Wednesday, December 31, 2008

It’s Just Another New Years Eve…

We have arrived at New Years Eve. I must admit that I have never been a big fan of New Years Eve celebrations. If anything, they always tend to make me a bit sad. While everyone else is celebrating and ringing in the New Year, due to my personality, I tend to be a little more subdued and introspective. I think about the year that has just past, I think about those who are no longer with us. I reflect on the triumphs as well as the tragedies of the year, then I think about the year to come, not necessarily with the sense of optimism that I should have, but with a bit of wonder and concern about what the New Year is going to bring.

Ok, I know that this isn’t showing much faith, but I really do have deep faith. I know that whatever happens to me in the next year God will see me through it. Whatever catastrophes occur, God will give me the strength and wisdom to survive. But with that being said, I also understand that the year ahead will be a challenging one. We are still short one miracle for me to graduate, I have no idea what will happen with the Board of Ordained Ministry interviews which will be coming up in March, I have absolutely no idea where we will be appointed after Graduation. Will I stay where I am? Will I be moved? Will I have my appointment discontinued with no further appointments to come? These are the things that go through my mind on New Years Eve. I’m kind of a bummer to be around today, aren’t I?

I remind myself of Billy Crystal in the movie City Slickers when he wakes up on his birthday, and is always depressed, There is one scene where I believe he is at work and is talking about how terrible things are and his coworker says, Oh that’s right Happy Birthday, as his co-worker recognizes that this is the way that he acts on his birthday. Well, I don’t ever let birthdays bother me, but I do tend to get this way a bit on New Years Eve.

But, the good news is that once I wake up January 1, I am back to normal and ready to face the world. So bear with me, let me get through today and tomorrow morning, I am back to my warm and lovable personality. Well, maybe that is an exaggeration:)

Blessings

Oh, by the way, the song that I have shared with you is written and performed by Barry Manilow. This is another one of his obscure songs that I really like, and if you listen to the words you will see that Barry must think a lot like I do on new Years Eve.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Making a List!


If I wasn’t panicked before, I am beginning to get there very quickly. I have always been a big fan of making lists and checking everything off as I go. The problem that I am running into is that as I check something off my list, I add two more things to it.

I must admit that these questions for the Board of Ordained Ministry have proven to be more challenging and time consuming than I would have ever imagined. I suppose that unlike a typical paper for seminary that takes me about 1 ½ hours per page to write, these are taking much longer because this time it isn’t a matter of getting a grade and moving on, this time it is a matter of not moving on, if my answers aren’t satisfactory. Right now, I am just ready to be finished with them, maybe by this afternoon.

I am also concerned that I may forget to do something important before I leave for El Salvador. I just remembered to add, “Pay the Car Insurance” to my list, that would have been bad if I would have forgotten that one. Then it makes me wonder what other important things I haven’t thought about. Oh well, one thing is for certain, once the plane takes off from Houston and I make that last phone call home, there will be absolutely nothing that I can do about anything until I get back.

Of course, I would guess that those of you who are world travelers would look at my concerns, and laugh, but it has been a long time since I have traveled out of the country, and I’m not sure that you could consider going to Canada as leaving the country, although when Ben and I went fishing up there, he became quite proficient in speaking Canadian, by putting “eh?’ at the end of each sentence.

I suppose that I have now succeeded in putting off actually working on something important for about 15 minutes, so if I know what is good for me, I had better get to work. I will keep you posted on my progress.

Blessings

Monday, December 29, 2008

Is it Time to Panic Yet?


Well, it’s just about time to turn my attention to El Salvador. I’m not quite ready to do that yet, but I am very nearly out of time. There sure is a long list of things to get done before I leave next Sunday. Actually, Ben is taking me over to Ohio Saturday, and then we leave the school around 3:30 AM on Sunday to catch our flight from the Columbus International Airport. The way I have it figured is, if what I need to get done isn’t finished by 11:00 PM Friday night, it won’t get done until I get back home on the 19th of January.

My son Ben pointed out that I will miss all three of the Colt’s (potential) Playoff games. I hadn’t really thought about that part of my sacrifice for higher education. Colts games are kind of big deal around our house, with the special pots of home made chili and fresh baked bread. Of course, the good thing is that if the Colts are still alive when I return, it means that they will be going to the Super Bowl, either way, I guess I will find out when I get back. I doubt that the NFL is very news worthy in Central America.

This week will be spent getting all of the work done that needs to be done before I can go, such as planning and preparing for 6 worship services that I won’t be able to enjoy. (3 at Cana and 3 at Crothersville) I also have the Board things to finish up, clean out the garage so that Karen can put the car away during the cold weeks of January, getting the items I need to take with me to El Salvador, and what ever else comes up this week that I can’t even imagine yet.

I guess that I have procrastinated long enough, it’s crunch time, so I better get going :)

Blessings

Saturday, December 27, 2008

The Perfect Christmas... well, just about!


I must say that it is always good to get back home to your own bed, but with that being said, we had a really awesome Christmas. I think that the only thing that could have made it better was to have been able to stay with the family for a little longer. We were actually gone from home for a total of 48 hours, and 12 of those were spent riding in the car, and when you get to be old like me, your body needs a little more recuperation time than that.

While we were in the Quad Cities, we got to see Karen’s brother Tom, who was home visiting from Iraq, and we got to see our nephew Tim and his daughter Natalie who was home visiting from the Air Force.

All I can say is that we had such a good time, and everything went just great, So on a Chevy Chase, scale of a perfect Christmas, I would give this one a 10.

The only bad thing, as I look back over the last couple of days, was the trip home from Illinois yesterday. It was so incredibly foggy, which of course wasn’t bad in the daytime, but when it became dark, there were some very difficult patches of highway. In addition, just as we were about to Indianapolis, I glanced down and our thermostat on the car was almost into the red. OH Nooooooo! So I pulled off at the next exit, unfortunately it was completely 0 visibility and there was NOTHING around. So I turned right, drove about a mile, not even seeing a place to turn around, suddenly the road turned 90 degrees (I almost missed that one) and we drove about another half mile, until we saw a gas station, whoo hooooo, at least we had a place to stop.

I got out and looked under the hood, we have been having a problem with the radiator leaking, but it only had been leaking when the engine was stopped, and then only a very little bit. So I could see that this problem might have been aggravated by the 12 hour journey, so I went into the station, filled up an antifreeze jug, that I had, with water and put that in the car. Problem solved, Thank God! So we were back on the road, Well, not exactly, we then had to find our way back to the Interstate in the fog, which was so intense I couldn’t see where to turn even when I was at a dead stop staring right at the sign with an arrow. But, since there was no one else on the road, we were able to find the turn, get back on the Interstate and continue on home.

All in all, with the exception of that one little challenge, which you tend to expect when all of your cars have 200,000 miles on them, it was a very good Christmas. Now it’s time to get back to work, well after a trip to Cracker Barrel for breakfast!

Blessings

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

A Christmas to remember...


Since I will be away from the computer for a few days as we travel over to Illinois, I thought that I would share one last Christmas story with you. I know that it is a bit long, but I believe that it is time well spent. Have a Very Merry Christmas, and I will plan to fill you in on our Christmas adventure on Saturday when we return.

A Christmas to remember...

Pa never had much compassion for the lazy or those who squandered their means and then never had enough for the necessities. But for those who were genuinely in need, his heart was as big as all outdoors. It was from him that I learned the greatest joy in life comes from giving, not from receiving.

It was Christmas Eve 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the world had caved in on me because there just hadn't been enough money to buy me the rifle that I'd wanted for Christmas. We did the chores early that night for some reason. I just figured Pa wanted a little extra time so we could read in the Bible.

After supper was over I took my boots off and stretched out in front of the fireplace and waited for Pa to get down the old Bible. I was still feeling sorry for myself and, to be honest, I wasn't in much of a mood to read Scriptures. But Pa didn't get the Bible, instead he bundled up again and went outside. I couldn't figure it out because we had already done all the chores. I didn't worry about it long though, I was too busy wallowing in self-pity. Soon Pa came back in. It was a cold clear night out and there was ice in his beard. "Come on, Matt," he said. "Bundle up good, it's cold out tonight." I was really upset then. Not only wasn't I getting the rifle for Christmas, now Pa was dragging me out in the cold, and for no earthly reason that I could see. We'd already done all the chores, and I couldn't think of anything else that needed doing, especially not on a night like this. But I knew Pa was not very patient at one dragging one's feet when he'd told them to do something, so I got up and put my boots back on and got my cap, coat, and mittens. Ma gave me a mysterious smile as I opened the door to leave the house. Something was up, but I didn't know what..

Outside, I became even more dismayed. There in front of the house was the work team, already hitched to the big sled. Whatever it was we were going to do wasn't going to be a short, quick, little job. I could tell. We never hitched up this sled unless we were going to haul a big load. Pa was already up on the seat, reins in hand. I reluctantly climbed up beside him. The cold was already biting at me. I wasn't happy. When I was on, Pa pulled the sled around the house and stopped in front of the woodshed. He got off and I followed. "I think we'll put on the high sideboards," he said. "Here, help me." The high sideboards! It had been a bigger job than I wanted to do with just the low sideboards on, but whatever it was we were going to do would be a lot bigger with the high side boards on.

After we had exchanged the sideboards, Pa went into the woodshed and came out with an armload of wood - the wood I'd spent all summer hauling down from the mountain, and then all Fall sawing into blocks and splitting. What was he doing? Finally I said something. "Pa," I asked, "what are you doing?" You been by the Widow Jensen's lately?" he asked. The Widow Jensen lived about two miles down the road. Her husband had died a year or so before and left her with three children, the oldest being eight. Sure, I'd been by, but so what?

Yeah," I said, "Why?"

"I rode by just today," Pa said. "Little Jakey was out digging around in the woodpile trying to find a few chips. They're out of wood, Matt." That was all he said and then he turned and went back into the woodshed for another armload of wood. I followed him. We loaded the sled so high that I began to wonder if the horses would be able to pull it. Finally, Pa called a halt to our loading, then we went to the smoke house and Pa took down a big ham and a side of bacon. He handed them to me and told me to put them in the sled and wait. When he returned he was carrying a sack of flour over his right shoulder and a smaller sack of something in his left hand. "What's in the little sack?" I asked. Shoes, they're out of shoes. Little Jakey just had gunny sacks wrapped around his feet when he was out in the woodpile this morning. I got the children a little candy too. It just wouldn't be Christmas without a little candy."

We rode the two miles to Widow Jensen's pretty much in silence. I tried to think through what Pa was doing. We didn't have much by worldly standards. Of course, we did have a big woodpile, though most of what was left now was still in the form of logs that I would have to saw into blocks and split before we could use it. We also had meat and flour, so we could spare that, but I knew we didn't have any money, so why was Pa buying them shoes and candy? Really, why was he doing any of this? Widow Jensen had closer neighbors than us; it shouldn't have been our concern. We came in from the blind side of the Jensen house and unloaded the wood as quietly as possible, then we took the meat and flour and shoes to the door. We knocked. The door opened a crack and a timid voice said, "Who is it?" "Lucas Miles, Ma'am, and my son, Matt, could we come in for a bit?" Widow Jensen opened the door and let us in. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The children were wrapped in another and were sitting in front of the fireplace by a very small fire that hardly gave off any heat at all. Widow Jensen fumbled with a match and finally lit the lamp.

"We brought you a few things, Ma'am," Pa said and set down the sack of flour. I put the meat on the table. Then Pa handed her the sack that had the shoes in it. She opened it hesitantly and took the shoes out one pair at a time. There was a pair for her and one for each of the children - sturdy shoes, the best, shoes that would last. I watched her carefully. She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling and then tears filled her eyes and started running down her cheeks. She looked up at Pa like she wanted to say something, but it wouldn't come out.

"We brought a load of wood too, Ma'am," Pa said. He turned to me and said, "Matt, go bring in enough to last awhile. Let's get that fire up to size and heat this place up." I wasn't the same person when I went back out to bring in the wood. I had a big lump in my throat and as much as I hate to admit it, there were tears in my eyes too. In my mind I kept seeing those three kids huddled around the fireplace and their mother standing there with tears running down her cheeks with so much gratitude in her heart that she couldn't speak. My heart swelled within me and a joy that I'd never known before, filled my soul. I had given at Christmas many times before, but never when it had made so much difference. I could see we were literally saving the lives of these people.

I soon had the fire blazing and everyone's spirits soared. The kids started giggling when Pa handed them each a piece of candy and Widow Jensen looked on with a smile that probably hadn't crossed her face for a long time. She finally turned to us. "God bless you," she said. "I know the Lord has sent you. The children and I have been praying that he would send one of his angels to spare us."

In spite of myself, the lump returned to my throat and the tears welled up in my eyes again. I'd never thought of Pa in those exact terms before, but after Widow Jensen mentioned it I could see that it was probably true. I was sure that a better man than Pa had never walked the earth. I started remembering all the times he had gone out of his way for Ma and me, and many others. The list seemed endless as I thought on it.

Pa insisted that everyone try on the shoes before we left. I was amazed when they all fit and I wondered how he had known what sizes to get. Then I guessed that if he was on an errand for the Lord that the Lord would make sure he got the right sizes. Tears were running down Widow Jensen's face again when we stood up to leave. Pa took each of the kids in his big arms and gave them a hug. They clung to him and didn't want us to go. I could see that they missed their Pa, and I was glad that I still had mine.

At the door Pa turned to Widow Jensen and said, "The Mrs. wanted me to invite you and the children over for Christmas dinner tomorrow. The turkey will be more than the three of us can eat, and a man can get cantankerous if he has to eat turkey for too many meals. We'll be by to get you about eleven. It'll be nice to have some little ones around again. Matt, here, hasn't been little for quite a spell." I was the youngest. My two brothers and two sisters had all married and had moved away.

Widow Jensen nodded and said, "Thank you, Brother Miles. I don't have to say, May the Lord bless you, I know for certain that He will."

Out on the sled I felt a warmth that came from deep within and I didn't even notice the cold. When we had gone a ways, Pa turned to me and said, "Matt, I want you to know something. Your ma and me have been tucking a little money away here and there all year so we could buy that rifle for you, but we didn't have quite enough. Then yesterday a man who owed me a little money from years back came by to make things square. Your ma and me were real excited, thinking that now we could get you that rifle, and I started into town this morning to do just that, but on the way I saw little Jakey out scratching in the woodpile with his feet wrapped in those gunny sacks and I knew what I had to do. Son, I spent the money for shoes and a little candy for those children. I hope you understand."

I understood, and my eyes became wet with tears again. I understood very well, and I was so glad Pa had done it. Now the rifle seemed very low on my list of priorities. Pa had given me a lot more. He had given me the look on Widow Jensen's face and the radiant smiles of her three children. For the rest of my life, whenever I saw any of the Jensen’s, or split a block of wood, I remembered, and remembering brought back that same joy I felt riding home beside Pa that night. Pa had given me much more than a rifle that night, he had given me the best Christmas of my life.

Blessings!

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas...


We have just about reached the calmness of Christmas Eve. This has always been my favorite night of the year. I can't tell you how many times I have wished that I could simply stop time around 9:00 PM on Christmas Eve. All of the preparations are over. The work is done, and now the time of family and friends has come.

Christmas Eve has always been a magical time for me. Perhaps it is because this was always my families Christmas, perhaps it is because of what this night represents, I don't know for sure, but I have always cherished this night more than any other of the year.

I still remember one Christmas Eve in particular. My family had all gone out to eat earlier in the evening, which had been our tradition for many years,(Well at least up until I began serving a church and needed to be here for Christmas Eve services) After dinner we all went back to my Mom and sisters house to open up our packages and watch the snow begin to pile up in the window. Sometime around 9:00 PM Karen and I took her Mom and Dad back home, which was about a 60 minute round trip across the Quad Cities.

As we started on the way back to my Mom's house, where we were staying that night, we noticed how truly beautiful it was. There was absolutely no one on the road, the snow was falling heavily and every tree branch, sign, and power line was completely covered with snow. The headlights on the car simply sparkled in the snow and I still remember the sound the tires made as they crunched along over the fresh powder. It felt to us as if there were no one else in the world and for a brief moment, all of the fears and troubles and worries simply vanished. It was an absolutely perfect moment that I will never forget.

My wish for you this Christmas Eve is that you are with people that you love, warm, and full, and that this Christmas is the best Christmas that you have ever had!

Merry Christmas!

Monday, December 22, 2008

“Gold Wrapping Paper"


There are very few Sunday’s that go by that I don’t receive a priceless gift from one of the members of my congregation. One child or another will inevitably bring to me, after the service is over, a picture that they have drawn or a letter that they have written to me. I always thank them profusely for their gift, and I fold it neatly and put it in my shirt pocket. I always tell them that I am putting it right next to my heart. (Those of you who, like me, were Hee Haw fans, can probably figure out where that came from)

Of course, you might also be thinking; shouldn’t they have been paying more attention to the service? That’s ok, I am a big fan of learning by osmosis. (Just being there soaking it up) And besides, you would be surprised what these kids do remember, especially when you think that they aren’t paying attention.

Anyway, as I was thinking about these priceless gifts, I was reminded of a story that my good friend Don sent to me. In case you haven’t figured it out about me yet, I love stories, and I enjoy passing the good ones on to anyone who will listen. My custom is, if I haven’t heard it before, then I will pass it on, if I have heard it before, then I assume that you probably have as well, and I usually resist the temptation to pass it along. I thought that this story, especially considering the time of year was just priceless. Enjoy!

“Gold Wrapping Paper"

The story goes that some time ago a mother punished her five year old daughter for wasting a roll of expensive gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and she became even more upset when the child used the gold paper to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree.

Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift box to her mother the next morning and then said, “This is for you, Momma.” The mother was embarrassed by her earlier over reaction, but her anger flared again when she opened the box and found it was empty.

She spoke to her daughter in a harsh manner."Don't you know, young lady, when you give someone a present there's supposed to be something inside the package?"

She had tears in her eyes and said, "Oh, Momma, it's not empty! I blew kisses into it until it was full." The mother was crushed. She fell on her knees and put her arms around her little girl, and she begged her forgiveness for her thoughtless anger.

An accident took the life of the child only a short time later, and it is told that the mother kept that gold box by her bed for all the years of her life. Whenever she was discouraged or faced difficult problems she would open the box and take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

My wish for you this Christmas Season, is that every gift you receive be as precious as the gift this mother received.

Blessings

Sunday, December 21, 2008

This Christmas Stuff is Tiring!


I just wanted to write a short note this evening to say what a blessing today was. We had such a wonderful time with the kids this afternoon and then this evening’s Christmas program was simply exceptional. The kids all did a wonderful job and the music was great. I will certainly say that Crothersville United Methodist Church and Cana United Methodist Church are like family to us, and days like today serve as reminders of how much these people mean to us.

I am pretty weary tonight, I have been going strong since around 6:30 this morning, so I think that I will relax a bit and call it a night.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Blessings

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Santa Clause Comes Tonight...




My Goodness! This is such a busy time of the year. I was back at the funeral home this afternoon, and I will either need to go tomorrow, which isn’t looking likely or Monday morning. I have always found this time of year to be especially hard on people. I don’t know what the statistics are, but it sure seems like right before the holidays and right after I spend way too much time in funeral homes.

Karen and I have been scurrying around trying to get the last minute Christmas preparations ready for tomorrow. We have celebrated our family Christmas on the Sunday before Christmas since our kids were first born. All of our family lives over in Illinois, so we would let the kids open their presents at our house early so that we could travel over to be home for Christmas.

I remember one Christmas when a relative was voicing a complaint that it wasn’t fair that after their kids would open their presents on Christmas morning, they would then have to hurry them up and leave their toys to attend the big family Christmas. Karen just laughed and told them that our kids have never opened up their Christmas presents on Christmas morning, because we were always in Illinois, and our kids seemed to survive ok, and in addition, when our kids left their new toys, it wasn’t for a few hours, it was for a week, so quit complaining. (Actually I’m not sure that she was quite that nice about it)

In reality, our kids always thought that it was great, they got to open up their presents as much as a week earlier then their friends, so we certainly never heard any complaints from the kids. The great thing about it was that we would end up with three Christmases. One with our kids the Sunday before Christmas, Christmas Eve which was the traditional time for my family, and then Christmas Day which was always the time set for Karen’s family.

What we have found, is that it really doesn’t matter when you have Christmas, it’s all about who you have Christmas with. We have always tried as hard as we could to make the trip to Illinois, and I think that in 28 years, the only time we weren’t able to go home was the year that Ben was born, and if I told you that he was born on December 29th, that might help you understand even better why we weren’t able to make the 15 hour trip from Atlanta GA.

Tomorrow we will attend church, which is part of the Christmas tradition, if you don’t attend at least one service, then no presents. Terri takes this threat very seriously, but Ben even more so, he has been known to attend both services just to be on the safe side. After church we come back to the house and have lunch. I think that tomorrow’s menu calls for, homemade bread, ham, chili, macaroni and cheese for the kids (and Terri), well she is one of the kids, Nacho cheese dip and whatever else sounds good while we are at the grocery store tonight. After lunch, we will open up the presents.

My family used to pretty much pass out all the gifts at the same time, then in mass chaos, everybody opened their gifts all at the same time. When Karen and I started dating (over 30 years ago, can you believe that) I saw that her family passed out one present at a time and everyone watched as the recipient opened their gift, and then we moved on to the next gift. It took a long time, but in reality what else do you have to do that is more fun than opening presents, and besides, people spend a lot of time (and money) shopping and it is really nice to get to see the expression on the persons face when they open their gift. I took this idea back to my family and after a bit of initial resistance, I won’t mention the family member who resisted, but we have done it that way ever since, and I really appreciate opening gifts that way.

Anyway, after we are done with presents, we will all go over to church for our Annual Christmas program, which should be a lot of fun. (Mary is going to be a pink lamb) I will have to explain that sometime. So, tomorrow will be a very busy, enjoyable day. I will let you know how everything goes.

Blessings

Friday, December 19, 2008

If it's Friday, it must be Cracker Barrel...


Today has been a busy day for us. We started off the morning with a trip to our favorite restaurant, Cracker Barrel, and then we made it back home in time for me to put the finishing touches on the funeral service for this afternoon. I mentioned in my last post, what an honor it is to be invited into the close circle of the family at such a difficult time, and I always come away feeling incredibly blessed as I was today.

I also had the experience of watching the local VFW do their 21 gun salute and play taps, that was my first opportunity to experience that as a part of a funeral. I truly am amazed at the dedication of the men and women who perform this service for their deceased brothers and sisters.

When I arrived back home I checked my schools web site to see if the grades for this semester had been posted yet, and I was pleased to see how efficient they were, having them up exactly when they said that they would….

Oh, you want to know what my grades are? :) Well, actually I did pretty well, not as well as I strive for, but probably better than I deserved. I got an A in my preaching class, Homiletics, which is far better than I expected after getting hammered so hard on my first sermon, (if you remember my sharing with you about that). I got an A in my Muti-religious America class, which was the class that I got my first A+ on a paper. That was actually one of the most enjoyable classes that I have taken in seminary, outside of the Biblical studies classes. I got a B+ in History of Spirituality, I like the professor, but I never have been able to get an A from him. And the one that I was a little bummed about was a B+ in United Methodist Polity, which is the class that I turned in the 54 pages of writing for. After all that work, I should have gotten an A just for effort, I guess he didn’t see it that way. Oh well, I am sure my Mom would have been pleased with those grades. (Isn’t it funny the thoughts that come to mind, even after my Mom has been gone almost 12 years, and lets face it I am no spring chicken myself, I still think about wanting to show my Mom my report card)

Now tonight I have 3 services on Sunday to prepare for, the Christmas Eve Service to finalize, work on a few more Board questions, (No I didn’t get finished by the 19th) And, then since it is Friday night, I think I will spend some time relaxing in the recliner with the house lights off and the Christmas tree lights on and just listen to some Christmas music.

Sounds like a good evening :)

Blessings!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Hatch, Match, Patch and Dispatch!


I have finally gotten a solid start on my Board questions, I am probably 25% done, so another couple of days work and they should be ready to be sent out to my mentor Ron and a couple of other Ordained Elders, who are good friends, so that they can read through them and share with this not so young wiper snapper where I have gone theologically astray.

On a sad note, one of the brothers of a parishioner passed away yesterday, and the family has asked me to officiate at the service for them. I must say that I always find being invited into the families close circle, at these difficult times, to be such an incredible honor and trust. I pray that I never let any family down who has put their trust in me. I certainly take this responsibility very seriously.

On a lighter note, but in the same vein, one thing that I learned in License to Preach school, is that there are 4 times in the life of your congregation that a pastor simply isn’t allowed to mess up. They are Hatch, Match, Patch and Dispatch. Did you catch that?

First is Hatch, when a child is born, you better be there, and whatever you do don’t mess up the baptism. Second is Match, don’t mess up at the weddings if you have any desire to remain a part of the church, especially if the wedding is for the daughter or granddaughter of the Matriarch of the church. The third is Patch, make sure to be there when people are ill and in the hospital. And, the final is Dispatch, that would be, of course, at the funerals.

Each of these times is fraught with mine fields and pitfalls, but they are also the times when the greatest relationships can be forged.
I hope that everyone has their Christmas preparations about done, You realize that next week at this time, we will just be concluding the Christmas Eve Candle Light Service.

So little to do, and so much time! Wait a minute, reverse that!

Blessings

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

My "Rusty Chevrolet"



To say that Karen and I have been vehiclly challenged in the past few years would have to be a substantial understatement. We have one car that is sitting with 235,000 miles and a blown head gasket, another car with 250,000 miles that doesn't run, even after we put $250 in it trying to fix it. Terri and Josh have one of our cars which has over 200,000 miles and has been on it's last legs for a couple of years, and our good car which now has 183,000 miles on it, and is in desperate need of some TLC by a mechanic accounts for our fleet of cars. (all Chevrolet's)

Seminary has really taken its toll on our cars, but with that being said I feel very blessed to still have 2 functioning vehicles.

With that bit of background information on our car status, I thought that you might all appreciate this video by one of my favorite groups, Da Yoopers of "Second Week of Deer Camp" fame. Ok, I know that some of you may be wondering where my sense of humor comes from, I'm not sure why you would ask, but on this particular video, I come for the Larry The Cable Guy's position of, "Now That's funny, I don't care who you are!"

Enjoy, and know that the Da Yoopers do a pretty good job of describing my cars:)

Blessings

Monday, December 15, 2008

A Time to Pause and Reflect...




Last night I had a truly wonderful experience, actually two wonderful experiences if you include watching Bob become the million dollar winner on Survivor. We had the opportunity to go back to our home church in Seymour and watch their Christmas program and Cantata. Of course, watching Mary sing in the children’s choir was a great highlight, but it was something more than that which made the evening so special.

From the moment that I saw the beautifully decorated sanctuary and heard the awesome pipe organ, I was reminded of something that was priceless to me. These were the people who nurtured me in my faith, and this was the place where I learned how to do ministry. Perhaps, one of the things that made the evening so poignant was that four years ago, almost to the day, I was meeting with the Pastor Parish Committees of my two churches in preparation to begin my appointment as their pastor, but at the same time I was busy leading the Chancel Choir and Hand Bell Choir at my home church of Trinity as we sang many of the same songs that I heard last night. The wonderful warm memories that last night brought back were quite palpable.

I’m, not sure how to put this, I don’t want this to sound unappreciative, or come across that I have any regrets, because I really don’t, but I guess that it is only human to compare my life now to how it was four years ago, and last night I was struck by something that was significant for me.

The most common question that I am asked on a regular basis is, do you miss your practice? The truth is, I don’t miss my office, although I do miss seeing the people. I honestly don’t necessarily miss the money, although I think that I do miss the freedom (and added security) that it gave to us. I really can’t imagine enjoying anything more or loving anything more than I have these past four years as I have been in ministry with the people at Cana and Crothersville. It has been such a great blessing, the way that they have taken us in, cared for us and made us a part of their family. I have also been incredibly blessed with the opportunity to attend seminary and be taught by some of the greatest theological mind in the world.

But, after last night, I realized how much I do miss my home church, singing in and being a part of the Trinity choir, and hearing that beautiful pipe organ every week. I miss simply sitting in the sanctuary, listening to the bell choir, gazing at the beautiful stained glass windows, and most of all, I miss the people.

Last night was an opportunity to “go home” if only for a little while. It was a chance to sit for a moment and rest before getting back to the work that God has given me to do. A few posts ago I shared with you my favorite poem, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost and I shared with you how frequently I think about those words, well last night was one of those times.

As I sat quietly in the sanctuary, listening and remembering, “watching the woods fill up with snow,” I thought how wonderful it was to enjoy the woods so dark and deep, but I do indeed have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep and miles to go before I sleep. So, I simply thank God for that opportunity last night to pause, reflect, refresh and remember, knowing that even though I have miles to go before I sleep, and my future is uncertain, even though my destination is unknown and sometimes I wonder where God is leading me, I know that I am traveling the road that God has planned for me, and for that knowledge, I am most content.

Blessings

Saturday, December 13, 2008

You've just gotta love this time of year!

Tonight, at Cana, we had the opportunity to see the movie “The Nativity Story” for movie night. If you haven’t seen it yet, I would very much encourage you to do so. I thought that the movie did a very good job of demonstrating many of the realities of life at the time of Jesus, and it helps to fire your imagination as to what the experience of Joseph and Mary may have really been like. As I mentioned yesterday, this season of Advent, I would encourage you to see and read the Gospels with fresh eyes, and this movie truly helps you to do that.

Also, in keeping with the spirit of Christmas, I thought I would share with you one of my favorite Christmas light display videos. Enjoy!

Blessings

Friday, December 12, 2008

The Nativity Story




I have to admit that I am greatly enjoying the idea of not having hundreds of pages of reading and dozens of pages of writing hanging over my head. Yeah, I know, I still have my Board questions to finish, but it’s not the last possible moment yet, and as it has been pointed out to me numerous times, that not only do I seem to work best under pressure, but the reality is, that I ONLY work under pressure. I’m, afraid that procrastination is a character flaw of mine, and I will try to work on that particular character issue, let’s say… tomorrow, or maybe next year.

As I have been thinking more about this idea of, no room at the inn, I was wondering how many people are aware, that this particular story is only found in the book of Luke. We are getting together on Saturday night out at Cana to see the movie “The Nativity Story.” That should be a great night and if you don’t already have plans for Saturday, come out and join us at 6:00 PM.

One interesting thing occurs when we think of the birth of the Christ child, we think of no room at the inn, we also think of shepherds in their field abiding, and the 3 Wisemen, (or wiseguys as my kids at church call them), But, what we don’t necessarily realize, is that when we think about the story of Christ, we are really putting together in our minds a compilation of all of the Gospels, in particular, for the birth story, the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, because Mark and John don’t mention the birth of Christ. I challenge you this Christmas season, to read both the birth story of Matthew and the birth story of Luke and compare them.

I have to say that I am a big fan of Luke for many reasons, but the number one reason is that I love how Luke focuses on the poor and marginalized in society. Since this is Advent, let me give you a couple of Christmas examples of what I am talking about, although we could spend a great deal of time discussing this one aspect of Luke alone.

In Luke, who were the first to be informed of the birth of the Christ child and who were Jesus’ first visitors?.... It was the shepherds who were first told of the birth by an angel of the Lord and then the birth was announced by a great company of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to all whom he favors." These shepherds were the poorest and lowliest of society, outcast and marginalized, but they were the first to hear of the birth of Jesus. Who were Christ’s first visitors in Matthew? It was the Three Kings, or Magi, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

In Matthew, you find no mention of, “no room in the inn,” no mention of stables or animals or mangers or shepherds, or heavenly hosts of Angels. And, in Luke you find no references to Magi, gold, frankincense or myrrh.

Another interesting aspect of Luke’s telling of the story is about what happened on the eighth day after the birth:

After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord"), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."

Mary and Joseph were following the Law of Moses which is found in Leviticus 12:6,8

When the days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. If she cannot afford a sheep, she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement on her behalf, and she shall be clean. (Leviticus 12:6,8)

According to Leviticus, Mary and Joseph made the offering of the poor. The traditional offering would have been to sacrifice a lamb.

One last thought to leave you with regarding Luke’s affinity to the poor, although there are many more examples. In the Beatitudes of Matthew, we find the words, blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Luke simply says, blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

This subtle difference once again points out that, to Luke, it is important to lift up the poor, whereas Matthew has a different focus.

Our Scriptures are so incredibly rich, we could spend one hundred lifetimes and only scratch the surface of the lessons contained within its pages. This Christmas season, I encourage you to deepen your faith, read again these wonderful scriptures, with new, fresh eyes. And, understand that we are called to reach out to those who are in need and to help those who are weary sojourners in our midst, not only just during this holiday season, but all year long..

Blessings

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Because There Was No Room For Them In The Inn…



I was up and going early this morning, Karen had to be at work by 7:15 and Mary and Andrew were coming at 7:30 for Grandpa to watch today. I had just gotten back to the house, had Mary and Andrew watching Sponge Bob, or sleeping, I couldn’t really tell, when the door bell rang. There were two African American men standing there, one about my age and one probably 18 or 19. They showed me their car which was parked across the street at the gas station, the first thing I noticed was that it was about the same year as my car, it was getting a bit rusty, and the trunk was tied shut because it appeared to have all of their worldly possessions in there.

Apparently they had been living in Richmond, Indiana, things hadn’t worked out and they were heading back “home” which was Dallas Texas. They had made it as far as our exit and their car was about out of gas and they were in need of help. The people at the gas station, knowing that I was a minister sent them to me. As a pastor, this happens quite frequently, I try to help when I can, attempt to weed out the ones who essentially make a living from this type of thing, when I can, and when I am unable to help, I at the very least try to direct them where they might find assistance and offer to pray with them.

But, there was something unique and honest about these two men. They seemed very unaccustomed to asking for help, and trust me, after awhile, you can sense when this is the 5173rd time someone has asked for help, and when it is their first. The younger one, in particular, just seemed to look in pain for even being in this situation. I just sensed a sincerity about them, and I thought immediately back to our Bible Study lesson that we had last week where I asked if anyone had ever felt like a stranger, or alien in a distant land. These two men, a long way from home, who didn’t know anyone, African American in an almost totally white area must have indeed felt like strangers in a distant land.

I had twenty dollars in my wallet, what was left over from my trip to Ohio this week (thank goodness for lower gas prices) and Karen gets paid tomorrow, so I gave it too them and told them that I wish it could have been more. Suddenly tears welled up in both of these men’s eyes, but I was especially struck by the younger one. The man who was my age immediately reached out and embraced me thanking me, the younger one simply bowed his head as a tear fell down his cheek. We had a prayer together and as I was wishing them a safe journey, the younger man stopped came back and embraced me as well, saying “thank-you, you don’t know what this means.”

As I went back inside the house, (and calmed Odie down, he tends to go crazy when we have visitors) I thought about the young man’s statement to me, “you don’t know what this means.” As I thought about it, I came to the realization that, Yes, I do know what this means! I had just been putting the finishing touches on my sermon for Sunday and was thinking of Mary and Joseph as they arrived in Bethlehem and I was thinking of a story that I had heard about a young man named Harold.

Harold wanted to be in the annual Christmas play which was always a big production in his town. But Harold was not the top student in his class and seemed to have a lot of problems. The directors of the children’s play didn’t want to hurt Harold’s feelings, but they were worried about whether he could handle a part. They finally decided to give him the part of the Inn Keeper. All he had to say was, “I’m sorry, there is no room in the Inn.”

Well, the night of the big play came and the church was packed. At the precise moment Mary and Joseph came and knocked on the Inn door. The whole village of Bethlehem shook as Harold tried to open the cardboard door to the Inn which was stuck. At last he got the door open, and the pitiful young couple was standing there looking all too real to Harold, but with a little coaching he blurted out the words: “I’m sorry, all the rooms are full, and there’s no room for you here.”

The couple turned sorrowfully away and began to walk off stage when all of a sudden the door of the Inn swung open again, and Harold ran up to the couple and said in a loud voice so that everyone could hear, “Wait a minute. Come back. You can have my room.”

You see Harold understood something about being alone, he understood something about being different, of being a stranger in a distant land with no where to turn. This morning, with my last twenty dollars, I simply did what Harold did, and instead of saying, “Sorry, there is no room in the Inn, I followed the example of Harold and said, “Wait a minute. Come Back, You can have my room.”

Be a blessing to someone this Christmas season. Don’t be afraid to give what you have or what you can. Don’t pass those people with the red kettles, standing in the cold, ringing those bells without, at the very least, offering a kind word of encouragement. Trust me, God will always bless your efforts, because, lets face it, Jesus knew what it was like to be told there was no room in the Inn.

Blessings

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Is it Bedtime Yet?


Hi Everyone,


I made it home from Ohio a little bit ago, and now I can say that I am officially done for the semester, at least with school. I know that I have told you that this semester has been exponentially more difficult than any that I have had so far. Yesterday I spent over 14 hours working on my final paper for the semester and finally finished it at 1:30 AM. This morning I went to the library, printed it off and hand delivered it to the professor after my last class finished. I turned in 68 pages this week alone, thats almost enough for a book!


While I was at the library, I also checked to be sure that I had turned in all of my library books, I have had as many as 10 of them at a time this semester and I don't want any fines. Actually, I did get a fine yesterday. I checked out a book from the reserve section, which you are allowed to check out for up to two hours at a time and when I checked it back in, I was told that I had to pay a .26 cent fine for being overdue :(


I thought that wasn't very nice of them, until another student told me that at the seminary they had previously attended, they got a $30 fine for being an hour past due, I decided to shut up and pay the .26 cents.


I think that tonight, I am going to forget about school and just relish in the thought that I don't have any more papers to write this week. Well, except for a sermon and oh yeah, there is that little thing about those pesky Board questions that I need to finish by the end of next week. No rest for the weary, I guess. I'll write more tomorrow!


Blessings




Monday, December 8, 2008

Still Hanging In There...

Greetings Everyone,

Tonight I turned in the 54 pages that I have been working on for my United Methodist Polity Class. All I can say is, Whew, I'm glad that is done. Now, all I have left to do this semester is write a 13 page paper on, The Spirituality of Fasting Throughout History. I have to admit, that sounds more interesting than Polity.

I just wanted to let you all know that I am still alive, albeit just about exhausted. I have been up until 1:00 A.M. for the past several nights and up and going by 7 each morning. I really am getting to old for that.

The only bad thing is that when I get home this week, I will be working very diligently on my Board questions. My goal is to have them completed by the 19th. Wish me luck:)

Blessings

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Meet Molly!


I wanted to share this story of inspiration and hope that Trina sent to me this week. When we see the natural disasters such as the hurricanes that ravaged the coast, or the fires in California, we focus, of course, on the human tragedy and loss. But, all of God’s creatures suffer in these devastating times and as good stewards, we are called to help, aid and assist God's creation where we can. The remarkable thing that we find is that in doing so, we discover that we are the ones who are blessed. Enjoy this story about Molly and I know that you will be blessed as I was.

Meet Molly. She's a grey speckled pony who was abandoned by her owners when Hurricane Katrina hit southern Louisiana . She spent weeks on her own before finally being rescued and taken to a farm where abandoned animals were stockpiled.

While there, she was attacked by a pit bull terrier and almost died. Her gnawed right front leg became infected, and her vet went to LSU for help, but LSU was overwhelmed, and this pony was a welfare case. You know how that goes.

But after surgeon Rustin Moore met Molly, he changed his mind. He saw how the pony was careful to lie down on different sides so she didn't seem to get sores, and how she allowed people to handle her. She protected her injured leg. She constantly shifted her weight and didn't overload her good leg. She was a smart pony with a serious survival ethic.

Moore agreed to remove her leg below the knee, and a temporary artificial limb was built. Molly walked out of the clinic and her story really begins there. 'This was the right horse and the right owner,' Moore insists. Molly happened to be a one-in-a-million patient. She's tough as nails, but sweet, and she was willing to cope with pain. She made it obvious she understood that she was in trouble.

The other important factor, according to Moore , is having a truly committed and compliant owner who is dedicated to providing the daily care required over the lifetime of the horse.Molly's story turns into a parable for life in post-Katrina Louisiana .

The little pony gained weight, and her mane finally felt a comb A human prosthesis designer built her a leg. The prosthetic has given Molly a whole new life, Allison Barca DVM, Molly's regular vet, reports. And she asks for it. She will put her little limb out, and come to you and let you know that she wants you to put it on. Sometimes she wants you to take it off too. And sometimes, Molly gets away from Barca. 'It can be pretty bad when you can't catch a three-legged horse,' she laughs.

Most important of all, Molly has a job now. Kay, the rescue farm owner, started taking Molly to shelters, hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers. Anywhere she thought that people needed hope. Wherever Molly went, she showed people her pluck. She inspired people, and she had a good time doing it.'It's obvious to me that Molly had a bigger role to play in life,? Moore said. 'She survived the hurricane, she survived a horrible injury, and now she is giving hope to others.' Barca concluded, 'She's not back to normal, but she's going to be better. To me, she could be a symbol for New Orleans itself.'

This is Molly's most recent prosthesis The bottom photo shows the ground surface that she stands on, which has a smiley face embossed in it. Wherever Molly goes, she leaves a smiley hoof print behind.



Blessings


Friday, December 5, 2008

PLEASE, Christmas Don't Be Late!!!

I thought that I would share something a little more light hearted with you today. As you might have noticed from my earlier post, Mary, Andrew and I spent a great deal of our Thanksgiving Day watching and singing songs from Alvin and the Chipmunks. Well, this video is the way that I remember the fury little creatures. I believe that it aired back in 1961, and I still remember having the old 45 record which we played all year around. I am sure glad that Alvin got his Hula Hoop. (do you remember the shoop shoop Hula Hoop? Check out this Time Magazine article from 1967)

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,899852,00.html

But when I think of that song, I never wanted the Hula Hoop, I always wanted the plane that loops the loop, as a mater of fact I had a whole bunch of them through the years, and still do out in the garage, although I haven’t flown them for several years.

Enjoy this trip down memory lane and don’t forget to take time for yourself this Holiday season!

Blessings

Thursday, December 4, 2008

And Miles to go Before I Sleep...

I am truly winding down the last week of this semester, and I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel, albeit a very small light. (I sure hope it’s not an oncoming train on the track!). I think for those of you who know me well, you can sense that this has been by far the most challenging semester that I have ever had. (that includes my years in Chiropractic College) The workload has been extremely high as compared to my past schedules.

The good thing is that one way or another, one week from now it will be finished, so I just have to make it through these last three papers (56 pages of writing) and then I can focus on the Board of Ordained Ministry paperwork. My goal will be to have that completed by the 19th, send it to a few of my colleagues to read it and critique it for me. Hopefully, receive it back from them by December 31st, revise it, and either hit the send button, or hand deliver, (There are different requirements for different parts of the work) by January 2, 2009. (can you believe that the New Year is almost here?)

Then, on January 3rd, Ben and Karen will be taking me to Ohio where I will be leaving at 3:00 AM for El Salvador on the 4th. I return back to Ohio on the 18th, back home to Indiana on the 19th, (thank-you in advances to Terri), write a 15 page paper on my experience and then back to class on January 26th, to begin my final semester.

Of course, out of that list, I left out preparing for worship services on Sunday mornings, preparations for our Annual Christmas program at church, Christmas Eve Service, a trip back home to Illinois at Christmas, and the hundred other small things that pop up in the life of a pastor.

I have to admit that, at times, I look forward and wonder how can I possibly get it all done? But, then I know that God has brought me this far on the journey and God will see me through.

This morning I wanted to share with you my all time favorite poem, it's called "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening." I can’t tell you how often I think of these words when I am feeling tired, worn out, and just unable to go on. If you are unfamiliar with these words by Robert Frost, then I hope that they will bring you as much peace and quiet resolve as they have given me through the years and at the very least, perhaps they will give you a brief moment of rest in your challenging day. For those of you who are already a friend of Robert Frost, then take this moment to pause and refresh, because we all have miles to go before we sleep and miles to go before we sleep.

Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening

By Robert Frost


Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.


My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.


He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.


The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Blessings

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

We Need a Little Christmas... NOW!!

I finished the 33rd and final page of my papers that are due for this week last night around midnight. Now this morning I will begin to work on the 56 pages that are due for next week. I must admit that it is a little difficult thinking about Advent and Christmas with all of the workload that I have right now, but I am a firm believer in the scripture that, This too shall pass. So I thought this morning I would share with you a little bit of Christmas Joy. Perhaps it will help to put you (and me) into the Holiday Spirit. Enjoy!

Blessings

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Thanksgiving Extravaganza.... Cause You Had a GOOD Day!


I was just finishing the last paragraph of twenty pages of writing for my Homiletics class when the phone rang and it was Terri. She was wondering if I had been to my blog today, which unfortunately I had to say no (Believe it or not, I actually have to write things for class sometimes) She was concerned that I haven’t told everyone about the big Thanksgiving Extravaganza, which I had to agree was a point well taken. So, before I turn off the computer and let my fingers cool down from all of this typing, (I still have 12 more pages to get done before Wednesday morning) Let me share with you about Thanksgiving.

First of all, let me say that Terri and Josh really have a great house. (They just bought it a few months ago) I was wondering if they would be able to fit everyone in, but that wasn't an issue at all, and everyone had plenty of room, that is, except for Andrew, he was fascinated with the stairs and wanted desperately to see if he could climb them.

Actually, I’m not sure that Mimi, (Terri’s’ dog) would agree that there was a lot of room, she was relegated to solitary confinement in her box after a momentary altercation with Andrew. I’m not sure that she even got a trial. (Do you get the feeling that Andrew had a busy day?)

One great thing about the day was that I had the opportunity to catch up on a couple of good movies, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Christmas With the Krank’s, and Shrek 3, It must be nice to have HBO (Karen won’t let me have it) It never ceases to amaze me how well my Grandkids know the words to so many songs, I think that I heard “cause you had a bad day” at least one hundred times until we decided to sing “Had a Good Day”

Of course the food was excellent, we were a little concerned about one of the turkeys getting done, but that turned out to be worry over nothing, and everything turned out just about as perfect as it could possibly have been.

I did learn something that I didn’t know on Thanksgiving, and that is that Don Knotts first appeared with Andy Griffith in the movie “No Time For Sergeants” Josh’s Dad said that he was in the movie, but I couldn’t place him, so with a quick check of You Tube we were even able to view the scene that he was in. (You’ve gotta love You Tube)

We finally made it home after 10:30, which made for a long day for old people like Karen and I, But, I can say that we were really proud of Josh and Terri and their first Thanksgiving Extravaganza, I only hope that Mimi finally got out of solitary confinement.

Blessings

Saturday, November 29, 2008

What Season Did You Say This Was?


Tomorrow is a very special day. It is the first Sunday in Advent. For me, this season brings with it a sense of great anticipation and joy, as well as a subtle underlying sense of dread. Now, I am sure that many of you can understand this sense of dread with Christmas being less than a month away and all of the shopping, activities and festivities that must be crammed into those 27 days, but, I have a sense of dread that most people would find hard to understand, and that dread is Christmas music.

LOL I thought that might catch your attention. I am sure that you are wondering, why on earth would anyone dread Christmas music? Well, I am glad that you asked. First, let me say that I LOVE CHRISTMAS MUSIC!!! I always have and I always will. It is my favorite music and as a matter of fact I have it playing on the stereo right this moment as I am writing this. I remember as a young boy, singing in the Moline Boys Choir, we would begin preparations for the Christmas concert season in September, so I had the opportunity to enjoy Christmas music from September through early January when the Christmas concert season ended. Even to this day, I have at least 2 Christmas songs on my MP3 player that stay on there all year long.

The dread that I face is the same as the dread that most pastors face this time of year. When do we sing Christmas music? When I first was introduced to the Pastor Parish Committee of Cana and Crothersville UMC’s I was asked, “Do you like Christmas Music?” I thought Wow, if this is the most difficult question that I am asked in this process, this will be a piece of cake. Of course I answered, “Yes, I love Christmas music,” Which met with a resounding chorus of pleasure from the group that was assembled. Well, apparently, Christmas music had been a source of contention in the past because they had pastors who would not do Christmas music until after Christmas.

Now, I can already sense the concern welling up inside of you, why would you wait until right at Christmas or after to sing Christmas songs? The answer is really quite easy, as I said, tomorrow begins the season of Advent, NOT Christmas. Yes, I know that the world celebrates Christmas beginning as early as October. Wal-Mart had the Christmas music going right after Halloween and they have had their Christmas section up and going much earlier than that. Even Karen always tries to put up her Christmas decorations on Thanksgiving or as soon after as possible.

The problem for a pastor or worship leader, is how do you stay true to the Christian calendar in a world that is pushing Christmas ever earlier and earlier? If I follow the world’s time table, we would simply ignore Advent and go straight to Christmas. I am sure that there will be people upset with me tomorrow because I don’t have any “Christmas “ songs, "Joy to the World," "What Child is This?" etc., planned although I have 4 beautiful Advent Carols scheduled, and thankfully for me at least two of them will be recognized by the congregation as “Christmas” carols. The dilemma that I face, is should we simply ignore Advent? I know there are those who would say YES, but as a pastor, I can no more ignore Advent than I can Lent. We would never sing “Christ the Lord has Risen Today” on Good Friday, let alone Ash Wednesday. These are critical times of reflection and introspection for the church, and to ignore them just because the world is rushing to join the big party and celebrate Christmas is simply wrong, in my opinion.

I do have to smile when people tell me that, “We have always sang Christmas songs beginning after Thanksgiving!” Well, that is not really true, I know that when I grew up we never put up our tree until the 13th of December, which was my Mom’s Birthday, and before that, most Christmas traditions involved putting up the tree and preparing for Christmas on Christmas Eve. Yes, I know that for most of us we grew up in a world that pushed Christmas earlier and earlier, mostly because Macy’s and the other retailers wanted us to, but it hasn’t been that many years ago that the season of Christmas really began much closer to Christmas than it does now. Even the popular song “The 12 Days of Christmas” refer to the 12 days AFTER Christmas, between December 25th and Epiphany January 6th.

So now, what do I do about it as a pastor? Prepare for an open revolt among the congregation? Possibly! Stick to my conscience and make everyone mad? Could be! The funny thing is that I thought that I had truly found a great compromise one year between the world and the church. The first Sunday of Advent, I had 2 out of four songs as Advent carols or Christmas carols, the second Sunday of Advent 3 out of four were Christmas or Advent carols, and then the third and fourth Sunday of Advent were ALL Christmas. Don’t you think that sounded like a reasonable compromise? Well, apparently not. I was told that ALL of the hymns beginning with the first Sunday of Advent had to be Christmas or people would just go somewhere else where they can get what they want, meaning, all Christmas music all the time:) . Are you beginning to see why I dread the decisions about Christmas music.

Well, this year I have decided that it really isn’t worth having people get angry over, I already have the music planned for this Sunday, basically using up the Advent carols in the UM Hymnal, and starting next Sunday we will be doing almost exclusively Christmas music, (perhaps with different Advent words, I know, I am such a rebel)

My prayer for everyone is that this season of Advent be filled with a spirit of joy and happiness. I also pray that you take the time to contemplate the meaning of the season, and that you are not too quick to move from Thanksgiving into Christmas. May the Peace, Joy, Love and Hope of the season of Advent be truly a blessing for each of you. And, as for the Christmas music? Don’t give your pastors too hard of a time, they love Christmas music too!

Blessings

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Give Thanks

I wanted to share this post with you all. After such a wonderful day, I thought that it wouldn't hurt to remind us exactly how blessed we are. Happy Thanksgiving and God bless each of you!

Blessings

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

I’m NEVER Eating Dressing Again...



Greetings to everyone,

I hope that all of your Thanksgiving plans and preparations are coming along well, because if they are not, you are just about out of time. We had the opportunity to go and visit Terri and Josh last night and it sounds like their big Thanksgiving extravaganza is coming along right on schedule. One thing is for certain, no one will go away hungry that’s for sure. Which brings me to today’s subject.

I have discussed the information now with many who were present and I can now confirm that this incident did occur at the same Thanksgiving as the pumpkin pie fiasco. So, to set the stage, we had just finished the trial for Big Ben and Susie and it was now time to dry our tears about the pies that were lost and be grateful for that which we did have, (albeit Susie’s little escapade did do a significant number on the quantity of remaining deserts)

We sat down to dinner, said grace and began to pass the sumptuous delicacies that had been prepared for us by loving hands. My son Ben, who was about 3 years old, was seated next to me on my left and Karen, who was keeping an eye on Terri who had just turned 1, was seated on my right. As each dish came by, I took a little bit and put it on Ben’s plate and then took a big helping and placed it on my plate.

By the time all of the food was passed, I had one of the finest plates full of Thanksgiving fare that had ever been assembled in one place. I still remember thinking, just before digging in to that first bite, how hungry I was and how great this is going to taste. I remember this vividly, because I think the same thought every Thanksgiving. (Really, if you thought men’s minds were more complicated than that, boy do we have you fooled)

I then looked over at Ben, admiring, rather proudly, what a great job I did of filling the boy’s plate. For those of you who think that the ability to create such a culinary masterpiece on ones plate and then to consume that much food comes naturally, you are mistaken, it comes from years of practice and training, and Ben wasn’t too young to begin the process.

So, as I was admiring my handy work, I noticed that Ben was having a problem. He had just taken a big bite from a spoonful of dressing and suddenly he started turning green. He looked over at me with a pathetic look, a look that I had seen before shortly after his mother had given him spinach, and I unfortunately knew what was coming. I also knew that I had only a few seconds to avert what could be a disaster of epic proportion. But, before I could react he reached out and threw-up in his hands and all over his plate. I have to admit, that it was one of the worst things that I had ever experienced, but that paled in comparison to what happened next.

Without missing a beat, he simply took the handful of what started out as his Thanksgiving dinner, reached over and placed it squarely in the middle of my turkey and mashed potatoes. Now, I have seen a lot of things in my life, but that was perhaps the most gross and saddest of all. Of course, Mom and Grandma were up quickly to rescue poor Ben, clean him up and fix him another plate. But, as for my plight, do you think anyone offered to help? Do you think anyone even cared that I had been scarred for life?

Suddenly I wasn’t so hungry anymore, I am not really sure that I had much, if anything else to eat the rest of the day. Since that time, almost a quarter century later, there has not been a single Thanksgiving go by that the subject hasn’t come up (pardon the pun) The only real lasting effect was that Ben hasn’t touched dressing since then, which is probably best for all involved.

Ben sent me an email yesterday saying, in regard to my title “I’m NEVER eating dressing again,” Dad, you’re not the only one who hasn’t eaten dressing since that day, implying to me, that which I already knew, that he hasn’t touched dressing since that day. My response to him was that I didn’t say that I have never eaten dressing since that day. As a matter of fact, I still love dressing. I just let him know that from then on, I have been very careful who I sit next to at Holiday Time :)

Blessings everyone, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

No Pumpkin Pie!!!


One of my fondest memories of Thanksgiving happened many, many years ago. Karen and I, Ben and Terri, my Mom and Sister, and my nephew Ben had gathered with my Brother’s family at his house in Mitchell IN for our big Thanksgiving family gathering.

The menu, as always, included turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, homemade rolls and a dozen other sumptuous delicacies that I am beginning to get hungry just imagining. Now, there is one important food that I am leaving out of this list. It is, of course, one of my all time favorite foods as mentioned in an earlier post. You may remember when I talked about the pumpkin pie that I received for my birthday, yeah that’s right, the one that Odie ate. Well, at the end of that post I mentioned that it might remind some people of an earlier experience. This is that experience.

http://pastorhigdon.blogspot.com/2008/10/tragedy-and-heartbreak.html

Just prior to dinner, everyone went over to my Brother’s Chiropractic office for an adjustment, leaving everything in the kitchen just about ready to serve for dinner. When we returned, a few minutes later, a tragedy had stuck. One of the dogs had gotten into the pumpkin pies! We knew it had to have been the dogs because there were incriminating paw prints all over the counter, in the pies and on the floor.

I am not sure that I have ever seen my Mom quite so mad, and it was declared in no uncertain terms that whichever dog was responsible for this travesty, there would be no pie for their master, (Thank goodness that not all of the pies had been violated)

Now, there were three possible culprits. My Mom’s dog Chrissy, of course she was too small and I couldn’t imagine her getting up that high. The next potential offender was my dog, Bones… say it isn’t so… Bones wouldn’t do that would she? Honestly, that would have required way too much work for her, she was much to lazy to do that, wasn’t she? But if she was the culprit, were they serious? No Pumpkin Pie for me?

I scurried around, but Bones was sound asleep in the same place she had been when we left, and there was no evidence of pumpkin pie on her pure white fur. So if it wasn’t Chrissy and it wasn’t Bones, then it must have been… Susie! My nephew Ben’s dog. Suddenly the evidence of the crime was all coming together, the detectives on CSI would have been proud. The paw prints matched Susie, she was certainly active enough to get up on the counter, there was no doubt that she had motive (wouldn’t you?) and most incriminating of all… Ben was over in the corner with a dish rag trying to clean the pumpkin pie off of her mouth and paws, I think that Ben could have easily been charged as an accomplice in the crime and at the very least for obstruction of justice or tampering with the evidence.

But, justice prevailed and the truth came to light. It was too late, Ben and Susie were caught red handed… well maybe I should say pumpkin pie pawed, but what ever it was, at least it wasn’t my dog.

All of these years later I still think of that Thanksgiving, and I always smile. Oh and in case you were wondering, at the ensuing trial, Susie was found guilty and given a life sentence without the posibility for pumpkin pies and Ben, well, there was grace and he was allowed to enjoy the pie that was left, even though there were those who thought that perhaps the punishment should have been more severe:)

Now, as I think about it, there is one other thing that happened that day. I will have to check with my sister, Verna, she remembers these things better than I do, but I think that tomorrow’s story, “I’ll Never Eat Dressing Again,” happened the same day, I’ll check with her and get back to you tomorrow!

Blessings

Monday, November 24, 2008

Thanksgiving in Indiana...



It is amazing to me to watch the days on the calendar go by. Thanksgiving will be here in just four short days. I always enjoy sitting back and listening to the detailed planning process as Karen and her Mom lay out all of the logistics of the big Thanksgiving dinner. And, this year another voice has been added to those preparations, Terri. She is planning for her very first major Thanksgiving dinner extravaganza. I certainly remember the one that Karen and I planned. I am not sure that it was our first, but it certainly was our largest undertaking.

We called it Thanksgiving in Indiana. We sent out invitations to all of our family living in the foreign land of Illinois, and invited them to join us for a time of food celebration and joy. Well, I’m not sure that we accomplished all of those things, but we certainly had food, and it was a great joy.

As I look back now, it is with a bit of a sense of sorrow, mixed with joy, mixed with a sense of longing. (The word that I would have used here is melancholy, but Ben gets upset when I use big words) especially as I think about those who are no longer with us, Karen’s Dad, Andy (who of course our Grandson Andrew was named for, my Mom Jewell, and my Brother, Phillip. I think back upon those times, and realize how truly blessed that I am. There has never been a time that I have been without food, (well there was the time that I was sent to bed without supper, but that’s another story) I have always been surrounded by people who love me, and I have nothing but warm memories of the holidays that are so rapidly approaching.

Which brings me back to the plans for the big celebration on Thursday at Terri and Josh’s, I wonder what new memories will be created on that day? I wonder what Mary and Andrew will remember, and what lasting memories will be created for everyone else who will be there?

I have two vivid Thanksgiving memories that I would like to share with you over the next couple of days. The first is called “No Pumpkin Pie” and the other is, “I’ll NEVER Eat Dressing Again” You won’t want to miss these :)

See you tomorrow!
Blessings

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Wish for My Grandchildren...


I received this essay the other day. Actually, it was attributed to Paul Harvey, but he didn’t write it. He did, however, read it on his radio program. It was actually written by a man named Lee Pitts and published in Chicken Soup for the Golden Soul. It is my prayer that you live a life full of joy, health and happiness, knowing that there will be times of sorrow and pain. May you remember that it is often the darkest just before the dawn, and that each new day brings light and hope.

Enjoy, and may God bless you this day!
We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse. For my grandchildren, I'd like better.

I'd really like for them to know about hand me down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meat loaf sandwiches. I really would.

I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated.

I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car. And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen.

It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep.
I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in.

I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother/sister. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you let him.

When you want to see a movie and your little brother/sister wants to tag along, I hope you'll let him/her.

I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely.

On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as un-cool as your Mom.

If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one.

I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books.

When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head.

I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a boy\girl, and when you talk back to your mother that you learn what ivory soap tastes like.

May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole.

I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don't like it. And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend.

I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your Grandma/Grandpa and go fishing with your Uncle.

May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through your neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Hanukkah/Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of your hand.

These things I wish for you - tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it's the only way to appreciate life.

As I read though this list, I felt that there was one very significant thing missing, and that is that I hope that at some time in your life you come to have a relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, finding assurance in His love, peace in His understanding, and mercy in His grace.
Blessings