A Story of Epic Proportion

So often as I read through the stories of the Bible I am overwhelmed by the enormity of its stories. They are large, grandiose, big! From these opening words of Genesis a picture is formed in our minds of an immense, immeasurable vastness – it is dark and empty and quite frankly scary. And God is there – and God said let there be light – and we go from empty darkness to a light filled world and it is good. This story of creation continues with God creating day and night, separating land from waters and earth from sky. Creating the world where plants and animals live and thrive and grow and ultimately humanity is born and given rule over God’s creation. Talk about epic stories!

And we don’t have much further to read before we hear the story of Noah and the building of the Ark. Noah and his faithful family are the only ones of civilization who have remained faithful to God. God speaks to Noah and tells him to build an ark. Noah is given the materials, the dimensions, the building plans and ultimately brings the animals two by two into the ark where for forty days and forty nights the rains deluge the world, flooding and cleansing the world of evilness – or at least evil people. And then we read about …

The Tower of Babel – a tower being built that reaches to the skies – the very heavens, yet God scatters the peoples and gives them different languages to speak so they have great difficulty in communicating to one another; Joseph being sold into slavery by his own brothers; the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt – Moses and the burning bush; the Ten Commandments… Our Bible is filled with stories of wonder and grandeur and largeness.

And we haven’t even begun to look at the New Testament stories of miracles and healings and the birth of a child in an out-of-the way manger in a small town called Bethlehem. Now that is a story of epic proportion!

It is a story that begins with a young girl being visited by an angel of God and being told she is to give birth to a child, a boy; yet, she has never been with a man. This will be no ordinary child but will be the savior of all humanity. This is the story of Joseph’s acceptance of his fiancé’s pregnancy, but not without some initial doubt. There is a journey across the country from Nazareth to Bethlehem where Joseph needs to register his name for a census. And Joseph and Mary, the young girl, barely arrive in Bethlehem when she goes into labor and the only place available to them is a manger offered by a helpful innkeeper.

The child is born and in the night shepherds come down from the hills to pay homage to the new born baby. From the Gospel of Matthew we learn that wisemen from the East come to worship and offer gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And so there is a new beginning for the people through the birth of this child.

Often a story of epic proportions appears so grand that we say to ourselves – I could never be a part of that story! If my brothers sold me into slavery and I was imprisoned for years I don’t think I could have risen from the depths of that darkness to become second-in-command of an entire country like Joseph.

I could never shepherd an entire nation out of slavery and bondage and lead them from Egypt through 40 years of wilderness wandering and into the Promised Land like Moses. I just don’t have that within me.

If I was Joseph I’m not sure I would respond as he did, with faith and trust.
There are so many of these large stories our bible speaks of that seem beyond our comprehension that we are compelled to accept them on faith, but then we come to this last story I mentioned – the one of the child’s birth in Bethlehem, the birth of the savior, the messiah, Emmanuel – “God with us”

Now this is a story we believe in and accept in faith, but it is also a story we participate in. Every year we spend weeks leading up to the celebration of Christmas - the birth of a Jewish boy. And I am amazed that this is a story celebrated by men and women and children around the world in over two hundred countries and over 2000 different languages.

Some will celebrate this story publicly, others privately and some in secret – yet around the world on December 25th we come together celebrating the birth of this Jewish boy that we believe grew up to become the savior of the world. This is the savior who did not promise to keep us from all sin, but one who promised to save us from our sin and forgive us for our sins.

This is the one who came to us that we might have a platform to stand on when we address God; one who said we are to address God as our heavenly Father in-spite of our past sins, one who came to heal the broken relationship between humanity and our Creator – a relationship broken from the days of the Garden of Eden and never truly repaired until now.

Perhaps in this story we associate best with the wisemen from the east who make a journey seeking out the one they have read about from the prophets of old, and the one whom the shining star leads them too. Perhaps you have been on a journey seeking Jesus Christ in your life. And you have found it is not an easy journey – rather it is filled with hardship, doubt, frustration and even anger at times. Yet, you persevere and are ultimately led to Jesus – you find him and receive him – kneel down and offer your gifts to him.

Or maybe you find yourself being more like the innkeeper – the one who offers up whatever he has available to someone in need, even when everyone around you is saying no, or rejecting those in need. You give what you have gladly, without expectation of repayment.

Perhaps in this story you find yourself one of the crowds of people in Jerusalem and Bethlehem and throughout Israel – calling out for a savior – seeking one who would rescue you from the rule and rod of the oppressor. Perhaps you have found yourself lost, lonely, seeking an answer.

Today we come together in this story, with millions of others around the world, as a savior is born and in this season we are reminded that God has drawn near to those of us who have drawn away and have been drawn away by sin.

Your sin, my sin has been forgiven, because a child has been born, a son has been given to us – a savior who brings peace. A peace that allows us to lie in bed at night knowing that perhaps not everything in the world is good and maybe not everything or everyone around is good, but a peace that helps us to understand that everything is good between you and God.

Not because of what we've done, but because of what he’s done; not because of who we are, but because of who he is. For unto us is born a savior and he is Christ our Lord.

Bullied No More

Last night I was invited to speak at a presentation and viewing for a 40 minute video entitled "Bullied: A Student, a School, and a Case That Made History". The presentation was organized by Robert Alexander, a Milton HS graduate and co-chair for the Fair Wisconsin South Central Action Network. In conjunction with Robert, Brian Juchems, program director for Gay Strait Alliance Safe Schools helped coordinate and present.

In the two hour presentation and ensuing discussions we talked about the problems of bullying. Jamie Nabonzy, the central character in the video, was an Ashland WI student and was bullied throughout his middle and high school days for being gay. He was beaten, kicked, groped, urinated on, and his life was threatened.

I remember middle school and high school days well - even though that was some thirty years ago for me. On occasion I was bullied. On occasion I stood by while others were bullied. I think I remember mostly being afraid during those times. As I watched the Jamie Nabonzy video, I remember a feeling of anger at his treatment and wondered that none of the bystanders stepped in to help. Of course, I don't believe I ever stepped in to help someone else who was being bullied back in my day. I seem to remember a feeling of relief that I wasn't the target.

It's now thirty years later and I'm no longer afraid and no longer content to be a bystander. My question is - what do I do now? How can I help be a part of the solution for those who suffer the abuse, mistreatment, ridicule, embarrassment... of being bullied. Bullies target many types of people - not just GLBT. The target can be someone too tall, too short, too fat, too skinny, too nerdy, too .... The target is someone who is perceived different and vulnerable.

Being different is not something to be ashamed of or to try to hide. Nor is being different a reason for being targeted - although it happens. God has made each one of us uniquely different for a reason. We may not understand that reason nor always appreciate it. Yet, Jesus gave to us a commandment that we are to love one another as we do ourselves. In other words, we should treat others as we would like to be treated.

I plan on inviting Robert and Brian to our church for a showing of the video and open discussion as we get into the new year. Perhaps that is my first step towards helping and no longer standing by.

Peace to you my friends,

Patrick

Pirates of the Wisconsi-bean

This Sunday morning I cancelled our worship services due to inclement weather - snow, ice, blowing and freezing temps gave cause to question as to whether we should hold services or not. Better sense prevailed when I received call after call (I had made it to the church office myself) from ushers, advent candle lighters and readers, and our Sunday School director saying they were snowed in and were not coming to church.

Typically, I strongly dislike canceling service because it is the one time a week about 150-180 of us come together to worship our Lord, sing & pray together, and hang out. So, with a bit of down-heartedness I placed the notice on our website, contacted the local radio/newspaper station listing cancelations, and changed our church answering machine. I then went back home.

Earlier this week my three and a half year old daughter wanted to play pirates. I had promised we would do that this weekend. So... instead of feeling down, I thought to myself - here's a wonderful opportunity to make hats, eye patches, telescopes and even a sword or two.

Our cedar chest was our ship; Jackson the dog was the shark. Together the three of us arghed, ayed, and matey-ed the afternoon away. In a very real way this was part of our worship of the Lord. God calls us to be in a wonderful, healthy and happy relationship with one another.

I am thankful for the extra time we had together as a family. Usually half my Sunday is consumed with church services. This way I had some morning time with Brenda and Grace. Some present wrapping time while they napped. Some pirate time in the afternoon and evening. And felt very blessed by the love of my family and Christ.

Blessings to you all.

Peace out

Patrick

The Need To Do Church Differently...

Recently Adam Hamilton asked a question of his Facebook friends: "What are the five most important qualities of pastoral leaders that create or lead vibrant, alive churches?" He received 55+ responses and then followed up with another question: "What is the one thing that could strengthen current and future pastoral leaders in the UMC that would have the greatest possible impact on reversing the decline of the church?"

These are excellent questions and ones (especially the latter) that I have been asking myself. This last year I began research, asking the vital question, why is our denomination declining? Statistics reveal a number of startling indications:

1) The percentage of Americans claiming "no religion" has almost doubled in two decades, climbing from 8.1% in 1990 to 15% in 1980 (ChristianityToday, Nov. 23, 2010).
2) Young Americans are dripping out of religion at a rate of five to six times the historic rate (30-40% have no religion today, vs. the 5-10% of a generation ago) (Putnam and Campbell - American Grace)
3) In 2004 UM membership was 8.1 million (Recent Changes in Membership and Attendance in Mainline Protestant Denominations) while a 2008 report showed UM membership fell to 7.7 million.
4) David Kinaman reports in his recent book, UnChristian, that non-church attenders (especially the younger ages) view Christians as: a) hypocritical; b) judgemental; and c) homophobic. This is one of the reasons our teens, tweens and twenty-somethings are turned off from church.

The statistics go on and on, relevant to attendance, participation, financial giving, biblical study participation... In general the UM church (mainline churches across the board) is declining and church leaders (such as mega church pastors like Hamilton, Slaughter, bishops and others) are seeking answers as to why.

I lead a smaller church of around 275-300 members. In the last 3.5 years we have added 76 new members (not an astronomical number by any means - but a significant one for our size especially in light of church reports I read where membership is declining). Many of the new members are younger families - vitally important as our overall mean membership age was in the later 60's - early 70's. We have launched a new mission ministry team that has taken members and non-members (young teens and older adults) to Alaska and Cleveland OH on mission endeavors. Beginning of 2010 we launched a second service of contemporary style. We have added a Sunday night Bible study class, and are involved in numerous community outreach activities and actions that have touched the lives of our locals. Our average attendance has gone from 100 (2007) to 140 (2010), while our annual financial giving has increased $10 - 20,000 each year since 2008.

Why do we seem to have success in growing? I firmly believe it is because:
1) Our church has a vision. It has been cast in our 7-year ministry plan. This plan provides guidance and direction to our church leadership. The key to a successful plan is to continue effective vision casting/communicating to the congregation. This is something I need to continue to do effectively.
2) Our church is turning the corner from being a welcoming church to an inviting church. When I talk with visitors I inevitably ask the question - what do you like about our church? What keeps you coming back (for our repeat visitors). The answer - your church is very welcoming. We feel like this is home to us. The trick is to take this welcoming attitude out into the streets and extend invitations. Welcoming is reactive. Invitation is proactive.
3) The service has to be a quality, worshipful experience from beginning to end. The music has to be good. The media (we utilize slides and video in our services) has to be run well. The message has to be biblically sound, yet relevant to our current day situations. And people need to be fed, so when they leave they are: 1) wanting to come back; 2) wanting to invite someone to join them; 3) feeling like they have received something to nurture them through the week.

Each year our church leadership undertakes a year long study to improve leadership skills and understanding of how Christ calls us to serve those in need, while building the kingdom of God. Last year we studied Rev. Dan Dick's Vital Signs. This year we studied Bishop Schnase's 5 Fruitful Practices. In 2011 we will be taking the first of our annual leadership retreats to worship together, learn together, and become better leaders together.

Last year, I invited several younger and upcoming leaders in our church to participate in a Spiritual Formation group with me. We meet once a month in study of the Bible, mission and ministry callings, how our church needs to grow in following the vision cast through our Church Ministry Plan and to be faithful to God's call upon our own lives. I am keeping the same group, but am adding several new people to the group. I keep in mind that this is the group of people who will be making decisions in the near future regarding our church growth, outreach, ministry and mission. How can I help them grow to hear what God has to tell them, and to be open to God's shaping and forming?

We have also opened our doors and facilities to many of the community groups. We have four Girl Scout troops and one Boy Scout troop which use our building monthly. We have a Strong Women's and Strong Men's workout group which meet twice a week throughout the year. We host the Milton Youth Football for organizational meetings. The Share Food program handles 70-80 people and families each month, providing discounted foods for them. There are other group activities that take place in our church - we have intentionally decided our church doors are open 7-days a week, not only Sunday morning.

This is just a little insight as to why our church is growing and thriving in a time when many are not. As to why the denomination in general is declining, I believe it is because we are struggling with doing church differently. We all need to find ways to reach the unchurched and sometimes that means shedding old ways - even to the possible ire of the "old timers" who insist we do it this way because... well, because that's the way we've always done it.

Our church needs the courage to do church differently, while maintaining scriptural integrity and faith. Our church leaders and especially pastors must be willing to cast the vision and then have the ability to keep the vision before the congregation - communicating it effectively. Our church leaders, not only the pastor!, must be in the community learning the needs of the people of the community. And there must be a desire - a heartfelt desire - to follow God's call for the local church and building of the kingdom of God - even when this goes against what the congregation believes they need. The two do not always go hand-in-hand.

peace out my friends,

Patrick

It's the Little Things...

Mother Teresa has often been quoted for saying that God doesn't desire us to do great things, but to do little things with great love. How true this is. For the third year in a row I have held my annual Chicago Street Milton Food Pantry Drive and have again met great success with it. Let me preface this all by saying - I am not writing this article to say hey! look at me and what I'm doing! But rather I want to show that the little things we do can make a significant change in someone's life. It's the little things we do with great love that are important.

Each year the day after Thanksgiving I go around our block (the Chicago Street Block) and place a letter attached to a grocery bag (I get bags donated directly from Piggly Wiggly) at each home. Now, each year I've expanded the houses I include to neighboring streets, so technically I'm going beyond the Chicago Street block, but nevertheless...

The letter invites the household to fill the bag with non-perishable items, canned foods, toiletries... all which will be donated and delivered to our Milton Food Pantry. I try to be as unobtrusive and un-impossing as possible. So, I drop the letter and bag off in the evening by placing it on the household door step. In the letter I indicate my pickup date and time (usually a week later and between 8:00am-9:00am). The family can place the products on the doorsteps and never see me. Thus, I try to respect their privacy and not impose upon the people by having them answer the door or "have to" talk to me.

This year I've collected 21 bags of food items, canned goods, toiletries, and some treats for our Food Pantry. Over the course of three years I believe we collected around 60-80 bags of items. After each drive I deliver a handwritten thank you note to the home for their generosity.

In these difficult economic times and especially over the holidays, every little bit we can do helps a family in need. Perhaps this posting might spark your own idea of where you can do a little bit of something with a great deal of love.

God bless you all and may you be kept safe during this Holy Day season.

Peace out,

Patrick

Christmas Ghosts...

As I mentioned in my earlier post, I am doing a series utilizing the framework of a classic story, the Christmas Carol, to undergird the scriptural message of Advent. Dickens', A Christmas Carol, helps to put into perspective how our lives are shaped by "Christmas Past" to "Christmas Present" and for the "Christmas Future".

This evening I was completing a funeral sermon for tomorrow. The service is for a lady I met last year when I did her son's funeral. Her son was 47 and born with Downs Syndrome. Both mother and son thoroughly enjoyed Christmas and I wonder how the challenges of raising a son with Down's helped shape her? She had 12 children altogether and their coming home for the holiday's was a high point in her daily life. She loved having everyone together - children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, spouses... So - some of my sermon for her funeral is centered around Christmas and the true meaning of Christmas.

Gathering family together at Christmas (or anytime really) is important, but not everyone can do that. What about family that serves in the military and is across seas, or lives out of state and can't travel, or .... Presents at Christmas time is a wonderful way to show one another we love each other. Yet, many families I know are living on the edge of poverty because of our economy. Not everyone can afford Christmas gifts. Wonderfully cooked ham or turkey meals with all the fixings - great, but again not everyone can do this (for a variety of reasons).

So... when it gets right down to it the true meaning of Christmas is Jesus Christ. Christ is the one we should celebrate at Christmas time. All the rest - a trimmed out tree, multi-hued gifts wrapped under the tree, a table ladened with good fixin's, even family members gathered together are wonderful and should be celebrated - but is icing on the cake, and not the cake itself. [hmmmm ... sacrilegious to compare Jesus to cake? My seminary professor's might say so]

What we need to celebrate is Christ. We can do so through reading the Christmas story - the birth of Christ - in scripture together. We can sing some of the hymns telling of the coming of Christ and the promise fulfilled through his birth. We can attend worship service together. We can even offer to help at worship service on Christmas eve. There are many ways to celebrate the birth of Christ. Let us remember the real reason we gather December 24-25th. Jesus Christ and the salvation offered through his birth, life, ministry and mission, death and resurrection. But... it begins with his birth! Let's celebrate!

peace out friends,
Patrick

Advent Begins!

Advent season is already upon us and quite likely sooner than we expected! It kind of snuck up on us. Our first Sunday of Advent is November 28th. Advent is the time of expectation, anticipation, and coming - which means we anticipate, expect and celebrate the coming of the birth of Jesus Christ.

This Advent I want to look at three seasons or times which should receive our attention.

The first season is the prophetic promise from the Old Testament that a king from the household of David would come and reign over Israel forever. During the Babylonian exile of the Jews, the promise of a coming king was especially important. The Jews, in their oppression as slaves, hoped their time of exile would end and Judah would be restored. Many were looking for a saviour or messiah - the “consolation of Israel” to save them from exile. Advent is a time in which we remember the prophetic promises and longing of ancient Israel for the coming of this king. The longing and expectation of a coming Lord is captured in the wonderful hymn, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” Listen to these words: "O come, O come, Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here until the son of God appear."

The second season surrounds the birth of Jesus – his first coming. We see the announcement from the angel to Mary that a child will be born – a savior. And we see a parallel story of Elizabeth who gives birth to John the Baptist – the one who goes before Jesus to prepare a way. Traditional hymns such as “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” by Charles Wesley share these words of fulfillment: “Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free…”. We sing the Christmas carols and we ready our hearts for the birth of Jesus Christ – our Savior and Lord.

The third season is the second coming of Christ and the day Christ comes for us in our death. This is the final emphasis of Advent. We turn our attention to the unfulfilled prophesies Christ’s own promises that He will return and usher in a new kingdom – a new heaven and new earth.
Hymns like “Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending” capture this theme. In the words of this song we hear the promise of what is to be: “Lo, he comes with clouds descending, once for favored sinners slain; thousand, thousand saints attending swell the triumph of his train. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! God appears on earth to reign.” We ready our hearts and lives for the return of Jesus Christ.

In considering the past, present and future themes of Advent I am using a classic story by Charles Dickens to help lay the framework in conjunction with the scripture for the next three Sundays of Advent - A Christmas Carol. Pastor Adam Hamilton [of Church of Resurrection] did a similar sermon series in 2002 which I have reprised.

I invite you to join with us beginning November 28th as we begin Advent and explore the true meaning of Christmas – past, present and future – and what it means for us today. Please invite a friend to worship with us as we look at:
November 28th – the Ghost of Christmas Past – Isaiah 61:1-3
December 5th – The Ghost of Christmas Present – Luke 1:46-53
December 12th – the Ghost of Christmas Future – Isaiah 53:1, 4-6
December 19th – The Christmas Story – Luke 2:1-20

I would also like to encourage you to invite a friend to one of our Christmas Eve services – 4:00, 6:30 or 10:00pm, to hear a special message from one of the Wise Men, so they too may come to know the grace and love of our God through the Son, Jesus Christ.

If you can't make it to church on Sunday, please take some time to hear the messages via our website: www.miltonumc.org. Check out the Sermon Message Archive Menu option (on the left).

Peace out friends (as my 3 year old says),

Patrick

Black Friday

It has been such a while since posting, that I thought I would start with this one - Black Friday shopping. The apprehension and anxiety leading to trepidation is always highest just before Friday - around 4:00am. News articles, blogs, websites... all talk about the crowds and difficulty in shopping the day after Thanksgiving.

This year I thought I would give it a try - see what the hype is all about. Although, I did not venture out at 4:00am. It was around 11:30am when I hit the roads for the several stores I had in mind. Building Blocks - looking for a pre-school spanish program or books to work with my 3-year old on learning spanish. Kohl's - finding a certain pair of boots my wife said she was interested in for a Christmas gift. Best Buy - seeking a Garmin so I would quit getting lost on those road trips I take several times a year. And... I thought about Wal-Mart, but opted against going there.

What I found most interesting were the people. I knew what I wanted at each store so I did not spend a lot of time actually shopping, but spent more time people watching. And believe it or not I found many of the people upbeat and friendly. Only a few here and there seemed harried and out of sorts.

I watched one lady at Kohl's juggling 6-8 packages, drop a couple of them, step on one of her children's toys, set everything down on a table and try to regroup. It was obvious to me that she had too many things in her hands. I was in the check out line with only two items in my cart, so I offered her the cart. She accepted it - but I can't remember if she said thank you or not. Most likely she did.

At all the places I stopped, the employees were gracious, helpful and smiling - a feat I would not have accomplished had it been me.

All in all - a good Black Friday experience. I'd love to see that many people rushing into church on Sunday morning though. It's the pastor side of me, I know. But really - shouldn't saving souls be more important than saving a few dollars on good deals for Christmas?

peace out (as my three year old says to me).

Patrick

Excellent!

Last night as I drove home, pulling into my driveway, I saw a man walking his dog down our street. Seeing him brought back memories to me. I stopped at the head of my drive way and got out of the car - retrieving the empty garbage cans on the corner of my front lawn. As the man came abreast of my house I said to him - "a beautiful night for a walk". He looked at me and said, "Excellent night. Thank you, sir." His emphasis was on the word excellent. Here's what caught my attention with him.

His hair was cut short in what is known as a high-and-tight; meaning he was shaved up the sides and the very top was a short, buzz cut. He had on a Marine Corp t-shirt and shorts. He was fit and walking briskly and looked to be about 10 years younger than I. On the calf of his leg was a Marine Corp emblem tatoo. He was a Marine and rightfully so, proud of it.

I too was in the Marines, many - many years ago. And often times seeing a fellow Marine brings the memories of those days to the surface. His emphatic response, "Excellent" reminded me of how Marines exemplify excellence and exhuberance in all they do. A mumbled response, a hanging head, a lackadaisical, "yeah" is the response I've come to expect in most cases when I say something to a passerby. Occasionally I will receive something a bit more spirited. However, rarely do I get the - Excellent! response.

I'm not surprized this man responded so. It's easy to see that he takes great pride in being a Marine. He takes pride in what the Marines stand for - integrity, honesty, honor, and yes - pride ... and is willing to share that with those around him.

I was blessed by his single word in a way that has stayed with me even into the next day. It is a reminder to me that when I respond to someone I have the opportunity to bless them with my own form of exhurberant "excellent" with the intent of lifting spirits and bringing a smile to the face. Or I can mumble and hang my head and respond lackadaisically. I choose the former.

From one Marine to another, from a Marine to all those reading this post, from a pastor who strives to bless those around him - Have an Excellent! day and may God bless you always.

Pastor Patrick

Keeping Drugs Off Our Streets

Recently our Milton Police department installed a brilliant red drop off box in front of the police station labeled, Drug Drop-Off. I had the pleasure of watching as they installed the box and then spoke with the police department about the box. The Milton Police department is the first agency in Rock County to offer this permanent, 24-hour, prescription drug drop-off. It is a mailbox-style drop box for unused prescription drugs.

My feeling on this is – this is a wonderful thing. This is a place where you can get rid of unused prescription drugs anonymously (if so desired). This certainly would have come in handy earlier this month as I and my siblings were trying to get rid of my mother’s unused prescription drugs following her untimely death July 5th. In Sheboygan County there is no drop box for drugs. Subsequently we struggled to find a good solution.

During a recent conversation I had with one of my staff members I learned that kids now days have what is called a “pharm” party. Kids raid their parent’s cabinets for unused prescription drugs; bring them to a party; place the drugs (unmarked – no bottles…) in a big bowl; stir the bowl and then grab a handful for consumption. I shudder to think of our youth involved in something like this and the detriment to their health, their minds and possibly their lives. God help them!

One concern shared with me was the security of this drop off box. Is it secure? Could someone break in and take the contents? In my conversation with the department they said, it’s as secure as it can be. The box is bolted to the ground and has been designed for this specific purpose (dropping off drugs). There is a camera trained on the box 24/7. The cost of the box, sans the bright red paint job and logos, was $650.00. Thought, function, security… have been well invested in this box. And the community is using it! Over 70lbs of prescription drugs were taken from the drop box the very first time the police department emptied it.

The proper disposal of the drugs is quite involved – much more than just flushing the pills down the toilet! The drugs are collected via the drop box. The local pharmacist volunteers his time to separate the collected drugs. Then they are boxed and shipped out (or flown out) to a drug disposal center.

If you, your family, your parents or grandparents have old, unused drugs in your bathroom cabinet and you don’t know what to do with them. Bring them in to the Milton Police Department. Let them help you to dispose of them appropriately.

All in all, way to go Milton Police Department! I like what you are doing in our community for the safety and concern of the people. God bless you and keep you.

Pastor Patrick

Keep the Faith

If you’ve followed the Christian news at all recently, you’ve undoubtedly heard of Anne Rice’s declaration to stop following Christianity, while still being a follower of Christ. Anne is the best selling author of the Vampire Chronicles and recently wrote the book, Of Love and Evil. Ten years ago Anne made headlines in declaring her return to her Catholic heritage and moving from atheist to believer. Today you will find on Anne’s Facebook a posting that states, “Today I quit being a Christian. I’m out… In the name of Christ I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth. I refuse to be anti-Democrat. I refuse to be anti-secular humanism. I refuse to be anti-science. I refuse to be anti-science. In the name of Christ I quit Christianity and quit being Christian. Amen.” (posted July 28th)

The issues Anne talks about, which cause confusion, discomfort, even anger, are many of the issues we all deal with. I had a conversation with a young lady of my community several months ago where she said she was against organized religion – for many of the same reasons Anne has cited. We are no strangers to these controversies, are we? I have spoken with people in my community (some from my church) who have left the church because of arguments on homosexuality, or politics, or feminism (should a woman be allowed in the pulpit or be ordained as a pastor…). Some have left the church because someone said something to them to which they took great offense.

The truth is we find many things within the religious organization that are discomforting, off-setting, and seemingly at odds with the teachings of Jesus Christ. Gandhi once said that he has no problem with Jesus – in fact he is in agreement with the teachings of Jesus. His problem is with the Church. Our Church is fallible. Our Church is made up of people who are sinful and imperfect and often times at odds with one another. There are issues I struggle with in the Church. I’ve been a pastor for 6 years and involved in ministry for about 10 years. There are things I will probably always disagree with, struggle with, and try to understand (perhaps with success, perhaps not). Perhaps you’ve experienced this too?

Yet, this doesn’t negate the fact that we strive to follow the teachings of Jesus and to be the Christians Christ calls us to be. Our best chance of doing this is as a community – a Body of Christ. Don’t turn your back on Christianity because of the weak, fallible areas of our “organized religion”. As Adam Hamilton wrote in his recent Washington Post article in response to a man who said he was leaving the church, “Please, don't let this man define what it means to be a Christian. We desperately need to show the world that there is another way to be Christian!”

I would echo this. Please don’t leave the church. We need you to help lead us to be a better Church. Our issues cannot be resolved if we quit the game. Persevere. Hang tough. Help us to see the other side of the picture. And think about it this way. Perhaps there are some tensions that are not meant to be resolved (Andy Stanley’s words at the recent Willow Creek Leadership Summit). The tension is important for the health of the church.

Keep the faith and at times you’ll have to help us keep the faith too.

p.s. two great books to read to learn how those outside the Church view the Church:
UnChristian by David Kinnamen; They Like Jesus But Not the Church by Dan Kimball.

Our Sabbath Day

Of all the Ten Commandments, God committed the most words to the 5th. In the KJV, it reads like this: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.”

Imagine chiseling all of that into a stone tablet. He could’ve just said “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” and left it at that. He did so few words for some of the other commandments…. Did He think there might be some confusion as to how “keeping the Sabbath holy” should be interpreted?

Well, He was right, of course. There seems to be a lot of confusion as to how it should be interpreted, especially in our US culture today; or, should I say, it is a commandment that is regularly not remembered nor honored by choice. It’s a choice for parents to allow their children to take to the soccer field at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, who do their “WalMart-ing” and grocery shopping every Sunday, who seem to think that Sunday is the day to catch up on paperwork. And, to the chagrin of all those craft-oriented people in the world, Hobby Lobby is closed on Sunday. The nerve!

God includes in His commandment the fact that He followed it too, when creating the world. If God can rest one day of the week, and actually needs it, then don’t we?

Pastors may have to make their Sabbath, or day of rest, a different day than Sunday. Nurses and doctors may have to work on Sunday, but each has to choose another day of that week to rest: rest their body, and their soul. “Thou shalt not do any work.” In years past, this would even include not saddling up the horse, or not cooking (I’m fine with the latter ;) It might include not mowing the grass on Sunday, (or one’s chosen Sabbath, if necessary). But, instead of focusing on what we shouldn’t do on this day of rest; let’s focus on what we should and can do.

Rest. Worship. Pray. Plan a picnic of food prepared on Saturday and enjoy nature with the family; nature that God created. When do any of us just take time to listen to the birds sing, the frogs croak, feast our eyes on the colors of the sky and field? God created our bodies and our souls to need rest, worship, prayer, and all the benefits of the natural world He created, yet we ignore it regularly and we wonder why we feel so stressed all the time? Or, some of us have felt so stressed for so long that we don’t even realize we feel stressed and consider it normal to feel tense, to not sleep well, and be exhausted by Friday evening and stare at the television until we fall asleep to it.

“But the kids will feel left out. I don’t have time on the other days. My boss expects me to get these done and doesn’t care when it happens. I’ll lose this event and won’t get that gold medal.”

Yes, I’m talking about Olympian Eric Liddel. His best Olympic event was run on a Sunday, so he chose to train for the 400 m instead, an event that was definitely not his best. An American masseur slipped a piece of paper into Liddell's hand as he ran the 400m with a quotation from 1 Samuel 2:30, "Those who honor me I will honor." And he set a record. Does anyone remember the name of the winner in the 100 m, his best event, the one he chose not to run? Does anyone remember the names of the other runners of the 400 m?

God did honor him. And He will honor each of us if we choose to make it a priority to treat the Sabbath as holy, a gift from God, to be used for rest, not to catch up on work, not to shout from the sidelines of a playing field. Try it and see.

Blessings to all,

Brenda Schultz (wife of Patrick)

The Body Of Christ - A New Sermon Series

The contemporary music group, Casting Crowns, wrote a hit song a number of years ago that asks some powerful, poignant questions. If We Are The Body contains such questions as: “… if we are the body, why aren’t his arms reaching? Why aren’t his hands healing? Why aren’t his words teaching? And if we are the body, why aren’t his feet going? Why is his love not showing them there is a way?”

The song assumes we understand what it means to be the Body of Christ. Beginning May 23rd we will launch a new five-week sermon series entitled The Body of Christ. During this time we will explore what it means to be the Body of Christ; how we are reaching out and sharing the Jesus’ message; how we understand what that message is; and even where we are falling short.

The Milton Methodist Church invites you to join us for this series!
May 23rd The Mind of Christ – So heavenly bound that we are no earthly good!
May 30th The Eyes of Christ – How we see the people around us.
June 6th The Heart of Christ – How we love the people around us.
June 13th The Hands of Christ – How we serve the people around us.
June 20th The Feet of Christ – How we go to the people around us.

Please, come and join us for this sermon series. Our church is located at 241 Northside Drive, Milton WI. Our website address is: www.MiltonUMC.org. Our website lists directions and service times. If you are unable to stop by, please visit us at our website where you can also listen to our sermon messages on-line.

Blessings to you!

Pastor Patrick

Giving Around The World

Today I wanted to share one of the ways Brenda and I give outside our local community. I felt prompted to do so when I was standing at the refrigerator the other morning, looking at the many faces children gazing back at me. When you look at our refrigerator you will see faces of cousins, nieces, nephews, friends (mostly young and some older). There is no real order to the pictures – they are a wild, fun, hodge-podge – some hanging straight by magnets, some crooked, and some barely hanging on at all!

There is one picture of a young girl who bears no resemblance to anyone in our family. She is six years old and her name is Cheyla Andrea. We have never formerly met Cheyla, although we have written back and forth. We know her favorite food is French fries (they are up there on my list of favs too!); her favorite color is purple and pink; and she loves to play with her dolls. She lives in the coastal region of Columbia in a small town of 6,000 called Nueva Colonia (New Colony).

We know her through Compassion International. Compassion International is a Christian organization that exists as an advocacy ministry for spiritually and physically poverty stricken children. CI was founded by Rev. Everett Swanson in 1952. It began by providing Korean War orphans with food, shelter, education and health care as well as Christian training. Today, Compassion helps more than 1 million children in 25 countries.

One of the things that drew us to Compassion International was their Christian foundation. Compassion’s mission statement reads:
In response to the Great Commission, Compassion International exists as an advocate for children, to release them from their spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enable them to become responsible and fulfilled Christian adults.

The people of Nueva Colonia experience tremendous hardships and poverty. Most adults work on plantations and earn an average of $125 per month. And the community as a whole is in need of more schools, teachers, doctors, employment opportunities…

Our support for Cheyla costs us $38.00 per month. This monthly amount is part of our tithe and is one small way we can make an impact on child outside our community. Our meager amount provides Cheyla with medical checkups, health education, Bible teachings, vocational programs and tutoring. It is amazing to think how much good a few of our dollars do in another country. Brenda and I have gone out to a dinner and a movie for more than $38.00 numerous times. Yet, this small amount will provide Cheyla with much of the support she needs to live and grow healthy.

One of the other reasons I like Compassion International is their focus on developing and transforming the lives of children through collaborative effort with the local church. The children are helped to discover their own worth to God and they are disciple in the Word through the local church. This is not an advertisement for Compassion (although it may sound like it  ) It is however, a recognition of the work they are doing in Christ’s name.

In addition to the dollars and letters, we support Cheyla through our prayers. Each night Gracie and I say our bed time prayers and we include Cheyla. Prayer is one of the most powerful ways we can support her. And by praying over her with Gracie, Gracie learns the value of keeping others in her prayer life.

Perhaps you are already supporting someone through a foundation similar to this. Perhaps you have someone else in your life that you support in some way. If you do not, I would ask you to give prayerful consideration to checking out Compassion International. Your decision to do so, and your few dollars every month, may very well change the life of some young child half way around the world! Wouldn’t that be a wonderful way to live out the Great Commission?

Blessings to you,

Patrick

The Body of Christ - a new sermon series

The contemporary music group, Casting Crowns, wrote a hit song a number of years ago that asks some powerful, poignant questions. If We Are The Body contains such questions as: “… if we are the body, why aren’t his arms reaching? Why aren’t his hands healing? Why aren’t his words teaching? And if we are the body, why aren’t his feet going? Why is his love not showing them there is a way?”

The song assumes we understand what it means to be the Body of Christ. Beginning May 23rd we will launch a new five-week sermon series entitled The Body of Christ. During this time we will explore what it means to be the Body of Christ; how we are reaching out and sharing the Jesus’ message; how we understand what that message is; and even where we are falling short.

The Milton Methodist Church invites you to join us for this series!

May 23rd The Mind of Christ – So heavenly bound that we are no earthly good!
May 30th The Eyes of Christ – How we see the people around us.
June 6th The Heart of Christ – How we love the people around us.
June 13th The Hands of Christ – How we serve the people around us.
June 20th The Feet of Christ – How we go to the people around us.

For directions to our church check out our website: www.miltonumc.org

If you are unable to attend, feel free to listen to the messages on-line via our website.

Blessings to you!

Patrick

National Day of Prayer

May 6th is our National Prayer Day. Perhaps you have heard some news or seen rumors that President Obama has canceled National Prayer Day. This is decidedly false. President Obama supports our day of prayer and recognizes the necessity of it. In fact he wrote this in support last year:

Throughout our Nation's history, Americans have come together in moments of great challenge and uncertainty to humble themselves in prayer. In 1775, as the Continental Congress began the task of forging a new Nation, colonists were asked to observe a day of quiet humiliation and prayer. Almost a century later, as the flames of the Civil War burned from north to south, President Lincoln and the Congress once again asked the American people to pray as the fate of their Nation hung in the balance.



It is in that spirit of unity and reflection that we once again designate the first Thursday in May as the National Day of Prayer. Let us remember those who came before us, and let us each give thanks for the courage and compassion shown by so many in this country and around the world.

(for a full reading of his proclamation or release: http://www.presidentialprayerteam.org/090507-Proclamation.asp)



This year he continues to support the National Day of Prayer. For us, there are many in our families, our community, our church and around our world that are in need of prayer. In the last week or two alone I have talked with or heard from people close to me who are undergoing: divorce after being married for many years, marital problems (although not divorce), dealing with drug issues, dealing with issues of faith, been out of work since December with no employment in sight, dealing with husbands (or other family members) overseas in the Afghanistan and Iraq war, dealing with hospitalization and possible death, struggling with teenagers who are making poor life decisions, diagnosed with a debilitating disease.... In our own lives, this could be anyone of us and we could be struggling with any number of concerns and issues.



What can we do when we feel so helpless in these situations? Where do we turn? How do we overcome? How do we see light at the end of that dark, dark tunnel? How do we keep our faith, our hope and our spirits up? I want to invite you to a deeper relationship with Jesus through prayer. In our relationship with Jesus we can find answers to our difficulties. Does this mean God will suddenly land us that job? Or remove that cancer? Or bring back our loved one for war? Perhaps not. But in our relationship with Jesus we find a deeper understanding and semblance of peace and know there is a greater reward for us. We can feel a sense of assurance that all will be all right. As we do so, we can share this grace with those around us who are struggling.



On this Day of Prayer would you take some time to pray for those in need whom you know personally? Would you pray for your family, your church, your pastor, our nation’s leaders and for a world peace? Lastly, I ask you to pray for yourself. Let our God shape and mold us into the person God wants us to be, through our prayer.



Blessings to you,



Patrick

Bear Much Fruit

Now we come to the fourth and final part of our “Discipleship” series. One of the things that made Jesus such a worthy preacher – besides his divine nature – was that he often spoke in such a way that people connected to what he was saying. He used vivid imagery to paint a picture of the message he was giving and the imagery he used was one of both the time and place.

When he described himself as the good shepherd who would lay down his life for his sheep, he was speaking to a culture of people in which shepherding was not only prevalent, but was their livelihood. When Jesus spoke of himself as the living water he did so to a desert people who knew the value of water.

In John 15 Jesus speaks of himself as the true vine. The disciples would have been able to identify with this image of the vine and the branches, of fruit bearing and pruning. They would have been able to identify with this imagery because Palestine was the land of vineyards. But more than this Israel has often been referred to as the vine, and even more, as the vineyard of God. This is part of their identity and perhaps it leaves them feeling a bit superior – a bit smug about all of this so, imagine the surprise of the disciples when Jesus tells them, ‘I am the true vine’.

“I am the true vine. And those who love me, not those who are descended of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, not those who have been circumcised, but those who love me, they are the branches. … My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

There are three words in John 15:1-8 that lead us back to bearing fruit for God. These three words that I want you to pay particular attention to are: Abide, Apart and Ask.

The first word, abide, is a word we’ve already explored when Jesus gave us the command to abide in his word. 11 times we see this word in the first 11 verses of John 15. This is a crucial word in Jesus’ faith vocabulary and it’s one we need to pay attention to.

What does it mean to abide in Christ? Dr. Maxie Dunham – a Methodist pastor and former president of the seminary I attended once wrote, “to abide in Christ means realizing his presence; responding to his prodding and probing; and resting in his peace.” How do we abide in him? By first recognizing his presence.

To realize Jesus presence is to make him real in our lives. We make his presence real in our lives through prayer, scripture and through worship. Prayer, scripture and worship are core elements to our Christianity and our relationship to Christ.

How often do we neglect to start our day out with prayer? How often do we say to ourselves – I’m too busy? I guarantee it happens to everyone of us – including myself! Yet, it’s in prayer that we bring our focus to who Jesus is in our lives. We bring our problems to Jesus; we share our celebrations with him. We ask him to guide us, to care for us, to shape us, mold us, and make us into the person he intends us to be. In our prayer we remember his love for us and strive to remember the price he paid for our salvation.

But, sometimes we pray and do not feel the presence of Christ. Sometimes our prayer time might feel dry and barren and nothing happens. We may say to ourselves, I’m not realizing the presence of Christ here!

I believe that a big part of the problem with this is we don’t include scripture reading in our regular prayer time. I want to ask you today, do you have a quiet time each day that you set aside for prayer and scripture? Prayer and scripture reading in a quiet time each day helps us to connect to Christ.

Making Christ’s presence felt in our lives is not something that automatically happens. It takes work. It takes dedication and commitment on our part. It’s something we make happen by what we do and how we respond. So we make Jesus presence known among us by prayer and scripture, but we also do this by worship.

We can have private worship in our daily quiet time. We also have corporate worship when the people of God come together to pray together, to sing together, and to receive the forgiving grace of Christ together. When we come together as a people to celebrate what God has done in our lives we no longer bow before the altar of our job, but rather before the altar of God. We make real the presence of Christ by prayer, by scripture and by worship – and we abide in Christ.

The second word I want to talk about is apart. This word apart is a harsh word. It’s a painful word with a sense of finality to it. Jesus says in the 5th verse of today’s reading, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.”

Apart from me you can do nothing is to many of us a word of challenge and a promise as well. It is a word of challenge – because we say to ourselves, I can do it – apart from Christ. And we rely on our own strength, our own wit, our own resources to do it – whatever it is for each of us individually. This is our challenge…

Yet, Jesus gives to us a picture of judgment that when we do not abide in him, the dead branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire and are burned. Now, that’s not a picture we like to think about is it? But I’m convinced it’s a picture we need to think about. The Bible is certain about this and quite clear to us – there will be a judgment day. We will stand before Christ one day in judgment to account for who we are and what we’ve done with the life he has given us.

We may say to ourselves, God is too loving to condemn any person to eternal hell. If this is our thought we are missing the point. God doesn’t condemn us to hell – we condemn ourselves. Jesus Christ is a loving friend and companion and savior to all of us. He does everything he can do – he goes to the limits, pouring out every last drop of blood, suffering in unimaginable ways for us, dying on the cross for us in order that we might be grafted into the vine, sustained and saved.

It is those who refuse him who fail to receive the love and life that he offers. It is those who are condemned by their own deliberate refusal or failure to act that Jesus is talking about when he says, “Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned”.

The third word I want to talk about is ask. In this 7th verse Jesus says if you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish and it will be done for you. This verse is a sermon in and of itself. This is a phrase from Jesus that even when we muster up all our faith and believe, we are still so baffled by it that we don’t respond to it. We don’t lay hold of the promise he offers us.

For today let this word about prayer stand as it is. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. Ask – pray – develop that intimate relationship with Christ as we’ve talked about. Let the rewards of that relationship be a part of your life. Let Christ guide your life into a meaningful, fruitful, fruit bearing daily living.

Bear Your Cross

Two articles precede this one: Love One Another and Abide In My Word. This is the third part of a four part series discussing Jesus’ call to discipleship. My intent in this series is to better understand who Jesus is in our lives. When we begin to understand who Jesus is in our lives I believe we begin to make some changes in the way we think and the way we do things – which is precisely Jesus’ intent.

Perhaps the first thing we must realize is the commands Jesus gives to us as disciples – aren’t something that is easily done or easily followed. In fact I’m sometimes reminded of Mark Twain’s book, “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” when Huck Finn says, “Well then, what’s the use of learning to do right when it’s so troublesome to do right and ain’t no trouble to do wrong?”

Ain’t that the truth? It ain’t no trouble to do wrong, but it’s troublesome to do right. It is harder to do right – it is harder to follow the right path, make the right decisions, to live the life Jesus calls us to.

And this is why Jesus tells his followers, if you are going to come to me – to follow me – to be my disciple – you need to be ready to bear your cross.

Jesus doesn’t hide the fact that this is a difficult road to follow. In fact he’s quite straightforward about this with all of his followers. Luke 14:25-35 begins with these words, “Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.””

This command of discipleship that Jesus’ gives is a strong one isn’t it? And I wonder if he perhaps trying to weed out those who are less serious about following him? I’m not sure that is the case, but rather I believe he is being straightforward with everyone as to what it takes to be a disciple of his – so they know the cost of discipleship.

I imagine this great crowd who followed Jesus was made up of the same type of people as you and I – we have hurt and sick children in our lives, we doubt who we are at times, we hunger to feel loved. We feel lost, helpless and hopeless, and frightened at times. We too look for answers, need someone to turn to – and Jesus says, hey! That’s me. Turn to me. Be in a relationship with me. Follow me, and I will feed your hunger.

But know this, when you decide to follow me – truly follow me – I will ask you to do things that are not easy. You must love one another – even when it’s not easy to do so. You must abide in my word and know the truth – even though that takes work and sacrifice. And you must be ready to sacrifice. You must be ready to take up your cross.

I believe that there are those in our world who would say I don’t think we should focus on how hard it’s going to be – how troublesome it is to do right. I believe there are those who may say I don’t want to hear the bad news or the price I have to pay – just tell me about how good it will be in the end.

Yet as Jesus says – if you are building a tower – or are embarking on something big – would you not count the cost first? Don’t you want to know how much material you’ll need, how much labor is necessary, how much wages you’ll need to pay so you don’t get stuck after just laying the foundation? You’ll want enough to finish the job. And I am glad for Jesus’ words – he lays out for us just how difficult it will be to follow him so there are no false hopes or expectations or misleading idea that this is a walk in the park.

I think in particular Jesus spoke to this crowd and his disciples about how hard it is to truly follow him because he knew what was coming. He spoke of the necessity of a total commitment – even to the point of death. And he was harsh in his words – wasn’t he?

Hate your mother, your father, your wife and children and brothers and sisters, and yes – even your own life if you are going to be my disciple – these are harsh, bold words that would catch anyone’s attention.

Why did he speak so harshly? He knew what lay ahead for those who would follow him. Throughout the history of Christianity we have heard story after story of persecution beginning with the disciples of Jesus.

Andrew (Jesus first disciple) died on a cross.
Simon (the Zealot) was crucified.
Bartholomew was flayed alive.
James (the son of Zebedee and brother of John) was beheaded.
The other James (the son of Alphaeus) was beaten to death.
Thomas (Doubting Thomas) was run through with a lance.
Matthias (who was added to the Apostles after Jesus’ resurrection) was stoned and then beheaded.
Matthew (the wealthy tax collector who made the decision to follow Jesus rather than becoming wealthier) was slain by the sword.
Peter (the rock on whom the church was built) was crucified upside down.
Thaddeus was shot to death with arrows.
Philip was hanged.

Only John made it through alive but he was exiled to a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea – the Patmos Island.

The demands that Jesus makes upon those who would follow him are extreme. Christianity is not a Sunday morning religion. It is a hungering after God to the point of death if need be. It shakes our foundations, topples our priorities, pits us against friend and family, and makes us strangers in this world. When we take on the responsibility of being a disciple of Jesus we are doing more than just making a decision.

The decision is the first part, the first step of this journey, and in that first step we enter in to a lifelong relationship with Jesus. The decision part of this whole thing might be the easiest of it all!

We must understand that Jesus calls us into a relationship and not just a decision. When we first commit ourselves to being a disciple of Jesus we understand that we have a lifetime journey of learning just what this means. I think we have to understand that we don’t take this decision or relationship lightly. Likewise we must understand there is a cost to being in this relationship. It’s not easy my friends.

Welcome to my new friend

A while back I mentioned the passing of my dear friend Bailey. Bailey, a Chessie-Chocolate lab, was my constant companion for the last 10 years or so. Putting him to sleep was a very difficult thing. Now, as spring is upon us, my spirits are soaring once again. The sun has a way of lifting our spirits, especially with the warmer temperatures coming our way. It’s with great pleasure I introduce you to my new friend, Jackson.

Jackson is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever and Australian Shepherd mix. As my vet said, “So… he’s both stubborn and smart!” Which is true. In a very short time he has learned how to chew shoes – mine only. For some reason he leaves Brenda’s alone. I’ve lost one pair of slippers, and two different pairs of shoes now bear his tooth marks. He knows how to untie knots – especially in one of his chew toys. He sits at the back door and raises his front feet (one at a time) before coming in. This, so we can wipe his paws thereby reducing the amount of dirt or mud he tracks in. He sits, lies down, retrieves (like a mad man!), shakes hands – either paw, and is very, very good with our 2.5 year old girl.

He is smaller, but has great character and is a fearless watch dog over the squirrels and birds and the occasional visitor we have. He loves to be around people, but is content to play by himself at times. Although his favorite thing to do is to go out into our back yard and let me through his ball for him to retrieve. I feel infinitely safer with him in the house. I know when I am gone Brenda and Gracie are still well protected.

Blessings to you,

Patrick

Abide In My Word

In my last article I looked at Jesus’ command to love one another even as he has loved us. Today we look at John 8:31-32 which states, “Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’”

Truth is a word that is often considered paradoxical at best. It is a word both meaningful and simple; straightforward and complex. It is often quoted, often discussed, often argued, and too often disregarded. Authors, poets, preachers, theologians and politicians, moms and dads – all have much to tell us about truth.

One of my favorite quotes about truth comes from the “I Have a Dream” speech by Martin Luther King Jr. In this he talks about truth and hope with these words:

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”

This is our hope. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

Truth is sometimes hard to come by. It is sometimes brandished like a sword and sometimes hidden like an embarrassing blemish. But in fact, ‘truth’ is something quite more than a mere word that we bandy around. Truth is a way of life and it provides an underlying meaning to what we do and who we are.

On a grand scale John Wesley, our Methodist founder, would refer to truth in social terms calling it social holiness or social justice.

Wesley would teach that people must be Christians in both word and deed and that this expressed the love of God. As we grow in God’s grace we are first prepared to believe – to have faith in God and God’s action in our lives. And then we are motivated and spiritually directed to respond to God in faith through our good works by being involved in God’s mission.

Wesley not only preached this, but he practiced what he preached. He lived modestly and gave all he could to help people who were poor. He visited people in prison and hospitals and gave spiritual guidance, food and clothing. He helped create schools and orphanages and spoke out against the social injustices of slavery.

Truth is recognizing and understanding what is wrong in our lives – both personally and socially. Truth is seeing the suffering around us and not turning a blind eye to it. Truth is seeing through the compassionate eyes of Jesus Christ; it is hearing the cries for help through his sensitive ears and responding to need with his loving heart.

Jesus says know the truth. When we do this we begin to be part of God’s kingdom plan – building a kingdom ruled by Christ in which peace, love, care and concern for one another are foremost in our hearts. This is precisely what Jesus is talking about when he says, if you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples.

Abide means to remain in place, to stay where it is. It is a fixed state – permanent, lasting, enduring and remaining. Jesus says, abide in my word. Be in me, remain in me – be enduring and lasting in this relationship with me (Jesus). But I also believe he is saying – I (Jesus) will be permanent, steadfast, a fixed state in your life.

Abiding in the Word of God – accepting Christ into our lives as our savior, our redeemer and knowing that God is at work in us through Christ – is our hope. Not only is it our hope but it is the realization that this is the revelation of God – God revealed to us. And this is the truth.

Jesus understands we live in a world that repudiates this truth and replaces it with fashionable truths. Sometimes this is my truth; sometimes it is your truth; and sometimes it’s the truth of another person. But what Jesus is saying is that we need to recognize there is only one truth. There is only one hope, and it is God in Christ.

This is the truth. And if we know it, this truth will set us free.