Pastor Martha's Thoughts

All Saints Day

2010-11-01T15:43:00.001-04:00

Yesterday in church, we celebrated Halloween. Now don’t panic and think what kind of church does she attend? Children (young and old) were asked to dress up as their favorite Biblical person. I dressed as Queen Esther. There were many people who commented to me about my outfit, and a few even asked some questions about Esther. Some were willing to admit that they were not familiar with her story in scripture.

I have to admit that some adults just were not sure about the idea of dressing up. There were a lot of puzzled faces when I first announced this as a possibility. I mean how often does Halloween fall on a Sunday. So in the children’s time, I talked about All Saints' Day. I think this calmed some worried people, but as Presbyterians we often neglect to recognize this special day. We are misguided into thinking of Halloween as being connected to the devil and pagan worship. But Halloween is the Eve of the Hallow Day.

All Saints day is celebrated on November 1st. It shouldn’t just be a day that we honor, but we should celebrate. It is a day to remember and celebrate the lives of the saints. It is a time to give thanks for those who have died and yet had a profound impact on our spiritual formation. We have all be nurtured and strengthened by people on our spiritual journey. On All Saints Day we give thanks. The hymn reminds us:
For all the saints, who from their labors rest,
who thee by faith before the world confessed,
thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

I take time once a year to remember those saints who have shaped me in my faith. I remember my mother who had a strong influence on my faith journey. But I also remember the quiet member of a church who each week said "good job Pastor" and gave me the confidance to follow as the Spirit is leading (and not necessarily where the congregation wanted to go).

The PCUSA has a podcast of All Saints Day Scripture that you can listen to as you meditate on the day.

Anxious Times (or is it)

2010-11-01T14:47:00.001-04:00

I am, O Anxious One. Don't you hear my voice
surging forth with all my earthly feelings?
They yearn so high, that they have sprouted wings
and whitely fly in circles round your face.
My soul, dressed in silence, rises up
and stands alone before you: can't you see?
don't you know that my prayer is growing ripe
upon your vision as upon a tree?

If you are the dreamer, I am what you dream.
But when you want to wake, I am your wish,
and I grow strong with all magnificence
and turn myself into a star's vast silence
above the strange and distant city, Time.
Poem by Rainer Maria Rilke

A friend shared this poem with me because they were concerned about anxious times. Anxious times about what will happen. This summer I had some anxious time wondering what I would find when we moved to New Jersey. These can be anxious times with our denomination that struggles with questions. These can be anxious times as people search. Anxious times and yet we are claimed by God.

In the midst of the anxious times, God is. God is reaching out for us to claim us in the midst of the anxious times. God rushes to claim us with the calming sunsets that we can see with our eyes and hear with our ears. God reaches to claim us with the calming presence of the Holy Spirit. God claims us in the gentle fall breezes.

I have to admit that there were some anxious moments as we prepared to move. Questions arise ‘is this the best place for my children?’ Questions percolate of ‘are you sure this is God’s leading and not your own desire?’ And then we arrived…..and it was evident that this was God’s leading. I met and began working with my ministerial colleagues. I found that our ministries here would flourish. I met the administrative staff and discovered how the ministry would be blessed by their work. As the year has begun there is a spirit of excitement and energy. There is a passion for the Lord and the ministry of the church. We have experience the movement of the Holy Spirit.

We have been warmly welcomed into the church family. Our family is grateful for the amazing outpouring of love we have received. Thank you for the wonderful gifts we received from housewarming gifts to installation gifts. We are feeling blessed to be able to minister with you.

When we allow ourselves to allow God to claim us and calm our anxious moments, then we can see the power and Spirit of God at work.

Juan Williams and our feelings

2010-10-22T06:46:00.001-04:00

When the topic of faith comes up, some people run for the hills. They don't want to talk about a controversial topic. In our world of political correctness, we are very concerned about offending other people that sometimes we don't say anything at all. The conversations I have had the last few days about NPR terminated Juan Williams has been fascinating for me.

Reading the news and seeing the variety of people who have come out to support Williams is a whose-who of liberals and conservatives. From Sarah Palin and Karl Rove to Whoopi Goldberg and Barbara Walters, people are supporting Williams.

His comment to Bill O'Reilly "I'm not a bigot, but when I get on a plane, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous."

Now he is not saying that we should hate Muslims or not allow Muslims on planes. But he is talking about his fears and we all are afraid of something. Many times fears are irrational and can't be controlled. While in this age of political correctness, it may not be the nicest thing to say.....we need to hear it from Williams. We need to hear his fear because many people have the same fear and don't know how to talk about it. We have turned out society into a place where we don't know how to sit down and have an honest conversation with someone.

Recently, Bruce Reyes-Chow had a conversation about race on his blog and twitter feed. It was a helpful conversation to listen in on as we talk about how we move beyond race labels (or do we). In the same light we need to be able to talk honestly and openly about our perception of other people and groups. I think the last few days have encouraged some healthy conversation.

Williams was not speaking as an reporter saying that Americans should be concerned when there are Muslims on planes. Williams was not demanding that Muslims should not be allowed on planes. Instead Williams was a person who spoke of his fears and for that he should not be punished. We live in a place where people can speak their opinions and fears and have an open honest conversation.

How should we worship God?

2010-09-23T20:38:00.000-04:00

Today, I was looking for an old sermon of mine and decided I would post it here. I was sharing it with a friend and thought maybe it might speak to other people too. This was a sermon I preached to help us see that the hymns we sing are important. The music should relate to the entire service and not just be sung because it's a favorite.

Psalm 92

Katherine Kehler, with Campus Crusades, gives practical advice on the need to spend the day with the Lord:
Usually our days are filled with the demands of life crying for our attention, ...but today, whether for four, eight or 12 hours, your only priority is to be with your Lord ...to bask in His love, to thank and worship Him, to listen to Him, to intercede for others...to lay your life and activities before Him and let Him give directions. The objective is to spend relaxed uninterrupted time with God, not to go through a format.

From the Psalms we are given great advice.
Psalm 92 What a beautiful thing, GOD, to give thanks, to sing an anthem to you, the High God! To announce your love each daybreak, sing your faithful presence all through the night, accompanied by dulcimer and harp, the full-bodied music of strings. (The Message)

So why is it we come to worship and think we need to sit quietly and listen to a sermon? How are we announcing the beautiful things God has done if we keep quiet. The Psalms tells us that we are to give thanks to sing an anthem to God and yet as Presbyterians we are a little uncomfortable with anything that isn’t quiet and traditional.

We should start off every morning Praising the Lord. The Psalms tell us that but we shouldn’t just begin our day that way, we also need to make sure we have our worship be a time of praise for God. I don’t know about you, but music can change my mood. There are songs that I listen to with the girls that make me feel like a kid again. There are songs that I listen to that just pick up my spirit. There are songs that I listen to that put a smile on my face.

Every Sunday on my way to church, I listen to the same CD. There is a song on the CD that just gets me ready to worship. I have to admit that on more than one occasion I kept hitting the repeat button to listen to the song again and again. It’s a praise song so you may not be familiar with it, but it’s called “Here I am to Worship.” A group at my last church sang it one Sunday right before my sermon. When I got up to preach I had a different spirit inside that I decided to listen every Sunday. The words are:

Light of the world
You stepped down into darkness.
Opened my eyes, let me see.
Beauty that made this heart adore You
Hope of a life spent with You

Here I am to worship,
Here I am to bow down,
Here I am to say that You're my God
You're altogether lovely
All together worthy,
All together wonderful to me

We are here to worship our Lord. We need to proclaim all the wonderful and mighty acts he has done. When I take the time to praise God it refreshes my soul. It reminds me how blessed I am especially when I think that the world is against me. We need to give thanks and be glad for what the Lord has done for us. Yet at times I think we don’t know how to give thanks.

Now I am going to admit something to you all, that many pastors don’t like to admit……I have a hard time remembering scripture. I was never good at memorizing when I was a kid. My mind would go blank when I was asked to recall something. I would try out for plays and would rehearse…..but then when it was show time my mind would be empty. I have a hard time remembering things exactly.

But I can remember music. I learned as a little child a song that I am sure many of you learned. Jesus loves me. The words are simple and yet the message is powerful. The song has been loved by many started out as a poem by Anna Warner in the 1860’s. She was a Sunday School teacher near West Point who wanted to share the Gospel. A few years later her poem was set to music. This simple song is a guide for some many children, and I think adults. It may be simple, but it gives a short theology lesson. Karl Barth was one of the most brilliant and complex intellectuals of the twentieth century. He wrote volume after massive volume on the meaning of life and faith. A reporter once asked Dr. Barth if he could summarize what he had said in all those volumes. Dr. Barth thought for a moment and then said: "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so."

So I want to share with you a little information about our next hymn before we sing it. The song, "His Eye is on the Sparrow," was made popular by singer Ethel Waters who loved the song so much that she used its name as the title for her autobiography. It was based on the words of Jesus, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father… So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31)

The words to this song were not inspired by someone who always lived on the sunny side of life. Mrs. Civilla D. Martin (1866-1948) wrote the lyrics in 1905 after she and her husband visited friends by the name of Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle in Elmira, New York. Mrs. Doolittle had been bedridden for nearly twenty years, and her husband was an incurable cripple who had to propel himself to and from his business in a wheel chair. Mrs. Martin noticed that despite their afflictions, the Doolittles lived happy Christian lives, bringing inspiration and comfort to all who knew them. One day while with the Doolittles, Dr. Martin commented to his wife about their bright hopefulness, so they asked them for the secret of it. Mrs. Doolittle’s reply was simple: “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.” The beauty of this simple expression of boundless faith gripped the hearts and fired the imagination of Dr. Martin and his wife. The hymn “His Eye Is on the Sparrow” was the outcome of that experience - the poem was written that very night and sent the next day to Charles Gabriel who put the words to music.

We have a lot to be thankful for in our lives. Our community may be facing difficulties, but we can thank God. Maybe if we are vocal about our praise and thanksgiving to God, we can be an example like the Doolittles to help others see the blessings God has given them. We may have some hardships. I know the number of homes being foreclosed is increasing. I know there are people looking for where their next meal will be. I know that we have people who don’t know where to turn, but we still can give thanks to God. We must give thanks because we have a Lord who still looks out for us and keeps his eye on us.

So remember to give thanks and praise the Lord. You may not remember which Psalms tells us to give thanks, but that is okay. Just remember to give thanks. It can be in the form of a hymn or a prayer. The Lord doesn’t mind how we give thanks. You can do this at red lights, while you are driving. Use you spare moments to pray for others. You can pray by yourself or with others. Just remember to praise the Lord for the beauty of creation and all that is in it.

RevGalBlog Friday Five: Baby Showers

2010-09-17T08:31:00.000-04:00

Jan posted today at RevGalBlogPals Friday Five: Baby Showers! by asking:

So I hope you'll participate in telling about your likes and dislikes about baby showers for you and for others.

I decided to play along so here are my answers:
1. What were baby showers like for you and your friends in the past? The ones I remember were often crowded in someone's home with a few games and some laughs while we watched the mom-to-be open presents. Now I have to admit that was not my personal experience. For my oldest, it was in the church fellowship hall with about 100 of my female parishioners. They each wrote down a piece of advice about motherhood, played a few games and of course ate cake while I opened presents. For my youngest, I was in a different church setting. One of my churches held a babyshower which were items to pamper a new mom including a dish that would be in the freezer ready to be pulled out on a day when I was worn out. My other churches had a traditional gifts for babies.

2. Did you play games? What kinds? I try to block those out of my memory. For my first, they guessed the gender because I wanted to be surprised. We also did the guess which fruit and vegetable baby food is in the jar.

3. In your job, especially if you are a pastor, do you get invited to a lot of baby showers? What do you do about them? It depends. There are some families that invite even if I don't know the mom-to-be and others who keep it to a small group.

4. Are baby showers different for our daughters (or younger friends) than they were for us? My oldest is 9 so she better not be having any baby showers yet.....but I have noticed the last several I went to were different from mine. Men have been welcomed at the last few showers I've attended. They also seem to have different types of themes: the last one I went to was a book theme. Bring your favorite book for the little boy as part of your gift. I have seen an increase in showers for second and third children. Some have been to bring meals for the mom-to-be when she needs a break from cooking. Another asked that you only contribute money that would be pulled together to help pay for someone to clean the new mom's house a few times.

5. Do you like hosting baby showers or do you avoid that responsibility? I don't mind hosting them as long as I have someone else to help. I personally don't like the silly games and don't want to have to ask others to play them.

Bonus: Any silliness about baby showers you wish to contribute.
One shower I attended announced the name of the baby boy on the cake.....but misspelled his name. Fortunately the mom had a good sense of humor and was okay with it and said "I guess this reminds me that we have to spell how to shorten his name"

The Eighth Letter Project A word of Love in a time of Judgment

2010-09-13T19:25:00.004-04:00

I am always interested in conferences. For me it’s where I am challenged and find my creative side energized. So I was intrigued when I started reading about The Eighth Letter Project happening in Ontario on October 1st-2nd. Participants are invited to compose letters to the church.

The book of Revelation contains seven letters addressed to 1st century congregations struggling to find their identity. Nearly two thousand years later we are asking some of the world’s leading thinkers, people you've never heard of and, well...you: what is your message for the Church in North America?

Also Rachel Held Evans is hosting a synchroblog. So please feel free to stop and see what others are writing to the Church in North America.

To The North American Church,

You have been a constant in my life. I was fortunate that I was raised by parents who loved the Lord and encouraged me to be involved in the church. During my college years, I tried to go my own direction but you continued to love me back to the church. It was the church that first showed me that I was called by God for a special purpose (even when I was trying to go a different direction). When people ask me why I am involved in the church, I relate it to my family. I love my family even when they are causing me grief. You have to take the good with the bad and yes sometimes the bad can be really bad.

One problem with the church today is their sense that they have a right to judge. In the letter to the church at Rome we hear these words:

Those people are on a dark spiral downward. But if you think that leaves you on the high ground where you can point your finger at others, think again. Every time you criticize someone, you condemn yourself. It takes one to know one. Judgmental criticism of others is a well-known way of escaping detection in your own crimes and misdemeanors. But God isn't so easily diverted. He sees right through all such smoke screens and holds you to what you've done. (The Message Romans 2:1-2)

Yet somehow we think we have the right to point the finger. The purpose of the church is to help build one another up so that we can be the Children of God we are called to be. We prefer to point fingers and say what the other group is doing wrong. The church prefers to label as progressive or conservative and say what the other group is doing wrong.

We are not called to judge one another, for that is coming a day of judgment. But on that day, we will not be the judge instead we will stand before a God who is loving and just who will make the decision about us. We all have sinned and fallen short. We need to give thanks that Jesus shows us through his action what the Gospel is all about.
Paul wrote to the Philippians:

If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. (The Message Philippians 2:1-4)

So love one another rather than judge one another. Remember to pray for and with each other, then you can see and experience the image of God in one another. Just as you are created in God's image, the same can be said to the person next to you who may look differently than you and may even think differently than you.

So I rejoice today that God has made you who you are because you are a special gift from God.

Love,
Your Sister in Christ

Reframing Hope Vital Ministry in a New Generation

2010-09-08T08:57:00.005-04:00

Last week, I received a copy of Reframing Hope Vital Ministry in a New Generation by Carol Howard Merritt. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the future vitality of the church (or even wanting a church to be vital today).

In 1998, I was ordained as a pastor. I immediately went to my first church as an Associate Pastor and discovered a few things. Older pastors would try and mentor me and give me wonderful advice……but at times their advice wasn’t helpful. They were used to “doing” ministry a certain way and they didn’t notice that society has changed. Just because something is new and different, doesn't make it better; it's just different. Carol also acknowledges that some things never change, ministry is still sharing the Gospel and being the body of Christ for the world.

The book begins with two simple questions “what does the substance of hope look like right now, in the midst of these rapidly flowing currents? what is our vision of hope when it is framed in a new generation?” (page 8)

According to M-W.com Hope is to cherish a desire with anticipation. But do we hope in the church? How we have done ministry for years can’t be the way we do ministry in the future. But the general concept of ministry is the same. It used to be to communicate with members, pastors would call them on the phone or go to their home for a visit. But Carol points out the connections that can be made through email, facebook and twitter (where I became friends with her).

Carol writes about creating vital ministry for the next generation adapting ideas from the past. She finds the best of the past and adapts it for the future. Carol also recognizes the pain that the past has caused and how we must reframe how we view the past, the present and the future. Hope looks different to everyone. But what matters is that it is hope. In Reframing Hope, Carol looks at what ministry for a new generation might look like. She looks at not how we do it for them, but how we do ministry with them. I have to admit that as I was reading the book, I wasn’t just thinking about the impact this book would have on Millennials, but about my generation, Generation X. Carol helps us see ministry in the future by being attentive to what people actually need and want rather than what we think they need and want.

I am giving away a copy of Carol's book on September 17th. Please leave a comment if you want a chance to win it for free. I think book can be helpful to anyone involved in ministry who wants to make an impact.

The Importance of Reading

2010-09-02T14:41:00.004-04:00

Last week, I moved from Indiana to New Jersey. We purchased on house on Tuesday the 24th. My husband had many wonderful plans in place so that we would have telephone, tv and computer access starting on the 24th which was also the day our furniture arrived. Through a variety of errors, we had no phone, no internet and no satellite tv until today. To relax between unpacking boxes, I would read. I can’t imagine what I would have done to pass the time if I was unable to read.

I read for pleasure. I read for work. I read a lot either in print or on the web. Reading is as natural for me as breathing. So you can imagine my shock when I read on UNESCO Today one in five adults is still not literate and two-thirds of them are women while 72 million children are out of school.
This was shocking to me. I remember fondly reading to my daughters. Many nights with my oldest we read Good Night Moon. Everynight with my youngest we read Llama, llama red pajama. These books were a signal to them that it was bedtime and all would be okay. I have enjoyed reading with my children as they learn about new places and new things.

But reading should be more than just for pleasure. It is a way we learn and connect with people. Books have been a way for me to learn. It is not uncommon for friends and family to enjoy a book so much that they want me to read it too. This lets me know what they value as well as gives me an impression of who they think I am and what I am about. Reading is important and something that I am grateful I am able to enjoy.

International Youth Day

2010-08-13T05:39:00.003-04:00

I was intrigued when I learned that there would be a group blogging about International Youth Day; a time when the world recognizes the potential of youth and celebrates their achievements.

George Bernard Shaw once said “youth is wasted on the young.” We can think of young people who have everything going for them. Physically they are in the best health they will ever be in. Their minds are sharp and clear. As someone who is in my 30’s I am reminded every day that I am not as young as I think I am. My body doesn’t bounce back as quickly as it once did, and staying up all night isn’t an option as it was while I was in college. Shaw implies though that the youth is wasted because the young lack patience, understanding and wisdom which results in so much wasted effort.

Recently, I attended a summit on drop out prevention. I live in a community with a high number of student drop out of school each year. I live in a community where there is high unemployment and there is little hope for the future. So I was intrigued when people started talking about what individuals can do to help prevent drop-outs. People started to say that the drop-out rate is not just a school problem — it’s a community problem.

The possibilities ahead of the youth today are endless. While there are many difficult challenges that they must face, other generations have had challenges too. They are just different ones.

Somehow, we must help the youth of today see that they aren’t the future, but the present. They bring a new view to the world that is needed to help make the world a better place. Each generation has value and something to contribute to society. We need to spend time mentoring because that can make a difference. Indiana Mentoring Partnership gives examples of what a difference an adult can make in the life of a young person. Our youth are talented and smart people, they just need someone to encourage them to be all that they can be. I am amazed at what young people are doing in their daily lives. As adults, we need to encourage them because the youth are changing the world.

RevGalBlogPals Friday Five

2010-08-13T05:13:00.003-04:00

This morning I was reading the questions at RevGalBlogPals: Dog Days of Summer Friday Five and I thought I'd play along.

1. What is the weather like where you live? Here in Indiana we have had some hot and humid days lately.

2. Share one thing you love about this time of year. Swimming. There is something about going to the pool that makes me feel like a kid again. When we had a pool in our backyard, there would be days that I would go in for 15 minutes to unwind. For me, there is nothing that takes away stress like diving underwater.

3. Share one thing you do NOT love about this time of year. Humidity. I tend to have more migraines in the humidity.

4. How will you spend the remaining days leading up to Autumn? We move next week to a new church. So I wish I could say that I will get to relax and enjoy the last of summer. But in reality, it will be finish packing boxes and then unpacking and settling in to our new home, church and community.

5. Share a good summer memory. I love summer. There are so many wonderful memories from summer camp to family vacations. But the one that I love the most (at the moment) was last summer when our family went to Florida to Disney. It wasn't just our immediate family, but my two sisters and their families and my Mother-in-Law. My cousin who lives in Florida came and joined us for a few days with his family. It was a wonderful time for my girls to spend with their extended family and have a lot of fun. While I don't think I could handle always vacationing with my family, I think it was a wonderful experience for us and the girls have memories that will last a long time.

Bonus: What food says SUMMER to you? Funnel Cake. I love funnel cake. As a kid, we lived next door to the town fair. We could smell the food and each night it was the funnel cake that I begged mom to let us go get. The rest of

Mother OR Pastor OR maybe both

2010-08-12T16:21:00.003-04:00

Over the last few weeks, I haven't been writing much and for that I apologize. I like think about what I write and make sure that I like it before I post. It has been so busy around our house trying to pack and prepare to move and say goodbye.

But I have been reading a lot and pondering. Today I was reading RevGalBlogPals post which asked a question of women pastors. "How do you handle the issue of breastfeeding my infant while working?"

When I first read the question my gut reaction was "what issue?" I know that I live in my ignorance is bliss world, you don't have to tell me. But it never dawned on me that people might not approve of a pastor breastfeeding.

I was always discrete when I needed to nurse a child. My husband would generally have a bottle ready in case she needed to eat while I was busy in the pulpit. But to me, breastfeeding was natural and important for my daughter. Reflecting back now, I can see that it might have been a bit different for members of the congregation. But no one ever said a word against it to me.

Recently, I was talking with a member of my congregation about my style of prayer in worship. She commented that you "acted like this is the way to do it" and so we all went along. Now she can't imagine having a prayer for the people without lifting each person by name with pauses after each name. I think I carried myself in a way that let people know that I was still their pastor, but at the same time my child needed me. Both of my children were nursed until they were at least a year old. For that I am grateful that this was possible.

Breastfeeding was a wonderful time for me to bond with my child. I loved having her snuggle up. Churches need to realize and be open to pastors being a parent (either mom or dad) as well as a pastor. Almost 6 years ago, I interviewed with my current congregation. In the middle of dinner, my 5 month old informed me she was ready to eat. I got up from the table. Once she was latched on, I discreetly put a towel over her before joining them again for the rest of dinner. Looking back now, I wonder what that committee of 2 men and 4 women were thinking. At the time, it never even crossed my mind that it might not be the best thing to do because my daughter needed me.

I pray for women colleagues everywhere as they explore this issue. We can feed our children in a way that is good for them while still pastoring a congregation.

Is there a Future for the Church?

2010-08-06T08:11:00.005-04:00

Over the years, I have read a number of articles about the state of denominations. Bruce Reyes-Chow wrote about the demise of the Presbyterian Church. He wrote about this with hope and optimism for the future. George Bullard wrote about the decline of the denominations in general. This morning as I ponder cleaning out my office (ok stall before packing), I read Matt Appling article about the decline of mainline denominations.

As a Presbyterian, I am aware of our church's decline. We have lost members over the years. I have had friends leave the denomination for a variety of reasons. To be honest, I have wondered "is the PCUSA the right place for me?"

As I ponder all this, I have come to the conclusion that we have forgotten what church is about. I think we are so caught up in numbers and programs that we have forgotten to be focused on the message. Whenever I talk with fellow pastors (both non-denominational and those who belong to some denomination), one of the questions is always about numbers. How many were in worship last week? How many come out for your Bible Study? How many people are you serving? How many? How many? When did the Gospel get focused on numbers? (Yes in Acts we hear about Pentecost and the large crowd that came to believe that day) I think we long for the past because we long for days when were looked important because we had larger crowds. We mistakenly worship the past rather than let the past guide us to the future. The past should be a guide to us but churches use the past to dictate the future and it limits the ability of the church to minister and share the Gospel.

I say all this as I pack up my office. August 15th will be my last Sunday at my current church. I have been here for 5 1/2 years and I like my small church. But the numbers are shrinking mostly because it is an aging congregation in a community that is dying. I think this church may not be around in a few years, and while my heart grieves.....it may not be a bad thing.

I think Matt may be right that we need to go about being church differently than we do currently. We need to get past the labels and DO the work of the church. We talk too much about what needs to happen and don't spend enough time actually doing it. I am not saying denominations should go away, but maybe we should spent more time focused on the mission and ministry of the individual church. Denominations can be a blessing. The church just needs to figure out how to balance the connectional nature of the denomination and the ministry of the individual church.

Stewardship of "suff"

2010-07-31T10:48:00.005-04:00

I have to say that I am fortunate. Over the years I have been blessed to have "stuff". When I moved out, my parents gave me "stuff." I married a man who already had a bunch of "stuff."

Shortly after we moved to our first home, we were expecting. With babies come lots of "stuff" that society tells you that you need to have. My parents were raised to never throw anything out and passed on that trait to me. So we kept what we had and collected more "stuff." Five and a half years ago, we moved to a house that was bigger than we needed.....which was perfect for all our "stuff" that we had been collecting. If someone had something they no longer wanted, we often took it. We ended up with eight desks in our house. We ended up with eleven bookshelves full of books. We have a lot of toys. We have five walk-in closets so we have lots of clothes. I have to admit I can't pass up a sale so I helped purchase things which made our home full.

But somehow over the years, I thought we had been responsible with all of our "stuff." As my youngest daughter grew, I thought that I had been doing a good job of passing along "stuff." We had received many hand-me-downs for them and I thought I had done the same. You can imagine my surprise as we have been packing that I have located clothes that were too small for my youngest when we moved into this house 5 1/2 years ago.

For the last few weeks, we have been sorting through all of our "stuff" to see what will make the move to our new home. We are moving to a house that is half the size of our current one. We are downsizing in a wonderful way. There is a young teenage mother who has received a number of baby items that we just don't need. She has received unopened packages of diaper wipes and clothes and a dresser. All of this we just gave her because we remembered that someone along the way helped us as we were starting out. We gave away our piano and furniture through freecycle, because we knew that we wouldn't have room for the "stuff" in our new home.

At first it was hard to give away things, but now I am happy watching it all leave my home. It has been a freeing feeling for me to not feel under pressure from all this "stuff" that has been all over our home. But it has been wonderful hearing the stories of people who have received our second-hand (and even third-hand) goods. It was nice to hear from the college student who was thrilled to have a coffee-table. It was wonderful to meet a budding musician who would take our banged up piano that needed lots of tlc. The piano had at one time been in a church basement until they gave it to us.

While there are many moments, that I have been dreading in this packing and moving process, I have to admit that giving away our "stuff" has been a wonderful experience. As I look around my home with boxes stacked to go to our new home, I realize that I still have a lot of "stuff" even if I have already passed a lot on to someone else.

Friday Five: Love the One You're With

2010-07-30T09:48:00.005-04:00

Over at the RevGalBlogPals it is Friday and the day to answer five questions quickly. Kathrynzj asks us:

This Friday Five will post while I'm at the beach which for me is more than a vacation destination, it is a trip home. I have found it quite easy to wax nostalgic about the places I used to live (well, except for one) and have begun to wonder what it is I like about the place I'm living now? For instance I sure do love the beach, but this picture was taken about 30 minutes away from my house - not too shabby!

And so I ask you to please name five things you like about where you are living now... and as your bonus - 1 thing you don't like.

My first reaction was I just did this and in some ways I did write about this topic as I am leaving my current call. As I prepared to leave, I reflected on my time and how it wasn't all bad. The community is depressed so I wrote a column in the local paper about the Top Ten things I will miss about Connersville.

So in theory, this should be easy for me to do.

1. The People ~~ we live in a friendly area where people know one another and keep in touch. There are too many people to list, but we are fortunate to have a good group of people around us that love our children and have "adopted" them as part of their family.

2. Our home ~~ we managed to buy our dream home in many ways and honestly I can't imagine a better home anywhere else. We live on 3 acres in town but are in the woods. It's the best of both worlds.

3. Close but far away ~~ we are close to Indy, Cincy and Dayton (about an hour to each) and yet we are far enough away that we are rural that we feel safe. We can easily get to the zoo, the museums, airports, shopping malls and yet be tucked away in our small town.

4. Stores ~~ while we are a small town, we have a few places that we love to go Kunkel's Drive-In for great food and Brian's Bookstore and Coffeehouse for wonderful desserts

5. Schools ~~ my children have been blessed to be in a school that they love. The teachers and staff are wonderful and KNOW my children even when they haven't been in that class yet. How many 6th grade teachers know 3rd graders? I have the teacher, principal, bus driver and aide all in my cellphone when I think there is a problem.

BONUS: I dislike the inability of people to change AND the skepticism of women in ministry

Top Ten List

2010-07-29T10:30:00.001-04:00

In June, I announced to my congregation that I would be leaving in August. In the days that followed I have spent a lot of time reflecting on my five and a half years in this community. Many have assumed that I can't wait to leave Connersville and Fayette County. I am excited about going and following where God is calling me, but there will be some aspects that I will miss about Fayette County. I wanted to share with you my Top Ten List of What I will Miss About Fayette County.
10. Kick Ball League is unique to the area. It is a great way to teach sportsmanship while helping children learn to relate to one another. It is a fun league in which various ages play together. This is a true gem that my daughters will miss.
9. The Fayette County Ministerial Association is a wonderful group of churches and clergy who come together. The worship services are moving and remind the churches that we need to work together to share the Gospel Message.
8. We have lived in a variety of places both big and small, but I am amazed at how staff in restaurants and stores recognize people. It's not just the places that we go every week that remember us. Employees at restaurants that we go to once in a while remember us, call us by name and know what we drink. You don't feel like a stranger, but a friend that they are glad to see.
7. Christmas Light Display on Central Avenue is amazing. I love Christmas lights and driving around to see them. In December, I make sure to drive up and down Central to see the lights a few extra times. The lights just help me get in the festive mood.
6.The Fayette County Free Fair is one of a kind. I know of no place where you can attend the fair and park a car for free. There is a chance to see people in the community, but also see the talent of our young people with their 4-H projects.
5.Hope Pregnancy Care Center is a worthy cause in town. Young women AND men can go seeking help. While the center encourages abstinence, the center also talks to young women about adoption and the option of raising the child. There are parenting classes for moms and dad as well as a place to receive diapers and other baby supplies.
4.Lord's Table is a special place. My daughters go with me each month to help feed those who need a meal. While some think it is a rough part of town, the people who come for meals don't fit any mold. Some are older adults, some are school age children, some come by themselves, some come as families. My daughters have learned how to practice their faith while accepting people who just need a little bit of help and my daughters have been accepted for who they are.
3.Grandview Elementary School has been a fantastic place to learn. KD completed the 3rd grade and knows everyone in the building. Ellie completed Kindergarten. From teachers and staff who encourage the children to learn to students who have been a pleasure to be around. We have had a bus driver and aide who have instilled safety to my girls.
2. The Spirit of Charity is admirable. Even in the midst of hard times, people have been generous. It was evident at the Relay for Life as people gave to help support and remember those who have fought cancer. At Thanksgiving and Christmas, Family Video has worked with our church to distribute baskets to those in need. When I have lifted a concern in the community of people needing food or clothes, there has been a response. People want to give even when they themselves have so little.
1. People. We have met some wonderful people that we consider friends. We are fortunate to have Butch and Sue Bunzendahl as neighbors. They have adored our children and tried to treat us as they want to be treated. Many days after school, the girls would go to Brian's Bookstore for a snack. The group of men who are there around 3 pm, have loved talking and joking with them. We have met many people through Girl Scouts, 4-H, community events and church. The list of people we will miss could go on for a whole page.
Thank you for welcoming us in the community and making us feel at home. We will miss Connersville and Fayette County.

In the Midst of A Conversation

2010-07-26T10:08:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I preached on the Gospel of Luke and prayer. I have to admit that some things are still on my mind that I should pray about.

The Lord's Prayer is a wonderful prayer that is at the heart of Christian worship all over the world. It’s a beautiful prayer that is powerful and has meant so much to so many in their spiritual development. Prayer is essential to the life of a Christian. I don’t see how anyone can make it as a Christian without a deep and rich prayer life. Sometimes we will pray out of a sense of deep need. Other times we will be so filled with joy we will be driven to our knees in thanksgiving. And then there will be times when we will be ashamed of some action or some thought, and we will pray, “God have mercy on me.” But to be a Christian is to pray.

Prayer should be the most important conversation you'll ever have. It's not a monologue. Many people think about it as our time to talk to God, telling God how we feel, what we want, confessing our sins, seeking God's forgiveness, petitioning in behalf of others, reaffirming our praise and devotion. But prayer should be more than a monologue.

I have always had a problem with regular, scheduled prayer periods--taking a formal time out of every day, perhaps at the beginning of the day, to pray and meditate. My organized prayer life is pretty disorganized~~it happens each day, but it tends to be a bit random. I imagine that I am not alone in that problem. One is the problem of my impatience in waiting for answers to my prayers. I don’t get the answers as quickly as I want them.

Instead of being patient many of us (including psalmists and prophets) cry out, "Where are you? Why have you forsaken me? How long, O Lord?" It's been hard for me to discover that God answers prayers in more than one way--sometimes with a yes, sometimes with a no, and sometimes with a wait you aren’t ready for the answer yet.

I have also learned over the years to be careful when asking questions. In my first church, the people leading the children’s sermon would always start out asking “how was your week?” I thought it was cute when kids in children’s moment would shout out answers. We learned one member had a mouse in their kitchen which thankfully the dad caught. The answers were often amusing, until I became a parent and I dreaded what would my children say. We have to be careful when we ask questions, because we might not like the answers. The same is true with prayer. We have to be careful because we may not like how God responds. Sometimes God's responses are hard to handle.

Paul prayed not once but three times to have a certain thorn removed from his flesh, but God said, "No, you can handle it." And Jesus asked if it be possible to let the cup of violent death pass from him. But he concluded, "Not my will, but yours be done," and his life was not spared.

We probably ought not dare to pray unless we're willing to enter into a conversation and be open to God's part of it. And that conversation must be genuine. God will certainly be honest with us so we can afford to be honest with God.

Now, ongoing conversation isn't always just dialogue--words in both directions. Sometimes it includes silence. I like that famous story of those two good friends, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry Thoreau. It is said that one evening Thoreau came over to Emerson's house and, for a couple of hours, they both sat in front of the fire saying nothing. At the end of the time, Thoreau got up to leave, thanked Emerson for the evening, Emerson thanked him for coming, and that was their time together. Being silent together is one beautiful expression of the relationship between good friends.

So if you don't mind, I will take a little time to be in conversation with God as I silently and listen.

My Journey with Autism

2010-07-24T14:46:00.005-04:00

A few weeks, ago I signed up on BloggersUnite to write about People First: Empowering People with Disabilities. The idea that bloggers around the world would raise awareness about empowering people with disabilities was compelling to me. But as the days got closer, I thought about "what would I say????"

So I decided to today to write about my experience. When my oldest daughter was 2 years old, she was diagnosed with autism. My husband and I worked hard to learn all that we could about this disease. We were fortunate to get her into a pre-school that worked with children with disabilities. They helped her in so many ways. While she was unable to speak, she had a lot of ways to show us that she loved and cared for us. I remember friends who would talk about wanting their kid to reach a certain milestone before the average kid.....and I just kept saying that my daughter would do things in God's time. We continued to work with her and love her. We accepted her as she was. One time while at her preschool, her teachers commented that we never once asked them "how can you fix her?" I was shocked and said "we like her quirks and think she is a great child just the way she is!"

She is now 9 years old and still a wonderful child. Her abilities have grown over the years. She has learned to talk and at times we can't get her to stop. On the autism spectrum, she is on the mild side. We knew seven years ago when she was diagnosed that God had a plan, and we just had to go along for the journey. I am fortunate to belong to a church that is aware of disabilities and the need to include differently able people in the church. Presbyterians for Disability Concerns has a number of resources to help churches. But I have to say that encouraging my daughter to participate in worship has been a blessing. Many members of my small church have been willing to help teach her how to worship while mom is in the pulpit and dad sings in the choir loft. They have come to see and learn from her the importance of prayer in worship especially in communion.

She has truly been a gift from God to our family and has made us smile many days. (Yes there are frustrating days too, but that is for another blog post) So I will share a proud mom moment, when she recently participated in the talent show at school and won. I try not to limit people with disabilities, because I don't know what God's plan is for them or me.

RevGalBlogPals Friday Five

2010-07-24T08:39:00.003-04:00

One of the blogs I read often is RevGalBlogPals which is a group of bloggers who are committed to building a supportive online community for women clergy, women church professionals, and women in religious life. This morning as I was catching up on my reading, I decided to play along with the Friday Five Decisions.

Since I've been in the midst of a discernment process, I've done a lot of reflecting on how we make decisions. But don't worry, I'm not going to ask you to reveal a dark story about a poor decision, or a self-flagellating story about an embarrassing one. Let's keep it simple and go with five word pairs. Tell us which word in the pair appeals to you most, and after you've done all five, give us the reason why for one of them.

1) Cake or Pie ~~ I love a great cake. In my free time (which I am not sure when that is) I love to bake a cake and decorate it. While a simple box cake is nice, I love to experiment and see what happens when I add extra things.

2) Train or Airplane ~~ Living outside of NYC, I loved to take the commuter train to NYC. It was a great way to travel and I couldn't help but enjoy the view of the Hudson River as we traveled. While in seminary, I found trains a great way to travel so that I could get there reasonably priced and still able to do my homework while traveling.

3) Mac or PC ~~ PC. Every time I have problems I think, I should get a Mac, but I still use a PC.

4) Univocal or Equivocal ~~ Equivocal. I have a hard time with simple easy answers. Nothing is ever and open and shut book with me.

5) Peter or Paul ~~ This is a hard one for me. My kneejerk reaction is to dislike Paul because a lot of what he has said has been misquoted over the years and just makes my blood boil. So I am going to go with Peter besides he is the foundation.

Ministry and Burn Out

2010-07-20T13:07:00.004-04:00

Today I read a blog post from Carol Howard Merritt What Causes Pastors to Burnout? that caused a reaction in me. Carol highlighted several reasons that pastors leave after the first few years of ministry.

I have been fortunate every step of my journey to have people to have helped me. There are times in ministry that you need someone to talk with to help you figure out where to go and what to do. For the last few years, it has been a group of women clergy that have been a wonderful place for me to go and be me AND receive the support and prayers that I have needed. Serving a church that has lost membership because of death, retirement and relocation with no new people moving into town, it has been a difficult time. So I want to say publicly to several colleagues "thanks" for I couldn't have done it without you. Thank you to Barb Kenley, Kristy Quinn, Laura Sherwood, and Rachel Wann. There have been others who have supported me, but these four women have been an inspiration to me and always there when I have needed a friend and a pastor.

I am thankful that these women are only a phone call or email away as I transition to my new call in New Jersey.

Either Or Both

2010-07-20T12:55:00.000-04:00

Lately I have been pondering my current call. I have been thinking about how to tie up loose ends before leaving for my next call. A friend in The Salvation Army was recently telling me that officers finish a one location and then drive to the next with generally less than 24 hrs before starting at their new position. There are days that it sounds like a good idea. Of course they have done a lot of work in preparation for the next officer so that they can walk in and pick up where the last officer left off.
But as I reflect on my sermon from Sunday, I am struck by the passage about Mary and Martha. Luke's story about the visit of Jesus to the home of Mary and Martha is almost guaranteed to stir up an argument. People identify themselves with one or the other.
Luke tells us that as Jesus was traveling and entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha was doing her best to show hospitality to Jesus and to make him feel at home. But while she is busily working away on the food, her sister Mary does something unusual. Mary chooses not to help out. Instead she sits quietly at Jesus' feet, like a student or a disciple would, and listens intently to what Jesus is saying.
Mary hanging on every word he said. When Martha had finally had all of that she could stand, she stepped in, interrupting them. Now, we might have expected her to hiss at Mary through clenched teeth, "Hey Sis, I could use a hand with this, you know." But she doesn't say anything at all to Mary. She instead softly reprimands Jesus and tries to get him to tell Mary to get to work. "Master, don't you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand."
What Jesus does is to gently scold Martha right. "Martha, Martha," Jesus says, "you are worried and distracted by many things, but there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen it; Mary has chosen the better part."
Many people have shared the story in such a way that you have to pick which one you are either Mary or Martha. People will talk about Martha being the active form of religious life and Mary with the contemplative form of religious life. But rather than limiting them to religious life and contrasting them as “either…or,” it might be better to view them as “both…and.” We all need both contemplation and activity.
There is nothing wrong in and of itself with Martha's fixing the food. This is the way people show love and welcome and hospitality and care. There is nothing wrong with Martha preparing that meal of hospitality. Doing a good thing is important--a necessary thing--an act of service--but if we try to do this kind of service apart from the life-giving Word of the gospel, apart from the vision that comes only from God, it will distract us and finally wear us down. Mary has chosen to listen to the Word. Jesus, the living Word, is present, right in her house, and if she is going to love God and love neighbor, if she is going to show hospitality to the stranger and care for the lost, then everything depends on hearing and trusting that word.
If you don't have some vision of what God is doing, it finally beats you down. Mary sits at Jesus' feet and listens to his Word, listens to that vision, and without that Word, we cannot go on, like Martha, preparing meals of hospitality for the world.
So in these last few weeks, I will try to balance Martha type obligations with Mary type work so that I don’t leave here drained and demoralized but instead energized to share the Gospel.

A New Call

2010-07-07T06:36:00.001-04:00

It has been a while since I have posted a blog. To be honest, I have written several and just haven’t taken the time to post them. Mostly I write and then pray about what I wrote before posting. Somehow lately I haven’t felt that I was supposed to publicly say what I have been writing. But many people have asked the question of me, “why are you leaving to go to another church?” Some assume that it’s because there is a bigger church out there that will pay me more. To be honest, it’s not a bigger paycheck when you factor in the cost of living in Indiana vs New Jersey. Bigger churches have many of the same problems as small churches.
But my sermon from Sunday gives some idea as to why I am leaving. So here is an abbreviated version.

A Tale of Two Seas by Bruce Barton
There are two seas in Palestine. One is fresh, and fish are in it.
Splashes of green adorn its banks. Trees spread their branches over it,
And stretch out their thirsty roots to sip of its healing waters.

Along its shores the children play, as children played when He was there.
He loved it. He could look across its silver surface when He spoke His parables.
And on a rolling plain not far away He fed five thousand people.

The river Jordan makes this sea with sparkling water from the hills.
Men build their houses next to it, and birds build their nests;
And every kind of life is happier because it is there.

The river Jordan flows on south into another sea.
Here is no splash of fish, no fluttering leaf, no song of birds,
no children’s laughter.
Travelers choose another route, unless on urgent business.
The air hangs heavy above its water, and neither man nor beast,
nor foul will drink.

What makes this mighty difference in these neighboring seas?
Not the river Jordan. It empties the same good water into both.
Not the soil in which they lie; not the country round about.

This is the difference: The Sea of Galilee receives but does not keep the Jordan.
For every drop that flows into it another drop flows out.

The other sea is shrewder, hoarding its income jealously.
It will not be tempted into any generous impulse.
Every drop it gets, it keeps.

The Sea of Galilee gives and lives. This other sea gives nothing.
It is named The Dead.

There are two seas in Palestine.

There are two kinds of people in the world.

Of which kind are you?

There is a lesson we need to learn from the Dead Sea. We have to give. Jesus commands those first missionaries to go out into the world empty-handed without even the most basic provisions necessary for the road. No purse, no bag, no sandals. Jesus was aware of how dangerous the work of the gospel would be, and yet he allowed them to take no precautions as he sent them out. No longer safe on the sidelines, these followers are now sent out, to share peace and table fellowship, to cure the sick, to proclaim the kingdom of God. In short, they were called to live out and practice the faith that they had confessed. And it is in the doing that the seventy are transformed from bystanders to active participants in the work of God.
I feel like I haven’t been able to give using all of the talents God has given me. It is a shame when I had a great idea and then thought…..not sure the congregation could handle that one so I would do something different. It is hard to follow where God is calling me to go, if I am concerned about taking basic provisions with me or not giving like the Dead Sea.
My five and a half years in Indiana have been wonderful. I am glad that I have been here. While some wonder if it was a good places for me to be, I would not have changed any of it. This has been a great place but now I feel that I am just going through the motions and not giving. In order to not be like the Dead Sea, it’s time for me to go to a place where I can give.

A Lesson on Life

2010-06-03T15:26:00.006-04:00

"I believe in the Church of Baseball. I tried all the major religions and most of the minor ones. I've worshipped Buddha, Allah, Brahma, Vishnu, Siva, trees, mushrooms and Isadora Duncan. I know things. For instance, there are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary and there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance." ~Ron Shelton, Bull Durham, 1988
I think baseball can teach us a lot. I won't go as far as being in the church of baseball.....but baseball is something our family is passionate about. I love the game and have enjoyed taking our daughters to games. A relaxing day is going to a game. But as I listen to many people, while it's considered America's pasttime, many people are not thrilled with the game. The game doesn't move fast enough for them with lots of down time. Some are frustrated by high cost to see a game for seats so far away. Whenever I mention my love of the game, people just don't get it. People especially don't like the fact that I root for the Yankees. My hubby is a Mets fan so it can be an interesting house at times.

But I think a recent game can teach all of us something. On Wednesday night, Armandao Galarraga threw a great game. He threw 8 2/3 innings of a perfect game. So close to perfection Then there was the call by Jim Joyce. I wasn't watching the game, but was on the computer and kept seeing Jim Joyce comments. I didn't know the name but quickly learned that he made a call....THE call of the game. Anyone who has seen the replay knows it was a bad call. At the moment though Jim thought it was the right call. Perfection was there and then it was gone in a second. Many yelled at tv's and in the stands and even on twitter. People were upset at history being taken away. Many baseball players are known for their hot tempers. I think anyone would have understood it Galarraga went up to Joyce and started yelling at him. But that isn't what happened.

Instead, Galarraga showed class. He didn't start kicking the dirt or yelling. Instead he went back to the mound. After the game, Joyce went up to apologize. Joyce was able to own up to his mistake. Galarraga accepted the apology and said that everyone makes mistakes. Galarraga is correct.....we all make mistakes. How we handle it can make the difference. I think we all should follow the example of Joyce (to apologize when we need to) and Galarraga (not to lash out).

Memorial Day

2010-05-31T12:02:00.002-04:00

I saw a blog today on the denominations website that got me thinking. I wasn't actually sitting around looking, but noticed a tweet from someone mentioning the Swords into Plowshares peacemaking blog. On the blog was a prayer for Memorial Day.

The comments on the blog concerned me. When asked to place myself on the theological spectrum, I tend to think of myself as a moderate that leans to towards the right. I mention my conservative leaning mostly to help you understand where I am coming from.

I think we as Christians need to celebrate Memorial Day. We need to give thanks for the men and women who have fought for our country and sacrificed their lives for our freedom. For that I give thanks. I have known many people who have served our country having served a church near a military base. My sister-in-laws son is currently serving and I keep him in my prayers. I am not anti-military.

But the impression that some people give is that Christ came just for the American way of life....and that is not the Christ that I know and serve. Christ came for the world. We are just fortunate to live in a country where we can worship Him without repercussions. One of the wonderful things about this country is that we can have a choice of how we worship or where we worship. So on this Memorial Day, I will remember and give thanks for the men and women who have died serving this country so that I may worship the Christ that loves and accepts me for who I am. I also will take a little bit of time today (and everyday) to pray for those who are a little less tolerant of other people. Christ came into the world to bring us together and not tear us apart.

Changing for the future

2010-05-25T11:02:00.002-04:00

I have spent some time re-reading a book that I enjoy called Holy Conversations: Strategic Planning as a Spiritual Practice for Congregations. It is a book from The Alban Institute. The book is written by a United Methodist pastor and an Episcopal priest to help congregations explore how to plan where they will go in the future.

So often churches keep doing what they have always done, and nothing changes. Churches often lament about their past and their glory days. Churches (and people) struggle with the idea of change. We like things they way they are, because we know what to expect. If we are going to change, we want results to happen quickly and in an instant. Otherwise, why did we change?

We have to be open to change. God does not stand still and does not expect or want us to stand still either. We have to be open to where God is calling us to be. We can’t think that what we did in the past is what God wants us to do in the future.
We need some energy to follow where God is calling us. It does not mean that everyone needs to do everything, but if we all share the work it is not a burden to anyone.

In the fall of 2005, First Presbyterian Church of Connersville began the PEP tutoring program. This program has helped elementary age students in Fayette County. Sometimes we have helped with homework, but we have also helped teach skills they need to improve their ability to learn. Right now this program is in transition and looking for leadership. I have been praying that someone is being called by God to help this program. It would be sad to lose this program because of a lack of leadership, but maybe God is calling our church to do something different.

Another area where we are being called to explore a new method is the newsletter. You will notice, in this month’s newsletter an opportunity for you to select how you want to receive the newsletter in the future. The church needs to explore other options to sharing the information while being financially responsible. I often share information with family and friends through email and sending links to articles that I want to share. Gone are the days when someone clips an article to mail to me. But we know that this option may not be for everyone, so you will continue to have the opportunity to receive it in the mail.

Please continue to pray to be open to where God is calling us in the future. We may be surprised by what God has in store for us. Change is hard for people and there are some who want to keep doing what we have always done......but I see the blessings of doing a few things differently. I know many people have enjoyed some baby steps toward the future. So I will keep praying and allow God to move people towards the future.

Trying to Find Peace

2010-05-20T21:05:00.001-04:00

As I sit at my desk, I am thinking about my long to-do list. I have a tendency to say “yes” when friends ask me to do something and forget to use the word no once in a while. I have a long list of things to do and it seems to grow each time I look at the list. I have two daughters with busy schedules and a husband with play rehearsal, that at times it feels like I am going in too many different directions all at one time.

So today I was a little bit frazzled when I received an email from a friend that started out with a verse from Colossians. Grace and peace to you from God our Father. (Colossians 1:2)

I have to admit that it wasn't what I thought I was going to read when I opened her email. Peace. How can I have peace in my life when things are so busy and crazy that I can't find a moment for quiet. We want peace and yet we can't seem to find it. We search high and low to find peace and yet it can be a struggle. But if we turn to God, we can find the peace that we need and want.

God gives us peace, despite the fact that we live in a world full of violence. Jesus comes to us as the Prince of Peace and imparts his peace to His followers. In John, Jesus tells us “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” (John 14:27) Jesus tells us in Matthew “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. (Matthew 5:9) Peace is one of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians.

Scripture is full of peace. But we live without peace in our world. We don't have peace in our heart, in our homes or in our community. But we can find peace if we look in the right places. We can turn to scripture to see how we should act and respond in order to show peace with one another. When we exhibit a peaceful attitude, we are likely to receive a peaceful response. If we start treating one another as peacemakers, what a difference it can make.

My dad had a picture in his office of a wolf and a lamb inspired by the prophet Isaiah. "The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them...the nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand over the adders' den" (Isaiah 1:6, 8). Isaiah describes God's hope for His Kingdom- harmony, peace, and love.

We too can live in a world with God's harmony, love and peace if we begin with ourself. We cant' change others, but the attitude we bring to the situation can change the outcome. By being peaceful and bringing a calming presence, it just might change the outcome.

So calm down and relax, and share God's peace with others.....and maybe they will share it with you too. One way that I find peace is to turn to God in prayer.

A Joy for Mission

2010-03-10T22:01:00.003-05:00

Tonight, we served dinner at the Lord's Table. It's a wonderful time to serve our community. It gives our church and the members to opportunity to actually live out their faith. To truly believe requires that a person actually takes some action. It is easy to sit back and do nothing, but to have faith actually requires a person to do something.

A number of the people are regulars that I see every month. For a number of people it is a part of their daily lives to eat at the table. I often wonder what do these people do on Saturday when we are closed? Of course we try to fill them up as much as possible but there is a limit to what we can do.

We are called to respond to the Gospel. We are called to reach out and feed our brothers and sisters. Tonight we had a variety of people from a toddler to teens who wandered in on their own to older adults. It is great to see that see a community come together.

Love Thy Enemies

2010-03-04T09:56:00.002-05:00

My latest article for the local newspaper:

How many times has someone offended you that you wanted to respond? I was recently reading a story about a man who went to a brand new restaurant for Mother's Day. He took my wife and two daughters to a special new restaurant in our area for brunch. It was the single worst dining experience of his life. He paid an extra-ordinate amount for a meal that didn't take place. When he got home, the man decided to write a letter to the general manager, voicing his displeasure and wishing him luck staying in business.

After he wrote the letter, he tore it up and decided to do the opposite. Instead he wrote to one of his favorite restaurants. In the card he wrote:

To Jimmy and all my friends at Sake,
Most people spend all their time complaining, and I’m sure you all get your fair share. I just wanted to let you know that it’s people like all of you that have helped make Sake my favorite restaurant on the planet (and I’ve been to a lot)!!
Thanks for always making me feel as though I’m among friends. The food’s not too bad either!!
I’m proud to be your #1 customer!
Tommy

Tommy tells that writing the card made him feel 100% better. The next week, Tommy went to pick up a take-out order. He had forgotten about the card, when he noticed the staff starting to whisper to one another. Just then the general manager, Jimmy, greeted him with a big smile and a hug.

“Thank you,” Jimmy said. Staff members started appearing out of nowhere thanking Tommy for what was a simple gesture. To them, though, it was ten times more meaningful. Tommy says that now every time he walks into that restaurant, he's been treated like royalty. Tommy's intention was to send an unexpected thank you to some people who deserved it.

Scripture tells us “Never pay back evil to anyone. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible. Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God. For it is written, "I will take vengeance; I will repay those who deserve it," says the Lord. (Romans 12:17-19 NLT)

Unfortunately many of us listen to the world which says “don't get angry, get even!” Scripture wants us to do the honorable thing and respond and live peaceably. We don't take the time to give thanks when we should. Instead we focus on hurting others who hurt us.

We should not repay evil with evil but instead, respond with love and kindness. Do not fulfill the expectations of the world, but instead fulfill God's expectations. What a wonderful world we would only respond with love. God is in charge of the vengeance if it is necessary. It is not our job to decide.

So love your enemies, it may confuse them, but it also may help them to see and experience God in a new way. If you are in need of prayer, please contact the Fayette County Ministerial Association's prayer line at 827-PRAY.

Another Snow Day

2010-02-17T16:40:00.003-05:00

The following is my newspaper article for the News-Examiner:

As I sit to write this article, I am looking out my basement window into a pile of snow. There is snow everywhere and I keep hearing about another snowstorm coming this weekend. I have lived in places that have had a lot of snow. I remember fondly my youth spent building snowmen, igloos and just playing outside. As an adult, it’s a little bit more snow than I like but what can a person do about it?

My daughters keep telling me to enjoy it. They have had several days off from school to enjoy the snow. They have gone sledding down Bunzendahl hill. They have had snow ball fights. They have made snow angels. They have had fun. It is a little bit harder for mom to see it as fun when I all I see is more snow to shovel. But maybe I need to look at it like my children see the snow. It can be fun.

In the book of Genesis, we hear how the God created the world and called it good. Each day as God looked at what He had done, scripture tells us that “and God saw that it was good (Genesis 1).” God created all the beauty we see around us from the beauty of nature, to the beauty of the sky and yes even the beauty of the snow.

Today I went out with my daughters into the good creation that God created. It took a little bit of shoveling and a few extra layers of clothes to keep warm, but we went out for some recreation. It’s a word I was thinking of as re-creation. It wasn’t just a time of fun (although we did have a lot of fun), it was a time to rejuvenate ourselves from our cabin fever. It was a time to enjoy God’s creation in the world, and yes enjoy the snow.

God, if you are listening, I am having fun with this snow, but I think I’ve had enough for a two week period. You may want to save the rest of the snow for another time, when I need to be reminded to have fun and enjoy your creation with a little re-creation.

Study Leave

2010-01-29T09:13:00.003-05:00

I have been in Nashville since Wednesday for the Annual Presbyterian Christian Educators conference. It is a wonderful place to be for a continuing ed event. While I will admit up front, my workshops so far have been disappointing (so I won't blog about them) I have enjoyed the music. Now I know I didn't come to Nashville so I can listen to music (or at least that wasn't what I told my Session) there is something about music that moves the soul.

We have listened to a variety of music from contemporary Christian music (thanks to Amy Grant) to Jazz to Celtic to African. Each type of music has set a different tone. The music has been great. We even heard a rendition of Pink Floyd in worship. This has been very moving to me. It is not the standard worship experience for me. Part of it is that I am able to be a participant and not the leader. While I enjoy worship at my home congregation, it can be hard at times to be in the moment of worship when in the back of my mind I am thinking "did I write down all the prayer concerns?" But besides just being a participant in worship, is being able to be moved. I always hope that people can see the connections between the scripture, hymns, sermon and prayers in worship. But while here at APCE, I am able to feel the connections as the music just brings it all together. The music brings the emotions out of the scripture and story. The music just carries me through the day.

I am truly thankful for the opportunity to experience different styles of music as they each have a benefit. Each can take me to a different place with a different experience. Each carries me along the journey towards God.

PS Not sure why I didn't publish this before, it was just sitting there waiting for me to hit the button *sigh* it must be trying to do too many things at once

A Proud Presbyterian

2010-01-29T09:04:00.004-05:00

I have to admit that there are times I think to myself.....why am I still a Presbyterian? No I am not talking about leaving the denomination because of any of the "hot button" issues. But I do wonder from time to time, how relevant is our church and is this where I want my children to be in the future. Maybe part of it is that I think at times we spend too much time on debating issues and less time on helping to educate our members on Biblical literacy. Of course, when I listen to my colleagues in other denominations about their vacation and study leave (or lack there of) I remind myself that being Presbyterian is a good thing.

But yesterday, I have to say that I was proud to be a Presbyterian. We are a people who are compassionate. We are a people who want to do something. While here at APCE, it was announced that Presbyterians have given $1.2 million dollars for Haiti relief. We see the need on TV or in the news or even from Presbyterians who are there sharing their insights. So thank you for reaching out to help. I am grateful that Presbyterians all around the country are reaching out. Each small donation (like mine) can make a difference when it is pulled together. So I am proud of being a Presbyterian and what a difference we are making in the world.

Haiti

2010-01-16T19:57:00.004-05:00

This week has been a hard week for me to write a sermon. I will freely admit that I do not enjoy preaching every week because at times it is a challenge. This week is one of those weeks.

The scripture for Sunday that I had selected to preach on was the John passage from the lectionary. It is the familiar passage of Jesus turning water into wine. As I had been thinking about the passage I kept hearing about God's abundance. Then the earthquake hit and I found it hard to think about abundance while seeing a need so great. I had a feeling of helplessness.

But I am not helpless. One of the blessings of being a Presbyterian is that I am connected. While I may not be able to be everywhere, other Presbyterians can be there for me.

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) created a bulletin insert which gives helpful suggestions about what we can do. Personally I am donating money to PDA and pray. It gives me a sense that I can do something even though I am here in Indiana.

If we all work together we can make a difference in Haiti. God is abundant, but unfortunately we have a scarcity mentality. We have more than enough and yet somehow it never seems like enough. But if we all pull together, we can make a difference in Haiti. If we all share from the abundance God has given us, Haiti will receive the water, food and supplies it needs. It has been wonderful seeing countries come together. We have more than we need and God calls us to share. We can not keep it to ourselves. So I hope people will donate to a cause. I will be donating to PDA because only 5% of a donation is used for administrative costs. But choose a place and donate whether it is the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Worldvision, or whatever is your favorite charity. Just give, because chances are you have more money to share than you think. It doesn't matter how much it is, but every little bit helps.

Baptism and worship

2010-01-11T17:19:00.004-05:00

On Sunday, we celebrated Baptism of the Lord. We read the Gospel of Luke's version of Jesus' baptism. On a normal Sunday that would probably have been the extent of what we did for "celebrate" the day. But we are doing things a little bit different this January.

For financial reasons, we are not worshiping in our sanctuary but in our fellowship hall. It is just down the hall from where we normally worship, but the location has changed our attitude towards worship. People are sitting in chairs next to people. I know it sounds amazing, but it feels like a full group (we had 49 people on Sunday) because they were sitting close to one another and to me. Typically in the sanctuary they are scattered all over in a place that can seat 250 people and typically no one sits down front.

So in our fellowship hall, we are doing a few things differently. On Sunday, we celebrated our Lord's baptism and remembered our own baptism. We renewed our vows and people were encouraged to come forward to the font and stick their hands in the font, take a rock to remember and then receive a blessing. People came forward....not because they had to but because they wanted to. Many people came to me for a blessing after sticking their hands in and told me about their baptism that they remembered. Many people wanted to linger at the font, they didn't want to leave.

We also had a small table font running through the whole service and fabric coming out of the font to symbolize water pouring out of the font. The entire service was focused on water and being shaped by the water of baptism.

I have to admit that I wasn't sure how it would be received, but people loved it. So I will keep looking at trying to make all worship services special because the congregation is willing to be challenged.

Reflection on Advent

2010-01-04T09:10:00.006-05:00

Back in October I decided that I needed to do something different for Advent. I couldn't just do the same thing we had done the previous year. For my sanity I needed to have something new. So I started reading some books and blogs, looking for some idea that I could do in my traditional church.

When I sat down, I realized that I only had two Sundays to preach and do "something different." The first Sunday in Advent was the Hanging of the Greens service in which I do not preach and actually sit and enjoy the service with my daughters. The fourth Sunday in Advent was the Children's Christmas program which took the place of the sermon. So I had two Sundays to think about, and come up with a plan.

After a lot of prayer, I decided to use some of my artsy side in preaching. Now I know this is nothing new for many people, but for my little church that is traditional, I knew it would be a change.

The second Sunday in Advent was a communion Sunday so I created a new communion cloth in purple. I mentioned in my sermon that the cloth was created while on my Study Leave after a lot of reflection on the use of arts in worship. I talked about the gifts of the Spirit we are given from God and how we are called to use them. This was a talent that many of them did not know I had. We tend to be an auditory congregation that focuses just on hearing. So a change in color and style at the communion table was a great surprise for the people.

On the third Sunday in Advent, I was unsure what to expect. I walked into the service with no sermon (usually I have a manuscript) hoping the Spirit of God would carry me through. During the children's sermon I asked the kids to distribute a container of play-doh to each member. Everyone had a fun size container. When the sermon began, I talked about gifts. Gifts tell us a lot about the person giving it as well as the person receiving it. I don't give my 5 year old something that is designed for a 30 year old. So I began by telling them that I see each of them as a child of God, but somehow we stop being children. So I encouraged them to take out their play-doh during the sermon. In the midst of the sermon I even gave them time to create a symbol of what they think of when they think of Christmas. I waited while they created. Then people held up their symbol and shared what they created.

In our small congregation, I wasn't sure how it would go over........and was pleased as people left that people loved it. There were a few who didn't open the play dough and create anything....but they too loved that it was different and not what they expected.

I don't think I could do this every week, but I was grateful for adults who were willing to try something different. I was concerned when I walked in to the service that it might not be well received when all the young families were missing that day. But my adults were young at heart, and for that I am truly grateful.

Vacation thought

2009-12-29T20:04:00.004-05:00

I began my vacation on December 26th. For the month of December, I had a number of "extra" activities in addition to my regular duties as pastor. I had extra Advent Bible Study which I enjoyed, extra services, organizing Thanksgiving baskets in November and Christmas baskets in December and the list could go on and on. I am not complaining as I knew that Christmas would be a busy time of the year when I went into the ministry. But this vacation has been wonderful.

One of the many things we did on our vacation was to attend the Christmas Spectacular in the Grand Ole Opry featuring the Rockettes. I have to say that it was wonderful. It was a great experience to see the joy of Christmas on my daughter's faces. We went through the normal Christmas routines.....pageants, special services, special music and yet there as something about seeing the Christmas Spectacular. The Spectacular just put a great finishing touch on the Christmas season.

The girls were excited about the Christmas season and had repeatedly talked about celebrating Jesus' birthday. But there was something about the show that was just different and exciting. We were up close in the front row for the show. The wide eyes for the show and the joy on their faces was priceless. Usually it takes a few days to recover and feel renewed from vacation. But the show and seeing the wonder and amazement on the girls faces, refreshed me quickly.

It is important to take time to spend time with loved one to renew oneself. Being renewed for a few days, makes it possible to then come back to work earlier than I had planned on.

The Light is Shining

2009-12-24T21:43:00.002-05:00

Today is one of my favorite services of the year. I love candlelight services. One of my favorite memories as a child was sitting in the Christmas Eve service holding a candle singing Silent Night. There is something about it that was just mesmerizing to me. Dad actually had two Christmas Eve services at his two churches so it was not uncommon to attend both services. I love the feelings that it brings me.

As a mom in the pulpit with a dad in the choir loft, it is always a challenge as to what to do with our children. During a normal service they are okay, but tonight I was wondering about the candles. It was a joy to see my daughters with the candle. The light of Christ was passed to them which they shared with the teenage boy who was sitting with them. The beauty of watching them and the excitement they had over having the light was something I will cherish.

To see the beauty of the church with the candles and poinsettias was beautiful, but to see the joy on my daughters faces as they heard the Christmas story and then shared the light of Christ was priceless.

A Conversation (part 2)

2009-12-11T07:11:00.003-05:00

Last week, I was reading a blog by the Moderator of the PCUSA. In the blog he invited people to interview him. Bruce has been an open book about his role as Moderator by sharing his thoughts on facebook, twitter, and blogs about his experiences. For that I am grateful. I decided to ask Bruce five questions which he has answered. Yesterday he emailed me the answers to my questions which I will now share here.

First question was what was the greatest joy about being Moderator?

Bruce's answer: Potlucks ;-)

The great joy has been the privilege of experience the breadth and depth of the church. So few people are given the opportunity to see the church in this way and for that i am grateful. I have also been joy-filled at the conversations that have been had about the future of the church. Beyond survival, money, etc. I have felt a deep yearning from people to discover what God has in store for the Presbyterian Church. And while we may not always know or like the answers to the question, asking those questions means we are open to the possibilities . . .

Second question was what advice would you give to those who are thinking of running for Moderator in Minneapolis?

Bruce's answer: Well officially, one "stands" for moderator ;-) i would say that if one was thinking about it, they need to feel confident that he/she has something to SAY to the church. This does not mean that he/she wants to TELL or DICTATE to the church something, but that experiences, musings and insights have brought him/her to a place where God has called. There should be a willingness to be the moderator for the entire church, a love for people regardless of theological perspective AND a strong support network in all areas of life.

Third question what did you learn about the denomination?

Bruce's answer: We are what we believe as Presbyterians. There are times, I wonder if we believe in our connectionalism, but time and time again I am reminded that we believe that we best discern the will of God and the mind of Christ together. With this belief we invite the conflict we have, the struggles we endure and HOPEFULLY become who God intends for us to become. In the end, we trust God in the midst of it all.

Fourth question: what is your biggest concern for the future of the church?

Bruce's answer: My biggest concern is that we do not have the capacity to make the shifts that we need to make in order to find a new vitality of life and impact on the world

Final question: Knowing all that you know now, would you would do it again?

Bruce's answer: Yes.

Bruce thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.

A Conversation

2009-12-05T18:50:00.003-05:00

Recently one of the blogs I read posed a question to all.....ask me questions. Bruce Reyes-Chow, the Moderator of the PCUSA, asked people if they Care to Interview the Moderator and I've decided I have a few questions. For those who know me, they know that I will ask questions, even ones that seem obvious.

I have to say that in the past, I have followed what happens at General Assembly and have been curious about who has been elected Moderator. But once the Assembly is over, I have little idea of what they do. I know that Presbyteries generally invite the Moderator to come and speak. Sometimes I have gone to hear the Moderator and sometimes I haven't been able. But this Moderator is different. I have been able to follow Bruce's tweets, his blog, and I've even become his facebook friend.

So Bruce, you've asked for questions and so I'm asking nicely if you would respond in writing.......
1. What was the greatest joy about being Moderator?
2. What advice would you give to those who are thinking of running for Moderator in Minneapolis?
3. What did you learn about our denomination?
4. What is your biggest concern for the future of the church?
5. Knowing all that you know now, would you would do it again?

Bruce, I ask these questions, because I think you can give a lot of wonderful insight to the future of the church. I know for me, you have encouraged me to blog and tweet even if you didn't know it. So thanks for being Moderator these two years and I look forward to your response.

A New Form of Ministry

2009-12-04T10:45:00.004-05:00

I had to ponder the other day a question that was asked of me by my dad (a retired pastor). He asked me what magazine I would want as a gift subscription for my Christmas gift. Dad talked and talked about what magazines he enjoyed reading while a pastor to help inspire him.....and yet that isn't what I do a lot of. To be honest, if you walked in my office right now you would find a stack of Presbyterian Outlook and Presbyterian Today stacked up and waiting to be read. I find that I do read them, just not when they arrive.

Then this week I read a blog by a colleague in ministry (one I hope to meet in face someday) who commented about this new style of ministry by younger pastors.Carol's blog at Duke Sitting down reading a magazine each month just isn't my style. Each week I spend time reading blogs. Some by authors I have met, and some by people I have come to know through the internet. Some by people who I agree with theologically and others who make me think and ask questions. This is helpful to me and my ministry. I get to read the thoughts of many wonderful intelligent people and what they are thinking today....not a month or so ago when they wrote the article for the deadline.

I find a lot of wonderful ways to connect with my members through the use of technology. I often communicate with my members by email and facebook. For the members, they don't have to be home to receive my call and they can respond whenever it fits this life. To be honest, yesterday morning before leaving for a workshop I responded to a number of emails at 5:30 am. I could not have called the people, but I was able to respond to their questions and let them know that I was praying for them. By being facebook friends with a number of my younger members, I have learned about them in a new way. It is hard to find time for home visits for my members who work, partly because I already have so many night meetings and I don't want to take time away from family nights.

I am not by nature a technology person. I do have a cellphone that takes pictures, but it doesn't have the internet. While a number of colleagues have gone to electronic books, I enjoy curling up with a good book. There is something about turning the pages with my hands that I just love and so I haven't changed to a Kindle kind of person yet. I may use a website to find out where a verse is in scripture, I still prefer to read the Bible from a book and not the screen.

We need to be careful about how we view ministry in the future. It can't look the way it did back in the days of full sanctuaries and growing churches. I find that I do a lot of wonderful ministry sitting in the coffee shop. I am a visible presence of my church to a community, that I often get asked questions about the congregation and it's members while sitting at the coffee shop. To be honest, I see some members more frequently out at Brian's then I do in the sanctuary. So let's see that where we connect may not be as important as the fact that we are connecting with members.

Advent Bible Study

2009-11-30T08:52:00.004-05:00

Last Monday night I began an Advent Bible Study that I purchased from The Thoughtful Christian to examine four wonderful hymns of the Advent/Christmas season. The first night we talked about "O Come, O Come Emmanuel."

It was a wonderful start to the study. So often, we want there to be a joyful feeling......and yet that is not what we get from the hymn. I wish that our study group was larger because I think so many people don't truly understand the Advent season. In our community, we have so many non-denominational churches and churches that do not follow a liturgical calendar. The preachers we see on TV are not much better. There is a false notion that Christianity is about prosperity and celebration. Those are two things that are a part of our faith, but they should not be the entire faith otherwise something is missing.

I will digress for a moment, but at the community Good Friday service many people looked at my daughter funny because she was crying at the end. We had warned her that Jesus dies during the service. Yet many adults were walking out talking about Jesus being risen. They missed the day that we are supposed to cry and feel sad. They missed the point that crying is actually an acceptable response.

It was wonderful to start off the study listening to an instrumental version of O Come, O Come Emmanuel. As the song is played, it is not upbeat or bouncy but was depressing. While the hymn says to rejoice, the people were struggling. One sentence in the study we kept coming back to was "It is the difference between hope because and hope despite; between “I hope because the Christ is coming” and “I hope despite the bleakness of my circumstances.” "

I live in a community that has struggled for a while now. We lost the manufacturing plant in town and for a while was the county with the highest unemployment. (We now are the fourth highest unemployment.) Many people are losing their homes and it is a struggle for people to live day to day let alone try to do something nice for the holidays. Yet there is hope in our community. For some it's because they have a strong faith that they will get through this. For others, it is because a new start-up company has promised to build their new police car in our community. Despite all we have been through as a community, we know that there are brighter days ahead.

This advent season is one in which there is hope. Even in the midst of struggles there can be hope. Even though the music is not praise style music, it actually is a praise because Isaiah still had confidence in the Lord despite all that had happened. So this Advent season, I am not going to rush to the happy scene at the stable, but I want to remember the journey is not always joyful but one in which God is there every step of the way.

The Cell Phone Problem

2009-11-19T11:00:00.003-05:00

I can admit it.....I love my cellphone. I have it with me a lot. But I like to think that it's not in control of my life. But has it become so much a part of our life, that we don't even think about it.
Yesterday I had a funeral at 2 pm. I arrived at the funeral home early to prepare myself. The director hung up my coat which had my keys and yes my cellphone in the pockets. I went off to finish getting ready and never though a thing about it. At 2:15 the alarm on my phone went off to remind me to pick up the girls at the bus stop. You can imagine my surprise and embarrassment as I sneaked out from the front of the room to turn it off. But I had two more instances yesterday with cell phone problems.
During our confirmation class, a parent called and texted her daughter during the class. The parent wanted to know where her child was (and yes that is another issue that parents don't know what their teens are up to) but she was upset that her daughter had the phone on vibrate and didn't respond quickly enough. Two minutes later, another student's phone rang. What is the problem that we can't turn these devices off even for a few minutes.
But this problem isn't just with teens. I called a church member on her cellphone which is the best way to reach her. She answered and hung up. I figured it was a mix-up, so I called back. She explained that she hung up the first time because she was in a meeting. She assumed I wouldn't have called back again since she didn't talk the first time.
I am sure my hubby is saying "it's the pot calling the kettle black." He is probably right about that, but I have learned a few things. I can actually leave the room without my phone and life goes on. When I was on study leave last week, I enjoyed being without a phone. It was a lot of freedom and a relief to me. So from now on, I will turn it off and even put it on vibrate more frequently than just at the movies. No longer will I be held hostage by this device, but instead it will help me in my life. Sometimes it just needs a time out, or maybe I need the time out from the phone.

Have A Little Faith by Mitch Albom

2009-11-15T16:28:00.000-05:00

Mitch Albom has a way with words. His current book is a wonderful book to read. Albom tells the stories of two men of God one a Rabbi in New Jersey and the other a Pastor in Detroit. It was a quick read and I honestly couldn't put the book down.

As a pastor who frequently is asked questions about faith, it was fascinating to see the conversations that Albom had with this two different men of faith. He shares the conversations about life, death, God, and much more. Albom reminds people that clergy are people as well as men of God. He shares the Reb's humor and personality as he recalls the Reb singing during most conversations. Albom shares the past of Henry the pastor who has done time and yet still thanks God for his life and his bleak situation.

The book chronicles 8 years of Albom's travels to New Jersey to develop a personal relationship with his childhood rabbi. Over that time, Albom also develops a relationship with a pastor in Detroit who tries to help those down on their luck. The book is easy to read as it includes snippets from sermons from years ago and stories that shaped Albom's faith during his childhood. Interspersed throughout the book is the story of Henry a former drug dealer who becomes a pastor to a congregation in need.

She Still Calls Me Daddy by Robert Wolgemuth

2009-11-15T15:35:00.001-05:00

As a woman who married over a dozen years ago, I wondered if this would be a helpful book for me. It is book dealing in a very touchy subject, how Daddy deals with his little girl after she is a wife. I was an independent woman before I getting married, but one with a strong connection to my family that still exists today. Robert Wolgemuth suggests using seven steps of protection, conversation, affection, discipline, laughter, faith, and conduct do deal with this new woman.

Wolgemuth tells that Dad needs to focus on building a new relationship with his daughter. There needs to be a relationship of support for her marriage and her new family. Dad needs to understand that the little girl is now a grown woman who is an adult. Together with her husband, she will make the decisions that will affect her. Dad can be there to be supportive, but not expect to be the primary male in her life.

This book gives simple, logical steps for Dad to follow. I was a bit concerned about the book, but found he did have some common sense ideas for all families on how to function when someone joins the family.

My Sabbath

2009-11-15T13:40:00.003-05:00

I have to say that recently I have been tired mentally and physically. I am have had a hard time concentrating on things. To be honest, to take my week of study leave was a lot of work. It sounds crazy but at times the crunch to finish things before I leave for a time away can make me wish that I didn't go anywhere. But I had signed up for a study leave retreat and thought I really should go...........and so I squeezed everything in and left town.

Honestly I am so glad that I did. I spent a few days on retreat at the Geneva Center in Rochester Indiana. It was just what I needed. I spent some time connecting with colleagues in ministry and learning. We had two excellent leaders who guided our time together and helped me think. I was able to relax and spend some time listening to God. I was able to put aside all the demands of the world and just be. It was wonderful and relaxing to be and not have to do.

This morning, I was able to attend church and participate. I was not required to do anything in advance other than show up. I was able to sit with people (yes it may seem strange but I do like to sit with people). I was able to pray and be guided in my prayer. It truly was refreshing to be.

Membership and it's meaning

2009-10-11T16:49:00.005-04:00

There was a commercial a number of years ago for American Express which said that Membership comes with privileges. I loved that notion for church membership. Membership does come with a number of "benefits." When members ask me how much they should pay for things that they feel are over and beyond my normal job, I often respond that it's one of the benefits of membership. I don't charge a couple who are members if they want to get married. Often they pay the honorarium but that is their choice. I don't charge people a fee for funerals or for counseling or many other things that I feel I am doing because I am their pastor.

But somewhere along the line, we have lost the idea that membership also comes with responsibilities. Currently I am teaching a confirmation class. There is a problem with attendance at the class even though the students (and parents) were informed on the first day of class when they needed to be present. How can one participate in discussions if they are not there? My frustration comes from a mother who argues with an ex about getting her daughter to dance class on time but won't do the same for confirmation. What does the church mean to her? It seems to mean that it is a thing of convenience.

Membership in a church is not like a country club. It does not mean that you pay your dues once a year and you are okay. Membership in a church comes with responsibilities. It is not an obligation or a duty that you are forced to do, but should be a natural response out of your love for God. But don't we as Christians make a commitment to God? What happens when we don't live up to that commitment? Unfortunately in the church, we often do nothing. We don't say anything to the person about their missing. We often don't say anything to the person about their not living up to their end of the bargain. But maybe we should point out that the person is not just lying to the church but truly is lying to God.

I guess my frustation is that I am not one of those who demands a lot. Membership is not just about showing up whenever it fits your life, membership in a church is more than that.....and your faith should be telling you that without me saying a word.

Communion and the family

2009-10-09T07:59:00.003-04:00

This week, I have been thinking about communion. On Sunday we celebrated the Lord's Supper something we do once a month. But it was our time to remember that we do not celebrate it alone, but with Christians all around the world.

My oldest generally sit with other people in church. Her mom is in the pulpit and her dad is in the choir loft. But most Sundays she picks different people in church to sit with. But on Sunday, she sat alone. She picked a pew and sat down. No one sat next to her. There was a person in the pew in front of her and people in the pew behind her......but there she sat alone. Typically she picks a pew where there are people and so she joins them. As I sat in my preacher chair, I thought to myself, "why today? the day when I talk about being the family of God and how thankful I am that the church family helps my daughter through the service is the day she sits alone?" So I get to the part in my manuscript where I talk about the church family being important and even note that I was going to talk about Kaydee sitting with people but of course like any kid she can't do that today since mom will talk about it.

But then a few minutes later in the service we get to communion. The invitation mentions that we are no alone in this journey. Our brothers and sisters around the world are a part of this celebration. I wondered how Kaydee would participate in communion. She has only been taking communion for a few months and with her sitting by herself, I wondered what would happen. But she told the woman in the pew behind her that she didn't want to drop the tray and would she help her. It was a joy to see her being served by another member. But the members around her also commented how they loved her prayer during communion. She took her piece of bread and then prayed as she received it. She did the same after drinking the cup. She set the example of what we should be doing. I am thankful for the family of God that teachers her, but is also open to being taught by an eight year old who is autistic.

Why I've been away

2009-09-30T07:41:00.002-04:00

I have to admit that I have been boycotting my blog. It doesn't sound good when the person who writes it has avoided. But I have had my reasons, which I wanted to share with you. I have wondered about why I write the blog. For a while I have been feeling stressed and trying to figure out what I HAVE to do and what I DON'T HAVE to do.

To be honest, I thought, my blog is not that important. I don't think any of my church members read the blog so is it really important to my ministry. After not blogging for about a month, I discovered that yes the blog is important ~~ at least for me. It allows me to be think through some issues. So I don't care if the church thinks it is important or unimportant. I don't care if church members read my blog or don't. It is important for me as I and my ministry.

I have had a lot of things running through my head this last month, so hopefully today I will have time to blog later today. Thanks!

Am I too young that I just dont' get it?

2009-09-03T13:50:00.004-04:00

I have heard repeatedly, "you don't get it because you are too young?" I honestly don't feel young, but when I look out from the pulpit I often realize that I am younger than most of my members. In reality I am about the age of their children or their grandchildren.

But as I think about this, I have served several churches and have lived in various places, I don't think that age is my issue. Instead I have a higher opinion of people than most people do. I actually expect people to think. I believe that people have common sense, but as I learn most days they let me down. It is hard to believe how people don't have common sense.

Today, Bruce and I went to a local store to look for furniture. We have been to Richmond and Indy to find the right living room furniture. So we went down the street and walked in the local furniture store. We were greeted by two employees who never left their chairs the entire time we were in the store. They offered to let us look around by ourselves. Typically this is a good thing, but it just made us feel like they didn't want to try and sell anything to us. They asked what we were looking for and Bruce told them a sofa and a chaise. The response was "we don't have any chaise in our store." But she did tell us where they had the sofas. After looking for a while at everything they had, we walked by the employees again and said good-bye. As we were leaving the store, she offers to let us look at the catalogue for a chaise if we really wanted one. She still was in her seat. We left and immediately I said "I don't think she wanted to sell us anything." While recounting this story to someone, their response was "of course she didn't want to sell to you, because she didn't know you." Silly me, I thought when two nicely dressed people come into a store and say they are looking for new furniture that someone may actually talk with them and try to help them. It was a difference response in Connersville than we received in all the other stores we went to.

Now you maybe thinking, oh but that is a store, why are you upset about it? Because similar things happen in church! I just don't get people. We can have visitors in church on Sunday, and after worship people will walk over to me after the guests leave and ask me who they were rather than go and talk with the visitor. I sent out an email this week since most of our visitors didn't sign in asking who could provide names and addresses of visitors. One response came back "I thought you had all that information." Would I ask for that information if I already knew it? Why do people unlock a door (that we keep locked) and walk around the church building to the unlocked door to come it and say to me "I went out the door that is locked, but don't have a key to lock it again." Why did you go out that door if you were just going to walk around to another door that we keep unlocked? I guess I expect people to have common sense, which unfortunately they don't seem to have.

Sorry for this rant, or at least it feels like a rant. It wasn't my intent to do that, but to say that I know that God created us to be intelligent people. As a friend of mine says "God don't make junk!" So why do we accept second best? Why don't we try and live up to standards that God has set for us? Imagine what a world this could be, if we used a little bit of that common sense that God gave us.

Evangelism and the numbers

2009-08-25T14:11:00.003-04:00

It is a joy to hear about churches that are growing in their ministry. We live in a society where people judge ministry by numbers but maybe there is more to ministry than just numbers. I have to admit that it is a bit frustrating trying to help people see that ministry is more than just "how many people showed up?"

The PCUSA has a series of articles about churches with ministry outside of the church especially if they are evangelism focused programs. Now I know the initial reaction is "does this mean going door to door?" The answer is no. I hope you will take the time to read the following article about a small church in Alabama. Article titled Artful Wonders Now on first glance it is hard not to rejoice that a church grew from 8 people to about 20 people. It is something to celebrate. But that isn't where the celebrating should end. These children are learning love and acceptance. They are learning that the church isn't just about worship, but about building a community.

My frustration with people who want to evangelize is that often it is because "we need more people to help meet our budget" or "we need more people to work so we have enough Sunday School teachers" and not about the people. We should not focus on evangelism just so we have more people, but instead we should focus on evangelism because of what we can do for other people. We should focus on evangelism because we can improve the lives of people around us by letting them experience the unconditional love of God.

The Joys of the Internet and Faith

2009-08-21T14:05:00.002-04:00

Okay, I have been asked a number of times in the last few months about my use of the internet in my ministry. One thing that I LOVE to do is to read other people's blogs. It is helpful to me to read what others are saying as it gets me thinking. I have to admit that sometimes in a small town it is hard to be open as one explores their faith. I don't want to offend people, but once in a while I just want to say "how can my talking about this shake your faith."

I recently wrote about the book The Faith Club on my blog and even mentioned it in a newspaper article that I wrote recently. I have to admit that I wondered how the community would receive my thoughts about trying to find out common points of faith and celebrate them. I heard more comments from that one article than I have heard ever about a newspaper column. They were all overwhelming thankful for my thought provoking article. I got stopped in the street, in the grocery store and Bruce even heard comments at his work. So now, I have decided to share a few blogs that I have read and make me ponder and think. Brian McLaren is a thought provoking man of faith. This is a four part blog ~~ I know it's a lot of reading but I think they are worth it.

Brian's 1st blog on Ramadan
Part 2 Why is a Christian Observing Ramadan
Part 3
Part Four before Ramadan

I guess my hope is that people will take the time to read Brian's blogs. They are worth the read. Am I hoping you will observe Ramadan? No, but hoping that you may have a new appreciation for the holiday.

Worship together

2009-08-08T14:08:00.003-04:00

The following is adapted from a recent newspaper article I wrote.
I love to read. The quickest way for me to relax is to sit down and read. I read the paper daily. I read blogs on the web. I read a variety of fiction and non-fiction books. Because many people know that I love to read, I often hear recommendations of books to read.

At times, I am nervous when people recommend religious books. People love the book so much that they want me to have a similar experience or to agree with what it says about the correct relationship with God. After several people recommended a book this past spring, I decided I better pick it up and read. The book was The Faith Club: A Muslim, A Christian, A Jew—Three Women Search for Understanding.

The book is about three women for different faith backgrounds who developed a friendship after 9/11 in New York City. The women come together to have a frank discussion about how to interact with a person of a different faith and what they believe as well as more.

It was a fascinating read and at times educational. It feels like you are eavesdropping on as the women share their personal stereotypes and concerns. But as I read the book, I kept thinking “what a joy that they could find the commonalities in their faith.”

The Bible has several examples of people coming together who are different from one another. In Acts 2, 6-8 “When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers. They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages!”

For Christians this is the example of what the church should be for us today. The disciples of Jesus with other people from throughout the world were gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish festival of Pentecost. This was a religious time and people gathered to pray and worship. But something even greater happened.....the Holy Spirit was at work.

The promise of Pentecost (Acts 2) is that every person of faith can be ignited by the Spirit for a deeper expression of belief and a more powerful expression of Christian living. If we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our community amazing things can happen. We can come together regardless of what church we attend. If we are open to the work of the Holy Spirit, great things can and will happen.

I pray that our community can come together in time of prayer. We need to take time to come together and celebrate what we have in common. It will be a time to come together and give thanks to God for the blessings we have as a community. We have a bright future ahead of us as a community. We need to come together and give thanks. Scripture tells us “Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!” Psalm 147:1 (NIV) Let's not focus on our differences, but what we have in common.

Social Media and Pastoring

2009-08-04T09:47:00.005-04:00

I have to admit that I am not a gadget type of person. My phone is just that it's a phone. For those that know me really well, it should surprise you but I have a tendance to be frustrated with technology because it doesn't do what I want. So I avoid a lot of technology. I have a phone that I use to receive calls and to make phone calls~~~it doesn't take pictures and I definitely don't text on it (although I do receive texts on it) I am not the one to go get the latest thing that is out there partly because the latest thing often frustrates me. I don't want it breaking down on me and typically I have to call Bruce to fix whatever I have done.

But last year, several clergy friends of mine were telling me about their ministry in cyberspace. I didn't have a facebook page, I didn't have a twitter account and I didn't blog so I was a bit unsure of what they were doing. So slowly I started to explore how it could help me in my ministry. Honestly, I started to write a blog (I know it's sporadic) because I was having writers block when it came to newsletter articles and sermons. I had too many partial writings in my head that I figured maybe if I try writing some of them and see where it goes I may be able to write some more. But I discovered that my ministry has changed since I began to enter the cyberworld. I blog sporadicly but find a lot of wonderful things to think about as I read the blogs of other ministers. Some give really great ideas of sermons and make me think of scripture in a new way. When I see an update from friends on facebook it often makes me say a little prayer about them. It also is a great way to get updates from members who are sick or hospitalized about what is going on in their life. Twitter has become a wonderful way to be inspired by others and to be directed to great articles out on the web.

So I no longer worry "how do I defend this to my members".....because I see it as a useful tool in ministry. It's also great to know that others feel that way too. So thanks to my friends who encouraged me as you are helping me reach out in my ministry in a new way. Thanks! Article by Dr Len Sweet

My Safety

2009-08-02T17:46:00.003-04:00

I spent some time reading last night blogs. I have to admit that I have been a little too busy to read and ponder what people have been saying. One of the blogs I have to admit that I just thought....oh that doesn't really pertain to me. Carol's blog on stalking I guess part of me thinks that people are good and I am a bit naive. My hubby would say that he is rubbing off on me as he always thinks the best things will happen.

But I have to admit that safety should be a higher priority. Let me tell you what happened today. After worship today, I was relaxing in the fellowship hall when a young man came in and asked for the pastor. I often wonder about these times how someone just wanders in off the street, but he looked a bit harmless and since all of my members quickly pointed me out. I got up and walked into the sanctuary with the young man. He was a troubled young man who was very calm. But needed help from someone.

We sat and talked in the sanctuary and eventually I took him into my office so we could use the phone. I honestly had no concerns or fears for my safety. As we finished our conversation I kept hearing the custodian in the sanctuary. He was making a lot of noise (which is very unusual). I have to admit that after he left, I was grateful that there were several people still waiting in the fellowship hall to make sure I was safe. I guess I need to think more about my safety than I often do. So maybe Carol is right and I need to think about how to handle safety concerns in person but also on the web as well. It sure was nice to see the concern from my members, it's nice to know that I have developed relationships that they value me and are concerned about me even when I am too naive to realize that there may be a problem.

A Special Communion Service

2009-07-06T09:56:00.003-04:00

This was NOT my creation, but something that I borrowed from a colleague, who borrowed from a colleague. I have to say that this was one of the most moving communion services I have ever seen in a church. I am not talking about one that it at a General Assembly or a large gathering, but several members of my church left in tears after the service. I hope this is a service that can be useful to others too.

THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORD’S SUPPER

THE DRAMA OF CREATION

Leader: In the beginning, God made the world;
Women: Made it and mothered it,
Men: Shaped it and fathered it,
Women: Filled it with seed and signs of fertility,
Men: Filled it with love and its folk with ability.
Leader: All this is green, blue, deep, and growing,
All: GOD’S IS THE HAND THAT CREATED YOU.
Leader: All this is tender, firm, fragrant, and curious,
All: GOD’S IS THE HAND THAT CREATED ME.
Leader: All that crawls, flies, swims, walks or is motionless,
All: GOD’S IS THE HAND THAT CREATED US.
Leader: All that speaks, sings, cries, laughs, or keep silence,
All: GOD’S IS THE HAND THAT CREATED ALL.
Leader: The world belongs to the Lord,
All: THE EARTH AND ITS PEOPLE ARE GOD’S.

THE DRAMA OF THE INCARNATION

Leader: When the time was right, God sent the Son.
Women: Sent him and suckled him,
Men: Reared him and risked him;
Women: Filled him with laughter and tears and compassion,
Men: Filled him with anger and love and devotion.
Leader: Unwelcomed child, refugee, and runaway,
All: CHRIST IS GOD’S OWN SON.
Leader: Skilled tradesman and carpenter,
All: CHRIST IS GOD’S OWN SON.
Leader: Feeder and teacher, healers, and antagonist,
All: CHRIST IS GOD IN THE FLESH.
Leader: Lover of the unlovable, toucher of the untouchable,
forgiver of the unforgivable,
All: CHRIST IS GOD!
Leader: Loved by women, feared by men; befriended by the
weak, despised by the strong; deserted by his listeners,
denied by his friends; bone of our bone, flesh of our
flesh, writing heaven’s pardon over earth’s mistakes.
All: CHRIST IS GOD!
Leader: The Word became flesh,
All: HE LIVED AMONG US, HE WAS ONE OF US,
HE WAS ONE WITH GOD.

THE DRAMA OF SALVATION

Leader: When the world could wait no longer,
Women: The carpenters took up their tools,
Men: God’s son was made a cross,
Women: Fashioned from the wood and skill of human hands,
Men: Fashioned from hate and will of human minds.
Leader: He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief,
All: FOR US HE GRIEVED.
Leader: He was summoned to the judgment hall, an enemy of the
danger to religion.
All: BY US HE WAS JUDGED.
Leader: He was lashed with tongues and scourged with thongs,
All: BY HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED.
Leader: He died, declaring God’s forgiveness. He rose on the third
day, making it real. He ascended into heaven, that he might
be everywhere on earth. He sent the Holy Spirit as’ the seal
of his intention. He sets before us bread and wine and invites
us to his table. This is the place where all will be well again.
All: AND ALL WILL BE MADE WELL.
Leader: For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world,
All: BUT THAT THE WORLD THROUGH HIM MIGHT BE SAVED.

INVITATION TO THE TABLE

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

SHARING OF THE FEAST

THE DRAMA OF CELEBRATION
Leader: In the end as in the beginning, God is God:
Women: Loved by us, wanted by us,
Men: Praised by us, served by us;
Women: Filling the folk with the gifts of the Spirit,
Men: Making them whole for the good of the earth.
Leader: For bread and wine, this place and this time,
All: THANKS BE TO GOD.
Leader: For the hands I touch which are not mine,
All: THANKS BE TO GOD.
Leader: For the peace I am promised which the world won’t destroy.
All: THANKS BE TO GOD.
Leader: For the hope of life forever through Christ’s death and Resurrection’s joy,
All: THANKS BE TO GOD.
Leader: For all God has done without me,
For all God has done with me,
For all Christ loves around me,
For all Christ loves within me,
All: THANKS BE TO GOD.
Leader: For all the Spirit wants to bring me,
For where the Spirit wants to send me,
For all the church has been despite us,
For what the church may yet be through us,
All: THANKS BE TO GOD.

PCUSA and the declining membership

2009-06-26T19:35:00.003-04:00

There are several blogs that I read on a regular basis. Today I read one that talked about the PC(USA) and the declining membership. BRC's Blog In his blog, he asks some questions for people to ponder and talk about so we can begin to turn around the decline.

One question that I often wonder....is why do we have church? What is the reason that you get up on a Sunday morning and go to worship? Do you go because it's the thing to do or do you go because it has a profound impact on your life? Do you want your church to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with non-believers?

I have to say that I know churches that do not want to share the Gospel. There are churches that prefer to be country club rather than a place where they hear the prophetic word. I know members who want to hear words of comfort and not be challenged. What are we doing as pastors, if we give them what they want?

I have to admit that I love being a Presbyterian and at times I try to imagine what I would be if I wasn't a Presbyterian. I love the connectional relationship of the church. I love the relationships that I have with other Clergy and Elders because I met them through the structure of our denomination. I love what I learn from educational events at the Presbytery level, books recommended by others and yes even worship ideas. The communion service at our last Presbytery meeting was so moving to me that I borrowed it for my congregation. The man who celebrated communion actually borrowed it from another Presbyterian. It is amazing how connected we are as a denomination.

I do wonder how we as a church encourage members (and potential members) to live a life so that others see and get to know Jesus Christ? How do we live the Trinity? How do we explain the importance of faith to others?

I hope and pray that our church can adapt to being the church of the future. I look at my two daughters and wonder about their future. Both love the church, feel comfortable there and are comfortable praying publicly.....but I wonder where will they worship in the future? Right now, there are so few young people in our congregation. In the future will there be a PCUSA?

Race in 2009

2009-06-25T07:42:00.003-04:00

I have to say that most days I do not think about racism. But this week, I have to admit that I have thought a lot about race and racism. This has been sparked by two things. First I listened to the GodComplex. It was a wonderful show with special guest Rev. Sean McMillan. Post-race Episode The second thing that made me think about race this week reading (and listening on PTI) about Jim Brown's comments on Tiger. Jim Brown Rips Tiger Woods for Failure to Speak Out On Social Issues

I first want to say that Jim Brown was a very talented player, but I think he is living in a different time than I live. He did have to fight for what he had---but now things are different and we don't have to fight the same way to have equality. It no longer is a black vs white issue. We live in a society where there are many races. My sister is in a interracial marriage. She is married to a man from Taiwan. Yet I have heard from people that she is not an interracial couple since they are not a black and white couple.

I think my generation thinks about race differently. We connect to people differently. I have to admit that I don't look at people's skin first and I don't go around saying "my African-American friends" or "my Asian friends" instead I talk about my friends. I just don't think about making someones race an important way to describe them. (Although I do know that it impacts who they are) So how do we have a conversation when we look at the issue differently?

When Jim Brown tears into Tiger Woods for not saying raising a fist and shout down with the people, it makes me think he just doesn't get it. Jim Brown did what he needed to do, but because of people like Jim Brown things have changed. Unfortunately many people don't see that things have changed. While in seminary, one Sunday after worship we went to Denny's to have lunch. We were showed a table and then sat there for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, I said to Bruce "lets go" and we got up and walked out. About a week later, there was a report on TV about that particular Denny's having a lawsuit filed against it for racial treatment of customers. An African-American family was suing for poor treatment claiming that it was because of their race. My first reaction was "no, that's just Denny's."

I think we are now in a place where we can appreciate the differences. Growing up in New York, I have had to adjust when I have moved to Virginia and now to Indiana. Yesterday I experienced for the first time a funeral that had bluegrass music. It was different from anything I had experienced before----but it was very moving for me. It was a funeral for a white family and yet it was different. For me, there are many differences among people and race is just one of them---but at times I find there are many differences among white people. So don't think of me as a WASP just because I am white and I won't judge you based on your skin color (or what I think is your skin color if you are bi-racial). Instead I will look at you as Child of God!

Women and ministry

2009-06-11T16:49:00.005-04:00

I have to say that I enjoy reading some other blogs as they make me think about my ministry. Over the years, I have wondered if I am following my call to the best of my ability. Now it's not because I am a woman that I wonder that.....but maybe the way that I (and other women) respond to the ministry. This was recently brought to my attention after reading a blog about women, ministry, injustice and the legacy we are leaving the women who come after us. Carol's Blog on being a Sell-Out

I have to admit that I do not negotiate for my terms of call. Maybe it's because I am uncomfortable demanding more for fear that I will appear to be greedy. Maybe it's because of the women I know who have tried to negotiate.......it hasn't gone well. Maybe it's because I look at what the church has (or doesn't has) and think I shouldn't demand more than what they are offering.

I have to say that I grew up seeing women in ministry. Several of them told me that they had struggles to become ministers and how hard it was to be accepted in the ministry. I watch as my daughters flourish in church. Kaydee feels comfortable speaking in front of church offering minute for missions. During prayer concerns, when adults are uncomfortable standing up announcing thing they want prayers for, Kaydee stands up and requested prayers for baby Drake because he kept crying during worship and wanted to make sure God was looking out for him. She has even asked me, what she has to do to be a pastor. So why do I want to tell her to RUN!

I have to admit that part of me thinks, that I don't want her to have to struggle like have struggled. In our small community, it is a struggle to be involved in the ministerial association when there are several who are open about their disapproval of women in ministry. It feels at times that I have to defend my role and position so often that I just don't know if it is worth it at times. But do I want to encourage my daughter (yes I know it's too soon for her) to consider and pray about a call. Not only will there be times when her heart will break because of the emotional toll, but there will be a inequity in her salary. It doesn't mean that making more money would make me feel that I was a better pastor, but it sure would let me know that the church does appreciate me and my ministry. It doesn't always have to be more money, but there are other ways that the church could let me know that my talents were appreciated. It sure will be hard to raise these issues knowing that the church is deficit spending and has been for years. I have tried recently to help them be more realistic about their budget, but maybe I have just encourage the inequality in ministry.

The Golden Rule

2009-06-09T20:56:00.004-04:00

Recently I wrote an article for the local newspaper about the Golden Rule. When I first mentioned that I was writing about the Golden Rule someone said in jest "he who has the gold makes the rules!" Not exactly what I had in mind, but unfortunately that is the rule that does seem to be the law of the land. The following is more of my thoughts about the Golden Rule....so it does include some of my comments that were in the newspaper, but some are new thoughts based on people's comments and reactions to my article.

There are some lessons that my parents taught me that I think used to make my eyes roll as a teenager. But now that I am a parent I am thankful for what my parents taught me. One of the lessons that I learned was the Golden Rule which is found in the Gospel of Matthew and Luke. It is one lesson that I have tried to live my life by even though it is hard in our “it’s all about me” society.

“Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that’s charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that. (Luke 6:31-34 The Message)

As a mother of two girls ages 8 and 5, I have to admit that they enjoy playing with one another. They often get along great and have a good time being best friends…..but once in a while it’s a different story. I often think back to how my mother used to talk with me about ‘do unto others as you would want them to do to you’. If you would not want that treatment, why do you think another person would want to be treated that way?

Growing up, I have to admit that I didn’t always do it, but I sure did try to think about the other person. In our society, it is easier to think about ourselves and forget that other people are impacted by our actions. It is easier for us to blow off steam and yell at another person, than it is to sit down and have a rational conversation to settle difference. But is that what we want to teach our children? Is that the reputation we want for our family or our community?

It is not easy to put ourselves in the shoes of another person. It is hard to see how they may react. I have to admit that when I read emails, I sometimes have to take a step back and wonder “did the person mean to sound thankful or where they being sarcastic?” We have become an isolated society that is so focused on ourselves and our needs, that we forget the people around us. We forget to think about how it may impact them.

But when we only focus on "would you want someone to do that to you"......we miss part of the Golden Rule. It also isn't don't do something you wouldn't want done to you, but it is also do something for someone else that you would want done to you. We often are so focused on ourselves that we don't even look at the needs of other people. Recently, I was in line at the gas station and purchased a drink for the person next in line. The reaction was one that caught them off guard. They didn't know what to say other than, "why are you doing that?" I told them that I wanted to do something nice for a stranger and that they were the lucky one. I think they were still confused as I left the station, but it sure felt nice to do something for someone else.

But when was the last time you sat down and did something for another person, just because it might be something nice to do. It's not about how you can be repaid, but about reaching out to others.

It's a simple rule, and yet in our society it is a hard rule to live by, but what a great place this would be if we all just treated others as we wanted to be treated.

Ascension Day

2009-05-21T09:43:00.003-04:00

Today is a day that many Presbyterians (okay probably many Christians) don't realize is important. If you don't know what I am talking about---you aren't alone. It is a day that we overlook and allow the Roman Catholics to celebrate but don't mention outloud for fear of sounding Catholic and not Reformed. But to recognize today and celebrate today is Reformed and important for us.

Jesus' ascension affirms that God completes what God started. Scripture tells us that Word became flesh and dwelt among us and was taken up into heaven. Early Christians did not assume that everyone was taken up to heaven.

For Presbyterians, we believe "On the third day He arose from the dead, with the same body in which He suffered, with which also he ascended into heaven, and there sitteth at the right hand of His Father, making intercession, and shall return, to judge men and angels, at the end of the world." (Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 8 paragraph 4)

We celebrate many days in our life. We celebrate birthdays. We celebrate anniversaries. Some couples even celebrate the anniversary of when they first dated. Some even celebrate the graduation from preschool. Why don't we celebrate an important day and remember the day that Jesus ascended into heaven? When we do celebrate this momentous occasion, we acknowledge that Christ is not bound by time or space to this world. The ascension can be a great source of strength to those who are afflicted.

Ascension Article

Call 911

2009-05-20T08:28:00.002-04:00

Over the years, I have taken many classes in first aid and cpr. One thing that I remember the teacher always saying is to call someone by name and tell them to call 911. During the class, you have to practice cpr and in the practice they see if you tell someone to call 911. But it just seemed a little silly in my mind. I always thought that someone would be smart enough to go and do. It's the logical thing to do right---well may not.

On Sunday as I got up to pray, a member quietly asked “Martha please call 911.” I paused for a second and she whispered “call 911.” Without even thinking, I ran from the pulpit and grabbed a phone from my office to call 911. I stayed on the line for a minute to answer their questions before going back out to the woman to be with her in her time of need.

As soon as she said my name, I was called into action. Several members of the congregation did get up to see what they could do, but many others stayed back for fear of getting in the way.

As I reflect on this, I have wonder...........is that how we are with our prayers? Do we actually call upon God in our prayers? Do we just ask for help or do we ask God by name to help us? In our busy and hectic world, we have a lot of gadgets and technology to help us. But does it really help us? Does the technology and gadgets give us comfort when in reality we are needing and searching for God?

Many of us think that God will just automatically react that we don't even take the time to pray. We think that God should just fix whatever the problem is in our life. But maybe, we need to first call upon God before things can be fixed. Maybe we need to ask God by name to do something.

We live in a world where so many people don't rely on God. We live in a time when people think that they can do it all alone without God and without a church. Maybe God just needs to know that we do want Him in our life and need Him in our life. So the next time there is a problem in your life, call on God by name and see what happens. Maybe you need to say God's name not to call attention to God, but to remind you to rely on Him.

A Mother's Day Reflection

2009-05-09T17:22:00.004-04:00

It is the weekend where once again I reflect on my childhood and growing up. It is Mother's day weekend. For me, it is a time when I reflect on what should I be passing on to my children. There are many days that I think, "I wish I could ask my mom what to do." So instead of doing that, I try and think back to the examples that she gave me when I was a child.

So as I reflect on my mom and my childhood--here are somethings that I remember and try to pass on to my children. (Although I will admit that I am not perfect in doing this)

Be nice!
Spend time with the people you love--even if it is doing something you don't like to do.
Smile--even when you are having a bad day, a smile can make a difference.
If you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything.
Don't judge people--you may be surprised by what you find. Sometimes the nicest people come in packages that you don't expect.
Don't expect the world. You won't be disappointed if you don't get everything, but also people are more willing to do something for someone who doesn't expect it.
Give back. Don't always take, but give to someone. We all can give something. So do what you can to help someone else.
Be patient.

I received a lot of good advice from my parents over the years. I just hope one day my girls will look back at me and think "what would mom do?" Raising two girls to become women that people will respect and look up to is my goal. I just don't know what those women will be or what they will do. So in the mean time I will just sit back and try and be patient while I watch them blossom into the women they will become.

Music and my kids

2009-05-08T13:13:00.005-04:00

I have to say that Ellie enjoys going to McDonald's with me for lunch. She will eat her entire Happy Meal which is important before she is able to get the toy (the main reason for going in her mind). Recently McDonald's has had special KidzBop music Cd's as the toy. These have gone over well in our house, but it did get me thinking.

Generally the girls listen to Disney. With the Disney music, I know it will be clean cut and while it will try to sell them on other Disney products, I don't have to worry about them hearing things I don't want them to know about. Of course as they get older, they are listening to Jonas Brothers, Hannah Montana and others---but mom does try to find out what their lyrics once I know they like something (or think they like it).

The other thing that we listen to is Christian music. I know at a number of my friends would be mortified at the theology behind many of the Christian songs. But when I listen to what is out there on the radio---I don't want my children listening to a lot of it. I have to say that at times I don't even know what the song is implying to know if it is something I want my children to avoid or to listen to. When I first looked at the songs listed, my first thought was "I don't want my kids listening to that!!" But they must do something to sanitize the songs because the girls like the music and it isn't objectionable to me.

The girls love the new music that they listen to you----but I have to say that I actually like them listening to Christian music, even when it's a theology that is more conservative than mine. It is better for them to listen to God music than some other options. I don't have to worry about trying to explain some things to them when they listen to Christian radio.

So right now I am okay with going to McDonald's to get the next CD if that will make the girls happy, it's okay music. It also is funny to see their reaction when I tell them that I listened to some of the songs when I was a kid. But I also am okay with pushing the Christian music because you can't go wrong with God.

Poverty in a small town

2009-05-01T17:07:00.006-04:00

Some of you may know that I enjoy reading other people's blogs. I have to admit that I have been reading blogs for quite some time before I decided to write one. There is something about writing words down that just felt a little bit beyond me. There is such a power in the written words, especially when it is on the internet for anyone to read.

A number of the blogs I have enjoyed reading are by other Presbyterian ministers. Some by ministers I have known in the "real world" first and others that I know only through the internet. There are a group of bloggers that have intrigued me as they all write about one topic on the first day of the month. This month's topic was one that just caused me to write.

I have to admit that for many years, I didn't really think about poverty. It wasn't something that impacted me directly. I was fortunate to grow up in a middle class home in which there was always enough....it may not have always been the top of the line....but there was always enough. My first real experience dealing with it was in college when I went on a Midnight run to help feed the homeless in the NYC. But it was once in a while and not an every day occurrence that impacted me. But now I see the effects of poverty every day.

Connersville is often a forgotten town. As a pastor in a small town, I look around and see people trying to improve our community---but struggling to do that. For years, our county had the highest unemployment in the state. We now are 4th highest. There was a sense of pride among people about their history and that the community at one time was a booming little town. But that is history now and there is a great need. About half of the children in our school system receive free or reduced lunch. To me, this is a frightening statistic. What happens to those children when they aren't in school? What will they eat in a few weeks when school is out? There are many issues with poverty--but the one that really hits home with me is food. I just can't imagine being hungry and not being able to find some food to eat.

Our congregation is struggling with the issue of how to we feed people and teach them the nutritional way to each rather than the junk food that is quick, easy and bad for your health. How do we help someone financially? Do we just write the check or can we spend some time with them on budget 101. This notion has become almost impossible to do as the number of people requesting financial help has increased.

We have begun to have open conversations about what someone could buy with food stamps. Where do they get soap to do dishes or cleaning supplies if food stamps doesn't allow for those type of purchases???? The need in our community keeps increasing, but our members keep digging deeper in their pockets and bringing more items for the food pantry or money to help pay people's bills.

The need in Connersville is great. But there are resources out there. Our congregation is trying to help support the organizations out there--by cooking at the Lord's Table, supporting the food pantries and doing what it can to minister. We don't need the credit for the work that gets done---the people need food to eat and to know that someone cares.

I care and I know my congregation cares. I thank God that we are able to make a small dent in the problem.

Faith and Doubt

2009-04-18T10:45:00.005-04:00

As I was preparing for worship this week, I commented to a friend that I would be preaching about Thomas' faith. Of course their natural response was to say "Doubting Thomas? How did he have faith?" I feel for Thomas as he just doesn't get the reputation that he deserves. I don't think that the preachers who chastise Thomas are being fair to him. Thomas didn't ask for any more evidence of resurrection than what the other disciples had received. He wasn't there to witness it for himself and so he was just asking for what others had already witnessed.

So I thought I would share some quotes of people about faith and doubt

Frederick Buechner: "Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith"
Tennyson: "There is more faith in honest doubt, believe me, than in half the creeds" Tillich: "Doubt is not the opposite of faith, but one element of faith"
Miguel de Unamuno: "Faith which does not doubt is dead faith."

I guess what has bothered me this week, is that for me (and I do base this on the experience of me and those close to me) faith and trust and belief in God hasn't always been easy. There have been difficult times that have raised some questions.......and yet I see those times in my life as times that strengthened my faith, not weakened it. So I am going to borrow a comment from a friends facebook page "without doubt there is no faith; without faith there is nothing to doubt." For me, I can't imagine having a faith that doesn't have doubts or hasn't experienced them at some point. Thank God I have come through the doubts and have a stronger faith because of it.

Easter Thoughts--and a Proud Mother Moment

2009-04-15T12:40:00.005-04:00

I have to say that at times during Children's moments, I don't know what to expect. For some kids, it's open mic time and anything goes. I tend to be a bit nervous about what might come up and where they will lead the conversation. But after this past weeks events, I have to say that I am also amazed by kids....my daughter in particular.

Kaydee has always had interesting conversations. She is autistic and a child, so her thought patterns are not the same as mine or most people. But this week, I was glad that she thinks outside the box. On Good Friday, I had warned both girls that the service was probably going to be somber and sad because Jesus dies on Good Friday. I don't know what I was thinking because in our community......that is not what Good Friday is about. The sermon was appropriate and on topic, but as people were leaving I heard people commenting about "He is Risen!" One church actually had it on their sign board starting on Palm Sunday. I left my seat where I was sitting with pastors to find my family. I came upon Bruce with the girls who were crying. Ellie because she got in trouble for not leaving her sister alone. (Apparently she kept asking her sister why she was crying--this is not my proud mommy moment) But I also found Kaydee hysterically crying. The reason, Jesus died. She was very upset and it took quite some time to get her to stop crying. She felt the despair and the agony that is apporpiate for Good Friday when Jesus died. very proud mommy moment---my 8 year old gets it and many of the adults didn't

On Easter morning, we were putting flowers in our cross (see picture) and as we were putting them Kaydee kept asking "is this enough flowers for Jesus to come back to life for us?" I told her yes Jesus would definitely come back to life for us. The joy on her face was priceless. I sure wish that all people who came for Easter service got to have even a small bit of her joy. She had gone from the depth of despair to the wonderful joy of hope for the future.

In the calm since Easter, I have been trying to catch up on my reading. In my reading of blogs (I read a bunch of them when I have time), I came across Bruce's comments. Bruce is very thought provoking and is the current Moderator of the denomination. He has several blogs but this one is specifically written for the San Francisco area but sure has some good insights. Bruce Reyes-Chow City Brights blog

History or Tradition or just plain stubbornness

2009-04-15T10:53:00.004-04:00

In my life, I have worshiped at a number of churches. This is something that I often struggle with when talking with members, especially members who have always belonged to the same church (or a long time). They can't envision anything different. I often struggle with are we trying to honor our history and tradition or are we clinging to the past because we don't want anything different.

On Easter Sunday, a visitor commented that they were uncertain where to sit during worship for fear of taking someones pew. I joked back that people were so happy to sit anywhere since I took away a lot of pews during Lent that they wouldn't mind a visitor sitting in their pew. The people would just be happy to have the entire sanctuary available to them. During the Lenten season, I roped off the outside sections of the sanctuary. I know there is a gasp as you hear this and some of you are chuckling. Yes I did have one family openly boycott service for the Lenten season because they couldn't sit in their pew. But I wanted to remind all of us to build up the body of Christ. How can we do that when we sit so far apart? How can we relate to people when they are strangers to us? But I am digressing......so back to my original thought. How do we honor the tradition and yet allow ourselves to be open to God's Spirit? How do we find time to listen to God and what God is calling us to do, if we constantly do the same thing year after year after year.

Now I know there are some who are thinking, are you trying to re-write the Bible? No I am not. God is constant and is the same God yesterday, today and tomorrow. But maybe the way we relate and understand God can change (and should change).

I don't know about you, but I have changed in my life. THANK GOD! I am not the same person I was as a child or as a 20 something. I am not the same pastor I was when I was ordained back in 1998. I am not the same parent I was when Kaydee was born. We all change, and if we keep God in a box and don't allow our understanding of God to change than I am sadden. If my relationship with God didn't change over the years, I would have missed out on a lot of wonderful experiences. If my understanding of God's compassion didn't change while I mourned the loss of loved ones, than I missed a wonderful aspect of God's love. If my understanding of God's forgiveness didn't change while I rebelled against going to church, than I missed the wonderful experience of God's grace. If my understanding of God's devotion didn't change while I God's faithfulness during my times of trouble, than I would have missed the amazing dedication of God.

I guess what I am trying to say is that God doesn't change, but my understanding of God should and must change as I grow into the Child of God that I am called to be. For me, that cannot happen if we do the same thing all the time. For me, there is no new understanding of God if we worship the same way week after week. Now I know some are saying "are you really a Presbyterian??" Yes I am and yes you can be too. We shouldn't sing the same songs every week or the same ones every Easter. For me, Easter next year would not have the same impact if we did exactly what we did this past week. I so won't preach on the same topic and do the same things in worship. Instead it will hopefully be different. I don't want to throw the baby out with the bath water~~~but it can't be the same thing. We need to be transformed by the power of God and not remain stagnate. If we fight to remain the same as always, then we are limiting what God can do through us. So honor the history of who we are....but be open to where God is calling us to be in the future.

A Reflection Holy Week

2009-04-11T19:51:00.002-04:00

I have to say that this week has been an interesting week for me. It is Holy Week and for me it is a time to put the finishing touches on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter services. They are services that cause me to think and reflect about what it all means.

The tradition in the community is for a community Good Friday service and I had a simple small part. Bruce's boss closes down the office for the service and expects his employees to attend the service. The girls have no choice but to attend the service. We generally bring something for them to do during the service. Not many 4 and 8 year olds sit through a Good Friday service, but my girls have no option. As I prepared the girls in the morning for the service, I explained that this was a service about the death of Jesus. I explained that it might feel like a funeral service. The girls sat with Bruce as I sat with the other ministers up front.

The service was a nice service and I appreciated the pastor preaching about "Why did Jesus have to die?" (That hasn't always been the case---sometimes it has focused on the resurrection and as that just doesn't sit well with me) I greeted a few people when I noticed that both of my children were crying. The mother in me was set in motion. I rushed over to see what was going on. Bruce explained that the younger was annoying her bigger sister because the bigger one was crying. When I asked "why is Kaydee crying?" She said "Jesus died!" WOW. She got it. She felt the agony of the day. She felt the despair of the day. After holding her for a few minutes and letting her cry, I told her to remember that Easter is coming and Jesus will no longer be dead. She kept crying not sure if she could believe me. I looked her right in the face and said "Kaydee it will be okay."

As a mother I was so touched that somehow something connected with her in a moving way. But I was also impressed that she got the story and the importance of the day. So many of us go from the joy of Palm Sunday to the joy of Easter and never experience the darkness and the depths of pain, agony, betrayal and despair. She had the emotions that I think so many people miss....maybe even the ones who attended the service.

A Passover Seder

2009-04-08T13:13:00.004-04:00

I have to say that when I have a full plate....I tend to let my mind wander as I procrastinate. I will google a word and see what happens or I will check a variety of news sources to see what is happening in the world. God forbid I don't know instantly when something happens. So while just glancing at a variety of titles on Google News and one caught my eye. Obama to Host Seder

Now as child, I attended a number of Seders in Christian settings as well as a Seder in a Jewish home. I have to say that Seders have a special place in my heart. While I won't say that I love the food choices.......there is something about the ritual that I just love. I could do without the bitter herbs, but in reality life is not easy for us. I also love the time of questions. "What makes this night different from all other nights?" This is a great way to share our faith with the younger generations. So often we (the church) does things without explaining them and just expect people to do what we say. The Seder experience is one which allows for reflection of the past but also an explanation of what God has done throughout the life of people. I think too often we take for granted what God has done in our life. We expect things and then get upset when God doesn't act in the manner which we expect.

I am pleased to see that President Obama will take time on Thursday to reflect. I can't think of a better way for a Christian to celebrate Maundy Thursday but also to recognize the Passover Holiday which begins at sundown on April 8th.

A Holy Week

2009-04-06T19:49:00.004-04:00

For many Christians, this is an important week. Yesterday was Palm Sunday. Many churches have worship services later this week for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday and of course Easter. Some how, over the years, Palm Sunday has become more Passion Sunday. Preachers (including me reluctantly) focus more on the entire week on Palm Sunday rather than just the joyous triumphant entry because we know that many people will miss the rest of the week. We don't want people to only experience the joy and praising of Palm Sunday and the joy of Easter and not experience the agony and despair of Thursday and Friday.

But for many people this is a holy week for other reasons. Today is opening day. If you have to ask of what.....you are missing America's pasttime. Today is the opening day of baseball. For true sports fans, tonight is also the NCAA basketball championship for men's. (Tomorrow night is the women's basketball championship). But I want to talk about the return of baseball.

There is something about baseball that can be religious. In the movie Bull Durham, one of the characters says "I believe in the Church of Baseball." For many people that is a true statement. For me, I LOVE baseball. There is nothing else like watching a baseball game live. Bruce and I love to go to minor league games as there is something about being in the stands and watching a game. Our girls have that baseball gene and enjoy a trip to the park. For many families, a trip to the ballpark is like nothing else. It is a time for families to spend together. For many adults, a trip to the ballpark takes us back to childhood memories. So for me, I am glad that spring is here, so we can once again hear the shouts of "play ball." We already have our tickets for the Indianapolis Indians games. We also are looking forward to marking off another ball park this summer when we vacation in St. Louis. I look forward to making more memories with my girls that someday they can share with their children.

So for those who think this is a holy week because of all the sports.....I have to say that I secretly agree with you as there will be a number of games that I want to see.

Evangelism...did you invite someone?

2009-03-28T10:21:00.006-04:00

So many people are uncomfortable inviting a friend to church.....and yet statistics tell us that is the best way for people to start attending a church. A blog by Evanglism Coach This year while reading my email from Synod, I noticed a short article saying that the Synod created a few advertisements for Lent to be used by congregations for free. Now, if you know me, you know that I can't pass up the word FREE. So I requested the advertisements to be personalized to our particular church. Now the frugal side of me said.....what spend money on an ad in the paper??? But in reality to make money sometimes you have to spend money, so I thought in order to attract people, sometimes you have to spend money.

My hope with the ad in yesterday's paper (and there will be one in next week's paper also) is that it is a starting point for people. It helps get our name out in the community which is a great thing to do. But hopefully members of the church will see the advertisement and then mention it to family and friends and encourage them to come to church. It can be hard to invite people until you get used to it. There is often a fear of being rejected, and in all honesty my invitations have been rejected at times. But sometimes when I least expect it, people say yes.

So I hope you cut out the ad and share it with someone.....or if you didn't save the paper, we have some copies at church.

One final thought I want to share is THANK YOU to the Synod and to Marta for personalizing the ad to our congregation. It sure makes it nice to for a small church to have a resource that we can use without spending a lot of money.

The Power of Words

2009-03-26T09:22:00.004-04:00

Recently I have been asked questions about my prayers. It has been interesting the questions people have asked about my prayers, especially prayers at the hospital. In case I haven't prayed with you ..... as the time of our visit is coming to an end, I ask people "may I pray with you?" When I hear yes, I ask "what would you like me to pray for?" The first time I ask this question, it can throw someone for a loop. I know that very few pastors ask people what they want to pray for.

This was something that I started many years ago while I was still in seminary. I worked as a hospital chaplain and so I visited many people. They were not all Christian and even if they were a Christian.....there were many different flavors. I wanted to make sure that whatever I said, it was words of comfort to people. The worst thing I can do is to pray for something that people don't want. What is supposed to be a word of comfort can end up being something that causes frustration. I also learned with all these different faiths, that people prayed to different names.

This was a habit though I continued in my ministry at the local church. I did this after sitting down with a fellow pastor and asking for prayer. I had shared some of the difficulty that I had in my life and yet when this pastor opened her mouth.....the prayer was very different from what I had shared. By the time she was done praying, it didn't feel like she had heard my concerns and where I needed God's help in my life. At that moment, I decided that I would not be arrogant to assume that I knew what was best. I learned that words have meaning and have power behind them. Ever since then, I have asked people what they want me to pray for as our visit comes to an end. Some time people don't have any words or can't come up with words to express what they want, if that is the case then I pray for what we have generally talked about during my visit. I am often amazed at what people want me to pray for after a visit. Sometimes it is for family or friends, sometimes for the person in the bed next to them in the hospital, sometimes it is for a situation in the community and I have to admit that many times I would miss some great information if I didn't ask for prayer requests.

As a pastor, I have heard that some people think I am taking the easy way out by making the person in the hospital pray (no I don't actually make them pray.....I just ask for suggestions) and I am sorry if that is the impression I give. But I have to admit that one thing I will never change about my ministry is asking people for prayer requests. I hope that I let people know that their words are important when I use their actual words in the prayers. Hopefully that lets them know that they can pray even if they don't have a degree, because that isn't what God cares about. God just wants to hear from you.

YOUR FIRED

2009-03-18T16:18:00.004-04:00

Those two words strike fear into people, but I have to admit as a pastor that those words have never really crossed my mind. It isn't normal for Presbyterian pastors to be fired, but it has happened. It just isn't something in the front of my mind, but as a pastor I do think about not rocking the boat too much.

Now at my current church, I have heard the stories about previous pastors. Most are interesting to learn, but one story that I heard shortly after I arrived made me wonder. The one thing I heard about Rev. Miller was he was fired because the people didn't like what he was saying. I was warned by a former member (still lives in the community) that 'whatever you do, don't preach on the topics Rev. Miller did or they will chase you out of town too.' So you can imagine my concern when the other day I was compared to Rev. Miller. Somewhere in the back of my mind I was wondering "will I hear those dreaded two words--your fired!"

The person then went on to explain that she thought I was talking about similar things to Rev Miller about spiritual development and deepening ones spiritual life. These are concepts that previous ministers did not discuss. This person shared that the church has changed and while not 100% ready to hear these topics, needs to hear them.

At different points in our life, we are open to different topics. In my opinion, a church that needs to be revitalized, needs to have their spiritual life renewed. The church here in Connersville needs to be renewed. I see lots of areas for life and growth. There is an excitement in our church, but we need to make sure that we don't stretch ourselves too thin. In my experience, when I am following spiritual disciplines I have more energy to serve. As a pastor, there is only so much I can do.....but when I don't take care of my spirit there is nothing I can give to my family or my congregation. I hope (and pray) that you will take the time to strengthen your spirit.

Expectations for Men

2009-03-17T08:13:00.004-04:00

I have to say that I tend to be different from other people. I remember when I was pregnant with Kaydee that I had church members saying 'goodbye' to me. I was a bit confused as to why people thought I had to leave my job just because I had a baby. Bruce and I have always tried to juggle childcare responsibilities as we both see it as our responsibility to raise the girls.

But I have to say I wondered about myself when I saw the story on Good Morning America titled When women bring home the Bacon about a woman who resents her husband for being laid off of work. I have always worked throughout our marriage. Each time we move to a new call, we plan on Bruce being unemployed for a few months while he sets up the house and figures out what to do for a living.

After a lot of thought, I decided that I don't have a problem with Bruce taking that time off when we move. But I honestly have to say that I might resent him if he was let go tomorrow, not because I was making the money, but because I would resent that he got to spend more time with the girls. Some of my best moments of the day are when I get the girls off the bus and spend snack time with them catching up with what they did for the day. Those are times that I cherish. Kaydee actually goes to Bruce's office directly from school a few days a week and Bruce brings her home. Those are days that are less information is shared between Kaydee and me.

I don't have a problem with who brings home more money or don't want to be taken care of......I just love spending time with my girls and being the mom. My respect for Bruce doesn't depend on his working but on being the person that he is all the time (not just when he is at work).

Using YOUR Gifts

2009-03-14T11:08:00.005-04:00

The last few weeks have been busy with Kaydee and trying to help her. She has been selling Girl Scout cookies. It is something I remember doing as a child, but not one of my favorite things to do. The idea of talking with someone is just not in my top ten things to do. So the idea of trying to encourage Kaydee to sell was something I was not looking forward to doing. I remember taking the sheet to church as a child, so we took her sheet to church one week. It was a different experience.

I told Kaydee to go see a church member that I was confident would buy from her. Mr. Larry is one that frequently talks to Kaydee and she enjoys seeing him at the post office. I thought it would be an easy sale. I was right about that as he did buy cookies, but then the natural salesperson took off. She started asking everyone in the church, going pew by pew if they wanted to purchase cookies. Her technique was interesting as she would ask "what are you favorite cookies?" or the other one that I liked was "what kind of cookies do you want to buy for me?" She sold quite a few cookies.

But I wasn't prepared for the booth sales. We set up a booth last weekend at Wal-Mart. For one hour, she (and another girl) were responsible for selling cookies to people as they entered and exited Wal-Mart. She just shined. It was wonderful to see her just feel natural and comfortable talking to anyone. People would have all sort of reasons why they couldn't buy them and her response was "oh no. Thank you" But she did lighten the mood as she often posed while asking if someone wanted to buy the cookies. Several people responded they had to get money from Wal-Mart but would buy on their way out. She had no fear of strangers (not something a mother really wants to know) but she was natural and comfortable asking people to purchase cookies and telling them how much and the kinds of cookies available. It was wonderful to see. Once again this morning we sold cookies at a booth at Marsh. She asked EVERYONE who entered the store to purchase cookies. Several people told me they would have purchased because of her sales technique (the pose really gets people) but all they had were credit cards.

I was telling a fellow pastor the other day about Kaydee's sales pitch. I remarked that she must not get it from me unless it skips a generation because it could be from her grandfather (he talked with everyone and anyone). But this pastor reminded me that Kaydee is using her gifts. As an introvert, whenever I test for spiritual gifts, evangelism is not one of my highest gifts. I imagine for Kaydee that it would be. Maybe I need to take her with me when I visit people as she is so outgoing and loves to share stories including stories about church and what she learned in Sunday School. It would be wonderful if we all used our gifts, unfortunately most of us chose not to use our gifts. So while at times I wish I had the gift of being comfortable talking with anyone, I need to use the gifts that I have because that is what God intends for me.

The Joys of Worship

2009-03-04T10:23:00.002-05:00

Now I have to start off saying.........that worship isn't exactly as I wanted. Being the pastor, I do not have complete control over the worship service~~and not just during the children's time. I honestly wanted to move us to a different space (the Fellowship Hall) in order that we could worship differently. I was hoping for us to be seated in chairs where we would be close together and maybe able to interact a little bit more. Session though didn't like that idea and since according to the Book of Order they get to determine the location of worship, I decided to make the best of the situation and have us sit together in worship. The sanctuary seats about 200 people and to have 31 people (yes that was our attendance on Feb 22nd including the children in the nursery) scattered all over the place just didn't feel very worshipful to me.

I have to say though that I am glad we stayed in the sanctuary. It truly is a wonderful place to be and it was great to see so many people in church near one another. We had lots of people sitting together that normally would have sat alone. When it came time to share the passing of the peace~~it was easy to do. When it came time to hold hands during the benediction~~it was easy to do. The sanctuary looked full at least in the center section and it was wonderful. I don't think I have heard as many things about attendance as I did on Sunday. People commented that it was a change trying to find people since they weren't sitting in their normal seats......but that they sure liked having someone sit in the pew with them. People commented that it looked liked people were here and they couldn't believe how their attitude was different just because they were close together.

I have to say that I only received two negative comments about switching pews~~one from a person who came and before worship told me that their seat was in the roped off section. They did stay and enjoyed it and afterwards thanked me for worship. The other person didn't attend worship. It is now Wednesday and I am still receiving comments---the positive comments keep coming in. The positives far outweigh the negative ones. So I guess I just need to trust the Spirit (and the congregation) when I come up with a BIG idea. Sometimes it does need to be cut back a little because that is what we can handle at the moment. I am looking forward to next week and hoping we fill in the pews a little bit more that maybe---just maybe---we have to open one of the outside sections again.

Justice and Money

2009-02-24T14:05:00.004-05:00

I have to say that I don't usually think about my salary. While I like to get paid, it is not the driving force in what I do and why I do things. But at times, it sure would make life easier if I received more compensation. When I think that, I then think about the members of my church who are without a job. I think about the articles in the paper and on the news of people who have received pink slips. I think about the people who are in greater need than me.

So you can imagine that I get annoyed when I hear people complaining about money who in my mind have it good. I have little sympathy for people who make lots of money telling me that they have it rough. I can't imagine making the kind of money that some CEO's and celebrities make. I honestly don't know what I would do with that money. I definitely would stay a little nicer hotels when we vacation but the frugal person in me would not allow it to be that much more than what I spend now. It just seems that some people are more concerned with ME and not with the community as it is struggling during this hard economic times. Now I don't mean to pick on him, but Jim Calhoun's rant was what set me off on this.Jim Calhoun Defends His Salary

Now my husband will tell me that yes Jim does bring in a lot of money to the University, I will grant you that. But at a time when people are loosing their homes, their jobs and more, I don't think it is the time to be money hungry, especially in a state that has budget problems. Now I don't mean to pick on him, because I feel the same way about many other professions (athletes, actors, ceo's). There seems to be no justice in pay. Why do we pay someone a ridiculous amount of money, and at the same time let go of someone else for budget reasons? Why do we pay someone a large amount of money to model clothes for us, and yet we don't want to pay the people to watch our children?

I do not think that everyone deserves the same pay. But I do think we should pay a little bit fairer. Now before you tell me that it doesn't exist, Bruce already tried. I have to agree that there is no perfect solution, but it does seem that we could and should try and find a better way than what we have today.

Sorry

2009-02-24T13:56:00.002-05:00

Sorry it has been a while since I have written anything. After coming home from Study Leave in Texas, it just seemed that things were pilled up for me to do, both at home and at work. I also like to think a while about what I write since words are powerful. I don't want to throw something out there and then wonder should I have said that?? So I do apologize for not writing something sooner, but I needed to wait for the right inspiration.

Justice in Salary

2009-02-24T13:50:00.005-05:00

Sorry it has been a while since I have written anything here. I tend to write and then hit the backspace key. I get nervous about writing my thoughts down because words have power to them. But I had to write today because something has been eating at me for a few days now and I am hoping getting it out on paper (or the web) will help.

Where is the justice in salaries???? I love what I do and I don't do it for the money, but I do get a little annoyed about what some people make. My latest annoyance came after hearing Jim Calhoun's rant the other day during a press conference. Calhoun Defends His Salary Now I will admit that it was probably not the best time to bring up the topic. I understand that some skills are considered more valuable than others. But I do have to wonder about what we value. In a time when people are struggling for money to put food on the table, it seems a little bit outrageous what someone makes for what to me at times feels frivolous. Now I love sports and I love entertainment, but I do wonder when we pay people a ridiculous amount of money to do something that is not life and death and honestly doesn't change the world. (I know we all need an escape--trust me many days I want to escape the problems of the world) But in the big picture does a coach really deserve to make that much money? You can also substitute a variety of things for coach like movie star, professional athlete, ceo of companies.....you get the idea. The sad part is that if Jim Calhoun left UConn, he could get that much and probably a lot more money. In a time where people are struggling, it does seema little bit greedy.
I have to remind myself, that I don't need to (or really want to) dine on caviar and some people do. I have simple needs and simple tastes. I sure am glad that my parents taught me to value things other than money.

Study Leave reflection

2009-02-01T18:53:00.006-05:00

I am now home and am thankful for my time away. It was a wonderful time of learning, refreshment and relaxation. I visited many wonderful booths in the marketplace. It was there that I found lots of great resources. Catalogues with many great suggestions. Some educational material which I plan on using later this year. I brought many ideas from worship and the spirituality center. I purchased a beautiful stole to wear based on the book Waterbugs and Dragonflies. My roommate went home with lots of free pens. It was a great time. I loved all the great things that I heard. It definitely was worth attending.

One issue I have as a pastor is trying to find time for me and allowing me to have a time of sabbath. One of the workshops that I attended was lead by MaryAnn McKibben Dana. As a pastor, I try to be available and do everything.....but it is hard to balance being a mom and staying healthy. I don't know if it is a good thing, but my body will let me know when I am doing too much and when I need to slow down. When I start to overdue it, I know that I need to stop and take a break. But I should do that to myself. As a pastor I should be setting the example of how to live according to God's plan. God created the world and rested on the 7th day, what makes me think that I don't need rest. I often have great intentions of having time for me and taking care of myself, but I have to admit that many Friday's I find myself in the office finishing something that didn't get done earlier in the week. But based on MaryAnn's suggestions, I think that it is possible to have sabbath with my family. I shouldn't have to go away from my family to be able to have sabbath. Thank you MaryAnn for the wonderful suggestions about how to balance life, family and sabbath. MaryAnn's website can be reached by clicking on SabbathProject

Study Leave (I'm here)

2009-01-29T23:32:00.004-05:00

I have to say that APCE is one of my favorite places to be. I am catching up with old friends (no you are not old.....but long-time friends) from seminary, friends from previous churches, friends from previous conferences and making new friends. Despite the comment at keynote about people having facebook friends.....I am always looking for new facebook friends. For me as an introvert, it is a nice way to get to know people and relate to people while still enjoying my quiet "me" time. The people here are a talented group of people who love the church, and especially love education.

I have to say though that one of my disappointments was when I heard a pastor comment that they weren't really familiar with education in the church and the role of the church educator. How could you say something like that (I know it's a paraphrase of what he said and not his exact quote) at an EDUCATOR's conference???? I guess it just comes down to the fact that I see my role as pastor differently than many other pastors. While I have worked as an educator, I have worked more years in small churches where there was no professional educator. I see my role as pastor as a teacher. I love to share my knowledge with others. For me, when I write a sermon, I don't look at it as a 20 minute lecture (sorry to my preacher friends who do that), but rather I look at it as a 12-15 minute time when I can share my knowledge through an informal discussion. While Presbyterians rarely speak during the sermon, I do try to get a little bit of interaction from my congregation and even have them come on a journey with me as I tell the story.

Well, I guess I see that all of life is a lesson that needs to be learned. At my first church, Margaret was 90+ years old and still attended Bible Study feeling like she could always learn something else about the Bible. She was a smart woman who taught me quite a bit about the ministry. If she thought she could learn from me after she had lived a full life, than maybe we all can learn something else. Hopefully that pastor at the educator's conference will learn (please someone educate him) that pastors should be educators too!

Study Leave

2009-01-24T20:48:00.004-05:00

Oh the two words that I love to hear "study leave"......and yet today it is two words that I am dreading right now. I love preparing for study leave. I love looking to see what I can study and learn. There are so many conferences out there and so little time. Two weeks just doesn't seem like enough time.

And then it comes.....and my mind changes. For the last two days, I have been dreading my study leave. There are several things that have been on my to-do list that aren't done yet. About a month ago, I said 'I need that done before I go to APCE' and thought there was plenty of time. Now that I am leaving in less than 24 hours, I realize that there is never enough time.

So many little things to finish before boarding a plane for some time of study. In the end it will be worth it, but for the next few hours it is a bit rushed here at home. So I will stop writing, so I can get back to the other things that need to be done. I can check off that I blogged something this week before leaving. Now off to finish a few more things.

Remembering Martin Luther King Jr.

2009-01-19T07:21:00.002-05:00

The prophet Jeremiah says
The word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:4-5)

Martin Luther King was 39 years old when he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. He accomplished quite a lot in his short life-time.

The poet Rowan Williams once said that when he gets to heaven, God will not ask him why he was not Martin Luther King; God will ask him why he was not Rowan Williams.

God will ask: why didn’t you do the things I called you to do? Why didn’t you do the things that I uniquely equipped you to do?

It is hard to not think about the great things that Martin Luther King Jr set in motion. Tomorrow will be a different day...it doesn't matter where you are politically but tomorrow is a day that should be remembered. MLK was a man who changed the world.....he was a preacher who dreamed big dreams.

Today around the country, people are volunteering their time as a tribute to MLK. We need to remember that MLK did not set out to be a great man, but set out to make a difference in the lives of his community. We often focus on the great movers and shakers of history and forget that usually GOd works through ordinary people like you and me. God takes ordinary people like Jeremiah and MLK and because of what God is able to do through them....they become great.

God works through great leaders in time but God works through communities and churches and even nations. MLK did not set out to be a great American hero. He set out to be faithful to God one day at a time, and found himself the leader of a nation-wide movement for freedom and equality. We too should begin with the little things—being faithful to our spouses, patient with a friend, gracious with an enemy, merciful with those who need our help, and generous in giving.

I hope today (and every day) that I can be open to where God is calling me to.

A Presbyterian Tradition

2009-01-17T21:32:00.003-05:00

Today, I was reminded why I am a Presbyterian....and why I love it. Today we installed our new Presbytery Exec in a special service in Zionsville. The service was a typical installation service and yet it wasn't typical in so many ways. Everything that the Book of Order requires was there and yet it just felt so special.

There is a deep connection to one another. We may not always agree on everything, and yet we still and come together. We are there for one another. As I looked around the room today, I realized that there were others there that I don't agree with theological (or politically) and yet I know they are there for me. I pray for my colleagues regularly. There is a connection in our denomination that I do not see in other traditions.

There is a respect for people. We respect people's faith and where they are in their faith journey. There is a respect of Elders and Ministers.....one is not better than the other. There is a respect for others (even when we don't agree).

Education is important. We encourage people to read the scripture for themselves and listen to God's Word.

Today was a time of great celebration and rejoicing. I look forward to Alan's leadership as he has been a wonderful pastor in the presbytery. He has been a great friend to many pastors and I know he has been very compassionate and pastoral when I have talked with him. I look forward to being on the receiving end of his pastoral care.

Can you be too honest?

2009-01-16T19:03:00.003-05:00

Last night, we went to look for a new car. Dad stayed home with the girls as Bruce and I ran around to look at several car dealerships in Richmond. Our hill is a bit much and the minivan does not do well with snow ..... so I was hoping to get something that would manage to get up our 1/3 of a mile driveway regardless of the weather. I walked the driveway a few times this week and in this cold temperature with a wind chill in the minus it was too much for me.

We had our share of typical car salesman, but we also met a very nice relaxed laid-back salesman who was the one we purchased from. We looked briefly at the car and then left to look at other cars, but eventually we came back to the Hyundai dealership. We walked in at 7:40 (they closed at 8pm) and asked them to bring the car into the showroom so we could look at it. It was too cold to be outside in the wind. The one we wanted they couldn't start so they brought another one in so we could look. They told us the price (because of rebates) and we said "sold!"

When we sat down to sign the car financing paperwork, Bruce stopped. I know that look~~the numbers weren't adding up. The financing man looked at us, as Bruce said "I think you gave us credit for the rebate twice." He looked at the numbers and then back to us again and then to the numbers again. He said that Bruce was correct and that in the rush they had given us credit twice. So he thanked us and re-typed the paperwork. Thanks Bruce that meant more paperwork to sign (and owed more on the car)......but it was the honest thing to do.

So tonight at dinner, we again were tested as the waitress forgot to add up all the meals. So Bruce once again cost us money.....but it sure is worth it to be honest. Even if we are now down $2520. Oh well I guess we can live with ourselves and it is worth it.

A hand out or helping up

2009-01-10T13:55:00.002-05:00

Today is the day that the Deacon's have their monthly assistance to help our community. I have to say that this is one of the harder days of the month trying to decide who receives help. It is not uncommon for me to get a phone call from the Deacons trying to find out what I think about who "deserves" help.

The Deacon's policy is to help once every six months~~but in this economy for some it isn't enough. The Deacon who was working was grateful for my presence as I helped say "no" to a family. It sure is hard when someone comes in with a bill for gas or electric to not pay it off......but when the bill is several hundred that limits what we can do for other people.

Seeing the faces of people as we told them we could pay $50 towards their bill was interesting. Some had looks of joy on their faces as they realized that it was $50 towards a $200+ bill. Others tried to be thankful but at the same time realized that it was only $50 towards a disconnect bill of $200+ and they still needed to find more money.

We offered a list of food pantries in the community in the hopes that it would help some. Each time I reminded people, take the money you would have spent on groceries that you receive from the pantries and put it towards your gas or electric or whatever bill.

In these economic times, things are just going to get harder every day. As a church with a shrinking amount of money, it sure is harder each month to have money to share in the community and it gets harder each time to say no. I keep praying that something will change.

Did that really just happen?

2009-01-05T10:02:00.004-05:00

On Saturday, during our officer training I had to say that we had a GREAT conversation that was important to the life of the church. It was not one that I started or thought would happen, but I was pleased to hear the thoughts, hopes, and frustrations of officers about our congregation. We like many other churches are dwindling in size. We live in a community where there is little hope and our community is in decline. We lamented on Saturday that there are fewer people "like us" to invite to our church. But then something happened.....people began talking about the fact that we don't need people who look like us to come to our church, but we need to be doing something to invite and encourage people to come. I thought it was the start to a good conversation.

Sunday morning, as I went up to the Sunday School to teach (since no one else had signed up to teach) I thought to myself~~well it was an interesting conversation yesterday, but I am sure that is the end of it. As I started to teach the four young children something happened. A member came up the stairs and said "we have visitors." You have to understand we have visitors about once every six months~~so this was important news. Following the member, was a FAMILY. She brought them in to the room and explained to the mother that this was the room for her 8 year old boy and 4 year old daughter. It was a wonderful moment.

I was pleased that

Of course during Sunday School the children told me they were just visiting from South Carolina and were going back home this week. But it was a wonderful test run of our congregation. Based on the reaction of the children and their parents, we did a few things right...and of course we have a few things to improve upon. So hopefully now we can continue to do the things we do well....and a few things we need to change.

Who knows, the next time we have a visitor it might be someone looking for a church home, and it might even be us!

Good Bye Christmas

2009-01-03T14:49:00.002-05:00

Oh the excitement of Christmas is over. As I write this, I am watching my family take down the Christmas decorations outside while it is warm (I think it may actually be in the 40's at the moment). There is something about Christmas being over that is hard to accept. There is an excitement and joy about Christmas that we don't experience the rest of the year. People are nicer during the Christmas season. People tend to be a little more generous during the season of peace, love, hope and joy.

But at the same time, Christmas is not just about a happy, feel-good time. Many of us spend our days people-pleasing, trying hard to be liked, accepted and making this the perfect holiday season. We are the "yes" people always giving and doing for others. This is not a bad thing, but it sure can take a toll on us....if we are not careful. Faithful stewards seek not just to do things for others but to do the things that please God. But giving, does not mean just doing for others, but also doing things that would help strengthen and nurture our relationship with God.

So while I am sad to see the decorations come down, I am also glad for the "down-time" as I no longer have to try and have the perfect holiday.....I am sad to see the Christmas spirit go from our community. I hope and pray that the spirit of giving will continue all year long.

11-indispensable relationships

2009-01-01T09:12:00.005-05:00

I recently finished the book 11:indispensable relationship you can't be without by Leonard Sweet. This book is a wonderful reminder that we need to have a variety of people in our life, not just people who are like us or people who will do whatever we want.

There are a variety of Biblical figures that Leonard uses as examples of who we should have in our life. As I look at the Biblical figures, I have been wondering who these people in my life. These people are important to have in our life and yet some of us are missing these people. Leonard asks the questions:

I have to admit that I don't have all these relationship in my life. As a person who is an introvert and finds I have more than enough "people" contact through work, I realized that I am missing some things. So I will get out of my comfort zone and try to develop relationships that are needed in my life.

It is important though that these people are ones that I select and not ones that people determine for me. I can think of several people who would love to be the Nathan---to hold me to what I promise to do and helps me see the truth. I can think of many members of the year who would love to "correct" the pastor when we have disagreed. I think that I have stayed away from relationships that would be my Nathan figuring that I hear enough of it from disgruntled parishioners. But what am I missing by not having that relationship? I am missing a friend who will help remind me that I am taking on too much and not able to do all that I want (promise) to do.

So I am taking applications for friends to help me have the relationships that I need to have in my life.

Mousetrap -- the kissing game

2008-12-31T17:52:00.008-05:00

Ellie (my youngest) received the game Mousetrap for Christmas. It is a fun game for children ages 3 and up. Players move through the board, they build the mousetrap.

The object of the game is to trap all of one's opponent's mice using the mousetrap, which is built upon the board during the course of the game. The trap begins with a crank which turns a set of gears. This begins a series of stages which ends in a cage being lowered over the "cheese wheel" space on the board. The player that is the last one standing is the winner. It's a simple game which is fun.

Bruce decided to be funny. He landed on the same space as me and announced "You have to kiss the other person on the square." Since that time, the girls have giggled as they have had to "smooch" the other person. It has become a popular kissing game in our house. While I would not encourage it as game when they are older, it is sweet and funny to have my two daughters announcing that they have to kiss mommy because they landed on the same square.

It was not the game we expected it to be, but I have to say that it sure is fun to have my kids want to give hugs and kisses while playing a game. I love them both and it sure is nice to receive that affection from them. I sure wish they would stay this way forever.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T14:11:00.003-05:00

In the Jordan family, Christmas Eve is a family day. We bake goodies, watch Christmas specials and just spend time together. It has been a wonderful day with Bruce and our daughters. We have watched "It's a Wonderful Life" and even some kid specials to remind us about the true meaning of Christmas.

I wanted today to just post a reminder about the true meaning of Christmas. So watch this clip from Charlie Brown's Christmas special and be reminded by Linus of the true meaning of Christmas. video clip I love how part way through telling the true meaning, Linus drops his security blanket. He no longer needs the security blanket because of the true meaning of Christmas.

In the end, all I have to say is Merry Christmas and remember to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior! I must go now and bake a birthday cake for tomorrow's party that we have for baby Jesus.

Evangelism....what exactly is it?

2008-12-17T12:13:00.003-05:00

As I prepared for a funeral with a non-denominational minister, he explained to me that he had a conversation with the deceased (a member at my Presbyterian church) about his salvation and was he saved. At first, I was a bit annoyed. Did this other minister think that I hadn't preached (or talked) about salvation or having a relationship with Jesus Christ? Was it something that he didn't think Presbyterians understood? Did he think we weren't saved because we don't talk about it in the same words?

After thinking (and talking with several friends) about the "are you saved?" conversation, I realized that I do it in a different manner. Rather than saying "are you saved?" I tend to ask people if they know they are going to heaven. While the intent of conversation are the same, the feeling are different because of that word "saved." So while I do not have the deathbed conversations "are you saved?", I do have conversations about heaven and how confident they about their future home.

While thinking about this, I came across a blog about evangelism. So what are we (the presbyterian church) doing about reaching out to people? What am I doing? If we do not reach out to the community around us, we will be a denomination that will be gone in a few years.

We need to be more pro-active when it comes to sharing our faith. While it may not be the ways that others do it (are you saved?) we do need to tell our family, friends, and others how Jesus has impacted our lives.

The excitement!

2008-12-17T10:47:00.002-05:00

At this time of the year, there is a sense of excitement in the air. From seeing all the lights as we drive around town (lots of oohs and aahs from the backseat) to the excitement of presents. The girls have had a lot of fun picking out gifts to give other people. There was a frenzied spirit in the house as they prepared for the Christmas pageant. Kaydee was the Christmas star and Ellie was an angel. They were both so appropriate for their parts and in mom's opinion there was just a little bit of typecasting.
But there is a new buzz in the Jordan household. Shortly after our dog Betty died, the girls decided they wanted a new pet. Honestly I wasn't ready for a new dog, but was open to listening to them. They thought we needed a new pet because the two cats weren't enough. They announced that we needed TWO hamsters!
Now I didn't know much about hamsters. My dad refused to let us have one....he called them (and still does to this day) pet rats. Kaydee wanted one called Angel and Ellie wanted one called Fishy. (I have no explanation on how they came up with those names) After I explained that we would only get ONE hamster, they decided we would name it Angelfishy.
Well last night in the midst of the ice storm, we went to Richmond to pick up a hamster from someone on Freecycle. The hamster was named Gloria. She has brought a lot of excitement to the house. I am getting a lot updates about where Gloria is at the moment and her cage is not that large. She has brought a joy to the girls.

Breakfast with the Christmas Angel

2008-12-06T17:09:00.000-05:00

For the last four years our church has hosted Breakfast with the Christmas Angel. I have to admit that it is one of the things I look forward to each December.

Our Fellowship Hall is transformed from the ordinary church hall to a winter wonderland for a day. You walk into a creation of lighted animals, Christmas light and Christmas stars, and angels everywhere. Children young and old enjoy this event as they sing Christmas carols, make an angel craft and hear the Christmas story from the Christmas Angel. Everyone who attends gets to have their picture taken with the Christmas Angel (you can see even I like that part).

Today as I was listening to the story, I had to admit that it is the faces of the kids that just make this event for me. Some kids constantly try and talk to the angel about anything...one kid talked about being a sheep in their Christmas pageant, another talked about places they had been. But most of the kids sit there in awe (even when they have seen it time and time again). Linda (the Christmas Angel) comes out with wings that are about 4 feet wide and just as tall as she is which can be intimidating to the kids. But instead they sit there in awe of her and listen to the Christmas story.

Kids are great. They have an innocence in them and just are wonderful to watch. I hope that I don't lose the awe that I saw in the children. They were in awe of our angel, but I hope that I don't lose that awe about the Christmas story. So often we rush through the Christmas season that focus on getting presents and decorating the house or even baking the cookies.....I hope I can still sit back and look with awe as I hear the story come to life.

Preparing for Christmas

2008-12-01T14:41:00.000-05:00

This was my article for the local newspaper that I write every few weeks. Decided I would try and share it with you too

There are some things that are a tradition that we keep no matter what. For the last twenty-five years, the day after Thanksgiving has been an important day to go shopping. The women in my family would gather on Thanksgiving to discuss what stores we wanted to go to and what items we thought were great bargains. For a family that is scattered across the country, it also became a time to catch up with one another.

But this year would be different, instead of shopping in the Philadelphia area with my sisters and nieces, I would be shopping alone in Connersville. The alarm went off at 3 am and I was up and ready to start shopping. I had my lists of things to get and stores to go to and off I went into the dark hours to wait for the stores to open up. I wanted to continue this family tradition, even if I was going without my sisters.

I had a wonderful experience and saw friends as I went to the various stores in the early hours. At each store I was asked “what are you looking for here?” by people that I met. I looked at my lists and noticed that this year it was a bit different than in past years. There were a few things I wanted for our household, but the majority of my list was for three children I have not met. I was shopping for a 6 year old girl, a 4 year old boy and a baby boy that live in Fayette County.

There was a different kind of excitement as I told people about my quest for a great outfit for these children or a good book to share or a toy that would make them smile on Christmas when they opened them. People were amazed as I told them that I was shopping for my angel gifts that our church sponsors for local families. They wondered why I would get up so early in the morning to shop for strangers.

At times as I stood in line I have to admit that I wondered 'is this a great idea', but I kept reminding myself of Jesus' words in the Gospel of Matthew. In the parable of the sheep and goats, Jesus said "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' “ (Matthew 25:34-40)

Now Jesus says nothing about shopping for people, but as I look around our community I see people in need. It may be a small way to respond, but I hope that making Christmas a little bit brighter with a new toy and hopefully winter a little bit warmer with a new outfit will make the difference in the lives of these three little ones in our community.

So as you continue to prepare for Christmas this season, think about the ways that you can do something for the “least of these brothers.” It may be adding your loose change into the Salvation Army kettle as you walk into the store to buy another gallon of milk. It may be taking an ornament off a tree at your local church or store, in order to provide a present for someone to open on Christmas day. It may be baking an extra plate of cookies and providing Christmas cheer to a neighbor.

I wish you a Merry Christmas this year and pray that you remember to reach out to those in need and help them have a brighter Christmas.

If you are in need of prayer, please call the Fayette County Ministerial Association prayer line 827-PRAY.

A children's advent

2008-11-30T10:05:00.000-05:00

This morning at church, I am listening to the children practice for the annual Christmas pageant as I type this blog. It is wonderful to hear the Christmas story in their voice. Some things are emphasized more than others. The young boy who was reading the Luke passage had little enthusiasm.

Several adults tried to explain to him that this was "great news" and so he should show some excitement. He read it again with some enthusiasm but I think he wondered about us and may have thought he was being a little bit silly since he was practicing speaking in an empty sanctuary.

But I think that we need to remember that this is a time of great news. We often just go through the motions and don't remember to be excited about the babe born in Bethelehm. Now I don't know if the pageant will contain excitement over the news, or excitement over the kids being in church and lots of families (and extended families) being in worship, but I think we need to have a joyful spirit this Advent season as we remember the reason for the season.

A Spirit of Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T13:17:00.000-05:00

Last night I attended the Community Thanksgiving Service. It was wonderful to see so many people together worshipping God. The Baptist minister shared a wonderful Thanksgiving Message and talked about how much we have to be Thankful for in our daily lives.

So today, as I procrastinate on my important things to do....I thought about all the things I have to be thankful for in my life. It wasn't hard to come up with things.....just hard when I went to limit it to one thing per letter.

A autism....while many may not see this as a blessing, I truly think that it allowed me to develop some patience that I needed in my life and it allows me to have a daughter who brings out this wonderful innocence in my life
B Bruce (my hubby) who despite whatever I do, always seems to try to do the best for me and loves me despite everything I do
C clothes.....now I am not talking about the latest fashion, but things to keep me warm as I am always cold.
D drinks....I seem to always need something to drink (and not the hard stuff) but when I start to get dehydrated I get tired and cranky....so I am thankful for water and juice and my diet soda which helps keep me nice
E eating...is a great time of fellowship in our house. Not only is there good food on the table, but it is a time to catch up with one another and learn what we all have been up to for the day
F Family from my daughter, my siblings, my parents, my cousins....they are always just there for me encouraging me and loving me.
G God....there is no need to explain this one
H Home, there really is no place like home and I am truly thankful for my warm house to sleep in at night and to enjoy relaxing in with my family
I Ice Cream.....this is my major vice and if my doctor would let me, I'd eat it every day
J jokes....while I have to admit that most days my dad or my hubby will tell me a joke that causes me to roll my eyes, it sure is nice to have something to try and put a smile on my face
K kitchen.....I love to bake and the smell of baking is something that just warms my soul; besides that is a good spot to catch the girls and find out the things of the day
L laptop.....I have to admit that my new laptop is definitely something that I find great to have around (and a bit addictive)
M music as I need some music in my head to get me going......whistle while you work....It won't take long when there's a song to help you set the pace
N news, I love to watch the news shows and I love to hear about what people are doing and what is happening
O oranges (and other fruit).....there is something about fruit that I have loved receiving as gifts over the years. It's not like other gifts and is very tasty and delicious.
P photos, while I am not good about taking them, I love having lots of pictures of people around me. It is nice to see pictures hanging up in my office and on my desk to give me inspiration in tough times
Q quilts...not only because I am often cold and they help warm me up, but often they are made by hands and are gifts of love
R reading....I love to read and I have to admit I prefer to read just for fun some fiction story to take me away, but I read all the time for work that I just can't imagine life without it
S sun and the stars as it reminds me of God's creation that is all around me
T traveling...whether it is my car or by train or by plane, I love to see places and people. I consider myself very fortuante to be able to go places
U unicorn...okay I know they aren't real.....but I love the opportunity that unicorns give me to take a step away from the real world and not see the harsh realities and think about what things could be like. I guess I just like the idea of taking time out to be creative and wonder about the possibilities.
V vacation...while I enjoy my time at work and at church, I truly enjoy the quiet me time that I find on vacations. Being an introvert, I love to be able to sit down and relax with just my family and that only seems to happen when we are away
W web....it seems to have become an important part of my life from surfing the internet to catching up on emails from family and friends that I don't know what I would do without it
X x-rays.....I've had too many in my life, but they sure are helpful in giving the doctors information which allows them to help you heal and get back on your feet again.
Y You....if you are reading this chances are you a friend (either in person or one I've made on the internet) and I truly am thankful for friends who challenge me and encourage me
Z You probably are wondering what will she say for Z.....a zebra or a zoo.....but no it's Dr. Zaki---my doctor who listened to me and helps try and keep me on the level with all my medicines in balance

As you can see.....and I can see too, I have a lot to be thankful for on Thanksgiving this year and in reality I should be thankful for every day.

Am I normal?

2008-11-23T18:57:00.001-05:00

Recently, my oldest daughter came home from school asking me "When will I be normal?" Kaydee is autistic. There are many things that she does that are not "normal." But I have to admit that it is refreshing to me. There is an innocence about her. She is very sweet and sees the best in people. She is gifted in many ways....and can draw anything you want and it will look exactly like the original

When she was about 3 years old, we sent her to a special preschool for children with developmental delays mostly in the area of speech. At one of the first parent-teacher conferences, the teacher commented that it was nice we didn't ask them to "fix" her. They said most parents wanted the teacher to help make their kids "normal" so they would fit in with the rest of society.

I have to admit that there are times, that I wish she wouldn't have the outbursts that she has, or would just be able to do things that other kids her age do. But there is something about her that allows me to really cherish life in a different way. She loves everyone she meets. She does not judge people. Recently at her birthday party, she went and thanked everyone for attending and giving hugs (even to the boys).

I see that she was created in God's image. It is a blessing to me to have her in my life. She has been a blessing to our church. So I thank God every day that she isn't "normal."
So I explained her that she doesn't need to be normal and that she is very special just the way she is. I thought that I had avoided a minefield; only to then have her younger sister tell me "I want to be special too!"

So my special needs kid is definitely normal and my normal kid is definitely special......because they are the way that God made them to be.

Funerals and God's Word

2008-11-20T16:12:00.001-05:00

I have been spending time the last few days preparing for my uncles funeral. He was 88 years old. As a kid, he seemed larger than life. He was a large man who seemed to be able to go anywhere and go everywhere. He loved to travel and often told tales of trips to far away places. He and his wife did not have kids.....so they actually had breakables every where in the house which always looked just picture perfect. Last week he had a stroke and his death was expected, but it does not make it any easier.

Uncle Milt's pastor will have the funeral, but asked my dad and me to participate since we are ministers. Dad will say a few words, but I have chosen to just read a scripture passage. The question becomes, what words of comfort do I read. The Bible is full of passages of comfort to people who are grieving. But as I read these words, I wonder about the translation to read from. As a minister who reads several translations each day, I find comfort in a translation that may not be the one that others would select. So which version to read.....the one that I prefer or the one that I think everyone else would prefer?

I guess I am thinking about this partly because last night the liturgist for December asked if they could read from the King James Version rather than the New Revised Standard Version that is in the pew. My gut reaction last night was to say "NO" partly because I don't like KJV except for the 23rd Psalm. But than I realized that for some, there is a sense of familiarity in the KJV even though I often get lost in the Thees and Thous. So I will take the time and look at the passages and see what will provide comfort at the funeral. I will take the time to look at the December lectionary to see what is will be best for the congregation which just may be the KJV. It is more important that people hear God's Word than it is the version I like.

Are you listening?

2008-11-18T21:26:00.001-05:00

I have to say that there are weeks that I preach and wonder.....did they hear the message that I wanted them to hear? Since I am a solo pastor at a small church, there is no other staff to ask their opinion about worship and the sermon. For a while, I asked my hubby, but to be honest that was not always helpful. (He tried.....just at times I didn't want to hear his thoughts)

Last year I asked several church members email me their answers to three questions.
1. What did you hear in the worship service? (trying to find out if I was successful in tying everything together)
2. What was most meaningful to them?
3. What would they change about the worship service?

Two weeks ago, I preached about stewardship. I explained that stewardship is not just about giving at the moment. While we are a church that needs money right this moment, we are only able to meet the budget because years ago people left money in an endowment. We use the interest from that endowment to meet our monthly bills.

Today I actually heard from a member who said "I can't give anything more right now.....but I might be able to start an endowment eventually." I appreciated that she said it took a while for it to sink in, but she still had been thinking about it. While I want instant results, it is nice to know that I could plant the seed and then I just need to sit back and let God work.

I rejoice over the stewardship of those in the past who have allowed our church to be the church we are today. I pray that one day, someone will look back at us and think "thank God for the people in 2008 who are still helping us today!"

Thankful for work

2008-11-16T20:09:00.000-05:00

This weekend, I have been busy at work. Not in the typical things.....but something different. On Friday I received a call from a member of the community asking if I would like 20 turkeys to give out in Thanksgiving Baskets. This has not been a ministry of our church and so when she first called about Thanksgiving Baskets, I said "we haven't done baskets in the past. Is there anything in particular you are want to do?" She then explained that she wanted to donate 20 turkeys to a church and thought about our church.

This was a wonderful gift to us. This member of the community was touched by something I had done in the past and wanted to help our church to continue to minister to people. In a congregation that is struggling to pay the bills, this is a wonderful gift.

So this weekend, I have been busy trying to locate people who would otherwise not have a great Thanksgiving. This is a part of the ministry that I enjoy and to be honest, it was work that I didn't mind doing over the weekend when I had originally planned on relaxing with the family.

My First Blog

2008-11-13T18:16:00.001-05:00

Well I have to admit that I have wanted to start this many times before.....but just haven't taken the time. I know that I should have done this before, but there always seems to be something else on my plate. I have enjoyed reading so many blogs from friends and strangers that I feel like I now know.......but this is my first try at blogging my thoughts

As a pastor of a small church, I have to find something that would feed my spirit as well as give me an outlet to discuss issues. For the last few months, I have been reading and enjoying blogs of people that I respect and value their opinion. I don't know if this blog will make a difference in anyone elses life, but at least it will give me a chance to speak openly and hopefully help me in this process.