April 30, 2013

Love will last forever  (I Corinthians 13) – prophecy and speaking in tongues and special knowledge will become useless. Three things will last forever – faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love. Characteristics of love – it is patient and kind, not jealous nor boastful nor proud nor rude; it does not demand its own way. It is not irritable and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance! Yes!

This morning I will officiate at the funeral of Mildred Hillme who lived 98 years. Her husband was a United Methodist Pastor, and her only child, John, is our organist at Wesley. The scripture selected by her family is I Corinthian 13.

In the notes section of the Chronological Life Application Study Bible I am using, there is an article about mirrors, stating that copper, bronze, silver and gold were used for mirrors, not glass. This created an imperfect reflection. Verse 12 states “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity (face to face).” Science has perfected mirrors, even giving them magnification. There are so many things we see imperfectly this side of heaven, and those who have died now see these things “with perfect clarity.”

Guide me most Holy Lord as I serve you today, pastoring among the people called Wesley UMC, and leading by servant example in this community. Thank you for this glorious spring day in the Ozarks. 

April 21, 2013

James 2:14-20: “Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it?”

Here is a recap of the mission blitz through Wesley UM church on April 20:

189,000 meals packaged in the gym, 39,000 more than the 150,000 goal.  Rainbow Network took the additional 39,000, meals. Rainbow will send 89,000 meals to Nicaragua instead of 50,000.  The 39,000 additional meals at .17 cents a meal is $5,850.  

The youth collected 5 large pallets of food at the two Wal-Mart stores and 2 more pallets were collected at Wesley and loaded into the Ozark Food Harvest truck this morning.  Each pallet weighs 500 pounds, so 3500 pounds was collected today.  Added to the 4057 pounds  picked up last Tuesday comes to 7,557 pounds of food. More will be collected at church on Sunday. An unknown amout of cash donations were also made at the stores. . Meals on donated food are calculated by dividing 1.5 pounds into total weight, so 8,000 pounds equals 5,333 meals. Ozark Food Harvest will give the final count of food and money on Monday.

The sewing blitz resulted in 157 baby blankets being made.  

The dining room at Harmony House has a new floor and fresh paint.  About 30 - 40 women plus an unknown number of children (my bad) from Harmony House were fed breakfast and lunch and enjoyed a Spiritual Spa put on by Wesley volunteers. Plus they were given a tote bag which they filled with personal beauty products.  

The Wesley ramp builders completed 3 wheel chair ramps. 

On Thursday the Singing Ambassadors did their mission blitz singing at 3 nursing homes and at Daybreak adult day care.  They said they had a blast.

Guide us Lord as we live out our faith in our actions and deeds. May Your Holy Spirit live through us producing the fruit indicating the reality of the new life in Christ.

April 20, 2013

This morning our Mission Blitz gets underway. We have been preparing for it for months, and yesterday the equipment and the materials arrived to package 150,000 meals in our gym. I will assist as needed, and then work in the nursery from 11 until 1. Tomorrow will be a great celebration.

There is clearly a frost on rooftops and lawns. Perhaps this will be the last frost of the season. I covered my two tomato plants to protect them. My blackberries are sprouting out with tender green shoots. I planted a hill of corn, mainly because I found a display of 33 cent seed packets at the grocery store yesterday. It will be sunny with highs in the 60s today.

Last night there was a dramatic conclusion to the manhunt for the men who planted the bombs at the Boston Marathon. One of the brothers had been killed in a shootout in the wee hours of yesterday morning, and the city of Boston was locked down for the day. At 8:45 pm the other brother was taken into custody, having been hiding in a boat in the backyard of a home just outside the 20 block area that had been searched house-to-house. There was a collective sigh of relief and appreciation for the efforts of law enforcement departments and personnel.

Leviticus 9 tells of Aaron and his sons getting to work, and the glory of the Lord appears among the people of Israel, gathered around the Tabernacle. The sacrifice on the altar is consumed by the fire which blazed forth from the Lord’s presence. The people saw this, shouted with joy and fell face down on the ground. Daily I am about the work God has assigned and directed. Today it is the mission blitz, in which hundreds of Wesley members and friends will invest in mission and ministry. Living in the presence of God is a blessing, and sometimes His presence blazes forth in observable ways.

Guide me today, most Holy Lord, as I serve you among your people in Springfield Missouri. May the words of my mouth, the work of my hands, and the connections of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, my strength and redeemer.

April 16, 2013

As a marathon runner, I felt unusually close to the events that tragically occurred at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, 4 hours and 9 minutes into the race. As an American, I was proud of the readiness and the response of so many volunteers and first responders, and glad that our FBI is directing their significant resources to investigate, which hopefully will result in arrests and prosecution. As a follower of Christ, I am reminded that as we are privileged to live in a free society, we are also among people who have various agendas, hatreds, and evil intentions.

Proverbs 3:29 says “Do not plan harm against your neighbor who lives trustingly beside you.” When this was written, 3,000 years ago, it was recognized that there is vulnerability when living in an open society. This proverb was written because of the potential for great injury and loss when people are in close proximity and trust that those around them will not plan harm. We never know who might be making such plans, so we endure TSA inspections at airports, delays when visiting newborns in the hospital, and other inconveniences related to tightened security protection. This is now a fact of life.

This Saturday, the faith community called Wesley will take a bold, positive step forward to demonstrate love and care for our “neighbors” – in Springfield and Nicaragua. Under the theme of “Strike Out Hunger” we will fund and package 150,000 meals in our gym. We will deploy teams into the community to minister to single moms, assist elderly person, and care for children. Our goal is to demonstrate that we who follow Christ will make a positive difference in people’s lives, because God loves all of us, and has equipped us to serve.

I look forward to seeing you during the mission blitz. There is still time to sign up, and those who simply show up on Saturday at Wesley Church will be put to work. May our Lord use these efforts to expand His kingdom.

April 12, 2013

I covered my two tomato plants last night, and am relieved that there is no frost this morning. I will cover them again tonight, which might be the last frost of the year. I will be in Columbia tomorrow to attend Surge, the support meeting for college student ministries in Missouri. I will fly the Cherokee 140 tonight after attending the 7 pm flying club meeting, in which we will elect a new president. I will join our team for pizza in Columbia around 10:30. This is our second year of grant-supported college ministries, and I am pleased with the fruit of the ministry. On Monday I am back in Columbia to make the grant presentation to the Congregational Development Team. 

Leviticus 3-4

These chapters describe procedures for the peace offering and the sin offering. In my Chronological Life Application Study Bible there is a great chart which lists the 5 types of offerings, their purpose, significance and the role Christ has filled in being the perfect offering. The 5 types are: burnt offering, grain offering, peace offering, sin offering, guilt offering. Following the death and resurrection of Christ, his followers no longer need to provide offerings to cover their sin. The destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem made further offerings impossible, as that was the only acceptable place to present them. Christians have given a portion of their assets and income to God through the church as expressions of discipleship and generosity. At Wesley, we receive around $30,000 each week in tithes and offerings.

Guide me Holy Lord as I develop my message for this weekend, lead Your church, and follow your will. Guard me from anything that would distract me from the work of your Kingdom. I give You thanks for the church, your body on earth, and especially for Wesley UMC in Springfield, its history, its people, and the future You are leading us into. 

April 10, 2013

I awoke as the lightning and thunder interrupted the quiet of the night. After the storm subsided, the first lone bird began singing at 4:46. Now there is a chorus of various avian voices. Brandon Beck tells us on KY3 that this is the precursor to a day of thunderstorms, and temperatures will fall sharply tonight into tomorrow. Our Wesley staff will spend several hours together today on an outing, and I look forward to what Pastor Mi Hyeon has planned. Yesterday five of us visited a new United Methodist Church in St. Louis called The Gathering, and learned about some of the ways they approach ministry. 

Numbers 7-10 (The Chronological Bible includes these chapters of Numbers following the close of Exodus, continuing the account of the Tabernacle)

In these 4 chapters there are recorded many aspects of God’s instructions for His people concerning the tabernacle, the sacrifices, the service of Levites, etc. Levites are dedicated to God as the substitutes for the firstborn of every Israelite family. They are to serve from age 25 to age 50, when they are required to retire. They may still assist after 50. Moses received instruction from God from the mercy seat which covered the ark in the holy of Holies. From there he heard God’s voice. The Passover was to be celebrated on the 14^th day of the first month. If a person was unclean on that day, or travelling, they could celebrate the Passover on the 14^th day of the second month. But if a person skipped celebrating the Passover on the 14^th day of the first month, even though available and ceremonially clean, he was to be banished from the people. A severe way to insure complete participation.

Guide me today, most Holy Lord as I serve You and lead the people to whom You have appointed me as pastor. May I invest myself in the individuals on staff as I participate in this staff outing. Use my gifts and experience as I follow Your lead on this April Wednesday. 

April 5, 2013

Today is going to feel like the first day of spring. The sun is out and the temperature will hit 65. The birds sound happy as they chirp and sing. I am taking today off, my “Good Friday” makeup day, and have several opportunities including – work in the garden and yard, changing the oil and starting the lawn mower, rebuilding compost pile and raised garden, a walk in the park with Audrey, a run, changing the oil and/or taking a motorcycle ride, an hour of flying, a movie, etc.

Exodus 36-37 The details of constructing the tabernacle and its equipment, supervised by Bezalel the craftsman. This is interesting, and sometimes tedious reading. I realize the importance of details. My orientation is toward people, not projects. God has gifted me in relating to people in all of life’s circumstances, thus the skill he has given me which I have honed is pastoral. I must continue to cultivate this skill, to use it in strengthening the Kingdom. Being careful not to burn out, I must pass on my love for Christ, for the church, for people both within and beyond the faith community.

Last night I was talking with one of our members, who is retiring from law enforcement due to an injury. As he was talking about his career, one of his joys was in the number of young men who had been interns that had gone on to jobs with the county, city, and state highway patrol. This is the mark of a person truly committed to his work, the raising up of the next generation. This is part of my calling as a pastor, and as chair of the board of ordained ministry. I must intentionally pursue this. Pastor Mi Hyeon has suggested that we gather all the people at Wesley who have expressed an interest in vocational ministry, and structure an event to inform and inspire them. This would be a good idea.

Guide me this morning, most holy Lord, as I worship You and enjoy You today.

April 4, 2013

The first bird started singing at 5:14 this morning, and there is a chorus of various voices chirping away in my backyard. After today, the weather is predicted to get warmer and sunnier for the next 5 days, with highs in the mid 60s and lows in the 40s. I will be planting the two tomato plants I purchased and tending to yard and garden. I plan to keep the garden simple, with just a few tomatoes and a couple of okra plants. I have not sprouted anything from seed this year. I have the mower blade sharpened, and I hope to get one more season out of my 9 year-old walk-behind mower.

Exodus 35-36:7

The materials for constructing the Tabernacle and its equipment are gathered from those who are willing and eager to give. This chapter is a great example of stewardship at its finest, as people who have a vision for the kingdom of God bring their gold, silver, precious stones, fabric, wood, and anything they have that is needed. In 36:5 the craftsmen went to Moses and said tell the people we have enough, and they can stop bringing their treasures. Several times in this chapter the terms “willing” and “eager” are used. I am willing and eager to participate in the work of God. I desire to share this in a way that is contagious.

For Wesley UMC in Springfield, on the horizon, is the need to build modern, state of the art children’s facilities. The current space we use is dated and lacks the physical structure needed to provide the confidence for today’s parent who is dropping off their child. Our facility study committee is working to develop options and possibilities to further the mission of the church. I can picture a day in the coming year or two when people will have an opportunity to bring their treasures to invest in the facility for the cause of Christ at Wesley. For 49 years people have been doing so, and the current physical structure is a testimony to the generosity of the followers of Christ called Wesley UMC.

Guide me today, most holy Lord, in the work you have called me to do as pastor, teacher, servant-leader. I eagerly lean into this work, and bring the best of my skill, experience, energy, time, and vision to each meeting, each planning session, each item of writing and preparation today. I am Yours, use me according to your plan and purposes. 

April 3, 2013

My body is still catching up from Holy Week. I am trying to be patient with it and give it the rest it needs, but as I drag myself out of bed, I determine that now that it is Wednesday, it should be caught up from the strenuous schedule. I am thankful that my schedule this week is lighter than usual, and I can let up on my pace.

Last night I was looking at a book I bought used from the St. Louis County Library entitled Tinkerbelle by Robert Manry. I had checked it out as a teenager, and then in my 20s it was on the library’s sale rack.  I had loaned it to a friend and it was returned on Monday. Manry worked as a copy editor for the Cleveland Plain Dealer from 1953 until about 1966. He was married and had two children. He bought a small used sailboat and after rebuilding it with an enclosed cabin, he sailed it single handedly across the Atlantic. He became an international celebrity. As I went to put this book back on my shelf, I decided to look up Manry on the internet. I discovered that in 1967 he took his family in another sailboat and circumnavigated the East Coast of the United States. Then, in 1969 his wife was tragically killed in a one car accident, and in 1971, at the age of 52 he died of a massive heart attack after dinner with friends. This information hit me pretty hard. His smiling face on the back jacket of his book seems forever strong. Life is short; the key is to take a long view of this life.

On the web page dedicated to Manry, one referred to his “Walter Mitty type dreams”. This phrase is familiar to me, but I could not precisely define it. Looking it up I discovered that The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a novel by James Thurber. “Mitty is a meek, mild man with a vivid fantasy life: in a few dozen paragraphs he imagines himself a wartime pilot, an emergency-room surgeon, and a devil-may-care killer. The character's name has come into more general use to refer to an ineffectual dreamer, appearing in several dictionaries.” (Wikipedia).  Sometimes in the military someone will be referred to as a “Walt” which means someone who wants to be a soldier but does not have what it takes. I am pondering the spiritual implications of this human tendency to imagine significance while lacking the courage to pursue it. May this never be the case with Bruce Baxter.

Exodus 34 - Moses returns to the top of Mt. Sinai at God’s invitation, with two new tablets for God to write upon. God reveals himself to Moses, gives him instructions, and sends him back down after 40 days. Moses’ face glows from the presence of the Lord and the people are frightened. After he gives them the message from God he covers his face with a veil. This is a great chapter about seeking God’s presence, His will and His purposes. Moses was a true servant of God, a friend of God, and a great example for me and all who seek God in this generation.

Guide me today, most Holy Lord as I seek to follow you with authenticity and the reality of my life surrendered to your will. Guard me from any “Walter Mitty” type spiritual dreams. Strengthen me to plan and do your will, risking whatever consequences follow from stepping out in faith according to your instructions. I am yours. Reveal your will to the people called Wesley United Methodist church here in Springfield. 

April 1, 2013

On this Monday morning, the first day after Easter, my heart is full and my body is recovering. The last 5 days have been full of exertion, and fruitful. I feel the spiritual impact of these days has been significant, and I am pleased with the Easter celebration at Wesley. The music was beautiful, the involvement of youth and children was substantial, and the logistics seemed to enhance the hospitality. As I presented the message "Where Did He Go?" it felt like I was able to communicate the good news of the resurrection with clarity and connection, in ways that invited the hearers to open up hearts and lives to Jesus Christ. I was very conscious that it is not my kingdom I am building, but Jesus’ eternal kingdom. I am looking forward to his return.

This morning I am discerning what to do. I have an inkling to go fishing at Roaring River. The temperature is reasonable, and my gear is at the ready. Audrey is fine with the idea.  Even though bringing home some trout is the goal, the benefit is spending time outdoors, in a state park, in early spring, watching, listening, smelling, feeling the natural world begin to blossom.

Exodus 32 – The Golden Calf

While Moses is on Mt. Sinai, receiving the commandments and instructions from God, the people get impatient and have Aaron make them a god they can see. God alerts Moses, who argues with God when He threatens to annihilate His people and create a new people for Moses. God relents, and Moses with Joshua return to the people, destroy the idol and make them drink water sprinkled with its ashes.

I must always be alert for anything that I would put in place of God, anything that could become for me or my people a visible replacement for the invisible God. Later in their journey the people will begin to revere too extremely the bronze serpent that Moses raises up in the wilderness, and it will have to be destroyed, because it becomes an item of worship, replacing the invisible God.

Guide me today, most Holy Lord as I rest, rejoice and recover from the work of Holy Week. I am your servant; use me according to your plan and purposes.