Four Candles and One String of Lights

The final week of Advent is here. There's no mid-week service to be concerned about this time... Christmas Eve comes soon enough without that for Church Staff, thank you!

(Which is something that I always seem to forget as Advent is beginning each year. I'm thinking; "Four weeks of Advent, three Wednesday services? What gives?" Then I get to where I sit now and think, "Thank you, dear wise and well-appreciated churchmen before me! ")

So now that all of the Advent candles are burned past their Sunday-best, it's approaching the proverbial 'go time.'
...and all the really good gremlins begin to show up.

No, we're not talking about ironically placed show-quality cars from the 70's...
Nope, not those water-fearing Furbees either...

I'm referring to the mythical beings that have been adopted into the semi-common vernacular when referring to electronic and mechanical devices that inexplicably cease their proper functionality, and may or may not return themselves to working order when examined or exorcised. (This option was considered today... Read on.)

Well, its not a long list, really.
At church last night, we had some issues with a computer (these were somewhat self-inflicted).
Then my microphone died in the middle of the Monday night service (just the battery, but it sounded like Darth Vader was doing the words of institution before I caught it).
This morning we lost the battle against the duplicator, the folding machine, and a presentation remote.
...and all but the bottom foot of my Christmas Tree has lost its lights (whole strings are burning out, like they're getting too much juice after having served faithfully for 5 years.)

Gremlins, I tell you!

Yet, even with all of this - our toes feeling like they're edging ever closer to the line drawn in the sand that declares "Chaos!" - it's going to be an excellent Christmas!

The bulletins got printed - Thank you, School Office!
The bulletins got folded - Thank you for your temporary compliance, Folding Machine!
The presentations worked out...
The microphone served faithfully for those today who wouldn't have known that it was 'just the battery'...
I'll manage new lights for the tree next year...

...and people will still hear about Jesus being born to save us from thhe guilt of our sins in a few days.

Not so bad, really.


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Videos for Church

I've been doing some work for our upcoming Jr. High Gathering, and as a result I'm trying to remember how to be "cool" as well as "interesting"...

hmmm... yeah.

So to help, I've been looking around on our favorite church-video site, BluefishTV.

(This is sounding way more like a commercial than I intended!)

Anyhow, here's a fun one that I might end up using in the not to distant future...

Definitely something that I'm trying to remind myself and our congregation of. The concept of not having to be the "expert"... and letting God work through what He's made.

This is wholeheartedly a concept that goes with this WhitePigeonHope idea: The Holy Spirit of God will use you quite effectively when and where and how He chooses... just be there for it, and let His hand do the work!


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My YouTube Award *

Its official! *

I've just signed up for YouTube as of yesterday, and they've already given me a major award!

Behold, you are now reading the words of the holder of the prestigious:

YouTube's "Most Boring 16 minutes" Award - January 2010

"...and I'd like to thank the Academy, and all the 'little people' who made this possible. And... and... HEY! Stop playing that annoying music, I'm trying to talk here!"

* Its not really 'official' - I'm making this up. And I'm including this footnote so as to not lead any of my friends or family astray. There is no such award. YouTube hasn't yet given me the time of day... seriously, not even a "Thanks for registering with us" e-mail. And that's ok. I'm not cool enough for them anyhow.

In all actuality, I did sign up for a YouTube account. And I did post about 16 minutes of video yesterday. And I wouldn't be surprised if I received such an award as the "most boring."

But I do think that I might be onto something.

I'm certain that I'm not the first, but what I've done (and no, I'm not attaching the links... sorry) is put an informational meeting on-line for our Confirmation Families. Not rocket science, not even difficult... but something that I hope to save some time and effort as well as the confusion of getting everyone's schedules arranged to meet in person.

...its really not a big deal, I know.

But if it works as I hope it will, its going to be nice.



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Play that funky music... at the German Cultural Center!

Lots of happenings, lots of being "away".

It always makes it harder to come back.

So I thought that I'd start with a fun little moment that the title refers to today.

Simply; I performed a wedding for a great couple here at church. Meg and I went to the reception (a great mix of very nice and quite fun, by the way). And this moment of appropriate-ness struck me enough to laugh out loud:

The DJ, up on the stage at the Germanic Cultural Center, who'd been playing Polkas to great success 'til this point, broke out with some 'Wild Cherry'...

Though I didn't get up and dance with my clerical and suit, I certainly wanted to "Disco-down and check out the show."

Ah the fun!

...more soon, I hope.


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Boring excuse post...

Sorry, this is exactly as the title implies and not much more.

I'm a little busy this week, as the Lord has a few demands on my time. (Though that sounds a lot more presumptuous than intended...)

• 2 funerals
• New Member Class (as usual not yet completed - but that's my fault)
• 1 wedding
• church services Sunday (with double baptism)
• Senior Pastor's installation Sunday afternoon

Sure things are hectic, but look back at that list and see all the opportunities that I've been given to talk about and really have people hear the good news of what God has done and continues to do for His world.

Thanks for the work, Lord!
(...and I'll try to remove any sarcasm from that statement as best I can, because it's your work, after all!)


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Like a teleprompter in my head...

Tonight was our first Membership Class as part of a new concept that I'm trying out here at church. I invited the Long-Standing (carefully avoiding the term 'Old') Members to join us for review as one of our Elders and I taught a New Member Class on the topics of:

1) Martin Luther's Reformation
2) Classic Bible Narratives
3) The Chief Parts of the Catechism

It turns out that Luther's life works really well to go along with sharing the doctrines of the faith... and there are always good Bible stories to go with the teachings of the church.

...that's kinda how we got those teachings.

(That's a bit of sarcasm, for those who might not be aware. Our church only gets its doctrine from the Bible.)

But anyhow, to get to tonight's point:
As I spoke stood in front of the class tonight, I was blessed to have the 'right' words more often than not. At least I believe that they were the right words - because its pretty hard for me to take credit for them.
Its not like I can claim to be in any sort of trance, or that I was speaking in tongues (in the sense that most people think of strange language babble), but sometimes when you get talking about God's Word and explaining the Gospel it seems like the words just come!

I could compare it to having a teleprompter somewhere in my head.

Certainly the concepts and the language are not all that strange.
The actual words have likely passed through my lips before as well.
At the very least, I can give credit to other people much wiser and more learned than myself as having spoken those words in my presence.

But the ability to smoothly string all those concepts together; that's something else entirely.

And don't go believing that I was prepared enough to have things go so smoothly!

...that certainly isn't the case.

Instead, I'm giving credit to the Holy Spirit for doing some good work even though He's working through a relative simpleton such as me.

This is just another example of that whole "White Pigeon" concept...

Just God taking the opportunity (at least I pray) to quietly and unmiraculously do some melding and shaping of His people for the sake of His Kingdom and sharing the Good News that Jesus is the Christ!

Its a lot of fun to be along for the ride.


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The 1st Day

April 1st was more than foolish around here.
...It was a very good version of "busy".

The Senior Pastor here at St. Paul retired, effective March 31 - which means that we've got one pastor for the time-being... me.

Yikes!

Here's what the 1st held for me...

• Yesterday began with faculty devotions (my 1st time leading).
• We continued with all-school chapel (which I led and I've done before, no problem).
• Check-a 'da e-mail...
• Prepare and send the monthly newsletter via PDF e-mail link.
• Meet with someone about some brochures (more on that later)
• Prepare (for printing) our Confirmation Class' Seder Meal programs
• Go home (late) for lunch... whoops.
• Prepare (for printing) Maundy Thursday's service
• Edit Good Friday Services (finished today)
• Write the sermon for last night's service
• Eat soup
• Arrange some brochure distribution
• Lead a church service
• Play with the kids while Meghan has choir practice
• Get home and get Ben to bed in time for CSI

Actually, I'm not overly scared or worried (yet.) There have been countless offers to assist, we've got the Sunday preaching substitutes lined up through May if we need it, I've got most of Holy Week taken care of already bulliten-wise, and the wheels haven't fallen off... (yet.)

Even though I'm not going to be the Senior Pastor here, and I'm looking for that - believe me, it was a little bit daunting last night as I robed up for our last mid-week service prior to Palm Sunday bringing on the busiest week of the church-year. I looked into the vestry mirror as I put the stole over my shoulders and the full weight of the yoke... it kinda 'got' me.

I realize also that this isn't going to last forever. We've got a call extended and pending acceptance to aother great pastor who, I know, is prayerfully and carefully considering things. But even more than that, I was moved again as I turned around and greeted the people at the beginning of last night's service - all their faces showing trust and appreciation that the work of the Lord would continue here, and so many of those faces ready and willing to help out along the way.

Our little evangelism group was able to put its first little notch in its belt last night too!
We've organized to have plastic bags with a couple pieces of information and invitation hung on the doors of houses in our surrounding neighborhood. We needed to assemble the bags last night at the soup supper before church and then ask that people take the bags out to hang them before Saturday. I was gladdened and amazed at the willingness of some of the people - who'd really just shown up for soup - to help both in stuffing the bags as well as signing up for distribution. Its a nice first step to get a little word out to almost 500 households within a half-mile (or so) of our church... God be praised!

Yesterday was 'good'; and there was evening and there was morning - the first day.

...today marks the second day, and after this I think I'll stop counting.


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Transition Time

Has anyone else out there noticed that regardless of how much you anticipate a transition time, and how much you try to have everything done ahead of time... there's ALWAYS a hectic world awaiting you when the time actually comes?

This is true.

...and though its not always decidedly 'good' or 'bad', and in this case is going reasonably peacefully I suppose, there isn't really a 'calm' that can be attained.

This is where I am.

No, the transition isn't to do with me...
Well, in a passive sense I suppose.

The Senior Pastor at my church retires this weekend - great guy who's done a LOT for the congregation and the church as a whole, and good to work with, etc.... can't say enough - and as of next Wednesday; it's me.

...at least for now.

So there is transition and swirling noises... and less blogging.

My apologies for my lack of consistency in this arena.


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Heeeere Fishy, Fishy, Fishy!

I was surprised and saddened this last weekend, when I used an illustration from Sesame Street and none of the kids who'd come forward for the children's message were familiar with it.

Oh they knew who Bert and Ernie were, but they'd never seen this...

(Please pardon my abuse of YouTube videos over these last two posts now...

I'm trying to keep things interesting - but my life is too busy to be interesting.)

I used this "fish calling" to illustrate the strange and uncomfortable way that calls often happen in our lives. Jonah was our reading from the Old Testament for the day... not a comfortable calling (for Jonah or the Ninevites). The calling of the first disciples from their boats was our Gospel lesson... though followed more willingly, probably no more comfortable.

Times aren't always comfortable for us either, and God's call often seems to come at the most awkward of times and in the least comfortable situations.

Its not always a LARGE call... more often than not He speaks in a still, small voice that just tugs at our heartstrings until we listen. Then again, sometimes He lands a whale in our laps!

Personally, I've got a whale knocking on my office door. (Not to go anywhere else, move, or change MY "Call" in any way... in case you were worried.) But at least for now this whale is knocking politely and waiting for his appointment.

I shared a little of this large and somewhat uncomfortable calling with the congregation this Sunday - because it takes a village to deal with a whale properly!

[I wonder how many people are going to stumble on this posting when they're looking into all those terrible things happening in the world regarding the whaling industry...?]

Anyhow, I'm taking comfort in the fact that even Bert can call a fish... and even Jonah can be effectively used by God...

...bring on the work, Lord!

Reading through the Bible

One of the things that's been taking a lot of time has been my organization of a Bible Study.

We've been working on getting this on-line discussion going for our Today's Light Bible group. The plan is to follow the Today's Light Bible and read through it in the two years worth of daily devotions and readings that its divided into.

Just to show that there's legitimate stuff happening in my little world, here's the public link to the discussions... you're welcome to read along with us, though you'd need to be a member of our church to comment. (Something that I could arrange.)

God's Blessings!

Coming SOON: Another kiddo!

Today is my last 'regular' day in the office for a while.

I mean, I'm working for the weekend (as usual, Sunday is kinda a big day for the job) and I'll be coming in on Monday... but that's moreso to make sure I've got everything in order for next week...

Because on the 12th of November, the baby comes!

My wife's due date is the 18th, but they decided to induce early since our son was a pretty good sized baby. So, come 39 weeks, we are GO!

For those of you doing the math, this means that I'll be taking one extra day off prior to the date of induction... that's because its going to be my wife's last birthday that she gets all to herself!
(In fact, the Dr. wanted to induce on the 11th, but she said, "NO! I don't want to share." - She's the youngest child in her family, they never share well.)

Basically that's it. Just sharing the fun.
As I'm sitting at home with them I'm sure that you'll get all sorts of semi-eloquent postings - and probably some semi-coherent ones too!

Prayers wouldn't hurt if you got 'em.

Nice Days to Ride

My "favorite" bike's birthday is coming up next month.

I use the term favorite loosely, as many who are prone to bicycle would. The truth is that I simply have a soft spot in my heart for my '63 Varsity.
(see her featured as the Schwinn headliner - right)

She's going to be 45 years old on October 16th.

That's a Thursday, so I think that I'll be able to pay her some attention... I think.

You see, my job allows me a few days per week of flexibility when I am not necessarily required to be mobilized at a moment's notice: going to a hospital to visit someone just admitted is the primary culprit here. So I have established a pattern of two, sometimes 3 days/week when I can blissfully ride the 4.5 miles to work without guilt or worry of needing immediate long-range transportation.

But another variable attached to this equasion, is that I'm still a bit of a wuss when it comes to inclament weather and commuting by bike. And as it often is, the days when I cannot ride (Tues. & Wed.), it is "beautiful day today in Cleveland" - and the days when I can ride, "well, the roads are a little wet out there this morning."

Its not a very good excuse, really. She's got the right tires. She's got decent brakes. There are the original chrome fenders that rattle subtly as they glisten. She's got a flat handlebar, a nearly-vintage rear rack, and a very functionally updated rear deraileur.

...no, I'm just a wimp.