October 31, 2013

The Cardinals lost the 6^th game of the World Series last night 6-1, and the series 4-2. The Boston Red Sox clinched it at home for the first time in 95 years, since Babe Ruth was inserted in the 8^th inning for defensive purposes, after which they traded him away and didn’t win another World Series until 2004. Having preached a few weeks ago about how entertainment can be an idol, I have been very careful during this World Series not to give it more power or attention than it deserves in my life. I have gone to bed before the end of most games. 

I Sam 23-24; Psalm 54

I like the way my Chronological Life Application Study Bible inserts the Psalms into the narrative of David. I read I Sam 24 on January 6 of this year. As I read it this morning I imagine the scene and the setting, and the suspense of 3000 elite troops of Saul chasing David and his 600 men through the wilderness of Israel. Truly God was with David. Looking back on this from 3000 years later most of the suspense is gone. In that moment, the outcome was uncertain. 

My life is very settled. I have a nice house, a great family, a wonderful vocation, and good health. I must continue to trust God completely, to never settle or sit back (David did this as king and Bathsheba happened.) There is so much to do, risks still to take, uncertainty to embrace. I trust God completely, and this morning I renew my resolve to serve Him without reservation. 

Guide me today, most holy Lord. I am yours. I thank you for all the saints, who from their labors rest. May all of my energy and effort be invested in building your kingdom, for thine is the glory and the power forever and ever, amen. 

A Collection of Forms of Prayers for Every Day of the Week, published by John Wesley in 1733 is a helpful guide. I just prayed through the Thursday Morning prayer. It takes some work to translate it from the King’s English to modern expression, and the effort was well worth the time. I used this yesterday morning also, as recommended by Steve Harper in his Devotional Life in the Wesleyan Tradition (1983).

October 25, 2013

Last night the Wesley Church Council voted unanimously to adopt St. Paul United Methodist Church! 16 voting council members, 3 pastors (without vote) and 30 other church members attended the meeting in Cunduff hall. There was a great spirit, good questions and comments, and a wonderful outcome. The Church Conference of St. Paul met on October 7 and voted to close as a church, handing its building, assets, members and ministries to Wesley. It is now a done deal, and we are on the way to becoming a two-campus church. There are no further official acts or votes, simply the implementation of the Transition Team to work out the details.  I am excited about the possibilities, and relieved that the process unfolded in a healthy manner. We can add our own chapter to the book on church mergers entitled Better Together!!!

October 11, 2013

Yesterday was long and arduous, and fruitful. Our Lay Leadership (Nominating) Committee meeting ran from 7 til 9:15 pm, and we accomplished much. I am up this morning at 6 am, feeling rested and ready for the day. My schedule is more open today, and there are several tasks I need to accomplish, in addition to the main task of sermon preparation.

As I prepare to read scripture, I am thankful for this record of the moving of God in the lives of people, and the accounts of how people either trusted God or did not, (trusting in themselves or idols instead.) I have been using the Chronological Life Application Study Bible this year, having received it as a gift from the Springfield Pastor Appreciation lunch last year. I like its format and arrangement for my morning devotions.

I Sam 9:21 – 10
Samuel was expecting Saul, who is simply looking for his father’s donkeys who have strayed away. Samuel anoints him and shares prophecy with him, sending him on his way. Samuel meets with all Israel and by lot selects Saul’s tribe and family and finally Saul to be the Lord’s choice for King. The Life Application Bible has a good article on Saul. It states that “From Saul we learn that while our strengths and abilities make us useful, it is our weaknesses that make us usable. Our skills and talents make us tools, but our failures and shortcomings remind us that we need a Craftsman in control of our lives. Whatever we accomplish on our own is only a hint of what God could do through our lives.”

The story of Saul, and this quote from the Life Application article give me pause to reflect. My strengths and abilities make me useful. Last week at the staff retreat we took the Meyers Briggs and it again resulted in describing my personality as being an ENFJ, which is interpreted as suitable for clergy, counselor, etc. The Strengthfinders analysis describes me as Woo, Strategic, Input, Arranger, Maximizer. Also, I am conscious of  my failures and shortcomings. I deal internally with the “ouch” of realizing my weaknesses.  Held in light of Saul, it serves the kingdom of God well to pay attention to my failures and shortcomings to remind me that I need a Craftsman in control of my life, and that whatever I might accomplish on my own is only a hint of what God could do through my life. This is a powerful thought for me this morning, giving life and energy and faith to my approach for this day, this weekend, and the future.

 Guide me Holy Lord as I surrender my life this day and everyday to Your control and direction.

October 9, 2013

It is a great morning out! I awoke at 5:30 rested and ready for the day. One of our members, Kent, was running by the house as I got the paper. We spoke briefly, as we did a couple of weeks ago when he ran by about this same time. He is running at 8 ½ - 9 minute pace. I have much to do today. I lead the staff roundtable in the morning and the executive leadership team in the afternoon. I have work to do on the adoption process, trustee approval, charge conference direction per Discipline, etc. I will write an email to Nate, Elmer, and Bart with my questions. 

My phone would not charge past 40% yesterday, but overnight it charged fully. During the last 14 months I have had trouble with it due to getting it wet while camping. I have replaced the expensive internal battery, and the next step might be to buy a used identical one, hoping it would last a couple of years. Technology is such a tool, and requires decisions and investments.

I Sam 7
Samuel leads Israel to victory over Philistines. He instructs them “If you are really serious about wanting to return to the Lord, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth.” (7:3) They gathered at Mizpah, poured out water from a well, and went without food all day, confessing they had sinned against the Lord. It was here at Mizpah that Samuel became Israel’s judge.

After the victory over the Philistines, “Samuel took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer (which means ‘the stone of help’), for he said, ‘Up to this point the Lord has helped us!’” (7:12) Thus the great line we sing "Here I raise my Ebenezer, hither by thy help I've come. I and hope by thy good pleasure safely to arrive at home..."

This chapter relates to the message I am preparing for this weekend, with getting rid of foreign gods, going without food, and raising up a symbol of God’s help. Guide me Lord as I trust you today for your help in the work of pastoring and leading this flock.

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.