CHURCH REPORT FOR JUNE 27, 2021: Hot Day, Cool Service!

 Disclaimer (because someone will say something): although I am actively involved in my church, all opinions and observations are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the leadership, staff, or congregation.

CHURCH REPORT FOR JUNE 27, 2021

Another hot day in southern Oregon. So thankful for an air-conditioned building in
which the church can gather. And we were blessed to have our senior Pastor, Dr. Richard Bull speaking today. 

I like it when Pastor Dick is in the pulpit. And the fact that he is kicking us off in chapter 1 of the book of Daniel is even better!

We had a decent turnout in our Adult Bible Study, as we explored Romans 6. One of our newest group attendees made an excellent observation about the good works that unbelievers do--stating that they are "horizontal" good works, they often will benefit friends, family, our fellow man, but they cannot do "vertical" good works, those works done to please the Lord. One of the greatest blessings of our Sunday Morning study is that I learn and am enriched from the others in the group. Great way to start the morning.

And then came the service, with Pastor Dick speaking on "A Test of Character." It was a breakdown of chapter 1, with Daniel's deportation, his education in the Babylonian system, and his commitment to live for the Lord in spite of his surroundings. 

A little "behind the scenes" info: when talking about the food and diet set before the Hebrew youths, Pastor Dick had thought about showing the famous "Dinner of Doom" banquet scene from the movie Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (you know, the one where they're eating snakes, and bugs, and monkey brains, and so on!). But after consultation with wise counsel, he decided against it (it probably would have been fun for a a middle school group, though!).

The theme of focus of the message was this: "How can we live in Babylon without being a part of Babylon?  By living our inner convictions." Great lesson, great reminder.

So how was your church service this weekend?

CHURCH REPORT FOR JUNE 20, 2021: We Got Cookies!

Disclaimer (because someone will say something): although I am actively involved in my church, all opinions and observations are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the leadership, staff, or congregation.

CHURCH REPORT FOR JUNE 20, 2021

How does a nice guy like me end up with a special, hand-selected bag of cookies AND a belt-clippable tape measure that ensured me that I am loved beyond measure?

Well, I went to church on Father's Day! And there, waiting in the foyer, was a container with the aforementioned cookies and another container with a full supply of tape measures! The note on the tape measure said "You are loved beyond measure," while the other side was a quote from 1 Timothy 6:11: "But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness." What a great way to start the morning!

After a good Adult Bible Study (in which we finished off the first half of Romans 6), my wife and I decided to enjoy the service in the comfort of the Fireside Room. Usually, there are a few other folks in there with us, but this time, we were all by ourselves. Not counting the people in the foyer. And the auditorium full of people just outside the door.

We started a brand new series in the book of Daniel. I've always enjoyed Daniel--it is a rich and exciting book. Mike Bull gave the overview of the book (in a message entitled--you guessed it--"Overview of Daniel"). He gave us a rundown of the historical background of the book and its main themes and characters. He pointed out that Daniel is often blasted by critics, but there are answers to those attacks.

Overall, Daniel considers the question of how we live faithful lives to God while living in Babylon. And of course, the bottom line of the book is that it isn't about us, it's about God. 

There was a little sadness this day as well, as one of our longstanding church members passed away after a long fight with cancer. He passed on Saturday, making the Sunday Father's Day observance a little bittersweet. The father of a friend of ours from church also passed a couple of weeks ago. I'm reminded of the Scripture which encourages us not to, "sorrow, but as those who have no hope" (1 Thessalonians 4:13).

While Mike's message wasn't directly about this, it did contain hope---hope in the great God who brought Daniel into Babylon and works daily in my life.

So how was your church service this weekend?

SO THAT'S HAPPENING

Yeah, so that's happening . . . .

What follows is a short, spontaneous rattling of a few things off the top of my head. If some of it makes no sense, it might be because it lacks careful, deliberate thought and editing. And keep in mind also, these are little snapshots of the moment. Next week, I might be feeling or thinking differently. You've been warned.

*Swimming pools. When they reach the level of sparkling blue bliss, they are a wonderful addition to one's back yard.  But getting there is not half the fun. Scrubbing, sweeping, vacuuming, scooping. Engaging in a delicate balance of chemistry that would make Walter White proud, adding pounds and gallons of stuff to bring these numbers up and bring these numbers down in order to maintain a safe environment and visual appeal of what often looks like a swamp. And, of course, there is the equipment, the failure of which will set back all the progress being made within a very short time. Yeah, so that's happening . . . .

*Father's Day is almost here. The most interesting gift I ever got for Father's Day is when my daughters took a Monopoly game and changed everything on it to "Dadopoly." What was so amazing is that they incorporated "dadisms" and hobbies and interests to such an extent that it could have been manufactured by the company itself. What also impressed me is that, in order to nail all my habits and idiosyncrasies, my kids were watching me all these years. There's a lesson for fatherhood in there. So that's happening . . . .

*I don't particularly enjoy musicals as a genre, but it's safe to say that I enjoy some of the music from musicals. Lately, I have been watching songs and covers from various shows. A few songs from Hamilton, Wicked, Les Misérables, and even a couple of Gilbert and Sullivan productions. Some of them are very inspirational and motivating, especially when the song transcends the immediate setting of the story.  And I particularly like to see covers of these songs from either different professional artists, or just ordinary people with extraordinary talent. During those quiet moments within the whole study, writing, preparing continuum, I'll click on some videos, just to get my brain stimulated. So that's happening . . . .

*If I could ever start my own business, I know who I want to hire. Not in general, but the specific people. I would pay them well, respect their work, and value them highly. I would expect their best work and their loyalty. Did I mention I would pay them well? I don't know if recruiting people for a company that does not exist, for jobs that are not determined, and for great pay that exists only in my mind is weird, but might as well start somewhere. So that's happening . . . . (the idea, not the business itself!).

So what's happening with you?

CHURCH REPORT FOR JUNE 13, 2021: Outside In

Disclaimer (because someone will say something): although I am actively involved in my church, all opinions and observations are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the leadership, staff, or congregation.

CHURCH REPORT FOR JUNE 13, 2021

As always, my Sunday morning began with the 9:00 Adult Bible Study. We've been going through Romans and, as I mentioned in the class, we're moving at the speed of the Holy Spirit, which means we sometimes only get to one or two verses. Discussions, questions, "rabbit trails," and laughter all contribute to what is a very enjoyable 45 minutes. But in-depth diving into the text does not always mean moving forward a chapter at a time. 

This week, however, we went a little further in chapter 6, emphasizing the point the apostle Paul makes in the chapter that we are dead to sin and alive to God. Good group too (but then it always is...shout out to the folks in the class: if you're reading this, thank you for ministering to me each week!)

I hung out in the foyer for the main service. It's always risky doing that, because there are folks chatting, visiting, or walking through. So if it's so distracting, why do I do it? Three reasons: 1) Sometimes, when I'm putting away my gear from the ABS, I don't get into the main sanctuary in time to grab a "good seat." Granted, nobody would care if I stepped over them, but I don't want to be a distraction. 2) Sometimes, I check and make sure the sound and video on our monitor screens is working right. Nobody asked me to do it, it's just something I do to report on the service from a "layman's" perspective. 3) The main reason is because I really want to get into the sermon. I take notes on the message and sometimes, I'm looking up other references. And it is a lot easier to do this when I can spread my Bible, note sheet, note pad, and cell phone with the Bible app on a flat surface, as the little tables in the foyer provide. 

In the sanctuary or in the foyer, we have a cool praise and worship team. Every week, they bring newer and older songs in what, in my opinion, is a good blend. The service is divided into two song sets, sandwiching the message in the middle. Not my favorite arrangement, but it's growing on me. 

Pastor Dick finished up the book of Ezekiel this morning with a sweeping look at chapters 40-48 in a message entitled "Holy Ground." I loved the main theme of the message; namely, 48:35 that the name of the city is "THE LORD IS THERE." God will never leave us, nor forsake us. How evident is it that I know and believe the Lord is with me?  Good application.

If I could call out one observation: this was not a deep verse-by-verse examination of the millennial temple and its worship. Obviously, because covering nine chapters in 30-40 minute time span would be extremely difficult. I also got the impression that Pastor did not want to wade into some of the controversies surrounding the interpretation of these passages. I'm not talking about compromising, but about choosing the battle to emphasize. Zeroing in on the Lord's abiding presence with His people in all generations was THE point he chose to drive home. Cannot argue with that.

Would I have tackled Ezekiel 40-48 differently? Probably--and it might have been a two hour message! But now that we are finished with Ezekiel, it's time to head into Daniel, with its dreams and visions and eschatology and all sorts of exciting stuff. I can hardly wait.

And how was your church service this weekend?.

THINKING ABOUT MARGINS

I once listened to a speech about the necessity of "margins" in one's life. It has stuck with me ever since, especially at those times when I am feeling overwhelmed.

What is a "margin?" I see it as the liberty to adjust or adapt to life's situations because the basics are taken care of. A margin represents extra space, "wiggle room" if you will, to enjoy or to respond to a need. And margins take many forms.

We can have margins with money, where we have enough left over in our budget to enjoy, invest, or do something different, as well as help others.

We can have margins with time, where we have enough extra time to engage in hobbies, enrichment, or service.

We can have margins with health, where our time and energy spent in diet and exercise allows us to do things that we otherwise could not do.

Margins can really apply to anything.

So I get the concept of margins when it comes to money. Like millions of Americans, I often live from paycheck to paycheck, or, in the words of another cliché: "there's too much month left at the end of my money." At those times, I long for margins, to know that I can write a check with the full confidence that I won't have to "rob Peter to pay Paul" (sorry, another cliché!). And then, if my car breaks down or I need an emergency root canal, there is enough margin in my budge to absorb the added expense.

And I sometimes struggle with time management; or more accurately, "priority management." I've got a lot to do, but it seems like the clock speeds up in proportion to my list. I'd love to be caught up, I'd love to be ahead, so that, if something happens that requires my full attention, I'm ready for the task.

But when it comes to margins, I think one thing that burdens me the most is that, without margins, I am often unable to be a blessing to others. Yes, there is the grace of giving and God has proven Himself time and again that He will provide our needs, even in the paycheck to paycheck existence. And I have shifted priorities in the face of a greater need, setting aside something urgent in order to do something important. These things don't change.

But the advantage of a margin is freedom. Freedom to write that extra check to support a missionary or community outreach. Freedom to take time off to volunteer. Freedom to invest in my family (oh, so important). There are advantages to margins.

Of course, margins take work and a deliberate decision to do something about it. Giving extra involves a determination to be a giving person, regardless of your budget. If all you've got is a dollar and someone needs a dime, give them a quarter (or hey, maybe the whole dollar!). Volunteering some extra time may involve giving up your favorite tv show.  Having the buffer in your checkbook may require that you take advantage of good financial and budgeting tools.

(And yes, as another old saying goes, if it seems I'm pointing a finger at you, it's because four others are pointing back as me)

This is not a confession. I'm not saying, "woe is me." Because of my relationship with Jesus Christ, my day to day life is pretty good. Things aren't that bad all the time. But once in awhile, when the deadlines loom and the bills are due and my text messages pile up, I think about the need for space, for breathing room. 

I think about margins.

CHURCH REPORT FOR JUNE 6, 2021: Far But Near

Disclaimer (because someone will say something): although I am actively involved in my church, all opinions and observations are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the leadership, staff, or congregation.

CHURCH REPORT FOR JUNE 6, 2021

I left the church service early (for reasons that would require another blog post (or more). But that did not stop the day from being a good one.

As usual, my Sunday began with the 9:00 Sunday Morning Adult Bible Study. I've been facilitating this group for many, many years and it is truly one of the highlights of my week. It is a semi-in-depth study, full of questions and observations. As a result, some sections take much longer than others. In our case, we are studying Romans, which is an amazing and DEEP letter. We just started chapter 6 a couple of weeks ago and this Sunday we finished with verse 5! We (and by "we," I mean "I") went a little past our time in order to finish the particular section.  When that happens, the sound of the gathering flock outside the door can get a little distracting.  And they were getting loud.

After getting my equipment packed up (I use a laptop for PowerPoint slides, plus a video camera to record the lesson for our church YouTube channel), I prepared to leave. But I was overjoyed to see an old friend pay a visit. I was also full of joy, but sadness, to be able to talk to another old friend who was back in church since losing a loved one. Lots of hugs and tears. And as I probably observed before, this is what "church" looks like.

If there is a proverbial "golden lining" to the cloud of having to leave early, it's that our church releases our services online. So as soon as it was uploaded, I watched the service from afar. 

The moderator of the elder board began by reading a letter concerning the search for a pastoral candidate in anticipation of Pastor Dick's eventually retirement. No panic, it won't be for awhile, but it is best to start the process early. 

Then came worship through song. There was a funny part (or I thought it was funny): I saw someone with very long arms and apparently sitting toward the back near the camera, raising their hands in praise and very nearly blocking the view!

Mike Bull (the pastor's son, our "assistant to the pastor," and the aforementioned candidate) was our speaker today. He continued our series in Ezekiel 38-39, the battle of Gog and Magog. There was a lot of good application and encouragement in the message. I don't agree with Mike's "take" on Gog and Magog, as he tends to approach prophetical books from a "covenant theology" framework, but I will glean the wheat from the chaff and leave the disagreements for another time and place. 

After partaking of the Lord's Supper and the second set of worship songs, the service dismissed. 

I'm fortunate to work at the place in which I also worship, so I'm usually aware of what's happening. But for those times I have to step out, I'm glad we have some modern tech to help me feel like I'm "there."

So, how was your church service this weekend?