TGIF

Thank you God for Friday. Thank you for the end of a work week. Thank you for the privilege of having a job when so many people in America are unemployed. Thank you for having a job that brings me joy and that brings honor to your name. Thank you for work that makes a difference in people's lives.
I know that there are some days, even some days this past week, when I felt like I was just spinning my wheels. I wondered if I was really making a difference. It feels like there is so much more need out there than I or Habitat are able to address. There are so many people in TriState Habitat for Humanity's service area who will sleep tonight in some deplorable conditions. It honestly overwhelms me at times God.
Remind me that I am not Superman and my job is not to rescue everyone. You already sent a Savior to the world. My job is to trust in Him and in your unending grace. My job is to use the gifts that you have given me to serve families living in poverty in the best way that I can.
Thank you also God for a week that marked a milestone in my parents' marriage. It's hard to believe that they have been married for 47 years. When half of all marriages end in divorce, their love and relationship has endured. I'm grateful for the example of the love that my parents have displayed and lived out in their lives.
God, help me to find rest and renewal this weekend. I feel like I need to recharge my batteries. I want enjoy Sabbath time and also some play time. I hope to enjoy this wonderful region to which you have led me in some way. I don't know exactly what that means yet, but I trust that you will guide me.
God, most of all, thank you for your love that remains steadfast. You have led me to this place at this time and it has blessed me beyond anything I could have imagined. I am enjoying my work. I'm a part of one of the most gifted teams with which I've ever worked. I attend a church that inspires me and serves the city in some truly amazing ways. I have a family and friends who love me. I am filled with humble gratitude for your faithfulness in the midst of my life.
Thank you God for Friday and every day that are all gifts from you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Abandoned Churches, Broken Communities

The Cincinnati Enquirer published an article about aging empty church buildings in Cincinnati. You can read the full article and see photos of some of the churches at:

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110918/NEWS01/109180338

As someone who supports historic preservation, it was a difficult article for me to read. I was glad to see that some churches are in the process of being "repurposed", but unfortunately there are many that are falling apart and in danger of being condemned and eventually torn down.
I was reminded of the similar story City Methodist Church in Gary, Indiana. (see photo above) Once one of the flagship churches of Indiana Methodism, City Church is now a decaying skeleton. Located at 577 Washington St in downtown Gary, Indiana, City Methodist was built in the 1920's to hold a congregation that had grown alongside the newly built City of the Century, with U.S. Steel covering $385,000 of the construction costs. The sanctuary could hold 950 including a choir. The building also held a church school, a gymnasium and an auditorium - Seaman Hall - named for the pastor who helped raise the $1 million to pay for the construction. The auditorium was used for musical and dramatic presentations, community meetings, and various social and educational events.
In its heyday, City Methodist boasted a membership of 3,000, and the church was home to one of the largest Skinner organs in the state of Indiana. By 1970, Sunday attendance had dwindled down to about 100 as suburbanization and white flight emptied Gary of its working class population. In 1975, the church closed its doors for good and City Methodist Church began its long decent into disrepair. Over the decades, various proposals have been floated to resurrect the building, including a center for the performing arts. Those plans were crushed in the Great Gary Arson of 1997. More recently, it has been suggested that what's left of the building could be turned into a European-style ruins garden. In the meantime, the City of Gary owns the property, but lack of funds, if not will, have left the structure to crumble in the brutal Midwestern weather.
In many ways, what's left of City Church stands as a monument to white flight, racism, and the inability of the church to adapt to its surroundings. Like so many churches today, it is an empty shell that seems irrelevant to its neighbors who desperately need to know the love of Christ in their lives. In fact, I think one of the messages that a congregation sends to a neighborhood when it leaves its empty building behind is that it doesn't care about that neighborhood or its people.
I know that the people and not the building are the church. In fact, the church did just fine for the first three hundred years of its existence without church buildings. Those early Christians gathered in people's homes for worship and fellowship. At the same time, church buildings can be effective tools for ministry and a visible sign and symbol of the presence of the church in a community.
I'm not sure what the answer is. I wish more churches had the faith and vision to adapt to their changing neighborhood demographics. I wish change was easier for church members. I wish more church leaders would help their congregations boldly step out in faith to reach outside their comfort zones. I wish there was a way for the church to remember our first love - Jesus - and share his love with all the world. Maybe in that love-transformed church, there would be fewer broken neighborhoods and fewer abandoned church buildings.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

More Like You

More like you, Jesus, more like you
Fill my heart with your desire
to make me more like you.

- More Like You, Scott Wesley Brown

We sang this song today in worship. We have sung it before. It's just a simple praise chorus but for some reason it really hit my heart today. I felt as if God was trying to speak to me on a deeper level through this song. As I sang the words, I found myself in a very focused prayerful state of being. I almost didn't want it to end because I felt like I was connecting with God in a very intimate way as I sang my praise to my Creator.
Now that I think about it, this is really a scary prayer to pray. Because if I'm really serious about becoming more like Jesus then I've got to really get rid of a bunch of baggage. I need to be able to love more deeply and forgive more readily. I need to be willing to do what God wants in my life and not what I want. I need to be willing to walk difficult paths and trust in God to guide me.
I'm definitely not there yet. I've made some progress but for every step forward it seems that I take about three steps backward. I ask God to make me more loving and then God always seems to put people in my path who I find it difficult to love. I ask God to give me more peace and then God seems to allow the storms of my life to flare up and I become consumed by stress and worry. I desire to be more holy so that others may look upon my life as an example and then I say or do something that is far from holy. The truth is, I mess up because I am messed up by the human condition of sin.
While it would be tempting to just throw up my hands and forget it all and wallow in my sin. I know that is not the life God wants for me. So, I boldly and humbling continue to pray "More like you, Jesus, more like you." And each time I pray this prayer, God works in some new way in my heart. God moves me to do something I wouldn't normally do. God reveals to me something that I had not seen before. God shows me again the path of holy living and promises to walk with me.
So, tonight I'm giving God thanks for this moment of prayer, song, and praise to the One Who calls me by name. I'm giving thanks to Jesus who leads me and sometimes carries me when I don't have the strength to make the journey on my own. I'm filled with gratitude for my loving God Who molds me and shapes me into a new creation. I'm blessed by a Savior who calls me to follow him and be more like him every day.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Strategic Planning

I spent the afternoon in a strategic planning session for TriState Habitat for Humanity. Participants were the staff and Board members. It turned out to be a really fun session. I enjoyed our time together and I feel like God is doing some great things through the process.
The session was held at a Proctor and Gamble training facility. It was a really cool place. It's decorated in really cool colors and filled with lots of Ikea furniture. There were a lot of snacks and other refreshments. The working space includes lots of flat screen televisions, dry erase boards, tables for small group discussions, and nice office chairs. There is also a main space that includes the food area and lots of fun things to spur creativity. There was an arcade type basketball game, a Pac Man video game, computers, and colorful kites hanging from the ceiling.
I'm sure a lot of big companies have facilities like this but I had never visited one before. I'm sure this is key to developing new products and marketing ideas. I kept thinking that the church really needs to do more things like this. I think it would grant us permission to think outside the box and develop new and creative ways in which to share the love of Jesus with the world.
We did a fun activity in this area. We divided into two teams and we did a relay race. We had to make three baskets with the basketballs. Then we had to hop on over sized tricycles and ride the length of the room and back. Finally, we had to hula hoop for at least five seconds. Our team lost but it was really close.
I'm grateful to one of our Board members who facilitated the session and who works for this facility and was able to get us in to use these facilities. What a wonderful resource to be able to use. I am also grateful for the wonderfully gifted people who took time out of their busy schedules and gave up a Sunday afternoon for the mission and ministry of TriState Habitat for Humanity.
I am truly blessed to be able to serve this wonderful organization. I am grateful to God for leading me to this place at this time in my life.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

An Answer to Prayers

I am really excited this evening. I just got off the phone with someone from my church who works with the small group program. I shared earlier on this blog that I have been wanting to get more involved and have felt called to be a part of a small group. The man from my church invited me to help launch and lead a new small group.
This sounds like just the kind of ministry that I love. I also am grateful for the opportunity to get to know more people in my church. Being the introvert that I am, I have really not branched out much beyond attending worship for the past year. So, connecting to a small group will really be good for me.
I ask for your prayers as I go through the training and orientation. I also ask for your prayers for those who I have yet to meet who will be a part of my small group. I look forward to growing faith with them.
I know God is up to something good in all of this. Thanks for being a part of my journey!

An Answer to Prayer

I wrote earlier this month that I have been feeling nudged. One of the specific things that I have been praying about is my need to be involved in some kind of small group through my church. I wasn't sure I wanted to join a Sunday School class right now. I also wasn't feeling led to participate in a Disciple Bible Study at this time. I really felt like I wanted to be a part of a Christian accountability or discipleship group.
Well, on Sunday, there was an insert in my church's bulletin about all of the new classes and groups the church plans to start this fall. They listed about 25 new classes on various topics. Last on the list was a line about discipleship groups that they hope to launch. These groups would meet together for prayer, support, accountability, study, and service. This is exactly what I had been praying about. I was so grateful to see this listed and to learn that my church was going to launch these new discipleship groups this fall. It was a true answer to prayer. I signed up on the card and dropped it in the offering plate when it came around.
I am really looking forward to learning more about these new discipleship groups. I look forward to meeting the people that will be in my discipleship group. I know there are some amazing people who also feel called to be a part of a discipleship group. God will allow our paths to cross and in doing so allow us to grow and be nurtured in life and faith.
This was just another reminder of how God answers prayers. God allowed me to sense this nudging and then put the opportunity to be a part of a small group right in my path. While God gave me the free will to decide whether or not to fill out that card and drop it in the offering plate, God also paved the way for me to link up with other Christians in a safe environment that I know is going to be a wonderful next step in my journey. I am already praying for the people that God will bring together in my small group. I can't wait to meet them.
So, today I'm giving God thanks and praise for answered prayers.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Mystery Mission Trip

Today in worship at my church, we commissioned our youth mission team. They left today for a week-long mission trip. The pastor explained that they were leaving but they didn't know where they were going. The destination is being kept a secret from the youth. It sounds like they may be going to more than one place. We are going to be able to follow their travels and progress through the church website.
The pastor said a really neat thing. He told the congregation that in many ways this is what missions should be for all Christians. We should be willing to go wherever God leads us and needs us. We often try to control things and never leave our comfort zones. Yet, Jesus calls us to go into ALL the world - the dark places, the dangerous places, the hurting places, the starving places, and the broken places.
I am looking forward to following the youth mission team as they go into the world to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the world. I hope you will join me in praying for them. I know God is going to bless them in huge ways.
Thanks for your prayers and for being a part of my journey!

Matt

I received word today that a man who was a part of the last congregation that I pastored in Indiana had passed away today. When I received the news, I started to cry. I received the news at the end of a particularly hard day and so I think the tears flowed more freely than they might have on another. Yet, even as I cried, I also felt a kind of deep assurance that even though this was the end of Matt's life in this life, it was not the end of Matt's eternal life.
When I first met Matt, I'm not sure he wanted much to do with me. At least that's how it seemed to me as a pastor who visited his hospital room. I was asked by a friend of Matt's wife to visit Matt in the hospital. I was always a bit uncomfortable doing this. Being the introvert that I am, I always felt weird barging into a stranger's hospital room. I was never sure if I would be welcomed or not. Some people would enjoy having me visit. Some people didn't want to have me anywhere near them. Some people would politely tolerate me. Still others would get very agitated or upset when they saw me. I guess they thought that if the pastor was coming, they were going to get bad news about their medical condition.
Matt suffered from diabetes. It was the kind of diabetes that caused Matt to eventually lose both of his legs. At the time that I first visited him, I think he had just had a surgery and was recovering in the hospital from that. Our conversation was brief and consisted of only few words.
I don't remember if I prayed with Matt at that time. This was often a confusing thing for some people to know how to respond when I asked if I could pray with them. Matt was not really a church person, so I'm certain if he did invite me to pray with him, it was not the most natural thing for him to experience. I remember thinking that if I was in Matt's position of having my body parts amputated that I'm not sure I would want to talk to God. In fact, my guess is that Matt was pretty mad at God at that time. At least that was my perception.
I remember that I visited Matt again several months later when he was in the hospital for another surgery or procedure. While he was still kind of gruff around the edges, he seemed to tolerate my visit better than the first time. I remember that our conversation was a bit longer and he seemed more cordial. I was also probably more at ease because I had met him before.
While I believe that God was at work in Matt's heart and life through all of his health problems, I'm not sure that Matt realized this and I'm not sure I really could see it happening. I think I was going to visit Matt out of a sense of obligation to Matt's wife's friend who was one of my congregation members. I still felt uncomfortable doing it and I think Matt was uncomfortable having me visit.
Several more months later, I visited Matt again in the hospital. He had fallen and broken a bone in his leg. This was not good. I think the doctors were trying to figure out a way to save his leg. During this visit Matt seemed both discouraged and more open to my visit. We talked more and I remember praying with him and he seemed to really appreciate it.
After this, Matt went to stay in a rehab facility for an extended period. They tried to build up his strength and help him to keep his leg. One day during this period, I had a craving for Chinese food. One of my favorite Chinese buffets was over near the rehab center where Matt was staying. After eating some wonderful Chinese food, I felt like God was nudging me to stop in and see Matt.
On this day Matt seemed really glad to see me. He smiled as we talked. His spirit seemed really light. He had a real look of peace about him. He shared that he had been attending a Bible study at the rehab center and that he was learning a lot. He had a lot of questions about the Bible and wanted to learn more. He then shared with me that he felt he was ready to accept Jesus into his heart. He asked if I would pray with him as he did that.
I was both humbled and filled with joy as I joined him in this most holy of moments in his life. When we were done praying, he said he felt a peace like he had never felt before in his life. He looked as if a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders. Whatever was happening with his physical body didn't seem to matter as much any more. He was truly a new creation in Christ.
After that, I got some men from the church to go with me and we would hold Bible studies in Matt's room at the rehab center. We would talk and discuss life and the Scriptures and I learned and grew as did the others who joined us. Matt always seemed eager to learn and grow in his new found faith in Christ.
When Matt got to finally go home, we moved the Bible study to his house. I remember that he lived on the other side of county from where I lived and it was quite a trek to get to his house. I would sometimes grumble about the time and energy it took to do this Bible study. However, I always felt renewed after I attended these Bible studies. Matt's willingness to learn and grow always reminded me of why we were doing what we were doing.
I realize now that those were times when I really felt like the church was at its best. We were being the church to Matt but he was also a vital part of the Body of Christ as we talked and joked and studied together. He was in ministry to and with us. This was exactly the way the church began. Those first Christians met in people's homes for study, worship, support, and fellowship. In fact, I often got more out of these home Bible studies at Matt's house than I did leading Sunday morning worship for a congregation made up of many people who were more focused on preserving irrelevant traditions than truly living as disciples of Jesus Christ. Matt was definitely Jesus to me in some deep and abiding ways that I don't think I will fully understand until I see him in heaven.
When I received the email telling me about Matt's death from my friend Mari, she quoted our friend Kathy who said about Matt's passing, “We all know where Matt is now because Kevin led him to Lord.” When I read those words, I used about three tissues as I broke down and cried some more.
I don't know how much leading I really did, but I do feel that God allowed me to get a craving for Chinese food and then led me to stop in on that most important of days in Matt's journey in this world. I do feel God was able to use me in some way to reach out to Matt and offer him the unconditional love of Jesus Christ. It was a day that forever changed Matt's heart and life. It was a day on which all the company of heaven was cheering him on and celebrating his new faith in Jesus.
As I write this blog entry, I am filled with a sense of gratitude for Matt and his life that helped to change my heart and life. It was truly an honor to journey with him for the short time that I did. I know there is a big celebration going on in heaven today as Matt is welcomed into the presence of God. I can just see him running on new legs into the loving arms of Jesus as he hears the words "Well done, Matt! My good and faithful servant!"
Thank you Matt for showing me the power of God's life-changing grace! I look forward to the day when we meet again at the feet of Jesus.
I invite you to join me in praying for Matt's family as they journey through this time of grief.
Thank you for your prayers and for being a part of my journey!

Feeling Nudged

I've been feeling nudged lately. I think the nudging is coming from God but I'm not quite sure yet. I know that I have been feeling a bit restless and that usually means that God is at work some way in my heart and life. I think I need to pay attention to this nudge. If I don't, it will drive me crazy.
I think this nudge has something to do with a sense of calling to be more involved in my church's ministry in some way. There are a lot of really cool things going on with my church and I guess I have kind of been sitting back and not really participating as much as I could. I know God has ministry for me to do through my church and I need to put my spiritual gifts to work.
The other part of this is that I need to expand my circle of friends. I think my visit with my friends Vickie and Patty last weekend brought this to light for me. They have been such wonderful friends who have loved me and journeyed with me through some challenging times. They have prayed for and with me. They have been sounding boards and signs of God's grace in my life. I also know that there are these kinds of spiritual friends for me here in the Cincinnati area. However, I can't meet them if I stay home and watch Netflix all the time. So, I guess I've got to get off the couch and out in the community.
Of course, I could be totally off about this nudging going on in my life and heart. That's why I also need to spend some time in prayer. My prayer time needs to be more about me listening rather than talking. I long to do God's will with my whole life and the only way that's going to happen is for me to pay attention to times like this when I feel nudged.
I would appreciate your prayers during this time of discernment. Thank you for your prayers and for being a part of my journey!

Late for Church

This morning was weird. I overslept and didn't have enough time to attend the 9:30 AM worship service at my church that I normally attend. "No problem," I thought. "I'll just attend the 11:00 AM service." What I didn't plan on was being held up by a major accident on the Interstate that I take to church. Two of the three lanes were blocked as the police, ambulances, and tow trucks did their work. Traffic was backed up for a couple of miles. By the time I got to my exit, it was time for the service to start and I was still about fifteen minutes away from the church.
I almost thought about turning around and going home. I hate to be late to anything. I always used to wonder when I was a pastor why some of my congregation members were chronically late for worship. It just seemed like it wasn't really important to them or that they were poor planners. While that may be the case for some, I realize that sometimes being late just can't be helped. Sometimes there are barriers in our way and we are doing the best we can to get where we need to go on this journey of life.
As I was stopped on the Interstate, one thing I did manage to do was to take time to pray. At first I prayed for myself that I would not be so frustrated about being late to church. Then I prayed for whoever was in the accident. I prayed for their safety and for their healing if they were hurt. I also prayed for the rescue workers and police as they went about their jobs. I also prayed for the doctors, nurses, and other hospital workers as they prepared to receive patients.
On my drive home, I found myself wondering if maybe God didn't allow me to be late so that I could learn something. It's the lesson that I never seem to really learn: It's not all about me. So, while I felt embarrassed when I wandered into the sanctuary as the service had already begun, I once again was reminded that that the world does not revolve around me. I think that in many ways this was the sermon that I needed to hear.
The good news is that God continues to pour out grace upon me even when I'm so clueless and self-centered.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Busy

We are busy, each of us, and together we all of us are doing various things in our various congregations, but all that holy activity, church busyness and business, may carry and keep us far from the Holy One. If we are not careful we will be like Martha in the kitchen — doing so many things for Jesus, so we suppose, that we do not have time to be with Jesus. We will not be alert to what Jesus is already at work doing for, in, and among us — and we may wind up estranged from our brothers and sisters.

- Thomas Steagald, Shadows, Darkness, and Dawn

This e-devotional really resonated with me when I read it. I was there. I was all about church busyness and church business and I felt on many days very far from the Holy One. I don't believe that God was far from me but I feel as if I was working so hard in the name of Jesus that I didn't really have time for Jesus.
During this time I did everything I was "supposed to" do. I prayed. I read and studied the Scriptures. I had an active worship life. I fasted. I tithed. I went on spiritual retreats. I participated in a Christian accountability group. I filled my schedule with all of this stuff, yet on so many days, I felt alone and weary.
While there were a whole lot of other things going on with me during that time, one of the things that I think I didn't do enough was just spend time being with Jesus. Ironically, it was only by stepping away from all of that church work that caused me to really understand what was going on in my relationship with Jesus.
I'm still learning about what it means to just be present to Jesus. What I have come to know is that I could only have learned some of the lessons I have learned by being busy with church work. If I didn't have those experiences, I would not be able to learn about what it means to live without all of that busyness and business. I also know that in all of this, God has allowed me to grow as a person and as a Christian in some truly amazing and grace-filled ways. As challenging and confusing and frustrating as it sometimes is, I give God thanks for this path.
Thanks for being a part my journey!

Youth Sunday

Today was Youth Sunday at my church. The members of the youth group led the service. The youth choir sang. Four youth spoke. Some of the youth ushered. Others read Scripture and one boy played the piano. It was probably one of the best youth services I have ever attended. It was well organized and the youth all did a wonderful job. I was particularly touched by the four speakers. They gave brief testimonies and talked about how the church and the youth group had made a difference in their lives.
I was never very good at youth leadership when I was in the local church. I tried but it was not where my gifts really are. I was better one-on-one with youth. I think this is one of the reasons why I was so impressed with the service this morning. While none of the youth leaders of the church said a single word or were even sitting up front with the youth, I know all of those youth are participating because there are people in the church who are passionate about youth ministry. I know that God is moving in some huge ways in my church through the youth ministry.
It's a blessing for me to be a part of a church that takes youth ministry seriously. It's obvious that youth are experiencing the love of Christ through the church.
I'm off to Atlanta tomorrow morning.  I will be there all week for the national Habitat for Humanity conference. I am really looking forward to the week. I am hoping to learn new ideas and ways to serve families better.
Thanks to my sister Stacey, I will be able to keep up with my blogging. Stacey loaned me her old laptop computer for the week. Cameron has been using it to play games. The keyboard was a little sticky, but I got that cleaned up.
I hope you have a great week. Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Fat Tuesday

One of our wonderful Habitat volunteers brought in Mardi Gras beads in for everyone in the Habitat office. She gave me a set of beads with a pig on them. She said this was in honor of my preparation for walking the Flying Pig half-marathon. I was glad she clarified that. I was hoping she wasn't trying to give me some other not-so-subtle message.
The beginning of Lent has kind of snuck up on me. This continues to happen the longer than I am out of leadership in the church. I see now how my parishioners must have felt. When you work outside the church, the liturgical year is not really on your radar screen. I try to keep up but sometimes I really feel out of it. The Christian seasons that so ordered my work and ministry in the church seem more difficult to relate to in my current work. Poverty does not know any season. Whether it's Lent or Advent or Epiphany, sub-standard housing is ever present in our world. On this evening before the beginning of Lent, children all over the TriState region and around the world will go to sleep in houses that are unsafe and unsanitary.
Don't misunderstand me. The Christian year helps me to mark time in a way that the secular calendar does not. It draws my attention to God and God's timing for my life and the world. I am grateful for the discipline that the Lenten season will bring to my life. I think it will help me focus in a new way on my relationship with Christ and the state of my soul. I know God will speak and move and call me to a holy life once again. I guess it's just harder for me to find that focus outside full-time service within the church.
However, that is good for me. I have to be intentional about it. I have to as that great hymn challenges me to "take time to be holy." If I don't take the time to be holy, I may miss out on what God is doing and saying. I may miss out on new ways that God is calling me to be in ministry. I may miss out on an opportunity to serve others or speak Truth to a world filled with lies.
So, on this Fat Tuesday, I'm pausing to prepare. While I'd really like to eat a whole bunch of sweets, I'm going to refrain from that and simply take the time to prepare my heart and mind and body for the journey that is Lent. I want to commit to a Holy Lent. I hope to spend more time in prayer and to do some self-examination. It will be both a time to ask for forgiveness and a time to experience anew God's amazing grace.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

O Taste and See

O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him.

- Psalm 34:8, NRSV

I have a confession to make. I did not really feel like attending worship this morning. I overslept and then was rushing around trying to get ready to leave. I knew that I probably was going to be late and I hate being late for worship. It's ironic that for fifteen years I was usually the first one at the church and the last one to leave the building. Now, I usually fly in at the last minute. So, when I thought I was going to be late, I wanted to just go back to bed and forget the whole thing.
However, thankfully I decided to head to worship. I made it there just in time. The organist was playing the prelude as I walked in.
The sermon was great and spoke to my heart and life. The choir was awesome again today. The most powerful part of the service for me was the celebration of Holy Communion. I heard the words of the Great Thanksgiving again and with new ears. The liturgy made the reference to Psalm 34:8 - "O taste and see that the Lord is good." Then we sang the song Taste and See from The Faith We Sing hymnal supplement. It was a holy moment for me.
I am so grateful for God's grace that gave me the nudge to join my brothers and sisters in worship today. I felt renewed and empowered and ready for another week of work and ministry. Communion was truly a time for me to communion with the living God. Once again Jesus invited me to His table of love and forgiveness. It was a welcome means of grace for me to experience in my life.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Afternoon of Musicals

I have not felt very good all day today. I went to church and then came home and have been watching Netflix movies. I've been watching classic movies that I either haven't seen before or I have not seen a very long time. It has been really great.
This afternoon I watched Man of La Mancha and Meet Me in St. Louis. I've seen both of these movies before but it's been a long time. I forgot how fun they are to watch. I found myself singing along and just enjoying these entertaining musicals. I must say that Peter O'Tool as Cervantes/Quixote in Man of La Mancha is not the best singer in the world. Not that I'm a singing virtuoso, but I think one could make an argument for having some actors' singing voices dubbed. In contrast, Judy Garland seems at the top of her game in Meet Me in St. Louis. She is wonderful and really makes the film what it is.
Well, I'm going to try to get a good night's sleep tonight. I've got a busy week ahead. Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Waiting Room

The senior pastor at my church preached a wonderful Advent sermon today. He talked about how even as the culture is rushing towards Christmas, Christians are still in a waiting mode during the season of Advent and in our spiritual journeys. Advent is the season of waiting and preparing for the celebration of Christ's birth. It is also the time to remember that we await Christ's Second Coming when Christ shall return and transform the world as we know it.
My pastor talked about his experiences in waiting rooms and how journeying through Advent can be just like that. Like most pastors, he has spent many hours in hospital waiting rooms. He talked about how waiting rooms are places in which you can get your hopes only to have them dashed. There is great anticipation when a doctor or nurse enters the waiting room and looks for a family. Whenever the name is called and it's not your family's name, there is real disappointment.
Waiting rooms are also places where you meet people and talk with people whom you might not normally meet or talk with. There's something about the waiting period that can cause people to share things about their lives and families that they wouldn't otherwise share. People journey together in waiting rooms with hopes and fears. They share stories. They cry. They find both peace and anxiety. You just never know what may happen or what news you may hear.
Waiting rooms are also places that most of us don't want to be. I can't imagine that too many people ever just hang out in the waiting room of a doctor's office or hospital just for the fun of it. Even for chaplains who feel called to minister to people who find themselves in waiting rooms, they understand that this is not a place that the family and friends of the person in the hospital are not there because they had nothing better to do. They are there because they are waiting for news.
I remember when I was taking a class chaplaincy class at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, most often I was called to the waiting room of the hospital because the doctor had to give a family bad news that their loved one had died. Waiting rooms were not usually a place to which I wanted to be summoned. They were often places where tears were shed and grief was expressed.
I guess that's why so many of us like to skip right to Christmas rather than live through Advent. We like the happy story of the cute baby in the manger. We don't really have time to listen to prophets tell us things we don't want to hear or think about the Second Coming at which we will be judged. That just doesn't sound pleasant to me. I'd rather sing Christmas carols and give gifts. I don't really have time to wait. Life seems too short.
This is precisely the reason that I needed to hear this sermon about waiting today. I need to realize that I am in this waiting room of life and I need to make the best of my time here. I need to learn what I can from others who are waiting. I need to prepare and get ready for whatever news will be shared. I need to remember that God moves in God's time and that has nothing to do with my schedule or agenda.
So, as we journey through this last week of Advent, I invite you to join me in the waiting room. I could certainly use the company. Hopefully we can learn something together as we wait and hope for the Good News of Christ's birth.
Thanks for waiting with me and for being a part of my journey!

A Cold Winter's Day

I haven't left my apartment all day. The snow has been falling all day. There has not been a lot of accumulation and it looks like it didn't stick too much on the streets and sidewalks. However, I am guessing that the roads will be slick in the morning. I will need to allow myself extra time to travel to church.
I purposely planned to stay in today and work on the revisions of my short story for my creative writing course. I've made a lot of progress but it's still not where I want it to be. I will continue working on it tonight and tomorrow and hopefully be ready to present it to my class on Monday evening.
I did make a wonderfully delicious crock pot full of chicken tortilla soup today. It's fabulous and was the perfect thing to eat on a cold winter's day. It has a little kick to it and I made it more so with some chili powder before I ate my first bowl for supper tonight.
I am finishing up my last load of laundry. I got the bathroom and kitchen cleaned. I still want to work on some other stuff I need to organize but I think I will leave that to another day. For now, I'm back to my short story and an evening inside where it's warm. I have been listening to some of my favorite Christmas music and all seems right with the world. I am grateful for days like this in my life. They are truly gifts from God.
I hope you are having a great weekend. Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Welcomed into a New Church Home

This morning I had the honor and privilege of being welcomed into a new church home at the church I have been attending. While I couldn't take the membership vows since United Methodist clergy are members of Annual Conferences, the pastors did invite me to stand before the congregation along with the others who became members. It was a very nice service and a very meaningful time for me.
After the service, we stood in the front of the sanctuary and people came up and welcomed us to the congregation. It was very nice to be able to meet some of the leaders and other members in the life of the congregation. I felt a real sense of being welcomed into a church family. Some might question how this is possible in such a large church (about 3,000 members). For me it all comes down to the spiritual DNA of the church. This is a regional church and so many people are from someplace else. They know what it means to be a stranger in the city and they take the time to welcome newcomers in Christian fellowship.
I am really looking forward to getting involved in ministry in the life of the church. I feel as if God has led me to this community of faith at this time in my journey and I want to give my very best to helping the church to expand its mission and ministry.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Another Family Recruitment Event

Today I attended another family recruitment event in Middletown, Ohio. It was sponsored by the Butler County Head Start program. The usual suspects were there representing several of the area social service agencies. In fact, I recognized some of the people from yesterday's event with the 300 pregnant women.
Today's event caused new anxieties for me. I never got the memo but this health fair had a Hawaiian theme. The tables were decorated with bright green plastic table cloths and they had helium Mylar balloons that looked like palm trees and Hawaiian shirts. In addition to this, a man was there who tried to engage the children in music. He had a box of rhythm instruments that he allowed the children to play. For about fifteen minutes the man led the children around the room with the instruments in a kind of conga line. It was very loud and looked somewhat sticky from where I sat.
The guy who brought the instruments also brought a stereo that was loud enough to fill the gym in which the event was held. He kept playing the same three songs over and over again: a Calypso song, Bang the Drum All Day, and One Love by Bob Marley. These three songs were on a continuous loop of play for over two hours. I can honestly say that I don't want to hear any of those songs again for quite some time.
This event was not nearly as fruitful for Habitat. We only had one request for an application compared to 48 requests yesterday. I'm not sure what the difference is. There were definitely not as many people at this event. However, I was glad that at least one family showed an interest in our program.
Tomorrow is a big day for TriState Habitat for Humanity. We have two house dedications. One in the morning in Lebanon, Ohio and one in Florence, Kentucky in the afternoon. I am looking forward to participating in both events. These are always times of great celebration in the life of our affiliate.
On Sunday, I will be recognized at one of the morning worship services in my new church home. While I can't take membership vows in a local church, I will be introduced to my new church family. I am looking forward to this morning.
I also am looking forward to the coming week. I'm taking some vacation time and will be headed to St. Louis, Missouri to visit with my friends Ian and Sheri for the week of Thanksgiving. I am ready for a break from work and looking forward to spending time with my friends.
I hope you have a great weekend. Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Reformation Day

In the midst of all the Halloween festivities, I think it's important to remember that October 31 is a very important day in the history of the church. In the Protestant church, October 31 is called Reformation Day. It was on this day in 1517 that Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the doors (see photo) of the church in Wittenberg, Germany. It was this single act that most people point to as the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.
Here's a little bit more about this amazing man of faith from Wikipedia:

Martin Luther (10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest and professor of theology who initiated the Protestant Reformation. Strongly disputing the claim that freedom from God's punishment of sin could be purchased with money, he confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517. His refusal to retract all of his writings at the demand of Pope Leo X in 1520 and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms in 1521 resulted in his excommunication by the pope and condemnation as an outlaw by the emperor.

Luther taught that salvation is not earned by good deeds but received only as a free gift of God's grace through faith in Jesus as redeemer from sin. His theology challenged the authority of the pope of the Roman Catholic Church by teaching that the Bible is the only source of divinely revealed knowledge and opposed sacerdotalism by considering all baptized Christians to be a holy priesthood. Those who identify with Luther's teachings are called Lutherans.
His translation of the Bible into the language of the people (instead of Latin) made it more accessible, causing a tremendous impact on the church and on German culture. It fostered the development of a standard version of the German language, added several principles to the art of translation, and influenced the translation into English of the King James Bible. His hymns influenced the development of singing in churches. His marriage to Katharina von Bora set a model for the practice of clerical marriage, allowing Protestant priests to marry.

I hope you will join me in giving thanks for Martin Luther and his faith that helped to transform both the church and the world. For we who embrace Protestantism, in many ways he is our spiritual father. In fact it was upon hearing a reading of Martin Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans that John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, felt his heart "strangely warmed". For Wesley, this would be a turning point in his history and many point to this moment as catalyst for the Methodist church and Wesley's transformational ministry.
I hope you are having a wonderful weekend. Thanks for being a part of my journey!