While I usually file my sermons in the sermon section, I decided to include this one here for two reasons.  First, because it is my first sermon at Copper Hill UMC.   Second, because it is very informative about me personally and will be a great addition to the Who Am I section of my blog.

First sermon at Copper Hill UMC

Intro

As I thought about how to begin this morning, I decided that there was not a better way than to introduce myself by giving my testimony—the story of my own Christian journey.  

Telling the story of God’s action in our lives is a Biblically recommended practice anyway, isn’t it.   In the passage Judy read, the servant of Abraham tells of God’s activity in helping him to be successful in finding a wife for Isaac.   In a sense, much of Holy Scripture is the inspired testimony of God’s action among his people, recorded for us to read and profit from later.  In the book of Revelation, in the verses that I read, John tells us that one of the weapons of the Christian church – one of the means that it can use to overcome the enemy of our souls is testimony – reciting to one another the work of God in our lives.  Testimony has several benefits.  Telling others what God has done has a way of confirming it for us too.   Testimony encourages and inspires others as well.  When one person testifies, it helps us to understand how God works and what he can do in our own lives too.  

My prayer is that this abbreviated story of my Christian journey will not only help you get to know me but also inspire and encourage your own Christian walk. 

A Christian beginning

Object: a family farm needlework or picture of my extended family

A Christian home

My journey began in on a family farm in rural Western NY.  I had the privilege of being born into a Christian family.  On Sundays, not only both my parents, but all four of my grandparents would be at our church.  I was told that I first accepted Jesus into my heart at age 6 kneeling in the living room next to my mom.  

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Hospitality to God’s Word at six

Key verse:  “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Jn. 1:11-12 ESV

It was an important beginning of giving hospitality to God’s word, God’s work and God’s Spirit in my life.  The Bible teaches us that each of us has an opportunity to do that.  The bible is using a hospitality metaphor.   As when someone comes to the door of our home, we can either let them in our shut the door, so it is with God’s teaching in our lives.   The Bible teaches that God I as one standing at the door of our hearts and knocking.  If we will give Him entrance he will come in (Rev. 3:20).  

Growing in faith in a small church like this one

Object: Haskinville plate

Childhood Sunday school

The church I grew up in was a lot like this one.  It averaged about 55 people and the building only held about 110 people when stuffed to the walls.  The staff-parish committee asked me why I wanted to come to Copper Hill.  I told them that there is a great place in my heart for small churches like Copper Hill.  I believe that they are places of strong family discipleship. 

I remember Rev. Jack taking us junior boys out to the old parsonage steps on a nice day for our Sunday School class.  

Fire at the parsonage and rebuilding

Like Copper Hill and West Granby Parish, Haskinville had a fire at the old parsonage in the 50’s.  They tore it down and built a new large cape just as you did.    I remember that project.   It was also one of my first lessons in church unity.   My parents and grandparents had been in favor of repairing but when the parish decided to rebuild instead, they worked on it more than anyone.  I always admired that spirit. 

A key moment of dedication/sanctification – when the castles fall

There were special spiritual moments at that old church – quarterly communion services, special speakers,  but one I remember was the day the castles I had built in my mind fell.   I had plans for my life – big grandiose ones – but after a message calling for complete commitment, I knelt at the altar for prayer and dedicated my plans to God.   It was the beginning of many such moments of what the Methodists call sanctification.  

Key verse:  I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Ro 12:1 ESV

Stretching, maturing, and finally volunteering

All of us are stretched, matured and even tested by the various experiences of our lives.   Noah proved faithful to build the ark when others ridiculed.  Abraham was tested by the mysterious command to offer Isaac.   Job was tested by tragedy.   Moses was humbled first by his own wilderness journey and then tested again by his experience of leading the people.  Jeremiah was tested to be faithful in persecution and passed.  King Jeroboam I of Northern Israel failed his test of leadership during prosperity.   All of us are tested and stretched by life’s challenges.   Life is supposed to have challenges.  How did that happen for me?    Challenges, test us, sometimes tempt us, stretch us, mature us and teach us.   That process started in earnest as soon as I left home for college. 

Objects: UR plaque; Morocco plaque; Asbury diploma

Secular college

At the university I learned I didn’t know it all; my Dad had already worked on that lesson, but the university finished it.  I also learned to function as a Christian with brothers and sisters of lots of other denominations through Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship.  I learned to live with some struggle too as college was a struggle –time wise and because I lacked back-ground courses I needed.    But I did one thing very right.  I chose JoAnne to be my wife and married her the month after I graduated from college.   We were married at her grandparent’s home church — Arkport UMC, Arkport, NY.

US Navy

In the transition from college to the next phase of my life, I learned that God works all things together for his good purposes.    Those were the draft lottery days and my number was low.  I applied for a good Job at Bell Labs but could not get hired with such a low draft number.   So I joined the Navy as an Officer candidate.  At OCS in Newport RI, I hurt my knee and was delayed six weeks.   When I graduated, I prayed to stay stateside sice I was newly married.  But, I received orders to Morocco in Northern Africa.   But I soon discovered that God was at work putting all those pieces of my life that I found disappointing all together to land me right where he wanted me.     Morocco was accompanied duty.   So JoAnne and I could enjoy traveling in another culture.   My military experience opened so many doors.  It broke the ice on flying for both of us.  It taught us to enjoy sampling new foods.  It helped us learn to appreciate cultural differences.    There I also helped the chaplain; he could not sing, I could, so I led singing for him.  Since I was an officer of the line, I had rank to substitute for him when he was away.  It was one of the key situations that ultimately resulted in my being a pastor today.   

Preparation for Ministry

After my time in the Navy was over, I decided to use my GI bill to learn more about the Bible, philosophy and Christian history at Houghton College.  JoAnne wanted to return to finish her degree.  So I went too.   God used that time to focus me in a new direction.   Toward the end of our two years there, I prayed asking God if I could serve as a pastor in his kingdom.   I was following the model of Isaiah,   “I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”  And he said, “Go…” Isa 6:8-9  ESV   (Key verse for this section.)

So I entered Asbury Theological Seminary and completed a Master of Divinity degree.  Our only child, Keely was born while we were in Kentucky at Asbury.  Later during my first pastorate, I finished my formal education by completing a Doctor of Ministry degree at Drew University.

Ministry Experience – school of hard knocks

Object:  district plaque

Bentley Creek, PA – just over the state border from Elmira, NY

My first church was in Bentley Creek, PA.

               It was a larger church which averaged 220 over the 12 years I served it–too much for one pastor but half the time I was the sole pastor.  The parsonage was built on to the church and it was a very busy church.  I locked up the building every night.  There was no separation between work and home.   It was a very stressful place to be.   

               Not surprisingly, we went through a tough time in our marriage there but God helped us recover and later used it to help us learn and grow and prepare us with experience and perspective to help many others along the way.   Our own needs and the need to help others as well drove me to read much about marriage and how it works and is maintained; what goes wrong with it and how it can be repaired.

               Learned the hard way that I needed to learn leadership in order to properly pastor a church.  At first, I actually tried to avoid what I called “administrative” things.   While I pastored there I figured out what the Scripture meant when is says that the pastors are given to equip the people for ministry.  And I understood that that task included leadership and organization and all the rest that goes with leadership.    I became a reader of John Maxwell books too.  

Kirkville, NY – outer suburb of Syracuse, NY — snowiest big city in the US

My second church was a little smaller, but God needed us there to heal wounds of deep division and to stay a while to renew the church and give it a whole different culture.   We did not know it at the time. 

               There I learned to be an encourager of people – to recognize their ministries, believe in them and set them free to do them, while maintaining accountability at the same time. 

               I expanded my own horizons with personal missions trips – and by sending short term teams from our church, and encouraging our associate pastor in his overseas ministry. 

               I learned how to lead through changing times and how to lead to create needed changes too.

               God gave me a mentoring ministry with other pastors too, both in my own church and in the district.

               I also learned to continue to minister when I was not feeling the best.  A chronic condition sapped energy and demanded time but I remained determined to continue doing what God had called me to do. 

Life verse:   “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.   2 Co 9:8   NIV 

(Note on translations:  NIV is my favorite translation but I will be using NRSV a great deal here at Copper Hill as that is the version of our pew Bible.   ESV is the newest version in that same translation family so I may use ESV some too.) 

Coming to Copper Hill

This year the time came for me to retire from full time ministry.  The wise man Solomon says that there is a time for everything.  Retiring from full-time work is one of those things, I guess.

But I did not want to quit – rather I had a great desire for part-time ministry.  The best scenario was to find part-time ministry within driving distance of our only child who lives with her husband and our grandson in West Hartford.   If we could not find part-time work we were planning to try to move to Hartford area anyway, but we didn’t quite know how we could do it.   Housing in our price range that we liked did not seem to be available.  By mid spring we still had only looked at one house, and it was a non-starter.  

But God works in mysterious ways to answer our prayers. 

I had sent resumes to several denominations.  The Wesleyans had no position open at that time.   Your D.S. Rev. Keiffer told us he usually ignores resumes from other denominations as he receives a pile of them.  But this time he picked my resume from his pile and called me. 

Both he and I sensed God’s blessing on the whole interview process.   And here I am.  JoAnne and I find ourselves humbled by what God has done.  We are on the receiving end of one of God’s great promises. 

Key verse:     Ps 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”  NIV   And we are looking forward to what he has in store for us and you together here at Copper Hill UMC.  

This is the verse I would share this morning for all of us together to hold onto.

Key verse:  Eph 3:20-21  “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21  to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” ESV