I Feel Disgusted!

Hello Emmanuel,

I feel disgusted with myself.  As many of you know, Kim and I went on a cruise.  It has become a ritual of ours.  It is time away from the busyness of life, away from cell phone signals and the internet.  It is a time to reconnect with each other…….   And with food.

My disgust stems from all the food I ate.  I joke about it with many, but the truth is that the sin of gluttony is alive and well on cruise ships.  I’ve always eaten well in the past, but this time was different.  This time I truly got a taste of what over-indulgence (…hehe… get it?  ‘taste’?) to the extent that I felt…well … disgusted.

Lent starts in 2 days.  I’ve already began the process of living a healthier lifestyle (partly because I couldn’t afford to buy all that food!).  But I’ll admit there is a bit of repentance in the midst of it.  I abused myself and it wasn’t right.  I need to make it right.

Lent is 40 days, not counting Sunday.  It officially starts Wednesday.  We will mark the season this Sunday with the imposition of ashes.  It will be a new season.  It will be a new sermon series.  It can be a new beginning.

The 40 days symbolizes the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness, being tempted by Satan.  The Sundays are ‘mini-Easters’ that give us a break to remember that the resurrection is coming.  In the midst of it all, we will change gears from the season of ah-ha’s (Epiphany) to the season of uh-oh’s--from what we can do to what we should stay away from.  It is a time to look at our dysfunctions in the face and consider how we should grab the wrong things in our life and make them right.

I invite you to a season of repentance with me.  My goal is to lose 20 pounds by Easter.  Maybe eating isn’t your ‘uh-oh’.  Maybe it is something else you need to get right.  Whatever it is, let Emmanuel walk with you just as God will walk with you.  Why?  Because God will again lead us through the 40 days and the 41^st day will be glorious.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

Living The Dream

Hello Emmanuel,

So January has come and gone.  It was an especially busy and emotional month for me that included 5 funerals, 2 of which were my uncle and my first mentor.  I’m going to guess (and hope) the next 11 months will not be the same.  Januaries always seem to bring uniqueness to my year.  This isn’t true just in my personal life, but in the church as well.

When the holidays are over, people seem to want to know what is next.  There comes this down time or lull.  There is not the busyness or anticipation of the holidays to keep minds occupied.  So people start looking.  Inevitably, we seem to get more visitors in January than any other month.  Also, people in the church evaluate their roles and also consider what more there could be.  This is the time of year that can bring opportunity.

So I am always looking and listening.  What do you want to do in the life of the church?  Have you found your niche?  Are you content with where God has put you?  I’m always up for having conversation about Call and doing my best to give you the opportunity to live your Call out.  Thanks to how Emmanuel is now structured, I can focus more on one-on-one conversations.  2 weeks ago I broke my record with 12 one-on-ones that were specifically about Call and getting people in the right place to do the right thing at the right time.  It feels good for me to be able to live out my Call.

So I’m always up for a conversation.  Give me a call or email me and we can schedule a meeting at church… or Panera… or Subway… or pretty much any place that serves food.  However, if you want to meet me next week, I’ll be in Cozumel.  Just look for a hammock on the beach.  I’ll be in it with my sunglasses and drink in hand.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe