Moving Toward Life

A Week in the Life of a Senior Pastor

A few weeks ago, I decided to start keeping a journal/time log.  I put this document together that chronicles my last week and thought I'd share it.  I know that people often wonder what a pastor does.  This gives them a snapshot. 

Monday, November 29 (Mondays are my official "Day Off")

5:30am - Wake up, Morning Coffee, Prayer Time.  I have more energy than usual for a Monday morning, in part because I did not preach yesterday.  On Mondays after preaching four services, I am usually more sluggish.  Sometimes I will sleep in until 6:00am on Mondays, but I feel good this morning.  Made a double shot of Starbucks Espresso and spent some time in prayer. 

6:30-7:45am - Workout at the Gym.  I try to workout three times per week at Sport and Health in Stafford.  I find that if I workout early in the morning I am more likely to stay consistent in my exercise routine, plus the gym is a lot less crowded.  I usually just lift weights.  Not doing much cardio exercise these days.  I walk the dog, so that's good enough.  I do have a treadmill in the basement of the house, but I rarely use it. When in the mood for some cardio, I will do P90X at home. 

7:45-8:00am - Review Affirmations, Scripture Memory verses.  On the drive home from the gym, I review my 3x5 cards of Positive Affirmations (character qualities I want to demonstrate in my life) and scripture memory verses.  I think memorizing scripture is a very important spiritual discipline.  Many times those memorized verses have blessed me during the day.

8:00-8:45am - Shower, Shave, Breakfast.  I always eat a big breakfast.  Fuels me up for the day.

8:45-9:30am - Disciple Bible Study Reading.  I read several chapters of the Bible per day as part of the Disciple Bible Study Class that I teach on Thursday mornings.  Right now, we are studying the Old Testament Kings.  I am reminded how wealth and power tends to create pride and arrogance.

9:45-10:45am - Go to Church Office, answer emails.  I usually don't go into the office on Mondays, but I was out of town for Thanksgiving and have lots of emails to catch up on.  Plus, I have to make plans for a funeral for a Church member who died on Saturday morning.

10:45-11:45am - Meeting with wife and brother of Church member who died on Saturday.  We planned the Memorial Service, which will be held at Church on Tuesday evening.  I am so thankful that our Church has such a wonderful staff to assist with this service.  The office staff printed the worship bulletin, the Multimedia Director used family photos and put together a very touching slide show for the service, our Music Director selected appropriate music, we mobilized volunteers to set up the Gathering Room and serve food for a reception.  It is at times like this that I really appreciate our Church and the way we minister to people during times of grief and loss.

11:45am-12:30pm - Lunch at home.

12:30-1:15pm - Finish planning Memorial Service, write Eulogy for service. 

1:15-2:00pm - Walk Mak. Mak is our 10-month old golden retriever.  I try to walk him twice per day when possible, but at least I get him a good walk once per day.  He is a great dog, and one of the true joys in my life.  

2:00-2:45pm - Errands

3:00-3:45pm - Plan Orders for Worship for this coming Sunday.  Because of our production schedule, we need to have all the items for the upcoming worship bulletin and the multimedia completed by noon on Tuesday.  This information gets sent out to our music leaders so they can also prepare.

3:45-4:00pm - Pay Bills.  I do online banking, so it doesn't take long to catch up on paying the bills. 

4:00-7:00pm - Make dinner, relax, watch TV.   On Monday's I usually watch my favorite show,  "Pardon the Interruption" with Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon.  It is a 30-minute sports talk show on ESPN.  By watching one 30-minute sports show, I usually get all caught up on the major sports news.  

7:00-8:00pm - Sermon Work.   Sunday's coming.  I am working on a sermon about the fear of rejection.  I wrote the bulk of the manuscript last week, but need to go back and review, edit, make some changes.  I am not happy with this sermon yet.

8:00-9:00pm - Read.  I am usually reading 3-4 books at a time.  Tonight I am reading "50 People Every Christian Should Know" by Warren Wiersbe.  A great anthology of the life of some very devoted Christians of the past.  I find that reading biographies of great Christians inspires me to a life of deeper devotion. 

9:00pm -Bedtime.  Yes, I go to bed this early whenever possible.

 

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30

5:45-6:30am - Coffee and Prayer Time.  Praise God for Starbucks Espresso.

6:30-8:30am -  Sermon Work.  Still not happy with this sermon.

8:30-9:30am - Breakfast, Shower.

9:45-10:30am - Emails.  Still catching up from last week.  On a typical day, I can get up to 50-60 emails.  Some of them are simple questions I can answer in less than a minute, some are more complex and require more time.  Some I need to delegate to others.  We get lots of prayer requests via email.  My goal is to answer emails within 24-48 hours.  Some weeks I do better than others.

10:30am-Noon - Sermon work.  Right now I would pay $1000 for a good illustration.

Noon-1pm -  Lunch, review bulletin for Memorial Service.  Review and practice preaching the Eulogy.  I always practice sermons and eulogies out loud, because I want to hear how the words sound.  People often tell me that I speak well, but I know it takes a lot of work and practice. I really want this memorial service to go well.

1:00-2:00pm - Meet with worship Team.  On Tuesday afternoons I meet with Pastor Chris, James Mills and Carolyn Hall to review the previous week's worship service and to discuss the upcoming weekend, just to make sure we are on the same page. 

2:00-3:00pm - Emails, Phone calls. 

3:00-4:00pm - Review the Sermon for Sunday.  Surf the internet for a decent opening illustration.

4:00-5:00pm - Practice Eulogy for tonight's Memorial Service.

5:00-6:00pm - Dinner.

6:15-8:30pm - Memorial Service at Church.  Much larger crowd than I expected. Everything went well.  There was a wonderful reception in the Gathering Room, our volunteers are the best.  The family was very appreciative.

9:00pm - Too tired to walk Mak.  This is one of those rare days he does not get a walk.

 

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1

5:45-6:15am:  Coffee and Prayer Time.

6:30-7:45am - Gym.

7:45-8:00am - Affirmations and Scripture Memory Review.

8:00-9:00am - Breakfast, Shower.

9:15-10:00am - In the Office for emails and phone calls. I find that I do a lot of pastoral care via telephone and emails these days.  Every week we have Church members dealing with the death of loved ones, surgeries and tragedies, financial hardship, loss of job, divorce and conflict.  Having Pastor Beth on staff really helps, but I still want to be connected to people at these important moments.  Sometimes people fall through the cracks or don't feel supported enough.  When that happens I feel terrible.  But for the most part, we are committed to loving people and supporting people during the challenging periods of life.

10:15am-2:30pm - Meeting with Pastor and Staff from Courthouse Community Church.  This is a Methodist Church in Norfolk that asked to come and visit our facility and meet with our staff.  For several hours we all met together to discuss the challenges of ministry, handling growth, dealing with financial shortfalls in a difficult economy, trends for the future.  The folks from Courthouse Community Church are very interested in how we do things at Ebenezer.  Ebenezer Church has a wonderful reputation in our region for being an outstanding Church.  Listening to our staff discuss issues makes me realize once again what a great team we have and how blessed I am to be the Senior Pastor here.

2:45-3:15pm -  Meeting to discuss Discipleship process.  We are revamping our Adult Discipleship process beginning in 2011.  I didn't attend the whole meeting, but stayed long enough to get the big picture.  Part of my challenge is to know when I need to attend a meeting and when I do not.  About halfway through this meeting it occurred to me that my attendance was no longer needed.  I slipped out to do other things.

3:15-4:00pm - Emails, Phone calls.  Met briefly with Pastor Chris to get an update on an issue related to our preschool.   Met briefly with the Chair of our Church Council to discuss various issues related to the Church.

4:00-5:00pm - Finish emails.  Yay!  I am finally all caught up.  Inbox is empty, if only for a short time.

5:15-5:45pm - Walk Mak.  My wife Lynn usually walks along with us.  This is wonderful "together time" for Lynn and me.  Walking the dog together is one of the ways we invest in our marriage and keep the lines of communication going.  My advice:  if you want a great marriage, get a dog and walk together.

5:45-6:30pm - Dinner.

6:30-7:30pm - House chores.

7:30-9:00pm - Disciple Bible Study Reading.  Read Wiersbe book.

9:30pm - Bed.

 

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2

5:15-7:45am - Quiet Time, catch up on Disciple Bible Study Reading, Prepare Lesson Plan.

7:45-8:00am - Intercessory Prayer.  Each week I pray for 4-5 families in our Church.  I work my way through the Church Rolls alphabetically.

8:00-8:45am - Breakfast, shower, get to the office.

8:45-9:15am - Emails,  Gather materials for Disciple Bible Study Class

9:30-11:30am - Disciple Bible Study Class.  We meet weekly to review the reading, watch a brief video, and discuss what the scriptures have to say about our world and our lives today.  Very good class.  I wish everyone in our Church would someday take Disciple Bible Study.

11:30-12noon - Power point slides for Sunday Sermon.  I usually send an email to James Mills and describe the images I want, and he finds them and puts them together for me.  Then I review the slides to make sure it all works.  James is very good at this, so I rarely have to make any changes once he puts the images together.

12noon-2pm - Worship Meeting.  On the first Thursday of each month, we all meet at Capital Ale House in Fredericksburg for lunch and we discuss worship issues.  Allan Paquette, our praise band leader, joins us for this meeting.  He works in Fredericksburg, so meeting for lunch in Fredericksburg helps his schedule and it provides us with a chance to enjoy a nice meal.

2:00-3:30pm - Finalize Sermon Manuscript for Sunday.  Okay, it's not one of my best, but it will have to do.  Sunday is coming.

3:30-4:00pm - Phone First Time Visitors from last Sunday's worship services.  First time guests who live locally and provide us with a phone number receive a call from me during the week after they visit.

4:00-4:30pm - Meeting.  I met with a leader in our congregation who wants to see how we can increase our ministry to men, especially young fathers.  We discussed possibilities and set up a second meeting in January.

4:30-5:00pm - Emails related to a Preschool issue.  Our Preschool Director resigned today because of illness in her family. We have the best preschool in Stafford, but every now and then there are issues that come up.  Pastor Chris and our Staff Parish Chair have done a wonderful job with this issue, all I need to do is follow up.  We will need to set up plans and procedures to interview and hire a new Director as soon as possible.

5:00-7:00pm -Dinner, Walk Mak with Lynn.

7:00-8:15pm - Grocery Shopping, House Chores.

8:15-9:00pm - Read.  Tonight I am reading "Facing Your Giants" by Max Lucado.  I highly recommend this book.  Max is a great writer.  I am a little bit jealous of his talent.

 

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3

5:45-8:00am - Coffee, Prayer Time, Sermon Review.   No Gym today, I just don't have time.

8:00- 8:45am - Breakfast, shower.

9:00-9:45am - Practice Preaching Sermon.  I go into the Sanctuary and practice out loud.  I usually do this 3-4 times prior to Sunday.  This week, I have had such a difficult time getting this sermon together, I will only get to practice 1-2 times.  Some weeks, the sermon just flows. Other weeks, it is like pulling teeth.  This was a "teeth-pulling" sermon.  I still could use a good illustration or two.

9:45am-12:45pm - Attend Funeral in Gainesville with Lynn.   Lynn's brother's sister-in-law died unexpectedly in her sleep.  She was 52.  While I did not know this woman very well, Lynn wanted to attend the funeral to support her brother and his family.  I agreed to go along to support Lynn.

12:45-2:15pm  - Planning.  I usually take some time on Friday afternoons to plan the next week.  I set up appointments, block out time for sermon preparation and other meetings.  I find that if I don't schedule my work in advance, the week quickly gets away from me and I spend the whole time reacting to whatever pops up rather than focusing on what is really important.

2:15-3:00pm -  Sticky Group Questions.  I put together about 12-15 questions based on the sermon and send those questions to our Lay Leader.  She then distributes them to our Small Group (called Sticky Groups) leaders for discussion during the week next week.  This way, we have people in small groups reflecting on the sermon from the previous week.

3:00-4:00pm - Sermon practice in the Sanctuary. 

4:00-5:00pm - Sermon Schedule for January-April 2011.  I put together the preaching schedule for the first quarter of 2011.  This schedule determines who preaches on which weekends.  Currently, Pastor Chris and I have agreed upon a rotation where I will preach two consecutive weeks, then he will preach one week. Then I will preach two more consecutive weeks, and he will preach one week.  We also need to find opportunities to let Pastor Beth preach, as she is gifted in this area and would like to preach occasionally.

5:30-9:00pm - Date Night with Lynn.   First we walk Mak, then we go to El Gran Charro for dinner.  Then we go to Lowes for a new flashlight and a Christmas Tree. Then we go home to set up the tree and try to train Mak to leave the tree alone.  He is such a curious puppy.

 

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4

6:30-7:45am - Wake up, Disciple Bible Study Reading, Affirmation and Scripture Memory Review.

7:45-8:30am - Breakfast, Shower.  Go to Church.

8:30-11:00am - Coffee with the Pastors.  This is our new member orientation class.  We have a wonderful team of volunteers who help us out.  We had a large turnout this morning.  We usually offer this event on Thursday evenings.  This is the first time we've tried a Saturday morning, and it seems to fit better with people's schedules.  We take pictures of everyone who attends this class, and then I memorize their names so I can call them by name when I see them in Church.

11:30am-5:00pm - Attend Sorority Luncheon at VCU in Richmond.  Our daughter, Jessica, is an Alpha Gamma Delta sister at VCU.  This is the annual parent's luncheon. Lynn and I missed it last year because I had a wedding to conduct.  This year we made it.  Jessica was glad to see us and I was reminded of how quickly the kids have grown up.

6:00-7:00pm: Sermon Review.  At this point, I convert my sermon manuscript into sermon notes.  I find that preaching from notes rather than a manuscript allows me to sound more conversational and natural when I preach.  I still write out a manuscript, but I rarely go into the pulpit on Sunday with a manuscript.  I usually just have notes.

7:00-7:30pm - Walk Mak.  It is really cold outside!!

7:30-8:30pm - Watch TV.   Looks like Auburn is going to play for a national championship. They are crushing South Carolina.

8:30-9:30pm - Read Bedtime.

 

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5

5:45-6:30am - Review sermon notes.

6:30-7:15am - Breakfast and Shower

7:30am - Leave for Church, but stop by Starbucks (I love their Christmas Blend).

8:00am-12:45pm - Church Services.  We had communion today.  A good attendance at all the services.  The Sermon wasn't great, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

1pm - Lunch, rest.

2:00-4:00pm - Attend Children & Youth Christmas Program.  They do a wonderful job every year.  Carolyn, Lara, and all the volunteers work so hard.  It wouldn't be Christmas for me without this event.

4:15-5:15pm - Dinner, relax.  Watch TV.  Glad I missed the Redskin game.  But it is fun watching the Raiders beat up on the Chargers.  Dallas is beating Indianapolis, you know I am not going to watch that game!

5:15-7:30pm - Church service.  Sunday night service is the toughest because I am pretty tired.  But the people are wonderful and the praise band did a great job.

7:30-8:15pm - Visit with Church members.   A couple invited Lynn and me over to their house for pie after Church.  You know I am not going to turn that down!

8:30pm - Relax.  Go to bed.

Summary:  While I describe this as a "typical week," no week is really "typical."  For example, this week we did not have a staff meeting.  My Tuesday night small group was cancelled because of the Memorial Service, and I had no hospital visits or pastoral counseling appointments.   It is also rare to have two funerals in one week.   But at least this gives you an idea of what a week is like in the life of Ebenezer's Senior Pastor.  I consider it an honor to be in ministry with you.

--Pastor Mark

A Better Question...

The other day I was driving in traffic and was waiting at a stoplight behind a car with an interesting bumper sticker.  The bumper sticker asked a simple question: "Got Jesus?"  I realized that this was a clever adaptation from the "Got Milk?" advertising campaign of the Dairy Association.   The bumper sticker is an attempt to get people to think about their spiritual journey and consider if Jesus is an important part of that journey.  I think it is good to try and get people to think about Jesus, especially while driving in busy traffic.

But, I would like to suggest a better question for a bumper sticker and for our lives in general.  It's not, "Got Jesus?" but rather, "Has Jesus got you?"   It is sometimes tempting for Christians to adopt an "I've got Jesus" mentality, as if Jesus becomes a commodity we possess (I've got milk in my refrigerator and Jesus in my heart).  When "I've got Jesus," there is a danger that I will expect Jesus to give me what I want and bless my life with comfort, ease and material prosperity.  When "I've got Jesus," I've got my ticket to heaven and I'm good to go, preferably after my 95th birthday.  When "I've got Jesus," it is tempting to think like a consumer where Jesus becomes a means to get what I want.

But when "Jesus has me," I have a different perspective on life. I see my life as an opportunity to do His will rather than to get Him to do my will.  I experience contentment with what I have and joy in serving others.  Yes, I have the confidence of knowing I am going to heaven when I die, but I also remember I have a life to live here and now, and this life is supposed to be characterized by gratitude, generosity and love.  When "Jesus has me," I think like a servant rather than a consumer and I focus on what I can give rather than what I can get.  The Apostle Paul puts it this way, "You no longer belong to yourself, you belong to Christ.  For you were bought with a price" (1 Cor 6:19-20).

It reminds me of another bumper sticker I used to see all the time.  It read, "Jesus is my co-pilot."  I never cared much for that one. It just didn't sound right to me.   One day, I finally figured out why when I came across another bumper sticker that read, "If Jesus is your co-pilot, switch seats."   The most basic question we have to answer in our lives is this: "Am I going to live life on my own terms and ask Jesus to help me if I ever need Him, or am I going to surrender my life to Jesus and live the way He asks me to live?"  The first approach declares, "Jesus is my co-pilot."  The second approach requires that we switch seats. The first approach asks, "Got Jesus?"  The second approach says, "Jesus has me."   

GK Chesterton once quipped that most of us want Jesus to be our Savior, but not our Lord. We are attracted to the Savior who died on the cross for our sins and offers us eternal life.  We aren't necessarily attracted to the Lord who calls us to take up our cross and follow Him. And yet, authentic Christianity requires that we seek to allow Jesus to be both our Savior and Lord.  Every Sunday we gather for worship at Ebenezer Church.  We try our best to give thanks to the Savior Jesus, while seeking to more deeply commit our lives to the Lord Jesus. It's not easy, but it is so worth it. Worship says more than just "I've got Jesus in my heart."  Worship says, "Jesus has my heart."

When we give our heart to Jesus, we realize that we don't have Him; He has us.  He's not the co-pilot who helps us out when we need Him, He is the pilot who sets the course and calls the shots. That probably won't make its way onto a bumper sticker, but it will make our lives an amazing adventure.  I hope to see you this weekend in worship, as we continue the adventure together.   

 

When You Can't Get Out of It, Get Into It

Outward Bound is an outdoor, educational organization that strives to foster personal growth through challenging expeditions in the outdoors. The fundamental belief of Outward Bound is that when people are confronted with difficult challenges in the wilderness, they will rise to face those challenges and discover a level of strength and greatness that was lying dormant within them.

John Ortberg tells about a time when he was participating in an Outward Bound experience that involved climbing down a high mountain cliff. John was hooked safely into his harness, he was holding firmly to the rope, and yet, he was totally terrified. Even though the instructors assured him that he could make it down the mountain safely, John began to have doubts. He was about halfway down the mountain when his fear and uncertainty caused him to stop. He was frozen with fear. He was unable to move. It was as if his mind told his body to quit. But no one was coming to John's rescue. The instructor told him that he had to figure out a way to keep going. He had to face his fear and still take positive action.

John explained that he didn't want to move. He didn't want to take action. He was stuck. And that's when his instructor told him to remember the slogan of Outward Bound: "When you can't get out of it, get into it." When you are stuck in a difficult situation and you can't get out of it, embrace it, get excited, and get enthusiastic about it. Get into it.

I love that slogan. I say it to myself sometimes. When I'm encountering a problem I would rather ignore, I remind myself, "If you can't get out of it, get into it." When I have a day full of chores and activities I'm not thrilled to do, I say to myself, "I can't get out of it, so I might as well get into it." When I'm facing a difficult conversation with someone I would rather avoid, I say, "It wouldn't be right to try and get out of it, so I might as well get into it."

One of the things I love about the Christian Faith is that it calls us to face our challenges, deal with our problems, and fulfill our responsibilities with the courage and confidence that comes from our trust in God. That doesn't mean there won't be difficult mountains in our lives, but it does mean we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength (Philippians 4:13). Far from being a protective bubble that shields us from the painful realities of life on a fallen planet, our Christian Faith provides us with an inner strength that allows us to confront those painful realities and grow from them. 

I am wondering if there might be some folks from Ebenezer Church who are facing some difficult mountains these days? Perhaps a struggle at work, perhaps a strained or broken relationship, perhaps physical illness, perhaps pressure at school, perhaps financial concerns. When we consider those issues, we are tempted to become frozen with fear or stuck in discouragement. But that is the time to remember the inner strength our Lord has given us. Our harness will hold us secure. Our rope will not break. We can keep moving because the God who loves us will also empower us. The next time you find yourself stuck on the side of a mountain, frozen in fear, remember the words of Outward Bound, "If you can't get out of it, get into it." And remember the promise of our Faith: "I can do all things, through Christ who gives me strength."

I hope to see you at worship this weekend. Pastor Chris and I will be having a dialogue about how Faith gets expressed in our workplaces. Holy Communion will be served. Worship is a gift we give to God, so I hope you will get into it!!

One Last Lesson From Tony Horton

   Over the past couple of weeks, I've been getting lots of positive feedback from the blog.  I've been reflecting on the "motivational expressions" of my favorite fitness trainer, Tony Horton, creator of the popular P90X fitness program.  I have been surprised at how much Tony's words of encouragement related to physical fitness also apply to our spiritual fitness.  First we looked at, "Do your best and forget the rest," and then last week we talked about what it means to, "Bring it."  This week I offer one last expression from Tony, and it has to do with perseverance.  Tony says, "Too many people, when they are exercising, quit way too soon."

     Tony is quick to draw the distinction between the pain that leads to growth and the pain that results from injury.  In order to improve our level of fitness, we have to be willing to endure the pain that leads to growth.  According to Tony, the problem with many who exercise, is that when they start to feel the pain that leads to growth, they quit.  Tony says, "Some people just have something inside them that says, 'That hurts. I quit.'"  Tony points out that when it comes to getting in the best shape of your life, "It's supposed to hurt!"   The kind of pain Tony endorses is the pain that comes from pushing ourselves beyond our comfort zones.   The temptation is to quit when we experience that pain, but if we quit, we don't really improve our level of fitness.  Tony says the key is to "keep showing up" and to keep pushing ourselves.

     I think the same thing is true of our spiritual fitness.  Some people start to follow Jesus, but they discover it isn't usually convenient or easy.  When they start to get challenged, some people say, "That hurts. I quit."  

     It hurts to discipline our schedule so that we have time to worship and serve.  It hurts to attend Bible Study or Small Group when we are already tired from a full day.  It hurts to manage our finances so that we can give money to support God's work in the world.  It hurts to battle temptation and live a different kind of lifestyle in order to honor God.  It hurts to face our personal brokenness and get honest with God about our motives and our attitudes.  It hurts to discipline ourselves to forgive people we would rather hate. It hurts to say "Yes" to the nudging of the Holy Spirit when we would rather say, "No."   And yet, this is the kind of hurt that leads to growth and allows us to become the people God created us to be.  Sometimes we feel like quitting, but if we will persevere, the rewards will be worth it both in this life and the next.

    The Bible tells us that we should not grow weary in doing what is good, but to remember that we will reap an abundant harvest if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9).   If you have something inside you that says, "It hurts. I quit," remind yourself that perseverance is one of the ways we prove that our faith is genuine.  It is the only way to become spiritually fit.  It is the only way to become the people God intends for us to be.  I hope you will keep showing up for worship each weekend.  And I hope that you will push yourself beyond your comfort zone.  Do not grow weary doing what is good! An abundant harvest awaits us, if we do not give up.  Yes, it hurts, but yes, it's worth it.  Keep showing up.

Tony Horton Has Helped Me Grow In My Faith

  His name is Tony Horton; and he is not a Pastor, he is not an author, he is not a Theologian. I don't even know if he is a Christian. But he has really helped me grow in my faith. Tony Horton is a fitness instructor.  Tony is the originator of a highly successful home-based fitness program known as "P90X"  (the "P" stands for "Power," the "90" represents "90 days," and the "X" stands for "Extreme").   The program itself is contained on a series of DVD's where Tony instructs and encourages you through a series of workouts designed to get you into the best shape of your life in a period of 90 days.

  I got hold of the P90X program a couple of years ago and gave it a try.  Even though I have always tried to stay in pretty good shape, I must admit that this fitness program was more rigorous (and more rewarding) than any other exercise or fitness routine I've tried.  It has been a couple of years since I did the entire program, but every now and then, when I am too busy or too lazy to get to the gym, I will still pop in a P90X DVD and "workout with Tony" for about an hour.     

  So how has Tony helped me grow in my Christian Faith?  Not through the exercises, but through his words.   Tony Horton has a series of sayings, or expressions, that he uses quite often to encourage and motivate people as they exercise.  He applies these "wise sayings" to exercise and fitness, but they can just as easily be applied to living out the Christian Faith.      

  One of Tony's expressions is: "Do your best and forget the rest."  Tony realizes that not everyone is at the same fitness level.  For one person, doing 10 pushups is a major accomplishment.  For another, doing 30, 40 or 50 is a realistic objective.  The point is to really do your best, not just go through the motions and quit as soon as the work gets difficult.  When you truly do your best, you can forget what you weren't able to do and just celebrate what you were able to do.  Sometimes, Tony puts it this way, "Don't let what you can't do get in the way of what you can do."      

  That is sage advice for those of us who are seeking to be spiritually fit as well.  Our goal should be to honor God with our best efforts in whatever we do: as spouses, parents, bosses, employees, neighbors, friends, and followers of Christ.  When we do our best, we don't beat ourselves up for the failures and shortcomings, we celebrate the ways God has begun to make a difference in our lives.      

  But the key here is to really do our best.  Many times people say, "I'm trying my best" but they are just fooling themselves.  They aren't really trying that hard.  One of my goals as a Pastor is to encourage people to do their best without causing them to feel guilty for their shortcomings and failures.  The goal is to call out the best in myself and in others without piling on a bunch of guilt and shame for the times and ways we fall short.      

  The Bible tells us to forget what is behind us and the sin that so easily weighs us down, and to press on towards the goal of our life in Christ. (Philippians 3:12-14).   Jesus died on the cross to forgive us of our sins.  In gratitude for His great mercy and love, we receive forgiveness and we seek to "do our best" to honor Him with our lives.      

  I hope to see you with us in worship at Ebenezer Church this weekend.  You may not consider yourself to be a "super saint" yet, but don't let what you can't do get in the way of what you can do. What we can do is often more than we realize.  God is pleased when we worship Him and seek to grow in our faith.  That takes effort, but the effort is based on love and gratitude, not guilt and shame. So "do your best and forget the rest." 

The Substitution Principle

    There is a popular, best-selling diet book in bookstores these days. It is called, Eat This, Not That. Actually, there are a whole series of these books. The concept of these books is simple: if you want to lose weight and still enjoy food, learn to substitute lower calorie items for higher calorie items. For example, substitute low-fat vanilla yogurt for dessert instead of vanilla ice cream. Substitute baked potato chips for deep-fat fried potato chips (that's a tough one for me).
    The Eat This, Not That diet is based on a principle known as "The Substitution Principle." Life is full of choices, and we can enhance and improve our lives by choosing to substitute or replace one choice for another.
    The Bible is full of suggestions on how to use The Substitution Principle to improve our lives. The Bible tells us to replace worry with prayer (Philippians 4:6), to replace worldly thinking with holy thinking (Romans 12:2), to replace foolishness with wisdom (Proverbs 3:35), to replace bitterness with forgiveness (Ephesians 4:32), to replace spiritual apathy with passion for God (Romans 12:11). When we practice The Substitution Principle, we are using the power of personal choice to make our lives better.
    For example, what would happen if someone made the daily decision to take a 30-minute walk instead of watching a 30-minute television show? Over time, that decision would be life-enhancing. What if someone got out of bed 15 minutes earlier in the morning and invested those 15 minutes in quiet time with the Lord? That would make a significant difference for the rest of the day. What if someone decided to substitute thankfulness for complaining? What if someone decided to substitute kindness for grumpiness? An encouraging word instead of a curse word? Patience instead of anger?
    I am taking some time today to reflect upon my own life, to evaluate how my choices have affected the quality and condition of my life. I am going to consider where I might need to put The Substitution Principle to work in my own life so that I might honor God more fully. I encourage you to do the same. As Socrates once said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." The Bible also tells us to examine our ways, to make sure we are truly living to honor the Lord (2 Corinthians 13:5).
    God gives us the gift of choice, but with that gift comes great responsibility. First, we make our choices, then our choices make us. In what areas do you need to put The Substitution Principle to work in your life?
    I hope you will take some time to worship God at Ebenezer Church this weekend. Pastor Chris will be getting us started in a new teaching series on The Kingdom of God. I am still on vacation, and will be attending worship at another church; but I will be back in the office on Monday. If you've been neglecting worship services, I hope you make the decision to make weekly worship at Ebenezer a regular part of your life. After all, we all make our choices, then our choices make us.

Makai

This past Monday, I got a Golden Retriever puppy.  He is nine weeks old and his name is Makai (a Hawaiian word meaning “toward the ocean.”)  My wife, who spent several years of her childhood in Hawaii, named him.  I call him “Mak” for short.

I had forgotten how much fun (and how much work) a puppy can be.  When Mak is not in his crate I have to watch him constantly.  He can so quickly wander, and because he is still in the process of housetraining, he is prone to “accidents” if I don’t get him outside in time to “do his business.”

This morning, Mak was with me in the kitchen as I was packing my lunch. I was making a ham and cheese sandwich and my puppy was looking up at me with his “puppy dog eyes” licking his chops.  I wanted a small piece of ham from the sandwich I was putting together and I was going to give him a small piece of ham as a reward for being a good dog.  But suddenly, Mak noticed a dried up raisin that had fallen on the floor and was just out of reach under the refrigerator.  Mak feverishly scratched and whined and tried to get his nose under the refrigerator to get that raisin.  At the same time, I was trying to get his attention so I could give him a nice piece of ham.  But he wouldn’t respond to me.  He was obsessed about that raisin.  I finally gave up and just put the ham on my sandwich.

I thought about how we are all sometimes like Mak.  We get so focused and sometimes obsessed about “lesser things” that we miss out on some of the best things that God has for us.  I don’t know about you, but there have been times in my life when I have been preoccupied with the trivial raisins just out of reach and missed out on the wonderful gifts that come from the hand of God.  And like Mak, I am quick to wander.

One of the reasons I value our weekend worship services so much is that it helps me get my focus where it needs to be.  I find that when I pull away from everyday life and settle down in God’s presence, I find the peace and perspective I so desperately need, and I am then better able to discern the truly important things from the lesser things.

Of course, there is much more to being the Church than just gathering for weekly worship, but I do find that weekly worship together is a cornerstone of my life and my faith.  I hope it’s the same for you and I hope I will see you at Ebenezer this weekend.

The Greatest Dog Ever

About one month ago, I had to endure the very painful and unfortunate experience of euthanizing my dog.   Jake was a Golden Retriever, unusually large for his breed (over 110 pounds).   My wife Lynn picked him out from a litter of pups back in March of 2001.  Over the past 9 years, Jake has been a faithful companion, a playful friend, and a joyful presence in my life.   He loved our entire family, and our entire family loved him, but there was no doubt that Jake was my dog, and I was his master.

 

I always knew that the day would come when Jake would die.  The vet told me years ago that a Golden Retriever rarely lives past 11 or 12 years, but a very large Retriever like Jake would be lucky to make it to 10 years.  Jake missed his tenth birthday by just a couple of months.

 

Even though I knew the day would eventually come, I was not prepared for the deep sense of loss that I felt, and still continue to feel.  For some people, and I guess I must be one of them, a dog is not just a pet, a dog is a vital and important part of the family.  The devotion and unconditional love that a dog offers is an amazing taste of grace in a world where sometimes grace is hard to find.

 

People have asked me if I will get another dog.  Someday, I probably will.  But I am in no rush.  The truth is, I don’t want another dog, I really want Jake back.  But I know that isn’t going to happen, and I so I want to take my time before getting another dog.

 

People have also asked me if I believe that dogs go to heaven.  I don’t know if all dogs go to heaven, but I believe Jake will be there.  Frankly, I am not sure it would really be heaven for me if he weren’t there to greet me someday.

 

I am also very aware that the death of a dog cannot and should not compare with the death of a spouse or a child.  As a Pastor, and as someone who has experienced the death of a parent, I understand the grief and loss that such experiences bring.

 

But here is my point: death comes to all of us eventually.  We might grieve the loss of pets and the loss of loved ones, but there will also come a day when someone will grieve the loss of us.   As a Pastor, I deal with death all the time.  But I also deal with the hope and promise of eternal life that my faith in Christ offers to me and to all those who will trust and believe.   I am not an “end of the world” fanatic, but I am a “death is inevitable” realist.  Over the course of 9 ½ years, I watched Jake frolic as a puppy, settle down into middle age, slow down in old age, and struggle to breathe as cancer invaded his lungs.  I also held him in my arms and said a tearful goodbye as he peacefully drifted away.  My final words to my dog were these: “I love you big boy, and I’ll see you on the other side.”   Those words were not just the emotional babblings of a grieving dog-lover, those words were the ultimate bedrock of faith upon which my entire life is built.

 

As I write these words, it is the day before Thanksgiving.  I am preparing to drive up to Arlington Cemetery to conduct a funeral for a woman who lived into her 80’s.  I will speak the promise of resurrection to the family and friends gathered around the grave.  I will say, “we are not in the land of the living moving towards death, we are actually in the land of the dying moving towards life.”    And as I say these words, I will think of those I have known and loved, who have already experienced the inevitable reality of death.  I will also acknowledge that someday I will die.  But most of all, I will be grateful for the new life that awaits me on the other side of death, and the dog who will be there to greet me.  He will no doubt want me to take him for a walk, and I will gladly take him.  But he won’t need a leash in heaven.  He will be truly free, and so will I. 

 

Biggest Decisions of My Life

One of my favorite quotes is by Stephen Covey, “Our behavior is a function of our decisions, not our conditions.”   I like that quote because it recognizes behavior as a choice we make, not simply a reflexive response to our conditions.  To be fair, I think we must acknowledge that our behaviors are impacted by our conditions, but the opposite is also true, our conditions are impacted by our behaviors.   And it all hinges on our ability to make wise choices, or decisions.  Perhaps this is why the Bible so often encourages us to “get wisdom” and to “seek after wisdom.”  Wisdom is, in part, an ability to make good decisions.

As I anticipate my 50^th birthday this summer, I have been looking back on some of the most important decisions I ever made, to see how these decisions have impacted my behavior and my conditions.

Of course, the best decision of all was to accept God’s offer of grace and mercy, and to make a commitment to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.   In some ways, this decision has affected every other decision, because I began to seek God’s wisdom for every area of my life.  I haven’t always done what I knew was the right thing to do (I still sin), but I do a lot better than I would if I tried to live by my own sense of wisdom.

Another great decision was to ask Lynn Davis to be my wife.  At the time I was 24 and she was 21.  Here we are 25 years later, and we are still going strong. We have two wonderful children who are now in college.  I feel very blessed to have a strong family.

Another great decision was to be an avid reader.   I don’t read novels and fiction books, I tend to read history, theology, biography, philosophy, psychology, and of course books on Christian living.  For many years, I have made it a commitment to read at least one marriage book per year.  I still need all the help I can get in order to be the best husband I can be, but reading marriage books has  made me a better husband than I would have been. 

One more great decision was to exercise regularly.  I lift weights and run at least 5-6 times per week.  I’m not going to win any contests, but I am in good shape for a guy pushing 50.  The exercise helps me to sleep better at night, and actually gives me more energy during the day.  Plus it is a great stress reliever.

A close walk with God, a happy marriage, a curious mind, and a healthy body; these are all wonderful conditions that I am currently enjoying.  But they all began with a decision that led to behavior.

Of course there are lots of conditions in my life that could use some improvement, and they are also a function of choices and decisions I have made.  The bad news is that parts of my life aren’t as they should or could be.  The good news is, I can begin to experience positive changes  if I will make wise decisions and apply a little self-discipline.  And if there are areas in your life where you would like to change, you can do the same.  That’s the beauty of life, and that’s part of the joy of living.  We can always get better, because God offers us His grace and because our behavior is a function of our decisions, not our conditions.

What big decisions have you made and where have they led you?  I would love to hear your story.