Hello Emmanuel,
The Church was around 2,000 years before I got here.
It will probably be around 2,000 years after I'm gone.
It is something I
heard a long time ago. I don't remember where or from whom. It is a saying
that I repeat to myself whenever I'm about to go on vacation. The pastor in me
experiences fear and trepidation when vacations come along. Don't get me wrong.
I LOVE vacation. However, I guess I admit to you that there is a little bit of
'Mother Bear' in me when it comes to the church running smoothly without my
input. It's a little bit embarrassing (but not so embarrassing that I don't put
it in a newsletter and send it out to 250 emails).
Of all my years of
church experience, Emmanuel is best equipped with leaders who can keep the
church from disintegrating while I'm gone. I should not worry so much. It's
only 2 weeks.... 14 days... 336 hours.... 20,160 minutes..... DO YOU KNOW WHAT
ALL COULD HAPPEN IN THAT TIME SPAN!!!! Sunday School teachers could quit; the
computer could crash; the mail could be forgotten; the copier could explode;
someone might go to the hospital; the church sign might get a mis-spelling;
and--- Lord forbid -- someone else might give a really good
sermon.
Vacation, for me, is not just a time to get away from church
people (even though I love you bunches). It is a time for me to put me in my
rightful place. I'm called to be an effective pastor. It isn't more or less
than that. Some things I'll do well. Other things I won't. Either way, it
isn't the end of the world.
The Church was around 2,000 years before I
got here. It will probably be around 2,000 years after I'm gone.
Whenever leaders get too full of themselves, I find a way to work in
that phrase. Unfortunately, I tell myself more than I tell others. Call it a
practice in humility. But in all seriousness, it is important to keep
perspective. If you don't keep perspective, when you fall down it hurts a whole
lot worse because the pedestal was way higher than it ever should have
been.
I'm going on vacation. I'm throwing off the label of 'pastor' and
just being Joe for 2 whole weeks. If an emergency comes up, don't cause me
panic. Instead, cause Bill to panic. 752-7838. Call him often if you so
desire. He is under orders to call me only if the apocalypse is coming or some
other distressful news that I know will absolutely not happen while I'm
gone.
I'll be back October 10th. Don't mess things up while I'm gone
(and don't make things that much better either).
God is Good,
Pastor
Joe
Monday, September 24, 2012
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Good for the Soul
Do you take Jesus everywhere you go?
For those of you who do not know, I actually do not live at the church building. In general, most of you know me as the pastor who wanders around the life of the church helping ministry happen so that disciples of Jesus can be developed. I preach and teach and try my best to interact with people, especially on Sundays (but also during the week). I try to take Jesus with me so that I can be as focused as possible on the purpose of the church.
But there are other places that I go.....
For one, I am a very competitive Dad. If you ever saw me at a Cross Country meet or a little league game, you would likely not recognize me. I'm not in khakis or a golf shirt. I probably am wearing a hat and my really cool sunglasses (even Kim says I look cool). And my behavior is ... shall we say... a bit more intense. When people say I get into my preaching, they haven't yet seen me in the midst of athletic competition, whether I am participating or observing. Over the years---especially in my younger years---I have embarrassed myself with intense behavior, whether it be out of disgust or joy. There may have been a time or two when I even made Jesus blush, though I won't recite those examples here.
Over the years I've had to remember to take Jesus with me to such competitions. The most obvious example is in the living room when the Bengals are playing. Having to persevere about 20 years of absolute hopeless football tempts a person to UNinvite Jesus just so they could throw something at the tv. I'm not going to officially claim that I've thrown anything in regards to watching the Bengals. Let's just say that Jesus knows and that's all that matters (Kim, on the other hand, refuses to stay in the same house with me when the Bengals are on. In fact, I am often alone in the house which is odd when you have 5 kids.....refreshingly odd, but odd nonetheless).
So I am thankful that Jesus, at least, is willing to be beside me on Sunday afternoons. But there are other places that I go. Where do you go? And do you invite Jesus along?
It's a tough thing to be in an attitude of confession. We don't want to think of the times when we forgot Jesus was with us and acted accordingly. However, consider the significance of living at church on Sunday but acting different on Wednesday. Even if you are not a pastor, the credibility of your Faith is carried with you through the week. Not that you need to be a perfect angel, but admitting when you are not behaving the way Jesus would prefer is important. Confession is not only good for the soul, it is good for being a witness to others that your Faith is more important than any emotional response you might make to anything else.
So in the midst of our mistakes, let's admit them and do better next time. The reality is that Jesus comes with us whether we invite Him or not.
God is Good,
Pastor Joe
For those of you who do not know, I actually do not live at the church building. In general, most of you know me as the pastor who wanders around the life of the church helping ministry happen so that disciples of Jesus can be developed. I preach and teach and try my best to interact with people, especially on Sundays (but also during the week). I try to take Jesus with me so that I can be as focused as possible on the purpose of the church.
But there are other places that I go.....
For one, I am a very competitive Dad. If you ever saw me at a Cross Country meet or a little league game, you would likely not recognize me. I'm not in khakis or a golf shirt. I probably am wearing a hat and my really cool sunglasses (even Kim says I look cool). And my behavior is ... shall we say... a bit more intense. When people say I get into my preaching, they haven't yet seen me in the midst of athletic competition, whether I am participating or observing. Over the years---especially in my younger years---I have embarrassed myself with intense behavior, whether it be out of disgust or joy. There may have been a time or two when I even made Jesus blush, though I won't recite those examples here.
Over the years I've had to remember to take Jesus with me to such competitions. The most obvious example is in the living room when the Bengals are playing. Having to persevere about 20 years of absolute hopeless football tempts a person to UNinvite Jesus just so they could throw something at the tv. I'm not going to officially claim that I've thrown anything in regards to watching the Bengals. Let's just say that Jesus knows and that's all that matters (Kim, on the other hand, refuses to stay in the same house with me when the Bengals are on. In fact, I am often alone in the house which is odd when you have 5 kids.....refreshingly odd, but odd nonetheless).
So I am thankful that Jesus, at least, is willing to be beside me on Sunday afternoons. But there are other places that I go. Where do you go? And do you invite Jesus along?
It's a tough thing to be in an attitude of confession. We don't want to think of the times when we forgot Jesus was with us and acted accordingly. However, consider the significance of living at church on Sunday but acting different on Wednesday. Even if you are not a pastor, the credibility of your Faith is carried with you through the week. Not that you need to be a perfect angel, but admitting when you are not behaving the way Jesus would prefer is important. Confession is not only good for the soul, it is good for being a witness to others that your Faith is more important than any emotional response you might make to anything else.
So in the midst of our mistakes, let's admit them and do better next time. The reality is that Jesus comes with us whether we invite Him or not.
God is Good,
Pastor Joe
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
My Slow Leak
Hello Emmanuel,
I had a nail in my tire.
I didn't know this for sure. My tire in my HHR (which stands for His Hot Rod) has had a slow leak for about a year and a half..... a VERY slow leak. I would be only slightly annoyed every 3-4 weeks to have to stop and put air in it. I never took the time to figure out why it had a slow leak. I was always too busy going somewhere to do something. So for a year and half I would continue to go places and do things and for a year and a half I would gauge my tire pressure until it got too low and pump it back up so that I would continue to go places and do things...... for a year and half.
I don't know what it was, but I finally stopped at a place to get it fixed. Maybe I had a slight hesitation from going places and doing things. I was told that the nail was found and the hole patched up. I told him that it had been in there for a year and half. 'What!? A year and half? And it never got no worse?' He was surprised by the length of time that I had chosen to deal with this slight annoyance.
But now? It has surprised me how nice it is to go places and do things without that little, stressful annoyance of a slow leak. Do you have a slow leak? Do you have any of those minor annoyances that adds just that little stressor in your day? A car problem? A health concern? A relationship issue? An educational problem?
It doesn't have to be that significant, but I wonder what life would be like if we took care of all the little things. How much nicer would our days be? I believe that God does pay attention to detail. He has done so in creation and has done so in redemption. He numbers every hair on our head and cares for even the little sparrows.
We will all have big-time problem areas in our lives at one point or another. However, wouldn't they be easier to deal with if we, along our days, took a tiny bit of time and dealt wiht our small-time annoyances? Something to think about.
God is Good,
Pastor Joe
I had a nail in my tire.
I didn't know this for sure. My tire in my HHR (which stands for His Hot Rod) has had a slow leak for about a year and a half..... a VERY slow leak. I would be only slightly annoyed every 3-4 weeks to have to stop and put air in it. I never took the time to figure out why it had a slow leak. I was always too busy going somewhere to do something. So for a year and half I would continue to go places and do things and for a year and a half I would gauge my tire pressure until it got too low and pump it back up so that I would continue to go places and do things...... for a year and half.
I don't know what it was, but I finally stopped at a place to get it fixed. Maybe I had a slight hesitation from going places and doing things. I was told that the nail was found and the hole patched up. I told him that it had been in there for a year and half. 'What!? A year and half? And it never got no worse?' He was surprised by the length of time that I had chosen to deal with this slight annoyance.
But now? It has surprised me how nice it is to go places and do things without that little, stressful annoyance of a slow leak. Do you have a slow leak? Do you have any of those minor annoyances that adds just that little stressor in your day? A car problem? A health concern? A relationship issue? An educational problem?
It doesn't have to be that significant, but I wonder what life would be like if we took care of all the little things. How much nicer would our days be? I believe that God does pay attention to detail. He has done so in creation and has done so in redemption. He numbers every hair on our head and cares for even the little sparrows.
We will all have big-time problem areas in our lives at one point or another. However, wouldn't they be easier to deal with if we, along our days, took a tiny bit of time and dealt wiht our small-time annoyances? Something to think about.
God is Good,
Pastor Joe
Monday, September 3, 2012
Are You Working?
Hello Emmanuel,
Happy Labor Day! Are you working? I would say that I'm not, but I am typing this MMP. I suppose it technically is work.
Now that it is September, it is time to switch gears. More work is in the future. While Emmanuel is relatively VERY active in the Summer, the truth of our culture is undeniable: Labor Day marks the end of vacations and the return of the day-to-day grind for many people and families. As one whose job is connected to the day-to-day lives of many of you, I feel it in how I spend my time in the life of the church. While the Summer is often a juggling of who is not going to be on vacation and when. September changes the juggling to the calendar and when are we going to schedule which program and in which room will they meet.
As I move through this transition each year, I try very hard to keep the focus on Christ. It is easy to get over-stressed when the routine of the weekly changes. It is therefore easy to get distracted by the change and lose perspective on my Call. The same can be said of the church.
I know that some of you hear about 'change' so much from me that it can elicit an eye roll (yes, I've caught some of you before... hehe). It's okay. I also would prefer the comfort of some same-ness. But I believe with all of my faith that God isn't ready to tell us to relax. The Disciple-Making process is actually on a roll. As we received 3 more new members on Sunday (congrats to Hank and Rachel Sloan and Jackie Barber), bringing our total to 19 this calendar year, I was reminded of the consistently in which Emmanuel has invited, welcomed, inspired and developed new disciples as well as established disciples.
And yet the unrealized potential for Emmanuel is still great. I'm still hearing dreams that seem far too realistic to ignore.... even in the short-term. To be honest, I don't think we've even touched what God has in store for us. It scares me. But it also excites me enough to work on Labor Day.
My intent in the months ahead is to make sure enough leaders are equipped to handle the potential of Emmanuel as it becomes realized. It will take your help. Some of you will help a lot. Some of you will help a little. I hope all of you will consider helping some. We already know that only relying on leaders who were leading 3 years ago won't work any more. I would even suggest we need to expand our leadership from 1 year ago.
I won't be brazen enough to say I know what God has in store for us. But I do feel that Emmanuel is a place of faith and good works in the community. And any time a church can be a positive force in the community, the community, in turn, will invest in the church. And that opens the door for people to be drawn to Jesus. And when people are drawn to Jesus, hope is given, more faith is had, and love is shared.
And that is where our focus should stay: to be drawn to Jesus.
God is Good,
Pastor Joe
Happy Labor Day! Are you working? I would say that I'm not, but I am typing this MMP. I suppose it technically is work.
Now that it is September, it is time to switch gears. More work is in the future. While Emmanuel is relatively VERY active in the Summer, the truth of our culture is undeniable: Labor Day marks the end of vacations and the return of the day-to-day grind for many people and families. As one whose job is connected to the day-to-day lives of many of you, I feel it in how I spend my time in the life of the church. While the Summer is often a juggling of who is not going to be on vacation and when. September changes the juggling to the calendar and when are we going to schedule which program and in which room will they meet.
As I move through this transition each year, I try very hard to keep the focus on Christ. It is easy to get over-stressed when the routine of the weekly changes. It is therefore easy to get distracted by the change and lose perspective on my Call. The same can be said of the church.
I know that some of you hear about 'change' so much from me that it can elicit an eye roll (yes, I've caught some of you before... hehe). It's okay. I also would prefer the comfort of some same-ness. But I believe with all of my faith that God isn't ready to tell us to relax. The Disciple-Making process is actually on a roll. As we received 3 more new members on Sunday (congrats to Hank and Rachel Sloan and Jackie Barber), bringing our total to 19 this calendar year, I was reminded of the consistently in which Emmanuel has invited, welcomed, inspired and developed new disciples as well as established disciples.
And yet the unrealized potential for Emmanuel is still great. I'm still hearing dreams that seem far too realistic to ignore.... even in the short-term. To be honest, I don't think we've even touched what God has in store for us. It scares me. But it also excites me enough to work on Labor Day.
My intent in the months ahead is to make sure enough leaders are equipped to handle the potential of Emmanuel as it becomes realized. It will take your help. Some of you will help a lot. Some of you will help a little. I hope all of you will consider helping some. We already know that only relying on leaders who were leading 3 years ago won't work any more. I would even suggest we need to expand our leadership from 1 year ago.
I won't be brazen enough to say I know what God has in store for us. But I do feel that Emmanuel is a place of faith and good works in the community. And any time a church can be a positive force in the community, the community, in turn, will invest in the church. And that opens the door for people to be drawn to Jesus. And when people are drawn to Jesus, hope is given, more faith is had, and love is shared.
And that is where our focus should stay: to be drawn to Jesus.
God is Good,
Pastor Joe
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