Weeding is pulling out weeds and discarding them. It is removing books from my shelf that I had forgotten I had. It is deleting books, here and there, that are outdated or that represent some perspective which I no longer can claim. Weeding is leaving the good and pulling out the stuff I don’t need anymore and probably won’t even miss. This I have done several times. My usual plan is to cull out the books I think I can eliminate and set them on a table in the church foyer to give away to anyone who will use them. Then for several weeks, each time I pass the table in the hallway, my attention is drawn toward the books and, having second thoughts, I end up re-adopting a few of them.
Gleaning is different. Gleaning is going through all the stacks, browsing book by book and pulling out only the ones I select to keep before the others are boxed and sent to Half-Price Books. This will lighten the load much faster. In this mode the default is to let go of everything. And I have to take specific action to redeem something I believe I must keep. But what are the criteria? All my life, I have been a conserving, library type. And not just with books.
It is time for gleaning.
Will I regret this? I don’t think so. So many books I have inherited are great history, reference, classics, theology, seminary texts, commentaries. They are books I kept because I thought I would need them. I thought I would need many of them while in seminary. Most I did not. Then I thought I would need them in the practice of ministry. Fifteen years have passed since I was ordained and started serving as a pastor. Most of the books I did not need. I am probably half way through my active pastoral ministry. I doubt that I will ever need these old books. And I don’t want to leave them as a burden for someone else as they have been for me.
So I turn away from the process of weeding out individual books. And I begin to glean and redeem just the individual books that I must keep. I will let go and recycle all the books that are left. Weeding and gleaning, each one an agricultural metaphor, have different meanings. They have opposite attitudes—one positive and one negative. The approaches are different and have different emotions attached.
This is definitely a time of gleaning. And I guess I better avoid Half-Price Books for a while or I will be buying back books that already have my name in the cover.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
God’s Providence
We are in the middle of a sermon series on the Lord’s Prayer. On a recent Sunday our sermon was on the part of the prayer where Jesus teaches us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” This part of the prayer is about God’s providence.
I used the word “providence” in our sermon on Sunday at 8:30. I was under the delusion that it was a common word and that everybody knew it. After the service I began asking various people…what does “providence” mean? I asked ten people or so before I finally got a reasonable answer (at least a good answer for the way I used the word).
Several people said it was an area. They had the word confused with “province”—like a political area or state—as in a "Canadian province". Others thought I was talking about a city in Rhode Island. Some laughter emerged over this.
But providence means more. Even the city called "Providence" was so-named because its first settlers gave thanks for the providing of God. Providence, RI was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, an English clergyman who was banned from Massachusetts because of disagreements with the Puritans. He believed that God had provided a place for them to settle and so named the city Providence. By the way, I found out that there also are cities or towns named Providence in Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, and Utah. And well, Annapolis Maryland was originally named Providence.
Still, a number of people just couldn’t say what the word meant. Then an answer came. It came from one who sits on the west side of the sanctuary and praises God with the piano keys. When he speaks, I have learned to listen. Nick said, “Providence means that God is working in your life whether you know it or not” and then he added with a grin, “sometimes even whether you like it or not.” Bingo!
Providence means that God holds us close and makes a way and that part of our job is to trust God and be content. In means we can trust God who sees the future and who makes a way for us in the wilderness. The word providence is a noun form of the word provide. It comes from the Latin word providere- pro- forward, + videre- to see. It’s easier to trust God for the future when we can know that God is already there.
I meant to use the word “providence” in relation to God’s providing. The Jesus prayer focuses upon food by saying “Give us this day our daily bread”. But it means more. It means God “sees forward” where we cannot see and makes a way before we even get there. I believe this part of Jesus’ prayer is intended to help us trust in God for our future, no matter what we are going through in the present. This trust in God gives us contentment, even in unsettled times.
God sees all time together—even the future. To God, the future is like a familiar room because God is already there. Jesus wanted us to trust his Father to “provide” for our needs.
Although this is a lovely thought, it does leave some gaping questions. Like…well, Where is God in the suffering of people who are genuinely hungry or needy, whether in faraway lands or in the streets of downtown Pottsboro? That is a hard question. Does God provide to some more than others? Can one deserve (…or not deserve) God’s providence? Some would give the answer that God provides in God’s time. That’s a nice answer, but it doesn’t alleviate the pain of people who are hungry or hurting.
It just leads to other questions…like this one…
“How is God counting on me to participate in God’s providence by helping or giving or feeding someone else?”
Your Pastor,
Sam
I used the word “providence” in our sermon on Sunday at 8:30. I was under the delusion that it was a common word and that everybody knew it. After the service I began asking various people…what does “providence” mean? I asked ten people or so before I finally got a reasonable answer (at least a good answer for the way I used the word).
Several people said it was an area. They had the word confused with “province”—like a political area or state—as in a "Canadian province". Others thought I was talking about a city in Rhode Island. Some laughter emerged over this.
But providence means more. Even the city called "Providence" was so-named because its first settlers gave thanks for the providing of God. Providence, RI was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, an English clergyman who was banned from Massachusetts because of disagreements with the Puritans. He believed that God had provided a place for them to settle and so named the city Providence. By the way, I found out that there also are cities or towns named Providence in Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, and Utah. And well, Annapolis Maryland was originally named Providence.
Still, a number of people just couldn’t say what the word meant. Then an answer came. It came from one who sits on the west side of the sanctuary and praises God with the piano keys. When he speaks, I have learned to listen. Nick said, “Providence means that God is working in your life whether you know it or not” and then he added with a grin, “sometimes even whether you like it or not.” Bingo!
Providence means that God holds us close and makes a way and that part of our job is to trust God and be content. In means we can trust God who sees the future and who makes a way for us in the wilderness. The word providence is a noun form of the word provide. It comes from the Latin word providere- pro- forward, + videre- to see. It’s easier to trust God for the future when we can know that God is already there.
I meant to use the word “providence” in relation to God’s providing. The Jesus prayer focuses upon food by saying “Give us this day our daily bread”. But it means more. It means God “sees forward” where we cannot see and makes a way before we even get there. I believe this part of Jesus’ prayer is intended to help us trust in God for our future, no matter what we are going through in the present. This trust in God gives us contentment, even in unsettled times.
God sees all time together—even the future. To God, the future is like a familiar room because God is already there. Jesus wanted us to trust his Father to “provide” for our needs.
Although this is a lovely thought, it does leave some gaping questions. Like…well, Where is God in the suffering of people who are genuinely hungry or needy, whether in faraway lands or in the streets of downtown Pottsboro? That is a hard question. Does God provide to some more than others? Can one deserve (…or not deserve) God’s providence? Some would give the answer that God provides in God’s time. That’s a nice answer, but it doesn’t alleviate the pain of people who are hungry or hurting.
It just leads to other questions…like this one…
“How is God counting on me to participate in God’s providence by helping or giving or feeding someone else?”
Your Pastor,
Sam
Monday, January 26, 2009
Witness Fitness or Flatness
I remember the early 2000’s (doesn’t that sound weird?!?) when John Scott and Gary Hughes and Ken Zimmerman painted the blue handicapped parking spots on our parking lot. That was the brightest blue paint I had ever seen on the ground. I told them it looked like a helicopter landing pad and we would probably have helicopters landing there! Last night that came true.
I received a late-Sunday-evening call from a member asking “What’s going on at the church?” I didn’t know of anything . “Well, there are emergency vehicles in the parking lot-- an ambulance, a firetruck with bright lights on-- there’s even a helicopter landed there. And it looks like they’re spraying something.”
“I’ll be right there!” I said, hanging up the phone. “Oh great…”, I thought. “The church is on fire.” But even that did not explain why there would be a helicopter.
By the time Cathy, Cammy, and I got here (an eight-minute drive in four minutes) the action was all over. I was relieved to see that the church building looked quite normal with the porch light and steeple lights on and the parking lot clear and dry. I thought (and maybe said out loud): “Someone in the neighborhood was having a bad dream.” We went to the Pottsboro Fire Station.
A police squad car was arriving—an officer with similar questions. Finding three of Pottsboro’s finest firefighters there, we inquired. An emergency medical call was made and a patient needed to be transferred to Life Star. Since we have a large parking area in the center of our community (and a blue heliport!) they had landed a helicopter here and transferred the patient. With a smile and a “Whew!”, I thanked them for their service to all of us and welcomed them to come to the church anytime! As we drove back past Lakeway, I prayed three things: thanksgiving that the building was intact, hope for the patient who was being flown to the hospital, and gratitude for our emergency personnel that we so often take for granted.
As my curiosity (and my heart-rate) continued to subside, I got to thinking how I want our church’s evangelistic and mission activities to draw that much attention. What if people noticed the activity, the bright lights and the spraying. What if we acted like our witness for Jesus Christ is as urgent as getting the best medical help for someone who is in a health crisis?
The church is actually a good place to land on Sundays and take off for another week of witness!
Oh, and what looked like something spraying was probably just dust stirred up from the parking lot as the helicopter took off. Let’s wake up some members and shake up some dust and get going with our witness for Jesus Christ!
The bright lights and landing port just might just draw a crowd!
I received a late-Sunday-evening call from a member asking “What’s going on at the church?” I didn’t know of anything . “Well, there are emergency vehicles in the parking lot-- an ambulance, a firetruck with bright lights on-- there’s even a helicopter landed there. And it looks like they’re spraying something.”
“I’ll be right there!” I said, hanging up the phone. “Oh great…”, I thought. “The church is on fire.” But even that did not explain why there would be a helicopter.
By the time Cathy, Cammy, and I got here (an eight-minute drive in four minutes) the action was all over. I was relieved to see that the church building looked quite normal with the porch light and steeple lights on and the parking lot clear and dry. I thought (and maybe said out loud): “Someone in the neighborhood was having a bad dream.” We went to the Pottsboro Fire Station.
A police squad car was arriving—an officer with similar questions. Finding three of Pottsboro’s finest firefighters there, we inquired. An emergency medical call was made and a patient needed to be transferred to Life Star. Since we have a large parking area in the center of our community (and a blue heliport!) they had landed a helicopter here and transferred the patient. With a smile and a “Whew!”, I thanked them for their service to all of us and welcomed them to come to the church anytime! As we drove back past Lakeway, I prayed three things: thanksgiving that the building was intact, hope for the patient who was being flown to the hospital, and gratitude for our emergency personnel that we so often take for granted.
As my curiosity (and my heart-rate) continued to subside, I got to thinking how I want our church’s evangelistic and mission activities to draw that much attention. What if people noticed the activity, the bright lights and the spraying. What if we acted like our witness for Jesus Christ is as urgent as getting the best medical help for someone who is in a health crisis?
The church is actually a good place to land on Sundays and take off for another week of witness!
Oh, and what looked like something spraying was probably just dust stirred up from the parking lot as the helicopter took off. Let’s wake up some members and shake up some dust and get going with our witness for Jesus Christ!
The bright lights and landing port just might just draw a crowd!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
I’m Hearing Voices
I cherish rare moments when people pray for me.
I always pray with people. And for them. I believe in it! But it is a real treat to have someone take my hand and pray for me. It happens. When I’m making a hospital visit or I am welcomed into someone’s home, I will suggest we pray at the finish. We hold hands. And then occasionally, (OK, rarely!) just when I draw a breath to speak, the one laying in the hospital bed will address God and begin to pray aloud. Praying for me! Gene Bowling was fond of doing that. It always inspired me.
During our Spiritual Life Revival I got to spend significant time with my friend and brother pastor, Mark Winter. Several times he prayed for me. When I meet with a Clergy Development Group from Texas Methodist Foundation, it’s our tradition to pray for each other—nine pastors of similar-size churches across Texas—and we lift each other between our meetings as well. Whenever I meet with my District Superintendent or other mentors, I cherish hearing their voices and words as they pray for me.
It’s just a few hours ago now. And it was a complete surprise to me. On the last night of our revival, Mark Winter invited your pastors to come to the altar area and he invited you, the congregation, to come up and pray for us. Wow! I melted before the altar and closed my eyes. Soon a hand was on my shoulder and another on my elbow. The warmth and energy of someone occasionally kneeling beside me. And then the voices started. Whispers, full voices, one on my left, another on my right. And then one above me—up higher. Here and there, the prayers overlapped and continued. A cloud of witnesses was all around me, lifting me—as Natalie says—two feet off the ground! Or higher.
I’m still hearing voices. I hope the tradition of praying for your pastors will continue because it changes me and I believe it changes you when you do the praying!
Like that night…Voices and people came and went. Some prayed silently—I could still hear them. I felt so full that tears spilled—cleansing tears. Some voices I recognized and some I didn’t. And it seemed like forever. I’m sure that I heard both my parents. And maybe even Gene Bowling.
I always pray with people. And for them. I believe in it! But it is a real treat to have someone take my hand and pray for me. It happens. When I’m making a hospital visit or I am welcomed into someone’s home, I will suggest we pray at the finish. We hold hands. And then occasionally, (OK, rarely!) just when I draw a breath to speak, the one laying in the hospital bed will address God and begin to pray aloud. Praying for me! Gene Bowling was fond of doing that. It always inspired me.
During our Spiritual Life Revival I got to spend significant time with my friend and brother pastor, Mark Winter. Several times he prayed for me. When I meet with a Clergy Development Group from Texas Methodist Foundation, it’s our tradition to pray for each other—nine pastors of similar-size churches across Texas—and we lift each other between our meetings as well. Whenever I meet with my District Superintendent or other mentors, I cherish hearing their voices and words as they pray for me.
It’s just a few hours ago now. And it was a complete surprise to me. On the last night of our revival, Mark Winter invited your pastors to come to the altar area and he invited you, the congregation, to come up and pray for us. Wow! I melted before the altar and closed my eyes. Soon a hand was on my shoulder and another on my elbow. The warmth and energy of someone occasionally kneeling beside me. And then the voices started. Whispers, full voices, one on my left, another on my right. And then one above me—up higher. Here and there, the prayers overlapped and continued. A cloud of witnesses was all around me, lifting me—as Natalie says—two feet off the ground! Or higher.
I’m still hearing voices. I hope the tradition of praying for your pastors will continue because it changes me and I believe it changes you when you do the praying!
Like that night…Voices and people came and went. Some prayed silently—I could still hear them. I felt so full that tears spilled—cleansing tears. Some voices I recognized and some I didn’t. And it seemed like forever. I’m sure that I heard both my parents. And maybe even Gene Bowling.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Jonah and Balaam
Jonah failed to meet his call and disaster followed. Balaam failed to obey God by going on with plans God had told him to avoid. This put both Jonah and Balaam in embarassing situations. It is better to obey God.
The ability to obey presumes, of course, that one has heard from God. God cannot communicate well with us unless God has our attention. For Balaam, it took a talking donkey. For Jonah, a disastrous storm and a large fish.
We are in the middle of a sermon series called Jonah's Vacation. Thanks to my friend Tom for the suggestion of comparing Jonah and Balaam.
Thanks be to God for redeeming love that has restored Jonah, and Balaam, and Tom, and me.
The ability to obey presumes, of course, that one has heard from God. God cannot communicate well with us unless God has our attention. For Balaam, it took a talking donkey. For Jonah, a disastrous storm and a large fish.
We are in the middle of a sermon series called Jonah's Vacation. Thanks to my friend Tom for the suggestion of comparing Jonah and Balaam.
Thanks be to God for redeeming love that has restored Jonah, and Balaam, and Tom, and me.
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