Revitalize Your Church

In times of transition, people often wonder, “When will we get back to normal?” The answer to that question is “Never.” Normal is not something you can go back to. Regardless of how comforting the thought may be, you can’t get back to normal. The old normal doesn’t exist. You can only go forward to a new normal. Life is a river. It flows continuously forward, not backward. It changes as it flows. You cannot step into the same river twice. It’s different every time. Our moments and relationships are like that too. We all are changing, growing, moving forward in time. We can’t go back to the way it was. Of course, we can understand our present situation by reflecting on the past. As Winston Churchill said, “The farther backward you look, the further forward you are likely to see.” Pondering the past brings clarity and understanding for the future.  We live forwards and understand backwards. A stroll down memory lane recalls experiences both good and bad. We realize...

Six humans trapped by happenstance In bleak and bitter cold. Each one possessed a stick of wood Or so the story’s told. Their dying fire in need of logs The first man held his back For of the faces round the fire He noticed one was black. The next man looking ‘cross the way Saw one not of his church And couldn’t bring himself to give The fire his stick of birch. The third one sat in tattered clothes. He gave his coat a hitch. Why should his log be put to use To warm the idle rich? The rich man just sat back and thought Of the wealth he had in store And how to keep what he had earned From the lazy shiftless poor. The black man’s face bespoke revenge As the fire passed from his sight. For all he saw in his stick of wood Was a chance to spite the white. The last man of this forlorn group Did nought except for gain. Giving only to those who gave Was how he played the game. Their logs held tight in death’s still hands Was proof of human sin. They didn’t die from the cold without They died...

60 above zero:  Wisconsinites plant gardens. 50 above zero:  People are sunbathing in Green Bay . 40 above zero:  Wisconsinites drive with the sunroof open. 32 above zero:  The water in  Hayward gets thicker. 20 above zero:  Wisconsinites throw on a flannel shirt. 15 above zero:  People in  Wisconsin have one last cookout before it gets cold. Zero:  Wisconsinites close the windows. 10 below zero: Wisconsinites dig their winter out of storage. 25 below zero:  Girl Scouts in  Wisconsin still selling cookies door to door. 40 below zero: People in  Wisconsin let their dogs sleep indoors. 100 below zero: Wisconsinites get upset because the Mini-Van won’t start. 460 below zero: ALL atomic motion stops (absolute zero on the Kelvin scale). People in  Wisconsin can be heard to say, “Cold ’nuff fer ya?” 500 below zero:  Hell freezes over.  Wisconsin public schools open 2 hours late F...

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."          --  Abraham Lincoln

A friend recently contacted me, seeking advice as he began the pastorate of a new church.  Here's how I responded: 1)  You only have four jobs:  preach, pray, lead and love -- and not necessarily in that order.  Your prayer life is the single most important factor in your ministry -- you must maintain a robust soul, overflowing with Christ for effective ministerial service,. 2)  Loving people is the key -- and not just the people in your  congregation -- but the whole community.  That means intentionally going out to seek them.  By defailt, most pastors stay in their offices too much, when they need to be out where people are. 3)  Look for those who are suffering and bring love to them -- and better yet, take someone with you when you go.  This is a blessing in more than one respect -- and will multiply favor and blessing when you demonstrate the compassion of Christ. 4)  Don't get worked up about little things -- ...

Communication is to love what blood is to the body. When it ceases to flow, love dies, and rigor mortis of resentment sets in. The ancient prophet, Amos, asked the rhetorical question, "Can two walk together except they be agreed?" Bob, walking by his neighbor's house, saw him struggling with a couch halfway in the front door. He walked up to his friend and asked, "Hey Fred, need a hand?" "Sure!" came the reply, "I'm glad you stopped by. This has been a real challenge," So, he grabbed the end of the couch and started pushing -- but it wouldn't budge an inch. For about twenty minutes, both men struggled and strained as hard as they could, but made absolutely no progress. Finally, dropping the couch from exhaustion, Bob said, "You know, Fred, this is just crazy! I can't understand why it's so hard for us to get this couch into the house." "Into the house??" Fred replied, "I've been trying...

It's winter in Wisconsin  And the gentle breezes blow  Seventy miles an hour  At twenty-five below.  Yes, the weather here is wonderful  So I guess I'll hang around  I could never leave Wisconsin  'Cause I'm frozen to the ground! (from a poem sent to me by my friend, Shirley)

A great quote from William Tyndale:   “Christ is never strong in us until we are weak.  As our strength diminishes, the strength of Christ grows in us. When we are entirely emptied of our own strength, then we are full of Christ’s strength. As much as we retain of our own, we lack of Christ.”

Did you know Congress has declared January 11 as Human Trafficking Awareness Day?   Time to raise awareness. Let's test your knowledge:  What is human trafficking? How much does a slave cost? How old are most first-time victims of sex slavery? How many people are currently trafficked? Stumped? Find your answers  here . 2013 marks the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, yet  more people are trafficked today than any other point in history .

Recently, in my devotional reading, I stumbled upon The Hidden Life  by18th Century Hungarian Presbyterian, Adolph Safir.  It is a deeply spiritual book, anchored in Scripture. Here's a good quote I've been mulling, "For one look to self, take ten looks to Christ."  (Safir is actually quoting the Scottish clergyman, Robert Murray M'Cheyne.) I appreciate this thought for two reasons: 1)  It reminds us that self-reflection is essential.  Transformation comes only by admitting the truth and we must to examine ourselves to find it.  John Fletcher's Heart Check Questions prove helpful in this regard. 2)  Yet, it also encourages us to keep Christ as the central focus point.  When we fix our eyes on Jesus, we won't sink in the murky depths of morbid introspection. Look around -- be distressed. Look within -- be depressed. Look to Jesus -- be at rest.

A good marriage is that in which each appoints the other guardian of his solitude. -- Rainer Maria Rilke

This past Sunday, I preached my annual Money Sermon. I've done this every January for the past 19 years.  This is my 21st January in Hayward, but my first two years I was too chicken to talk about financial generosity. The closest I got was "God is nice to you, so it would certainly be nice for you to be nice back to Him." And all God's children scratched their heads and said, "Huh??" The first time I ever preached on financial stewardship, a livid lady with a red face stormed up after the service and reamed me out. "Money! Money! Money!   When will you preachers quit talking about money??" I had gone over 120 weeks and not mentioned it once -- and then I got clobbered for "money grubbing."  She must have been watching way too much Christian television. For the next few years, I dreaded the January Money Message, because some touchy person would always get offended and blow a gasket. Then, I finally figured it out. It's not my prob...

Sometimes, when folks are all grown up, they forget the valuable lessons they learned as youngsters.  Perhaps it would  be a good idea to send every adult back to pre-school for a refresher course. If we all went back to pre-school, here are a few important things we'd learn to say again: 1. Please. So often, people make selfish demands of other people, forgetting that gentle requests are far more productive than dictates and ultimatums.   Just think how pleasant our world would be, if we all treated each other with courtesy and respect. "Would you please. . ." goes much further than "You'd better. . . or else!" 2. Thank You. Ingratitude lies at the heart of most misery. Your emotional and spiritual health is directly linked to your level of thankfulness.   If you go around thinking that "life owes you",  unhappiness is guaranteed.    Gratiude as the root, produces joy as the fruit. 3. I'm Sorry. A measure of maturity is how we own and admi...

A great parable on getting along

The New Year is like freshly fallen snow.  We have an opportunity to make new tracks in it.

I was delighted to hear the Salvation Army Band playing "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus" in the Rose Parade this morning!  A beautiful and courageous statement of faith, in a culture that is increasingly hostile to Christ. I realize addressing the fiscal cliff is important --but not nearly as important as the spiritual-moral cliff we're heading towards as a nation.  Kudos to the Salvation Army for reminding us to embrace our mission in this world: Stand up, stand up for Jesus! ye soldiers of the cross; Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss: From vict’ry unto vict’ry, His army shall He lead, Till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed Stand up, stand up for Jesus!  The trumpet call obey; Forth to the mighty conflict, in this His glorious day; Ye that are men now serve Him against unnumbered foes; Let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose. Stand up, stand up for Jesus! Stand in His strength alone, The...