Today

Today is Friday, November 28, 2014. It's Black Friday in the United States. As is typical of my days, I rise early (between 5-5:30 AM) to begin my day. I turned on my Macbook Pro, updated the antivirus, opened a new daily note in Evernote where I record my daily activities, gained situational awareness for my day by checking my calendar, and enjoyed time alone with God and journaling.

I read a chapter of Charles Kraughthammer's book "Things That Matter" where I gained a cosmic view of the mortality of life - my life - as I learned about Halley's Comet and the realization that it won't be back this way until 2060. I won't be here to welcome it in the night sky!

Most of my days are spent serving as a local church pastor in a community of saints known as Vantage Pointe.  Today our volunteer administrator is in to do the weekly program for Sunday. I will be finishing up the administration not completed yesterday (Thanksgiving Day!) and then will be hard at work on Sunday's message. I also write all the lessons for our Discovery Groups and lead a group myself. Fun!

I have an office at the church but have not always been able to use it: mold is prevalent in these mountain regions and there are days when the smell of this 1970's building is too pungent to work in. The church also had a flood a year ago and I was out of office for quite a few months while repairs were being made. And after a premature departure of staff a few years back, there was no one at the office anyway so I worked at home where the internet is much better and where many of my study books are housed. With the onset of all things digital, I can do most of my work now at home, at a coffee shop, or in a hotel room while traveling. I keep office hours from 9-12 noon Monday, Wednesday-Friday.

I also interact with people a lot: on the phone, through private Facebook communications, through email, and in person at the office or out and about. I don't talk about who I talk/meet with as it's no one's concern but theirs and mine and God's. If I break confidence, my ministry effectiveness will be over.

A pastor's work is never done: living within a few steps of the door of the church makes my wife and I an on-call couple, responding to people at the door all hours of the day and night. We have to get off the property on our Days Off or we'll be working all day. The church is in close proximity to the parsonage and the windows in the parsonage are old and leak not only air but also serve as a non-filter for all the conversations that occur in the parking lot. Hearing voices here does not mean you are crazy, just living or standing next to the parsonage!

My wife works at The Home Depot to help make ends meet financially. I serve a church plant/church restart situation so a raise in pay and or an expense account is not possible. Even paying pension is a major challenge so we celebrate when it can be paid. The Lord takes care of us and will continue to do so, we know!

I manage my life and ministry using the GTD methodology popularized by David Allen. I have 98 projects on the go right now so I always have lots to do when I want to do it. I use Nozbe software by Michael Sliwinski to manage my lists and Evernote houses all my project and reference materials. As of this morning, I have 6632 notes in my system.

In days past, I served in larger churches where administrative staff managed the details of the day-to-day of ministry.  But I'm that person now. It's harder and takes more energy to pastor a church of 100 than it does a church of 375. Maybe it's because I'm 53 years old!

I serve with as great staff of three others: a paid Asst. Pastor and two volunteer staff members.  All staff are either ordained or have completed the six pack of courses through The Wesleyan Church. I'm responsible for making sure their work is processed and completed and that they have the tools they need to do their best in ministry. I'm much less strict with my team now than I once was (deepest apologies to all former staff members!). Most of the time that's good, but at other times, I guide them in doing what they know they should do to serve well in ministry. I work between 60-70 hours per week on average.

We've moved 6 times since coming to NY from Atlantic Canada in 2007: Halifax to NY, Corinth to Queensbury, Queensbury to Corinth, Corinth to Queensbury, Queensbury to South Glens Falls, and South Glens falls to Queensbury.  It's a long story as to why all the moving. Needless to say, it has meant a level of upheaval that's hard to describe in a post like this! :-)

I also serve as District Secretary for the Eastern New York/New England District. This means I record the Minutes at our District Board meetings. We have an awesome DS and administrator in our district.

My youngest daughter and her family live nearby and we LOVE having them near. Our eldest daughter lives with her family in Seattle, WA. We MISS them!

Okay, that's enough for now.

Funny?

Be Careful Not to Paint on Righteousness with a Broad Brush

Malachi 2: 17  "You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, 'How have we wearied him?' By saying, 'Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.' Or by asking, “Where is the God of justice?'"

Change

These are days of change and transition in my world and my human nature would like to rebel and brace myself against it.

But years of trial-and-error living and solemn thought has instructed me that this would be an incorrect response to what I can't change.

Instead, I will pray to my God, trust in His guidance, read and obey His Word, and face the new challenges with a renewed attitude and a broad smile. 

I am choosing to soar - and take others with me!

The Awesome Why

In the span of 14 seconds, two loud concussions stilled the jubilant air of the warm spring day and covered it with a blanket of smoke, debris and body parts. Two innocent people, no three, were caught up in the moment and swept away to a place beyond the sights and sound of the Patriot’s Day: Martin, age 8, Krystle, age 29, and an unidentified Chinese national. None of the three had a chance to choose what would become of them, for their lives were taken by a horrific act of cowardly terror.

America has again come under fire from those who would destroy her.

I was out of the country when I heard the news from The Boston Marathon.  The sunny skies and warm breezes of Montreal, Quebec, kept me from being near a radio or television that afternoon. But when I tried to return to the United States, the long wait at the border told me something had happened in America that would make me ask an awesome why of God.

Listen, friend. The Stars and Stripes can’t protect us from the madness that fills some people’s minds and leaks out into acts of heinous impact.  The goodwill of so many of our citizens cannot squelch the insanity that would motivate crimes of hate from the hands of people too self-possessed to realize the harm and cost they were demanding of others whose names they did not know.

Though many miles separated me in Montreal from my fellow Americans in Massachusetts, I was immediately and deeply affected by their suffering.  And a certain sense of bewilderment again came over me as I pondered their fate. So I did what many of you did: I lifted my heart to my Father in Heaven and cried out for His Spirit to comfort those who were mourning the pain, suffering, death and destruction caused by this senseless act of terror. And He was there with them (John 1 4: 16).

The last twenty-four hours have yielded many angles of the Boston story and I’m already weary of seeing the scenes and hearing the screams of the victims. I’d just like to know why someone felt empowered by detonating pressure cookers laden with explosives and sending nails, BB’s and ball bearing shrapnel into the path of tired runners and their well-wishers.  I’d like to get my hands on them and shake them for their cruelty.  But I’ve lived long enough to know I may never receive a satisfactory explanation for my questionings.

So I’ll just do what I did on 9/11: I’ll pray. I’ll ask an Awesome God an awesome “Why?” and then hold steady in the knowledge that He is intimately aware of the matter and will work out a purpose that seems a mystery to deep for me to ever understand.  And I’ll do whatever I can to confront such hatred and act to dispel the kind of violence that drove a lunatic to such extremes. And I’ll borrow the words of Jesus on the cross when He cried out, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know not what they are doing” (Luke 23: 34).

Join me now for a moment of silence for our fallen citizens and their families.

My Three Women

Like Jesus, I have known many women who have been a part of my ministry over the years. I thank God for them all, for without them, little would have gotten done in the churches I have served! 

But there are three women who have walked with me throughout my ministry who have blessed me in ways far more meaningful than I can possible write about today. 

Rosalie, my wife. 

Sarah, my eldest daughter. 

And Naomi, my youngest child. 

These three women, wonderful and incredible in so many ways, have walked with me every step of my way and I been been the recipient of their love, support, humor, hard work, counsel and prayers so many times that I have lost track of them all. But I do know that I would not have been as effective as I have been without their unique and godly contribution to my life and ministry.

Rosalie, Sarah and Naomi, I love you more than than words can say and want you each to know just how blessed I know I am because you have shared your life with mine.  

143,

Dean/Dad  

“Come On, Boys!” He Said

“Come on, boys. Let’s go fishin!” he said.

So they said goodbye and jumped aboard the little Miss Ally.

And set their course and laughed about the wave and breeze.

“Come on, boys. We can do it!” He said.

So they throttled up and steamed away to find the better catch.

And hoped for awful winds and seas to blow away.

“Come on, boys. She’s getting rough!” he said.

So they went on down and held on tight so not to be afraid.

And waited for mornin’s light to point the better way.

“Come on, boys. We’ve gotta get off a here!” he said.

So captain and crew launched the little craft and jumped away.

And prayed their cries would summon a bigger ship that way.

“Come on, boys. It’s okay!” God said.

So they reached out to take the Safer Hand that came their way.

And knew for sure that raging sea and swelling tide would have no more sway!

Come on, boys. We’ve got to say goodbye!” we said.

So we set about to say so long and pray for strength today.

And then, like them, we board our boats to fish another day.

Pastor Dean Brown

The Wesleyan Church