For The Beauty Of The Earth

One of my parishioners sent me an interesting article this morning.  It was an article about something that the Pope stated the other day.  He was discussing art in all of its forms, painting, music, poetry, etc. and how when people are exposed to art they are also "invited by beauty to 'ascend to God.'"  I have to agree with him.  In my own life I have been exposed to various works of art.  I am always amazed at the gifts that some people are able to create with their own hands.  People are creative because God is creative.  He created the Heavens and the Earth and since we are made in his image, we also create.

But I think it goes beyond just creating something.  God speaks to us in so many amazing ways.  He loves people so much that he is trying to get our attention in what ever way that he can.  He seeks us out with his Holy Spirit and draws us to himself.  He does so out of his deep love and compassion for people.  Through all of creation we are beckoned to God and brought up to his very throne-room.

Unfortunately, not everyone is able to see him through the works of art, nature, or relationships.  Sometimes we choose to close our eyes to the great beauty surrounding us, both human-made and made by God.  When we lived in Kentucky, Myranda and I enjoyed going for drives through the Bluegrass during the spring and fall.  It was absolutely incredible to see the majesty and beauty of the world around us.  I don't know if people who were born and raised in that country ever truly appreciate it or not.

Kentucky Horse Farm outside of Danville, KY

On the other hand, being raised in West Texas, there is a unique beauty of in our country too.  Maybe it's not as evident this year as in other years, but it is there for us to see.  In the three years I lived in Kentucky I never saw a sunset that even came close to the sunsets that we have here in our part of the world.  In fact, because of the hills and trees, I'm not sure I ever saw a sunset at all.

West Texas sunset outside of Tahoka, TX

St. Paul tells us in Romans that "Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made."  Regardless of where we live, God reveals himself to us.  It is up to us to raise our eyes and look for him in all of creation.

Whether we are looking in art galleries, listening to fine pieces of music, reading heart warming poetry, or hiking through the natural world, let's look to see God's activity and his amazing calling card that he leaves for us to see him.  Until next time...


"Therefore, may our visits to places of art be not only an occasion for cultural enrichment--also this--but may they become, above all, a moment of grace that moves us to strengthen our bond and our conversation with the Lord, [that moves us] to stop and contemplate--in passing from the simple external reality to the deeper reality expressed--the ray of beauty that strikes us, that 'wounds' us in the intimate recesses of our heart and invites us to ascend to God.''--Pope Benedict XVI





+May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you.

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Trust in him, and he will act.

This has been a busy week here in Haskell.  We've had meetings, three open house nights at school, church activities, and an unexpected injury around here.  I've discovered that ministry is like that.  Some weeks are quiet while others are hectic.  Most of life is like that.  We go through times of busy-ness and activity and other times of slowing down and "normal" activity.

During those normal days, it can be fairly easy to remain in the Word of God, pray, and keep focus on Christian discipleship.  But the problem with that is that our devotions can become rote; we do something because we always do it.  On the other hand, during those times of busy-ness and activity it can be hard to remain focused on our walk with the LORD.  We can get so busy that we begin to drift away from where we were.

Then there are those times that we do everything we know to do.  We pray every day.  We read our Bibles and keep our minds focused on the Father's ministry.  Even in the midst of those times, it can seem as though we don't hear from God.  It can seem that we are simply spinning our wheels and that we are doing this all by ourselves.  That is where I've been this week.  In the midst of all of this activity I have continued to seek the Kingdom of God.  I have remained faithful and yet God has seemed distant this week.  Maybe it's because I have been so busy that I have failed to really look to see where he is active in the midst of ministry, family, and life.  Perhaps if I were to just slow down even in the middle of the busy schedule I would see how he is actively involved in what is going on around me.

When I start feeling like this I like to look to the Psalms.  In the 37th Psalm, the psalmist writes "Trust in the LORD, and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security.  Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.  He will make your vindication shine like the light, and the justice of your cause like the noonday.  Be still before the LORD, and wait patiently for him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices" (3-7).

What the psalmist is saying is what we, as the people of God, should do is to continue doing what we know we are supposed to do.  The LORD is there with us...he continues to be there in our midst even when he seems far away.  He is acting for us, in us, and through us.  He is ministering all around us, even if we can't always see how his plans are coming together.  In West Texas we have a saying, "Keep on keepin' on."  That seems to be what the psalmist is telling us here.  Even if it seems as though we are doing this discipleship thing alone, God is with us.  Even if we fail to have the eyes to see and the ears to hear, the Holy Spirit is active.  He is going out and preparing the way for us so that we can join him in ministry in the name of Jesus Christ.

This song by Barlow Girl is one that helps to remind me of the truth of Psalm 37.  This kind of song might not be what some of you typically listen to, but I hope you listen anyway.  The lyrics always encourage me in my daily walk, even in the midst of silence.



Until next time...

+May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

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When He Came to Himself...

This past semester I took a class on spiritual formation.  One of the assignments that we were given was to take a day for personal reflection, prayer, and meditation.  I decided to use that day of prayer to seek God's direction for me as I entered my first appointment with the Church.  During that time of reflection, the Spirit led me to the parables of Jesus Christ.  As I read through those familiar stories I began to sense that the LORD wanted me to preach through the parables the first few weeks that I was in Haskell.  I made a calendar and began to choose which parable I would preach on which Sunday.  Back in April I thought this would be a fun way of entering into the community of faith with my parishioners.

The more time I've spent in these stories told by Jesus, the more I realize that perhaps this sermon series was less for them and more for me.  I have gained so many valuable things in my own spiritual development that I have literally been driven to my knees in prayer, confession, and seeking God's mercy.  I have been reminded over and over of God's great compassion and love that he has for all people.  I have also been reminded of humanity's self-centered attitude and our amazing ability to forget all the good things that the LORD our God has done for us.

This past Sunday I preached from the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32).  This parable is quite possibly the most beautiful short story I have ever read.    I'm sure you're all well aware of this story and the final outcome, so I won't rehash all of that.  But one thing that has really been impressed upon me since I proclaimed this message is how truly loving our Father is.  Because of his desire for us to have our own mind he allows us to leave down the road with our inheritance.  Yet, in his heart he continues to love us and desire for us "to come to ourselves" (or "come to our senses"--NIV).  He genuinely desires that intimate relationship with us but he will not force it upon us.

The more I've thought about this story, the more I see how loving our Father is.  In the song "Wonderful, Merciful Savior" we are reminded how far the Father has gone in reclaiming us as his own.  In verse 1, we are told of Jesus Christ and his death on the cross so that we can be reconciled to our Father.  In verse 2, we are told of the Holy Spirit and his active pursuit of us even when we leave with every intention of never returning.  He helps us come to our senses so that we can come back to the Father.  And then, of course, is the Father.  Verse 3 speaks of him.  When we return, there he is...loving us, having compassion on us, and placing a ring on our finger, a robe on our back, and sandals on our feet.  All that we can do is fall down in confession and in humiliation, and he responds in steadfast love with grace.

I have learned to love our Father more this week.  I have learned to appreciate the Son more this week.  I have also learned to lean on the Spirit more this week.  Perhaps that is a part of the Christian journey.  Loving, appreciating, and leaning on God in all three persons more and more as we walk the road of life.

I encourage you to read through the story of the prodigal son, think about your own faith journey, and then reflect on that as you listen to Selah's version of "Wonderful, Merciful Savior."  

Until next time...

+May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

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Ground That Drinks Up the Rain

Okay, I admit it.  I'm an introvert.  Being an introvert doesn't necessarily mean that a person is shy or timid.  It simply means that in order for us to recharge our batteries that we need alone time.  We need to go off somewhere by ourselves with no one around.  This week has been a busy week for me.  Monday was especially hectic.  I was trying to work on my next sermon and the phone kept ringing and people really needed to see me.  

I don't have a problem with all of that, except that I get drained that way.  I was really in need of quiet and peace.  One thing that I find interesting is that Jesus too needed time away.  Many times, you will find him going off somewhere to simply be who he is.  This usually occurred after he had been with large crowds.  Maybe he was an introvert too.

Anyway, by Wednesday evening I was completely drained.  After I got finished at the church, Myranda and I went out and helped do some work around town and then we went home and ate supper.  She called her mom and I went out in the back yard.  Since the girls have been gone for the last two weeks, it has been especially quiet around our house.  I sat out in the swing in the backyard and simply was a human being.  I didn't "do" anything.  I just was.  As I sat there, I noticed that it was a little cooler than it usually is of an early evening in Haskell.  I looked into the sky and there was a rain cloud forming almost right above me.  I sat and watched it for awhile wondering if it would form into a nice summer storm.  In a bit, it began to thunder and then it began to rain.  It was the first rain I have seen since leaving Kentucky back in May.  Before moving back home, I knew that Texas was in the midst of a drought, but I had no idea how bad it was until I got here.  I watched the rain fall for about 15 minutes, thankful that we were getting a little bit of relief.  I also remembered back to April when we received about 16 inches of rain in one month in Wilmore.  Once again God reminded me of something.

Yes, it really does look like this...

He reminded me that I am wired to receive renewal through my alone time.  That's when the Spirit brings the living water into me.  If I get too involved with others or if I get too busy with the doings of ministry then I become like the parched land of West Texas.  My spirit becomes dried up and the winds of life consume me. However, as long as I continue to remain tuned into God through prayer, Bible reading, worship, and yes even time alone, the Word of God is given a chance to grow, mature, and take me on to perfection.  This is not only for my good, it is also for the good of the community I serve.

The writer of Hebrews says it like this, "Ground that drinks up the rain falling on it repeatedly, and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God.  But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and on the verge of being cursed; its end is to be burned over" (6:7-8).  I gladly accepted both the actual rain and the spiritual rain that fell on me Wednesday evening.  It rejuvenated my soul and helped me to continue on in ministry for the rest of the week.  I thank the Father that he has indeed planted a good seed inside of me and inside every child of God.  I thank the Spirit that he continues to bring life giving rain into my spiritual life and that he continues to grow that seed into perfection.  I also thank Jesus Christ that he came to teach and to live a life as an example to us.  I thank him for being that seed that was planted into the ground and then was made alive again to produce a healthy crop.

We continue to pray for rain here in Texas.  I know that the rains will come and there will be great rejoicing and thanking God for his provision through and his end to the drought.  But more importantly, I thank God that he continues to send spiritual rain to all people who truly seek the Kingdom of God.  Until next time...

+May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.



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It Takes Two

As most of you know, I love old movies.  I can sit and watch movies from the 30's-60's over and over.  I usually laugh in the same spots and cry in the same spots.  Even though I know what is going to happen, I still get drawn into the story as I watch these old shows.  I was reminded of the movie "Shenandoah" the other day when I was visiting with some people here in Haskell.  Here is a clip from that classic:

I began to think about this movie and the rugged lifestyle of the people who moved West looking for a better life.  Jimmy Stewart's character is right.  These pioneers did have to fight their way to this better life.  They had to tame  the land, struggle against the weather, and experience set backs that most of us will never face.

On the other hand, God has been intersecting my life through the parables of Jesus Christ this past month.  I have been preaching a series of sermons where we are reminded of the stories of Christ and explore what he was getting across to us through these tales.  Over the last couple of weeks I have been immersed in two farmers' stories.  The first was the story of the wheat and the weeds and the other was the story of the sower.

In light of Jimmy Stewart's prayer, I have been thinking about God's part and our part of the arrangement.  Stewart is right.  Most of us do have to work hard for a living.  If we go to school, we have to study, read, write, and attend the classes.  We have to take the tests and try to learn from our mistakes.  After we graduate, we have to be productive employees.  We must do the tasks that we have been hired for and we expect to get paid for doing our job.  In fact, St, Paul says it this way, "For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat.  For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work.  Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living."

On the other hand, Stewart's character only gave part of the story.  It's true that he and his family cleared the land, planted, and watered.  It's true that the family worked extremely hard for what they have.  But, what about the sunshine and rain?  What about the life hidden away inside those small seeds that they planted?  Did the farmers provide that too?

In all parts of human life, it takes both.  It takes our own hard work and willingness to do what needs to be done.  However, every farmer must admit that he or she farms in faith.  After the land is cleared and plowed.  After the seed is planted into the earth, there is not much a person can do.  God gives the growth.

The same is true about our spiritual lives.  We must continue to prepare the soil of our hearts to be changed.  We must continue to pour the life giving water of Scripture into our minds.  We must remember to keep our ears open to the whispers of the Holy Spirit.  We must intentionally make ourselves available to God.  However, that is our job.  It is God's job to grow us through the Spirit into mature Christians.  It is God's job to transform us into the image of Jesus Christ.  It is God's job to instill into us holiness.

Both our physical work and our spiritual work attest to this fact.  St. Paul also says "What then is Apollos?  What is Paul?  Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each.  I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.  So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives growth."  Until next time...

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Speaking the Truth in Love.

Ephesians 4:15

My first couple of weeks as the pastor of First UMC Haskell has been interesting, exciting, and fun.  I really didn't know what to expect when I first got here, but honestly I never would have thought that it would be as enjoyable as it has been.  Now I'm not saying that there hasn't been some frustrations and that there hasn't been a couple of surprises along the way, but I am saying that I'm really glad God called me into the pastorate.

Last week, I was asked to do a funeral for a man I never met.  I did speak to him on the phone once, but that was the extent of our relationship.  When I sat down with his family to go over the service, they were gracious, kind, and understanding of the situation in which we found ourselves.  At the end of the service, they were pleased with what had been said and so I was happy that they had felt the love of God through the words spoken.  One of the most interesting things about that funeral actually happened after the service was over when I sat down with some of the family to visit at the lunch that our ladies provided.  One of the members of the family was visiting with me about some things and he gave me his testimony.  He excitedly told me how God got a hold of him a few years before and how God hasn't let go since.  I thoroughly enjoyed our visit.

But that's not the best part of the story.  At one point in our conversation he told me an observation that he has made over the last few years.  He said, "Preacher, I've noticed something about ministers.  There are some guys who make great preachers but are terrible pastors.  There are some guys who make great pastors but are terrible preachers.  It's really rare to find both qualities in one person."  This comment really got me to thinking.  Over the last several years I have heard many, many preachers.  Some have been good, some have been not so good.  A couple have been exceptional, and one or two have been down right awful.  I'm not sure where my rating falls on the scale, but I do try to preach from the Scripture and I do the best I can to hear from God before, during, and after sermon preparation.

As far as pastoring goes, I try to be intentional in visiting with those who are lonely, sick, and heavy burdened.  I try to keep up with the comings and goings of the fine folks of Haskell UMC.  I'm not sure where I fall on this scale either; I'm sure I could do better in both preaching and pastoring.

Regardless of my own abilities, I think what I am just beginning to realize is that there is a fine balance between preaching and pastoring.  A person called into ordained ministry really can't neglect one in order to do the other extremely well.  Those of us in full time ministry really need to strive, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to do the very best that we can in both areas.  I think that may be partly what Paul was talking about in Ephesians 4.  His main point was that all the people of God should continue to strive to live a life that reflects God's loving presence in our life and to be his people according to the Holy Word.  The unity of the body of Christ is paramount for us to be a light unto the nations.

As a pastor, verse 15-16 are verses for me to continually strive to attain.  "But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love."  In preaching, I hope to speak the truth.  In pastoring I hope to show the love of God.  I hope that my work in the pastorate is a healthy combination of truth and love so that the body of Christ is knit together and is built up for the proper work of our Father.

So as of today, that's where I am.  I'm pushing myself in both of these directions.  My prayer is that I will continue that healthy balance between truth and love.  When we think about it we remember that God is both.  God is love and Jesus Christ is the truth.  May each one of us be imitators of Christ in all we say and do.
Until next time...

+May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.+

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Now what?

Five years ago, the LORD called me in the night and gave me what sounds like fairly simple instructions.  In a voice that could only belong to the Father and creator of the world I heard three simple words, "Pastor my people."  At the time, I really had no idea what this calling on my life would entail.  I knew that I would visit with the sick and the lonely.  I figured that I would preach sermons, plan worship, and hang out in the church office a couple of days a week.  Other than that, I had no idea.  After 97 hours of graduate work on an MDiv (I picked up an extra hour just in case), I still am not sure exactly what it is I am supposed to be doing.

Myranda and I arrived in Haskell on Tuesday to friendly faces and welcoming folks.  We have been spoiled with two kinds of banana pudding, fried chicken, Mexican casserole, chocolate pie, cookies, brownies, Blue Bell ice cream, homemade salsa, and various other snacks and foods.  Our new to us house was spotless and ready to be moved into.  Despite our "stuff" being strung between Kentucky and Texas, our transition into Haskell has been great.

But that still leaves me a little unsure of what exactly it is that I'm supposed to be doing.  I've made a few phone calls, unlocked the church doors, and even visited with the SPRC chairman a couple of times.  I wrote out my testimony for this Sunday's service, chose the songs to sing, and prayed about what to say and for the people of this wonderful community.  But even so, the question remains, "What am I really supposed to do?"

While this question has been weighing on my mind the last few days, I sat down with my Bible for my morning devotional.  I have to admit with the moving and other activities of late, I have not had my regular devotional time the way I like to do it.  But perhaps the Holy Spirit was moving me away from my normal routine for a specific reason.  This morning, I finished reading 1 Peter.  I think the Holy Spirit chose to reveal this passage to me today for a good reason.  Here is what I read this morning,

"Now as an elder myself and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory to be revealed, I exhort the elders among you to tend the flock of God that is in your charge, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have you do it--not for sordid gain but eagerly.  Do no lord it over those in your charge, but be examples to the flock.  And when the chief shepherd appears, you will win the crown of glory that never fades away."--1 Peter 5:1-4

In a most wonderful and profound manner, I got my marching orders this morning.  I am eager to carry out my duties as an elder in the church.  I am excited to know that the LORD has placed me here in Haskell at this time.  Over the coming weeks I am going to try to get to know the people, the ministries, and the community.  I pray that God will strengthen me as an example to the flock here and that when the chief shepherd appears he will be pleased with my effort and my devotion to his calling.

First United Methodist Church, Haskell, TX

If you are ever in Haskell, I encourage you to make your way over to Haskell UMC.  We would love to see you and show you around.  I might even buy you a blizzard at the DQ!  Until next time...

+May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you.


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