January, 2012

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Jenn(Unchained)

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

Welcome to the third installment of Unchained. The first two are here and here. I met Jenn, as I have probably most of you, through someone else’s blog. I liked her “style” and bookmarked it. Since then we have contributed to the comment section of each other’s blog. Jenn blogs at Random Thoughts. While there, make sure you check out the pic of her pride and joy, 6 year old Shiloh. She is going to be a heart-breaker some day. 🙂 Jenn’s Unchained testimony is long but well worth reading.

When Bill asked me to write about my experiences with legalism, I thought it would be easy, but I have struggled with it more than I expected to. The worst of the legalism that I was a part of happened when I was so young that I really don’t know where to start.

I grew up in a strict home. There are things about the way I was raised that I absolutely appreciate, and there are things that I don’t agree with now that I’m an adult. What I didn’t realize until recently was that I grew up in a very legalist church (and because of that, also a legalistic household).

I knew the church I went to as a child was different. I knew there were problems and that the church split when I was in second grade. I even had memories of my pastor’s picture being in the newspaper, but I was too young to understand why.

It wasn’t until I was an adult that my cousin told me that she was studying about my former church in college, because it was labeled a cult. That made me curious so of course I Googled it. The things that I read brought back memories of from my childhood, and also explained some things to me.

The church I grew up in was founded in the late 60’s, but it started to become very authoritarian around the time I was born (1980), according to what I read. It still amazes me that one man could manipulate three thousand church members enough to destroy their lives, but he did.

The pastor had many rules and he enforced them by encouraging church members to report each other’s faults to him. Church members didn’t celebrate Christmas or Easter (I never celebrated either holiday until I was a teenager and my dad finally allowed it). Certain Christian books and bookstores were bad because they were spreading “false creeds”. Couples were not allowed to become engaged unless the pastor’s wife was informed first. Anyone that had a rebellious attitude was said to be possessed by the demon of rebellion. Visitors to the church were looked at with suspicion and often asked to leave.

The things I’ve mentioned are things I read about the church, but I don’t personally remember because of my age at the time (although I do remember plenty of talk about the demon of this or that). Now I’ll tell you a few of the things that I remember from my childhood, and that I have since learned were because of the church we attended.

To begin with, my brother and sister and I were born at home with the help of a midwife from the church. There is nothing wrong with this exactly, except that along with everything else I’ve learned, it just seems like one more way that the church kept its members separate from the world and even other Christians.

My family didn’t have a TV when I was a child, and anyone that did have a TV was “bad”. I can remember standing on my neighbor’s back porch and watching Full House through the glass door because I wasn’t allowed to watch TV. Also, secular music was bad, along with Contemporary Christian music. All I can actually remember listening to were tapes from the church.

The women all had to wear dresses, which is probably why I never wear dresses now. I was a tomboy and I had to wear shorts under my dresses so that I could still climb trees and wrestle with the boys. Oh, and jean skirts were a no-no also. Apparently the women were supposed to be very feminine and wear soft colors and lots of ruffles.

We also had to keep our hair long. I chopped all my hair off when I was eleven (we were not part of the church by then but my dad still followed most of their rules). What can I say? I’m a rebel I guess. My dad told me it was ugly and I cried, but as soon as it started to grow, I cut it again and when he made a comment about it, I didn’t cry.

We also couldn’t eat pork or shellfish. We weren’t Jewish, but for some reason the pastor decided that the foods were “unclean”.

My parents never owned a home until after we left the church. I recently found out that the pastor discouraged members from buying homes. I’m not sure why though.

The church also had a Bible college and elementary school. I don’t have a problem with Christian schools or colleges, but the church condemned people if they chose to send their children to secular schools instead. My brother and sister and I attended the church’s school even though it was expensive and my parents could barely afford it. Also, from what I have read online as an adult, they didn’t accept outsiders into the school. It was just another way to brainwash church members.

There are things that happened in the church before it split that were very strange. I won’t go into all of it simply because this post will go on for days. The things I’m skipping have more to do with the cult side of the church than legalism, although the two probably went hand-in-hand. To quickly sum it up, before the church finally split, there were affairs, divorces, suicides (including my mom’s best friend), a little girl was murdered by her mother “to protect her from the demon of hyperactivity”, several children were sexually abused by high ranking men in the church, and many friendships were destroyed.

Thankfully I was young enough that I wasn’t hurt too much by the things that happened at my former church. Sadly that isn’t the case for most. My dad, for example, has never found another church “that teaches the truth” so he doesn’t attend church.

I can’t explain why people were deceived the way they were by this pastor since I don’t understand it myself. I think that people were probably so involved in the church that they were afraid to leave. The pastor made sure people cut all ties to the outside world. When people rebelled and were “disfellowshipped” they had nowhere to turn.

Learning more about the church I came from has helped me to understand myself a little more. Even though I feel like I wasn’t affected by everything that went on, I know I was on some level. I have always been very skeptical of spiritual things. Not of God or the Bible, but of the things people say and do. I don’t blindly follow a pastor or a church. I question everything.

I have a hard time with people throwing out things like, “You can’t be a Christian if you do _____.” I’m not condoning living a lifestyle contrary to what the Bible teaches, and then calling yourself a Christian (that bothers me too), but some well meaning people come up with some crazy stuff. I’ve heard people say you can’t be a Christian if you’re Republican and I’ve heard others say you’re not a Christian if you’re a Democrat. I’ve also heard someone say that my pastor “destroyed our church” when he sold the old pews (after the church voted and agreed to it) and purchased pew chairs instead. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think the fact that your church had pews is going to get you into Heaven.

I still struggle with the idea of grace. I believe it completely, but I also have to constantly remind myself that my salvation isn’t in a checklist. I think this is probably because things were so legalistic in my home and church when I was a child.

I think that some good came out of my experience. My skeptical nature makes me study and search the scriptures for myself so that I will know if I’m being deceived. And I believe that God is big enough for my questions. I pray for discernment and I am constantly on guard so that I don’t allow myself to put my pastor on a pedestal. (And I also pray for my pastor and the other leaders in the church.) I’m involved in my church – very involved – but I could easily walk away if things got weird. And if I had to leave my church it would not affect my relationship with Jesus or keep me from finding another church.

From Bill: quite a story. I was privy to the church she was raised in and due to certain reasons, she chose to leave out the name. Trust me: it was a cult. The dude even went off and started another one! Anyway, please feel free to comment. Jenn’s schedule has her back at school so she will answer your comments when she has time. Thanks for coming by.

Posted in Uncategorized | 63 Responses »

Others

Monday, January 16th, 2012

I WILL TELL YOU RIGHT UP FRONT…

THIS. WILL. BE. A. HARD. POST. TO. WRITE.

I can honestly say that I did not capitalize those letters and “period” them so that it drew you in like a fish on a hook. In all seriousness, this will be a hard post to write. All because I read something the other day that got me thinking. I even wrote it in my Moleskine journal. But, first some background.

I have, in the past, told you about my legalistic bent. I was doctrinally legalistic. But I was also culturally legalistic. Not in the way of dress…not me! But my biggest problem (and remember the era I come from…the Dark Ages 🙂 ), is one that is rearing its head today in a big way. I come from an age where pastors’ conduct was to be exemplary. Trust me, mine always wasn’t. But in my most legalistic days, I was very outspoken about several things: social drinking being one. I ranted and raved about it. So much so, that one time a man was heard to threaten me by those who sat around him. 🙁

Now, in fairness to me, I have slacked up on the judgmental attitude that precluded those rants. I could rant about something I was not guilty of, but to rant about something I struggled with, well…that was another story. That being said: I am a tee-totaler. Always have been. Lord willing, always will be. My main concern then was far more judgmental. My main concern now is something else…

AM I BEING OTHER-ORIENTED?

Here is what has me all out of whack. Read the Scripture in I Cor.10:23-27. There are three questions to ask:

1. Is it helpful? (v.23a)

2. Is it constructive? (v.23b)

3. Is it other-oriented? (v.24)

It is that last question that has me stumped right now. Here is what I am asking: does my course of action or inaction, seek the good, the betterment, the blessing of my neighbor? Is what I am doing, or propose to do, going to further the Kingdom and benefit those I have come to be a witness to, or will it be a detriment? When people have left me to go do other things, will their time with me have been a good thing for the Kingdom, or a bad thing?

I realize our culture is different today. What was wrong then is not seen as wrong now. The Scripture hasn’t changed; our views have. And I am not saying social drinking is wrong (it is just an example). But whether we are talking about social drinking, or whatever is questionable (gray), we still must ask the “other-oriented” question.

I’m going to stop there. I would like to hear your thoughts on this. Am I all wet? Am I barking up the wrong tree? Am I making a big to-do about nothing? Feel free to chime in. I would love to hear what you think.

Posted in Christian living, Just Wondering, Leadership, Legalism | 58 Responses »

Power

Sunday, January 15th, 2012

Two quotes to get you started out right this week. (Okay so maybe they won’t change a thing about your week, but they will get you to think about this post). 🙂

There has never been a spiritual awakening in any country or locality (me: or church) that did not begin with united prayer. A.T.Pierson

Following on the heels of that quote is this one by Bill Hybels:

When we work, we work; but when we pray, God works.

Those two quotes got me to thinking: could that be one of the reasons why we are not seeing a “move of God” in our churches today? I realize there are exceptions to that, so if you know of one or are a part of one, then great! Perhaps you can add to this discussion at the end. However, many of us (myself included) often wonder why God’s Spirit is not moving in our churches. Why do things seem humdrum? Why are we not experiencing real changed lives? Why are we not making a difference in our communities, in our churches, in our school?

Could it be…and I am thinking out loud here…that we have been trying to do too much of it on our own and in our own power? Have we become so enamored by the “bigger is better” mentality (and I am not against large churches), that we have sacrificed passion for position or prestige? Have we sacrificed prayer for programs? I can remember once hearing a pastor tell about his visit to another country known for its packed prayer meetings. He was so overwhelmed he asked the other pastor, “What’s your secret? If we call a prayer meeting in America, we can meet in a phone booth.”

Maybe prayer will take on a whole new meaning if we realize anew that it is the most intimate time we can have with God. Prayer is a channel for God’s power. His power can change lives. His power can change circumstances and relationships. His power can heal marriages. His power can help us face daily struggles. His power can heal psychological and physical problems. His power can meet financial needs. The skeptics will say, “Oh, those answers are only coincidences.” It is amazing how many coincidences occur when a person begins to pray.

I don’t know about you, but if Jesus thought it was important enough to pray (Mark 1:35-39), how in the world can I think differently?

So, here are some thoughts you can consider for your comments. Do you agree with what I have said? Why or why not? Do you think we have substituted programs for prayer? Does your church have a prayer ministry? Do you take part in it? ‘Course if you want to comment on some other idea this post drudged up, please feel free to do so. Meanwhile, I am going to close this post and go do what I need to do…pray. 🙂

Posted in Church, Just Wondering, Prayer, Sermon Series/Topic, Sunday Meanderings | 38 Responses »

Busy-ness

Thursday, January 12th, 2012

(Said in a whiny voice) “AAAAHHHH DO I HAVE TO?”

Man, I would love to have a dollar for every time I said those words to my mother. (I would also like to have a dollar for every time she applied the “hand of knowledge to the seat of the problem” when I got too rebellious while using that). As a parent I would love to have a dollar for every time I heard that from my two angels (who never used that so I would be broke). Cough cough! 🙂

Make no mistake about it: prayer is often looked on in the same way. From the put-the-hammer-down-lay-on-the-guilt-trip pastors to the apathetic church goer, prayer is a mystery. For some it is a necessary evil. For others it is their life-blood. For some it is an add-on. For others they wouldn’t even think of beginning their day without it. The excuses/reasons for those views vary. Some of it just plain comes down to “I don’t know how”, and don’t understand it.

Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness. Martin Luther

But I think one of the most common ~~excuses~~ reasons given is “I don’t have time.” When growing up, it was ingrained in me to meet God in the morning. I can remember mom getting up and we would meet in the living room for reading Our Daily Bread and prayer before I went off to school. Even then I was a morning person. So, getting up early to have my Quiet Time (QT) is easy for me. But nighttime? Forget it! A bed is made for sleeping, not reading (so my body tells me). The mentality we have adopted is seen in this quote:

He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find him the rest of the day.” John Bunyan

While I respect Bunyan (his Pilgrim’s Progress is a classic), I think he missed the boat here. It is in thinking that the morning is the only time to meet with God that people latch onto the whole I-am-too-busy-to-pray idea. We miss that morning appointment and feel guilty. Then our day gets so busy that we don’t have time. Evening comes and we zone out. Next day: same song, second verse.

I want prayer to be exciting…for me…for others. I don’t want it to feel like sludge in my life…or theirs…or yours. Sunday is my attempt to talk about the simplicity of prayer. I am ~~stealing~~ borrowing Bill Hybels’ book title, Too Busy Not To Pray, for my message. I plan to share more on Monday’s blog about the “guts” of the message, but until then, do you have trouble not relegating prayer to a “have-to” state? Do you find joy in it?

Posted in Christian living, Church, Prayer, Preaching, Sermon Series/Topic | 44 Responses »

SomeLove

Wednesday, January 11th, 2012

WOW! JUST WOW!

How can I say thanks to so many of you who commented on yesterday’s post from Susan. After years of religious abuse and being a religious addict, she broke free and now tells her story. In a personal correspondence Susan and I had over the course of several weeks, she wrote the following (I have received her permission to share this):

Too many religious leaders overlook the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. They do not trust the Holy Spirit’s ability to change lives without their help. By using sheer force of personality, and manipulative, authoritarian leadership, they ultimately create a dependency on themselves instead of on the Holy Spirit. God doesn’t save us to create an army of droids. He saves us so we can be who He has always intended we should be: dependent on and obedient to His voice. Then, He gets ALL of the glory. Mayhem happens when a pastor or church leader creates an atmosphere of fear and reliance on him or herself.

She speaks truth. It is a wake-up call to me as a pastor. It should also be a wake-up call to all who are not. I know I am preaching to the choir on this blog, but the church was never intended to be a “cult of personality” (to borrow from Living Colour). There is only ONE HEAD and I/you ain’t Him!

…………………….OKAY…ON TO OTHER SUBJECTS!……………….

My friend, Michael Perkins, has written his first ebook, specifically designed for, well…you need to see it for yourself. He asked me to look it over before he made it available, and I was impressed. But I am going to allow two other bloggers to give their thoughts. Here is Moe’s review. Here is Jon’s (Stretched) post. I would suggest you head over to Michael’s blog to find out more.

My friend from Manhattan, Moe, has begun a new blog called Disciplus. Please, please, please head over there and check it out. I am excited for his new venture!

My friend, Jason, spent last year daily chronicling his faith adventure and called it MustardSeedYear. Not always pretty. Not always uplifting. But always truthful. He has challenged others to “latch on” to a daily, truthful recording of their walk. His posts this week have been about giving up control. They are knock-your-socks-off on the money.

Jonathan Pearson, one of the staff at Cornerstone Community Church, in Spartansburg, SC, with the help of some others has started a new blog that comes through as “title unknown.” 🙂 It is about Millennials and you can find it here . I believe this post by Ben Reed is one of the finest I have read on this subject and needed to be written. Blessings Jonathan and friends!

To wrap it up: This dude is hilarious, but pointed (and we both have an on-going love affair with Chipotle). This dude speaks in analogies. This dude is unreasonable. And this dudette is always looking and thinking.

There are more, of course. I just wanted to pass along a little link love. Please don’t be offended and feel left out if you were not mentioned. “You will have your chance” (to borrow a quote from CARS). Any links you care to share?

Posted in Christian living, Friendship, Little Bit of Fun, Miscellaneous | 44 Responses »

Susan(Unchained)

Tuesday, January 10th, 2012

I began a short series on Unchained last week with this post. I hope to have guest posts by people who have come out of legalism. Susan is up first. I have grown to know her as a person who not only has quite a story, but deeply cares about others caught in the trap of legalism. She blogs here. It is long but I have chosen to let Susan say what needs to be said (she even chopped it down!). 🙂 Please take the time to read it all.

My name is Susan, and I am a recovering religious addict. I’ve read that certain characteristics in some people may predispose them to religious addiction. First-born people pleasers, like me, who have been raised in dysfunctional authoritarian homes are high on the list. Other personality types are not immune, though; anyone in an emotionally vulnerable place may be gradually sucked into an unhealthy group.

The first time I was aware of the possibility that a pastor might not be right was when a traveling speaker who claimed to be a former warlock came to my church. He was allegedly raising money for a half-way house for people leaving witchcraft. He convinced most of the congregation that certain writers and other well-known celebrities were involved in witchcraft. It ended with a book burning in the church parking lot. C.S. Lewis was one of those writers. He was later proved a fraud.

In Portugal, we attended a church plant pastored by an American missionary. I was suffering from post partum depression one Sunday when I heard my name from the pulpit. The pastor was scolding me for not having a happy face while the congregation was singing. I walked out.

In 1990, we returned to the states. We missed Portugal and I suppose we were looking for someplace stable. We joined a non-denom church in the area in hopes that we might dodge the legalism of the denominational church we left in Portugal. But, we didn’t.

We were dealing with homesickness, and dealing with American culture, so I missed some cues I might have otherwise noticed. Then, I recognized the unspoken code when people who broke the unspoken code were chastised from the pulpit.

Most of the code was clear. Women must wear dresses or skirts. The bus ministry is the most important ministry in the church, and if you are not involved, your loyalty is questionable. If you aren’t in church every time the doors are open, your commitment to God is at stake, and he may take your children away from you.

The pastor used the Bible to teach that interracial marriage is against God’s will, and that any music that made you tap your toes or move any other way is ungodly. In a four-week series he taught that the King James Version of the Bible was the only acceptable translation, and why. He punctuated his sermons by reading excerpts from what he called “Bible perversions” and then tossing them onto the floor in front of the pulpit. He sent the teens to a Bible conference where the speaker emotionally manipulated kids to “get saved” with graphic descriptions of the tortures of hell. My oldest daughter was traumatized about her salvation for several years.

We left after seven years, and tried to find another church home. Then we vacationed in north central Florida where we had met some online friends. The lack of visible legalism refreshed us. We packed up and moved to Florida.

The pastor taught powerfully about the work of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual Warfare was something I’d had little teaching on. (Later I discovered that he used the Spiritual Warfare teaching to keep unruly members in line.) One Sunday morning, he held out as fact something that I was fairly certain was more like conjecture. I requested clarification. He answered me, but when I asked a second question, he said I was wasting his time.

Another Sunday morning he verbally chastised the congregation until someone finally went forward. My husband was concerned that about the lack of financial statements and that there was no board of deacons, nor elders. The pastor alleged that the boards existed as people who performed the work of those offices, but nothing official. Financial statements were available on request – but they were incomplete.

After two years we left the church. On the advice of a friend, we wrote a letter telling the pastor why we were leaving. Mere afterward, someone gave me a copy of a harsh, open letter he had left on the back table of the church to be picked up only by people to whom we had talked about the church. We had talked to only one family, but all letters disappeared. The letter was copied and passed on to others. People called the church saying we had talked about the church when all we had done was greet them.

I was devastated. I couldn’t sleep, and was having panic attacks. I wanted it to be over.

Stockholm syndrome is defined as a victim emotionally bonding with his/her abuser. Three months after that letter was out, I was in that pastor’s office apologizing for causing a problem. My poor husband simply could not understand why I would do that. A few months later, I persuaded him to go back to the church.

For the next six years my goal was to focus on keeping the pastor happy, and solving any problems that might come up. I threw myself into every ministry I could possibly manage, and some I couldn’t. I was home schooling my three children, and in 2003, we moved my mom down here because she needed someone to look after her.

In 2005, I had to go to work. I’d been taught you could not stop doing a ministry once you began, so I tried to keep up. I had become convinced, through the pastor’s teaching, that our church was the only one that had the most truth. I neglected my family, and eventually lost two jobs because I was unable to cope with it all. It seemed to me that God was always frowning at me.

My husband left the church in 2007. I tried, but was terrified and kept going back. The pastor used triangulation, manipulation and whatever he could to keep me there, I still wanted out but was unable to leave. It took another year and a painful experience for the Lord to extricate me completely me.

God, through the work of the Holy Spirit and the people where we now attend church, is healing. He doesn’t frown at me anymore. I am getting a full dose of mercy and grace one day at a time, as needed. And, I am grateful.

Quite a story, won’t you admit? Anyone else have a similar situation? Any thoughts you would like to share?

If you have a story to tell about legalism, and would like to be a part of these posts, contact me at pastoratovcf.org.

Posted in Christian living, Church, Doctrine, Legalism | 67 Responses »

Stand

Monday, January 9th, 2012

I have mentioned several times in the past (before the end of 2011) that I had read Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas. To be totally honest, i wondered if I would ever get done. It started slowly as he laid the family groundwork, but then picked up steam. I had been finding only random moments to read early on, but when it picked up that steam, I began making time to read. At first I was just reading it to be reading it. Little did I know that I would walk away having shed tears, some smirks, and a whole bunch of other emotions…one of which is extreme admiration from this man I had heard so much about, but had never really “discovered.” His decision to serve God in spite of his circumstances; in spite of his fight with bouts of depression (a la Charles Spurgeon); in spite of the pain of separation from those whom he loved (and hoped to marry); in spite of the barbarianism of Hitler and Naziism, won me over. I began using a pen to make some lines and notations. Here is one that stood out to me.

Who stands fast? Only the man whose final standard is not his reason, his principles, his conscience, his freedom, or his virtue, but who is ready to sacrifice all this when he is called to obedient and responsible action in faith and in exclusive allegiance to God-the responsible man, who tries to make his whole life an answer to the question and call of God.

Talk about a gut punch! Here was a man, whom unbeknownst to himself, would be called on to do just that! Once he was taken by the Gestapo, he would never return home. He would leave all the people he loved behind. He would leave the woman he loved and planned to marry behind. He would leave his family behind. He found himself in a 7×10 foot cell. It featured a plank bed, a bench along one wall, a stool, a necessary bucket, a wooden door with a tiny circular window through which the guards might observe him, and a not-so-small window above his head providing daylight and fresh air. (All the amenities don’t you agree?) That was not so bad according to the author, but it would get worse.

Bonhoeffer’s words sure smack at the “easy Christianity” so many expect today. Motor homes bigger than some homes. Sleep number beds. Finest furniture. 2-3-4 bathrooms furnished to the hilt (think Home Improvement). The finest of comfort. After all, I am a “King’s Kid.” I deserve it! No…no we don’t deserve anything. That is the point about grace. We don’t deserve what God has given us-salvation or otherwise. When our allegiance is to God, and God alone, we find new values, new priorities, new everything.

Okay…sorry. Rant over. DB’s quote just struck me. What are your thoughts about the current state of “I deserve this” type of Christianity? Do you have any thoughts you care to share? I would love to hear them.

Posted in Christian living, Church, Just Wondering, Leadership | 68 Responses »

Random

Sunday, January 8th, 2012

RANDOM THOUGHTS TODAY

I do not have ADD or ADHD. But as my headline says “Ramblings from a guy whose mind is always spinning and spinning.” Sometimes the spinning makes me dizzy. Sometimes I even have trouble sleeping at night if I wake up. So, bear with me today as I try to bring some order to my random world (and you become a victim).

One of my readers, Dan Black, and his wife, Ashley, were blessed with a son, Logan. Logan was very premature so he was put on a vent and into a NeoNatal Intensive Care Unit. I asked for prayer for all three of them. I cannot even begin to fathom the pain of going home from the hospital with your child still there. Dan has kept me updated on Logan and his most recent was this: “Logan is breathing on his own. He is beginning to bottle feed. We should get to take him home in 2-3 weeks.” He also asked me to tell all who have prayed, “Thanks.” So thanks for your prayers. Ultimate thanks to the Father in heaven.

I recently made an emergency trip to the Indy hospital for preemie birth of twins. The little girl lived for 20 minutes. Her brother weighed in at 4#1 oz. He will be in the hospital on a vent for up to 7 weeks they suspect. Pray for Joe & Erin.

If anyone would have told me that I would be enjoying sunny 40-50 degree weather and riding my bike in January, I would have told them they were nuts. I would also have been eating my words. I have this sneaking suspicion winter will hit with a vengeance. However, I am not complaining. 🙂

Been reading Living on the Edge by Chip Ingram. He tells the story of the documentary of a man who decided to test the quality of food in one of America’s most famous fast food restaurants. The 30 day plan was to eat nothing but fast food morning, noon, and night. Tests were done prior to the experiment for evaluation. Unfortunately, the experiment did not last 30 days. After 20 days or so of a steady diet of only fast food, the man’s body began to shut down. The high-sugar, high-fat, fried, and processed food began to build up toxins to such a degree that he had to be hospitalized. Ironically the food tasted great; tragically it almost killed him. Hmmmm. What does that say about our penchant for fast foods and what it is doing to us? Does pizza count as fast food since it takes some time to make? 😛

Finally, this song has been on my playlist. I have not historically been a fan of theirs, and never really listened to much of their music. But I recently bought their “The Best Yet” CD. I have become a fan. izvlfeVTNv0

Thanks for reading my random thoughts. Anything random happening in your life you care to share? What are you listening to that is having an impact?

Posted in Just Wondering, Little Bit of Fun, Miscellaneous, Sunday Meanderings | 35 Responses »

REVOLUTION!

Thursday, January 5th, 2012

HOW AWESOME IS THAT!

NO…………….

NOT THE BANNER!

THE TRUTH OF THE BANNER

Okay, let’s be honest. How many of you thought I was talking about the banner when you saw my first statement? I will get this out of the way: Dan did a bang up job on the banner. I remember having lunch with him and giving him an idea. He took my idea and improved it 100%. WOW!

My theme for the year is “TRANSFORMED!”

I wrote about that here. My theme for January is

TRANSFORMED BY PRAYER

If there is one spiritual discipline I fail regularly in it is prayer. I find myself convicted on an almost regular basis about my lack of commitment to get-down-on-my-knees-and-cry-my-heart-out-to-God kind of prayer. (I have trouble kneeling now anyway-the back, knees and shoulders all take a beating when I do). But I digress. The question I often ask myself…and am asking you…if prayer is so vital, why in the world am I so haphazard in its intensity? Please don’t get me wrong. I take time daily to pray. Many of you are included in that prayer. But I often find it not very “storm-the-gates-of-heaven” type of praying. Know what I mean?

Charles Spurgeon once said, “I would rather teach one man to pray than ten men to preach.”

Is there any doubt what he is suggesting there? I think not. Of all the things we teach in the church, prayer may be one of the most neglected. Tithing? Check. Salvation? Check. Baptism? Check. God’s sovereignty? Check. The list goes on and on. But, I am sad to say, prayer is often relegated to the bottom of the list of “preaching ideas.” I can count on one hand the number of times in 2011 I preached about prayer. Maybe include 2010 in that.

I will not be preaching this Sunday. Jon Graf, from Harvest Prayer Ministries, will be the guest speaker. It is sometimes good to hear a different voice on a subject. I am looking forward to a good kick-off to the month’s emphasis on prayer. I have also encouraged the folks to pick up a booklet we are making available: Revolution With a Cause. It is a 30 Day guide for praying. Dan designed the cover for us. The booklet is available from us (donation of $5) or you can order directly from HPM. Drop me a note if you would like a copy at pastoratovcf.org. Meanwhile, be praying for us, won’t you?

Question: how hard is it for you to have a concentrated, intense time of prayer? Do you? (That’s two). I would love to hear your thoughts.

Posted in Church, Prayer, Preaching, Sermon Series/Topic | 43 Responses »

INTERRUPTIONS

Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

THERE ARE TWO WAYS OF LOOKING AT INTERRUPTIONS:

AS A ~~CURSE~~ NUISANCE

AS A BLESSING

Admittedly, I have done both. I’m not proud of that but there it is. You now know I am not perfect. That sure blows 2012. 😀 Anyway, I digress. I have tended to see interruptions as a nuisance, especially when they have interrupted the flow of my day. The first two days of this week have been filled with interruptions, but these interruption was a blessing. Please keep in mind that as I tell you this, I AM NOT fishing for compliments, because I suspect many of you would done the exact same thing. Here is the story:

Mid-morning Monday the church office received a phone call from a young man who needed help. I will call the couple Jack and Jill (how original-ha). Jack & Jill were staying at the (only) local hotel and had been trying to reach churches, but none were open. We were, so he told the secretary their story. To make a long story short, Jack & Jill and their one month old son, had come to town expecting to live with a relative. Newborns and Alzheimer patients don’t often mix well, and panic attacks ensued when the baby cried. He was out of work and car-less, and only asked for one night’s lodging. So, after some checking I went to pay for a night’s stay. I met the couple, and man, it was cold that day!! They were going to walk to the grocery store. Jo & I had plans for lunch and the afternoon, but she was gracious to put them on hold so we could take them to the store and wait for them to shop. We ddrove them around looking at places to live and work (him), then went on our way. The next morning I called and they were having to take the baby to the doctor and stay one more night until their apartment was ready. I had also talked to some folks about a possible job for him, so after the baby’s doctor appointment, I took her to our itty-bitty WalMart for food, and him to a job interview. Two hours were gone by then. Oh, I also paid for another night. I serve a terrific church community that would have probably had my head if I had not helped them. 🙂 Needless to say, the interruption sort of ruined my plans for the afternoon.

But, you know, compassionate interruptions are God-directed. To not help them would have been the tragedy! Truth be known? They may have been taking us for a ride. I asked them to come visit us once they get settled. Will they? I have no clue, but that is not the important part. The important item, the intangible, the no-strings-attached truth, was all of this was done for Jack & Jill for no other agenda than to help a young couple and show them Jesus. Please pray for them.

How do you feel about interruptions? Do they bug you? Annoy you? Get you screaming? Have you ever had the chance to help someone in a tangible way? Feel free to share it.

Posted in Christian living, Church, Friendship, Just Wondering | 45 Responses »

Cycleguy's Spin

Ramblings from the mind of a guy whose mind is always spinning and a spinning