I lifted this from a friends blog. Thanks Sonja. It's a game that makes you think...about precious moments...happy moments...sad moments. Take a moment to reflect and fill in the blanks. It's simple. Replace my answers with your own.
I THINK -- too long, and then I'm indecisive.
I KNOW--I am a sinner saved by grace.
I HAVE-- wonderful friends and family.
I WISH-- my kids lived closer to me.
I HATE-- running out of milk, coffee, and Dr. Pepper.
I MISS-- see "I WISH" above.
I FEAR-- God and God alone.
I FEEL-- overwhelmed sometimes.
I HEAR-- a song playing in the other room. (Holy, Holy is the Lord of all the earth)
I SMELL-- soup.
I CRAVE-- chocolate.
I SEARCH-- among the clutter on my desk.
I WONDER-- why people don't fall in love with Jesus.
I REGRET-- the times that I felt the Holy Spirit's urging and didn't respond.
I LOVE-- deeply.
I ACHE-- for the church that does nothing.
I AM NOT-- a multi-tasker.
I BELIEVE-- , help me with my unbelief.
I DANCE-- more slowly these days.
I SING-- whatever I hear.
I CRY-- at the drop of a hat.
I DON'T ALWAYS-- get out of the house as much as I should.
I FIGHT-- sleep. I'm a night owl.
I WRITE-- with my heart.
I WIN-- some, lose some.
I NEVER-- have jumped out of an airplane.
I ALWAYS-- brush my teeth as soon as I get up in the morning.
I LISTEN-- to the music that is all around us. Shhh...can you hear it?
I CAN USUALLY BE FOUND-- at the computer.
I AM SCARED-- of wrong teaching...of teaching wrong.
I NEED-- to be held in the arms of Jesus...and Wanda.
I AM HAPPY ABOUT-- God's call on my life.
I IMAGINE-- when all I will do... is forever worship You!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
A Wedding Moment
I officiated a wedding Saturday night. The bride, groom, and congregation were not my usual "church" crowd. Given my personal experience with marriage, divorce, and the subsequent pain; as a pastor, I take very seriously the marriage covenant and my participation in it. I swore to myself when I became a pastor I would never marry someone if I doubted their commitment to each other, and even more importantly, their commitment to God.
In my pre-marriage visits with the couple I pointed them to Jesus...but I found myself doubting whether or not I should be performing this ceremony. We had a Christian service, and throughout I pointed all who would listen to Jesus. Afterwards, considering some of the things I heard and witnessed at the reception, I still had some concerns. (Things like a life size,blow up sex doll strapped to the front of the couples exit vehicle and the suspicion of alcohol somewhere in our midst.) I left there asking myself - or God- "What have I done?" I was seriously re-thinking future weddings.
And then they stiffed me! No one offered to pay me! Now, I have to say that several weeks prior to the wedding the mother of the groom had asked, "How much?" My reply: "There is no charge for my services. If you choose to bless me with a gift it will be greatly appreciated but, I have no fee." I tell them all that and I do feel that the wedding and all of the effort leading up to the wedding is a pastoral duty. But they always pay anyway!
I left there with questions, feeling bad about the way I felt, and asking God's forgiveness for the way I was feeling.
The text for Sunday worship was Romans 8:26-39. The focus of the message was verse 28, which says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." I talked about difficult times, painful times, and how it is hard to see God in the midst of those times. But God is at work in all times and one of the ways he is working is through his church, those called according to his purpose.
After worship a lady in my congregation came and put something in my shirt pocket and said, "I have to do this; it's not much, but I have to do it." Without looking, I knew that it was $100 and I knew that God was speaking to me. We don't know how God works, but God works. God called me to this. God called me to pastor the people and tell them about Jesus, even those - especially those - who never hear about him.
I felt God telling me, "If you refuse to marry them, who will end up doing it? If you turn them away and don't tell them about Jesus, who will tell them? You won't always like what you see but you are called according to my purpose"...and then God paid me.
One of those moments... that I recognized God.
In my pre-marriage visits with the couple I pointed them to Jesus...but I found myself doubting whether or not I should be performing this ceremony. We had a Christian service, and throughout I pointed all who would listen to Jesus. Afterwards, considering some of the things I heard and witnessed at the reception, I still had some concerns. (Things like a life size,blow up sex doll strapped to the front of the couples exit vehicle and the suspicion of alcohol somewhere in our midst.) I left there asking myself - or God- "What have I done?" I was seriously re-thinking future weddings.
And then they stiffed me! No one offered to pay me! Now, I have to say that several weeks prior to the wedding the mother of the groom had asked, "How much?" My reply: "There is no charge for my services. If you choose to bless me with a gift it will be greatly appreciated but, I have no fee." I tell them all that and I do feel that the wedding and all of the effort leading up to the wedding is a pastoral duty. But they always pay anyway!
I left there with questions, feeling bad about the way I felt, and asking God's forgiveness for the way I was feeling.
The text for Sunday worship was Romans 8:26-39. The focus of the message was verse 28, which says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." I talked about difficult times, painful times, and how it is hard to see God in the midst of those times. But God is at work in all times and one of the ways he is working is through his church, those called according to his purpose.
After worship a lady in my congregation came and put something in my shirt pocket and said, "I have to do this; it's not much, but I have to do it." Without looking, I knew that it was $100 and I knew that God was speaking to me. We don't know how God works, but God works. God called me to this. God called me to pastor the people and tell them about Jesus, even those - especially those - who never hear about him.
I felt God telling me, "If you refuse to marry them, who will end up doing it? If you turn them away and don't tell them about Jesus, who will tell them? You won't always like what you see but you are called according to my purpose"...and then God paid me.
One of those moments... that I recognized God.
moments
Monday, July 14, 2008
As we talked in class about pastoral care and all of the dos and don’ts and rights and wrongs I couldn’t help but think of the previous paragraph. Recognizing the moment; I have been thinking a lot about it since I wrote it. I have been trying to figure out why I would wake up with those words in my head. I have been looking at experiences with those words in my head. What does God have for me in this situation? What does God want me to learn from this? What is it about this moment that I need to pay special attention to? Giving each moment the attention that it deserves would be very important in pastoral care and spiritual guidance. Those moments in people’s lives when they turn to their pastor for wisdom, prayer, advice, etc. are critical moments and we have to be very aware of that. But, aside from the pastoral care aspect, I should look at every moment as a moment that I can experience God…or love…or friendship…or pain…or separation and give that moment the attention it deserves.
As we talked in class about pastoral care and all of the dos and don’ts and rights and wrongs I couldn’t help but think of the previous paragraph. Recognizing the moment; I have been thinking a lot about it since I wrote it. I have been trying to figure out why I would wake up with those words in my head. I have been looking at experiences with those words in my head. What does God have for me in this situation? What does God want me to learn from this? What is it about this moment that I need to pay special attention to? Giving each moment the attention that it deserves would be very important in pastoral care and spiritual guidance. Those moments in people’s lives when they turn to their pastor for wisdom, prayer, advice, etc. are critical moments and we have to be very aware of that. But, aside from the pastoral care aspect, I should look at every moment as a moment that I can experience God…or love…or friendship…or pain…or separation and give that moment the attention it deserves.
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