Corktown Capers

Near His Throne

2012-01-25T09:29:00.001-05:00

From Mark Wilson's post in Facebook:

"Well I know your trouble, O my servant true. You are very weary --

I was weary too. But that toil shall make you some day all my own,

and the end of sorrow shall be near my throne."

-- St. Andrew of Crete (trans. John Neale)

True Hope...Active Effort

2012-01-12T08:40:00.001-05:00

Life has been more than interesting of late, with a barrage of issues both personal and in ministry that cause me to give pause and reflect. This quote has been part of what is feeding my soul these days:

"True hope dwells on the possible, even when life seems to be a plot written by someone who wants to see how much adversity we can overcome. True hope responds to the real world, to real life; it is an active effort." (Walter Anderson)

Greatness

2011-12-30T22:07:00.005-05:00

“Greatness is not measured by what a man or woman accomplishes, but by the opposetion he or she has overcome to reach his goals.” (Dorothy Height, American Civil Rights Activist (1912-2010)

Vantage Pointe Today

2011-12-18T18:08:00.003-05:00

I love being a part of Vantage Pointe, a Wesleyan Church, serving the people in the Glens Falls region in New York State. Today's event was fantastic!

There is No Try

2011-12-05T11:07:00.001-05:00

“No. Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.“ (Yoda to Luke Skywalker)

How's Mom?

2011-12-04T17:30:00.001-05:00

It's been a week since Nan entered hospital again after being overcome by dementia. We cared for her as long as we could but her disease's progress had taken her beyond our ability to meet her daily needs. But we do love her!

Today's visit found her alert but not oriented. She asked, "How's Mom?" doing and where her mother was today. I replied, "She's in her best home (heaven!) and doing very well." That sufficed, it seems.

Nan's lived a long, full life. Her days are without care or concern because the meds work so well. Pray for us as we help her find her new home. And pray God's will be done in her life, too.

Irrelevance

2011-11-21T13:47:00.001-05:00

"If you don’t like change, you’re going to like irrelevance even less."

General Eric Shinseki

Chief of Staff, U. S. Army

This Says It for Me

2011-10-14T21:18:00.000-04:00

Knowing YouAll I once held dear built my life uponAll this world reveres, and wars to ownAll I once thought gain I have counted lossSpent and worthless now, compared to this(Chorus:)Knowing you, Jesus knowing youThere is no greater thingYou're my all you're the bestYou're my joy, my righteousnessAnd I love you ,lordNow my heart's desire is to know you moreTo be found in you, and known as yoursTo possess by faith what I could not earnAll surpassing gift of righteousness(Chorus)Oh to know the power of your risen lifeAnd to know you in your sufferingTo become like you in your death my LordSo with You to liveAnd never die(Chorus)

Sad

2011-10-10T16:10:00.004-04:00

It's always a sad day when you spend an afternoon talking to your grandmother only to learn that she thinks you're someone else altogether. Old age!

Building Credibility

2011-09-12T08:33:00.002-04:00

"Your reputation and integrity are everything. Follow through on what you say you're going to do. Your credibility can only be built over time, and it is built from the history of your words and actions." ~ Maria Razumich-Zec

The irresistible Church

2011-09-01T10:04:00.000-04:00

What makes a church "irresistible"? Wayne Cordeiro wrote "The Irresistible Church" to encourage church leaders to return to the church’s true identity, Jesus and the anointing of God and His power. It’s almost as if we say, 'Jesus is not enough; we’ve got to find a new way to attract people.' The irresistible church I’m talking about in this book is not a church that’s irresistible to men. It’s a church that’s irresistible to heaven—a church to which God says, 'I just can’t help but be involved in that church. I can’t help but help that church prosper and harvest the wheat.'"

Life is a Place of Service

2011-08-28T18:02:00.000-04:00

"Life is a place of service, and in that service one has to suffer a great deal that is hard to bear, but more often to experience a great deal of joy. But that joy can be real if only people look upon their life as a service, and have a definite object in life outside themselves and their personal happiness." (Leo Tolstoy)

Where You Are

2011-07-19T11:27:00.002-04:00

I strode along the downtown streets of my city late last evening and happened upon this quote in the window of one of the little shops that that line the way:

"The lure of the distant is deceptive. The great opportunity is where you are." (John Burroughs)

Many a searching soul has left our rugged region with the thought that more will be gained by leaving than by staying on and finding that life-altering opportunity right here in Hometown USA. I have come to understand that distant shores are often just dirt and sand on someone else's home turf.

I'm glad that I can carve out a place of commerce and comfort by seizing the opportunities that present themselves to me each and every day. Truly, the lure of the distant seems unworthy of the journey required to get there and back again.

Hand in Hand We Walk

2011-06-21T11:00:00.003-04:00

"Come on, Grampy!" she said. "Let's walk."
And so we walk.
She chatters on and on about rocks, cars and lollipops,
While I cry about hard partings, missed moments, and silent longings.

Saying goodbye to granddaughters is dreadfully painful.
I was not made for "See you soon's" and "We'll Skype more" promises.
I'd rather have skipping contests in the driveway
And sandwich kisses before bedtimes.

But farewells come and grandchildren go
And I must adjust one more time
And grudgingly accept that life is a series of greetings and partings
Until we say our best hello in the Sweet By-and-By in the someday-soon's of Tomorrow.

"Come on, Michal!" I say. "Let's walk."
And so we do.
Her hand in mine and mine is hers.
Until we meet again in another place and time.

Francis Chan's Viewpoint

2011-06-15T13:43:00.001-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnrJVTSYLr8

It's Worth a Read

2011-06-14T12:29:00.001-04:00

http://www.challies.com/book-reviews/love-wins-a-review-of-rob-bells-new-book?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+challies/XhEt+(Challies+Dot+Com)

Adirondack Day

2011-06-11T10:18:00.003-04:00

Open window, mountain breeze.
Floating curtains, steady rain.
Cool caresses, welcome shiver.
Summer morning, Adirondack day.

In Defense of a Righteous Killing

2011-05-02T10:09:00.002-04:00

In response to those who decry the taking of Osama Bin Laden's life because he would go to hell:

"How can you defend one who took the lives of 3000 innocent people so that they wouldn't have opportunity to repent and receive this same Christ you wanted him to embrace?

OBL was a robber, a liar, a fanatical murderer, and held to a belief system that would NEVER include embracing the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Hey, he enjoyed killing Americans because Americans defended a Christian worldview!

OBL's death was justified and I continue to celebrate the righteous taking of his life.

On another note, as one has said, "Pacifism works well in peacetime but is a terrible belief system in war."

2011-04-13T11:59:00.001-04:00

I enjoyed this story today as re-told by author and pastor David Jeremiah:

"Thomas Carlyle labored with intensity on the first volume of a three-part study of the French Revolution. He felt it could be his greatest work. He loaned the manuscript to his friend John Stuart Mill to read, and Mill read it by the fire. One morning the maid, cleaning the room and seeing the scattered pages on the floor, threw them in the fire. When Carlyle learned his manuscript was burned to ash, he sank into abysmal depression. Some time later, still desolate, he saw a brick mason through the window. The man was standing on a scaffold, singing and whistling to himself as he built the wall of a house one brick at a time. Watching him, Carlyle decided he would write his book again, one page at a time. His history of the revolution became famous, and he is remembered as one of Scotland's literary giants."

"Perhaps you've lost something very valuable to you. Don't give up. Tomorrow still holds a bright promise, and the Lord blesses faithful, plodding work. Let's take it step-by-step, day-by-day, and moment-by-moment."

Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine, moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine.
Daniel Whittle

Robbed Hell Parody - C.A.S.T. Pearls Presents

2011-04-09T07:57:00.001-04:00

http://vimeo.com/21895447

This Place of Conviction and Pain

2011-03-25T08:25:00.002-04:00

"Unless we come into this place of conviction and pain concerning our sin, I am not sure how deep and real our repentance will ever be." (A. W. Tozer)

Love Wins?

2011-03-15T07:59:00.002-04:00

Rob Bell has written another book - Love Wins - and here is one of the statements he makes:

A staggering number of people have been taught that a select few Christians will spend forever in a peaceful, joyous place called heaven, while the rest of humanity spends forever in torment and punishment in hell with no chance for anything better…. This is misguided and toxic and ultimately subverts the contagious spread of Jesus’ message of love, peace, forgiveness, and joy that our world desperately needs to hear. (ibid)

I know. I know. It's hard to believe that this guy could be so blind - but he is. And his views on the subject of hell are misguided at best and heretical at worst.

Here's what Time Challies and Aaron Armstrong note (http://www.churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/149569-tim-challies-love-wins-book-review.html utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily-Update):

"Throughout the book he engages in what can best be described as exegetical gymnastics, particularly in dealing with the Greek word aion, a small word that is crucial to his arguments.

While this word is commonly translated as “eternal” or “everlasting,” Bell argues that it can also mean “age” or “period of time,” or even “intensity of experience.” Using this approach, he briefly argues from the parable of the sheep and the goats (Matt. 25:31-46) that eternal punishment isn’t eternal, but rather an intense period of pruning.

Now here’s the thing: aion and aionos definitely can mean “age” or “period of time,” they also mean “eternal.” The word’s context helps us to determine its meaning. So if we assume that these words primarily mean “age” or “period of time,” what happens when we apply that definition to John 3:16 where aionosis used?

For God so loved the world that He sent His only Son so that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have life for a period of time.

Not as encouraging, is it? While Bell might argue here that “life abundant” might be a better fit (playing on the “intensity of experience” angle and tying it to John 10:10), at the end of the day, we’re left with an approach that gives more credence to living your best life now than it does to worshipping Jesus."

I believe Rob Bell is promoting Universalism and that is downright dangerous to the souls of those who need to know that God is, of course, a God of love. But He is also a God of justice who will deal with people's outright rebellion, unrepentant sin, and defiant rejection. One can play all the mental games they want with this subject - but it does not invalidate the teachings of Scripture.

Let the Reader of Bell Beware!

I like how TIm and Aaron end their article:

"Christians do not need more confusion. They need clarity. They need teachers who are willing to deal honestly with what the Bible says, no matter how hard that truth is. And let’s be honest—many truths are very, very hard to swallow.

Love does win, but not the kind of love that Bell talks about in this book. The love he describes is one that is founded solely on the idea that the primary object of God’s love is man; indeed, the whole story, he writes, can be summed up in these words: “For God so loved the world.” But this doesn’t hold a candle to the altogether amazing love of God as actually shown in the Bible. The God who “shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8), who acts on our behalf not so much because His love for us is great, but because He is great (Isaiah 48:9, Ezekiel 20:9,14,22,44, 36:22; John 17:1-5).

That’s the kind of love that wins. That’s the kind of love that motivates us to love our neighbors enough to compel them to flee from the wrath to come. And our love for people means nothing if we do not first and foremost love God enough to be honest about Him."

2011-03-08T17:22:00.003-05:00

“Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ And he said, ‘Who are you, Lord?” (Paul to the Church at Corinth)

It begins with a simple question asked by an inanimate sign at my local Starbucks. Giving an incorrect answer would cause me shame for not knowing, while a correct response would yield a 10 cents savings on my favorite beverage. I carefully studied the daring question:

“To whom was Walt Whitman referring when he pined, ‘O Captain! My Captain!’”

While the latte machine feverishly boiled the milk, and whispered conversation hung quietly in the air, I returned to my childhood and lifted from the shelf of my memory the books I’d read on this man of Men. I peeked in on his carefree youth, sputtered at his try-and-fail approach to career advancement, marveled at his ascendency to high office, and stood captive at his mastery of the inspirational word. He was an honored hero in my formative years and even now his life and tragic death move me to wonderment.

“Abraham Lincoln” I told the girl. She stared back at me, looked questioningly at my wife, and exclaimed, “You must have been in earlier and remembered the answer!”

“No!” I chided in my mind. “I know of whom the poet wrote for his life and words travel with me to this very day - living words - such as, ‘For score and seven years ago…’ and ‘The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.’”

Lincoln was a very good man but serves only as a weakened shadow of another Person we all know well. His youthful zeal impresses us. His career path seems more fail than succeed. His claim to fame seems weak compared to more forceful, savvy men. But in His death, He speaks more convincingly than any army that might work to stamp out His revolutionary message.

So I ask you a question, “To whom was apostle Paul referring when he pined, ‘Who are you, Lord?’” (Acts 6: 5).

While thoughts swirl, I invite you to return with me to the sacred Volume and recall the only answer deserving of this demanding question:

“I am Jesus! And I now invite you to become My ambassador to a drifting and sin-damned world.”

Dear friend, while the world may little note, nor long remember what we say, we must never let it forget what He did here. Our call and challenge is to not fail to carry out our mandate - so that the world will know!

No Other Plea

2011-03-07T08:07:00.000-05:00

I need no other argument,
I need no other plea;
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.

—Lidie H. Edmunds, 19th Century

Now It is the Lord!

2011-02-25T11:45:00.005-05:00

I have been enjoying the daily readings of A. W. Tozer this year and today's devotional referenced these two little phrases that perfectly sum up the journey my life:

Once it was the blessing;
Now it is the Lord!

I once spent too much time chasing windmills of blessings from God. And upon catching them, found them to be incomplete and devoid of satisfaction. These days, I'm much more interested in knowing The One who is willing to give of Himself to me so that I might become more like Him each day. I'm learning that it is in the abundance of quiet relationship that my life is changing, transforming, growing.

Settled

2011-02-07T15:35:00.002-05:00

O the sweetness of being settled in Christ Jesus
And in His purposes for my life.
My heart is still
Even though the world rages about me.
I am His...and He is mine!

God's Eternal Self-existence

2011-02-01T12:45:00.002-05:00

Father! the sweetest, dearest Name.
That men or angels know!
Fountain of life, that had no fount
From which itself could flow.

The vastness is not young or old,
Thy life hath never grown;
No time can measure out thy days,
No space can make Thy throne!

-Frederick William Faber

One Blessed "Old Man"!

2011-01-25T22:35:00.002-05:00

One Saturday evening, my family and friends surprised me with a fantastic surprise birthday party. I was shocked, overwhelmed and overjoyed when my youngest daughter appeared from the crowd. Thanks for driving through the storm, Naomi and Ronnie!

Thanks to everyone who came and for the lovely cards and remembrances. And Jeff, the fixodent was funny - really funny!

I am one blessed "old man", that for sure!

Carving My Benefits in Stone

2011-01-19T17:07:00.002-05:00

Today I turned 50 years of age. What? It can't be true! But it is reality for me.

This little story illustrates how grateful I am for all of you remembering me today with such warm thoughts and greetings:

Two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey, they had an argument and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand, today my best friend slapped me in the face.  

They kept on walking, until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone,  

'Today my best friend saved my life!'  

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, “After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?”  

The friend replied 'when someone hurts us we should write it down in sand, where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it. ”

Today I'm carving my benefits in stone. Thanks, everyone!

Deep Change

2011-01-13T17:00:00.002-05:00

I sense within me a profound change occurring.

This change is not about style, tools, or verbal acuity.

It's about forgetting what I know and discovering what I need to know in order to experience a deeper change in the way I do life and lead the church.

Thank you for your insights, Robert Quinn!

Pain and Joy

2011-01-06T14:40:00.001-05:00

Ah, the pain and joy of growing closer to the One who makes all of living worthwhile.

The New Year

2011-01-03T10:42:00.002-05:00

I'm looking forward to 2011. Some really good things are coming to my life and that of my family and church. Glad I can be a part of it!

Grateful

2010-12-20T14:10:00.001-05:00

I am.

Lessons from the Prison of Disillusionment

2010-12-09T07:21:00.002-05:00

He came from good stock, this Joseph, son of Jacob. While just a lad, he had unwittingly been given a stunning dream about his role in his nation’s future. But blind jealousy, unchecked rage, damning lust and blatant misunderstanding trampled his innocent exuberance and landed him in a prison where dreams died and men existed as mere shadows of their once-promising potential.

While we’ll never know what Joseph of Genesis fame pondered while in his prison of disillusionment, we have indications from scripture that what he experienced was for him (and us) a lesson in character development.

Lessons from the Life of Joseph

Lesson #1: Fine Breeding does not necessarily guarantee success. Joseph’s origin emerged from the bedrock of God’s faithfulness (Gen. 37: 1). Abraham, the mighty man of faith, was his progenitor, while Isaac, his granddad, sired Israel, his father-mentor. If anyone ever had a chance of “making it” in life, Joseph did. But impressive heritage alone does not guarantee a life of favour.

Lesson #2: God calls people to serve and gives them a dream to confirm it. Joseph had a vision-focusing dream that played out like a Hollywood drama: leadership, wealth, influence, success and subservience (Genesis 37: 5-7, 9-11). To authenticate its veracity, God unfolded a second dream to seal its meaning to his memory forever.

With innocent delight, young Joseph romped through the tents of his jealous siblings, regaling them with royal visions of an august future. Already stinging from their little brother’s enviable place in their father’s heart, they reacted with anger and would smell only “royal” blood being spilt over his heady revelation.

Lesson #3: Not everyone will buy into God’s dream for your life. Joseph experienced misunderstanding as a result of his dream (Gen. 37: 8, 10, 11, 19). It wasn’t Joseph’s fault that he was a “dreamer” – it was God’s! As he unearthed his inspired treasure for others to enjoy, he found a certain encouragement and strength in its hopeful promise. He could only envision good arising from the conclusive plan of a caring God.

But what Joseph didn’t discern was that people with lesser dreams were missing what God was doing and mistakenly viewed his benign verbosity as unbridled arrogance. This brought unjust criticism and harsh devaluation of the dream and its owner.

Lesson #4: Dreamers must be careful not to get sidetracked by life’s disappointments. Joseph bore the brunt of his brother’s anger and was cast away as unreliable and unredeemable. It is therefore no surprise that Joseph became blind to God’s activity in his life (Gen. 39: 2-6; 40: 12-13).

The Psalmist recorded an interesting line about Joseph’s prison experience: “He (God) sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron” (Ps. 105: 17-18 KJV). A translator’s footnote captures the impact Joseph’s imprisonment had on his cherished dream: “his soul came into iron.” (Heb.)

The fire of his desire was snuffed out by the cruel chill of sibling hatred. The vengeance of an adulteress’s unrequited lust proved yet again that integrity is not always honoured. And the hurtful rejection he endured at the hands of his cellmates chipped away at his trust in God and others. Truly, the iron chains that removed his freedom were now having a deleterious effect upon his soul and blinding him to the work God in his life. Would this be the end of a once-cherished hope?

Lesson #5: Finally, Joseph’s experience teaches us that one cannot allow difficult places to thwart the plan of God. Joseph remained in his prison two full years after his interaction with the forgetful cupbearer and baker. That’s 730 humid days and frigid nights to consider his plight. But we have indication that Joseph did not allow his incarceration to completely arrest the developing plan of God for his life.

On one of those dark nights of the soul, the Lord must have whispered to his disappointed heart, “My son, the dream has not died. I have plans and purposes for you that you know nothing about. What others intended for evil, I intend for good to accomplish what must be done for the saving of many lives“ (Genesis 50: 20 NIV).

“Maybe God has not forgotten me after all,” he thought. “Maybe there is a plan in place that only pit and prison could unveil to me.”

A freshened understanding would be enough for Joseph now. With faith restored, he took new pleasure in his duties as under-warden in Pharaoh’s prison. He earned the trust of his superiors and the respect of his fellow inmates. And most important of all, the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. Even in the prison of disillusionment, God was able to prepare a person for critical service in the kingdom.

Can You Relate?
As you read these words today, can you in some small way relate to Joseph? Has your heritage failed to deliver for you the “breaks” that you long for?

Has God placed within your heart a dream that is being betrayed by personal circumstances and impertinent companions? Do others hear your mouth speak but read your heart as arrogant for daring to utter what they, themselves, could never have seen?

Has the indifferent coolness of your present ministry oozed into your soul and left you feeling nonplussed about God’s preferred future? Are you allowing all this to blind you to the reality that God, who gives you your dreams, will one day bring them to pass in His own way and time?

What Joseph saw from the prison of his unfortunate circumstances forced him to let go of his tightly held dream and trust a God who understood that what seemed like perplexing inactivity was really preparation in the preservation of an entire race of people.

The next time you are tempted to view your ministry as a chamber of inexplicable imprisonment, remember a dreamer named Joseph. What you and others may view as evil, God will one day reveal to be truly good.

Love

2010-11-14T07:40:00.001-05:00

Loves washes over a multitude of things!

A Hard Learned Lesson

2010-11-06T10:11:00.002-04:00

"It is by attempting to reach the top in a single leap that so much misery is caused in the world." (William Cobbett)

A Monday Morning Reminder

2010-10-25T11:23:00.000-04:00

Please give this a listen - I cried when I viewed it.

http://www.greatdanepro.com/Pray%20For%20America/index.htm

Actions Speak Louder

2010-10-11T10:51:00.000-04:00

"Actions speak louder than words, but words, sincerely spoken, are vitally important. Complimenting your loved ones from time to time is necessary. It’s easy to find flaws to pick at. But it’s much more productive to find the positive side of a person and accentuate that. We create more by building people up than we do by tearing them down." (FranklinCovey GO Tip of the Day)

The Paradox of Christian Freedom

2010-10-08T13:03:00.001-04:00

Martin Luther said it well:

"A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all."

In Awe of Autumn

2010-10-02T18:04:00.003-04:00

Wind-whipped rains have blown out to sea, replaced by a cloudless sky, composed temperatures, and a brilliance of sun that only early October days can generate.

I have known storms, too - strong and ferocious - but I am experiencing a calm and peaceful season that draws from my soul deep thanks to a Father whose nurturing faithfulness enriches my life.

I don't post long compositions here anymore. A sudden life turn helped harnessed my energy and I now guide my creativity toward furthering the Master's wishes in these mountain peaks and valleys. Great pain has made this tangibility possible. Disappointment has delivered the deeper work and spew and wag gives way to more purposeful activities. Old longings yield to new intentions, not for position or power, but for the embrace of a divine providence that focuses my life through the lens of dedicated service.

As with these Adirondack weather patterns, so new storms will arise to threaten and intimidate. But I will remember that there is One who easily harnesses the chilly blast and ushers it out to the sea where it can threaten no more.

A Fresh Wind Blowing

2010-09-24T11:31:00.004-04:00

I asked our worship leader, Denise Caselli, if I could use this reflection she wrote to share with my blog and church family. Denise is a gifted musician, worship leader, and incredible composer of worship songs.

It’s not uncommon to hear the sound of ‘whooosh’ over my house in mid September. Besides telling me that the annual Balloon Festival is nearing, or is already in full swing, it means that summer is giving way to the coolness of the new season of Fall.

On the same morning I heard the balloon overhead, I had heard the sound of Canadian geese headed south for the winter. I ran to look, but missed the sight. Even in my 50’s I still get a thrill hearing the geese, watching the leaves turn color, and waiting with anticipation for the first snow flakes to dance in the cold air as they make their way to the gray-brown earth below.

After missing the sight of the geese, I returned to what I had been doing when I heard the hot air balloon overhead. I ran to the window, and pulled back the curtain, and there it was. It was low, I thought, and definitely not a good place to be low. I thought that the pilot was trying to land, but it was dangerously close to the center of Hudson Falls.

Headed south, there were no large fields, and the Hudson River lay just beyond where the balloon was headed. I watched as the pilot fired up the balloon with long, frequent, and what seemed to me to be desperate attempts to make the balloon rise, but it continued to drift lower and lower. I puzzled to myself that the balloon should be rising, but it didn’t. There was a point when I thought that there was going to be a terrible accident, but drawn to the drama, I could not stop watching.

And I’m so glad I watched, as the drama was not yet over, with what would be a stunning outcome! What happened next, a scientist or meteorologist could probably explain, but I can not. I was amazed! The balloon began to lift and immediately turned east. From my perspective it was like a car that took a sharp left turn – in the air!

Apparently the balloon met cooler air – a fresh wind. Did the pilot know that one more ‘whoosh’ was all it took to take him from impending disaster to a soaring success? Did he have some instruments to help guide him to the wind that would rescue his balloon from a not-so-happy-landing! I don’t know. All I know is what I witnessed. It was inspiring!

Lord, maybe RRWC needs a fresh wind. Like the pilot of that balloon that morning, we’ve applied our resources and our energies with the sole purpose of our call to do what we must do in Your strength to keep us from crashing, and we’ve purposed in our hearts to continue to be faithful. But somewhere, Lord, there’s a fresh wind blowing! Help us Lord to hear from Your Holy Spirit through Your Living Word and our conversations with You in prayer. Lord, guide us to it, that we would rise again and move freely with the fresh wind to the places You want to take us! Amen.

A Strong, Inner Core

2010-08-31T11:17:00.000-04:00

"The only truly reliable source of stability is a strong inner core and the willingness to change and adapt everything except that core."

- James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras

Preparation for Service

2010-08-24T08:54:00.002-04:00

I'm again reading through the daily devotional "Holiness and High Country" by A. F. Harper. I found these words instructive this morning:

"From all of us who are true Christians, God expects a portion of our income, a part of our time, and a measure of our thought and planning to be given for the furtherance of His work in the world. Christian life begins at Calvary, but effective service begins at Pentecost."

He begins the final paragraph of the devotional with this question:

"Is my consecration such that God can call on me for some service today?"

Writing Sermons

2010-08-22T08:22:00.002-04:00

Ernest Hemingway said it first but I can apply his thought to sermon writing, too:

"There is no rule on how to write. Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly; sometimes it's like drilling rock and then blasting it out with charges."

Hard to explain to people when they think you get your messages from sermon outline books and pre-formed programs!

Patience!

2010-08-17T10:40:00.000-04:00

"If your progress seems slow while it appears those around you are engaged in remarkable success, just remember: Patience! God is not finished with you yet!" (Ted W. Engstrom)

I Cannot Call You Friend!

2010-08-15T07:20:00.001-04:00

Is there anyone you should share with today about the Lord? Better do it now!

My friend, I stand in judgment now. 
And I feel that you are to blame somehow. 
On earth I walked with you day by day. 
But never did you point the way. 

You knew the LORD, 
In His truth and His glory. 
But never did you share the story!
My knowledge then was very dim. 
You could have lead Him safely to Him. 

You taught me many things, 
This is true. 
I called you friend,  
And I trusted you. 
But I have learned, 
And now it is too late 
You could have kept me from this fate, 

We walked by day, 
And talked by night, 
And yet you showed me not the light. 
You let me live and love, AND DIE, 
You knew I would never live on high. 

Yes, I called you friend in life, 
I trusted you through JOY and strife. 
And yet on coming to this end, --- 
I CANNOT CALL YOU  MY FRIEND!  
(Author unknown)

This Time

2010-08-11T18:12:00.002-04:00

I've just started a new book- "Hamlet's Blackberry" by William Powers - and the quote at the start captured my attention:

"This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we know what to do with it." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Hmm...

Moving Toward Sunday

2010-07-30T16:25:00.004-04:00

Hi, Folks!

Just wanted to take a moment to let you know that you are in my thoughts and prayers today as I pray toward Sunday at Ridge Road Wesleyan. I'll continue my series on living Fearlessly with a message entitled, "I Fear I'm Disappointing God." So many of you are talking about this particular series and the help it has been to you. Me, too!

If you've been away for a while, please come back soon. We miss you. If possible, make contact with me so we can catch up on how you are.

I've been in office seeking quiet this afternoon so that I might gain some quality time in the Word. The Bible is so amazing, and particularly relevant, as we race toward the end of the world and the return of Jesus Christ. In fact, I'll be speaking about the end times on August 15th at 10:30 a.m. I pray you make a special effort to be here for that message. You can catch all my sermons at www.ridgeroadwesleyan.com.

Know that with this blog post comes my deep love and thankfulness for you. You really are special and I pray you realize just how much God loves you and wants you to be on fire for Him and His cause during these warm and sunny summer days.

Pastor Dean
"Reaching and Serving 1% of our Region for God"

My Help and My Deliverer

2010-07-23T09:41:00.001-04:00

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1I waited patiently for the LORD;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.
2He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
3He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the LORD.
4Blessed is the man who makes
the LORD his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
to those who go astray after a lie!
5You have multiplied, O LORD my God,
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
yet they are more than can be told.

6 In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,
but you have given me an open ear.
Burnt offering and sin offering
you have not required.
7Then I said, "Behold, I have come;
in the scroll of the book it is written of me:
8 I delight to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart."

9I have told the glad news of deliverance
in the great congregation;
behold, I have not restrained my lips,
as you know, O LORD.
10I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
from the great congregation.

11As for you, O LORD, you will not restrain
your mercy from me;
your steadfast love and your faithfulness will
ever preserve me!
12For evils have encompassed me
beyond number;
my iniquities have overtaken me,
and I cannot see;
they are more than the hairs of my head;
my heart fails me.

13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me!
O LORD, make haste to help me!
14 Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether
who seek to snatch away my life;
let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
who delight in my hurt!
15Let those be appalled because of their shame
who say to me, "Aha, Aha!"

16But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
say continually, "Great is the LORD!"
17As for me, I am poor and needy,
but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
do not delay, O my God!

My Granddaughter at Lunch

2010-07-14T14:23:00.003-04:00

What Sweeter Music?

2010-07-06T16:07:00.002-04:00

Robert Herrick (1591-1674) penned these Christmas words so long ago and his work could have been easily forgotten or overlooked by the mass of music that fills our worship services today. Gratefully, John Rutter, one of my favourite composers, has embraced this poem and linked to it this stirring choral arrangement (I'll leave the link to YouTube below so you can give it a listen). The world is better for it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLkxe6q6UyE

What sweeter music can we bring 
Than a carol, for to sing 
The birth of this our heavenly King? 
Awake the voice! Awake the string!

Dark and dull night, fly hence away, 
And give the honor to this day, 
That sees December turned to May.

Why does the chilling winter’s morn 
Smile, like a field beset with corn? 
Or smell like a meadow newly-shorn, 
Thus, on the sudden? Come and see 
The cause, why things thus fragrant be: 

‘Tis He is born, whose quickening birth 
Gives life and luster, public mirth, 
To heaven, and the under-earth.

We see him come, and know him ours, 
Who, with his sunshine and his showers, 
Turns all the patient ground to flowers. 

The darling of the world is come, 
And fit it is, we find a room 
To welcome him.

The nobler part 
Of all the house here, is the heart.
Which we will give him; and bequeath 
This holly, and this ivy wreath, 
To do him honour, who’s our King, 
And Lord of all this revelling.

What sweeter music can we bring, 
Than a carol for to sing 
The birth of this our heavenly King?

Canada and Her Queen

2010-07-02T09:26:00.002-04:00

"This nation has dedicated itself to being a caring home for its own, a sanctuary for others and an example to the world." (Queen Elizabeth II in 2010)

While the Globe and Mail suggested that the monarchy may be "a relic of our colonial past" (July 2, 2010), I believe that the Queen represents what is still an important institution for us as Canadians as we anchor to an instructive English past in order to build a more authentic Canadian future.

God Save the Queen!

Things That Go Bump in the Night

2010-06-25T10:58:00.001-04:00

Fear. The very words strike apprehension and concern in us as we consider the potential causes of this most normal of human emotions. Whether it be the fear of losing your life savings, your possessions as a result of an earthquake like the one that touched our region this week, or even a catastrophic event brought on by terrorism, we Americans are becoming a nation of fearful people who never quite know when and if the bottom will fall out of our once-peaceful existence and we will be thrown into turmoil unlike any we have faced before.

Thankfully, God’s Word, the Bible, is not silent on the issue. It recognizes that fear is a part of being human but directly confronts fear with a message of hope brought about by faith in the One who is Fearless in the face of any and every terror.

This summer I’ll be preaching a new sermon series entitled: “Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear.” Together we’ll browse through the Bible and discover the reasons why we fear and then look at some of our biggest fears and how to deal with them appropriately. This exciting and insightful series begins July 18th at 10:30 a.m. in the main auditorium. I invite you to mark it on your calendar and plan to make every message!

Rosalie and I were out walking late last evening. We were chatting away as we walked through the small parking lot beside our home. Suddenly, and without warning, something in the tree above us moved violently. Yikes! We were immediately put in a fight or flight mode of reaction. Funnily, it was only a bird!

Many of us are walking through life and things that go bump in the night are startling us and robbing us of the peace we can expect as human being created in God’s image. I hope these messages will help you discover that your greatest fears are really only little birds in comparison to mighty power of God at work in your life.

See you on July 18th,

Pastor Dean Brown

Thank You, Volunteers!

2010-06-22T15:05:00.000-04:00

As you know, we had quite a weekend last week here at the church. We hosted District Praise Gathering on Saturday and then on Sunday we held our very first Classic Car Rally and BBQ on Father’s Day. It turned out to be a huge success. Many people visited our church for the first time and many, many doors of opportunity have been opened to us as a church family. I believe only eternity will measure the impact our labor has had on the lives of so many.

I really want to thank you for your help in either one or both of these events. We could not have given like we did had it not been for people like you giving of yourself for the cause.

“Thank you” seems like so small a way to let you know how much you are loved and appreciated!

Our team served with excellence and genuine warmth toward those we served. I thank God that you were a part of the team!

Your Pastor and friend,

Pastor Dean
Senior Pastor

Humble Yourself

2010-06-15T11:11:00.000-04:00

I read this from Wisdom Chasers this week:

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” 1Peter 5:6

Christ’s command is clear to His children: “Humble yourselves”. What He requires is a volitional and willful act of humility. Just like I choose to love, I choose to humble myself. I can be humble, just like I can be compassionate, forgiving and gentle. Humility is not an outside force waiting to have its way; it indwells the believer waiting for action.

So, how do we humble ourselves? It is the submission to God and others that unleashes humility. Humility will lie dormant and be a doormat to pride unless we surrender to our Savior Jesus. We give up our right to be right, so that we can walk in humility. It’s taking the low position that gains the high ground of grace. Humility is the preserver of peace, while pride is the disturber of peace. We first humble ourselves and then trust God to do what’s right.

Are you at enmity with the Lord? If so, humble yourself. Are you at odds with an individual? If so, humble yourself. Did you mess up at work? If so, humble yourself and take responsibility for your poor performance. Did you speak harsh and hurtful words? If so, humble yourself and ask for forgiveness. Humility heals, while pride prolongs pain.

It’s the proactive process of humbling ourselves that keeps power from feeding our pride and fame from deflating our faith. Success is an enemy to humility because it tries to move us from submission to self-sufficiency. Leaders don’t let the accolades of man soften their submission to God. If you act like you do not need the Almighty, He will allow you to fall on your face in forced submission. Better to voluntarily submit to authorities in heaven and on earth than to be made to surrender and humiliated.

Grace is the gift you receive from God when you humble yourself. Grace is the gasoline that runs the engine of an eternal and abundant life. Humble yourself and watch the Lord lift you up in His timing. Self-exaltation is not sustainable, but eternity’s exaltation is forever. Submit under His mighty hand and you’ll decrease, while He increases.

“He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30).

Do I daily humble myself by submitting to Almighty God and to the authorities in my life?

The Best Interpreters

2010-06-08T20:24:00.001-04:00

"I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts." (John Locke)

What Jesus Said

2010-06-04T20:10:00.002-04:00

1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him." 3Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." 4Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?" 5Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'

I Love This!

2010-06-04T19:57:00.002-04:00

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3: 16 NASB)

Gnosticism

2010-06-01T20:58:00.004-04:00

Gnosticism was an ancient heresy that stated that matter was essentially evil; only pure spirit was not sinful.

Gnosticism, soundly defeated by early theologians, has pulled itself out of the ash heap of subjugation and once again seeks victims today.

Gnosticism teaches that a religious person can maintain spiritual holiness all-the-while reveling in fleshly indulgences and that sinful mindset engendered by a world value system completely opposed to God and His holy, just ways.

Today's configuration encourages libertinism in that it fosters an erroneous belief that a person can "live as the devil himself" yet, since what the body does is of no moral consequence to the spirit, is freed to indulge in the unholy patterns and practices of the world while still enjoying the promise of a luscious existence in eternity. It's a dichotomy that the Scripture cannot support nor does it encourage.

What is Universalism

2010-06-01T20:27:00.002-04:00

“Universalism is a doctrine believed by many that teaches that in the end everybody will be saved, that ultimately the saving plan is universal and God's going to save anybody and in the end everybody is going to heaven and hell will not exist. That's how some people answer the problem of if God loves the whole world then how could He possibly send everybody to hell, except that few that believe. They answer it by saying that, well, in the end He won't do it. In the end His love will prevail and He will save everybody. That's universalism.” (John MacArthur)

Universalism teaches that no person, no matter how much they embrace crass disobedience to God, will be excluded from His redemption. They believe God, the loving Father, will bring all people into conformity with his will, thus saving them from eternal damnation.

Origen, in the 3rd century, speculated on this beyond scriptural warrant. Socinus, in the 16th century, brought a revival of this "doctrine." He argued that because Jesus died, ALL would be forgiven.

In the 1800's, this movement organized in the US. But after much internal debate and contradiction, lost its steam and joined with the Unitarians.

I believe in "universal salvation" - that Jesus Christ died for ALL people, even those who would reject Him. It is a "universal and saving light" Robert Barclay noted. John Wesley wrote of that "prevenient grace" a clarifying teaching that describes the universal character of God's wonderful salvation.

God, in scripture, however, declares that there are moral basis's for salvation and never gives indication that He will set these aside to accommodate those who are impenitent.

A Good Read

2010-05-28T17:02:00.002-04:00

Because it is a vacation day, I have been able to spend more time than usual reading God's Word the Bible. The porch was my reading chamber and the hundreds of cars that fly past my house the backdrop.

I read the first three chapters of the Book of Genesis.

It's good to go through the verses slowly and thoughtfully. Every now and then as these are the beginnings of the planet, our knowledge of God, our own creation, and the fall of humanity into disobedience and death-bringing sin.

I soared through chapter 1. I worshipped in chapter 2. And I wept through chapter 3.

I hope you have a bit of time to drift through these chapters yourself sometime this weekend. Let me know their impact on you.

An Important Albeit Familiar, Reminder

2010-05-08T17:41:00.002-04:00

"If you want to last over the long haul of ministry, you have to learn how to recharge yourself spiritually, emotionally, physically, and mentally. Here’s an easy formula to remember: Divert daily, withdraw weekly, abandon annually. Know what relaxes you and what recharges you -- and do it." - Rick Warren

What God Reveals

2010-04-09T09:19:00.000-04:00

"Man cannot cover what God would reveal." (Thomas Campbell)

A Most Evangelistic Church

2010-03-30T21:49:00.000-04:00

"The church is most evangelistic when she is least concerned about impressing the world or with adding to her numbers."
Iain H. Murray

In God's Darkroom

2010-03-26T13:05:00.003-04:00

I received this gift in the mail today from a wonderful saint in my church and I thought I'd share it with you. Maybe it will help you as it's helped me and others where we worship!

Ere it can be developed
A film at first must be-
Taken to a darkroom
Where there is no light to see,
The chemicals need the darkness
To do what they must do-
Produce a lovely picture
For everyone to view.

Sometimes our Heavenly Father
Will often take us through-
DARKROOM experiences in life
To do what HE must do,
Frustration, trial, and sorrow
Disappointment, stress and strife
Are the chemicals He uses
To develop our spiritual life.

If you are in God's darkroom,
Don't despair, for HE-
Is developing a picture
For HIS art gallery.

(written by Edie Wood)

A Stark Tragedy

2010-03-16T12:03:00.000-04:00

"It is a stark tragedy to love the church and its work and not to love Jesus." (E. F. Hallock)

Canada Bound

2010-02-09T20:46:00.004-05:00

Spent a lot of today on the road checking out Providence, RI. Our Prayer and Vision Tour will be visiting this city in March and I wanted to find hotels and see what the city had to offer. You should see Providence Place!

A huge snow storm is coming so we hit the road at 2:30 p.m. and point the Camry toward northern Maine. Lots of traffic most of the journey. Settled into our motel now and processing email.

Tomorrow we'll cross the border into the Homeland. Looking forward to catching up with Canada and her people. Although I listen to CBC every day, I'll be glad to be on soil once again. Canada - the world next door!

Speak When You are Angry?

2010-01-30T21:56:00.002-05:00

Get a load of this quote I found on Kelly Forrester's Twitter:

"Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret. " (Ambrose Bierce)

Ever done this and been sorry?

A Single Hand on My Shoulder

2010-01-25T00:12:00.003-05:00

The music had been worshipful and appropriate. The prayers had been heartfelt and compassionate. The scripture reading focused and familiar. And the sermon delivered by my daughter almost lost to me because it was my little princess all grown up standing before me and speaking with such clarity and depth about her subject.

Then came the appreciation time: it's Pastor Appreciation Day at our church today and I was deeply touched by how dear the gratitude was that was being expressed about me and my better-than-me partner in ministry. And the poem and gift will be cherished forever!

But you know what really meant the world to me? A single hand on my shoulder! One of the ushers came to stand beside my pew to wait for prayer to end so he could collect the joyfully-given tithes and offerings. While he waited, he did a most human thing and simply rested a supportive hand on my slumping left shoulder. This single act communicated emotions true and validating and I was filled with a very real sense of my Heavenly Father's hand on me, too.

Mr. Usher (you know who you are!), thank you for caring enough to express it in this simple but profound gesture. You put the capstone on my Pastor Appreciation Day!

A Son Born to This

2010-01-23T10:34:00.002-05:00

In a meeting I led this week, one of the participants spoke about an event that occurred back in 1976. I was a part of that event. It sent my mind whirling to those days and the realization that I was born in Glens Falls, the very city where I now serve Christ and His church, and that this city is truly my home by birth.

There is something deeply satisfying about serving with the people where I was born. I'm thankful for the years that are mine to serve where God has placed me.

There is a connectedness I sense in it all, a feeling that rises up within me each visit I make to the regional hospital where I, too, was born on that frigid day in January, 1961. I sense it again as I sip coffee in a favorite downtown shop and idolize the shopping trips I made there as a child, long before the malls reached out to consumers like me. It emerges as I drive to the westerly on Quaker Road and observe the majesty of the mountain range that surrounds this city and her residents and I feel embraced by a region that was once my home, then was not, but is now once again.

Sons and daughters of the Adirondacks, come home. There is a place for you in these wilds that no other place of earth can offer. Your people are warm and inviting. Your economy is strong and recovering. Your churches are healthy and growing. Your possibilities for happiness are endless. And more than anything else, you simply owe it to yourself to re-discover what has been lost to you in your global galavanting!

I am a son of the Adirondacks - and I was born to this!

Lament by Evangeline Paterson

2010-01-14T17:08:00.001-05:00

Weep, weep for those
Who do the work of the Lord
With a high look
And a proud heart.
Their voice is lifted up
In the streets, and their cry is heard.
The bruised reed they break
By their great strength, and the smoking flax
They trample.

Weep not for the quenched
(For their God will hear their cry
And the Lord will come to save them)
But weep, weep for the quenchers

For when the Day of the Lord
Is come, and the vales sing
And the hills clap their hands
And the light shines

Then their eyes shall be opened
On a waste place,
Smouldering,
The smoke of the flax bitter
In their nostrils,
Their feet pierced
By broken reed-stems . . .
Wood, hay, and stubble,
And no grass springing.
And all the birds flown.

Weep, weep for those
Who have made a desert
In the name of the Lord.

Use Power to Help People

2010-01-08T11:09:00.002-05:00

"Use power to help people. For we are given power not to advance our own purposes, nor to make a great show in the world, nor a name. There is but one just use of power, and it is to serve people." (George H. W. Bush)

Left Undone?

2010-01-07T09:57:00.001-05:00

The Book of Common Prayer (General Confession) leaves us with this thought-provoking admission, "We have left undone those things which we ought to have done."

Why I Use Lists

2009-12-29T23:00:00.006-05:00

I use GTD to manage the craziness that is my life (www.davidco.com). I get a mixture of responses when people know I have these lists: "Are you crazy?", "That's depressing!", "What?" and "Cool! - how do I learn to do that?".

Some might even think I'm some kind of freak and live only to check things off my lists so that I can feel fulfilled as a human being. Yah, right!

I use this system (with its context lists) because I have really important things God is asking me to do with my life. I can't fool around wasting time trying to remember if I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing or whether or not I have my mind cluttered with stupid stuff like, "Did I buy milk for supper?" or "Now, who was it I was supposed to call before I leave the office?"

So I keep lists because they hold all the things I have to do so my mind can be free to concentrate on the really important things when I'm supposed to be concentrating on those important things.

I don't live to check things off my lists (although it's good to get things done!). I live to glorify God by the way I use my life and using context lists helps me to use my life more effectively and get the things I'm passionate about completed so I can hear The Master say, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You captured, clarified, organized, reflected and did what I called you to do!"

Something Worth Saving

2009-12-15T07:00:00.002-05:00

"If we are to renew, it is because we have a vision of something worth saving or doing." (John Gardner)

My early morning thinking is focused upon the need for organizational change if the church (not Church) is going to survive the present storm of decline.

I don't want to change - really - because like everyone else, I'd rather leadership be easy or at least predictable. But it is neither and I am not one to settle down to a "normal" life, so change is called for and to be welcomed.

We need no longer to bugle the necessity for change; we must go about spending our resources leading the necessary changes required to see our churches renewed in the Spirit for community transformation.

A church the size of ours demands tremendous effort just to get the mundane done, say nothing of keeping focused on the actions required to see change that will bring us to a new place of systemic growth and spiritual vitality. I suffer with a three-pronged tension:

1. God's view on His Church, and the way the church that meets in our facility really is, and how to close the gap between the two.

2. The manifold expectations of the people I lead to either go back to the past, or zip ahead to the fast lane of a yet-to-be-determined "exciting" future, and the subtle pressure that quietly asks for things to stay the same, thus avoiding the pain change will inevitably bring (futile).

3. And, my own expectations/perceptions and how to process them in a way that can be communicated to those whom I lead and thus realizing a new, fresh, bold, invigorated church that will attract people from all walks of life to the New Life found in Jesus Christ.

I know we have something worth saving here and there is something we all can do to to help save it. Now to figure out what all that is and get about doing it!

A Child at Play

2009-11-27T10:40:00.001-05:00

“Man is most nearly himself when he achieves the seriousness of a child at play.”
- Heraclitus

Too Small to Grow?

2009-11-26T08:33:00.002-05:00

I came across this quote and wanted to share it with my pastor friends and the people of the Eastern New York/New England District of The Wesleyan Church where I serve as the Director of Evangelism and Church Growth:

"God never put anyone in a place too small to grow." (Henrietta Mears)

As a founding district in The Wesleyan Church, we have a tremendous heritage to be proud of. Many, many lives have been changed through the ministry that has been ours. But in recent years, we lost focus and came to believe that we couldn't grow due to the smallness of our churches and the mindset that prevailed against our potential. True, the locations where most of our churches serve are in small, rural towns and hamlets. But in each center, people who need the Lord live around us and deserve a community church that never forgets its mission, not matter how small the congregation.

Today God is elevating our focus and doing a new thing among us as pastors and key leaders of the judicatory. As we follow the example of our DS, Paul James, and determine that tradition alone will not save us, we are wrestling with and winning over old paradigms and practices. We're embracing the reality that we must reach up to God for blessing, reach into ourselves for a new determination to lead and grow, and then purposefully reach out to others who are crying for His love, acceptance and forgiveness.

Indeed, we are changing.

Friend, "God never put anyone in a place too small to grow" and the embrace of this statement will have far reaching impact in your life and church, as it will in mine.

Posting on this Blog

2009-11-21T19:23:00.002-05:00

How does a week go by and I don't even think about this blog?

I used to write EVERY DAY - even TWICE a day!

Well, priorities change. I Facebook now. I Twitter some. I LIVE a lot!!

Still love blogging but it has to fit into my life routines and it doesn't right now so - goodbye. :-)

The Leader Is

2009-11-13T11:35:00.001-05:00

“The leader is a team builder who empowers individuals in the organization and passionately “lives the vision,” thereby serving as a mentor and example for those whose efforts are necessary to make the vision become reality.” (Burt Nanus)

Blah!

2009-10-27T13:20:00.002-04:00

This blog's title describes how I feel today - bllllaaaaahhhh - flu! First time I've had anything like this is a long, long, time. Lots of others feel like I do today so my prayers are with them, too!

Miraculous Good News

2009-10-22T17:35:00.002-04:00

Corey Haas, a little boy in my home church, is legally blind. Corey was diagnosed with Lebers Congenital Amerosis, a deteriorating genetic eye defect, a few years ago. Only 200-300 people in the United States have this disorder. He took part in an experimental eye surgery procedure last year in which healthy genes (ocular) were transplanted into the retina of his left eye, which was his worst eye. The goal of this surgery was to improve his eyesight with the integration of these new genes.

The procedure has had positive results and Corey’s eyesight is greatly improving. At the time of his surgery, Corey was the youngest person in the world to have this procedure done. Corey, his mother, his dad, and the doctor who performed the surgery, Dr. Bennett, were interviewed by a group of journalist from the major news networks (CNN, CNBC etc…….) in Philadelphia today (October 22, 2009). This interview will air sometime Saturday afternoon / Saturday evening on a number of “news type” networks.

Corey and his family will then go to NYC on Saturday to be part of Sunday’s ABC Good Morning America show (October 25,2009). Dr. Bennett will be unable to be part of the Good Morning America interview because she will be presenting “Corey ‘s Case” at a Medical Conference in San Francisco over the weekend. This medical breakthrough that Corey was part of is being compared to that of the first heart transplant and will be featured in an issue of Lancet Medical Journal. Hopefully you will be able to tune in and see Corey as he makes his television debut!

When Men Meet to Pray

2009-10-22T08:17:00.003-04:00

We have a Thursday Morning Men's Prayer Gathering at our church. When men meet to pray, it's powerful.

Although I almost always nearly forget to go, I DO go, and it is a source of immeasurable help and strengthening for me personally. It might be for you, too.

Join us on Thursday mornings at 7:00 a.m. in the Pastor's Study. It just might become the best 30 minutes of your week!

Influence or Impress?

2009-10-17T12:11:00.001-04:00

"You have to decide in life whether you want to influence people or impress them. You can impress people from a distance but you can only influence them up close. We desperately need authentic leaders today, who are real and vulnerable. Our greatest life message actually comes out of our weakness, not our strength.” (Rick Warren)

Three Kinds of People

2009-10-16T09:38:00.001-04:00

"There are three kinds of people in the world—those who don't know what's happening, those who watch what's happening, and those who make things happen."  (Nicholas Murray Butler, former president of Columbia University)

Making Progress

2009-10-10T09:26:00.003-04:00

"If organizations and societies are to make progress, leaders must be able to detect when routines are becoming dysfunctional. They must be able to see when routines are smothering creative planning and blocking necessary advancement."
(James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner)

Ah, Vacation

2009-10-07T18:08:00.002-04:00

This is the 3rd day of our vacation and it's going smashingly. I met my brother for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed seeing his new workplace and meeting some of his coworkers. Also enjoyed lunch at Tim Horton's!

Michal is just going to bed. She is soooo adorable. Ryan is working and Sarah will be joining us for supper.

A good day.

October 1, 2009

2009-10-01T18:52:00.002-04:00

How is it that time rushes past while you're otherwise engaged with life and you wake up one morning and exclaim, "What? October - already?"

The weeks leading up to this new month were crammed with all kinds of interesting activities; my planner shows it clearly and I'm amazed at how full the pages are!

This new month promises to be engaging, too, and I will process whatever comes by doing the following:

*Stay connected with the spiritual part of me. I learned a long time ago that it's much easier to handle the pressure when I'm connected with the Lord of Life, Jesus Christ, through Bible reading, prayer, worship, and solitude.

*Stay on top of my game with sufficient planning. I once over-managed my world and became a slave to my planner. I now look for ways to do things as easily and efficiently as possible so that I can ENJOY the life I'be been given.

*Interact with people more than just at work. My life is all about being with people, but I recognize the need to slip away from work people and enjoy friends outside of the office.

There's more, but I've got to have supper!

Absolutely Satisfied with Life?

2009-09-23T11:31:00.001-04:00

"Sad is the day for any man when he becomes absolutely satisfied with the life he is living, the thoughts he is thinking and the things he is doing; when there ceases to be forever beating at the doors of his soul a desire to do something larger--which he seeks and knows that he was meant and intended to do." (Phillip Brooks)

A Wonderful Show at Daybreak

2009-09-22T11:57:00.000-04:00

“If your efforts are sometimes greeted with indifference, don’t lose heart. The sun puts on a wonderful show at daybreak, yet most of the people in the audience go on sleeping.” (Ada Teixeira)

Cross and Losses

2009-09-14T08:28:00.000-04:00

"After crosses and losses men grow humbler and wiser." ( Benjamin Franklin)

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-05T21:40:00.001-04:00

What a great day was mine!

I can't believe this is the final weekend before school begins and we all settle back into our pre-fall routines!!

I need a vacation so I can enjoy summer a little more slowly than I just did!!!

Stand Firm

2009-09-04T09:16:00.001-04:00

"By standing firm you will gain life." (Jesus, in Luke 21: 19)

Deliverance from Our Warring Ways

2009-09-01T11:03:00.002-04:00

Here's what I've been reading in my time with the Lord this morning. It's from Isaiah, one of the major prophets:

"He will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore." (Isaiah 2)

As I read, I sensed the overwhelm that so many feel because this prophecy has yet to be fulfilled. We have false judges who refuse to settle disputes righteously. Swords flash wildly about us and spear wound and destroy. Nations turn against nations and the training for war continues unabated, as if by training for battle, we can battle what ails us as human beings.

We a deep sigh I exclaim, "Come soon, Holy One of Israel. Deliver us from our warring ways!?

Successful in God's Work

2009-08-24T09:46:00.000-04:00

"To be successful in God's work is to fall in line with His will and to do it His way."
Henrietta C. Mears

An Evangelistic Thrust

2009-08-15T11:34:00.001-04:00

All true theology has an evangelistic thrust, and all true evangelism is theology in action.
J. I. Packer

From Rick Warren

2009-08-10T09:55:00.002-04:00

You will enjoy the new insights that Rick Warren has, with his wife now having cancer and him having 'wealth' from the book sales. This is an absolutely incredible short interview with Rick Warren, 'Purpose Driven Life ' author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California.

In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:

People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.

One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.

I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity..

We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.

The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort; God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.

We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.
This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.

I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.

Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life..

No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for. You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems:

If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, which is my problem, my issues, my pain.' But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her- It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.

You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life. Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.
It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.

So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit.. We made no major purchases.

Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.

Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.

Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?

Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.

The Mountains Showcase His Splendor

2009-08-09T10:00:00.002-04:00

62 kilometers into the heart of the Adirondack Mountains
2.9 miles on a dusty road
750 ft. elevation from main road to lodge
Mountains Showcase His Splendor
Meet men who love Jesus
Fun
Fellowship
Food
God speaking
Fun
Sleep interrupted by Loons praising their Creator
Stillness
Wildlife
New Friends
Boat Ride to Wolf Point Island
Worship under the trees
God's Word: Micah 6: 6-8
He speaks
Hearts changed
FUN
Life-long friendships planted
My weekend as guest speaker at The Men's Retreat

Lead in Establishing Kingdom Values

2009-08-08T18:04:00.001-04:00

I read this today from David Jeremiah and am moved to imitate this man's perseverance:

"England's William Wilberforce was born in 1759. At age twenty-five, he rededicated his life to Christ. His spiritual awakening might have threatened his future political career as he had just been elected to a seat in the British Parliament. He sought the advice of a pastor named John Newton, the former slave trader, asking whether he should leave politics and enter the ministry. Newton answered: Stay where you are. God needs Christians in politics. Newton suggested they might even be able to put an end to British slave trade.

In 1787 Wilberforce introduced a bill in Parliament to that end, but strong opposition resulted in the bill being defeated. Not until 1807 was Wilberforce able to get legislation through the Parliament that banned England's participation in the slave trade. Buoyed by the victory, Wilberforce pushed for legislation freeing all slaves and abolishing slavery in England once and for all—legislation that was passed in August 1833, a month after Wilberforce died.

Every Christian is not called to lead a church, but every Christian is called to lead the Church in establishing kingdom values in the world." (Dr. David Jeremiah)

Wow!

2009-07-26T21:46:00.002-04:00

Wow!
What a service at church today!
And we exceeded our attendance goal, too.
And most importantly, God was at work during our healing service and through the preaching.
Wow!

Breathing Room

2009-07-25T17:53:00.003-04:00

The last few months have been really busy leading the church and getting ready for District Praise Gathering 2009. Things went very well and I'm now on the other side finding myself being very grateful to the Lord and our church family and friends for doing so much to make the event a rousing success. I believe our DS is very pleased, too, at how it all worked out.

Today I'm mentally worn - just need to let go of thinking for a few hours and just chill in the knowledge that all I need to do is safe in my GTD system and will be ready to re-engage with me when I get back to it.

Monday's Day Off will give me some breathing room!

Off to lead the first lesson of our new summer study series "Making Marriage Work". Looking forward to meeting everyone who challenges the heat of the day to come out and discover. We'll be talking about passion, intimacy and commitment!