From the Pastor’s Heart

Paul reminds us in his first letter to the Corinthians: “Do you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? For God’s temple is holy, and that temple you are” (1Corinthians 3: 16 & 17b). We are called to care for God’s temple. It is that calling that Sandra Lane gave birth to our new Health and Wellness Ministry. She continues to post helpful suggestions on the church Web page. She also coordinates monthly workshops and/or lectures on interesting and helpful topics so that we might not only be mindful of our bodies but that we might better care for our God given bodies.

One of our recent workshops for our Health and Wellness ministry was “line dancing”, taught by Lou Ann Scott. The response was so overwhelming we decided we would hold monthly line dancing lessons in the downstairs social hall.

I watch in awe at the number of people who are able to watch Lou Ann only once and are able to put it all together with such joy and rhythm. And then there is me. You have heard the term ‘two left feet?’ Just when I think I have it, Lou Ann turns on the music and my feet just don’t seem to do what my head is telling them to do. The good news is you don’t have a partner and you don’t have to worry about stepping on someone’s feet. (Sorry Sandra Dewitt. I have no idea how I managed to step on your foot and almost break your foot.) I struggle to relax and allow the rhythm to flow. (Is there any way we can slow the music down a bit?)

I have shared in the past how I enjoyed watching my parents dance. My mom could follow my father’s lead with such ease and grace. Their feet would just glide across the dance floor, swaying to the music. The two moved as one. My sister, Diana, was able to dance with our dad with the same kind of ease and rhythm as our mother. At a wedding reception, I once saw Diana dance to “Wipe Out”. I have no idea how she did that without dislocating her hip! I must have been in the other room when God was handing out rhythm.

Even though this dancing thing doesn’t seem to come naturally, I think I am seeing some small improvement as I stick to it and practice the dances over and over again. (Keep this just between us, this morning I was practicing a few of the steps in the hallway and I looked up and there was Louie standing at the top of the steps watching. I am sure he was shaking his head in disbelief wondering what my problem was. Now let’s see there is….the jazz box step, the shuffle, the fan, the Charleston step, kick ball change, left and right vine, heels and toes, the knee pops and you sway your hips. Then someone commented that Sandra Lane said, “Oh I have to see Russel do that!”

PRACTICE…PRACTICE…PRACTICE…PRACTICE…PRACTICE..

God invites us to join Him in a dance. And for many that dance doesn’t seem to come very naturally. There are some complicated and complex steps in God’s dance. Now let’s see, there is…

• You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind.
• You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
• Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
• This I command you, to love one another.
• If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
• Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God, in Christ, forgave you.
• If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross.

All of those steps (and there are more…many more) don’t always come naturally; in fact, we struggle with many of these dance steps. We are not alone in our struggle. John Wesley, our founding father, struggled as well. On his journey to the colonies, the ship he boarded encountered a severe storm and he feared for his life. A group of Moravians was also on board and during the storm they peacefully sang hymns. That night John wrote in his journal, “I have come to save the Indians, but who will save me?” Even as an ordained priest, John Wesley struggled with his faith and his salvation. His good friend, Peter Bohler, told John: “Preach faith until you have it and because you have, you will preach faith.”

If we are to be good dancers we must persevere. We must not give up. We must practice again and again and again. If we are to be good and faithful Christians, it takes much perseverance. We must not give up. We must practice…practice…practice…until our Christ likeness comes naturally. I invite you to come and join our dance lessons. I will try not to step on your foot. The good news is no one is judgmental. Everyone is patient and kind. No one laughs at you. They are most helpful when you struggle. I invite you to come to worship, Bible study, Sunday School and other faith-enhancing opportunities where you will not have to worry about being judged or laughed at. It is a safe place, where we help each other when we struggle; when this faith thing seems not to come naturally. We pick each other up and we walk hand in hand, as we dance with God. The good news for us is when we stumble and fall, God’s grace is always sufficient.

Sydney Carter’s folk hymn, Lord of the Dance, written in 1963, is interpreted to be life lived in its fullest abundance, or as Carter defines it, “the image of all faith.” The stanzas choreograph the life of Christ, with the refrain inviting singers to “Dance then, where you may be.”

Dance, then, wherever you may be;
I am the Lord of the dance, said he.
And I’ll lead you all wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.

I invite you to dance with me as God leads the way. And the dance goes on….

Blessings,
Pastor Russel

We do it every four years, at least those of us who have a driver’s license; we must go and get our picture taken for our driver’s license. It is my turn once again this year. In fact, I need to go this month. Now I don’t know why but I keep my outdated licenses. I was looking at my collection the other day and was quite surprised to see how much I change in looks in a four-year period. Yikes! I can only imagine what I will look like when I go for my picture in 2014.

Some say the older I get the more I look like my father. Some even say I walk just like him. Although I think I have mother’s temperament.

My mother has a couple of boxes filled with old pictures stored in a closet. In that box is a picture of my dad when he was about 4 or 5 years of age sitting on a pony dressed in a cowboy outfit. There is also in that box a picture of my brother about the same age sitting on a pony in a cowboy outfit. It is almost impossible to tell which one is my dad and which one is my brother.

Nancy has often said that she is startled in the morning when she looks in the mirror and sees her mother looking back. Our grandson Mac looks just like his mother and Amy looks just like me. Our Granddaughter Victoria looks just like her mother and Lee Ann looks just like Nancy. It will be interesting to see whom the two new grandbabies will look like.

Genetics are interesting…they dictate how we look and often our medical history. What about our mannerisms? Are they learned or genetic? Can we blame our behavior on our genes?

Who do you look like? Are you able to identify specific characteristics that you inherited?

“God spoke: ‘Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature…’” (Genesis 1:26a The Message). Hmmm…. Does that mean God has gray hair and a white mustache?

Who do we look like? What is our nature? May we each strive for the same goal…. When others look at us they see the face of Christ! May others say I know who you belong to, I see the resemblance; you are a child of God.

May our prayer be the words found in Adelaide A. Pollard’s 1902 hymn, Have Thine Own Way, Lord:

Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Thou art the potter; I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.

Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Hold o’er my being absolute sway.
Fill with thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me!

Blessings,

Pastor Russel…a forgiven and redeemed child of God.

Like so many of you, I have been following closely the David Goldman custody battle. I can’t imagine the heart-wrenching ache of losing custody of one’s child. The boy’s mother, Bruna Bianchi, took Sean (then 4 years of age) to her native Brazil in 2004, divorced Goldman and remarried. Goldman began legal efforts to get his son back.

After Bianchi died last year in childbirth, her husband Paulo Lins e Silva, continued the legal fight and won temporary custody.

The last several months, each time David Goldman was able to embrace hope that he would be reunited with his son, that hope was met with devastating disappointment when yet another court ruling prevented the father and son reunion.

Finally, a ruling last week by the chief justice of the Brazilian Supreme Court finally cleared the way for the boy’s return on Christmas Eve. David and his son Sean were finally reunited. After five long agonizing years, Sean and his dad began a new journey… a journey home.

A recent report stated: “A man who brought his son home to the United States from Brazil after winning a bitter custody battle said in an interview aired Monday that he’s thrilled they have been reunited but is still waiting to be called ‘Dad.’” “I said, ‘You can call me Dad,’” David Goldman said on NBC’s “Today” show. “And he didn’t say anything.”

And so David Goldman rejoices in their reunion but patiently waits for healing and for his son to embrace their relationship so that he will once again call him “Dad.”

This is the time of year when we again meet up with the Magi. They too are on a journey. The story of the Magi is astonishing. Magi living hundreds of miles from Israel leave their families and the comforts of home to chase the mere possibility of encountering the long-awaited King of the Jews.

The Magi offer a model for life. When they were confronted with the opportunity to connect authentically with God and experience true life, they left all that was familiar for a journey into the unknown. The Magi are not content to experience Jesus from afar. They want to experience him personally. That encounter… that experience changed their lives forever.

As we approach 2010, I wonder about God’s agonizing wait for His children to return home and call him Abba (Daddy). There is no judge or court prohibiting our rightful custody with our eternal father. We are our own stumbling blocks in returning to our rightful home.

It is not enough to experience Jesus from afar. How long will God the Father have His hopes dashed and experience disappointment after disappointment because His children refuse to come home and embrace the relationship that God offers each of us in becoming part of God’s family?

Give thanks if you call God “Abba”. But if you are still only curious from afar, the New Year is a great time to come home! There will be no court ruling ordering you home. There is however, the Father’s outstretched open arms and loving invitation. And He waits for your response. He longingly waits to hear you say, “I want to come home ‘Abba!’ I want to come home.” This morning I heard David Goldman say with tears of rejoicing: “He is home, he is home.”

I can imagine every time one of God’s children comes home, God rejoices with the same exclamation… “He is home! She is home!”

Won’t you come home?

Peace and Blessings for the New Year,
Pastor Russel

With Grateful Hearts…

We have been showered with blessings by the outpouring of your expressions of love this Christmas season. Thank you for the generous gifts from our Church family and the many other expressions of love. Nancy and Pastor Russel

Last week Nancy and I spent a few days with our daughter Amy and her family. It is always a blessing to spend time with our children and grandchildren. Mac, our soon to be two-year-old grandson has discovered the world of “bugs”. On one of our many walks we saw a rather large night crawler. We spent several minutes examining and watching this worm inch its way across the road. On another walk we encountered a grasshopper. Mac’s squeals of joy were delightful. He sat on the pavement closely eyeing the “bug”. He watched his every move. As Mac observed this fascinating bug he would slowly move a little closer to get a better look until the grasshopper would jump and Mac would squeal again and move away. This went on for several minutes. He wanted to be brave and touch the insect as he moved his little hand ever so carefully closer to the grasshopper. He wasn’t quite sure what would happen and couldn’t bring himself to actually touch the “bug”. His curiosity and fascination were overflowing but he always maintained a safe distance from this mysterious little creature.

We find ourselves stepping into the Advent and Christmas seasons. We begin our journey to Bethlehem to the stable that we might once again peer into the manger at the Christ Child. Like my grandson, our fascination, enthusiasm, joy and curiosity are overflowing this time of year. Something wonderfully mysterious has happened in Bethlehem. And we want to be part of excitement. We want to join the choirs of angels and sing of that holy night. Sadly, however, too many do not move beyond their curiosity and fascination when it comes to the babe in the stable. We find that we would much rather keep a safe distance between the Christ Child and us.

My grandson did not know what would happen if he touched that grasshopper. But we know… we know that the Son of God not only brings love, compassion, and forgiveness; this tiny little baby grows up and says: “If anyone would come after me, deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” We know that if we get too close to this tiny little baby we are called to move beyond fascination and curiosity and embrace the Son of God. We are called to complete commitment in our discipleship. I invite you to journey with me once again as we follow the star to the place where we will look upon the face of God. I invite you to come with your enthusiasm, joy, curiosity and fascination as we celebrate. And then as God calls you to be a faithful servant you are invited to move beyond curiosity and fascination and embrace this holy child as you give yourself completely, for we need not fear the one who is called Emmanuel, the Savior of the world.

Christmas Peace and Blessings,

Pastor Russel

Many of us find grief a long and difficult journey. We wonder if we will ever laugh again and truly mean it. We wonder if we will ever dance again with joyful enthusiasm. We begin to wonder if all of our remaining days will be clouded with sorrow. We wonder….

I recently read the following story about a grief support group.

“The first session of the grief support group was gut-wrenching. One by one, the broken, lost grieving people shared their stories. Each person’s life had moved from normal to shattered, because of cancer, car accidents, heart attacks, or other tragedies that robbed them of their loved one. Raw emotion and buckets of tears accompanied story after story about how those real life losses manifested themselves in daily life.

One woman shared, ‘Last night I dreamed the doorbell rang and when I opened the door, my husband was standing there. He was no longer thin and sick from cancer. He was no longer bald from chemotherapy. He was healthy and strong like he used to be. When I woke up, I realized that I’ve only been grieving so far for the loss of my sickly husband and haven’t even begun to grieve over the loss of my strong, healthy husband.’

Another group member tentatively shared that he had spent the night, more than once, lying on his wife’s grave because ‘it is the only place I can feel close to her.’

One woman lamented the sheer terror at the idea of facing the holidays alone.

The room was filled with deep, real grief. It was tearing people apart. One member of the group asked, ‘Will we ever feel differently? How will we ever come out of this?’ As the facilitator, I knew it was important that my response paint a picture of hope. ‘I know it is hard to imagine, but I believe the day will come when you will smile again….when you will be able to enjoy life,’ I said gently, finding it a little hard to imagine myself.

After working closely with these people for about a year, I moved to another city. Years later, I returned to the town for a speaking engagement. Just before I was to speak, I was surprised to see many of the members of the grief group, seated on the front row.

Later, when I greeted them, some told me of new relationships in their lives, new jobs, and traveling adventures. I asked if they still met together as a group and they laughed, ‘You won’t believe this, but we only meet now to go line dancing.’

A line dancing grief group…who would have thought? But when God shows up, healing happens, hope springs forth, and new life emerges.”

Sunday, November 1 we will celebrate All Saint’s Sunday. It will be a day when we remember loved ones who have died in the last year. Yes, there will be tears and raw grief. There will be those who will wonder if it will ever get any better. We will share our grief and we will remember. We will remember our loved ones.

We will also rejoice because we will also remember that we are not alone in our troubles. We are not alone in our losses, our grief, and our heartache. God is with us.

We will celebrate the risen Christ who whispers in the darkness: ‘Didn’t I tell you, you would see the glory of God? Didn’t I tell you this is not over yet? Didn’t I tell you God will wipe away every tear?’

We no longer have to wonder because when God shows up (and God always shows up) even grief groups will line dance one day.

I pray you will show up this All Saint’s Sunday because God is going to show up and remind each of us that we will dance again.

Thanks be to God!

Pastor Russel

Have you ever been curious about something? Every morning when I am walking Louie I pass a vacant house on the corner of Blackburn and Centennial. It has been vacant for over three years (since my arrival to Sewickley) and perhaps much longer. I have watched the vines grow up over the front door and the wicker chair on the porch crumble. There are wax Christmas candles in the window. The curtains are looking dingy. On what appears to be the dinning room table is a flower arrangement that long ago dried up and in the middle of that arrangement is a flower pick with a little card. I am curious. I wonder about the owner’s story. Why has the house remained untouched all of these years? Did the person who lived there receive an arrangement of flowers when he or she was sick? Did the owner of the home die? Did he/she have to make other living arrangements?

People’s stories are interesting. Our stories help define who and what we are. During the interviewing process for a custodian we interviewed a gentleman who had listed on his resume that he had worked on a track gang. I could relate. I too worked as a laborer on a track gang. We were able to connect and share our stories.

Some on our committee were surprised to learn of my “track gang” experiences. One even said, “Pastor Russel, I can’t even imagine you working at a job where you would get your hands dirty!” Often times our stories may seem unimaginable. But they are a part of our fabric woven into our very being.

We all have our stories to share. In our individual families we tell our stories again and again. Telling our stories is one way of remembering our loved ones and keeping them close. Telling our stories makes us “family.”

God’s house should be a safe place where we can come together to share our stories as a family. Some stories we eagerly celebrate. There are other stories that give birth to pain and grief. Often times sharing these stories brings healing. Sometimes we are surprised to learn that we share a common bond because our stories are so similar.

We come to God’s house to hear God’s story, a story that includes you and me. It is a story that binds us together as brothers and sisters in Christ. It is a love story that continues in God’s love. God continually reminds us that His love story, our love story, always ends with… “and they lived happily ever after!”

I pray you will come and be a part of the greatest story ever told or lived. May your story be blessed.

Blessings,

Pastor Russel

As many of you know, I am a second career pastor. Prior to experiencing the call to ministry I worked for ten years at the Carbon Limestone Plant where my father, brother and many of my uncles worked.

During that tenure I found myself needing additional employment because of lay offs or the company went on strike. I found employment at a small convenience store and I also cleaned a doctor’s office.

One of the worst jobs, in my opinion, was working retail. One Christmas season when the limestone plant was on strike I found work at a Straus’ Department store downtown Youngstown, Ohio. Christmas, a time of joy and good cheer, except for many exasperated shoppers. I encountered some awfully rude people during that holiday season.

Browsing customers would come and go. I would politely ask, “May I help you?’ And often the response was, “I am just looking.”

Just looking! What it mostly means is; “Go away, I have no intention of buying anything here.” No intent on buying, just messing up the shirts and sweaters I just straightened up minutes before for the one-hundredth time.

We have all done it, gone into a store…just looking. We touch and pick up the clothing with no intentions of buying. Sometimes we go ‘just looking’ because we are bored. We cruise the malls looking in one shop after another. Sometimes we go ‘just looking’ to sneak a peak at all those things that are out of our reach. Have you ever pretended to be studying photos of yachts for sale down at the marina? Have you ever walked through the showroom of a Porsche dealership, checking out the latest models you won’t be buying? Or maybe you prefer trying on a few diamonds and rubies, just to see how they look on your finger? Sorry, Just looking!

Some people spend their entire lives, ‘just looking’. It is difficult for some to invest their energies, emotions or economic security in anything because of the risks involved. People who are ‘just looking’ drift in and out of jobs without ever finding a vocation, they drift in and out of relationships without ever daring to love and they drift in and out of the church without ever opening their hearts to the Spirit of God or feeling the pulse of Christ’s body.

This past Sunday, little three-year-old Delaney Bollman touched my heart. She and her sister Sarah and their parents, Tonya and Joe were greeters. Delaney was taking her job quite seriously when she proudly and intentionally stuck her hand out to greet me. As I shook her hand she looked at me and said, “Hey, you’re not God!” I assured her that she was correct. Her father Joe explained, “Delaney has been looking for God ever since she and her sister were downstairs in the church and Delaney was afraid and Sarah reassured her that she need not be afraid because God was there.” Sarah is such a wise older sister! Joe said, “Ever since that incident, Delaney has been looking for God in the church.”

Delaney is quite serious in her quest. I know as she grows and matures she is going to find God in amazing ways because God has found Delaney as God finds each of us.

Delaney’s search made me pause and give thought to all who pass through the church doors. I wonder how many are on a sincere quest to find God or how many are just browsing? I wonder when they do find God and God offers an opportunity to be a disciple will they think the cost is too great and say, “No, thanks, just looking!”

As we enter this new season in the life of the church it is a wonderful opportunity for each of us to renew our commitment to find God in new and amazing ways. It is a great time to commit to the morning or evening Bible Study, to be an active student in Christian education, commit to weekly worship, serve on a committee, and become a member of the ministry of music program. The church provides a variety of opportunities to discover God or are we just browsing?

Blessings,

Pastor Russel

There are some wonderfully witty observations in David Heller’s delightful little book; Dear God: Children’s Letters to God. I would like to share a few examples.

• Dear God, what do you think about all those movies made about you around Easter time? I think they’re kind of corny, myself. Your buddy, Charles. (Age 9)
• Dear God, what do you do with families that don’t have much faith? There’s a family on the next block like that. I don’t want to get them in trouble, so I can’t say who. See you in church! Alexis (age 10)
• Dear God, want to hear a joke? What is read, very long, and you hear it right before you go to sleep? Give up? A sermon. Your friend, Frank. (Age 11)
• Dear God, I have doubts about you sometimes. Sometimes, I really believe. Like when I was four and I hurt my arm and you healed it up fast. But my question is, if you could do this why don’t you stop all the bad in the world? Like war…like diseases…like famine…like drugs. And there are other problems in other people’s neighborhoods too. I’ll try to believe more. (Ian, age 10)

There are those days when the sun is shining and life is good, very good! Life overflows with God’s blessings. There is joy and laughter, celebrations and victories, dancing and singing. God is very real and our faith is strong. But when the storm clouds roll in and our lives are turned upside down and we find ourselves like little Ian full of questions and struggling to believe more.

I once read a book to a classroom of students about the pain of losing a friend. The story is written in the first person. It is the story of young Jamie, who tells the story of his feelings when confronted with the death of his best friend in the whole world.

Jamie and Billy were neighbors and inseparable. Billy was always the town and class clown. So on this day when the boys were picking bugs from a bush and Billy was stung by a bee and began to roll on the ground; Jamie thought it was just Billy carrying on again.

Billy was not clowning around. He was allergic to bee stings and he died. Jamie was left to go on living without his best friend. He didn’t know how to do that.

Jamie wanted no part of acknowledging his friend’s death. The night his parents were going to the funeral home Jamie decided he was not going with them. But at the last minute as they were going out the door he yelled for them to wait for him.

Jamie could not believe what he was hearing as people passed by Billy’s casket: “He looks so sweet, just like he is sleeping.” Jamie was furious. He thought to himself: “He’s dead, he will never open his eyes again. How can they say such things?” Jamie ran from the funeral home.

That night he went home and immediately went to bed. As was their routine, his mother came up to his room, tucked him in and kissed him on the forehead. As soon as she left the room Jamie jumped out of bed and gazed out the window. He looked down and saw his flashlight. He thought Billy’s flashlight must be lying on his window sill. At night they would flash codes back and forth. He looked over at Billy’s room and his room was dark. Jamie thought and thought; “Why did he have to die? Why did he have to die?”

He heard his mother coming up the stairs and ran back to bed and pretended to be asleep. She kissed him once again and left. She no sooner left the room and Jamie had wished he had not pretended to be asleep.

He got up and looked out the window again. He saw his mother walking across the yard to Billy’s house. She was going to visit Billy’s mom and try to comfort her. How he wished she had stayed. He knew Billy’s mom needed her but he needed her too. He thought; “If only she would come back and hold me like she did when I was a baby.”

He was afraid and confused. He wondered if it was wrong to want to be held. He needed to be cuddled and loved. He needed to be reassured that he was going to be okay. He needed to feel safe.

He crawled back to bed and wished his mother were there. Then he heard footsteps again. It was his father. He came into the room, picked Jamie up as though he were a baby and squeezed tight and cuddled him. He never thought of his father, but, why not?

There is much joy in life but we also know there is much pain, as well. I know it from personal experience and I know it as a Pastor. Pain and grief are often shared. But I also know there are many deep hurts, wounds and scars that we often keep to ourselves. In both cases we need healing.

What do we do when we are walking in Ian’s shoes and have so many unanswered questions? What do we do when we find ourselves like Billy, wanting to be held and reassured of a safe place and that life will be okay? Where do we turn?

Like Billy, we often overlook the obvious. Why not the father…our heavenly Father?
Our Heavenly Father through his Son, says to each of us; “Come unto me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” The Apostle Paul in Romans reminds us: “What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us form the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

I invite you to bring your joys as well as your hurts to worship where you will find your church family and Pastor waiting and willing to celebrate with you or to hold you and care for you. Regardless of our age, we can come to the altar of God where we will find our Heavenly Father eagerly waiting to hold us in His arms, reassuring us that in His love everything will be more than okay.

Blessings,

Pastor Russel

I recently ran across this amusing story.

One day Herman and Mary were riding along in their shiny new car. Mary spoke up and said, “You know Herman; if it weren’t for my money we probably wouldn’t have this wonderful new car.” Herman just sat there and didn’t say anything at all.

As they pulled into the driveway Herman turned off the motor and they quietly admired their new home. Then Mary said, “You know Herman; if it weren’t for my money we probably wouldn’t have this new house.” And again, Herman just sat there and didn’t say anything.

They got out of the car and walked in just as the deliverymen finished setting up their new furniture. “You know Herman,” said Mary once more, “if it weren’t for my money we probably wouldn’t have this new carpet and all this new furniture.” And once more, Herman didn’t say a word.

It happened again as they sat down in their new den and propped up their feet and watched the big screen TV located on their new entertainment center. “You know Herman,” said Mary, “if it were not for my money we probably wouldn’t have this huge entertainment center.”

And with that poor Herman had enough. He turned to Mary and said, “I don’t want to hurt your feelings, Honey, but you know if it weren’t for your money I probably wouldn’t be here either!”

Often there are motivating factors behind our actions. And often those factors include: What’s in it for me!” This was certainly the case for Herman.

The next time you find yourself sitting in worship I invite you to ask yourself that very poignant question: Why am I here?

People often answer that question with the same mind set of Herman.: What’s in it for me?” I often hear people ask: “What does your church have to offer me and my family? I am often tempted to respond: wrong question. The question is: what do you and your family have to offer God and God’s church?

I hear people often complain: “I just don’t get anything out of church.” I believe we get out of church in proportion to what we give to the worship experience.

Worship is not so much about us as it is about God. Worship is one way in which we can express our love for God. It is one way we respond to God’s love.

I believe a little five-year-old girl in one of the stories found in ‘Chicken Soup For The Soul’ understands what God and life are all about. It is a story told by her doctor.

Little Mary had suffered a stroke that left half of her body paralyzed. To compound Mary’s tragedy, she had been hospitalized for treatment of a brain tumor. And to make matters even worse, Mary was also an orphan.

Mary was being examined in an MRI machine which required her to be perfectly still for about five minutes; a demanding task for a five-year-old.

About two minutes into the first sequence, the doctor and the technician noticed on the video monitor that Mary’s mouth was moving. They even heard a muted voice over the intercom.

They halted the exam and gently reminded Mary not to talk. She smiled and promised not to talk.

They repeated the sequence with the same result. Mary’s lips were moving.

The technologist, a bit gruffly said, “Mary, you were talking again and that causes blurry pictures.”

Mary’s smile remained as she replied: “I wasn’t talking. I was singing. You said no talking. You didn’t say anything about singing.”

“What were you singing?” the doctor asked. “Jesus Loves Me,” came the reply. “I always sing ‘Jesus Loves Me’ when I am happy.” Mary exclaimed.

Everyone in the room was speechless. Happy? How could this little girl be happy?

The doctor and technologist had to leave the room to regain their composure as tears began to fall.

Mary was happy because she knew Jesus loved her. Even though Mary was an orphan, even though she was partially paralyzed, even though she had a brain tumor she knew Jesus loved her.

Life may not be all that we had hoped it would be. You may be facing some difficult times. You may be faced with a health crisis. You may be making that difficult journey through the valley of grief. None of that changes the fact that Jesus loves you.

And is that not reason enough to come and offer our praise and worship?

Why do you come to church?

Blessings,
Pastor Russel

“A young man was widowed and left alone with his six-year-old daughter. He had a hard time working through his own grief, but admitted that the hardest part was trying to comfort and explain the death to his daughter. Even, with all he knew, he was left at a loss.

One day as he and his little girl were standing on a busy street corner waiting for a light to change; a very large truck suddenly sped by the corner. As it came close to them, the truck blocked out the sun and frightened his daughter. The man picked her up to comfort her, and in a moment of revelation the wisdom of God broke through and he was able to explain death to his daughter.

‘When you saw the truck pass, it scared you. But let me ask you this, would you rather have been struck by the truck, or the shadow of the truck?’

‘The shadow of the truck, of course,’ his daughter answered.

He then explained to her, ‘When your mother died, she was only hit by the shadow of death because Jesus was hit by the truck, his death on the cross.’”

Sometimes we feel like that little six-year-old girl as we wrestle with death. We have so many questions. There is so much we don’t understand. We are left to pick up the pieces, make sense of it all and begin to carve out a new kind of normal for our lives as we attempt to live again.

Over the years I have waited with countless families and counseled with them as they stood helplessly watching their loved ones pass from this life. Sometimes, ministry of presence is all one can offer; for often there are no acceptable answers to our questions. I have learned over the years that Christianity is often more a religion of presence than it is a religion of answers.

I always remind folks to focus on the things that we know, embracing the answers that we have, and not waste time or energy on those questions we may never have answered. The apostle Paul reminds us; “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood.” Some day when we are face to face with our Lord all of our questions will be answered.

I also focus on the Apostle Paul’s outlook on grief. We grieve but we grieve differently than non-Christians. We grieve but we do not grieve as those who have no hope. Our hope is in the One who showers us with grace. Our hope is in the one who reassures us that death is not the end. Jesus reminds us: “Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many rooms.”

These last days I have stood with my mother, sister and family watching my sister, Diana slowly slip away from us. As I write this I have just learned that Diana will be moved to a hospice house where we will continue to surround her with our love and wait her passing.

I find however, my heart is troubled. It is troubled because no parent should have to bury their child, much less two of her children. I am troubled that Diana has had to deal with this disease for so many years and suffer so many complications. I am troubled because there will be one more empty chair around our family table. Yes, my heart is troubled! But I know God deals with troubled hearts in loving and gracious ways until they are once again healed. I know we do not make this journey alone.

But in the midst of a broken and troubled heart I am able to discover a sense of thankfulness and rejoicing.

1. I am thankful for the gift of a sister for 51 years.
2. I am thankful for the many memories that I now cherish.
3. I am thankful for a mother, who is my hero, as she so bravely deals with her grief with such magnanimous faith.
4. I am thankful for a loving and devoted wife.
5. I am thankful for three marvelous daughters that I adore and their wonderful spouses.
6. I am thankful for two precious grandbabies.
7. I am thankful for my baby sister who graces us all with her gift of laughter.
8. I am thankful for a church family that loves me and supports me.
9. I am thankful for loving and caring friends.
10. I am especially thankful that in God’s love death does not have the last word.
11. I am thankful that even though there will be another empty chair at our table my sister will be seated at a far greater table. She will have the great pleasure of joining my father, brother, grandmother, grandfather and so many other family members and friends at the King’s table.

One of my favorite hymns is the Gaither hymn: Because He Lives….

God sent his Son, they called him Jesus;
he came to love, heal and forgive;
he lived and died to buy my pardon,
an empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.

Because he lives, I can face tomorrow;
because he lives, all fear is gone;
because I know he holds the future,
and life is worth the living just because he lives.

And then one day I’ll cross the river;
I’ll fight life’s final war with pain;
and then as death gives way to victory,
I’ll see the lights of glory and I’ll know he reigns.

Yes, even though my heart is broken with grief, I am blessed and grateful

“Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Your Blessed Pastor,
Russel