Healthy Church

From time to time I think about the work that we did to help make Woods Chapel UMC a healthy church.

One of the things that we did was to have a ministry audit by Bill Easum's company.  The result of that audit was a number of motions that were passed by the church council and put into motion over the next months and years...

From church council, Saturday, August 26th, 2000 6:00pm and passed unanimously.
4. Motion: That the missions statement is the plumb line of the church by which everything else is measured.

5. Motion: We affirm that the mission is non-negotiable and that everything else is expendable for the mission if need be. I.e. ballfield vs parking

10. Motion: when we find that we are struggling to reach consensus, we are committed to pray and to carefully ask the question “What is God doing, and do I disagree because this goes against the leading of the spirit and the mission of the church or because I prefer something else?” And that we consider the question “where is God’s will, and where is my will?”

11. Motion: that we work toward balanced programming by affirming the cycle of ministry as defined by the “inviting, forming and sending” model.

15. Motion: while being committed to serve those who hurt, we agree to grow in Christ so that we are able to affirm the statement “we are called to serve, not to be served”

16. Motion: that we commit to dream big. That we affirm the belief that God is big enough to fulfill his dreams in us as outlined in Eph 3:20 “God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”

18. Motion: that we affirm the statement “membership is a responsibility not a privilege” [33]

23. Motion: We affirm the belief that those who are not here matter as much if not more than those who are already here.

25. Motion: that while we work to nurture people of all ages, we make a stronger commitment to reach folks in their 20’s, who are the future of tomorrow’s church. [35]

You can see that there were many more motions that passed, but I hold these few out as those that seem most important to me. You can hear the outward focused nature of the proposals. You can hear the church reaching for and embracing the ideals of selflessness.

When we make it about me, my comfort and my preference, we get off track, we get off mission. When we put others first, when we put the mission first, things start to get back on track.

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

ridiculous

I read the online news.  Maybe I should stop.

One of the current headlines is this: "100 foot waves are headed for the US."  

This is theoretically from Hurricane Erin that is several hundred miles off shore.  In 2016, hurricane Matthew was 30 miles of shore and we did not get any huge waves.

I get so disgusted with the way the news media needs to exaggerate everything.  It is like they need to keep everyone in a state of fear.

How about this... If it is a calm news day, just tell us that there is a calm news day.  No traffic issues... weather as usual.  Sports is all preseason...

Another thing about their sensationalism... they never come back and apologize when they predict a 12" snowfall and it snows 1/4 of an inch.  They never admit they were wrong when the predicted tsunamis do not hit.

Why try to keep people all up in arms all the time?  Life is good.  Just work on seeing the good and helping people live happy productive lives.

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

storage

Before I start this post, I give a pass to anyone who has kids who are in that not quite moved out/moved back in stage... mine filled an apartment with stuff and then had to come home = storage unit.

I am forever amazed at the number of new storage facilities that are being built.  We Americans have so much stuff.   It doesn't work in the living room so it goes to the closet.  The closet is over run so some of it has to go to the garage.

Eventually it gets tossed into the trash or donated to the thrift store.

But now we have a storage unit.  That is where you pay to rent space so you can visit your garbage.

I read some years ago that 30% of what you have in your house, in your office, in your any where, could just be donated or thrown away into the trash.

We have so very much.  Instead of storing it away somewhere, why not give it to someone who could put it to use?

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

if you want to listen to Sunday's abbreviated sermon, you may click the link below.

click here to listen to Sunday's short sermon

The rumble seat...

My Uncle Carl had a Ford Model A with a rumble seat.  The rumble seat was like where a trunk would be in a car, but instead of a trunk, you popped open the hatch and there was a seat.  A rumble seat.

You can imagine why it was named that.

I remember riding in that car many times when we were young.  

And like many things that take you to the edge, you have a number of options.  Some people got sick.  Some were frightened.  Me and my cousin, we just hung on for dear life and laughed.

On the road of life, sometimes we find ourselves riding in the rumble seat.   We can get freaked out or we can hang on and enjoy the ride.

It's all going to be fine in the end.

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

The life saving station...

I first posted this story in 2010... it continues to be relevant today...

I have been thinking about this story. It is a clear reminder of why the local church exists and the sacrifices that it's members are called to perform for the sake of it's mission.

The life saving station

On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occur there was a once a crude little life-saving station. The building was just a hut, and there was only one boat, but the few devoted members kept a constant watch over the sea, and with no thought for themselves, they went out day or night tirelessly searching for the lost.

Many lives were saved by this wonderful little station, so that it became famous. Some of those who were saved, and various others in the surrounding areas, wanted to become associated with the station and give of their time and money and effort for the support of its work. New boats were bought and new crews were trained. The little life-saving station grew.

Some of the new members of the life-saving station were unhappy that the building was so crude and so poorly equipped. They felt that a more comfortable place should be provided as the first refuge of those saved from the sea.

So they replaced the emergency cots with beds and put better furniture in an enlarged building. Now the life-saving station became a popular gathering place for its members, and they re-decorated it beautifully and furnished it as a sort of club.

Less of the members were now interested in going to sea on life-saving missions, so they hired life boat crews to do this work.

The mission of life-saving was still given lip-service but most were too busy or lacked the necessary commitment to take part in the life-saving activities personally. About this time a large ship was wrecked off the coast, and the hired crews brought in boat loads of cold, wet, and half-drowned people.

They were dirty and sick, and some of them had black skin, and some spoke a strange language, and the beautiful new club was considerably messed up. So the property committee immediately had a shower house built outside the club where victims of shipwreck could be cleaned up before coming inside.

At the next meeting, there was a split in the club membership. Most of the members wanted to stop the club's life-saving activities as being unpleasant and a hindrance to the normal life pattern of the club.

But some members insisted that life-saving was their primary purpose and pointed out that they were still called a life-saving station. But they were finally voted down and told that if they wanted to save the life of all the various kinds of people who were shipwrecked in those waters, they could begin their own life-saving station down the coast. They did.

As the years went by, the new station experienced the same changes that had occurred in the old. They evolved into a club and yet another life-saving station was founded.

If you visit the seacoast today you will find a number of exclusive clubs along that shore. Shipwrecks are still frequent in those waters, only now most of the people drown.

May we all rise above the traditional ways that church people tend to think.

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

outward and inward focus...

Healthy growing churches infuse their members with the idea they are all on a mission from God and a mission for God.

When we forget that we are here to be outward focused, we easily become inward focused.  We make church about us and our personal comfort.

The outcome of such choices is predictable, and it is one of the primary reasons that the mainlines churches have been in decline for decades.

Yes I want you to like your church, but the church is the means, it is not the end.  The church is a tool that we use to reach and care for others.  It is not meant to be a vacation home.

Christianity is lived off property... outside the doors of the church.

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

 

from my friend Bruce

 

Not much more to be said.

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

responsibility

I am a big fan of getting things done.

Sometimes responsibility belongs to those who are willing to bear it.

Why put off til tomorrow what you can do today.

The following photos were a discussion between Denzel Washington and a young man in one of the Equalizer movies.

Sometimes we have to just step up and do a thing.

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

What were you taught?

When we came home from school, my mom used to ask, "what did you learn today?"  Your parents may have said something similar.

Recently I was talking with someone who told me that they were also asked this about church.  And the follow up question then was, "were you taught to believe or to think?"

It is a great question... What are you learning from church?

• What to believe? How to believe it just right?
• Or how to think. How to think honestly and critically about what you are hearing.

It is easier to swallow and regurgitate things that you are supposed to believe.  Those that just buy whatever is being sold are taking the easy road.

But when you really start to think about what you are hearing at church, that is when something can become your own.  It is no longer something that I just adopted from the pastor/teacher.  I think that we feel more genuine and more grounded when we have the freedom to ask questions and process what we are hearing and make choices about what we are believing.

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

A great duck story....

This article appeared in the Missouri Methodist Magazine. If you are not from Woods Chapel, I would tell you that it was my pleasure to serve as Pastor of that church from 1994-2016.

Here is the article...

For the past five years, Woods Chapel has been a sanctuary for visitors who reside at the church, protecting their young from danger. They weren’t invited, but they weren’t turned away either. Before this story continues any further, it is important to note that they are ducks.
An inner courtyard at Woods Chapel is walled in. Five years ago, a duck made a nest in the courtyard, where it is safe from foxes sometimes seen around the church. It hatched its brood there. The brood typically consists of 10-12 ducklings.

Staff at the church provided some duck food and a kiddie pool for water. The water is replenished and refilled daily. Bricks were stacked up so the baby ducklings could get to the water. Human contact with the ducks and ducklings is limited, so they don’t become tame.

When the ducklings are around five weeks old, the mother duck leads them to the glass door that exits the courtyard. Someone on staff opens the door, and she leads them down a long hallway to an exit door. They then walk to a nearby pond.

This year, the church was surprised when a second mother duck appeared with 11 more baby ducks. They then had a total of 17 ducklings, three adult females and three mallards in the courtyard. They bought a second pool for them all and a lot more food. The third clutch of 10 eggs hatched the second week of July.

“We are suddenly the hottest AirBnb in town,” said Ann Williams, missions and care director for Woods Chapel UMC.

Those first ducklings made their appearance in March and remained until mid-June. At press time, the church was still awaiting the hatch of the third nest.

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

lightning bugs and yesterday's sermon

I get so much information into this old brain, it is hard to remember where it all comes from.  I am not bragging, I am simply declaring that I just can't remember things like I used to...

I have a friend who signs off her emails by saying, "be a lightning bug for God."  Lovely.

Someone else sent me a note that said, if God can make a lightning bug's rear end light up, just think of what He could do with you.  I Love that!!!

If you are interested in listening to yesterday's very serious sermon about revenge and forgiveness, the link is just below...

click here to listen to the sermon

Hugs to you all my friends!

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

bumps along the way

What bumps are in the way of your life?  What difficulties are you experiencing that you wish would go away?

At some point in life, you will look back on those bumps and see them as just a part of the journey.  Even the most difficult things, I can look back on now and see them as a part of the story.

The point is this... don't over glorify today's bumps in the road.  In a short time, they will be water under the bridge and become a part of the timeline of your life.

You are ok and you will be ok.   Don't let today's annoyances [large or small] get you down.

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

Miracle

There are many miracles in this daily journey of life.

On Wednesday I woke up at 2:30 am.  We drove to the airport and flew to California as I had work to do for my sister.  I slept a bit on the plane, but I was exhausted...  It felt like I was having a near death experience.

I went to bed on Wednesday night at 6:30 which was 9:30 Florida time.  Then the miracle happened.  The miracle of sleep.  The miracle of rejuvenation.  The miracle of waking up refreshed.  Thursday morning I woke at 4:30am, ready to tackle the day.

After how I felt the night before, that was truly a miracle.

We have much to be thankful for.

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

making it work

Recently heard: "we can make it work, we can always make it work."

This is a very constructive attitude to bring to the table.  It reminds me of this:  "blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape."

What ever you or your organization may be facing, you are probably able to adjust and change much more than you think.  

Once you get past your reservations, step into the new and it will be fine.

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

Change

The one thing that is constant is change.  The only thing that cannot be changed is change.

We humans are fine with change as long as it doesn't affect me.  But in this life, we must grow accustomed to the fact that nothing stays the same.

They tore down my grade school.  South City View...

They closed the church that I was baptized in:  Zion Lutheran Church...

I am still here.  We survived.  Everything is still ok.

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

Birthday Cards and scam

Let's start w the scam... some people have received a facebook friend invite from me.  It is not me.

the account is @jeff.brinkman.586674  This is not me.  Do not accept.  Do not click.  Delete it.

Now on to today's post...

Sometimes people tell me that I am too serious.  So here is a light post that features two cards that I received for my birthday last month.

Made me smile.  Hope it made you smile too!!!

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

living scared

Living your life scared of going to hell will cause you to miss a life of love.

Decide which God you believe in:  the God who judges or the God who loves.  That choice will say everything about how you feel about day to day living.

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

If you want to listen to last Sunday's sermon, here is the link...

click here for the sermon

story

I heard a story the other day about a man who was burned out.  He was exhausted.  He had lost the joy of living.  He decided to take a retreat to spend time with Tibetan Monks.

When he got to Tibet, he complained about the altitude, the amount of hiking and the food.

He had left his surroundings of home, but brought himself along on the journey.

Moral of that story is this:  if we are going to find renewal in this life, we need to do more than change our surroundings.  We need to change our attitudes.

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

when someone passes

When someone passes that we care about, it hurts.  The greater the hurt, the greater was the love.

Many random emotions come to us when someone dies...

Shock.  Grief.  Anger. Disbelief. Repeat...

Then I hope that we can come to an appreciation.  I hope that we can think of the person and savor the blessing of knowing them.

As I work thru my recent loss, I am able to celebrate the wonderful life of my friend.  We have so much to be thankful for.

Enjoy your friends.  Love your peeps.  Nothing lasts forever.

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

Kathy Rice

Last Sunday... It was a nice day. I got up and had a cuppa coffee. Feeling good. Got dressed for church. Had a nice drive to Juno Beach.  I led the Service and preached the sermon thought everything went fine.  It’s a good day.  I’m in a meeting after church with a joint discernment team.  Meetings going great really good people.

My phone starts to buzz. It’s on silent, but it’s buzzing. I picked it up and looked at it.

Kathy Rice died.
What?  WHAT???

I exclaimed out loud and interrupted the meeting. I didn’t mean to. I apologized.

It’s a complete shock. One year older than me- young- nice- friendly, kind, and an important piece of the Fort Pierce First United Methodist Church.

Kathy Rice died.  What a loss.  She greeted me and others every Sunday.  She was quick with a smile and a hug.  She was a unique, warm amazing peron.

The quote at the top of this blog came from her.

She was a fantastic human and she will be dearly missed.

Also from her facebook page...

I join the many who will miss her...

30 years ago

Thirty years ago I wore this tie on Sunday morning...

This was the Sunday when we had outdoor worship.
Bill Hampton presented Woods Chapel with the first
grant check to build a new building. 
I would say this is August 1996.

I still have the tie... since I have started preaching in Juno Beach at Ocean View, some of my ties are coming out of mothballs.

hanging in the closet...

Doesn't hardly even look like the same person... 30 years... where did the time go?  Heck, where did the hair go???

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

spirituality

Spirituality is an interesting topic.  What makes someone spiritual?  You have, and I have heard it all.

Learn the Bible to be spiritual.  Go to church to be spiritual.  Attend Sunday School class or Bible Study to be spiritual.

The problem with all of those ideas is that we all know people who know the Bible, attend all the classes and never miss church, but are mean and selfish.  There is nothing spiritual about them.

I read this somewhere and it made the sermon las Sunday...

"Spiritually developed people are those who have learned to set aside their comfort and personal preference for the sake of the mission."

I love that.

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

to break the will

In my family, my mother was my primary abuser. She felt it was her job to break the will of the child. She worked hard at her task. We were to tow the line and if we ever embarrassed her, there would be hell to pay. She wanted us to be acceptable in society and acceptable to God. And so we were shamed, guilted, beaten and ignored - repeat.

It has been said that you can learn something from everyone. From some people you learn the right way to do things. From other people you learn the wrong things to do.

I am so glad that we did not raise our children the way that my mother raised us.

May every pain of the past be a launching pad for love, today and in the future. May we who were hurt as children rise up and proclaim to our families and the world that God loves us just the way we are.

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

If you want to listen to last Sunday's sermon, here is the link...

click here to watch worship 7-27-25

when grace has a but...

When grace has a but, it is a sign that we still don't get it.

When our brain says, God loves us as long as we do such and such, we still don't get it.  When we think that we understand grace but it is conditional, we have not yet found grace.

Chuck the but.  Get rid of the conditions.

God loves you.  Just as you are.

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

grace or guilt

In high demand religious systems critical thinking is turned against yourself and you begin to cannibalize your self-esteem. Your self-esteem becomes dependent upon your following the rules and being good. The system has so infiltrated your heart and mind that eventually they don't need to guilt you any more because you just do it to yourself.

How sad.  And what a painful way to live.

It takes hard work to get to the other side, but it can be done. The first step is to recognize that what you were taught is not helpful. The second step is to retrain your brain. God loves me, God loves me, God loves me... over and over and over again until that becomes the main theme that your thought system is organized around.

God does love you - no matter what.  Mercy rejoices over judgment. Free yourself from the past and accept God's amazing love.

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

From Kim

My friend Kim saw this recently at an establishment...

I will choose love until it becomes who I am!!!  I love that!!!

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

Smack!

From time to time people will ask me a question when I have food in my mouth.  I am unable to answer at that time.  I might want to, but I just can't.

Here is why... when I was growing up, one of the many rules was that you do not talk with food in your mouth.  If you did, my mother would pop up out of her seat, she was lightening quick, and smack you across the mouth.

While I didn't like it when it happened to me, I loved it when it happened to my sisters because food would go flying out of their mouth.

Such treatment leaves a mark on you.  I just can't talk with my mouth full.  Let me chew it up and swallow it and then we can talk.

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

Posted on the wall

I have always said that I would rather have 10 people who were totally biblically illiterate and loved others, than 1,000 who could quote scripture and pronounce Mesopotamia but had no heart for the poor.

Posted on a wall at the Ocean View UMC in Juno Beach Florida:

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

stability

I was hanging out with my friend Bruce.  We got to talking about how good life has been.  About how many things that we have to be thankful for.

I mentioned that I was thankful that my children got to live in the same town and go to grade school, junior high and high school in the same system. I doubt that they realize what a blessing this is when your dad is a Methodist preacher. Usually you move every 3-4 years and your kids are pulled away from their friends and their schools several times along the way.

Bruce said, "you should have them talk to me."  This is his life experience...

My dad was a school teacher and coach. He was demanding and had high expectations for his students and athletes as well as his family. Because of his need to help others excel along with his need to be wanted and feel significant he would decide that he needed to find a new place to start over and we as a family began the cycle over at each stop along this journey.

Here is my journey through the school years:

    Kindergarten through 2nd grade - Cumberland, IA

    3rd grade through 8th grade - Marcus, IA

    9th grade - Chico, CA

    10th grade - Live Oak, CA

    11th grade through High School graduation - Alturas, CA

The story didn't end there. After my graduation, my family moved to Missouri where two out three of my younger siblings graduated high school and the youngest had three stops in Kansas before graduating.  

. . . 

You can imagine the disruption to the family and individual lives such a journey make.

I am going to send this blog to my children so I am sure that they read it.  We all have so much to be thankful for.

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

Sheep and Goats

In Mt 25 we have the Parable of the Sheep and Goats... In the parable, the master explains who is in and who is out.  Who makes it into the kingdom and who does not.

The church would tell you that to be in the in group you must do the following:

• believe the right formula
• be baptized
• go to church
• read the bible
• pray
• oh yes and give 10%

According to the church, these are the things that make good Christians.

Put the master in the parable has a completely different criteria.  None of the above items are mentioned as leading to righteousness.

The righteous, those who are welcomed into the kingdom, simply reached for the least of these.

They fed the hungry.  They brought water to the thirsty.  They visited those in prison.  They welcomed in the stranger.

That is all.  They showed kindness.  No other religious behavior was required.

How are you spending your time and efforts?  Are you following a religious prescription that you received from your church or upbringing?  Or are you reaching for the least of these?

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

more Jesus, less Paul

If you are like me, the faith that you were taught was based more on the teachings of Paul than Jesus. Why would that be? Why would the church lift up things Paul said more often that what Jesus said?

One reason is because Paul is more legalistic and the church could use that heaviness and guilt to keep people in line.

Another reason is because Paul is more black and white and Jesus often speaks in parables which have several possible interpretations. The church has never been high on open minded thinking.

Here is a list of Jesus' parables. How many of them do you know?

38 Parables of Jesus Overview Chart

1 New Cloth and New Wineskins Matthew 9:16–17 Mark 2:21–22 Luke 5:36–39
2 The Lamp On a Stand Matthew 5:14–16 Mark 4:21–25 Luke 8:16–18
3 The Wise and the Foolish Builders Matthew 7:24–27 Luke 6:47–49
4 The Two Debtors Luke 7:41–43
5 The Rich Fool Luke 12:16–21
6 The Watchful Servants Mark 13:34–37 Luke 12:35–40
7 The Faithful Servant Matthew 24:45-51 Luke 12:42–48
8 The Barren Fig Tree Luke 13:6–9
9 The Sower Matthew 13:3–23 Mark 4:3–20 Luke 8:5–15
10 The Weeds Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43
11 The Growing Seed Mark 4:26–29
12 The Mustard Seed Matthew 13:31–32 Mark 4:30–32 Luke 13:18–19
13 The Yeast Matthew 13:33 Luke 13:20–21
14 The Hidden Treasure and the Pearl Matthew 13:44–46
15 The Net Matthew 13:47–50
16 The Householder Matthew 13:52
17 The Lost Sheep Matthew 18:12–14 Luke 15:3–7
18 The Master and Servant Luke 17:7–10
19 The Unforgiving Servant Matthew 18:23–35
20 The Good Samaritan Luke 10:30–37
21 The Friend at Night Luke 11:5–13
22 The Wedding Feast Luke 14:7–14
23 The Great Banquet Luke 14:16–24
24 The Tower Luke 14:28–33
25 The Lost Coin Luke 15:8–10
26 The Prodigal Son Luke 15:11–32
27 The Unjust Steward Luke 16:1–13
28 The Rich Man and Lazarus Luke 16:19–31
29 The Workers In the Vineyard Matthew 20:1–16
30 The Persistent Widow Luke 18:1–8
31 The Pharisee and the Tax Collector Luke 18:9–14
32 The Two Sons Matthew 21:28–32
33 The Tenants Matthew 21:33–44 Mark 12:1–11 Luke 20:9–18
34 The Wedding Banquet Matthew 22:1–14
35 The Fig Tree Matthew 24:32–35 Mark 13:28–31 Luke 21:29–33
36 The Ten Virgins Matthew 25:1–13
37 The Talents Matthew 25:14–30 Luke 19:12–27
38 The Sheep and Goats Matthew 25:31–46

May you find a revitalization of grace in your life through the stories of Jesus.

And while you are at it, let Paul go.

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

the frailty of life

The scripture says that we humans are like grass.  Here briefly and then vanishing.

Last week when I was sick, I actually wondered if I was dying.  I did not know what was wrong and it was scary.  

Writing at this point, I am glad that I was not dying, but it does remind me that one day I will.  One day we all will.

How important it is to appreciate every day, every moment, because each moment along the way, we get one day closer to our last.

I hope that yours and mine are not for quite some time.

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

July 4 revisited

On July 4th  I posted about how fortunate we are to have been born in America. I mentioned that we have won the lottery...

Food for thought... my friend Terry the Painter wrote in to say, "Amen brother, we have won the lottery. I understand that statistics show that most lottery winners squander their good fortune."

May we work hard and stay committed so that we do not squander our blessings.

Deconstruction

Deconstruction is a term that many in the church world use to describe the process of a person replacing the faith of their youth with something that is more loving.

So many of us were taught who the good ones and the bad ones were.  So many of us grew up in the fear of God.

It is hard to deconstruct the faith of our youth.  But, it can be done.  It takes openness, reading, and practice.  It takes becoming comfortable with questions.  Things that we could not question when we were young, we must learn to question if we would have a love based faith.

I want to put the judgmental God behind me.  I want to live for the God of love.  Deconstruction.  It is a very good thing.

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

Yes I did not post yesterday

Nothing is wrong with your computer.  Wednesday afternoon I got sick.  As sick as I have been in a long time.  I think that it was food poisoning from lunch.

Anyway, I am feeling better now.

Here's to feeling better!!!  Sometimes we don't appreciate health until it is compromised.

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

A new commandment

On the night that Jesus was betrayed, he gave a new commandment...

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Besides asking his followers to love, he made it pretty clear that them showing love would be the sign of his followers.

If we don't love, then everyone has a right to question if we are followers. And those who claim to follow, but do not show love, can probably claim allegiance to another teacher.

Love.  It's not just the main thing, it's the only thing.

If you want to watch or listen to Sunday's sermon, click on the link below...

if you want to watch or listen to last weeks sermon, click on this link

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

make people happy

My friend Joyce sent me a note about a person in her church that has a very positive outlook on life.  If you ask this person "what do you do?" "can you tell me about yourself?" "what do you like to do?"

They respond with this:  "I just like to see if I can make people happy."

I love that.  What a fantastic way for a person to spend their time.

Let's see if we can make someone happy today!!!

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

culture vs strategy

I am pretty sure that enculturating is not a word. I am going to use it anyway.
Enculturating is the process of building the culture of your organization, business or church. Or it is the process of changing the culture.   It is done one person at a time.

Many cultures are broken.   Themes of power and control can quickly harm a culture.  Big ideas without legs can harm a culture.  Anything that is not relevant or normal can harm a culture.   A lack of joy, a lack of hard work, and any number of things can create a negative culture.

That is where you and I come in.  You can affect the culture of your organization.   Even if you are not in charge, you can effect positive change.  You can be the one server at the restaurant that everyone wants.  You can be the one cashier at the grocery store that people wait in line for.   You can be the one friendly person at your church.

Here are the steps to build a positive culture.
1. Love one another. Love everyone. See people as valuable. Invest in them.
2. Maintain an outward focus. It is not about me, it is about our mission.
3. Reduce organization and meetings. Keep it simple. Don't torture people by talking things to death.
4. live each day with Joy, authenticity and excellence.
5. And finally, love one another.

You can make a difference in your world.  You are already leaving a trail, either positive or negative.  We are not here forever.  Why not join the positive voices and bring love and joy to your organization or church.  You can make a difference in your cubicle, your pew, your community.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

owning something

I was watching a TV show about people that live in old historic homes.  One of them said, "We don't actually own a home, we are just taking care of it for the next person that comes along."

I find that statement to be interesting, especially because they do legally own the home.  So I got to thinking.

I am taking care of our home for three reasons...  

1.  Because I like to fix things.  

2.  Because I want our home to be nice.

3.  Because if I die before my wife [and I probably will] I don't want her to have to deal with a 20 year old roof or a hot water heater that is on it's last legs.

But expanding on the idea... this home will outlive the Brinkmans.  We used to live in the Oaks Ridge house in Lees Summit.  Those who live their now are benefiting from the Iris that I planted, the crank out windows that I fixed, and the new roof that we put on.

We have taught for years that we are not owners, we are stewards.  It's not my money, it is God's.  What we have or what we think we own, are all actually gifts from God.  Let's take care of the things that we have and use them for the kingdom as we are able.

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

my first flight

It was bound to happen.  I got on the airplane and went to my seat, 20D.  There was a young man sitting in my seat.

Before I could react negatively, he engaged me and asked if I could sit in 20C which was the other aisle seat.  This will allow him to sit with his wife and young son.  It was the baby's first flight.

Ok.  No worries.

Then he handed me this.  He handed everyone around us this little package.

The note says, "It's my first flight!  I made a deal to be on my best behavior, but I can't make any guarantees.  I might cry if I get scared or if my ears won't pop.  Here are some treats and ear plugs to make your flight more enjoyable.  Thank you for being patient with us!"

I loved this.  What an amazing show of kindness.  Someone thinking about others.

Well, I enjoyed visiting with the couple and their baby was great on the flight.  I am inspired by the creative kindness that this young couple showed.

It's just not that hard to be nice is it?

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

the result of love

My friend Jeff from Ocean View sent this in...

"Public discussion has become angry and cruel,"  says Layton Friesen in the Evangelical Mennonite Conference Messenger. We try to defend it: “My speech may have the delicacy of a chainsaw doing brain surgery, but I can always justify the damage with the claim that this is what ‘tough love’ looks like.” Not so fast, he says: I can’t judge whether I am loving. “Loving is like leadership: I am not a leader if people don’t follow. If I truly love, the other person will feel beloved.”

(page 5 Anabaptist World, June 2025 issue)

My comments.... I love it.  If you are going to love someone, they should feel loved.  If they are not feeling the love, then what I am doing may be more based on controlling someone than loving them.  Even in a hard discussion, we can carry ourselves with grace.

True love leaves the other person feeling loved.

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

For the beauty of the earth

 And so I was driving home from Ocean View UMC in Juno Beach, FL and I saw this.

Sometimes, we just need to take a deep breath and say "wow!!!"

Look for the beauty.  See the good.  It is there is we are paying attention.

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

We have much to be thankful for

On July 4th my friend Mary shared this story from her family history:

Mary's Parents 1946

My mother was born in Poland and in November 1939 she was 16 and taken by the Gestapo from her parents who were beaten because they wouldn't tell them where her older sister was.  She then spent 6 years as a forced laborer in a German factory until the Americans freed the small town of Backnang. She then worked for the American soldiers as a cook and maid before going back to Poland.  My father was in the army and was part of a group of men who organized entertainment for the troops.  Before going back to Poland my mother and her friends decided to go to a party they had in a local bar.  When she and her friends came in, my father saw her and told his friends that he was going to marry her!  There's more to the story, but she came to America because after living as a slave for 6 years she didn't want to go back and live under Stalin as a slave anymore.  After the war she found out her sister was turned in for getting food from the family farm and giving it to some neighbors in the city where they lived.  Her sister spent 3 years in Mauthausen Concentration camp making ammunition.

My mother loved America and although she never saw her parents again, she was proud to be an American because as the saying goes "she was free!"

If I have said it once, I will say it 100, no 1,000 times.  We have so much to be thankful for!!!

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

Bless the World Today

So last week I was staying at a hotel in Galax Virginia.  It’s a real Place.  Look it up.

In the morning, I go down to breakfast and employees have written on the bananas.  They wrote fantastic hopeful messages.

My banana said, Today is a good day to try.

I loved the messages, and I loved the idea.

You have a chance to bless the world today.  

What will you say? How are you leave your mark?

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

laughter

If you want to watch yesterday's sermon, here is the link...

click here to listen to or watch the sermon

And now on to today's post...

Last week I was sitting in a hotel room in Galax, Virginia.  It is a real place.  Look it up.

I wanted to watch a movie before I went to bed.  I found an Adam Sandler movie.  I laughed.  I laughed hard.  I guffawed.  I belly laughed.

It was fantastic.

One of the things that I love about really laughing is that when I really laugh, I sound like my Dad.  I remember hearing him laugh from time to time when I was a kid, and it was the best thing.  It made me feel that he was happy.

Laughter is good stuff.  It is good for the soul.  If you haven't laughed for a while, pull out a good comedy.  You will be glad that you did.

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

A note from Dad

I received this note from my friend Kathy.  Her dad had written it some years back.  

"Dear Family - Call me naive or simple - but it does seem to me that the happiest most contented emotions we have are the ones which help us to see the good in people and to embrace that good with genuine affection.  Love, Dad"

I loved what he wrote, and I love that she saved it.  I hope that my kids are saving the notes that I send to them.

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

Happy Birthday to me!!!

So I’ve been wondering what to write about on my birthday.
Probably should pick something sort of profound and meaningful!!!

I hadn’t really come to anything till I was at church last Sunday.

Sunday was my last Sunday at Ft. Pierce First United Methodist Church for six months. I’ll be the interim pastor at Juno Beach starting tomorrow - unless I get voted off the island.  If that happens, I will head back to Fort Pierce. I told my friends on Sunday "if you see me back before six months is over with my head hanging down and my tail between my legs. Then you know I got voted off the island."

Anyway, in church on Sunday, there were more homeless people than normal because the church had advertised a dinner after service. When it’s time for the greeting, the passing of the peace, I got up and started to wander around.  There was a homeless guy sitting on the back row, and I looked at him and I started towards him. He looked right at me and he shook his head. His head shake said, "No."  He held up his hand like waving me off, and I knew that he didn’t want me to approach him so I didn’t.

I got to wondering later what that meant.  Did it mean that he didn’t feel well?  Was he sick?  Was he embarrassed of how he was dressed or how he smelled?  Maybe he was tired of people that seemed to have it together coming and stooping down to care for him.  If that was the case, I kind of hate to be put into that category.  I honestly just try to be friendly and gracious and caring.  But obviously he had some things on his mind and he didn’t need the handshake of an almost 68-year-old. 

And so now, back to my birthday.  Looking back over the years, I guess I can tell you that I’m really happy that finally I think I’ve learned to see people and care about them.  I think that for the most part, I have learned to look past how they’re dressed or what color they are and to just really see an individual as a valuable human.  To have compassion for them.  That makes me feel very happy and fulfilled.

Happy Birthday, Jeff

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

Where were you born?

I can remember a time or two when during a sermon I would ask people where they were born.  Kansas, Oklahoma, Florida and such were usually the answers.  I would ask them if they knew why they were born in America.  For years people shook their heads... why born in America?  I guess we were lucky, they would say.

Then one smart guy said, "I was born in America because that is where my parents lived."

Well, my original question is a good one to consider on the 4th of July.  Why were you born in America instead of Vietnam, China, Russia, or Guatemala?

Well, we were fortunate, we were lucky, we were blessed.  There are many places around the globe where people live in poverty.  Where freedoms are oppressed.  Where travel is limited.

Say what you want about America, and America gives you the freedom to do so, say what you will, but I can't think of a better place to be born.

We are so very blessed.

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

They did not intend to hurt you

I have said this before, but it keeps coming up and bears repeating...

We need to keep this in mind...

Most of the time... almost all of the time... when you are hurt, the other person did not mean to hurt you. Their original thought was not to harm.  They had something else on their mind, and one of the byproducts of what was on their mind was that you were hurt.

Someone was trying to protect their version of the Christian faith and verbally attacked their pastor. They didn't mean to hurt the Pastor, they just felt that they needed to protect their version of the faith.

A boss releases you from employment.  They don't do this to hurt you, they do this because for some reason, it seems to them to be the best move for the corporation.

A neighbor is upset about something going on in the neighborhood that you were in favor of.  Their words hurt.  Again, they were trying to protect their vision for their life.

Someone comments negatively on your football team or your political candidate.  They shake their head and use the word "stupid."  Again, they are simply guarding "their world view."

If someone has hurt you... ask yourself... was their main intention to hurt you?  If you can see that they may have had other things on their mind, then don't take the hurt so personal.  You being hurt is a byproduct of some other thing that is going on with them.

Offer grace.

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

The Lord's Prayer

After yesterday's post, a couple of readers asked why the Lord's Prayer is taped to the wooden stand.   The answer is simple.

Has your brain ever forgotten something that you knew?  In the heat of the moment it can happen.

True story:  In 1987  Bishop Bob Farr, then just Pastor Bob Farr was the Pastor at Randolph United Methodist Church near 87th and Wornall Rd in Kansas City.  Cathy and I attended there and on a couple of occaisoins he asked me to fill in while he was on vacation.

Well one Sunday, I was leading the worship and got to the Lord's Prayer and my brain had a cramp.  I stuttered and stammered quite embarrassingly through the entire prayer.  After service, a guy came out, shook my hand and said, "the sermon was great, but you sure do need to do some work on your Lord's Prayer."

Since then, it has been taped to my stand.

And now you know the rest of the story.

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

Out of mothballs

After WW2 thousands of ships were "mothballed" or put away 
in storage in case they were needed in the future.

In 1994, Bill and Maryanne Wiley bought me this wooden stand for my sermons.  They were tired of me preaching from a metal music stand.  I used it for 22 years at Woods Chapel, 6 months at Cape Coral and for the full interim period of 14 months at Ft. Pierce.

It is a familiar friend.

The stand at use in 2016 in Cape Coral.
From this picture, it looks like the sermon was boring.

Anyway, the stand, which has been up in the attic for years is coming back down.  It will make it's return to active duty on July 6 at Ocean View UMC in Juno Beach.

In mothballs in the attic.

Down and getting cleaned up
to be returned to service!!!

It feels good to be out of mothballs and back on the field again!!!

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

life cycle of a church

This is from Wm Bridges book, Managing Transitions.

The life stages of an organization.

1. Original Vision - dreams
2. Growth and Building the Organization - sacrifice and hard work.
3. Maintenance - let's keep it going
4. Decline - failure to make hard decisions.
5. Recognizing Decline - decline become undeniable
6. Crisis or Death

What stage is your church in? Are you sure? If your church has reached the stage of maintenance or decline, are you ok with that? 

What discomfort are you willing to suffer for the greater good of your church? Can your church change if you do not change? What changes are you willing to make to help your church reach its potential?

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

wanting nothing in return

In general, I believe that true kindness is never about what you get back. Our reward is the joy of giving or of doing the right thing- of showing love.  How they respond to your kindness is immaterial.

Yet I have found when I have given a kindness and there is no acknowledgement, it can be hard.  I gave someone a gift.  They snarled and said that they did not want it.  Ouch!

Yes.  Sometimes our kindness will be met with coldness, and that is difficult for us.  But, let us continue to live lives based on sharing the love.  How they respond and how we feel about it is ultimately less important than delivering the grace.

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

Comfort Zone

Read somewhere...

"Spiritually developed people are those who are willing to give up their comfort and their preferences for the sake of the mission."

Are you a consumer of life or a giver of love?

Must it be your way or are you following the way of grace.

The Holy Spirit lives just past the edge of our comfort zone.

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