our pasts

Our pasts affect us.  Sometimes, what we do today is a result of what we have experienced in the past.  It's like if you see a dog that shies away from people, you wonder who beat him when he was a pup. With that said, I have something to share.

I spent a few years, during my formative years, in and around churches that practiced or delivered the following: 
1.   Heavy layers of guilt
2.  casting supposed demons out of people
3.  believing that they were [myself at the time] superior to non-believers and most other Christians.
4.  Everyone was expected to raise their hands during worship.
5.  No one could ever question the pastor.
6.  During prayer meetings, people would be literally pushed over so that they laid on the floor.
7.  Everyone was expected to come for the customary altar call. 
8.  If you did not receive Jesus in the prescribed manner, then you were told that you were not a true Christian.
9.  Spiritual gifts were to be exercised and put on display in a very specific manner.
10.  There was only one way to look at the second coming, and if you didn't agree with that, well, again, you didn't fit in.

Wow.  There I said it.  Is that a lot of baggage or what?  Does that explain a few things about why we do what we do?  Here is the end result of these experiences from my past for me/us today.

1.  I get very nervous when I see anything that smacks of manipulation at a church.  I have become a strong believer in the power of the Holy Spirit to illicit a response from someone without a pastor or worship leader forcing the issue.  In fact, some of my favorite stories of conversion happen to people away from the church and with no pastor present!
2.  I despise guilt.  Jesus didn't use it and it is a terrible motivator.
3.  I have become a big believer in the fact that we cannot press God into formulas, bullet points or little boxes.  He works with people in various ways and we cannot contain him or create the perfect recipe.  Those that try to do so always end up looking silly.
4.  I believe in complete honesty and full disclosure.  Whatever you want to know about our church, its programs, finances, and ministries, if you attend WCC, this information is available to you.
5.  I want our commitments to Jesus and our practice of the faith to come from a place of absolute, complete freedom, clarity and sincerity.

Sometimes the pain and craziness of our pasts help us to live a healthier today.  I hope this has been the case for me.

It is a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

the best commitments

Commitments.  What are the best ones?  I suggest to you today that the best commitments are those that are made with complete clarity.  No pressure, no worries.  We choose to do what we do because we are deciding it on our own without any outside interference.  No manipulation, no tension.  We are choosing to do what we want to do because it is flowing out of who we are.

Somehow, I think that God is pleased with such decisions.  Clean commitments.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

change

Prayer changes things.  Beware of those who think that prayer is going to change or manipulate God.  Prayer changes things, and I am the thing.  The whole point of prayer is that it draws me away from myself and closer to our Father.

Someone asked for the quote from Bob Fillmore- here it is.

"The Conversion of the Heart is a metamorphosis.

In the beginning we are indeed the subject and center of our prayers. 
But in God’s time and in God’s way a revolution takes place in our heart. 
Slowly, almost imperceptibly, there is a shift in our center of gravity. 
We pass from thinking of God as part of our life to the realization that we are part of His life. 
Mysteriously, God moves from the edges of our prayer experience to the center. 
A conversion of the heart takes place, a transformation of the spirit. 
It is a wonderful work of Divine Grace"

It's a  beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

prayer

Someone asked that I post the prayer from the sermon on Sunday.  Here you go.

"Father, I thank you for the people in my life who seem to bring more pain than joy, for I believe you have let our paths cross for important reasons. Thank you for the good things you want to do in my life through the things that bother me.

I'm so glad that you are also working within me to make me more like Jesus -- more patient, more gentle, more loving -- through the very things that I dislike.  Amen."

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

wounds

The wounds we carry.  Someone hurt you.  Someone rejected you.  The betrayal of a friend.  We all have these hurts.  And, lets be clear- they hurt.  They really hurt.

It takes time to heal such wounds.  However, just because it takes time to heal such wounds, does not give us an excuse to ignore them or not work on them.  It does not give us an excuse to lash out at others because we are hurt.  It is never fair to hurt back.  We must also be careful about delivering collateral pain to others.  They are not guilty by association.

I hope that you will join me in the pursuit of forgiveness every single day of the year.  Those folks did hurt you, they did hurt me, but they are still loved by God.

Oh, yes.  There is God.  When I think of Him, I realize that I have to let Him be bigger than any hurts that come my way.  Jesus set the example.  "Father forgive them." 

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

A Tribute

Three weeks ago we held a memorial service for our dear friend, Lynn Woodruff.  Ken and Lynn's nephew Eric Keller is a pastor in Enid, Oklahoma.  He writes a blog and this is what he shared about the service for Lynn.

Blessed By a Funeral

What a crazy week. I've driven about 1,500 miles this week as I went to KC, MO to my aunt's funeral on Monday and went to Arkansas for a conference on Wednesday. Lots of miles, but lots of blessings too.

I was deeply impacted at my aunt's funeral. There were many things that were impressive about the whole experience there. First of all, this church (Woods Chapel) was so loving to my uncle and the family there. You could feel it and sense it. They had their guest services team there. They were opening doors, greeting, directing people. I asked someone if this was normal. They said yes. They do it for most funerals for church members. That was really impressive. A long line formed to offer condolences to my uncle. It went on for about 90 minutes. Person after person expressing concern and love for my uncle and his loss. I must admit, it was not what I expected at all, but it was really neat to watch.

The funeral service was equally impressive. You talk about a life celebration service! That's exactly what it was. If you knew my aunt, then you knew that she was the epitome of kindness and goodness and love. She just had that way about her. It wasn't how she acted, it was who she was. She lived out her faith and commitment to Christ everyday. At the funeral there was story after story after story that people wrote in or shared at the mic about her impact and Christian example. Friends and acquaintances alike shared how they were touched by my aunt's life. It was amazing.

Several take aways for me. First, this church expressed love and care in a big way. The guest services team was even there and this was one of the most well attended funerals I've ever attended. The church lavished concern and caring on my uncle and the family. This is how churches should respond when someone among them loses a loved one. Just showing up so the family knows you care is huge. When in doubt...if it's someone in your church family...show up. Just showing up says we love you and we care for you. It means a lot to a mourning family or individual.

Another take away is that a Christian's funeral should be joyous. I really enjoyed celebrating her life at the funeral. Christians should not mourn as those who have no hope. (see 1 Thessalonians 4:13) There will always be mourning at any funeral, but the Christians should remember that the deceased is with Christ and there is no better place to be. Knowing this, we find a celebration of Christ's love for us is appropriate.

Overall, let me just say...well done. The whole experience was well done. I saw Christian brothers and sisters serving, loving, and sharing life together in such a way that it made me think, this is what koinonia (deep fellowship) must have been like in the early church. To Woods Chapel, I commend your Christlikeness. It blessed my soul. Thank you Lord for this example of the way things ought to be when you're a part of the family of God.

http://eric-keller.blogspot.com/2012/08/blessed-by-funeral.html

Today I simply share this with you to again celebrate the life of our friend, Lynn and to celebrate the fine Woods Chapel family.  I am blessed to have you in my life.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Logan's

Breakfast, lunch, dinner.  It is more than a part of my day, it is often a part of my job as a Pastor.  When people want to talk, I often end up with a Breakfast or a lunch on the schedule.  I am glad to do this.

Since I have been on my diet, I have been looking for places to eat that have healthy food.  Subway is wonderful.  Also Applebees and Logan's Road House have several tasty, yet healthy meals.

So, having said all of that, I would like to apologize to a member of our church.  I was at lunch at Logan's a couple of weeks ago with a woman from church and her mother.  We were engaged in some discussion, and another woman that attends our church came to the table.  She just wanted to say hello, she told me that I probably did not know her name, but she comes to Woods Chapel.

Since we were talking at the table, the whole moment took me a bit by surprise.  Looking back, I am sorry if I looked startled, I am sorry that I did not know your name, and I am sorry that I did not handle the whole thing better.  Please forgive me.

It is important for all of us to remember that every person is important. For example, that is not just a neighbor walking back from the mail box.  That is a precious child of God that matters very much to Him.  To the extent that we remember this, we are seeing people as our Father sees them.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

trips

Trips and vacations.  Do you know the difference between a trip and a vacation?  If you take the kids, its a trip.  Ha ha.

I think about places that I like to go.  Northern California.  Florida.  New Orleans.  Where do you like to go?

Now I am going to change the subject.  I am driving down the road, thinking about the cars that are coming the other direction at 55mph.  If one of them crosses the center line, I am going to be going on a trip.  A trip to eternity.

It is a trip that all of us are going to take.  It is not optional.  We are all going to make the journey.  We forget how fragile our bodies are, but in one careless moment, our souls can so easily become dislodged from this earthly house. 

Take care of yourself, and enjoy today.  Enjoy your trips and vacations, and enjoy the gift of this day.  We have a limited number of them left, you and I.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

for each other

Do we go to worship for ourselves, or for others?  Do we stop going when we begin to feel like we are not getting anything out of it?

Sunday the pastor reminded us that sometimes we sing, not for ourselves, but for others.  For those who have shown up that are broken and crushed.  For those who cannot muster a smile much less a song.  We sing for them.  He encourage them by our singing. 

Sometimes worship is about what we give to others, and about what we give to our Father.  The moment we get this, everything changes.  I recently received this comment from a dear friend.  "Before my Christianity dropped 12inches (from my head to my heart), I did not need to be in church. I thought it was all about me, my needs. Now I understand that others in the Church need me to be there, that we all need the Community worship."

May we all come to a greater understanding of how our lives interface with others.  May we all learn to see that we can be a blessing to others.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

a great day

Labor day was a great day for me.  One great moment after another.

It began with a trip to a friend's home where we did a guy thing.... we shot guns.  Very nice.  Lots of fun.  It is hard to explain why this is enjoyable, but it is

Then another friend picked me up and took me out to Blue Springs Lake where we rode in his boat and sat in the water for a couple of hours.

I arrived home to find a 1970 corvette in my driveway.  A friend stopped by to show me his acquisition.  I got to drive it.  Awesome. 

Top it off with a dinner out with my wife.  I am on top of the world.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

visible sins

I once read a story about a group of people that were very mean and judgmental.  They were always looking at others and commenting on their sins.

Then one day an interesting rain storm hit the town.  The rain washed away the ability of people to hide their sins.  Colored marks would appear on the face of the person corresponding to their sin.  Red for adultery, green for lust or envy, black for hatred, orange for gluttony, etc. 

Suddenly everyone looked at each other a little differently.  Now there would be no pretending.  Anyone that focused on the sin of another, had to know that their sins were completely visible as well.

That is the end of the story.  What does it mean for us?  Well, our sins are completely visible to God.  Also, most normal people understand that everyone has their sins.  Healthy people don't spend time gossiping about the faults of others.

Seeing the good means looking at others and focusing on their strengths, not their weaknesses.  It means seeing the best in people, not the worst.  It means doing unto others as we would have them do unto us.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Happy Day

For seven years my wife Cathy has travelled with her job.  She got on a plane every Monday and flew to some town.  Sacramento.  LA.  San Antonio.  Chapel Hill.  Tampa.  Miami.  Billings.  Denver.  New York.  DC.  And then there were the really cool places that she went to like Wheeling West Virginia and Hazard, Kentucky.

I would go about my business during the week and look forward to her coming home on Thursday or Friday.  As you can imagine, it took years to get used to her being gone so much.  It was also impossible to get together with anyone.  Someone would invite us over for dinner and it was impossible.  When she was finally home, the last thing that she wanted to do was to go somewhere.

Well, all of this is coming to an end.  It has come to and end.  Cathy is on vacation this week, and starts a new job in town later this month.  Her travelling days are over.

This is a happy day and I invite you to rejoice with me.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

elevators

There are many life lessons to learn from elevators.

First, always stand back so that others can get off, before you try to enter.  There isn't room for everyone, and it is just good manners to let others get off before you try to enter.

Second, do not talk on your cell phone on an elevator.  It is not your private phone booth.  Make your calls in private, later.  Same goes for in line at the grocery store by the way.

Third, if you are on the elevator with your friends as well as others that you don't know, respect the space of the others and hold off on your conversations with your friends until later.

Finally, this is shared but personal space.  The people that are on the elevator do not need to be looked at or engaged in conversation.  Frankly, it may scare them.  Just a simple hello is plenty.

Elevator manners say a good deal about who we are.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

investment

I posted last week and referred to the concept of investment.  Investing in others.  The post gathered some comments, so I wanted to clarify further.

When I speak of us investing in others, we do not do this to get something in return.  When we invest in the stock market, we hope to receive a return, but people are not our "projects."  The best human investments are completely self-less.  Just simply doing good to another with no thought that they must reciprocate or do something back to us.

Now of course, this can be taken too far out of context as well.  When I invest in my children, I really hope that they take in what I am saying and follow it.  When I invest in a sermon, I hope it reaches the hearers and they make positive responses.  When God invests in us, he hopes that we will respond with love.

But in our daily life, to invest in another without expecting anything in return is a true gift.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

witness

A few years ago, the United Methodist church added the word witness to our membership vows.  Prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness.  Witness scares most people.  I am supposed to do what?

Witness does not mean that you run around scaring people to death.  It doesn't mean that you become an annoyance to others.  It doesn't mean that you leave your normal life to corner folks and talk to them. 

When we are living the Christian life, we are a witness.  Our word and our actions, are a testimony to Christ.  We don't have to tell people that we follow Christ, they can see it.  They can tell that there is something loving and joyful about us.

Our goal should not be to rush out and witness, our goal should be to follow Christ and then just do what comes naturally.  You will know when it is right to talk with someone, and you will know when it is weird.  Stay close to your Father and love Him with all your heart.  If we do that, we can't help but be a witness.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

helping orphans

Someone asked me the other day what they could do to help orphans.  This is what I told them....

Helping orphans is not the answer.  Helping orphans is a symptom of a life that is lived beyond one's self.  Begin to see every person as valuable, every person as a gift from God.  No one is an interruption, no one is an annoyance, no one is in your way.  Every one is God's child, everyone is an orphan.  Everyone is needing of care.

Do this, think like this, every day.  Over and over again.  Then to volunteer or reach out to help orphans in some specific way is simply an out growth of who you are and what you do.  You don't step out of your normal life to help someone, you are constantly helping someone and the recipient this time happened to be orphans.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

what ever I am doing

What ever I am doing now.  What are you doing now?  What will I be doing, what will you be doing in an hour?  At 5pm?  Tomorrow?  Whatever we are doing, there is this thought that occurs to me from time to time...........randomly.

I am working on a sermon, I am watering flowers, I am talking to a child, I am talking to a staff member, I am doing something about the church or my family or my home.  I am having lunch with a friend that loves history.

And the whole time that all of this is taking place, the entire time, I am rushing about with my life, people in the Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia and Mozambique are starving to death.  Starving to death.  Starving.   Sorry to depress you, but what is wrong with me that I am not consumed by this reality?  Is what I am doing really more important that people starving?

Is it a beautiful day for them?

If this post takes you by surprise, then you may be as lost in your own life as I tend to get.  How can this be?  I go blythely on my way, and people are dying.  I am so glad for our missions program at church and the chances that each of us have to help others.  I want to do more of that.

repentance

Repentance means to turn around.  To stop one action or behavior and turn to another.  I wonder if the Christian church has missed this.

We tend to think of repentance as turning from sin.  But, what do we turn towards?  Do we say that we are sorry and let it go at that?  Repentance is more than saying we are sorry.  Repentance also must mean that we turn towards our Father.

Not just turning away from sin, but turning towards.  Towards our Father.  Is it enough to say sorry for the bad things that we do?  Is that where we want to leave it?  Or is the story that we really want to leave about us moving towards our Father.

I repent.  I want to stop the bad behavior, but I also want to move towards the great lover of my soul.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

I like you

I realized an odd thing last week.  Here it is......when I like me, I am easier on you.  They say that we are the worst on the people that we love.  The folks that we love tend to get the worst of us. 

So, I am nasty to my wife and kids when I have a problem.  Let's turn that around.  When I am feeling good about myself, then I am more kind to those that are close to me.  I love them better when I am happy with myself.

{Lord, is it still all that much about me?}

Take a deep breath and feel good about yourself today.  Will that prepare you to be more kind to your family?  When I like myself, I bring so much more positive things to my family.  Let me work harder on liking me so that I will be more kind to those that I love.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

believer

I have been thinking lately.  That is usually good.

Am I a believer or a Christ follower?  [by the way, there is no guilt here, I am just having a discussion.]  Believers tend to punch their ticket and then go on with their lives.  Christ followers think every day about who they are emulating. 

This is not about who the good ones and the bad ones are.  It goes like this- I love Jesus and I want to follow Him.  So, what did He do?  He loved, he cared, he invested in people.  He didn't judge anyone.  Christ followers are intentionally working to live like Jesus did, because we want to follow Him.

To the extent that we are able to do this, it is a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.