When People Leave

One of the most painful events for a pastor is when someone decides to leave the church. There is a certain feeling of loss. Some leave the church because they have been transferred and that kind of leaving is hard but stays pretty much in the catagory of loss. There are others that leave because in some way the church or most likely the pastor has disappointed them. They feel their needs will be better met at another church or at times no church at all. With these there is not just a loss but also a feeling of rejection. It is hard not to take it personally. I think that is why it is so difficult for a pastor. There are others who make public their reasons for leaving and try to get others to leave with them. Those are the most painful of all. I was thinking about a few of those people the other day when I was praying. I felt like God asked me a question in my spirit. I want to be careful here because God does not speak to me in an audible voice. It is more like an impression. The question was,"Joe, would you die for these people"? It did not take me long to respond. I said simply,"No". I always like to be honest with God. There was a long pause. I kind of expected God to be disappointed or tell me I should be willing, that I should be able to put the pain they caused behind me and love and forgive them. He didn't say any of this. After the long pause He said," I did". That was it. The end of the conversation. The thing that struck me is that it was no more difficult for God to love these people than it is for him to love me. It did not make me think these people were better than I had thought them to be but that I was worse than I thought I was. The gospel is a powerful thing in the hands of a mighty God. I got up from my chair a kinder and gentler and more humble man. Who would have thought it would be that kind of conversation that would ease the pain of rejection and disappointment. Maybe since the cross is the ultimate place of rejection it is the only place to take mine.

Merry Christmas

On this Christmas morning I just want to take a moment and wish you all a very Merry Christmas. May the peace on earth announced by the angel be evident in your home and life and may you experience the exquisite love of the God who sent His son for you. For unto you is born this day a Savior who is Christ the Lord. Amid all the wrappings and gifts, feasting and laughter, remember to be thankful for the greatest of all gifts. In the words of tiny Tim, "God bless us everyone".

Five Golden Rings

I spent last weekend going to Christmas concerts. When I say that, I mean I went to the same Christmas concert 5 times. It was the annual Christmas concert of our church and since I was speaking I needed to be at all of them. When I told a friend I was going to be at all the concerts he suggested a way to sneak in for my time but avoid having to sit through the whole thing each night. I considered that and could have pulled it off but I am so glad I didn't. There is something that happened to me every night as I listened to the concert. There was an anticipation, a sense of wonder and finally a wave of joy that would wash over me. I loved it. Part of it is because our people work so hard and are so incredibly gifted the production itself was extraordinary. Part of it is the beauty of the music and this particular time of year. And part of it was watching the people as they were singing each night. I loved to watch their faces. They are faces I know, faces with stories and each story is a story of a person who has had a collision with a Savior. So, each night I watched the faces and could see traces of Jesus. That was the best part of the concerts and the part I looked forward to each night. By the end of the evening I found myself singing with all the other faces for all I was worth to the God who one day decided to hit me with such force the impression is still there. I think the imprint comes out most when people sing. I think if I could choose to have any gift it would be to have a voice that matches the impression Jesus left the day he first told me how much he loved me. I had the exquisite pleasure of spending 5 nights hearing the voices of my friends who have the gift I long for and it was absolutely wonderful.

Thoughts on the 40th Christmas

I had to go out today to pick up a few things. It is one week until Christmas and the stores and the parking lots are packed. And nobody is very happy. Wow. It got me thinking about how Christmas got started. I am thinking maybe five years after the death and resurrection of Jesus a couple of the disciples were talking. Maybe a couple of the lesser known ones, let's say Nathaniel and Bartholomew. They are walking along sometime late December (you Bible scholars out there- I know it wasn't December but work with me) and Nathaniel turns and says," Hey Bart, did you know that Jesus was born right around this time?" And Bart says, "Really? I had no idea. How do you know?" And Nate says," One time when we were walking near Bethlehem I was walking close to him and he stopped and just looked over toward the town. For just a minute it was just me and Jesus and he said, 'Nate, it was there. Right there. Thirty two years ago almost to the day the census brought us down and my mother gave birth to me there'. That is about all he said but I will never forget it". So that night Nathaniel and Bartholomew are with around six other guys and Bartholomew blurts it out. Every one just sits there for a minute and lets it sink in what it means that Jesus ever came in the first place and how their lives have been forever changed by what happened in Bethlehem nearly 40 years earlier. They talk for a while about Jesus and particularly the first time each of them met him. They laugh and they joke and more than anything they are thankful. They end up spending some time praying and thanking God for what He did in sending Jesus to be born and then to die for them. I think it was one of those really sweet good nights when friends get together and remember the best of times and there is nothing remotely bad about the evening or anything that was said. And they decided to do it again the following year and then they went home. Today it is full of shopping and presents and wrapping and deadlines and people frustrated and people spending more than they should on people who have too much already. So, maybe it is too much to ask to try to change the 25th from being a gift orgy but maybe between now and then we can get with a couple of friends and have a Christmas like I imagine the disciples did and that will be the best night of all.

Happy Birthday

Today my first born turns 25. It seems like just yesterday I wandered through the halls of a hospital like a lost Indian chief mumbling "I have a son. I have a son". I was two years younger than he is today when he was born. I was scarcely more than a boy myself when God saw fit to make me a father. There are many roles I fill in my life. Pastor, counselor, son, brother, husband and father to name a few. My favorite vocation and probably the most important is that of being a dad. There were no classes to take and no degree offered for this incredible vocation. The only real training I had was being a son to a great father and feeling what it felt like to be loved by a strong hand. So, I have tried to imitate the one that raised me. Today I have the great blessing of having Jeremy home and hearing his laughter even as I type these words and knowing too that my father sits just on the other side of a wall now living with us. Here I sit sandwiched between the father who loved me and the son I love. It is a good place to be and it is the same place my Father in heaven has placed me. Sometimes there is a goodness in life that can be tasted. Today it will be the taste of birthday cake shared by three generations with a grateful son right in the middle.

Tears In Colorado

A troubled young man walked into a church and shot two teenage girls. News agencies have been covering the story. They are also asking a lot of questions surrounding the security plans for larger churches. I have been thinking long and hard about how to keep our people safe while they are at worship. It is a weird thing to have to think about. Church is supposed to be a sanctuary. A place of peace and worship and love. And yet, someone walked in with a gun and ended lives right there. In the middle of the church is a cross. It is the symbol of our faith. On that cross the most vicious act of violence took place. There was never a more innocent victim than Jesus. The Romans had perfected the execution process to maximize pain when they came up with scourging followed by crucifixion. As Jesus was dying he used one of his last breaths to ask God to forgive those who were doing the killing. His death seemed so senseless, so cruel, and yet it has become the event that gives our lives meaning. Christians follow this Savior. The One who loved his enemies, prayed for His killers, and freely laid his life down. Early Christians were rounded up and fed to lions. They went without a fight. They went loving their enemies and praying for the ones who were throwing them into the arena. One centurion was quoted as saying,"Behold, these Christians die well". He meant it as a compliment. Followers of Jesus have always been easy prey for violence. This shooting in Colorado has reminded me of what it means to follow Jesus. It also reminds me that the security of a follower of Christ, the real security can't possibly be beefed up. We will love our enemies, pray for those who do violence to us, we will die well and keep our eyes on our Savior who did the same for us.

The Steeple I Love

I love the steeple of our church. Nearly every day when I come to work I glance up at it and smile. I was reading about steeples the other day. One of the reasons behind steeples that shoot way up into the sky is the church was built in the middle of the town. It was usually built on the highest point and the thing built on the highest point of the city defined the city. The Acropolis in ancient Greece would stand in the center of the city and was the center, even the soul of the city. The highest ground would be given to the highest value. The steeple of a church would rise above any and every other building and thus proclaim the supreme value of God to the people of that town. It is interesting that now the highest buildings in any city are usually building dedicated to commerce. I think of the Key Bank building in downtown Cleveland. The pattern seems to hold with even modern man that the greatest value of the community towers above even in buildings. So, I look at our steeple and I smile. I like that it towers up high enough for me to see from the highway. I want it to be true that we are a city on a hill and that Hudson Community Chapel stands as a statement of value for us and for our little community. So the next time you come to church, go ahead and stop and take a gander at the steeple and say a little prayer that light would shine from this place and from your life.

The Weather Outside is Frightful

It is snowing outside as I write. I like snow. I like it even though it is dangerous to drive on, even though it is slick to walk on, even though it requires shoveling and scraping and makes my hands feel like wood. I am not sure why I like it so much. My daughter likes it because each flake is unique and beautiful in its own right. But I don't often take the time to look at individual flakes. I think it is because it covers my world in a white blanket. It makes the world quiet and a little softer. It also covers it in a single color. It take winter to make me ready to appreciate the single color of white. In the summer there are few things more beautiful than the green of a fairway on a cloudless day with the sky as blue as the ocean. Autumn brings a tapestry of colors that delights and surprises me every year. Winter comes and slowly turns the world brown. The leaves drop and the grass turns rusty and grey clouds cover the blue sky. But then the snow comes and the earth itself seems to pull the snow up to its chin like a quilt. Like most things in my life, the snow makes me think of Jesus. When the snow drapes itself over the brown world I think of forgiveness. "Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be made white as snow" the prophet shouts. And so they are. My life all muddy and brown is made white and clean by the Son who loves me and shines brightest right here in the winter months. So, while the weather outside is frightful, the love of Jesus makes the weather in my soul better than ever.

On Jesus and Breaking Speed Limits

I speed. I don't mean that I am a pedal to the metal kind of person. I am not a speed demon. I just speed...a little...all the time. I drive right around 3-4 mph over the limit. It is not enough to feel badly about. What is interesting is that it is not even enough to make much of a difference in how quickly I get where I am going. To be honest I haven't thought about it enough to come up with the deep reason I am doing it. This is what I do know. I try to rationalize it. I say to myself," This really isn't that bad and isn't really wrong". And then I see a policeman. Immediately I look down at my speedometer, take my foot off the gas, and look feverishly in the rear view mirror until I can no longer see him. It's amazing I haven't crashed while looking back hoping not to get a ticket. The law of the Lord is like a light, scripture says. The law shines and shows me what I am. So it is. There is no excuse, no rationalization, no escaping the law. It is what it is. This is the thing. The law shows me as worse than I think I am. If it is true with driving just think of what it is like in all the other parts of my life. So, once again I am reminded of Jesus and of grace. Today, as I drive home (within the speed limit) I will remind myself that I am worse than I have ever wanted to admit and more deeply loved than I ever dared to imagine. Even a ticket will just remind me of the wonder of grace today.

So Close to Being a Dope

My wife is a specialty coffee junky. That means part of my day off routine is to go by one of the local coffee shops and get her "candy in a cup". We were at a shop today and nearly every parking space was taken. There was one space I could have gotten into but there was a van that had parked at an angle which made the open space too small. That forced me to circle the area like a vulture waiting to land. I don't get particularly irked at things like that but I did mention it to my wife. I had fleeting thoughts of making an announcement in the coffee shop but the fantasy of being the world's parking conscience quickly went away. On the way out of the shop two ladies in the parking lot looked at us a little too long (which is a sign in a church our size that at least one of them goes to HCC) so I waved and sure enough they came over to talk. One of them is a new Christian who said she will see us at the new member dessert this Saturday. She talked about how much the church meant to her. It was a very cool and touching moment. The kind that just makes my day. We finished talking and Karen and I walked over to our car and watched the lady that just stole our hearts walk over to the van parked at an angle. I smiled and was reminded how much of a dope I can be at times. The van had made me circle the lot and I thought it a curse and the lady who parked the van was a blessing waiting to make my day. It made me wonder how many blessings I have missed circling parking lots and thinking of inconvenience when I should have had my eyes peeled for the blessing. So, today I encourage you to look for the blessings especially around the tiny inconveniences that so commonly accompany this holiday season.

Why Thanksgiving Rules

I really like Thanksgiving. First of all I just read that it is the only holiday that we have not made child centric. It is still a holiday for adults. The children are even put at the kids table in the kitchen and since I have graduated to the "big" table I like it that there is a differentiation. We have enough holidays that center on our children so I think it is good even for them (maybe especially for them) to not be the center and instead be pushed to the periphery. Second, no gifts. There is no pressure to buy gifts for everyone and so the attention is not on the material. Instead the focus is on the relationships of family and the goodness of feasting together. There is something really wholesome in that. There are traditions of jello salad with nuts and celery, or dressing balls dry enough to choke a horse, or sweet potato something that should have been a dessert from the get go. All these things passed from one generation to another. The little ones in the kitchen this year will one day be trying to carry on the traditions they remember if only lodged in their taste buds decades ago in late November. Lastly I like the feeling of a week with 3 Saturdays. I woke up this morning to another Saturday when Thursday and Friday both felt the same. There was no rush, no early appointments, no presents to prepare, just a nice hot pot of strong coffee(don't call it coffee if you can see the bottom of the cup) and a fire to start in the fireplace. I think it was G.K.Chesterton who allowed gratitude to begin to lead him to faith. He said he was looking at the Christmas stockings hanging on the mantle and thought to himself,"If my children have me to thank for putting candy in their stockings, have I no one to thank for putting two feet in mine"? So, today spend some time thanking the One who put feet in your stockings, food on your table, and another Saturday in your week. Happy Thanksgiving.

The Browns, my Daughter, and a Lesson

This past Sunday my daughter and I watched with amazement as the Browns beat the Baltimore Ravens. At every turn I was ready for disappointment. My daughter chided me on being so negative. I told her she should plan on moving to a different city if she was going to be a sports optimist. But then the field goal was called good against all odds. My daughter smiled. I said," We have no chance in overtime". Becca again was shocked at my negativity. And then the surprise ending and the Browns won a game they had all but lost a few minutes before. I think my daughter was more happy at being a vindicated optimist than she was that the Browns won. She has something. I try to shield myself from disappointment by acting as if I expect it. She in turn looks at life and her hope is unabashed. I would rather be like her. As a follower of Christ her way makes more sense because in the end against all odds the field goal is good and what seems like a loss ends up with the victory of victories.

Turning My Heart Toward Him

I journal as a discipline. It actually helps me focus when I am praying. It also ruthlessly points out when I am talking to God way too much about me. Yesterday I caught myself having a monologue about myself with God in the room so I stopped. I thought I would share what I wrote then because it profoundly changed the way I experienced God and the rest of the day.

"Too much me. Lord, you are the one who is sovereign. You know what you want to accomplish, who you are working on. You are the author and perfector of faith. You created the cosmos, as I read yesterday, you formed the sun and moon and the stars...made all things and called them good. You made the rivers and the mountains, the ecosystem (which I am completely impressed by), the sky and the seasons... and it was good. You made a place for the one in your image, the garden and placed man in the middle and it was very good. You walked with him there in the garden and then in your goodness you made for him a companion... Isha(Hebrew for woman. Ish is man) and the two reflected the community of the trinity. Your nature in flesh. And they broke your heart. And we have been breaking your heart ever since. We have loved others, given our deepest affections, made them our heart's desire and they have come back to abuse and enslave us. And you, like a jealous lover, came to rescue us (Hosea) and moved heaven and earth to get us back. You gave us yourself on the cross to pay for the infidelity of your bride and you ask us again and draw us to yourself. So I come to experience you as King and Savior and Friend and Love".

Reminding myself of the greatest story and the greatest movement of love the world has ever known changed my heart and my focus. I hope it does the same for you today.

Indian Summer

I think this is called Indian summer. It is the last gasp of mild weather before winter blows in from the north. Today was my day off which means I had the distinct pleasure of spending the day outside in the beauty of the day. Days like this are more precious this time of year. We don't take them for granted nearly as easily as we do in September. Rarity always increases value even when it comes to weather. Indian summer is one of the things I love about this area of the country. The leaves have fallen, winter has already let us know he is coming and yet a day like this always comes. It is a reminder of the beauty of what is all but gone but it is also a promise of beauty to come. One of the poet/songwriter's I used to listen to had a song that went," Sun's up, looks ok and the world survives into another day and I am thinking about eternity". Today made me think of eternity. Every bit of beauty in this world is a reminder of what once was and a promise of what will one day be. So, as the days of Indian summer pop up from time to time, let your mind wander to eternity and the God who tells us to remember and in remembering is the secret of hope.

Chubby, Cold, and Dead

We have a bird feeder in our backyard for the first time. As the days get colder the activity around the feeder is picking up. The customers line up on the evergreen tree and then take their turn packing in as much as they can hold. I am a little worried though. I don't know a lot about birds but it seems like they should be heading south soon. I think it is the shortage of food that reminds them to pack their leisure suits and head to Florida. I may be changing that with what seems to be a miraculous bird buffet. My fear is that one of these days I am going to see a bunch of chubby frozen birds gathered around my bird feeder and the guilt will be overwhelming. Actually, I won't suffer that much guilt. Who knows, I may use them as a prop for some obscure point in a sermon. Here is my point. God designed birds to fly south. There are probably a bunch of really good reasons. I just recently mentioned King David in our Old Testament class. "In the times when kings go to war...David stayed home in Jerusalem". David quit doing what he was supposed to do and within a short time he jumped into bed with Bathsheba and the rest is history. Sometimes I feel like taking the easy way. I don't feel like doing really wicked things right away, I just feel like I would like to take a break from doing the things I know I should. From now on, I will look at the bird feeder and imagine those chubby forzen carcasses and keep doing what I am designed by God to do. I suggest you do the same as we get ready for winter to come.

A Funeral for a Friend

I am doing a funeral today. It is the funeral for Debbie Arnold. Debbie was a 50 year old saint. The sicker she got the kinder, gentler, more loving she became. In the Bible as Stephen the martyr was dying they said his face shone with the glory of God. That is the way Debbie died. I don't think anyone could have done it better. Debbie knew Jesus and lived it in a way that was inspiring so I know she is enjoying the wonder and beauty and exquisite love of God as I write these words. After saying all of that though, doing funerals is a little like swallowing glass for me. I don't like death. I don't like the pain it causes, the separation, the tears. I don't like anything about it. I guess my consolation is that it doesn't seem like Jesus liked it either. Right before Jesus was going to raise Lazarus from the dead he broke down and sobbed. Weird. It would seem like he would be laughing because he was going to change everyone's grief into joy and yet he sobbed. I think he sobbed for all the pain that death would ever cause. Maybe he sobbed because he saw the price he would have to pay to redeem all the pain of the world. When Jesus resurrected he broke something in death. Someday we will all experience the healing that Debbie is experiencing now. Until then, I will wipe the tears from my eyes during funerals and remember the day is coming when death will be swallowed up. Frederick Buechner wrote," All the death in the world when placed next to life would scarcely fill a cup". I like that.

On Droughts and Mole Hills

I was just thinking about the fires in California. I have a friend who started a church in San Diego and he has evacuated his home and the last I heard did not know where his church was going to hold services on Sunday. The fires are because of a drought. A drought. I am used to thinking of droughts and famines in the Sudan or in Ethiopia but not in California. There seems to be a growing concern in the western states. The water tables are really low and one more year of below average rainfall could put us smack dab in the middle of a drought of biblical proportions. It just goes to show that we can be concerned about a lot of things and in a heart beat God can twist off a water spigot and make every other concern fade away. Sometimes I need that I think. I remember in Jr.High when I would complain about my sore ankle or something and a friend would say," I can make you not forget about your ankle". He would then punch me in my arm so hard that I could think of nothing else. He, of course, would laugh and walk away. In all honesty, it worked. I never mentioned my ankle to that kid again. In fact, whenever I was around him I was reminded of how good everything was just in case he would ask. I don't think we have to play those games with God but I do know that in my life mole hills sometimes become mountains and it takes a drought sometimes to remind me of what a mountain looks like.

JoJo the Theologian

I have a dog named JoJo. Just so you know, I am not like George Foreman who named all his chldren George (4 sons and a daughter named Georgette...not kidding). I named my dog JoJo because she is a Jack Russel terrier and when she acted like a Jack Russel I wanted to remember she was my idea. Anyway, I can't tell whether she is deeply religious and loves God or she is one of the new breed of virulent atheists who really hate God. During storms all the other dogs I have ever had run and hide under a bed especially if there are ear sleeping peals of thunder. Not JoJo. JoJo begs to go outside no matter how hard it is raining. Every time it thunders she runs back and forth in the yard looking up and barking her little brains out. She is a very strange dog. She is either running out there shouting to God and saying," You are the greatest and I am so pumped to hear you making all that noise. I'm JoJo and I just wanted to let you know I am exactly what you designed me to be. Look at me run and listen to me bark. Behold the Jack Russel you called forth from the foundation of the world". Or of course she is the deepest sinner dog who is out swearing and I just can't understand her. I think she is doing the former. I remember reading C.S.Lewis and he said that man is the only wild animal. Every other animal acts exactly the way he was created to act. Only man is in rebellion. So, the next thunderstorm you might see me out in the yard running and yelling with JoJo with my face to the sky and the glory of God in my heart.

The Trees Clap Their Hands

I am sitting looking out my office window. It is October here in northeastern Ohio and there may not be a more beautiful place in the world. The trees are on ablaze with the glory of God. It is autumn that reminds me of the seasons each year. Summer lulls me to sleep and then all of a sudden the weather changes and the leaves explode with one last gasp of life and then they begin to fall to the earth. And it is this moment each year that reminds me that God has placed a pattern of death and resurrection into the very fabric of my world. "The heavens declare the glory of God. Day by day pours forth speech" so says the psalmist. Indeed! Today the forests heave outside my window and by next week the leaves will fall and the earth will fall into a sleep. Each year death has it's way with the earth beginning with autumn and going through winter. But, it happens every year, spring finally comes. Flowers will push their ways up through the ground and the buds of trees will appear and overnight burst into leaves and all the world will be alive again. It is the pattern of our Savior. It is the voice of God remindin us of His love that leads to life. Don't miss it today. Look at the trees, drink in the beauty, recognize that winter is coming but see the pattern. See the cross even in the trees and lift up your voice to join with the heavens in declaring the glory of God.

The Greatest Words Ever

Sunday night I watched helplessly as the Indians got pounded by the Red Sox...again. I found myself talking to the T.V. I was saying things like,"Throw a strike. Make him hit it. Don't fall behind in the count again". It was all really good advice if I say so myself. It didn't have much effect. I wasn't talking to a real person. I was talking fairly loudly to a T.V. Anyway, it got me thinking about the power of words. Words really do have a power to them when spoken to a real person. When my wife asks me how she looks in her new dress I realize the next words I speak are important words. They will have an impact not just on her but on me in pretty short order. So, I was thinking about the greatest words in the Bible. Do you know what I decided they were? The greatest and most powerful words in the Bible are...yet, but, nevertheless, even though. "And you were dead in your trespasses and sins Joe Coffey...BUT God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us...made us alive together with Christ. It is by grace you have been saved"(Ephesians 2:1-10). Or in Romans it says, "For one will hardly die for a good man...BUT God demonstrated his love toward us that while we were YET sinners Christ died for us"(Romans 5:8). I guess those words...but, yet, nevertheless are all precious to me because when I expect the worst God gives me the best. I know myself well enough to know I have done plenty to get rejected by God and when I stand waiting to hear the judgement what I hear instead of "guilty as charged", I hear, "Guilty as charged BUT someone has paid his penalty so he can live". The saying is that good things come in small packages and sometimes the best news in all the world comes in small words.

Fat Guy in a Skinny Body

I see commercials of people all the time who have lost a tremendous amount of weight. They have before and after pictures that are almost scary. The before picture they are all bloated and puffy and then the after picture is of a hotty that is almost unrecognizable. Of course, the advertisement is selling a product and the hope is that we will jump at the chance to become a hard body. I have met people who used to be really heavy and have lost weight. Sometimes they still see themselves as heavy. They feel like they are fat people in skinny bodies. They have been so used to being heavy all their lives it is difficult to believe they aren't fat anymore. I am like that with grace I think. I am justified in the eyes of God because of what Jesus did on the cross. He was crushed so that I could be whole. He was blown apart so that somehow my fractured soul would come together. When God looks at me, he is filled with the same delight as when he looked at Jesus. "This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased"- God is talking about me. Wow! But I am so used to being a sinner. I am used to trying to justify myself by what I do. I am used to saying," Listen, I know I am not perfect, but I am not all that bad. Look at me do something good. Look at me love a black man. Look at me let people out in traffic. Look at me get up early and pray". I am constantly having to remind myself that I am saved by grace. I am loved because God loved Jesus and Jesus gave his life for mine. Jesus gave me his place in the heart of the Father. I need to quit being a fat guy in a skinny body. I need to quit being a sinner desperately trying to justify myself in the soul of a saint forgiven by the grace of God. So, today I will not justify myself by what I do. Instead I will remind myself of the wonder of a God who justified me by a sacrifice I can scarcely wrap my mind around and I will worship.

A Fever in My Soul

I have been preparing to speak on the book of Job. Job is about suffering. It will be part of a series I am calling The Three Great Philosophies. It will be a 5 week series on Ecclesiastes, Job, and the Song of Solomon. Very cool. Anyway, I came back from India sick. I don't get sick very often so I guess I kind of store it up. I had a fever of 103 for a day and a half. I felt like Job. I was laying in my bed feeling like every part of my body hurt. I felt terrible but what was happening in my body was pretty amazing. There was a war going on. That's what was causing the heat. My body was battling some invaders. It must have been a fierce battle. It made me think of my soul and the battles that go on there. There are times I feel lousy in my soul. But it is those times that a battle could be raging. Grace fighting my old tendency to try to justify myself. Sin trying to gain control and the Holy Spirit all decked out to fight for me. It sounds a little goofy but I think there is truth there. I read Job and I see a man who is in the battle of his life. It is not a physical battle as much as he suffered physically. It was primarily a spiritual battle. I have a friend who just lost his job. It is not a physical battle he is fighting right now. It is a spiritual battle about trust and God and love and faith. My friend has a spiritual fever and the battle rages hot. I stand and pray with him and wait to see if I can encourage him some to keep fighting the fight and remind him the fever will not last forever. Night lasts for a time, scripture says, but joy comes in the morning.

Feeding the Lepers

While I was in India our team had the rare privelege of feeding lepers. A couple of times a month the ministry at India Gospel League goes around and picks up the lepers (who are somewhat like our homeless only more desperate) brings them to the center and gives them a great meal. The meal they are served is the traditional Indian wedding feast. It is a very moving experience. This is the fourth time I have had the chance to feed lepers. It really does seem like you step back in time to the Biblical era. I was looking at the people. The disease is really an aweful disease. Every once in a while I would catch a pair of eyes that were filled not with hopelessness but with joy and it was amazing. It was like they knew something I didn't. Something had happened inside of them that made the outside just not that important. There was an inherent beauty in their eyes, the kind of beauty that comes from being deeply loved. When Jesus walked the earth he healed a lot of lepers. Jesus came though, not to heal on the outside as wonderful as that must have been. He came to heal people on the inside. He came to give the joy of being more deeply loved than we ever dared to hope. So, I looked at those eyes full of joy and realized Jesus was still healing lepers. And the leper he healed was more like me than I ever would have thought.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

I have been on a mission trip to India the last couple of weeks so I have missed blogging. It is good to be back and I will have a few blogs relating to my trip coming up but I need to get this one out first. Here is a question- How do I know what I look like? or even better- How do I know how I should feel about me? God positioned my eyes so I cannot see my own face. I know we have mirrors but the mirror I really pay attention to is the one in your face. I feel about myself how I think you feel about me. If I walked into a room where everyone thought I had the face of a god then it wouldn't take long for me to start feeling pretty good about myself. If I walked into a room where everyone thought I was hideous it wouldn't take long for my self image to plummet. My self image really isn't a self image. My image of myself is based on what I think you think about me. Weird. This, like most things, got me thinking about the Bible and Jesus and one verse in particular. Someday, the Bible says, I will see God face to face. Why is that so important? That will be the only time I will really know what I look like. I will look into the face of God searching that face like a mirror to tell me who I really am and how I should feel about me. And the truth is, that will be the greatest moment of my life because the face of God will shout at me that I am beautiful beyond description. Jesus died on a cross for me and when he did he gave me a part of himself. I gave him all the ugliness of my soul and he gave me the beauty of his. So, today, instead of looking to your face to see how I should feel about me, I will look at the face of God. That is a mirror I can trust to tell me the truth and the truth is that He has made me look good. Weird times two.

The Talk

Saturday was Homecoming at my daughter's school. She is a Junior so it was crucial that she get asked. She did and so all is well. Saturday came and it was time for me to have my talk with her date. I talk to all the guys who want to go out with my daughters. I would love to do it while cleaning my guns but I don't own any. Anyway, I took him down to the basement and we talked. My daughters always want to know what I say. I don't tell them but I think they already know. I already knew this kid and I liked him. I like all of my daughter's friends which is a really good place to be. So, I started just by letting him know how important Becca is to me. I talk to him about the umbrella of protection that a father puts around his family. I feel like it is my responsibility to protect Becca physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I tell him that tonight, just tonight, that is his responsibility. That means that if she is cold you give her your coat, if she is lonely you give her company, if she is scared you give her your arm, if she is tired you bring her home. I told him I hold him responsible for anything and everything that happens to my daughter that night. She is like a Porsche. You bring her home dinged and I will ding you. It is a good talk and one I like giving. I like it because it reminds me of what it means to be a Dad and how great it is to have a daughter I would give my life for. It also, like everything else, reminds me of Jesus and His father. How much must God the Father love us that He gave his son in the greatest exchange of all?! So, I watch my daughter leave smiling and I watch the boy open the door for her and I pray and then I thank my Father in heaven for grace greater than all my sin.

Pork Chops, Pinto Beans, and Cornbread

We built an in-law suite onto our house and my parents have moved in. My wife Karen is getting her Master's degree from Kent State so she is in class on Monday and Thursday nights. Last night my Mom invited me over for dinner, so I walked through the door that joins our house to their suite and sat down for dinner. My Mom laid out pork chops, pinto beans (the kind you soak all day not the ones out of a can. she is old school), and homemade corn bread. I think every family has a signiture meal growing up. This was ours. There was something really wonderful about getting a taste of childhood again. Our conversation was different than it was 40 years ago but with each mouthful I was being transported to a time when I was a child. Forty years ago I hardly noticed that my parents took care of me. They didn't make a big deal about it. Now, it may be my turn. I hope I am as gracious so they hardly even notice when the day comes that I take care of them. We haven't made that change yet. I am still going over to their house to eat pork chops, beans and cornbread. So today I am grateful. I am grateful for the pattern they set for me and I am grateful for the signiture meal I still get to eat from my mother's hand.

Kathy Griffin

Kathy Griffin is a comedian. At a recent awards ceremony she gave an acceptance speech in which she said," Alot of people get up here and thanks Jesus for helping them get an award. Let me tell you, no one had less to do with me getting this award than Jesus. This award is now my god". Now she is getting blasted. I don't really have a problem with what she said. She spoke probably more truly than she realized. I think she just intended to make a joke. She is a comedian. This is my point. People should worship God because everyone everywhere is worshipping something. Whatever you attribute ultimate value to in your life is what you worship. I am not offended by Ms.Griffin's comment. I think what she said is true. The award may very well be her god. That just makes her like most of us who are struggling with worshipping the right thing. It may be my job or my family or success or the Browns ( at least make it the Buckeyes) but something is trying to move into the place of ultimate value. Ms.Griffin just reminded me of my own struggle, the smallness of all other gods compared to the true God, and my desire to worship. So, I worship and I say a prayer not just for Kathy Griffin but for myself. I invite you to do the same.

Becca and her Car

My wife and I gave our 16 year old daughter a car the other night. Becca had been sharing a car with her grandmother and we thought eventually that would get really complicated so we bit the bullet and presented her with a 2001 Pontiac. I don't like to give any big gift without some drama so this is what I did. I had her drive her grandmother's car to Tha Porch (the high school ministry). Karen and I drove the Pontiac up to church and then moved Nanna's car. Becca came out of Tha Porch and thought the car had been stolen so she called us. We told her to come to the front of the church so I could have a talk with her. I told her as we walked toward the car that Nanna didn't want her to drive her car anymore. I asked her what she did to get this kind of reaction from her grandmother. Becca was rocked. She finally said," I moved the tilt steering wheel. Would that have done it?" Sometimes it is pitiful how easily my kids are taken it but there is a certain sweetness to it. Finally, I said to her,"ok, Mom has to drive Nana's car home so why don't you drive this one" and I handed her the keys and pointed her to the Pontiac. She hesitated, looked at me, looked at the car, looked back at me, and then finally started yelling and jumping and overall responding just the way I hoped a 16 year old would respond to her first car. It was great. I like the curve. I liked bringing it low before it went crazy high. It is like the gospel. Joe, you are a sinner, really, serously, a sinner and it is really, really bad. Then God says, " So, since you are a sinner and in desperate trouble, why don't you take this" and God points me to the cross. Gratitude is increased when the really good news follows really bad news. So, let your heart, like mine, be like a 16 year old. Let us leap and shout and search the face of God with wonder and expectation as it slowly dawns on us how much our Father loves us. I want to love God with the same ferocity that my Becca loved me when she wrapped he arms around me in front of a white Pontiac and said," Daddy, I love you".

9/11

Today marks the 6th anniversary of the attack on the world trade center towers. I guess since this is the first time it has fallen on Tuesday it seems particularly poignant. I find myself grateful. I am grateful for 6 years of safety and 6 years of freedom. I have in the last 6 years gone to church and to malls, traveled in planes, trains and automobiles and I have done so without incident and so I am grateful. I also realize it has not been without cost. I am one who believes that the lives given in Iraq have saved lives here...maybe my own. I am grateful. Today is a sober day for me but one filled with the goodness of sacrifice acknowledged and appreciated. It is also a day that reminds me of the One who exchanged his life for mine so I could be free.

Garbage Day

Today is the day our garbage is picked up. I love garbage day. I mean I really love it. Each week I put all our trash out. Most of the time I am shocked by how much trash has accumulated over a week. This week was more than normal. Anyway, I put it out there and then...KAZAM (I really couldn't figure out a word to use there), it's gone. I mean it is really gone. All the garbage, no matter how much, no matter how nasty, is completely gone. I love coming home and seeing the empty garbage cans in my driveway. It makes me feel clean. It is like being forgiven. I think of how I am surprised when I really take the time to look at my life and how much trash accumulates. And I take it to Jesus and...KAZAM (there is that word again) I am forgiven. it is not magic, it is grace but it fills me with wonder just the same. The good news is I don't have to wait a whole week to experience the cleanness. I hope you take the time to experience forgiveness and let garbage day be a reminder of grace...amazing grace...KAZAM!

She'll Be Coming Around the Corner When She Comes

My parents are coming up this week and moving in with us. We have added an in-law suite to our house and Mom and Dad are moving up and in. My parents are doing well and both are healthy but times they are a changing. This week is the prologue to a role reversal. Nearly 50 years ago they welcomed me into their home. By doing so they committed themselves in a number of ways. They provided a life for me complete with baseball games and birthday parties and doctor's appointments. Now it is my turn to welcome them into my home. By doing so I am signing up for a life change as surely as they did 50 years ago. They never acted like it was a burden to have me in their home as their son. The baseball games and the visits to the doctor were just part of the fabric of their life. That is the way I want it to be for me with them now. I figure in the next 10 years I will take them to the doctor and help them with their medicine and drive them places. They are my parents and like I was their son we are in this together. It is a privelege not many people have. I am glad I have the chance to give to these who have given so much to me over the years. So, this Friday, I will wait for them to pull up to my house. It will probably be the last move they will make. I am so glad I will be the one to welcome them home.

Fighting Dogs and Finding Jesus

Michael Vick, the quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. He was arrested for funding and participating in the brutal sport of dog fighting. It looks like he will spend some time in the "big house". During his televised apology he made mention of turning his life over to God. Michael Vick said he found Jesus. Now, I have heard several people doubt it. They say," How about that? Michael Vick is heading to jail and now he has found Jesus. Big surprise!" People, even Christian people seem very cynical about Michael Vick. I am not. I have been thinking. Jesus is into saving people. Jesus said that he came to seek and to save that which was lost. This may be the first time Michael Vick ever really felt lost. Michael Vick is an amazing athlete that earned a 4 year scholarship to college. He was drafted in the first round and has become a multi-million dollar quarterback. Michael Vick was all that and then some. Now, he stands to lose 100 million dollars. He is probably going to jail and he may never play football again. The only thing I would correct him on is that I don't think he found Jesus. I think Jesus found him. Jesus is a Savior who looks for people who know they need to be saved. Usually that is not at the top of companies, in All-Star games, or after winning the lottery. Jesus tends to find people at the end of their ropes, in a courtroom, or a hospital, or wherever they end up when the bottom falls out. That is where he found me. So, it wouldn't surprise me at all if Jesus has found Michael Vick. It is my prayer that he has.

Becca Already Knew

Tis the season for kids to return to school. My 16 year old daughter returns to school on Monday. Like most parents I feel like the primary reason for school is to learn. I am concerned with subjects and information and of course grades. I am into the head. Becca is concerned about friends and soccer and of course Homecoming. She is into the heart. I have found the heart always trumps the head. Always. That is why God didn't stop with the Ten Commandments and Moses. God sent Jesus to the cross. God needed to show people like me that the heart always trumps the head. Becca already knew. Jesus came to capture my heart because the heart is what changes me.

JoJo Becomes Catatonic

My dog JoJo has an invisible fence. She runs around our yard most of the time with absolute abandon. She is a hoot to watch. During the recent construction on our home the line was cut. JoJo is a very bright dog. It is weird that it gives me some pleasure to say that. How does the fact that my dog is bright reflect on me? I told you last Sunday that I can use anything to boost my self image. I am hopeless but then I digress. Anyway, JoJo figured out there was a break and went AWOL a couple of times. We ended up having to tie her up so she wouldn't run off. Tying her up completely freaked her out. Even when we untied her she could hardly move. She had lost her boundaries and with her boundaries she had lost her freedom. I was reminded of an experiment with children and playgrounds. Some well meaning educators removed the fences of playgrounds thinking they inhibited the children. What they found was the children huddled in the middle of the playground and did not venture to the edges since the edges were not defined. All of this to say, I am glad God gives us edges. God places parameters around me not to confine me but to give me freedom. Because I, like JoJo, will only run with abandon when I know where the yard is.

Ants Don't Sin

Not too long ago I was sitting watching a string of ants moving along the bottom of a wall. I watched them for a while. It is wierd that they all seemed to have some idea of purpose. There they were scurrying with what seemed to be great intensity. I dropped a couple of small potato chips near the line to see what would happen. A couple of ants detoured and started to carve up the chips and then hoist it on their little shoulders ( actually I am not sure if ants even have shoulders) and haul it to the ant metropolis that I assumed existed somewhere. After just a few minutes other ants joined them and the potato chip mother lode became big news to the ants. They all joined in and began working together to take it all home. I remember having a talk with a very bright man who said that man was not any different than the animal kingdom. He did not believe in morals but only in instincts. His point was that we were like ants more or less (only with easily identifiable shoulders). But as I watched the ants what I didn't see in all the time I was watching was an ant who grabbed a piece of chip and headed off to hoard it on his own. I didn't see any ants pull out little ant guns and wave off the other ants so they wouldn't have to share. I remember reading in C.S.Lewis that man is the only really wild animal. We are the only ones in rebellion and not doing what God created us to do. So, while watching the ants I bacame more convinced of the sinfulness of man. It did strike me that I probably did them no favors by dropping potato chips. Since ants only live a couple of days I am pretty sure some mom ant was going to say to her son, "you've been eating junk food your whole life". And she would be right.

LOOKING FOR WHALES IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES

I am finally home after being on sabbatical most of the summer. The last trip I had was to Alaska. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking. Everyone we talked who had gone on a similar trip had talked about whales. Naturally, we were desperate to see some whales so we were looking for them all the time. It finally dawned on me that we were missing much of the beauty of the mountains looking for the whales. I think that can easily happen. I can miss the blessings all around me looking for a blessing I do not yet have. I can miss the sweetness of friends while looking for a spouse. I can miss the loved ones all around while grieving one who has gone home. I can miss the mountains looking for the whales. I mentioned all this to my wife and we finally quit looking for the whales and looked at the beauty of the snow capped mountains and the ice blue glaciers. About an hour later the whales came. They really were amazing but I was glad to have given up in time to soak in the wonder of the mountains. My encouragement to you is obvious isn't it? It is ok to look for the whales but don't miss all the other things. It is good to be back. I am sorry I haven't been able to write more. Hopefully I will now. God bless.

Snacking on You

I decided about 3 weeks ago I would stop talking about people. I mean mostly little things like "did you ever notice how he drives? He accelerates and then takes his foot off, then he accelerates and backs off again. My head kept hitting the head rest." I was a little like Jerry Seinfeld finding the humor in every day but it always or nearly always was in the way other people behaved every day. The thing that struck me is that almost no matter what I said or noticed I was comparing. In a maybe not so subtle way I was saying, " I don't drive like that. I am a smooth driver." I know I blogged earlier that I eat food. If I eat food then I snack on people. It is like a junk food that tastes good for a moment but never fills me up. So, I have gone on a no junk food diet. I quit talking about people. Within a couple of days I was really hungry and I all kinds of great observations about other people I could share with my wife. I found as long as I don't say anything out loud I don't really eat. So, I kept all my witty comments inside. I got hungry. The psalmist says, "Taste and see that the Lord is good." In my life I almost always have to quit eating junk in order to be hungry enough to eat what is really good.

The Splinter in Me

I got a splinter in my foot about a week ago. It was tiny. I took some tweezers and went to work on it. I thought I got it. Two days later it still hurt. Every step. So, I went to work on it again. This time I used a needle along with the tweezers. I dug around until there was a little crater in the bottom of my foot. I was not as convinced that I got it and sure enough within another day or two every step reminded me that something was wrong down there. Finally, yesterday I was successful. There it was on the tip of my tweezers. It was tiny and it was almost clear. Pain had done it's work. I really wanted to ignore the splinter but the pain kept reminding me something was wrong and would continue to get wronger unless I did something. That is the way my conscience works too. My conscience reminds me something is wrong in my soul. I want to ignore it but with nearly every breath I am reminded that something is wrong in my life and it will just get wronger unless I do something. It can be a broken relationship, a desire gone awry, or any number of splinters. The good news is I can take it to a Savior who will go to work at once to dig it out and set me back walking without pain. I hope it is the same with you. So, today I am thankful for every step and want to remember the God who made my body made my soul.

Agony and Ecstasy

Most of you know I like to bicycle. It is a little more than a hobby. It is my outlet for all things athletic. Anyway, there is a ride in the valley affectionately called "The Tea Cup". It is also called the ""14 Hills Death Ride". The idea is to ride up and down every hill around the valley. There are evidently 28 roads up out of the valley. Yesterday I attempted the ride with a friend who is training for an Iron Man event. The ride was a little over 87 miles and took over 5 hours. It was profoundly difficult but we made it. I am not sure why I do things like that or why I like doing things like that. I do know I spent the better part of the evening feeling sore and happy. I kept thanking God for the great gift of exercise, challenges, a bicycle, a friend to ride with, and the feeling I had just finishing. I was struck by how our faith unlike many faiths is a faith rooted in t he physical. Our God took on a physical body, lived among us, died on a solid wooden cross, and rose again with a body people could see and touch. It is in Christianity that the Spiritual kisses the Physical right where we live. So it did yesterday for me.

Humiliating Rest

Today is the 40th day of my sabbatical. These last 10 days or so I have been back to studying which has been very nice. Learning is exhilarating. Yesterday, at the end of the day, Karen made the casual observation that I had an "easy" day. She was simply commenting on the fact that my day consisted of reading, eating and my daily bike ride. She was right but I felt my mind turn in on itself and begin frantically searching for something hard about the day. I came up with nothing. It was an easy day. I didn't like the feel of it at all. I like hard. There is something about hard work or a hard day or suffering or frustration that makes me feel good about myself. Maybe it is just me and a martyr complex but I don't think so. I remember reading the command by God to sabbath. He said for us to do it because it humbles our souls. There is something about an easy day that is humbling. Pride is an animal that can feed on just about anything. Always being in crisis, always being tired, always feeling like we work hard, that we don't sleep well, that we have too much to worry about, too much responsibility...all of it food. Food for a pride that is relentless. One of the things that I have discovered during this sabbatical is the thing that never rests is my pride. So, today I am looking toward another easy day. I will read and write a little, go for my bike ride, and let the rest humble my soul.

Unless Frank Builds the House

I am adding an in-law suite to my house. My parents are moving up in September. I have watched people care for their parents in their latter years and while it seems very difficult, it seems really right. So, we are building the addition. My builder is Frank. He is in charge. As I have watched it seems like the main thing Frank knows is sequence. He also must be very good to his people because they are excellent. When I say that Frank knows sequence I mean he knows the answers to when and what. The workers come in and they do their thing. They do dry wall or plumbing or floors or framing. The key seems to be not just doing things well but doing things in the right order. Of course, this like everything else, makes me think of God. Someone really needs to know what they are doing to know sequence. So, God brings different things into our lives. Each one doing their particular work. Nothing may make much sense until close to the end. But God, like Frank, seems to know exactly what he is looking for. For Karen and me, God has decided it is time for my parents to move up and in. It will be an adjustment for all of us but what a project God is doing. It is a privilege to watch someone who knows what they are doing. It is a little like watching an artist. I am glad Frank is my builder and God is my God.

Five men and a friend

I received a call inviting me to join a group of guys to pray for one of their friends. These guys wanted to get together before their friend went in for a test to determine if his cancer had returned. It is not very often when I am invited just as one of the guys to go and pray. I went. Six of us gathered in the family room. Being a minister meant I was the only professional. But this time I was just one of the guys so I waited to see what would happen. Guys began to share what this friend meant to them and why they had come to pray. Then we bowed our heads and began to pray. We prayed for wisdom, for understanding, for courage, for healing. The prayers were sincere and they were filled with affection and concern. It was very moving. Men don't normally do much of that. I felt like I was privileged to be in the room and witness what I saw. I saw men really love each other. I saw the rare combination of humility and strength. There was something very precious in that sober moment when this friend's life hung in the balance as it were and there were 5 men who wanted to hang there with him. And they did. There are times in the life of a minister when one gets glimpses of grace and real life. Those glimpses are what a minister lives for. I am profoundly grateful for the invitation that night. Frederick Buechner said, "All the death in the world when set next to life would scarcely fill a cup". That is what I felt that night.

Rain

I sat on a porch last night and watched the rain fall. I could hear the rain coming long before it arrived. I could even smell it coming. Finally it came. Softly at first and then with strength. At one point it came in sheets almost sideways. Rain intrigues me. I love to sit on a porch in the evening and watch it come. On nights like last night it seems to bring life with it. The leaves seem to welcome the rain. The trees sway with the wind but it is the rain that makes the roots strong and the fruit sweet. Today marks the 19th year since my brother John was killed on a motorcycle at the age of 20. That day was the strongest storm I have been through to date. It was a storm I did not see coming. I did not smell it on the horizon and the strength of the wind threatened to snap me at times. But, during that storm the rain did fall. It fell nearly daily for 2 years in my soul and has been falling off and on since. I get at least a sprinkling every July 18th. Rain softens the soil. Rain makes what fruit there is sweet. Rain changes me. I love the sun but it is the rain that makes me grow. So, it is the wisdom that comes with some age that makes me pray for rain every now and then. It is trust that makes me welcome the smell of rain on the horizon and at times I even raise my eyes to the heaven and let the rain fall on my face. Rain doesn't scare me as much as when I was younger. I think it was Annie Dillard who said that every bush was aflame with the presence of God. So, as I sat on the porch last night, it was not just rain I saw but the Presence of the Lord of the rain.

Marble Heads

When I was in Florence I had the wonderful opportunity to see the sculpture of David by Michelangelo. It is situated in a hall so when you turn the corner you see it in all of it's brilliance. David stands 17 feet tall. As I walked toward the sculpture I noticed other sculptures on the side. One is stuck inside my head. It is of a man who looks as if he is trying to pull himself out of the marble. It is one of the unfinished sculptures of Michelangelo, his torso partly free, his left arm reaching up to the block of marble that should have been his head. The arm is powerfully flexed but in all the years he hadn't made a lot of progress. I was under the impression that he did it on purpose. It seems like he was showing us what he, as perhaps the greatest marble carver, could see. It was as if Michelangelo could see the man inside the marble and was knocking off what didn't belong. Anyway, it was very moving to me partly because I feel much more like the guy trying to pull his head out of stone than I feel like David. I want to be like David and of course if I can't be like David the next best thing is for people to see me like David. David stands in a magnificent pose of strength and poise. He is a man who stands with his sling (and that is about his only article of clothing) and is completely relaxed in who he is and what he can do. I, on the other hand, am much more like the poor schlepp who is trying to pull his head out of a block of rock. My only hope is the Artist knows what He sees and He hasn't finished yet. Perhaps the man in the marble has struggled long enough to do it himself and will welcome the pain of the chisel. I know I want to be free and I know my only hope lies with the One who not only holds the hammer and chisel but also knows exactly what I will look like with all the rock knocked off. So, here is a prayer for all of my fellow marble heads who long to be free. Dear Father, Do what you must. Let the hammer fall and the chips fly. We want to be set free by your grace and by your power. We do not expect it to be painless but we long to smell the dust of progress deep inside these souls that are part living and part hard and lifeless as rock. Thanks for not leaving us unfinished. Amen

Eating Work

Hi everyone. I am sorry for the long break from the blog. I really disconnected while in Italy. Disconnection is an interesting phenomenon in the 21st century. I don't know if I have experienced quite like I have the last 3 weeks. A sabbatical is for rest from work. Work is something I have always enjoyed. I have discovered it is something I eat as well. When I say that I eat work I mean that I use it to sustain myself. Work gives my life some texture. It helps me feel like I have meaning. Without work I have looked harder at the stars and the sea. I have seen things that usually pass me by. I have felt emptier than usual at times without work and fuller at times with gratitude. I am still trying to figure out what it all means. I want work to give my life some texture but I don't want to eat it. It is good every once in a while to take a break and find out how important something is to you. Maybe that is why the Bible talks so much about things like fasting. Then again, maybe fasting is to remind me that I am a dependant being under a crazy delusion that I am independant. This fasting from work starves a part of me that needs to be reminded that man doesn't live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

Variables

I've been thinking about variables. I usually make decisions based on a few variables. Let's say I want to buy something. My variables are...need, price, pleasure, function and such. The thing I have been thinking about is...how many variables God works with. It has got to be astronomical. That is why I have to trust Him with everything. God is working with some pretty raw material when He is working with me and He is making something that will exist with Him forever. He is creating in me a "weight of glory". The original word is Kabod. It is a cool word. It means a heaviness, a solidity. I have really no idea what it takes to make Kabod. The good news is that God does. It may take cancer for all I know. I do know that I want Kabod. I want what God wants for me. Here is something cool though. A year ago, the elders decided to give me a sabbatical for rest, restoration and study. It is a huge and wonderful gift. I asked if we could wait until after Rachel's wedding. (By the way, picked them up after the honeymoon and they had a blast and looked great...it does a Dad's heart good to see his little girl happy in the arms of her new husband) Now, after the anonymous letter, some nasty accusations, some people deciding to leave the church, a wedding, house construction and my parents moving up...it looks like the perfect time for a sabbatical. Who knew? My Father in heaven who loves me decided a year ago that right now a sabbatical might be needed to make some Kabod in Joe. So, I continue to sit and be amazed at the love of the Father. The sun shines today and it is as much a gift for me as the first sunrise was for Adam. It is a gift for you as well. So, whether it is a sabbatical or a disease, I am trusting God to put the right variable together to create in me the weight of glory. Thanks for all your comments and your prayers. I will try to find a cyber cafe in Italy (yeah, that is where we are going...how great is that?) to keep you bloggers posted. Until then...ciao.

Sabbatical

For me rest is an elusive thing. I think it might be for most people but maybe particularly for ministers. Sunday is designed for rest and yet for me it is the day my work comes to a head. I am most exhausted at the end of a weekend. For pastors the saying seems to be more,"Thank God it's Monday". Any way, I was reading in the Old Testament and God explained the reason for the Sabbath. We are to rest because it "humbles your soul". I guess I never thought of it like that. There is something about work that makes one feel important. God says, "Take a day completely off and watch the world continue on without you. Do it every week so you remember that you really aren't that all important. Sit, sleep, rest, and watch how I do what I do and worship". The elders have decided to give me a sabbatical starting this next week. A sabbatical is an extended sabbath, an extended time to rest and restore. I think it will be good. I am not good at resting but I will learn. I know it sounds weird. I will miss all the day to day activity but I will look forward to watching God do His thing. The sabbath is designed to teach me more than I ever learn while working. So, the rest of you, enjoy the weekend, take some time off, we will humble our souls together this summer and keep our eyes peeled for the One, the Only One who never sleeps or slumbers.

The Fondness of God

Maybe it is the wedding but I have found myself thinking more and more about love. Particularly I have been captivated by the love of God lately. I find myself looking forward to getting up every morning. I remember hearing Brennan Manning tell the story of his Irish uncle who was standing looking at a sunset. Brennan went up and stood beside him and his uncle smiled and said simply," My Heavenly Father is very fond of me". I guess I have been feeling more and more like that since it struck me that God created everything for the pleasure of Adam. I sit in my chair in the morning with my coffee and look out at the sunrise and think, "My Heavenly Father really is very fond of me". It is a very cool way to start my day. There are only four ways to motivate me to change...guilt, fear (those two are pretty closely connected), pride, and love. Maybe for the first time or at least for the first time in a long time, I feel like I am being changed by love. I don't know how long this feeling will last but I have found myself smiling every morning as I sit listening and talking to a God who pulled the sun up on a string just to show me.

The Wedding that Waits

I think I understand why God has decided to have all of history end at a wedding. There is no greater avenue for love and joy and generosity and celebration to all meet together. After what I have experienced last night at the wedding of my dear daughter, I cannot wait until the day I satnd with all of you at the wedding feast of the Lamb and experience the joy and the love our Father has planned for us since the beginning of time. Do you have any idea how generous a father wants to be on the wedding day? The supper of the Lamb will be beyond anything we can imagine. I can't wait to see all of you there.

The Wedding Day

Today is the day of my daughter's wedding. The Coffey family had breakfast together this morning for the last time at least in this way. We huddled together after breakfast for a prayer and I don't know when I have ever been more grateful. God is a giver of all great gifts and he has given me a ton. I took Rachel to a place where we used to meet to have our father/ daughter time. It was an emotional and good time. Today will be an important day for her and an important day for us as her mother and I give her away. I think God loves weddings. They have everything He really loves...faith, love, joy, sacrifice and a high and holy promise. Today I am keeping my eyes peeled for Jesus. His first miracle was at a wedding and in the book of Revelation all of history ends at the wedding of the Lamb. So, I will be looking for Him to show up today in one way or another. And when He does, I am going to tell Him thanks. Thanks for creating family and daughters and weddings and the whole shebang and thanks for giving your blessing and enjoying it all as well. So, even if I am reduced to tears more than once, don't be fooled, I am not sad. Sometimes joy squirts out of my eyes. Today will be one of those days.

Two Fathers

Last night we had a pre-wedding party at our house. I think there were 23 of us. I sat on the deck and watched as my father and father-in-law talked. I think there was a lot of greatness and character on that deck. As children and grandchildren played basketball and badminton these two men sat and talked and laughed together. The two of them had influenced and shaped everyone running around my yard in one way or another. I thought of how 27 years ago these two men sat and talked with me to see if I was ready to marry. Dick Heasley ended up convinced and let me take his eldest daughter away. Now I stand at the threshold of giving my daughter away. Some day I hope to sit on a deck watching my children and grandchildren play. i hope to have the same impact on their lives these two great men have had on mine.
This morning I walked by Rachel's room and looked in on my daughter sleeping in her bed. Soon it will be my bed again and not hers. Her bed she will share with a man named Will. But this morning she is still mine and still in her bed in my home. I smiled. I have loved having her. She is one of the great gifts from God to me and having her one more night is precious.

The Last Talk

Today family begins to descend for the wedding. What a great day! Last night I gave Rachel and Will the talk I give all couples the last time we meet. I talked to them about M&M's, communication, sex, and the pure miracle of forgiveness. No marriage will survive long without frequent trips to a well of forgiveness. I think it was in the movie Love Story that the character says,"Love means never having to say you are sorry". That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Any way, you haven't really experience awkward until you sit with your wife, daughter and future son-in-law and talk about the wonder of sex. Really weird. I kept having to remind myself that sex was not my idea but God's. There is something sacred about losing yourself in the love of another under the safety of a covenant. So, God is about to bestow such a gift on my daughter and I was looking into the eyes of the one who would participate in the giving of that gift. I told them sex is a good barometer to let them know how the other parts were going. I told them to treat their marriage like their bodies. If they are sick for a couple of days then they will probably get better but if they are sick for 3 weeks they should see a doctor. If they are not getting along for 3 weeks then come and see someone. It was a good talk. I had to do it because the marriage license was sitting on the dining room table 10 feet away. I have signed more than 100 of those things but as I held this one in my hand it felt different. I looked hard at the names, felt the texture of the paper in my hands, took a deep breath and went in to have the last talk. So, today I am ready for all the confusion to start but every once in a while I will steal a glance at my daughter, wink at her, and let her know that I love her dearly and the best is yet to come.

Tuesday With Karen

This is the week of the wedding. On Friday my eldest daughter will walk into the church primarily my daughter and walk out primarily a wife. Today is the lull before the storm. Tomorrow, family starts to descend for the wedding. Today I will try to attend to my wife. To say that she has born the brunt of the burden of planning is a gross understatement. To say that she has born the brunt of everything is more accurate. She is the mother of the bride. She is the mother. That means she is the one who has poured herself out day after day for our family in general and our daughter in particular. If Rachel becomes like her Mom as a wife then Will will be one happy man. I have great hopes for that since there is no one Rachel wants to be more like than her Mom. It is one of the things I love about both of them. Karen being the kind of woman worthy of emulation and Rachel having the wisdom to want to pick out a good role model. Any way, my goal for today is to look hard into my dear wife's eyes and see how she is really doing with all this. I need to see if she is saying goodbye in her heart to this chapter and if she is ready to embrace the next. Proverbs talks about a good wife in glowing terms. "The heart of her husband trusts in her", so says Proverbs 31. I have never trusted anyone more than Karen. Today I just want to hold her hand and have her trust me and give her the strength and the love she will need for this good week.

The Love of a Father

If all goes well, by the end of this week my eldest daughter will be married. It is really strange to see things addressed to Rachel McGinley instead of Rachel Coffey. It makes me feel like she is role playing because deep down she knows she is really a Coffey. But on Friday she will be Mrs. McGinley as surely as my Karen is Mrs. Coffey. This whole process has got me thinking a lot of my father-in-law. What in the world was he thinking when he gave me his daughter's hand nearly 27 years ago? Did he see something in my eyes that allowed him to sleep at night? I would suppose no one has prayed more for me than Karen's dad these last 27 years. I will be praying for Will McGinley for I will be trusting him with a very great treasure come Friday. These past few weeks I have felt the love of a father burning with a greater intensity. I like that for a couple of reasons. First of all, being a father is one of my favorite things in the whole world and then secondly, for just a few moments my heart beats a little closer to God. Out of all the ways God could describe His love for me, He has chosen to use "father". This week I expect to understand a little more about God's love for me as my father even as I place the hand of my precious daughter into the hand of a man who is making a promise to love her even more deeply than I. So, I pray.

It's Just a Game

I can't really figure out how to draw some spiritual truth out of this but...HOW ABOUT THOSE CAVS!! I am usually in bed before 10pm and last night I stayed up to watch the whole game like a big boy. It was one of the only times it was worth it to stay up past midnight. That's all I have to say. More spiritual stuff later.

My Functional Savior

I've been thinking about Jesus. I listened to a sermon on line and it got me thinking about the first of the ten commandments. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. All my sins start with the breaking of this one. Let's say, for the sake of argument, I tell a lie. The question is, why did I lie? I lied because for a moment the approval of someone else or my own self esteem was more important than God. I have a Savior in my head but sometimes my functional savior is something other than Jesus and that is a problem. If I think the thing that makes my life worth living is my family then that is my functional savior. If I think that my job makes my life worth living or my car or my self esteem or my pleasure or my health then that is my functional savior. I need Jesus to be my savior not only in my head but I need Him to be my functional Savior. Ever since I heard that sermon I have been thinking of Jesus more. It has been a good couple of days. It is amazing how things fall into place when Jesus is my real Savior and He is the one who makes my life worth living. Come Sunday and you will probably hear more about it. I just can't get it out of my mind.

My friend Clive

The internet is an amazing thing. A few months ago I received an e-mail from a youth pastor in England who had been on our website and was asking permission to use part of a sermon he had downloaded. Thus began my relationship with Clive Bennett. Yesterday Clive sent me this...
"Hi Joe,

I just wanted to contact you and encourage you from the other side of the pond
after hearing the sermon from last week on dealing with conflict. I am praying
for you and for your church and the person who wrote that letter and pray that relationships which that have been harmed will soon be restored. Not only do I
find your teaching encouraging, challenging and Godly, I found the way that you
and Jim dealt with and taught on the whole issue very Godly tool. Please be
encouraged and keep up your good work. "
Your brother in Christ,
Clive
How cool is that!! The body of Christ spread across the great pond encouraging each other to keep going. I love that guy. I may not meet him in person until heaven but then we will have much to talk about.

JoJo

For a couple of reasons I found myself alone at home much of the week with my dog JoJo. She is a Jack Russel terrier and I named her JoJo to remind myself she was my idea when she acted like a Jack Russel is expected to act. She has been a great dog. I've been watching her though. She follows me wherever I go. She gives the impression she just wants to be with me. I am the center of her world and whatever I am doing is of intense interest to her. I've been watching her and thinking of my relationship with God. I don't think I often make God feel the way JoJo makes me feel. I want to do that more. I want to follow Him, be all about what He is about, and just enjoy being with Him whenever. If I do that then maybe I will have the joy I see in my Jack Russel. This is the first time I have ever wanted to be more like my dog.

HOLY

My brother told me once he thought God was like a high voltage power line. His point was that you must approach a power line on its terms. You do not run willy nilly toward high voltage. I've been reading Leviticus. God seems to keep saying to people, "I want to have relationship but you need to know about my nature. You cannot approach me on your terms." The whole sacrificial system is built on the idea of approaching God on his terms. God was always setting the stage for Jesus. People are always asking why Jesus has to be the only way. It's like a little child asking, "Why can't I just grab the wire? Why do I have to wear a glove? That is not fair." Anyway, it struck me today as I was sitting praying after reading Leviticus. I love that Jesus calls me his friend. But I never want to forget that God is not my buddy. He is holy and wildly powerful and the price that was paid for me to make it safe to talk with him was enormous. So, I worship. "Call me Dad" he says. I do, but I also call him "Sir" sometimes. In the ancient languages it is "Lord".

A Chapter Closes

My son Jeremy was home for Mother's Day. That meant that for a couple of meals all 5 of the Coffey clan were together. It was a reminder for me of what I think was the favorite chapter of my life. I know there are other chapters to come but the chapter of tucking the kids into bed and having them all here has come to a close. I have really loved this chapter. In a few weeks my daughter Rachel will get married. I love her fiance and I think it is a great thing. The bets are on as to whether I will crack during the ceremony like a dry twig. If I do it won't be because I am sad about the wedding. It will be because as I watch my daughter slip a ring onto a young man's hand and have him slip one on hers, I will be watching my favorite chapter up to this point close. So, if I throw myself on the ground sobbing, those of you in the next chapter come up and tell me how good it is. I will try to believe you. Once again I am convinced of a great truth. The price of love is pain. It is a reminder of the love of God. To love, really love, means a willingness to experience pain even if it is just the pain of watching time roll on. I have thought for a while that a courageous prayer is to pray for God to increase my capacity for pain so I can love more people with a greater depth. That is my prayer as a Dad and my prayer as a pastor today.

My Post Letter World

The outpouring of love and support has been amazing since the weekend. The thing I like best is what people are actually writing and the spirit they are writing with. People have written about how they have come to understand who Jesus is and have committed themselves to following him since coming to this church. Others talk about how much their lives have changed and how much their faith has grown. The greatest thing is the number of people who say they are praying for the church and for us as leaders. Many mention praying for the author of the anonymous letter. All that is very very encouraging. The best way to prove the anonymous letter wrong is for all of us to be like Jesus, for every one of us to continue to grow in our faith and our obedience. It is hard to argue with true Christianity. Thanks for your love and your prayers. I am very grateful to be a part of this church family. I have saved every letter and every e-mail. They will make good company on the next "rainy day."

Whatever you do...

To say I am mechanically deficient is a gross understatement. I have been having trouble with my big mower. A mechanically gifted friend tried to tell me what to do to make sure the fuel line was not clogged. By step 2, I was completely lost. I am so pitiful. Ladies, if you are married to a man who can fix things, stop reading this and go give him a big kiss on the lips. Seriously. Anyway, there is one thing I can do. Since I am an avid bike rider I have had to learn how to fix flats. I'm pretty good at it actually. I was riding the other day on the bike path and passed a poor biker who was walking his bike. He had a flat and no gear to fix it. For a biker that is the equivalent of being "up a creek without a paddle." I stopped and fixed the flat. It is funny, I have been reading Exodus where God asked Moses to do something he can only do with God's help. Sometimes God does that. Talking to your neighbor or a family member about your relationship with Jesus or going deep into someone's life who desperately needs to talk to someone and you feel wholly inadequate or standing up to preach a sermon. But there are other times when God can ask you to do something that is right in your wheel house. Something you can do with your eyes closed. The interesting thing to me is the result of serving God either way is joy. The currency of the Kingdom of God is joy. So, look for anything. Do something for God you can do with your eyes closed, or go ahead and do something God has been asking you to do for a while that you know you can only do with His help. Either way, if you are looking for joy, you will find it.

It's A Wonderful Life

I am glad this weekend is over. The greatest concern of a pastor is the health of the church. The response has been overwhelming. One of my favorite movies is It's A Wonderful Life. I think I have always loved that movie because it is essentially a movie about ministry. George Bailey spends his life helping others and then feels like he has wasted his life. The climax of the movie is when George is in need and everyone comes to his rescue. I always cry when the telegram comes from Sam Wainright and then George's brother Harry flies in to show his support. Anyway, the e-mails I have been receiving since yesterday make me feel like George Bailey. I am the richest man in town this Monday and I am very grateful.

The Sermon

I thought some of you might be interested in how a sermon comes to be. This is the way it happens for me.
Monday- I spend in research. I try to research exactly what the Bible passage says. What the author meant and I ask my usual questions of a passage. Who, what, when, where, how, why and so what. This can involve quite a bit of reading and then some study of the original languages.
Tuesday- My day off. I spend it mostly thinking, praying and mulling over the passage. Many times I get ideas Tuesday night while I am sleeping. I think that may be the most common times to get prop ideas.
Wednesday- I pray some more and begin an outline connecting all the relevant scripture and trying to figure out how to communicate it in a way everyone can understand.
Thursday- I get to the office early and write it out word for word. It usually takes me from 7-10am or so.
Friday- I am an audio learner so I preach the message out loud so I can hear it and see if it makes sense to me. I use all the props and try to preach just like I will do in the weekend. This is where some props get cut. I decided not to use a live sheep once. I decided not to use the picture of Jim Colledge in a dress...ok, I'm just kidding. There is no such picture, at least I've never seen it. Anyway, I preach it through twice and time it to make sure I know how much time it will take.
Saturday and Sunday- I pray like crazy that what I have prepared is what God really wants. I try to make sure my heart is right. I get up very early to spend extra time with God to try to make sure I am on His page. Then I go and preach.
Sunday night- I pray again that God will use what was said. I ask for forgiveness for handling that which is holy in such a clumsy and inadequate way.

That is the process of creating a sermon as I know it. Now you know all my secrets.

16 and happy- could anything be better

I was sitting joking with my 16 year old daughter and she turned toward me and was laughing. Her eyes danced. Her smile smote me. I thought, maybe there is nothing more beautiful in all the world than a happy 16 year old girl. It was a very nice moment. I have heard that a parent can only be as happy as their saddest child. I believe that. Today I was as happy as my 16 year old daughter and it was very good. I wonder if God the Father receives pleasure from me when I look at Him and smile. I hope so. Sometimes I wonder why God would ever love me so. Sometimes I am so filled I don't think of it at all, I just smile and look at Him and say, thanks. Today, with the sun shining and the sky blue and my daughter laughing, was one of those days. I just want to smile at my Father in heaven and say," I don't know why you have given me all this, but I want to say thanks. You really are something else." There, I said it. Those of you who read this, I pray you will be filled with joy. I pray that something will remind you of the goodness of God and you will just take a moment to say, thanks.

Home Again

Back from my travels and like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, I want to say, "There is no place like home." It was a great trip. I still think real Christianity displayed in the world is the most dazzling thing on the planet. Rescuing little girls from brothels at great personal risk or caring for HIV infected orphans, it is followers of Christ who are carrying on the work. Sad, wonderful, heartbreaking, dazzling in the display of God's love and glory.
The trip was only marred by an anonymous letter faxed to me while in Thailand that was openly critical of the leadership and direction of the church. It has been sent out to a bunch of people. It makes me sad. If the person had just come to me with their concerns I could have answered almost all of them. Knowing a lot about the Bible doesn't necessarily mean you will obey it. The Bible is clear on how to handle a disagreement and sending an anonymous letter to everyone you know is not the way. But, God is big. I think He gave me Psalm 37 while in Thailand.
I am glad I am home. Home has always seemed a safe place. Because of the letter, church feels a little less safe for me and I know for my family. God never wanted that, of this I am sure.

Lost and Found

Yesterday I had the chance to worship in a church in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I sat right behind 3 college age kids from Holland. The worship music was in English and then Thai. The songs were the same we sing at home. It was amazing to watch those kids in front of me worship in a Thai church with English when they were from Holland. Very cool. I am sitting in a cyber cafe in the middle of Hong Kong. I went up for coffee and just held out coins in my hand and let the guy take whatever he wanted. I may be drinking the most expensive coffee in the world right now. I toured an HIV orphanage. Every child has HIV and all their parents died of AIDS. I walked out thinking the love of Christ is the greatest thing in the world. I love being a follower of Jesus. So do those kids from Holland. I hope you do too.

From Thailand

Sitting overlooking the Ping river in Chennai Mai, Thailand eating pizza and reading my Bible. Weird. Looking over two ministries. One rescues children from brothels. Tough stuff. Two organizations. One works to rescue and close down the brothels. The other works with the damaged kids in a safe house and raises them. The rescue group, International Justice Mission, has bullet proof glass at their offices. The brothels are controlled by organized crime. These are tough and passionate people. It will be a privlege to help in some way. A 12 hour time difference means major jet lag. Early mornings means good prayer time. The good news about sleepless nights is if I know your name you have a good chance of being prayed for. Pizza is getting cold. The Ping is very tranquil. All in all, it is a good place to be right now.

Thinking

In two days I leave for the far east. I will be checking out a couple of ministries. One rescues children from brothels. I am looking forward to the time to think. Forty hours in the air total. Wow!! A work week sitting in coach and thinking. The good news is I will be 35,000 feet closer to God. This morning I was thinking about the incommunicable attributes of God. The ones he doesn't share with us. The fact that he is completely independant. I am so dependant. If I don't eat for a couple of hours I begin to get hungry. A reminder of my fragility. God is not fragile. That is a good thing. I want to remember while I am hurtling around the globe that God is the same, feels the same about me, and in reality is no closer or farther away. I like that about God. I like that He is so big, that He doesn't need me or you or anything. He is free. He connects to us as an act of his will. He binds himself to us in love, through promise. That is some of what I will be thinking about as I sit and wait to arrive on the other side of this blue ball.

Sleep...per chance to dream

I was thinking about sleep this morning. I don't sleep particularly well so I tend to appreciate more than most perhaps. I think sleep is a gift of grace. God didn't have to create us to sleep but he has given us mandatory rest from our work. There are few things more pleasurable than flopping down on my bed when I am really exhausted. Sleep is also an act of faith. I trust the bed to hold me up but more than that I trust God will keep my body running without my help. Sleep should build my faith every night. It is also an affirmation of my place and a lesson in humility. Only God does not rest or slumber. I have to sleep and while I sleep I can do nothing and yet my heart continues to beat and I breathe every few seconds...actually I puff but that is another story and one that can only be confirmed by my wife. So, sleep tonight, but count your gifts before you doze off. They are many. Grace, faith, humility...three things I can also use more of.

Shame

Shame. I have heard it called the immune system of the soul. Shame lets me know something is wrong, so very wrong. I don't know when the last time you had a really good dose of shame but it is an awful feeling. I think that is why our society is slowly trying to remove it from our experience. The most shocking thing about shows like The Jerry Springer Show is the absolute lack of shame. Any way, I was thinking about the cross since this is Easter weekend. I think the worst thing about the cross is the shame Jesus endured. He must have felt the shame I have felt and all the shame you have felt. Legitimate shame times a billion would be beyond endurance. I wonder if that had as much to do with his death as the nails in his hands. "By his stripes, I am healed", so says Isaiah. The relief of shame, the healing of my damaged soul, is the great gift Jesus has given me. It came at great cost. Shame, it turns out, is about as expensive as anything in the world.

changes

Lots of changes. My son just moved to Atlanta. My oldest daughter is getting married in 2 months. My parents are moving up here to live with us. There are maybe more changes now than at any time in my life. Changes give flavor and spice to life. But in the midst of changes it is good to look toward Sunday. This week I keep thinking about the cross. For 2000 years it has been the symbol of love and sacrifice and life. It is good for me to look and be reminded of that which does not change. God is the same. His love is the same. The key to my life stays the same. The cross is the Rock in my life and I can't wait till Sunday to look at it fresh once again.

The Weather is Changing

This time of year is always an adventure here in northeastern Ohio. The weather seems like it is heaving and lurching toward Sping. Two weeks ago it was 70 degrees and sunny. Two days ago it was sleeting and gray. But even then, I could here the birds and they are a dead giveaway that Spring is coming. Sometimes I think this is the way it feels with my spiritual life. I am heaving and lurching my way to new life. Some days I can really sense the change that Christ has made in me and I think everyone else can see it too. My actions are filled with life and love and it is really very cool. Then other days I am gray and sleeting and I don't think anyone can tell that Christ is alive inside of me. But even then I think the birds are singing. There is something inside of me even on the spiritually gray days that tells me there is life in me somewhere. God is never too far away and he is always ready to break out. Today, I will look for the signs of Spring outside and inside. Today I will pray that you see Spring in me.

The Math of God

Figuring out God can be like doing algrebra for me. I look at different variables and then try to see where the formula leads. For instance, take the Faith Promise. We recently spent 4 weeks casting the vision for the future in a series called, Beyond Our Dreams-The Next 25 Years. Part of that vision was finishing off this campus. The 4 weeks concluded with a night of celebration and worship. Here are the variables. The initial vote to pursue the vision was 685-4. The one time offering taken on Celebration Sunday was a whopping 700k. The general offering taken up the same day was up 22% over last year's giving. Right around 1000 people showed up Sunday night to worship and this place just rocked for an hour and 15 minutes. It was awesome!! If someone gave me all those variables and then asked what I thought the faith promise would be, I would have said 10 Million. We were hoping for 7 million so we could do the whole project. The Faith Promise came in at a little less than 4 million. Now 4 million is a lot of money but it made me think. The question is, what is God doing? Have all of our people been obedient? If we have and we have given what God wanted us to give then God is really up to something interesting and I am looking forward to finding out what. God's math is always different than mine.