Advantages of a New Season

Hello Emmanuel,

Before I forget to type this:  March 20^th will have only one worship service:  10:00.  There will be water flying, banners waving and people committing to Jesus.  Car pool if you can.  Extra parking will be at the airport with a shuttle going back and forth.  You don’t want to miss it!

As I mentioned on Sunday, I got my bicycle out last Saturday.  It was a super nice day.  I’m fairly certain that I have never biked in February before…. At least not for a 12 mile ride.  However, it was a super nice day.  What did you do last Saturday?  Did you know it was a super nice day?

Every year, as the weather starts to get nicer, I seem to experience a challenge of sorts.  I have to force myself to get out.  Even when I know the day may be really nice, my mind is in the habit of staying inside.  I argue with myself through April and May and even June.  By the time I remember how great it is to spend time outside, the Summer has already started.  Indeed, last year, I never did get my bike out much.  What a shame.

Not this year, though.  This year is going to be different.  When the weather is nice, I’m going out.  No more wasting time.  I am going to take advantage of nice weather.  Yep.  That’s right!  No more arguing with myself. 

What about you?

Habits seem to form easily when they are convenient.  Winter makes it convenient to stay inside.  It also makes it convenient to moan and groan about how cold or gray or wet it is.  But when the excuses are gone, what are you going to do?  Continue to mire in the muck of the Winter blahs?  Being depressed is too easy for some of you.  Me too.  But not this year.  This year is going to be different.

I encourage you to look at the change in weather this year as an opportunity.  Allow yourself to see things from a different perspective.  We are blessed with the change of seasons in Ohio.  See it as a blessing.  Take advantage of whatever season comes your way.  \

And shall I say to let Emmanuel guide the way?  March isn’t exactly Spring weather, but it could still be a kick-start to a new season.  We have lots going on in March.  We are collecting seed packets, learning about the Bible, baptizing a bunch, receiving new members and…. Oh yeah…. Easter eggs galore…. Chocolate and otherwise.

So get ready to switch gears. 

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

Spiritual A.D.D.

Hello Emmanuel,

Before I forget to type this:  March 20^th will have only one worship service:  10:00.  There will be water flying, banners waving and people committing to Jesus.  Car pool if you can.  Extra parking will be at the airport with a shuttle going back and forth.  You don’t want to miss it!

Now that the commercial is over, ponder this:  ‘how is your focus in this season of Lent?’

First, my confession:  I have felt distracted lately.  I think I know why, though I won’t go into details here.  I have come to believe that most of the energy the church spends isn’t in figuring out the message of God.  It is staying focused on living the message. 

The message is so simple that children can grasp it a very early age:  love God, love each other and try not to be a hypocrite.  And if you fail, Jesus will forgive you through his death and resurrection.

I believe the difficult part for the church is to stay focused on such a simple message.  We seem to easily attract a spiritual A.D.D.  We can start off with good intentions, but often find ourselves talking about; thinking about; pondering about; and doing things that aren’t always in tune with the simple message.

Pastors and other church leaders are not immune.  Indeed, I’m not afraid to admit that we can be even more susceptible.  We can go about helping the church live the simple message in so many intricate ways that we can forget about the message.  It is sort of like walking all the way to the kitchen and, along the way, you pet the cat, trip over a toy, turn on the light, remember to check the mail, notice the dirt on the floor and find out you need more ketchup….. and when you finally get the fridge opened, you forget why you are staring at the milk.

The church can walk the way of Jesus but, along the way, can get distracted by the much less significant details of being a church.  We humans make it messy.  We fall into habits of self-centeredness, power struggles, deceit, lying, passive aggressive behavior, …. Oh… yuck… you know the list….  Staying focused on Christ’s agenda is a long enough to-do list.  So….

…..how is your focus in this season of Lent?

Keep your eyes on the Christ and, if you don’t mind, remind your pastor to do the same.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

Ashes, Hearts and Arguments

Hello Emmanuel,

This is the week I argue with myself…. Every year.  It is the week when the season of Epiphany ends and the season of Lent begins.  It is the argument between the traditional side of me and the practical side of me.  Not that tradition is always impractical.  But in this case, let me explain.

Ash Wednesday is a very important day in the Christian year.  Ash Wednesday helps us understand the season of Lent.  Lent leads us to Holy Week.  Holy Week helps us experience the joy of Easter morning, which leads to Pentecost… etc, etc, etc.

February 10^th is Ash Wednesday.  I remember days on which I would metaphorically (and one time, literally), pound the pulpit to encourage people to attend Ash Wednesday service.  Being traditional at heart, I went about my pastoral duties to wrench people away from their mid-week routine to get them in the pews, if only for 30 or 40 minutes so I could preach repentance and show them how incredibly important it was to kick of Lent in an appropriate and timely manner.

And each year, the 10 or 15 people who would show would take it really seriously…. *sigh*

Not that I would expect the normal 182 people to show up as enthusiastically on Wednesday evening as they do on Sunday, especially since the Ash Wednesday message of ‘you should be sorry for being so sinful’ doesn’t exactly bring out the energy in people.  However, I fully admit that, over the years, I would feel a bit defeated at my attempt to get the Word out exactly when our Faithful Forefathers said we should… on that Wednesday, 6.5 weeks before the resurrection. 

Then one year I got a little crazy in the head and decided to risk the wrath of said Forefathers and seek to get the message of Ashes out on a different day.  To some this may not seem like a big step, but for a traditional pastor like me, this was bordering on heresy.  And if you are going to break tradition, it better be for a good reason.

So Ash Sunday was born.  If people won’t come to the message of Ash Wednesday, take Ash Wednesday to the people.  That’s what my modern side said.  Is it awkward for my traditional side.  Yep.  Still is.  Probably always will be, but lightning hasn’t struck me yet.  I can only hope, each year, to get my sermon preached before it does. 

So I invite you to Ash Sunday this week.  If your traditional side wins out, I totally understand.  I lean on the reality that many churches will be having Ash Wednesday service this week.  Who knows?  Maybe I’ll even go to one.  For Emmanuel, the sanctuary is getting painted, the praise team will be practicing, and children will be dancing in the church.  Still not a bad Wednesday, even if no one will be wearing sackcloth.

….. now I just have figure out what Ashes have to do with Valentine’s Day.  On second thought, I’ve been married a long time.  It may not be too difficult of a connection to make.  Am I right?  See you Sunday.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

19 Years And Counting

Hello Emmanuel,

19 years ago—in the midst of a lot of snow and in a small country church—I married Kim.  I am certain that some of my friends thought I was crazy.  Not only did Kim move into that small parsonage in Harrod, Ohio, but so did her 3 kids.  I think they were 8, 5 and 3 at the time, though I was too delirious in love to really pay too much attention.

Fast forward to 2016.  Now they are 27, 24, 22, 17 and 12 (I think… don’t hold me to this.  When they get past 5 I lose count).  Yes, we added 2 more.  So there have been 19 years of trying to do the right thing and 19 years of learning how to do better next time.  I either have gained my sanity back or I have become desensitized to being crazy.  In any case, life is still good.

So what have your last 19 years been like?  What were you doing 19 years ago (Feb. 1, 1998).  What was your mind-set?  What were your goals?  What caused you stress?  What kind of car did you have?  What grade were you in?  What was your salary?  What did your fashion statement say?

Things change.  Lives change.  Some say that very little actually changes.  I’m not so sure.  I might even suggest that if nothing much has changed for you the last 19 years, then what is going on?  My philosophy, faith, spending habits, perspective on God, approach to my job, how I manage my relationships….. all have shifted, some dramatically.  Hopefully for the better, but not always. 

So what have your last 19 years been like?  Have you changed for the better?  What would God say?  Have you grown spiritually?  Do you love more?  Hate less?  Forgive more easily?  Or have you grown more bitter?  More discouraged? 

I used to think life was a sprint; that life was too short.  Maybe.  I’m not so sure anymore.  How we grow as people rarely happens quickly.  Often times it means taking a moment to really think back through the years and consider how you have changed.  Some of the more meaningful growing points can happen gradually over a long period of time… so much so that we may not even realize it.

In the world of the church we often focus on those lightning bolt moments that shake us up immediately and cause us to get with the program.  However, as a pastor, my biggest joy is watching a person grind out the Christian life day by day and year by year.  And then looking back with them and showing them how far they have traveled with God.

You are invited to take a moment and consider how you have grown…. Over the last 19 years.  Hopefully God would be pleased.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe