Better Hold On Tight!

Have you ever had the experience of simply watching and witnessing as the Holy Spirit works? I very much have been sensing that movement of the Holy Spirit here recently, and right now, I am doing my best to either hold on tight or get completely out of the way.

I have been spending a little time here recently reflecting back upon the last four months that we have been here in Corydon and I see some very exciting things going on. So, this morning I thought that I would share with you some of the accomplishments that I have been witnessing.

Initially we began two Bible studies, one for each church and I was astounded that the attendance at Oak Grove was around 25. That attendance has continued every week ranging at the lowest of about 20 and the highest of 27, with the total attendance at Bible study between the two churches averaging between 30-40 per week. The awesome thing is that many of these people have NEVER in their life attended Bible Study before. (That is good for me because if they don’t have anything to compare it to, they have no idea how unorthodox I really am as a teacher:) Now we have added a third Bible study which meets here at the parsonage on Wednesday morning. This has been a great deal of fun so far and may prove to be my favorite study of the week.

Both churches have also started choirs in the past few months. It has been awesome to watch as people who have never been in choirs before settle into the routine of rehearsals and performance. Last week both churches stepped out of their comfort zone and participated in the monthly Community Hymn Sing, which was hosted by Oak Grove. Both churches did a totally awesome job and the church was completely packed. (Now that we see what that looks like, it gives us something to shoot for)

Oak Grove has even taken the excitement of the choir to a new level and one of the members made arrangements to have choir robes and stoles donated to the church and this Sunday they will sing in their new robes for the first time. How cool is that?

Oak Grove is also the proud owners of new United Methodist Hymnals which had the potential of being a major obstacle and stumbling block. The last time they bought hymnals was almost forty years ago. But instead of creating controversy, it was an awesome blessing, so much so that I am pretty sure that we will be ordering new Pew Bibles next week because “the new hymnals make the old Pew Bibles look so awful” (The Lord sure works in mysterious ways)

Oak Grove and Fountain came in first and second in our ministry cluster Chili Cook-off

Between the two churches they raised over $5000 in their respective annual dinners.

Oak Grove will be replacing the very old picture of Jesus, which is now the focal point of the sanctuary with a very large handmade wooden cross, donated by one of our expert wood workers.

We are working on putting a large cross and flame (The United Methodist logo) on the front of the church. (How radical is that to actually identify our church as United Methodist?)

We are adopting families to help for the Christmas Season, shoe boxes for Children, donating to Community Services, working with Ronald McDonald House, Christmas programs, adding services on Christmas Eve…

Well, you get the picture. Right now I feel a little bit like I am just along for the ride. Most, if not all, of these projects are being driven by laity within the churches. The Holy Spirit is working very hard here in Corydon, I just pray that I can stay out of the way and let God work:)

Blessings

Be Strong!

I know, I know, I did it again, I went a very long time without posting something. To be honest, I wasn’t planning on posting anything today, but I stopped by my blog this morning for the first time in quite awhile and I read the heartfelt, passionate comment left by my good friend Nancy on my last post and she inspired me to begin writing again. I encourage everyone who hasn’t done so already to go back and read what she wrote.

I don’t think that Nancy would mind me saying, but I have known her since I first started seminary and she is someone who I have always had great love and respect for, even though we are different in many ways. (I couldn’t have made it through “World Religions” without her:)

The reason that I was inspired to write today is because what Nancy shared is an example of the daunting challenge and sometimes seemingly hopeless isolation felt often times by myself and most of my clergy friends, as they seek to do the will of God. I read what Nancy shared both with a sense of joy and with a sense of sadness. The joy comes from knowing the great work that she is doing and the sadness is felt as I come face to face with the obstacles that someone who is truly called by God is facing. The most profound sadness is that Nancy isn’t alone in her challenges. I can name dozens of pastoral colleagues and friends who face horrendous situations in churches out of really no fault of their own.

These pastors, just like Nancy, are doing what God has called them to do, and bearing fruits of that effort, often in spite of the continuous roadblocks and barriers thrown up by the leadership of the churches they have been appointed to, and that leadership could be the actual elected leadership or those who simply meet out in the parking lot for the meeting after the meeting.

I was inspired to write today for one reason, and that is the desire to lift up all of those friends and colleagues who are struggling against all odds to do the work that God has called them to do.

When Moses delivered his final charge to Israel before they crossed the Jordan River, he said, ”Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

When Joshua began to lead the children of Israel, the Lord said to him, Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

When David charged Solomon before he built the first temple, he said, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with you; he will not fail you, nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.

I don’t know if you caught all of that or not, but in every one of those passages where the people are told to be strong and courageous, there is also the promise of God’s presence.

It is the presence of God that makes God’s people strong. It is God’s presence that enables you to continue moving forward when you get down and discouraged with what is happening in your life and in your ministry.

The next time you feel discouraged I want you to remember...

“That Noah drank too much, but God used him anyway.
Abraham and Sarah were too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young,
David had an affair and was a murderer
Isaiah preached naked (I wouldn’t recommend that one)
Jonah ran from God,
Zaccheus was too small
AND Lazarus was dead!”

So…
Be Strong you who labor for the Lord!

Be strong all of you who labor in God’s fields in hopes of an abundant harvest
Be strong all you people of God and know that God is with you in this place, and know that God will grant you peace.
Amen!

Stop Me Before I Say Something I Will Regret!

Well, I have done it again, let more than a week go since my last post. It really isn’t that I don’t have anything to say, and I can’t honestly say that I don’t have the time. Perhaps it is the fact that what I really want to say are about issues that as a pastor, I really should let go or at the very least only weigh in on from a theological perspective, even though many of my colleagues don’t follow this line of thinking.

I read with great interest the posts on Facebook and other places of my colleagues in ministry. I think of one colleague in particular who was in tears about their treatment at their current appointment. They were devastated about how they felt abused, and isolated. But as I read what they write, I have to wonder if they share these same views from the pulpit, in conversation and in Bible Study. If so, then I can guarantee that this person is alienating 90% or more of their congregation.

Is it acceptable to hold strong political and social views and be a pastor? Of course it is! Is it acceptable to share these views with others? Perhaps so, but one has to be very careful, and avoid doing so in a threatening way. We have to be pastors to everyone in the congregation, not just the ones who agree with us.

For instance, this person feels very strongly about the issue of homosexuality as both a societal issue and clergy issue. This, of course, is one of the most hotly and fiercely debated issues in the church. I think that I am safe in saying that 80% of the people in this pastors congregation would tend to disagree with the view that this pastor holds. Is it wrong for this pastor to hold this view? No, Should this issue be discussed? Yes

So then, how does one approach it? If a pastor chooses to follow this particular pastor’s approach, then you confront, push it to the forefront, make your position known in no uncertain terms, preach sermons on it, and then have little patience for those who disagree.

In case you haven’t figured it out, this is a prescription for disaster from a pastoral perspective, with you as the pastor being miserable in your appointment, your congregation being miserable, frequent phone calls to the District Superintendent from both parties, and ministry at a standstill.

This is the dilemma that I find myself in. I could certainly weigh in on a variety of topics, from Health Care to the war in Afghanistan to Fox News and I am safe in saying that 80% of my congregations and the people that I know would agree with me almost 100%, (although a lot of the people who read my blog would ABSOULTLY NOT :) LOL Which is certainly alright!

But, I am indeed concerned about the 20% in my congregation that holds differing views. It is difficult to argue about issues that could tend to isolate those that I care about. I am called to be their pastor as well.

So, for now, I am just focusing on preaching the Good News and the Love that Christ has for each of us. These other issues will wait for another day:)
Blessings

That's Blasphemy!!!!

Ok, I have to admit that juggling and preparing for 3 Bible Studies is a bit of a challenge. I am having extreme episodes of Déjà vu, and wondering if I have already told this story or explained about one word or another to this group. But for the most part I have decided that it is ok to retell a few stories:) Besides, I often tell them more for my own benefit than I do theirs anyway:)

Tonight we had an awesome discussion about the “unforgivable sin” of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

“I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin." (Mark 3:28-29)

So, my blogging family and friends, tell me, what does it mean to blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? Once it has been done, is it not possible to be redeemed? Is it something much deeper than what we would think of as blasphemy?

As I said, we had some interesting discussion tonight and I would love to hear what you have to say on the subject:)

Perhaps I can complicate things even more by mentioning another passage:

"And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him. (Luke 12:10)

Blessings

New Bible Study Starts Today!

Today we are beginning a new Bible Study. I had a request from a parishioner to have a daytime study which intrigued me and after a little thought I decided to go forward with it. We decided to hold this one at the parsonage, which is a neutral spot so I hope to draw people from both churches, and if nothing else, it means that I don’t have far to go:)

I think that we are going to study 1 Corinthians. I have never done a Bible study on this book and since it is one of my favorites, I think that it will be fun.

I have to admit that I am a bit apprehensive. I don’t know if we will have 3 people or 23. I would be thrilled with 7-10. I will let you know how it goes.

I better get off the computer and get ready, it starts in just 2 hours:)
Blessings!

I'm Just Trying To Eat My Lunch Here!!!!

I sometimes have to wonder what the world that we live in is coming to. I really do try to understand where others are coming from. I struggle to view issues from as many points of view as possible, but I have to admit that I am finding it increasingly difficult to do so.

In about 10 minutes of reading the news this morning (which is always a tremendous mistake for me anymore) I found no less that 4 different articles that made me anywhere from angry to just plain stupefied.

I will leave the political ones out for now, and I won’t discuss the attack on Christmas that I read, I will leave the issue alone, for now, about the conservative group wanting to rewrite the Bible (actually that one irritates me both for what the conservative group is doing and for those on the other side who condemn them, because if anything, as far as I am concerned, it has been my liberal colleagues in academia that historically have been more guilty of selectively interpreting scriptures to fit their own biases. Let’s just say I think both sides are wrong in this one.

This brings me to the article that caused me the most irritation this morning. It was about a 6 year old boy who was so excited about his new camping tool for Cub Scouts (a spoon/knife/fork combination) that he took it to school so that he could use it to eat lunch with. (Quite easy to understand from a 6 year old boy perspective)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/education/12discipline.html?_r=1&bl

Unfortunately, this action was in violation of the zero tolerance for weapons policy at the school and our little 6 year old camper was suspended for 45 days. Good student, no previous problems, no malicious intent on his part, just a little boy excited to use his new camping tool. (This vicious weapon was discovered as he was eating his lunch with it)

I just don’t know what our world is coming to. I completely understand a six year old boy not having a full grasp and intricate knowledge of the school weapons policy and I certainly understand how he didn’t see this faux pas to be a MAJOR rules infraction, punishable by a 45 day suspension. What I don’t understand, however, is how our school systems have gotten so STUPID that they can’t tell the difference between a malicious threat and a six year old boy enjoying his lunch.

If this is the level of ignorance and lack of common sense prevalent on the part of the leadership in our schools today, then it is no wonder why our student test scores are dropping and why we do indeed find so many kids being “left behind.”

We have a joke around our house about people in $1000 suits sitting in expensive offices making decisions simply to make our lives miserable just so they can justify their jobs. This certainly seems to qualify as one such example!

Wakeup America! Before it’s too late!

Blessings!

The Search for the Perfect Pumpkin...

Today is a special day in the Higdon clan. In just a few hours, 3 generations of Higdon’s will take our annual pilgrimage to the Pumpkin Patch at Huber Farms to pick out just the right pumpkins. We will begin the pilgrimage with a stop at the JayC Food store here in Corydon to pick up a picnic lunch of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and whatever else looks especially good from behind the deli counter. We used to actually eat at the restaurant at Huber Farm, but the salary of a pastor and the rest of the family laid off just doesn’t allow for that anymore for the entire crew. After picking up lunch we will head to the Huber Farm and Orchard, which is a sprawling complex in beautiful Starlight Indiana (You have got to love that name).

Some of the activities that the kids especially love to do are jumping on this humongous pillow of air. I’m sure it has a name, but that is the best way that I can describe it. Another thing that the kids love is hiking up the “mountain” and sliding down the giant slide. Last year Andrew wasn’t too sure that he liked that very much but Mary couldn’t get enough of it. I think that my favorite part is feeding the animals. They have llamas, goats, geese, bunnies (Karen’s favorite) horses, deer, and probably a half dozen other animals that I am forgetting.

After exhausting the kids at the petting zoo, we will head out on the big wagon to the pumpkin patch so that the kids can select the perfect pumpkins. This is of course a great time to read to the kids the annual installment of Margery Cuyler’s book, “The Bumpy Little Pumpkin” which is one of Mary and Andrew’s favorite books. The trip to the pumpkin patch is expected to be rather cool today so I would recommend dressing warm:)

After selecting just the right pumpkins, we return to the farmer’s market and try the warm apple cider, sample the endless varieties of fresh homemade breads and cookies and pick up Karen’s favorite strawberry preserves.

By this point I expect Grandpa to be pretty tired and anxious to head for home where there will be a big pot of soup beans simmering in the crock-pot.

Sounds like a good day ahead! Anyone want to come along?

Blessings