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Remember

Thursday, May 23rd, 2013

Somehow, we as Americans, have things a tad bit twisted.

We idolize sport “crybabies” who make more money in one year than many of us will make in a lifetime.

We idolize people who live lifestyles contrary to the Bible, but who “come out” of their closet. Suddenly they are the greatest thing since sliced bread.

We hang on every word some celebrity sings or says. We clamor for the paparazzi to give us “More! More!’

But while we do that, we often forget the real heroes. The ones who make all the freedoms possible which so many want to stomp into the ground. We forget or dismiss those who fought to give us the right to speak up and say whatever we want to say.

It is nothing new to any of you: this is Memorial Day weekend.

Some will be making their way to the Indianapolis 500.

Some will also be making the trek to their local cemetery to visit graves…

to visit the Vietnam Memorial…

the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor…

and countless other places to remember and honor loved ones, many of whom died in service to our country.

This is a weekend to remember “with liberty and justice for all.” It is a weekend to remember “My country, ’tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.” But most important of all, it is the weekend to honor those brave men and women who served this great nation.

BUT. I. AM. NOT. AN. “I. LOVE. MY. COUNTRY”. WORSHIPER.

While I am extremely grateful I live in the USA, I don’t have blinders on. I am aware there is a serious flaw that is gumming up the works. It is called SIN. Fleetwood Mac would put it another way: “You can go your own way.” And we are a people who have, by and large, chosen to do just that.

But the answer and cure for sin is the other memorial we will celebrate this week. Our church observes the Lord’s Supper each week. Some can say it becomes a ritual…and in some cases, they can be right. But if I Corinthians 11: 27-29 is taken seriously, that won’t happen. It is a time to remember the ultimate sacrifice, the ultimate price being paid for our freedom.

This Sunday, as you can probably guess, I will be preaching on Legacy and using our need to remember our veterans and remembering our Savior as my main thoughts. Both will develop these thoughts:

We should never forget the sacrifice of life.
We should never forget the price of freedom.
We should never forget the need for peace.

I appreciate your prayers. But I encourage you to take some time this weekend to honor a vet and honor the Savior. You can’t go wrong with either one.

AND HAVE A GREAT AND SAFE MEMORIAL HOLIDAY WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

How do you intend on celebrating this weekend? Will you be honoring a vet this weekend?

Posted in Christian living, Doctrine, Family, Friendship, Just Wondering, Miscellaneous | 18 Responses »

Inconveniences

Tuesday, May 21st, 2013

Scenario #1: I woke up Tuesday morning earlier than normal so I just decided to get up, do my normal morning routine, then head to the office. It had ~~rained~~ stormed part of the night, but that was okay. Well, not quite, because when I got to the office I noticed it was pitch black, except for the Emergency lights inside. A tree had taken down a power line. Anyway, I found my way around, grabbed my computer and a couple of books and headed back home. Minor inconvenience.

Scenario #2: I was able to go for a bike ride Tuesday since the sun came out and with the help of the breeze, dried the pavement. Did I say breeze? I should have said, “Strong winds” (15-18 mph with gusts to 23). The kind that make a cyclist feel like he is working extra hard and going nowhere. But at least I was able to ride. Minor inconvenience.

Scenario #3: A couple months ago I received a call on a Sunday morning at 1:00 from the alarm company. The church building’s alarm was going off. They had already dispatched the police. Really? 1:00 on a Sunday morning? Do you know what I have to do in about 3 hours? Get up! As far as we can tell the strong winds rattled an inadequately locked door which set off the alarm. Minor inconvenience.

Scenario #4: (Go back to scenario #1 for a moment). I turned on my computer and always check my email first. There was one waiting for me from Floyd, asking me to pray for a fellow blogger (TC). I had no clue why since I had gone TVless on Monday night. It wasn’t until I checked the news that I heard about the twister that devastated Oklahoma. TC and her family live near OKC. I shot off an email to Craig Groeschel, pastor of Lifechurch, who also lives near OKC. Floyd heard from TC; I heard from Craig.

Now you see why I called the first three scenarios “Minor inconveniences?“ What seemed such a big deal when it happened (except I will take a bike ride in windy weather and not complain), suddenly loses it sting-its oomph-when put on the scales of real life experiences. As I write this the death toll stands at 24. That is, of course, 24 too many. But it also puts things into perspective. What is a minor inconvenience of getting up for an alarm? Least I was able to get up out of my own bed. What is a minor inconvenience of no power for about 4-5 hours when hundreds will be without power, even a house, for days and possibly months? What is a minor inconvenience of riding in tiring winds? Least I was able to get on my bike and ride without having to look at total devastation.

So much of what we I go through are minor inconveniences compared to the bigger picture. I don’t know about you, but I need to ~~pause~~ stop and take a look at the bigger picture. What does your picture look like? Oh, and pray for the folks in OKC.

Posted in Christian living, Family, Friendship, Just Wondering, Miscellaneous | 20 Responses »

Circle

Tuesday, May 7th, 2013

Looks like I started either a firestorm or a good discussion in my last post. Comments varied in response-from yeah to nay. Thanks to everyone who responded and helped carry on a lively discussion. For those who did not have a chance to join in, it isn’t too late. If you choose to respond, I will still post your thoughts.

BUT LET’S TAKE A DIFFERENT LOOK AT THE CHURCH IN THIS POST

I finished Craveable this morning (Tuesday). I went back in my journal and saw I started on Feb.18. It is designed to last 40 days. I think I shattered that record to pieces. For the math challenged, that comes to a total of 78 days. ‘Course I am math-challenged so you may want to check it. I chose to read and journal only on Monday through Thursday so that’s my excuse.

The last few days/chapters have been dealing with the church (the local body). Our effect on the culture. What we are doing to make a difference. In chapter 36 Artie said, “A craveable church is able to communicate something relevant. What I mean by relevant is something that is useful in everyday life, understandable, and valuable.” Strange: nothing there about cussing in the pulpit, smoke & lights, and other extras we deem necessary to be “relevant.” Communicate the truth of God, connect it to the world, and watch what happens!

But this last chapter is a jewel: Our influence comes down to our circle of friends. God puts people into our lives; so does Satan. God puts them there to stand with us, push us, and help us; the enemy has other designs. While these people are put into our lives, we choose who will be with us. They become the circle. It is proven the longer we are a Christ-follower, the less amount of unbelieving friends we will have. Here is my question:

IF THAT IS TRUE (AND IT IS), HOW IN THE WORLD CAN WE HAVE THE INFLUENCE WE ~~NEED~~ ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE?

Strangely, I am not the only one asking this. Kari addressed the same question in her blog. Such a fine line we travel. A great example is Joshua and Caleb. They were voted down because of the “bad report” people who were able to sway the crowd. As Artie says, “Keep those ‘bad report’ people out of your circle!” I couldn’t agree more. It is way too easy to be ~~influenced~~ defeated by bad seed planted in your garden. Walk away from them. “Only the right people will help me accomplish all God has for me to do.” (p.237)

How do you decide your circle? Are you pretty picky?

The book: Like all books it had its highs and lows. It is hard to sustain a constant “Good” over the long haul. Some of it seemed repetitive. But all in all, I would suggest it as a supplement to your daily (or semi-daily) reading.

Posted in Christian living, Church, Family, Friendship, Just Wondering | 37 Responses »

Slurs

Wednesday, May 1st, 2013

Have you noticed how many ways a person can slur someone else?

When I was growing up, the town and school had a large population of ~~black~~ African American people. Back then, the ugliest racial slur used was the one that can never be uttered in public anymore (except when they call each other that name).

The recent “outing” of the basketball player led one ESPN analyst to state his mind when he was asked. He stated it honesty and openly and because it was not “kosher” according to our media and society, he was considered out of bounds and had to offer an apology. It is considered a slur to call the player’s actions what they are.

But I am not talking about that kind of slur. Let me give you a hint:

I went to the dentist today (Wednesday). Now you know where I am going with this? About 3-4 years ago, at the ripe young age of 56 I was told I needed to have braces. January of 2012, after 2 1/2 years of wearing them, I finally had them removed. But work is still ongoing, and ongoing slowly depending on the money situation. I am still having crown work done and today was no exception. He starts out by numbing my gums and (I think by proxy) my lip. Then he takes this foot long needle and slowly works the medicine into my gum, which subsequently numbs both the gum, the lips, and my chin.

Do you know what it is like trying to eat or drink with half your mouth in an uncontrollable droop? UGH!

Do you know what it is like trying to talk with said droop? Double UGH!

You slur (there’s that word) your words. I was so glad nobody was around to take pictures or a video of me trying to eat or drink. Rumors would fly for sure. And that (as they say) is all I would need. I have tried to drink from a water bottle while riding after a shot and water/Gatorade goes every where. It was even harder for me today since I had gone for a ride, had time to come home and take a shower, brush my teeth and head to the dentist. I was dying of thirst! (Slight exaggeration). But I wanted a Diet Dr Pepper so I made sure my straw was on the side of my mouth not affected by the droop and I actually did okay not drooling it. I was careful with my words also, but the medicine wore off pretty quickly. Good thing since I have to teach tonight. Wouldn’t that be a hoot?

People slur their words in real life also. We say thing we shouldn’t. We criticize. We talk out of both sides of our mouths. As James writes, “My brothers, these things ought not be so.” (3:10) Let’ s be more careful with our words.

Do you have trouble with your words? Do you find yourself talking out of both sides of your mouth?

Posted in Christian living, Friendship, Just Wondering, Miscellaneous | 17 Responses »

Warning

Wednesday, April 17th, 2013

I had made plans to review Craig Groeschel’s book Altar Ego this week. Today, in fact. However, life got in the way and kicked that to the curb. A dear friend went to be with Jesus on Tuesday afternoon and even though I have been away from the church she attended (and I pastored for 13 years), she has honored me by asking that I take part in her memorial service alongside her current pastor (and my successor). It has meant a rewiring of my week since it will mean going out of town and making a decision to either go to Visitation on Thursday night, come home, then return for the Funeral on Friday morning or spend the night in a hotel in that city. Needless to say, it also means some prep work. So, in lieu of that, I will post about Craig’s book next week.

So…I thought I would go easy on myself (and you) and post two Scriptures that I have read the past two days. I read through Proverbs every other month and decided I would diverge from my ESV and read it from The Message. The verses sound strange the way Peterson has paraphrased them, but it does give a fresh look to them.

“First pride, then the crash- the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.” 16:18

We all know that as “Pride goes before a fall.” Not much to add to that is there? How many times have I fallen after a prideful moment? Too many to count. A greater tragedy might be those who fall and don’t care. They still hold on to their opinion or arrogant “stand.”

“Overlook an offense and bond a friendship; fasten on to a slight and—good-bye, friend!” 17:9

Better known as “Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.” (ESV)

There are several thoughts in this verse. One is the importance of cultivating a friendship. Another is the tragedy caused by hanging on to things instead of forgiving. Way too many people are affected and governed by their refusal to let things go. I have seen people’s lives literally destroyed by bitterness and the unwillingness to forgive.

Relationships with people are so fragile, yet so important. They take time to nurture and grow. They take “invested time” to make them last. How are you at friendships? Second question: if you were to narrow it down to one Proverb that particularly is close to your heart, which one would it be?

Posted in Christian living, Family, Friendship, Just Wondering, Scripture look | 17 Responses »

Bullies

Thursday, April 11th, 2013

First, watch this video and then this video.

We hear a lot about bullies these days. For various reason. For various causes. Physically abusive. Emotionally abusive. Relationally abusive. Verbally abusive.

Both videos told multiple stories. I think one of the most poignant is the danger we all face from bullies.

Abusive parents.

Abusive fellow students.

Abusive siblings.

Abusive teachers.

Abusive “pastors.”

I read today (Thursday) that many are taking shots at Rick Warren for the suicide death of his life-long mentally ill son. It has come from the religious community. (Shame on you!) It has come from the LGBT community. (Yeah, I read the comments).

Come on people! This is a man, yes he is a pastor, but a father (and mother) whose son took his own life after battling depression all his life. Doctors. Medicine. Clinics. Treatment. All were temporary fixes for what was “wrong” from the beginning. But for the religious world to castigate him and for others to use this as a bully pulpit to condemn him because of his stand against gay marriage is unconscionable.

I am speaking more from the religious viewpoint here (for obvious reasons). I have always heard it said, “The church is the only army that shoots its own wounded.” When I read that Rick and Kay have taken shots lobbed from those who call themselves Christians, I was appalled. I applaud those, like Louie Giglio and Beth Moore, who took a stand against that. So many others. It is sad though that a few “jerks” will be used to represent the Christian community in this story. Instead of this being the time for the followers of Christ to shine in their actions of grace and compassion, we are seen as heartless idiots who don’t care about our own people. Frankly, I don’t always agree with Rick Warren. And I am pretty doggone sure not everyone agrees with me. (I could make a catty comment here, but this is not the time). But holy mackerel! Talk about shooting when a man is down! Those who do-religious or irreligious-ought to be ashamed of themselves. Religious people using it as one more example of God’s wrath on an unfaithful servant. Religious and irreligious people who use it to satisfy their agenda. Take a hike! Go back to your pit!

I would like to apologize for my “heatedness” in this post…but I won’t. There are some times I find myself getting a little “hot” and this is one of them. To all the “Christians” who are shooting…shame on you!!! To all those who are using this as a bully pulpit because Rick did not agree with your choice…shame on you too!!

Maybe if we had some character (like the dude in the video). And maybe if we reached out (like the young lady in the video), we might actually find it feels good. And for some, it is actually being Christ-like. Any thoughts?

Posted in Christian living, Church, Friendship, Leadership, Miscellaneous, Story | 23 Responses »

Gratitude

Sunday, April 7th, 2013

SOMETHING DIFFERENT IS HAPPENING THIS WEEK AT CYCLEGUY’S SPIN!

But first the backdrop.

Our new youth pastor, Ryan, is one top-notch dude. I’m not saying that because he might read this. I’m not even sure he will. (It is not a staff requirement to read and comment on my blog, although they do get extra points if they do!). Seriously, Ryan is someone ~~our~~ all youth can emulate. He was not raised in a two parent home, least not the traditional kind. God got a hold of his life, led him to Bible college, and led him to his soul mate, Hope. They chose a radical way to purity in preparation for their marriage and even wrote a book about it. Their dream was to do missions (Ryan is bi-lingual in Spanish). Events happened (babies for one) that derailed their plan for the mission field, so they came home to work, live and raise their children. He began working at a local credit union and eventually visited OVCF. They had just had child #3 and liked it so well decided to stick around. Eventually they volunteered their time with the Jr/Sr High youth. This past February, after 2 years of volunteer work, we hired Ryan full-time. He is a young man who has a lot to say to the kids because he lives what he says.

Recently he has been talking about some short videos he found and plans to use on Sunday night from time to time. He sent me the link and I decided to do something different this week: Each day I am going to highlight one of the videos for you to view. They last less than a minute. I will make a comment or two and then leave it up to you from there.

Here is the first:

So many things ran through my mind as I watched this. The frustration. Sure.

But I loved the kindness of the ladies to a gruff man whom they did not know (who was also a different color skin).

The “love your enemies” teaching of Jesus.

The power of something simple. Seems I remember Someone say, “When I was hungry, you fed me…”

The return of a gratitude-like expression by the man.

And, of course, the song.

Okay, now it is your turn. What struck you about the video? Have you had this happen in your own life? What can you do to show a little gratitude today?

Posted in Christian living, Friendship, Just Wondering, Leadership, Pick me Up | 24 Responses »

Acceptance

Monday, March 25th, 2013

Well, the snow hit that I wrote about in this post. But fortunately, it was a wet snow that accumulated on cars as they sat or on the grass, but the roads were doable and there didn’t seem to be a hardship for anyone (that I know of). We dodged a bullet because if this had been a month or so ago, holy mackerel!

I was reading Craveable Monday morning (yes, I am still working my way through it), when I ran across this statement:

I don’t know of anything more powerful and feeding to the life of another person than unconditional love and acceptance-the kind of love and acceptance that doesn’t judge or juke, the authentic love and acceptance that invests and gives and doesn’t put a ‘return to sender’ sticker on it. (p.107)

Without a doubt people love to be loved. I have yet to meet a person who doesn’t want to be loved unconditionally. Now…you put conditions on that “love” and the person will automatically be suspect of whatever is coming. The real crux of the matter is as Artie further discusses, and what has been discussed on this blog and others as well: this whole idea of acceptance.

Acceptance does not mean approval. There is a huge difference between the two. Jesus loved and accepted “out of bounds” people. The woman at the well and Zacchaeus are examples of that. From “go tell your husband” and “You have had five, and the one you’re currently living with is not your husband,” Jesus extended the welcome mat. He told Zacchaeus He was going to his house that day, but I can guarantee Jesus was disapproving of his lying and cheating. Jesus may have accepted these two (and others), but He did not approve of their lifestyle or choices.

WE. NEED. TO. TAKE. OUR. CUE. FROM. JESUS.

Recently a former prominent pastor of controversial books/beliefs has gone public in his acceptance AND approval of the gay lifestyle and marriage. I know this is a touchy/controversial subject for some, but while acceptance can be extended to them, approval of their lifestyle can not. I believe in the No Perfect People Allowed approach. I preach it. I try to practice it. But that does not mean approval of the lifestyle. And keep in mind, I am only using that as an example. Throw in promiscuous, stealing, lying, gossipy, etc to add to that list.

At the same time I ~~must~~ have to remember I am fallible also. So a judgmental, hateful, hate-filled approach is not in the cards either. Remembering that should bring me to a loving acceptance of others as people loved by God.

I know I am only touching the hem of the garment of this discussion. But I would like to know what your thoughts are on acceptance and approval. This is an open forum but please be respectful. Anything less will not be approved.

Posted in Christian living, Church, Friendship, Just Wondering, Leadership, Legalism | 22 Responses »

Builder

Wednesday, March 20th, 2013

My grandson is six years old. He is (and has been) in that magical age of fantasy and hyperactivity associated with it. He is also a sports fan(atic). I am extremely disappointed in his choice of teams, especially for baseball. His father has brainwashed him to be a Reds fan, so my hopes of having a fellow Pirate fan are slim to none. He amuses himself with constant motion of hitting, fielding, pitching, throwing, and sliding as though he is the star. (He is in my eyes, but that’s another story).

He is also into the magical world of SuperHeroes. The dude never stops. We sit down to watch a movie, be it Tranformers, Iron Man, Captain America, Spiderman, Batman, or (you fill in the blank), he watches it for a short period of time and then he says, “Grandpa, I’m going to get down and watch it on the floor.” Yeah, sure. He then “becomes” whatever SuperHero we are watching. It is hilarious to watch and listen to his banter, his “boy sounds,” and his actions. Oh…those were the days!!

I have to admit that I am unashamedly thrilled that he has not gotten into Bob the Builder, Wreck-it Ralph, or Diego whatever-his-name-is. I’m certainly glad Dora is not on his radar. Maybe it is because I am not much of a builder…of anything. I admire those who do, but these hands were not blessed for the intricate work of “measure twice, cut once,” or sowing, or cooking. I do dishes, laundry, vacuum, clean the bathrooms, but it doesn’t take much skill to do those.

I also admire those who can build bridges between people. Between cultures. At 60, I find I can bring some wisdom to the discussion, but I am an old fogie to many of those I call the “young bucks.” I understand-I was much the same way “back in the day’. I do read a lot and know that many of today’s generation of pastors tend to go-it-alone. That is a dangerous practice. Very dangerous. It is a bog frothing with snakes of all kinds.

One of the men who seems to have crossed the barrier of age and been able to relate to many pastors is Greg Laurie. Ryan (our new youth pastor); Peter (one of our young men and one of the finest tile men I have ever met); and I will be attending Catalyst OneDay in Lexington, KY on Thursday. Since I will be mostly incommunicado, I thought I would give you two of Pastor Greg’s latest daily devotions that “rang my bell.” Here is the one for March 18th, and here is the one for March 19th. They are short and won’t even take you five minutes to read. Please take a few moments to link to them. Then consider having his devotion delivered to your inbox.

I will have my phone so will approve comments, but won’t have time to respond. But I would still love to hear your thoughts on Greg’s words.

Posted in Christian living, Church, Friendship, Just Wondering, Leadership | 16 Responses »

Unshockable

Monday, March 11th, 2013

They walk in hand in hand. You don’t give it a second thought until you look a little closer and realize they are a same-sex couple. What do you do?

You thought you recognized the face. In fact, you are almost sure you were staring at it just this past week in the newspaper. Then it dawns on you! Of course. He/she was plastered across the front of the paper for a DWI.

The shame written across the face was evident. The downtrodden and down-looking eyes were another piece of evidence. Something about them said, “I don’t belong here. Please judge me so I can agree and never come back.” You realize they were in the paper for a child porn case.

The young woman can’t look you in the eye. You try to welcome her, but her guilt is too great. After all, what would you think if you knew she had just had an abortion? Or was a teenager who had had a sexual encounter and now the consequence is weighing on her. She is scum and everyone else will think so too.

All scenarios. But all scenarios that we probably have faced in the past or may face in the future. I gotta tell you, in all honesty, I would not have given a rip about these people several years ago. I could preach God would forgive, but that didn’t mean I had to have a part in it. Plainly put, I was a Pharisee. Lock, stock, and barrel.

I’m not going to presume how you would handle these or similar situations. As a pastor I have a unique view of things in many ways. That was how I got to be a Pharisee. But you can’t be one when God ~~slaps~~ slams you upside the head with a 2×4. Slam He did and it was not a pretty sight.

I’ve been reading Mud and the Masterpiece by John Burke. WOW!! I’m hooked! It’s not the first time John has done that. Later on that. Read this passage please. Substitute the above examples in the place of the woman. Jesus’ response would have been what? While the above examples are mine, the reference to Luke 7 that I am about to give is John’s.

Jesus looks beyond the mud to the masterpiece this woman is. He doesn’t ignore her sin (“Go and sin no more”), but His parable shows the debt she (and the Pharisees) owe could not be paid. John makes this statement:

The reason I believe Jesus wants His followers to be unshockable has nothing to do with hating sin or not hating sin. It has to do with seeing sin for what it is-it’s foreign matter. Sin is not our true identity-that’s the whole problem. We need to help people identify with God’s image in them. (The masterpiece under the mud-my note)

That is not sugarcoating sin. It is about not allowing it to be their/my identity. This post is getting long so I will continue it later this week. Till then, what are your thoughts? How would you react to the above scenarios? And if you get a chance, please listen to this.

Posted in Christian living, Church, Friendship, Jesus, Just Wondering, Leadership, Sin, Story | 26 Responses »