good and hot.
OK— you have the scene in your mind. It’s Tomato Canning Day. It’s hot. It’s messy. And my sweet conservative mother— who never, ever, ever, wore shorts (To be honest— I’m not sure if she has ever worn shorts since) was wearing the most hideous, most awful pair of shorts that had ever hung on a K-Mart clearance rack. She certainly did not intend to leave the house— it was Tomato Canning Day—and she was wearing shorts and covered from head to toe in tomato.
Moms, you know what’s going to happen-- don’t you?
Bam Bam. Bam. Someone was beating on our door like they were Muhammad Ali and the door was George Foreman. It was the neighbor’s kid informing my tomato-gooped mom that my brother had fallen off his bike and did a nose dive into the curb. The curb was fine, but my brother’s noggin was not so fine. (This incidentally explains a lot about my brother Fred to this very day!) Upon hearing that news, my mom took off down the street. She did not take the time to change from those awful, hideous, shorts. She did not take the time to remove the tomato goop from all over her. She heard her boy was in trouble and she took off running. She did not pass go. She did not collect 200 dollars. Her child was in trouble and she was off to be by his side.
That’s how it is when your child is in trouble. You don’t worry about what you are wearing or what you look like— you just go. A “whatever it takes” type of mentality takes over. “My kid is hurt, I must go! I will do whatever it takes to make it better. I’ll do what I have to do to make it right.” I suppose all good moms would have similar thoughts if in a similar situation. In fact, there’s a great story in the Bible when a mom does what it takes to get her daughter to Jesus. Read all about it in Mark 7. It’s a great story of a mom who would not quit before her daughter was helped by Jesus.
My mom ended up riding in the ambulance and sitting in the emergency room wearing her clearance rack shorts and tomato residue. Worrying little about her appearance and a lot for my brother, she waited patiently by his side as he was being examined, x-rayed, and spending the night in Annapolis Hospital. (In the end, Fred was fine—a curb is no match for my brother’s bean. My sister brought my mom a change of clothes, the tomato juice was eventually canned, the kitchen was cleaned up, and life went back to normal.) But I don’t think my mom ever wore those shorts again.I tell you that to remind us all that this week is Mother’s Day. Even if your mom never did a Bob the Tomato impersonation in a hospital emergency room, no doubt there are reasons to be thankful for her. So take time to say “Thanks.” Even if your mom was far less than perfect, take time to forgive. Don’t let Mother’s Day pass without thinking of and/or praying for the lady that brought you into the world and in most cases did so much more (sometimes while wearing hideous K-Mart clearance rack shorts.)
On Tomato Canning Day my mom was immersed in making tomato juice, tomato sauce, and canning stewed tomatoes. For those of you unfamiliar with the necessary tools of Tomato
Canning Day allow me to explain: Mom used a “Juicer” for the project. A “Juicer” was a stainless steel contraption that had a hopper at the top that held the cut “maters and a handle on the side. There was no electricity needed for the Juicer. All the necessary power was in the arm of the person turning the handle. As the handle was cranked with one hand and the tomatoes were mashed into the machine with the other hand, the freshly squeezed “mater” juice would go one way and the yucky “tomato guts” would go another.
This all sounds nice and neat, but it was anything but nice and neat. Sometimes the juice would miss the bucket, and sometimes the goop would miss whatever the goop was suppose to go in to and sometimes a kid (read: Rob) would coming running in from outside and not see the bucket of juice or pan of goop and purely accidentally send one or both pans (and all of their contents) flying in all directions. In other words, “cleanliness is next to godliness” is a fine saying for most things, except for Tomato Canning Day. By the end of the day, everything was covered in tomatoes. My mom’s spic and span kitchen was splattered with tomato seeds, spilled juice, and tomato goop. It looked as if some overly zealous vegetable terrorist had let off a tomato bomb in our house. Tomato residue was everywhere. Even my usually neat and tidy mama by the end of the day looked more like Bob the Tomato than my dear sweet mama.
To make matters worse— Tomato Canning Day in Michigan always came at the end of August— when the tomatoes were good and ripe and the days were good and hot.
OK— you have the scene in your mind. It’s Tomato Canning Day. It’s hot. It’s messy. And my sweet conservative mother— who never, ever, ever, wore shorts (To be honest— I’m not sure if she has ever worn shorts since) was wearing the most hideous, most awful pair of shorts that had ever hung on a K-Mart clearance rack. She certainly did not intend to leave the house— it was Tomato Canning Day—and she was wearing shorts and covered from head to toe in tomato.
Moms, you know what’s going to happen-- don’t you?
Bam Bam. Bam. Someone was beating on our door like they were Muhammad Ali and the door was George Foreman. It was the neighbor’s kid informing my tomato-gooped mom that my brother had fallen off his bike and did a nose dive into the curb. The curb was fine, but my brother’s noggin was not so fine. (This incidentally explains a lot about my brother Fred to this very day!) Upon hearing that news, my mom took off down the street. She did not take the time to change from those awful, hideous, shorts. She did not take the time to remove the tomato goop from all over her. She heard her boy was in trouble and she took off running. She did not pass go. She did not collect 200 dollars. Her child was in trouble and she was off to be by his side.
That’s how it is when your child is in trouble. You don’t worry about what you are wearing or what you look like— you just go. A “whatever it takes” type of mentality takes over. “My kid is hurt, I must go! I will do whatever it takes to make it better. I’ll do what I have to do to make it right.” I suppose all good moms would have similar thoughts if in a similar situation. In fact, there’s a great story in the Bible when a mom does what it takes to get her daughter to Jesus. Read all about it in Mark 7. It’s a great story of a mom who would not quit before her daughter was helped by Jesus.
My mom ended up riding in the ambulance and sitting in the emergency room wearing her clearance rack shorts and tomato residue. Worrying little about her appearance and a lot for my brother, she waited patiently by his side as he was being examined, x-rayed, and spending the night in Annapolis Hospital. (In the end, Fred was fine—a curb is no match for my brother’s bean. My sister brought my mom a change of clothes, the tomato juice was eventually canned, the kitchen was cleaned up, and life went back to normal.) But I don’t think my mom ever wore those shorts again.I tell you that to remind us all that this week is Mother’s Day. Even if your mom never did a Bob the Tomato impersonation in a hospital emergency room, no doubt there are reasons to be thankful for her. So take time to say “Thanks.” Even if your mom was far less than perfect, take time to forgive. Don’t let Mother’s Day pass without thinking of and/or praying for the lady that brought you into the world and in most cases did so much more (sometimes while wearing hideous K-Mart clearance rack shorts.)
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Summer Reading List?
As many of y'all know, I am a reader. For what it's worth, these are a few of the books that I've read in the last couple of months.
The ones I didn't like-- Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola and George Barna.
God is a Salesman by Mark Stevens.
The ones I liked a little: The Shack by (I can't remember the author's name... oops)
The Appeal by John Grisham
The New Atheist Crusaders by Becky Garrison
The ones I really liked: Divine Nobodies by Jim Palmer
I became a Christian and All I got was this lousy T-shirt by Vince Antonucci
The Deity Formerly known as God by Jarrett Stevens
With Summer around the corner, I would recommend any of the last three books for sure-- and lots of people I know loved The Shack, I just wasn't as crazy about it as others.
My current reading list includes:
The God who Smokes by Timothy Stoner
I'm fine with God, It's Christians I can't stand by Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz
The Multi-Site Church Revolution by Geoff Surratt, Greg Ligon and Warren Bird
The ones I didn't like-- Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola and George Barna.
God is a Salesman by Mark Stevens.
The ones I liked a little: The Shack by (I can't remember the author's name... oops)
The Appeal by John Grisham
The New Atheist Crusaders by Becky Garrison
The ones I really liked: Divine Nobodies by Jim Palmer
I became a Christian and All I got was this lousy T-shirt by Vince Antonucci
The Deity Formerly known as God by Jarrett Stevens
With Summer around the corner, I would recommend any of the last three books for sure-- and lots of people I know loved The Shack, I just wasn't as crazy about it as others.
My current reading list includes:
The God who Smokes by Timothy Stoner
I'm fine with God, It's Christians I can't stand by Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz
The Multi-Site Church Revolution by Geoff Surratt, Greg Ligon and Warren Bird
Thursday, May 01, 2008
What are you copying?
A “pleasant” conversation at the Prince house:
Ben: I am the greatest baseball player in the world.
Alex: I am the greatest baseball player in the world.
Ben: Are you copying me?
Alex: Are you copying me?
Ben: Stop it.
Alex: Stop it.
Ben: Stop copying me.
Alex: Stop copying me.
Ben: I am a big, fat dummy!
Alex: Ben is a big fat dummy!
Ben: Daaaaaaaaad!
UGH! The joys of parenthood! I am sure that your cherubs would never taunt and tease one another. It’s only a pastor’s kid thing, no doubt. And pigs fly and the Royals will win the pennant and….
Even more annoying than the copying game between brothers is the copying of our dominant culture that takes place all too often.
This week I am preaching from Paul’s words, “Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” (Romans 12:2) Is there a more relevant, needed, and timely passage in the entire Bible for believers than that one? It’s not the people who completely ignore Paul’s words that worry me, but rather it is we followers of Jesus who read Paul, like Paul, and after perusing such a passage promptly offer a hardy “Preach it, Paul!” Then nearly as prompt do our very best to copy the world.
I know, I am sounding old fashion. Trust me I am not sitting on my davenport, working on my Commodore 64, waiting for a telegram from my grandmother as I write this article. And I am not suggesting that we dress and act like the Amish to prove a point. (I’ve grown rather fond of electricity.). But I am suggesting that maybe, just maybe, we need to rethink how we approach our sex-crazed, materialistic, “anything is OK just as long as you are happy” culture and say, “Hmmm, maybe God has something better.” Maybe, just maybe, we need to have a God powered, transformation—in our brains and in our culture. Maybe, just maybe, we need to reexamine our priorities and attitudes and ask, “Am I a cultural copy cat?” Do my attitudes and behaviors reflect Christ or reflect what some Madison Avenue marketing guru says is important and necessary for my life? Do I mirror Jesus or Abercrombie and Fitch?
I read a quote from Billy Graham this week, he said: “Give me five minutes with a person's checkbook, and I will tell you where their heart is.” It probably wouldn’t take the good reverend that long. In the next few weeks, we tax paying Americans will be getting our economic stimulus checks; how you spend it will tell a lot about what priorities you have. I am not a tele-evangelist or the son of a tele-evangelist and I am not suggesting you send all your money to Central, but I am suggesting that you think (and pray!) before you spend. Are you going to simply copy culture or will you allow Christ to transform you and your spending?
The same can be said about what we watch on TV, what websites we visit, and how we spend our entertainment hours. Are we allowing God to transform our minds into his “good and pleasing and perfect will” or are we going along with what our culture says is good and pleasing? Because as far as I can tell, what God says is pleasing and what our world says is pleasing at times are very far apart.
When my boys play the copying game it’s irritating and childish. When we copy the world and its false dreams and hopes, it’s even worse.
Ben: I am the greatest baseball player in the world.
Alex: I am the greatest baseball player in the world.
Ben: Are you copying me?
Alex: Are you copying me?
Ben: Stop it.
Alex: Stop it.
Ben: Stop copying me.
Alex: Stop copying me.
Ben: I am a big, fat dummy!
Alex: Ben is a big fat dummy!
Ben: Daaaaaaaaad!
UGH! The joys of parenthood! I am sure that your cherubs would never taunt and tease one another. It’s only a pastor’s kid thing, no doubt. And pigs fly and the Royals will win the pennant and….
Even more annoying than the copying game between brothers is the copying of our dominant culture that takes place all too often.
This week I am preaching from Paul’s words, “Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” (Romans 12:2) Is there a more relevant, needed, and timely passage in the entire Bible for believers than that one? It’s not the people who completely ignore Paul’s words that worry me, but rather it is we followers of Jesus who read Paul, like Paul, and after perusing such a passage promptly offer a hardy “Preach it, Paul!” Then nearly as prompt do our very best to copy the world.
I know, I am sounding old fashion. Trust me I am not sitting on my davenport, working on my Commodore 64, waiting for a telegram from my grandmother as I write this article. And I am not suggesting that we dress and act like the Amish to prove a point. (I’ve grown rather fond of electricity.). But I am suggesting that maybe, just maybe, we need to rethink how we approach our sex-crazed, materialistic, “anything is OK just as long as you are happy” culture and say, “Hmmm, maybe God has something better.” Maybe, just maybe, we need to have a God powered, transformation—in our brains and in our culture. Maybe, just maybe, we need to reexamine our priorities and attitudes and ask, “Am I a cultural copy cat?” Do my attitudes and behaviors reflect Christ or reflect what some Madison Avenue marketing guru says is important and necessary for my life? Do I mirror Jesus or Abercrombie and Fitch?
I read a quote from Billy Graham this week, he said: “Give me five minutes with a person's checkbook, and I will tell you where their heart is.” It probably wouldn’t take the good reverend that long. In the next few weeks, we tax paying Americans will be getting our economic stimulus checks; how you spend it will tell a lot about what priorities you have. I am not a tele-evangelist or the son of a tele-evangelist and I am not suggesting you send all your money to Central, but I am suggesting that you think (and pray!) before you spend. Are you going to simply copy culture or will you allow Christ to transform you and your spending?
The same can be said about what we watch on TV, what websites we visit, and how we spend our entertainment hours. Are we allowing God to transform our minds into his “good and pleasing and perfect will” or are we going along with what our culture says is good and pleasing? Because as far as I can tell, what God says is pleasing and what our world says is pleasing at times are very far apart.
When my boys play the copying game it’s irritating and childish. When we copy the world and its false dreams and hopes, it’s even worse.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Sunday is coming...
Sunday will be AWESOME! Can't wait to proclaim the good news that Jesus can change anyone's life! Join us this Sunday Morning at the Central Church of the Nazarene in Lenexa, Kansas!
Back from Retreat
I Just got back from the Pastoral Team Retreat from the Kansas City District. It was a good time. A friend of mine was the speaker-- and he did great. Only problem was that I forgot my lap top computer-- so no e-mail, blogging, etc. this week. Hmmm... maybe that was a good thing.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Weekend Highlights and Lowlights
It's been a goofy weekend-- but one where I have seen God work.
Highlights--
Highlights--
- Audrey and Brian's wedding-- beautiful, fun, awesome. Lesson: Weddings for neat couples are always fun. And they had good hors d'oeuvres at the reception too!
- Great worship and praise in all three services. Lesson: We have talented, godly people at Central!
- Red Wings win. Red Wings Win. Lesson: I miss Hockeytown this time of year.
Lowlights--
- Spending time in the hospital during a friend's health crisis (spending time with friends was not a the lowlight... seeing our friend's struggle with the issues of life wasn't great... but even in that-- God was a work and I am convinced that in the end, God will receive the Glory!!!) Lesson: God is always in control!
- Rain and Cold at Nazarene Night at Worlds of Fun. Lesson: If its cold and raining and you wear long undies to World's of Fun-- you will still get cold and wet.
- Thinking Ben had baseball practice-- but he didn't. Lesson: Don't sweat the things you can't control.
- Tigers losing two out three, and the Pistons losing its opening game to the 76ers. Lesson: I miss Hockeytown this time of year.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
This Week I...
What did you do this week? This week, I did several things.
This week, I …. Preached three times. I don’t always like the way a sermon turns out or the way I preached on a certain passage of Scripture. Occasionally I leave church thinking, “Wow, I should have done so much better.” But I like that God can take what is said, even when it is far less than perfect, and use it for his glory anyway. (Karla pointed out that last Sunday I said: “The fact of the matter is” three times during the course of the sermon. Hmmm? I told her, “Well, the fact of the matter is I wasn’t counting!” She said, “I was.”) In spite of using too many clichés, on Sunday lots (I mean LOTS) of people raised their hands or came to the altar indicating a need for God to work in some area of their life. Praise the Lord for his working!
This week, I …. Ate dinner with friends. I don’t like eating alone, but I love eating, talking, joking around a dinner table. Breaking bread (or in my case, a calzone at Old Chicago! Yum!) with friends is a good thing.
This week, I …. Paid my taxes. I don’t like paying taxes. Writing a check to Uncle Sam is one of my least favorite activities. But I like having clean water and safe streets and a stable government and all the things paying my taxes provides. And this summer good ol’ Uncle Sam will be sending out checks to us, so I guess that’s good too.
This week, I …. Attended the District Credential’s Board Meeting. I don’t like going to the Credential’s Board Meeting and taking a whole day out of my schedule to meet with ministers-in-training. But I like that we have a system that monitors and oversees the education and development of our soon-to-be ministers.
This week, I …. Received about a gazillion e-mails about Oprah and her new agey blah, blah, blah. (Okay maybe I haven’t received a gazillion, but I’ve gotten a lot.) I don’t like New Age blah, blah, blah whether it comes from Oprah or Oh My Goodness anybody else. But I like that people have recognized the blah, blah, blah for what it is.
This week, I …. Talked to a friend who is about to face a major health crisis. I don’t like that we live in a world where there is sin, sickness and tough things happen in life, but I like that we serve the One that said: “Take Heart, I have overcome the world!”
This week, I …. Led our Board Meeting. I don’t always like Board Meetings. There’s a reason I might occasionally (on purpose?) misspell it as “bored meeting.” But this week, we talked a lot about reaching our community and what we are doing and how we can do it better. It was a very good discussion among our leaders. We have a good church board.
This week, I … participated in our pastoral staff book review. Pastor Padraic picked the book this time: The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating the missional church by Alan Hirsch. It got us a ll talking and thinking about how we are doing ministry. I liked that. We have a great pastoral staff at Central… I like that too.
This week, I …. Recommended a former Centralite, former seminarian to a District Superintendant. I don’t like those conversations if I really don’t think the candidate is qualified, but I really like it when I know they will do a great job and build the Kingdom. This guy is the latter. He’s going to make a huge difference for God!
This week, I …. Worked on my lawn mower. I changed the oil and the blade. It’s ready to go. I don’t like mowing much. But I like that it’s getting warmer and the snow is gone and finally oh so finally maybe spring is here.
This week, I …. Hung out in a couple of hospitals. Going to hospitals isn’t always fun, staying in one is even worse. But I like knowing that the Great Physician is always on call. And we really can call out to God and God really does hear and answers prayers.
This week, I …. Shopped at my neighbor’s semi-annual Gear Garage Sale. I normally don’t like garage sales, but I like this one. New Shirts (with a teeny rip in the back) for a buck. Yippee! There were so many other Centralites there—I thought maybe we should take an offering and consider my neighbor’s garage and off-site venue for another worship service.
This week, I …. Waited for our out-of-town company to arrive at our house. I don’t like that the Queen of Clean (read: Karla) is turning my day off into a mowing, cleaning, scrubbing, doing a million “honey-do” jobs because “Rob we need everything perfect for our guests.” But I do like friends coming to visit.
This week, I … Spent some good time with the Lord, but I wish there had been more time. I don’t like it when I don’t make time or take the time for God, and I completely understand what good ol’ William Wilberforce was getting at when he said, “I must secure more time for private devotions. I have been living far too public for me. The shortening of devotions starves the soul, it grows lean and faint. I have been keeping too late hours.”
This week, I … Wrote an e-mail to the church and I didn’t know what to write, so I wrote about some of my likes and dislikes of what happened during the week. I hope that was OK.
This week, I …. Preached three times. I don’t always like the way a sermon turns out or the way I preached on a certain passage of Scripture. Occasionally I leave church thinking, “Wow, I should have done so much better.” But I like that God can take what is said, even when it is far less than perfect, and use it for his glory anyway. (Karla pointed out that last Sunday I said: “The fact of the matter is” three times during the course of the sermon. Hmmm? I told her, “Well, the fact of the matter is I wasn’t counting!” She said, “I was.”) In spite of using too many clichés, on Sunday lots (I mean LOTS) of people raised their hands or came to the altar indicating a need for God to work in some area of their life. Praise the Lord for his working!
This week, I …. Ate dinner with friends. I don’t like eating alone, but I love eating, talking, joking around a dinner table. Breaking bread (or in my case, a calzone at Old Chicago! Yum!) with friends is a good thing.
This week, I …. Paid my taxes. I don’t like paying taxes. Writing a check to Uncle Sam is one of my least favorite activities. But I like having clean water and safe streets and a stable government and all the things paying my taxes provides. And this summer good ol’ Uncle Sam will be sending out checks to us, so I guess that’s good too.
This week, I …. Attended the District Credential’s Board Meeting. I don’t like going to the Credential’s Board Meeting and taking a whole day out of my schedule to meet with ministers-in-training. But I like that we have a system that monitors and oversees the education and development of our soon-to-be ministers.
This week, I …. Received about a gazillion e-mails about Oprah and her new agey blah, blah, blah. (Okay maybe I haven’t received a gazillion, but I’ve gotten a lot.) I don’t like New Age blah, blah, blah whether it comes from Oprah or Oh My Goodness anybody else. But I like that people have recognized the blah, blah, blah for what it is.
This week, I …. Talked to a friend who is about to face a major health crisis. I don’t like that we live in a world where there is sin, sickness and tough things happen in life, but I like that we serve the One that said: “Take Heart, I have overcome the world!”
This week, I …. Led our Board Meeting. I don’t always like Board Meetings. There’s a reason I might occasionally (on purpose?) misspell it as “bored meeting.” But this week, we talked a lot about reaching our community and what we are doing and how we can do it better. It was a very good discussion among our leaders. We have a good church board.
This week, I … participated in our pastoral staff book review. Pastor Padraic picked the book this time: The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating the missional church by Alan Hirsch. It got us a ll talking and thinking about how we are doing ministry. I liked that. We have a great pastoral staff at Central… I like that too.
This week, I …. Recommended a former Centralite, former seminarian to a District Superintendant. I don’t like those conversations if I really don’t think the candidate is qualified, but I really like it when I know they will do a great job and build the Kingdom. This guy is the latter. He’s going to make a huge difference for God!
This week, I …. Worked on my lawn mower. I changed the oil and the blade. It’s ready to go. I don’t like mowing much. But I like that it’s getting warmer and the snow is gone and finally oh so finally maybe spring is here.
This week, I …. Hung out in a couple of hospitals. Going to hospitals isn’t always fun, staying in one is even worse. But I like knowing that the Great Physician is always on call. And we really can call out to God and God really does hear and answers prayers.
This week, I …. Shopped at my neighbor’s semi-annual Gear Garage Sale. I normally don’t like garage sales, but I like this one. New Shirts (with a teeny rip in the back) for a buck. Yippee! There were so many other Centralites there—I thought maybe we should take an offering and consider my neighbor’s garage and off-site venue for another worship service.
This week, I …. Waited for our out-of-town company to arrive at our house. I don’t like that the Queen of Clean (read: Karla) is turning my day off into a mowing, cleaning, scrubbing, doing a million “honey-do” jobs because “Rob we need everything perfect for our guests.” But I do like friends coming to visit.
This week, I … Spent some good time with the Lord, but I wish there had been more time. I don’t like it when I don’t make time or take the time for God, and I completely understand what good ol’ William Wilberforce was getting at when he said, “I must secure more time for private devotions. I have been living far too public for me. The shortening of devotions starves the soul, it grows lean and faint. I have been keeping too late hours.”
This week, I … Wrote an e-mail to the church and I didn’t know what to write, so I wrote about some of my likes and dislikes of what happened during the week. I hope that was OK.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Central Students
I have a couple of humans living in my house that are different from me. They don’t have a third eye ball or an extra limb growing from their shoulder. It’s worse. They were born sixteen and thirteen years ago respectively-- which clearly means they are (hold on to your hat): Teenagers.
Teenagers are definitely different from me. In their pre-teenager days, my boys used to think that I was the cat’s meow, now they think I am old mainly because I use clichés like… the cat’s meow. They used to wear the clothes I chose for them (Ben was so cute in his little giraffe sweater), and they got their hair cut when I said it was time to head to the barber (Alex was so cute in his “bowl” cut). Today, they would rather be trampled by a herd of giraffe than wear a sweater with a crocheted giraffe on the front and “bowl haircuts” are not among the approved styles at Great Clips. We don’t like the same music (My music taste is refined and dignified; their music is too loud, too unintelligible, and just plain too noisy. Hmmm that’s what my mom said about my music back in the day… weird!). We don’t like the same TV shows. We don’t visit the same websites. In some ways we speak in different languages. For instance, if I say the shoes I am trying on at Wal-Mart are “tight” that means I need to try on another, slightly bigger pair of shoes. If Alex says the shoes in the window of Foot Locker are “tight,” that means they are a very fine pair of shoes and well worth the $125 price tag. If Ben and I are talking about “gauges” I am more than likely referring to the oil level indicator or RPM recorder on my car’s dashboard, while Ben is probably speaking of someone’s ears. We have different tastes and different styles and use different words in conversation.
Teenagers are definitely different from me. In their pre-teenager days, my boys used to think that I was the cat’s meow, now they think I am old mainly because I use clichés like… the cat’s meow. They used to wear the clothes I chose for them (Ben was so cute in his little giraffe sweater), and they got their hair cut when I said it was time to head to the barber (Alex was so cute in his “bowl” cut). Today, they would rather be trampled by a herd of giraffe than wear a sweater with a crocheted giraffe on the front and “bowl haircuts” are not among the approved styles at Great Clips. We don’t like the same music (My music taste is refined and dignified; their music is too loud, too unintelligible, and just plain too noisy. Hmmm that’s what my mom said about my music back in the day… weird!). We don’t like the same TV shows. We don’t visit the same websites. In some ways we speak in different languages. For instance, if I say the shoes I am trying on at Wal-Mart are “tight” that means I need to try on another, slightly bigger pair of shoes. If Alex says the shoes in the window of Foot Locker are “tight,” that means they are a very fine pair of shoes and well worth the $125 price tag. If Ben and I are talking about “gauges” I am more than likely referring to the oil level indicator or RPM recorder on my car’s dashboard, while Ben is probably speaking of someone’s ears. We have different tastes and different styles and use different words in conversation.
Having said all that… I am still glad these boys are my sons. I’m proud of them. I love them more than you will ever know.
I’ve been around some other teens lately. On Monday, I had a basement full of the creatures known as Teenager. They were hanging out and cheering for the Jayhawks. It was a fun night as they allowed this old guy to join them for the Rock Chalk Jayhawk victory. All were polite. All ate lots of chips and salsa. All were having fun and yelling loud (especially when “Super Mario” sank that three pointer at the end of regulation), and when the last student left I thought, “We have some good teens at Central.”
On Sunday Night, I was in the Student Center as our teens led in the worship. We had students leading the worship songs, students playing the instruments, students praying, students reading scripture, students receiving the offering, and students singing specials (By the way, the song the Jessica Gibbons sang on Sunday night, she wrote! Wow! What a talented young lady.). When the service was all said and done, I thought, “We have some good teens at Central.”
A couple of weeks ago, I was in El Salvador with 20 of our students. Here’s what I observed: the students worked hard, rarely complained, displayed good attitudes, reached out to the people we were ministering with, and in all ways showed the love of Christ. When we returned I thought, “We have some good teens at Central.”
I’m encouraged! I don’t know if you’ve heard but “we have some good teens at Central!” These students are not “the church of tomorrow,” they are the church of today! They are talented, gifted, and already doing ministry.
If you are my age or older it’s easy to read about the “troubled youth in America” or watch a news story about some messed up kids and conclude that all students are the same. Not true. There are plenty of God-loving, God-pleasing, God-serving youth. You’ll see them sitting in the first few rows in church on Sunday, and for some of us they are sleeping in the bedroom down the hall.
Are our teens perfect? Nope (but, ahem… look in the mirror and that guy or gal staring back at you isn’t perfect either). Is it easy to be a teenager these days? Nope again. (Have you been in a middle school or high school lately?) Those two facts should cause us to pray for our students, and encourage them, and love them and when you have the opportunity hang out with them—you just might learn something. And while you’re at it—how about praying for Youth Pastor Cory and all our youth sponsors who are investing their lives in our students?! And if you do, the teens and I would agree that getting more people praying, loving, encouraging and standing with them in the situations of life would be very “Tight.” (And as we’ve already learned…that would be a very good thing!)
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Go Team Go?
I'm a sports fan. And I really get it that people are excited about KU winning a championship and the Royal's doing so well and the Wizards... (Does anyone care about soccer? I didn't think so.) But you get the idea, KC is rocking: "Yea our teams are doing great!"
We talk about it with our friends. We talk to strangers about it. It's great news: "Yea! Our teams are doing great." We are passionate about our teams.
Are we equally passionate about our Lord? I am amazed at people who say: "I could never talk to strangers about my faith, that's just not my "gift" but these same folks seem to have no problem talking to strangers about KU. Just where are our priorities?
This is in no way a sports bashing blog... you know I love my sports, but c'mon our commitment to Christ and his calling us to make "more and better disciples" trumps anything that happens on a field or court.
We talk about it with our friends. We talk to strangers about it. It's great news: "Yea! Our teams are doing great." We are passionate about our teams.
Are we equally passionate about our Lord? I am amazed at people who say: "I could never talk to strangers about my faith, that's just not my "gift" but these same folks seem to have no problem talking to strangers about KU. Just where are our priorities?
This is in no way a sports bashing blog... you know I love my sports, but c'mon our commitment to Christ and his calling us to make "more and better disciples" trumps anything that happens on a field or court.
Monday, April 07, 2008
This weekend at Central
What I liked about Sunday at Central...
1) I liked the video in the changed series... thanks Danial Hawkins for producing it and thanks to Jim Gorman for starring in it. (Hopefully we will get these on the Web site soon).
2) I liked the children's skit in both services... not only did they do a good job-- but it really fit in with the sermon. Super!
3) I like the Favorite Teacher Brunch... we had several "Favorite Teachers" here-- making this annual event a big success!
4) I like the Youth led service in the PM. We have some talented teens!
5) I liked seeing the success of our Junior Quizzing program in the PM too--- we have some smart kids!
What I didn't like about Sunday at Central...
Several individuals left a broom by my office-- I think in reference to the Royal's sweeping wins against my beloved Tigers. Wow... kick a guy when he's down!
1) I liked the video in the changed series... thanks Danial Hawkins for producing it and thanks to Jim Gorman for starring in it. (Hopefully we will get these on the Web site soon).
2) I liked the children's skit in both services... not only did they do a good job-- but it really fit in with the sermon. Super!
3) I like the Favorite Teacher Brunch... we had several "Favorite Teachers" here-- making this annual event a big success!
4) I like the Youth led service in the PM. We have some talented teens!
5) I liked seeing the success of our Junior Quizzing program in the PM too--- we have some smart kids!
What I didn't like about Sunday at Central...
Several individuals left a broom by my office-- I think in reference to the Royal's sweeping wins against my beloved Tigers. Wow... kick a guy when he's down!
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