Posts

Showing posts from December, 2008

New Year's Eve

A funeral and two weddings today

What Happened to Optimism?

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Cal Thomas asks "What Happened to Optimism?"

Top Ten Books of 2008

I finished quite a few books in 2008, and started many more. At any given time, I'll probably have 15-20 books going at the same time. Maybe that's a symptom of ADD! Anyhow, here are my ten favorite reads of 2008: 1) Ablaze for God (Wesley Duewel) 2) It (Craig Groeschl) 3) Wild Goose Chase (Mark Batterson) 4) The Ultimate Blessing (Jo Anne Lyon) 5) Return of the Prodigal (Henri Nouwen) 6) Lumberjack Sky Pilot (Frank Reed) 7) The Way Forward (Matthew Leroy and Jeremy Summers) 8) On the Side of the Angels (D'Souza and Rogers) 9) God Size Your Church (John Jackson) 10) Wilderness Visionaries (Jim Dale Vickery) Honorable Mentions: The Almost True Story of Ryan Fisher (Rob Stennett) My Beautiful Idol (Peter Gall) The Pastor and Prayer (R. A. Torrey) The Revival We Need (Oswald Smith) Touch One (Chris Schimel) Crossing Over (Paul Scanlon) White Robes and Spiritual Feasts (G. D. Watson) Helps to Holiness (Samuel Brengle) For Fun: Agatha Christie John Grisham

Missional Christmas

The Christmas Season is winding down and it's been a beautiful experience. I love Christmas. I love seeing our people go the extra mile in helping and blessing others. For instance, together, through our Giving Tree, we provided Christmas gifts to 175 children. When many of us did a little bit, it ended up making a big difference! On Christmas Day, over 200 people came to the church for Christmas Dinner. My heart was warmed as I sat with my family, and looked over the Fellowship Hall at the happy faces. Many of these folks would have spent Christmas alone. Afterwards, I spoke with Mike, the head cook, who, with misty eyes, told me how much this experience blessed him. Several families of the church served together joyfully. I'm so happy to see the young children of the congregation learning this valuable lesson: It is more blessed to give than to receive. The SHARE program, which provides a marvelous deal on food packages, is centered at our church. I was overwhelmed by the buz
Bah Humbug

On the Side of the Angels

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I've just finished reading a powerful, missional book by Joseph D'Souza and Benedict Rogers, called On the Side of the Angels. It is a plea for Christians to become advocates for human rights and justice. These, they argue, are central to Kingdom mission, and not secondary activities. Interestingly, although neither author is Wesleyan, they refer to the Wesleyan Methodists of 1843, who gave themselves to the abolition of slavery and women's rights. On the Side of the Angels stretched me out of my comfort zone. I disagree with a few of their points, but the general theme is an important correction to the evangelical church. Purchase Here Reading this book, I recalled these words of John Wesley: "The Gospel of Christ knows of no religion, but social; no holiness but social holiness. 'Faith working by love' is the length and breadth and depth and height of Christian perfection." Along the same line, here's an interesting article by Keith Drury: The Holin

Hmmmmmm

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I don't think this idea will catch on in Hayward . Sandals and robes don't cut it when it's 20 below.

Caroling at Famous Dave's

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Last Saturday evening, a group of carolers from our church went to the Original Famous Dave's to sing for their Special Christmas event . At the conclusion of the evening, as we were having our "figgy pudding", they held a drawing for a huge Kid's Christmas Basket -- and I won!! I won't tell you what I did with my treasure trove -- because it's top secret -- but let me say this much. It was by far the most delightful experience of the Christmas season for me :)

Christmas Morning at the Wilson's

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Merry Christmas

Christmas Eve

Awesome candlelight Christmas Eve Services tonight. Over 800 people showed up for our services. The theme was "Coming Home" (Prodigal Son) My son, Ryan, wrote a special song for the evening, and sang it: It was powerful. I hope he posts it soon on his myspace.

A Christmas Prayer

Here's a beautiful prayer given by Peter Marshall, former Chaplain of the Senate in December of 1947: We thank Thee, O God, for the return of the wondrous spell of this Christmas season the brings its own sweet joy into our jaded and troubled hearts. Forbid us, Lord that we should celebrate without understanding what we celebrate, or like our counterparts so long ago, fail to see the star or to hear the song of glorious promise. As our hearts yield to the spirits of Christmas, may we discover that it is Thy Holy Spirit who comes -- not a sentiment, but a power -- to remind us of the only way by which there may be peace on earth and good will among men. May we not spend Christmas, but keep it, that we may be kept in its hope, through Him who emptied Himself in coming to us that we might be filled with peace and joy in returning to God. -- Amen.

Tag, You're It

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The flu bug declared war on our house during the last few days -- five of the six Wilson soldiers fell. Only one strong warrior remained unscathed - Cathy. One of my kids came into the room where I was resting and said, "Tag, you're it!" The UPS man arrived late morning with three wonderful books from Amazon. I tore the box open and dug right in to Craig Groeschel's IT: How Churches and Leaders can Get It and Keep It. Awesome book! I couldn't put it down! Page after page, I kept saying, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" The bottom line is having a true heart full of love for God and others. It's a great follow-up to Ablaze for God -- and written for today. I want all my leaders to have IT! By the way, Life Church, where Groeschel pastors, is one of the most innovative churches in the country. They have made many of their creative resources available to other church leaders for FREE! Good stuff Available Here.

A Couple of Christmas Stories

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My up north friend, Bill, sent me this beautiful Christmas tale by Leo Tolstoy Also, The Story of the Christmas Guest by Helen Steiner Rice

Why Churches that Want to Change, Don't

Because They Don't Have a Sense of Urgency. (Great article by my friend, Alan Nelson , reflecting on Kotter's new book, A Sense of Urgency )

Book Review

I recently wrote this review of Ken Schenck's excellent book, Making Sense of God's Word , for Cross Reference: Dr. Kenneth Schenck, associate professor of religion at Indiana Wesleyan University, has written an insightful and concise guide for reading the Bible: Making Sense of God’s Word. Though one of the deepest thinkers in our tradition, Schenck handily simplifies the very complicated issue of biblical hermeneutics. Through a clear, step-by-step process, the reader is taught to move from the historical and literary context of a passage to life experience and today’s application. This is helpful guide is easily one of the best-ever books on interpreting the Scriptures. It will prove to be a valuable tool for teachers, preachers, and others concerned with “rightly dividing the Word of Truth.” (The book will be available for purchase in early 2009)

Bailout

With all the bailouts happening in Detroit, seems like they've overlooked the Lions.

Removing the Space

Last week, in my newspaper column, I said that Christmas is FOR GIVING. This week, I’d like to take out the space between those two words. Christmas is FORGIVING. Forgiving means removing the space between others and ourselves. It’s taking away the distance from our hearts. Now, nobody wants to walk around with a heavy load of resentment and bitterness. Yet, finding a path to forgiveness is one of the most difficult things a human being can do. If it was easy, everybody would do it. But it’s hard – particularly if the offense was deep. Sometimes, the people who should be closest to us are the ones we struggle to forgive. That’s because the closer we are to somebody, the more opportunities we (and they) have to do or say hurtful things. Forgiveness is about letting it go and not holding the bitterness in your heart. It means placing the hurt and the one who hurt you over into God’s hands. You might be tempted to “punish” the wrongdoer by holding tight to resentment. However, the only p

A Great Day

I like this quote -- and used it in my sermon at church this morning. Great, Lord, is Thy day. Let it not be small upon us. -- St. Ephraim

Whatever Comes

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This is a re-posting of something I wrote a couple of years ago. I used it in my sermon this morning, and several people asked for a copy of the poem. It's a touching story. One day, after making a hospital visit in Duluth, Minnesota, I was drawn by the spire of the old First Presbyterian Church. A kind secretary opened up the sanctuary for me to sit and pray for a while. Gazing around, my eyes fell upon a beautiful stained glass window. It was the picture of a gravestone with dark purple and black hues overshadowing it. But at the top of the window, squarely in the center of a black night, shone a bright golden star -- which seemed to exude hope and light. The star was the focal point of the window. At the bottom, the following words were inscribed: In memory of Sarah Agnes Graff 1853-1889 Build a little fence of trust around today. Fill the space with loving work and therein stay. Look not through the sheltering bars upon tomorrow. God will help thee bear whatever comes, if joy

Bare Your Bookshelf

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Research indicates that the average American owns nine Bibles and is actively in the market for more. Meanwhile, there are many pastors in other countries who don't even have one. Christian Resource International receives over 400 letters a month from pastors and Christian workers in developing countries who own no Bibles or Christian books. Now, here's their challenge. Clear out some of the Bibles sitting on your shelves and send them to someone who needs them! You can mail a four pound package anywhere in the world for $11.95. CRI will tell you exactly how to do it. More information here.

Let the Game Come to You

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Steve Furtick, of Elevation Church, shared a great insight on his blog recently: One of my mentors was trying to teach me recently about something he learned playing basketball in college: Let the game come to you. Sometimes we get so determined to make something happen in our lives and ministries that we take dumb shots. We blow our assignments.We mistake frantic activity for fruitful accomplishment. If we truly believe that God is sovereign, we don’t need to MAKE anything happen. God makes things happen. It’s not that we become passive…blaming our inaction on God’s timing…or saying we’re being patient when we’re actually being timid. Instead, think of it as responding to God’s initiative rather than trying to get Him to respond to yours. Read the rest here.

Rick Warren's Response

I commend President-elect Obama for his courage to willingly take enormous heat from his base by inviting someone like me, with whom he doesn’t agree on every issue, to offer the Invocation at his historic Inaugural ceremony. Hopefully individuals passionately expressing opinions from the left and the right will recognize that both of us have shown a commitment to model civility in America. The Bible admonishes us to pray for our leaders. I am honored by this opportunity to pray God’s blessing on the office of the President and its current and future inhabitant, asking the Lord to provide wisdom to America’s leaders during this critical time in our nation’s history.

The Rick Warren Flap

Listening to the news, one would think that Obama picked Fred Phelps to say the Inauguration Prayer. The virulent backlash is unwarranted. President-elect Obama is right to hold his ground on this one. The irony is that if you look at the wide spectrum between conservative fundamentalism and left-wing liberalism, Rick is in the middle between them. He's a moderate, for heaven's sake! Some are calling him a gay-hating bigot. At the same time, fundamentalist watchdog groups are calling him a wolf in sheep's clothing. John Leo has made some insightful observations at Huffington Post. The problem with being a bridge is that you get stepped on from both sides!

The Architecture of the Post-Modern Mind

Ben Witherington gives some powerful insights for ministry (education) in today's culture: The Architecture of the Post Modern Mind. Part One Part Two Part Three

Living Rich for Less

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How would you like to have more money available to you -- even if your income doesn't increase? Ellie Kay has written a fabulous book, Living Rich for Less , which gives practical, common-sense, advice for handling your finances. (Order here) In a humorous and easy to read style, Ellie maps out how to get the most BANG for your buck. She follows the 10-10-80 Principle: Give the First 10% -- The Sweetest Dollar You'll Ever Make Save the Next 10% -- The Safest Dollar You'll Ever Make Spend Smart on the Remaining 80% -- The Smartest Dollar You'll Ever Make Reminds me of John Wesley's adage: Earn All You Can Save All You Can Give All You Can It's particularly refreshing, during the current economic downturn, to discover creative ways to cut spending, save wisely and give generously. I'd like to provide a copy for all the members of our church.

The Economy and Church Attendance

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During the Great Depression, church attendance surged as Americans turned to faith in difficult days. The New York Times recently reported that worship attendance is surging as a result of the economic downturn. Yesterday, however, Gallup reported a different conclusion based on their research: Despite some news reports to the contrary, a review of almost 300,000 interviews conducted by Gallup so far in 2008 shows no evidence that church attendance in America has been increasing late this year as a result of bad economic times. In September, October, November, and so far in December, about 42% of Americans reported that they attended church weekly or almost every week, exactly the same as the percentage who reported attending earlier in the year. Ed Stetzer's take on it. Here at Hayward Wesleyan, our worship attendance has declined 5% from last year. We are seeing two things: 1) The econmic struggle has been a catalyst for some new people to come, and some absentees to return. Th

Inauguration Invocation

America's pastor, Rick Warren, has been invited to give the invocation at Barack Obama's inauguration. Just think -- a few years ago Rick was having tacos with me. Now, he's hobnobbing with presidents.

Leadership in the Hot Seat

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This great leadership thought was in a recent article by Phil Stevenson in Expanding Wave: Brett Favre is one of the best quarterbacks to ever play in the National Football League. He currently plays for the New York Jets. Running back Leon Washington, when attempting to express the impact Favre has on the Jets, said, “You get into the huddle and you look into No. 4’s eyes, and you know you are going to have a chance to win” (USA Today, 11.19.08). Let me tweak this just a little bit: Less than two minutes in the game. The Packers are down by two. They get into the huddle and look into No. 12's eyes and say, "Uh Oh."

Open Letter to Leith Anderson

Several evangelical leaders sent an open letter to NAE President, Leith Anderson yesterday, in response to the recent departure of Richard Cizik, after his controversial comments on NPR. In part, the letter states: We respect the right of the NAE to select spokespersons that represent the organization's stated priorities. At the sam e time, we release this letter to show our deep gratitude for Richard's 28 years of leadership at the NAE, in which he has had a guiding hand in shaping a broad Christian moral agenda that has helped define American evangelical's public witness. It was unfortunate that Cizik overstepped his bound, and made statements that were not in line with NAE's values. His words did not accurately reflect the position of most of the people he was supposed to be respresenting. However, on the other hand, Cizik should be commended for broadening the scope of evangelical conscience in America and beyond. He helped pastors like me see that although we su

Joy to the World and Hallelujah!!

Yesterday, Cathy and I hosted the Pastoral Staff Christmas Breakfast. Including spouses and a few children, there were about 20 people jammed into our living room. As I looked around, my heart was filled with thankfulness for these dedicated men and women. We have a great ministry team at Hayward Wesleyan Church. We're not exactly the same. Each person is unique, and has his/her own special gift and perspective to bring to each situation. Our ministry together is not normally "singing in unison", but we do a fantastic job of singing in harmony -- and that's much better. Ask any choir director!! We finished the party by singing "Joy to the World" together. Later in the day, I stepped into the rehearsal of the homeschool teen musicians preparing for their Christmas program -- with electric guitars, drums, keyboard, violin and bass. They were rockin' out ""Joy to the World." Splendid! Splendid! Isaac Watts would give two thumbs up.

Christmas Giveaway

In light of my last post, I think you'll appreciate this perspective on Christmas giving from Gary Exman: I am reminded of a guy several years ago who came to me with $3,300. in cash and had me send it with no return address to needy families on two Christmases. In this envelope he had me place a $100.00 dollar bill and another envelope inside with $10.00 dollars in it with a note suggesting the recipient give this $10.00 dollars to someone else. We did that for thirty needy familes. This man that had me do this kind deed understood it is more blessed to give than to recieve.

Christmas is for Giving

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Christmas is For Giving. Santa asks, “What do you want for Christmas?” Little kids write letters with lists of things they want. Some of those cute letters made their way to the Sawyer County Record last week. That’s a precious thing, and I certainly don’t want to detract from the wonder little children experience at Christmas. But, at the essence, Christmas is not for getting – it’s for giving! Tis the season of unselfishness. Tis the season to share with those you love. Tis the season to be compassionate for those less fortunate. It’s not about spending money you don’t have on stuff they don’t need. This year, especially, with financial squeeze we’re all feeling – how about simplifying? How about being creative, spending a little less, and giving a little more of yourself? How about shopping locally, so you when you DO spend, it’s helping your neighbors put food on their tables? How about giving something homemade? How about giving your time? How about remembering those who are in n

Advent Reflections

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Scott McKnight is posting a beautiful Advent series at Belief Net From December 15: Three acts of advent: adoration , activism, and community-building . I'm struck in the advent stories of how focused they are on the people of God ... and today's text makes that abundantly clear. It comes from Matthew 1:20-21. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." What do we see here: Joseph is to marry Mary, in spite of what appearances are, because God's Spirit is at work in the conception of the child. The birth of that baby leads to the naming of that child: his name is to be Yeshua (Joshua, Jesus).Why? Because he will be a Savior of "his people." That people i

You Know It's Cold

You know it's COLD when you have to scrape the INSIDE of your windshield!

Stop Shouting

The Republican party must stop "shouting at the world" . . . if it is to win elections in the 21st century, former Secretary of State Colin Powell said Thursday. The same applies to churches who desire to impact their communities.

Sunday Night Thoughts

A winter storm made roads hazardous, but our hardy northwoods congregation showed up anyway! Half the morning, it looked like a snow globe outside our large sanctuary window. It was absolutely beautiful. We were honored to have the Uke-Ladies and Laddies perform a couple of Christmas numbers for us. A choir of enthusiastic children did a fantastic job singing "Born on this Day." I preached on the following: 1. Christmas is For Giving. (showed the advent conspiracy video ) Then -- remove the space and it says -- 2. Christmas is Forgiving I used Col. 3:13 as my text and spoke on the importance of "removing the space in our hearts towards other people." I used Rembrandt's Return of the Prodigal as an illustration. 3. Christmas is Forbearing Col. 3:13 in KJV says "Forbearing one another. . ." Rev. 3:10 in the message speaks of "passionate patience" The inscription on Ruth Graham's grave reads, "End of Construction. Thanks for your Pati

Presidential

See how good you are at remembering all the presidents: Click Here

Two Types

Gary Lamb, who pastors a thriving church in Canton, observed that there are two types of growing churches: Those who are consumed with doing church in a cool way Those who are consumed with doing church that reaches lost people They both end up doing similar things -- but with a different motive. I'd like to adjust it a just little bit and say, there are two types of churches in general: Those consumed with doing church Those consumed with BEING the church

Dead Donkey Raffle

Young Chuck moved to Texas and bought a Donkey from a farmer for $100. The farmer agreed to deliver the Donkey the next day. The next day the farmer drove up and said, 'Sorry son, but I have some bad news, the donkey died.' Chuck replied, 'Well, then just give me my money back.' The farmer said, 'Can't do that. I went and spent it already.' Chuck said, 'Ok, then, just bring me the dead donkey.' The farmer asked, 'What ya gonna do with him? Chuck said, 'I'm going to raffle him off.' The farmer said, 'You can't raffle off a dead donkey!' Chuck said, 'Sure I can Watch me. I just won't tell anybody he's dead.' A month later, the farmer met up with Chuck and asked, 'What happened with that dead donkey?' Chuck said, 'I raffled him off. I sold 500 tickets at two dollars a piece and made $998.' The farmer said, 'Didn't anyone complain?' Chuck said, 'Just the guy who won. So I gave hi

12 Days of Christmas

The Real Twelve Days of Christmas -- I like this!

Apology Accepted

I think Jim Wallis is right on with his response to this Public Apology to the Public from GM: While we’re still the U.S. sales leader, we acknowledge we have disappointed you. At times we violated your trust by letting our quality fall below industry standards and our designs become lackluster. We proliferated our brands and dealer network to the point where we lost adequate focus on our core U.S. market. We also biased our product mix toward pickup trucks and SUVs. And we made commitments to compensation plans that have proven to be unsustainable in today’s globally competitive industry. We have paid dearly for these decisions, learned from them and are working hard to correct them by restructuring our U.S. business to be viable for the long-term.

How Would You Answer My Friend?

A pastor friend e-mailed me with this question yesterday: I am working with a well-intentioned man who is considering becoming a part of our congregation. After exploring Wesleyan Doctrine, he is hung up on one thing- that we allow women in ministry. He believes that 1Timothy 2:8-15 is a clear Biblical prohibition against females in ministry. I have always understood Paul's teaching on women in public worship environements in Corinthians and Timothy to be context driven and not a broad theological statement. This has been a learning experience for me because I learned that I was unprepared to defend our Wesleyan position, I had just accepted it. Any Biblical direction, orginal language clues, or historical perspective you could offer would be most welcomed. He is not bigoted about women, he feels they are equal in the eyes of the Lord but have been assigned different duties/roles in the kingdom. How would you respond to his question?

Cizik Resigns

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Richard Cizik, long term lobbyist for the National Association of Evangelicals, has resigned today, in the aftermath of his controversial statements on NPR's Fresh Air. In a letter to the NAE Board, President Leith Anderson, stated: ". . . our NAE stand on marriage, abortion and other biblical values is long, clear and unchanged.”

Looking for Light in the Darkness

An excellent Advent Reflection from Dr. Jo Anne Lyon

Remembering Leah

One year ago today, our young friend, Leah Conner, passed away. It was one of the most heartwrenching days I've ever experienced as a pastor. A lot has happened over these past twelve months. Sometimes it seems like an eternity since Leah's death. At other times, it seems like just yesterday. Please pray for Leah's family on this day of remembrance.

Update on David

My nephew, David, came home from the hospital this afternoon! This is quite miraculous, as yesterday, they wouldn't even let him sit up. He still has a long recovery ahead of him, and is going to be seeing the neurosurgeon soon. I must say, the Wilson family has a lot to be thankful for.

What if the Church was Run Like the State of Illinois?

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Todd Rhoades muses: Boy, I'm sure glad America's churches aren't run like the state of Illinois. Otherwise we'd have a ton of churches and pastors giving preferential treatment and bending over backward for people in the church who give the most money. . .

Open Letter

I was really happy to see the name of our General Superintendent, Jo Anne Lyon, on this open letter from Christian Leaders to President Bush regarding the recent persecutions in India.

The Way Many American Young People View Evangelicals

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This is NOT a picture of our new puppy, Vin.

The Ones Who Didn't Make It

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On September 6, 1965, Admiral James Stockdale’s A-4 Skyhawk was shot down over Viet Nam. The injured Stockdale found himself captured and imprisoned in the infamous “Hanoi Hilton”, where he was a prisoner of war for over seven years. He was the highest ranking naval officer held as a prisoner of war in the Viet Nam war. Stockdale was kept in solitary confinement for four years, placed in irons for two years, denied medical care and malnourished. Despite these terrible conditions, he led an “underground resistance movement” which brought hope and a sense of esprit de corps to his fellow POW’s. Still, many prisoners died under these grueling circumstances. Finally, in 1973, the brave admiral was released, and awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor is 1976 by President Ford. Several years later, author and researcher, Jim Collins, interviewed Stockdale in the campus of Stanford University, and asked the decorated offer how he coped with the demoralizing effects of his imprisonment. Stoc

Missional Roger

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My friend, Roger Ciskie, isn't letting any moss gather during his retirement. He's one of the most inspiring people I know. "I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink."

Prayer Request

Please pray for my nephew, David, who was in an automobile accident, and is in serious condition with two broken bones in his neck.

Vicarious Bon Appetit

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A while back, a publisher sent me a free copy of Sandra Byrd's Bon Appetit. I was supposed to read it and post a review here on my blog, but didn't get around to reading it. Instead, it pawned it off on my wife, Cathy -- so this is vicarious book review. Cathy says that Bon Appetit is a delightful read for people who treasure the following: France Food Faith Friendships It's the delightful tale of a young American girl, Lexi, who travels to France and goes to school to learn to become a pastry chef. Her faith helps her to face many challenges and complex relationships. Through this journey Lexi learns much about herself, her faith, and the value of friendship. Cathy says there are several recipes in the book worth trying. This is the first fiction-cookbook I've ever encountered -- but I think I'll just take Cathy's word for it. Purchase info here.

Prayer Request

My friend, Kathy, posted a beautiful thought, Cold Sore Worry, on her blog today. Her husband, Rocky has a biopsy today which is really frightening. Yet, they are trusting in the Lord. . . regardless of what comes. She mentioned something about how yesterday's sermon helped them, and that really blessed my heart. Please pray for Rocky and Kathy as they walk through this vally of uncertainty.

Oldest Mother

If Rajo Devi goes to church next Mother's Day, she will win the "Oldest Mother" Award.

Top Five Sins

Keith Drury reports on America's Top Five Sins -- then lists 6 through 12 as well I recall once, a red faced guy came to me after church and told me I needed to preach more against sin. So, the next week, I preached against the "whitewashed sins" in the church, such as gossip, greed, sloth, self-centeredness and materialism. He came up to me after the sermon and said, "I didn't mean THOSE sins!!"

Leadership Lessons

Great lessons can be learned from anyone regardless of level of education or socioeconomic status. A good leader should have an open heart and an open mind . -- Dr. Dexter McKenzie

Sunday Afternoon

It was almost 20 below zero this morning, but church attendance was up this morning. These northwoods folk are a hardy lot. We enjoyed doing a rendition of "By the Rivers of Babylon" I preached on Exile from Habakkuk. A terrible cold made me feel puny. It took all my my energy to get through the morning. In the afternoon, we ordered Chinese food, and watched the Packers lose again.

Happy Aniversary!

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Happy first aniversary to our son, Adam and his beautiful bride, Allegra! Adam and Allegra are both students at University of Northern Iowa and live in Cedar Falls. After classes, Adam works as an inventory analyst for John Deere.

Good Leadership Decisions

One of my Church Leadership Students interviewed Mark Batman concerining what it takes to be an effective leader. Mark replied: 1. Listen Carefully 2. Question Thoroughly 3. Act Decisively Good stuff. So often, leaders want to tell rather than listen, argue rather than question, and discuss rather than act.

Saturday Musings

Cathy and the kids went to a Bible Quiz Invitational, and I was the one appointed to stay back home and take care of our new dog, Vin. Didn't mind having a day at home alone. It snowed a few inches overnight, so Vin and I shovelled the driveway together. We're getting along great. I ran a couple of errands, and did a few fix-it projects at the house. I spent a couple hours watching "All the King's Men" on TCM -- it was a good lesson on how power can corrupt. It was a joy to discover that Tom Raven, a key leader of my youth group back in California, is now the head baseball coach for Trinity International University, in Deerfield, IL. It's been years since we've been in touch with each other. He's an awesome man of God, and it feels good to know that I had a part in mentoring him during his early years. A kind friend called to tell me that a Youtube Post I put up on the blog (Stethoscope) had some inappropriate links at the end. Oops -- didn't

Signs of a Lukewarm Pastor

A great post by Craig Groeschel Prays as much, or more, publicly than privately. Is almost exclusively dependent on others’ sermons to preach than directly hearing from God. Cares more about his church than The Church. Preaches about evangelism but doesn’t practice evangelism privately. Tolerates and rationalizes unconfessed sin. Preaches for the approval of people rather than the approval of God. Is overly sensitive to criticism. Read the rest here

Something to Ponder

Good food for thought from Kimberly Smith, President of Make A Way Partners (a wonderful mission organization dedicated to eliminating human trafficking and modern day slavery): The Upside of Selfishness in a Downturned Market When I am in Sudan, I never find myself thinking about the stock market, 401ks, health insurance and so forth. But, then again, I don’t have access to newspapers or television reports that devote 24 hours a day monitoring those things and warning me that they are losing their value and I’d better not count on them. Instead, while in Sudan, I find myself concerned about whether or not the child next to me has enough to eat and drink to make it through the night

Happiness is Contagious

According to a new study reported in the British Medical Journal, Happiness is Contagious. "The more happy people you know, the more likely you are yourself to be happy."

Leading by Preaching

My friend, John Jackson, recently shared a good post about leading via preaching. Of course, the pastoral nurture of the individual is vitally important. It is also important, however, to speak to the group -- a charge to this specific body of believers. Kingdom Impact increases in our ministry when we recognize that we are preaching BOTH to the individual and to the congregation. Both are needed, and the effective preacher is both aware of the opportunity and the privilege to address both needs. Pastoral Questions: What does it say? What does it mean to me? What should I do? How does this speak to my present? Leadership Questions: What does it mean? What does it mean to us? What changes should we make? How does this speak to our future?

The Greatest Words Ever Spoken

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I've found Steven Scott's, The Greatest Words Ever Spoken , to be a valuable ministry resource. Scott has collected all the recorded sayings of Jesus (via the Gospels) and has catalogued them by topic. It makes for a fascinating read. . . everything Jesus said about you, your life, and everything else! Putting this volume together must have been quite an undertaking. . . as merely attempting to read it through has proven daunting. It's more of a reference book than a "read-it-straight-through" type. More on Steve Scott here

Christmas Wagon Ride

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A large Catholic Church in a big city put up a Manger Scene every year in front of its church for the month of December. The congregation decided to purchase a new baby Jesus one Christmas season. Every Sunday before Christmas people going by would notice the Manger Scene and particularly the baby Jesus. On Christmas Eve the Priest went outside to say a prayer before the evenings services. He noticed instantly that the baby Jesus was missing so he called the police. The officers arrived shortly thereafter and began cruising the neighborhood hoping to find the infant Jesus. After a few blocks ride they noticed a little boy pulling a glimmering new red wagon and to their surpise they saw the baby Jesus placed carefully in that wagon. They stopped their car and asked the boy where he was going with his red wagon and what did he have inside. The boy excitedly exclaimed that he had gone down to the front of the church every day and prayed to baby Jesus for a new wagon and promised him if he

Cash Crunch

Barna on How Churches are Weathering the Economic Downturn

Ed Stetzer on Denominations

Denominations are in a challenging time right now... and I believe things will get worse for denominations before they get better. However, I believe the best denominational partnerships are yet to come when denominations get re-focused on serving churches and helping them fulfill the Great Commission. More here

The Circle

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The poet, Edwin Markham, had put aside a great sum of money for his retirement. When he went to the bank to withdraw from the account, however, he discovered that a “trusted friend” had plundered his nest egg, leaving him penniless. Edwin now needed to write again in order to survive. He sat at his desk day after day but was unable to produce anything. He could think only of his loss. Bitterness and resentment were walls, shutting out his creativity. It was destroying his life. One day, he began to doodle on the blank page before him. As usual, he could think of nothing to write. So, he drew circles on the paper. Suddenly, as he gazed at the circles, he knew what he must do. Bowing his head in prayer, he poured out his resentment to God and asked for the strength to forgive. Then he picked up his pen and began to write: He drew a circle that shut me out, Rebel, heretic, a thing to flout. But love and I had the wit to win, We drew a circle that took him in! Has someone wronged you? Have

So Who Is Admin?

My friend, Paul, e-mailed me with this question: Hello Pastor. I've got a bit of a toughie that I can't seem yet to explain. I'm preparing a Bible Study for Sunday School called the "Unfit Misfits" where I review the genealogies of Christ in Matthew and Luke. I've run across a name I can't find in any of my resources - Admin He's listed in Luke 3:33 as the son of Arni, aka Ram. do you know anything about him? Matthew omits this name, going directly from Ram to Amminidab. Can anybody help Paul out? He needs an answer before Sunday.

Firstborn of Mary

Firstborn of Mary, provocative preacher, itinerant teacher, outsider's choice; Jesus inspires and disarms and confuses whoever he choses to hear his voice. -- Iona Community Josh posted this beautiful poem at Front Porch Life.

Five Amigos

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I was impressed by something that happened a few weeks ago, when I was teaching a FLAME Course in South Carolina. These classes are to fulfill ordination requirements for people pursuing the ministry. Al Thompson, one of my students was a repeat -- He didn't need the class -- He'd already taken it (didn't flunk either, but passed with an A) -- and, in fact, is already ordained. Yet, he came back for another round of FLAME and guess what he did? He brought four other guys (Larry, Dale, Ken, and Joshua) from his church in North Carolina along with him! Isn't that cool?? Kudos to the Five Amigos for diving deeper and seeking ministerial training that will truly benefit you and your church!! What a great experience for you to share together! Way to go Pastor Al. You're an outstanding leader, and obviously loved by the people of your congregation.