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

2015 Review

Hello Emmanuel,

2015 was a very good year in many ways for the church.  Giving was at an all-time high both in the general operating budget and in the renewed building fund program.  Emmanuel exceeded the goals in both areas, a reflection of the faithful giving that Emmanuel has shown throughout the years.

In 2015 we saw an addition 15 new members and 5 baptisms.  Also, for the 1^st time in at last 7 years, a membership audit was conducted in which 22 members were removed from the roles for various reasons, 5 of whom passed on to the Lord.  Our current membership stands at 164.

The Circle Chart continues to go around and around as each area of ministry has been able to look back and see various degrees of the development of disciples.

Passionate Worship – While 1^st time visitor numbers stayed consistent (1.4 first-time visiting households per Sunday), worship attendance plateaued for the 2^nd time in the 14 years of Emmanuel (the other time was in 2011).  However, there were many highlights including the Easter cantata; receiving of confirmands; Blessing of the hands for teachers and caregivers; St. Johns Day for the Masons; Promotion Sunday for the Sunday School kids; and several others.

Faith-Forming Relationships – 2 new Small Groups were added to our existing 23 groups.  A new short-term class was offered (Grow), which was developed to be a follow-up class to Roots.  Sunday School experienced a lot of changes among the teachers and we had to re-arrange how to utilize the ever-growing need for more classrooms (we added a Jr. High class).  Thanks to the help of the adult Sunday school class, we are able to make it work (until we need to add another class… ugh!).

Risk-Taking Mission and Outreach – as usual, too much to mention here.  The highlight, however, was when Emmanuel helped 99 kids for Christmas through the Angel Tree program.  This was about 20% of all the kids that the Salvation Army program reached out to in Clermont County!  The Traveling Food Pantry; cooking classes sponsored by UC Clermont; Jackson Area Seed ministry; Matthew25 medicine bottles, Saul’s shoeboxes, etc; continue on as usual.

The new events were exciting to watch develop as well.  James Pollitt traveled to Columbia to help a missions team continue to rebuild a church in a very oppressed village.  He and Paula McCollum are traveling there again in February to continue the work.  Also, Emmanuel implanted their 1^st annual National Night Out event at the Batavia Township Park to recognize the men and women who serve as law enforcement or first-responders of the community.  Finally, a dinner was served in November to raise funds for Inter Parish Ministry.  All three of these new events are expected to be implemented again in 2016.

The United Methodist Women’s group continued to play a very significant role.  Events such as the Easter Egg Hunt, Yard Sale, Boo Bash, Grill Outs, Car Show, Breakfast with Santa, etc; bring lots of awareness to the community that there is a church on the corner that wants to connect with them and invites them to be a part of who we are as Christ’s servants.

Radical Hospitality – The landscaping work continues as we watch the corner change in appearance with all the construction taking place.  The consistency of providing coffee (and even food at times), greeters and ushers on Sunday mornings has helped visitors feel welcomed.  This team has been a support for other ministries that need help in the area of serving food.  Hospitality has also help run the church’s birthday celebration.

Compassionate Care – Many hospital and nursing home visits continue to take place.  With there being several deaths in 2015, the team was busy with funeral dinners as well.  Also, Emmanuel was able to see to unique needs of individuals in the church who found themselves unable to care for themselves.  It’s wonderful to see this team show love in so many creative ways. 

The support teams of Staff-Parish Relations, Trustees and Finance worked hard to make sure resources were available to the above teams to get much needed ministry accomplished.  The Finance team is installing a complete overhaul to their record-keeping system.  Some other things to look for in 2016 is a focus on Emmanuel’s facility.  The building is showing some wear and there are resources allocated to see to those needs.  So be on the look-out for new paint jobs and some re-decorating.  There will also be changes on the corner as Old 74 is to be widened.  The short-term inconvenience will be far outweighed by the additional parking the veterinarian will be allowing us to use on Sunday mornings once all the dust is settled.

Some changes in leadership have also taken place for 2016.  Tiffany McGuire will lead the Compassionate Care Team.  Joan Sexton is now the chair for Trustees.  Russ Bowman will be leading the Outreach Team.  Also, Ivy Hill has stepped back for the treasurer’s spot after 7 years of service.  A new treasurer will be announced in the coming weeks.

The challenge for 2016 will be to focus on the worship experience.  While growth has continued in all other areas, worship is truly at the center of all that we do.  Leadership will be looking at how to make worship as relevant, authentic and excellent as possible so that others will most easily be able to connect with God.

If you have any questions you can call the church at  732-1400 or email Pastor Joe at pastorjoe@emmanuel-umc.com.

Salmon Patties, 15,000 and Getting Old

Hello Emmanuel,

What are you going to learn this season?

Epiphany is January 6^th.  It is the day that ends the Christmas season and begins a new season of ah-ha moments.  Epiphany runs until Ash Wednesday on February 10^th.  What will you learn before February 10^th?

Epiphany is a unique time of year.  Many of us will experience the post-Christmas letdown.  Some of us will be feeling blah.  Others of us will be feeling lonely.  We dread taking down the Christmas lights and the long nights and gray skies cast a dreary look on the world.  But what will you learn before February 10^th?

My suggestion?  Don’t wait for a lesson to find you.  Go find a lesson.  Study something.  Read about something new.  Become informed about a topic or an issue that you previously knew little about.  Proactive learning has its perks.  Foremost is avoiding looking like a fool before you learn something.  Learning something first keeps the fool from coming out in you.  It is also a good practice for a wise person. 

Epiphany is the season for ah-ah’s.  It is a season to find ways to turn that light bulb on and discovering a new perspective for that which you have already come to conclusions.  For example:  I used to detest salmon patties.  My mom would cook up that piece of yuck and I would dread the dinner experience…..

….and then I experienced the miracle of applesauce.  Drowning those salmon patties in applesauce made the dinner experience not only do-able, but actually rather pleasant.  The light bulb came on and I began experimenting with food combinations that allowed me to swallow the previously unswallowable.

What will you learn before February 10^th?

I learned that I am able to walk 15,000 steps during a Bengal’s game (6.59 miles).  I didn’t walk at a brisk pace for fear of pulling a calf muscle, but I did it.  Now I wonder how many more I could do.  20,000? 

What will you learn before February 10^th?

I learned that I can now deposit checks via an app on my phone.  I learned that this is old news.  I learned that I need to stay current on the hip ways of doing daily, mundane things.  I learned that I’m getting old.

What will you learn before February 10^th?

‘Tis the season for the ah-ah’s.  May you learn much this season.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

The Unholy of Christmas

Hello Emmanuel,

Thus begins a holy week… in an unholy church?

In a world where there is so much wrong, how can there be so much right?  The 53rd Hallmark Christmas movie was shown the other day (or approximately that many).  I didn’t watch them all (only about 1/3 of 1), but I didn’t see too much about Christmas.  I did see a lot of conflict and googly eyes and misunderstandings and flirting and ‘I thought we had something!!!’ … to … ‘oh… we do have something’ (and then more kissing).

I pick on these movies because it is a microcosm of a bigger picture.  There is so much wrong and yet so much right.  It’s confusing, which is why I usually walk into another room to read a book (that has conflict and misunderstandings, but no googly eyes or kissing… bluk).

This brings me to why I love the Church during such a holy week.  For one hour there is a bubble created around the worshipping community.  In this bubble we are invited to stop everything we are doing and focus on one event that affected the world for all-time.  We get to forget our mistakes and personality flaws.  We can forget who we don’t like and who we do like.  We get to forget about presents and traffic and lights that don’t work and whether it is too cold or too warm for December and movies that are sort of about Christmas, but not really.  Life gets to pause for about an hour so that we can focus on the one event that affected the world for all-time without the drama or flair or need for entertainment.  For about an hour, everything is about Christmas in its purest sense.

We get to focus on the Holy even as we live among the unholy.

We don’t have to pretend that we are better than we are (though sometimes thinking we need to becomes a great distraction).  We don’t have to smile (especially when the lights are turned down low to sing Silent Night).  We don’t have to feel guilty because we haven’t been in church for 8 months.  We don’t have to look down our noses because we’ve been in church the last 51 Sundays.

Why?  Because no matter who we think we are, all of us are just as unholy compared to the one event that affected the world for all-time.  And THAT is why I love the Church.  God’s love for us permeates any miniscule differences between each of our rights and wrongs.  The holiness of Christmas makes us all look bad and then turns around and says it okay.  The holiness of Christmas comes quietly in the night in a barn so that the coziness we feel in the sanctuary isn’t just for show, but has a legitimate place in our relationship with God.

I look forward to worshipping with you this week.  Why?  Because experiencing the Holy with all of us unholy people helps me experience again the redemptive power of an ever-loving God.  And it brings me joy.

I hope it brings you joy too. 

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

Dec. 22^nd, 7:00 – Blue Christmas (for those feeling sad this season)

Dec. 24^th, 7:00 – Kid-Friendly Christmas Eve with candlelight

Dec. 24^th, 10:00 – Traditional Candle-light

Dec. 27^th, 9:00 and 10:30 – The First Sunday of Christmas

Jan. 3^rd, 9:00 and 10:30 – The Second Sunday of Christmas