GOOD NEWS!!!!

Well, I am not going to wax eloquent (today!), but we want to let you all know that we have accepted a call to Toronto First Church of the Nazarene in Toronto, OH. We don't yet know the dates for the move, but when we know...you will know! Thank you all for your prayers, and might I ask that they not stop. I am a little scared by the whole thing, but in a fun sort of way. We look forward to sharing this next step in our journey with you all. Thank you for sharing it with us!

SDG,

Eric

WISH US WELL!!

We are off to another interview. We are very excited about it, but we are starting to feel the stress. Hopefully when we get back I'll have some good reflection material. Please be in prayer for us. For safe travels, and a possitive experience. Thank you all...you are the best!

SDG,

Eric

THE REARVIEW MIRROR

This last bit of time has been a very interesting roller-coaster. I am reminded of a song that has emerged as a favorite of mine. One of the lines says, "life aint always beautiful, but its a beautiful ride." The last week has seen the end of my time at St. Paul's. A final youth group night, a final sermon, a final all church lunch, and two good-bye "parties." It has also had a couple firsts: the first time I've seen all my kids at church when I was not part of the group and the first Sunday ever where I felt like I didn't have a home church! None of those were especially beautiful memories, but I am really learning to trust in God and to not look at the individual events, but rather trying to look at the big picture and enjoy each day for all of the unique graces that I encounter daily.

The job search continues. We were asked to interview a second time with the board at Pleasant Hill, and we did that last night. We are also going to be returning to Ohio for an interview in Toronto. But there is no rush. God will make it clear where we are to serve and what we are to do. We are learning to live in His hands.

There is no other news, and nothing too interesting to reflect upon, so consider yourself updated. We do appreciate all you who keep tabs on us and your thoughts and prayers.

Eric

THE PULPIT: our weakness, his strength

EZEKIEL 2:1-5
PSALM 123
MARK 6:1-6
2 CORINTHIANS 12:1-10

Can I be honest with you all? Life has really stunk lately. It began with our trip to Pennsylvania. On our trip out, we were looking forward to getting back home. We had a great experience with the people there. We made some good friends. The Sunday Service was awesome. The DS was great. We were so excited. But then the evening service happened. Hard questions were asked and tough answers were given. Tough, but honest. Since that night, there has seemed to be a dark cloud hanging over my head.

Where would we go? What would we do? Will we ever get home? Will I ever find a church that I am excited about? Will I have to settle for something I am not super enthused about? I got a brief reprieve at graduation time, but joy was short lived as staff meetings began centering on budgets, money and our future. It did not take long to see the writing on the wall.

That writing was confirmed as I began looking at projected numbers. There would be NO youth pastor in this new year. There would be no janitor in this new year. And still no church. Board meeting came, and we had a healthy discussion about budgets. My darkest fear was once again thrust upon me. No job to go to, no church to serve, no house to live in. Where are you God? Where are you?

There is some comfort to be found. There is comfort in knowing that I am not alone in this dark time. If we are honest with one another, all have us have felt frustration at the gravity of our situation here. When was the last time we were without a youth pastor? I was talking to my friend Kirby the other day. He was telling me about growing up around this neighborhood in the early 70’s. His little brother came here for youth group. He also told me about a family vacation his family share with the youth pastor here: Paul and Sue Bruning. It has certainly been a long time since we have been without a youth pastor.

When was the last time we have been without a paid secretary? How about a paid janitor? I remember someone sharing with Pastor Caleb that at the next General Assembly he would receive an award for 50 consecutive years of paying our budgets. Now that is not such a sure thing. Our budget has room for a pastor, a building, budget apportionments, and that is about it! Credit cards have been rejected, and the phone was disconnected. Where are you God? Where are you?

If we are all honest, life has really stunk for all of us lately.

Perhaps there is even more comfort to be found. We are not alone in our darkness. We are not alone in our experience of tough times. This morning’s readings show us unequivocally that we are not alone in persecution.

First, we encounter Ezekiel. Now Ezekiel is, well, a little special. The entire first chapter is a vision, unparalleled by any vision since…including those of the 60’s and 70’s! But Ezekiel, despite his quirks, goes on to become one of our beloved prophets. However, his present task is quite daunting. He is sent to the people of Israel. One would think that the people of Israel would be an easy ministry assignment, but one would be wrong to make such an assumption. God is very clear. The Israelites are rebellious, hardheaded, and will not listen to Ezekiel. This is God’s promise! I know I would love a DS to call and say, “Hey, I’ve got a great church for you. It is full of rebellious hard-heads, that won’t listen to you no matter what you do.” I would not be here right now if I would have gotten that sweet offer. So Ezekiel is sent into a life of guaranteed failure, knowing that his efforts would be futile. What could be more frustrating and discouraging than that?

Well, for starters, how about our Gospel reading! It is a story about none other than Jesus Christ. Presumably, Jesus has been away from home for some time. He has been quite busy. He has been baptized. He has been tempted. He has called the disciples, taught, healed and even raise a dead girl back to life. His fame preceded him wherever he went. Stories sprang up about him faster than dandelions in the springtime. Here now we find him returning home. Perhaps it was on his way somewhere else, or perhaps it was just to visit family. He decided to take full advantage of his time there. He would do tad of teaching and a helping of healing while he was there. We would expect a great homecoming parade, but the streets were empty. Jesus should have been greeted with open arms, but instead he gets the cold shoulder … and from his own people no less. What could be worse than having your own people turn you away, unwelcome?

Perhaps it was worse for St. Paul. This guy is the original super-apostle. St. Paul is the epitome of life conversions. The one-time Christian hater was confronted by the love of God and became history’s greatest Christian maker. St. Paul is proof that no one is confronted by the love of God and comes away unchanged. A worse person there was not, but after encountering Christ, a better Christian there was not. He gave his life to spread the good news that so changed his life. What was his reward? A thorn it the flesh … in contemporary English, a pain in his rear-end! This was no little pain; this was the mother of all pains. It was with him at every turn. It nagged him day and night. Paul gave his life to the one who saved him, and in return, he was rewarded with a horrid affliction.

Who are we compared to Ezekiel, St. Paul, and Jesus Christ? It should make me feel a little better knowing that I am not going through a dark time alone. We should feel better knowing that we are not alone in our dark time, but none of this really takes the pain out of our suffering. Alone or together, it all stinks just the same

It all came to a head Monday night. After an exhausting week, I was looking forward to a good night of sleep without the belligerent buzzing of the blasted alarm. Antonina and I went to bed, and she fell asleep straight away. But not me! I tossed and turned, and turned and tossed until the clock, as if taunting me, glowed a big 1:00 in the darkness. I had had enough. I could not sleep and so I got up, dressed, and came over here to my office. It is in my office where I am at my best. I think best, I work best, I pray best. Monday night, in the wee hours of the morning, I found myself doing all three.

Earlier that day I had began reading so I could write my sermon. I read this week’s readings, and now in the still of the night I began to reflect upon them…Ezekiel 2, a favorite passage, but I preached it here before, I think. … Mark 6, an interesting passage, but I don’t know how I would connect Jesus’ homecoming with my home-leaving, for over the past four years you all have become my family and this place my home. … 2 Corinthians 12, boasting… visions… thorns… grace… contentment. Grace? Contentment? GRACE! ...CONTENTMENT!

"Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, "My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me. Since I know it is all for Christ's good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Being Christian is so easy when things are going well. When life is good, it is easy to focus our life on God and others, but as the sun sets and darkness begins to encroach, it grows harder and harder to maintain a proper focus. In the good times, it is easy to put God and others first. It is easy to be ministers of grace. It is easy to be healers in a broken world, but what happens when our world becomes broken?

The tendency is to let our focus shift from others back to ourselves. After all, how can we minister to people when we are so very broken? How can we give when we are in such great need? I think St. Paul would turn the question around and ask what are you in such great need of? And which of those needs is not met by God’s gracious provision? "For my gracious favor is all that you need."

You see, in my brokenness and confusion, I had lost sight of the grace of God working so miraculously in my life. When my focus faltered, I grew frustrated. I began to doubt. I began to grow discontented. All three of our characters this morning had the same opportunity to grumble, to resent and to withdraw. None of them did! If we read on in Ezekiel, we will find that God promises to make Ezekiel as heard-headed and resilient as are the Israelites. St. Paul rightfully prayed to have his thorn removed, but it was not. He could have grown bitter, but he rather grew content. Realizing that there was little he could do about the situation in which he found himself, turning it over to God, and focusing on the sufficiency of God’s grace allowed Paul to be content and to be a minister of the very grace that sustained him.

What if Jesus had taken his rejection personally? What if he would have walked away from his task because his own people rejected him? Henri Nouwen writes, “ Nobody escapes being wounded. We all are wounded people, whether physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. The main question is not “How can we hide our wounds?” so we don’t have to be embarrassed but “How can we put our woundedness in the service of others?” When our wounds cease to be a source of shame and become a source of healing, we have become wounded healers. Jesus is God’s wounded healer: Through his wounds we are healed. Jesus’ suffering and death brought joy and life. His humiliation brought glory; his rejection brought a community of love. As followers of Jesus we can also allow our wounds to bring healing to others” (Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith (San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1997), July 8.).

We cannot be healers if we have not found contentment in our weakness. Contentment does not mean that we quit trying to grow strong, but it does means that our strength is not in ourselves, but rather in the grace of the God. Our strength is not our own, but our strength is the grace of God. Our identity, our mission, our ministry, our strength is not dependent on numbers or facilities, or finances, but rather on the grace of God. Our future is not determined by our knowledge of where we are going, but our future is determined by the grace of God.

So in our times of trial and trouble, we must strongly resist the urge to let others slide to the back burner until our needs begin being met. In our times of problems and persecution we must remember with St. Paul, “[God’s] gracious favor is all [we] need. [His] power works best in [our] weakness. So now [we are] glad to boast about [our] weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through [us]. Since [we] know it is all for Christ's good, [we are] quite content with [our] weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when [we are] weak, then [we are] strong.”

*Scripture references are from the NLT

RIVERSIDE REFLECTIONS: let freedom ring!

Isn't Indpendence Day such a wonderful holiday? It is one of my favorite. There is nothing like the warm evening turning to dusk. The unfolding of old balnkets upon a tall grass. Reclining back in the darkness and watching the fireworks exploding brilliantly in the heavens above. I have also found a new favorite patriotic hymn. I have heard the melody many time before, but never heard the words. Both are of the highest beauty.

Eternal Father, Strong to Save

Eternal Father, strong to save, whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bids the mighty ocean deep its own appointed limits keep:
O Hear us when we cry to Thee for those in peril on the sea.

O Christ the Lord of hill and plain O'er which our traffic runs amain
By mountain pass or valley low: Wherever Lord our brethren go,
Protect them by Thy gaurding hand from ev'ry peril on the land.

O Spirit whom the Father sent to spread abroad the firmament:
O Wind of Heaven, by thy might save all who dare the eagles flight,
And keep them by Thy watchful care from ev'ry peril in the air.

O Trinity of love and pow'r, our brethren shield in danger's hour,
From rock and tempest, fire and foe, protect them where so e'er they go.
Thus evermore shall rise to Thee glad praise from air and land and sea.
(Whiting, Spencer, & Dykes)

***

Two things jumped out at me this Fourth of July.

***

First, I am more committed to non-violence than ever. But I am not going to discuss that here and now. But what I do find is that the more committed to non-violence that I become, the less patriotic I am made to feel. It is as if because I do not support war, I am not a real American. It is as if being American and being violent are inseperably connected. I must confess that there have been time in my past where I think I was guilty of making others feel the way I feel now. So can a pacifist be a patriot? Martin Luther King Jr, is about the closest thing we have to an "American Saint." What made his message so powerful was his resistence to violence. I dare say no enlightened person would say the MLK is not an American,or is not patriotic. Quite the contrary. If anyone captures the very essence of an American ethic it is MLK (these excerpts are long, but worth reading on the celebration of our independence)...

"The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges. But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

"We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. we must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force....

"I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.

"I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor's lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

"This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring." And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania! Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado! Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California! But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia! Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee! Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

"When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

I think this all speaks for itself.

***

Second, this great country of ours has provided the church with a great model for raising fine Christian children. I know some of you might have heard this before, but I think on this occasion it bears consideration. How do we raise children to be good Americans? 1) The Pledge of Alegance, 2) The Star Spangled Banner and other American songs, 3) Holidays & celebrations, 4) American heros (not the real ones in the Budwiser commercials!!), 5) Learning our history, 6) Rites of Passage. Can you all think of any others?

Let's draw some Christian parallels:

1) The Pledge of Alegiance is used at the beginning of every school day, and the beginning of most civic meetings. The church has a Pledge of Alegiance. It is called the Creeds (Apostles' & Nicene). How often are these said? Do any of you open your Sunday School classes with it? How about meetings? How about worship????

2) The Star Spangled Banner and other American songs. We do pretty good here. We have many good Christian songs that we sing. But when was the last time you heard anyone at a sporting even complain because the National Anthem is old and outdated? How about petitions for a contemporary anthem? We would do well to retain at least some of our hymns that are powerful summaries of the Christian faith, and sing them regularly!

3) Holidays & Celebrations. On this occasion of the 4th of July, how many of you had parties? How many got together with friends and neighbors? We do it up right don't we? Cookouts, swimming, camping, picnics, games, music, and fireworks...How do we fare with Christian holidays? There is in many traditions a Christian calendar. It had seasons and holidays. We still celebrate Christmas and Easter, but usually those celebrations are just with family. Who wants to come to church on Christmas morning? How does you church celebrate the first Sunday of Advent (new years day), Christmas, Epiphany, The baptism of the Lord, Transfiguration Day, Holy Week, Easter, Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, Reformation Day, Christ the King, etc.? I went with Antonina's family to church on St Patric's Day. What a beautiful celebration! What a great model of Christian celebration!

4) Heros: How many Christian heros can you name? OK, now Subtract anyone in the Bible, and anyone who lived in the last 200 years. That leaves roughly 1800 years...now how many great Christians do you think lived that we can all learn from?

5) Learning our history -- this is vital to Americans. We have whole classes people have to take to graduate. History tells us who we are by telling us how we became who we are. What are the key dates of major events in the church...Council of Nicea, Great Schism, Reformation, John Wesley, the great holiness campmeetings, founding of the Church of the Nazarene, etc.? How will we ever know who we are if we don't know how we got here?

6) Rites of passage -- 1st day of school, graduation, voting, etc. Didn't you know we have them too: baptism, communion, confirmation, marriage, ordination...sound familiar? The SACRAMENTS (more widely defined of course). What ever happened to them?

I would propose that if we did half the job raising Christians that we do raising Americans, we would see great revival in this world and much more justice too!

***

Thanks for listening to the ramblings of this procrastinator (I'm supposed to be writing a sermon now, but this has be rattling all week and this is the first chance I've had to get it out).

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY

SDG,

Eric

RIVERSIDE REFLECTIONS: no rest for the weary

What is it about decisions that are so tough? Last night was one of those nights where sleep just doesn't seem possible. Sure I want to sleep, but my mind just won't stop long enough to catch up with my tired body. Antonina and I went to bed at midnight after a good long talk. But then she fell asleep. She is so peaceful when she sleeps. But there seems to be not enough of either sleep or peace for the both of us. I layed in bed until 1:00, when I was so awake that I came to the computer and did some research. I thought about blogging, but I really didn't have much to say...some say I never do! I worked here for another hour and then layed back in bed until I fell asleep to the clapping of thunder and the clicking of raindrops on my window. I closed my eyes for a minute and opened them back up at 7:30. Antonina was still sound asleep. So here I sit, tired, unrested, and still with big decisions to make. I know you all are praying for me and there is much comfort in that.

I start my new job tomorrow, so I suppose I will have many things to share in the next couple weeks. We love you and thank God for each of you every day.

Happy Fourth of July,

Eric

REARVIEW MIRROR: from last time til now

It has been a while I think since I recapped my week. Here are the major events going on in our life:

* I was offered a full time position with a teleconferencing corporation. I will be doing reservations. Good pay and hours, great benefits. I start Wednesday.

* I resigned my youth pastor position. Sunday (the 9th) is going to be my last Sunday here at St. Paul's. It is going to be really difficult to live across the parking lot, and see all my friends coming here, and not to come. But such is life!

* I went to the NASCAR truck race Saturday. We were there from 10:30 to 7:30. 95+ degrees, no shade...it was great fun. It was also the first time I've seen the Indy cars. Man are they fast...and very obnoxious sounding. I could handle the noise level, but the pitch was so high and hideous!

* When I got home I took a quick shower and we went over to Kirby's house for a late dinner. There were just a bunch of guys from the back yard next door. We had smoke chicken, pork chops, and all the good sides. Then we sat and played our guitars and sang old country songs til 11:00. If I didn't have to preach Sunday we'd have stayed much later.

* We went to Celebration Community Church in Pleasant Hill (phccc.org) to preach on Sunday. It was very different from anything I have ever experienced. Counting Antonina and I, there were about 18 people there. It was very informal and casual. But EVERYONE sang out. It was very cool. There were people of most age groups (except our of course) and they are getting too big for the building they are at already (there were 3-4 families not there because of the holiday). Preaching is completely different in that setting. It will take some gettting used to if that is where we end up. I have to talk to the DS today.

Well, I gotta get going...