A Special Gift

I saw a living nativity scene a few weeks ago while Ann and I attended a local Christmas event. It prompted me to think of a living nativity scene that our church youth group did many years ago.  The youth fellowship in my home church had gotten the idea that we would create a living nativity scene as Christmas came near.   We thought that it would be a great gift to give the community that passed by going to and fro on busy Graham-Hopedale Road in Burlington.     As many of you know, sometimes good ideas do not translate into great problem-free events.    Such was the case with our youth planned living nativity scene.  Carl Parks was kind enough to let us use some of his livestock for our make shift stable.  While they certainly looked the part,  they were not too eager to be still in our stable and we were not too skilled  in looking after the livestock. One of the sheep ran into busy Graham Hopedale Road and one of the cows was more eager to eat the grass  on the church lawn than to stay in our stable.  And the characters in the nativity scene.  I recall that some of the wise men and shepherds were more  interested in spending time drinking hot chocolate with their girlfriends than being on duty in the stable.  A perfectly good idea was certainly filled with all sorts of imperfections.

I think of that living nativity scene in these days even though it has been almost 45 years ago.   It is certainly obvious as we hear the story about the birth of Jesus that it  was not a perfectly good time for Mary to have a baby as she was far from home and the stable was not the kind of nursery any woman would desire.   Yet, into that imperfect world to imperfect people came the holy, most perfect God.  They named him Jesus for he would save His people from their sins.

I know there are people reading this who pine for a perfect Christmas but it is elusive to them.   Their family circumstance is not perfect or their gatherings  are not a perfect resemblance to a Norman Rockwell painting.  Yet, to us in 2015 as to those at Grace Church in 1970 and to those in Bethlehem long ago comes the fullness and glory of our perfect God in Christ Jesus, the newborn Savior.

A Merry Christmas to one and all. -  Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:   O Lord,  thank you for the gift of yourself and your love.  Help me to offer the gift of your love to others with joy and gladness;  through Jesus Christ, the babe of Bethlehem, I pray.  Amen.  

Mary, Towels, and Mom

I always fine myself thinking of my late Mom this time of year.  It is not just that Christmas is coming but also that her birthday is in December (December 12 to be exact).    I remember a time when I was a teenager when Christmas was near and Mom was cleaning the house for company coming for a visit.  As was often the case,  I had to use our one bathroom while Mom was mopping.  Once she was finished mopping the bathroom floor, I waited for the bathroom floor to dry.  As I went into the bathroom, Mom told me:  “Don’t use the hand towel by the sink.”  I was puzzled by the request as Mom always taught us to wash our hands after visiting the bathroom, so I asked,  “Why don’t  you want me to use the towels?   You always tell me to wash my hands.”    Mom replied,  “Randy, don’t use the towels because they are show towels for our guests who are coming.”   I thought about that admonition of my Mom the other day.   Hand towels have a purpose.  Why, they are to be used to dry our hands.   Just as cars are to be driven and rode in and beds are made to be slept in, towels have a purpose to dry our hands.    I thought about those “show towels” as I recently read Luke’s story about Mary.   In Luke 1, we hear the story of an angel telling a young virgin named Mary that she is going to have a baby.  An unwed pregnant woman was scandalous news in the days of Mary.  Hear from Luke 1 the response of Mary: 

²⁶ And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,  ²⁷ To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary  ²⁸ And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.  ²⁹ And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.  ³⁰ And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.  ³¹ And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.  ³² He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:  ³³ And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.  ³⁴ Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?  ³⁵ And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.  ³⁶ And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.   ³⁷ For with God nothing shall be impossible.  ³⁸ And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

Mary did not want to be  a “show towel”.   Despite the fact that it was scandalous to the community and not the best circumstances to be pregnant, she wanted to fulfull a purpose  to be used by God.     Do we want to be used by God?    Have a blessed day and week.-  Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:   O Lord,  who has come and is coming:   use us for your purposes as you used Mary long ago.  Hear our prayer;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  

Remembering December 7, 1941

It happened on this day.  December 7, 1941 to be exact.   On this date, the naval installation at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was attacked by the Japanese.  I am not old enough to remember the event.  I recall my Dad talking about that day with great vividness as he shared with me that he heard  the news of the attack on the radio on that Sunday.    There are many forms of media that have explored in detail what happened that day at Pearl Harbor  and why it happened.  What can be said with no argument is that one of the reasons that the attack was successful  at Pearl Harbor is that the United States was not in a state of readiness.  

Being ready is an important attribute in many jobs.  It is certainly important for our military and it is critical for medical personnel and firefighters.    It is also important to be in a state of spiritual readiness.  Followers of Christ Jesus must be ready for the chance to share Christ with others….and to help those in need.   We must also be in a state of readiness for the time when Christ shall come again.   This season of Advent is not just about celebrating that Christ has come and preparing for the Christmas celebration.  It is also a poignant reminder that Christ will come again.    In Matthew 24: 36-44, Jesus speaks to his folllowers about the importance of readiness for the coming of the Lord: 

³⁶ “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,^[f]but only the Father. ³⁷ As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹ and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰ Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.  ⁴² “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. ⁴³ But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Have a good week and a holy Advent season.  -  Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:   O Lord, you are alpha and omega, beginning and end.  We thank you for coming into the world in Christ Jesus and for the blessed hope that you come again.  Give us hearts eager and ready to share your love with others.  Make our  hearts ready for that time when you come to take your people home with you;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. 

 

What is Advent anyway?

Today, is the last day of November.  Yesterday, Christians all around the world celebrated not an ending but a new beginning:  the beginning of the season of Advent.  Some folks know that Advent focuses on expectation and anticipation of Christ’s birth as we near Christmas.  This is part of the story, but there’s more to Advent.

The word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming,” which is a translation of the Greek word parousia. Scholars believe that during the 4^th and 5^th centuries in Spain and Gaul, Advent was a season of preparation for the baptism of new Christians at the January feast of Epiphany, the celebration of God’s incarnation represented by the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus (see Matthew 2:1), his baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist (see John 1:29), and his first miracle at Cana (see John 2:1). During this season of preparation, Christians would spend 40 days in penance, prayer, and fasting to prepare for this celebration; originally, there was little connection between Advent and Christmas.

Advent is not just about looking back and remembering the birth of Christ Jesus and the preparation that was made for centuries for His coming.  No, Advent is also a time to look ahead as God’s people wait for the return of Christ in glory to consummate his eternal kingdom. The church is in a similar situation to Israel at the end of the Old Testament: in exile, waiting and hoping in prayerful expectation for the coming of the Messiah. Israel looked back to God’s past gracious actions on their behalf in leading them out of Egypt in the Exodus, and on this basis they called for God once again to act for them. In the same way, the church, during Advent, looks back upon Christ’s coming in celebration while at the same time looking forward in eager anticipation to the coming of Christ’s kingdom when he returns for his people. In this light, the Advent hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” perfectly represents the church’s cry during the Advent season:

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

Have a good week and a holy Advent season.  -  Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:   O Lord, who has come and who is coming:  we wait with eager longing for your coming in this holy season.  Give us hearts attune to your Spirit to see you among us even in the things small and insignificant;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  

"No Problem"

I have a pet peeve that irritates me.  One of the things that I was taught as a child is to say “thank you.”      Though there have been times I have not expressed  well those two words,  I try to do that with great regularity.    One of the things that I have noticed in recent years is that when I say “thank you” the person I am thanking says back to me  “no problem”.    That irritates me.  I never said that there was a problem or I had a complaint.  I never stated that I was upset about something.  Why do people choose to say “no problem” when I say “thank you”?    Yes, I know that some would say that I am as old as dirt but I was taught to say “you are welcome” when someone says “thank you.”  

While I try to say “thank you” for those little and big things that people do all the time, I am the first to say that there have been times in my life when I am certain that I have been slow or even blind to the fact that I should say “thank you” to God.  Every day of my life and every moment of my existence, God gives gifts, blessings, and bounty in ways seen and unseen, in things small and ways beyond measure.    In this new time in my life called retirement or semi-retirement, I am trying to spend more time thanking God in my daily prayers and in those short prayers I make as I gaze at an afternoon sunset and walk through the joys of each day. 

While it irritates me when someone reciprocates my “thank you” with a response of “no problem”,  it is “no problem” for God to keep on giving and giving day after day to persons who say thanks and those who do not.    God gives again and again to those who say thanks and those who do not.  Thank you, God for all your goodness.    Have a good week and a blessed Thanksgiving.  I thank you for reading.  -  Pastor Randy Wall 

Prayer:   Living Lord,  all praise, honor, glory, and thanksgiving be to you, the giver of all good things.  Forgive me for the times that I have been blind to your goodness and had an ungrateful heart.    Thank you, God;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  

What Are You Doing to Build the Kingdom?

Wes died too young when he died earlier this year after being hit by a car on the streets of New York City      While some might not consider 27 years old young, it was way too young to have life end.      I never met Wes, but I wish I had.  I became familiar with him a few months ago when he was nominated posthumously  to be the “outstanding young alumnus” for my alma mater, Methodist University in Fayetteville.    I serve on the Awards Committee for the board of directors of the Methodist University Alumni Association.       At the time of his death, Wes was a golfing pro at a country club in New Jersey.  He was such a great golfing instructor that Golf Digest named him early this year one of the best under 40 years of age.

After his death, they placed a small monument near the practice tees of Plainfield Country Club to remember Wes.  On the monument, they placed a question that Wes asked himself and asked others every day:  “What are you doing today to build the kingdom?”     Wes was not talking about his own kingdom or even the kingdom of golf.  No, Wes was talking about the kingdom of God. 

What are you doing today to build the kingdom?      Every week in worship, we pray a prayer that Jesus taught his disciples.  In that prayer, we say,  “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done….”  What are you and I doing today to bring the kingdom of God into our world and into our hearts?     That is a question that a 27 year old man named Wes asked himself on the golf links and in his life.  I think it is a good question for you and I to ponder daily too.  Have a good week.-  Pastor Randy Wall 

Prayer:   Lord God,  I thank you for the lessons of life that we learn on the golf course and in other places.  I thank you that through grace you allow me to be a part of your kingdom.  Help me day by day to so live that your kingdom might be seen and known in this world;   through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  

Are You On Your Way to Church?

“Are you on your way to church?”, he asked.    It seemed like an appropriate question as we waited in line at the convenience store.  It was Sunday morning, and I was dressed in a suit and tie. 

“Yes, I am.   How about you?  What are you going to  be up to today?”,  I said.    As we both waited for the person in front of us to buy their lottery tickets, he said,  “Oh,  I am going to spend some time in the Word and probably later invite some friends over.”  

He took care of his business at the checkout counter.  As I prepared to go up to the counter, he did something that I did not expect.  He came back  to me and warmly shook my hand and said,  “Bless you, in the name of Jesus.  Have a blessed day.”  And then, he went on his way out of the door and I went up to the counter.

I have thought about that chance encounter in the convenience store in some depth since that day.   I have thought about what I said and what he said.  I was moved by his warm handshake and his blessing on me in the name of Jesus.  I have also thought about the fact that though he told me that he would be spending some time in the Word (the Bible), he did not say anything about spending some time in church.  What is it that is keeping that man and the thousands like him away from church Sunday after Sunday?     Why is it that that people in church do not spend time in the Word and persons like that man not in church spend time in the Word?     Is his absence in church that Sunday a result of  his own laziness or is it the poor  witness of people like me who are in church? 

In Matthew 7: 16-17,  Jesus says:    ¹⁶ By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.       It is not only important for me to be in church, but it is also important that the love of Christ shared in the church to be in me.   Have a joy-filled week.-  Randy Walla

Prayer:   Lord God,  thank you for loving me despite my many sins and failures.   Through the power of your Spirit, help me to so believe in my heart in Christ that his love overflows through my love I show  to those I meet every day;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  

What Time Is It?

I don’t know about you, but I am still adjusting to the recent time change.    In the Spring, we move our clocks ahead one hour for Daylight Savings Time.   In the Fall, we move our clocks back one hour to standard time.      Though we call that time period from Spring to Fall “Daylight Savings time”,  it really does not save time but simply tinkers with the clock so that it is daylight later in the day.    A time change certainly does not  increase the hours of daylight that the plants or crops  receive or that we have to do the things we need to do or want to do. 

As my wife will tell you, I am a person of routine and habit when it comes to my sleep and many other activities.   Therefore, it takes me a while to get used to a time change whether we are moving our clocks ahead one hour or back one hour.     When you think about it, moving the clocks back an hour in the Fall means that day is technically the longest day of the year. 

One of the things I like about a time change is that it forces me to deal with time.    I have to admit that most of the time I take time for granted.  Time is something we can spend, but it is not something we can buy or even sell.    How we spend our time is up to each one of us.      Time is simply a gift given to us by God.   While we might tinker with time through our time zones and our time changes,   God is the one who ultimately created time.   I am reminded of these words from Psalm 90 where we read:

Lord, you have been our dwelling place
    throughout all generations.
² Before the mountains were born
    or you brought forth the whole world,
    from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

³ You turn people back to dust,
    saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.”
⁴ A thousand years in your sight
    are like a day that has just gone by,
    or like a watch in the night.
⁵ Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death—
    they are like the new grass of the morning:
⁶ In the morning it springs up new,
    but by evening it is dry and withered.

 

Whatever time is it, enjoy the time and relish the gift of each and every minute and day.  Have a joy-filled week.-  Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:   Lord and God, thank you for the gift of time.    Forgive me for the times that I waste it.  Help me to live each day and moment with the precious gift that it is;  through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  

Is It a Blessing or Curse?

10/26/2015 – Charge Conference:  Blessing or Curse?

            This is the time of year when United Methodist pastors and their congregations alike are involved in the preparations for and the holding of Charge Conferences.   For those who are not of the United Methodist persuasion, let me explain what a Charge Conference is.  First, let me tell you that a Charge Conference has nothing to do with making sure that your car battery is charged.  Neither is a Charge Conference related to the scream of “Charge” that football fans and cheerleaders alike offer to encourage their favorite team.         Amidst the paperwork that I and our congregation had to fill out for Charge Conference, I found this pearl of wisdom that explains well what a Charge Conference is:   “The primary responsibility of the charge conference in the annual meeting shall be to review and evaluate the total mission and ministry of the church.”

            I am not a novice to Charge Conferences or to the paperwork that it requires since I am in my 42^nd year as a pastor.    I am the first to say that there have been times when I have grunted and groaned about the paperwork that is to be completed and the meetings that are required for Charge Conference.  However, in recent years I have chosen to see the goodness of a Charge Conference because every now and then we need to review and evaluate what we are doing as followers of Christ Jesus and as the body of Christ.  I hope and pray that somewhere in the midst of the meetings, conferencing, and the documents prepared for Charge Conference  that is happening.

            In Mark 8: 27-30, we see a time when Jesus was evaluating his mission and ministry.   I don’t believe they called it a Charge Conference, but simply a conference between Jesus and his disciples as they around the region of Caesarea Philippi.     Mark 8:27-30 says:  ²⁷ Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?  ²⁸ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”   ²⁹ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”   Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”   ³⁰ Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

            

What are you doing to build up the Kingdom of God?  What are you doing this day and this week to love God and love your neighbor?    That is a question we need to ask and answer every now and then whether it be at a Charge Conference or simply in the silence of our hearts.  Have a joy-filled week.--  Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:    O God, thank you for your call and claim upon my life.  Thank you, Lord, for the gifts you have given me.    Give me the wisdom to take time to see how you are working in our lives and how we can more fully and completely yield ourselves to you;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  

Pastor Appreciation Month

            In recent years,  the month of October has been promoted as Pastor Appreciation Month.    I am not sure why the month of October was picked to show appreciation to clergy.  Holidays are special times when we remember people or things that we should remember all the time.  Just as it is important to express our gratitude (for example)  to mothers and fathers on their annual days, I believe it is also important to remember and celebrate the myriad of things that pastors do in our communities, in our churches, and for us as individuals and families.   I have never used my blog as a forum to express thoughts about Pastor Appreciation Month in the past, but feel led to do so now even though some might see this blog as an indirect way to get praise for myself.

            Few people really know the hard work that most pastors do.  Most people only see the tip of the iceberg of the duties of the pastor as they sit in the pew or are on the receiving end of the pastor’s note… prayer… visit… or attendance at a community event or church event.    There are even some who kiddingly or unkiddingly  contend that pastors only work an hour or so  a week as they see the pastor only at a Sunday worship service.    Like the people who are in the pews,  no pastors are perfect but most pastors care deeply about the congregations they serve, the communities in which they live, and the God they love.   

            There are many things you could do for the Pastors in your community and in your life during Pastor Appreciation Month.     I want to encourage two things that are easily affordable and cost just a little of yourself and your time.    First, I encourage you to pray for your pastor not just in October, but regularly.  Pray for your pastor as you pray for other community, state, and national leaders.        Pray your pastor and their family if they have one.  Pray for your pastor as they seek to share the gospel message in word and deed.    Ephesians 6:19 puts it this way:  ¹⁹ Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,    Pray also for your pastor that “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—  the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might,  the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—  (see Isaiah 11:2).

            Secondly, I encourage you to take time this month to send your pastor  a note, a card, an email, or even a text message.   It does not cost much money to do such things.    Let the pastors in your lives  know you appreciate them and tell them why.     As one of friend of mine likes to say, “everyone appreciates being appreciated.”        I know from personal experience that pastoral ministry can sometimes be lonely and sometimes you don’t know if you are making a difference or not.   Tell your pastor they are and they have in your life .  They will be glad you did, and you will also.      Have a joy-filled week.--  Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:    O God, thank you for the pastor in my church and the pastors in my community.  I thank you for the pastors that you have used through the years to touch my life and heart.   Bless these pastors, O God, that they might be faithful leaders of the body of Christ, the Church;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. 

                 

Getting Your Exercise?

One of the habits I have developed in recent years is to  exercise four to seven days a week.   I acknowledge this has not always been a habit of mine.  However, I spend 30 to 50 minutes exercising several days at week.      I was exercising at a local fitness center the other Sunday morning when I looked around the place at the few people there and thought:  “I wonder how many  of these folks will be in a place of worship today?”     I can testify that physical exercise and worship can co-exist with each other on Sundays.    Most every Sunday, I will go to church after having spent some time at that local fitness center.  

As I wondered  to myself about the number of people in that place who would be a part of a corporate worship service  on that Sunday, I remembered a passage of scripture that is found in I Timothy 4:7-8 which says:

Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales;  rather, train yourself to be godly.  For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 

It is important that we care for this body that God has given us.  Many of us spend far too much time living a sedentary lifestyle.   Our bodies are  as the scriptures say a “temple of the Holy Spirit.”  However, physical exercise is not enough.  We also need regular spiritual exercise through disciplines like prayer, reading the scriptures, and worship.    Are you building up  your spiritual muscles and doing your spiritual exercise?   I commend it to you.  Have a joy-filled week.  -  Pastor Randy Wall 

Prayer:   Lord God,  thank you for creating me and giving me life.  Help me to take care of this body you have given me and take care of my soul.  I want to be closer to you and bring others closer to you.   Hear my prayers;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

An In Cognito Christian?

As many of you know who are reading this,  my wife Ann and I moved a few months.  While our home is not newly built, it is new to us.  We are enjoying making the house into our home.     

I realized the other day that this is the first home where I have lived in my adult life that was not known as the parsonage.   Some of the places where I have lived were known as the parsonage simply because it was located right beside the church.  There was one parsonage where I lived that actually had a sign that noted it was the parsonage.  It occurred to me the other day that perhaps none of the neighbors nearby know that I am a pastor.  I suspect that some of the neighbors do  know that Christians live  here as we are some of the first folks to leave the house on Sunday mornings.

It occurs to me that I have the task in these days not only to make this house our home, but also to find a way to show the love of Christ in this neighborhood.    Since I do not live next to the church or in a parsonage, no one knows that a pastor or even Christians live here.  I am living “in cognito” as a Christian in this neighborhood.  How can I show the love of Christ to my neighbors and not just be a secret agent for God?   

In Matthew 5:14-16,  Jesus says, ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.     I can I show the love of Christ in the place that I live?  That is something I need to get busy to figure out.  And you know what?  So do you.    Have a joy-filled week.  -  Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:   Living and loving God:  I thank  you for revealing yourself to the world through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Give me the courage and the wisdom to reveal the love of Christ in the world where I live.  Amen. 

 

An Echo of the Words of a Brother?

Once a month, the folks of Ann Street Church come together for food for their stomach and food for their soul.    After a breakfast on the church campus,  we put aside some time to study the scriptures.    A few weeks ago, we started a new study on the Book of James.  As is the case with many of the books of the Bible, there is no certainty about who wrote the book of James.   Many people believe that the Book of James was written by James, the brother of Jesus. 

I wonder as we read the Book of James if we hear in the words of the author  an echo of the words of his brother, Jesus?   Are the words from the Book  of James something the author  heard Jesus say in his relationship with him?      As James says “faith without works is dead”  (see James 2), is he echoing something he heard Jesus say?    As James speaks about the dangerous power of the tongue (see James 3), is he repeating the gest of something he heard Jesus say around the house before he officially began his ministry?   

We cannot know for sure whether the author of James was the brother  of Jesus.  What we can know for sure is that Jesus lived what he spoke and the acts of Jesus were just as important  as were the words of Jesus.  May all of us go and not just talk about Jesus, but live  like Jesus.  Have a joy-filled week.  -  Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:   O awesome God:  I thank you  for the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Help us to let the  Word be seen in and through us.   Amen.   

You Are Loved Simply Because...

I am enjoying being a grandparent.  I tell folks that if I had known what fun it was, I would have become a grandparent a long time ago.   We had a long, extended visit this summer with our two youngest grandchildren,  9 month old Eloise and 2 year old Madelyn.  As I spent time with them, it occurred to me that those children do not have to do anything for me to love them.  All they have to do for this grandparent to love them is to be.  One of the major prophets in the Old Testament was Jeremiah.  In Jeremiah 1: 4-5 we hear these words to Jeremiah that say: 

⁴ The word of the Lord came to me, saying,

⁵ “Before I formed you in the womb I knew^[a] you,
    before you were born I set you apart;
    I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

⁶ “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”

Even as Jeremiah was in the womb,  God was working in him and calling him.     God loved Jeremiah simply because.   Your name might not be Jeremiah and your friends and family probably would not think that you were a prophet.  But you know what?  God loves you and calls you not because of who you are, but because of whose you are.  God loves you simply because.  What good news.  Have a joy-filled week.-  Randy Wall

Prayer:    O God,  thank you for your love for me and for your calling and claim on my life.  Help   you, Lord, and live for you;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  

Are You Text-ing?

One of the challenges for me living in the world today  is texting with my phone.  It is challenging for me to text a message to our children (who seem quite comfortable with this form of communication).  My fingers seem too slow and too big to easily communicate in such a manner.   In recent days, I have been trying to use this feature on my smart phone that lets me talk my message till it is converted into  a text.   I suspect my phone must not be from the south as it seems to have a difficult time always understanding what I believe I am saying quite clearly. 

Perhaps texting is challenging for you also or maybe it seems as natural as walking.  Whether you are a consummate text-er or a text-er “wanna be” , I commend to you another kind of text:  the biblical text.   In Acts 8,  we hear of a Ethiopian Eunuch who is struggling not with texting a friend, but with the biblical text.  Read the story below:

²⁶ Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” ²⁷ So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian^[a]eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, ²⁸ and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. ²⁹ The Spirit toldPhilip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”  ³⁰ Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.   ³¹ “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

It is important that I struggle with texting with my children and others as I value having a relationship with them.  Well, it is also important that you and I  struggle with finding the time and understanding of the biblical text, the Bible, if we value our relationship with God and service to God.  Have a joy-filled week.-  Randy Wall

Prayer:    O God,  I give you thanks for the Bible that are a light to our feet and a guide to our path. Through the power of your Holy Spirit, help us open the Bible as you open its meaning to us;  through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.   

Thoughts about Labor Day

Labor Day is a federal holiday that is always the first Monday in September.  While school children might yearn for Labor Day for a short week at school and the some employees might relish Labor Day as a time to celebrate the un-official ending of summer at their favorite vacation spot , Labor Day is much more than that.   While some holidays are to celebrate a particular person (such as Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, or George Washington) or a particular event (such as Thanksgiving or Easter),  Labor Day is the day to celebrate the common man and woman whose work by the sweat of the brow and whose creativity adds to our quality of life. 

Semi-retirement has given me a differing perspective on work.  While some might yearn for work-free days,  retirement is teaching me what a joy and priviledge it is to work.   Through our work, we not only make a living, but we make a difference in the lives of others.    Work also makes a difference in our lives in that it gives us satisfaction.  It feels good when someone expresses their appreciation for “a job well done”.

Jesus knew something about work.  While we know few details,  I believe it is a safe assumption that he knew something about work by the sweat of the brow as a “carpenter’s son.”  Jesus also talked about work and labor.  In Luke 12:26-28 we read: 

²⁶ Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?²⁷ “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ²⁸ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!

In Matthew 11: 28, Jesus says:

Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

As we mark another Labor Day in all sorts of ways, I give thanks to the countless people known and unknown who make my life better through their hard work.   I also give thanks that God is always working.    Have a great week and Labor Day.-  Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:    O God,  thank you for the gift of work and for the satisfaction it brings.  Most of all, I thank you for your salvation work in Christ Jesus and that your Spirit is still alive and working in this world.  Help me to yield my life to your Word and for your work;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.