Happy Birthday, Jesus!

We have had an inflatable HAPPY BIRTHDAY giant cake in our yard for several weeks. Every time Josh sees it, we talk about how Christmas is a birthday party for Jesus... He actually sings Happy Birthday, Jesus now as we pull into the driveway. Not a major event, but for a three year old, it's progress! (Amazing how many friends and family ask us who's birthday we're celebrating!!!!)

Meanwhile, here is a great picture my beautiful wife took of Josh and me after i set up his stand-alone Thomas the Train.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

AND THE RESULTS ARE IN...

This has been a remarkable week! God has used his people and the medical establishment to humble me... and bless me.

FIRST, on Friday (12/15) The Rev. Dick Burns, one of our Western PA UM evangelists and one of my personal heroes and mentors in the ministry, stopped into my office to see me and because he wanted to lay hands on me and pray for me. I was so humbled and in awe... He shared words of encouragement, a loving embrace of brother for brother, and, as only Dick can do, he shared laughter with me. What a blessing this man of God is!!!

SECOND, on Sunday (12/17), the Reynoldsville church family here at First UMC surprised and humbled me... and left me speechless all at the same time! (And making a preacher speechless is a pretty amazing feat!)

They presented a handmade prayer shawl to me as a constant reminder of the fact that THEY were praying for ME as I went through the medical uncertainties of my life right now... In fact, the prayer shawl itself had been prayed over before it was presented, that it would be a healing blessing every time I prayed with it. Turns out that this is one of the many ministries here at this church that go on in the background pretty silently... and yet faithfully.

Then, after the service was over, about 50 some people stayed after and waited until I was done shaking hands and stuff and came and got me and asked me to meet them at the altar rail. Led by the retired pastor we have in residence here in Reynoldsville, The Rev. Leo C. Cramer, this group gathered around and laid hands on me and prayed... for God to expose anything hidden as I was about to go for further testing and then planning for expected surgery and possible removal of my kidney if things were as bad as they seemed to be. And then they prayed that God would just bring about healing and surprise everyone.

Finally, it turns out that as I was in Pittsburgh all day today (12/19) for the testing and the consults, they were having a prayer vigil throughout the day here at home. They had divided up the day into half-hour increments and there was at least one person praying for every minute of this day. WOW!!!

THIRD, today, we actually went for the tests and the surgical consult. When all was said and done (and we're talking leaving home at 7:00 am and returning at 9:30 pm) the tests exposed that there wasn't one mass, but rather two. One mass is about 2 centimeters and the other one is about 4-5 centimeters. But, both were diagnosed as cysts... benign cysts is all they are! So the hidden has been exposed and all that had looked to require surgery and removal has either been healed or they made a big mistake to start with!

With this diagnosis, they don't have to do anything! They'll have me redo the tests in six months and then, if the tests are clear, we'll repeat it again in another six months... but that's it!

I probably need a lot of time to completely process all of this... but WOW! What a week!

JOY!

Three of today's lectionary readings talk about JOY.

Zephaniah 3:14-20 is a prophetic reminder that even in times of chastisement, like the exile that would soon come upon the people of ancient Judah, God still has a hope for them to hang on to. He reminds them that even in the tough times He is in their midst... He is with them through it all. therefore, they can "Sing... Shout... Be glad and rejoice!"

Isaiah 12:2-6 is one of those psalms that isn't located in the book of Psalms... but it also is a prophetic hymn of praise because it is the song that they will sing "in that day..." I noticed the theme of joy again in verse 3 where it says "with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation." And then prophetically announces that "in that day you will... Praise... call upon... Declare... Make mention... Sing... Cry out and shout..."

Philippians 4:4-7 is Paul's famous reminder that Christians should rejoice... "and again I say rejoice!"

To top it all off, today was our children's Christmas 'program.' It seems they haven't done one during church in a long time, but after a hymn, the offering, and the prayer time, we 'changed gears' and focused on Christmas through the kids' eyes. It was a lot of work, especially since we did a themed presentation with a painted backdrop, props, parts, and the whole 9 yards. (We were on a tropical island for Christmas and it started with some of the teens complaining about no snow... no sledding... no skiing... etc. And that led us to what does it REALLY mean to celebrate Christmas... we had a skit with some 20 kids participating and several musical numbers and a time of prayer & dedication over prayer cloths and Christmas cards we're sending to some of our troops who'll be celebrating Christmas without snow).

But despite all of the work, when all was said and done, it was the joy of the kids that energized me. One little girl, who didn't want to be away from her mommy by being up on the platform, stood two feet away from the altar rail facing the rest of the kids and she literally jumped up and down with joy while we were singing. That kid radiated joy.

Christmas is a time of joy, but it's also the time when people find themselves feeling lonely and sometimes depressed after the loss of a loved one, or a job, or a health concern. Obviously, joy is not always synonymous with Christmas.

That's where these three scripture passages jump out at me... We, like those ancient ones who followed God and yet were facing tough times, need to deliberately learn to trust in and hang on to our God in the midst of whatever is happening. Like He says in Jeremiah 29, He has a "future and a hope" for those who trust in Him. Like Zephaniah reminded them back then, God is in their, and our, midst, even in the middle of the craziest and most confusing and trying of times. Like Isaiah and Philippians tell us, we need to make choices to grab a hold of the hope... and make our requests and needs made known to God... because then we can look forward to the answer from our God and the joy that comes with it!

REJOICE!!!

Strange Way To Save The World

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose... " --Romans 8:28, NKJV

"That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. " --Romans 8:28, The Message

In the early 1990's I worked part-time as a DJ at a Christian radio station near Erie, PA. I was finishing college, working as a part-time youth director at a local church, and even pumped gas as well for a time... and spent two to three nights a week DJ-ing. Oh, and got married during that time as well. (Let's just say I wasn't bored.)

In any case, while I was working at WCTL-FM, I encountered a music group called 4Him. Phenomenal music, great harmony, awesome writing. When the radio station brought them into the area a couple of different times, I actually got to meet them and be back stage some. I really appreciate their music... A LOT.

Well, over the past few days, I've been thinking a lot about the strange way God seems to work in our lives... Even when everything seems to be falling apart, He's there...

Well, this one particular 4Him Christmas song came on the radio the other day and the words (along with the GREAT tune) have just been resonating with me ever since. It's off their 1993 Christmas album "Christmas: The Season Of Love" and is titled: "A Strange Way To Save the World."

The lyrics go like this:

I’m sure he must have been surprised
At where this road had taken him
Cause never in a million lives
Would he have dreamed of Bethlehem

And standing at the manger
He saw with his own eyes
The message from the angel come to life
And Joseph said

CHORUS
Why me, I’m just a simple man of trade
Why Him with all the rulers in the world
Why here inside this stable filled with hay
Why her, she’s just an ordinary girl

Now I’m not one to second guess
What angels have to say
But this is such a strange way to save theWorld

To think of how it could have been
If Jesus had come as He deserved
There would have been no Bethlehem
No lowly shepherds at His birth

But Joseph knew theReason
love had to reach so far
And as he held the Savior in his arms
He must have thought

REPEAT CHORUS
Why me, I’m just a simple man of trade
Why Him with all the rulers in the world
Why here inside this stable filled with hay
Why her, she’s just an ordinary girl

Now, I’m not one to second guess
What angels have to say
But this is such a strangeWay to save the world
Such a strange way, this is Such a strange way
A strange way to save the world
A strange way to save the world

Dave Clark, Mark Harris, & Don Koch / Copyright © 1993 John T. Benson Publishing Co./First Verse Music/Paragon Music Corp./Point Clear Music/A-Knack-For-This Music/ASCAP. All rights reserved.
Lyrics from: http://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/lyrics/new/track.asp?track_id=1813

Anyways, as I said, I've been thinking a lot about the strange way that God seems to work in our lives. What seems like a calamity (like my having a kidney stone acouple of weeks ago) was in fact, also a blessing... it exposed a hidden problem within my body. What seemed like an offense, a king being born in a stable, was in fact, a well-planned strategy of a very meticulous God who wanted to offer a gift to EVERYONE, not just for nobility and such.

God had a strange way in which He chose to save the world... and God has ways of working in our everyday lives today that seem to be strange as well.

But I wouldn't change a thing... His ways are ALWAYS the BEST!

My prayer is that I begin to be flexible enough to allow God to do whatever He wants in my life, in whatever way He chooses, to accomplish HIS will in me and through me! AMEN!

Followup with the doctor

OK... Yesterday, I went to Pittsburgh and saw the urology specialist. He looked at my CT scan and ultrasound from DuBois and agrees that there is SOMETHING there. Maybe a cyst, maybe a benign tumor kind of thing, maybe a full-blown kidney cancer on my left kidney.

The thing is, the DuBois testing was all centered around finding out about a kidney stone in the right kidney and they 'just happened' to notice this other thing. But for the specialist to really hone in and explore the options and possibilities, he needs some more specifically focused testing on the actual left kidney now. Makes sense. The various testing offices at Allegheny General were all closed by the time I got done with my appointment, so we can't even try to schedule these tests until later today.

He did say that whatever it is, it LOOKS like it's pretty deep into the kidney, so if it is something that needs to be removed, we probably need to take the whole kidney.

As for feelings and such, I've had a pretty calm sense of presence through this whole thing thus far. As I've already posted, I'm pretty convinced that God's got his hand in all this... even to the point of drawing people's attention to this hidden disease that grows without visible symptoms.

But I confess there are moments when I wonder 'What If...?' If this were the absolute worst news what would happen? I'd die. OK, for me that's not so bad... Heaven, Christ, Eternity. I guess that means I win! (Not that I am in a hurry to get there! And I sure hope God hasn't finished with me here on earth yet... It's hard to believe I've already accomplished all he had in mind for me!)

But two things sort of stick in my throat, if you will, about what if I were to die. First, at three years old, my son wouldn't even remember who I was. That's a tough thought to swallow.

Secondly, my family would be homeless. As a pastor, my living arrangements (and my family's of course) are provided for as a part of my job. If I were to die, then they have no place to live and their source of financial support is gone. I have not done a good job of providing for my family in this area. I (currently) have no will, no guardian set up for my kids if something happened to both my wife and I, no savings set up for them to be able to buy a place to live... nothing.

I was especially convicted about this when I got to the Bible this morning and stumbled on Proverbs 13:22 which says: "A good man leaves an inheritance for his children's children, but a sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous."

What have I left for my children? Let alone their children?

I suspect I'm not alone on this. As pastors, we need to get ALL the details of ministering to our families into the IMPORTANT TO DO list as much as reports and parishioner visitation and church budgets.

I continue to covet your prayers and will continue to post as we continue on in this journey...

Mixed thoughts... and do I really exist?

I just spent much of an hour in mortal combat with billions of aliens (OK... so it was really a few billion snowflakes that tried to hide my car and my van and my house and etc.)

To warm up, I decided to check out some friends' blogs... and finally found my friend Brett's blog. And the first thing I see is his LOVE for SNOW! Argh! I've decided I really like the song "I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas!" because it actually tells you what day is most appropriate for snow... Christmas Day... 1/365th of the year. That's it!!!! BRRRR!!!!

Anyways, I got to reading through some of Brett's other entries and found one where you can see how check someone's directory to see how many people have your name in the US. So I went to the site and this is what I found:

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 0 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

So either I don't exist... or big brother hasn't found me yet! Talk about PRIVACY!!!

The Second NOEL... a.k.a. Teens & Cats

On Monday, a co-worker gave my wife a just weened kitten. It's of the Asian Leopard family (mostly that is... It seems that after several pure-bred generations, this kitten's momma slipped out of the houseone night unchapperoned). My wife, Gay, has decided to name her "Noel."

That's Noel being held up for her introduction to the world by Sarah, and of course, the cat has already lost interest.

Anyways, the girls and Josh are having more fun watching this kitten than TV (Programming's better and with a cat, you know it'll be cleaner!)

I have NOTHING profound to say but am again just amazed at the joy of everyday life. YEAH GOD!!!

Watching the girls notice the way this kitten seems to have her own mind and will, reminded of this old joke that circulated years back when I was working in the public school. ENJOY!

TEENS AND CATS
1. Neither teenagers nor cats turn their heads when you call them by name.
2. No matter what you do for them, it is not enough. Indeed, all humane efforts are barely adequate to compensate for the privilege of waiting on them hand and foot.
3. You rarely see a cat walking outside of the house with an adult human being, and it can be safely said that no teenager in his or her right mind wants to be seen in public with his or her parents.
4. Even if you tell jokes as well as Jay Leno, neither your cat nor your teen will ever crack a smile.
5. No cat or teenager shares you taste in music.
6. Cats and teenagers can lie on the living-room sofa for hours on end without moving, barely breathing.
7. Cats have nine lives. Teenagers carry on as if they did.
8. Cats and teenagers yawn in exactly the same manner, communicating that ultimate human ecstasy -- a sense of complete and utter boredom.
9. Cats and teenagers do not improve anyone's furniture.

Thank You God... For Kidney Stones!?!?!?!?

OK... Saturday evening, around 8:30, my kidney stone passed! I'm sure friends of mine in far off places could hear the strains of HALLELUJAH! on the wind!

In any case... It was just a couple of weeks ago that I preached that we should be "Thankful in ALL things." Now I've been challenged, how am I giving thanks for this past week? Specifically, how do I give thanks for a kidney stone?

Well, after my recent doctor's appointment, I have a found a way to do that very thing. It seems that when the doctors were running all their tests, particularly a CAT Scan, they noticed something like a cyst or something over on the other kidney. I didn't think much of it (as you may recall I was entirely focused on the 2 mm. kidney stone in the right kidney).

I have met with the urologists and my own physician since then and it turns out that kidney cancer starts out like that. It seems that kidney cancer is not easily spotted in its early stages. And by the time actual noticeable symptoms of kidney cancer appear, it's usually far too late to do anything. The only way the docs can successfully treat kidney cancer is IF they HAPPEN to notice a cyst or such while doing some other procedure or test. So there I was with a kidney stone and they did the appropriate tests and saw this cyst-looking thing on the other kidney! And they noticed it only because I had a stone! So... THANK GOD FOR A KIDNEY STONE!!!

Now, before we go any further, nobody says I have kidney cancer... I might... I might not. It might be just a cyst (in which case they do nothing) or a benign tumor kind of thing or perhaps cancer itself.

But now, at least, we know that there is a chance... which gives us the information we need in order to follow up and go through other tests. The point here isn't do I or don't I have it. The point is that God Almighty can use any situation for his glory and I believe this recent experience with a kidney stone is further proof of that.

I see a urology specialist next week in Pittsburgh to decide how to proceed and to see how they interpret the tests. I imagine we'll have more tests to do.

I invite you to keep me in your prayers...

Being Stoned...

I've spent much of this week sick.

I was driving home from Pittsburgh on Monday evening and started having a lot of pain in my groin and lower back. By the time I got home, I couldn't stand it, so I went to the Emergency Room in nearby DuBois. Turns out, I'm trying to pass a kidney stone. OUCH!

Because of the amount of vomiting and such, they kept me as a patient for a couple of nights to make sure I wouldn't get dehydrated. But now that that particular phase is over, I'm back at home... but still have the stone... and the pain.

I remember seminary classes where they invited us to 'think theologically' about the events of life... and I haven't had a lot of anything constructive that I could accomplish, so I've tried to see where God is in the midst of this situation. Gotta admit, this is a hard sell.

As I understand it, kidney stones come from the God-given function of the kidney of filtering out impurities in your food as you process that food into nutrition. The kidney picks up the little pieces of irritant and stuff that your particular body can't process and begins to coagulate those impurities in order to pass them out of your system. Seems simple enough. Except if you are like me, and you get too big of a 'coagulated ball of impurities' then it's PAINFUL to pass the little buggers out of your system! If you have too many impurites, they coagulate into stones that don't fit so easily down the plumbing pipes of the kidney and the bladder. The more impurities, the harder to pass.

I'm having to use a strainer for all of the output from my bladder in order to try and catch this little stone. If we catch it, then they can analyze it, and then we can figure out what my body treats as an impurity... that is, what does my body make stones out of? Cause if we know that, then I can simply AVOID that food or drink.

How many times is that like our spiritual lives?

We watch a television program and hardly notice the four letter words or the excessive violence. Our spiritual self just tries to filter that stuff out. Or the music or the movies or the magazines or the pictures. A little bit now and then can't really hurt you, right?

Except that when a little bit of sin and a little bit of vulgarity and a little bit of lust are tolerated, it begins to accumulate... making a spiritual "stone" if you will extend the expression a bit. And the more of those impurities we allow in, the more difficult and painful it will be when we try to be free of the influence of all that crud.

I don't yet know what I need to avoid in my physical diet in order to prevent future kidney stones... but as soon as I find out... I WILL AVOID it! Because I don't want the pain of not being able to pass a stone again.

You and I DO already know what kinds of crud we need to avoid to keep our spiritual lives free from the crud that builds up from exposure to all the sin around us. WILL WE AVOID IT?

Thankful in ALL Things

I was the speaker for the Reynoldsville area community Thanksgiving service this evening. These notes, based on an original sermon I wrote in the late '90s, were the basis of my message.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." --Philippians 4:4-8 (NIV)

Thanksgiving. I love this holiday. It's one of the most peaceful, deeply spiritual holidays for me. Yeah, I know Christmas and Easter are the biggies in the realm of religious holidays, but this one is SPIRITUAL.... there's no big religious festival, no ritual, no special call to worship prescribed in some book. In the Revised Common Lectionary there's not even a special Thanksgiving set of passages like the other religious days.

It's not a religious holiday, because it's not one prescribed by the church... not the church throughout the ages, not the Roman Catholics, not the Eastern Orthodox churches, not the Protestant churches, not even my own United Methodist Church.

But it is a spiritual holiday... and for me it is a Holy Day.

Why? Because it calls each of us to consider our lot in life and to be thankful... But not even to just be thankful, but to go beyond being thankful and actually give thanks. It's wonderful to be full of thanks, but you gotta do something with all of that thanks or else it means nothing except a warm feeling.

With Thanksgiving, as we have it here in America, our government asks us to give thanks to God... yes, I said the government asks us to give thanks to God. They may not highlight that aspect, but that's where it comes from isn't it? You go to Canada and this week is not Thanksgiving week. You go to Mexico and this week is not Thanksgiving week. You go to Britain and this week is not Thanksgiving week. You go to Israel, the one place where God's religious holidays are still observed, at least in part, and you'll find that this week is not Thanksgiving week. Only in America, where we are ONE NATION UNDER GOD.

Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving? If I ask school children, they might tell me stories of pilgrims and Indians and a cold winter and then a fruitful harvest and a big feast with plenty to spare and the pilgrims proclaiming a day to give thanks to God. Yep. That's part of what we remember this week.

After that first harvest was brought in, it was the Governor of the colony, William Bradford, in 1621, who proclaimed a day of thanksgiving and prayer.

It was an American President that asked us...."to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November...," not just to be thankful, but listen to President Lincoln's words: "...as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens..."

And every year since then, whichever President is in that office has asked us to do the same thing. And so we celebrate Thanksgiving... and we give thanks and praise to GOD, because our government has asked us to.

Separation of church and state? Yeah, right.

Now, before you think this preacher is getting too strange, I just want to clarify something here. I am not complaining that the government calls us to prayer. I happen to like that a whole lot.

(Although I'm not convinced that even us Christians use it as a day of prayer and giving thanks. Unfortunately for many of us, if you watch us on Thanksgiving Day, you would think the day should be called THANKS-PIGGING, instead of Thanksgiving.)

My concern about the Thanksgiving proclamation is much more Christian.... not governmental.

You see, I am afraid that since we find Paul and others reminding us so often to "give thanks" and then even the government of the United States has to set aside a day for us to give thanks, that maybe it is a sad indicator that we, the Christians, instead of entering the gates of our Lord with praise and entering His courts with thanksgiving, are actually nothing more than an ungrateful bunch of hypocrites.

Let's take a minute, shall we, and just do a reality check. Consider with me the following items:

- When we pray, are we praising and thanking God... or just asking for stuff and for blessings or healings or whatever? Are we thankful people?

- When we are at church, are we in an attitude of gratefulness and worship... or are we looking for what someone else does wrong or does that annoys us? Or checking to see if the preacher makes a mistake? Are we thankful people?

- When we meet with the other people in our town are we focusing on the positives and the good things, the things someone has done well and praising them for a good job... or are we sitting there like vultures just looking for a weakness so that we may attack? Are we thankful people?

- Do we look around us in this country where we have the right to select our leaders, worship as we desire, and even are encouraged unwittingly by the government to have days of thanks and prayer and to praise God for a great land where we still live as One Nation Under God... or do we deliberately badmouth and curse our leaders rather than pray for them? Are we thankful people?

This passage of Scripture that says "THINK ON THESE THINGS" isn't just a nice suggestion... It is Scripture. There is a life-giving, life-fulfilling dimension of following the principles of Scripture. If we were to look at all aspects of our lives through the glasses of this Scripture, we truly could give God thanks and praise in all of life... no matter what may come our way... Because we would see things as God sees them.

It all boils down to a pretty easy mind-picture for me:

Imagine with me that we are at the mall in some other community where no one knows us and we are walking into a bookstore. There's the magazine section off to our left. We walk towards it and there are all kinds of magazines there, aren't there?

I am waiting for my wife shop for whatever it is she's shopping for, I am bored stiff, and so I have come to look through the magazines.... If I find one I really like, I may even pay money for it so that I can keep it.

What magazine to choose?

I see some of the titles: People, Us, Seventeen, Biblical Archaeology, Reader's Digest, Billy Graham's Decision magazine, Guideposts, US News and World Report, Teenbeat, Newsweek, Playboy, Penthouse... and the list goes on, because there are hundreds of magazines.

Now, do I begin picking up each and every magazine, reading it cover to cover? NO! Because for me, some of those titles are AUTOMATICALLY ruled out, because they are advocate and support behaviors and actions that are contrary to what I believe. I won't even consider buying them and I won't even consider looking inside them. I do not want my mind filled with the images that are contained in their pages.

That's EXACTLY what Paul's saying here, my brothers and sisters. Every single day of our life, in every waking moment, we will choose things for our mind to dwell on and to think about. And Paul says we, as Christians, need to be keeping our minds on the things that are true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. The things that are worthwhile and worthy of praise.

To allow our minds to focus otherwise is a direct contradiction to what we as Christians are to do.

It would be just like you or I going into that bookstore and making poor choices in our magazine reading.

That's how we can easily become thankful again... by deliberately choosing what we’re going to focus on in our minds, in our thoughts. Rather than looking for negatives (which is SO easy), we’re going to start focusing on the things in our lives the way God does... by looking for the good in each situation, the lovely, the pure… by looking for the “thanksgiving” moment in each situation… the part of the situation that we can turn into a praise to God.

Yeah, we'll still encounter people who annoy us and do things wrong... they may even do a job differently than we like. And they may even do something in the church in a way that we think is ridiculous and so very inefficient. Oh well. Too bad.

God didn't ask you or I to be his efficiency experts, we weren't called to right all the other Christians in the world… let alone stand as their judge.

Rather, we were called to shine a light... so that everyone who sees us will want what we have. If all we do is focus on the bad and focus on the faults of other people, then all the others will see in us is vinegar... and instead of drawing others to our churches and to our God, we will see them staying away from us like the plague.

Paul hits this message pretty hard and pretty personal... because it's a message that we seem intent on forgetting. God is to be approached with praise and with the giving of thanks... and we are to approach our very lives with praise and the giving of thanks... and that's pretty hard to do if we’re looking for the what’s wrong around us.

Let's approach this Thanksgiving time, and then the season of Christmas which so quickly follows, with the positive, affirming, praising, thankful approach.

And maybe we won't need the government to remind us to give thanks.

Remembering Baptism...

One of the all-time highlights for me as a pastor, and as a father, has been the privilege and honor of being a part of the baptism of my daughters, Michele and Sarah.

With the help of Pastors Joe Short and Dave Heckman and with 170 people from six different United Methodist churches watching from the shore of Glendale Lake, Michele was baptized on August 18, 2001. And on September 17, 2006, with the help of Pastor Seth McClymonds and some 40 people from the Reynoldsville United Methodist Church watching on the banks of the Parker Dam resevoir, Sarah was baptized. Each girl publicly affirmed her relationship with Jesus Christ as her Lord and proclaimed that she was turning her back on evil in order to live her life for Christ.

But, as proud as I've been of my girls, there was more going on at their baptism than just their commitment. There was more than just saying the words and then baptizing them by immersing them in the waters of those two lakes.

As United Methodists we teach how baptism and communion are called "sacraments" because they are the two things that Jesus Christ instructed us to go do. We do a lot of things in the church, but these two are commands from Christ Himself. So part of what was going on on those two occasions at those two lakes was simply a matter of obedience. Jesus said that we were to do it, so we did it.

The greatest part of our understanding of baptism, however, is that it is one of the ways we know that God uses to pour out His grace on people. Baptism is a physical symbol that gives us a "picture" of God's acceptance of us through His Son Jesus and symbolizes the way that God showered us with his grace. That's why United Methodists don't re-baptize. Since baptism is a picture of what GOD did, then why would we then picture Him as having to do it over? It's not like God is in Heaven saying: "Oops... I guess that one's baptism didn't take. I must have messed up my aim the first time... the grace didn't stick. I'd better get them baptized again and try to get them with my grace this time." Jesus Christ, God's Son, paid the price of our salvation once, and it was good for all time. We NEVER need another sacrifice to satisfy God. Nor do we ever need a second (or third or tenth) baptism, no matter how many times we might mess up. Because baptism's not about us and what we've done... It's about what HE does... and what HE did.

It's this dimension of God pouring out His grace on the one being baptized that has helped convince the Church through the centuries of the appropriateness of baptizing babies and children. We were able to accept Christ even though we don't personally remember His crucifixion or His resurrection. But by faith, we "remember." So too, baptism, done at any age is valid and acceptable, even if you cannot remember the historic event of being in the waters of baptism.

The specific act of being baptized, whether as an infant, a child, or as an adult, is a reflection of God's work... and our work is to live life in remembrance of that baptism and the work that God did.

Another part of our understanding of baptism is centered in the ancient baptismal rituals of the early church, which focused on the welcoming of someone new into the community of the people of God called "Christians." Baptism, in a sense, is partly an "initiation rite" that identifies the baptized one as part of the Christian group, similar to how circumcision of a baby Jewish boy identified him as a part of the Jewish community of faith (even though the baby boy will never remember the act of circumcision). That's another reason why United Methodists, and the early church, included infants in baptism. We baptize babies, in part, as a "welcome to the family" event where the parents and the congregation dedicate themselves to helping the baptized ones grow in the knowledge of the Christian faith so that they may be introduced to Jesus Christ and then, hopefully, one day accept Him as their Savior and Lord as well.

One more thing happens in baptism: the congregation renews their commitment to Christ and to living out their faith individually and corporately as a congregation. They promise the baptized one that we, the church, are going to be there for them to help them walk the faith walk and to look to Christ throughout their lives. This is why in United Methodism we don't need to specifically have "godparents" in baptism; the whole congregation makes a vow to God that we together will take on the role of godparents.

How many times have we been in the service of baptism, and not understood? Or worse, have not taken seriously the vow to "nurture" these ones we are welcoming to the community?

Maybe, in the words of our Wesleyan tradition, it's time to "remember our baptism" once again.

Thanksgiving... Monopoly-style?

A friend recently called me to task for not updating this blog recently... What can I say? I promised that my life, my family, and my ministry would be more important than blogging! I guess you could call me honest! Anyways, there are still a couple of projects that still demand my attention, so I'm publishing one of my favorite Thanksgiving-themed pastoral newsletter articles I wrote originally in 2000. A version of this appeared in my new church's November newsletter.

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I love playing the board game, Monopoly. I like the way this game helps to teach my girls about handling and counting money, making change, and thinking ahead. And if I just happen to smirk a little bit with a sense of glee as they head towards my hotel on Boardwalk, who can blame me, right? It’s just a game.

I actually read a book about playing Monopoly last week. It was a small, “insiders” book called The Monopoly Companion and I breezed through it in just a couple of nights before bed. I found interesting trivia like there were only three railroads that went into Atlantic City in the 1930s (Pennsylvania, Reading, B&O) and that the ‘Shortline’ was a bus company. Also, that Marvin Gardens is actually a pretty ritzy place outside of the city and is actually misspelled on the gameboard (It‘s Marven Gardens). I also found out that the ‘Chance’ cards usually will send you somewhere else on the board and the ‘Community Chest’ cards will most likely give you money you had no way of counting on.

I read how playing Monopoly properly is to try and squeeze your opponents out of their money as quickly as possible. I learned that you should never make loans, never let anyone change the rules by putting money on the ‘Free Parking’ space or try to talk you into doubling earnings when you land on ‘GO’ because those things just make the game longer and drag out the bankruptcies that are the whole object of the game. Be thankful when you’re the winner. Be thankful that you didn’t go bankrupt.

As we approach Thanksgiving, especially as a Christian, I wonder how many of us are approaching this holiday the same way we are taught to approach Monopoly: Be thankful for the good stuff you get and the good that happens to you… or for the bad that doesn’t.

We do it all the time don’t we? An earthquake rocks the west coast and those of us in the east thank God that we don’t live there. We hear of violence in the streets of Jerusalem and we condemn them for being so ungodly and pray a prayer of thankfulness that we live in a fairly peaceful country. Or we hear that our President or our neighbor has been caught in sin, and we rage with righteous anger out loud while secretly breathing a prayer of thanks that we have never been caught in our sins.

Most of us only express thankfulness to God in the matters that have no real spiritual significance. We’re thankful when the other team loses the baseball game and our team wins. We’re thankful we beat that guy in the wheelchair to the closest parking space. We’re thankful that thousands of people lost money so that we could ‘win’ the lottery. We’re thankful that farmers aren’t making as much money so that our milk can be a nickel cheaper. Who cares about those people anyway!

That’s not the Christian idea of giving thanks… that’s the American culture idea of ‘getting ahead’ and ‘looking out for number one.’ That’s the Monopoly idea of get them before they get you. Is that the best Christianity has to offer? Is that what it means when we are told in Scripture to follow Christ?

This Thanksgiving, let’s change this around, shall we? Let’s begin by thanking God that he loves us…. As well as all those others around us as well. And let’s look at those many blessings that we are counting, and realize that God only gave them to us so that he could use us to give them out to others with greater need. Let’s be thankful that He chooses to trust us with HIS wealth and trusts us to use it to help others.

For you see, in the ‘game’ of living everyday life, we Christians are not supposed to be the landlords greedily trying to bankrupt those around us, but rather we are supposed to be the ‘Community chest’ cards… offering the hope of sharing our blessings to those around us. And THEN we will truly be giving thanks!

Half-Full or Half-Empty? A Christian Response to Halloween

For this week's sermon, I started with an object in hand: Half a glass of water. My question to the congregation was simply, "Is it half-full or half-empty?"

The answer of course, depends on your perspective... the way you choose to view the glass.

Are you an optimist? Then it looks half-full to you, doesn't it?

Are you a pessimist? Then it looks half-empty, doesn't it?

It all depends on your perspective!

There is only one glass, only one quantity of water, yet there are two different views you could have regarding that glass and that water. You could believe it to be half-full or you could believe it to be half-empty. And both answers seem to be acceptable answers and both seem to be right. It all depends on your perspective.

During this next couple of weeks, everyone around us will be focusing on the fun and festivities of Halloween, and many of us here in this sanctuary right now have already made plans for what our family will be doing that evening.

Halloween can be a lot of fun. If you are allowing your children to go trick or treating or to a Halloween party or whatever, I hope it is a fun event. It ought to be.

Throughout my adult life I have run the gammet on what I believe with Halloween as a Christian. When I worked at the Olean General Hospital as an orderly, I guess I still didn't think about it too much. Somehow I would always end up working on October 31st, and the tradition was to dress up as a character of some sort. The only one I remember was that I spent one Halloween night (3:00 to 11:00) dressed as a modern prince. You know, three piece suit, cape, sash, crown, rings, dress shoes. Trying to do my job in that get up was a royal pain, to say the least. Especially when a patient died and, as the orderly, I had to take her to the morgue... dressed up in a suit... on Halloween night… and there was a full moon to boot.

Other years, as I've come to understand some of the realities of what all happens on Halloween night, like the razor blades, the drugs, the occult practices, I've refused to participate in the day at all. I had more of a fear of all the occultic stuff I guess.

Bit by bit, though, I have come to understand that it's my perspective that makes the difference. Just like that glass of water... half-full or half-empty... it depends on your perspective.

I COULD look at Halloween as an evil holiday, originally instituted as a druid festival with heavy emphasis on the occult. I COULD focus on the druid "Lord Of Death" that supposedly sent evil spirits out on the night before ALL HALLOW'S DAY to roam the earth in search of food which, if not given, would cast an evil spell on the person who would not help. I COULD focus on the masks and costumes the Celts wore to try and convince the Lord of Death that they were just one of his spirits, so he should leave them alone.

And all of those things are true. They are the reason behind our "give us a treat or we'll play a trick on you" attitude of trick or treat and our dressing up in costumes. But I think that just might be the wrong perspective. That's fear speaking.

We have been taught as Christians that we are in the world but not of it. We have to be a part of the world. We've been called to be in the world... rubbing shoulders with the everyday people, with sinners, with mean people, and yes, even with those who don't understand us or our Lord. We, as Christians, will continue to encounter those people every day, because we are IN the world. But we don't have to be LIKE the world. Because we're the ones who know the HOPE that there is through Jesus Christ.

Jesus said in his sermon on the mount, that we are to be salt. (Matthew 5:13) Salt is never very good on its own, but it always changes the taste of the food it is put on. And the salt itself never gets to really choose what food it will affect...it has the same effect on every piece of food it touches... it makes it more salty. It gives it a new taste.

I guess that's where I am now with my understanding of my responsibility as a Christian when it comes to Halloween. I must be salt and help change its flavor. I need to help redeem this holiday like Christians in the past helped to redeem midwinter pagan rituals and gave rise to our current birthday celebration for Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

What does that mean, in practical terms, for me as a Christian then? I have discovered two practical ways that I can help redeem this holiday as a salty Christian. I'll take the good of this holiday and focus on that and draw people's attention to the truth.

First of all, I can emphasize the good things, while taking a stand against the evil. As our children have grown, we have deliberately allowed them to dress up for the Halloween parties at school, and let them go to select neighbors’ houses for trick or treat… but never were they allowed to hide their faces behind a Freddy mask or dress as a goblin, a witch, or a vampire. We reject that part of the ancient traditions of Halloween of trying to convince the evil one that we are just another demon spirit so that hopefully he'll leave us alone. The Bible says that Jesus Christ is greater than any other spirit. And followers of Christ have nothing to fear.

So we could allow our girls to play dressup, and still take a stand against the false belief that we must fear the evil spirit lord. In fact, for this next weekend’s costume party out at the church camp, thrown by the youth group for ALL of the church, my kids will have the option to be dressed up if they want, without a mask, without the evil disguises. And without the fear.

One year one of the girls decided to be an angel and the other was Sleeping Beauty. One time Michele was Pocahontas and Sarah was a skunk. They dressed up and had fun. And they can again this year as well.

And yes, if kids come to our door this year for trick or treating, we'll have a treat for them... not because we're scared of the repercussions if we don't, but because my Bible speaks of generosity, and "suffering the little children."

The other aspect of what I need to be doing as a Christian when it comes to Halloween is to recognize the underlying spiritual message of this holiday.

The message of today's modern Halloween is still spiritual, and I don't just mean the occultic influences.... it is a pre-occupation with death... and what comes after we die. Just take a look at the decorations in the stores, on homes, and on the TV… We have ghosts and skeletons and gravestones and the un-dead (whatever that's supposed to be). We hear of evil spirits and witches and "bubble, bubble, toil, and trouble." And Hollywood always seems to have a new thriller/horror movie out that packs the movie theatres.

Halloween, and the time leading up to it, is the one time of year that our society says it's OK to deal with death. And seemingly everyone becomes fascinated with it. My responsibility as a Christian, trying to be salt and redeem some of this holiday, is to recognize the spiritual hunger that I see during this Halloween season.

Because we all hunger for a reality in the spiritual world. We long for there to be forces at work on our behalf in the spiritual dimension. We have a society that literally cries out in abandon at Halloween for there to be an answer to death... to spiritual life. And they fall back on "ancient wisdoms". They try to control the spirit world on demand, they try to conjur and channel and image. They look for spiritual truth.

And so often, we Christians deny there's any spiritual dimension to the day (or we go the other extreme and refuse to even acknowledge it). I believe we have a responsibility to acknowledge the spiritual hunger... because we are the ones who have the bread of life... Jesus Christ as our Lord and our Savior.

And we are the ones who know the most about death... because Jesus came back from there and said,

I am the resurrection and I am life.
Those who believe in me, even though they die, yet shall they live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last, and I hold the keys of hell and death.
Because I live, you shall live also.

We have nothing to fear from death, because Jesus defeated death. All death has left, is fear.

Knowing that we would have trouble understanding this, Jesus, just before he went to Calvary, took the disciples aside and spent some time with them explaining what was on the other side of death and how to face it on this side during our lives. He didn't say we had to wear evil disguises and hide our faces. No treats or offerings to demon spirits were needed. He simply said that we shouldn't be afraid… and then went on to tell us about the other side of death, for those who allow Jesus to be both their Lord and their Savior. He simply said:

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house, there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.
Because I live, you also will live.
Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid."

When Jesus spoke of us as salt, he never expected us Christians to just act like Christians when we are at church. He spoke of us as salt so that we would get a clear picture of our role in this world. We help even the bad stuff seem better. Not by sugar coating evil nor by compromising our standards, but by recognizing spiritual hunger and offering spiritual bread... a life with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Because, when all is said and done, and the final analysis is in, it is JESUS that this Halloween minded society is looking for. The questions concerning spiritual forces are answered when Jesus proclaims I AM THE WAY. And in all our uncertainty, Jesus answers even our unspoken, unuttered questions, by declaring I AM THE TRUTH. And our questions concerning death and the afterlife are answered when Jesus reveals: I AM THE LIFE.

I have a mission this Halloween... to redeem what I can of the good, take a stand against that which is evil, and to lift up the truth of Jesus Christ.

Because you see... the glass really is... half-full.

The Toddler Diet

This post is in honor of my son who turned three yesterday and my doctor who (again) highlighted the importance of my losing weight. I wish I had been the one clever enough to author this, but alas, it was not me.

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THE TODDLER DIET

People are always on the lookout for a new diet. The trouble with most diets is that you don't get enough to eat (the starvation diet), you don't get enough variation (the liquid diet) or you go broke (the all-meat diet). Consequently, people tend to cheat on their diets, or quit after 3 days.

Well, now there's the new Toddler Miracle Diet.

Over the years you may have noticed that most three year olds are trim. Now the formula to their success is available to all in this new diet. You may want to consult your doctor before embarking on this diet, otherwise, you may be seeing him afterwards. Good Luck !!!

DAY ONE
Breakfast: One scrambled egg, one piece of toast with grape jelly. Eat two bites of egg, using your fingers; dump the rest on the floor. Take one bite of toast, then smear the jelly over your face and cloth.
Lunch: Four crayons (any color), a handful of potato chips, and a glass of milk (three sips only, then spill the rest).
Dinner: A dry stick, two pennies and a nickel, four sips of flat Sprite.
Bedtime snack: Throw a piece of toast on the kitchen floor.

DAY TWO
Breakfast: Pick up stale toast from kitchen floor and eat it. Drink half bottle of vanilla extract or one vial of vegetable dye.
Lunch: Half tube of "Pulsating Pink" lipstick and a handful of Purina DogChow (any flavor). One ice cube, if desired.
Afternoon snack: Lick an all-day sucker until sticky, take outside, drop in dirt. Retrieve and continue slurping until it is clean again. Then bring inside and drop on rug.
Dinner: A rock or an uncooked bean, which should be thrust up your left nostril. Pour Grape Kool-Aid over mashed potatoes; eat with spoon.

DAY THREE
Breakfast: Two pancakes with plenty of syrup, eat one with fingers, rub in hair. Glass of milk; drink half, stuff other pancake in glass. After breakfast, pick up yesterday's sucker from rug, lick off fuzz, put it on the cushion of best chair.
Lunch: Three matches, peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Spit several bites onto the floor. Pour glass of milk on table and slurp up.
Dinner: Dish of ice cream, handful of potato chips, some red punch. Try to laugh some punch through your nose, if possible.

FINAL DAY
Breakfast: A quarter tube of toothpaste (any flavor), bit of soap, an olive. Pour a glass of milk over bowl of cornflakes, add half a cup of sugar. Once cereal is soggy, drink milk and feed cereal to dog.
Lunch: Eat bread crumbs off kitchen floor and dining room carpet. Find that sucker and finish eating it.
Dinner: Drop pieces of spaghetti onto back of dog, insert meatball into ear. Dump pudding into Kool-Aid and suck up with a straw.

REPEAT DAYS AS NEEDED!

What's In A Name?

Within a couple of months of moving to DuBois, PA, as a pastor in 2003, I encountered the city's annual Tom Mix Festival, celebrating the early 20th Century western film star and his roots in the DuBois area. This week (Oct. 12th) marks 66 years since his death. This was my sermon the weekend of the Tom Mix festival in 2003.

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I have spent a great deal of time during the past three months trying to learn names. And, little by little, I’m starting to get some of your names into this thick skull of mine… Some of them are even the right names.

Also during these past few months… actually since my very first night of meeting Mt. Zion folks back in early February… I’ve had people struggling with my name as well… just like people have for the past four decades. How do you remember a name like ‘Dayton?’ A great majority of the time I find that people think I’m saying ‘David’ because they can’t imagine anyone being named like a town in Ohio.

Then there’s the last name. Not too many letters in it… just three. That was pretty handy when I was in boot camp trying to stencil everything I owned. Pity the guys named Horowitz or Wojeckhowski.

But mine was just those three little letters… M… I…. X.
And nowadays I inevitably get one of two immediate questions
1. Is that M-I-C-K-S? …or…
2. Are you related to Tom?

During these past few days, as the annual Tom Mix Festival has been going on here in DuBois, my family name has drawn attention… but not because of my reputation… but because of a man named MIX who lived here at the end of the nineteenth century… a showman who would become very famous and very rich by the name of Tom Mix.

Names are pretty important aren’t they?

Remember elementary school? One of the absolute, most horrible things someone could do to you was to call you a name… ‘wimp,’ ‘sissy,’ ‘tomboy’ ‘cheater…’ and there were others that were even worse… and meaner… and more debilitating to the receiver of that name calling.

Our names identify who we are… not that every Mary is virginally pure in motive like the Mary of Luke 1, or that every George is presidential material like the two Bushes and Mr. Washington.

No, people aren’t like their name… but that name they wear comes to be associated with them… and to speak a person’s name is to identify that man or woman’s reputation.

Thus, to speak of Benedict Arnold or Judas Iscariot, instantly brings to mind, not so much every aspect of that person’s life, but their reputation of betrayal springs into view.

To speak of Abraham Lincoln or Rudy Guliante suggests strong leadership in the midst of crisis and the mention of names like Billy Graham or John Wesley brings into focus an image of honesty and faithfulness in spiritually leading and caring for thousands.

So, this attention to my name… and the fact that it’s NOT because of my reputation but rather this Hollywood cowboy, has forced me to find out more about this man who used the MIX name during the past two centuries.

Tom Mix died in 1940 and I wasn’t born until 1962, so I wasn’t a fan of his… I’ve never heard his radio show and never seen one of his more than 300 short films… although I bought one of each this weekend so I can see what he was like.

So far, a single comic book, is all I’ve ever seen… although I’ve read a couple of biographies and stories about him.

To begin with, I grew up with the family stories of how we were related to this really famous person named Tom Mix. My grandfather, John Dayton Mix, spoke highly of Tom Mix, and always laughingly said things like: “Yeah, I’m related to Tom Mix, but not close enough to help me… nor to hurt Tom.”

I suppose Grandpa thought his reputation as a commoner might tarnish a famous movie star’s reputation.

It was this weekend, as I met an even more distant relative who was here from California for the Festival, that I finally was able to conclusively determine whether or not we are related. And we are!

And it’s even more distant than grandpa even knew… you have to go back to the early 1700’s to my grandfather’s great- great- great- great- great-grandfather to connect the two Mix family lines.

OK, so now I know… but what’s that got to do with anything practical in life… It really isn’t going to help me tap into the fabulous wealth of Tom Mix… that was gone before Tom died for the most part, thanks to the Great Depression and some personal choices and unfortunate circumstances in his life.

So what’s the value of knowing?

And I draw your attention to Proverbs 22:1 where we read: "A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. "

As I have heard about Tom Mix and the reputation he had on screen of being a good role model and refusing to ever even play a part that had him smoking or drinking or gambling suggests that a connection with this man, is not so bad. And millions of youngsters in the last century identified with his characters and his message he proclaimed of “Take care of your body, keep your mind clean, and always be truthful.”
In one biography, one of his wives recalls a time when Tom confronted a script writer about a script that called for Tom to be smoking, gambling, and drinking in the next film…

Mrs. Mix writes:

The script writer was taken aback. "I was only trying to get away from the old formula," he explained.

The writer was a little hesitant. "Well, I still think it's a good script."

"Sure," said Tom. "It'll be swell when we cut out some things. The role I play on the screen has got to represent a man of high ideals. Just remember that when you do the script over, then we'll come out all right on it. We've got to convince the boyhood of America that drinking and gambling are bad, that physical fitness always wins out over dissipation, that a good life brings rewards and evildoing brings punishment."

---Olive Stokes Mix, The Fabulous Tom Mix, 1957, Chapter 8

OK… so with reports like that… and the fact that he really did make his movies that way… and didn’t use stunt men even for dangerous scenes… gives me some pleasure to have my name associated with his… Presenting a good image… positively influencing the youth and children… and conveying the dangers of drinking, gambling, and smoking… I like that. That’s a good reputation… Yay Tom…

HOWEVER…

PUBLIC IMAGE can never be all there is for reputation is there?

Off screen, it seems, my distant cousin, so many times removed, was known for his carousing, and his inability to tell a straight story… And to this day, outside of our area where we know better, there are still reports a full hundred years later of how Tom was born & raised in this place or that out West, rather than lowly, Eastern Mix Run and DuBois, Pa. And the fanciful tales continue of his heroic antics with Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders in battles that Tom may or may not have ever been near.

Since I arrived, I’ve heard local residents tell me that they’re pleased to have people come to enjoy their town, but wonder why such attention is given to a man who went from wife to wife… and perhaps woman to woman… and who was not such a great role model in his real life.

One man told me just yesterday, “It seems that Tom Mix left town one step ahead of the sherrif… nothing major…. just carrying on.”

Tom Mix, it seems, had two reputations… far more than any one human can carry on his or her own. A public persona… the movie image of wholesomeness that he would meticulously cultibvate and guard… and even contact various clergy to see if his image was appropriate for kids… and then the ghuard dropped, back home, off-screen image where he would do as he wished, would spend as he liked, and would drive as fast and as furiously as he wanted…

And that brings me to the second Scripture passage this morning:
Ecclesiastes 10:1 “As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.”

The perfume can be the very costliest and most expensive there is… with the greatest smell you can imagine…. But let a few dead things sit in it for a while and the whole thing will stink… And you can have a reputation of honor and be known for wisdom and kindness and being a good role model, but “a little folly” behind the scenes will reveal the true nature of your reputation.

As it did here for Tom Mix… the people around here who knew Tom the man… weren’t convinced by a public persona when they had seen him in real-life right here.

So… I ask you… what’s in a name?

And the answer is… NOTHING… unless you put it there.

Yes, I’m related to Tom Mix, but my identity isn’t as a distant cousin of a former wealthy movie star. My identity comes, as does yours, in the name I make for myself… what do I want to be known as… to be known for… Not in who I’m related to… good or bad… but who I am.

I daily help redefine what the MIX name will mean… and I become a role model for those around me… And a good name is better than all the riches of the world.

How about you?

What’s YOUR name say to people… What kind of reputation have you earned?

Is it good?

Is it bad?

Does it LOOK good, even while you wallow in the muck and mire?

As we have seen with television preachers, politicians, and athletes, all it takes to ruin sweet-smelling reputation are a few dead flies… a few uncontrolled unrestrained choices…

What’s in YOUR name?

UnTied Methodists

I visit a lot of other churches.

In my role as a pastor in the United Methodist Church, I am required to fulfill three assignments:
1. the Bishop has appointed me to help lead a particular congregation of United Methodists, in word, in sacrament, in order, and in service…
2. the Bishop has appointed me to be a voice of unity, and a caring presence, representing Jesus Christ in the local community to which I’ve been assigned, and
3. the Bishop has appointed me to be an active part of the Methodist connection; in the district, the conference, and even the world.

It is in those last two capacities that I get to visit other churches.... Not on Sunday morning of course, but I’m there for meetings, visits, times of prayer, hymn sings, and district and community events.

Whenever I’m in a different church, whether United Methodist or not, I try to walk away with a handful of their handouts... to see how they do things so that we can learn some of the things that work well elsewhere.

In one of those churches a few years back, not a United Methodist church, I came across two rackfuls of literature located prominently by their main entrance that, I supposed, were chocked full of their most important tenets. I expected to find tracts about salvation and faith in Christ. Instead, I found very pointed brochures about how wrong people were who didn’t believe the same way they did... including several references in various places about why United Methodists were not only misled and confused, but we’re probably not even Christian.

The reasons cited by the authors of those brochures highlighted the facts that United Methodists have commercials running advertising that we have “open hearts, open minds and open doors.” That’s true. Supposedly that means that we’re TOO open... TOO embracing of those that aren’t acceptable... because of our open policy of ecumenical work... trying to work together with those Catholics and those Episcopalians and those Presbyterians and those... those... those... others.

Interestingly enough,isn't that the very same accusation that the Pharisees leveled against Jesus...? He was hanging out with the wrong people!

As I continued to read, the brochures cited the ultimate evidence that our denomination is in error: we actually let the discussion of homosexuality come up in our legislative meetings. And that, according to what I read that day, is proof of our evilness.

Of course they didn’t mention that every single time the issues of ordaining homosexuals or marrying homosexuals has ever come up, it has ALWAYS been soundly voted down.

The other argument I read about pointed to the fact that we United Methodists weren’t really together on the important issues... and pointed to our stands on homosexuality, baptism, abortion, the death penalty, and such as proofs.

What those authors were saying, in effect, was that they were right... and they would be the greatest in the kingdom of God (and perhaps the ONLY ones in the kingdom of God).

That’s not really a new argument is it?

Jesus’ disciples, in Mark 9 and again in Luke 9, were doing the same things. Who would be God’s favorites? Who REALLY held the spiritual keys? Who would be IN, while everyone else would be OUT?

We read in Luke 9:46-48: An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all—he is the greatest."

This Scripture passage reminds us of two major principles of following Jesus Christ.

1. The greatest in the kingdom is identified as the one who welcomes in the children...

AND

2. The greatest in the kingdom is identified as the one who serves everyone else around them.

As United Methodists, we take those two principles seriously...

We believe that one of our main priorities needs to be welcoming in the children...Those who are young and innocent in age and those, I believe, who are young and innocent in faith... and remember... the children are the ones who don’t know any better yet... Sometimes they do wrong things or go about things the wrong way… and it’s expected.

That’s part of the emphasis we have in our denomination on Sunday schools, junior church, and nurseries. United Methodists try to reach out to children and make them welcome in the presence of the church and her Lord Jesus Christ. To introduce them to Christ and then help nurture them as they grow in faith.

Secondly, one of our main priorities in this denomination is serving others... And thus you see United Methodist hospitals, prison ministries, hunger programs, soup kitchens, mission outreaches, relief efforts, elderly homes, and even working hand-in-hand with others who don’t believe like we do in order to improve people’s lives. We even spend time and money trying to be an advocate for peace and for those who are denied justice... we try to serve our fellow humans... regardless of their beliefs.

But read the next verse...

Luke 9: 49-50 reads: "Master," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us."
"Do not stop him," Jesus said, "for whoever is not against you is for you."

Mark 9: 38-41 says it like this... "Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us." "Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.

In these two passages, we find Jesus telling us what to do when we are confronting a situation where another group, that isn’t exactly like us, is trying to minister in Jesus’ name...

We let them be... Because if they are ministering in Jesus’ name, then we’re on the same side... Even if an immature disciple like John calls us names or claims that we’re not real followers of Christ.

That is one of the undergirding, although often unmentioned, foundations of Methodism.

We recognize that what you believe about the king or the president, about marriage or homosexuality, about baptism or communion, isn’t nearly as important as to whether or not you know Jesus Christ.

We look to passages like Acts 16:31... “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved...” and passages like First John 5:1... “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God...”

Notice it doesn’t say, ‘If you are baptized the right way, you’ll be saved’ or ‘If you hold the same theological understanding of communion or do communion the right way, then you’ll be saved.’ Nor does it say ‘If you follow the Bible exactly and do all it says to do then you’ll be saved.’ It doesn’t even say ‘You have to agree with one another on issues like abortion and homosexuality and drinking and gambling, then you’ll be saved.’

What DOES it say?
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved...”
Period.

We United Methodists are joined together by our belief that the Bible tells us that you come to salvation by a belief in Christ... That’s what ties us together in Methodism... That’s how we can be called UNITED Methodists.

And we also believe that you come to Christ like the song says: “Just as I am.”

And Jesus, will work on you from there on the things he wants to work on in your life...

And that’s why there’s SO much room in our church for so many people who don’t believe exactly like you and me... I recognize that Christ hasn’t perfected me yet, and I’m still a work in progress, and I’M allowed in the church, therefore someone else who calls Jesus ‘LORD’ but hasn’t been perfected yet, and doesn’t yet understand the truths that we understand, can fit in the Christian church just as easily...

And that’s why we don’t print brochures and tracts calling other churches names or claiming that we’re the right one ourselves.

Let's thank God for the UNTIED nature of our church… for the room we have for those who aren’t perfected yet… because in such a church there is room for you and me!

Let’s thank God for the UNITED nature of our church… that all those who believe in Jesus can come just the way they are and be welcomed into our church life… where we’ll pray for, commune with, and love one another as we all seek to grow and mature in Christ.

I think this is especially important as we celebrate World Communion Sunday this weekend... At least as United Methodists, we invite EVERYONE that knows Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior to join us in this act of obediance, this act of unity, this declaration that knowing Jesus Christ is the ONLY way we can be saved and the ONLY criterion needed to determine whether or not you are welcome in our church... or in the kingdom of God....

--adapted from sermon for October 1, 2006, by Dayton D. Mix

Remembering September 11th

Country singer Alan Jackson sings a wonderful song that asks a powerful question: “Where were you when the world stopped turning?” about the events of 9/11/2001. Here we are at the five-year anniversary of that horrific day and people have been asking that very same question again: “Where were you when you found out about the terrorist attacks?” Personally, I was on the phone and the person I called told me about the planes crashing...and the terror. We quickly finished talking and I left to watch the news.

Our foster daughter, Cass, who would be moving in with us in just a couple of months, was sitting in school in the little town of Shanksville… and felt the earth shake when Flight 93 crashed into a field less than two miles from her school…

How about you? Where were you? And what were your initial reactions? Your first thoughts? What did you do next?

Jackson runs through a series of questions asking what people did next: “Did you dust off that Bible at home?” Did you “Open your eyes and hope it never happened, close your eyes and not go to sleep.” Did you turn off the TV violence, give blood, buy a gun, or go home and cling tight to your family…

You know, this ‘singer of simple songs’ is really on to something… we each had choices to make following those events. In the book of Job, the Bible teaches that even when our world crashes around us, we still have choices as to how we respond. We couldn’t control what those terrorists did, but we ARE in control of how WE respond… We make the choice of how we deal with fear and terror, uncertainty and anger, just as we’re responsible for our choices in every other situation in our lives.

Just like this song says, some people did respond by turning for protection by buying a gun. Others responded by wishing the whole thing had never happened, or being overwhelmed by such fear that they couldn’t sleep at night. Some responded by seeking for ways to help, by giving blood or sending money, or not far from here where one of the planes went down by serving meals and making donations. Some turned to God in prayer, at church, and by reading their Bibles.

Even as Christians, we faced those same kinds of choices didn‘t we? We had to choose who to run to, who to talk to and share our feelings and emotions with, and what to do next. And like everyone else, we immediately felt alone… And that’s where we Christians have our first advantage over others… For we believe in Jesus, who is called “Emmanuel,” which means: “God with is.” (Matthew 1:23). People were asking “where was God?” and the truth is that He was there in the planes, He was there in the towers and in the Pentagon. He was there with YOU when you first heard and then walked through those mind-numbing next few days and weeks. Jesus said “I am with you always.” (Matthew 28:20)

Secondly, our protection in this sin-sick world, is never going to be found in guns or more violence… Even our military attempts at silencing this or that particular terrorist will never be completely successful, but God reminds us that He is our “refuge” and our “strength”… He is the “ever-present help” we can turn to in times of trouble and not be afraid. (Psalm 46:1-2)

Third, Jackson’s chorus echoes words of truth we read in the Bible that say “perfect love casts out fear” (I John 4:18) and of “faith, hope, and love.” (I Corinthians 13:13) Our fear will give way to peace, even in the worst of circumstances if we can get closer to our God… about whom the Bible says “God is Love.” (I John 4:8). Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Go to Him, get closer to Him, read what His word has to say, pray and talk with Him, and feel His peace.

--adapted from "Pastor's Ponderings" by Dayton D. Mix, Trinity UMC, Patton, Sept. 2002