Faithful Giving

I’d like to extend a special 'thank you' to the folks of Milton and especially the families on Chicago Street and High Street. Each Friday following Thanksgiving Day I hand deliver a personalized letter asking families to fill a grocery bag (which I provide thanks to Jason at the Piggly Wiggly) with non-perishable food and toiletry items. I deliver the letter to about 45-50 homes. In my message I say that I will pick up and deliver these items to the Milton Food Pantry the following Friday.

Each year my “city block community” responds faithfully and helps provide for the families of our community who are in need. This year was no different! On December 2nd I picked up 23 bags of groceries and assorted items, including one very large box. I dropped these items off at the Milton Food Pantry. In four years this city block community has given over 95-105 bags and boxes of food, toiletries, and assorted stuff! What a blessing!

Thanksgiving and Christmas are a time of celebration and rejoicing, gifts and big meals, family gatherings and more. Yet many in our community are feeling the pinch of the economy and may not celebrate with big meals because the cupboards are bare. The gifts may not be as plentiful as one would like. Some may not have family to share with. Yet because of the generosity of the community, and people like you, we can help.

This Advent and Christmas season I’d like you to give thought and prayer to where you might be able to help out someone in need. Do you know a family that won’t have a Christmas meal? Someone who is staying home, by him or herself, at Christmas? Someone who needs to hear the message of Jesus Christ and the peace and grace a personal relationship with Christ brings? How can you help? Who can you invite to worship with you?

Blessings to you my friends. I’ll see you on Sunday!

The Gift of An Eraser

This Sunday we continue sharing the gifts God has blessed us with by opening The Gift of An Eraser. Do you remember playing those games as a child and someone would call out, ‘Do Over!’. We need a do over! And all the children, some grumbling but most eagerly accepting would do just that – do it over. Whatever was done incorrectly, whatever mistake had been made was erased. As if it had never happened.

Don’t you wish you could do that in real life? I said something I didn’t mean to – oops, do over! I made a huge mistake – do over! In reality we can’t always have a do over. There are consequences for our actions that we need to take in to consideration and live out. Ideally, we take those consequences in mind, before saying or doing or responding to a situation… but we don’t always do that.

Yet we can be a part of wiping the slate clean and starting over, letting go, forgetting and moving on. This is an important part of our relationships with one another and with God. Christ teaches we are to forgive 70 times 7 the one who has hurt, offended, or disappointed us. As important as this is, we must learn to forgive ourselves as well. Do not carry the weight of past mistakes on your shoulders. Let them go. Christ forgives you. You can forgive you.

Blessings to you my friends,

Patrick

Holiday Spending...

I came across this suggestion for holiday spending in an email sent to me from Church of the Resurrection. I thought I’d share it with you, as many of us get ready to do our Christmas shopping (or find ourselves in the midst of our shopping!)


• Create a budget before you start spending – The first step in smart holiday spending is to create a budget. List the areas in which you will spend money and assign dollar amounts to each area. Be realistic or you will be tempted to change the budget midway and that will defeat the purpose of your budget. The budget is there to tell you how much you can spend. Keeping to your budget is the smart way to shop.

• Shop with a list – Make a list of everything that you intend to buy and stick to your plan. Don't buy anything that is not on your list unless you absolutely must.

• Set expectations – Have the "talk" with your family to see if you can exchange names for the adults and place a dollar figure on the amount to be spent on the gift. If the budget will be tight, let everybody know ahead of time and you will all be on the same page.

• Make your own gifts – Everybody loves a gift that comes from the heart. If you are handy or artistic, you might consider making your own gifts for family and friends. Gift baskets of homemade foods, picture books, crafts and artwork are all great ideas.

• Do your homework – Do your homework before you leave the house. Know where the sales are. Many stores price match, so always ask “for your best price” especially on large ticket items. Look for coupons and discounts at every opportunity.

• Shop with a plan – Never go shopping without a plan on where you are going to go and what you are going to buy. This will avoid those impulse purchases.

• Track your spending – Make a list of everything that you buy and how much it cost. Comparing your spending with your budget can keep you on track and prevent you from spending more than you originally planned.

Hope this helps!

Blessings to you this Christmas,

Patrick

An interesting thing happened...

About two weeks ago I had to return a new laptop to HP – it did not work upon arrival. I had received a return authorization from HP and was to ship it via FedEx. While my time on the phone with HP (troubleshooting, on-hold, getting a new laptop ordered...) wasn’t the most enjoyable time I’ve ever had; I did have a wonderful experience with FedEx. I parked at the Plainfield office in Janesville, carried my box into the building and the first thing I noticed was the door opened automatically! At first I looked to see who was coming out, but no one did. The automatic sensors sensed me coming and opened the door for me. How great! I thought. If my arms are totally full, I don’t have to fiddle with the door handle.

As I brought in my box (and pre-printed shipping form) a lady came from the back, greeted me with a warm smile and said (pointing her finger at my printed sheet) 'Hello, I'll need that'. I waited for her to go on telling me what else was needed, but that was it!

So I asked her, 'Is that it?'.

'Yes, that’s all I need.' she said.

'You mean I’m done', I asked?

'Yes, you are done.'

Wow, that’s great I thought. And then I told her how much I appreciated the opening door, the welcoming smile, the quick and easy service. Wouldn’t it be awesome if all business experiences went this smoothly? Then I thought, I wonder if this is what visitors and guests (and even our church members) experience when they come to our church? Are they welcomed? Received with smiles? Helped when they need help? Do they walk away feeling like this was the best experience of my week?

I hope so. Help me to make this so for all those who come into our church. Smile and smile often. Welcome and welcome warmly. Help and help often. Make this be the best experience of anyone’s week!

If you are a visitor to our church (Milton UMC in Milton WI) I'd love to hear your feedback. Did/do you feel welcome? Were you helped? Was this a best experience type feeling?

I am thankful to God for the ways he is changing all our lives.

peace to you,

Patrick

Thanks Giving!

This last week I was privileged to participate in the GIFTS Men’s homeless shelter. We were at the Emmanuel Free Methodist church and on Tuesday around 6:00-6:30 pm I checked in for overnight duty.

I knew several of the people of Emmanuel, who were there helping, and so made some reconnections with them – getting caught up on our respective ministries and daily life. I met two young men, identical twins and juniors in high school, who were the sons of Emmanuel’s program coordinator. And I spent some time visiting and talking with the men of the shelter.

I always experience a range of emotions as I hear their stories: wonder, discomfort, anger (at their situations), a sense of helplessness (I’d like to make it all better with one wave of my hand), and a sense of sorrow not only for their situation but for all who suffer needlessly.

One man I spoke with had been part of the homeless shelter for three years. He now has his own home and a job and volunteers his time with the GIFTS program. He proved a tremendous help when I had questions – he knew everything and everyone. Another man I spoke with had been part of the shelter program for only several weeks, but has been out of work for four years. He was soft spoken, older, and has a college education. One of my last check-ins was a new comer to the shelter. He had never been in a homeless shelter and was understandably nervous and unsure of himself. We helped him get settled in and made him feel as welcome as we could.

The next morning I was on my way home by 7:00-7:30 am. During my drive home I thought about the men I had met. I prayed for them and wept for them. I also thought how proud I am of our church and the people serving in this ministry. I am proud of all the churches of Janesville who are coming together (regardless of denomination) to provide some shelter, hot meals, showers, clothing and toiletries... It is a just a little bit we are offering and doing, but it is one step towards serving those in need in our community.

I am thankful for the church and people I serve. I am blessed to be in ministry with you. I am in awe of your spiritual gifts and I watch with great joy and love in my heart as I see you rise (time and time again) to the needs of the occasion – helping and serving the people of our community.

I am thankful to God for the ways he is changing all our lives.

See you on Sunday my friends,

Patrick

Thank you God!

Every now and then I pause to thank God for the ministry he has led me to. Most days go by so quickly – they are filled with hurrying from one moment to the next (sometimes figuratively, sometimes literally) that I forget to thank God. How terrible is that! Yet, in the quiet moments when I pick up my Bible, reflect upon the ministries of the day, as well as the blessings of God, I am thankful.

I am thankful for the phone calls I have with church members, church friends, or someone from the community. I am thankful for the visits I can make to the hospital or someone’s home. I am thankful for the planning of worship service, selecting of scripture, writing of a sermon and mulling through songs. I am thankful for the many, many ministries we have going at the church and that I can be a part of them (in some small way). I am thankful for the opportunities I have to pray for you – especially when you share prayer concerns with me. I am thankful when a young child remembers or recalls (in his or her own words) a biblical story that was taught last week – or at VBS! I am thankful that I can read stories every Wednesday morning to our preschoolers. I am thankful for those of you who share your faith journey with me and how God is at work in your lives. I am thankful for my own spiritual journey and growth. And I am thankful for serving here at Milton UMC.

I shared a bit about Milton UMC’s ministries, changes, and growth these last several years with Cheri Milton of HospiceCare yesterday. She was here to present ways of coping with grief through the holidays. She and her husband had pastored a church in Madison years ago and she was amazed at the ways our church serves in ministry and outreach. Most of all, I am thankful for the ways in which you open yourself to God working through you. You are the body of Christ. You are the hands and feet of Christ, serving in ministry and mission. And I thank you for letting me be part of your ministry.


Blessings to you my friends. I’ll see you on Sunday!

Does God Hear My Prayers?

Sometimes events take place in our lives where we as Christians are left wondering – is God really out there? Where was God when the twin towers of 9/11 fell? Was God there when the holocaust was happening and millions of Jews were being murdered? Why didn’t God stop the death of the 200,000 people in Haiti’s earthquake last year? Was God watching over that little girl and protecting her when she was taken and abused and killed? Sometimes we wonder, where is God when…? Maybe we even question, why is he silent? Why doesn’t he intervene in those moments?

These are hard questions – serious questions – the question of where is God when…? And perhaps we find ourselves asking this type of question when something calamitous is happening around us. We’re praying because there is something going on and it feels like our prayers are unanswered. And so we ask,

Does God really listen? Does God even care? Why is God silent? God, are you there?

This last week I’ve been working on my message of ‘Why doesn’t God answer when I pray?’ and the song Garth Brooks made famous, Unanswered Prayers has been running through my head. In the song he thanks God for not answering his high school prayers over his high school sweetheart. He sings these words:
Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers
Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs
That just because he doesn't answer doesn't mean he don't care
Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers

A friend of mine has been seeking work for quite some time now. He’s had interviews and close calls in being hired, but hasn’t had that offer yet. During this time his faith has remained strong. He has told me a number of times that God has something in mind for him and that he just needs to remain patient (hard as that is). In the past he might have given up, or lost faith, or turned away from God, but not this time. He knows God has something in store for him. And when his prayers are answered he will be doubly blessed.

There are times in our lives when it seems like God isn’t listening, doesn’t care, or isn’t answering our prayers. Yet, the reality is he does care. He is listening. He may not answer our prayer in our timeline, or in quite the way we want him to; but, God is always with us. The hardships we face are part of life and while we sometimes pray that God will change those conditions around us – that doesn’t always happen. Yet God is with us.

Let me close with this. I read recently one person’s interpretation of prayer is this: “Maybe thinking of prayer as something that needs to be ‘answered’ is asking the wrong question. Maybe prayer is something like ‘entering into a relationship,’ or ‘yielding our lives to God.’ Maybe it’s less of a transaction and more of an investment or even a communion.”

I think perhaps that person is on to something. I think maybe he was right.

May God bless you this week; may your faith stay strong; and may you trust God to care for you in the way he knows is best. See you Sunday my friend.

Underage Drinking

Last Wednesday I was invited to a community wide meeting held at our high school to discuss the problem of underage drinking. The discussion centered on the issue of teenage drinking and drug usage; the prevalence of it in our community (communities across the nation really); and the startling statistics associated with this.

Speaking at the event was our Municipal Judge Kris Koeffler and Jo Anne Franzene – one of the teachers at MECAS. We had group discussions, a video, and large group discussion as well. There are two statistics that stuck out for me. The general perception from youth polled that the use of marijuana is not harmful nor does it lead to harsher, more addictive drugs. I remember from my own youthful days this same mindset - 'pot' is not addictive, it doesn't lead to other drugs, it really isn't a big deal! Yet, statistics would prove otherwise.

The other statistic that caught my attention was the early age our youth are starting to drink and experiment with drugs. It seems each year (or generation) this gets younger and younger.

From ages 13 to about 25 a pruning and strengthening process is happening in the teenage brains. During that time, the brain cells and connections that get used the least die off; those that get used the most get stronger. If during this period, teens experiment with drugs and alcohol the brains region that's responsible for making complex judgments is directly impacted. Alcohol use during adolescence may result in decreased attention, memory, planning and executive functioning. (see more information at www.drugfree.org/teenbrain)

The primary focus for this meeting was to bring awareness of the issue to the parents and community members. Following the meeting I talked with one of the coordinators of the event to ask how we, Milton UMC, might further participate or help. I'll be meeting with her at a later time to talk more in-depth about this, but having literature available, hosting a church-community meeting discussion of our own, being available as mentors to the middle schoolers and high schoolers in need.... are some of my suggestions.

I'll leave you with this thought – parents are the number one deterrent when youth are deciding whether to use alcohol and drugs.
1) Establish some "together time", don't be afraid to ask the hard questions;
2) Eat together as often as you can;
3) Be a better listener;
4) Give honest answers;
5) Be a day-to-day example for your child;
6) And lastly, be absolutely clear with your youth that you don't want them using alcohol or drugs. Ever. Anywhere.

Blessings,
Patrick

He said what?

Not too long ago I posted a comment about my Uncle Cal being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The family is pulling together to support and care for Cal (and his wife Chris). He's currently in stage one of Alzheimer's - as I understand this disease affects everyone differently, but the eventual result is death.

Shortly after visiting my uncle, and posting my comments on his Alzheimer's, I read an article by Pat Robertson (a popular televangelist) who said it would be ok to divorce your spouse on the grounds of Alzheimer’s. "I know it sounds cruel,” he continued, “but if he’s going to do something, he should divorce her and start all over again, but to make sure she has custodial care, somebody looking after her.” You can read his comments further at this link: [http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/17/us/pat-robertson-remarks-on-alzheimers-stir-passions.html]

As pastor, religious leader, and Christian I have to say I disagree vehemently with his comments. All too often I see marriages disintegrating when they should be strengthening. For some (or many if you look at the divorce rate statistics) the vows we take, to be together for better or worse, in sickness and in health, till death do us part, become meaningless or a best trivial. While some may argue that Alzheimer’s is a kind of death - it is not death while the spouse is living. If one cannot rely on the spouse to be faithful and stick by when in thick or thin, then what value do the vows really have? I believe our tradition and scripture maintains that we are to remain faithful to our spouse through good times and bad.

What gets me is instead of working to strengthen marriages, especially when they are troubled, all to often the couple turns the other way and seeks an easy way out. A husband and wife have a troubled marriage and instead of seeking ways to strengthen their bond the husband goes out on a regular basis for bowling and video games with the guys. A young couple I married some time ago lasted less than a year in their marriage - this after completing about six months of premarital counseling. And not once did they come to me after their marriage to say they were having troubles. What can we do? Can you help us? There are a multitude of marriage strengthening workshops, retreats, and even biblical studies to help couples draw closer together.

There are resources the pastor can provide or direct couples to to help most situations. Now, there are times when divorce is perhaps the best answer - especially when abuse is taking place (physical, emotional, even sexual). But Alzheimer's does not fit this category for me.

I have the utmost respect for our own congregation members who have gone through (or are going through) having a spouse with Alzheimer’s. It's not easy. Admittedly, I don't know the half of it. But I commend those of you when you stay by your spouse even in (and especially in) the bad times.



Blessings to you my friends.

Patrick

Sometimes we cry out, but we just don't feel like we are being heard

Thursday afternoon I was home playing with Gracie before I had to go back to church for evening meetings. We were playing outside on a little slide one of our church members had given to us. Earlier I had taken the slide part off the plastic unit and had not yet put it back together. Gracie took the slide, leaned it up against the plastic stairs of the unit, and was playing until it fell while she was on it. I started to put it back together (the way it was supposed to be!) and she began to cry. I asked her what was wrong but with her crying and talking at the same time I could not understand her.

I asked her to stop crying and use her words. I told her I couldn't hear her - meaning I could not hear her over the sounds of her crying. She looked at me and said, 'I'm crying loudly so you can hear me.' Of course I could hear the crying! I wanted to her to use her words to explain what she was unhappy about.

I thought about this later that evening. I think sometimes we all have a tendency to cry louder hoping someone will hear us, notice us, understand what the problem is and fix it. We fail to understand that we have to use our words. We have to say what it is that is bothering us in a way that others will understand. We want someone to know what is causing our pain. But if we don't speak clearly, in a way that someone can understand, and we only 'cry' louder, we aren't really communicating effectively.

Sometimes it is hard to use our words. We fear what someone might say back to us or how they will react. And so we don't say anything of real substance. We just, 'cry' louder hoping someone will fix the problem.

It is fascinating watching Gracie as she grows and realizing the lessons she is teaching me about life in general. There are times when I need to use my words and speak more clearly and cry less loudly. I pray that God will help me to do so.