Magic; What now?

We've been packing up to move and I have boxed up a bunch of magic books, DVDs, and a whole lot of VHS tapes. I have also packed away lots of magic effects -- some that I use often, and others that I have rarely (if ever) used in a show.

With the coming out of my previous post, it occurs to me that I really no longer have a familiar venue where I can perform magic. With only an occasional exception, all of the magic shows over the past two decades or so have been at churches, church camps, or church sponsored programs.
I few years ago I bought a school program, but have only used it once. Some of that program's props and set-ups were lost when I lost my show traveling on my bike a couple of summers ago. I could still rework the show and use it; I'm just not sure that's what I want to do now.

So...
What do I do with all of this stuff?
Do I work on some close up stuff and look for a walk around gig at local restaurants?
Do I rework my stand-up show and find gigs for corporate parties?
Do I start over with kids' birthday parties and low paying gigs?
Or do I just sell it all and hang up the old top hat and magic wand?

I suppose I have plenty of time to figure something out. All of that stuff will be in storage for the next several months while our home is being built. I suppose that I can access some of the DVDs if I want to work on some new stuff, but probably won't. I had kept out the props I usually use in my typical church show, but won't be needing that now.
In any case, it will be spring before I have my stuff and can work on a new magic me or sell it off and become a new me sans the magic.

It may just be the wave of the wand, a final *poof* and the Magicianary vanishes for good!
We shall see.

John <><

Giving Thanks, Camps and other stuff...

It has been way too long since I have done a Thursdays are for Thanksgiving post so I thought that today would be a good day to get back in the habit!

Today I am thankful that God uses me in spite of myself!
When I examine John with a critical eye, I don't think I find the kind of guy that I would send several hours away or to multiple camps each summer to tell kids and young people about the love of a great and magnificent God.
And for the life of me, I can't understand why He does!
I don't even really like kids. (Here's a post from 11 years ago that talks about that!)

In over 15+ years I've been in too many children's camp to remember. I've done preschool day camps, 1st and 2nd graders in overnight camps, family camps, boys' camps, girls' camps, large camps and small camps. I've been to camps where I know almost all of the kids and I've been to camps where I haven't known anyone. I've been to camps where the joyous spirit of God's love permeates everything and I've been to camps where there were so many kids that really needed someone to love them that it broke even my hard heart.

I honestly don't get it.
How (or why) God uses a curmudgeonly, old guy to speak to sometimes tender, sometimes bratty little kids is beyond me. I don't get how a large group of young kids will sit quietly on a hard concrete floor and pay close attention to every word I'm saying and yet be unable to stay focused while others are speaking.

When it's not my time to speak or perform, I often retreat to my room or else force myself to be present with the kids. Truthfully, kids make me a bit uncomfortable.

It seems weird to be thankful for something that I would choose not to do.
I know that I could say "no" when churches call, but at some point I fear I would have to explain my refusal to serve to God. I'm afraid I already have enough 'splainin' to do and don't want to have to add this to the list!

Besides, there have been many blessings along the way.
I marvel at the adults that are blessed with the capacity to truly love kids!
I am constantly amazed by young people (youth kids and young adults) that pitch in and make these camps successful events. Over the years, I have been blessed to witness kids grow in their faith and become young adults that choose to live for Jesus.

And so I am thankful for the ministry that I have been given.
I often wish that I could travel with our church's mission teams, but those summer mission trips usually fall during camp season. Next week will find me at my fifth different camp of the summer.
From camp pastor to storyteller to entertainer...
This is my mission field.
And I am thankful.

John <><

On Mission

When I was a kid, I always thought that missionaries were people that went to far away places to tell people about God and to do good works for the people of far away lands.
If we listen to what Paul writes, we (Christians) are all just travelers in a foreign land and this place is not our home, so I guess we all could be missionaries.

I say "could be" because -- let's face it, we are not all telling people about God and doing good works for the people we encounter.
There are quite a few that are happy to talk about God, but fail to show the character of God in their actions.
And there are many that do good works but never teach or talk about God.
As followers of Jesus, we are to do both.

I get it.
I know that it is sometimes difficult to be that person -- the one that always lives life as a follower of Jesus. I don't think that we always have to bring every conversation, every interaction with others back to Jesus.
But being a Christian isn't supposed to be what we are and following Jesus isn't what we do.
Being a follower of Jesus should be who we are.
We should be becoming more like Him. It is the natural progression of following Him. I know that there are some that will cringe at my saying it, but we should be evolving into a person like Jesus.

This morning I get to go and share this simple message with others at a church in Blue Eye MO. It's kind of cool that God let's me do this. I don't think that going to preach really counts for sharing the gospel in a personal way. I think that preaching in churches is more about encouraging and instructing others to share the gospel in personal relationships.

I am thankful that I get to do this.
Truthfully, I think that is fun.
Really.
I get a lot of enjoyment from encouraging people to take the simple message "God loves you and Jesus died for you" to the people they do life with.

And it is a message that I want to share with you today.
It's true!
God loves you!
Jesus died for you!

John <><

Solitude

I've not been writing much. There have been times in the past few weeks when I've sat down to blog but then the thing that comes to mind to write about is some nonsense from our political scene and I decide against it.

Most of those thoughts aren't worth writing about because they either rally like thinkers around you or cause hateful comments from opponents and in the end, nobody changes their mind and a bunch of people are ticked off.

Chris went to a rally for Bernie Sanders last night. I opted out. Even though I would have liked to have seen him, I really wasn't up for waiting in line and sitting for a couple of hours to finally get to hear a few minutes of him speaking. Too many people!
I didn't see anything about violent protests or hear about people being escorted out and booed and beaten on the way. I guess that only happens for another candidate.

I stayed home and watched the Blues in another overtime win.

I did manage to get out a little bit this past week. One of the guys from our church has been wanting to visit some of the homes around our church and just introduce ourselves and our church. These aren't hardcore evangelical kinds of visits; just knock on the door-we're from Hopedale kinds of visits. We've done them for the last two Monday nights and will be out again tomorrow.

I also had lunch with a couple of our high school boys last week -- it was during their spring break. It's been a few years since I taught their Bible study class and it was nice to be able to visit with them outside of a church setting. It's also nice that they still enjoy talking with me.

Even though the weather was generally overcast and often raining, I did manage some time for a little throttle therapy -- about 500 miles worth. Most of that came in short rides but I did manage a 200 mile ride on Friday. It was cool and overcast but the rain wasn't forecast until late in the day. I decided to go for a ride and just kept riding. I noticed a few drops of rain on the window just a few minutes after I got home!
I was hoping to find out if I'd be up for a few hours in the saddle or not. I think that the seat could be a little more comfortable, but it is easily doable for a long road trip. The ride I took was about 1/3 on two lane state hwys, 1/2 on interstate or four lane state hwys and the rest on rural country roads. It was very enjoyable. I figured that I will manage a bit over 200 miles on a tank of gas. I filled up at 180 miles and used 4 gallons for a 45 mpg average.
When it gets a little warmer, I'll take the windscreen off and see how it rides without it. I really like the looks of a bike without one and feelings about riding without one are pretty mixed. Even though with or without seem to be about 50-50, those that are for riding with seem to have much stronger feelings about it than those that prefer to go naked (so to speak). Since it doesn't appear to be a big deal to remove it, I may fall into the camp of riding without it around town and for shorter trips and with it for road trips. Most likely if I decide to use it for the highway I'll just leave it on. We'll see.

Today looks to be free of rain and just right temps for a ride.
Watch for me and other motorcycles on the road!

Be well,
John <><

Part-time Pastoring

First of all, I need to say that part-time pastoring is a poor title -- both for a blog post and as a description of a pastor's duties. Good pastors are always pastors. Some of them have other jobs that help to support them, but it doesn't mean that there are times when they are not pastors.

Bi-vocational pastor is the term commonly used today.
In my case, interim pastor is a position that I am being considered for.
After brief phone conversations with about a dozen people whose names were given to a church by our state convention, the church committee has decided to ask four of us to submit resumes for consideration to serve as interim pastor while they search for a full-time permanent pastor.

A year ago, I took the state course in interim pastoring. Unlike most of the men in the class that week, I had never served as a church pastor. (Okay, I was the only one that had never served as a pastor!) The majority were retired pastors, pastors nearing retirement or pastors that had been recently let go from their previous churches.
In spite of this lack of pastoral experience, I feel that I could serve some churches well during a transitional phase from one permanent pastor to another.

If you are a praying person, I would appreciate your prayers for the church committee that will be considering us. The ultimate goal is not for me to have a position, but for the people of God to be served by the person that will help them to grow and flourish, and will guide them in their search for a permanent pastor.

Thanks,
John <><

This is What I Do

This afternoon I'll make my way to Mt. Vernon's Baptist Hill campground for the Lawrence County Association's Introduction to Camping weekend. The theme this year is Make a Joyful Noise. My messages will be from Psalms about why we sing and shout to the Lord, and from Romans on how our whole lives should be an act of worship.

Introduction to Camping is an abbreviated session for kids that are too young to attend the week long children's camp. It is just one evening session, a single over night and a full day Saturday. In reality, my part of this weekend is pretty small. It is set up so that 1st and 2nd graders can experience camp and familiarize themselves with the grounds for a couple of years before being there for an entire week. There are many activities packed into the day and a half; my part is just to bring the messages during the two worship sessions.

Last night I received a call to preach for another local church on Sunday morning.

I'm still not really sure what ministry in retirement is going to look like, but for now this is it. I missed a couple of mission trips with church because of local jobs and I think that serving locally is going to be more of what I do than going on mission trips, either domestically or internationally. Day by day, week by week works for me...for now anyways. I have a couple of revivals scheduled for the late summer and fall, another fall event for a local church and I anticipate other calls coming in.

It works.

And in between ministry gigs I have plenty of time for personal things.
Life is good!

Be well,
John <><

The Challenge ...

One of the things that I generally do when I visit a church as a guest preacher is to challenge the believers to to find one person in one week that they are reasonably sure that is not a fellow follower of Jesus and tell them these two statements: "God loves you," and "Jesus died for you."

I did that this past weekend in Blunt SD and also agreed to accept the challenge. The problem that I run into these days is that I rarely really see anybody that I really engage in a conversation (part of my introvert and isolated personality). In an attempt to fulfill my part of the challenge, I introduced myself to a neighbor that I often see as I am walking. We usually wave or great one another, but don't really know each other or have any kind of conversation.

The man was out with a couple of his sons, so I stopped and introduced myself. Although the family has lived there almost a year, he has just recently returned from the oil fields of North Dakota. Our conversation made its way to my asking where they went to church and they go to a nearby church that is pastored by one of my friends. Knowing my friend, they are already well aware that God loves them and Jesus died for them!

Rats!
I'm going to have to find someone else!

Maybe I could solicit your help.
If you are a follower of Jesus and would like to help, all you have have to do is find one person that you are reasonably certain is not a fellow Christian and tell them these two simple sentences -- "God loves you," and "Jesus died for you."

That's it! You don't even have to engage them in any other discussion about it. Of course if you (or they) want to continue the conversation, please do. If you get stuck, just tell them, "Come and see," and invite them to church Sunday. Go pick them up and maybe spring for lunch afterwards!
You can even tell them that some guy on a blog you read asked you to do it.
Then report back here in the comment section and let me know that the deed has been done.

For those of you that actually encounter people during your day, it should be a simple task.

Right now, you might look up and see someone nearby. Just say, "Hey, I'm reading this blog and it says I should tell someone that God loves you and Jesus died for you. I just picked you so here it comes -- 'God loves you and Jesus died for you!' "

I'm counting on your help.

John <><

Spiritual Health Reality Check

Most of you are aware that I have recently taken on some pretty big health changes. A little over a year and a half ago I made the decision to get healthy. I started to eat better. I cut out junk food, fast food, most processed foods and most starchy foods. I started eating less at a time and eating more often. I ate more fruits and vegetables, fewer calorie dense foods and drank more water.

After I dropped about 30 pounds, I started walking ... every day. On most days it was around two miles. On many days it was more. I walked in the rain. I walked in the cold. If it was too bad, I rode a stationary bike. For about six months, I exercised with very few days off.

I knew that to get from being very overweight and in poor physical condition to being more healthy was going to take three main things; changing my diet, getting some physical activity and time.

I managed to lose 54 pounds in a year, 60 in the 54 weeks before my 54th birthday.

I'm sharing the high points of my physical journey to better health because I think the the same process needs to take place in a spiritual health journey. When I take the time to make an honest assessment of my spiritual health, it looks a lot like my physical health once looked -- overweight and badly out of shape.

To change my spiritual intake, I'm going to have to cut out a lot of junk food. I've already managed to reduce exposure to some negativity in the way of people interaction, but there is so much more that needs to be cut out. I've been spending a lot less time of Facebook where there is a pretty constant stream of rants, lies and childlike whining. I've pretty much quit watching any "news" stations that all seem to have their own warped ideas of how and what they report as news. In many ways, I've become less informed about the things that are going on in the political sphere, the economic world and even the lives of many of the people I know. In truth, these things have very little to do with my day to day life. I have little or no power to change them. They have little to no impact on how I will live today. And worrying about them, gossiping about them, getting other people to worry about them serves no good purpose, whatsoever.

It's just junk food for the mind and soul. It's the kind of stuff that fills you up so that you are unable to enjoy the good wholesome, encouraging stuff that you need for a healthy attitude and healthy spirit. Filling up on that crap all day and then expecting to be spiritually "healthy" because you've managed to read a few chapters in your Bible is like pigging out on donuts for breakfast, burgers and fries for lunch, snacking on chips, cookies, and twinkies (do they still make those?) all day and then feeling all healthy because you have a salad for dinner.

We know that it doesn't work that way physically (we keep doing it anyway), why don't we see that it doesn't work that way spiritually. Not only is there a need to fill up on good conversation and interaction with like-minded people, but there is an even greater need to stop filling up on the toxic conversations and interactions that are killing your spiritual growth.

And as much as we need to change our spiritual diet, we also (desperately) need to get some spiritual exercise! We need to -- uh oh, get this -- practice what we preach! We need to DO something!

I know that there are people of different faith backgrounds that read this, but for the moment I'm going to address those that share the same Christian beliefs that I have.

Being a (spiritually) healthy Christian is going to take more than going to church on Sunday. It's going to take more than reading your bible every day. It's going to take more than preaching about going to church and reading your bible. And it's going to take more than only hanging around the church with other spiritually unhealthy believers.

I think that it's time for me to get some spiritual exercise.

Like with establishing a habit of physical exercise (I've started, stopped and restarted numerous times), it's going to take some time.

Changing my spiritual diet is going to mean getting good nutrition from reading the Bible and other good, spiritually nutritious books as well as cutting out the toxic junk that tries to make its way onto my spiritual plate.
Getting some spiritual exercise is going to mean that I will have to have some interaction with people and bring them the Good News that God loves them and Jesus died for them. This will take more than just preaching at them; it will take building relationships with them and teaching them the ways of my Lord and Savior (making disciples).

And like with the physical part, good spiritual health is going to take some time.

Be patient with me, my friends.
I'm working it.

John <><

Planning Ahead for Churches and Pastors

Working my ministry calendar has never been a real priority. My work calendar has always dictated just how much I could put into ministry. I have often been amazed at how I could make it to the end of August with few dates for the fall and then have one of the busiest seasons ever!

Because income has never been an issue for me (God has provided me a great career), I have never worked to get bookings for revivals, shows or special events. And I have never worried about not having anything on my schedule. Income still won't be the issue in the future, but I feel that I need to make the most of my available time by planning for working in ministry.

Here's where I'm going with this--

You have your church calendar planned out for next year. When are you planning to fill in the blanks on who to invite as your guest preacher, entertainer, camp pastor, etc.?
Sometimes I get calls for events that are annual events (like Upwards Basketball or VBS), but I don't get the call until a month (or week) before the event takes place!

I still don't plan on being the guy with calendar in hand, looking for bookings at conventions or conferences, but I do plan on being a little more proactive when it comes to looking for ministry opportunities.

For all of the evangelists, entertainers and missionaries I am urging all of the pastors, planners and committees to book your events as early in the year as possible--like January! If you plan on spring revivals, I hope that you have already booked a speaker! You can be a blessing to those that count on meetings and calendar dates by allowing them to plan ahead for your event and giving them a little peace of mind that they have work ahead of them.

I am so exited to have a couple of spring events already on the calendar! I am hoping to have some camps (kids/youth/families) for the summer as well as a VBS event or two.

Let's plan on a grand 2015!

John <><

End of July

I can't believe that by the week's end we will be into the month of August!

Yesterday afternoon, Hopedale Baptist Church had a "back to school give-away" day and gave away shoes, t-shirts and supplies to area kids. We also had sno-cones, popcorn, face painting and games, a local fire truck with tours and ZOE Bus.

It was a pretty fun afternoon...except for the part that reminded the kids that summer is almost over and they'll be back in school in less than three weeks.

For my part, I got to share a little magic and tell the salvation story as kids and their parents stopped by. It was a fun day and there were plenty of Hopedale workers to serve our community.

I spent yesterday morning at Pleasant View Baptist Church filling in for their pastor and had an enjoyable time sharing from God's Word.

Working backwards into last week--Saturday I was in the Northern MO community of Laclede serving with Laclede Baptist Church at their Block Party in the Park. I arrived in Laclede after a 4.5 hr drive from visiting my folks in Central IL and then made the 4 hr drive home afterwards. Long day!

Visiting with the folks to make sure that dad was getting along post-surgery was a treat. Not only did we get to visit with each other, we also made trips to see a couple of cousins and an aunt and uncle. Dad seems to be doing well and still waiting for post-op lab results.

I'd say that this will be a more normal week, but that is highly unlikely. Chris has a rare schedule of working on Mon/Tues/Sat since she will be going to St. Charles for a sisters' get-together Wed/Thur/Fri. While she works on Sat., I'll be making my way to St. Louis to meet Aaron at the ballpark for a Cardinals/Brewers game.

It's a nice cool morning for the last week of July. It's time to set aside the computer and get about the week's business. Today's meatless lunch prep is already underway, but there is laundry to be done, exercise to be done and other chores before starting the work week.

God loves you!
Jesus died for you!

John <><

Hebrews 9:27-28

It was the spring of 2003. On the Wednesday night after the beginning of the Shock and Awe bombing of Baghdad, a tall man stood up during our mid week prayer meeting and said that maybe this action would open up the Middle-East to Christian missionaries and that he believed God wanted him to go.

Over the next months (and years) applications were made, training and qualifications were met, and finally he and his family moved into an Islamic country and began to share the Salvation story. While they were still at my church, the woman was a part of my FAITH visitation team. The oldest of their daughters was in Children's church where I worked.

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to spend some time with this man while they were home on a furlough. Because of the country where they served, he used an alias when talking to people in the US. He was "Clyde" and was a school teacher in the Middle-eastern country. The stories of lives being changed were absolutely mind boggling. These people that were finding faith in Jesus were giving up everything to trust Him. They risked their freedom; they risked their lives.

Sometimes their own families were the ones that turned them in...or tried to kill them.

Death is no respecter of persons. Whether death comes through persecution, by accident, by war, from disease or from old age--it claims all of us. Living has a 100% mortality rate.

Yesterday my ministry teammate passed away leaving behind her husband and two teenage daughters. ALS claimed her still young life. I am sad at the passing of this servant of God. I ache in my heart for her husband and girls. I know that she is rejoicing in heaven with her Risen Savior and am thrilled for her.

And yet...I am sad, too.

I love the quote from Stephen Covey that says, "We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey."
Sometimes, that is hard to remember.

My friend would be disappointed if I didn't ask the condition of your spiritual being. Our earthly lives will all come to an end. Our spirits are eternal. When this human journey ends and your spirit continues on, where will you be for eternity?

If you are not certain of your spiritual future, perhaps we should talk. Send me a message, leave a comment, call me. Let's get it figured out.

John <><

Just as people are destined to die once and after that to face judgement, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.  Heb 9:27-28

Wasting time

How often do you waste time?

Wasting time can come in lots of different forms and in varying degrees of wastefulness. Ranting on a blog, reading rants, scouring Facebook for the latest pics and updates, watching meaningless TV shows, playing online games. We can always make our excuses for not doing what we need to do and do the things that are less productive or unnecessary.

As a procrastinator of the highest level, I've found that one can waste time and still manage to appear to be productive. Sometimes not doing the thing that needs to be done in favor of anything else is nothing more than just plain old wasting time.

So what important things to you put off while doing things that are unimportant?
What are your go-to excuses for not doing what needs to be done?
Are they good enough to really work or do they only work because you allow them to work?

We can even waste time and put off important conversations by engaging in small talk and avoiding meaningful dialogue with people that we encounter on a regular basis. A recent testimony by a missionary friend in a foreign country made this very clear. While she had determined that the conversation she was having was not leading her to talk about Jesus (the real purpose of their visit), another member of the party reminded her that Jesus was the purpose of the meeting and asked when she was going to ask their host about Him.

Sometimes we miss those opportunities because we haven't made the decision that we are going to ask about Jesus, and sometimes it's because we decide that the time isn't right (even though the time has nothing to do with it). I have to admit that this has been me...most of the time. I need that friend to whisper the question, "When are you going to tell them about Jesus?"

Maybe I just need to pay attention to the voice in my heart that asks the question; the voice that is drowned out by all of the noise of the world around me--around us. It's a little depressing to look back at 2013 and see all of the time and opportunities that have been wasted. If 2014 is going to be better, I'm going to need your help. I'm going to need you to be the friendly (but insistent) voice that asks the question, "When are you going to tell them about Jesus?"

I'll pass on my gentle reminders to you, as well. We can work together to stop wasting precious time and make sure that people know that God loves them and Jesus died for them.

John <><

Telling the Story...again and again

It's been hard to find the time and the words to write about this past weekend. I know that the events of the weekend and the exposure to the community of Belle Glade FL has had its impact on me. Any one of the small "good" events from the weekend was more than enough to out weigh the air travel debacle that preceded the weekend.

There are many things on my mind and in my heart to write. I'm going to just free write the thoughts as they come up. My advance apologies for the unorganized fashion. I seriously doubt that I'm going to go back and re-write or organize them later.

Belle Glade's First Baptist Church is pastored by a friend of mine. I've probably learned more about real ministry from Pastor David than from anybody I know. His love for the unchurched of any community and his burden for motivating the people of our churches to meet their needs is the real deal! While there are those that would say it is not a good thing to be so transparent about your feelings and emotions, it is his transparency that lets everybody know that he is genuine in his motivation to serve the community.

I can't begin to tell how much I enjoyed our conversations over the weekend.

There were areas that reminded me of my ministry trip into Eastern Kentucky last summer; areas of extreme poverty and an oppressing feeling of despair. It's almost as if there is just too much to do to be effective in meeting the needs. For every need met, there are still many that are unmet. There is far too much for one person--or even one church--to do. I hope that we were able to provide a moment of escape for the people in need. I hope that we were able to provide them with a day of fun. I hope that they heard our message of hope.

It is a little disturbing that such poverty exists in this land of plenty. It is greatly disturbing that the divide between the "haves" and the "have-nots" is growing so large. I am truly thankful that there are some very generous "haves" that make ministering to the "have-nots" possible; but we need more. We need the financial resources, but even more so, we need people that are willing to work. I thank God for lessons of love that are being learned at Belle Glade's FBC!

Knowing that there is much work to be done in the area of service gives me more reason to look toward retirement. I've seen plenty of good ministries that people are doing, but feel poorly equipped to get one started myself. My gifts don't fall into the areas of organization or structure. I pretty much need to be told what needs to be done. I guess my eyes are not tuned to seeing the needs that are right in front of me--something else to work on!

Sometimes I think it's funny how we do "mission" work. We took a group of people from Hopedale to Eastern KY to repair homes, teach kids and minister to the people of the area--working through local ministry groups. A youth group from Houston TX came to Southwest MO and did the same kinds of things for the people of this area--working through the local churches. I'd be willing to bet that there were church groups that traveled to the Houston area and did ministry in their backyard, too.

Is it just more glamorous to go do missions work? Do we think that missions work in our area needs to be done by outsiders? How much more could we do here if we didn't spend the time and resources to travel?
I know that there are times when we need to go; places that need our help, but are we going at the expense of the people in our own communities that need help?

Over the past several weeks I've had the privilege of witnessing pastors from different churches talking to people about Jesus after my part in their events. It is an incredible blessing to see that the Holy Spirit is moving in the lives of the people that come to these events. I don't know how many have been truly changed. I don't know if there were professions of faith. I don't know if people have been motivated to share the gospel of salvation in Jesus. I try not to worry about the numbers. I try to stay focused doing what I've been called to do--tell the story!

God loves you.
Jesus died for you.

John <><

Milan MO

That's MY-lan MO for those of you that would  want to pronounce it as the European city Milan. In Missouri we try to keep all things Midwestern.

In any case, I'm typing on my laptop, using my Galaxy S-3 for internet since the small hotel wi-fi is a little bit lacking in its ability to provide my room with decent service.

I've taken the day off from exercise and will make up for it during the week. I also treated my self to a piece of pie (pumpkin) at the church luncheon earlier today. I'll probably skip an evening meal and make the drive back home on an empty stomach. A little bit of balance for a long day.

As always, my sermon always reminds me that I need to be more dedicated to living a life that is reflective of my Lord and Savior, Jesus. Preaching the word has a way of speaking to the speaker as well as speaking through the speaker. I really enjoyed my morning at FBC Milan and will be back there in a little bit to share the Salvation story with a little bit of magic.

It still amazes me that God would choose such an unworthy vessel to carry the message of His love. It really is a blast to share in the different venues that I am called on to preach, teach and entertain.

However, I must remember that I am also called on (as you are) to share the gospel in the every day settings of life, as well. My work place and my neighborhood are as much my mission fields as the places where you find yourselves are your mission fields. We are all to talk about and share His great love.

So let us press onward! Paul says that we need to put the past behind us (I think the great Lion King philosopher, Pumba also said that!). Forget our failures. Forget our accomplishments. Put the past behind us and press on toward the prize of the upward calling in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So let's do that. Let's bring hope to the hopeless. Let's be a positive ray of light in a dark and negative place. Where there is gloom and doom, let's share joy and peace. I am challenging myself to counter every negative comment and attitude that I encounter this week with something positive; to counter every frown with a smile; to counter every bit of darkness with a little bit of light.

...And I'm inviting you to join me!

How about it? Any takers?

John <><

Service Perks

As is often the case in ministry, the ones that are serving are also richly blessed. This was true for me (and those that were with me) on our recent trip into the coal mining area around Harlan County KY.

One of those unexpected blessings came from getting to know the members of my own church family a little bit better. Even though I knew them as members of my church, I really only knew them in that context. Travelling, dining and working with them allowed me to get to know them as the people that they are and not just as the one that sits a few rows behind me on Sunday morning.

We made the trip in a convoy of vehicles. I initially rode with a husband and wife team that has been at Hopedale for a number of years. I really didn't know much about them other than their names and which kids were theirs. I really enjoyed hearing about their jobs; the work that they do and the people that they work with. I also found out about his hobbies. One might think that riding for several hours with people that you don't know is something to be apprehensive about. I found it to be very interesting and without any awkward silences.

From Lexington to Cumberland I rode in a different vehicle--a mother travelling with her 11 yr old son and her sister. The mom invited me along to show Jack some magic. So we played in the back and participated in the conversation in the front. The sister is not a member of our church and I enjoyed getting to know her. I'll have more to say about these ladies in another post.

The mom in that car later called me a car-hopper and said I was a fickle passenger since I rode home with yet another group. (Apparently nobody else was swapping from one vehicle to another.) This carload left several hours ahead of the rest of the convoy and dropped off a couple of passengers in the boot-heel area of southeast Missouri. Once again there were no quiet moments as we talked, laughed and shared the adventures of the week and the stories of our lives.

When you eat meals together for a week, work hard and get sweaty as a team, sleep in bunkhouse type lodging--you get to see one another at that early morning/late at night wouldn't be seen in public level of personal appearance. It really doesn't take a week to begin to think of this group of men, women and kids as something more that fellow workers on a mission. I was a little bit surprised at church on Sunday morning when two of the women on the trip greeted me with a hug. I've seen them at church every week for years and never been greeted that way. It didn't seem awkward or artificial. It seemed like a very natural way to greet somebody with whom you've shared an experience that changes who you are and how you look at things.

I'm pretty sure that I'll be working with these people again. Perhaps these shared experiences will bring us together for other activities, as well.

Then again, maybe we'll all just go back to doing what we were (or weren't) doing before and life will go on as it always has...

...but I doubt it.

The blessings and the lessons were too real to ignore. We have to be changed to embrace them. One would have to completely ignore or dismiss all of the people and activities of the week to remain unchanged.

For those of our trip that read this, thank you for your service to the kingdom. Thank you for faithfulness to our Lord. And thank you for your friendship.

John <><
the car hopping, fickle passenger

Christmas in June

I hardly know where to begin to share the many stories that took place on our mission trip last week. We were in small groups that worked at different sites through most of the week. Many of the stories are stories that belong to the other members of the team and I can only share them as I remember having heard them. I guess I should just start with my own stories and experiences.

As an unskilled laborer in the areas that involve construction and remodeling, I knew that I was going to be more of a gopher-boy than anything else. My jobs mostly involved things like fetching lumber for one project (we had a car and the lumber source was about five or six blocks away--downhill to the lumber, uphill when I was carrying it), cleaning up, sorting clothes at a second-hand store, working with kids at the school and wrapping Christmas presents.

Yes, I said wrapping Christmas presents.

I spent one morning at the home of Muggins and Naomi. For the last 32 years, they have been providing meals and gifts to families that would otherwise be without. Muggins told us that in December of 1980 he was laid off from working in the coal mine. He knew that they would be getting unemployment benefits and food stamps and that they would survive okay. He worried about the people that were going to have a difficult time and the families that would struggle to provide at Christmas time. He contacted some of the other miners that were laid off and had a little time on their hands. That first year they provided Christmas dinner for 15 families and managed to collect one box of presents.

The following year, even though he was back to work, he worried that there would be families that were in need during the Christmas season and went back to those miners to see if they would help him for a second year. Even though nobody wanted to continue the Christmas charity, Muggins and his wife have faithfully provided gifts and food every year since then. Last year they provided meals for more than 600 families and gave away more than 3,000 presents. A church group from Louisville has been bringing some food and teams of people to help pack and deliver the meals and the presents for several years. The food package (a ham, a bag of potatoes, flour, canned goods, etc.) weighs about 25 lbs.  Each child gets two presents to open.

Naomi still works a full day at a local nursing home, comes home for a shower and dinner and then wraps presents until bedtime. This is the first year that she has had help wrapping the donated toys! Muggins is on oxygen and said he gets pneumonia several times a year. I assume that has to do with a career of working in the coal mines.

The truly amazing thing about this story is that up until last year, Christmas was a holiday that Muggins celebrated as a day to have dinner as a family and exchange some presents. About a year ago, Muggins made the profession of faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Last Christmas was the first time in all of the years of his giving, that he celebrated the birth of his Lord and Savior!

Right now, we have plans to return to Cumberland KY next year. I have a feeling that we'll be bringing some wrapped presents with us and providing people to wrap presents everyday.

I imagine that there is poverty or need right where each of us lives. I know that poverty knows no season. Maybe there is something that you could do this week that will make a difference for somebody--donate to a food pantry, work in a homeless shelter, provide fans in the summer heat (or blankets and coats in the winter). You get the idea. If one laid off miner can make a difference to 15 families (and now to hundreds of families and thousands of kids), what could we do?

Merry Christmas!
John <><

On Mission: Day...whatever

I know that I've missed posting for a couple of days. It's not because of having nothing to report. It's more about limited access with my phone and limited time to write.

There have been some great moments this week that I'll share when I'm able to sit at a full keyboard. I'm really looking forward to sharing stories of the people we've met and the blessings we've received.

I'd better get some breakfast before it's gone.

Have a great weekend!

John <><

On Mission: Day 3

I'm back to our base a little early today.
Today I went with the team that is working at the middle school.

In both cases (yesterday and today), I find myself way out of my own comfort and calling. While I expected to be doing exactly what we are doing, the evangelist in me wants to put down the tools and the sporting equipment and start telling people about God's great love for them and how He has demonstrated his love in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

I'm looking forward to hearing what the other teams have accomplished today. I know that we are meeting real needs in the area.  I am needing to trust God on this. He is using us to meet physical needs. There will be others to meet spiritual needs.

John <><

On Mission; Day 2

Though today was our second day in Cumberland, it was our first day on the job. An old carport with a rotting roof was taken down and rebuilt. A huge project that involved the demolition and rebuilding of a porch is underway. A bathroom project is almost completed and a kitchen pantry is being rebuilt. These projects took place in neighboring Lynch.

In addition to our building work, we have a group working at the Cumberland Middle School during their summer school.

It was a busy day and plenty of work was done. Tomorrow will be another work filled day. We are all looking forward to seeing how God works through us during the coming days.

John <><

On Mission

Today we arrived at our destination, set up our rooms, prepared and had our first meal together, went to evening worship and received our work assignments for tomorrow.

There are a couple of other mission teams that are also working with us or along side of us.

Cell coverage is limited and WiFi is available in our boarding facility near the office.

I'll try to post when I can and offer apologies in advance for the typos that go with phone blogging.

John <><