February 9, 2013

It is tedious to read Job. His “friends” make accusations against him that are partly true, and partly misapplied truth. He defends himself to them, and to God. In chapters 14-16 the frailty of life, the omnipotence of God are emphasized. As my bird clock sings out 8 am, I am very aware of the passage of time. I desire to invest my life well. As a pastor and leader I have opportunities everyday to encourage, uplift, teach and bring the eternal truths of God’s word to the lives of men and women, boys and girls.

Today at Wesley there will be two sessions of Upward closing celebration, in which the clear Gospel message will be communicated, along with an exciting motorcycle and bicycle stunt performance. My work throughout the day will include phone calls, attending the morning closing celebration, and continued work on my message for tomorrow. Last Saturday we had the Leadership Experience Reunion and I assisted in refereeing an Upward Basketball game.

Last night Audrey and I saw a movie – The Silver Linings Playbook which was a good presentation of two families experiencing mental illness. The main character (Pat) just returned from 8 months in a resident treatment program after assaulting the man caught in the act of having an affair with Pat’s wife. He is in the custody of his parents and we see that his dad also has untreated mental issues. The movie has rough language and at least one objectionable scene, but seems to do a fair job of portraying the struggles of adults challenged with bi-polar disorder and seeking to get their lives back to normal.  This movie brought to mind a recent episode I experienced involving a person ranting and raving, and the experience of many who have family and friends struggling with sanity.

Guide me today, most Holy Lord as I seek to follow in your steps with obedience, patience, insight, inspiration and diligence. I am your servant, clay in the potter’s hands. 

February 8, 2013

Even though reading Job is tedious, each of the last several days I have gotten additional insights. In today’s reading (Job 11-13), I am reminded that just because a person knows some of the characteristics of God, it is very possible to misapply and erroneously accuse someone. Zophar is a prime example. The statements he makes about God are true, but his assumptions about Job are false. The notes in the Chronological Life Application Study Bible tell the reader that often the simple physical presence of a friend is better than words that try to explain a situation. This is good advice to pastors also. I have known some pastors who are similar to Zophar.

Yesterday I had lunch with a young friend who is pursuing a career booking bands and musicians into different venues in Springfield. He is the son of one of my childhood friends, and he inquired about being baptized. I look forward to continuing that conversation and guiding him further in his faith development. He is one of the 3 persons on my 3.3.3 prayer card.

Last night we had a very good meeting of the Church Administrative Council. This was the first of the new year, and for the teaching section I handed out copies of some of the pages from the 2012 Discipline, and reviewed the purpose of the Church, and the role of the Administrative Council. I reminded the council that the Book of Discipline is legally our bylaws, and also that Wesley is uniquely one of the largest 150 churches in the denomination, which is mostly comprised of tens of thousands of small churches. We learned that 2012 was a strong year of financial giving, and also that the facility study committee will have a recommendation later this year about the needs for building expansion, especially in the children’s area, and also involving auditorium and additional room for youth ministries, with the needs for dedicated prayer space and adult Sunday School classes also considered.

Today my main task is to work on the sermon for Sunday, which is the first of the Spring Training series. I will start at the office, and then after I have prepared what is needed for the bulletin, I will head somewhere away from the flow of church activities in order to think and write. Today at 4 pm we have a funeral at Wesley, officiated by Jim Massey. I will attend and support the family of our Upward Basketball coordinator, whose stepfather is the deceased.

Guide me today, most Holy Lord, as I joyfully lean into this Friday in the Ozarks. Use my mind, my heart, my experience, as your instruments, filled with your spirit to accomplish your purposes through my work as a pastor. In the powerful name of Jesus I pray. 

February 7, 2013

Much to do today! I will begin with scripture, reading a couple more chapters from Job. I will work on Sunday’s sermon, and at 7:45 am I will pray with Bob. We pray once a month for an hour. We begin by simply stating where we are, in our spiritual walk, with our families and with our churches. Then we enter a season of prayer for each other. It is spiritually refreshing.

Job 9-10

In these two chapters Job responds to Bildad, and states clearly his understanding of God, and names his misery. In verses 32-35 Job acknowledges that he is only a mortar, and muses “if only there were a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together.”  1800 years or so later, Jesus Christ would be born, and would become the mediator, dying on the cross for our sins. I am so thankful that Job expressed himself and it is recorded in this book bearing his name.

In chapter 10 Job frames his plea to God, and expresses his understanding of what follows death “a land as dark as midnight, a land of gloom and confusion, where even the light is dark as midnight.” (10:22) The good news is that Jesus has gained the victory over death, filled with His presence it is a land of light and incredible life beyond the grave. I am thankful for the glimpses we get of eternity through the scripture, and the hope we have for eternal life in Jesus Christ.

Guide me today Lord, through the meetings, planning, and ministry of this day. Increase my faith, direct my thoughts, use my words. 

February 6, 2013

I was awake this morning from 4:40 on, and at 5 it was natural to roll out of bed, rested and ready for the day. There are two emails I need to send early this morning, and I will work on Sunday’s sermon along with prepare for the book study I will attend at noon with a group of pastors. We are postponing our monthly executive staff roundtable so that some of the staff can attend the 11 am funeral for Peggy Lee’s husband.

Job 6-8

Job’s reply to Eliphaz, his cry out to God, and then Bildad’s first speech to Job. Reading these three chapters I observe that the theme developing by Job’s friends is that he and his children must have forgotten God, and thus the destruction. If he will only turn back to God and confess his sin, all will be well again. Job does not buy this argument. He knows that he has not ignored nor sinned against God, so he cries out to God, and disputes with his friends. I see in this current generation a temptation to provide easy answers, to ignore complex situations, and to implement systems of theology that are popular, but flawed. Guide me Holy Lord in all the ways I seek to follow you with obedience and faithfulness.

Yesterday I experienced a series of mishaps with the motorcycle. It began as I was easing it out of the garage and knocked the right saddlebag off. After parking it in the garage, I inadvertently left the key on and ran the battery down. Last night I examined the saddlebag, charged the battery, and repositioned the vehicles. The saddlebag is repairable, but the fix is not obvious to me. I might ask Steve to have a look at it, or I might have the guys who installed my running lights have a go at it. I hope to be on the bike today, with my old KLR top bag to carry my laptop, and the two hard saddlebags removed. I will be dressed for a funeral, but the weather will be nice. I hope to ride it to and from Columbia next Thursday, as I have the Mission Council with the Bishop and other conference leaders on that day. 

February 5, 2013

Today I have a regular Tuesday of being the lead pastor of Wesley United Methodist Church, with Staff prayers, worship planning, and management meetings. Tomorrow I will host the executive staff roundtable and the executive leadership team, both preparing for the Thursday evening Church Council Meeting. This weekend David and Danelle will visit, and I hope to have my message well in hand so I can spend quality time with them.

I feel somewhat rested, even though I worked intermittently throughout my day off yesterday. There is some work that just must be done – such as getting a staff update worded accurately, making sure a luncheon is in the works, talking with a pastor with whom I left a message on Friday, and writing my pastor’s pen before bedtime in order for the newsletter production schedule to go more smoothly today. I worked around the house, cooking lunch over an open fire, fixing dinner, loading some firewood to give away, etc. In the afternoon I took a motorcycle ride down along lakes Tanycomo and Bull Shoals, ending up in Branson and then home. It was a good, reflective, enjoyable ride of 110 miles over 3 hours.

Job 4-5

Eliphaz is Job’s first friend to respond. He asks “doesn’t your reverence for God give you confidence? Doesn’t your life of integrity give you hope?” This question assumes that a person can please God and be justified based on their own good works. There is a measure of truth in the assumption that if a person reveres God and does good works, there can be confidence, but this is not the basis for pleasing God. In 4:17 Eliphaz asks “Can a mortal be innocent before God? Can anyone be pure before the Creator?” He is getting around to accusing Job of sinning as the reason he is suffering, but these questions also point the reader to the fact that no one is pure before the creator, and we all need the saving power of Jesus Christ.

On page 100 of the Chronological Life Application Study Bible there is a great chart of all the friends, their advice, Job’s response, and God’s response. This is a great summary.  

Guide me today, most holy Lord as I serve as one of your undershepherds, pastoring the flock in Springfield. Use me, lead me, empower me, give me insights, inspire me, constrain me, and propel me into this day full of faith, hope and love. Amen.

  

February 4, 2013

I have the gas fireplace burning, coffee brewed and the day stretching before us. Audrey and I enjoyed watching Downton Abbey as the Super Bowl was in its fourth quarter. I recorded it and will watch the fourth quarter this morning. I was at church last night during the youth super bowl party, and my extroversion kept me in personal conversations rather than watching the game. I had great visits with several adults and a couple of youth.

The rain just intensified, and it occurred to me that it is Monday. The song about rainy days and Mondays just shot through my mind, so from the internet here are the lyrics:

Talkin to myself and feelin old,

Sometimes I'd like to quit
Nothin' ever seems to fit
Hangin' around
Nothin' to do but frown
Rainy days and Mondays always get me down

In contrast to this song, I have always enjoyed Mondays, even before I designated it as my sabbath, and I find rainy days to be cozy and restorative as the moisture replenishes the earth. So for me, rainy days and Mondays usually fill me up with goodness and leave me refreshed. Karen Carpenter was the lead singer as The Carpenters recorded this song. Hers is a tragic story of a person with a great voice and a personal struggle that ended with her death resulting from "heartbeat irregularities brought on by chemical imbalances associated with anorexia nervosa." She died at 32 having struggled with diets and eating disorders for a long time. 

Job 2 -3

Job suffers physically, having lost his sons, daughters and all his wealth in chapter 1. His wife encourages him to curse God and die. He asks her if we should only accept good from the hand of God, and not also trouble. Three friends come to visit him and sit silently with him for 7 days. According to my Life Application Bible there was a tradition that when visiting a person in grief, you did not speak until the person spoke. The simple presence of a friend is comforting, and often words become trite. The ministry of presence we call this today.

The book of Job reminds me that unexpected suffering, loss without explanation is part of the human experience. Job models a faithful response until later in the book. My life has been blessed in so many ways. As I read this book, simply because it falls next in the Chronological Bible, it alerts me to the possibility (which I am usually already aware of ) that unexpected loss could occur at any time. I have two healthy young adult children, a lovely wife of 30 years, my own health,  a nice house, a solid vocation, and resources being stored for retirement. I am thankful for each aspect of my life, and I hold it loosely. Job provides perspective, it keeps me focused upon God, with my purpose of serving God, being faithful to Him until my last breath.

Guide me today, most Holy Lord as I live to serve and please You, my creator, redeemer, sustainer. May the fullness of Your will be accomplished in this day through my life. 

February 3, 2013

This morning I will consider the topic of romance in the Bible. There are a few examples, a statement in Proverbs that it is a mystery, and a strong implication that God’s plan was for human romance to point to Christ and the church. We will celebrate Holy Communion, and just before the end of the service we will have fun reminding folks that next week we start the Spring Training – The Basics of Grace series. My hope for this morning is that each of us draws closer to Christ and more open to God’s presence in this human experience.

Yesterday we had a very good Wesley Leadership Experience Reunion. John Twitty, retired CEO of City Utilities spoke to us about leadership, Pam Hedgpeth taught about change, and I shared scripture applying aspects of technical and adaptive change to our personal lives. Afterward I refereed an Upward Basketball game, as this was the last weekend of our season.

Guide me today, most Holy Lord as I shepherd and lead worship among your precious church, Wesley United Methodist in Springfield Missouri.