During our 50 Days of Refreshing Emphasis leading up to Easter, I hope to add several posts and pages encouraging spiritual practices that will help us all to seek God during these weeks of our collective spiritual journey. This has been on my heart but I was short of time to write. This morning God helped me to find this video clip that the Wesleyan Church has done to guide new Christians in being disciples of Christ. It is a good review for all of us.
Looked out and saw a red-wing blackbird on my thistle seed feeder this am at the tail-end of this big snowstorm. A few minutes later he also visited another feeder where I use a mix of seeds. Lewellyn Troast reported seeing some of them down by the canal last week.
What comes to your mind when you think of wind? I think most of us have many associations as wind is a big part of our lives. One association for me centers around a childhood memory. My bedroom as a boy was on the West side of our house and the cold winter winds whistled in the window. Here in Kirkville, I often think of my neighbor’s cheery wind chimes blowing in the breeze. Sometimes I think of the warm southern breezes that bring warming temperatures and birds flying in from the south in the spring. Today wind is in the news often as a power generation source. March is the month most associated with wind.
This year at Community Wesleyan during March and April, we plan to explore the Biblical imagery of wind. Three of the most defining Biblical passages for understanding how the Bible uses the idea of wind to teach us are the creation story, the prophecy of Ezekiel over the dry bones and the event of Pentecost. Because of Pentecost we cannot help but associate wind and God’s Spirit. These three Bible passages will play a big part in this series.
Big news here. I saw the first robin in the treetops of my backyard yesterday! I think he was lost.
Yesterday I ate lunch with Ben Loveland and his friends, all first grade boys, at Faith Heritage school on Midland Ave. Ben and his brother, Connor and his sister, Hannah, invited me to come to Pastors’ day for a visit. I ate excellent pizza supreme and listened to the boys trying to guess each other’s middle names. I haven’t been in the middle of such happy overlapping boys’ talk in a while. Ben, you and your friends put a smile on my face for the rest of the day.
http://blog.sojo.net/2011/02/24/this-is-not-fiscal-conservatism-its-just-politics/
http://www.optimum.net/News/AP/Article?fmId=51779945
It is revealing to observe the budget cutting debates. As Jim Wallis of Sojourners rightly affirms, “A budget is a moral document.” So budget cutting reveals moral priorities. Where leaders are willing to cut and where they are not willing to cut is indicative of what interests they are willing to sacrifice and what they are seeking to protect.
As a citizen and a pastor, I am very concerned about this process for many reasons. Some are just common sense, some are very Scriptural, and some may be my own politics too. I read a recent thought-provoking editorial by Jim Wallis of Sojourners. For those of you who are looking for a Christian voice that is very concerned about the poor, this organization may be your choice. I am adding them to my blog roll. After reading Jim’s comments, I decided to make some of my own budget debate observations.
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off” (Acts 13:2-3 NIV).
What exciting news to learn that Peter Moon, one of our members, has been tapped as the new Camp Manager for Chambers Wesleyan Camp and Conference Center. Peter will be responsible for maintenance and promotion of the camp and will play a role in planning as well. Peter is taking a big cut in pay but believes that it is more than made up for by the tremendous incentive of working full-time for a higher purpose. He feels called to this ministry. The family will be relocating to Chambers very soon.
Of course, this causes a tinge of sadness for us as we will miss seeing the Moon’s as often, enjoying their laughter and friendship, and we will miss their many and varied contributions to the ministry here as well. But in another sense, we can think of it as an honor when God chooses those from our church family to press into service in his wider vineyard. It means the Lord of the Harvest has trusted us to disciple, encourage and prepare servants for his work, just as he used the church at Antioch to prepare Barnabas and Saul. That is an affirmation to the ministry of our church. Now it is up to us to take the next step too, which we began to do this past Sunday; that step is to pray for them, and send them off with blessing even as the church of Antioch did.
I have been thinking recently about those people who are very depressed in deep winter and find that time seems to crawl by. Well, I’m not a great fan of winter myself. My favorite hobbies are things like gardening, bird-watching, trombone-playing, canoeing, and hiking. I like to throw in a couple rounds of golf and a trout fishing trip. As you can see, all but one are summer things and even the community band I’m in for playing trombone takes January off. So how can we make January go by faster and add a little joy in the process? Here are my suggestions.
1. Find a January-friendly hobby or two.
My wife and I start doing jigsaw puzzles after the Christmas rush and keep doing them until spring. With the help of folks who stop by, we may complete 10-15 of them before we quit and wait til the next January. We use mostly the same puzzles with just a couple new ones added that friends give us or we buy each year.
My wife took up a new musical instrument this year – folk harp. She had just a few lessons before playing a couple carols at our Christmas Eve service. Now she is using some of these cold January nights to improve her skill. They say learning a new instrument is great for brain development too.
2. Spend more time with those you love.
In addition to the puzzles, JoAnne and I try to spend some evenings playing board games (Sequence) during January. Once in a while I will watch an old Star Trek with her (she’s a real Trekie).
3. Invite feathered friends to your place.
Prayer Team leader, Larry Nemitz, and I have recently chosen a new series for Wednesday evenings. Intercessors’ Group had completed their series, When You Don’t Know What To Pray, and needed another. The title of our new study is `The Biblical Way of the Cross,’ a series of meditations on the last week of Jesus’ life. Since Lent was fast approaching this seemed very appropriate.
On my right is Pastor Than Aung of Lyncourt Wesleyan’s Burmese Congregation who translated and assisted me. On my left is Pastor Par Thoo of Utica Karen Wesleyan Church and his wife. The class followed an intensive schedule meeting for 10 hours each of three weekends during January. The School is headquartered at Lyncourt Wesleyan Church and led by Dr. Thuam Khai in partnership with the local pastor, Rev. Wayne Wager, Jr. It is sponsored by the Central New York District of the Wesleyan Church (http://www.missionforchrist.net/bbs). Threads/topics, each of which was covered in multiple sessions, included: preparing the preacher, sermon outlining, illustration, and supporting disciplines. In addition, we spent time with Dr. John Maxwell via video, drawing from his series, Everyone Communicates, Few Connect. The students were eager to learn and I found teaching them to be a great joy.