Kingdom Conversation #1

I am beginning an episodic series called "Kingdom Conversation" in which different topics will be discussed and hopefully, new light will be shed on certain things. Pastor Jaman and myself have done this first one and will probably do more in the future, however, I would love to have any of you who would like to be a part of this to let me know. If there is something on your heart or something you would like to share, let me know and we can set a time to do that. I look forward to hearing your comments about this. Hope you are all having a great week and God bless!!

-PD

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To Every Season

It is the middle of June and it is rather warm and humid outside. For some people, this is an awful time of year regarding the weather. The bugs are out, everything feels sticky, you sweat all the time, and sunburns are all around. Even though, I know all those things take place, I still love summer. I love the smell of BBQs in the distance, the sun popping up early in the morning and not leaving until later in the evening, swimming pools, working outside, youth camps, and cruising in a vehicle with the windows down and the radio blasting. Ah yes, it is a good time to be alive! Summer is truly my favorite season. But some of you are really into autumn and I appreciate that. I love the smell of tailgating, watching football, hay rides, the color of the leaves. It's all good, not quit my favorite, but a good second spot for me. Probably the reason for its downgrade from summer is that autumn reminds me that winter is fast approaching.
Winter is the season I despise the most. It's cold all the time, when its not cold its cold and snowy. I don't like snow. The sun comes up late in the morning and goes to bed in the late afternoon. You are inside constantly unless you enjoy freezing. Slick roads and constant shoveling make people weary. As soon as winter comes I am already ready for spring.
And so now we have Spring, I enjoy spring. Things get warmer, the bugs aren't out yet, and it smells nice outside. For me though, I have allergies for approximately 2 months every Spring, and it rains a bit more than I would like. Additionally, you can go from a day in the 60s to a day in the 30s with the snap of the fingers.
Ah yes, I love summer best... and yet...
God gave us four seasons with blessings in each season. We must cherish the blessings and deal with the work that goes with the season. Fall means raking, Winter means shoveling, Spring means planting, and Summer means mowing. There are favorites that I am sure we all have, but we must learn to be content in whatever season we are currently in. Winter gives me such an appreciation of summer. Don't curse the season that you are in, rather embrace the good elements of that season.

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Overwhelmed

It is very interesting how God places things on our hearts, but doesn't necessarily remove the fear and/or stress involved. In fact, maybe if God has really laid something on our heart, it doesn't necessarily flow with the gift that is given. I'll use some aspects of my own life as an example...

1. Our church's mission is "willing to love; living to serve". I believe in it wholeheartedly and feel we need to reach out the the community regularly. However, these events stress me out more than anything. I think about them, worry about them, and always have a moment where I almost "break" because I can't stand the pressure anymore. But... I know we are called to do it, so I do it.

2. As a pastor it is my responsibility to build relationships with people. I do pretty good at this once I get to know somebody, but strangers absolutely terrify me. I always worry about what to say, how to say it, and feel that I am terrible at first impressions. I stressed out when I see someone in public that I kinda know, cause I don't know what to do. And yet, I know that I need to open up and be welcoming to those around me. It's what I am called to do.

3. I am terrified of memorization. I would dread having to recite memory verses or needing to memorize lines in a drama. Anything that requires me to memorize causes my gut to go into turmoil. I love preaching! And honestly, I memorize everything I say, but if I don't have the notes there then I become very nervous. I never did plays in high school or anything like that because the prospect of memorizing pages of lines sounded like a level of hell. And yet, for ministry's sake I have done quite a bit of memorizing, it's what I am called to do.

You know what areas of ministry don't make me nervous? Those areas that require little to no risk. Those areas that keep me from looking like a fool or making others feel like a fool. And yet... This is where I am called. It bothers me how many people I see never take risks because being comfortable is primary. If I rested in what was comfortable all the time, then I wouldn't be here in the first place. Consider this day if their is a risk worth taking because you feel called.

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Jaman's Rant

Let me warn you that I don't necessarily know if this is of God, but I think it might be and I want to talk about it more, so I am using this blog to work out my thoughts. I am going to list a bunch of different statements that float around in my mind and we will see if they come together somehow.

1. Jesus rebuked the the religious leaders way more than the worldly people.
2. If people aren't going to be led by the Holy Spirit, then at least use your brain and logically come to conclusions.
3. I cannot stand the hypocrisy of the two party system in the United States. Wrong is wrong and I wish believers would stand up and reject that which has the hint of being underhand or manipulative. Understand the correct side to be on is that which reflects Jesus Christ completely, not partly.
4. Believers should seek to unite with each other instead of tearing each other down.
5. Stop making generalizations based on your personal experiences, because you cannot stereotype entire groups to satisfy your need to be superior. You are biased because of your personal experiences and don't forget that.
6. Love people accurately, not to gain some selfish advantage.
7. Avoid foolish controversies or silly agendas that do nothing to express the Kingdom of God.

Think about some of those things, and let me know what you think or disagree with or even add to. thanks!

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Good Friday

As we celebrate the passion week, I find it difficult to really speak about much of anything. It's almost as if this week is set aside just to remember, not to add personally commentary, but to simply remember. So, as the sun shines down on us this Good Friday, let us simply remember that awful day that was also one of the best days.

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Appreciation

Appreciation is one of those very simple things that we desire. Appreciation lets us know that we are doing something that matters enough for others to notice us. If you ask the majority of people if they truly feel appreciated, the answer is usually "no". Spouses feel unappreciated by their partners. Children can feel unappreciated by their parents. Parents can feel unappreciated by their children. Workers can feel unappreciated by co-workers and bosses. Pastors can feel unappreciated by people in the congregation. Members of the congregation can feel unappreciated by the pastor. So here is my advice to you if you don't feel appreciated...

Appreciate others. If you are waiting for some magical thing to happen where you suddenly are adequately appreciated, you are going to be in for a loss. Have you ever seen most people when the are appropriately appreciated? This flood of emotions comes out of them because the reality is they didn't feel appreciated for an amazing amount of time. I nearly broke down an cried when someone genuinely called me "an awesome pastor". I realized something, instead of waiting for others to appreciate me, how about I just spend lots of time appreciating others! We sit back and feel sorry for ourselves instead of stepping up and genuinely appreciating what others are doing. You might make their year!

Oh, and don't forget to accurately appreciate your Lord and Savior the way he deserves!

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The Pain of Love

Love is one of the most misunderstood things in the world. God is one of the other most misunderstood things in the world. God is love; so this really isn't all that shocking. People associate love with a variety of emotions. Pain happens to be one of the emotions mentioned when referring to love. This makes perfect sense when I see the pain endured by Christ because of his great love for us.
I often wonder if the physical pain of the nails, the beatings, and the crown of thorns paled in comparison to the spiritual pain Jesus felt. In that one moment, Jesus bore the spiritual weight of the entire universe. And was it ever heavy with all the evil things in there. A choice was made by him to love us so much that he was willing to die to continue that love. He did not want to be separated from us. What amazes me is that he loved those who would choose to be separate from Him for all of eternity. Yet he agonizingly loved them anyways! He mentioned in one of his sermons that it is easy to love those who love you back; but there is something special to love your enemies. He said it and he did it!
This has been a week of pain for me. I have loved as accurately as I know how. I knew the pain would be great and quite honestly the only way for me to deal with that pain appropriately is to marvel at the love Christ showed me. Praise him for his painful love and thank you that I can painfully love others.

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