a good methodist

Like a good Methodist Preacher I was reading in the latest version of Interpreter magazine. There is an article in there about a fellow, Dan Merchant who has made a movie called "Lord, Save us from Your Followers."

It has been in a limited number of theatres and will be out on dvd after the first of the year. The point of his movie is that Christians often do very unchristian things. He asks the question, "why is the gospel of love dividing America?" What a good question.

The article ends with a poignant thought, "it's hard to have a conversation with someone when you are really just waiting for your chance to correct them."

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

a nice card

I received a very nice card yesterday from one of our members. Just kind of a "thank you, and I think you are cool" kind of card. The message on the front says, "do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world" Desmond Tutu.

I like that quote. I was commiserating on what a nice message the card had when I turned it over. The logo on the back is "the bird sings." There is a web site, http://www.birdsings.com/.

I checked it out. The owner of the site has created this line of cards. They are available through out the Midwest. They carry them at Price Chopper on Woods Chapel road. I just thought it was cool that besides myself and Shawn Franssens http://hearingthebirds.blogspot.com/, there is someone else that wants people to hear the birds sing.

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

why I like the history channel

I like the history channel. I like the discovery channel. I watch shows about war, ships that sink, disasters, famous people, etc. I watch shows about animals. I am amazed at the different kind of animals that God has made. Just consider the Meerkat for a moment.....God has an amazing sense of humor.

I also like to play trivia. Questions about the past, science, geography, and religions are my favorite. What year was the war of 1812? Who fought in the Spanish-American War? In what country did the french revolution take place? Trivia. Good stuff to know.

I think I like the history channel and playing trivia because I think my brain likes to think. I refuse to go through life as a robot. The wheels are always turning. Maybe sometimes, turning too much. Too worried, too introspective.

But thinking none the less. One of the great gifts of this life is to think. When we are thinking constructively, we have the chance to better ourselves, to know where we are at, and to see where we are going.

The history channel makes me think. It makes me appreciate my life. I learn from those who have lived before. I like it!

So, if you need a change of pace, look up the history channel or the discover channel and expand your brain.

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

more on the blues

A friend shared this.

We are going to have periodic bouts with the "moody blues." It seems much more productive to say "every human since creation has had this thing, and we always will have."

The only time the blues become a signal that we need help, is when they become immobilizing. I wish you times to look the blues in the face and say "hey this is normal, so what am I on to next." I think the best thing that can happen for all of us when we feel blue is to not feel guilty, but to just get out and walk in the fresh air (further than we really planned to walk that day) or just get out among people.

I also enjoyed another one of your comments. The person said, "so go help someone. Getoutside of yourself. Give yourself away."

Keep your chin up. It is all good.

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

He paid a debt

A song was running through my head that I learned in youth group. The words go with the sermon.

"He paid a debt he did not owe,
I owed a debt I could not pay,
I needed someone to wash my sins away.
And now I sing a brand new song: Amazing Grace.
Christ Jesus paid the debt that I could never pay."

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

the blues

I have had some blues lately. And I am not very good at hiding my feelings. If we have talked at all in the last few weeks, you probably know that I have been struggling with the blues.

Yesterday I had lunch with a couple of friends. One of them had a couple of comments.

"Jeff, anyone who looks at you and your life would wonder what the heck you have to complain about."

Good point. I can't disagree. I have no reason to have the blues. There is no good reason. My problems are boring.

He said something else to me that really struck a chord, "so what are you going to do about these blues?"

Well, that is a good question. When you have the blues, you just sort of wallow in them. You think and commiserate about what ever you think is bothering you. But it usually doesn't occur to you to do something about it. The blues just happened to you and you think that they will go away by them selves. You know, it's like you are a victim of the blues and they are a freeloading cousin that you hope will leave, but you don't know when.

Enter the comment. "What are you going to do about these blues?" Well, that reminds me of a simple truth that I need to be thinking about. Here it is: Seeing the good does not come naturally or easily to many of us, most of the time. Seeing the good is a choice.

So what can we do about the blues? Maybe the answer is simply to stop wallowing in them, stop giving them room in your life and just choose to see the good. See the good. See the good. It is there.

And here is the closing statement: It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Jesus wants to save the Christians

I have just started a book by Rob Bell entitled, "Jesus wants to save the Christians." This is a book about things that Christians think that are not what Jesus would prefer. I don't think that I am going to like this book. That is because I think it is going to make me feel uncomfortable. You see I am all glad with Jesus challenging your life, but I don't want Jesus to challenge my life.

We are all like that. We are all for sacrifice as long as it belongs to someone else.

If Jesus took an inventory of your life, your beliefs and practices, would there be some things that he said, "Hey, wait a minute, this is not what we are supposed to be about."

We don't even like to think of such things.

Rob Bell is going to be at the Uptown theatre this coming Thursday. Several from church are going. Come join us.

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

the idea of a thing

The idea of a thing is sometimes better than the thing itself. You want to have a child, but then pregnancy is miserable. You want the child to be born, but then it cries all night and keeps you awake. [now don't read too much into those last two lines, I am just trying to make a point.]

You want to be a Pastor, then you feel burdened from the pressure to preach something really good every Sunday. You want to start a new church, then you feel funny when some of the wonderful folks at your church, whom you have asked to consider going to the new church, actually make the decision to go. [that was a run on sentence]

We have asked folks to sign on with the new church. I want some of you to do that. We need more of you to do so. But, when I find out who they are that are leaving, it hurts a bit.

Well, that is just too bad. Sometimes you have to hurt. The baby never gets born without labor and delivery. The child never grows up without struggling through the passages of life. And new church starts are joyfully painful.

On the Sunday when the folks for the new church [the Beacon UMC] come up front and are prayed for and are sent out to start the work, I will cry. But I will also be happy, for I do believe that this is one of the most Christian things that a church can do.

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

when souls collide

When I meet someone, I hope that we can be friends. Sometimes, an amazing thing happens. In a way that is hard to describe, we find a connection. Souls collide. We understand each other. There is a forgiveness and an acceptance that is without question. It is like you are brothers or sisters. Part of the same family. Twins separated at birth who now have been reacquainted.

DT DH and 100 others. What a gift it is to make a friend. We should always celebrate the presence of those special people in our lives. I hope you have them in your life too.

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

thankful

Last year during November I asked you all to be thankful for something everyday during the month. Not a bad idea. Today is Nov 3rd. I am a few days behind. Tho I was thankful on Sunday and Monday for several things.

Today let me thankful for my wonderful friends. I got an email from one of you yesterday challenging how my brain worked about my vacation. It was interesting and helpful. I am thankful for each of you and wish I had more time to just hang out and talk. I am enriched by knowing you and interacting with you.

I have no friends from grade school. I stay in touch with no one from high school. No one from college. no one from Seminary. No one from any previous church in any ongoing manner. In my life I never had more than one friend at a time. here at WCC, I have won the friend lottery.

Thanks. All of you, for being you.

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

that's all

Love God, love your neighbor.

That's it and that's all.

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

trick or treat

Well, that was a bit uneventful. Last night I mean. We had maybe 30 trick or treaters at the most. The good news is, I have lots of candy left over.

It was nice to see the kids out with their Dads and or Moms. When our kids were little I used to take them around to the houses and Cathy would stay home and hand out treats. One year Scott was a Ninja Turtle. They were always so cute and so proud of the candy that they would collect.

At night I would pick through it and steal their milk duds. They would always catch me, and I would end up having to buy them more at the grocery store.

I miss hanging with the other Dad's and going out with the kids on Halloween.

But, it's all good. Cathy and I sat on the couch and watched a movie, interrupted by 30 kids. No problem. It is a fun night.

Families are awesome. Young kids are great. Enjoy them while you have them.

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

self-improvement

Self improvement- the idea that I can work on a better, less dysfunctional me.

Some people read novels. I read theology, history, and books that challenge my life paradigm. One author asked the question recently, what are you doing to engage your self with the concept of self-improvement?

if the answer is "nothing" Then our message to the world and to our selves, and to our God is, "I have arrived. I am a finished product."

I hope that sounds bad to you. It should. All of us have room to grow and change.

Is there something that you can do this month to help you to become a better you? Hearing the voice of God begins with an understanding that my way of seeing things is not the only thing.

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

vacation

Well, we are finally home. Cathy and I went on a 7 day vaca to a warm place with palm trees, the island of Aruba in the south Caribbean. We were able to do this because a church member gave us a week in their condo and because my wife has lots of frequent flyer miles. I usually don't like to tell people that we are going on vacation, because a few have been known to skip church. We need to keep working on the idea that being at church is important no matter who is preaching.

Anyway, we are home and I will be there to preach on Sunday.

I continue to struggle with the blessings that we have in this country. I go on vacation to a place where people make minimum wage to take care of me. Where their entire economy survives because people like us are able to go visit their warm tropical paradise. I see their cars, their homes, their schools, their future, their dreams. I enjoy their beach. Then I come home.

They have so little. We have so much. How is it right?

Ok, so what then Jeff? If you give everything that you have to help a few of them, will anything really change? Well, it will for the ones that I help.

The claims of Christ weigh on my heart when I come home to such a nice home. If I sell it all and give it all to the poor will that be the answer in some way? And 100 years from now, will anything be different?

I guess I just want to do more to help really needy people, and I should just do that. That will be my resolution. I am going to find more ways to help really needy people. I think Jesus did some of that.

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

Mysterious God.

I am sorry for the times I have made God smaller by analyzing and characterizing. I try to make God a succinct statement. An explanation. But God cannot fit in my mind, or He is not the God who created me. Instead, I am playing God, creating Him.

God is a mystery. I cannot wrap my brain around God. But I can worship God. I can enjoy God. I can search creation for clues about God.

When I think and dream about the mystery of God, a 5-point plan of salvation does not come to mind. Perhaps the pathway to God is no more clearly summarized than God Himself. Maybe the best I can do is stutter on and on about this magnificent God. I am brought to my knees in awe.

Maybe my desire to describe God easily and concisely is a control thing. I can control God when He fits easily into my brain. I can control other people by proving that I know God! and telling them how to get to Him. But I have been wrong about God before. And I am wrong about God now. Saying that I have all the answer about God is the same as saying I am God. Only God has all the answers.

The rest of us can simply marvel. If we are burning with passion for a God who exceeds our wildest imaginations, will that passion be contagious? Maybe we will reach more people who simply see us burning for God and want to burn, too, than in all our efforts to sell God.

I am speaking for myself. I want it to be known that all my words do not come close to touching all that God is. Perhaps a moment of silence with God says more than a thousand volumes of text about God. Maybe today I will see that God is holding me; I am not holding Him. Maybe I will get Him out of my head, and get my head into God. Maybe I will explore God. Hopefully I will get lost in God today.

With love,

a young shepherd.

question

Josh's post on Monday reminded me of a quote that I read somewhere. If I already shared it with you, forgive me, but this repeat would just be a sign that this is on my mind. Here is the quote:

"I was going to ask God about why he allowed children to go hungry around the world, and innocent people to die of preventable diseases, but I decided not to ask, because I was afraid that he might ask me the same question."

Now I don't deal in quilt. But with all that we are doing to care about others at our church, I still wonder sometimes about the ideas represented in this quote. To what degree am I spending my life for others? Do I really deserve all of the luxury that living in America provides? To whom much is given, much will be required. Ouch.

I am not going to give or receive guilt over this, but I wonder if God is trying to tell me something.

Open brain, insert troubling thought.

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

Father “help me to see”

In the post yesterday Young Shepherd wrote about the need to see and experience the people in our lives. I went to a funeral last week. I attended the funeral not so much because of my relationship with the deceased but more so to provide support to someone who knew him better than I. This man was a good man…a very good man. The people who attended his funeral spoke very highly of him. Over and over I heard the same message. What a kind person, a generous person, a loving person he was. It was said that each and every day he would greet everyone in his office with a hello….a good morning….a smile. And each and every day he ended the day in a similar manner. He never took people for granted. He was giving of his time especially with the less fortunate. He was a good husband and father. He brown bagged his lunch twice a week and met his priest…his mentor…his friend for lunch to discuss life and pray for who and what he felt he needed to pray for. He lived his life by example. He invested his time in people.

So, I blew it. I had numerous chances but, I never took the time to know him well. I am sure my life would have been richer if I did. I was “consumed with self” and so I missed an opportunity. I hope I never forget this….ever.

I need to slow down, take the time, let the goals take a back seat to the journey…..don’t miss the opportunities…..get to know people…..be a part of their lives and let them be a part of mine.

Peace,
Lion’s Den Man

What If?

What if I asked more questions and gave fewer opinions?

What if I understood that God’s love is more about my character than my comfort?

What if I killed depression and emptiness by giving myself away, not analyzing myself all day?

What if I lost sleep over Darfur, the “strangers” I pass by each day, and the way I have turned the gospel into something easy to stomach?

What if I really believed Jesus will provide for me like the lilies and the sparrows?

What if I stopped waiting to do something “great” for God and did the small things I refuse every day?

What if I saw interruptions as opportunities to love?

What if I stop asking “what if” and see what is going on around me right now?

…

A trusted friend tells me I am a “global thinker, big idea” type of person. She says, politely, that maybe my strength is not logistics and day-to-day stuff. Deep down, I take it as a compliment. But I’m also afraid of what it means.

Jeff says “people are more important than ideas”. I think about the people I am missing while I’m “busy” daydreaming about a better future, a world full of love, a Kingdom that has finally come. If you’re feeling like me, maybe we can pray this prayer together today.

Father,
Help me to see the people that you will place all around me today. These are my neighbors, and you said that it all comes down to loving You and them.
But I call them “interruptions”; I call them “strangers”. Most of the time, I just don’t see them. I am consumed with self. Help myself die today, so that You might live through me and give life to others through me.

And when I fail today, Father, give me a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. Break my heart in the kind of way that makes a loving Father give up His Perfect Son for a selfish fool like me. Through this pain, help me minister to the pain of others in a way that shows how You ache for them.

I may complain about the pain and emptiness that I feel, but I know You are shaping me into something so very different from what I am today – something that will attract others to you. On my own, I neither care about my neighbors nor have anything to offer them if I did care. But you can change my heart, and I ask that you start right now.

Amen.

With love,

a young shepherd.

A Good Hurt

Yesterday was a bad day...Ugly. I saw myself in a way that I don't care to see.... Ok, I am human and I make mistakes and there are reasons for why I did and why I said and why I acted in such a way, but you can throw all of those reasons in a bucket and label it “Excuses”. When it comes down to it, there is never a good excuse for poor actions towards others....when you know better…..no matter how justified….. an excuse never holds water.

Then it's over and hopefully, next, you hit a wall……. and remorse sets in. Yes I hit that wall and I am thankful for that really bad gut wrenching feeling.....you feel small...sick to your stomach...guilty…..and you know you need to make things right again....the sooner the better.

Imagine if you will what it would take not to feel that way when you did something that was "out of character". Not to have the need to make amends....seek forgiveness. How consumed would we have to be in ourselves? I read somewhere that “how you treat the creation reflects how you feel about the creator”. Hmmm…..

If we don't feel that pain what has happened to our souls? I pray I never feel "ok" about doing wrong, thinking wrong, justifying wrong……

Thank you God for the hurt I feel at times.......

Peace,

Lion's Den Man

waste

I am not a proponent of waste. I hate to see food wasted. It upsets me when Brinkman offspring leave half consumed bottles of water or cans of coke around. Hey, for heavens sake, finish one before you open the next.

Eat the left overs! There are starving people in India. My mom used to say that over and over. Mom and Dad were children of the depression. They never wasted anything.

waste not, want not.

I also think that we bring glory to God when we make good use of the resources that He has given to us. Teach your children well, because they are going to inherit the ability and the responsibility for the care of the resources of the planet.

Not sure why I am writing about this today, it was on my mind, so here it is. Again, I believe that we bring glory to God when we honor him by making good use of the resources that he puts in our control.

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

the cycle of retribution

I witness this every week in some form or another. Some weeks I witness it daily. The cycle of retribution.

One person hurts another. Intentionally or unintentionally. The hurt person sulks, then finds a way to retaliate. Sometimes the retaliation takes the form of outward aggression. Sometimes the retaliation is delivered through a smug self-righteousness. Sometimes the wound simmers just waiting for the opportunity to come to a head and burst open again.

It never ends until we decide to end it. A hurts B. B hurts A. A hurts B. B goes home and hurts his family. B's family is wounded now and begins to hurt others. on it goes. Until, someone decides to bury the hatchet, to put the weapons down.

Jesus said, Father forgive them, for they know not what they are doing. He did not pick up the weapons of retaliation.

Look into your heart. Are you holding a grudge? Look into your hands. Are you holding weapons of retaliation?

Lay them down. Let it end. Here. Now. Today. In this moment. God can fill the gaping wound.

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

we talk a big talk

We humans are all talk and no action. I order the big breakfast. Eggs. Sausage. Potatoes. Biscuit. Gravy. Pancakes. I can never eat it all. We have lots of big ideas that we have trouble carrying out.

Take for example all of you tree hugging, dog lovers who have tried to come to the rescue of my ill tempered, bad mannered, ungrateful mutt, Lou. Many of you scolded me for being mad at him, but now that he is for sale, no one is stepping up to take care of him.

Your offers tell me that you really don't care about dogs. What you really want is for me to feel guilty and just keep putting up with his dysfunctional problems. The bids on Lou so far are: a pet rock, 2 gerbils, a 3 legged cat, [don't need any more cats regardless of how many legs they have.] Sharon wants the dog for free and she wants me to throw in Jonnie's fern in the foyer. Ok, here is the deal. if I can get rid of the fern in the foyer, you can have the dog and the cats too. let me know when the fern is gone and we will go from there.

Gosh, it is nice to have some fun with this blog. Sometimes it all seems so serious or worse and you know life just should have its moments of random, indescribable fun. Joy. Hilarity.

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

dog is now for sale.

The free dog of yesterday is now for sale to the highest bidder. You have no one to blame but yourselves.

After offering a free dog to a good home yesterday, I received 5 phone calls requesting further information about the dog and one threatening call from someone who wanted me to think that they were from the Lee's Summit Animal Control Department. Not that funny really.

Remember, your Preacher will always have the last word on your life.

Ok, so here is the deal. I am putting the dog up for sale. Post your comment, and the amount you are willing to pay. Whoever wins, I will give you the dog, and the money goes to the church. [you will be sorry if you win.]

Just to be fair with you, when he gets mad, he looks like this:

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

Free Dog

Do you ever wonder why I am a little blue on rainy days? Maybe you catch me on a day like today and you can tell that I am not quite myself. You ask what is wrong. Well here it is.

It is not a Carpenter's thing. Rainy days and Mondays do not get me down. Rainy days get Lou the Dog all excited. He sleeps in his kennel and he is usually fine. But if it rains, even one drop on the roof, he can hear it and he whimpers and barks and wakes me up. All night long. 3am, doen't this dog have a watch? Can't he see the clock in the kitchen? For crying out loud it is time to sleep, not time to bark!!!! Now I know that he is afraid and he just wants encouragement, but I want to sleep. And as far as I am concerned, my sleep is more important than his peace of mind.

If Daddy ain't sleeping, no one is happy. Lou the dog is in the doghouse, again today. That whimperin, cryin, little baby faced, barks at everybody, beats up cats, kills baby squirrels, Lou the Dog, you cryin in the rain dog, you are on my last nerve.

Free Dog. Call 373-1525.

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

man in black.

Ok. The choir was all dressed in black at the concert last night. Great concert. Craig Curry was awesome. So were our folks. Both choirs, adult and children. The choir being dressed in black, reminded me of the Johnny Cash song, "man in black."

Now, Johnny Cash is dead, and the movie about his life, "Walk the line" seems to show the worst of him. Drug use and all. What they leave out, is that he recorded a number of gospel songs, and in a way that many Christians don't want to believe, he was a very spiritual man.

The choir dressed in black last night. It made me think of that Johnny Cash song, "man in black." Here are the lyrics.

Well, you wonder why I always dress in black,
Why you never see bright colors on my back,
And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone.
Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on.

I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down,
Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town,
I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime,
But is there because he's a victim of the times.

I wear the black for those who never read,
Or listened to the words that Jesus said,
About the road to happiness through love and charity,
Why, you'd think He's talking straight to you and me.

Well, we're doin' mighty fine, I do suppose,
In our streak of lightnin' cars and fancy clothes,
But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back,
Up front there ought 'a be a Man In Black.

I wear it for the sick and lonely old,
For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold,
I wear the black in mournin' for the lives that could have been,
Each week we lose a hundred fine young men.

And, I wear it for the thousands who have died,
Believen' that the Lord was on their side,
I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died,
Believen' that we all were on their side.

Well, there's things that never will be right I know,
And things need changin' everywhere you go,
But 'til we start to make a move to make a few things right,
You'll never see me wear a suit of white.

Ah, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day,
And tell the world that everything's OK,
But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back,
'Till things are brighter, I'm the Man In Black.

I am thinking a crazy thought. I am maybe going to send the sheet music to Joy and the next time we are all dressed up in black, I am just going to drop that Johnny Cash song on the congregation. What do you think? I like the lyrics.

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

why we do what we do

Ask the average person, "why do we do what we do?" You will get many answers. Church folks have 100, no 99 answers to the question in relation to the church - why do we do what we do?

Some say,
"it is good for my family"
"I meet the best people there"
"my children need to learn the Bible"
"worshipping God makes me feel good"
"church charges me up for another week"
"I love to learn in Sunday School"

All of these answers are fine, but they are all means to an end. Meeting great people, singing worship songs, even learning the Bible is fine, but they all should point us to something else. What is the something else? It is why we are here, it is why we do what we do.


It is the making disciples thing. Changing lives. Reaching out. Outside of ourselves. Giving ourselves away. Taking up our cross. Following. Living beyond ourselves. Finding a life that matters. Spending who we are and what we are for the sake of Christ.

It is all about God getting inside of us so that he can turn us out toward his children.


Enjoy church, where ever you go. But don't forget, all of it is designed to turn us away from self and out towards others.


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

hard to be satisfied

The Rolling Stones couldn't get any satisfaction. We humans are pretty hard to make happy as well. We complain in the summer that it is too hot. In the winter, we hate snow and ice. Somehow it is always something different than what we have that will make us happy.

Anthony Demello talks about how sad it is for the fisherman who lives on the beach and takes his boat out to fish every day. He has done it for so long, he is no longer touched by the beauty of the beach.

Sound familiar? Remember how excited you were when you got that car, that house, that neighbor? Time erodes our interest and our fickle passions can never get enough.

Boy I wish the stock market was higher, boy I wonder what happened to fall. Where did my youth go. And on we go.

What if we just stopped, and look to see what we really have. If you woke up today, you are blessed. That soul that lives inside your temporal body has another day to live in God's world. When we break it down to the basic joy of just being alive, there is much to celebrate, even if it is a weak economy and a long winter.

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

don't quit today

I talk to people who are talking about divorce. "Don't throw in the towel today. Don't quit this week. You can always do it next week."

Don't quit the ministry today. You can do it tomorrow. Don't quit this week. You can do it next week if you really must.

Don't give up on life today, if you have to, you can do it tomorrow.

Now, the point is not that I want them to quit tomorrow or next week. I don't want them to quit at all. But if you can get someone to agree to walk thru the fire today, then they have made it one more day.

And it is a beautiful day. The chance to live is a gift that not every one received. Don't quit. Not today, not this week. Stay in the game. God is present.

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

thankfulness

Well, the season of thankfulness is upon us.
What are you thankful for?

God has blessed you in 10,000 ways. What are you thankful for today?
Don't wait until November, the fourth Thursday. What are you thankful for?

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

the hole in the gospel

Last week I read, digested rather, a book called, "The Hole in the Gospel." It is put out by the Willow Creek Association. They mailed out a free copy to the pastor of every church that is a member of their association. If you received one and have not read it, pick it up and get after it.

One of the points the author makes is that there are 15,000 people that die in Africa every day of preventable diseases. 15,000 every day. He says that this would not be tolerated in America. Imagine in 30 days, the entire city limits of Kansas City is dead of a preventable disease. We would never allow this. Yet, Africa is a long way away, and we tend to sit here and thank God for our blessings. Maybe there is a hole in our gospel?

A sobering thought. Something to think about. Something to act on.

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

inviting

I read something last week that I liked: "more people are won by Christian kindness, then by lofty words and clever speech."

When we push too hard, and talk too much, we drive away the people that we are trying to win.

When we start with kindness, with love of God and neighbor, we set the stage. People are drawn to caring practices. Caring and kindness are launching pads for the measured words that come later at the right time.

Who does God give you to care about today?

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

This Sunday

This coming Sunday I am going to be talking about why I love Woods Chapel UMC. If you would be willing to share some reasons as to why you love Woods Chapel I would be grateful. If I quote you I will not use any names. Please post your thoughts as a comment to this blog or send me an email and I will include it as I am able.

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

unchristian

And a little bit more on the subject........

Dave Kinnaman writes in his book, UnChristian, that there are six reasons why today's generation is rejecting the church. This is my summary of his points.

1. hypocrisy. Not that Christians have to be perfect, just don't talk about saving the environment and then drive an SUV. Don't talk about how it's a sin to dance, and then be caught dancing. Preach a faith that you actually aspire to live, otherwise we are irrelevant or worse.

2. conversion. Kinnaman says that people see the church as too focused on conversion. Getting someone to say the special prayer. Ticket punching evangelism. Another notch on our gun. Not enough focus on relationships and the ability of God to reach people in his own way and time.

3. anti- homosexual. this is not to say that you should hold one position or another, what he is talking about is the hatred that some Christians exhibit toward gays and others. How can we be God's people if we do not love our brothers and sisters with whom we may not agree.

4. Sheltered. Christians are boring. Stuck in the 50's. No fun. No celebration of life. It is almost as if I convert, I will be expected to get a haircut, remove my tattoos, and quit dancing.

5. too political. you shouldn't want to leave your church because you don't agree with the preacher. everyone should feel welcome.

6. Judgemental. Here are the good ones, and here are the bad ones.

Kinnaman concludes with an admonition that Christians should work harder to be connected to people, in relationships with them, serving the world and living life with a compassionate heart.

I would say this: we are not going to be here forever. This is our chance to be the church, our chance to emulate the love of God. Let's keep doing it.

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

attempt to clarify

Read yesterday's post to understand where this is going.

Here is an excerpt from yesterday, and remember, this is a quote from an associated press article: "the study offers yet another wake-up call for religious institutions. First, catering to older believers is a recipe for failure; younger Americans are tuning out. Second, Americans are interested in God, but they don’t think existing institutions are helping them draw closer to God."

Someone commented, what does this statement mean, "catering to older believers is a recipe for failure."

Sam Fisher, Pastor at Odessa UMC offers these thoughts, "Older believers. I think it means being less than inclusive, not welcoming those that are different than we are. Older believers has nothing to do with age. Older believers hold to the "belief" that one particular way of doing things in the right way. Older believer is an attitude rather than chronological age. I am 62, but don't want to consider myself an "older believer." Intolerance is not a property of "age". This is how I interpret what Jeff was saying."

This is what Jeff is saying about the line, "catering to older believers is a recipe for failure." First of all, I did not write the line. Read my blog carefully, this is a quote from an Associated Press article. With that in mind, what do I think the author meant by those words?

In many churches, the older members represent a resistance to change. They hold to traditional services and refuse to relinquish power in committees. The worst extreme of this behavior is when people say that they would rather have the church die than to change the church.

Fortunately at WCC folks of all ages are supportive of the church. Our seniors are very supportive of the church. What the AP writer wrote about older believers really is not true at WCC at all. Everyone is open and willing to work hard to help win people of all ages.

So, the comment by the writer does not apply to our church. Our church is not dying. One of the reasons that it is thriving and not dying is because people of all ages are committed to the mission.

I hope that helps.

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

this stuff is everywhere

From the AP, Oct 8th, 2009

Christianity is plummeting in America, while the number of non-believers is skyrocketing. A shocking new study of Americans’ religious beliefs shows the beginnings of a major realignment in Americans’ relationship with God. The American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) reveals that Protestants now represent half of all Americans, down almost 20 percent in the last twenty years. In the coming months, America will become a minority Protestant nation for the first time since the pilgrims.

The number of people who claim no religious affiliation, meanwhile, has doubled since 1990 to fifteen percent, its highest point in history. Non-believers now represent the third-highest group of Americans, after Catholics and Baptists.

Other headlines:
1) The number of Christians has declined 12% since 1990, and is now 76%, the lowest percentage in American history.
2) The growth of non-believers has come largely from men. Twenty percent of men express no religious affiliation; 12% of women.
3) Young people are fleeing faith. Nearly a quarter of Americans in their 20’s profess no organized religion.
4) But these non-believers are not particularly atheist. That number hasn’t budged and stands at less than 1 percent. (Agnostics are similarly less than 1 percent.) Instead, these individuals have a belief in God but no interest in organized religion, or they believe in a personal God but not in a formal faith tradition.

The implications for American society are profound. Americans’ relationship with God, which drove many of the country’s great transformations from the pilgrims to the founding fathers, the Civil War to the civil rights movement, is still intact. Eighty-two percent of Americans believe in God or a higher power.

But at the same time, the study offers yet another wake-up call for religious institutions. First, catering to older believers is a recipe for failure; younger Americans are tuning out. Second, Americans are interested in God, but they don’t think existing institutions are helping them draw closer to God. Finally, Americans’ interest in religion has not always been stable. It dipped following the Revolution and again following Civil War. In both cases it rebounded because religious institutions adapted and found new ways of relating to everyday Americans.

Today, the rise of disaffection is so powerful that different denominations needs to band together to find a shared language of God that can move beyond the fading divisions of the past and begin moving toward a partnership of different-but-equal traditions.Or risk becoming Europe, where religion is fast becoming an afterthought.

What does this mean for Woods Chapel UMC and the UMC in general? Today's youth are rejecting what they see in the church: self righteousness, judgement and a my way or the highway attitude. They are tired of Christians talking about love but not practicing it. Churches that refuse to change their approach and become more grace based are going to continue to struggle. Today's generation is not interested in our traditions or our moral judgements. They read about a Jesus that loved and welcomed everyone, and that is what they want.

We must be and remain a church that is filled with love and joy. We must be and remain a place that is relevant and authentic. That is process oriented, not autocratic. We must be a place where grace abounds. A grace place.

So if you are out there reading this, and you have a tattoo or a piercing, come join us this Sunday. We want you. If you have had struggle and pain and you want to find a place where you can find God but he isn't stuffed down your throat, we have a place for you. If you want to find the God that is real, and walk this journey with normal people, we have a place for you.

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

dream

In my lifetime, I have had some pretty interesting, significant dreams in some very poignant places. I had a dream in the Jerusalem Hilton that changed the course of my life when I was a young man.

I don't know that this is that significant, and I don't know if I should share it with you, but here it is.

It was my first night at the Pastor's camp in California. In my dream, I have all of the photo albums of my life. Now we have photo albums at home, but the albums in my dream had everything. Everything that happened to me in my entire life, even the things that you don't remember.

I went through every album and pulled certain pages. Then I started to go and call a friend to tell them about the pictures and the memories. I stopped. I looked at the pile of pages that I wanted to show them. It was a big pile, and many of the pages carried difficult memories.

I became disappointed. No one will want to see this. No one will care.

I said to myself, "why do you want to show this to your friend anyway?"
I answered myself, "someone has to know."
In my dream I heard God's voice saying, "I know. I know what happened to you."
I said, "and someone has to care."
Again in my dream I heard God's voice say, "I care, and that is enough, forever."

I woke up. I went to the computer and typed it out.

There it is. I think there is a message there for me. Maybe for you too.

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

Lillian

The flight attendant's voice came over the loudspeaker: "this is going to be a completely full flight. Every seat will be taken. If you are avoiding eye contact with the people coming down the isle, go ahead, look up and welcome someone, because that seat next to you is going to be filled."

I prayed, Lord don't let it be someone who likes to talk on airplanes. I looked up. Here they came. Yes, they. Mother and child.

First thoughts. Oh my gosh, that baby is going to cry and drive me crazy! Hmmm. Grrrr.....

then, an awakening. I remembered the pastor's remarks from Sunday's sermon. See others as a soul. My countenance changed. I welcomed my new friends. Mom and 10 month old baby.

Mom is moving from Oak Grove to Denver as husband is in the Air Force. Baby Lillian is along for the ride and really doesn't have a choice in the matter.

I read. Mom feeds baby. Mom sings to baby. This is a good mom. Baby is happy. Baby smiles at Jeff. It is over. Jeff melts. Jeff smiles at baby. A discussion begins between baby and Jeff. I think it is in Chinese. No problem. I can do it. Jeff and baby speak to each other in Chinese.

Baby pulls on Jeff's bright blue San Jose State jacket. Pretty soon, baby Lillian is sitting on Jeff's lap. Jeff is singing to baby. Baby Lillian enjoys looking out the window.

The flight went by fast. I enjoyed Baby Lillian. Exiting the plane, I noticed that I had a couple of formerly slobbery Cheerios, now dried Cheerios, stuck on my pant leg. No problem. It was worth it.

Remember, every time you see someone as an inconvenience, they are still an eternal soul that God has made. A little love delivered to them, and you might just get to hold the baby.

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

airport

Well, Sunday night I did not sleep very well. I was too excited about where I was going this week. I woke up at 3:30 and sat around the house until 630 when I left for KCI. The airport is packed with people when I get there. Long long long lines everywhere. No one can figure it out. People that travel every week are asking what is going on.

Then someone realized that we were awash in a sea of blue. 60,000 NY Giant fans were flying home. Our airport was clogged with smiling Giant fans. The waiting area in the airport is really cold, there is a giant fan in every seat. [thats a joke if you missed it.] By the way, I did not see a single Chief's shirt at the airport. We all joked about who would be clogging the airport next week after their team cleans the Chief's clock. If you have to fly to Dallas for business next Monday, get to the airport early because there are going to be lots of Cowboy fans with smiling faces in the long lines at security.

So, where am I going this week. Every year I take a week to go to a pastor's camp in the California mountains to read. I have 2 suitcases. One is full of clothes and stuff like that. The other is full of books. I won't read all 30, but I hope to "digest" them. Get the main ideas. Glean the stories. Discover and extract the author's purposes. The resulting information is used to keep myself on track, inspire the staff and for sermon illustrations. These books largely come as suggested reading from the District Superintendent, the Bishop, Conference Officials and church members.

I will be back to preach on Sunday so do not skip church. Sell your Cowboys/Chiefs tickets and come to church. Jesus will not let you down.

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

compliment

On Saturday night I received a compliment which I hold very dear. Actually it is a compliment for all of you, not just me. Here is the story. A person that has been going to our church for a year or so and I are having a talk. I did not recognize them, so I was pleasantly surprised when they indicated that they attended WCC.

Here it is. The person says, "I don't like church. I have never liked church. But I love our church."

Savor that for a minute. Do you hear what they are saying? You have created a church where people that are tired of churchiness can find Jesus.

That is pretty cool. Pretty awesome. Keep being who you are: normal, authentic, and relevant. It is working.

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

your church.

I like your church. Some people call it my church, but we all know that Pastors come and go. The church really belongs to the members which is why I call it your church. I like your church, and I know almost everything about it. Many of you, most all of you like/love your church, but there are so many things that go on that you don't know about. Well, I know about almost everything, and I love the place. I wish I could tell you everything about the place.

Here is an example. Friday night a marching band from a St. Louis high school stayed the night at our church. They were going to play on Saturday at a competition at Blue Springs High. This was a big band. 3 busses. A straight truck. A shuttle bus pulling a trailer with a gator on it. This was a big time caravan.

Yesterday morning I stopped by the church for a bit and the band was practicing in our parking lot. It was like God was celebrating His house with His own brass band. The music was so good and the young people were so happy. I was so glad that we opened our doors for them to spend the night.

Thank you for loving your church.

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

hard to believe

Friday is my day off. Yesterday I was mowing and the mower started acting up. This is a five year old mower that has never been to the shop for anything. Maybe it is time. I know a little bit about motors, and it appears to me that the engine is not getting enough gas.

I get the mower around to the front and start to make arrangements to take it to the shop. Jerry C tells me that he knows of a guy in Raytown that has a reputation for being honest and doing a good job. I get the number and call the fellow. The name of his company is discount mower repair.

The gentlemen, whose name I missed, answers the phone. I expect him to tell me where to bring the mower. I expect him to have it for a week. I expect it to cost $100 to repair. I expect that he will find other things that "need to be done" to the mower.

What he does on the phone is nothing like that. He asks me what kind of mower it is and what kind of engine it is. He asks me to describe what the mower has been doing. He suggests to me over the phone that it sounds like the mower is being starved of gas. He walks me through a check of the vent on the gas cap. The vent is plugged. I clean it out, and the mower is healed. I am astounded. I thank him. He says, "no problem." I tell him that I will never take my mowers for repair to anyone else. He says, "thanks, have a great day."

Well, here is a guy who could have made money off of me, but helping me was more important to him. I love that. You just don't find people who act like this very often. Most people put money in front of everything else. This guy put me in front of his own pocket book.

If you need mower repair, send me a note and I will get is number to you. There are still a few good, honest, caring folks left in the world.

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

a gift

Several months ago, a friend offered Cathy and I a stay at their condo. The week finally came and we had a blast. What a gift. Sun. Sand. Palm trees. The ocean waves. The salt air. Sitting by the pool. No worries. The no worries is a pretty big gift.

There was a surprise gift in all of this too. One day, sitting by the pool, I had a bit of a visitation, a season of inspiration. I don't know if you have noticed, or if you will, but I got healed just a bit that day by the pool.

Thank you for the gifts that you knew you were giving, and for those that were a surprise.

Friends, anytime you can bless someone else, do so. Life is short and you never know what marks you will leave on their soul.

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

the walking trail

In 1996 we were talking about a new building. We were talking about a building that sat on beautiful grounds. We talked about trees, flowers, gardens, and a walking trail.

Well, we moved into the building in 1999. It took several years to reclaim the ground from the wilds of nature. I remember many work days where people worked very hard to clear brush and weed trees from fence rows.

Finally about three years ago, maybe four, the promised walking trail was installed. It was a beautiful mulch trail that led from the flagpole around the crosses, to the missions building and out to the north end of the property.

Immediately, gardens began to spring up along the trail. The garden of love. The garden of hope. The giving garden. Trees were planted along the trail. Lots of trees. The crosses were lighted for night viewing. A fountain went in the pond. A pavilion is under construction.

Yesterday a milestone was reached. Because of a couple of generous donations, yesterday the walking trail was paved. Yes, asphalted. Now there will be no more worry about mud or the constant maintenance of weeds popping thru. What began as a dream over 13 years ago has finally come to pass. It looks really cool.

Take a walk on the trail. Find a bench to sit on. Give thanks to God for all of his blessings.

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

Thank you.

Last night I had dinner at a friend's house. It took almost 2 months to get it scheduled, but it finally happened. What a blast. What a gift. I spent some time with some awesome people. Healthy people are so good to be with. Healthy people heal each other. I hope that you have some healthy folks to hang with from time to time.

Thank you for the dinner, thank you for the time, thank you for welcoming me.

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

remember me

A picture taken this summer at our family reunion in St. Louis.

Take a picture and remember me. When I am gone, remember me. Remember how we laughed, how we cried, how we lived. I was a man. A good man. I loved you. I tried to be a good father. Heck, I was a good father. Take a picture. Do not forget. Let the days live on when I am gone.

Thanks for being you. Thanks for the memories, thanks for the love.

We don't always say thanks. We don't always celebrate. I don't want to miss the chance. You, family are great and I have appreciated every minute. What a ride.

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

the pepper story

Several of you have asked for the pepper story that was shared in the sermon yesterday.

"I am the vine, you are the branches, except ye abide in me, ye cannot bear fruit." Jn 15

We have a small garden in the back yard. When things go my way, there are 4 tomato plants planted in the garden. I have learned that is the number that I can take care of. When the boss gets her way, there are many more plants, plants that I end up having to try to take care of, but cannot keep up with.

Well, guess who won this year. Same old story. 8 tomato plants 4 pepper plants and some other stuff.

One day about a month ago I noticed a nice green pepper hanging on the vine. How exciting! We have never been able to grow peppers before and this one is full grown!

Now our back yard is infested with squirrels. I do not like squirrels. Snakes and squirrels I can dispatch with no guilt what so ever. I am going to pick this pepper before the squirrels pick it and take a bite and leave it out to rot.

I pop the pepper off of the pepper plant. I take it inside and show it to the boss. Look honey, we grew a pepper on our pepper plant! Isn't it exciting?

Silence. No response from the boss.

Finally, she says. Jeff, the pepper you picked is supposed to be a red pepper. You have picked it while it was green. Disassociated from the vine, it will now never have the chance to be a yellow pepper. Silly husband boy. [I cleaned that up]

Moral of the story. Many Christians are like the pepper that was disconnected from the vine. We never got the chance to become what God wanted for us because we were satisfied with being a green pepper.

The good news about this story is that unlike the pepper, you and I can be reconnected to the vine. God is waiting and willing for us to set aside a bit of the world and get back into the garden.

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

dancing

I like to dance. My family says that I am not very good at it. But what do they know. They are wrong about that. Fo Sho.

Someone said that life's passages give us a chance to learn a new dance. Stop and think about that. I like that. Have you ever danced with someone that you did not know? Feels funny. You feel distressed. You can't wait for it to end.

The problem with dancing with life's changes, is that you don't get to quit. You can't change partners. There is no one else on your dance card. You have to get used to this unfamiliar partner.

I guess you can fight the whole idea, and I have. Or you can relax, try and see it for what it is, and learn some new steps.

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

New Orleans

Many of you know that we have had a mission work in New Orleans since Katrina. Actually since March 2006. Woods Chapel owns a 16' recreational trailer there and a dodge van. Volunteers go for 30 days to help with relief efforts.

Our volunteers have been on site pretty steady for over three years. We have missed some months, and not everyone stays for 30 days, but you guys have had a very important presence there, reaching out in the name of the Lord.

Typically, volunteers would help the Methodist Relief Workers by organizing teams, delivering tools and supplies to the various job sites for the teams that came from all over the country.

I was in New Orleans for two days last week. They are consolidating the relief stations into one headquarters. The city has made a lot of progress since Katrina. When I first flew into New Orleans in January of 06, the airport was a ghost town. Literally. It was spooky. Now the airport is busy and the city looks much better.

I drove up to 2221 Fillmore St. where the new relief site will be. That area still has many many homes that need repair. That part of town still looks much the same as it did after Katrina. The relief site is housed in a church. They hope that when the relief work is over that they can turn the church back into a church and reopen it.

One of the really nice things at the new place is that they have set up a bedroom for our long term volunteers. The Woods Chapel sky view suite. It is a small, simple, but private room where you can stay if you go down to serve.

It has been 4 years since Katrina, but there is still more work to do. If you would like to go down and volunteer for 30 days or a week, let me know.

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

It's not about you

It's not about you or me.

I am reading a book by Anne Lamott called "Grace Eventually." Regarding you, me and world population, she took note of a bumper sticker that said:

"remember only 1/6,000,000,000 of it is about you."

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

still more on glasses

Well, I keep thinking about this.

Let me remember that many people are not even aware that they are wearing glasses [have a particular life paradigm]. Or worse yet are those who think that they have the Jesus paradigm and do not see how they are controlling and limiting God.

Some practice selective behavior. They are only a Chief's fan on Sunday. They only act married at home. The rest of the week they flirt with whomever they want. Some take off their main set of glasses and put on the Christian glasses from time to time.

My normal glasses on. Normal off, Christian on. Christian off, normal back on. As if being a Christian was simply a state of mind that you could jump into from time to time, they have compartmentalized their faith at the very time when their faith wanted to speak to their paradigm.

If the core piece of the Christian paradigm is loving God and others, then I don't just go to the Chief's game. I go to the Chief's game and find a moment to thank God for the excitement of athletic events. I go to the Chief's game and treat others with respect and love.

If the core piece of the Christian paradigm is loving God and others, I don't simply have my morning prayer and or devotional and then go to work. As if the Christian glasses come off when I say "Amen." Instead, I drive to work with love and compassion. I pray for those who cut me off in traffic. Each person at the office or on the job are God's children whom He loves deeply. They are in my sphere of influence and I have a chance to touch them with God's love. The Christian glasses don't go "on and off" the Christian paradigm speaks to our glasses. Reforms them. Shapes them. Cleans them.

We see the most clearly when we allow the Holy Spirit to clean our glasses.

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

glasses, pt. deux

Our invisible life paradigms. They are each governed by rules.

If one of my life paradigms is "I want all the money" then we tend to do whatever it takes to get money. We may even hurt others and excuse it because our overriding life rule is "I want all the money."

If one of my life paradigms is that "my church has the correct doctrine" then some of the accompanying rules might be:

• everyone else is going to hell
• other churches are bad
• I am better than you

We all have paradigms and their accompanying rules.

Here are some possible paradigms for you and me:
I am a Democrat.
I am a Republican.
My kid is never wrong.
I am going to spend my money however I want.
I love Ford cars.
Love your neighbor.
Flowers are a blessing.
I hate cats.
I like the president.
I don't like the president.
I can drive as fast as I want to.

All examples of possible life paradigms.

Did you notice the little one in the middle? Love your neighbor? As Christians, this not only should be one of our paradigms, it should be the main one. One of the core principles. Love God, love your neighbor.

this paradigm of love should enter everything else. It should color all of the rest of our paradigms:
I am a democrat, but I love everyone.
I am a republican but I love everyone.
I hate cats, but by God's grace I am working to be tolerant of them. I love cat owners.
I will drive in a manner that shows that I love people.

I am constantly amazed at Christians who have life paradigms that leave out love. Embracing doctrine that crushes others, some have forgotten the most important thing. Love. LOVE! L-O-V-E. If we cannot love our brother whom we have seen, how can we say that we love God whom we have not seen.

All of our discussions should be salted with Love. We can disagree with someone without being hateful. Love should always come through the most clear.

What are your life paradigms? Where does love fit in? Put on the love glasses today. Don't be a clanging cymbal. Make the love glasses a permanent part of your vision. God is love. Nothing else matters.

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

my glasses

Through my glasses I see the world. If I am not aware of the color of my glasses, I think that all of the world has a tinge of pink or green or whatever color my glasses are. Actually, that is not true. What happens is that we get so used to looking at the world through our glasses that we don't even realize that our glasses are tinted. Some people don't even think that they are wearing glasses.

My glasses are male. They are white. They are 52 years old. My glasses are a father. They are an adult orphan. My glasses react to the things in life that hurt me. My glasses are trying to follow Jesus in spite of the glasses.

How would I see the world if I took my glasses off? Would I be so dogmatic? More trusting of others? More understanding? If I understood that others were wearing glasses too, would I be more forgiving of them? Would my absolutes be a little more flexible? Would I realize that I don't have all the truth?

To the degree that we evaluate God only through our glasses, we are limiting the timeless God. Are we trusting our glasses instead of trusting in God? What mystery opens up to me when I seek to know him in ways that exist beyond my own paradigms?

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

sad people

I run into a lot of sad people. When I talk to them, I find out that they feel bad about themselves. Their life, their thoughts, they're just not good enough. As I talk further with them, much of their poor self-esteem can be traced back to their experience of church growing up.

It is time that the church stop contributing to this. I don't mean our church, Woods Chapel, but the church that so many of us grew up in that told everyone how bad they were. It just doesn't seem like Jesus' way to me.

There are so many negative unhappy people in the world. The church has to be a place where people are blessed and graced. Where they are healed instead of hurt. Where their thinking begins to sound like the beatitudes instead of some guilt laden tirade that they picked up in church at the age of 15.

What are you doing to spread God's love? God created and said, "it is good." It is good. It is good. It is all good. That is the truth. God loves us. It doesn't get any better than that.

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

heaven and hell

Pink Floyd said it. "So, so you think you can tell, heaven from hell, blue skies from rain........"

Heaven and Hell. Heaven on earth. Hell on earth. Are you providing Heaven on earth to those around you, or hell on earth.

If heaven is order, stability and love, hell is chaos, confusion and pain. Which are you providing to those around you. Stop and think about what you are doing. If God is working his perfect work in us, we ought to be getting better at providing order instead of chaos, love instead of selfishness.

Today is our chance. Provide a little heaven on earth. Resist the urge to add to the chaos. Help make it a beautiful day.

Because it is a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good. And add to it as you are able.

a story to share

Last night my wife and I went out to dinner with some friends. We saw the sun set as we sat in the restaurant...we told some stories...had some laughs....ate to much....came home tired and exhausted from the week. Locked up the house, I brushed my teeth and headed to bed. Safe...secure....comfort.... comfortable. I rose this morning and my routine started once again.......stretch, yawn, bathroom, coffee...let the dog out....simple things I take for granted.

Last week I was invited to come hear a man tell a story about his life 60 years ago. He was ten years old in 1939...a Jew, living in Warsaw Poland when the Germans invaded. Not long after and in fear of their lives, his family sought out a Christian family for protection. A hole was dug out underneath a barn. Not even 6' in depth or width and roughly 24' long, he and 10 others spent 20 months of their lives living in this hole made of dirt and straw. Lice...bed bugs....no change of clothes...no baths...a bowl of soup and piece of bread per day...a frantic dash to the out-house was the only daylight they would see each and every day.

I've known this man for 29 years.....I've heard his story from others...but never from him until last week.....he is a survivor. He made great use of his life after those days past. He is one of those people that seize the day each and every day. He smiles...he is not bitter....his is thankful and gives thanks to God for his life by making the best of it no matter what.......

Peace,
Lion's Den Man

a good exercise

You know every so often Jeff will put something of real value in his sermon..........ok every week....But what do you do with what he has shared? Hopefully you take the message in...digest it....and at some point in time you share it or begin to live it......

This summer Jeff gave the illustration of the iceberg. Maybe you remember it.........it was about relationships. What is above water (the seen) and below water (the unseen). How well you know people or are wiling to let them know you? I jotted down some of the points during the sermon and last week I shared them with some of my closer friends. What a great experience......

The list of questions went something like this:

What are your three favorite things?
When was the last time you were really happy?
What is it that brings you joy in life?
What is your greatest hurt?
If you had to offer an honest prayer to God what would it be?

Good stuff to share... We all need people in our life that we can discuss questions like this with.....people we can trust with what is inside of us...... It is a relationship that often takes time to build. We need to earn the right to go beneath the water.

If you don't have a relationship like this in your life I hope you seek it out one day. It can be powerful...it can bring positive change.....we weren't meant to go it alone.

Peace,
Lion's Den Man

today

I woke up early today to write this post. I had plans to write it yesterday, but the day got away from me and really....yesterday is just a blur to me now. So this morning as I sat down to write, not really knowing what I was going to say, I started thinking about....today. Would it be a good day? Productive? Would I take notice of gifts like the sunrise and sunset? What interactions will I have with people today? At work? Home? Neighbors? The people I share my drive with on 291/470/435? The cashier at Price Chopper? The stranger in the parking lot? How will I respond to people and the world around me? What will people think of me after our encounter? And will I have taken the time to breathe in what God has placed around me today?

I read this recently. Think about it as you go into today and tomorrow.

"If people only had your life (as the only example to look at) and they were asked the question,-Has Jesus risen from the dead? - How would they answer? - Has he?"

Peace,
Lion's Den Man

being there

The other day a friend called me on his way out of town. You know how you can just tell when things aren’t going just right with someone.... Anyway there were a few things he needed to let me know and a few things that he asked if I could do for him. He apologized for asking and then thanked me several times during our talk for my willingness to help out. Now the things he was asking for were no big deal for me to handle, but I could tell that for him it was a tremendous relief to dump this load.

So we continued small talk and he mentions what this trip has in store for him. Important stuff…..out of his comfort zone stuff….pressure... pressure... pressure. I now felt and understood the tension I was sensing from him…..a little anxiety….nerves…..and I knew that I was there not just to help lighten his load but more so to……carry his burden. Our conversation ended with him asking me if I would keep him in my prayers…..I have and will continue doing so until I hear back from him.

The cool yet selfish thing about all of this is that I feel of use and value and all because someone had a need for support…..for an ally….a friend and confidant. The lesson I need to remind myself is that I shouldn’t wait for these things to fall on my lap…..I…..we…..should seek those opportunities…..not tomorrow, but today and then again and again.......

Galatians 6:2
2Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Peace,
Lion’s Den Man

on seeing the good

Yesterday, we experienced a boat sinking squall. Fortunately, we were only sitting by the pool. The employees came by and warned us that a storm was coming. We didn't care, we wanted to see it.

It started to rain. It rained harder. The wind started to blow. We didn't have the experience to see it, but the employees could see the squall line coming. They started stacking chairs. We went next door to a covered restaurant.

When the storm cell hit, the rain and wind blew everything. The rain cleared the decks and blew everything out of the covered patios. You could see the rain coming in at a 45degree angle. We were kind of intrigued with the power of the wind and the water. It lasted about 30 minutes.

Besides the storm, it was cloudy and misty all day.

Now, at home, this might have bothered me. But here, it didn't phase me. I still found time to sit in the pool and hot tub, and ride a few waves on the beach. No sun? No problem. I still got to see the beautiful pool area, the beach and the palm trees. I also got to hear the beach. I so enjoyed listening to the beach.

So here is my point. At home, little things seem to more easily steal my joy. But here, I am so glad to see the beauty of it all, a little rain didn't phase me. I'll bet if I lived here long enough, I would be annoyed by squalls and complain about a day like yesterday. We get so accustomed to our surroundings that we become unaware of the goodness and the glory.

Like the fisherman who has gone out from the same dock every morning for 20 years. He has totally lost the joy and wonder of the beach, the waves, the ocean.

Kansas City is a good place. Where ever you live. It is a good place. There is no place like home. We should not let the squalls that happen at home steal our joy and appreciation for the good. There is still so much more good than bad. We just have to see it.

The board in the eye story. We are looking at the wrong things because our vision is impeded. As soon as we take the board out, we can see that life is good, even in the mid-west. Especially in the mid-west. Life is good and God is great. Don't let the rain today dampen your spirits. There is so much good. See it. Hear it.

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

the joy of vacation

It seems odd for me to write this today. Other times that I was on vacation, I did not mention it, either because I felt guilty about being in some place cool or because I didn't want people to skip church.

Well, this week, M-Sat we are on the beach. After church yesterday, I hopped on a plane with my bride and we headed out. You know, she is a real big shot with this travel stuff, so Delta had upgraded her to first class. Little old Jeff sitting in coach, big shot Cathy in first class. Well right before take off, they called me up. They had a spot for me, and since no "rated" passenger was asking to be upgraded, they wanted me to sit with my famous wife.

1st class. Cool. Never have done that before. Lots of room. Lots of pampering. A great surprise that I did not deserve.

Well come to think of it, that is what grace is like. A joyful surprise that I did not earn or deserve. Someone else earned it for me and offered it for free. Grace is amazing.

We have so much to be thankful for.

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

Rod Stewart

Rod Stewart sang it. I think that Van Morrison did too.

Have I told you lately, that I love you?

Have I told you lately that I love you
Have I told you theres no one else above you
Fill my heart with gladness
Take away all my sadness
Ease my troubles thats what you do

For the morning sun in all its glory
Greets the day with hope and comfort too
You fill my life with laughter
And somehow you make it better
Ease my troubles thats what you do

Theres a love thats divine
And its yours and its mine like the sun
And at the end of the day
We should give thanks and pray
To the one, to the one

And have I told you lately that I love you
Have I told you theres no one else above you
You fill my heart with gladness
Take away my sadness
Ease my troubles thats what you do

Today is tell someone you love them day. I declare it, so it is so. If you read this before you go to church today, then tell someone that you love them. If you are reading this a week after I posted it, then today is tell someone you love them day for you.

We don't do this enough. Don't let a day go by without telling someone, everyone, anyone that you love them.

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

Last night

Last night I got to cry. That may not sound like a big accomplishment, but sometimes it is very important. You know, you build up lots of stress, you face something painful. You feel like you want to cry, but you can't for some reason. It is just stuck in your gut and won't come out.

Well, Cathy came home from her trip. She spent the week in Billings, Montana. She should have been crying to have to spend a week in Billings, right? We had a great talk, I was able to get some stuff out that I had collected during the week. I cried. It was great!

I thank God for the people that you can sit with that allow you to be yourself.

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

last night at Woods Chapel

Hundreds of people at a funeral visitation. Grieving people comforting one another. Volunteers from the hospitality team and the cancer connection team taking care of everything. Staff coming by, off hours to help.

Everything was very nice because you made it so. Thank you for going out of your way to comfort those who mourn. Please remember the family and friends of 41 year old Scott Seymour in your prayers.

You are the kind of people that can make a difficult day into a good one. Thank you for seeing the good and reaching out in the name of Jesus Christ.

Psalm 118

24 This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 O LORD, save us;
O LORD, grant us success.
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.
From the house of the LORD we bless you. [a]
27 The LORD is God,
and he has made his light shine upon us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
up [b] to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will give you thanks;
you are my God, and I will exalt you.
29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

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

if you can't say anything nice

If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. At some point, we need to heed our mother's advice. When you can't find any positive words, then just don't say anything.

That is actually a very positive, constructive road to take.

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

what is important

We all get worried about things from time to time. Worried about things real and things imagined. Worry exists, and whether it should bother us or not, it does. You can wish it away, you can tell yourself not to do it. You can even remember that Jesus said not to do it, but we still do worry from time to time. I am sure that Jesus talked about it because it was a common problem even back then.

I guess the thing that helps me the most when I find myself stuck in worry, is to remember what is really important in life. I am worried about something? Well, I still have my health. No one in my family is sick. Life is good. And if you are sick? I have a friend in Jesus. Ultimately I know where I am going. There is a hope for the Christian, eternal life with God in heaven.

See, just thinking about such things in a few lines this morning, helps my outlook. Lets remember what is really important.

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

you can only do so much

You can only do so much. I think it is human nature to question yourself. Was I a good parent? Was that a good sermon? Am I a good friend?

At some point, you have to trust your character. I was a good parent. I did everything that I could do. It was a good sermon, not the best maybe, but I did everything that I could do. I am a good friend. I will always be there for you.

There is some comfort in knowing that you have done what you can do. The world may not always align itself with your desires, but there is only so much that you can do.

When you come to that realization, then you can rest. I did what I could do. I did what I should do. There is a limit to what people can expect, and I did my best. Everything is ok. All is well. I acted responsibly in the arena of my life. Let me rest in that. It is enough.

Tomorrow is another day.

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

I cannot find God

I cannot find God, even though He is right here with me. This is a common problem that we humans have. He is here, and I know it, but I can't see Him. I can't feel Him. I am not aware of Him.

The problem is me. God doesn't change. When I am stuck on some human problem, my heart and mind get stuck there and I just can't see the eternal. Self gets in the way. Again. Rotten old self sure does spoil a lot of life's moments of spiritual glory.

When I can get my self out of the way, then love appears. God appears. When the ugly of me gets off of the radar screen, then the goodness of God is there. Try it. Pray for your selfishness to go away. Just for a moment, pray that you would be able to stop thinking about and worrying about your stuff.

I don't know about you, but when I pray that prayer, I start to laugh at myself, how easily I am drawn into focusing on my own stuff. When I pray that prayer, selfishness does start to take a backseat for a moment at least, and I can see God peeking around the corner.

He is always with us. We can see him a lot better when we don't have the board of self stuck in our eye.

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

the simple things

Ahh yes, the simple things. The core things of importance in life that we so soon forget. We get caught up in what is wrong with something, when really the thing is 98% good. We lose our way and dwell on the painful part, as if our lives were never to have any pain.

The simple things are good. They are good. Just simply good. Family, friends, food, faith. When I stop thinking about what may bother me about my family, I am thankful for them. When I stop feeling sorry for myself, I am thankful for my friends. When I stop thinking that God is supposed to solve all of my problems, I am grateful that He is with me.

Where would we be without the simple things. They are good. Would I rather not have them? No, I will take them as they are and give thanks for the good that they are. I will try to get away from thinking about the small things and celebrate the simple things a little more.

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

dreams

This is your new fountain in your pond at night. For 11 years we have seen pictures of our church with a fountain in the pond. Not pictures, actually, but architectural renderings. Yesterday, the fountain became a reality. It is a small addition, but the sound of the fountain and the beauty of the spray should add to the sense of serenity already apparent on your church grounds.


Sometimes it takes a while for dreams to come true. Many people have asked over the years, "where is the fountain for the pond?" Sometimes there are things that you hope for, you don't see them but you just never give up. You keep pursuing your dreams. When there doesn't seem to be any possibility of it in reality, your dream still lives in your heart. Don't give up. Keep pursuing your dreams. One day soon, you will see it come to pass.

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

The ongoing struggle to be a human being

Chapter One: Some days you feel like Snow White or Prince Charming. Everything is great. You are on top of the world. The rabbits have made a gauntlet for you to walk through, and the birds are loaded up on the tree branches singing your favorite Kool and the Gang song. Other days, well they are like kissing your sister. I don't know that I have ever really done that, but if you have a sister, you kind of understand the idea.

These are days when there is nothing wrong, but you feeeeeeelllll like there is something wrong. These are days when someone can pull you out of the dumps with a simple reminder. These are days when you can turn a corner without too much trouble. Heck, with a little luck, by the afternoon, you have mastered your worries and can hear the birds sing.

Then there are those days when it seems that you are constantly fighting against so many things. Brinkman wants me to hear the birds sing? "ha! Show me a bird and I will choke it! These are days when there seem to be so many problems that instead of joyful prayer, God gets the Psalms: "where are you O God?" "why did you leave me?" "please destroy my enemies." These are the days when you wonder why everyone else wins the pageant and you didn't even get invited to the show. Why are the Chiefs 2-14, and what happened to the first place Royals.

Momma told me there'd be days like this.

Go to the medicine chest. Not for pills. Go to the medicine chest and pull out some real help. Sit with a friend. Did you know that true friends will still love you even when you spend the entire evening telling them your problems? Your honesty actually endears you to them. What else is in the medicine cabinet? Go read the Psalms. Fall in with the Psalmist and hear his struggle to be a human being and find God. Mostly, in my medicine chest, there is a little fortune from a fortune cookie that says, "get up and keep going." I think my Dad gave it to me when I was a small boy. Pull out that fortune. Read it, and follow it. Get up and keep going. Things are going to get better. The sun did finally come out at Camp Granada, and when it did, they were able at last to hear the birds sing and realize that it is a beautiful day in God's world.

perspective

Two goldfish live in a bowl for years. Every time that the water is changed in their bowl, their owner puts them in the bathtub. You know the story, even though they have a lot more room in the tub, they still swim in the tight circles of their home bowl.

When we keep swimming in the same circles, we never learn that there is more out there. We can come to think that we know it all. We tend to forget our dreams, or worse, we begin to believe that we have achieved God's dreams for our lives.

For the past three days I have been at a large church pastors meeting. Our church was one of the smallest ones there, we just barely made the cut. I was a goldfish swimming in the open water. I heard many interesting ideas, and met many great Pastors who challenged me to dream big.

I know that you love our church. So do I. But, have we achieved everything that God has for us? If not, then what are His dreams for Woods Chapel? Remember, you are not stuck in the bowl, you are swimming in the open sea of God's dreams. What does he have for you? For us?

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

pastor's meeting

Yesterday I got up at 4:15am. I made a pot of coffee, showered and got dressed. I left for the airport. I flew to Atlanta and then on to Jacksonville. All of this for a Pastor's conference. This is a meeting for large church pastors. Since I am over 200 lbs, I get the invite.

The meeting sessions are very good. Lots of heartfelt information and discussion time. Lots of authentic people. That makes me happy. Inspirational. The meetings keep me awake all day long. At 10:30pm I am back at the room and ready for bed. I decide that I better take a walk on the beach before I go to bed. It would be a shame to be this close to the beach and not walk on it.

The sand is white. The beach is long. Really long. As near as I can tell, it stretches for miles in both directions. It is a long way to the water. It's a very deep beach. I get about half way to the water and I realize that it is very dark out here. I keep walking. The tide is going out. Way out. I keep walking.

At the edge of the water, I can barely see the ocean beyond the waves. It is all very mysterious. It is dark out here. I am feeling fear. I am the only one on the beach. For miles. I watch the waves. I wonder if a big one is coming that will pull me out to sea. No one would know.

I come to realize that I am not alone. God is here. I am in his sanctuary. The green carpet has given way to white sand. The piano is playing the sound of crashing waves. The stained glass has become dark, moonlit clouds.

I pray. God forgive my sins. You know what they are. Please forgive me. Please help me to be a better father and a better pastor. Please heal the wounds that you know are there.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for everything. Thank you for the beauty of the earth and the joy of life. Thank you for family and friends. Thank you for your church, and all who call her home. Amen.

I tarry a while and savor this time alone with God. After a while, I walked back up the beach and found my room. Yesterday is over, today is another day. I am looking forward to the meetings with the other pastors.

May God bless you today. May your sins be forgiven and your joy made full.

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