Preparing for the New Year

As I determined to clean out my desk, I found an article that I had written for the Keith County News that appeared on January 4th 2006. As I was re-reading what I had written, I thought that even today this insight might be helpful especially as we work on the new year. So I decided to write what I said and one can make the changes to 2008 rather than 2007.

"As I watched the ball descend in New Year in 2006, Dick Clark made a statement about New Year's resolutions. More than a decade ago, the number one resolution was to quit smoking. During the years, people have come to realize the dangers of smoking on one's health and many have quit.
Today, the number one resolution is to lose weight. We are beginning to understand the dangers of being over-weight and how that affects our health. Some people may not only make that their resolution but look at other areas of their lives that they feel need improvement; which could include exercise, spending more time with family, and could even include ways of improving one's mind.
Though, if any of the people are like me, I can make determined resolutions and within a month lose sight of them. The problem, at least for me, is that I need the help of others for me to follow through with these types of commitments. To try to lose weight alone or to exercise alone is difficult to do consistently. It is far better to do so with members of a group who support one another in their efforts, much like ministry.
All these resolutions are wonderful, but do not include any spiritual resolutions. As a pastor, I have seen wonderful choices in ways of living a better life. Yet, if one does not include some spiritual growth in the process, I have also seen many who fail to either institute the changes in their lives on a permanent basis or that changing their physical and psychological makeup does not seem to change their lives.
Jesus understood the difficulty in changing one's life. He did state that the body is the new temple of the Lord. Yet, his concern was less about what one would do to lose weight and change one's attitude if one did not turn to God in the same process. He began his ministry after the temptation story in the desert by saying, "turn from your sins and turn to God, because the Kingdom of Heaven is near" (Matthew 4:17 NLT).
He began to instruct us on how we are to become spiritually prepared for the kingdom. In Matthew, chapters 5-7, he instructs his disciples and ourselves in what it means to make those spiritual resolutions. This beginning of a New Year would be a wonderful time to again read these chapters and look at what resolutions we might want to make for the coming year.
These wonderful teachings express not only making God our priority but on how to live the teachings in this world. these include teachings on love of one's enemies, on not judging especially who is in or out, giving to the needy, about money and a more proper perspective, and caring for others.
Jesus knows that to do what he asked required major changes in one's choices, one's attitudes, and one's physical body. He never said that we are to do this alone. Rather, he gathered people together so that they could support one another.
This New Year, gather those around you who can support your resolutions whether to lose weight, exercise, or even in growing spiritually. Join a bible study. Go to church services on a regular basis. Participate on a mission team to help others and to spread the gospel.
Truly, if we are able to do these resolutions then we can begin to see a change in the year 2006 and live our lives in the way Jesus has taught."
I would hope that the same could be said for 2008. As we make plans and resolutions for this coming new year, take time to read Matthew and to reflect on how we can live a more fruitful life. A life that God wants us to live.

Christmas eve

As I sit here in preparation for our services tonight, I have been reflecting on what is the message that I need to hear. As I contemplate all that has happened in my community and in the world, I realize that now more than ever I need the grace of God in my life and to be an instrument of that grace towards others. So many people are separated this Christmas whether by the war, by death, by divorce, or by illness. We need to have the Prince of Peace be with us during these troubling times. Not one of us is immune to the stress and anxiety that seems to be a normal state of affairs. Many struggle without adequate housing, little to no food or warm clothing, and Christmas becomes just another day of empty promises.
Christmas is the ultimate promise of God's redemptive love for us. In the congregation that I serve I spent the last 4 weeks focusing on the secular images of Christmas whether that be consumerism, work, or even family. We seem more concerned about the gifts we give or receive than we do about God's gift to us. We seek comfort in the secular world and the myths that it produces. And somehow we continue to feel empty and unfulfilled. We look for other means to continue to seek happiness or at least a reduction of our anxiety or fear.
Christmas is about the birth of our savior Jesus, Emmanuel God with us. It is not about Christmas trees or Santa Claus or what I received. Those are important but in and of themselves do not provide our salvation or our purpose.
I mentioned last week about a number of things one family can do to share the true Christmas Spirit with those around them. One can donate food to a pantry, winter coats, gloves, mittens to shelters or schools, buy a meal for someone at the Open Door mission or other shelters. The list is endless. When we do something for someone else with no expectations of being paid back, we are sharing what God has done for us.
May this be a very Merry Christmas for you and your family. Spend some time between the food and fellowship and the gift giving to remember the story that started it all.
May God bless you.

Christmas eve eve

This time of year is busy in a lot of ways with family gatherings, hectic last minute shopping, and planning for services. I do want to wish those who read this blog a Merry Christmas and hope to see you on Christmas Eve.
I wanted to share with you this insight from my grand daughter. She had told Nancy that she wanted a Ken doll. Nancy asked if she had one and she said that she had but that she took the head off the doll. Nancy asked her why she had done that. Her reply was "to see what was underneath." Nancy then asked what was underneath. She said, "nothing." From the mouths of 5 year olds, she has figured out that in the minds of men there is nothing :). Only kidding but was worth a smile or two.
I hope that all of those who are expecting family this season that they arrive safely and when it is time for them to return to their homes that they are able to arrive without incident.
God Bless.

I wanted to write something earlier but due to the season it got away from me. I was home Thursday afternoon when Nancy called me and wanted me to come up to the library. There was a young man there who had been hiking the Mo-Pac trail and was looking for some place to stay the night. I want you to know that God has a way of helping me learn about pre-judging situations and people. I went expecting to see someone who was homeless. What I found was a young man who is a dedicated hiker who walks trails throughout the United States and makes documentaries of his travels. He is walking the America Discovery Trail that goes from the East coast in Delaware to Denver. He has hiked other trails and has his own website. Needless to say he was an interesting person to get to know. He wanted to find where the Mo-Pac met up as it stops around Louisville and one has to hike roads to find the start up. So we went on a road trip to find the place where it starts again. He spent the night at the church and Nancy and I took him out for breakfast.
He was interested in Springfield knowing us from our competition to be the home of the Simpsons. He went down to Springfield Drug and took some pictures. He also loved the Platte as we crossed over it. His name is Michael Daniels and his website is http://www.walkingwithfreedom.com/

updates

When I wrote about the people at Von Mahr I had not heard if the store was still paying their salaries. I have found out that they have continued to do so. For me, that speaks highly of the management of the stores and how they are responding and treating their employees and the families of those employees who have lost loved ones in this tragedy.
Another note Nancy and I went to the Trans Siberian Orchestra performance at the Qwest. I want you to know that it has been awhile since I have attended a concert like that. I enjoy their music as much or more than Mannheim as they do a Christmas Rock Opera with for me a very meaningful moral. They certainly put on a show with lasers, pyrotechnics, and multi-sensory (i. e. creating snow when talking about a snowing night in the city). I was impressed that after the story they continued to play and the concert lasted just short of 3 hours with no intermission or other bands.
What was impressive was that Z92 and TSO donated one dollar of every ticket sold to the Salvation Army. The cost of the tickets was quite reasonable in the first place. But they gave to our local Salvation Army over $10,000. If one has the opportunity to attend their concert and if you like rock music as well as jazz, it is worth the time and money.

I have been continuing to follow the stories of the families of the tragedy at Westroads. I was moved by the tributes that have been left at Von Mahr. Also the fund that has been established for the families of the victims. We also need to remember not just those whose lives were taken but also their co-workers and their needs as well. As of today the store remains closed. I am concerned that the workers there have no income or help to deal with their grief. I may be wrong but I hope that as people continue to reach out to others that they are included in our thoughts and prayers.
This is the season that teaches us about reaching out. Whether it is God providing lamp oil that was only enough for one day and lasted seven or the prophets who spoke of God's love or celebrating God coming to us, God has always found ways of providing for us. Today that is as true as it was back then. We are reminded of our need to have God's presence in our lives. One can look around not just here in Omaha but in our nation and world. We need to remember our need for God in our lives. Also we need to remember to share that love with others.
Yesterday the World Herald published a picture of our youth and their fund raiser. Unfortunately they did not write about all the other work that they have done. I had a person call dismayed by the picture. I listened to her opinion and while I did not agree with it I realized that we need to treat each other without judgment or at least find out the whole story before judging. When I first heard of the Westroads, one person immediately said it was probably a Muslim. I remember that when the bombing at Oklahoma City happened the press initially said the same thing. How quick we are to judge and not look at our own "log in our eyes." When we live in a world of anxiety and terror, that is when we are most vulnerable to making quick judgments. It is why we need Jesus and what he said about being anxious. I worry less about terrorists than I do about the lack of health care for the poor, poor education and the resultant lack of opportunities, the hungry and homeless. This is the season to remember those who are in need. To give into our anxiety and paranoia will not solve anything and actually could become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Spend time this season with your family and share what God has given you with others.

Chinese Fortune Cookies

Nancy and I went out to eat at our favorite Chinese restaurant. Following the dinner, we opened our fortune cookies and I wanted to share what they had to say. My fortune stated, "Discontent is the first step in the progress of a man or a nation." I began to think about what was stated and indeed that seems to be true. When we are so content, our desire is to keep things the same and not make any changes. Sometimes that leads to what I often call the inertia of sameness. We don't want to change and actually resist change especially if it seems to create difficulties for ourselves. I often read about people criticizing others because they seem to speak of their discontent as if this was a major problem. Sometimes we need to reflect on what is progress which is not the status quo.
The other saying that Nancy got stated, "Society prepares the crime; the criminal commits it." Following the tragedy of this week that is a difficult thought. Yet, one wonders. Here a deeply disturbed young man is able to get ahold of an assault AK 47 to use. At one time owning one of these assault weapons was illegal though many organizations such as NRA wanted to lift the ban. Despite law enforcement, FBI, ATF and others, the ban was lifted in 2004 by the congress and the executive branch. The concern by law enforcement was exactly what happened in this incident that someone could shoot 30+ rounds within a short period of time. Supposedly the argument was to allow either gun collectors have these weapons or for hunters. Most hunters I know would never use a semi-automatic or automatic assault rifle to go hunting. This does not excuse what the young man did which was horrific. But as we are learning, this young man had an extensive psychiatric problem and when he became an adult there was no one there to help treat the problem. I know from my experience as a mental health worker how much treatment costs and also how much medications cost. I am sure that his job at McDonalds would not even pay for his medications or for sessions to deal with his unspecified mental condition.
I continue to be in shock about the tragedy and continue to keep the families of the victims in my prayers. I would hope that we can move forward in this time of horrific violence to try to find ways that we can proactively do something that would prevent this from occurring. I hope that your prayers are also for those families and for our city and nation.

Tragedy At Westroads

I like many others in Omaha are in shock about the tragic events that occurred yesterday at Westroads a major shopping center. I did not find out about it until I went to a store to get something for my grand daughters. I could not believe that this would happen here despite the number of homicides that have occurred this year in the Metro area. This was different and one of the worst spree murders this year at any mall in the United States. What shocks me the most is the senselessness of the event. For a young man who was suicidal to go and kill 8 others and then himself, just defies rational explanation.
Needless to say what I was going to talk about at our Advent services was changed. We spent time praying for the families of those whose lives were taken, those who were wounded, all those who were there just to do Christmas shopping for their families, to the first responders and police and fire department, all the other employees of the store where this occurred, and finally for the young perpetrator and his family. While we may never understand why this occurred, we turn to God to remember that it is in precisely these times that God's promises to be with us always helps sustain us. Even for the many who did not witness these events directly, we need to come together in prayer and to reach out to those who have been most effected.
Sometimes we do not even know the extent of the tragedy. What brought home to me even though I was not at Westroads, was when my daughter in Pennsylvania called me to find out if I was ok and if my son her brother and family were ok. The anxiety of occasions such as this strike at us all reminding us of our need of the Prince of Peace in our lives.
Please remember all who were so affected by this tragedy. Take a moment to be in silence for the families. Then let us do what we can to comfort those who need comfort and to reach out to those who are need of love and support.

God's dream for creation

Tonight we will be having our first Advent dinner followed by a short meditation and communion. This is the first Wednesday following the start of Advent and we will be doing for the next two weeks a dinner and reflection each Wednesday. Tonight I will be using the dream that Joseph after he found out that Mary was pregnant. I can only imagine what he must have felt about the situation. Rather than acting out of jealousy or revenge, he choose instead to try to honor Mary and not make a big deal out of the situation. I can only imagine that many would consider him a fool for making that decision both with his family and friends.
When he had this dream, he without hesitation did what the angel told him to do. He risked his reputation, his being seen as righteous by the religious community, and even being seen as cut off from the people. His dream stretched him beyond himself to be willing to raise God's son as his own. To love him and teach him the carpentry trade and support him without question. Not many are willing or able to do that. I have known many step-parents who have done well with raising children that they were not the biological parent. It requires a special effort to go beyond one's natural inclinations to be unconditionally supportive. We do not have any stories about Jesus' childhood though what we have would indicate a father who was caring and supportive.
Dreams have a way of helping us in times such as those that Joseph faced. I wonder how many of us would unconditionally do what a dream would say to us. I know my tendency would be to analyze the dream often to death rather than trust it explicitly. Yet scripture points out how dreams have been given to people as messages from God. As I reflect on this Christmas season, I feel that the birth of Jesus was God's great dream for creation and its redemption. I would invite others to dream the big dreams and be willing to act on your dreams. That is why I am now a pastor. For God had a dream for me and no matter how hard I tried to avoid the dream, I finally was willing to live the dream that God had for me. I have never regretted that decision even when others questioned my choice. But I know that it is through God that I am able to do what I do and to God be the glory.

Christmas Unwrapped

Last Wednesday during our reflection service, I talked about some interesting facts about this time of year. The information came from an article in the book Christmas Unwrapped: Consumerism, Christ and Culture edited by Richard Horsley and James Tracy, 2001. The article was written by Richard Horsley and I wanted to include a portion of that for those who were not at the service. Here it is:
Advent reflection

Imagine a complex multicultural society with a great, elaborate festival that lasted not simply for a few days but for several weeks:
A great festival celebrated in honor of the birth of the Lord and Savior of the world, the Prince of Peace, a man who was also worshipped as divine
A great festival celebrating abundance, with indulgence in feasting, drinking, and gift giving
A great festival during which the poor were recipients of the philanthropy and generous giving of the rich, so that they could enjoy festive food at least once a year, when all feasted on sumptuous fare
A great festival whose presence virtually pervaded public space, visually and otherwise
A prolonged festival filled with a surfeit of public entertainments in song, dance, theater, and athletic games
A prolonged festival during which local political and religious leaders presided over various rituals and ceremonies
A prolonged festival in which the very wealthy people of a city sponsored parades and lavished public displays that both entertained the masses and brought their own names to public attention
A prolonged festival in which sales of goods and services flourished as at no other time of year
A great festival that brought a sense of unity to the civic community while honoring the Savior
(The Gospel of the Saviors birth, 113).
What do you feel this describes?

It certainly seems to describe the holiday season of today.
Actually it describes what was happening during the Roman Empire to celebrate a different savior of the world Caesar Augustus. These ceremonies would be prevalent around the time of Jesus. The belief of Jesus' birth was that it occurred in the Spring not winter. The early church did not celebrate Jesus' birth but rather his death and resurrection (see Paul's letters which do not mention Jesus' birth or much about his life). Over time the church began to spend time looking at his life and birth. They began to celebrate that in opposition to the Roman celebrations honoring their savior. This makes one read the gospel stories of the birth maybe in a new light. Jesus as opposed to Caesar who is the savior of the world?
Today we seem to be in the same dynamics of what is our salvation. Is it the world's greatest military (like Rome)? Is it our commerce and consumerism? Or is it Christ? Something to reflect on in our families this Christmas time.