Careful What You Believe

Hello Emmanuel,

September will bring a new change to my newsletter.  September will be Ask Pastor Joe instead of Monday Morning Pulpit.  Submit your questions to me via email at pastorjoe@emmanuel-umc.com.  I’ll give you an answer.  Who knows?  It might be a good one.

If you worry about the worst; look for the worst; expect the worst; then the worst just might happen.  In counseling terms this is called ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’.  Self-fulfilling prophecy is when believing something hard enough causes behavior changes that actually bring that something to fruition.

I used to think this was a bunch of bunk.  I don’t anymore.

I once talked to a person who had emotional wounds from being abandoned as a child.  Her dad, mom, sister and first husband all walked out of her life without any provocation on her part.  She had very little in any kind of support network.  Needless to say, she lived in fear of other people abandoning her as well.

The result is that her defense mechanisms disallowed her to get close to anyone.  She was constantly on her guard, wanting to prevent any further emotional scars from anyone else.  In short, her behavior actually encouraged her fears to be realized and people began distancing themselves from her as a result of her actions.  She was scared of more people leaving her life and her fear caused her to behave in such a way that made her fears become realized…. Self-fulfilling prophecy.

I wonder if we Christians can turn that psychological phenomenon on its head and make it a positive force.  If you believe firmly enough that the Church is the hands and feet of God, would that not cause you to behave in such a manner that would cause the Church to be the hands and feet of God?  Would believing that God loves you make you more loving?  Would believing that God forgives you make you more forgiving?  I wonder.  The link of faith to behavior is not that far of a journey.  Indeed, it may be one in the same.  ‘Faith without works is dead’.  Hmmmm…

I invite you to believe really hard!  Expect the best from God.  Maybe the result of such faith will bring out the best in you.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

Ask Pastor Joe Month

Hello Emmanuel,

This is your chance.  August is Ask Pastor Joe Month.  Throughout September, I am going to go about answering any question you have for me.  I have already received 8 different questions of various types.  ‘How did Noah and his family repopulate the world’?  ‘Does God Hate The Bengals?’  ‘What is meant by ‘Holy Ground?’  ‘Would God be pleased by how we use our riches?’

You have about 2 weeks to submit any question you’d like.  I promise that I will answer it in some form (sermon, blog, email, etc).  I will not reveal who submitted the questions.  They can cover any topic or issue that you would like. 

I am interested in what questions you have in mind.  You can write your question on paper and submit it in the offering plate; email me at pastorjoe@emmanuel-umc.com; call me at 833-5219; or communicate to me in any other form that I can understand (in other words, no smoke signals or languages besides English).

Am I worried?  Yes.  I don’t doubt that heavy research is in my future.  I also expect some questions to be very personal while other questions will be on topics I have never considered.  Either way, I look forward to it.  Our spirituality should not be void of asking all kinds of questions and searching for the answers.  It is one way that I believe prayers can be answered.  So ask away!

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

Value the Lasts

Hello Emmanuel,

This coming school year is a year of lasts.  Joey is a senior and, with it, comes all the last things he’ll do.  He’s already had his last band camp (and had the joy of having his sister join him).  Soon it will be his last first day of school; his last second day of school; his last fooball game; his last parade; his last Fall concert; his last Christmas break; his last…..

This will be the 4^th time Kim and I have gone through a year of lasts.  We seem to appreciate and value more the senior year than any of the other years.  Why is that?

Today will be the last August 8^th, 2016 that I will ever experience.  Shouldn’t I value today like any other last?  Unfortunately we get into a mode where every day seems like any day.  The truth of it is that each day is unique.  No day is like any other day.  No year is like any other year.  The uniqueness that time brings us should be cherished as if we will not see its like again…. Because we will not.

After High School, Joey will go to college and we will see another 4 year cycle (please, God, let it be only 4 years).  We will see more lasts as you see more lasts on this very day.  I invite you to cherish each moment of this gift of life.  Treat the moment like you’ll never see it again because you won’t ever see it again.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

Questions and Answers

Hello Emmanuel,

One of the tasks of a pastor, I believe, is to speak to the heart of those who come seeking answers.  It’s a part of my job that is the most challenging and also the most rewarding.  I don’t always have answers and, if I do, there isn’t any guarantee they are the right answers.  However, I do try to always give a biblical perspective on tough questions and hope it at least feeds the soul a little bit.

During the month of August, you are invited to submit to me your questions.  The questions can be about anything and be as tough or as easy as you want to make them.  Theological, social, political, athletic, comical, arbitrary, spiritual, historical…. Anything.

Come September, I will make the attempt to answer every question, be it in a sermon, email, blog or otherwise.  You can send me your questions via email at pastorjoe@emmanuel-umc.com or you can write them on a piece of paper and put them in the offering plate.

Yes, I know, I’ve opened myself up for all kinds of stuff.  I’m okay with it as long as you are okay receiving all kinds of answers.  I look forward to this.  It may be a little fun.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe