A Growing Debt Worth Owing

Cathy was whisked from our home one evening last week.  A friend stopped by and said, "I have these cookies I made and I need to run them up to the church.  Do you have your shoes on?"  They jumped in the car and, upon arrival, the friend said, "I need to run these in; they are for the youth event.  Why don't you come in with me and we'll see how it's going, then we can go back to your house and play cards.  (You're taking your life in your hands if you get in a rapid-fire game of Pounce with these two ladies.)

A few minutes before their arrival, I was in an Elder meeting.  One of our pastors asked, "Can we take a short break?  My soda is running through me and I really need to go to the bathroom.  We can look in on the Youth Event while we break."  Another pastor uncharacteristically announced, "This meeting is over!"  I knew something was up.

I stepped into the door of our auditorium to the shouts of "Surprise!"  The media screens had old pics and Cathy and me.  The chairs had been placed around the perimeter of the room and we were sat in the middle of it all on a couple of easy chairs next to a table piled high with cards...all congratulating us on our 25th Anniversary at Stone Ridge.

My mind raced that night as I looked into faces new and old.  I thought about all that has changed over the past 25 years.  Our church has gone through a change of styles, location and name.  The Master we serve and the message we preach are the same.  The methods have been tweaked to more effectively communicate to this generation.  I looked into the faces and remembered the stories of people Jesus has rescued one at a time.

The party moved forward at full speed, with people munching on cookies and ice cream as we gathered in little huddles and shared life.  We hugged, remembered, laughed and almost came to tears.  Cathy and I drove home a couple of hours later, then sat in the middle of our bed reading cards.  I'm still overwhelmed by the kindness we experienced.

I titled this post, "A Growing Debt Worth Owing."  The apostle Paul wrote, "Owe nothing to anyone, except for your obligation to love one another."  (Romans 13:8 New Living Translation) The love we have received for 25 years ever increases our debt to the people among whom we serve and the One who gave me this assignment.  It brings me joy beyond words.

That night was full of highlights for us, but one stood out for me in particular.  As we were speaking to a variety of people, I suddenly saw gathered around me a group of Elders and one of our pastors.  Our church went through our darkest days about a dozen years ago and these men had all faithfully walked through it with me.  I faltered more than once that year, wondering if the church would be better off without me as pastor.  Each time I struggled, they were there to encourage me and help me keep going.  I will never forget.  "I want to thank you all for staying when many left," I told them.  "It means more than you know that you stuck it out during our most difficult season."

It may have been painful at the time, but, as one of the guys said, "It was the best thing that ever happened to us."  He was right!

To all of you who sent and said, "Thank you!", the privilege is all ours.  You are exceptional in your love and we can't find words to fully express our gratitude for your kindness to us.

Summer Study Break

Brian is an old friend who happens to pastor a megachurch.  The eight or nine years that separate us were far more significant when I was almost thirty and he had just finished college.  Back then I was more of the mentor and he was the eager learner.  Now, thirty years later, the age difference is hardly significant.  I am forever grateful for what he has taught me.

One of the critical things I learned from Brian is something he called his "Summer Study Break."  "It's not a break to study," he commented, "It's a break from study."  He went on to explain his need to recharge his preaching batteries each summer.  At the time, he would take about six weeks away from preaching.  He continued on with his other duties of leading and pastoring, but had others preach in his stead during those weeks.

My first Summer Study Break was several years ago.  I have enjoyed one almost every year since.  Inevitably this season leads to some questions to which I will add my answers...

1. Are you enjoying your vacation? A: I'm not breaking from work, just from the creative cost of sermon prep.

2. What do you have to do all day since you don't have to prepare?  A: plenty!  I spend my life in meetings, most of them for planning what we do around here.  I help mentor some younger pastors.  In addition, I'm preparing for Children's Camp next week (I'm Camp Pastor) and for a conference where I'll speak later in the year.  Finally, I'm doing additional reading to fill up my emotional well.

3. I don't want to make a decision about this church until we have heard one of your sermons; when will you preach again?  A: I beg you, PLEASE never make a church membership decision because of the preaching of the Senior (or Lead) Pastor.  That treats the church like a retail outlet and makes you a consumer.  This is the Body of Christ.  Find the local church where He calls you and devote your life to Him there.

All that said, I am preaching twice in July, including this weekend.  I can't tell you how much I have gained from the other speakers in our "Ancient Relevance" series through the Old Testament book of Zechariah.  I am deeply grateful for our pastors John, Tom and Scott, along with Paul Cunningham and Don Vickers (who will preach in a couple of weeks).  They haven't just shared the load; they have stretched us and helped us grow in the faith.

 

The Ultimate Skycam

Stifling hot. There is no other way to describe it. This is my 26th summer in one of the hottest places in the United States and I still dread such days. We had been told the daytime high might reach 120 degrees (yes, you read that correctly). Cathy and I were committed to join a group from our church to cross the border into Mexico in the heat of the afternoon so we could attend the graduation of a church planting school conducted by our Dominican pastor/partner, Manolo.

We had a stop to make before we reached the border, where we would climb aboard the small bus with our fellow adventurers. I noticed the high, thin clouds overhead and was pleased when our car thermometer read "only" 105 degrees. It was about 3:00 p.m., the heat of the afternoon. Errand completed, we entered the Interstate and headed west. Every one of the approximately ten miles seemed a degree hotter than the mile before. 107...108...109... As we exited the freeway, the outside temp jumped to 112. As we turned off the car next to the Mexican border, we were only one mile from the Interstate, but the temp had reached 117.

We climbed aboard the bus (thankful for the air conditioning) and proceeded south across the border and about ten more miles on to a town called Morelos. The graduation was being held in the town's community center, which also has air conditioning. People began to pack in for the joyous celebration, during which the 35 or so graduates wore black caps and gowns. I need to explain here that the outside temps were so hot that it was impossible to truly keep this building cool inside. With the AC working overtime, I would guess the temp inside the room was 90 degrees. The graduation lasted about 2 hours!

The torrid heat that day is but an asterisk to the purpose of this post. Something happened during that graduation ceremony that reminded me again of how differently God sees our world.

The ceremony opened with the Mexican National Anthem. I suppose that had something to do with us meeting in a government building. Whatever the purpose, I was moved as I looked around to see Mexican brothers and sisters in Christ sing their equivalent of our Star Spangled Banner. One older man showed obvious emotion as he sang the song of his country, a line of which says (in English), "For in heaven your eternal destiny has been written by the hand of God."

You see, most of the people who attended that gathering are from that valley and have lived their lives there. As the crow flies, Morelos is less than five miles from the U.S. Border, yet the people born there live in a different world than we do. Our abundance and privilege often leaves us blind to their poverty and struggle. However, it was James (Jesus' half-brother), who wrote, "Hasn't God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith?" (James 2:5 New Living Translation) I'm not sure how many of my American friends would have inconvenienced themselves to sit for two hours in sweltering heat to watch 35 church planters graduate. But the people of Morelos came; they packed the place.

More important, the scene was witnessed in heaven. God's thoughts are above our thoughts. He doesn't look down from the Ultimate Skycam and see national borders. He just sees people. And those 35 graduates are going to help shake their nation.

When Times Are Gettin' Dark

Growing up in the country has a long list of advantages.  I mean, how many of you can smell cow manure and immediately think, "Mmmmm.  Smells like home!"  You couldn't convince me it was an advantage to live in the country when I was about twelve.  I decided to peddle Grit newspapers as a way to earn extra cash.  Riding 5-6 miles round trip on my bike to peddle less than 25 papers wasn't the easiest thing I ever did.  A friend of mine who lived in town could find 25 customers within a block or two, but...I lived in the country!

Living in the country meant quiet nights with chirping crickets in the summer time.  It meant windows open with cool night breezes blowing across the bed.  It meant the fresh scent of sweet corn growing a few feet outside my window.  It meant fresh fruit and vegetables all summer, the tenderest beef I ever had anywhere (literally) and family gatherings with watermelons and homemade ice cream.

Occasionally, though, it meant dark times.  Being far from streetlights can make you forget just how dark a night can be.  Like the night I heart a strange sound that seemed to be just outside my bedroom window.  No moon was shining that night and, try as I might, I couldn't see what was making the noise I heard.  What it sounded like was someone pushing our rototiller around.  I ran that little tractor and I knew well the sounds of those wheels turning.  What sounded like the wheels spinning slowing around their hub was, every few seconds, accentuated by a sudden "CLANK".  I happened to know that a couple of blades were off the 'tiller and laying near it; we took them off frequently to narrow the cutting width so we could till between vegetable rows.  It sounded like someone was rolling the 'tiller away and picking up the blades to take with them.  "We have a robber right outside my window," I thought.  I was scared!

I slipped out of my room and stepped down the hall to my parents bedroom.  "Dad, I keep hearing a noise and I think someone is trying to steal the rototiller," I said anxiously.  He got up and led me back to my room.  Quietly he stood and listened.  I nervously stood behind him.  Finally, he walked to the window and raised it completely; I was ready to bolt!

Dad took the empty frozen orange juice can that we used to prop up the window and said, "Here's your thief."  Inside was a little hardshell bug that had flown down into the can and couldn't get out.  It would fly around the perimeter of the can a few times (sounding amazingly like rototiller wheels!) and, frustrated, make a fast dash trying to break out through the side of the can: "CLANK!"

I have lived about a half century since that night and never forgot it.  I knew where to turn when times were gettin' dark.  I would that every kid had a dad whose strength and unconditional love would see them through childhood and prepare them to face the dark times that inevitably cloud life.  On this Father's Day I pause to gratefully remember my own dad.  This is my 22nd Father's Day without him, but he left me a lifetime of memories to cherish.

Happy Father's Day!

Our Year of Drought

"For he (the one who trusts in the LORD) will be like a tree planted by the water,
That extends its roots by a stream
And will not fear when the heat comes;
But its leaves will be green,
And it will not be anxious in a year of drought
Nor cease to yield fruit.
Jeremiah 17:8 (NASB)



If you take seriously the simple words of Jesus, "Take up your cross and follow Me," you will have at least one long season of drought in your life. I know that many will wish for something a bit more encouraging from me this week, but hold on. Perhaps our story will bring you exactly the encouragement you need if you are in your "YOD" right now.

A "YOD" can take on many forms. In an agricultural society, it was usually just what the term implied: an extreme lack of water. For you and me it can be a season of poor health, tough economics or family crises. It might be a combination of problems. The problems can cascade, pummeling us with questions about whether God has forgotten us or if He even exists. A good drought forces us to ask ourselves many critical questions, the answers to which seem impossible to find.

For Cathy and me, one long "YOD" took place when I went back to college. I had already been serving full-time on a church staff, but the clear change of calling into a pastoral role meant uprooting our little family to locate near the college. We left a home owned by the church where I worked and moved into the unknown world of house rentals. We left the security of a good job and traveled 1,000 miles hoping to find enough work to "put beans on the table." We left the comfort of great friends and a supportive church to find ourselves as strangers in a large city.

Before I tell you about how God provided during our "YOD", here are a few things we learned about living through one.
1. Don't try to detour around it (God wants you to experience the "YOD" and to endure.)
2. Don't take yourself too seriously. (It's okay to look like a fool if God is getting glory from it.)
3. Don't be anxious. (God has this "YOD" under control. He will supply what you need when you need it.)
4. Do keep your priorities. (Our "YOD" was largely financial. We chose to tithe throughout that season and we put God first by faith. He always met our needs!)
5. Do expect to learn much. (For many subsequent years, Cathy and I called our "YOD" our best year because we learned so much about walking with God.)

One day, during our "YOD", we needed to buy a few groceries to tide us over until we received a small paycheck from my work. Cathy asked me if we had a few dollars in our checking account. "We don't," I replied. "We're down to the $5 we keep in the account to make sure we don't overdraw." Back then we knew where every dime went and exactly how much we had in the bank.

"I will take a little from Sean's piggy bank," Cathy said. We can pay it back when you are paid." We were in the car on the way home during this conversation, our tiny son oblivious to what we were talking about. Upon our arrival, Cathy looked through our mail which had arrived while we were gone. The mail that day included a card from Cathy's aunt, the wife of her pastor-uncle who had performed our wedding. "We remember what it's like to be in seminary and try to make ends meet," the note said. "We wanted to send you this to help out." In the card was a check for $20, just enough to take care of our immediate needs.

A "YOD" interrupted by a faithful God! He interrupted us over and over again that year. Put Him first and He will interrupt you, too!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Gopher Holes

I figure that, if irrigation water had a brain, it would avoid gopher holes.  Let me explain.  One of my preferred boyhood chores was irrigating our orchard and field.  I liked the job because it set me free to drive the old pickup truck (I didn't have a license) the mile or so along country roads to open the gate that sent irrigation water streaming through a small system of ditches to provide the life-giving liquid to our fruit and pasture.  (For those of you from places where it rains more frequently, you can't imagine how necessary irrigation is when one lives in arid climes.)

For a time, my irrigation job included a small field on a neighbor's property just west of us.  It was there that I got a brief education about gophers and gopher holes.  At best, gophers are a nuisance.  At worst, they are destroyers of life as they tunnel under the surface of fertile soil and steal the life of otherwise good plants.

This cute little fella looks innocent, but believe me, he's a destroyer.  He's also a reminder about life, which brings me to the point concerning irrigation water.  Numerous times I watched perfectly good irrigation water completely change its course and plunge down a gopher hole.  Granted, the gopher tunnel could only hold so much water before it quit filling or surfaced some distance away.  The water sought its lowest natural point, the power of gravity pulling it toward the center of the earth (or the bottom of the hole).  If the water had brains, it surely would have avoided the hole altogether, but it didn't.  Stay with me; there's a lesson in this!

You see, I know a lot of people whose lives were once productive and full of joy.  They were like irrigation water, out on a mission to help someone else find life  Then, at some time they were pulled off course by the pain of betrayal; a person they loved hurt them so deeply that they don't notice the little gophers that are burrowing beneath the surface of their hearts.  Sometimes they are just glad that someone is noticing them, unaware that the affection they are receiving is just a setup for more destruction.  Their God-given life starts a downward run into holes of oblivion.  The places and the people they once avoided are allowed to steal their life from them.

We had a way of dealing with gophers back then.  If they surfaced, it took a quick smash from a shovel and they were permanently eliminated.  If the gophers of life are eating away at you, get a shovel.  Or find a helper who will.

 

 

Harold Camping Should Publicly Repent

For those of you who have heard the word, but aren't sure what it means, "repent" means simply to turn around, do a 180, and/or change your mind about something.

I checked again this morning and Harold Camping is described as "Bewildered" and "Mystified" after his May 21 Rapture prediction came and went.  That's a little like saying, "Oops!" after playing with matches next to a powder keg which blows up at the base of a dam, with the resulting deluge destroying the lives of thousands downstream.  Camping intentionally ignored the simple words of Jesus, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone." (Matthew 24:36 NASB) Why do you think Jesus said this?  Isn't it probable that His followers back then wanted to know what was coming and when it would happen?  Jesus spoke graphically about the "what", but said clearly that even He didn't know when.

Early Christians thought of themselves as living in the "Last Days".  The Scripture was given in such a way as to make every generation wonder if this is the time.  For two thousand years, followers of Christ have wondered if His return would be in their lifetime.  My friends who don't follow Christ struggle with this side of Christianity.  We have become an age where many thinking people believe that we humans have complete control of our own destiny and that of our planet.  To them it is absurd that a God beyond our imagination created us and loves us.  The false prophecy of Harold Camping, coupled with the fierce loyalty of his flock, have only served to fortify the "no god is in control" position.

Harold Camping should publicly repent.  He has damaged the faith of many who fell under his elderly spell.  As someone who claims to preach the Gospel of Christ, he has damaged the name of the One who gave His life for us.

Luke 15:10 says that the angels in heaven rejoice over one sinner who repents.

I would rejoice with them.