Pastor's Ponderings
Archive of the pastor's column for newsletters
June 2010 - Pastor's Ponderings
"Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs
to those who are like these children. Luke 18:16
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Children are close to Jesus’ heart. He did not buy into the old saying that “children should be seen but not heard.” Instead of viewing children as an interruption of something more important, Jesus placed them at the center of what was most important. In fact, Jesus went on to say, “I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it." Rather than children distracting from what is important, Jesus points to the nature of children as the path to what is of ultimate importance.
I celebrate the place of children in the life of our congregation. They are valued and loved. They also participate and contribute. Friendships and fellowship span the generations. A couple months ago I received an email about a series of classes designed to prepare children for what was described as “adult church.” It took me a moment, but then it hit me, the children in our congregation don’t have any idea of “adult church.” To them it already is their church! Thank you for following Jesus as you include them, share with them, and teach them as they continue learn of God’s love and his plan for their life.
Childhood is the most precious time in life. As children we learn to love and be loved, our image of who we are and of our worth is formed, the values that guide our lives are shaped, habits and life practices begin to solidify, and our faith begins to grow. How we start life plays a key role in how we will live life. For many, these lessons will stand them in good stead, and yet others will spend a lifetime paying the cost of getting a bad start.
This summer’s VBS program is one way that we invite the children to come to Jesus. On June 21-25th we are reaching out to the 3-year olds through 5th graders near the church as well as in your neighborhoods. We need you, and more importantly, those kids need you, to invite them to participate as well as your help as a volunteer.
VBS is about more than a summer week of fun; it is about impacting the lives of children for a lifetime as well as eternity.
Your brother in Christ,
Paul
January 2010 Pastor's Ponderings
“This is a great church,” she said to me as we helped clear tables.
It had been a wonderful Sunday morning. It was the Sunday before Christmas and, thanks to so many people doing their part, we were doing some things differently. The worship service centered on a play that proclaimed the life-changing good news of Jesus and the Sunday school classes sponsored a brunch. The church was filled with people, worship, laughter, and the enticing aromas of food. When we departed, people went home fed by our hope in Christ, love for one another, and a wonderful meal.
Wondering what she was thinking I asked in reply, “What makes it great?”
“Everyone works together,” she responded.
As I looked around the room tables were being cleared, the kitchen was being cleaned, floors were being swept, folding chairs were being put away, and the good chairs were being set up. Young and old, male and female, people of different colors and races were all working together. People were searching for things to do rather than excuses to leave. Young strong backs were carrying the heavy loads and others tidied the decorations. The experienced were teaching the inexperienced and there was something for everybody to contribute. Like she noticed, everyone was working together.
Our shared chores did not begin once the meal was over. Everyone worked together in everything that happened that morning. The play had a huge cast. Others prepared props and managed sound and lights. Some brought food to share for the brunch. Musicians prepared and played music. We were a family.
It was one of those times when God refreshed in my heart an important truth – how we treat each other and work together cannot be separated from what we say and believe about God. The time the actors spent learning their lines, the food prepared, the fellowship around the tables, and even sweeping the floors were worship offered to God and a message of God’s love for all to see.
Just before we sat down to eat, Cindy Huggins asked me to say something about the relationship between the meal we were about to share and the agape (love) feasts the Sunday school classes were studying. Agape love is wholehearted self-giving love. That Sunday morning truly was filled with agape love – God’s great love as portrayed in the play and incarnate in Christ Jesus, the efforts of so many to share the good news, hugs given, love expressed, a meal shared, and working together to clean up.
My friend was right, this is a great congregation. Your love for God, each other, and those in need is clearly visible. Not just in what you say in worship but through the actions that reveal God’s love and your hearts.
Your brother in Christ,
Paul
December 2009 Pastor's Ponderings
Everyone longs for Christmas celebrations wrapped in warm memories of the past and filled with expectations for the future. Children expectantly, although perhaps not patiently, wait until they can open presents. Those with a few years under their belts think back to Christmases past and perhaps loved ones long gone. For many, Christmas is a time when they allow themselves a few fleeting minutes to experience peace and the love of family and friends. Others, in the midst of difficult circumstances, long for lost dreams and loves.
Mary had expectations for the birth of her child. As Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem, the long and jostling journey gave Mary ample prompting and opportunity to perceive the nearness of birth as well as to imagine how it might take place. Like any mother, Mary must have anticipated a nice private place for the child to be born. She probably hoped for the assistance of an experienced midwife. Surely she would have longed for a clean and secure place for her child to sleep and for her to recover from her labor.
None of those expectations would be met. There was no room in the inn. Who knows where they found those strips of cloth to make swaddling clothes? For lack of anything better, they laid this precious infant in a feed trough. Even if the animals were shooed to a distant corner, reminders of their recent presence would be under foot.
Nevertheless, despite what Jesus’ parents might have expected, the true meaning of Christmas burst forth. Jesus, Emmanuel, was born and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. When human expectations were frustrated, God met our greatest need. God’s greatest gift is found far outside of ordinary human expectations.
Sadly, each of us is tempted to pursue our Christmas expectations rather than God’s. Like a con artist, our culture tries to scam us out of the incredible truth of Christmas. Stores, in an insidious holiday creep, market a Christmas of consumerism earlier each year. Despite the current lean economy, shoppers crowd cash registers – further enslaving themselves to debt in pursuit of human expectations.
The gift of Christmas is not in our expectations, but the reality of God’s gift. It is a child born in a barn rather than a palace, working-class parents not royalty, a manger that is inseparable from the cross, for all eternity and not just a holiday, and given not purchased.
Your bother in Christ,
Paul
November 2009 Pastor's Ponderings
What are five things for which you are thankful? You’ve got 30 seconds. On your mark, get set, go!
Tic-toc, tic-toc, tic-toc …. Hurry up! The stopwatch isn’t waiting! ... … … … … Buzzzzzz. Time’s up!
How did you do? What? You couldn’t think of five things in 30 seconds? Unfortunately, if you still haven’t thought of them, you are probably in good company.
Truth be told, even in our darker days, there is much for which we can be thankful. I speak with a young woman several times a week. She is about 25 years old, and if she were able to stand – which she never has and never will, barring a miracle – she might be about 36 inches tall. She relies on constant medical care, is fed through a tube, has spent more time in the hospital than most people ever will, and except for brief occasions, spends most of her week in the same bed, in the same room. Her twin sister was a gymnast, but this young lady cannot even get herself out of bed. Despite all that she has been through and the future ahead of her, she is full of life and thankfulness. When I spend even a couple minutes with this young lady, her ability to find joy in her circumstances sheds a whole new light on my life.
Whether it is people living in what we would consider shacks on stilts along the Amazon River or in 12x12 foot huts with dirt floors, no electricity, and no plumbing in the mountains of Guatemala, or young men from the ghetto, Christians in much worse circumstances than I continue to teach me the meaning of gratitude.
I am convinced that gratitude is an underappreciated and often unidentified spiritual practice. Most of us have some experience with prayer and scripture reading. Some are familiar with Sabbath, meditation, and practices such as lectio divina. A few inconvenience themselves a little and go as far as fasting. Our slowness identifying the things for which we are thankful betrays our lack of gratitude. Thanksgiving rarely gets mentioned outside of November. Truth be told, spending just five minutes reflecting, seeking those things for which we can be thankful, can be like a light turning on in our lives. As we become aware of the many things for which we can be thankful, we become aware of what we have and what we lack begins to seem less important, we become aware of how God has provided and his presence, and we discover a new clarity in both our faith and life.
Thanksgiving is a way of life, not just a day.
Your bother in Christ,
Paul
July 2009 Pastor's Ponderings
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I recently conducted a funeral for a young man whose body was found high in the mountains after a winter storm. His name was David, and he was very much in love with the wonder of nature and life. He had a master’s degree in botany and had explored deep into the Florida swamps and wilderness. After leaving home ten years ago, he made his way westward and eventually to the mountains of Utah.
During this time David evidently traveled light. He was somewhat of a purposeful nomad who used his education and brilliant mind amid “civilization” to resupply for life in the wilderness he loved. Like many explorers of old, he was more at home alone in the wonders of God’s creation than in the crowded and stress-filled ruts of modern life.
In many ways, David sought the parts of life the rest of us have foolishly ignored. He was at home in the beauty and wonder of nature. He applied his gifted mind to seeking, understanding, and reveling in the miracle of life. He was not a slave to a job. Instead of investing his life in a job, he worked so that he could escape and live amid nature.
One of the unforgettable things that I remember from meeting with this young man’s father was the Bible that was found with his son. This was not a compact, lightweight, small, or New Testament and Psalms edition. This was the whole thing in all its leather-bound glory.
I personally have several Bibles – not only different translations but also different sizes. The Bible I primarily use for study and sermon preparation is bulky and heavy. The Bible I take when I visit hospitals and nursing homes fits in my back pocket. The Bible I take when I’m camping or backpacking fits in the palm of my hand.
Let me share with you what this says to a backpacker. Backpackers are mindful of everything they take with them. When you carry everything on your back, you don’t take anything you don’t need and only small and lightweight editions of what you do need. A couple ounces may not seem very important when walking into church from your car, but they take on a whole new meaning when hiking up 12,000 foot mountains. If a backpacker is carrying something, particularly a highly experienced hiker like David, it is important. His Bible was with David until the very end. Though he left so much of city life behind, he kept his Bible.
What do you carry with you through life? Not just possessions but also what values and goals do you carry on your back? Like a backpacker, what are the essentials whose weight you bear and whose purpose you require that you carry through life? What are you carrying that you should leave behind? When you breathe your last, what will be found with you and what would it say about your life and faith?
Your brother in Christ,
Paul
June 2009 Pastor's Ponderings
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
A friend of mine used to joke that he was studying to become a teacher for three good reasons: June, July, and August. While the truth is that he is an excellent teacher who truly cares for his students, the old joke about June, July, and August is funny because we all like the idea of having the time off. I also don’t know any teachers who actually take all that time “off.”
I’m sure my elementary school teachers were as ready for a break from me as I was for a break from school. Students and teachers alike counted down the last days of the school year. The math, language, history, and science work diminished and the frequency of nature movies increased. We celebrated with Last-Day-of-School class parties, and we all escaped into the warm summer afternoon.
My childhood summers were full; full of swim lessons, camping trips, visiting grand-parents, VBS, and even taking fun classes in summer school. (I’m sure my mother was as ready for us to return to school as we previously were ready to leave).
For adults summers are far different than those of our youth. That summer job that seemed like a neat idea transformed into a year-around commitment. Sprinkler parties turned into overtime. Lazy summer days when we complained that there was nothing to do are but a distant memory. When was the last time you had “nothing” to do?
The good news is that even as adults summer is the season when many of us take vacations – a break from our ordinary labors. Scripture is full of God’s telling us to take a break: God resting on the seventh day, the commandment to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy, Jesus’ frequent escapes to the wilderness, Jesus’ reminder that the Sabbath was created for us, …
We are reminded to take these breaks in order to get away; to take a break from our labor and rest, to break free from the tyranny of the urgent, and to break out of our ruts to spend time with God.
Invite God to go on vacation with you. Spend some quiet moments talking with God about your life and listen for his reply. Include a time of prayer and devotion as part of your daily vacation routine. Look for God’s presence in your day and consider your many blessings that are often obscured in the daily rush.
If you include God in your vacation I am sure that you will return with a renewed sense of God’s love and purpose for you that is far more important than an extra nap and a tan from the beach.
Your brother in Christ,
Paul
May 2009 Pastor's Ponderings
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I have to confess, with the exception of Sundays, I am not often out of the house in time to see the sunrise. You know how it is, full workdays, evening meetings, and putting your feet up for a few minutes when you come home doesn’t go together with getting up with the chickens.
Despite the fact that I usually miss the sunrise, I’ve always enjoyed mornings. I particularly love that time when the eastern night sky is just beginning to lighten from black to a deep dark blue just before the dawning of a new day. The rays of the sun barely touch the eastern sky while to the west the stars still shine. Despite the dark of night the hint of blue on the horizon is the assurance that the new day is on the way.
Even with the sun rising it was still a dark day when the women went to the tomb to finish preparing Jesus’ body for burial. However, the darkness that fell over their hearts in his death was about to give way to a new day and new life. The writer of Lamentations recounts how he was about to give in to despair when he remembered God’s faithfulness. Life had become dark and gloomy but he remembered, and therefore had hope; The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. As sure as the dawning sun, God’s steadfast love and mercy burst forth afresh every day.
We are in the midst of a time that is dark for many people; perhaps you are one of them. Many are without work. Finances are tight. You may not know if you have a job next week. A number of people are sick. The prayer list is full of people suffering through cancer. Relationships are strained. Hearts are broken and dreams are dashed. We mourn the loved ones we have lost. People ask, “Where is the light of hope?”
The Easter we celebrated a couple of weeks ago is a present reality not a past event. We are not waiting another year for the next Easter morning. Easter is a ray of light bringing the truth of God’s promises and the reality of his presence into every day of our lives. Jesus’ resurrection is the light on the horizon of our life that precedes the brilliance of our own resurrection. Even while other areas of our lives might seem dark, as the risen Christ rises in our life, the light of God’s grace and love overcomes the darkness.
I pray, that the light of Christ will dispel the darkness in your own heart and through you bring that life and hope to others.
He is risen! He is risen indeed!
April 2009 Pastor's Ponderings
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
There are many ways to greet our family and friends. Truman, from the Truman show, jubilantly greeted others with, “Good morning, and in case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!” In his extravagant graciousness he covered all the bases. Truman’s greetings revealed what he knew and experienced of life – that life and everyone else was good. Or so he thought before he discovered that his world was a lie and that he had been exploited for the entertainment of others.
Tradition tells us that early Christians often used a greeting that reveals what they knew and experienced in life saying, “Jesus is risen!” To which the other person replied, “He is risen indeed!” This was a daily greeting, not just an Easter greeting. Easter was a reality that permeated their lives, not a holiday to be celebrated.
Yes, some may say that Christians are a lot like Truman, misled and living in a make believe world. But, perhaps, it may be the other way around. I believe that Jesus Christ is the key to see ourselves, others, and the world the way it truly is.
To say “Jesus is risen” is to announce that he died. Jesus’ death reveals the truth that life is not filled with smiling neighbors and courteous drivers, that pain and suffering are real. Jesus’ costly death betrays the lies of sin and temptation. Jesus’ death reveals the truth that how we live has consequences in our lives, the lives of others, and in the price Jesus paid for the cost of our sin. Jesus’ death reveals that God has not abandoned His wayward creation but in His great love has reached out and recovered it.
To say “Jesus is risen” is to proclaim life in the face of death. His resurrection is evidence that we are freed from the lies that once deceived us. Jesus’ resurrection is the lens through which we can glimpse ourselves and the world as God created us to be. His resurrection unveils the calling of those who believe in Jesus’ name – we are freed from the cost of our sin and set free to live for him.
Easter is not a day on the calendar; it is the dawning of a new reality in which we are invited to live.
Jesus is risen!
March 2009 Pastor's Ponderings
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
What are some of the events that mark distinct changes in your life? Some of those points in my life include moving to South Carolina, going to seminary, marrying Nancy, moving to Florida, and becoming your pastor. What comes to your mind?
At each of these points my life was forever changed. Each of those I listed were good changes. Some, like moving to South Carolina, took a little getting used to but soon led to people and times that I now cherish. Others, like marrying Nancy, are true gifts and an ongoing blessing. Sadly, life isn’t always that kind. I’m sure that each of us has painful and life shattering events in our past as well. Each of these events may fit into a specific time and date on a long discarded calendar but their effects are every bit as real today as when they first occurred.
We are entering into a period of the church year preparing to remember and celebrate great events that forever changed all of creation: Good Friday, Easter, and Pentecost. I must admit that it would be easy to observe them by repeating everything we did last year and the year before, to be caught up in the ritual rather than the reality, and to celebrate mere holidays rather than being eternally transformed by their power and truth. What a shame!
In Jesus’ death God’s great love as well as the cost of our sin is revealed. In Jesus resurrection is proof that death and sin are vanquished. Pentecost reminds us of God’s commissioning and empowering presence in the Holy Spirit.
These truly are events of cosmic importance. Not only were those present as they occurred changed, but also all of creation for all of time. These are days when the hand of God radically reshaped the clay of his creation from broken shards into a vessel of purpose and hope.
Good Friday, Easter and Pentecost reveal God’s love and purpose, our brokenness as well as God’s healing, and our being equipped for new life serving him. The world will never be the same, why should we?
Your brother in Christ,
Paul
February 2009 Pastor's Ponderings
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
There are times when it seems like we can get away with sloppy living. We can tell white lies when we don’t get caught. We can harbor and even nurture sinful thoughts and desires if no one peeks behind our façade. We can blow through a wad of cash when there is money in the bank. We can give God lip service rather than lordship in our lives when we feel like we are in control.
Then the inevitable happens. We are caught in our lies, our sins move from our thoughts and into our actions, the bills are more than we can repay, and we are faced with situations beyond our control, sometimes all at once. Even before the recent economic downturn there were astounding statistics about the number of families that were living one paycheck from bankruptcy. It is not a matter of if it will happen – it is a matter of when it will happen.
Many people are in horrible situations due to the recent economic climate. I know far too many people that have lost jobs, have homes being foreclosed on, and are filing bankruptcy. We have increased needs in our congregation let alone the increasing flow of people through the church office seeking aid. We all know people who have lost loved ones or are facing physical or emotional difficulties. The news is filled with stories of people in high places making bad choices.
In all of these situations I wonder how many people are haunted by choices they made along the way. I’m sure that there is more gnashing of teeth over money spent rather than money saved, over lies told than truth admitted, sins succumbed to than sins resisted, living a more expensive rather than a modest lifestyle. When a loved one is well it is easier to say the same old things rather than what truly is on our heart. When we are healthy it is easy to take tomorrow for granted. How many of us are precariously balancing on the edge of this precipice ourselves? How many of us have built our life on sand?
Jesus’ call to repent is a call to back away from the edge and onto solid ground, to solid ground in the way we live as well as the ways that we love God and our neighbor. Yes, we are surrounded by great human need but people need more than a utility bill paid or a grocery gift card. They need the love, support and guidance of God and God’s people. They need to see the good news of Jesus Christ lived, not just talked about.
Our opportunity is to experience this good news in our own lives and then to share it with others. May we bear witness to this undeserved love and fresh start in our own generosity and graciousness to those in need.
Your brother in Christ,
Paul
February 2010 Pastor's Ponderings
Thank you for giving to the Lord!
Giving anything to anyone is a big step. To give is to understand that it is not all about “me.” Giving may grow out of concern for the needs of others outweighing our own, love, the joy of giving, gratitude, being content with what we have, and God working in our hearts.
As Christians we give from more than our wallets. We give our hearts to God to be shaped like his. We give time, concern, friendship, a listening ear, helpful hands, strong backs, as well as soft hearts to those in need. We speak up and stand up for those who are silenced.
To give our time, efforts, or possessions to God or for the sake of others often seems to subtract from what we have for ourselves. If we spend a couple hours helping our neighbor or buy a homeless person a meal, it is easy to think that the time is gone and the money has been spent. But that is not true. Instead it has been transformed. Sometimes we can quickly identify what it has been transformed into and other times, usually in the short term, we cannot. The time helping a neighbor could be transformed into a new friendship or perhaps result in being invited over for dinner. Sometimes the money we put in an offering plate or give to someone in need may not seem to have such direct rewards. If that is true, maybe we are too shallow in our thinking.
Giving is not an exchange such as paying the cashier at the grocery store for the items in our cart. It is not quid pro quo or scratching each others back. Ray Boltz, in the awesome song “Thank You” reflects upon the truth that the results of things that might seem small at the time may be revealed as priceless in the perspective of eternity (watch a video of this song at the bottom of the post). We are also prone to overlook how we, ourselves, are transformed as we give. Giving to the Lord is never without effect. The effect may just be beyond our perception or too close to notice.
I celebrate that OPC is a giving congregation. You give of yourselves in honest worship. You share your hearts and lives with each other. Your compassion for those in need outweighs your self-interest. You give your heart, soul, mind and strength. You give from your calendar, wallet, and talents. Last Sunday, thanks to the work of so many people, 192 meals were served at the Coalition for the Homeless. You are giving to relief efforts in Haiti as well as to those in need in Oviedo, and through denominational channels your giving makes a difference throughout the world.
I celebrate that thanks to your faithfulness we met our budgeted income for 2009, but I truly celebrate your heart for the Lord, lives submitted to Him, and the fruit that that bears as you give your lives to God and His service.
Your brother in Christ,
Paul
Test
January 2009 Pastor's Ponderings
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Someone once likened the passing of years when you are a child to passing telephone poles as you walk alongside a highway, riding past them on a bicycle as a teenager, driving past them in a car as an adult, and finally passing by in the blur of speeding past the posts of a picket fence.
Despite the increasing rate at which the years speed past I’m sure that all of us keep pushing many of the same things that we know we should do from one year to the next. At first it may not be an issue but as they pile up and the years speed up it becomes impossible to keep up.
It is not that they aren’t important enough to get done; it is that we make too many other things more important. We know that eating right is important but somehow the smell of French fries changes the equation. Exercise is good but somehow the sofa, TV, and a remote control talk us out of going for a walk. We know that we shouldn’t carry credit card debt but our outstanding balances keep growing. We know the importance of prayer and scripture but rush off to start our day bowing before our busy schedules instead of God.
For most people a serving of French fries can be a nice treat, an evening as a couch potato can relieve stress, and a small purchase on a credit card won’t bankrupt them. The problem is that a steady diet of junk food, wearing a rump-shaped depression into our favorite chair, and buying stuff on credit faster than we can pay it off will bury us – both literally and figuratively.
Especially during these tough economic times it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that things need to change. We may not be able to affect global economic factors but there are many things we can control. How we handle the small things makes a big difference when it comes time to pay the bills, go to the doctor, and seek direction and help from God.
To make these kinds of changes we need to see ourselves and our world through a different lens, through God’s eyes rather than our own. This means that we need to do things God’s way rather than our own. That is why scripture, prayer, worship, and serving God need to be foundational in our lives rather than options. As we grow in our faith and faithfulness God brings clarity to the many other things in life that would enslave us. We begin to say “yes” with confidence and “no” without guilt. Many of the things we once desired are revealed as empty. Many of the things that once seemed unimportant shine brightly with great worth. Our lives, calendars, and priorities receive an overhaul and rather than being shackled by the things that once demanded our attention we find ourselves set free.
Stop putting it off. Today is the first day of the rest of eternity. Start today. Don’t wait until next year!
Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. (Isaiah 55:6)
Your brother in Christ,
Paul
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February 2008 Pastor's Ponderings
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We live in a time of rapid change. The computers and TV’s we purchased even a few years ago are considered old and obsolete. Many of us have some of our favorite music on LP records for which we have no means to play. We used to be able to buy a good camera to use for decades but few of today’s digital cameras will be used in ten years. What once met our needs and brought excitement and joy now gathers dust, no longer useful in a new world with new opportunities.
Unlike technology, the message of the gospel does not change. From the foundations of the earth to the new heaven and new earth, our redemption and new life in Jesus Christ remains timeless.
What does change is how we live, proclaim, and share that good news. Missionaries that once spent months traveling to the mission field can now get there in days. While pages of scripture were once transcribed by hand they are now available in incalculable quantities on the internet. Many of the children that once died of disease are now routinely saved by vaccinations.
The message of Jesus Christ hasn’t changed – the world and how we bear witness to Him has.
In the book Who Moved my Cheese, the mouse named Haw noticed that the cheese did not just disappear over night. Instead, there was less of it over time and what remained grew old, tasteless, and even moldy. Despite these clues he had been surprised each time he discovered the cheese was gone. Eventually he learned to smell the cheese so he could know when it was getting old.
As the body of Christ, we must pay attention to how we live and serve the Lord if we want to be effective at making disciples and to grow in our own faith and fruitfulness. Otherwise we might become stale, tasteless, and irrelevant rather than being the salt of the earth and a light to the world.
One way we are doing that is a process called “Completing the Circle” and we need your participation. Over the course of the year feedback groups will regularly gather to share their experiences with different areas of OPC’s life (you might call it “sniffing the cheese” to see if it has gone stale). Their job isn’t to evaluate, praise, blame, or brainstorm – just to share their experiences. These sessions will last no longer than 90 minutes and we need a broad cross section of the church to participate. Please contact Sharon Alicia or the church office if you are interested in taking part.
What is more important, doing what we’ve always done the same way we’ve always done it or following where Christ leads?
Your brother in Christ,
Paul
March 2008 Pastor's Ponderings
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
By the time you receive this it will be just a couple short weeks until Easter. “Wow,” you might say. “Wasn’t it just Christmas?” Easter is relatively early this year. I know this has kept the Worship Team of the hopping. We’ve recently celebrated Ash Wednesday and now Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter are just around the corner.
That might be one way of looking at it.
The other is to remember that Easter isn’t something that happens once a year. Easter forever transformed creation and brings hope, assurance, and life. Easter isn’t a day – Jesus’ resurrection totally alters every day. Once we glimpse this we begin to see that going to church on Easter is a lifelong reality rather than an annual day of dressing up, Easter egg hunts, and family gatherings. Jesus’ resurrection marks his victory over sin and death on behalf of the world that he so loved. Easter isn’t about a day – for Christians Easter is the foundation for every day for all eternity.
From a human perspective keeping Easter to an annual celebration is much safer. We can decorate churches with pretty flowers, dress up nice, sing happy songs, and go home and have a nice meal. Monday we get up and go on with our lives thinking that Easter is past.
From an eternal perspective, Jesus’ resurrection from the dead touches every moment of every day. If Jesus died for our sins and was raised, then we are set free from wages of sin to live the life for which we were created. We can no longer separate Easter Sunday from the Monday that follows and the Tuesday that follows that.
For Christians Easter isn’t a day – it is a reality. When early Christians ran into a fellow believer rather than an ordinary “hello” one would say, “Jesus is risen!” to which the other would reply, “He is risen indeed!” Not just one Sunday or for one month but year around.
May our lives reveal this good news to the world.
Your brother in Christ,
Paul
April 2008 Pastor's Ponderings
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I must confess to suffering a severe case of writer’s block. I had my entire week planned and I scheduled completing this article Wednesday morning and the bulletin Thursday morning. Instead I stared at a blank screen on the word processor, prayed that God would reveal what He wanted me to write, doodled in a notebook, reread scripture associated with Easter and the upcoming weeks’ sermons, thought about current events and life in the church, and lessons I’ve recently learned in my faith. Nothing worked.
Last night I shared my frustration and disappointment with Nancy; that I felt empty and that I couldn’t find anything to say. She thought about it for a moment and suggested that I write about being empty. I immediately felt caught between two different possibilities. One direction would be to write a Seinfeld-style article – an article about nothing – entertaining but without substance. The other direction would be the challenge of even touching the surface of the enormous reality of emptiness.
Emptiness is a reality: emptiness in life after losing a loved one, the emptiness of the future having lost hope, the emptiness of the present in the pit of depression, and finding ourselves empty of possibilities as we’ve exhausted our strength and resources. Perhaps it is even an element of what Jesus experienced as he cried out from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
I can’t speak for you but I fall into emptiness when I insist upon doing things according to my timing and by myself. I don’t have nearly as much of a struggle with the “what” of God’s will as I do with the “when” of God’s timing. There certainly are no crises of faith attempting tasks well within human capabilities. The challenge is when God’s timing is different than mine and to face circumstances far beyond human ability and control. Ultimately the challenge, or should I say opportunity, is to trust in God rather than myself, to wait upon the Lord rather giving God deadlines.
Yes, God’s path may lead you through the valley of the shadow of death; after all it led Jesus to the cross. It may even lead to an early grave and for many to give up hope – but we must remember Easter. God’s path will lead you beyond your own strength, wisdom and abilities; but that is a good thing. For it is only as we go beyond our own capabilities that we discover God’s faithful ability. It is in being emptied that we discover that we are being filled.
Your brother in Christ,
Paul
May 2008 Pastor's Ponderings
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Like many families and organizations in the current economic environment our church is facing the challenge of making ends meet. We’ve always been frugal in our spending but we are now at a point where we will need to address the situation from both ends – cutting spending further and finding ways to increase income.
Since we are already operating on a “bare bones” budget, the necessary cuts will not be easy.
But, even in the midst of this difficult time, there is great news – our congregation. We are a family, we love each other, we work together, we trust God, and we do what it takes to get the job done.
Oviedo Presbyterian is something of which you become a part rather than something you attend!
During the challenges of this year I found myself deeply convinced that this is the type of congregation I want to serve: you reach out to those in need, you risk loving sinners, you are humble in your own need for a savior, and you are authentic in your love for each other and the Lord.
As we confront this financial challenge I continue to exhort and challenge you to prayer.
Please pray:
To thank God for what he’s already done for you and for this congregation
To ask that he will continue to provide for our needs and guide the leadership of the church
That God will make clear what he is calling for you to do in this situation
I truly believe that God hears, responds to, and uses prayer. We must remember that while we may talk about “our” church it truly is “God’s” church. If it is God’s church then we must talk to him about it and even more importantly listen.
The amount of money we are talking about can be either a huge amount or a modest sum – depending on how you look at it. On average we need to raise an additional $300 per week to close the gap. While that may be a lot of money for one person or one family it isn’t all that much when it is shared across our congregation. Yes, the one, five, twenty, and even fifty dollar a week increases will make a difference in meeting the budget. Perhaps the most difficult, the most important, and the most rewarding thing we can give is to give our whole lives to God – not just to meet the budget but to know his love and faithfulness.
Your brother in Christ,
Paul
June 2008 Pastor's Ponderings
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
It doesn’t take much to recall the excitement of getting out of school for the summer. Homework, tests, and getting up early in the morning would end at the last bell of the school year. Rather than getting dressed and going to school each morning the summer days held adventure and the opportunity to pursue hobbies.
Somewhere along the way things changed. Vacations became weeks rather than months. Just getting out of town turns into a lot of work (to say nothing about catching up from having been gone!). Perhaps you have school-age children and know all to well the details and challenges of taking them on vacation.
When will you get a break? When will you get away? This isn’t just an idle question or encouragement to browse the travel section of the newspaper, it is a critical and spiritual question.
Rest and stepping aside from the daily rush and stress is about more than mental health. It is a deep spiritual issue. On the 7th day God rested. As the 4th commandment God gave us, “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.” Jesus regularly found quiet times and places to be alone in prayer.
How do we do this in the frantic pace of modern life? It starts by making it a priority and making time. If it isn’t already part of your life I’m sure that you could give me 20 excuses about why you don’t – beginning with, “You don’t have the time.”
Use this summer to give yourself a mini-vacation every day. Sure, laying on a sandy beach is wonderfully soothing but so is relaxing in the presence of the Lord, letting scripture softly echo in your heart, and turning your problems over to God rather than carrying them around yourself.
Yes, sometime people use vacations and summer to take a break from God and church. That is like settling for junk food when God invites you to a banquet. It may seem tasty at the moment but not only will your health suffer but you’re missing out on something far better.
This summer, rather than taking a vacation from God, go on a vacation with God. The great news is that in Jesus Christ this is something we can do every day rather than just for a couple days, weeks or even months.
Your brother in Christ,
Paul
August 2008 Pastor's Ponderings
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.
Hebrews 13:2
We live in what might be considered hospitality central; sandwiched between the tourist destinations of the beaches, cruise ships, and theme parks. While I’m not going to claim that the hospitality industry always get hospitality right, it is a part of their vocabulary. In fact, just down the street, UCF offers a Bachelor of Science degree in hospitality management.
Where we live hospitality has become something to study, employment, and a nickname for separating tourists from their money. Several years ago, as I was speaking about Christian hospitality, particularly on Sunday mornings, one person caught part of the idea and said, “We need to find some people to do that job!” They then went on to repeat what is often regarded as sage advice, “If it is everybody’s job then it is nobody’s job.”
Unfortunately, that is missing the point. To say that hospitality is one Christian’s job and not another’s is like saying that we should appoint somebody to love their neighbor so the rest of us don’t need to worry about those details.
Think for a moment about receiving a welcome guest to your home. What do you do? I think most of us would warmly greet them at the door, introduce them to people they may not know, offer them the best chair and perhaps a snack, and focus our attention on them. If that is how we treat those we love, how are we to treat strangers?
At its heart, hospitality is about putting others ahead of ourselves. Isn’t that what Jesus did when he “emptied himself taking the form of a servant?” Isn’t that what Jesus did on the cross? If grace is receiving what we don’t deserve shouldn’t we give gracefully to others? Isn’t that what the Apostle Paul means when he writes, “extend hospitality to strangers?”
Hospitality is not a job we are to perform but a way we are to live – a way that reveals God’s grace to others.
Your brother in Christ,
Paul
July 2008 Pastor's Ponderings
The first day back to school after Christmas as a child was filled with the question, “What did you get?” Friends responded with accounts of receiving games, skateboards, footballs, Hot Wheels, and for the lucky few, a BB gun (Yeah, I know, you’ll shoot your eye out.) At some point, as I grew older, the question shifted to, “What did you do for Christmas?”
For Christians the good news is that gifts are not limited to Christmas – we should never stop asking others or ourselves what we received. Additionally, what we do is always marvelously linked to what we’ve received.
Last month over 50 people from our church took part in an exploration of the question, “What did we get from God?” We considered the activities that we enjoyed and which produced results as we sought to discern gifts that God has given us. After compiling the results we shared and discussed them with our friends. Just as God has distributed these gifts so that we need one another, the insight of those who know us are invaluable in discerning these gifts.
For Christians this is not a one-time event. We don’t need a potluck or a workbook to do it. We must keep asking each other, “What did you get?” God gives each Christian special gifts and abilities to accomplish far more than we can on our own. When these gifts are combined, each Christian plays a vital role in the mission to which God calls his people. Each of us are called and equipped to fulfill a part of what God is doing in the world. Some roles may be very dramatic and unmistakable and others may be subtle and even humble. But each is needed and dependent one upon the other. The gift received by one is also a gift to be shared with each other and the world.
The truly great news is that out of this interdependence, as we discover the gifts God has given our sisters and brothers in Christ, we discover gifts God has shared with us, indeed, that he has given to the world.
Your brother in Christ,
Paul
January 2008 Pastor's Ponderings
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I don’t know about you but I’m finding it difficult to believe that 2008 is upon us. Where did 2007 go? What happened to all those resolutions and good intentions? Why haven’t I lost that weight? What happened to my resolve to get more exercise, eat better, and to rest?
Someone once noted, “Life happens!” That is what got in the way of many of the things I know that I should do. Life happened. There were disappointments and pains as well as joys and laughter. Unexpected events and long-anticipated dates have come and gone. Nothing I can do will stop them. It would be so much easier if I only had to deal with one thing at a time. Yet life often happens faster than we can keep up. The question is, “How can we deal with all life brings?”
In the midst of our busy lives Jesus brings good news. Good news that is often different than the answer we’re searching for: ways to give rather than investment advice, a call to humility rather than a method for worldly success, the promise that death is no longer to be feared instead of scientific wonder drugs, and that we should hunger for heavenly treasures instead of worldly goods.
In Jesus Christ life is unmasked and transformed even as turning on the light reveals the path through a dark room. Without God’s light our knees take a beating upon unexpected obstacles. In the dark harmless inanimate objects take on a fearsome life of their own. Without the light unseen danger lurks at every step. But, once light begins to shine the darkness is vanquished and what once invoked fear and danger becomes a place of life, love and even laughter.
Life happens for Christians – the difference is so does light.
If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one
another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7
May the light of Christ brighten your path in this new year.
Your brother in Christ,
Paul
September 2008 Pastor's Pondering
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I sit at the word processor in the hours after my grandmother's burial and just over a day away from the celebration of my parent's 50th wedding anniversary. Knowing that the long drive between Los Angeles and Turlock would be my only real opportunity to write this article I had already chosen a topic.
Unfortunately, while chatting with Nancy as I powered up the laptop computer, she said, “You really ought to write about what's been happening. About your grandmother's burial and your parent's anniversary.” I say unfortunately because I knew she was right. I also knew that it would be easier to write about things I know are true than trying to be true to the things I know.
It is easier to talk about faith, theology, and God's will for our lives than it is to live those truths. It is easier to point out how others ought to live than it is to fulfill what God reveals about how we, ourselves, are to live.
In just over a 48-hour span our family will move from gathering at a grave to celebrating at a party. That is the reality of our lives. It is the reality of life. This side of heaven our lives touch both joy and sorrow, happiness and pain, sickness and health. Sometimes one and then the other – sometimes both at once. It is in the midst of this disorienting jumble of laughter and tears that we can find a much needed compass in Christ.
The opportunity is to distinguish Jesus' path from our own. When we're happy we want to stay that way. When we suffer we long for relief. When things are scarce we seek plenty. When things aren't going the way we want we ask, “Why?”
Jesus' path was far different. The path to his exaltation was humility. When facing suffering he prayed, “Not my will but thy will be done.” The glory of Easter was preceded by the pain of the cross. In what humans declared as defeat God revealed victory. The compass of Christ points farther than today and bigger than me.
God's purposes and power are found in celebration as well as sorrow. Let us not shun one and cling to the other but seek Christ in both.
Your brother in Christ,
Paul
October 2008 Pastor's Pondering
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As banks, savings & loans, and market averages fumble and fall, their inadequacies are unveiled. The news is filled with reports of the failures of institutions we once considered secure. Cable news networks record the Sunday evening scampering of Lehman Brothers employees as they grab their personal belongings before Monday morning’s closure of their office. Institutions in which we so recently trusted are exposed as having been eaten from within, as if by termites, leaving the outside looking the same but having no inward strength.
What’s changed?
Nothing. Nothing has changed. These financial institutions are on the same course they have been on for years. Sure, at one time it looked attractive. At one time it appeared profitable, but now the inevitable is upon us. Loaning people more money than they could repay and 100% mortgages to people with poor credit histories worked when sunshine and soft morning dew fell upon a booming economy. But, when the storm clouds of life gathered and economic growth slowed, everything fell apart – just like Jesus’ parable about the man who built his house on sand.
The storms and trials of life are real. They are also inevitable.
The effects of our many decisions in life will be revealed. These giant financial institutions aren’t in trouble because of a handful of bad loans. They are in trouble because they laid their foundation upon that which withered in an economic slow-down let alone an all out storm.
Many families are suffering. Homes are in foreclosure. Dreams are dashed. Hearts break.
So it is with us. When we live at the very ends of our financial means, spending all that we have, we too will collapse if even a cloud passes before the sun. When we place our hope and trust in things that will not last they will let us down. There are many things in life that seem like a good idea at the time but, in the end, all will be revealed. Where we are headed in life and eternity is affected by the many small choices that determine our course in life.
It is no wonder that faithfully following Jesus Christ seems so strange – turning the other cheek, giving to everyone that asks, placing our faith in him, confessing our failures, loving our enemy, and praying for those who persecute us. It is a different course than the world around us. It is a different foundation upon which to live.
You need to ask yourself, “What course will you follow? Where will you place your hope? What foundation will withstand the storm?” Let us remember that Jesus is the one that can calm the storm.
Your brother in Christ,
Paul
November 2008 Pastor's Pondering
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
It is readily apparent that we are about to enter the holiday season. Thanksgiving is just around the corner and the stores are already displaying Christmas decorations. Soon the PA systems in the malls will be playing holiday music and, despite the current economic situation, the cash registers will be plenty busy.
Thanksgiving as a holiday does not appear in the Bible. Thanksgiving, however, fills the Bible! God’s people worshipped, offered sacrifices, prayed, sang, danced and celebrated God’s presence and provision. The theologians of the reformation remind us that we ought to live our lives in grateful response for all that God has done.
Unfortunately, gratitude and thanksgiving are often alienated from us by two opposite conditions: desperation and prosperity. In the midst of desperate times panic blinds us to the blessings that surround us even in lean times. In times of plenty and comfort complacency distracts us from the truth of the blessings we have received.
When the pilgrims first celebrated Thanksgiving they were overwhelmed by the awareness that the harvest that would meet their needs through winter was from the hands of God. They gathered to give thanks and they invited others to join with them. They knew that they were in God’s hands.
I pray that throughout this season we will experience God’s blessings in new and powerful ways: that we would see God’s hand in meeting our needs and God’s great gift of love towards us in Jesus Christ.
Your brother in Christ,
Paul
December 2008 Pastor's Ponderings
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The Thanksgiving dishes, pots, and pans are washed and returned to their places. Holiday music is playing throughout the malls accompanied by the sounds of credit cards charging and cash registers ringing. Holiday parties are about to begin.
As you well know, not everyone is taking part in this season of purchasing and parties. This year is likely to be different than last year. Throughout our community, and especially throughout the world, economic realities dampen these dreams. For many this holiday will not be filled with as many bright lights, bows, and boxes of gifts as the years before. It might feel like Christmas is diminished even as our expenditures diminish.
Parties and presents are wonderful but Christmas is still Christmas without them. Presents are nice but the love behind them is the real gift. Decorations, trees, and lights are festive but, while it might be hard to imagine, Christmas does not depend on them. Each of these things may point us towards God’s love-filled gift of the Christ of Christmas but they must never be mistaken for the reason for the season.
This might be a good year to turn down the distractions and pay more attention to the true reason for the season. Yes, gifts are a demonstration of the love we share with each other. They are also a reflection of God’s love for us and his gift to us of Jesus. The twinkling lights are reminders of the star that led the way to the newborn king. Fewer and smaller gifts don’t diminish our love for each other nor God’s love for the world. Cutting back on the decorating and electric budget doesn’t deny the birth of Emmanuel, God with us.
Perhaps, just maybe, as we strip back the tinsel, we might rediscover the real treasure of Christmas.
But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.
John 1:12-14
Your brother in Christ,
Paul
2007 Pastor's Ponderings Archive
Archive of 2007 Pastor's Ponderings Articles
December 2007 Pastor's Ponderings
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
What are some of your favorite things about Christmas? No, don’t just keep reading. Think about it for a moment.
There is something special about our Christmas celebrations that touches and changes the pattern of our lives. Family and friends gather together. We find time to shift to a different pace and focus despite the pressures to shop, decorate, and cook. People are more generous towards those in need. We consider what would make others happy as we shop. We celebrate the Christmas spirit as we decorate our homes, sing Christmas carols, go to parties, and exchange cards and gifts.
Brightly wrapped presents are reminders of those we love and who love us. But, if you don’t unwrap a gift, they are nothing more than decoration. If you don’t receive the love of the gift-giver, they are just one more piece of tinsel.
The greatest gift of Christmas is Jesus. Like unwrapping a Christmas gift, until we receive God’s gift and love into our hearts and lives, we relegate the Christ of Christmas to a ceramic figurine in a manger scene and to a similar role in Christmas carols as Rudolf or Frosty.
The Christ of Christmas is the reason for the season.
Let us not confuse the season for the savior!
for he will save his people from their sins
Glory to God in the highest heaven,
Paul
November 2007 Pastor's Ponderings
Philippians 4:6
When was the last time you prayed for a thankful heart?
Yes, I’m sure that most of us could name people for which we’ve prayed. Undoubtedly, most of us have prayed about situations and needs in our own lives. But, when was the last time you prayed for a thankful heart?
I must confess that until recent years I haven’t given it much thought. There were always so many needs – both my own as well as others. There were so many people and situations for which I was concerned. While I rightly made my requests known to God by prayer and supplication, thanksgiving was often an afterthought. Thanksgiving, like much of prayer, tended to be focused on the extraordinary rather than the ordinary.
Perhaps that is the problem – praying about the big problems of life, overlooking thankfulness, and neglecting to include God in the "small" parts of our lives.
God is concerned about and at work in our entire life, the details as well as those things that are beyond our control. The reality is that there is nowhere we can go to flee from God’s presence, he is always there. Our great opportunity is to recognize God’s faithful, loving, and astounding presence in the details and quite moments of our lives as well as the momentous events. Then, once we recognize and yield to God’s guiding hand and constant presence, we begin to notice God’s sustaining strength and providing for our needs.
To not be thankful is a symptom of losing track of God’s love and presence in our lives. Yes, life can bring overwhelming tragedy, pain, and sorrow but even in the moments when we feel abandoned and defeated God has not forgotten us. Thankfulness is not a denial of what we have suffered or lost but the result of divine hope in the midst of human hopelessness.
This thanksgiving, as you gather around the table, take a minute or two for people to share the things for which they are thankful. It may take a moment for people to think about the question but that opportunity has the potential to change their lives and eternal future.
Your brother in Christ,
Paul