The Role of a Lifetime

Written by cycleguy on December 14th, 2023

 Aspiring actors and actresses are everywhere. I went to high school with Jeff Goldblum. My senior picture is on the same page in our yearbook as his. I had no clue Jeff would leave our high school and head to New York for the stage and ultimately to a TV show named TenSpeed and Brownshoe, and then on to Jurassic Park, Independence Day, multiple other movies, and finally back to TV with Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

For every successful actor there are hundreds, maybe thousands who never make it. At best, they are two-bit players. Truthfully, some people are looked at that way. Many overlooked. Many seen as hacks. It happens all the time, in every profession. Sunday’s sermon will be dealing with two groups of people. One, is seen as little people. The others are seen as big people. Well…at least as the world looks at them that way. But in God’s eyes, there are no little people and there are no big people.

Shepherds and Wise men. The have’s and the have not’s.  The clean and the unclean.  The “welcome-to-my-world” versus those who are “not welcome anywhere.” The stories are familiar but I will be praying we all might learn something new this week. I look forward to seeing you in person at 9:00 and 10:45 or via live stream.

 

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Meet Michael Kent-Hughes

Written by cycleguy on December 11th, 2023

REVIEW OF GLYNN YOUNG’S BOOKS

I read fiction at home to forget, to go into “another world” so to speak, to read something different from my daily reading. Since I’m a pastor my daily reading consists of (of course) reading the Bible for personal need; reading the Bible for study; using various other books for help with preparing sermons; and reading books that enhance my ability to communicate to the audience with some knowledge of the subject.  🙂 I don’t want to simply puppet, or worse, plagiarize another preacher. But when I’m home? Most serious study material is off the table.

That is why I picked up a series I had read over a period of several years as the books came out and decided to reread them. Starting with Dancing Priest in 2011 (Book 1); followed by A Light Shining in 2012 (Book 2); then Dancing King in 2017 (Book 3); Dancing Prophet in 2018 (Book 4); and finally Dancing Prince in 2020 (Book 5), Glynn Young captivated me. I couldn’t wait until the next one came out and as you can see there was quite a gap, i.e. a long, impatient wait between books 2 and 3. I read Books 1 and 2 several times in preparation for the next ones, but have to admit Books 3, 4 and 5 received one reading each. So when I sat down to read these books again, the final three were like reading them for the first time, while I thoroughly enjoyed being reminded again of why I totally enjoyed Books 1 & 2 originally. I will not be able to give a real comprehensive review here since I plan to cover all five books.  What I will do is give a brief synopsis of each book then give my thoughts.

Dancing Priest-Book 1. Michael Kent is introduced to us and will become the major player in all five books. Michael is a cyclist (a man after my own heart) whose Christian worldview and desire to join the Church of England priesthood inspires his every thought and action. A catastrophic event in the Olympics catapults him into the consciousness of just about every person, race, and country. His concern for his fellow cyclists during the Olympics gives us the “tell-tale” heart of this young man. His desire to be God’s man leads him to San Francisco and not Africa, where he truly wanted to go. But even there, events in and around St. Anselm (an Anglican) Church he serves as basically a youth pastor, show his heart for God and people.

A Light Shining- Book 2. This book picks up where Book 1 left off. His marriage at the end of Book 1 is highlighted in the beginning of this book.  Their openness to God’s leading not only leads them to continue caring for Jim, the young man Michael is the guardian for in Book 1, but also circumstances move them to “adopt” one of the homeless boys Michael met in Book 1. A cataclysmic event changes everything for Michael and Sarah Kent-Hughes. {Spoiler alert: Michael, due to events we find out about in Book 1, is in line to be the king of England. An assassination attempt is made on Michael and Sarah’s lives}. That’s all you get from me! 🙂

Dancing King- Book 3. The approach is different in this book. Glynn writes it from the perspective of different characters telling the story as they see it. I like this approach because we get to see Michael’s effect on the principle players in his life. Michael is to become the king of the United Kingdom following the cataclysmic event detailed in Book 2. But once again, there are nefarious dealings afoot from church leaders who don’t like Michael’s desire to reform the Church of England (the church his ordination is in and as the monarch he will be the head of). Michael’s team is top-notch and seems to have an “answer” for those wanting to destroy Michael. But Michael’s own integrity and his relationship with the Queen (Sarah) shines so brightly that people are willing to follow his leadership. The book ends with Michael and Sarah being coronated as king and queen of the UK.  

Dancing Prophet- Book 4.  To be honest, this one was the hardest to read. It hit too close to home. Michael and Sarah have begun their reign as King and Queen and while life looms large in front of them, a tsunami is about to rock the Church of England. Glynn acknowledged the similarity between his story and the scandal which rocked the Roman Catholic Church a few years ago regarding the abuse and sexual abuse of the priests. The unveiling of this within the fiction story written by Glynn is eerily similar, but not nearly as bad as the real thing. As is typical with hidden sins, once the water starts flowing the flood gates soon open. Glynn handled this masterfully (IMHO) and showed how a man or a woman of integrity and a heart for God can make a difference. I’ll let you read this on your own rather than give you any more detail.

Dancing Prince- Book 5.  Michael is seen as more fallible in this book than in the others. He takes on too much; neglects those who need him; and finds himself lost due to {Spoiler alert: Sarah’s death}. The primary character in Book 5 is Michael, but even more so his son, Prince Thomas. My second read of this book clarified some things for me (as multiple readings will sometimes do). Prince Thomas had a closeness to his mum (Queen Sarah) that even Michael was jealous of. That closeness caused a rift between the father and son, especially as it involved her painting. Even though I would have loved to have read further adventures of the Michael Kent-Hughes clan, I realize that all good things must end. I think Glynn brought these to a masterful close.

I am not blowing smoke when I suggest that you begin reading these right now. Okay…so buy them first, then read them. 🙂 Glynn has woven a genuinely enjoyable series to read. Reading this will give you many hours of “escapist reading.” Along the way you will learn some history of the UK, the Church of England and the Anglican Church (which I knew nothing about), and the way the monarch works (and you will be glad we don’t have one). You will learn why a church should never have so much influence and power in government. Simply said, I believe you will find your time captured by the stories. Well done Glynn!

 

Posted in Book Review, Church, Faith, Family, Opinion | 10 Responses »

WhatAHeritage!

Written by cycleguy on December 7th, 2023

We are rapidly coming to the close of 2023, but before that happens the focus must be on Christ and what Christmas means. One of my favorite subjects to talk about is GRACE and the lineage of Jesus is GRACE IN SPADES. My sermon Sunday is from Matthew 1.  You know…that boring lineage you, me, and thousands of others pass over. Let me rephrase that: USED TO PASS OVER until I studied it in depth and realized that it is filled with phenomenal people. All of them are important, obviously, but there are a few who stand out. Before I tell you who, I thought I would give you a fun fact: My original sermon title but5 Women and a Man. I received word that might not be a too appropriate of a title. So…being the humble man I am (AHEM) I changed it to the title you will see at the end of this post.

Now…back to the originally scheduled post.  Five Women and a Man. Here they are:

Tamar- a Gentile who dressed as a prostitute to seduce her father-in-law Judah.

Rahab- a Gentile from Jericho who saved two spies but then was saved from Jericho’s destruction. She married Salmon and they had Boaz.

Ruth- a Moabitess (mortal enemies of the Israelites) who followed her widowed mother-in-law back to her hometown. Ruth met and married Boaz.

Bathsheba- described as the “wife of Uriah” in the lineage. Committed adultery with David (she may have not had a choice).

Mary- a teenager (probably) engaged to be married to Joseph, pregnant out of wedlock. It was sort of like the scarlet letter.  But WOW! The mother of Jesus impregnated by the Holy Spirit.

Joseph- a godly man who was going to do the “right thing” by silently divorcing Mary to avoid scandal for her.  But his heart is seen in his decision to stay with Mary and being the earthly father to Jesus.

That is the sermon. I’ve entitled it What a Heritage! I hope to see you Sunday at 9:00 or 10:45 in person or listen via live stream.

 

 

Posted in Christmas, Jesus, Preaching, Sermon Series/Topic, Story, Uncategorized | 2 Responses »

Memory Loss

Written by cycleguy on December 4th, 2023

MEMORABLE LOSS

By Karen Martin

Copyright 2023

 

Ask different people what they would say is the scourge on our society these days when it pertains to health, some will say cancer; some will say Parkinson’s; some will say MS or one of a thousand others. Having firsthand experience with the subject of this book, I might be inclined to name this one.

Over four+ years ago my sister-in-law began experiencing “being lost.” Forgetting to take her insulin. Not buying food to eat. Being a diabetic, both are incredibly important. The last incident of 500+ sugar and being on the floor for-we-don’t- know-how-long, precipitated admitting her to the hospital and then a nursing care facility. It was not long after that when she really began exhibiting signs which, were very vague to start with, but then escalated quicker than anyone realized. Compounding the issue was diabetes and kidney dialysis. Over time her Dementia went into full bore Alzheimer’s.

This book by Karen Martin, entitled Memorable Loss, is a story of friendship in the face of Dementia/Alzheimer’s. Mrs. Martin (Karen) has written a very touching, but very informative account of her more than a decade journey with Kathleen, a very “stately” woman whom she met at church. As their friendship developed, Karen began to spend more and more time with Kathleen and then watched the heartbreaking entrance of Dementia into her life. To her credit, Kathleen stayed as active as possible thanks to Karen, even though they both saw evidence that things were changing.

Mrs. Martin lives and writes in the UK so the following statistic refers to that part of the world. The Alzheimer’s Society estimated there are about 850,000 diagnosed cases in the UK, many more are affected by the detriments associated with the disease. It is a disease that steals families with consequences for everyone (p.15). One consequence Karen was sure to show was the surrender of Kathleen’s independence and ultimate reliance on Karen. Fortunately, Kathleen had made provision for her future needs in both providing a will and also the adequate funds to be cared for if needed. The “Bluebell House” (not the real name due to confidentiality) became their choice. She had Karen to take care of her and visit full-time, but she also had two nephews whom she trusted and one guided her affairs. Tragically, many are not prepared and often watch their world fall to pieces as a result.

I could write more, but I think it would be much more meaningful if you allowed Mrs. Martin to tell you in her own words. If you work with an organization or a nursing facility who takes care of Dementia/Alzheimer’s patients, I would suggest you read this book. If you know of someone who has exhibited symptoms or have family members who have been or will probably be diagnosed with this disease, I would suggest you most definitely read it. Warning: it is an easy read, in that it flows well and Karen’s experience with Kathleen (and love for her) shine brightly; but it is also a hard read because of the obvious heartbreak you know of or may soon experience. It is published by Christian Focus and you may order it from them, or you may order it from Amazon like I did.

I personally think it will be worth your time to read and learn from Memory Loss.

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61oAKuE67mL._AC_UY218_.jpg

 

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#DislikedWord

Written by cycleguy on August 17th, 2023

Talk about God and we like to speak about His love, His grace, His faithfulness, and so on. All positive attributes of a God who is beyond description. But there is one word associated with God we DO NOT like to talk about.

WRATH

Say what? You get the point I’m sure. The last thing we want to talk about is that God is also a God of wrath. Of all the topics and discussions about God, the wrath and judgment of God are probably hands down the most avoided. We want to put it on the backburner of “things we don’t want or like to talk about.”

IT. IS. UNAVOIDABLE. when talking about God. To leave it out is like leaving a lop-sided God.

This Sunday my sermon from Revelation 11 is entitled The Word Everyone Dislikes. I’d like to invite you come visit us in person or online via live stream. The church’s website http://ovcf.org has the links to the Facebook page or YouTube if you prefer that medium. We meet at 9:00 and 10:45.

 

 

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#Crushed#Persecuted#NotDead

Written by cycleguy on August 10th, 2023

Richard Bewes, in his book The Lamb Wins, tells of an incident in his life that happened when preaching in the heart of Africa.  Before the start of meeting #27 (they were holding 30+ meetings), he and others with him were approached by two soldiers armed to the teeth with machine guns. They approached Richard and said, “Please, can we talk with you?” They answered, “Yes, how can we help?”

Now…I’m not sure what you are thinking but I do know what I was thinking.

They looked at Richard and said, “We want to follow Jesus.” Richard said it was a moving experience to talk, and then to pray with the two men under the trees, in the middle of one of Africa’s scarred, pot-holed cities.

In a land which has been staggered from crisis to crisis (and still is), the church still rises. It’s easy to think the church is doomed. We look around at the wokeness which has entered our culture and then see it has infiltrated the church as well. It is easy to allow despair to creep in and make us feel like we aren’t making any headway.  But we must continue believing that “the gates of hell will not prevail against the church.”

Sunday’s sermon is entitled Crushed and Persecuted but NOT DEAD! I hope you will join us at 9:00 or 10:45 in person or via live stream.

 

 

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#HeadsUp!

Written by cycleguy on August 3rd, 2023

Picture yourself on April 12, 1910. You have paid the fare on the maiden voyage of the unsinkable ship. Your evening is rudely interrupted by someone knocking on your cabin door telling you to put on your life vest and come to the bridge. Little do you know that the unsinkable ship had struck an iceberg and would soon make its grave at the bottom of the icy Atlantic. One passenger left his cabin for the last time, leaving behind some 300,000 dollars in stocks and bonds and took with him 3 oranges.

Life throws us curves. We all know that. Big and small, those curves will awaken us from our complacency. It might be a coronary, a cancer diagnosis, unemployment, or hundreds of other scenarios. We might suddenly find ourselves floundering and in some cases, searching for answers.

Chapter 8 of Revelation is like that. It is a chapter of upheavals. One after another of a different nature. And they are there as warnings, much like a fire alarm or smoke alarm might do. I’ve titled my sermon Sunday Heads Up! in light of the multiple warnings in Revelation 8. Please join us in person or via live stream at 9:00 and 10:45.

 

 

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#EnjoyLIfe!

Written by cycleguy on July 27th, 2023

This Sunday is Move Up Sunday for our young people.  K kids move up to Early Elementary; 3rd graders move up to Late Elementary; and 6th graders move up to “Big Church.”  I see eye rolls when I speak of “Big Church.” But at OVCF we offer a children’s program from Nursery through 6th grade on Sunday morning. They meet to learn at their age and learning level while the adults are meeting (and hopefully learning at their age level. The maturity of the pastor may have something to do with that! 🙂 )

Normally we do the program in the youth addition for the young people. With Pastor Ryan gone on sabbatical, a different approach is being taken. Since this is a 5th Sunday, and since we normally have the young people (except for Nursery and Pre-K) join the adults, it was decided to make it a whole church celebration. We will honoring the teachers and helpers and volunteers in the youth program as well as the ones who will be moving from Late Elementary into “Big Church.”

Given the special meaning of the day, I decided to divert for one week from my series on Revelation (can you imagine the young people as they hear about trumpets and judgment? Talk about PTSD?) So I decided to write a sermon geared specifically for youth this week. I’ve called it Enjoy Life and the Scripture will be Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:14.  I wrote it from the perspective of a 70 year old pastor who wants to leave some words of wisdom to his young charges.

One caveat: the first sermon will have the sermon in its totality. The second service will only have the second part since the program for the young people will take a good chunk of time. So if you watch online, you will hear the whole sermon at 9:00 and an abbreviated version at 10:45. Either way I hope you will join me in person or online.

 

 

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#HereComestheUmbrella!

Written by cycleguy on July 20th, 2023

Perhaps you have seen it. I can’t say I have heard it since I turn off commercials. One I saw recently and can only guess what it said 🙂  was one for an insurance company.  It began to hail and while others were lamenting the state of their cars, this particular man was driving through the hailstorm under the covering of a roof. The point was obvious, even from a silent screen: “Get our insurance and you are covered.”

I also read about a boy who was bullied by an older kid on the bus. This older boy grabbed the boy’s papers and notebook and wrote some vile things on them. That evening at supper his dad asked for his papers and he hesitated. When his father pressed the issue, he brought his papers and watched his father’s facial features change. When his father wanted to know more and who wrote those words, the boy told his dad everything. His father quietly got up from the table and told his son to get in the car and drove to the other boy’s home. He purposely left the window down, knocked on the door and told the boy’s father that if that ever happened again he would be coming after him. The  man wilted under that father’s strength. As they drove away, they heard the boy’s father making sure it would never happen again.  It never did.  That boy knew his father had his back and he was under his protection.

Revelation 7:1-17 shows us that without question we are under God’s protection, His umbrella. To borrow a phrase from the chapter, we are under His seal. What exactly does that mean and what does it tell us about God?  Tune in this Sunday in person or via live stream at 9:00 and 10:45 to find the answer.

 

 

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#HereComesTrouble!

Written by cycleguy on July 13th, 2023

Persecution is nothing new. Jesus promised it and that promise has never failed to come true. (Despite what the health/wealth hucksters say, trouble is to be expected. We were never promised a soft bed. We might say we were promised a bed of roses because every rose has its thorns). Life is certainly not like a box of chocolates. 🙂

Question: In the 16th and 17th centuries what was the most popular and widely read book among Christians in the English-speaking world, besides the Bible? The answer is a book called Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. It contained the stories of Christians who had been killed for their testimony throughout the centuries of Christian history.  John Foxe was born before Martin Luther nailed his #95 Theses” to the Wittenburg Church door. Foxe studied in Oxford, fled England when Queen Mary took the throne, and, while abroad, began his great study which has become known as Foxe’s Book of Martyrs.  It was a massive book and immediate success. It went through 4 editions in his lifetime, and its impact continued for generations.

That may not make any sense to you and what it has to do with Sunday’s sermon. But given that this week’s sermon is dealing with persecution, it has a ton of relevancy. My Scripture for this Sunday is Revelation 6:9-17 and deals with the persecution talked about in those verses. It is a follow-up to the previous week’s sermon on 6:1-8. I hope you will join me in person or via live stream.

 

 

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