This is one of those mornings in which I was awake at 3:00, and tossed and turned until 4:00 when I got up. Today is odd in that it is my sabbath, and I will be working, with our HCI coach Doug Anderson – 4:30 meeting, dinner, 7:00 meeting. I need to go to the office and get the board of ordained ministry packet to review sermon and worship tapes submitted by candidates for the ordained ministry. I have some flexible time through the day. I will begin with scripture and prayer, and then plan my day.
Matthew 20
Jesus describes the kingdom of heaven using a parable of a landowner who hired men to work. The first group he hired early, to work for a denarius (the equivalent of a day’s wages). He went out to hire men again at 9, at noon and at 3 pm and hired additional men. He went out at the 11th hour (5 pm) and finding men unemployed he asked why, to which they replied “because no one hired us”, and he employed them to work in his vineyard. At the end of the day he settled up, starting with the last ones hired to whom he paid a denarius. When the ones hired early in the day were paid a denarius they grumbled at the landlord, saying they had borne the burden during the scorching heat of the day. The landowner responded “is your eye envious because I am generous?” (Verse 15, 16) Jesus concluded this teaching by saying “thus the last shall be first, and the first last.”
This parable is hard to swallow for people who have been serving God all their lives. It reminds me of the parable of the prodigal son. The generosity of God can result in the envy and ill will of people who are religious or legalistic. There is joy in doing God’s will, in walking with Him throughout one’s life. The true servant of God is always looking to include more people in the kingdom and in the work of God. The vision of Wesley is to reach those who are spiritually asleep in our mission field. God is generous, and the sons and daughters of God must extend that generosity to all, especially those who are included later in the day.
Guide me today Lord as I labor in your vineyard. Increase my generosity as an extension of your character, living in me.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
January 29, 2012
My message today is designed to provide hope and assurance that God works all things together for good for those who love God, that God is present always, and that God’s love will prevail. I feel a great weight of responsibility for this message, as it is critical for a confident walk with God. I saw the group Jars of Clay in concert on Monday night at First UMC, Richardson. They take their name from Paul’s writings in II Cor 4:16-18:
Having stated that “we have this treasure in clay jars” the Apostle Paul wrote from his prison cell – “We do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.” God’s presence shines through the cracks of our broken lives.
Inspire my words, fill my mind with Your thoughts, guide me countenance that it may reflect Your glory today, most holy, present, prevailing Lord.
Having stated that “we have this treasure in clay jars” the Apostle Paul wrote from his prison cell – “We do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.” God’s presence shines through the cracks of our broken lives.
Inspire my words, fill my mind with Your thoughts, guide me countenance that it may reflect Your glory today, most holy, present, prevailing Lord.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
January 28, 2012
The sun is just rising on a seasonably cold morning. My heart is warm as I begin this day with gratitude to God for my marriage, my ministry and my life. Twenty nine years ago today we were in Omaha, preparing to be married. Audrey and I went out last night to celebrate with dinner and a double feature at the movies. We paid twice and saw two movies – Man on a Ledge and Red Tails. We enjoyed them both.
Today I will prepare for the next several days. In addition to worship tomorrow, I will lead a session of igniting leaders at 4:30 preceded by the first Staff Parish meeting of the year. Both of these will be assisted by Doug Anderson our HCI coach. On Monday he will help us with our Sunday Morning task force and the first meeting of the Building Study Committee. Today I will also prepare for the Board of Ordained Ministry interviews coming up this week. I have written materials and video worship sermons submitted by candidates to review. I will run today and get to bed early.
Revelation 21-22
It is so exciting for me to read the last two chapters of the Bible. The apostle John writes about his vision of the new heaven and the new earth, and the holy city, New Jerusalem coming down. The angel showed him “the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit…” (Rev 22:1-2)
As I wrap us this sermon series on the questions of Why, my goal is to inspire and to instill hope in the hearers that indeed the love of God prevails. Hope is such a key ingredient for this human life. “Hope gives us the courage to confront our circumstances, and the capacity to surmount them.” (Dr. Jerome Groopman in The Anatomy of Hope, quoted by Hamilton, p. 97) Without hope, life is fruitless. Without hope, people jump off buildings, ruin their marriages, get high on drugs. There are two kinds of hope – hope for this life, and hope for eternity.
The writer of Revelation, John the Apostle, is writing during a time in which Christians were being fiercely persecuted, tortured, fed to the lions, burned to death. To be a Christian was not to anticipate a healthy, respectable prosperous life in the here and now. So the book of Revelation was a tool to inspire followers of Christ to hold on, to preserver, and to anticipate heaven with the hope that God triumphs over evil and people who have trusted in Christ for salvation will have their good deeds rewarded.
Guide me holy Lord as I preach and teach and inspire in the next few days. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness!
Today I will prepare for the next several days. In addition to worship tomorrow, I will lead a session of igniting leaders at 4:30 preceded by the first Staff Parish meeting of the year. Both of these will be assisted by Doug Anderson our HCI coach. On Monday he will help us with our Sunday Morning task force and the first meeting of the Building Study Committee. Today I will also prepare for the Board of Ordained Ministry interviews coming up this week. I have written materials and video worship sermons submitted by candidates to review. I will run today and get to bed early.
Revelation 21-22
It is so exciting for me to read the last two chapters of the Bible. The apostle John writes about his vision of the new heaven and the new earth, and the holy city, New Jerusalem coming down. The angel showed him “the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit…” (Rev 22:1-2)
As I wrap us this sermon series on the questions of Why, my goal is to inspire and to instill hope in the hearers that indeed the love of God prevails. Hope is such a key ingredient for this human life. “Hope gives us the courage to confront our circumstances, and the capacity to surmount them.” (Dr. Jerome Groopman in The Anatomy of Hope, quoted by Hamilton, p. 97) Without hope, life is fruitless. Without hope, people jump off buildings, ruin their marriages, get high on drugs. There are two kinds of hope – hope for this life, and hope for eternity.
The writer of Revelation, John the Apostle, is writing during a time in which Christians were being fiercely persecuted, tortured, fed to the lions, burned to death. To be a Christian was not to anticipate a healthy, respectable prosperous life in the here and now. So the book of Revelation was a tool to inspire followers of Christ to hold on, to preserver, and to anticipate heaven with the hope that God triumphs over evil and people who have trusted in Christ for salvation will have their good deeds rewarded.
Guide me holy Lord as I preach and teach and inspire in the next few days. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness!
Friday, January 27, 2012
January 27, 2012
This morning I return to a more normal routine, most Holy Lord. I have the privilege and the time to think and write an inspiring sermon about Your love never failing. The congregation called Wesley in Springfield is a great expression of your body. There is ample opportunity to pursue your will and purposes through the pastoral office into which You have placed me. Guide me this morning as I read scripture, meditate and seek Your face. Thank you for the opportunity to return to my roots in Richardson, Texas. Guide me as I provide a healthy, spiritual context for the five year-olds of today and tomorrow.
It is good to be back home. The Large Church event in Dallas was well worth attending. I should summarize what I gleaned. Here is a flow of consciousness, to be organized later: Gratitude is so important for the next gift! We need to get out of the church business. Returning to a church I belonged to 52 years ago, experiencing its fruitfulness reminded me of children and future. The church doesn’t need a mission, the church is the mission. Aiming at Christian Maturity – defining what a mature disciple is and designing the pathway. Inspire hearers through preaching. Taking care of the balance of work and family is so important. Paying attention to the seasons of a long pastorate – I can do some thinking and writing in this area. The culture of an organization is so important – it involves the people but is so much more. Relationships endure over time – Steve Rankin, Mark Stamm, Steve Wood (Mt. Pisgah), Bob Farr, Jon Spalding. What I had hoped to glean: specific, technical aspects of pastoring the large church – for me that would be staffing, conflict, fruitful growth, stewardship. As I review this paragraph, I conclude that I got what I needed, and the way it came was not in technical solutions, but in overall experience. In conversation I also gained some insights on possible next steps for a particular situation at Wesley.
Romans 8 (Scripture for Sunday’s sermon)
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!” (Verse 1) This is a powerful statement of comfort and promise for the lives of Jesus’ disciples. I have been blessed by this statement since 1974 when I first experienced real forgiveness, and the shedding of guilt and condemnation. This is a step that every victorious child of God must experience and live. Otherwise life is a burden weighed down by guilt.
On Sunday my goal is to provide hope and substance to the question – “Will God’s love prevail?” I will conclude with the powerful affirmation of verses 38 and 39 “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Amen! Hallelujah! Preach it! Teach it! Live it!
It is good to be back home. The Large Church event in Dallas was well worth attending. I should summarize what I gleaned. Here is a flow of consciousness, to be organized later: Gratitude is so important for the next gift! We need to get out of the church business. Returning to a church I belonged to 52 years ago, experiencing its fruitfulness reminded me of children and future. The church doesn’t need a mission, the church is the mission. Aiming at Christian Maturity – defining what a mature disciple is and designing the pathway. Inspire hearers through preaching. Taking care of the balance of work and family is so important. Paying attention to the seasons of a long pastorate – I can do some thinking and writing in this area. The culture of an organization is so important – it involves the people but is so much more. Relationships endure over time – Steve Rankin, Mark Stamm, Steve Wood (Mt. Pisgah), Bob Farr, Jon Spalding. What I had hoped to glean: specific, technical aspects of pastoring the large church – for me that would be staffing, conflict, fruitful growth, stewardship. As I review this paragraph, I conclude that I got what I needed, and the way it came was not in technical solutions, but in overall experience. In conversation I also gained some insights on possible next steps for a particular situation at Wesley.
Romans 8 (Scripture for Sunday’s sermon)
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!” (Verse 1) This is a powerful statement of comfort and promise for the lives of Jesus’ disciples. I have been blessed by this statement since 1974 when I first experienced real forgiveness, and the shedding of guilt and condemnation. This is a step that every victorious child of God must experience and live. Otherwise life is a burden weighed down by guilt.
On Sunday my goal is to provide hope and substance to the question – “Will God’s love prevail?” I will conclude with the powerful affirmation of verses 38 and 39 “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Amen! Hallelujah! Preach it! Teach it! Live it!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
January 26, 2012
Good sessions and conversations yesterday here at the “Large Church Initiative” in Richardson, Texas. I was a preparatory member of the host church from 1960-1962. The speakers, worship services, and informal meal conversations have all been fruitful. I will read scripture, pray and write then work out. We depart today, so I will pack up, head to breakfast and then pick up John and Josh for the last two sessions before we drive back to Springfield.
Matthew 19
As Jesus was teaching and healing in the region of Judea beyond the Jordan, Pharisees tested him with the question “is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?” Jesus reviews Genesis with them and concludes “what God has joined together, let no one separate.” (Verse 6) As the Pharisees pushed him on this point and referred to Moses’ command to issue a certificate of divorce, Jesus responded that this was because the people were so hard-hearted that Moses allowed divorce, and he added that from the beginning it was not so. Jesus then states “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another commits adultery.” (Verse 9) This is a strong and hard statement. I believe that its application involves the motivation for divorce and the situation. Newt Gingrich divorced his second wife to marry his mistress of 8 years. This is a clear case of violating the command of Jesus. For many people, who find themselves divorced, I do not think that this is a blanket condemnation of remarriage.
Jesus blesses little children who are brought to him, even though his disciples try to run interference. He says “let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” He laid his hands on them and then departed. Given that I attended this church in Richardson from ages 4-6, I was a little child right here. I was blessed by the church and those who loved Jesus as they served in children’s ministries. There are many children at Wesley, and many babies being born. I want to always be blessing children and leading them to Jesus.
Verses 16-30 involve Jesus’ interaction with a man who wants to have eternal life. It turns out he is a young man who owns many possessions, and when Jesus tells him to sell all he has and give the proceeds to the poor, the man went away grieving. Jesus turned to his disciples and said “Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Peter pointed out that the disciples had left everything to follow him, and Jesus affirmed them stating that “you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” (Verses 28b-30)
Lord, be my guide today as I am a steward of your Gospel message. Use me to bless children, to encourage strong and healthy marriages, and to live the example of wise stewardship of possessions. Bless my adult children as they pursue your will in their lives. Bless my dear wife of 29 years as she lives for you and blesses many.
Matthew 19
As Jesus was teaching and healing in the region of Judea beyond the Jordan, Pharisees tested him with the question “is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?” Jesus reviews Genesis with them and concludes “what God has joined together, let no one separate.” (Verse 6) As the Pharisees pushed him on this point and referred to Moses’ command to issue a certificate of divorce, Jesus responded that this was because the people were so hard-hearted that Moses allowed divorce, and he added that from the beginning it was not so. Jesus then states “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another commits adultery.” (Verse 9) This is a strong and hard statement. I believe that its application involves the motivation for divorce and the situation. Newt Gingrich divorced his second wife to marry his mistress of 8 years. This is a clear case of violating the command of Jesus. For many people, who find themselves divorced, I do not think that this is a blanket condemnation of remarriage.
Jesus blesses little children who are brought to him, even though his disciples try to run interference. He says “let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” He laid his hands on them and then departed. Given that I attended this church in Richardson from ages 4-6, I was a little child right here. I was blessed by the church and those who loved Jesus as they served in children’s ministries. There are many children at Wesley, and many babies being born. I want to always be blessing children and leading them to Jesus.
Verses 16-30 involve Jesus’ interaction with a man who wants to have eternal life. It turns out he is a young man who owns many possessions, and when Jesus tells him to sell all he has and give the proceeds to the poor, the man went away grieving. Jesus turned to his disciples and said “Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Peter pointed out that the disciples had left everything to follow him, and Jesus affirmed them stating that “you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” (Verses 28b-30)
Lord, be my guide today as I am a steward of your Gospel message. Use me to bless children, to encourage strong and healthy marriages, and to live the example of wise stewardship of possessions. Bless my adult children as they pursue your will in their lives. Bless my dear wife of 29 years as she lives for you and blesses many.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
January 25, 2012
86 years ago today my mother was born in Los Angeles. She died at the age of 82 of COPD, and her remains are in a mausoleum next to my father’s remains. Before realizing today’s date, I was picturing her in her final weeks as she attended my father’s funeral, and then suffered through her last days of nursing home care, being transported from St. Louis to Springfield, and then the end. I am reading Billy Graham’s Nearing Home and am gaining much from his insights.
This “Large Church Initiative” conference is going well. Yesterday we heard Michael Slaughter from Ginghamsburg and Clayton Oliphint from the host church describe their ministries. I had a brief word with Slaughter afterwards about our use of his resources for “Change the World.” In the morning I drove to the SMU campus and attended Morning Prayers with Communion led by Steve Rankin. There I met Mark Stamm, who was a classmate in Seminary at Asbury in 1980. He teaches worship at Perkins Seminary, and has published on the sacraments. Steve and I went to breakfast where we discussed his recently published book Aiming at Maturity. We also caught up on our families and ministries.
I ate lunch with three Canadian pastors, and had great conversation about the impact of the union in 1925 which eliminated the Methodist church and created the United Church of Canada. We talked about its structure, governance, deployment of pastors, etc. I had dinner with the pastor of Mt. Pisgah UMC in Atlanta, with whom I have also served on the Asbury Alumni Council.
Matthew 18
This chapter of the Gospel includes teaching about true greatness, using a child as an example. Jesus says that whoever becomes humble like a child will be great in the kingdom of heaven. He continues to warn against causing anyone to stumble, which leads him into discussing God’s attention to lost sheep (which should also be our attention!)
In verses 15-20 Jesus teaches what to do if someone in the church sins against you. I often apply this formula, and I think it is the healthiest way to deal with conflict and wrongdoing. Jesus tells us that if someone sins against us, we should go directly and privately to that person and “point out the fault.” If the person listens to you, you have “regained that one.” If the person will not listen to you, take two or three with you, and if they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church, and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, excommunicate that one. There is much wisdom and practical application in this paragraph.
This chapter concludes with Jesus responding to Peter’s question about forgiveness. He tells Peter to forgive seven times seven (or in other versions 77 times.) Repeated forgiveness is the pattern, and Jesus illustrates this with the parable of the unforgiving servant.
Guide me today Lord as I attend the conference, listen to good speakers, worship you, fellowship with other church leaders and pursue the pathway to fruitfulness through humble service.
This “Large Church Initiative” conference is going well. Yesterday we heard Michael Slaughter from Ginghamsburg and Clayton Oliphint from the host church describe their ministries. I had a brief word with Slaughter afterwards about our use of his resources for “Change the World.” In the morning I drove to the SMU campus and attended Morning Prayers with Communion led by Steve Rankin. There I met Mark Stamm, who was a classmate in Seminary at Asbury in 1980. He teaches worship at Perkins Seminary, and has published on the sacraments. Steve and I went to breakfast where we discussed his recently published book Aiming at Maturity. We also caught up on our families and ministries.
I ate lunch with three Canadian pastors, and had great conversation about the impact of the union in 1925 which eliminated the Methodist church and created the United Church of Canada. We talked about its structure, governance, deployment of pastors, etc. I had dinner with the pastor of Mt. Pisgah UMC in Atlanta, with whom I have also served on the Asbury Alumni Council.
Matthew 18
This chapter of the Gospel includes teaching about true greatness, using a child as an example. Jesus says that whoever becomes humble like a child will be great in the kingdom of heaven. He continues to warn against causing anyone to stumble, which leads him into discussing God’s attention to lost sheep (which should also be our attention!)
In verses 15-20 Jesus teaches what to do if someone in the church sins against you. I often apply this formula, and I think it is the healthiest way to deal with conflict and wrongdoing. Jesus tells us that if someone sins against us, we should go directly and privately to that person and “point out the fault.” If the person listens to you, you have “regained that one.” If the person will not listen to you, take two or three with you, and if they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church, and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, excommunicate that one. There is much wisdom and practical application in this paragraph.
This chapter concludes with Jesus responding to Peter’s question about forgiveness. He tells Peter to forgive seven times seven (or in other versions 77 times.) Repeated forgiveness is the pattern, and Jesus illustrates this with the parable of the unforgiving servant.
Guide me today Lord as I attend the conference, listen to good speakers, worship you, fellowship with other church leaders and pursue the pathway to fruitfulness through humble service.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
January 24, 2012
This morning I will attend chapel at 8:00 in the Perkins chapel on the SMU campus and then breakfast with Steve Rankin. The remainder of the day will be spent with this Large Church Initiative seminar. I have scheduled a break in the afternoon. Last night we heard 3 bands in concert, Jars of Clay capping the night. We left at 9:25, with apparently much more to come.
Matthew 17
Jesus leads Peter, James and John up a high mountain. He was transfigured and spoke with Moses and Elijah. God spoke from a bright cloud saying “this is my son, the beloved, with him I am well pleased, listen to him.” Peter had been offering to build three dwellings there. After the voice spoke, Jesus was alone, and told the three not to disclose this to anyone until after “the son of man has been raised from the dead.”
I love this account of the transfiguration. It is a unique occurrence, taking the disciples completely by surprise. It was not repeated. They wanted to do something. Jesus apparently simply wanted them to experience it, which validated his ministry with the giver of the law and the greatest prophet, and the voice from heaven.
Guide me today, most holy Lord as I walk through the hours and take in everything you have for me today. You are God, I am your servant.
Matthew 17
Jesus leads Peter, James and John up a high mountain. He was transfigured and spoke with Moses and Elijah. God spoke from a bright cloud saying “this is my son, the beloved, with him I am well pleased, listen to him.” Peter had been offering to build three dwellings there. After the voice spoke, Jesus was alone, and told the three not to disclose this to anyone until after “the son of man has been raised from the dead.”
I love this account of the transfiguration. It is a unique occurrence, taking the disciples completely by surprise. It was not repeated. They wanted to do something. Jesus apparently simply wanted them to experience it, which validated his ministry with the giver of the law and the greatest prophet, and the voice from heaven.
Guide me today, most holy Lord as I walk through the hours and take in everything you have for me today. You are God, I am your servant.
Monday, January 23, 2012
January 23, 2012
I arose at 5:15 and flipped through yesterday’s Patriots-Ravens AFC playoff game. It was exciting to the end, and I feel for Billy Cundiff the kicker who missed a 32 yard field goal which would have tied the game with about 12 seconds left. Brady and the Patriots will proceed to the super bowl in Indianapolis in two weeks. What does it feel like to miss a field goal under that kind of pressure and scrutiny? I can only imagine.
Matthew 16
Peter makes a clear confession in verse 16. Asked by Jesus about what people were saying about him, he asks the disciples directly: “who do you say that I am?” Peter responded “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” I also make this confession and believe with all my heart that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the son of the living God.
Jesus instructs his disciples with words that echo down through the centuries: “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you again the whole world but lose your own soul.” (Verses24-26) The application of these verses is huge. Today I ponder the questions – what does it mean for Bruce Baxter to take up his cross, and in what ways am I most tempted to hang on to my life, which would result in its ultimate loss? Like Billy Cundiff the field goal kicker, I must be willing to take on huge challenges and not to play it safe. I must follow where Christ leads, wherever that leads. I must serve each day with an unselfish and other-centered life that is intentional.
Guide me today, most holy Lord as I confess you as Messiah, take up my cross, and serve you through this day.
Matthew 16
Peter makes a clear confession in verse 16. Asked by Jesus about what people were saying about him, he asks the disciples directly: “who do you say that I am?” Peter responded “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” I also make this confession and believe with all my heart that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the son of the living God.
Jesus instructs his disciples with words that echo down through the centuries: “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you again the whole world but lose your own soul.” (Verses24-26) The application of these verses is huge. Today I ponder the questions – what does it mean for Bruce Baxter to take up his cross, and in what ways am I most tempted to hang on to my life, which would result in its ultimate loss? Like Billy Cundiff the field goal kicker, I must be willing to take on huge challenges and not to play it safe. I must follow where Christ leads, wherever that leads. I must serve each day with an unselfish and other-centered life that is intentional.
Guide me today, most holy Lord as I confess you as Messiah, take up my cross, and serve you through this day.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
January 21, 2012
This morning I will work with our Upward ministries, leading 3 halftime devotions and refereeing one game. It is cold out, and having loaned out the LHS, I put on the coveralls and rode the Concours to church. It was brisk!
Matthew 16
Jesus rebukes Peter after he takes Jesus aside to dissuade him from going to Jerusalem. Jesus tells him … “you are a stumbling block to me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” (Verse 23)
Guide me today Lord as I set my mind on your interests, and carefully discern how to avoid the stumbling blocks along the way.
Matthew 16
Jesus rebukes Peter after he takes Jesus aside to dissuade him from going to Jerusalem. Jesus tells him … “you are a stumbling block to me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” (Verse 23)
Guide me today Lord as I set my mind on your interests, and carefully discern how to avoid the stumbling blocks along the way.
Friday, January 20, 2012
January 20, 2012
John Wigger, author of American Saint spoke in Columbia yesterday to the bishop’s peer mentor group. I read this book in 2010 and it is a fascinating study of a unique servant of Christ. Our conversation with Wigger was rich, insightful, and enlightening. We have been meeting as a group for 17 months as Bishop Schnase facilitates and teaches. We are pastors from large United Methodist churches in Missouri which are in the HCI process. Three of us are from Springfield, and our carpooling is a source of rich conversation and sharing best practices.
Today I have the morning to work on my sermon for Sunday – “Why Can’t I See God’s Will for My Life?” I always enjoy the labor of message development as it is a time to think, discern, write, create, and personally grow in my thinking about the relationship with God and the earthly journey. My approach Sunday will take on somewhat of a coach approach to spiritual direction, providing tools and good questions for answering this question. Preaching from Colossians 1 I will also tie in the mission statement – “to develop more fruitful disciples of Jesus Christ who worship, care and serve.”
Matthew 15
Jesus addressed the Pharisees and scribes who were accusing his disciples (and him) of “transgressing the tradition of the elders” by not sufficiently washing their hands. Jesus said to them “You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, ‘this people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me.’” (Matthew 15:7-8) I see that in every religious movement it is so easy for hypocrisy to develop as people say one thing and do another. John Wesley said that he was concerned that the people called Methodists would someday have the form of religion but lack the power of faith.
Lord, guide my steps, my words, my actions, my thoughts as I seek to love you authentically with a heart always drawing closer to you. Use me as a pastor and leader in this generation drawing souls nearer to you in this brief earthly journey.
Today I have the morning to work on my sermon for Sunday – “Why Can’t I See God’s Will for My Life?” I always enjoy the labor of message development as it is a time to think, discern, write, create, and personally grow in my thinking about the relationship with God and the earthly journey. My approach Sunday will take on somewhat of a coach approach to spiritual direction, providing tools and good questions for answering this question. Preaching from Colossians 1 I will also tie in the mission statement – “to develop more fruitful disciples of Jesus Christ who worship, care and serve.”
Matthew 15
Jesus addressed the Pharisees and scribes who were accusing his disciples (and him) of “transgressing the tradition of the elders” by not sufficiently washing their hands. Jesus said to them “You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, ‘this people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me.’” (Matthew 15:7-8) I see that in every religious movement it is so easy for hypocrisy to develop as people say one thing and do another. John Wesley said that he was concerned that the people called Methodists would someday have the form of religion but lack the power of faith.
Lord, guide my steps, my words, my actions, my thoughts as I seek to love you authentically with a heart always drawing closer to you. Use me as a pastor and leader in this generation drawing souls nearer to you in this brief earthly journey.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
January 18, 2012
Last night we had a very good “turbo life group” session. I taught this session which included great participation from the dozen participants, whom we have invited to consider leading a new spring Life Group at Wesley. Pastor Mi Hyeon has engineered this training, and Kim, one of our life group coordinators, provided great support last night. I have always been convinced that participation in a small group is at the heart of discipleship, and every way that leaders of a church can cultivate this environment is energy well spent.
Yesterday I received my shipment of 5 copies of Aiming at Maturity by Stephen Rankin. As he has shared with me the drafts of the chapters over the last 3 years, it is great to have the finished, bound, colorful copy in hand. I hope to be an advocate for this work, just as I have endorsed it with a few sentences on the back cover. Pastors need to be always “aiming at maturity,” and helping members do the same. Getting a vision of what this looks like is part of being on the right path.
Matthew 14
This chapter continues the narrative of Jesus’ public ministry. Verses 1-12 describe the events leading up to the beheading of John the Baptist as ordered by Herod when he granted a wish to the daughter of Herodias who pleased him by dancing at his birthday party. Jesus learns of John’s death and withdraws in a boat to a lonely place by himself. People hear about what he is doing, and they followed him on foot from the cities. (His boat was not very fast!) He had compassion for them and healed their sick. He blessed the five loaves and two fish, breaking them and instructing his disciples to distribute them. The entire crowd of about 5,000 men plus women and children ate and were satisfied.
From the tragic death of John the Baptist, to the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus leads as a servant who experiences the elements of life and helps people to experience God’s presence. On Sunday I am preaching on the question “Why can I not see God’s will for my life?” As we live in these ordinary, yet extraordinary times, I desire for the people of Wesley to experience life in community, to be aiming at maturity, and to experience the presence and power of Jesus in our midst.
Guide me today most Holy Lord as I serve You with joy. Fill me, use me, send me into this glorious day prepared to handle whatever may come and to turn people to You.
Yesterday I received my shipment of 5 copies of Aiming at Maturity by Stephen Rankin. As he has shared with me the drafts of the chapters over the last 3 years, it is great to have the finished, bound, colorful copy in hand. I hope to be an advocate for this work, just as I have endorsed it with a few sentences on the back cover. Pastors need to be always “aiming at maturity,” and helping members do the same. Getting a vision of what this looks like is part of being on the right path.
Matthew 14
This chapter continues the narrative of Jesus’ public ministry. Verses 1-12 describe the events leading up to the beheading of John the Baptist as ordered by Herod when he granted a wish to the daughter of Herodias who pleased him by dancing at his birthday party. Jesus learns of John’s death and withdraws in a boat to a lonely place by himself. People hear about what he is doing, and they followed him on foot from the cities. (His boat was not very fast!) He had compassion for them and healed their sick. He blessed the five loaves and two fish, breaking them and instructing his disciples to distribute them. The entire crowd of about 5,000 men plus women and children ate and were satisfied.
From the tragic death of John the Baptist, to the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus leads as a servant who experiences the elements of life and helps people to experience God’s presence. On Sunday I am preaching on the question “Why can I not see God’s will for my life?” As we live in these ordinary, yet extraordinary times, I desire for the people of Wesley to experience life in community, to be aiming at maturity, and to experience the presence and power of Jesus in our midst.
Guide me today most Holy Lord as I serve You with joy. Fill me, use me, send me into this glorious day prepared to handle whatever may come and to turn people to You.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
January 17, 2012
Matthew 13
Jesus teaches the crowds in parables. The disciples get a fuller explanation, for example of the parable of the sower who scattered seed on different kinds of ground. When the disciples asked him why he spoke in parables, he replied “to you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.” He quotes Isaiah saying “You keep on hearing, but will not understand; and you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive;” He concludes by telling the disciples that they are blessed because of what they see and hear.
Still it is true in this era, that some people see and hear with understanding, experiencing the fullness of God’s grace and mercy, while many people see and hear, and do not understand, do not become followers of Christ. This is a mystery, one which I embrace and accept.
Yesterday I completed my last long training run before the February 5 marathon. I ran-walked 24 miles in 4 hours 56 minutes, averaging 11:56 a mile. This is the longest distance I have ever covered in training for a marathon. With the goal of completing one marathon a decade, I am confident that in three weeks I can complete a marathon at the age of 55.
I had lots of time to think while running yesterday. It was a beautiful day, with the temperature in the mid-sixties, unseasonably warm for January in Missouri. As I was enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of the Frisco Highline Trail I was remembering the people and the groups with whom I have run in the past. My first running partners were Bob Johnson and his next door neighbor, both in their 40s as I was preparing for my freshman year in high school. They took me to a nearby track as I prepared for what would be my first Cross Country season. They encouraged me in those early morning runs as I tried to complete the quarter mile laps according to the summer workout schedule provided by the coach. When the season started, I discovered that I was one of the slowest runners on the team. We were blessed with excellent distance runners who won our first several meets. Our coach said that if we went through the season undefeated, he would letter the whole team. For the first time in school history, a team completed an undefeated season, and as the slowest runner, who never scored a point for the team, I was awarded a freshman letter in Cross Country. What an experience of Grace!
Throughout high school I tried out for various sports from which I was cut from the teams. The track and cross country teams took all comers, with no cutting, and it was on the track team that I found a home and a place to belong as an “athlete”. I have great memories of the years of training with different members of the team as we worked out on the track, and completed longer runs on the road. I usually ran in Junior Varsity meets, but did score one varsity point for my track team in a two-mile race my junior year. At the end of my senior year I was awarded a varsity letter in track for my persistence, having been on the team each year during high school. (What do you do with a varsity letter in May of your senior year?)
I began running marathons while I was in seminary, training with two friends during the spring semester of my first year. We ran the Mother’s day marathon in Columbus Ohio, and Rob and I tied for 14th. 15 years later I completed a marathon out of Columbia Missouri, having trained with a friend from church. We both had elementary aged children, and our training schedule was worked around the schedules of our families. My goal is to complete a marathon in each decade of my life, into my 70s.
As I was running yesterday, I was thinking about the similarities between running and the life of a disciple of Christ. There is an acceptance by the community of “all comers”, no one is cut from the team. There is work to be done to prepare a person for this life, which includes a discipline and much effort. The follower of Christ must deny oneself, and become single-focused with the eye on the prize of the high calling in Jesus. Following Christ requires companions. A person simply cannot pursue this spiritual life alone. There are usually different companions at different seasons along the journey.
Where are you in this life of discipleship? As I prepare for this my fourth marathon, I realize that I am down the road a fair piece, with hopefully a significant distance still to go. I read this week that the last long run preceding one’s marathon is the most important run. Given that I will do this once a decade, it occurred to me while running yesterday that it was my most important training run of the decade! And thus I gave it my all.
As we begin to gather the people of Wesley into spring Life Groups, the Holy Spirit is leading each of us to the group that can be the most helpful for this part of the journey. I encourage you not to miss this opportunity – it could be the beginning of a long season of discipleship, or this group this spring could be the most important one of this decade for you in your walk with Christ. Use one of the paper signup forms, or for a high tech option, text 417.429.0967 your first and last name, and we can help you find just the right group. I look forward to the journey with you as we Change the World through our life groups this spring.
Jesus teaches the crowds in parables. The disciples get a fuller explanation, for example of the parable of the sower who scattered seed on different kinds of ground. When the disciples asked him why he spoke in parables, he replied “to you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.” He quotes Isaiah saying “You keep on hearing, but will not understand; and you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive;” He concludes by telling the disciples that they are blessed because of what they see and hear.
Still it is true in this era, that some people see and hear with understanding, experiencing the fullness of God’s grace and mercy, while many people see and hear, and do not understand, do not become followers of Christ. This is a mystery, one which I embrace and accept.
Yesterday I completed my last long training run before the February 5 marathon. I ran-walked 24 miles in 4 hours 56 minutes, averaging 11:56 a mile. This is the longest distance I have ever covered in training for a marathon. With the goal of completing one marathon a decade, I am confident that in three weeks I can complete a marathon at the age of 55.
I had lots of time to think while running yesterday. It was a beautiful day, with the temperature in the mid-sixties, unseasonably warm for January in Missouri. As I was enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of the Frisco Highline Trail I was remembering the people and the groups with whom I have run in the past. My first running partners were Bob Johnson and his next door neighbor, both in their 40s as I was preparing for my freshman year in high school. They took me to a nearby track as I prepared for what would be my first Cross Country season. They encouraged me in those early morning runs as I tried to complete the quarter mile laps according to the summer workout schedule provided by the coach. When the season started, I discovered that I was one of the slowest runners on the team. We were blessed with excellent distance runners who won our first several meets. Our coach said that if we went through the season undefeated, he would letter the whole team. For the first time in school history, a team completed an undefeated season, and as the slowest runner, who never scored a point for the team, I was awarded a freshman letter in Cross Country. What an experience of Grace!
Throughout high school I tried out for various sports from which I was cut from the teams. The track and cross country teams took all comers, with no cutting, and it was on the track team that I found a home and a place to belong as an “athlete”. I have great memories of the years of training with different members of the team as we worked out on the track, and completed longer runs on the road. I usually ran in Junior Varsity meets, but did score one varsity point for my track team in a two-mile race my junior year. At the end of my senior year I was awarded a varsity letter in track for my persistence, having been on the team each year during high school. (What do you do with a varsity letter in May of your senior year?)
I began running marathons while I was in seminary, training with two friends during the spring semester of my first year. We ran the Mother’s day marathon in Columbus Ohio, and Rob and I tied for 14th. 15 years later I completed a marathon out of Columbia Missouri, having trained with a friend from church. We both had elementary aged children, and our training schedule was worked around the schedules of our families. My goal is to complete a marathon in each decade of my life, into my 70s.
As I was running yesterday, I was thinking about the similarities between running and the life of a disciple of Christ. There is an acceptance by the community of “all comers”, no one is cut from the team. There is work to be done to prepare a person for this life, which includes a discipline and much effort. The follower of Christ must deny oneself, and become single-focused with the eye on the prize of the high calling in Jesus. Following Christ requires companions. A person simply cannot pursue this spiritual life alone. There are usually different companions at different seasons along the journey.
Where are you in this life of discipleship? As I prepare for this my fourth marathon, I realize that I am down the road a fair piece, with hopefully a significant distance still to go. I read this week that the last long run preceding one’s marathon is the most important run. Given that I will do this once a decade, it occurred to me while running yesterday that it was my most important training run of the decade! And thus I gave it my all.
As we begin to gather the people of Wesley into spring Life Groups, the Holy Spirit is leading each of us to the group that can be the most helpful for this part of the journey. I encourage you not to miss this opportunity – it could be the beginning of a long season of discipleship, or this group this spring could be the most important one of this decade for you in your walk with Christ. Use one of the paper signup forms, or for a high tech option, text 417.429.0967 your first and last name, and we can help you find just the right group. I look forward to the journey with you as we Change the World through our life groups this spring.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
January 14, 2012
Today is Audrey’s birthday, and she awakens in Honduras. The team will leave Talanga and travel to the valley of the angels for culture and shopping. Tonight they will stay near Teguc in a bed and breakfast, and fly home tomorrow. Audrey enjoys each part of a mission trip, and this day of touring and shopping in an artisan town should be a fitting way to celebrate this anniversary of her birth. Tonight the team will surprise her.
Today’s theme for me is “weddings.” I have two counseling sessions with couples planning their spring weddings, and then a very large wedding at 5:00 pm at Wesley. The fact that there are 4 ring bearers and 3 wedding coordinators indicates the scope of this event. Today also will involve making phone calls to leaders, writing an email to igniting leaders, encouraging the Upward ministries, and finalizing my sermon for Sunday. It is by necessity further along than usual, given the wedding work I will do today.
For my devotional reading of scripture, I am getting ahead of the gospel portion of the One Year Bible, but reading a chapter a day of Matthew seems to be a good pattern for me.
Matthew 12
This chapter finds Jesus, on the Sabbath walking through the grain fields with his disciples. “They became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, ‘Behold, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.’” (Verses 1b-2) Thus the chapter involves Jesus teaching about the Sabbath, going to their synagogue and healing a man on the Sabbath, and infuriating the Pharisees who began to plan how to destroy him.
Jesus teaches that he is “Lord of the Sabbath”, and that David and his men violated an ordinance when they are the consecrated bread, and that every week the priests in the temple break the Sabbath, but are not guilty. This whole topic of sabbath-keeping continues to be a point of interest to me. “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8) is the fourth commandment. Of the Ten Commandments, this seems to be the one that Christians lack clarity in following. I know that as a pastor, my work on Sunday (the first day of the week, the “sabbath” for Christians) requires the most exertion. I recognize that in our culture, the fast pace of life is destructive, and everyone needs a day of rest in the cycle of the 7 day week.
My insight this morning is that Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath, and that as He says in Mark 2:27 “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” Given that all followers of Christ are priests, and that the 4th commandment does not spell out exactly what it means to “remember the Sabbath and keep it holy”, I think that there is still much to be gained for all of us who follow Christ to reflect upon the Sabbath, and find ways to remember it and keep it holy.
For me, here are some of the components of my remembering the Sabbath: 1. I treat each day as a gift from God, to be kept holy. 2. I understand the technical sense of Saturday (today!) being the seventh day of the week, kept as the Sabbath by Jews and 7th day Adventists. 3. I celebrate Sunday as commemorating the day of Christ’s resurrection, and worship every Sunday as my way of remembering this. 4. I recognize that God made us in His image, and that He rested on the 7th day of creation, thus we need to rest from our labors one day in seven (for me that is typically Monday), 5. This modern culture seems to live for the weekends, which are times of self gratification and self absorption, thus to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy is truly counter cultural today. It used to be that blue laws were in place and forced people to remember that Sunday was set apart in a different way.
Guide me Holy Lord, Lord of the Sabbath, Lord of Heaven and Earth, as I follow you, serve you, represent you, teach about you, and live a life of love.
Today’s theme for me is “weddings.” I have two counseling sessions with couples planning their spring weddings, and then a very large wedding at 5:00 pm at Wesley. The fact that there are 4 ring bearers and 3 wedding coordinators indicates the scope of this event. Today also will involve making phone calls to leaders, writing an email to igniting leaders, encouraging the Upward ministries, and finalizing my sermon for Sunday. It is by necessity further along than usual, given the wedding work I will do today.
For my devotional reading of scripture, I am getting ahead of the gospel portion of the One Year Bible, but reading a chapter a day of Matthew seems to be a good pattern for me.
Matthew 12
This chapter finds Jesus, on the Sabbath walking through the grain fields with his disciples. “They became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, ‘Behold, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.’” (Verses 1b-2) Thus the chapter involves Jesus teaching about the Sabbath, going to their synagogue and healing a man on the Sabbath, and infuriating the Pharisees who began to plan how to destroy him.
Jesus teaches that he is “Lord of the Sabbath”, and that David and his men violated an ordinance when they are the consecrated bread, and that every week the priests in the temple break the Sabbath, but are not guilty. This whole topic of sabbath-keeping continues to be a point of interest to me. “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8) is the fourth commandment. Of the Ten Commandments, this seems to be the one that Christians lack clarity in following. I know that as a pastor, my work on Sunday (the first day of the week, the “sabbath” for Christians) requires the most exertion. I recognize that in our culture, the fast pace of life is destructive, and everyone needs a day of rest in the cycle of the 7 day week.
My insight this morning is that Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath, and that as He says in Mark 2:27 “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” Given that all followers of Christ are priests, and that the 4th commandment does not spell out exactly what it means to “remember the Sabbath and keep it holy”, I think that there is still much to be gained for all of us who follow Christ to reflect upon the Sabbath, and find ways to remember it and keep it holy.
For me, here are some of the components of my remembering the Sabbath: 1. I treat each day as a gift from God, to be kept holy. 2. I understand the technical sense of Saturday (today!) being the seventh day of the week, kept as the Sabbath by Jews and 7th day Adventists. 3. I celebrate Sunday as commemorating the day of Christ’s resurrection, and worship every Sunday as my way of remembering this. 4. I recognize that God made us in His image, and that He rested on the 7th day of creation, thus we need to rest from our labors one day in seven (for me that is typically Monday), 5. This modern culture seems to live for the weekends, which are times of self gratification and self absorption, thus to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy is truly counter cultural today. It used to be that blue laws were in place and forced people to remember that Sunday was set apart in a different way.
Guide me Holy Lord, Lord of the Sabbath, Lord of Heaven and Earth, as I follow you, serve you, represent you, teach about you, and live a life of love.
Friday, January 13, 2012
January 13, 2012
Utilizing technology, I now have my coffee maker set to automatically start the morning coffee so that it is ready just as my alarm awakens me. All that is required of me is to grind the beans and set up the coffee maker at night, and then to drag myself out of bed when the alarm does go off! This cold snap of weather is refreshing, but as the furnaces are required to run more frequently, I regret that heating costs rise with the drop in temperatures. Forecasters are predicting a swift moderation, with highs tomorrow and Sunday near 50.
Yesterday I recorded video segments for the six Life Group sessions beginning next month. Brian and Matt combined to set up a high tech recording set, including a teleprompter. I look forward to seeing the results. We have obtained copyright permission to use Mike Slaughter’s words, recorded as I read them for our small groups. I am looking forward to the spring of 2013 and producing our own material, with which I can be more creative and more personal. This effort for this spring is a great step forward. My conversation yesterday with Carla and Laura about discipleship was very helpful to me as we discussed personal discipleship, and systems of discipleship training.
Matthew 11
John the Baptist, from his prison cell sends his disciples to inquire about Jesus, whether or not he is “the Expected One”. Jesus tells these disciples to return to John and report that “the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.” (Verse 5) This relates to Luke 4:17-19 when Jesus, visiting the synagogue in Nazareth where he grew up reads from Isaiah 61, and then states “today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
In our upcoming Life Group study, “Change the World”, we will consider how God is calling each of us to follow Jesus in ministry. The weekly topics include welcoming strangers, healing the sick, recruiting additional workers, and going out from our comfort zones to be the hands and feet of Christ. This chapter in Matthew is great preparation for changing the world, and I will use it in upcoming weeks.
Guide me today, precious Lord, as I serve You as an under shepherd with Your flock, searching also for the lost sheep, the spiritually asleep. I take up your yoke and learn from You. Bless the Honduras team on this their last full day of work in the village of Diez de Septiembre. Use the faith community called Wesley in Springfield to advance Your kingdom on earth.
Yesterday I recorded video segments for the six Life Group sessions beginning next month. Brian and Matt combined to set up a high tech recording set, including a teleprompter. I look forward to seeing the results. We have obtained copyright permission to use Mike Slaughter’s words, recorded as I read them for our small groups. I am looking forward to the spring of 2013 and producing our own material, with which I can be more creative and more personal. This effort for this spring is a great step forward. My conversation yesterday with Carla and Laura about discipleship was very helpful to me as we discussed personal discipleship, and systems of discipleship training.
Matthew 11
John the Baptist, from his prison cell sends his disciples to inquire about Jesus, whether or not he is “the Expected One”. Jesus tells these disciples to return to John and report that “the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.” (Verse 5) This relates to Luke 4:17-19 when Jesus, visiting the synagogue in Nazareth where he grew up reads from Isaiah 61, and then states “today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
In our upcoming Life Group study, “Change the World”, we will consider how God is calling each of us to follow Jesus in ministry. The weekly topics include welcoming strangers, healing the sick, recruiting additional workers, and going out from our comfort zones to be the hands and feet of Christ. This chapter in Matthew is great preparation for changing the world, and I will use it in upcoming weeks.
Guide me today, precious Lord, as I serve You as an under shepherd with Your flock, searching also for the lost sheep, the spiritually asleep. I take up your yoke and learn from You. Bless the Honduras team on this their last full day of work in the village of Diez de Septiembre. Use the faith community called Wesley in Springfield to advance Your kingdom on earth.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
January 12, 2012
Winter is back! After nearly 2 weeks of above average temperatures and nice days, light snow is on the ground and the wind chill is in single digits. I love winter weather. Even when I must be out in it as I make a hospital call this morning, I enjoy the challenge of adverse conditions. Last night I read the third email written by Audrey from our team in Honduras, and it is inspiring. Here is a portion:
“We have only been working two days, yet it feels like at least a week.
We are so immersed in these projects. Yet without our interactions with
the Hondurans, this would be just "work." We are deeply impacted by the
love shown us. This is ministry, no greater or lesser than any other,
but powerful in its impact due to the immediate differences we see from our "regular"
lives. What we get used to seems normal. So we are rich, but don't know it. We
are privileged and want more. We seek entertainment, when what we really need
is interaction and service. We are being recalibrated, and we are liking it.”
Matthew 10
Jesus summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. He sent them out with specific instructions to go to the lost sheep of Israel and to preach that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Jesus sent them out as sheep among wolves encouraging them to “be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Verse 16)
Guide my steps today, most holy Lord as I serve in the power of your Holy Spirit. Fill me, use me, recalibrate me, as I walk by faith in this generation.
“We have only been working two days, yet it feels like at least a week.
We are so immersed in these projects. Yet without our interactions with
the Hondurans, this would be just "work." We are deeply impacted by the
love shown us. This is ministry, no greater or lesser than any other,
but powerful in its impact due to the immediate differences we see from our "regular"
lives. What we get used to seems normal. So we are rich, but don't know it. We
are privileged and want more. We seek entertainment, when what we really need
is interaction and service. We are being recalibrated, and we are liking it.”
Matthew 10
Jesus summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. He sent them out with specific instructions to go to the lost sheep of Israel and to preach that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Jesus sent them out as sheep among wolves encouraging them to “be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Verse 16)
Guide my steps today, most holy Lord as I serve in the power of your Holy Spirit. Fill me, use me, recalibrate me, as I walk by faith in this generation.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
January 10, 2012
I dreamed last night that I was driving a pickup truck across a levee that was under water. The lake was rising in flood stage, and I made it across, where I was to pick up Audrey and then return across the same levee. The car ahead of me turned back, but I was confident I could make it. I have no idea what this dream means. Recording it here in my journal is a way of keeping it from disappearing from my consciousness.
Matthew 8
Having come down from the mountain where he was teaching, Jesus heals several people including a leper, a centurion’s servant, and Peter’s mother-in-law. With the disciples in a boat he rebukes them for being timid, men of little faith before he rebuked the winds and calmed the sea. This chapter finishes with Jesus in the country of the Gadarenes, met by two men who were demon possessed. He cast the demons into a herd of swine which then rushed down a steep bank into the sea. The local residents asked Jesus to leave their region.
Yesterday I watched the recent movie about John Wesley, and found it to be a good representation of his life and ministry through his 30s. He became a man of great faith, courage and action. In light of Matthew 8, recording many of the actions of Jesus, I am pleased to share spiritual roots with Wesley. It is way too easy as a religious leader to slip into a path of pleasing people and becoming timid. Wesley was rejected by the “proper” clerics of his day who did not like his work among the poor. Jesus is rejected by the residents of the Gadarenes who disliked his work with the two demoniacs and the resultant loss of pigs.
Thank you Lord for this chapter of scripture, its reminder to be bold, to act in faith, and to live close to the edge rather than in the safer middle. Guide me as I discern what that means for my ministry today, this week, and in the year 2012. I am yours, O Lord, your servant doing your work in this generation.
Matthew 8
Having come down from the mountain where he was teaching, Jesus heals several people including a leper, a centurion’s servant, and Peter’s mother-in-law. With the disciples in a boat he rebukes them for being timid, men of little faith before he rebuked the winds and calmed the sea. This chapter finishes with Jesus in the country of the Gadarenes, met by two men who were demon possessed. He cast the demons into a herd of swine which then rushed down a steep bank into the sea. The local residents asked Jesus to leave their region.
Yesterday I watched the recent movie about John Wesley, and found it to be a good representation of his life and ministry through his 30s. He became a man of great faith, courage and action. In light of Matthew 8, recording many of the actions of Jesus, I am pleased to share spiritual roots with Wesley. It is way too easy as a religious leader to slip into a path of pleasing people and becoming timid. Wesley was rejected by the “proper” clerics of his day who did not like his work among the poor. Jesus is rejected by the residents of the Gadarenes who disliked his work with the two demoniacs and the resultant loss of pigs.
Thank you Lord for this chapter of scripture, its reminder to be bold, to act in faith, and to live close to the edge rather than in the safer middle. Guide me as I discern what that means for my ministry today, this week, and in the year 2012. I am yours, O Lord, your servant doing your work in this generation.
Monday, January 9, 2012
January 9, 2012
Audrey and the Honduras team are at the KC airport, awaiting their 6 am flight to Atlanta. Last year the snowy weather was an issue, today there should be no weather delays. I will track both of their flights with an app on my Droid. Bethany had a good weekend in Costa Mesa as she was a bridesmaid in a friend’s wedding. Our Sunday at Wesley went well, with strong attendance and a good spirit throughout the body. I will invest this day off in Sabbath type activities, which will include some work around the house and garage, a workout (27 days until the marathon), and some flight time as the Cherokee is back on line from its required “annual.” I will also watch the John Wesley movie that I have had from the library for two weeks. It was made in the last couple of years, but did not do well at the box office.
Matthew 7
Do not judge. Tend the log in your own eye before you work on the speck in someone else’s eye. Do not give what is holy to dogs. Ask and it shall be given to you, seek and you shall find. This third chapter of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is full of wisdom and truth. It concludes with the application metaphor of building one’s house on sand or on a rock. My goal has always been to build my life on the solid foundation of obedience to God and alignment with the Word. Today is one more day, one more brick in the construction of the life of Bruce Baxter.
Guide me today most Holy Lord as I live each moment for you. Bless and guide the Honduras team as they fly from Kansas City to Atlanta, and then on to Tegucigalpa. Bless my adult children as they pursue their lives in the shadow of your wings. Amen.
Matthew 7
Do not judge. Tend the log in your own eye before you work on the speck in someone else’s eye. Do not give what is holy to dogs. Ask and it shall be given to you, seek and you shall find. This third chapter of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is full of wisdom and truth. It concludes with the application metaphor of building one’s house on sand or on a rock. My goal has always been to build my life on the solid foundation of obedience to God and alignment with the Word. Today is one more day, one more brick in the construction of the life of Bruce Baxter.
Guide me today most Holy Lord as I live each moment for you. Bless and guide the Honduras team as they fly from Kansas City to Atlanta, and then on to Tegucigalpa. Bless my adult children as they pursue their lives in the shadow of your wings. Amen.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
January 8, 2012
The world is calm at 5:39 am on this Sunday morning outside my door. I walked out onto my deck and was struck by the stillness. I imagined all my neighbors sleeping in their bedrooms, safe and comfortable. I am thankful for this neighborhood, and for this season of relative peace throughout our culture. There are people whose lives are in torment, and neighborhoods where fear stalks the dawn.
Job 1
This morning I am preaching the Good News from the book of Job. My title is “Why do the innocent suffer?” The scripture tells the story about Job, a man from Uz, “who was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.” (Verse 1) God asked Satan if he had considered Job, to which Satan replied that Job honors God because of the special protection and blessing God gives him. Satan proposes that if Job lost all he had, he would curse God. “The Lord said to Satan, ‘very well, all that he has is in your power; only do not stretch out your hand against him!’” (Verse 12). In one day, Job lost all his property and his 10 children. Rather than curse God he said “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Verse 21)
I recognize God’s hand of blessing on my life. He has given me a strong body, an adequate mind, a wonderful wife, two marvelous children, a comfortable house, adequate transportation and all the food I need or want. I also realize that any or all of the above could disappear in a moment – of natural disaster, human malfeasance or illness. And I am confident that whatever befalls, it will be well with my soul. I can only imagine the pain and loss that others have experienced, like Job. My hope is in God, in whom I trust and believe.
Lord, speak through me today your words of faith, hope and love. May I represent you in every way possible, and be the servant leader you have called me to be among the people called Wesley United Methodist Church.
Job 1
This morning I am preaching the Good News from the book of Job. My title is “Why do the innocent suffer?” The scripture tells the story about Job, a man from Uz, “who was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.” (Verse 1) God asked Satan if he had considered Job, to which Satan replied that Job honors God because of the special protection and blessing God gives him. Satan proposes that if Job lost all he had, he would curse God. “The Lord said to Satan, ‘very well, all that he has is in your power; only do not stretch out your hand against him!’” (Verse 12). In one day, Job lost all his property and his 10 children. Rather than curse God he said “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Verse 21)
I recognize God’s hand of blessing on my life. He has given me a strong body, an adequate mind, a wonderful wife, two marvelous children, a comfortable house, adequate transportation and all the food I need or want. I also realize that any or all of the above could disappear in a moment – of natural disaster, human malfeasance or illness. And I am confident that whatever befalls, it will be well with my soul. I can only imagine the pain and loss that others have experienced, like Job. My hope is in God, in whom I trust and believe.
Lord, speak through me today your words of faith, hope and love. May I represent you in every way possible, and be the servant leader you have called me to be among the people called Wesley United Methodist Church.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
January 7, 2012
Matthew 6:1-24 (from the One Year Bible)
Jesus provides practical teaching on living a life that pleases God. His instructions include: how to give alms, how to pray, where to store your treasure so it is not ruined. In this section he teaches what is commonly referred to as “The Lord’s Prayer.” He also states that “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” It just occurred to me that perhaps many people in my culture think often about retirement because they have retirement plans and accounts that are well-resourced, thus causing them to allow their heart to drift often to retirement. I know that I think about it now and then. It would seem better to regularly focus on heaven, one’s final retirement, and the treasures that one has stored up there.
Prayer is a regular part of my life. I record some of my prayers in the morning here in this journal which I publish daily as a blog, and then I pray throughout the day.I pray as I drive, as I work at my desk, when I think of a person and their situation. Because of reading this scripture this morning, I will be more conscious today of my prayer as Jesus modeled and taught.
Guide me thoughts, my steps, my study, my visits, my interactions throughout this day, holy Lord that I might represent you, obey you, follow you and lead others to a closer walk with you.
Jesus provides practical teaching on living a life that pleases God. His instructions include: how to give alms, how to pray, where to store your treasure so it is not ruined. In this section he teaches what is commonly referred to as “The Lord’s Prayer.” He also states that “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” It just occurred to me that perhaps many people in my culture think often about retirement because they have retirement plans and accounts that are well-resourced, thus causing them to allow their heart to drift often to retirement. I know that I think about it now and then. It would seem better to regularly focus on heaven, one’s final retirement, and the treasures that one has stored up there.
Prayer is a regular part of my life. I record some of my prayers in the morning here in this journal which I publish daily as a blog, and then I pray throughout the day.I pray as I drive, as I work at my desk, when I think of a person and their situation. Because of reading this scripture this morning, I will be more conscious today of my prayer as Jesus modeled and taught.
Guide me thoughts, my steps, my study, my visits, my interactions throughout this day, holy Lord that I might represent you, obey you, follow you and lead others to a closer walk with you.
Friday, January 6, 2012
January 6, 2012
I am looking forward to the work of shepherding today, as I work on my weekend message and follow up on correspondence, planning and pastoral concerns. Yesterday I had a good motorcycle ride (see detailed account at end of this blog.)
Psalm 6; Proverbs 1:29-33 (The One Year Bible)
Guide my steps today Lord as I serve You through the pastoral office. May the preparations I make, the people I speak with, the problems I address be according to your wisdom, always empowered by your unfailing love. Guard me from missteps, discouragement; lead me in Your righteousness, make my way plain, increase my courage and my love.
Four-state Motorcycle adventure:
I left yesterday morning about 9:15 heading south on 160. I crossed Table Rock Lake at Kimberling City, then into Arkansas at Blue Eye, stopping for gas at Berryville. Chatting it up with a truck driver I followed his advice and headed south on 21, then west on 412 to Siloam Springs. I ate my lunch of left over turkey in the city park of the Two Springs. I read from chapter 2 of Jefferson’s The Minister as Shepherd. I had a nice conversation with a fellow walking by named Emerson, executive director of a not-for-profit emphasizing wellness through diet and exercise. We chatted about his BMW 1100 and his accident last year. I headed into Oklahoma and then south on scenic 10 toward Tahlequah. Reversing course, I proceeded north on Oklahoma 10, joining 59 north to Miami. Riding the historic route 66 I got gas in Baxter Springs Kansas, and then picked up 400 east to 44, and then raced the twilight to Springfield. 354 miles, from 9:15 am till 6:00 pm, with a few stops along the way. I feel refreshed, renewed, aired out and ready for the next few days.
Psalm 6; Proverbs 1:29-33 (The One Year Bible)
Guide my steps today Lord as I serve You through the pastoral office. May the preparations I make, the people I speak with, the problems I address be according to your wisdom, always empowered by your unfailing love. Guard me from missteps, discouragement; lead me in Your righteousness, make my way plain, increase my courage and my love.
Four-state Motorcycle adventure:
I left yesterday morning about 9:15 heading south on 160. I crossed Table Rock Lake at Kimberling City, then into Arkansas at Blue Eye, stopping for gas at Berryville. Chatting it up with a truck driver I followed his advice and headed south on 21, then west on 412 to Siloam Springs. I ate my lunch of left over turkey in the city park of the Two Springs. I read from chapter 2 of Jefferson’s The Minister as Shepherd. I had a nice conversation with a fellow walking by named Emerson, executive director of a not-for-profit emphasizing wellness through diet and exercise. We chatted about his BMW 1100 and his accident last year. I headed into Oklahoma and then south on scenic 10 toward Tahlequah. Reversing course, I proceeded north on Oklahoma 10, joining 59 north to Miami. Riding the historic route 66 I got gas in Baxter Springs Kansas, and then picked up 400 east to 44, and then raced the twilight to Springfield. 354 miles, from 9:15 am till 6:00 pm, with a few stops along the way. I feel refreshed, renewed, aired out and ready for the next few days.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
January 5, 2012
Today I am aerating my calendar. I will hop on the Concours and head south to Arkansas for a day of riding, thinking, relaxing. There are no appointments on my schedule, and I need to get away. During the busy-ness of yesterday, the simple thought of getting away was refreshing! I have been working hard and pushing through the pressures of pastoral leadership. In the language of Solomon I tell myself that my labor is good and from the hand of God. Today I welcome the time and means to relax. I will take reading and study material with me, and stop at coffee shops and restaurants as needed through the morning. I will leave about sunrise, which today is 7:29.
We have received the first “seed catalog” of the year! My dad used to look forward to getting January seed catalogs, an early sign that spring is just around the corner. For me gardening is more a concept than a reality. I have a garden spot; I sow a few plants, and fight a few weeds and bugs. But I have yet to invest time or energy sufficient to be considered a gardener. It is good each year for me to work the soil and to be in touch with the cycles of nature and the mystery of life.
Ecclesiastes 2
In this chapter Solomon describes many of the things he has accomplished – houses, vineyards, gardens, parks, forests, ponds, slaves, concubines, fame, and pleasure. In verse 11 he concludes “Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.” In verses 12-17 he considers the wisdom with which he has ruled, and realizes that his fate is the same as the fool (death?)
Solomon expresses despair as he ponders how he must leave everything he has done to those who come after him, whether a wise man or a fool. “Therefore I completely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun.” (Verse 20) He reflects on his life in the third person “all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is vanity.” (Verse 21)
This chapter concludes with Solomon making some good observations about life in relationship to God and to wholeness. “There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God. For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him? For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy…” (Verses 24-26a) Reading Ecclesiastes requires discernment and care how to take this skeptical wealthy wise guy. It does seem wise to enjoy the everyday pleasures of food, beverage and healthy work all from the hand of God. To have grandiose plans beyond this runs the risk of vanity.
Guide me today Lord as I journey through life, enjoying the country roads of Arkansas and the unseasonably warm weather. May my thoughts be your thoughts, my reflections clear and my intentions good and noble. Go before me and lead me in your righteousness.
We have received the first “seed catalog” of the year! My dad used to look forward to getting January seed catalogs, an early sign that spring is just around the corner. For me gardening is more a concept than a reality. I have a garden spot; I sow a few plants, and fight a few weeds and bugs. But I have yet to invest time or energy sufficient to be considered a gardener. It is good each year for me to work the soil and to be in touch with the cycles of nature and the mystery of life.
Ecclesiastes 2
In this chapter Solomon describes many of the things he has accomplished – houses, vineyards, gardens, parks, forests, ponds, slaves, concubines, fame, and pleasure. In verse 11 he concludes “Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.” In verses 12-17 he considers the wisdom with which he has ruled, and realizes that his fate is the same as the fool (death?)
Solomon expresses despair as he ponders how he must leave everything he has done to those who come after him, whether a wise man or a fool. “Therefore I completely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun.” (Verse 20) He reflects on his life in the third person “all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is vanity.” (Verse 21)
This chapter concludes with Solomon making some good observations about life in relationship to God and to wholeness. “There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God. For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him? For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy…” (Verses 24-26a) Reading Ecclesiastes requires discernment and care how to take this skeptical wealthy wise guy. It does seem wise to enjoy the everyday pleasures of food, beverage and healthy work all from the hand of God. To have grandiose plans beyond this runs the risk of vanity.
Guide me today Lord as I journey through life, enjoying the country roads of Arkansas and the unseasonably warm weather. May my thoughts be your thoughts, my reflections clear and my intentions good and noble. Go before me and lead me in your righteousness.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
January 4, 2012
I have a knot in my stomach this morning, similar to the one I went to bed with. It could be from the dinner I overate last night at Houlihans with Bethany and Audrey, and more likely it is from the stress of leadership. Today is booked pretty solid with staff meeting, staff worship, staff lunch and spring 2012 planning.
This morning Bethany leaves for L.A. on a jet plane, don’t know when she’ll be back again. However, in 4 weeks we travel there to see her as I run in the Surf City marathon. I am further along in my marathon preparation than ever before, with my 21 miles on Monday, and time for a 24 miler in twelve days. I have never trained beyond 18 miles previously. Today my legs seem to be doing well on this second day of recovery from a long run. The Galloway run-walk-run method seems to be working well for me.
Last night in Iowa were the presidential caucuses, and the results fill the news this morning. Romney won by 8 votes. Rick Perry will drop out, Michelle Bachmann will continue on after finishing last, and the race for the white house will move on to the next primary in New Hampshire.
Psalm 3
David writes this "Morning Prayer" as he flees for his life from Jerusalem. His son Absalom has usurped the throne, and many citizens have turned against him. I am strengthened this morning by this Psalm.
“Thou, O Lord, art a shield about me, my glory and the One who lifts my head. I was crying to the Lord with my voice, and He answered me from His holy mountain. I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.” Yes, He is the one who sustains Bruce Baxter. Through it all I have learned to trust in Jesus.
“Salvation belongs to the Lord; Thy blessing be upon Thy people!” (Verse 8) In leading the church, it is so important to remember this truth, that salvation belongs to the Lord. I serve You today, risen, conquering king. Guide my steps, my words, my actions as I serve you as a pastor today. May your blessings be upon your people called Wesley United Methodist Church in Springfield Missouri.
This morning Bethany leaves for L.A. on a jet plane, don’t know when she’ll be back again. However, in 4 weeks we travel there to see her as I run in the Surf City marathon. I am further along in my marathon preparation than ever before, with my 21 miles on Monday, and time for a 24 miler in twelve days. I have never trained beyond 18 miles previously. Today my legs seem to be doing well on this second day of recovery from a long run. The Galloway run-walk-run method seems to be working well for me.
Last night in Iowa were the presidential caucuses, and the results fill the news this morning. Romney won by 8 votes. Rick Perry will drop out, Michelle Bachmann will continue on after finishing last, and the race for the white house will move on to the next primary in New Hampshire.
Psalm 3
David writes this "Morning Prayer" as he flees for his life from Jerusalem. His son Absalom has usurped the throne, and many citizens have turned against him. I am strengthened this morning by this Psalm.
“Thou, O Lord, art a shield about me, my glory and the One who lifts my head. I was crying to the Lord with my voice, and He answered me from His holy mountain. I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.” Yes, He is the one who sustains Bruce Baxter. Through it all I have learned to trust in Jesus.
“Salvation belongs to the Lord; Thy blessing be upon Thy people!” (Verse 8) In leading the church, it is so important to remember this truth, that salvation belongs to the Lord. I serve You today, risen, conquering king. Guide my steps, my words, my actions as I serve you as a pastor today. May your blessings be upon your people called Wesley United Methodist Church in Springfield Missouri.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
January 3, 2012
Yesterday I completed 21 miles on the Katy trail, averaging 10:58 per mile. The temperature was 34 degrees with strong winds. The trail was empty except for a hiker from California and a bicyclist. I started at Weldon Springs, and stopped at the tavern in Augusta and bought a Gatorade to refill my water bottle. In the afternoon I picked up Bethany from the train station in St. Louis as she returned from Chicago. We had lunch at the City Diner next to the Fox. Tomorrow she heads back to L.A.
27 years ago today David was born in St. Luke’s hospital. He and Danelle have the day off work to celebrate his birthday. I enjoyed seeing them during the holidays, and spending Sunday night at their home as I delivered a bed and dining room table we had been storing in our house.
Today life in America returns to “normal”, with schools back in session, businesses open, etc. I will be at the office for staff prayers, worship planning, and work on Spring 2012 material. I am looking forward to getting back to a more regular schedule after the holidays.
Psalm 2
“Worship the Lord with reverence, and rejoice with trembling…How blessed are all who take refuge in Him.” (Verses 11-12) Yes! I will worship You Lord with reverence, today, and every day until the end. May my steps be ordered by your word, and my way aligned with The Way. Guide my steps most holy Lord.
27 years ago today David was born in St. Luke’s hospital. He and Danelle have the day off work to celebrate his birthday. I enjoyed seeing them during the holidays, and spending Sunday night at their home as I delivered a bed and dining room table we had been storing in our house.
Today life in America returns to “normal”, with schools back in session, businesses open, etc. I will be at the office for staff prayers, worship planning, and work on Spring 2012 material. I am looking forward to getting back to a more regular schedule after the holidays.
Psalm 2
“Worship the Lord with reverence, and rejoice with trembling…How blessed are all who take refuge in Him.” (Verses 11-12) Yes! I will worship You Lord with reverence, today, and every day until the end. May my steps be ordered by your word, and my way aligned with The Way. Guide my steps most holy Lord.
Monday, January 2, 2012
January 2, 2012
This morning I will head to the Katy trail and “trek” 21 miles. Given the “Gallaway” approach that I have adopted of run-walk-run at a pace 2 minutes per mile slower than marathon pace, I call this a trek rather than a run. I expect it will take me 4 hours to complete. Reviewing the Katy trail on the internet, I have decided to start at the Weldon Springs trailhead and head west to Augusta, which is 10.4 miles. This provides me adequate water resupply, and Defiance at the 3 mile, and 18 mile junctures. Winds are NNW at 7. This afternoon I pick up Bethany from the train station at 3 pm.
On the channel 5 News here in St. Louis they just ran a piece about Elliptigo, which is a low impact bicycle that looks interesting to me. It has no seat and the pedals resemble the elliptical machine that works well for me at the gym. The problem I see is that its price is $2,000. This does not seem to be wise stewardship of my resources, given that I can accomplish the same effect in other ways.
Psalm 1
I love this Psalm. Rather than read it on Jan 1, I deferred until today. These verses lift up the wisdom of delighting in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. The metaphor is being like a tree, planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit in its season, its leaves never withering. People who so delight in God’s word will “prosper in all they do.” (Verse 3) Yesterday in my sermon I rebutted the “prosperity gospel” and stated that bad things will happen to good and faithful believers. This morning I would affirm that verse 3 and my statement are not mutually exclusive. I envision a person prospering in all they do, and encountering difficulties, setbacks, tragedy, loss, and through it all being like that fruitful, well watered tree.
Proverbs 1:1-7 The value and substance of wisdom – instruction in discipline and sound choices for life.
These verses compliment Psalm 1 so very well. As I run along the Missouri river on the Katy trail I will meditate on God’s word, on God’s will, and the promise of Psalm 1:6 “For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.” Guide me today, most holy Lord.
On the channel 5 News here in St. Louis they just ran a piece about Elliptigo, which is a low impact bicycle that looks interesting to me. It has no seat and the pedals resemble the elliptical machine that works well for me at the gym. The problem I see is that its price is $2,000. This does not seem to be wise stewardship of my resources, given that I can accomplish the same effect in other ways.
Psalm 1
I love this Psalm. Rather than read it on Jan 1, I deferred until today. These verses lift up the wisdom of delighting in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. The metaphor is being like a tree, planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit in its season, its leaves never withering. People who so delight in God’s word will “prosper in all they do.” (Verse 3) Yesterday in my sermon I rebutted the “prosperity gospel” and stated that bad things will happen to good and faithful believers. This morning I would affirm that verse 3 and my statement are not mutually exclusive. I envision a person prospering in all they do, and encountering difficulties, setbacks, tragedy, loss, and through it all being like that fruitful, well watered tree.
Proverbs 1:1-7 The value and substance of wisdom – instruction in discipline and sound choices for life.
These verses compliment Psalm 1 so very well. As I run along the Missouri river on the Katy trail I will meditate on God’s word, on God’s will, and the promise of Psalm 1:6 “For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.” Guide me today, most holy Lord.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
January 1, 2012
The first day of the new year! I always enjoy making a first journal entry on January 1 and beginning to anticipate what the blank pages will contain. As Audrey and I reflected on the past year, we were thankful for God’s blessings and the many ways we experienced joy and fulfillment. Today I preach about God’s will as we begin a series asking “Why” concerning unanswered prayers, the suffering of innocent people, etc. Bethany is in Chicago, and returns by train tomorrow. I will drive to St. Louis this afternoon, delivering some furniture to David and Danelle, and then do a long run on the Katy Trail tomorrow morning.
Ecclesiastes 1
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” (Verse 2) This statement is made by King Solomon, describing himself as “the preacher” writing in his later years. He has achieved very much – expanding the kingdom of his father David, building the great temple in Jerusalem, developing all kinds of projects and relationships. He starts this book with what seems to be a cynical statement. I believe he is stating that possessions, accomplishments, relationships in and of themselves are vain and worthless apart from a genuine and authentic relationship with God.
In the last two verses of this book (12:13-14) he states “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep his commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.” From the opening verses to the closing verses, this book is a great study as I start this new year. Apart from God, all of life is vain. Respecting and honoring God, keeping his commands, walking in his will is the best way to live every day. For me, as a preacher, pastor, leader, shepherd, there is so much opportunity.
Guide me today, this year, the rest of my life most Holy Lord as I live each day in the shadow of your wings. Speak through me your wonderful truths. Allow your love and care to flow from your heart, through mine to others. Guard me from anything that is not authentic; give me courage to risk and to act in faith. Thank you for this day, and for this new year which stretches out before my feet like an open road.
Ecclesiastes 1
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” (Verse 2) This statement is made by King Solomon, describing himself as “the preacher” writing in his later years. He has achieved very much – expanding the kingdom of his father David, building the great temple in Jerusalem, developing all kinds of projects and relationships. He starts this book with what seems to be a cynical statement. I believe he is stating that possessions, accomplishments, relationships in and of themselves are vain and worthless apart from a genuine and authentic relationship with God.
In the last two verses of this book (12:13-14) he states “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep his commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.” From the opening verses to the closing verses, this book is a great study as I start this new year. Apart from God, all of life is vain. Respecting and honoring God, keeping his commands, walking in his will is the best way to live every day. For me, as a preacher, pastor, leader, shepherd, there is so much opportunity.
Guide me today, this year, the rest of my life most Holy Lord as I live each day in the shadow of your wings. Speak through me your wonderful truths. Allow your love and care to flow from your heart, through mine to others. Guard me from anything that is not authentic; give me courage to risk and to act in faith. Thank you for this day, and for this new year which stretches out before my feet like an open road.
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