September 24, 2013

It is good to be up and at ‘um on this Tuesday as my work week begins. I had a very good day yesterday, accomplishing many things on my checklist and ending up on the patio sitting by my fire, made with wood I cut from trees I planted in Kentucky.

Today I have much pastoral work to do, including staff prayer time, worship planning team, St. Paul/Wesley adoption conversations, a friend in distress, and my shift with the apple pie operation, operating a peeler at 4:30! I love being a pastor. These last few weeks I have experienced a level of comfort/fulfillment on Sundays and through the weeks, seemingly on a different level than in the past. I am not sure the reason or source of this new sense of being.

Judges 16
Sampson, who judged Israel for 20 years, visits a prostitute in Gaza, and pulls down the city gates at midnight, avoiding an ambush by the Philistines. He falls in love (lust) with Delilah, who is paid to discover the source of his strength. When he tells her that his hair has never been cut because of the Nazarite vow of his parents, she has his hair cut, and the Lord left him, along with his strength. He was captured, his eyes gouged out, and he was put to grinding grain in prison. The Philistines had a large festival to celebrate their god Dagon and his victory over Sampson. Sampson’s strength had returned as his hair grew out, he prayed, and God gave him victory in collapsing the building and thousands of Philistines died, along with Sampson. His family came to recover his body.

There is so much in this story to interpret. It seems the key element is that Sampson was motivated by sex above his desire to please God. This became his downfall. His strength was a rare gift from God, which was wasted in many ways. In the end he used it for God’s purposes and died along with his enemies. Guide me today, most holy Lord to use the strength and other gifts you have given me to accomplish your purposes in this generation. Guard me from anything which would be a distraction.

September 22, 2013

It feels like fall! Given that it is 45 degrees outside, I need to light the pilot for our gas fireplace. Last night I cooked steaks over a wood fire while I scrubbed the wading pool and began the process of putting it away. This morning I made a mess with the coffee pot as I did not realize the basket filter was not in it, and the grounds went everywhere as it brewed. I was disgusted with myself and wide awake by the time I had it cleaned up.

I Corinthians 3 is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible, especially my life verse 12 – building ones life with gold, silver, precious stones, or wood, hay, straw. Today I am preaching on it in the context of Identity Crisis – community forms us. What are the elements that will pass through the fire of judgment to the other side of eternity? What is in eternity? God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, God’s word, the souls of humans. There is no evil present, there is no sin in heaven, there is peace, and all tears are wiped away.

This afternoon autumn officially begins, and I will be in a golf cart at Hidden Valley along with 50 others from Wesley in the church golf tournament organized by Betty Prouty. This year all proceeds beyond the cost go to missions, rather than door prizes. It is a great event, and I am looking forward to it on what seems to be a beautiful afternoon. I do not expect that golf is in heaven, but the joy of human fellowship, in the light of God’s love will surpass any earthly experience!

My cell phone has taken a full charge three nights in a row. I think I have figured out how to plug the charger in at an angle and get it to work. Hopefully this will continue to be effective until my Verizon contract funds most of a new phone (April 2014). The possibility of losing everything on my cell phone has been staring me in the face for weeks, and I continue to be amazed at the technology on this small device. I value it even more, given how tentative it has become.

Guide me today, most Holy Lord as I serve You in the context of Your body called Wesley United Methodist Church.

[Note - This is my first post in two months - As I left on vacation on a motorcycle I lost the rhythm of blogging, and then I lost the digital connection to this blog. I am back in sync and ready to continue the regular practice of blogging from my daily reflections.]

July 24, 2013

Last night there was a very good turnout for the preview service for Wesley Downtown, held in the sanctuary of St. Paul UMC at Walnut and Jefferson. Brian Mattson led the music and Matt Kerner preached and led communion. I think it was a good indication of things to come, both for the college ministries and for the proposed adoption of St. Paul by Wesley. August 18, at 11:30 am this service launches.

Deuteronomy 18

Verses 1-8 Gifts for priests and Levites – reading about these special provisions for the Levitical priesthood reminds me of the way Roman Catholics treat their priests. I hold in tension the special office of priest and the priesthood of all believers. As one ordained to word and sacrament, whose life has been dedicated to the vocational service of God through the church, I identify with Aaron and his descendants, and at heart I am a lay person set aside, a first-born dedicated to the house of God. Now I hold the office of chair of the board of ordained ministry, and today I will do some work in that area. Next week I travel north to attend the candidacy summit at camp Jo Ota and speak to the candidates. 

Verses 9-14 a call to holy living – these verses especially mention guarding against the pagan practices of child sacrifice, fortune telling, interpreting omens, witchcraft, mediums, and calling up the spirits of the dead. The people who God would throw out of Palestine did such detestable things, and His people are to be careful to avoid such practices. In America (and around the world) there are these things done openly, often for compensation. Given that these practices are detestable to God, his followers must be careful to avoid anything that is not his will. In common practice around this culture in which I live is the reading of one’s horoscope, the signs of one’s birth by astrology, Chinese fortune cookies, Ouija (wigi) boards, séances, etc. Do Christ-followers realize the danger to their faith of these practices?

Verses 15-22 describe true and false prophets. The article in my Chronological Life Application Bible discusses the Qumran community and their writings known to us as the “Dead Sea Scrolls” especially as it relates to their expectation of Messiah. Interestingly, they describe two, maybe three messiahs, and all three descriptions are fulfilled in Jesus the Christ.

Guide me today, most Holy Lord as I live a dedicated, consecrated, submitted life. Guard me from anything that would replace You, offend You, and/or desecrate this temple of my body and mind. 

July 23, 2013

It is a beautiful morning! I stepped out to get the paper and witnessed a beautiful light show in the clouds, reminding me of the visible Lord’s presence leading the Israelites with a pillar of fire by night. Last night Audrey and I painted the laundry room, in preparation for the delivery today of a new washer and dryer. This morning I will finish, painting a second coat as needed, and cleaning the floor before heading to the office.

William and Kate had a baby boy yesterday in London. Perhaps his name will be announced soon. It has been a “royal baby watch” for days, and the world seems to be generally happy for the couple and for Great Britian with this new heir to the monarchy. There are now 4 generations of the house of Windsor – Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, Prince William, and this yet-to-be named baby boy. That form of government seems to work uniquely for them, with an elected parliament and prime minister running the country alongside the monarchy.

Deuteronomy 16:13- 17:20

Under the topic “guidelines for a king”, Moses makes and interesting prescription in 17:18-20. The king must personally copy the scriptures, and read from it every day. “This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. I will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way.” This is a great practice for every follower of Jesus Christ – to read the scriptures daily, even to copy them personally, all to the end of greater obedience to God’s will and greater sensitivity to His commands.

Guide me today most holy Lord in all that I do, think, and plan. 

July 21, 2013

I just read and responded to an email from Cambodia! One of our youth is there for 5 weeks working at an orphanage, and would like to share her story and receive an offering for the kids to go to the dentist. Technology is great, and sending people from Wesley around the world is powerful.

I am looking forward to leading worship and preaching this morning. I have had 2 Sundays away from the pulpit. I am refreshed and ready to share God’s word with application to today. As I was preparing yesterday, I had a sudden sense of an expansion of my understanding of God, and my depth of relationship and calling. It was a sudden feeling, somewhat similar to the rush of a roller coaster dropping down a hill. It was brief, but very clear. I will continue to process what it means.

Today I begin a series on Cities. My goal is to examine three cities in the Bible, teach the pertinent scriptures, and apply it to our setting in Springfield. Today I focus on Antioch, where disciples were first called Christians. The church there was used to win jews and gentiles to The Way, and sent out Barnabas and Paul on missionary journeys. Antioch was the third largest city in the Roman empire and was called “the Queen of the East”.  My challenge is to keep this from being too much history and geography and not enough application. I will lean into the application and curtail my emphasis upon the background material.

Guide me today, most precious holy Lord as the community of faith called Wesley United Methodist Church gathers for worship, discipleship and fellowship at 922 Republic Rd. Bless each person who makes their way through this stormy morning to sing, pray, and experience your presence. May lives be changed today through your Word and your Spirit.

July 17, 2013

In Deuteronomy Chapter 11 Moses describes the blessings of obedience to God’s word. He points out that the children of the Israelites did not see God’s powerful deliverance from Egypt, His destruction of their armies, nor His provision of manna in the wilderness. He instructs them to obey all of God’s commands, “Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates… (11:18-20).

As a faith community called Wesley United Methodist Church, there are many of us who have not observed directly the miraculous working of God. We are aware that God has powerfully been present among His people, and in establishing His kingdom on earth. We read about John Wesley and the ways the Holy Spirit filled him to minister God’s word and eventually impact a nation and a world. Even so, we live most of the time in the ordinary world of work, school, neighborhood, family, travel, etc.

I encourage each of us to find ways to daily “touch” God’s word, the Holy Scriptures. Moses instructed his people to prepare scrolls of the Word, and place them in a tube mounted to their doorposts. This is still done by faithful Jewish people. It is called a mezuzah and is inscribed with Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:12-21. I made one of these in a vacation Bible school project years ago, and touched it each time I entered my house from the garage. Some people use the Upper Room as a means to daily “touch” God’s word. Some use a yearly guide to scripture. Some read from a story Bible every night to their children.

As we live out our lives in this generation let us be a people of the Book, worshiping God, obeying His commandments, destroying idols, and loving Him with all we are, and our neighbors (in Springfield, in the Ozarks, and wherever we live) as ourselves.

July 16, 2013

Last night we had a gentle rain that replenished the yard and garden, fields and streams. It is a very nice morning out as I sit here on the deck enjoying coffee with a cat at my feet. An occasional humming bird visits the feeder. The blackberries are ripening by the hour, as I picked the first couple of quarts yesterday. Today I will lean into the work of pastoring as I lead our staff prayer time, our worship planning time, and supervise. I am almost caught up with email from my week on the road.

During the motorcycle trip I took through Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming and Idaho, I did not post any blogs. I hope to summarize that trip, with pictures and post it as a blog in the next couple of days. It is good to be back, and to have access to the internet and my laptop which is set up for blogging. 

Deuteronomy 11 – the blessings of obedience

Moses points out that the children of the Israelites did not see God’s powerful deliverance from Egypt, His destruction of their armies, nor His provision of manna in the wilderness (as did their parents, who would all die in the wilderness.) He instructs them to obey all of God’s commands, “Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates… (11:18-20).

Moses warns his people: “Be careful. Don’t let your heart be deceived so that you turn away from the Lord and serve and worship other gods.” I just obtained a book entitled Gods at War – Defeating the idols that battle for your heart by Kyle Idleman. He groups these idols into three categories and names three gods (idols) in each category – The Temple of Pleasure – the gods of food, sex and entertainment. The Temple of Power – the gods of success, money and achievement. The Temple of Love – the gods of romance, family and me. I look forward to reading this book and perhaps using it for a series of messages in the fall or spring.

Guide me today, most holy Lord as I obey all your commands – loving you with all my heart, soul, mind and strength, and my neighbor as myself. Use me to bless those around me, and lead me as your undershepherd among your flock called Wesley United Methodist church as we develop more fruitful disciples of yours who worship, care and serve.