What Do You Guys Do All Day, Anyway? Part 2

Yesterday I described a typical Administrative Pastor day. Today, Wednesday, is the day that I have my Minister of Music hat on. On Wednesdays I am preparing for the coming weekend services, plus preparing for a Choir rehearsal. Later in the week I prepare for our Sunday Orchestra rehearsal. Today's to-do list consisted of:

1. Develop the AM services worship song list. This is a little like preparing for a sermon, selecting a theme, making sure songs are in compatible keys, working through transitions, etc.

2. I copy and collate music for the core worship team; vocalists, rhythm section. I also copy the song list for the orchestra and choir.

3. I prepare the weekend PowerPoint slides with all of the song words on them, including worship songs, choir song, and any extra features.

4. I email our tech crews with all the details for the weekend including who-is-doing-what, special features, video, etc.

5. I email the core worship team with a complete song list and remind them about our Wednesday rehearsal. 

6. I compose a one page Choir News newsletter and copy it for each Choir member.

7. I post the Choir News on the WCAG website so anyone who cannot make the rehearsal can find out what's going on. 

8. I update the main page of the website and any other updates that other department leaders have given me.

9. I prepare music for the Choir rehearsal. Today included copying a new Praise & Worship song that we are going to start working on and putting out a Choir song we'll start rehearsing for a June Sunday.

10. I prepare our rehearsal room with our sound cart, keyboard, attendance forms, sharpened pencils, water for coffee. Everything to make sure that we can start on time and have everything completely ready to go. (I hate wasting any volunteer's time)

11. I worked on booking a guest for our June 28th Star Spangled Spectacular.

12. I selected a Memorial Day video, and made sure it worked in our projection computer.

13. I read a Christmas script that goes with a brand new Christmas musical. I also, inventoried the new Christmas music I have received and got it ready to listen to. June 1 is the start of the Christmas season for most Minister's of Music.

14. I rehearsed some of Sunday's Praise & Worship music.

At 5:30 this evening I'll have supper here at the church with my family and then start the evening off with a 6:15 worship team rehearsal, a 6:45-8:15 choir rehearsal and then an 8:15 meeting with our middle and high school students and their parents to help our senior pastor talk about the search process for our next youth pastor. I'll be there because we're hoping to include our students in more of our Sunday morning worship planning. A youth pastor with worship leading skills will help us do this.

Well, that's it. A 12 hour Wednesday. I love it...   

What Do You Guys Do All Day, Anyway?

Since most parishioners only "see us in action" (pastors) on Sundays, a logical question is "what do you do during the week". I wear 2 hats, I am the Minister of Music and the Administrative Pastor. In order to manage both jobs, I break up the week according to the priorities of each job. Today, Tuesday, I primarily work on Administrative items. My to do list for today:

1. Format items for the church web site, up-date the website. (www.wcag.org) 

2. Review an Audit proposal, yay-we could save $3,000. a year with this new company.

3. Work on a warranty issue with the lift we use to change lights in the gym and Sanctuary.

4. Meet with a couple of guys to begin to develop emergency plans; people with weapons, tornadoes, fire, estranged spouses trying to pick children up from our kid's areas, etc.

5. Meet with a contractor to review roof repair bids.

6. Find a vendor for restroom handicap grab bars. (Someone donated money for this, so it needs to get done right away)

7. Talk with a vendor about automatic opening doors. (Someone is going to start donating money for this)

8. Order larger TV carts to accommodate larger TVs that have been donated.

9. Work on issues that our landscape maintenance company informed me about.

10. Work on updates to our Leadership Manuals for distribution later this month.

11. Review invoices and approve them for payment.

12. Telephone call backs.

13. Email replies.

14. Try to find a good answer the tax liability for the possibility of a donated car for missionary use.

15. Work on insurance issues for our annual 4th of July commercial fireworks display.

16. Try to determine the best way to fund a missions trip to Viet Nam that will make donations tax deductible, and yet paid for by the participants with their own credit cards. (this is a tough one)

I really enjoy the Administrative Pastor job. While many of these tasks are fairly bland, I enjoy the detail it takes to stay on track. This is truly "behind the scene" stuff, but it is very necessary to the operation of our church. Next time I'll detail the other side of my job.

Poison Ivy 2 - Me 2

I decided that this was the year that I am going to eradicate poison ivy from my yard. The previous owner let our back yard develop very naturally with a lot of plants that she found "out in the wild" and brought into the yard. Growing up in California, I knew what poison oak looked like and had terrible cases of it many times. But I did not have any experience with poison ivy. The first year I did a lot of spring clean up in the yard, I trimmed, pulled, cut and raked for two straight days. Since it was warm, I used my tee shirt to wipe my face several times and used my hands to wipe sweat off my face as well. You guessed it... two days later I had a near medical emergency. A steroid shot helped, but my face and arms looked like balloons. It took a couple more seasons of observation to finally figure out what poison ivy looks like.

Fast forward to this year. I started in the front yard and pulled out a couple of plants that had started growing. I also pulled out what I hope was the entire root system. 1 for me. On my next workday I put on my gloves from last year and pulled out plants and roots from the backyard. While I was very careful, I later found out that poison ivy oil can stay active for over a year. So while I was careful to put on my gloves, I got the PI oil on my hands before I put the gloves on. 1 for Poison Ivy. On my next attempt at eradication, I didn't use gloves, pulled a lot of roots out and washed like crazy afterwards. 1 for me. Last Tuesday, I was careful again, pulled what I think is the last of the PI and washed my hands carefully. Later, I remembered that I had opened the back door of our house and the garage door with my bare hands before washing. I used a paper towel to wipe of both door handles. Here is where my memory gets fuzzy, but I think I may have wadded up the paper towel before throwing it away and did not wash my hands again. Today is Friday and I have poison ivy on my eyelids, ear, chin, both wrists and a place where the "sun doesn't shine". 1 big one for Poison Ivy.

I think there are some spiritual life correlations here: first, if it looks, smells and acts like sin, and you touch it, you are going to get dirty. Second, even if you are as careful as you can be, the moment you overlook one detail, your best plan is shot. We aren't clever enough not to get caught. Third, the recovery and consequences always take far longer and are much more painful than you ever imagined. Certainly not worth the pleasure - or in this case the satisfaction - of the original encounter. While you can spray for poison ivy, there is collateral damage to surrounding plants. Maybe that's what Christ meant when He said it's better not to have an eye or a hand if it causes you to lose your life. Maybe a little damage to other plants in my yard is worth more than the discomfort I'm experiencing right now. We'll see...

Thank God For His Protection

At 4:30 PM yesterday I received the call all husbands dread, "I've been in an accident". I rushed out my office and got to Kathy fairly quickly. She had been making a drive-through deposit at the bank, (she is the secretary at the Christian school that rents our church facilities) and just as she was handing over her school deposit, the wind caught some of the cash and blew it away. She jumped out of her van to retrieve the money, thinking it was in "park", only to realize that it started moving. She tried to get back in, but the van was too close to the bank wall. As it moved past her, it pinned her to the bank wall before it finally cleared the building. It went down a short lawn area, across a two lane street below and hit a car that was stopped in a left turn lane. When I got to the bank, she was sitting in a chair, ice on her thigh and the paramedics had treated a scrape on her arm. The passenger in the car that our van hit was taken to the hospital because he was complaining of pain in his leg. As I talked to the teller who had been helping Kathy, she told me that "when I came outside to help, I fully expected to see her on the ground, run over by the van."

Today she is very sore, and black and blue in places. She stayed home from work because she wouldn't have been able to sit for very long and walking is very slow and painful. While she is in a lot of pain, we are so thankful that the van did not crush her against the building, or cause her to fall and then be run over. God is good, and we are thanking Him for His protection. Even though we have all the hassle of getting her van fixed, being without a car for a week or more, and dealing with other people who are affected by this accident, we realize how much the "stuff" we own doesn't matter that much. Cars can be replaced, people can't. So tomorrow I'll take her van in and get the process started, and thank God again for His protection.

"Everyone Did As He Saw Fit"

My read-the-Bible-in-a-year reading today was from Judges 19-21. It has to be one of the most gruesome and oddest stories in the Old Testament. Basically, a Levite was having marital problems. His concubine (a non-married living arrangement) left him to return to her father's home. He goes and gets her and on the way stops in Gibeah for the night. Late in the evening, morally depraved men pound on the door of the home where the Levite is staying and want the owner to send the Levite out so they can abuse him sexually. They eventually send out the Levite's wife (concubine) after offering her and the host's virgin daughter. The moral depravity of this situation is not only the men on the outside, but the moral confusion of preserving the men inside but throwing a woman outside to be abused. In fact, she is so abused that she apparently dies on the doorstep of the host home.

When the Levite gets home, in a fit of moral outrage, (how can this be, he was the one who didn't protect her), he cuts his wife into 12 pieces and sends her around Israel to rally the nation to moral indignation. They eventually nearly completely wipe out Gibeah. Then, after massacring men, women and children, they have a moment of compassion and decide they need to help re-populate the tribe of Benjamin. These men were trying to protect the people of Gibeah. They discover that the people of Jabesh Gilead didn't help them in their war against Gibeah, so they decide to wipe out the people of Jabesh Gilead and give the men of Benjamin the virgins from Jabesh Gilead. Do we see a movie script unfolding here? From a starting cast of thousands to just a few hundred.

Then they discover that there are not enough virgins to go around, so they hatch a plot to help the men of the tribe of Benjamin kidnap virgins from a festival. When the kidnappings occur, they basically tell the families of the kidnap victims "live with it, deal with it". The last verse of Judges sums it all up. "In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit."

For a moment I caught myself saying "boy, I'm glad I didn't live in that time period", and then I remembered that yesterday a member of the president's inner circle of advisers called pro-life advocates, "racists". We are still... so morally confused. God help us.

Tweet, Tweet

A couple of weeks ago I created a Twitter account. Twitter is a social communication network that is limited to 140 characters per Tweet. (a tweet is a message) I initially started following people who write the blogs that I read regularly. Interestingly enough, almost immediately I started getting email messages that told me people were "following me". To follow someone on Twitter means you have added their url to your account and you begin reading their "tweets".

Last week I spent some time acquainted with the program and began tweeting in earnest. The jury is still out on this one. Between my work emails, home emails, phone texts and my Facebook account, I'm getting pretty maxed out. I'm going to give Twitter another week. The nice thing is that Twitter adapts very well to my smart phone, so while I'm waiting in line, I can tweet, or read my incoming tweets.

If you Twitter, what has been your experience? Is it worth the effort. Leave me a message. Off to my next 140 characters...

Communication Has Really Changed

In my job as a Minister of Music, I communicate with a lot of people. Right now, for instance, I'm completing a music schedule for the next two months. With almost 100 people involved in our Choir, Orchestra, ensembles, soloists and instrumentalists, I have a lot of communicating to do before the final schedule comes out. In this particular schedule I am trying to schedule some of our students who will be participating in a national Fine Arts Festival in August. 

Here are all the communication methods I have used: for some Choir members, I need to send a postcard. For everyone else in the Choir and Orchestra, I can send an email. If I need a quick answer, I can make a voice call, or send a text message. For students, most of them do not check their emails anymore, so I use their Facebook account. I just set up a Twitter account, because many of the people I need to communicate with use Twitter. I'm still trying to figure out how to send Xbox 360 messages. It has been an interesting process to observe the difference that people from each age group adapt to new technology. While it is rare, anymore, to hear derogatory comments about computers, we still have a few seniors who will never adapt to this technology. On the young end of the spectrum, computers are too clunky, too large, too slow, etc. Once phone technology embraces everything a computer can do, that will be the end of the computer for most students who use a computer as a communication device. While I have just started my sixth decade, I notice that I am sending far more texts than using my cell phone for voice calls. I have even mastered the technique of using both hands on my Smart phone keyboard. I can "flat fly" for an old geezer.

I love new technology, even though sometimes it is hard to keep up. Students have such an advantage because they start working with computers, as normal tools, from the beginning of their school careers. I was already established in my career, and burning up my IBM Selectric typewriter, when personal computers were first introduced. I've been catching up ever since. Well, I have a few more people to connect with, I'm off to send a Tweet.

First Time To Mow This Season

Last week I mowed our lawn for the first time. A few weeks ago a did a lot of cleanup in our yard, and prepared it for the new growing season. Last week I finally broke down and started my mower and started the process that won't end until sometime in late October. My routine is the same every time I do our yard. I rake all the twigs and leaves, and unfortunately my neighbor's sweet gum balls; then I mow; followed by edging; sweeping the sidewalk; and then I sweep the street. I learned how to take care of a yard from my father. I helped him do it many times, and then he supervised me while I did it by myself, and finally I started taking care of our yard without the need for supervision. Now, I've settled into my own routine, and I don't remember if I still do the steps in the same order, except for sweeping the street. That was always the final touch. One thing I learned from my father was that if a job was worth doing, do it well and finish it. I watched him do this with everything that he did. So, while some of our neighbors blew their lawn clippings into the street and hoped that the street sweeper would come along, I dutifully swept the street to complete the job.

I've taught both my oldest sons how to care for their yards. And yes, when they tell me they were working in their yards, I ask, "did you sweep the street?" I have two younger sons at home who are helping me with our yard. They'll learn how to sweep the street, and in the process they'll learn how to finish the job well.

Hearing From People Who Were Unchurched

I am reading a very eye-opening book titled Surprising Insights From the Unchurched and Proven Ways To Reach Them, by Thom Rainer. The author and his research group conducted in depth surveys with 350 people who had come to know Christ and began attending a church. The surveys took place within the first two years of these people coming to faith and beginning to attend a church, and actually most had been a Christian less than one year. 90% of the respondents said that the pastor and his preaching were the primary reason they returned to church. 49% said they came back a second time because of he friendliness of the people, 41% came because someone from the church invited them or told them about Christ, 37% came back because they sensed the presence of God in the church services. Surprisingly, only 11% came back because of the worship/music style. 25% came back because of children's or youth programs, and only 7% cared about the location of the church.

This research project is eye-opening for church leaders who are trying to figure out how to reach out to the vast unchurched population of our country. In most cases, we think like people who already attend our churches. We think that if our worship style is the most contemporary, if our kids and youth programs are top notch and that our publicity is sharp and eye catching, these things will bring people in. And yet, apparently this is not the case, and the failure of most American churches to grow is evidence of that. Wow... more later after I read further in the book.

The Torn Curtain

Another one of those "sub-stories" surrounding the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ that I enjoy thinking about is the main temple curtain that is torn from top to bottom at the moment that Christ dies on the cross. As you might recall, from the time that the mobile tabernacle was used in the desert trek of the Israelites to the magnificent temple in Jerusalem, the Holy Place was separated by the Holy of Holies. No one, except the high priest, entered the Holy of Holies, and he only did that once a year after extensive preparations. My imagination takes over here, but I think that since the crucifixion of Christ was such a big event in Jerusalem, everyone in the religious community probably wanted to be there. I imagine that the priest who was lowest on the "totem pole" probably drew temple duty and all the other priests went to the crucifixion. This priest may have even been a rookie, anxious because he was the only one there, and frustrated because he can't be at the big event. I imagine him standing on the porch of the temple watching the clouds roll in and the light beginning to dim. He probably wondered, like everyone else, what was happening. Then suddenly the earth begins to move, it might have thundered, and lightning may have shot across the sky. While fear from these events begins to invade his mind, he hears a horrible tearing noise coming from inside the temple. Fearfully, he runs into the Holy Place and horror of horrors, the huge 4" thick veil has been torn from top to bottom, the two pieces have been pushed back toward the side walls and the Holy of Holies is exposed. Never in his wildest imagination did he ever believe he would see the Ark of the Covenant. But there it is...terror grips his heart as he gazes on the Ark, because he knows that instant death is the penalty for being in the wrong place in the temple. He expects at any moment to fall to the floor, dead. But nothing happens. He takes a few steps toward the Holy of Holies, then a few more. He gets to the place where the veil is now separated. I can imagine that he quickly pokes his hand across the "line" and then pulls it back, nothing... He does it again, this time his whole arm, nothing... then he jumps in, and quickly jumps out, nothing... Finally he walks into the room and into God's presence. I can imagine this rookie priest experiencing the presence of God like never before. He laughs, he cries, he dances...

I can imagine that at some point, the spirit of God draws this priest to Himself and he is born again. Oh God, on this Easter day, help us to rekindle am infectious love for You that helps us tell the people around us about your wonderful Presence.

Getting Your Ear Cut Off Must Really Hurt

One of the "sub-plots" of the Easter story that has always intrigued me is the High Priest's servant and his encounter with Christ. Since it wasn't politically expedient for the High Priest to go with the arresting party to bring Jesus in, he sent his administrative assistant. I'm sure the High Priest expected a full and detailed report just as soon as the dirty deed was done. Can you imagine the scene when the servant got back? Instead of reporting on the arrest of Jesus, I can't help but think that he would be consumed with the miracle that had taken place. As you recall, Peter took out a sword to defend Jesus when the arresting party walked up. He swung the sword and cut off the ear of Malchus, the High Priest's servant. In John 18:11 it says, "So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?” Then Jesus proceeds to restore the man's ear. However, the Bible doesn't say anything about Jesus cleaning Malchus up. If you've ever had a head wound, you know that it bleeds terribly. I can imagine a lot of blood on Malchus' clothes, plus, if he fell to the ground, he may have rolled around in the dirt and leaves and some of it stuck to his clothes, and he probably wiped his hands off on his tunic. By the time he gets back to the High Priest, he is a mess.

After he finishes telling the HP what had happened, I can see the HP examining Malchus' head. He runs his finger around his ear and says, "I can't see anything here, it's as if it never happened". Sadly, even though these two had witnessed an unbelievable miracle, it didn't seem to change their minds. Or did it... I wonder if Malchus was a distant observer at the crucifixion. And as he stood and watched Christ die, I wonder if he ran his finger around the severed and restored ear every few minutes. In his heart he knew, this was the Son of God. Tomorrow we celebrate our new life in this same Son of God. Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Reading Through the Bible In A Year

I am thoroughly enjoying reading through the Bible in a year using Eugene Peterson's The Daily Message. There are readings from the Old Testament, then it switches to the New Testament, from Psalms to Proverbs. I must admit, however, that some of the more difficult portions to read are some of the early books. There are a lot of instructions, laws, sacrifice directions and details about the Israelites journey through the desert. Yesterday, in the midst of a long litany of instructions there were some very interesting instructions regarding generosity. In Deuteronomy 24 it says, "When you harvest your grain and forget a sheaf back in the field, don't go back and get it; leave it for the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow so that God, your God, will bless you in all your work. When you shake the olives off your trees, don't go back over the branches and strip them bare-what's left is for the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow. And when you cut the grapes in your vineyard, don't take every last grape-leave a few for the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow. Don't ever forget that you were a slave in Egypt. I command you: Do what I'm telling you." Earlier, in chapter 23, the Israelites are admonished not to charge interest to each for any loan.

Wow, how different would our society be if we lived by these directives? All of this got me thinking, how would this play out today? Instead of leaving olives on a tree for a widow, maybe I should "borrow" a widow's car, or a single mother's car, fill it full of gas, make sure the oil is changed and do a quick inspection to make sure everything is working properly. Instead of leaving grapes on a vine, perhaps I should be helping my senior aged neighbors power wash their house, or helping to clean up their yard for the beginning of the growing season. I wonder if today's foster care network is our opportunity to care for orphans? It almost seems like God's instructions to the Israelites were His directives for them to do random acts of kindness. If they could do this, shouldn't I be able to do this as well? Now, where can I find a banker that won't charge me interest...

Moon and Stars Hung In Place

Here's one more science blog and then I'll be on another topic. The guest I've written about in previous blogs talked about the recent discovery of "dark matter". He said that it seems to be a framework that the entire universe is built on. In other words, it's as if the stars, planets, galaxies, etc., are all hung on this dark matter. It reminds me of David's writing in Psalm 8, When I consider your heavens,the work of your fingers,the moon and the stars,which you have set in place, (from New International Version). I have this picture in my mind of God putting together His creation like a puzzle, hanging each piece on a framework that is invisible to the observer. The illustration to the right is from a PowerPoint slide that our guest showed during his presentation. It is an artist's rendering of what dark matter might look like if we could see it. Fascinating stuff... One more thing, could the Big Bang theory of the beginning of the universe be the way that God chose to start the process. Did He speak the universe(s) into existence? When He spoke, was matter created from one spot and then begin to explode into what we now know is an expanding universe that perhaps started from one cataclysmic event? Again, our guest didn't know the answers to any of these questions, but as a scientist, he could easily see the work of an Intelligent Designer. David ends Psalm 8 with LORD, our Lord,how majestic is your name in all the earth! (and throughout the entire universe - my words)

How Much Do We Really Know?

In my last post I talked about a guest we had recently been at our church. During his presentation, he made two very interesting observations about man and knowledge. First, in the late 1800s, scientists, philosophers and others had determined that the progression of mankind through the ages had produced a nearly perfect scenario for the future. In other words, science and philosophy were producing the desired effect of a civilization progressing to its highest forms. Evolution at it's best... and then came the 20th century, the bloodiest and most violent century ever. Oops, maybe we didn't have it all together.

Second, our guest mentioned that in the late 1990s, scientists were ready to write what he called the TOE (the Theory of Everything). Science felt like it had solved nearly all the mysteries of the universe and the intricacies of the smallest particles and it was ready to document it all. Done, finished, we know it all! And then came the discovery of Dark Energy and Dark Matter. Suddenly we didn't know it all. Another interesting discovery is that the galaxies are being "pulled by something" outside of the visible universe and that there is a huge mysterious hole in the universe billions of light years across. No one can explain any of this. As our guest summed it all up, he used the pie chart at the top of this blog. He said now, it appears like all we really know is the 4% represented by the orange sliver, and that percentage might be shrinking. Again, throughout his presentation, even though a lot of it went right over my head, I was convinced over and over again that it is impossible to ponder these things and not be convinced that God, the Creator, is the source of all.

Science and Intelligent Design

On Saturday evening we had a guest speaker at our church. He is an engineer at Fermilab, near Chicago. Fermilab's official name is the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. It is the home of the Tevatron, four miles in circumference and originally named the Energy Doubler when it began operation in 1983. It is the world's highest-energy particle accelerator. Some of the questions that are hopefully going to be answered in the near future by research at the lab include:

What is the universe made of?
How does the universe work?
Why do particles have mass?
Does neutrino mass come from a different source?
What is the true nature of quarks and leptons? Why are there three generations of elementary particles?
What are the truly fundamental forces?
How do we incorporate quantum gravity into particle physics?
What are the differences between matter and antimatter?
What are the dark particles that bind the universe together?
What is the dark energy that drives the universe apart?
Are there hidden dimensions beyond the ones we know?
Are we part of a multidimensional megaverse?

Our guest spoke on many of these topics and I must admit that many of his explanations zoomed right over my head. However, in the midst of his presentation, he mentioned more than once that as scientists discover how little we really know about the world we live in, it is undeniable that the creative source has to be from an intelligent designer. From the farthest reaches of the universe to the smallest particle that can be identified, the design, function and form is too complex to even consider that the development was evolutionary in nature. Even though I didn't understand a lot of what I was hearing, what I did hear was that some of the smartest people on earth know that our Intelligent Designer created it all.

Safely and Humbly

I've seen a television commercial several times during the NCAA basketball tournament. A young girl, 8 or 9, is asking her dad if she can use the family car to go the the movies. The next shot goes to the dad as he asks her who is going. She tells tells him several girl's names and a boy's name. When he repeats the boy's name, the shot goes back to the young girl and now she is a teenager, with a "yes Daddy it's a boy" smile on her face". When the dad gives his permission the last shot is her thanking him and bounding down the steps of their house to the car.

About 18 months ago I replaced my old, tired van with one of those wonderful "finds". I found a 1994 Lexus ES300 in nearly pristine shape, with only 71,500 miles on it for a very reasonable price. After fixing a couple of things, this car is in nearly perfect shape for a 15 year old car. It looks nearly new and drives wonderfully well. Nicole turned 17 in January and I really relate with the commercial I described above. For some reason, Nicole always wants to drive my car instead of her mother's van. We have a little "father-daughter" routine we go through. She asks permission to use my car. After we discuss the details, I ask her "how are you going to drive"? She tells me "safely... and humbly". In my dry humor sort-of-way I've talked with her about not being "uppity" while driving this car. "It's a blessing we need to be thankful for". One of our driving rules is that we ask Nicole to call us when she gets to where she is driving. If I answer, I usually ask her, "Nicole, how did you drive"? When she tells me "safely and humbly" I can imagine the same kind of cute smile that the girl in the commercial has as she bounces down the steps to the family car. What Nicole doesn't know is that every time we have this little fun interaction, it is a prayer point for me. "Oh Lord, keep Nicole safe, and humble, right in the center of Your will."

Spring Is A Wonderful Season

I love spring. We have a lot of different trees, shrubs and flowers in our yard and I enjoy watching the "green" begin to appear. This year we have had some warm days on the weekends and I have been able to spend more time getting my yard ready than normal. Two weekends ago I filled 17 large yard bags with leaves, clippings from pruning trees and shrubs and dried vegetation from last year. In several cases, as I lifted up the dried and dead left over vegetation from last year, under the pile was a blaze of green. Last year's plants had dropped seeds or bulbs had come alive and now I could see this year's beauty beginning to grow. Yesterday I noticed that our big shade tree had the first little bursts of green that signaled new leaves. And this morning our Bradford Pear tree in the front yard had burst into white blossoms overnight. Before long our dogwoods will bloom, the daffodils and tulips will be in full bloom and spring will be here in all her glory. Yesterday I cleaned up Kathy's fountain, filled it full of clean water and started the pump. Within an hour or so, several birds had found the fresh water and were taking baths.

I am so glad that we celebrate Easter in the spring, the season of new life and hope. In the midst of the uncertainty of the current events that surround us, spring reminds me that God brings renewing life and hope. He is so faithful...

We Are So Blessed

In these times of such uncertainty and fear, we can easily retreat into the idea that "bad things are going to happen to me." You can almost envision the worst case scenario, even though our experience tells us that most of worries never come to pass. When you step back, and look at how blessed we are to have been born in the United States, you gain a whole new perspective. The great danger is that we will fall into the trap that the whole world is like the street we live on. Of course, it is not. How do you see the world? Six billion people are on the planet. If we reduce that population to 100 people, proportionately:
• 57 of those people come from Asia
• 21 from Europe
• 14 from North and South America
• 8 from Africa
• 49 would be women
• 51 would be men
• 68 would still not be able to read and write
• 6 of those people would own 50% of the world’s wealth and all of those would be U.S. citizens
• 1 of those people would have just been born
• 1 of those people is about to die
• Only 1 of those people have been to college

When I look at this list, and reflect on my own life, I have got to thank God for His tremendous blessings to me. And, it compels me, even in these uncertain times, to find ways to give back.

Are You Still Praying For the President?

In an Inauguration Day blog, I wrote that I would be praying for our new President, even though I could not agree with all of his views and beliefs. A lot has happened since Inauguration Day. (boy, is that an understatement) I realize now, more than ever, that I do not have very much in common with our new President. In fact, just when I think things are going to stabilize a bit, something else pops up that tells me just how much I wish this President wasn't the President. However, none of what has occurred releases me from the obligation to pray for President Obama. In fact, it should cause me to pray all the more for him and his advisers. I truly believe that there isn't a single politician, from either party, that knows what to do in these trying times. Without concentrated prayer, our leaders will not turn to God. They will rely on their own flawed wisdom and continue to make big mistakes.

I am reminded about the account in 1st Samuel where the nation of Israel cried out for a king. Even though God knew this is not what they needed, he granted their request because of their consistent asking for a king. Towards the end of Saul's reign, the people wished they had never asked for a king. They probably got what they deserved, but it sure wasn't what they expected. In spite of the situation, the people were still admonished to obey, serve and pray for the king. As a Christian, I'm in a tough spot. I don't agree with a lot that the government is doing right now. I don't agree with many of the leadership appointments and I don't like what we're hearing about plans that are coming in the future. But God has asked me to pray for my leaders, and I will continue to do that. This morning I was reading my "through-the-Bible-in-a-year" reading and Hebrews 1:14 in The Message says, "Isn't it obvious that all angels are sent to help out with those lined up to receive salvation?" What if we prayed earnestly that our leaders would be "lined up to receive salvation". I'm praying that our leaders will come in contact with people who can influence them towards God, towards righteousness and salvation. You can choose to be afraid, to complain, bad mouth, etc., or you can be part of a spiritual move in prayer. After Saul, came David...

Birthday Musings

Today is the day. 60 years old. Boy, does time fly. Fortunately, I think the saying is correct, "you're only as old as you let yourself think you are." I really believe some great days are ahead. I suppose that when you boil it all down, the biggest blessing of reflecting on a major birthday is all the relationships you have, and cherish. I am married to a wonderful lady and we're more in love now then we ever have been before. I was with 5 of my 6 children for my birthday celebration and I am so blessed to be related to each one of them. Each one of our children brings special joy and great experiences. I am blessed with some wonderful friends, and Facebook, amazingly, brought a ton of birthday greetings starting on Friday from relationships from my entire adult life.

So today, I feel blessed. Blessed by so many people who took a little time to wish me well. And thank you as well for the boxes of bran cereal, over-the-hill stuff, black balloons, all the funny cards, etc. Yes, I really am so old that I can remember when the Dead Sea was just sick. :) Thank you everyone.

Pre-Birthday Musings

In a couple of days I will have one of th0se "benchmark" birthdays. This birthday has a zero in it, but does not have a 3,4 or 5. I must admit that for the first time, instead of thinking about all the things that need to be accomplished in the next few years, I have been much more reflective about what has already taken place, and what I could have done better. Don't get me wrong, this is not retirement time, I know I have some great years in front of me and I have plenty of energy. But I know I also want to factor in the time and energy to make sure that all of the positive influence I can exert, gets to the people I love and care about.

We have a plaque with the saying, "A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove...but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child". Looking back, I hope this has been true in my life. A weeks ago I re-connected with a young man from one of the youth groups that we pastored. He wrote this on my Facebook wall: "I just wanted you to know that, at a time when I was in your college group, grinding away at college and feeling overwhelmed, you told me you were proud of me because I wasn't just killing time like a lot of the others but was actually trying to get an education. It was exactly the time I needed to hear that and...it gave me such encouragement to keep going even though I felt like I was missing out of a lot of the "fun" by having to go to school. So, YOU have a big part in my accomplishment and I wish you could have been here for my swearing-in." Today Tony is a Superior Court judge in California.

More musings later...

Landing On Your Feet

God really helps us "land on our feet". Let me explain. Our oldest daughter and son-in-law have been working at a church in Northern California for the past couple of years. They were brought on the pastoral staff by a senior pastor who told them he would be there "until I retire". Greener grass on the other side of fence lured him away to another church so our kids were asked to be the interim pastors. Unfortunately, the church had not been left in real good shape, so Jason & Aimee rolled up their sleeves and went to work. Sadly, partly because they are young and do not have a "ton" of experience, and partly because some Christians insist on their way no matter what, they had some great experiences and some not so great experiences. All in all, they feel good about their time of leadership in this church. However, as the decision to hire a new pastor came closer, it was painfully obvious that church finances were not going to allow a pastor and an associate pastor. Plus, our kids were living in the parsonage that would have to be vacated when a new pastor came on board. So here they are; the pastor that hired them left, they can't stay in spite of all they have done, some people would love to have them become the new pastors and some would like to see them gone "as soon as possible".

So what do they do...they trust God. He opens a door and as they explore the open door they realize that God is really in this. So as it turns out, today they are packing their home up in Northern California and tomorrow they'll drive north 4 hours to Medford, OR. Our daughter will join the staff there as their new Children's Pastor and our son-in-law will be a Pastor on the staff, serving the Senior Pastor, plus working on his ministerial credentials and furthering his education. Today, Kathy (my wife), called the church to arrange for some flowers for Aimee's office when she arrives at the church on Friday. The secretary she talked with went on and on about how excited they are about our kids joining their staff. This church can't wait for them to get there and start working along side them. So, from one difficult situation to a wonderful new opportunity. God really does help us "land on our feet".

Change Brings Change

Last Sunday night was the end of a wonderful, weekly event for me. Our Sunday evening service always ends with a time of prayer. The congregation is invited to come to the altars, walk the aisles, or pray in whatever manner is comfortable for them. During this prayer time we play music that is appropriate for this quiet time. In fact, the inspiration for the CD that I recorded in 2005, Gentle Worship, Quiet Praise, came from these 30-45 minute sessions in which we played from one song to the next without much of a break. While we have had different musicians join us from time to time, basically Jonathan Gathman and myself have been the primary musicians. Over the years that I have been on the staff of WCAG, this evening service has diminished in attendance and beginning March 1st, our Sunday evening and Wednesday evening schedules are changing. One of the changes is the elimination of the Sunday evening service.

Jonathan is one of the greatest musicians I have ever had the pleasure of performing with. He moves effortlessly between the cello and recorder. His mastery of the cello is phenomenal. There have been times during our playing that I was so distracted from my own contribution because I was so taken with what I was hearing Jonathan play. There were other times when we both wished the session had been recorded because we knew that something special had taken place. For us, this became a worship time, our playing to God, that benefited us far more than anyone else who might be praying, and listening. I know people enjoyed our playing. They told us every week. When you play with someone week after week, you begin to "feel" how the other player will interpret the song you are playing. In our case, we would exchange the lead or melody without having to signal each other or say "you take the lead". In most cases I would change songs and Jonathan would follow, changing keys with me so easily that most people would think that we had written down all the songs, keys and arrangements. I think that when musicians truly worship God in their playing, you almost play beyond your ability. I think there were many times that Jonathan and both felt like that is exactly what was happening.

Last Sunday night we played as usual. As people began to leave, we finished up the last song. My emotions got the best of me as we played the last phrase and brought the song to a conclusion. When I stood up from the piano and turned around to thank Jonathan, it was obvious the same thing had happened to him. We embraced, and almost simultaneously we each said "I'm really going to miss this", and that was that. I'm really going to miss those times...

Good Reads

I try to read a couple of books a month. I vary my selections to include books that help me in my professional life, my personal life and then I read for fun. I have 3 suggestions for you, if you are a reader, that touch each area I outlined above.

The first book enhanced my professional life. The title is Who Stole My Church by Gordon McDonald. McDonald is a well-known pastor and prolific author. In this book, Gordon tells a story in novel form that outlines the changes that a traditional church makes as it tries to connect with present day culture. If your church is "changing", and you are having difficulty with some of the changes, this is a good read for you. The publisher is Thomas Nelson.

The second book helped me personally and is titled Meltdown (A Free-Market Look at Why the Stock Market Collapsed, the Economy Tanked, and Government Bailouts Will Make Things Worse) by Thomas E. Woods Jr. Woods is a senior fellow at the Ludwig von Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama. In 2006 Woods won a first prize in literature from the Templeton Enterprise Awards. He is a prolific author on economic subjects. In this book he gives a good history of economics in America, details the Great Depression, compares it to the financial collapse in Japan, and compares Great Depression thinking to our present economic crises. As you can tell by the sub-title, he does not agree with the present governmental course of action. This is a good book for people who want to understand what is going on, but do not want a lot of technical information. The publisher is Regnery Publishing, Inc. I bought my copy at Borders.

The final book I just finished was for fun. I've been a John Grishman fan since his first book, A Time To Kill. This brand new book is titled The Associate. It has a captivating story line that grabs you from the very first chapter. I read it in a couple of days and thoroughly enjoyed it. Many of Grisham's books are about lawyers and legal matters. This one explores the world of huge New York City law firms and brand new Ivy League lawyers. The publisher is Doubleday and I saved a ton by buying my copy at Sam's Club.

Here's a tip to save some money at Borders. Join their free reward program. Every week you get emailed coupons that can save 20%-40%. If you wait for a book to go on their normal 40% off pricing, with the coupon you can a lot off the price.

Trusting God In Difficult Times

As you know, a huge spending bill has been passed by our Congress and will be signed by the President in the next couple of days. While this is being touted as the "solve-all" for our country's financial woes, history and a study of sound economic strategy, tells me different. I believe that all of us in the middle class are in for some difficult and trying times.

Here are a few promises from God's Word to meditate on:
God will be with us - Isaiah 43:2-3
God cares for us - Matthew 6:28-30
God will provide for us - Matthew 6:31-33
God will give us peace - Philippians 4:6-7
God will give us strength to endure hard times - Philippians 4:12-13
God will bless us as we bless others - Proverbs 11:25

Spend a few minutes looking at these scriptures. Allow the Spirit of God to point out key elements of His truth as you read His Word. We know and love a great God. And He knows us far better than we know ourselves. We can trust Him...

Heaven

A few months ago I purchased a book by Randy Alcorn titled Heaven. It is a near exhaustive book about Heaven, written in question and answer form. I worked through a lot of the book and then put it down, meaning to get back to it, but never did. A few weeks ago a member of our congregation gave me a small version titled Touchpoints Heaven. It is a much smaller version of the book I already mentioned, with 3 major divisions. First, the Present Heaven; second, the Eternal Heaven; and Life on the New Earth. This last section was fascinating. It included topics like age, alien life, angels, animals, books and reading, culture, free will, homes, marriage, sex, sports, technology and much more. I must admit that while the author uses scriptures for all of his answers, some of the scriptural applications seem to me to be a "stretch". However, this does not take away from this wonderful subject and the great treatment that Randy Alcorn gives it. Even if you are not much of a reader, this little $5 book reads very quickly and is packed with a lot of information. You will be amazed and inspired by what God has in store for those who know him!

She Is My Lady - For My Valentine

I am a Donny Hathaway fan. I have enjoyed his music, starting with 33 1/3 records, cassettes, Cd's and now on my iPod. One of the songs he sang on his self titled album Donny Hathaway is an all-time favorite because it describes my wife, Kathy, so well. So here is my early valentine to "my lady".

I've learned to live for the sound of her laughter
Her sunny smile is my only light
To love her now is the sole thing that I'm after
I'll make her melody my life
She came to me when I knew I'd lost the meaning
Lifted the shadow from across my way
She touched my heart with the sweet song she was singing
Brought back the sun into my days

Oooh she is my lady
I'm a witness to the wonder of her ways
Oooh she's my lady
The solitary reason for my days

And sometimes when my burdens just seem too overbearing
The girl turns my tears with a single sigh
She taught me loving
And through love we both learned sharing
Right now she's every, every reason why

Oooh she is my lady
I'm a witness to the wonder of her ways
Oooh she's my lady
The solitary reason for my days

A New King

The book of Genesis ends with the wonderful account of Joseph, the re-uniting of his family, and God's provision for His chosen people. I love reading this entire story over and over. I just finished reading it again in my daily through-the-Bible-in-a-year schedule. However, chapter 1, verse 8 of the book of Exodus begins, "Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. 'Look', he said to his people, 'the Israelites have become much to numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.'

When I read these verses, I immediately thought of our country and our recent change in presidential administrations. While I want to be supportive, and will pray for our new president and administration, already he/they have made changes that I cannot support. I cannot support my tax dollars, for instance, being used as foreign aid to pay for women to have abortions. I cannot support the use of embryonic stem cells to be used for research. I cannot support major aspects of the financial bail-out/stimulus package that has been put together. I wonder if this "king" has forgotten where we've come from, on Who's principles and truth this country was founded on, a more importantly, what will happen when Christians begin to protest anti-Biblical policies and legislation. I pray that Josephs will rise up, be recognised at the highest levels of government and be able to make a difference. Is a Joseph reading this blog...

E.T. Is 17

17 winters ago a little foster baby came into our lives. She was born with a number of birth difficulties, including a severe brain bleed. She also came with difficult legal issues and it took 18 months to sort them all out. She had a big forehead and big eyes and Kathy and I nicknamed her E.T. Her birth mom was 14 and a birth father was not identified. Each evening I took on the responsibility of putting Nicole to sleep. Many evenings during the winter I would light the gas logs in our family room and hold her, pray over her, talk to her, and generally have a wonderful time with this "little lady". More than once I agonized over that fact that she didn't have a daddy. One night, as I was praying over her, I felt the distinct impression in my mind that when I prayed words like "be a daddy to Nicole because she doesn't have one", the Holy Spirit whispered to me, "you are her daddy, just like I am your daddy". That was significant to me for a couple of reasons. One, it helped me understand that for the moment, I was indeed being a dad to Nicole and she was safe and secure in our home, and second, I needed the reinforcement that God was allowing me to see Him in a more intimate and personal way. I have always struggled with my image of God. Most times He was a distant God, able to do all that His word told me, and interested in me, but from a distance. I always felt like I was part of huge crowd in His presence. That evening, in the warmth of a fire warmed winter night, God became Daddy to me. I felt like He was there with just Nicole and I, letting us know just how much he loved us and cared for us. That memory will be one that will always be a highlight.

Yesterday "E.T." turned 17. Nicole is a beautiful young lady and Kathy and I are so proud of her. Yes, the legal problems were all resolved and by the time Nicole was 18 months old, we adopted her.

Being In Politics Is Like Being In the Ministry

As I watched the inauguration of our new president and all the pageantry and ceremony that surrounds it, I was saddened by the boos and derisive shouts when President Bush was introduced. While I realize that many of the people in attendance were ardent President Obama supporters and saw President Bush as an opponent, this kind of disrespect was offensive and totally uncalled for. I think history will see the Bush presidency in a much different light than it was portrayed in the last presidential campaign and in the media. A lot of good has happened in the last 8 years, however, much of it has been lost in the hue and cry of those who disagree with the former president on some high profile issues.

Sadly, I'm not sure much has changed since the founding of our country. Kathy and I just finished watching a great 7 part series by HBO on the life of John Adams, our second president. For all the great things he did, he was treated very badly by his opponents, and lost a bid for a second term. Towards the end of his life, he questioned the value of his public service. He wondered if the sacrifices he and his family made for his country were worth it, in light of how he was treated and the things that were written about his in the newspapers of his day.

With all this in mind, I look at my own life, a full time career in ministry. My family and I have made sacrifices in order to provide the best possible ministry to the churches we have served. There have been wonderful "high moments", and fortunately, most of our experience has been good. But we have also had the "lowest of the low moments" as well. Christian opponents and enemies have got to be the worst. (Yes, I said Christian opponents and enemies, they are real)There has been more than one Monday when the only thing I wanted to do was start packing and move away. Fortunately, I've never done that. I did have a friend, however, who felt so mistreated and unwanted that one Monday he and his wife did pack and leave without telling anyone. When people came for the Wednesday night service and activities, the church was dark and so was the parsonage next door.

At times the political process is so antagonistic and the press so relentless, that there must be hundreds of broken people who have been sucked in, chewed up and spit out in the process of "winning". Sadly, I know too many ministers who have had this same experience. I wonder if we will ever live in a "kinder and gentler" atmosphere?

An Orderly Transfer of Power

I watched the swearing in of the Vice President and President today with my 14 and 13 year old sons. I had the opportunity to share with them how blessed we are to live in a country where there is an orderly transfer of power. During the campaign it was very apparent that there are a lot of differences between the candidates and political parties. But the genuine appearing amicability between the two presidents was wonderful to see. Their embraces, yes there was more than one, was heartening. It was fun for the three of us to comment on all of this. However, I am also very concerned about this new president. This quote scares me to death, "The first thing I'd do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. That's the first thing that I'd do." -- Senator Barack Obama, speaking to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, July 17, 2007. In one interview tonight, at one of the balls, he told an ABC news correspondent that tomorrow there would be some announcements and executive orders signed that would put in motion a new direction for our country. What direction will that be? If they are some that he articulated during his campaign, I know it is going to be a difficult to support his new direction.

On another note, a young lady from our church traveled to Washington D.C. with her high school group for today's inauguration. They arrived at the National Mall at 4:30 AM and they were too late to get on the Mall. Estimates range from 1 to 2 million people were there for today's festivities. As my sons and I looked at the crowd, and Shawn wondered out loud "how many people are there?", I thought, what difference can 1 person make? How can 1 person who lives in the Midwest, with a relatively small circle of friends, acquaintances and family, and doesn't know anyone important in politics, ever make a difference? I know what I can do. The same thing I've been doing ever since the election in November. I'm praying for this new president. I'm praying that God will be able to lead him, inspire him, protect him, surround him with righteous counselors and prosper him, and our country. One person, praying, can make a difference, because as we join with millions of Christians praying, God will hear and answer.

So today I am thankful to live in a free country with a great system of transferring power. I'm also thankful that even though I don't agree with a lot of the potential policies of our new president, I can pray for him, continue to be a good citizen, and work for the issues and values that I hold dear.

We Have Another Unique Challenge

I sat with a group of St. Louis pastors yesterday morning and part of our discussion centered around the overall climate of fear and apprehension that we are seeing in people as they come into our churches for the first time. While most of the fear is of the unknown as it relates to the national and world economy, it also includes people with difficult health situations and other kinds of serious issues. The great thing about this conversation was that it turned rather quickly into a positive, solution sharing time that gave each one of us the encouragement that God has each one of us in a strategic place for timely ministry to people who are desperate for hope. I still remember the Sunday after 9/11. Our church was filled with people that I had never seen before. Fear had gripped our nation and no one could say with any certainty that the threat was over. Sadly, by the 3rd or 4th week after 9/11, we got back to "normal", and our attendance went back to where it had been.

This time it is different. People are being affected individually, and it is not a mass problem, yet. As people express their fears about layoffs, losing their jobs, not being able to pay their mortgage or bills and other issues, the fear is there and there is a reaching out for some hope to hold on to. As Christians, we have a great window of opportunity to share the love of Christ and His faithfulness to us. While His promises do not include providing for all our financial needs, His word does promise that He will not leave us nor forsake us. We may have to draw on every resource of the family of God to deal with what is coming in the future, but God will help us. His creativity and vastness will help us. Times will probably get very tough, but we will be better for it, because of Him.

A New Year, Starting Fresh

I know that making new year resolutions is "out". Everyone chuckles about broken resolutions and after a couple of weeks of the new year, it's back to business-as-usual. Picking a couple of fresh things to do, and sticking with them, seems to be a better way to go. We have asked our congregation this year to join a read-the-Bible-in-a-year campaign. I have done this for several years, with various Bible-in-a-year tools. I have joined, and if you are reading this, and a member of our congregation, I would hope that you would join us. This year I am using The Message Bible-in-a-year version. And yes, after 7 days, I'm right on schedule.

The other thing I desperately want to find time for is creative planning, writing and recording. I think I may have a book locked up in mind that is trying to get out, and I know there is a Christmas recording trying to make it out. In 2006 I recorded and released a piano CD titled Gentle Worship, Quiet Praise. Almost 1,000 copies are in circulation. I get requests all the time for another recording. For at least the last 18 months I have been mentally planning A Gentle & Quiet Christmas, (the working title). This year it is time to find the time to work on the creativity that will make it happen. What have you resolved to do in 2009? Can you change your routine and schedule to make it happen? Let's check back together in a couple of months and see how we're doing...

New Year Resolutions

I've been thinking about making some personal changes in 2009. I need to take better care of myself physically, I would like to pursue some individual projects, etc. In the process of thinking about how to go about making some things happen, I read an excellent blog by Mark Batterson on this subject. Mark is the lead pastor at National Community Church in Washington DC. Here is his blog...

"In the 1960’s, a study was done on the campus of Yale University. The subjects were Yale seniors who were educated about and encouraged to get a tetanus shot. Most of the students were convinced by the lecture that they needed to get the shot. But only 3% actually went and got the shot.

Another group of students were given the same lecture, but they were also given a copy of the campus map with the location of the health center circled. Then they were asked to look at their weekly schedules, make a plan for when they would go and take the shot, and look at the map and decide what route they would take. 28% of that control group got the shot. That is nine times as many! Why the radical increase? Because they identified how, when, and where?
I'm guessing all of us need to make a change going into the New Year. You need to stop doing something or start doing something. You need to do something less or do something more. But I'm guessing about 3% of us will make the change because we never identify how, when, and where!

So here's a plan. It's as simple as 1,2,3.
#1 Look at the calendar and schedule an hour between now and January 1st. Put it on your calendar. Make an appointment with yourself. It may be in the morning or in the evening. It may be at your house or a coffeehouse. It may be on New Years Eve or New Years Day. Just set aside one hour.

#2 Spend an hour reflecting and praying. And here’s a suggestion. Think in categories. I think it helpful to think in these five categories: spiritual, relational, intellectual, emotional and physical. Do an honest self-assessment. And ask God to reveal the answer to this question: what change do I most need to make?

#3 Make the change. Call it a goal. Call it a New Year's Resolution. Call it whatever you want. The goal is to make a change that honors God. Here's a suggestion. Don't make ten resolutions! If you make lots of resolutions you'll probably keep none of them. In my experience, you need to make three or less. And I'd start with the spiritual category.

Once you come up with your resolution you need to write it down. Then you need to keep it visible. Put it on a screen saver. Put it on your bathroom mirror. If it's diet related, put it on the refrigerator. You might even want to find an accountability partner who will make the same resolution. It helps to have someone hold you accountable."

I think this is pretty good advice...now, where can I go and spend that hour?

Start Putting Christmas Away...

Today is a sad day. It's the first day that I started putting away Christmas music, decorations, and other Christmas "stuff". I always hate to say goodbye to the things that make Christmas so wonderful. But time marches on and the new year is "in the wings". The great thing for Christians is that we celebrate Christmas all year long because of the relationship we have with Christ and His coming into our lives. From a church calendar stand point, Easter is the next big event, and we have another opportunity to tell a watching world that Christ lived, died and rose again to put us into a right relationship with the Father. I have been listening to Easter music throughout the Christmas season, and I think I've found an 8 song work that will be perfect for the Easter season. By Easter, April 12th, our nation and the world may be in a very difficult place financially and politically. We may have an unprecedented opportunity to share Christ with the people around us, in a way that has only come after 9/11 or other similar national times of crisis. I think we need to prepare now for this opportunity. So, while it is sad to pack away the Christmas things, it's exciting, and daunting, to think about what may be coming next. Emmanuel, God with us, God for us...

Two Days Until Christmas

I really enjoy these last days just before Christmas. Finishing special events at the church, preparing for the Christmas Eve service, shopping, wrapping gifts, getting the house ready for company and a myriad of other tasks. These all add to the excitement of the season. I still feel like a kid when it comes to Christmas. I love the cooking smells mixed with the scent of our fir tree, candles burning and a fire burning in the fireplace. I enjoy sitting by our tree, checking the lights outside and reading through Christmas cards. I must admit that my schedule doesn't really slow down until 6 PM on Christmas Eve. But after that it's our traditional Mexican dinner with our family, our son Josh and his wife Kelly and Kelly's family. Enchiladas, tamales, chili, beans, rice, tortillas, guacamole and more. After that we're going to settle in with a fire going and watch The Nativity as a family. We'll reflect on the wonderful story of Christmas and then the kids will go off to bed. Then Kathy and I will assist Santa Claus with putting out the Santa gifts and around midnight, Kathy and I will open the gifts that we've picked for each other. We started this tradition several years ago and it is a highlight for us. This time alone is a wonderful time to express our love for each other and to remember the great blessings of God to us and our family. God is good...Emmanuel, God with us. He is for us.

Good Christmas Listening & Viewing

Two posts ago I mentioned some great reading for Christmas. Here is what I'm listening to this year. First, my son Jason, told me about a new recording by Bela Fleck and the Flectones, Jingle All the Way. The Flectones are a blend of bluegrass, fusion and jazz. One of the most unique sounds you will hear is on their song Jingle Bells. Tuvan (from the Russian Federation nation of Tuva) throat singers sing along with the Flectones. The whole album is very unique. I have really enjoyed it. Download it from iTunes for $9.99. Since our Music Department sang 4 of Michael W. Smith's songs this year for our Christmas concert, I have been listening to his album, It's A Wonderful Christmas. His first Christmas album, Christmas, is well worth downloading. The Christmas Collection by El Divo is wonderful. Every year I enjoy watching The Preacher's Wife. Whitney Houston does some superb singing in the movie. I have some of that soundtrack album downloaded as well as her album, One Wish (The Holiday Album). Josh Groban's project from last year is great, Noel. Another favorite group has disbanded :(, Wind Machine. I have worn out two of their albums, A Wind Machine Christmas and Portraits of Christmas. You can still find these Cd's on eBay and other sites, but I couldn't find a download for them on iTunes.

There are some wonderful Christmas movies we love to watch at our house. I love the Alistair Sims version of Scrooge, The Preacher's Wife, Kathy and the girls watch White Christmas, and a new favorite is The Nativity, as well as the oldie It's A Wonderful Life. Whatever you do, take some time to listen to a variety of Christmas music and watch a movie or two, it will do your spirit good.

Christmas Music

This past weekend we presented a concert titled "Emmanuel-God With Us, God For Us". Saturday the concert was attended primarily by people who do not attend our church on a regular basis, and on Sunday morning, it was basically our own church folks. We had 110 vocalists and instrumentalists involved in this year's concert. For a church that averages approximately 400 attendees, I think this is remarkable. In fact, when you consider that our String Orchestra song was played by 6 violins, 2 violas and 2 cellos, plus a harp, all from our congregation, it is quite awesome. I feel both humbled and proud, (is that possible?) to work with the people that God has given our church congregation. As we were leaving after the second performance, several people said things like, "I bet you're relieved it's over...". The truth is, somewhere near the end of the last song, in the last performance, a little bit of sadness creeps into my emotions. After 4 months of rehearsing, it's a little sad to put away music you've lived with for so long. Since I begin planning and picking music in the summer, it feels like I'm putting away old friends. Today I'm putting away music stand lights, extension cords, percussion equipment, etc., because we're done, until next year. The main thing is that we had the opportunity to tell the story again, and to set an atmosphere where Emmanuel could touch the hearts and lives of people who were in our congregation during the concert with His love and hope, especially during this holiday season. We had prayed in advance for people to be invited to come who desperately needed to have an encounter with Emmanuel. Time will tell...

Christmas Reading

Over the years I have collected quite a number of Christmas books. Collections of stories, poems and other writings, Christmas fiction and inspirational Christmas writings. I also have a collection of short Christmas stories that I have gleaned from many different sources. I have shared many of these stories with our family, friends, our congregation and other groups. I think it is great to read "the" Christmas story with your family, but also, to share other people's experiences and writings. Here are a few suggestions:
This year Glenn Beck has written a wonderful, true story titled "Christmas Sweater"
Richard Paul Evans has written a number of Christmas novels, beginning with "The Christmas Box" in 1995. http://richardpaulevans.com/richards-books/ lists all his books and descriptions.
Max Lucado has written a number of Christmas books as well. One in particular stands out, "Cosmic Christmas". This is a great telling of the story of Christmas and the Father's love for us.
A collection you may be able to find in the bargain section of the major bookstores is "Norman Rockwell's Christmas Book." There are some wonderful stories that are well worth sharing with your family. A couple of my favorites are The Miraculous Staircase by Arthur Gordon and Christmas Every Day by William Dean Howells.

One of my fondest childhood memories is reading books by the light of the lights in our Christmas tree. I would lay on my stomach and get as far under the tree as possible to read whatever book I was currently reading. Since we didn't have a television in our home until I was 14 years old, reading was one of our family's favorite pastimes. While I don't lay on my stomach under our trees now, I still enjoy sitting as close as I can, smelling the scent of pine and reading a favorite book. In fact, that sounds so good maybe I'll do that tonight...

Christmas Lights

I love all the lights at Christmas. For several years, Kathy and I worked at the PTL Network and we had a million lights throughout the park every Christmas. It was wonderful to drive in or out at night during the Christmas season. Here in St. Louis we love going to the Shrine of Our Lady Of the Snows to see the lights, or drive through the Busch headquarters. But I also love the lights on the outside of our house, and on the inside. I enjoy reading or watching television in our living room with just a lamp to read and the mini white lights on. We have them on our tree, on garland on the stairs and on our fireplace mantle. Tonight I sat at the piano in our sanctuary and rehearsed music for this weekend's Christmas concert with just a piano lamp and the white lights on the big wreaths and 12' tree that are in there. After I finished rehearsing, I sat and played for another half hour or so, Christmas carols that I love to play. I've been toying with the idea of recording another piano CD and tonight I was really inspired by the atmosphere as I experimented with different chords and rhythms for some of the carols. I think I'll work on the arrangements through the winter and record next summer. I probably shouldn't bury the mini white lights too far in our Christmas boxes, I might need to pull them out for inspiration when it's 95 degrees outside and humid and I'm inside recording Christmas music.

I think I love the light because of what it does to the darkness. Even the smallest light pushes the darkness away. It is not a wonder that a name for Christ is Light of the World. It is so fitting that we use Christmas lights during this season. Even people who treat this as a completely secular holiday put up lights, symbolizing the Light of the World. If you feel the darkness of the press of life surrounding you, go find some Christmas lights. As you view their beauty, ask the Light of the World to surround you with His light. He will...

Sometimes Life Is Life

Two weekends ago the flu made its way through part of our household. We lost a weekend trying to get everyone well. This weekend, on Saturday, Kathy had to have emergency dental extractions. On Saturday Nicole began complaining of a lot of abdominal pain. I spent part of the day with Kathy at the dentist and then Saturday evening we tried to determine what we needed to do for Nicole. By Sunday morning she could not stand the pain and Kathy took her to the emergency room while I went to church early to begin my normal grueling Sunday schedule. To add to this Sunday, we had a lunch and Christmas rehearsal scheduled for our choir, orchestra and youth ensemble. Since there was a children's musical presented in the 11:00 service, Kathy and I had planned to do all the preparations for lunch so everyone else could hear the musical. Except, now Kathy is at the ER. Physically I'm at the church, but emotionally I'm with Nicole. Kathy is trying to text me and keep me up-to-speed, however, the ER at St. Luke's Hospital is in a basement bunker. It was very hard to get a cell signal. Kathy and Nicole finally got home in the middle of the afternoon, however, Nicole's pain did not lessen at all. They were not convinced that the ER doc had done everything he could have. By Sunday evening, we called the ER, found out another physician was now on the floor, and Kathy took Nicole back. This time they admitted her and she is there tonight, for a second night. We still do not have a diagnosis and Nicole's pain is still fairly intense. I spent the morning with her so Kathy could work at her job for a few hours and then I went to the church to set up the Choir and Orchestra areas so that theatrical lights could be set tonight. Tomorrow we need to complete the setup so we can have our first concert run through on Wednesday evening. Oh, did I mention that this coming weekend is one of the biggest weekends of the year for us? We're doing a major Christmas concert on Saturday and Sunday. As you know, the Christmas season adds its own busyness, and then along comes "life". Life's events do not adhere to schedules or events. Life just happens. I thank God that I can rely on Him for calm, for direction and for help in determining what I need to be doing when my orderly plan has been suddenly shot to pieces. Peace on earth, goodwill to men... thank you, Lord.

Too Much To Learn, So Little Time

I get frustrated at times with all the things I want to learn, but do not have the time to take a class, or sit for hours with a manual. For instance, I would like to have some graphic design skills. I am not an artist, so design comes hard, but computer graphic design has leveled the playing field somewhat. I would love to take some graphic design classes. I would also like to understand the engineering of my computer, and to be able to troubleshoot both the hardware and software. More classes... Or how about home repair issues. Right now I'm having trouble with our furnace at home. There is a lot of great information on the Internet, but there are a few things that I need to know that aren't there. I'm sure there's a class for that. We have a seminary down the street from our church, with a Master's program in Church Leadership with an emphasis on Administration that I would love to begin. And then there is theatrical lighting systems, large hall audio systems and the list goes on and on. Sometimes I feel like I know enough to be dangerous, to myself and the equipment or process I'm working on. I think that what I need to do is to set some priorities for the new year and figure out which things are the most important, and attainable. Then find out which things at the top of the list are affordable from both a time standpoint as well as financially. Sometimes being a "jack-of-all-trades" can be frustrating, but then again, if you are always learning, you can always be productive. Oh yea, there is one more thing I need to learn. High school algebra. When I'm helping our kids with their homework I can usually arrive at the right answer. However, I have no idea how they are teaching algebra these days, and the process of finding the right answer. I wonder if there is a class for that?

A Huge City

Sunday evening we had our annual Thanksgiving dinner at our church. After dinner, The Servant Quartet presented an evening of music and inspiration. As I was listening to one of the songs about heaven, the lyric mentioned "the city foursquare". For some reason, that phrase stuck in my mind. I refreshed my memory of its dimensions, scripture tells us that the city that God is preparing for us will be 1,500 miles wide, 1,500 long and 1,500 high. This city is huge. We are given the outside dimensions of the city but we are not told how high the levels are. If each level was a mile in height, there would be 1,500 levels. If each level was a half of a mile high, there would be 3,000 levels. If each level was ¼ of a mile high, then there would be 6,000 levels. If the levels were 1/8 of a mile high, then there would be 12,000 levels. We simply do not know. Regardless of the number of levels, There will be plenty of room for all of the redeemed through all the ages. We will not be packed in like a bunch of sardines. There will be elbow room. Jesus is preparing mansions for us and not condos. During the concert I calculated, (on my phone) that if the levels were a mile apart, the surface area of this heavenly city would be 3,375,000,000 miles square. Over a trillion square miles! To compare that to something we are familiar with, the earth's surface area, including water, is 196,935,000 square miles. What an incredible thought - even though it is hard to imagine. One of these days we'll wake up to an unbelievable sight, unbelievable, but real...

Was Christmas Ever Like A Thomas Kinkade Painting?

One of my favorite things to do at Christmas is to see the artwork that has been creatively painted and produced. Everything from manger scenes, to snow scenes, mountain villages, you get the picture. (pun intended) I have two Terry Redlin prints in my office that hang all year round. They are both wonderful country snow scenes with churches in the background and houses decorated for Christmas. Even though I know that the artwork is from the imagination of the artist, when I look deeper into some of these paintings and prints, I wonder if Christmas was ever like they portray. A village where everyone knows everyone, where the love and spirit of Christmas permeates everything people do. Where family gatherings seem to come directly from a movie script and memories linger well into the next year. I realize that Christmas really becomes what you make of it and I have celebrated some great ones. Just once, I'd love to be in a mountain town, with a carpet of snow, sleighs for taxis, roasted chestnuts on the corner. Our family all together in a big log cabin, with a huge fireplace and Christmas tree to match. We'd spend our time playing games, reminiscing about how good God has been to us, and just spending unhurried time together. We'd walk the postcard streets of the mountain town, greet everyone we met, sip hot chocolate, throw an occasional snowball and simply have a great time. Maybe I'm describing a time yet to come, where multiple generations will spend time together, rejoicing in the birth of our Lord, with Him with us. Christmas is what you make it. Make it grand!

A Must Read

In my last blog I told you about reading The Shack. I have finished the book and I highly recommend it to you. If you have trouble knowing God as a loving, unconditional embracing God, you must read this book. It is available at any of the major booksellers, or you can order it at www.theshackbook.com. This book came at a good time in my thinking because I have been overwhelmed with the process of thinking, praying through and talking to God about the way our church can reach people that live around us. In the latest issue of Outreach magazine, there is a mini-poll asking American adults, "What is an Evangelical Christian?" Here were the answers:

I have no idea 36%

A type of Christian 9%

Closed-minded 4%

Zealous/devoted 9%

Fanatics 5%

Impose beliefs on others 3%

Rely on the Bible 8%

Follow Christ 1%

If we follow Christ, we love, unconditionally. We don't force, protest, tear down, argue, demean. We love, just like God loves us. Read the book and we'll keep this discussion going.

The Shack

I am just about finished reading a wonderful book titled The Shack (Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity) by William P. Young. It is a story of a father and husband who is dealing with the tragic loss of a young daughter. Mack is experiencing what he calls The Great Sadness. A depression and sadness so deep that it is crippling life for Mack. During a severe ice storm, a note in Mack's mailbox invites him to meet "Papa" at the shack, a place in the woods where the reality of his young daughter's violent demise was discovered. I won't ruin the story by telling it all here, (you really need to read this book), but I can tell you that chapter 15 will have a profound effect on you as you see one possibility of eternity through this author's word pictures.

The one thing that has been so good for me in reading The Shack is helping me visualize God. I was raised in a fairly legalistic environment and from early on my view of God was someone who punished sin and responded to every mis-deed that I made. While I know that God loves me unconditionally, I still have difficulty putting that into a mental picture that I can equate with a loving God. I have struggled with consistent prayer throughout my entire adult life because I so often revert back to the image of a task master/punisher God, rather than a God who is my "papa", one who loves me and really wants me to spend time with Him, or in the case of The Shack, her. I'll let you read about that. :) Tonight I'll finish the book, and I think I'll make a note to re-read it again during the Christmas holidays. It's that kind of book!

November 4, 2008

By all accounts, yesterday was a historic day. Tuesday is normally my day off. Yesterday I spent 15 hours of it helping people, in precinct 435 in St. Louis County, vote. My specific assignment was to set up the touch screen machines for each voter, and to assist voters using paper ballots insert their ballot into a scanner that tabulated their vote. I arrived at 5am with 8 other team members and we got to work transforming the library of the Gambrill Gardens Retirement Community into a polling place. At 5:50am we were ready to go and we opened our polls with over 100 people in line at 6:00am.

Here are several observations that interested me. First, because of the location, we had hundreds of senior adults vote. Many of them needed help reading the ballot, using the machines, and even navigating the room. One lady I was leading to the touch screen machine tripped on a cord and knocked over the voting machine. I was able to hold her back from completely falling to the floor and hitting her head on a metal bookshelf. While the machine was damaged, the lady I "caught" only had a minor scrape on her arm. I'm sure she was sore today, but she was able to vote. I have a new appreciation for people who work with senior adults as a profession. The second observation was all the young voters, particularly those who were voting for the first time in a presidential election. Many of them came with marked sample ballots that they had spent time with, going over the candidates and issues. The third observation was that approximately 90% of the registered voters in our precinct actually voted. This was a great turnout. I thoroughly enjoyed the interaction with people as they waited in line for a free machine or paper ballot booth. I hundreds of short conversations and met a lot of nice people.

At 7:00pm we closed our polling location and started the tear down process, which included preparing the vote totals so they could be quickly tabulated at the central location. At 8:00pm I left the location, tired, but glad for the experience of being part of a historic vote. At 11:00pm I watched our new president deliver his acceptance speech, shed a tear for what could have been, resolved to pray for and be supportive of our new elected officials and then went to bed. The result could have been different, but not bad for a day off...

Christmas Is Just Around the Corner

I just purchased my third manger scene this year. In fact, it will go in my office this week to join two others that I keep up all year long. The other two new ones will stay at home and will go up the moment Kathy lets me put them out, maybe when we're cleaning up the dining room and kitchen after Thanksgiving dinner.

I am just a big "kid" when it comes to Christmas. Over the next weeks leading up to the actual day, I'll write several blogs about special memories and events, plus share a story or two. Here's the first wonderful memory.

I was raised in a Spanish speaking church. As a child, I could hardly wait each year until the annual Christmas pageant was held in our church. I remember this huge stage that stretched for hundreds of feet in each direction, with a cast of hundreds portraying the wonderful story of Christ coming to earth. It seemed like every adult in our church was in costume. Even though I had the story memorized, and I struggled to understand all the words (after all, it was in Spanish), it was new and fresh every year. To top it all off, as each child left the sanctuary that night, they were given a bag full of candy, nuts and a piece of fruit. Since my grandfather was the founding pastor of the church, I usually left with him and he was always the last one out. That usually meant that if there were any extra bags, I would get two. Every year I fell in love with the story again, and as I learned how to play the piano better, I began to contribute a little bit to the celebration. Even now, I can see the outline of the Inn, the stable with the manger, straw and farm animals drawn on the stable walls. What great memories...

Several years ago I had the opportunity to poke my head inside the church for a look, after having been gone from San Jose for many years. I couldn't believe how small the stage looked. How did they get all those people up there? I even checked to make sure that they hadn't remodeled the stage and reduced the size. Fortunately, when I think back and visualize those wonderful pageants, I see them like I remember them as a child. I wonder if they still do a pageant at the church? It would be great to visit one Christmas. Too bad the church isn't "just around the corner".