On a retreat some time back, I was asked to take a moment or two to reflect on my ministry thus far. I remember thinking that it had been a long, winding road, from a college student in Abilene, through the Rocky Mountains of seminary, to the wind-swept plains of western Nebraska, to the deep south Texas Rio Grande Valley. It had been an interesting journey, one filled with mountaintop highs, and deep, dark valley lows. It was always exciting, never boring, and filled with the signposts that marked where the Spirit's guiding had led the way.
Early in my ministry, Jan gave me a notebook that resembled an old, tattered spiral-bound notebook that her grandfather had kept as a record of his ministry. In that old, lined ledger, Grandpa Otto had written down every baptism, every wedding, every confirmation, and every funeral over which he had ever officiated. Page after page, line after line, names were written - recorded for all history. The new, leather-bound notebook was engraved with my name. Jan had given it to me to begin to record my own ministry's milestones, perhaps as a way to carry on the tradition of her grandfather. The names that are written there are more than just names. They are the people whom I have encountered on my own faith journey - not just as a pastor, but as a fellow traveller. From the baptism of my own nephew, to the burial of my grandmother and grandfather, and the many names in between, I have been blessed to witness what this faith journey is all about.
As I sat reflecting on that journey, and where it has taken me thus far, I am amazed at how much it has been the people who have shaped my life. Not the books, nor the lectures, nor the sermons, nor the degrees. It has always been the people - people that I believe God has placed in my path to show me the way. People that have been loving enough, and bold enough, to point out when I have fallen away from the path I am supposed to be on. People that have been gracious enough to forgive me when I have messed up royally. More than names. People.
Perhaps that is a small part of what Lent is about. It is about how we have managed to share with one another the path that we know is truth - the path that comes from knowing and following our Lord Jesus Christ. The path that is light. Lent is a wonderful time for us to get back in touch with our faith, to re-learn the practices and disciplines that distinguish us from the worldly, and help us to be more in tune with the Godly.
Perhaps you also might take this time to get back in touch with your faith-roots, and re-learn your spiritual disciplines. You might just bump into God there!
See you in Church!
Grace and peace,
Brad
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
The User's Manual...
I have a new cell phone. My old phone began to be "unreliable" (which is a nicer way of saying that it was not working all the time!). I began to notice that there were names and dates missing on it, which made it difficult to keep track of appointments and phone numbers - especially when I needed them. So, I got a new phone.
It's called a "smart phone," although I'm not sure why. Supposedly it does lots of things, just like my old phone did, only it wasn't called a "smart phone." It has a calendar, a camera (both still and video), and can access my email and the internet. It even allows me to update my Facebook page whenever I want. I can read and create Word and Excel documents on it. It even has a calculator on it, wherever it is. I haven't located it yet. There's even an application for a GPS, although that costs extra. Oh, did I mention that it has a phone?
Technology seems to be getting more and more advanced. A few years ago, telephones were stilled wired into the walls of your home, although a few were "cordless." A few years before that, much like Henry Ford's words, you could get a phone in any color you wanted, as long as it was black. Now there are arcade games and programs on them, and you can take pictures of sunsets, and flowerpots, and whatever else you desire, and upload them to the World Wide Web. One of these days I'm going to read the user's manual and find out exactly what all is on that new phone.
Dr. Grace Imathiu, a United Methodist Pastor, once shared a brief story about the Garden of Eden scene in which God went searching for the wayward couple after they had eaten of the forbidden fruit. God asked, "Where are you?" And Adam replied, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." And God said, "Who told you that you were naked?" Dr. Imathiu said that this was the most important question in all of scripture - "Who have we been listening to other than God?"
In a few days, we will be beginning the season of Lent, starting with Ash Wednesday services on Wednesday, February 17th at 6:30 p.m. Lent is that time of year when Christians begin to reflect on their walk of faith with our Lord Jesus Christ. We begin to look at how closely we are following in our Master's footsteps. We reflect on how much we have come to depend on things other than Jesus. Things like money, position, status, which team will win the Super Bowl, etc. Even things like new cell phones.
Perhaps I should take out the "other" user's manual and read up on what it has to say during this season of Lent. How about you?
See you in Church!
It's called a "smart phone," although I'm not sure why. Supposedly it does lots of things, just like my old phone did, only it wasn't called a "smart phone." It has a calendar, a camera (both still and video), and can access my email and the internet. It even allows me to update my Facebook page whenever I want. I can read and create Word and Excel documents on it. It even has a calculator on it, wherever it is. I haven't located it yet. There's even an application for a GPS, although that costs extra. Oh, did I mention that it has a phone?
Technology seems to be getting more and more advanced. A few years ago, telephones were stilled wired into the walls of your home, although a few were "cordless." A few years before that, much like Henry Ford's words, you could get a phone in any color you wanted, as long as it was black. Now there are arcade games and programs on them, and you can take pictures of sunsets, and flowerpots, and whatever else you desire, and upload them to the World Wide Web. One of these days I'm going to read the user's manual and find out exactly what all is on that new phone.
Dr. Grace Imathiu, a United Methodist Pastor, once shared a brief story about the Garden of Eden scene in which God went searching for the wayward couple after they had eaten of the forbidden fruit. God asked, "Where are you?" And Adam replied, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." And God said, "Who told you that you were naked?" Dr. Imathiu said that this was the most important question in all of scripture - "Who have we been listening to other than God?"
In a few days, we will be beginning the season of Lent, starting with Ash Wednesday services on Wednesday, February 17th at 6:30 p.m. Lent is that time of year when Christians begin to reflect on their walk of faith with our Lord Jesus Christ. We begin to look at how closely we are following in our Master's footsteps. We reflect on how much we have come to depend on things other than Jesus. Things like money, position, status, which team will win the Super Bowl, etc. Even things like new cell phones.
Perhaps I should take out the "other" user's manual and read up on what it has to say during this season of Lent. How about you?
See you in Church!
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