God does give us more than we can handle

Last Saturday morning we once again stood at a gravesite for a very tiny baby. He was born - and died - at 15 weeks gestation and weighed just 1.2 ounces. Simon was buried alongside his brothers Zack and Toby who were born -and died - in 2009.

So many times in these past two years people have said "God will only give you as much as you can handle." It is often followed by "I just wish He didn't think I can handle so much."

But this time it's different. This time Sarah realized that indeed God DOES give us more than we can handle - at least more than we can handle ALONE. He gives us what we can handle with HIS help! She shared this insight with me, and I am so glad she did. I no longer want to give people the false idea that God will never give us too heavy a load.

So often we try to do things our way, planning and making decisions with our own knowledge and abilities and strength. Then eventually it all falls apart. Finally we ask God to help us and He picks up the broken pieces. ("All things work together for good" usually finds its way into the conversation at this point.)

Now consider what happens when we do things by praying FIRST and asking God what HE would have us do - and how. We may encounter obstacles and challenges, but God will help us through them. He has a plan!

Back to the original thought - how much can we handle? How much can we handle alone? How much can we handle with God's help?

Last week we were playing mini-golf and a family behind us included a small girl. On some holes she wanted to do it by herself. On others, she asked her Daddy to help. On the solo holes her ball often ended up in the water or on another hole altogether! But when she let her father help the ball went nearer to the actual target.

There are many tasks in life that God gives us to do. If we ask, He will gladly help us. And like the father at the golf course, He will also stand back and let us go it alone if we so choose. He will also be there to pick us up and carry us when we get tired and finally ask for His help.

Which of course brings us to the most well-known analogy: Footprints in the Sand. Who cannot bring to mind that picture of the footprints on the beach? Who cannot recall that there are two sets of footprints in some places and only one in others. What does the poem tell us? Those single prints were from the times God carried us. Those were the times when we realized that we could not handle life alone - that we needed God to be The Strong One.

We are not strong unless He is strong... remember the song from your childhood? It is just as true today: " ... I am weak but He is strong..." indeed Paul wrote that it is only when we find our strength in God that we are strong, and we must admit our weakness first.

My prayer for you - for myself - today is that we will lean on God and let Him be strong.

Remember there's nothing God and you can't handle together!

A Season of Change

One of our pastors has accepted a new call. This past Sunday was his last with our congregation, so we sent him off with a blessing.

Now as we approach Spring - a season of change - we find ourselves also in a season of change at church. It will be a time of reviewing what works and what does not. We will evaluate programs and leadership. New strengths will be discovered among "old" parishioners, and newer parishioners will share talents and passions.

With any change there is work to be done. Do we not all dread "spring cleaning"? And yet every year it gets done - throwing open the windows, washing drapes and linens, trading darker colors for light. THis is all part of the process to prepare for the new season.

We celebrate the spring by changing the clothes in our closets, putting away heavier items and bringing out the lighter, brighter clothes and the sandals. All this of course requires work: laundering, checking for fit, and perhaps some shopping. Again, all necessary to be prepared for the new season.

And in the yard we must clear away branches and leaves that have fallen and accumulated in the bushes, ready gardens for flowers and vegetables, and do what is necessary to make the lawn ready for a new season.

So too it will be in this season of change for our congregation. We will check to see what responsibilities fit which leaders. Programs and ministries will need to be cleaned up and readied for new leadership.

Sometimes it is difficult to accept the change... perhaps we are not tan enough for those sleeveless and short-sleeved tops, or fit enough for those shorts. We like the warmer weather but wish we had just a little more time to prepare. And there can be unplanned challenges - there is not always unanimous agreement, or perhaps we find that something needs more attention than we thought.

With the changes in our congregation we may also come upon times when we wish there was more opportunity to prepare. God's time is not always our time - we must always be at the ready to move to the next season in order to be where God wants us and doing what He needs us to do. Of course to make it work, we must always put His plans ahead of ours.

I hope you will pray for us in this season of change - and that in your prayers you will also ask God to keep you ready for those seasons when He needs you to change.

Prayers need feet

I have heard this song by Josh Wilson for quite a while, and really liked it. This morning I heard the story of what inspired him to write it: the Nashville floods. He wanted to help, and not just say "gee, I should pray for those poor people".

The song is called "I Refuse", and really strikes a chord in me this week because we have just hosted the local Cold Weather Shelter (CWS) at our church. The CWS allows 25 homeless men,women and children the opportunity to sleep indoors during the coldest part of the year - the end of November through March.

To handle all the needs, and to serve our guests properly, takes a concert of people working nearly around the clock for the week they are with us. Incredible planning and organization goes into the process, and orchestration is like a symphony as the week unfolds. Meals are prepared and served by small groups; volunteers do laundry and pack bag lunches; activities and entertainment (videos, tv, books, newspapers) are made available; guests are able to take showers and baths and enjoy as much of a homelike environment as is possible in a church building. Every night four adult volunteers stand sentry - staying awake from 10pm through 7am - to ensure that guests are safe.

Having the guests with us at Christmas offered both challenges and opportunities. The holidays always mean those who might normally volunteer may be out of town or otherwise committed to other activities. By the same token, it meant the opportunity to create a wonderful Christmas for the guests. On one evening, Christmas cookies were baked and the guests were invited to help. One night Christmas trees were decorated (one large one in the main hall and smaller ones in each room). On Christmas the guests were allowed to sleep in a bit if they wanted, and a family-style breakfast was offered. Later a traditional Christmas dinner was served.

So where does the song come in? The people of our congregation could simply have chosen to pray for the homeless guests and their needs, or they could choose to act - refuse to utter another empty prayer, refuse to stand aside and let someone else do what God called them to do... Over 300 people - members of the congregation, their friends, members of the community - chose to be involved. Totally awesome.

But what about every day? I am struck by the willingness of people to pitch in when there is a special need, while remaining on the sidelines while the everyday needs of the church are unmet. Surely they realize that just praying about the roof (or the heat, or the salaries, etc) will not fix it. Money is required to pay for the cost. Just praying will not address the need for ushers or Sunday School teachers or people to paint a room; people need to heed the nudge of the Holy Spirit that results from those prayers. It is not just other people, or the people who have always done it, who will take care of the basic chores of the church. God calls us all to do something. We take care of our own homes, and God needs us to take care of His House too.

Prayers need feet. We must all refuse not to move.
Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuGqIqbO310

I'm beginning to think a lot about Christmas

It's that time of year again. I walked into Target and saw the decorations over my head. BJs has pre-lit trees and a giant snow globe thing that inflates... JCPenney has those red trees made from balls ... and it all makes me want to cry.

The thing that pushed me over the edge (and into this blog post) was a Facebook post this morning by one of the on-air personalities from our local Christian radio station. She used "Xmas" instead of Christmas!

Yes - this is officially a rant.

Last year I had the displeasure of driving home one evening about a week after Thanksgiving with that radio station on in the car, only to hear a familiar secular Christmas song that mentioned Santa. I was shocked and dismayed. The next morning, on the way to work, I again heard another secular holiday song mixed in with the beautiful songs celebrating the true meaning of Christmas. I wrote to the radio station, and their response was that they hoped to draw non-believers to the station and thus expose them to The Word.

Now I am all for meeting people where they are in order to lead them where they need to be, but this is dilution of the message and compromising beliefs,sending a mixed message. A whole different story in my book. I replied that I would be listening to CDs in my car until after the holidays. This year I have already sent an email to the station asking them to please reconsider their stance and to keep CHRIST in the Christmas music this Christmas season.

So here is my prayer under the palm tree tonight: a truly CHRIST-centered CHRISTmas. How to manage this? I have some ideas (you knew I would).

I pray that you, as a Christ-follower, will resist the secular intrusion into Christmas. I implore you to pray seriously about your views on Christmas and examine the way you celebrate. What is the focus of Christmas in your home? in your family? Is is Christ's birthday? or is it gifts and Santa?

First, eliminate Santa - yes, eliminate him. Go through all the decorations and wrapping paper and such in your house and get rid of this symbol of the secular Christmas. Yes, I know he is supposed to symbolize giving, but what he has come to represent is buying and getting. Children do not go to him and ask him to give things to other children - they line up by the score and read a litany of items they wish to receive in return for having been (allegedly) good all year. (I read an article the other day about some German Christians who are asking for "Santa-free zones" - I am of the opinion that all churches should be such places!)
[if your children still believe in Santa, if you have fostered this belief in your home up till now, I pray you will consider explaining the truth to your children now.]

Second, scale back. Each person give one gift to each person. We as Christians give gifts to one another at Christmas because God gave Christ to us as a gift. We are celebrating His birthday, not ours. So give one gift to each person - a gift that you want them to have, something that is meaningful to them and not just something they asked to receive. Be thoughtful. [oh, and referring back to #1 - this means no gifts under the tree from Santa. People give gifts to people.]

Third, give of yourselves to those who are in need. Give gifts to members of the family that also give to others - the Holstein Project for instance, or some other charitable donation. Serve at the homeless shelter or a church that is serving Christmas dinner for those who are less fortunate. With some planning you could adopt a family and buy gifts for them.

This year begin being different. Live your faith. Refuse to give this special day over to the secular celebration. So yes - my prayer for you this night: as we see more and more of the secular influence, stand firm and do not compromise. Do not stand quietly as others pollute the celebration of Christ's birthday, especially in our churches and on our Christian radio stations.

Are you with me? Then start praying... Pray about how YOU should celebrate CHRISTmas. And then stand your ground - firmly but politely, when you are enticed to follow the crowd.

Pray under the palm tree with me:
"Father, give me the strength to keep Christmas as a celebration of the birth of Your Son Jesus. Help me to be loving to others but to stand firm in my beliefs. Show me what I am to do and how I am to honor this day. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Right Place Right Time

Sunday was an interesting day, and it all started at church.

As I was maneuvering a cart of children's books and such from the church to the outdoor worship area, a young woman pulled into the parking lot and stopped me. She was meeting friends and wanted to know where to park. Noting my Lay Pastor name tag and the contents of the cart, she asked "Are you the Lay Pastor of Children's Ministry?" I laughed and assured her that I was not, but rather was called to prayer ministry.

"Oh, thank God I met you, because I really need prayer!"

She parked and I continued my journey with the children's cart.

A few minutes later she was taking a bulletin from me and we chatted about her visit: where she lives, why she was visiting the area, where she was traveling next, etc. She mentioned that she is Jewish by heritage and accepted Christ as Saviour just a few short years ago. Others joined our conversation, giving their impressions of the state she is about to visit and making her welcome. Eventually her friends arrived and she joined them for worship.

All morning I had felt it was important to have the annointing balm with me... Patting the little pot of balm in my pocket I prayed "Father, please lead me to the person who needs prayer today - or lead them to me." As we worshipped and prayed and as the message was shared, I continued to ask the same prayer, and was getting the same message: I already have.

Looking at each person gathered, in my head rang the young woman's words I really need prayer. Of course - God had connected me with this person on purpose.

After worship I tapped her on the shoulder and asked if she had ever had anyone pray for her with laying on of hands and annointing. She said "Not in a long time." Assured that she indeed would like to have someone pray with her, I grabbed another Lay Pastor and we went to the church where it was peaceful.

This young woman was totally overwhelmed that people who had just met her would stop, listen to the concerns of her heart, annoint her (a young Jewish woman, and the annointing balm in my pocket came from Galilee last year with our pastor), lay hands on her and pray for her. Suddenly we became her new Christian sisters, sending her off on her travels and then back to her home with our prayers for God's blessing and guidance in her life.

We gave her our contact information and will all meet on Facebook soon. But we talked about how God sometimes gives us the opportunity to say or do something - perhaps sew the seeds and perhaps water them - in a one-time meeting. We may never again meet face-to-face before Heaven, but our lives are intertwined because our paths crossed for two hours on a hot summer morning on the lawn of the church.

So our lesson was this: follow those little nudges to do what God wants you to do ... when I asked her about prayer and annointing, she could have reacted in a totally different way. But my responsibility was to ask. The rest was up to God.

What is God leading YOU to do today? Where is He placing you? Who will He put in your path? I pray you are open to His leading. God will take care of the rest.

How shall we pray?

People will often ask how to begin a time of prayer. This is an interesting question with a seemingly easy answer.

Prayer is merely conversation. All the same things that apply to any conversation apply to prayer. The difference is that this conversation takes place between a human and God. But this is really the only difference.

Think of children waiting for Daddy to come home. The car enters the garage, the kitchen door opens, and the children run to greet the father who has just returned from a busy day at work.

"Daddy, Daddy! Guess what I found on the playground?!" "Daddy, look what I drew in school!" "Daddy, see this trick?" "Daddy, Joey got a new puppy - wanna go see it?"

Children don't stop to consider the importance of their news compared to the concerns of the father's career. They simply want to share everything with him. And that Daddy delights in every word. He wants to hear about their day.

Sometimes the child approaches the father a little differently... perhaps with "um, Dad, can I talk to you?" or "can I ask you something?" which precipitates a serious discussion. That father wants to hear these things too – to be approachable.

So it is with our Heavenly Father - He wants to hear all about our day and our concerns, whether it is something that excites and pleases us or something that hurts or burdens us.

Thus, we simply start by talking, just as we do with others with whom we have conversation every day.

Passing on the Legacy

Driving home last night from Costco, I was listening to a message on the radio about what we pass on from one generation to the other. The message got me to thinking about that very thing, especially on the day after Mother's Day.

The preacher was talking about the "stuff" we pass down from one generation to another: jewelry, china, trophies, furniture... all those things that collect dust and cause family squabbles.

On Sunday at worship we gave thanks for the ways that mothers care for their families and for others, and acknowledged the influence they have in our lives (both good and bad).

And the two together has me thinking about what we do pass down from one generation to another.

In addition to the recipe for macaroni and cheese and angel cake, we should be passing down the respect for the home arts and for the women who choose to stay at home to raise their children. We also need to pass along the respect for those who wish they could but cannot because of financial issues. Most of all we should be supporting the next generation of mothers by passing along lessons and love.

Rather than the jewels and furniture, we should be more concerned about the life skills and experiences we are passing down. When our children remember us will it be as understanding and caring? or absent and consumed with amassing those jewels and furnishings?

Sometimes an heirloom evokes memories that are clear and almost tangible. Will those be positive memories of fun and laughter with parents who were loving and fair? Or of parents who were too busy and too angry and too mean?

What will our children and grandchildren inherit from us? Will it be furniture and land and money? Things that will either be put in an attic or cabinet for fear of being harmed, or eventually fall apart from use and be tossed away?

Will they inherit a world that we have used up? or will they inherit our respect for God's creation and our attempts to do less harm than good? Will they inherit high blood pressure and obesity and addictions? or will they inherit our desire to eat organically and be active and lead a healthy lifestyle?

Rather than passing down the family Bible, we should be more concerned about passing down the family faith - a faith that will still be fresh and strong for generations to come. We should be raising them to believe and trust in God - to look to Jesus for salvation and the Holy Spirit for guidance - and how to discern the teachings they hear, rather than passing along the family pew in what we consider the "right" denomination. We should be leaving them the power of prayer, that they can be in continual conversation with a Father who will be the perfect parent even though we weren't.

So I ask you today, as you are praying about your family and all those of the next generation in your sphere of influence, to pray how you would be used to leave a legacy - an inheritance - of faith and salvation.